The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Giants’ big spring signings turning sour
The San Francisco Giants were ecstatic this spring making three key freeagent signings. That euphoria has turned into bitter disappointment among the decision-makers.
All-Star third baseman Matt Chapman, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract with two opt-outs, is hitting .205 with four homers, 14 RBI and an ugly .586 OPS, 28% lower than the league average. He also has already committed six errors with a career-low .944 fielding percentage.
All-Star outfielder/DH Jorge Soler, who signed a three-year, $42 million contract, is hitting .202 with five homers, eight RBI and a .655 OPS, and is now on the injured list.
And Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who signed a two-year, $62 million contract, is 0-3 with a 11.57 ERA, and is on the injured list, too.
Ohtani at the plate: If the Los Angeles Dodgers ask Shohei Ohtani to give up pitching and be an everyday outfielder in the future, two persons familiar with Ohtani’s thinking say he’d likely be amenable.
Ohtani obviously loves hitting, and is perhaps the best in the game to do it, but those close to him say that he doesn’t have the same passion for pitching as hitting. He does both simply because he can do it.
Espada under microscope: The Houston Astros plan to give rookie manager Joe Espada plenty of time to see if they turn their season around, particularly with their pitching injuries, but two prominent players have privately expressed complaints about Espada’s communication skills in recent weeks.
If the Astros miss the postseason and decide to make a change during the winter, the two hottest managerial free agents this winter are Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox and Skip Schumaker of the Miami Marlins.
Orioles need closer: The Baltimore Orioles privately realize that they are going to have to find closer for the pennant stretch with Craig Kimbrel melting down. They have their eyes on St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano and Astros reliever Ryan Pressly, if their teams become deadline sellers.
Kimbrel, signed to replace injured AllStar closer Felix Bautista, has failed to finish the ninth in four of his past five outings as a closer, blowing three saves and yielding six earned runs.
Athletics shop miller: The Oakland A’s are listening on offers for closer Mason Miller, who has struck out 33 of the 60 batters he has faced this season, but the asking price is so steep he’s expected to stay put.
Dodgers keep rolling: The Dodgers are rolling, winning eight of their last nine entering Sunday but man are they killing beer sales with sales cut off in the 7th inning.
Entering Saturday, they had six consecutive games in 2:25 or less, their longest streak of quick games since 1977.
Blue Jays underachieve: The Toronto Blue Jays are one of baseball’s most underachieving teams once again, sitting in last place, with manager John Schneider on the hot seat.
If the Blue Jays continue to struggle, and Schneider is the scapegoat, his replacement is expected to be Don Mattingly.
Arcia a bargain: The best-kept secret in baseball may be Atlanta shortstop Orlando Arcia, who is playing spectacular defense this season, and has become one of the best in the game. He also has become the best bargain in the game.
He’s in the second year of a threeyear, $7.3 million contract that pays him just $2 million this year, $2 million in 2025 and a $2 million club option in 2026.
His predecessor, Dansby Swanson, is earning $26 million this year with the Cubs in the second year of a seven-year, $177 million deal.
Phillies’ strong starts: The sizzling Philadelphia Phillies are bludgeoning the opposition before most fans even get to their seats, outscoring the opposition 63-21 in first two innings.
Olson’s slow start: It’s hard to believe that Atlanta slugger Matt Olson has just four homers this season, one since April 7. This is the same guy who hit a franchise-record 54 homers last season, and has the most homers in baseball since 2018.
Remember, though, Olson is a slow starter. He hit .244 with five homers and 16 RBI through the first 44 games in 2022, and had nine homers in the first 32 games in 2023.
Flexen muscle: The Chicago White Sox suddenly have a hot trade commodity in starter Chris Flexen, who is yielding a 1.61 ERA in his last five appearances, spanning three starts. He is earning just $1.75 million, which greatly enhances his trade value.
Catcher interference: One benefit of the automated strikezone, which is definitely coming within the next two years, will be the reduction of catcher-interference calls and injuries.
Cardinals’ catcher Willson Contreras suffering a broken left arm while positioning himself too close to the plate last week. There were a Major League record 96 catcher-interference calls last season. There were 26 calls alone in April compared to only 10 in 2002, and never more than 25 from 2012-2014.
“It’s risky,’’ Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, a former catcher, told Detroit reporters. “The closer we can get to the plate, the more strikes we can grab at the bottom rail. Catchers are being evaluated and getting paid on how well they can control the bottom rail, and it’s led to more and more catcher’s-interference calls. …
“We do want our guys close enough to be impactful with the low strike,” Hinch said. “But we don’t want them walking into harm’s way. It’s a tough balance when the incentive to do it is real and the risk is extreme.”
It also should reduce the number of catchers who are positioned on one knee for framing, leading to a likely record of passed balls and wild pitches this season.