As the baseball world wraps up play prior to the All-Star break, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Kiermaier on waivers:
The Blue Jays are 8.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the AL and seven games under .500 after going just 8-14 in their last three weeks of play. That’s led the club to begin considering trading away rental players this summer as they pivot more firmly towards selling, and news yesterday that they’ve placed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on waivers is the latest signal that the Jays are open to shedding some veterans. Waivers are a 48-hour process, so a resolution can be expected today or tomorrow (depending on when the Jays formally placed the veteran on waivers).
Any claiming team would be on the hook for the remainder of Kiermaier’s $10.5M salary, and that hefty price tag makes a claim rather unlikely. It’s certainly feasible that teams would have interest in Kiermaier’s speed and elite defense in a scenario where the Jays eat most of his salary in a trade, but the four-time Gold Glove winner (and former Platinum Glove winner) is hitting just .191/.238/.295 in 72 games this season (51 wRC+). Kiermaier is still owed about $4.5MM between now and season’s end.
2. Futures Game this weekend:
Although play around the league won’t stop until Monday, MLB is kicking off All-Star week festivities tomorrow with the Futures Game. The game, which is scheduled for 3:10pm CT and will be broadcast on MLB Network, is set to feature a number of top prospects from around the game, including catcher Samuel Basallo of the Orioles, infielder Colson Montgomery of the White Sox, and outfielder Spencer Jones of the Yankees in the AL. Meanwhile, the NL will feature top talents like Reds righty Rhett Lowder, Padres catcher Ethan Salas, Pirates infielder Termarr Johnson, and Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews.
The weekend will also feature a Skills Showcase where eight prospects from around the league (Basallo, Johnson, Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros, Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony, Nationals infielder Brady House, Rangers infielder Sebastian Walcott, Reds infielder Cam Collier, and Rays infielder Tre’ Morgan) will compete in a series of three events designed to show off their hitting talents. You can read more about the event, which is set to air on Sunday at 9:00am CT, in this piece from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
3. 2024 Draft to kick off Sunday:
All-Star week has also begun to feature the MLB draft in recent years, and the first round of this year’s draft is scheduled to begin at 6pm CT on Sunday. All eyes will be on the state of Ohio, as the Guardians and Reds will be picking first and second overall, respectively, after winning the top two spots in the draft lottery over the offseason. Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Georgia outfielder Charlie Condon, West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt, Florida two-way star Jac Caglianone, Arkansas lefty Hagen Smith, and Wake Forest righty Chase Burns are among the prospects receiving the most buzz ahead of the draft.
Kiermaier is still an absolute beast of a CF’er. What if the Phillies flipped Whit Merrifield, who played in Toronto last year and has a similar salary, for Kiermaier? This would allow Marsh to stay at his best position (LF) and Pache can play CF vs. LHP. Edmundo Sosa may be the best 5th INF in MLB, he’s got the backup covered so we don’t really need Whit. They could option Rojas to AAA when this trade for Brent Rooker (which has legs) goes through. When that happens, Marsh would get the bulk of CF playing time vs. RHP, making Kiermaier an ideal 4th OF’er. Late in games with a lead, Topper can bump Marsh to LF and insert Kiermaier into CF replacing Rooker. The Phightins will get an up close look at Rooker & Mason Miller this weekend at the bank. Don’t be surprised if both are wearing Phillies pinstripes after the Allstar break. The broke Oakland A’s wouldn’t even have to pay for their flight to Philly, they can stay there and get acclimated during the break.
The Jays don’t want Merrifield.
They don’t need or want a declining older player that costs the same as KK. They want KK’s salary off the books.
I’m gonna echo Canuckleball here. I understand why the Phillies would want this, but I don’t see any incentive for Toronto. Philly would have to pay both players’ salaries or send a prospect along with Merrifield–something like that–to even get Toronto’s attention.
I don’t see why the Phillies would want this either.
They already have LH hitting OF’s to a point where they just released Dahl. They needed a RH hitting OF which is what Merrifield is. Additionally, Rojas came back from his stint in AAA where he worked on multiple issues, and has been playing an excellent CF and hitting well since returning So currently to Phiilies are fine in the OF.
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The nonsense on this board about teams I follow is out of hand (nothing you wrote account2)……..
When Realmuto was hurt the announcement was they hoped he’d be back in August. Immediately there were: 1) Trade scenarios because the writers and fans figured the Phillies backup catchers stunk; and 2) people chimed in saying with that sort of injury August might not be possible and Realmuto could possibly miss the entire season so they had to trade their better prospects for a big name catcher – because their contention window may close after the season…….or something like that. As if today……
1) The backup Catchers for the Phillies did an excellent job. The team continued to win at their earlier pace; the catchers handled the staffs and hit.
2) Realmuto has taken batting practice the past 2 days and had hoped to be activated before the All-Star break. The Phillies FO see no reason to rush things, so while Realmuto is with the team and working out with them, he won’t be activated till right after the All-Star break…in mid-July…..not August….or after the season.
@Samuel- Excellent point. People love jumping to conclusions and rushing things despite it being a 6 month long season. That’s why 99.99% of fans who think they can do a better job than their team’s GM are wrong.
Jays are cost cutting/conceding the season. Why would they want a “similar salary”? Well thought out for Philly, zero thought put into Jays position.
Everybody knows Kiermaier is one of the best defensive CFs in baseball – has been for years. When TOR brought him back this year, they did so with the understanding that he cannot hit – hasn’t hit for years, and that didn’t change. And so he’s cast off for being what they knew he’d be in the first place. Did anyone think he’d suddenly hit .275?
big difference between a 96 career ops+ and his current 51
Gads…..
So sick of reading posts where someone makes a point using or a stat or two, then someone else counters with a different stat or two.
What’s the point?
This only points out how contradictory the dozens of publicly available stats are – making them next to worthless in evaluating something.
Stats LIE. Always have. Always will (Video as well.) Without perspective and context anyone can “prove” anything and claim it’s a “Fact”…..SO THERE! And we all know: FACTS MATTER!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL
He had a 103 OPS+ just last season. He only needs to be a roughly league average hitter to be a good player overall.
This year, the bat is truly bad. It’s literally the worst of his career.
It was a mistake to bring him back not because of the current hitting woes, but simply because they already had a gold glove CF who doesn’t hit much and they didn’t need a second.
Canuckleball;
How many older players that the Blue Jays signed the past 3-4 years got better for more than a year before they resumed their slide down? Springer? Let’s see next year.
The Jays are a terrible organization. Like an inept prospector that opens up a closed mine searching for gold, they spend too much time looking at statistics because they don’t understand the game.
So a veteran overpaid player whose salary they took on because their farm system doesn’t produce young players and their ML coaches don’t develop and maintain them, is withering away this year. We need to search out statistics to show this? The same thing happened to multiple players on their roster the past 3-4 years…..and the problem grows. We have a trajectory – a trend – here. This is a macro view of the situation. Why do we need to look at one players statistics in 2024 and jump on him as if doing something is going to change the situation?
Apparently Oakland isn’t budging with Mason Miller. They asked the Phils for Aiden Miller, which ain’t happening. Think if the Phillies actually acquire both it would look something like this:
D. Hall 1B (AAA)
S. Muzziotti CF (#14)
W. Bergolla SS (#10)
E. Tait C (#8)
M. Abel RHP (#3)
G. McGarry RHP (#7)
S. Aldegheri LHP (#20)
For:
M. Miller CL
B. Rooker LF
More of a quantity over quality type return, with the Phillies giving up a 40 man roster guy or two- plus 2-3 top 10 organizational prospects & 2-3 top 20’s. Oakland knows they aren’t competing anytime soon, why keep a dominant closer that’s going to get really expensive in the next 3 years?
Reminds me of when the Phillies were awful back in the 2015-2016 seasons. Their best asset was a closer, Ken Giles. They flipped Giles for a package similar to the one mentioned above: a 40 man guy plus 4 or 5 top 20 organizational prospects, some close to MLB ready.
As this point, the A’s will probably hold onto Miller unless they feel they’re winning the trade. I do think there is a point they have to start worrying about how bad their image is in general. If they trade Miller, and whiff on the return, it’s throwing gas on an already lit fire.
I think the A’s are probably done doing quantity over quality trades. They’ve taken that gamble a few times to deepen their system and now it’s time they take back potential difference makers.
@609 Collectables
Where would Rooker play? He’s an appalling fielder, you don’t want him in the outfield, and you’ve got this Bryce Harper guy at 1st, Schwarber at DH.. So I don’t think that’s likely.
Mason Miller is at the All Star game, so there will be a bit of travel involved one way or the other. Has Leslie Nielsen (sorry) Dave D left you with any near ready prospects at all? We’d want Abel and pieces or Painter for Mason Miller…
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With a name like Tink Hence, you just know he’s going to sprinkle some fairy dust on those pitches!
Tink Hence projects as a middle-to-top-of-the-rotation starter if he continues to develop his secondary pitches and gain experience.
Tink’s an odd name. His given first name is Markevian, so Mark was right there.
Considering his nickname comes from his mom calling him Stinker when he was 5, I think I would have gone with Mark.
To each their own
Uh huh, Mariners trident, pretty cool…Rally monkey, pretty dumb…Thunder sticks, even dumber. At least the trident represents the team.
It’s pretty dumb comparing something designed to stir up the fans to a stupid dugout celebration. And I do think the Trident was just as silly as last year’s Samurai Helmet that the Angels had.
@chalk- The trident is also designed to “stir up” the fans so what are you on about? The player is handed the trident outside the dugout and they raise it to get the fans fired up before they take it in with them.
Sign Bauer for the league minimum with 100 years of league minimum club options. No incentives or buyouts.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha….
I would think that the Royals / Red Sox series kicking off today would be a headliner, even over (checks notes) the vaunted career stops of Kevin Kiermeier.
Both the Red Sox and the Royals are surprise and likable teams, now in a head-to-head fight for the Wild Card in the AL.
But there are many ways to bury the lede these days. For example, the Cardinals just got swept in a doubleheader (to the Royals) and the MLB .com shill, er, reporter didn’t even mention the game results until the fifth paragraph, instead polishing the fan halo on some guy who went 2 for 8 in the doubleheader.
Red Sox/ Royals should be a fun series indeed.
@Urkel- Funny because every team has a HR celebration and you chose to single out the one that actually makes sense based on team nickname and received near universal praise when MLB.com polled a bunch of people within the game to rank the best HR celebrations. M’s finished #1. But to show I’m not just crapping on the Angels, the samurai helmet was #2. So whatever.