A couple of weeks ago, I made the short trek from Indianapolis to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to see the Great Lakes Loons play the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps. I have to say that the Loons front office was simply amazing. Chris Mundhenk (President and GM) and Brad Tunney (Announcer and Director of Communications) started by accomodating my request and making it all happen! Ben Schulman and John Nolan of the Tin Caps made sure that it all happened and that we were comfortable. Parkview Field in Ft. Wayne is an amazing venue to watch a Minor League Game. If it is not the Best Minor League Ballpark in America, it is in the discussion.
The title of this blog begs the question as to whether Austin Chubb is “manager material” and without hesitation, I say “100% he is an MLB Manager.” Austin Chubb had a short minor league career – I do not remember him. But he evidently had similar talent as me. I never played MLB baseball and neither did he. Of course, I never managed in Minor League Baseball… and he did! It would be easy to look at this guy and think he is just another “minor league manager or coach,” but you would be dead wrong to think that. Austin Chubb is a special guy. He “gets it.” He also knows how hard it is to play at this level and he leads by example.
When you watch Austin on the field, you can see that he is in charge and that he is “the man.” He just has that “take charge” attitude and the players totally respect him. He was around John Shoemaker at times and I am pretty sure Shoe’s dedication and attitude have rubbed off a little. Austin is a humble guy, who is just easy to talk to and I will say this: He will be a Major League Manager someday. I hope it is with the Dodgers. Enjoy the interview.
Rants & Raves
- Did you see how Belli timed his leap at the wall when Chris Bytant hit his HR? He was on it. It was just outta’ his reach, but that was textbook! As long a Muncy and Turner can hit, teh Dodgers can carry Belli due to his defense.
- With Blake Treinen due back in a couple of weeks, I would like to see Evan Phillips close some games. His control is impeccable and his pitches are unhittable.
- There was only one game for the four minor league teams as OKC was beaten 8-3.
- McKinstry and Vargas each had 2 hits and Zach hit his 4th HR.
- Mark Washington was beat like a rented mule: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER1, BB, 2. K. Alvarez and Bruihl were lit up as bad, but they didn’t earn any brownie points.
- With CT3 out for a couple of months (the Dodgers say less), it is “next man up.” That needs to be Miguel Vargas, Give him a crash course in LF. I think his bat is ready.
- OK, Kimbrel got hurt on that line drive and will be out a few days. Maybe that is an excuse for what happened…
Nice to see Max got two hits by swinging at first pitch and being a little more aggressive as he regains some confidence
Beautiful stadium from the looks of it in the picture and good interview.
Nice to see Pepiot pitch well. He looked more relaxed than his previous outings and attacked the strike zone. Hopefully we get the sweep tonight then on to 4 games with the Cubs. I will have to listen to there announcers in this series since the game is in my local tv broadcast. Not a fan of Jon Sciambi and Jim Deshaies.
We need the injuries to go away for a bit and get some guys healthy. Season is flying past as we are one game from the halfway mark.
Hey, it could be worse. You could be stuck listening to the Rockies announcers like I am this three-game series. Horrible! There are some sites that rate MLB announcing teams and they are always near the bottom.
Cheers
My favorite out of town announcers are the Mets with Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling. They really know and explain some of the intricacies of the game. I also watch a lot of the Brewers games and they are sure biased but better than the Cubs or Cardinals announcers. I have listened to the Rockies announcers several times and yeah they can be a tough listen.
If this was Pepiot’s 4th time up (as mentioned in Mark’s posting), what does that mean for him and the Dodgers going forward? The current CBA limits a team to 5 call ups (not counting April). With half a season to go, it suggests he could be up for good at some point.
I thilnk his first 3 times up do not count because it was during the time when MLB allowed shuffling back and forth without counting against your options.
Nice to see the kid get his first Win.
Muncy had his usual one good game a week , some pattern the last few weeks. Hope he can stay hot .
I agree with bringing Vargas up for CT3. Kid has earned it.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!
Wow, can we have some more days like Yesterday?
Lot’s of good news on the injury front except for CT3’s foot. But, he can use a rest anyways. Dustin May is inching closer to a return and Blake Treinen had a “Pretty Dang Good” bullpen session according to the eloquent Doc. Caleb Ferguson will be back shortly as he is expected to return sometime during the current homestand, so within the next 5 games. But, most likely tonight after they option Pepiot, or tomorrow if they choose to option White instead.
We also had another great game with JT and Mad Max carrying much of the load. Both had multi-hit games, but it was Muncy that shined with 3 runs a couple of ribbies, walks and hits. His 2-2 night soared his batting average all the way up to .171!
It was Pepiot who truly shined and if it weren’t for that 11 pitch AB by McMahon he probably could have gone 6. His ERA now sits at a pretty 2.76 with 19 K’s in 16.1 innings.
The bullpen came through after Bickford allowed a long ball, he settled in and recorded 1.2 innings of work. Probably could have finished his second inning, but hey that number 9 hitter that Phillips was brought in to face was obviously too much of a threat for Bickford to handle after striking out the previous hitter. And Doc, just can’t resist that mid-inning pitching change. Phillips, auditioning for the closer role, made quick work of the top of the lineup recording 3 K’s with a single sandwiched in between. Graterol for the save with a couple of K’s, a hit and a ground out. No clean innings, but more than good enough to get the job done.
Sadly, Cody was a strikeout machine. But, the rest of the offense was good enough to pick up another W and are the first NL team to get past the 400 runs mark on the season. Not bad for such a bad-hitting team. The Yankees are the only other team to score (just two) more runs and they have that short porch in right that can’t even hold back these dead balls. The Yankees have also played one more game.
We have 1 more game until the halfway mark, so we’re guaranteed a winning record in the first half. Hard to believe with all the supposed problems we have or all the IL time we’ve seen. With 10 pitchers and 4 position players currently in the IL, it’s pretty crazy that we’re the class of the senior circuit increasing our lead over the Padres to 5.5 games.
Trayce Thompson just keeps hitting. This might be my favorite story of the season so far. I really liked Trayce the first time around. You have to give it up for a guy that keeps sticking around waiting for another shot. He feels a little bit like LA family with his dad a Laker and Laker’s broadcaster. Keep riding the hot hand Doc!
Jayne Cobb, you can call me Bulldog, or you can call me Penguin, just don’t call me Shirley.
But you can call him Jayne?
Trayce Thompson is reminding me of a Dodger from the 1960s – Sweet Lou Johnson! A career vagabond ballplayer in 1965, ’66 and ’67 he was the Dodger’s best clutch hitter. He and Koufax were the stars of the 1965 World Series and the 1966 National League championship teams . Lou was a winner and team leader; he died in 2020. Trayce is getting clutch hits just like Lou and I am rooting for him….
I’ll take it!
Just wanted to say, that was an awesome looking cat with Gonsolin in the picture of your writing yesterday BulldogsandPenguins. I’m a cat lover just like Gonsolin.
Bulldog it is. Also, do you like movies about gladiators?
Who doesn’t?!?
I don’t, as of recently. Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
How good has Evan Phillips been?
Local Kid from NC, 2 towns over from me. What a find!! Keep throwing it well young man.
The chance that CK makes the All-Star team just skyrocketed. Both teams are allowed to add one player for career achievements. Since the game is in LA, I am pretty sure he is a lock. Nice game and I actually got to watch it. Spectrum, who does this a lot, changed my channel lineup and I get Altitude Sports, which broadcasts the Rockies games. Of course I turned down the volume and listened to Charlie and Rick. About an 8 second delay between what they say on the radio and what happens on the screen. So I saw it before I heard it. Got the estimate on the repairs my truck needs. Won’t be eating out for a while! LOL.
My pea brain can’t function with that much of a delay so I suffer through those horrible Rockies announcers.
Sigh…….
Suck it up kid.
Because Trayce is playing so well, I’ll assume he gets a lot of starts in LF while CT3 is out.
But because Trayce is right handed, does that perhaps mean the leftie hitter Michael Busch has a shot to be called up over the rightie hitter Miguel Vargas?
Your right Bobby. They’re not gonna bring Vargas up to sit on the bench and stifle his development and I feel the same about Busch. I think McKinstry gets the call
Pretty sure Jake Lamb will be platooning with Trayce for the foreseeable future. Reverse splits be dammed.
Who would you rather have stay in the rotation? White or Pepiot?
Pepiot. I think White’s near future is as a long reliever and maybe an eighth inning stopper down the road. No facts behind it just a gut feeling. You know, like Roberts has when he makes some his head scratching pitching moves.
Good question though.
White. Pepiot will get there but he needs a little more seasoning.
I think Pepiot has a higher ceiling. He has a truly exceptional pitch with his change. White has a good pitch selection of above average pitches, but nothing about him truly stands out.
Pepiot reminds a little of Gonsolin – exceptional off speed pitch that plays up his fastball.
Oh yeah? We all should know that CK’s slider is his best pitch. What if I were to tell you that White’s slider is comparable to Kershaw’s?…
White throws his slider just 28% of the time. In 43 plate appearances, he has 15 K’s
Clayton throws his 44% of the time. In 100 PAs he has 34 K’s
White BAA .190 CK .226
White SLG .310 CK .323
I think his slider stands out plenty. It might not be as good as Pepiot’s change, but it is a special pitch.
You’re comparing Mitch White to Clayton Kershaw?
Ok.
I read on some page that Kimbrel had some tests and resulted in some kind of injury to his arm or shoulder, maybe it’s good news, because if he has an injury, then it could heal. I liked how a commentator from last night’s game referred to Tracey Thompson as Tracey “Clutch” Thompson, so far it has been….
Nice win last night. Happy for Max and his offensive onslaught. Can he continue his “sudden” aggressive approach? He did this last year, but woke up after the first month or so. Why did it took so long this year? (If in fact it has) To watch so many first pitch fastball strikes for the first half of the season is hard to understand. I guess Yogi was right that half the game is 90% mental. Continue to be aggressive Max!
Sorry to see CT3 go down with a broken foot. But it might be a good thing for all parties. It will keep him from striking for a couple of months. And it might give Vargas or Busch an opportunity with the big club. Or, maybe let Trace continue to excel. He’s been quite a surprise so far. He is very athletic in the field and has been clutch on a couple of occasions. I was sad to see him go down with back injuries his first time around with the team. He looked at the time to becoming a solid major leaguer. Hopefully, the back issues have been resolved.
I read a short article that stated Caleb Ferguson was not happy with the way the Dodgers were handling his rehab and use lately. He says there is nothing wrong with his arm and can’t understand why he isn’t active. He can’t get an answer to his concerns. I don’t know if this has been reported here, but I thought I would share it. I can’t verify if it is accurate or some blog BS. Mark, any info?
Good for Ryan Pepiot. He looked much better last night. First pitch strikes and staying aggressive when necessary.
Looking forward to seeing more from him this year and in the future.
Nice interview Mark. An interesting future lies ahead for Mr Chubb.
Carry on
On Ferguson,
You know what I know. Sounds like a case of miscommunication and overblown media coverage.
* Pepiot just looked great. And in a difficult situation. It’s not easy being on the shuttle between AAA and the Show. These outings are pressure filled for a guy trying to impress and make a case to stay with the club. I know it’s a pressure business but spot starts for a young prospect are amped up much more than for a regular starter. He showed well. He has a really nice change. I’m not in love with his breaking ball or cutter or whatever it is. That’s a work in progress needing either more bite and/or better location. The fb change combo is great.
* Lux used to look like a dear in the headlights. Now he just looks anything but. He’s very confident.
* I love Phillips’ stuff and have said he’d be my closer for now. I know all about the case for a “closers mentality” and I think he has that. He certainly has the stuff for it. The arm side run on the fastball just sinks like a bowling ball, followed by Mr Snappy. He’s a treat to watch.
* “OK, Kimbrel got hurt on that line drive and will be out a few days. Maybe that is an excuse for what happened…” and maybe it’s an excuse to close with someone else for a while.
And maybe Jorge is right.
It was just one game but last night a lot went right for some of guys we were questioning. Pepiot made a huge leap in getting his first win. I think he has established himself and not a prospect anymore.
Graterol looks like the best option in house to grab the closer role. Lux continues to set the table. Thompson banging down the door making himself a definite spot on this team. And Max showing he can still carry this club. Just one game but a turning point for a lot of the guys!
It use to be I wanted to watch the game on tv and listen to the radio broadcast. Now it’s pretty much the opposite. Most play by play guys in mlb are awful! The over exaggerated calls such as a walk off base on balls, or the screaming on home runs. I know I grew up listening to vin, jack buck , harry calas etc. and I might be a little biased but these guys today are pretty bad, none of them can make you feel like you’re there. Sterling isn’t awful, well sometimes he is, but the astros crew kills me. Charlie may be losing it a bit but I’ll take him and Monday over 90 percent of the other guys. Joe Davis is good but sometimes his player profiles put me to sleep, but if we can’t have vin , he’s next best and I may be a little biased towards Orel,(1988) but I like him with joe. Giants are done! (Pads too)
Dodger dad – my problem with TV broadcasters, both play-by-play and analysts is talking too much. They need to fill every second and don’t let the game breathe. Joe Davis is a rising star and I like him. But he can over-stat me. Orel has good insight but talks too much. D-Train was refreshing for about 2 straight games. Karros misses stuff, Nomar might be my favorite.
Many ex-player analysts are paid to talk – and they can’t. I like the Yankees Micheal Kay and David Cone but they added Cameron Maybin who just rambles on and on. Lots of “you knows”. He has nothing to say but that doesn’t stop him.
Here are my favorites from other crews: Ben McDonald – O’s and CWS, EK with his “isms” once in awhile, Michael Kay & Cone, as mentioned, Gary Cohen and Ron Darling – Mets, Kuiper and Krukow – I can’t type the team name, and Jason Benetti and Steve Stone – when they aren’t driving their Abbot and Costello routines into the ground and Beth Mowins – Cubs. (The best broadcast of the year in anything was Mowins and Rebecca Lobo doing the Women’s NCAA Hoops finals.)
Here are my least favorites: The D-Backs booth, AJ Pierzynski – smart ass, Jay Buehner – M’s, Rex Hudler, Dallas Braden – A’s, Jerry Hairston – studio and anywhere on earth, and Jon Miller.
Three-man booths are generally a disaster as 3 guys step all over each other. Again, most shitty guys act like they are paid by the word.
Pepiot looked damn good. But I’m deferring on the Pepiot/White question, just in case Mitch throws a shutout today.
To me Muncy’s HR and double was the most hopeful sign from this game. Max has earned a long leash because of his track record and work ethic. Can he get back to being normal Max for the second half? (Perhaps we dream of maximum Max…
Sad to say, but I think Belli might be batting in the 9th spot soon. He has been down to 8th, after all.
The other day, Belli came up with runners in scoring position and took his usual pull swing on a pitch on the outside corner. Another whiff. Later Trayce Thompson came up and went with a outside pitch, punching a single to right to bring in the insurance run. (And now Trayce has a chance to prove himself more with Taylor out. Perhaps Taylor could even resume a full-time UT role.)
I have zero problem with the shift and hope its not banned. Before it became common, it added interest to the game. Now fans whine about it. But in the past, when the shift was rare, more batters were taught to use the whole field and the shift was reserved for pull hitters. I’m all for guys learning to use the whole field. Minnesota’s Luis Arraez is having a great season because he is hitting like Carew, Boggs, Gwynn and Ichiro. Baseball needs more guys like that.
Duke. I’m leaving Lux in the 9 hole no matter what. I like him up there after Belli walks back to the dugout. 2nd time thru I like Lux, Mookie and Turner in a row. All can run, steal and hit. Belli is fine in the 8 spot.
I too had hoped that the shift would become ineffective as players decided to use the whole field. I’m now convinced that it will never happen. Some players are doing it more but not enough. They just don’t want to. So rule changes are necessary if fans don’t want to watch guys just hit into the shift.
You mentioned Bellinger. He occasionally will give a cosmetic attempted push bunt but his heart isn’t in it. He wants to swing hard and get big. After all, he does have 11 homers in 300 at bats. He wouldn’t want to waste a chance to hit 12. Seriously, he could easily have laid down or push bunted 12 times against the shift in his 273 at bats. It’s a gimme. It doesn’t have to be a great bunt; anything not to the pitcher, with his wheels, is a base hit. 12 base hits that move runners instead of striking out. It helps the offense in so many ways and forces the D to play catch. With 12 more hits, Belli is hitting .250.
Phil –
I read your last comment on Bellinger and agree that his bunt attempts appear to be half-hearted. Like a lot of fans, I thought after his MVP year that he had a Hall of Fame career in front of him. It is so disappointing to see all that athletic talent being squandered the past couple of years. One would think that the career financial incentive would be a strong motivating factor to make adjustments in his offensive game. I guess that is not going to happen and its a shame. But, as we old-timers know we all have regrets in life that we have to live with; this may be his.
My preferred lineup would be:
Trea
Lux
Betts
Freeman
Smith
Justin
Cody
Trace
Max (for his walks/OBP)
I would like to trade for Drury.
I would tell Bellinger that he could be a 1962 version of Tommy Davis if he copied his stance and swing. Have to wait for the last few seconds for Tommy to share his secret for hitting success.
https://youtu.be/Np6WNBFiBY0
Now that I have opened the door for Bellinger to walk through and become Tommy Davis, I will add Fergusson will be the next Steve Howe without the booze and drugs problems.
When you trade for Drury (and while we’re at it, Fred, who are we trading for him?), whose place does he take in the lineup? I think he’s going to be in very high demand, so prepare to overpay if you want him.
Knack and Hoese and Lamb.
Drury can play 3rd, 2nd, and outfield as I remember.
As you might expect, I would trade Muncy for Drury straight up but the Trade Simulator would quickly reject that.
Drugs are bad
MLB.com just came out with their revised Top 100 Prospect List.
We have 6 guys on the list, as follows:
Cartaya – 15
Miller – 28
Busch – 44
Pages – 49
Vargas – 73
Pepiot – 78
They obviously don’t think as highly of Vargas as some of us do.
I’m perhaps biases after last night but I’m skeptical that there are 77 better prospects than Pepiot.
Maybe the Top 100 came out one week too soon. Pepiot might have moved up after yesterday.
Let’s not trade any of these guys. Looking forward to 2025 this is going to be fun when you add in Smith,Mookie, Freddie,May, and the Catman!
I figured Diego would shoot up the list. I predict he will be a top 3-5 by the beginning of next season.
Not sure why Vargas is so far back. I assume because his defense is questionable. That said, what are the odds he’s a Dodger by tonight? No move yet announced on who they are calling up. I’d say it 33% he’s on his way to LA as we speak.
Clearly Gavin Stone’s 2022 hasn’t impressed them enough to crack that Top 100 list.
“Frankie Montas To Miss Next Start Due To Shoulder Inflammation”
Anyone still want to trade for him?
I prefer to go for Hansel Robles, help for the bullpen.
What’s so exciting about Robles, Jorge?
I’d much rather go after Effross if the Cubs would be willing to trade him.
If not Effross, how about Chafin from the Tigers or Barlow from KC?
Scott Barlow – Hell Yes!
Andrew Chafin – Do we need another lefty with Price, Vesia, Ferguson, Bruhil, Cleavinger, V-Gone and Heaney or Anderson moving to the pen at some point?
Scott Effross – Meh, not a huge fan of side-armers
He just got DFA’d, no doubt the Dodgers will pick him up, add him to the roster, not use him and DFA him as well. Sounds just like Gibaut.
Just curious, what help does the bullpen need? Right this second, we have…
Almonte
Bickford
Ferguson (Just added back)
Graterol
Kimbrel
Phillips
Price
Vesia
Still on the IL, Duffy, Gonzolez, Heaney, Kahnle, Treinen.
Minors, Moronta, Cleavinger, Bruhil
Hansel Robles has a 5.84 ERA this year. That’s higher than every pitcher listed above except Grove and Kahnle. Kahnle gave up all of his runs in one inning.
You’re probably joking about Robles. If we’re going to add to the pen, it better be elite or a waiver claim to bide time until some of our better pieces come back.
I mean that despite the fact that this season has bad numbers, in his career he has had good seasons, it would not be illogical to believe that the Dodgers could do something to improve him
Man, that is one sad group of outfield NL “all stars” this year! I could think of 10 first baseman I’d rather start than Joc as the third outfielder
10:10 PM ET
Rockies (35-46)
Dodgers (51-29)
SP Mitch White R
1-1 3.93 ERA 34.1IP 33K
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
2B Max Muncy L
3B J. Turner R
DH Jake Lamb L
CF C. Bellinger L
LF Gavin Lux L
C A. Barnes R
Clear-day
0% Rain
73° Wind 7 mph Out
07/06/22 Los Angeles Dodgers placed SS Chris Taylor on the 10-day injured list. Left foot fracture.
07/06/22 Los Angeles Dodgers activated 2B Zach McKinstry.
07/06/22 Los Angeles Dodgers activated LHP Caleb Ferguson from the 15-day injured list.
07/06/22 Los Angeles Dodgers optioned RHP Ryan Pepiot to Oklahoma City Dodgers.
DODGERS ACTIVATE ZACH MCKINSTRY & CALEB FERGUSON
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry and left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson from the injured list, optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Pepiot and placed infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor on the 10-day injured list with a left foot fracture.
McKinstry, 27, returns after being placed on the injured list on June 28 with neck stiffness. He has appeared in six games with the Dodgers, batting .143 with a homer and two RBI. With Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was batting .335 (64-for-191) with nine doubles, four homers and 25 RBI in 48 games. In three Major League seasons with the Dodgers, he has hit a combined .218 with 10 doubles, eight homers and 31 RBI. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 33rd round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Central Michigan University.
Ferguson, 25, missed 15 games with left forearm tendinitis and he was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/5.0 IP) in six games for the Dodgers prior to the injury. He is in his fourth Major League season, and he is a combined 10-5 with a 3.76 ERA (49 ER/117.1 IP) and 145 strikeouts in 102 games (six starts). He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 38th round of the 2014 First Year Player Draft out of West Jefferson High School.
Pepiot, 24, recorded his first career Major League win last night, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing one run and striking out a career-best six in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win. He has pitched in four games for the Dodgers, tossing 16.1 innings, allowing five runs with 12 walks and 19 strikeouts. He is 6-0 with a 1.94 ERA (12 ER/55.2 IP) and 76 strikeouts in 12 games (11 starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Indiana native has spent parts of three seasons in the minor leagues with the Dodgers, going 11-9 with a 3.44 ERA (69 ER/180.1 IP) and 234 strikeouts in 51 games (43 starts). He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the third round (102nd overall) of the 2019 First Year Player Draft out of Butler.
Taylor, 31, heads to the injured list for the first time this season and the second time in his career. On the season, he is batting .238 with 19 doubles, six homers and 27 RBI in 74 games. He has spent parts of nine seasons in the Major Leagues with Seattle (2014-2016) and Los Angeles (2016-2022) and he is a career .259 hitter with 85 home runs and 336 RBI. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the fifth round of the 2012 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia and was acquired by the Dodgers on June 19, 2016 in exchange for right-handed pitcher Zach Lee.
Zack isn’t much help. Like the guy. But they need to be more aggressive. I’m perplexed why they are playing it so safe with their AAA players. Zack has obviously killed AAA in terms of hits. But his ceiling is utility. He has zero power. He’s not CT3. Even a struggling CT3. Why aren’t they making any bold moves? Impact moves. They’re in 1st place. They have room to give prospects a try.
I remember when a 1st place Braves brought up a 19 YO center fielder. I won’t say his name. Because he was a terrible Dodger. But he lit a fire.
I’m not in agreement with AF’s decisions on this.
1. It’s criminal that Gavin Stone is not in the Top 100.
2. The main roadblock to Miguel Vargas getting the call is that he is not on the 40-Man Roster.
3. Clayton will be on the All-Star Team.
4. Trea Turner, Tony Gonsolin, Mookie Betts, and Will Smith should all be on the All-Star team along with Clayton. Won’t happen, but it should.
5. I have heard that Scott Barlow has lost 2-3 MPH off his fastball this year…
#2 – I totally disagree.
If they really wanted Vargas here it would be easy enough to lop someone off the 40-man, either through DFA or trade.
Cleavinger and Alvarez are two names who come to mind.
The reason Vargas isn’t getting the call is because they want him to play every day and they aren’t prepared to do that up here.
Then why play him in LF? He’ll be up!
FLASH: This just in.
Miguel Vargas starting in LF for just the 3rd time this season. TONIGHT!
Jonny DeLuca was promoted to AA and is playing there tonight.
Kyle Hurt was also promoted to Tulsa and they are using him for Batting Practice. At the present time, his ERA is 18.00.
Daniel Bard anyone?
I still like him, but I would not give what they will ask.
I’ll give them Kyle Hurt or Emmitt Sheehan…