Top 15 FREE AGENT Predictions - Predicting Landing Spots Now That BASEBALL IS BACK...

Mercifully, the MLB vs MLBPA Lockout of 2021-2022 has ENDED. During this lockout, there was little point to predicting free agents and speculating about potential trades. Now, however, with Spring Training about to ramp up and the free agent market about to explode, it’s time to speculate!

This blog will cover the top 15 remaining Free Agents on the market according to Draft Kings and it’s quite a list, including former Giant Kris Bryant and, of course, the likes of Trevor Story and Carlos Correa. Where will these guys sign? The excitement for free agency has returned with a vengeance and things are about to go absolutely insane so let’s get into it…

15. Zack Greinke, RHP

Starting with one of my favorite non-Giant players in the league, Zack Greinke, is one of the biggest name starting pitchers available. An article just came out on the McCovey Chronicles explaining why the San Francisco Giants should sign Greinke . He’s obviously a much different pitcher than Kevin Gausman, who has already signed with the Mariners. Greinke is 38 years old, doesn’t strike out a ton of guys, but he’s still very effective, or at least he was in 2021, going 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA. However, he struggled in the second half and dealt with a neck injury - and again, he’s 38 years old. There are rumors the Dodgers could be interested in bringing him back.

I don’t see the Giants signing a big name like Greinke given the strong possibility he’s just too far past his prime and won’t be able to be effective. The Giants can’t really afford to take that chance, but a team that can afford to gamble on Greinke could be the Yankees, who are very much known for signing veterans with big names who may be a bit past their prime. However, back in 2018 there was a list of teams that Greinke had on his no-trade list as part of his contract. The Yankees were on that list and so were the Dodgers and Giants. Does that mean he won’t sign with them? Not necessarily. I still think the Yankees are possible, but what about the World Champion Atlanta Braves, who were not on his list and could use some depth behind the big 3 of Friend, Anderson and Morton. They do have Kyle Wright and some other good young arms like Tucker Davidson, but a veteran guy like Greinke could be a solid addition. He knows how to pitch and lives in Orlando, Florida - not too far from Atlanta. I’ll say Greinke signs with the Atlanta Braves.

Prediction: Atlanta Braves

14. Kenley Jansen, RHP

Kenley Jansen has been extremely reliable for the Dodgers over the course of his career but there were definitely some concerning moments in 2021, especially when the Dodgers played the Giants. As a Giants fan, Jansen looked horrible at times. However, the stats don’t lie - Jansen had a 2.22 ERA, 38 Saves and an 11.2 strikeout per nine ratio in 2021. I have a hard time seeing him in another uniform but am curious if he’s getting sick of being the scapegoat in L.A., maybe he decides to get out, but if I had to guess, I think Jansen stays put on a 3 or 4 years deal. Kenley Jansen re-signs with the Dodgers.

Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers

13. Anthony Rizzo, 1B

Next up is Anthony Rizzo. In my original free agent predictions, I had him staying with the Yankees. He’s a four-time Gold Glover who knows how to work the count and also brings consistency with power and contact.  He may not be a 30+ home run hitter anymore, but he came through in the biggest game of the year with a home run in the Wild Card Game.  He plays solid defense. This is an obvious guy to bring back for the Yankees, but they did tender a contract to Luke Voit, a really good hitter with power but his defense is questionable and he gets hurt a lot. With the Universal DH in place now, I think Voit could get traded - I’m not convinced he’s the future staring first baseman for the Yankees. I think they will re-sign Anthony Rizzo.

Prediction: New York Yankees

12. Jorge Soler, OF/DH

The 2021 World Series MVP left every one impressed and wondering where the hell this guy would end up in 2022. It’s not like he just came out of nowhere - this is a dude who hit 48 home runs for the Royals in 2019. His exit velocity is next-level and now, again, with the Universal DH, Soler could sign almost anywhere. The Braves will, I assume, try very hard to re-sign him. The Cardinals could be a decent fit and even the Giants, who haven’t had a power-hitter like that since Barry Bonds, could definitely use him. The Chicago Cubs, the team he started with, are also a possibility. However, I’m going to say the Braves do whatever they can to re-sign him and bring that magic back for 2022. The Braves have to try to repeat and an important step in doing so is bringing back your World Series MVP. I say Soler stays with Atlanta.

Prediction: Atlanta Braves

11. Seiya Suzuki, OF

Seiya Suzuki is my #1 free agent for the San Francisco Giants. He was an absolute beast in Japan, hitting 38 bombs last year with an average over .300. He’ll probably project closer to hitting around .285 with 25 home runs in the States, but I still want this guy in San Francisco as do most Giants fans. He’s only 27 years old and I see big things for his future although you never know how that transition will go. I’ve heard the Cubs, Padres, Mariners and Red Sox are also in on Suzuki and other teams likely are as well. The thing about Suzuki is, unlike other free agents of the past that Giants fans like myself have wanted, I’m hearing the Giants brought up by more than just Giants fans and local Giants media. They seem to be the consensus favorite in general to land Suzuki. After so many disappointments, I’m beginning to feel some optimism that the Giants finally land the big name they’re after. I’ve got Seiya Suzuki signing with the San Francisco Gigantes.

Predictions: San Francisco Giants

10. Nelson Cruz, DH

Next up is the ageless wonder, Nelson Cruz, who had I originally had going to the Oakland A’s, but I’m going to alter that in today’s update. The DH is officially in the National League now and there are 15 teams that didn’t have a DH in 2021 who will need one in 2022. Some of the teams may already have a nice option lined up but not all. The San Diego Padres should be interested as will the Brewers, who lost Avisail Garcia to the Marlins in free agency. Is it possible he returns to Minnesota where he seemed pretty comfortable before getting traded to Tampa Bay. Another former team he could return to is the Mariners. I think all of these are possibilities, but I’m going to say the Brewers make him an offer he can’t refuse. They didn’t tender a contract to Daniel Vogelbach so there’s room for a DH and this a team that has been trying to win for the last few years - Yelich has been struggling and they need more power to go along with that great pitching staff. I’ve got Cruz going to the BrewCrew.

Prediction: Milwaukee Brewers

9. Michael Conforto, OF

At #9 on this list is Michael Conforto, who struggled last year. His power numbers were down and his average went down although he still got on base with a decent .344 on base percentage. He may be looking to re-establish himself with a one-year deal. I don’t see him staying with the Mets after such a tough season both for himself and the team, although who knows what he’s actually thinking. Teams that seem like a possible fit could be the Phillies, Nationals, Rockies, the Reds, the Marlins, potentially the Giants as well. I originally had him going to Seattle and I’m going to stick with that - he is from Seattle and the Mariners are obviously going for it and trying to add some quality veterans to go with the amazing young roster they have. I say Conforto decides to go home and sign with the Seattle Mariners.

Prediction: Seattle Mariners

8. Clayton Kershaw, LHP

Next up is the future Hall-of-Fame career Dodger Clayton Kershaw. He had solid numbers last season and is still a quality starter any team would love to have. He’s one of the better pitchers in baseball and with the Rangers obviously going insane this offseason signing Seager and Semien, they are going for it big-time. They are all-in. However, if they really expect to compete for a World Series championship, they need better pitching. Their rotation is okay with Jon Gray, Taylor Hearn, Dane Dunning but you need one more big name in that rotation - an Ace - a Hall of Fame arm still not completely over the hill although yes, a little past his prime, but Clayton Kershaw, who is from the Dallas area and Arlington is bascially right there in that Dallas-Fort Worth area, will sign with the Rangers.

Prediction: Texas Rangers

7. Carlos Rodon, LHP

Everything came together for Carlos Rodon in 2021 - he was 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA and ridiculous 12.7 Strikeout per Nine Ratio. The White Sox certainly would love to bring him back, but his agent is Mr. Scott Boras and he will be looking for a substantial raise after a fantastic All Star season.  The Red Sox and Cardinals have been rumored as potential landing spots. The Angels, Twins, Astros, Nationals and Giants all need starting pitching help.  The Tigers are making big moves and could be interested. However, I’m going to predict the Angels finally sign a top starting pitcher to join Shohei Ohtani in that rotation – I don’t know who it will be but I’ll go ahead and predict Carlos Rodon ends up with the Los Angeles Angels.

Prediction: Los Angeles Angels

6. Kyle Schwarber, DH/OF

At #6 is Kyle Schwarber, who slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 big flies for both the Nationals and Red Sox in 2021.  The Rockies could be one team interested, just dreaming of what he could do at Coors Field throughout an entire season, especially if the DH comes to the National League. I’ve heard rumors that the Tigers could be a possibility. Originally, I thought he could stay in Boston with J.D. Martinez going elsewhere but J.D. opted in and will stay in Boston. I think Schwarber will be signing elsewhere. As a potential DH, there are ton of teams that could be interested. The Phillies come to mind, who could use another big bat, I can see him in San Francisco, putting baseballs into McCovey Cove on the regular. However, unfortunately, I’ll say he signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost Seager and right now could use another big bat to DH. You’ve got the decline of Cody Bellinger and although their lineup is still absolutely amazing, it’s not quite the All Star unstoppable ridiculous lineup it was a year ago and I think the Dodgers want to make it that way again. Schwarber signs with Los Angeles.

Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers

5. Kris Bryant, 3B/OF

Moving into the Top 5, we have Kris Bryant, who finished out the 2021 season as a San Francisco Giant. Unfortunately, it’s not likely he returns to the City By the Bay and instead, Bryant his going to sign with the Seattle Mariners. This was my earlier prediction and I’ll stick to it. Bryant played very well for the Giants this year, especially in the NLDS, going 8 for 17 with a homer. The Mets are possible as well, but I think the Seattle Mariners are going to continue to have a huge offseason and make a big offer – 6 years at around 160 million dollars – the Mariners sign Kris Bryant to play alongside J.P. Crawford.  Kris Bryant to the M’s.

Prediction: Seattle Mariners

4. Nick Castellanos, OF/DH

Coming in at #4 is Nick Castellanos, the former Tiger, former Red and former Cub. Castellanos had a huge 2021, setting new highs in home runs (34) while posting the lowest strikeout rate (20.7%) of his career. He’s going to go somewhere where he can DH and now, that could be absolutely anywhere. The Reds, Marlins, Cubs and Nationals were the top 4 teams I had as potential suitors in my original free agent video. I eventually settled on him signing with Washington, which is still possible. However, at that time, I also had J.D. Martinez signing with the Padres and he is back in Boston. So, I do think the Padres will sign a big time player to DH for them and will be willing to outbid the other teams. Therefore, I am updating my prediction - not happy about it because the Padres are in the west with my Giants - but I’m saying Castellanos signs with the San Diego Padres.

Prediction: San Diego Padres

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

Moving into the top 3 - the best of the best - we have Freddie Freeman. I originally had him staying in Atlanta but the more time that passes and the more reports that come out on Freeman, the more it seems that he might sign elsewhere. This is stunning to me and I can’t believe the Braves didn’t lock him up before the lockout. The Red Sox, Dodgers, Yankees are teams that will be in on Freeman but at the end of the day, I can’t see it happening. I believe Freeman will play the rest of the career - or at least the rest of his productive career - with the Braves. I’m sticking with my prediction. It will happen. It has to happen. Freeman signs with the Atlanta Braves.

Prediction: Atlanta Braves

2. Trevor Story, SS

Next up is Trevor Story. The Rangers and Tigers were original teams I thought could show interested but they’ve already locked up their shortstops with Seager and Baez respectively. If the Astros don’t re-sign Correa, Story would be nearly a perfect replacement, so they may be interested. I’m still going to stick with the New York Yankees. They do have some room to maneuver the infield around a bit, moving Gleyber Torres to 2nd base with DJ LeMahieu being a super utility player, playing all around the infield like he did this year.  I can really see this happening – I’ve got Trevor Story signing with the Bronx Bombers.

Prediction: New York Yankees

1. Carlos Correa, SS

That brings us to the #1 free agent in the 2021-2022 offseason.  It is Mr. Carlos Correa.  The only downside is you probably won’t get 162 games out of him but he did play in 148 in 2021, which is the most he’s played in since 2016.  The 2021 All Star  hit a career high 26 bombs while playing elite defense at shortstop and had an OPS of .850.  He has said he wants to stay in Houston but he was also apparently insulted at their extension offer that I thought was pretty decent.  I’m just speculating but I would also assume all the booing and cheating talk has taken a toll and he may want to get a fresh start elsewhere; again he hasn’t said that; I’m just talking out loud. Could a reunion with A.J. Hinch in Detroit be possible?  I predicted it but then the Tigers signed Javy Baez. However, infields can be moved around, Baez can play second base as well. It is still possible, but I’m going to update this prediction and say that Correa signs with a surprise team. I really think the Dodgers are also possibilities since they just sign whoever they want. That said, I’m going to predict officially that the Minnesota Twins swoop in and sign Correa in order to remain relevant; this is a team that has been awesome that last few years and they want to continue to compete with the White Sox and Indians - sorry Guardians - in the A.L. Central. I’ve got the TWINS signing Carlos Correa.

Prediction: Minnesota Twins

SCORCHING HOT St. Louis Cardinals Break FRANCHISE Record - MLB Standings UPDATE

There’s only about 6 days left in the Major League Baseball season and the St. Louis Cardinals are by far the hottest team in the game right now and as I mentioned in my last video, they tied the franchise record with 14 straight wins – within hours of that video they broke the franchise record with their 15th straight win and yesterday made it 16.  Yes, there is time for them to slow down and they certainly can and probably will lose at least one more game before the playoffs, but I just don’t think there’s time for this team to slow down much before that Wild Card Game.  That game, whether it’s versus the Giants or Dodgers – hopefully Dodgers- will be absolutely epic and a must-watch baseball game.  Maybe that’s the point of the one-game Wild Card but I still think it’s a terrible idea as it would still be a must-watch game if it was a Game 3 in a best of 3, and at least then the team with 100+ wins would get another crack at it should they lose Game 1.  But it is what it is and the Cardinals are going to be in that game unless they pretty much lose for the rest of the year and the Phillies win for the rest of the year – which is pretty much not happening.

To recap the last couple games, Sunday it was the red-hot Harrison Bader going deep right away to put the Cards up 1 nothing.  The Cubs came back to make it 2-1, at which time I got some comments in my video indicating the Cubs were winning and I responded – yeah, this game is far from over.  Tyler O’Neil smashes a home run to tie it.  The Cubs came roaring back again so shoutout to the Cubbies for putting up a good fight, but in the 7th, Bader drives in Arenado, Nootbaar drives in Molina and Paul Dejong drives in Bader to give the Cards the lead for good.  Paul Dejong hits a 2-run bomb for some insurance and the Cardinals break their all-time winning streak record.

Harrison Bader

Yesterday to make it 16 in a row, it was the scorching hot Paul Goldschmidt who went deep to make it 1-0 in the first.  The Cubs again came back to take a 2-1 lead just like they did Sunday, but once again – the Cardainals offense was just too much for the Cubbies and Harrison Bader hits another home run, tying the game at 2.  The Cards rallied for 2 more in the top of the 9th to take this one 4-2.  This team is definitely red hot right now and barring an epic collapse over the next 5-6 days, this team will be extremely confident going into to that one-game Wild Card, which brings up to an update for the National League West.

The Giants keep winning and now hold a 2-game lead in the West, which is not a very big lead in July but on September 27th, it’s a fairly strong lead.  If the Giants just go .500 the rest of the way, the Dodgers will have to win every single game to win the division.  So, as of now, the Giants are clear favorites to win the division and even Fangraphs finally agrees with at, although they somehow still have the Dodgers as favorites to win the World Series which makes no sense to me since they have to go through an extra game if they are the Wild Card, but that’s fine. 

Right now, the Giants control their destiny and things are lining up as of now for the San Francisco Giants to win the west and go straight into the National League Division series, but that could change so don’t misquote me; I’m just saying that’s how it’s looking right now.  Let me know Cardinals fans, who would you rather face in that Wild Card game – the Giants at Oracle Park with a young Logan Webb or perhaps Kevin Gausman or the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium with perhaps Max Scherzer taking the mound or if not him, well there’s Walker Buehler or Julio Urias, so that’s going to be tough regardless. 

I would be terrified of that game and am terrified of that game as it’s not yet a guarantee the Giants won’t be in it.  The hot hand wins in the playoffs and yes, I get it- the Giants could face the Cardinals anyway but I am so much more confident in a series.  I still remember 2012 very well – the Giants were down 3-1 to the Cardinals in the NLCS and had lost Game 1 with the Cardinals – the only time I ever remember Madison Bumgarner sucking the playoffs.  David Frese went deep, Carlos Beltran went deep and if that had been a one game or go home series, it would’ve been a wrap.  But the Giants came back and won the series against a Cardinals team who was the Wild Card team that year but they didn’t have to play the Giants, because the Giants won their division that year with 94 wins – nowhere near as many as they’ll have this year.  So, anything can happen in one game and the Cardinals have reason be extremely confident.  And by the way, the Cardinals are 45-36 on the road this year including wins in Dodger Stadium and Oracle Park.  Also, remember the 2014 American League Wild Card team, the Kansas Royals, who won 6 of their last 8 games and then went on the sweep the entire playoffs up until they met up with the Giants in the World Series.  Momentum matters in baseball and the Cardinals got it right now, but the Giants have had it pretty much all year so what a matchup it would be if the Giants and Cardinals collide the playoffs; I’m just hoping it’s not in that one Game Wild Card. 

My 2021 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot

The time has come to fill out my unofficial (obviously, I don’t have a vote) Hall of Fame Ballot.  Each entry is allowed to have up to ten names and mine will be completely full.  Looking at the possible names, I’ll start with the no-brainers to me and that includes 5 names:

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds

The case for Barry Bonds has been made a million times – he was the best player in the game over an extended period of time and was a first ballot, no doubt Hall-of-Famer before he ever touched steroids.  If you’re one who will never vote for any one connected to PEDs then obviously Bonds won’t get your vote.  For me, while it is a serious mark against a player, it is still just another consideration.  When considering all of the reasons to vote for Bonds – especially going back to his career before the year 2000 when he started juicing – he still gets in easily.  Pre-steroids, Bonds had over 400 home runs and 400 steals, three MVP’s, 8 All Star Selections, 8 Gold Gloves and was an absolute shoe-in for the Hall of Fame.

Roger Clemens

As for Clemens, it’s the same story – he was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game before he ended up with Toronto where by most accounts he started using PEDs.  He was already a 3-time Cy Young Award Winner and won an MVP as a pitcher.  He led the league multiple times in a variety of categories including strikeouts, wins, ERA, innings pitched and complete games.  Clemens, like Bonds, was one of the best players of his generation even without steroids.  For that reason, he is an absolute Hall-of-Famer and is on my ballot.

Billy Wagner

The next no-brainer may be a bit of a surprise in Billy Wagner.  However, if you take a moment to look at his career numbers – he is clearly in.  Billy Wagner absolutely dominated throughout his career all the way up until the end.  He has a career 2.31 ERA (CAREER!).  In 903 career innings, Wagner gave up a mere 601 hits yet struck out 1,196 batters.  He is a seven-time all star and accumulated 422 career saves.  His regular season numbers stack up well with any of the relievers in the Hall of Fame today including Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.  In fact, Wagner has more strikeouts than Rivera and an ERA just 0.1 higher – Wagner’s again is 2.31 and Rivera’s is 2.21.  The only question mark for Wagner is his struggles in the postseason, but he only pitched 11.2 career postseason innings compared to Rivera’s 141.  I don’t believe he should be kept out of the Hall of Fame over a bad postseason career when his opportunities where limited and he had a clear Hall of Fame regular season career.  The regular season is the bulk of any player’s career and Wagner’s was more than great – he deserves to be a Hall of Famer.

Omar Vizquel

I’ve been on the Omar Vizquel Hall of Fame train since he retired.  Vizquel had a stellar defensive career and won 11 Gold Gloves.  Simply put, if Ozzie Smith is a first-ballot no-brainer Hall of Famer then Vizquel should at least certainly be in at some point.  In fact, statistics show that Vizquel was better than Smith in many categories.  Starting with his bat, Vizquel had a higher batting average, more home runs, more RBI’s, more runs scored, and more hits than Ozzie.  Defensively, he had a .985 fielding percentage compared to Smith’s .978.  Vizquel committed 183 errors in his 24 year career compared to 281 errors in Smith’s 19 year career.  Admittedly, some advanced stats like WAR still indicate Ozzie Smith helped his team more than Vizquel, but again – when we compare the stats, it makes no sense that Ozzie Smith is a first time shoe-in candidate for the Hall of Fame and Vizquel can’t even sniff it.  Omar Vizquel is an absolute Hall-of-Famer.

Andruw Jones

My final no-brainer is Andruw Jones.  How Jones is not getting more Hall of Fame support is beyond me.  He was 10 time gold glover and the premiere defensive outfielder in the league for a decade.  That alone should get him consideration from the defensive end of the spectrum.  However, when you consider that he hit 434 career home runs including 51 in 2005 when he was 2nd in the MVP voting, only losing to Albert Pujols in his prime and he was a five-time All Star, decision becomes obvious.  Jones was a beast offensively and defensively in the league for a decade and is only being held out because he struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness during the final 5 years of his career.  If he retired in 2007, Jones would probably get in.  Jones also hit 10 postseason home runs, hitting .273.  The bottom line is Jones was the best defender in the game for a long period of time and nearly hit 500 home runs – that is all that needs to be said.

Those are five names I write in immediately.  After that, I have to decide who gets the remaining five spots.  Some of the bigger names to consider are Curt Schilling, Scott Rolen, Gary Sheffield, Todd Helton, Jeff Kent, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettite.  I also looked into all the new candidates but unfortunately I don’t think any of them are Hall of Fame worthy although Tim Hudson is closer than I thought he would be and if there wasn’t a 10 player limit, I would consider him more heavily.  Sosa, Ramirez and Sheffield all have PED connections like Bonds and Clemens and like Bonds and Clements, they have Hall of Fame career numbers.   The problem is that it’s harder to determine whether they would have been Hall of Famers or not without the extra help.   Additionally, I hesitate to vote for some one like Manny Ramirez because his character and integrity during his playing career – a big point I’ll get into shortly - come into question.  So, since there’s only five slots left, I’ll start with 3 non-controversial guys who I feel deserve induction.

Todd Helton

Todd Helton played for the same franchise his entire 17 year big league career and ended up with .316 batting average and over 2,500 hits.  He led the league in hitting in 2000 with a ridiculous .372 batting average to go along with a 147 RBI, 42 home runs and 59 doubles.  Helton was a five time All Star, 4 time Silver Slugger and also brought elite defense to the field, winning 3 Gold Gloves.  Injuries slowed him down his final 6 seasons, but Helton was clearly one of the best players in the game over an entire decade and consistently hit over .320 with power and great defense year after year.  Not voting for Helton because he played in Denver means basically if you play your entire career with the Rockies and you’re an offensive player, you basically have no chance to get in the Hall unless you’re the next Babe Ruth.  Also, if that’s’ the case that hitters are held out because they hit in Denver, then pitchers who’s career was just okay should get in. Ubaldo Jimenez should be a Hall of Famer since he pitched in Denver – so that’s why he has an ERA over 4 and a losing career record.  David Nied?  Sure, he had a 5.06 ERA and a career losing record but he mostly pitched in Colorado – that has to go into account.  Hall of Famer all day.  But seriously – Todd Helton should be in.

Jeff Kent

Jeff Kent is another interesting case, but for me, in addition to all the accolades I am about to discuss – it’s his 2000 MVP that puts it over the top for me.  Kent was one of the best hitting second basemen of all time, ending up with 377 career home runs and a .290 average to go along with 5 All Star Selections and 4 Silver Sluggers.  He not only has more home runs than Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, he has more than any second baseman of all time.  He has the 4th most career doubles in the history of baseball with 560 doubles – more than Babe Ruth himself.  He also has 9 career postseason home runs including 3 during the 2002 World Series.  If not judging based on position, it’s borderline, but when comparing him to his fellow second basemen, it’s a no-brainer – Jeff Kent is an absolute Hall of Famer, especially when you consider that MVP in 2000 that he won over his teammate Barry Bonds.

Scott Rolen

Scott Rolen

My final non-controversial selection unless you just think he simply wasn’t good enough to be a Hall of Famer will be Scott Rolen.  During his 17 year career with the Phillies, Cardianls, Reds and Blue Jays, Rolen hit .281 with 2,077 hits, 316 home runs and a 70.1 WAR.  These numbers are impressive but for Hall of Fame induction, he’ll need more – and he has it.  Rolen was the 1997 Rookie of the Year and one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, winning seven Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and being selected to the All Star Game seven times.  He hit .421 with three doubles and a big fly during the 2006 World Series where he won a ring with St. Louis.  Rolen was also great offensively but was, like Fred McGriff and many others who stayed clean, overshadowed by so many juicers who were hitting home runs and driving in runs at a video-game level pace.  Rolen should be awarded for staying clean and being an all around great player.  Advanced stats show he stacks up well all around with most third basemen already in the Hall of Fame.  For these reasons, Scott Rolen gets my vote.

So, now that I’ve filled my ballot with all my no-brainers and then three non-controversial selections that I feel are absolutely worthy, it’s time to evaluate the remaining names for the final two spots.  After more research, I’ve narrowed it down to three possibilities – and of course, I don’t have to fill up the ballot, but I think I probably will.  The three are Curt Schilling, Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettite.  I am not voting for Sammy Sosa because a study of his career shows that before 1998 ,he was an average hitter with good pop who did not make consistent contact and didn’t walk enough.  And even though he became an absolute beast for several years once he got a little help, his career WAR is still lower than many of the players I’ve talked about here such as Todd Helton and Andruw Jones.  Believe it or not, on Baseball Reference, newcomer to the ballot Mark Buehrle has a higher career WAR than Sosa.  At the end of the day, I think without Steroids Sosa would not be anywhere near the Hall of Fame and therefore, he won’t make it onto my ballot. 

Curt Schilling

Of my remaining names, Curt Schilling is the most obvious Hall of Famer and is currently trending close to that magic 75% requirement.  The problem with Schilling, however, is not steroids, rather his controversial tweets and political views.  Now, to not vote for a candidate because he supports a political candidate that you don’t is absolutely absurd.  Supporting a political candidate, regardless of how polarizing or controversial that candidate might be, should have no bearing on whether a player is voted on.  The hall of fame does mention character and integrity in its explanation of how voters should consider each player.  However, political views are always going to differ from person to person and that should have absolutely no impact on his Hall of Fame standing.  As far as controversial tweets, including this most recent one that seems to support those who invaded the capitol building, I personally still would not not vote for him over tweets.  Having said that, I need to make clear I am totally against violence, rioting, illegal invasions and that entire incident was absolutely horrific.  Any one who was involved in violence or taking over that building should be locked up.  I’ll also call out any one who has been involved in looting, rioting, burning down buildings or anything of that nature ever, regardless of who or what they support politically.  All that said, Curt Schilling was always an interesting case because most of his greatest moments were in the postseason.  Still, he had 216 career wins, over 3,000 strikeouts, 6 All Star selections, and 3 times was 2nd in the Cy Young voting.  That alone makes him at least a borderline candidate.  When you take into account his postseason career which include 3 World Series Championships, and 11-2 record with a 2.23 ERA, and a World Series and NLCS MVP, the decision becomes a lot easier.  Curt Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame.  While I don’t support all of his tweets and opinions, those are his tweets and his opinions.  It is my opinion that the character and integrity clauses apply mostly to the a player’s playing career, not their tweets long after retirement.  Therefore, Schilling goes on my list.

The final two guys I have not eliminated are Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettite.  Believe it or not, Bobby Abreu was sneaky-good during his career and is a serious consideration.  Despite only two All Star selections and one Gold Glove, he was still excellent over a long period time and played during the height of the Steroid Era.  He was second to only Barry Bonds in walks from 1998-2004 and ended his playing career with 1,476 walks and 2,470 hits.  He also had decent pop, hitting 288 career bombs.  It should be noted that every player who got on base more times than Abreu is either in the Hall of Fame or connected to steroids with the exception of Rusty Staub.  All that said, he still has time on the ballot so for now, I am leaving him off due to the fact that he only made two All Star Teams, was never a serious MVP candidate and was never an impact player in the playoffs. 

Andy Pettite

Andy Pettite

That leaves Andy Pettite, who does have a PED connection, only made three All Star Teams and never won a Cy Young Award.  On the other hand, he was straightforward about his use of HGH to help heal from an injury during 2002 and was not, in my opinion, some one who was constantly juicing throughout his career.  He seemed honest and sincerely apologetic for doing what he did, even though at the time HGH wasn’t even banned in MLB.  Therefore, since he wasn’t a big juicer, I can believe the majority of his stats, including 256 wins and a great postseason career that includes 5 World Championships and an ALCS MVP.  Furthermore, he’s the game’s all-time leader in playoff wins and innings pitched and is fourth in strikeouts behind Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and John Smoltz.  He was always considered a great teammate and person, meaning as far I’m concerned, he meets the character requirement.  Lastly, only Whitey Ford and Red Ruffing have more wins in a Yankee uniform and they’re both in the Hall of Fame.  My final spot goes to Andy Pettite.

San Diego Padres Look To WIN IT ALL in '21 - But Is This Any Different Than '15???

The San Diego Padres have continued their Christmas Shopping Spree by trading for Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish. This more than solidifies a rotation that was already looking very strong with the likes of Darvish, Blake Snell (Who the Pads just traded for the day before), Dinelson Lamet and Chris Paddack. The Padres also will look forward to the return of Mike Clevinger in 2022. A fifth arm that could be available soon is prospect MacKenzie Gore. In other words, the Padres have an absolute elite rotation and a dominant bullpen that almost single-handedly took out the Cardinals in the 2020 Wild Card Series.

Matt Kemp and Justin Upton were two big signings going in the 2015 MLB Season for the San Diego Padres

However, the Padres have been known to go on such shopping sprees -the same thing happened in 2014/15 and no championship or playoff run was to be found. During that offseason, the Padres traded away some of their best prospects including Yasmani Grandal, Max Fried and Trea Turner. In return, they were able to snag some fine players at the time such as Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and James Shields. However, this wasn’t nearly enough for the Padres to compete for a World Series Title.

The question is, what is different this time? The answer is clear - the Padres are already good. In 2020, this team proved what it could do and had every chance to stand toe to toe with the Dodgers until unfortunate injuries to both Clevinger and Lamet. With a powerful offense that includes Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Eric Hosmer go go along with their potent pitching staff, the Padres enter 2021 already as a favorite to at least win a Wild Card. Hence, the new additions this time are being added to a team that is already ready to win - and this just improves their chances going in 2021.

Ha Seong Kim, recently signed by the San Diego Padres out of South Korea

Furthermore, these signings may even be better. Instead of decent bats like Kemp and Upton, the Padres are signing two elite starters that can jump right into that rotation. They even tapped into the Korean market and signed the powerful Ha-Seong Kim to provide more depth in the infield. All this has happened before the New Year. Although the Dodgers may still be the favorite going in 2020, the Padres have done everything needed to attempt to dethrone them. If a World Series Hangover occurs, look for the Padres to run away with the West in 2021.

So, there are three ways that these moves differ from the 2015 offseason. Firstly, the team is already excellent (unlike in 2014 when they finished in third place with a 77-85 record. Second, the signings themselves are better. And finally, this team already has chemistry and gels nicely - the additions are not expected to do it all; they are just enhancements (albeit HUGE enhancements) to an already amazing ballclub.

MLB Free Agent SIGNINGS & RUMORS - Springer, Bauer, McMann, SUGANO

The MLB Hot Stove is starting to warm up as we enter December. So far the two teams that have been most active in actually signing players has been the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals. The Royals inked their former starter Mike Minor to a 2-year deal worth at least 18 million dollars including a club option for a 3rd year. He is coming off of a tough 2020 where he showed signs of brilliance with the Rangers and A’s but ended up with an ERA over 5. Some of his advanced stats indicate that perhaps he wasn’t as bad as the simple stats say.

Meanwhile, the Royals also picked up former Nationals speedster Michael A. Taylor who had some key home runs during the Royals 2019 playoff push that ultimately ended up in a World Series Championship. Taylor will receive a $1.75MM base salary and another $1MM worth of available incentives, reports Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports. Taylor brings speed, strong defense and some pop to Kansas City where he will try to find the stroke from 2017 that helped him hit .271 with 19 home runs. More stable playing time and a revamped swing could help him do so.

Michael A. Taylor

The New York Mets have also been active early in the Free Agent Market by signing former Twins reliever Trevor May to a one year 15.5 million dollar deal. May has strike out stuff and is one of the better relievers in all of baseball despite an ERA that is usually around the 3.5 range. The 31 year old had a 3.86 earned run average in 24 games for the Twins last season, with 38 strikeouts in 23 ⅓ innings. This is a key signing for a Mets bullpen that, despite some nice names, has struggled to find consistency.

The Mets also signed 11 players to Minor League Deals earlier this week including former Mariner outfielder Mallex Smith, right-handed major-league veteran closer Arodys Vizcaino, and infielder Jose Peraza, who spent the 2020 season with the Red Sox. The rest of the names include Oscar De La Cruz, Johneshwy Fargas, Jake Hager, Harol Gonzalez, Bruce Maxwell, David Rodríguez, Luis Carpio, and Mitchell Tolman.

As far as the rumors go, the Yankees are showing interest in former Astros and Indians slugger Michael Brantley. However, this move may be contingent on whether or not the Yanks can resign DJ Lemahieu. Another 2020 Astro, George Springer, has been connected mainly to the Toronto Blue Jays, who have been in touch with Springer’s agency at least once per week according to their General Manager.

Top Free Agent Pitcher Trevor Bauer was early connected to the San Francisco Giants, but recently the Los Angeles Angels have also shown interest. This makes sense as the Angels have struggled with their rotation for several years. Despite having two superstar offensive players in Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, the Angels will never compete for a World Championship until they can sign some better starters for that rotation.

Trevor Bauer

James McCann has been heavily connected to the New York Mets, who are more interested in McCann than J.T. Realmuto according to most reports. According to some reports, it is increasingly likely that McCann gets a four year deal with the New York Mets. Also, the Twins non-tendered Eddie Rosario and the Red Sox are showing interest according to Jon Morosi.

2020 Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants but without knowing if there will be a Designated Hitter in the National League in 2021, they are hesitant to make a signing. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays, who know they will have the DH, are also interested and have an advantage over the Giants as long as Rob Manfred drags his feet on the DH decision.

One of the best closers in the game, Liam Hendricks, is also a free agent and both the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants are showing interest. Finally, one of the best pitchers in Japanese baseball has been posted and the Padres, Yankees and Giants are all very interested in Tokyo Giants legend Tomoyuki Sugano. The Yankees may be the favorites but if Sugano is interested in staying in the orange and black in the USA, he will have an opportunity as the Giants are heavily interested. This is a pitcher who has a 101-50 career record in Japan with an ERA of 2.34 over an 8-year career. He also has over 1200 career strikeouts.

Can The LA Dodgers Be Beat? NLDS Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Diego Padres

It is getting increasingly more difficult to pick against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Before the 2020 season began, I talked about how this team was practically an All Star Team. With the Mookie Betts trade, the lineup became completely leak-proof. Everywhere you looked was either an MVP-Candidate or a solid All Star who threatens to hit 30+ home runs every season. They measured up to the hype in 2020, winning 43 games of 60 and leading the Major Leagues in home runs and several offensive categories. Even their pitching, which was the only semi-question mark, led the league in Earned Run Average - and did so easily.

The team that wins the World Series is typically the team that gels - and gets hot - at just the right time. Last season it was the Washington Nationals, led by an unlikely song (Baby Shark) and an extremely hot and talented roster whose celebratory dances and skits were absolutely hilarious. This year, I thought it might be the Cincinnati Reds, who I was very high on pre-season and who did enter the postseason playing great baseball. They didn’t score a single run in their Wild Card Series against the Braves. I was also very high on the White Sox. They’re also out. Of the teams that remain, the Dodgers might be that team - they’re hot, they seem to be highly motivated, firing on all cylinders, and determined to win it all this season.

Now, to get into their opponent in this NLDS, the Padres. Although the San Diego Padres survived a scare against St. Louis (They lost Game 1 and were down 4-0 in the Elimination Game 2), they’re also playing great, although there are some injury issues I am about to get into with the Starting Pitching that is very concerning. Neverthless, there is no lack of stars in San Diego and this series should be extremely exciting. With former Dodger Manny Machado, the MVP-candidate Fernando Tatis Jr, and veterans like Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers in the lineup, the Padres have no shortage of power threats.

Starting Pitching

The latest report is that the Padres don’t expect Dinelson Lamet to be ready for this series. This is going to hurt a lot as Lamet has been one of the most reliable and dominant starters for the Pads this season. He struck out 93 batters in 63 innings and had an ERA of 2.09.

However, according to a tweet by Bob Nightengale, who is not always the most reliable source, the Padres do expect to have Mike Clevinger ready. Clevinger was pitching at his best before his injury, shutting out the Giants through 7 innings on September 13th, while walking just 1 and allowing 2 hits.

The other options for the Padres are solid but concerning. Zach Davies only got through two innings against the Cardinals in the Wild Card Series, 5 hits, 4 runs and bomb. However, he was one of their better options during the season, compiling a 7-4 record with a 2.74 ERA. Chris Paddack also got pounded by the Cardinals and allowed 14 home runs in 59 innings in the regular season - not a favorable matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Garrett Richards and Adrian Morejon are also possibilities but neither would be expected to go more than 4-5 innings if that.

The Dodgers have some issues of their own regarding the rotation. Walker Buehler has pitched just twice since two separate stints on the injured list because of a blister on his right index finger. He did pitch four innings in the wild-card series. He is expected to pitch in Game 1 with Clayton Kershaw going in Game 2. Kershaw had a fantastic season that continued into the playoffs where he pitched 8 shutout innings against the Brewers, striking out 13. Julio Urias and Dustin May are among the other options for the Dodgers, both very solid. All things considered, the Dodgers definitely have an edge with the rotation.

Lineups

The latest lineup the Dodgers put together on October 1st isn’t much different than the lineup we expected to see throughout 2020. They’ve avoided major injuries and have performed as expected, with possible exception of prospect Gavin Lux, who struggled to the tune of .175 batting average. Neverthless, this lineup is relentless, led by Mookie Betts and Corey Seager at the top.

Of course, the Padres also start their lineup with a bang featuring Trent Grisham and then Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the 2 and 3 hole. Both teams offer even more power in the middle of the lineups. Turner, Muncy, Smith and Bellinger combined to hit 36 home runs in the regular season, while the Padres next four - Hosmer, Pham, Moreland and Myers - combined to hit 37. Cronenworth is also noteworthy as he had an excellent rookie year for the Pads, hitting .285 with 4 homers and a .354 On-Base-Percentage.

When these lineups are dissected, the Padres measure up well. Both lineups contain multiple MVP-type players along with a ton of powerful veterans and highly talented youngsters. The Dodgers may have an edge but it’s a slighter edge than one might expect and statistics agree. Over the course of the 2020 season, the Dodgers hit 118 home runs with a .256 batting average and .338 OBP while the Padres hit just 95 bombs but had a higher batting average at .257 and and an On-Base Percentage only slightly lower at .333. The Dodgers have to be given the slight edge due to their unbelievable power and better offensive performance head-to-head in 2020.

Bullpen

The Padres bullpen has been ridiculously impressive in the playoffs so far. However, having your bullpen lead the team to beat the Brewers in a best of 3 is a lot different than using that strategy to bea the Dodgers in a best of 5. As I mentioned earlier, the Padres starters - with the possible exception of Clevinger, will likely not be going too deep into games. This means relievers like Drew Pomeranz and other lefties will have to be able to consistently retire batters like Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Corey Seager while dealing with righties sprinkled throughout their places in the lineups (Remember the 3-batter minimum too). Adrian Morejon is another one of those lefties but he served up seven home runs in 19 innings this season. Matt Strahm is another reliable option. As for a closer, Trevor Rosenthal is back in his prime apparently and completely dealing with 38 strikeouts in 23 innings and a 1.9 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers bullpen also has its share of solid arms with righties Joe Kelly, Pedro Baez, and flamethrower Brusdar Graterol to go along with lefty Blake Treinen. Kenley Jansen was excellent throughout the first month of the season as well. Their bullpen started to struggle in September but overall, they have the arms; it’s just a question of using them properly and we’ve seen Dave Roberts fail at that in the past, including last season in my opinion when he insisted on going with Clayton Kershaw out of the pen in an elimination game when he had an array of healthy and rested relievers in the bullpen.

Both teams have excellent arms, but given the performance we’ve seen from that San Diego pen lately, I have to give them a slight edge with the bullpen as we enter this series. However, this Dodger lineup can make any bullpen look atrocious.

All things considered, the Dodgers have the slight edge in this series and, if forced to pick a winner, even myself as a Giants fan would have to give the Dodgers the pick, especially considering the situations with Clevinger and Lamet. That said, this Padres team may be the only team that can take out the Dodgers as every other team will have to do it in a best of seven, which feels damn near impossible.

Most Important Series To Watch As 2020 MLB Season Winds Down

In what has been by far the most wild, unpredictable and bizarre season in the history of baseball, teams that most insiders gave zero chance to play in October are still chasing a playoff berth as well begin the final week of the season. The Miami Marlins are in second place and could be a playoff team in 2020. The Chicago White Sox lead their division (although I predicted this one preseason -and I was called a variety of interesting names when I did so). The Red Sox sit in last place in the A.L East and the San Francisco Giants are in a battle for the final playoff spot in the National League West with the Reds and the Brewers.

What of the many downsides to having these expanded playoffs is the fact that it is not so easy to just glance at the standing and know what has to happen and who has to win what games in order for your team to play in October. So, today, we will try to make sense of the playoff rules 2020 and understand what teams and games need to be focused on as we wind down the 2020 Major League Baseball Season. Let’s start with a basic refresher of exactly how you get into the playoffs if you’re not one of the top two teams in the division.

Obviously, the two teams not in first or second place with the best records would be in as the 7th and 8th seed. However, there is a strong chance there will be teams tied, and in this shortened season, there is not going to be time to have extra playin games, which would have been quite awesome. Unfortunately, ties will be determined by the following method:

1. Head-To-Head Record (Due to the fact that teams are only playing within their division, this may not be applicable)

2. Intravision Record

3. Record in the final 20 division games (plus one until the tie is broken)

In the American League, the 7th and 8th seeds are already starting to become clear - the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians have both created some space between themselves and other playoff hopefuls such as the Baltimore Orioles and the Seattle Mariners. Unless something insane happens, it’ll the Blue Jays and Indians in the playoffs as the 7th and 8th seeds. Here is what the playoffs would look like in the American League if the season ended today:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Toronto Blue Jays (8) at Tampa Bay Rays (1)

Cleveland Indians (7) at Chicago White Sox (2)

Houston Astros (6) at Oakland Athletics (3)

New York Yankees (5) at Minnesota Twins (4)

However, in the National League, things aren’t so clear. There are several teams very close to a .500 record that are all bunched together and some are going to get in and others will be left out. Some of these teams, like the Marlins and Cardinals, are in second place right now but could go into a losing streak and fall out all together. For the purposes of this analysis, we’ll concentrate on the teams not in first or second place that have a chance to get in and those teams include the Philadelphia Phillies, The Cincinnati Reds, The Milwaukee Brewers, and of course, the San Francisco Giants.

As of right now, The Reds are one game above .500, the Phillies are at .500, and the Brewers and Giants one game below .500. Of these teams, only the Brewers and Reds have played each other and the Reds own the better head-to-head record against Milwaukee having won 4 and lost only 3. Here’s how the current intradivisional records look:

1. Phillies 20-17

2. Marlins 20-17*

3. Cardinals 19-16*

4. Reds 19-18

5. Brewers 16-16

6. Giants 15-17

   *Currently in 2nd place, guaranteeing a playoff berth

As it stands, the Giants have the short stick as far as intradivisional record. The good news is with 3 more games remaining against the Rockies and 4 against the Padres, the Giants have every chance to significantly improve that record. The Reds play the Brewers and tomorrow night, which are huge games that could absolutely flip the script on who we expect to see in October. After that, the Reds finish their season with three against the Twins.

An even more important series may be the five game series between the Cardinals and the Brewers, which will definitely seal the fate of those teams and will have massive effects on the others as well. This will be a series to keep a close eye on. It seems obvious to root for the Cardinals, unless you’re a Brewers fan of course, since the Cardinals are already in as one of the top two teams. And obviously, unless you’re a Reds fan, it will be Go Twins when the Reds go to Minnesota.

The Phillies are also a team to keep an eye as the play 3 against the Nationals then 3 in Tampa Bay. There is really no reason to root for the Phillies unless you’re a Phillies fan. The Nationals are not getting in the Tampa Bay Rays are in the American League and definitely getting in. However, the Phillies are going to get 2 starts from Aaron Nola and 2 starts from Zack Wheeler who have been fantastic and can definitely help the Phils reach that October goal. The last team to keep an eye on is the Marlins, as they could go on a losing streak and fall out completely or they could still try to take the division as they have a four game series against the first place Braves. So, more than likely, you’ll probably want to root for the Braves unless of course, you’re one of the 12 Marlins fans. (It’s a joke, guys.) After the Braves series, Miami goes on the play the Yankees which will be a tough series, so definitely keep an eye on Miami as well.

So, that is pretty much where we currently stand in the National League. There are a lot of teams with their eyes on October and this is going to be some of the most exciting baseball we’ve had in a long time, for us Giants fans, it’s been since 2016 that we had a legit shot at the playoffs this late in the year. Unfortunately, the Giants lost yesterday to the Rockies but we’re looking to bounce back today. I want to give a sincere Good Luck to all the fans of the teams currently in the battle. This is going to be wild.

Possible MLB Impact CALL-UPS For The 2020 Season

This year we have seen such an infusion of top prospects in a short period of time because of the truncated season.  It’s like loading up an 8 oz glass of milk with enough chocolate for a 16 oz glass and it tastes GREAT!  We’ve seen Joey Bart, Dylan Carlson, Brady Singer, Jo Adell, Dylan Carlson, Casey Mize, Alec Bohm, Nick Madrigal, Triston McKenzie, Deivi Garcia, Sixto Sanchez, Jazz Chisholm, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bobby Dalbec to name a few.  Not to mention, Luis Robert, Nate Pearson, Jesus Luzardo, Nico Hoerner, Dustin May and others who either we knew were staring the year with their big league club or we saw some last year, but were still classified as prospects.  2020 Topps Update and 2021 Topps will have more rookie cards than an Eskimo has ice.

There are a few factors to consider when predicting who we’re going to see over the next couple of weeks.  Is the team in contention?  Therefore the call-up would improve the club and their positioning for the playoffs.  Does the current team makeup benefit the prospect?  Meaning is there a position for them/would they receive regular playing time?

Lets take a look at some of the prospects I see getting a call and some of the team situations impacting the chances for a call up.

The Yankees have called up #2 prospect Clarke Schmidt, he appeared in relief of a doubleheader vs the Orioles, but the question is, will he get a start or will be a doubleheader arm/taxi squad guy the rest of the way, meaning no impactful innings.  That we’ll have to see.

Yusniel Diaz, Orioles, OF, 55/80 – He was the highest profile piece that the O’s got back in the Machado deal.  He played at AA LY and slashed .262/.335/.472 with 11 HR over 76 games.

Bryan Mata, Red Sox, RHP, 55/80 – He is the team’s #2 prospect now that Dalbec is playing with the big league club.  The Red Sox are out of it and will most likely try to avoid exposing any of their top minor league talent but seeing that Mata pitched at AA last year, he could get the call if the Red Sox run into the injury bug or need additional pitching for doubleheaders. 

Brailyn Marquez, Cubs, LHP, 60/80 – He is the #1 prospect in the Cubs system.  If he gets the call it will probably be for a bullpen role.  He’s 21, only reached High A last year, but he has an electric fastball (80/80 grade).  They wouldn’t insert him into a starting role having only reached High A, but that fastball could be a game changer out of the pen.

I think it’s a long shot, but I could see the Reds calling Lodolo (LHP) or India (3B)

Nolan Jones, Indians, 3B, 60/80 – He’s the #1 prospect in the system.  He reached AA last year and slashed .253/.370/.466 with 8 home runs over 49 games.  The Indians are in a 3 team battle for the division and if they think he can help them, now that they can’t trade for anyone, he’ll be up.  With Ramirez at 3rd, Jones would have to play the outfield.  Mercado and Luplow are hitting under .200 and they just acquired Naylor at the deadline, so the Indians will want to see what they have in him for a little while longer.

If the Rockies stay in it, they could make the call for #2 prospect, RHP Ryan Rolison

Right now the Tigers have a full rotation, but if they stay close to .500 for a few more weeks and someone goes down they could call on Alex Faedo, now the #3 prospect in the system after Mize, Paredes and Skubal’s call up.

The only way the Twins call top prospects Royce Lewis (SS/3B) or Alex Kirilloff (1B/OF) up is if they get hit with a serious injury bug or a COVID outbreak and need bodies.  Though, maybe one or both get the call during the last week or so to be around the club during a clinching situation.

MacKenzie Gore, Padres, LHP 70/80 – I really think that the Padres could call up Gore to bolster their pen down the stretch and into the playoffs.  They were extremely aggressive at the deadline and I don’t think that’ll stop, so where can they be aggressive now?...With their prospects.

Taylor Trammell, Mariners, OF, 55/80 – I think the Mariners will bring up one of their 3 other top outfield prospects before the end of the season to pair with Kyle Lewis.  Of the 3 I think Trammell is the closest based on age and experience.  10 homers and 20 steals at AA LY over 126 games…guy makes me think of Carl Crawford.

Logan Gilbert, Mariners, RHP, 55/80 – Having nothing to lose, Gilbert gets a call soon and makes a handful of starts before the year is over.  He’s already 23, pitched well at AA last year 4-2 2.88/0.98 ERA/WHIP and 10.1 K-rate over 9 starts, so he’s a logical choice if there is an injury or struggles by any of the current starters.  Plus, it’d be good to give him some competitive innings this year.

The Rays are so deep and healthy that Wander Franco (SS) is blocked right now.  They’d rather him get regular at-bats over at the training site than only catching some BP with the big league club.  Unless there is a rash of bad injury luck, Franco is going to be spectating. IF they do call him up, he’ll hardly play, see what the DBacks did with their top prospect Varsho for the first few weeks after he got the call.  The Rays may call on Vidal Brujan (SS) before Franco but that would be because of the speed.  Vidal grades 80/80 in the running category and has 151 steals in 399 minor league games.  He could pinch run in key spots but his plate appearances would be limited.

If you’re into prospects like I am, this has been an excellent season and it’s not going to stop.  Strap in and get ready for more.  Visit the BALLCAP Sports YouTube Channel for Player Lock videos of some of the top call ups this season.