The Cubs released closer Hector Neris, which may make Jorge Lopez the closer for now. The group also remembered the discovery of the deadline RHP Jack Neelyformer Yankees prospect who checks in at a gargantuan 6’8” 245 lbs. He has thrown 6.2 scoreless innings with a 52 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A Iowa since the trade that sent him there. RHP Porter Hodge is the first favorite for the gig in 2025 until further notice, especially the notice that the club is involved in the repurchase market as it often does. RHP Tyson Miller has pitched very well this season but doesn’t add to the lineup the team wants to knock off the ninth-place team. Meanwhile, Cubbie farmhands RHPs Manuel Rodríguez and Jeremiah Estrada are key pieces for other teams. I won’t count RHP Hunter Bigge because at least he was traded for something. I can’t win them all, I realize, but I hope Neely gets a real chance to land a long-term roster spot.
Tigers 3B Jace Jung he has that opportunity in Detroit, and is hitting .333 with a .500 OBP through three games. I don’t think he needed 91 games in Triple-A, but hey. The club just decided they could replace both corners with Tork and Jung, which sounds like a hot lawyer show from the 90’s. Both will be tough calls at the draft table in 2025.
I feel like the royals see something completely different than I do when they look at it Dairon Blanco play baseball. If I’m a manager, and I see a guy hit three home runs in two games, I’ll probably play him the third night. Let’s see if he can continue. If he is also very quick and decent on defense, so much the better. Still, he’s still a part-time player, and at 31 years old, he probably won’t get a full chance. I picked him up (again) anyway in a few leagues and was glad to see him back in the lineup on Tuesday night.
The Cardinals remember1B Luke Bakerwhich makes sense until you see the following faint words that have been dropped Jordan Walker in the same stroke. Walker was recently recalled, playing only four games (12 plate appearances) before returning to Memphis. What can happen in four games to make the organization wave the white flag on a big prospect like Walker? Who knows, but he only collected one hit in those 12 plate appearances. Weird stuff, and it won’t be any less weird if Baker ends up sitting on the bench or at DH against lefties. He should have been an everyday DH from day one this season if they wanted to find out what they had, but he wasn’t there, so they still don’t know. To their credit, they got Masyn Winn and Nate Burleson to continue as big leaguers, and they made a nice Fedde trade, so it’s not like they’re asleep at the wheel. You only feel that way when you like Jordan Walker or Luken Baker.
Chase DeLauter Guardians, Red Sox BY Kristian Campbell again Redshirted RHP Rhett Lowder they’ve all been sent to Triple-A, and I think they’ve got an outside shot in September’s playoff time. Any of them could make an impact before the end of this MLB season.
Athletics are promoted 1B Nick Kurtz (21, AA) through High-A after his hot start in A ball. He slashed .400/.571/.960 with four home runs in seven games and probably didn’t need that week in Low-A, but hey who doesn’t love a good confidence booster? If he performs well in Double-A, he will move up draft boards quickly, for both pedigree and redraft purposes.
Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker (24, AA) looked great coming back from Tommy John surgery. The third overall pick in 2022, Rocker allowed one run in four Double-A starts spanning 15 innings. He has 21 hits, two walks and a 0.53 WHIP. It would be a really interesting story if he can keep the form down and open 2025 as an option for Texas.
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