new york yankees – harchi90 https://harchi90.com Just another WordPress site Mon, 18 Jul 2022 22:51:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.1 206095909 Juan Soto ‘really uncomfortable’ with Nationals trade rumors https://harchi90.com/juan-soto-really-uncomfortable-with-nationals-trade-rumors/ https://harchi90.com/juan-soto-really-uncomfortable-with-nationals-trade-rumors/#respond Mon, 18 Jul 2022 22:51:40 +0000 https://harchi90.com/juan-soto-really-uncomfortable-with-nationals-trade-rumors/ Juan Soto is the talk of the town at MLB All-Star week amid the superstar’s sudden availability. But the 23-year-old isn’t thrilled about it. Just hours before competing in the 2022 Home Run Derby in Los Angeles on Monday, Soto shared his thoughts on the Washington Nationals’ decision to entertain trade offers for their star …

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Juan Soto is the talk of the town at MLB All-Star week amid the superstar’s sudden availability. But the 23-year-old isn’t thrilled about it.

Just hours before competing in the 2022 Home Run Derby in Los Angeles on Monday, Soto shared his thoughts on the Washington Nationals’ decision to entertain trade offers for their star outfielder, admitting the move came as a surprise.

“A couple weeks ago, they were saying they will never trade me,” Soto said. “And now all these things come out. It feels really uncomfortable, you don’t know what to trust but at the end of the day it’s out of my hands of what decision they make.”

Several weeks ago, Washington hoped to lock down their franchise cornerstone for the long-term future, offering Soto a whopping 15-year, $440 million extension. However, Soto’s rejection of the deal ultimately left the Nationals with no other choice but to explore possible suitors for the outfielder.

A possible landing spot for Soto is New York, with the Mets and Yankees both exploring a trade for him before the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadlines. As for Soto, it sounds as though he would fare just fine in the Big Apple.

“Playing in New York against the Mets, I love it,” Soto said. “I love to play against them and hit the ball far. If you’ve seen my numbers at that field, it’s amazing.”

In just 30 games played at Citi Field, Soto has blasted 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 36 hits while boasting a .350 batting average, according to Statmuse. Pete Alonso – who will be facing off against Soto in the Home Run Derby and has often had a front-row seat to his theatrics – can concur.

Juan Soto
USA TODAY Sports

“He’s an excellent competitor,” Alonso said of Soto. “I like him personally, but competing against him, it’s not enjoyable because typically he’s doing what Juan does.”

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]]> https://harchi90.com/juan-soto-really-uncomfortable-with-nationals-trade-rumors/feed/ 0 18505 Yankees pick Vanderbilt outfielder Spencer Jones in MLB Draft https://harchi90.com/yankees-pick-vanderbilt-outfielder-spencer-jones-in-mlb-draft/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-pick-vanderbilt-outfielder-spencer-jones-in-mlb-draft/#respond Mon, 18 Jul 2022 12:34:56 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-pick-vanderbilt-outfielder-spencer-jones-in-mlb-draft/ LOS ANGELES — The Yankees have drafted another 6-foot-7 college outfielder who hails from California. They can only hope it turns out half as well as their selection of Aaron Judge in 2013. With the No. 25 pick in Sunday’s MLB draft, the Yankees landed Vanderbilt outfielder Spencer Jones, who has drawn some comparisons to …

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LOS ANGELES — The Yankees have drafted another 6-foot-7 college outfielder who hails from California.

They can only hope it turns out half as well as their selection of Aaron Judge in 2013.

With the No. 25 pick in Sunday’s MLB draft, the Yankees landed Vanderbilt outfielder Spencer Jones, who has drawn some comparisons to Judge with his big frame and athleticism, though he bats left-handed.

This spring, in 61 games as a junior with the Commodores, Jones hit .370 with 12 home runs, 14 steals and a 1,103 OPS, spending all of his time in right field.

Jones was a two-way player out of high school in California — he went unsigned after the Angels drafted him in the 31st round in 2019 — but ran into injury troubles that ended his run as a pitcher. During his senior year of high school, he underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left (throwing) elbow and then had Tommy John in 2020.

Vanderbilt’s Spencer Jones was taken the first round of the MLB draft by the Yankees on Sunday.
AP

But Jones became an everyday player at Vanderbilt this spring, reestablishing his value as the No. 51 draft prospect per MLB.com, No. 20 per ESPN and No. 79 per The Athletic.

“We were very happy to have been able to select Spencer,” Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting, said in a statement. “We love how athletic he is and that he can play center field. He is a legitimate five-tool type guy with big power and plus speed. He has some of the best exit velocity in this year’s draft. We are really excited about his ceiling. ”

A strong summer last year in the Cape Cod Baseball League also boosted Jones’ stock. Playing for the Brewster Whitecaps — the same team, coincidentally, that Judge played for in 2012 — Jones hit .312 with a .904 OPS in the wooden-bat league that can often serve as a separator for draft prospects.

Jones became the first outfielder the Yankees have taken with their first-round pick since Blake Rutherford in 2016.

The Yankees rounded out their first night of the draft by selecting Cal Poly right-hander Drew Thorpe with the No. 61 pick (second round). According to MLB.com, he could have the best changeup in this year’s draft class.

“We love Drew’s size and the Major League stuff and command he possesses,” Oppenheimer said. “We have seen him up to 96 (mph) and he has arguably the best changeup in the draft. He is still projectable to add velocity and his overall ability to create swing-and-miss is elite. He has the ability to move quickly through the minor leagues with a good Major League starter ceiling.”

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Matt Carpenter stays red-hot amid ‘very special’ Yankees season https://harchi90.com/matt-carpenter-stays-red-hot-amid-very-special-yankees-season/ https://harchi90.com/matt-carpenter-stays-red-hot-amid-very-special-yankees-season/#respond Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:53:50 +0000 https://harchi90.com/matt-carpenter-stays-red-hot-amid-very-special-yankees-season/ One Yankee that doesn’t need the All-Star break is Matt Carpenter, who picked up three more RBIs in Sunday’s 13-2 win over Boston to close out the first half. Carpenter drove in a run with a groundout in the first and added another two with a double to right in the fourth — giving him …

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One Yankee that doesn’t need the All-Star break is Matt Carpenter, who picked up three more RBIs in Sunday’s 13-2 win over Boston to close out the first half.

Carpenter drove in a run with a groundout in the first and added another two with a double to right in the fourth — giving him 10 RBIs over the last two games.

Gerrit Cole, who faced Carpenter quite a bit when he pitched in Pittsburgh and Carpenter was an NL Central foe with the Cardinals, called Carpenter’s performance with the Yankees so far, “very special.”

“We’re well aware of some of the struggles and challenges he’s gone through,” Cole said. “It’s been a great story all-around.”

And it shows no signs of slowing down, as the lefty-swinging Carpenter — who served as the DH with lefty Chris Sale on the mound to start — has knocked in 34 runs in 31 games.

He’s also 11-for-24 with runners in scoring position.

Matt Carpenter hits a two-run home run during the Yankees’ win over the Red Sox.
Michelle Farsi/New York Post

DJ LeMahieu left the game after being drilled in the left elbow by a 96 mph fastball from Kaleb Ort, but Aaron Boone said he’s confident LeMahieu is OK. … With a pair of stolen bases on Sunday — both by Tim Locastro — the Yankees have 63 on the season, matching their total from all of 2021.

“We’re committed to baserunning and base-stealing is a part of it,” Boone said. “It’s a priority of ours. We have a high number and a high percentage. We’ve pushed the envelope and it’s helped us big-time.” … Aaron Hicks snapped an 0-for-11 stretch with his RBI single that knocked Sale out of the game in the first. He added another run-scoring hit in an eight-run fourth following his third-inning walk.


Boone took note of Jasson Dominguez’s home run to center in Saturday’s Futures Game at Dodger Stadium — watching video of it on Sunday.

“That was a bomb,” Boone said of the outfielder recently promoted from Low-A Tampa to High-A Hudson Valley. “He’s a pretty strong young man.”

Boone said he keeps tabs on most of the organization’s prospects.

“I check our box scores every night at each affiliate to make sure I pay attention to the guys I need to,” Boone said. “It’s creating a picture in your head so I can [formulate] my thoughts from afar. We have a great player development system that we have a lot of confidence in, but you always want to have an idea as you go through that process, as well.”


Jonathan Loaisiga made his second appearance since coming off the IL and looked better, striking out two — while allowing a pair of hits — in a scoreless inning.

“He’s still working on that consistency with his sinker, where he can command it exactly like wants,” Boone said. “The stuff is there and the velocity is there.” … Ron Marinaccio started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday as he comes back from right shoulder inflammation. He pitched an inning and gave up two walks and a run, throwing in the mid-90s.


Cole matched his season-high with 12 strikeouts, as he hit double digits in strikeouts for a second consecutive outing.

The only blip in the seven-inning outing was a third-inning homer allowed to Jeter Downs. He’s given up 18 homers, with only four pitchers having given up more.

Cole will be at Dodger Stadium for the All-Star Game on Tuesday, but won’t pitch.

The right-hander described his first half, which he ended 9-2 with a 3.02 ERA as “pretty good.”

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Yankees make statement as they flex their muscles on Red Sox https://harchi90.com/yankees-make-statement-as-they-flex-their-muscles-on-red-sox/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-make-statement-as-they-flex-their-muscles-on-red-sox/#respond Mon, 18 Jul 2022 06:31:57 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-make-statement-as-they-flex-their-muscles-on-red-sox/ The Yankees were salty. They’d had a lousy week, dropping a couple of games in godforsaken Boston, losing two out of three to the godawful Reds, losing a game that should have been virtually unloseable to the Red Sox on Friday. It added up to five losses in six games. That is not tolerable in …

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The Yankees were salty. They’d had a lousy week, dropping a couple of games in godforsaken Boston, losing two out of three to the godawful Reds, losing a game that should have been virtually unloseable to the Red Sox on Friday. It added up to five losses in six games. That is not tolerable in the summer of 2022. That is not acceptable.

Someone had to pay.

The Red Sox paid. The Red Sox got snuffed 14-1 on Saturday and then got stuffed 13-2 on Sunday. There was more traffic on the Yankee Stadium base paths than on the Deegan before all three of these sold-out games. The Sox were overwhelmed and overmatched, and then they watched in horror as Chris Sale walked off the mound with a left pinky that was as crooked as the inning run totals the Yanks kept ringing up.

The Yankees felt bad about Sale — “That just sucks, it really does,” Gerrit Cole said solemnly — but sometimes when there is a public bloodletting there is also collateral damage. Sale was collateral damage. So were the voices of anyone concerned that maybe the Yankees aren’t the equal of their 64-28 record.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: They are.)

“It seems we can elevate our game,” Cole said, “when we need to.”

And that means all of them, 1 to 26. It’s hard to know whose home run was more unfathomable, the one Tim Locastro — freshly recalled after a 37-game stay at Scranton/Wilkes Barre — or Joey Gallo, freshly recalled after a 3 ½-month tour of the baseball wilderness.

The Yankees celebrate during their win over the Red Sox.
The Yankees celebrate during their win over the Red Sox.
Michelle Farsi/New York Post

It’s hard to conjure a better story in all of baseball — in all of sports, honestly — than Matt Carpenter, who had three more RBIs Sunday, who is hitting .354 with a 1,380 OPS after having one foot out the door of his career in May.

It’s hard to know where to start when you dissect the Yankees — the rotation, which after Cole’s four-hit, seven-inning, 12-strikout gem is now 34-12 on the season; or the bullpen, which has been superb; or the slugging, which has yielded 157 home runs (most in baseball) or the elite baseball acumen that has led to 63 steals (exactly as many as they had all of last year).

“It’s a credit to our guys,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Whenever we’ve been able to find an opening we’ve been able to capitalize on it.”

The standings provide the best news of all at the All-Star break, and for two very different reasons. They are 13 games up in the East and while we have it on good authority that no lead in July is invulnerable (it passed quietly that after Friday’s loss to Boston, the Yanks were 62-28 — precisely the high-water mark of the ‘ 78 Red Sox), the fact that all four teams beneath them are closely matched means they’ll keep knocking each other off in August and September. So there is little reason to fret about that cushion shrinking much.

Matt Carpenter rips a two- run double in the fourth inning.
Matt Carpenter rips a two-run double in the fourth inning.
Michelle Farsi/New York Post

But there is also this: The Yankees cannot afford to shift into cruise control because they are still only 4 ½ games better than the Astros for the best record in the American League. That’ll surely require them to remain sharp and concentrated even well after the division is safely tucked away. Because if there is one holy grail for this team before October, it is assuring that Games 6 and 7 of an ALCS matchup with Houston take place at Yankee Stadium and not Minute Maid Park.

And as if to underline the point, the Yankees will open the second half a day earlier than most of the sport, playing a doubleheader in Houston.

We could call that a day for which the Yankees had better be ready, but the Yankees have so far proven that if there’s one way to assure that they’ll report to work at their fighting best it’s to imply — even subtly, even silently — that an important game is at hand.

Gerti Cole pitches on Sunday during the Yankees' win over the Red Sox.
Gerti Cole pitches on Sunday during the Yankees’ win over the Red Sox.
Michelle Farsi/New York Post

“It seems like we can compete with anybody in any kind of game,” Cole said. “That’s a good feeling to have. You have a chance with whatever challenge the game throws at you.”

Said Carpenter: “We have a lot of tough guys on this team.”

Up and down the lineup. Up and down the roster. One to 26. The Yankees are 64-28 and you aren’t likely to hear anyone wonder again if they’re as good as their record. Because in truth, remarkably, astonishingly, they may be even better than the record.

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Red Sox’s Chris Sale fed up after finger injury in latest setback https://harchi90.com/red-soxs-chris-sale-fed-up-after-finger-injury-in-latest-setback/ https://harchi90.com/red-soxs-chris-sale-fed-up-after-finger-injury-in-latest-setback/#respond Mon, 18 Jul 2022 04:30:42 +0000 https://harchi90.com/red-soxs-chris-sale-fed-up-after-finger-injury-in-latest-setback/ Chris Sale dared to take a quick glance at his finger and had one thought rush into his mind: “Here goes more time.” Sale maintained that he felt no pain when he was struck in the hand by a 106.7 mph line drive off the bat of Aaron Hicks on Sunday afternoon. Though he suffered …

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Chris Sale dared to take a quick glance at his finger and had one thought rush into his mind: “Here goes more time.”

Sale maintained that he felt no pain when he was struck in the hand by a 106.7 mph line drive off the bat of Aaron Hicks on Sunday afternoon. Though he suffered a left pinky finger fracture on the play, Sale could only feel anger and frustration.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Sale, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for three runs (two earned) in Boston’s 13-2 loss to the Yankees. “Elbow surgery for a pitcher is not uncommon, right? That happens with the job, with what we’re doing. We deal with that. Some of this other stuff, you think, ‘Why me?’ ”

Sale, who had never broken a finger before, was to see a hand specialist either Sunday evening or Monday in Boston for a further prognosis.

Chris Sale
Michelle Farsi

“Hopefully, it’s nothing that’s going to take him out for a long, long time,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who expressed sympathy towards Sale. “We’ll have to wait.”

Sunday’s start marked only Sale’s second appearance of the season. The left-hander tossed five scoreless innings against the Rays in his season debut on Tuesday, after spending over three months on the IL with a right rib stress fracture that he sustained in spring training.

The finger fracture is just the latest in an avalanche of injuries for Sale, who has pitched just 48 ¹/₃ big-league innings since the conclusion of the 2019 season. Elbow inflammation curtailed his 2019 campaign, and eventual Tommy John surgery sidelined him through August of last year.

Red Sox
Chris Sale leaves the game after injuring his pinky.
Getty Images

“I just want to do my job,” said Sale, a seven-time All-Star. “I just want to play baseball. I’ve had so many things take that away from me. it sucks.

“It’s par for the course, honestly. Think about my timeline. It’s just been s–t after s–t after s–t. Just more s–t to deal with. What can you do? Everyone gets knocked down. It’s how you get back up. It’s where I’m at again. Get back up, dust yourself off, clean up, get back to it.”

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Yankees rout Red Sox, enter All-Star break as top MLB team https://harchi90.com/yankees-rout-red-sox-enter-all-star-break-as-top-mlb-team/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-rout-red-sox-enter-all-star-break-as-top-mlb-team/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 23:06:51 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-rout-red-sox-enter-all-star-break-as-top-mlb-team/ The Yankees finished the first half the way they spent most of it: by dismantling an opponent. After dropping five of six, the Yankees romped over the Red Sox for a second straight day with a 13-2 win on Sunday in The Bronx, scoring 27 combined runs on 26 total hits and 14 walks in …

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The Yankees finished the first half the way they spent most of it: by dismantling an opponent.

After dropping five of six, the Yankees romped over the Red Sox for a second straight day with a 13-2 win on Sunday in The Bronx, scoring 27 combined runs on 26 total hits and 14 walks in the two games.

The victory sent the Yankees to the break with the best record in the majors (64-28) and a 13-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.

“All we’ve done is put ourselves in a great position to do something special,” Aaron Boone said before the game.

In front of a third consecutive sell-out crowd at the Stadium, the Yankees put another dent in Boston’s hopes of threatening in the second half, sending the Red Sox to their sixth loss in seven games — with Chris Sale headed back to the IL after the left-hander suffered a fractured left pinky when Aaron Hicks lined a shot off his pitching hand in the Yankees’ three-run first.

After Boston rookie Jeter Downs hit his first career homer to make it 3-2 in the second, the Yankees put the game away with eight runs in the fourth — an inning that started with a Tim Locastro single and was capped off by Locastro’s two- runhomer.

Matt Carpenter watches his RBI double against the Red Sox on Sunday.
Jason Szenes

Joey Gallo even got in on the action, homering in the seventh after entering as a defensive replacement.

Something else to keep an eye on is the fact the Red Sox hit three Yankee batters, with the Yankees seemingly especially displeased when Anthony Rizzo got hit in the hip in the second and DJ LeMahieu in the elbow in the eighth.

Gerrit Cole retired the first seven batters he faced before Jackie Bradley Jr.’s single with one out in the third, which was followed by Downs’ blast. He then set down the next eight Red Sox batters and allowed just the two runs over seven innings.

The win allowed the Yankees to go into their break with the best record in the American League before they open the second half with a one-day trip to Houston for a Thursday doubleheader against the Astros — who are closing in on that top spot in the GET.

The game got off to an interesting start, as Cole — who had allowed six homers to Rafael Devers in 25 plate appearances — threw his first pitch to the third baseman low and inside, forcing Devers to the ground.

Yankees
Gerrit Cole
Jason Szenes

Cole ended up striking Devers out in a perfect first.

LeMahieu greeted Sale with a leadoff double down the right-field line in the bottom of the inning. Sale then hit Judge in the foot with an 0-2 slider.

A slow grounder by Rizzo moved both runners up a base for Gleyber Torres.

Torres grounded to Devers and the third baseman tried to throw out LeMahieu at the plate, but he sailed his throw, allowing the run to score and Torres to get to second with Judge on third.

With the infield in and shifted, Matt Carpenter hit a low liner to the right side that short-hopped Xander Bogaerts at short, allowing Judge to score.

Hicks followed with a line shot back at Sale, which hit Sale’s left hand and ricocheted into right field for a run-scoring single — and forced Sale from the game after retiring just two batters trailing 3-0.

He was replaced by Hirokaza Sawamura, who tossed a scoreless inning before leaving with two on and two out in the second.

Yankees
Joey Gallo circles the bases after hitting a home run on Sunday.
Jason Szenes

Darwinzon Hernandez entered and drilled Rizzo with his first pitch, a 93 mph fastball. Rizzo tossed his bat in disgust, but headed to first before Torres popped out to right to end the threat.

The Yankees’ offense, kept quiet by the first two Boston relievers, got to Ryan Brasier in the fourth with four straight singles.

After Brasier got an inning-ending double play from Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the third, Locastro and Kyle Higashioka led off with hits and LeMahieu and Judge followed with RBI singles to make it 5-2 and knock Brasier out of the game.

Jake Diekman entered and walked Rizzo on four pitches to load the bases.

Torres whiffed for the first out and Carpenter continued his sizzling start to his Yankee tenure with a two-run double to right.

Hicks added a single to score another run before Locastro smacked a two-run shot, as the Yankees batted around in the eight-run fourth.

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Yankees, Mets will both explore trade for Juan Soto https://harchi90.com/yankees-mets-will-both-explore-trade-for-juan-soto/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-mets-will-both-explore-trade-for-juan-soto/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 22:00:27 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-mets-will-both-explore-trade-for-juan-soto/ LOS ANGELES — Both the Yankees and Mets will look into a trade for suddenly available superstar Juan Soto, sources tell The Post. That should surprise no one as his availability represents a rare chance to acquire an all-time talent at age 23. That said, the early speculation around the game is that it won’t …

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LOS ANGELES — Both the Yankees and Mets will look into a trade for suddenly available superstar Juan Soto, sources tell The Post. That should surprise no one as his availability represents a rare chance to acquire an all-time talent at age 23.

That said, the early speculation around the game is that it won’t be easy for anyone to complete a megadeal like this by the Aug. 2 trade deadline since this is a generational type talent. Contending teams won’t want to surrender major league talent while they are in races and non-contenders won’t get value this year, only the following two years before he is due to become a free agent.

It may be especially hard for the Mets, as the Nats presumably wouldn’t want to see him in their division the next 2 ½ years. (Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz are a different story as impending free agents.)

“It’s going to be like Kevin Durant,” says one top decision-maker with a rival team, alluding to the NBA great who seems hard for the Nets to trade due to the difficulty of acquiring equal value for a monster talent.

Early unconfirmed speculation is that the Nats would request a team’s top four prospects and/or young major leaguers and perhaps a willingness to take Patrick Corbin’s bloated contract. With this kind of player, almost anything in the ask should be considered fair game.

The Yankees and Mets will both explore a trade for Juan Soto.
The Yankees and Mets will both explore a trade for Juan Soto.
Getty Images

Soto could help anyone as arguably the game’s top hitter, and since he has 2 ½ years to go before free agency, it’s possible that could open up the field a bit. However, teams have to assume it would be difficult to lock him up before free agency.

Soto declined the Nats’ $440 million, 15-year offer, as it represented a $29.3M average salary, which was rebuffed because it is below some other mega-stars and way below the target Max Scherzer’s record $43.3M Mets deal. (Nats people maintain Scherzer isn’t a fair comp because it’s a three-year deal). In any case, the early read is folks aren’t anywhere near shocked Soto would rebuff that offer even though it represents a record for total dollars.

Here’s a very early assessment of the likely hopefuls (with odds):

1. Rangers: Texas showed it’s one of the big players when it spent a half of a billion dollars on the double-play combo of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien this winter. Could the Rangers go for another $500M? odds: 10-1

2. Dodgers: They have been in on all the best players in recent years, and gotten some of them. The lineup is already considered an all-timer, but could you imagine Soto joining Trea Turner, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman? They obviously have a lot of money and the prospect capital, but will soon need to figure out shortstop as Turner is a free agent. odds: 12-1

3. Padres: GM AJ Preller nearly signed Soto as an amateur and surely would like another crack at him. While they are reluctant to trade Fernando Tatis, they do have a few top prospects. But there is one big issue. “They don’t have the money,” one rival exec said. Of course, nobody thought they had the money for Manny Machado, or before that even Eric Hosmer. Give them credit for amazing effort. Odds: 15-1.

4. Yankees: They do want to keep Aaron Judge, who they love (even if he wasn’t thrilled with how their own negotiations went) and under normal circumstances a Soto acquisition might make things a bit uncomfortable (though Judge is a pro who would welcome him) . Soto, like Judge, would be a tremendous fit at Yankee Stadium. They’d have to be willing to package some combo of Jasson Dominguez, Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza after looking reluctant to trade any of them in early deadline talk. odds: 20-1

Juan Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals.
Juan Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Nationals.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

5. Mets: The Mets have the money, of course, but they are reluctant to surrender top prospects, they wouldn’t want to give up big leaguers while in first place and they would be a very unpopular trading partner in DC Odds: 30-1.

6. Red Sox: While the Red Sox seemed to have reluctant to sign monster free-agent contracts, they have several key free agents and a lot of money potentially coming off the books (JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Nate Eovaldi are among many free agents). Odds: 40-1.

7. Giants: They tried previously for Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton (Harper wound up choosing the Phillies, and Stanton had a full no-trade and accepted the Yankees after rebuffing the Cardinals, too). They have some pretty prospects, but perhaps not quite enough of them. Odds: 50-1.

8. Cubs: They have the revenues and presumably a lot of money left, but they are not in the race and seem reluctant to go big. Odds: 100-1.

9. The field: Did anyone see the Twins signing Carlos Correa? You never know in these cases. Odds: 8-1.

10. Nats: There’s a decent chance he winds up staying. He’d still carry tremendous value in the winter, and more teams may be in play. Odds: Even money.

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All-Star experience for Yankees’ Anthony Volpe comes full circle https://harchi90.com/all-star-experience-for-yankees-anthony-volpe-comes-full-circle/ https://harchi90.com/all-star-experience-for-yankees-anthony-volpe-comes-full-circle/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 13:01:42 +0000 https://harchi90.com/all-star-experience-for-yankees-anthony-volpe-comes-full-circle/ LOS ANGELES — As a diehard Yankees fan who idolized Derek Jeter while growing up in New York and New Jersey, Anthony Volpe traveled to Minneapolis in 2014 for the Hall of Fame shortstop’s last All-Star Game. Included in that trip was watching the Futures Game, two days before the major leaguers took the stage …

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LOS ANGELES — As a diehard Yankees fan who idolized Derek Jeter while growing up in New York and New Jersey, Anthony Volpe traveled to Minneapolis in 2014 for the Hall of Fame shortstop’s last All-Star Game.

Included in that trip was watching the Futures Game, two days before the major leaguers took the stage at Target Field.

Eight years later, Volpe was at the Futures Game again — this time batting cleanup and playing shortstop for the AL team at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s not too often you get to play against the best of the best, so I’m really excited,” Volpe said before going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. “So far it’s been crazy. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

For the 21-year-old Volpe, the No. 8 prospect in baseball per MLB.com, the experience was all the more special because he was able to represent (along with outfielder Jasson Dominguez and pitcher Ken Waldichuk) the team he grew up rooting for.

Anthony Volpe
Getty Images

“It’s a huge honor to be representing the Yankees — in everything we do — but just to be here with JD and Ken, it’s a super great honor,” Volpe said.

The other side of being a top prospect, of course, is being included in trade rumors for top players, especially as part of a World Series-contending organization such as the Yankees. While the news that Nationals superstar Juan Soto could be dealt before the Aug. 2 trade deadline brought Volpe’s name into any potential Yankees deal, he was not thinking about that possibility.

“It’s super out of my control,” Volpe said. “I’m here in LA with some of the best minor leaguers in the game. … It’s just a great, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that if I was spending any brainpower thinking about like that, it would be taking away from how much fun I’m having.”

Volpe started the season off slow at Double-A Somerset, hitting .165 with four home runs and a .607 OPS through his first 29 games. But over his last 48 games, he is hitting .303 with eight home runs and a .933 OPS. Overall this year, he is batting .253 with a .812 OPS while going 35-for-39 in stolen bases.

That comes after an offseason in which the Yankees did not sign any of the top shortstops on the free-agent market — in part because of Volpe and Triple-A shortstop Oswald Peraza, the Yankees’ No. 2 prospects behind Volpe. Both were mentioned by Hal Steinbrenner in spring training when explaining the club’s non-pursuit of stars like Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Trevor Story.

“That’s obviously great to hear from someone like that,” Volpe said. “But at the end of the day, I feel like I have a long way to go. This is obviously a great step in my career, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. Even when I hopefully get there one day, there’s still a lot more work to be done to be the player I want to be and hopefully win a lot of World Series.”

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Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez homers in MLB Futures Game after promotion https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-homers-in-mlb-futures-game-after-promotion/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-homers-in-mlb-futures-game-after-promotion/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 12:17:29 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-homers-in-mlb-futures-game-after-promotion/ LOS ANGELES — The next time Jasson Dominguez takes the field, he will be wearing a new uniform. But first, he made a splash at the MLB Futures Game. Two days after learning he was being promoted from Low-A Tampa to High-A Hudson Valley, the Yankees’ outfield prospect crushed a two-run homer off Giants left-handed …

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LOS ANGELES — The next time Jasson Dominguez takes the field, he will be wearing a new uniform.

But first, he made a splash at the MLB Futures Game.

Two days after learning he was being promoted from Low-A Tampa to High-A Hudson Valley, the Yankees’ outfield prospect crushed a two-run homer off Giants left-handed prospect Kyle Harrison on Saturday in the AL’s 6-4 win over the NL at Dodger Stadium.

The homer came a half-inning after Dominguez dropped a fly ball in deep center field for a two-run error. The 19-year-old found instant redemption with his 415-foot shot off Harrison.

“In my mind, I said, ‘Everybody forget this error,’ ” Dominguez said with a grin. “I felt really good. I feel like that fly ball? No one’s remembering that.”

Shortly before the game, the Yankees announced Dominguez’s promotion — which will take effect following the All-Star break — providing him a new challenge for the second half of his second season in professional baseball.

Yankees Jasson Dominguez belts a two-run homer during the MLB Futures Game.
AP

Tampa manager Rachel Balkovec delivered the news to Dominguez on Thursday before he left for the Futures Game.

“I’m really excited,” Dominguez said. “I want this break to go quick. I want to play.”

Dominguez, who has been heavily hyped since he signed with the Yankees for $5.1 million in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, is the club’s No. 3 prospects and the No. 39 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com.

In 75 games for Tampa this season, Dominguez was batting .266 with nine home runs, 19 steals, 89 strikeouts, 46 walks and a .814 OPS. He shook off a slow start, when he hit .216 with one home run, 26 strikeouts, two walks and a .548 OPS in his first 17 games, before batting .284 with eight homers, 63 strikeouts, 44 walks and a .908 OPS over his last 58 games.

Jasson Dominguez (right) celebrates his two-run homer with Gunnar Henderson during the MLB All-Star Futures Game.
Jasson Dominguez (right) celebrates his two-run homer with Gunnar Henderson during the MLB Futures Game.
AP

“The experience is important, but I was able to work on my discipline at the plate,” Dominguez said through an interpreter before the game. “There’s always going to be more to learn, more to experience, more to get used to. So yeah, there’s a lot to learn still.”

Dominguez said he enjoyed playing for Balkovec, who is in her first season as manager of the Tarpons.

“Obviously it’s different, but it feels good, it’s fun and you learn a lot,” Dominguez said.

After his second Futures Game, Dominguez, still the third-youngest player in the event, walked around the AL clubhouse getting his teammates to sign a bat.

“You don’t know if this is your last time here,” said Dominguez, who went hitless in the 2021 game. “So I got this bat to put on my wall in my room to remember this day.”

Yankees left-handed pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk entered to retire the final batter of the game and record the save, throwing three pitches from 95-96 mph to get Brewers prospect Jackson Chourio to fly out.

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Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez, A’s Shea Langeliers lead AL to Futures Game win https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-as-shea-langeliers-lead-al-to-futures-game-win/ https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-as-shea-langeliers-lead-al-to-futures-game-win/#respond Sun, 17 Jul 2022 06:35:54 +0000 https://harchi90.com/yankees-jasson-dominguez-as-shea-langeliers-lead-al-to-futures-game-win/ LOS ANGELES — Shea Langeliers is headed to the Hall of Fame, even before his big league debut. A 24-year-old catching prospect, Langeliers was voted MVP of the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday after homering and throwing out a runner trying to steal third base in the American League’s 6-4 victory. His Victus Pro Reserved …

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LOS ANGELES — Shea Langeliers is headed to the Hall of Fame, even before his big league debut.

A 24-year-old catching prospect, Langeliers was voted MVP of the All-Star Futures Game on Saturday after homering and throwing out a runner trying to steal third base in the American League’s 6-4 victory.

His Victus Pro Reserved DT29 maple bat, size 34-32, is headed to Cooperstown.

“It’s crazy, I came into today just excited to be here,” Langeliers said.

New York Yankees prospect Jasson Dominguez and Minnesota’s Matt Wallner hit two-run homers in the third inning off San Francisco’s Kyle Harrison, who took the loss.

Dominguez, at 19 the youngest AL prospect at the game, tied the score 3-3 with his 415-foot drive on a slider at the letters. Wallner homered three batters later on hanging sinker for a 5-3 lead, a 115.3 mph drive hit harder than any home run by the major league Twins this year.

“In an ideal world, that’s what I would have done,” Wallner said.

Langeliers, the oldest player on either team, added a solo homer in the fourth on a hanging changeup from Atlanta’s Jared Shuster. Langeliers caught Shuster last year at Double-A Mississippi, before Oakland acquired Langeliers in the March trade that sent first baseman Matt Olson to Atlanta.

“I know how good he is,” Langeliers said. “He made my job really easy catching last year. It was cool being on the other side of it.”

He threw out Corbin Carroll, the No. 3 overall prospect, trying to steal third.

What was more satisfying?

“Throwing the runner out, for sure,” Langeliers said.

The Futures Game attracts top prospects. Julio Rodriguez played in last year’s game and is the youngest All-Star this year at 21, also picked for Monday night’s Home Run Derby.

Jack Leiter, last of former major league pitcher Al Leiter, threw a 1-2-3 fourth. Selected second overall by Texas in last year’s draft, Leiter reached 97.5 mph.

Darren Baker, son of Houston manager Dusty Baker, entered in the fifth and hit a liner that Chicago White Sox center fielder Oscar Colas grabbed with a tumbling catch.

Toronto’s Yosver Zulueta faced one batter and got the win, retiring the Mets’ Francisco Alvarez on a grounder that ended the third.

The teams played at Dodger Stadium, three days before the All-Star Game is held at the park.

Milwaukee’s Joey Wiemer hit a ninth-inning sacrifice fly that Oakland’s Denzel Clarke caught against the eight-field wall. The Yankees’ Ken Waldichuk got the save by retiring the Brewers’ Jackson Chourio on a flyout.

Players, excited to be in a big league ballpark, watched while hanging over the dugout railings. Agent Scott Boras and his staff filled the first row a section behind home plate.

Dodgers right-hander Bobby Miller struck out three in the first: Dominguez on a changeup, Anthony Volpe on a curveball and Wallner on a changeup.

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn made a 100.5 mph to first to throw out Houston’s Yainer Diaz in the second inning, faster than any throw in a big league game since Statcast started in 2015. The big league high is 97.8 mph by Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz on Thursday.

Texas prospect Dustin Harris had an RBI single in the first off Miller, but the NL built a 3-1 lead in the second after the Dodgers’ Diego Cartaya hit a two-out fly to the center field warning track was dropped by Dominguez on the warning track for a two-run error. San Diego’s Robert Hassell III followed with an RBI single that chased Hunter Brown.

Dominguez, who learned Thursday he is being promoted from Tampa to Hudson Valley, was relieved when he homered.

“My mind said: Everybody forget this error,” he said.

WEB GEM

Cleveland’s George Valera ran into deep left to rob Hassell of a run-scoring extra-base hit in the first.

THWACK

Tony, Olivier and Emmy Award winner Bryan Cranston took a line drive to a shoulder off the bat of Grammy Award winner Anthony Ramos during batting practice before the celebrity softball game.

“It’s definitely going to bruise,” Cranston said after recovering in his trailer. “I might be more of a cheerleader in this game.”

Actor Simu Liu on his softball ability: “I’m all athleticism, zero technique.”

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