As we inch closer to the first pitch of the 2020 Major League Baseball season, Washington Nationals star outfielder Juan Soto has tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN's Jeff Passan announced the news this afternoon. Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo said that Soto was asymptomatic. The team released their Opening Day roster today, which did not include Soto.
There has been a lot of concern about the virus within MLB teams since they reported to summer camp in early July. The latest round of testing, however, showed progress and very few new positive cases. This afternoon's news is sure to inject new concerns into the discussion around MLB starting its season. While other professional sports leagues are using the bubble and hub city models, MLB has decided to proceed as usual, with teams traveling around the country to play away games. There is limited travel, though, as teams are only playing teams from their respective divisions in each league. The Nats will surely miss Soto in their lineup. Just 21 years old, Soto batted. 282 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs for the team last season as he helped lead them to their first World Series championship. We are just about four hours from the first pitch of tonight's game, and there are still a lot of questions surrounding the season. The Blue Jays still don't have a home, the league and the Players Association are undecided on the postseason structure, and star players keep testing positive. While we all hope we can have an MLB season this year, it has to be done well and with the health of the players as the biggest concern.
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This week's episode of the podcast focused on our predictions for the National League in the upcoming MLB season. In case you haven't listened yet, or you just had a hard time following what we were saying, I decided to write out our predictions. Also, now that they're in writing, we can come back and look at the end of the season to see how right (or wrong) we are. NL EastMatt's Pick: The Braves have lost some veteran leadership with Brian McCann retiring and Nick Markakis opting out. They lost a big bat with Josh Donaldson signing with Minnesota. But they've still got a great young core and brought in Marcell Ozuna to replace Donaldson's bat. They should repeat again as division champions. Trey's Pick: The Braves' young core of players will lead them to their third-straight division title. The NL East should be really competitive between Atlanta, Washington and Philadelphia, but I see the Braves winning the East again. NL CentralMatt's Pick: The Cincinnati Reds have made all the right additions over the offseason, bringing in Nick Castellanos, Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama, Wade Miley and Pedro Strop. They've got all the right depth to compete this season, and should be set up nicely for the DH coming to the National League this season. Trey's Pick: I'm going with a team that will make a return to prominence this year, the Chicago Cubs. The core of Cubs players that won their 2016 championship is still there, and I think manager David Ross will benefit the team since he played with most of their current players. Look for the Cubs to get back to the top of the Central this year. NL WestMatt's Pick: We hardly even have to discuss this division. The Dodgers are stacked as always, and there's absolutely no way they don't win their eighth-straight division title. Trey's Pick: Like Matt, I don't think we need to discuss this division too much. The Dodgers are too good to not win the division again. Wild Card TeamsMatt's Picks: Nationals and Cubs Trey's Picks: Nationals and Brewers MVPMatt's Pick: Mookie Betts has got to be feeling good coming off his 12-year contract extension. I think he'll be comfortable now that he has some security, and he can let loose and play. He should tear it up in the National League this year on the way to his second MVP award. Trey's Pick: Ronald Acuña, Jr. has gotten better and better in his two seasons, and I don't see that slowing down. He could have a 20 home run/20 stolen bases season, and that would certainly win him the MVP award. Cy YoungMatt's Pick: There's a lot of randomness that can happen in a 60-game season, but Jacob deGrom is still the best pitcher in the National League and I don't see that changing this year. Trey's Pick: I said the AL Cy Young would go to the best pitcher in the league in New York. The NL Cy Young will do the same. Jacob deGrom is a dominant hurler, and he'll win his third-straight award this season. Rookie of the YearMatt's Pick: Carter Kieboom has received a lot of hype, and now it's time to live up to it. With Anthony Rendon gone, he should slide right into the lineup at third base and show us what he's capable of this season.
Trey's Pick: Gavin Lux is a really solid player for the Dodgers, and even though he's not starting the season with the team, when he does come up he'll make a big impact for Los Angeles. In the wake of last week's news that the Toronto Blue Jays would not be allowed to play their home games in Canada this season, speculation started about where the team would play. Multiple options were thrown out there, including the team's Triple-A stadium in Buffalo or the Spring Training site in Dunedin, Fla.
One option that seemed to be gaining the most headway was Pittsburgh's PNC Park. Yes, it's currently occupied by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the two sides were reportedly trying to work out a deal to share the stadium for the season. It's a bit weird, but, it's 2020, nothing is weird anymore. That plan ultimately won't happen, though, as the Pennsylvania Department of Health has decided to not allow the Blue Jays to play in Pittsburgh. That's a tough couple of days for the team, first their own country kicks them out and now Pittsburgh tells them to hit the streets. Will Graves of the Associated Press reported the news this afternoon, quoting Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine as saying, "To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams." So now the Blue Jays are homeless yet again. And with just days until their first home game, they need to find a place to play stat. The plan to play in Pittsburgh never made sense to me anyway. The whole point of having AL East teams play against NL East teams is to limit travel and interaction with other teams. If you had the Blue Jays play at PNC Park, they'd be sharing the stadium with an NL Central team, thereby undoing the whole point of the regional schedule. Hopefully for the Blue Jays, they'll be able to find a home soon, even if it means settling for the subpar lighting in Buffalo. One of the biggest free agents in the 2020-21 offseason might not be. According to multiple reports today, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts is in deep discussions with the team regarding a long-term extension.
Lou Merloni of WEEI reported that the two sides are working towards a deal in the 10-year range and worth between $350-$400 million. Betts, who has been one of the best players in baseball since coming into the league, was traded to the Dodgers in February. He was largely viewed as a rental for LA, but now it seems the team wants to keep him around longer than this season. The Red Sox traded Betts after not being able to get a long-term deal done with the once-in-a-lifetime talent. Merloni reported in January that Boston had offered Betts a 10-year $300 million deal, but he countered with 12 years, $420 million. This move would certainly make Dodgers' fans feel good, as there is a feeling that the team hasn't been able to sign a big free agent in recent years. Fans also expected to only have Betts with the team for this year, and when the season was shortened to 60 games, they were only expecting to get roughly 1/3 of a regular season out of the 2018 MVP. Now it seems as if the Dodgers will have two of the top talents in baseball roaming their outfield for the foreseeable future with Betts and Bellinger. If Betts is able to secure a $400 million contract, it would be just the second such deal in MLB history, following Mike Trout's extension with the Angels. I guess if you want the big bucks, Southern California is the place to be.
The Washington Nationals host the New York Yankees on Thursday in the first game of the 2020 MLB season. Before the game gets officially underway, the Nationals will welcome Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, the team announced on Twitter.
"Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series Championship title."
I like this move by the Nationals. Dr. Fauci has been a voice of reason for Americans during these strange times, and he deserves to be honored in a way like this. He's also come out and said numerous times that he is a big Nationals fan. My only concern is the social distancing aspect of this move. It seems like teams shouldn't have any more people at the ballpark than necessary, so I'm curious to see how they'll go about having Dr. Fauci throw out the first pitch on Thursday. Of course, some people will also make this political, too, but what do you expect in today's society? At the end of every baseball season, fans gather around and debate which player had the best season, which pitcher was most dominant, and which rookie broke onto the scene in the most dramatic fashion. But among all of the awards given out each year, I feel like the Comeback Player of the Year is one that gets overshadowed.
But think about it. Comeback Player of the Year is quite an impressive feat. It means you were a player whose play had declined and no one expected much out of you anymore, but you were able to battle back through adversity and get back your usual form. Take Josh Donaldson last season with the Braves. He had only played 52 games in 2018 due to injuries and no one expected him to be great again. But he returned to his pre-2018 self and hit 37 home runs and 94 RBIs. Or Mike Moustakas in 2017. The year prior, he tore his ACL. No one knew if he could ever be the player he was. But he came back and hit a career-high 38 home runs. So this is an impressive award to win. And this season presents us with quite a few candidates. Yoenis Cespedes The first, and I think most obvious candidate, is Yoenis Cespedes. The former All-Star slugger has played just 119 games since 2017. He missed all of 2019 due to injuries. The last time he played 100+ games was during the 2016 season. By all accounts he's back and fully healthy going into this season with the Mets. It might actually be better for him that the season got delayed, as I'm not sure he would've been ready in March. Projections have him hitting around .250 this season, which isn't bad, but could be a lot better. The home run projections have him hitting anywhere from 5 to 13, and I would bet he ends up on the higher end. When Cespedes joined the Mets in 2015, he played 57 games with the team. In those 57 games, he hit.287 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs. I doubt we'll see that kind of production from him this season, but if he even comes close he should be in consideration for NL Comeback Player of the Year. Giancarlo Stanton Another New York slugger plagued by injuries, Stanton played just 18 games last season. He's back in the Yankees' lineup, and he's already mashing home runs in the Bronx. Stanton's projections have him hitting .254 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs, which would be a great improvement for the 30-year-old. After just three home runs last season, anything seems like an improvement. If he's able to stay healthy for all 60 games, he should be back to usual form this year. Shohei Ohtani Ohtani's is a bit of an interesting case, as he had a solid 2019 season at the plate. The 26-year-old hit .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs, although his season did end prematurely due to knee surgery. It's the pitching side of things where Ohtani has a shot at being named Comeback Player of the Year. A two-way player, Ohtani didn't pitch at all in 2019 due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of 2018. His projections for the 2020 season show that he's expected to go 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Ohtani is expected to strike out 48 batters in 40 innings pitched. For a player that hasn't pitched in over a year, that would be quite the season, especially while doing damage at the plate as well. If Ohtani is as good as he can be this season, he's a legitimate MVP candidate. Daniel Bard Bard could be in line for Comeback Player of the Year no matter the stats he puts up in 2020. Bard pitched for the Red Sox from 2009-2013, but struggled in 2012 and made just two appearances during the 2013 season. The Red Sox designated him for assignment in September and he was claimed off waivers by the Cubs. He bounced around a couple teams, but lost his command while with the Rangers. He retired in 2017, but announced in February of this year that he was making a comeback. The Colorado Rockies signed him to a minor league deal, and announced on July 17 that he had made the Opening Day roster. He's not projected to even pitch that much this season, but the fact that he's come this far is commendable. If Bard finishes the season on the Rockies' active roster, he deserves consideration for this award. The 2020 MLB season is right around the corner. We'll get two games on Thursday evening, including a Max Scherzer vs. Gerrit Cole matchup, before we get a full slate of games on Friday. With us being so close to the first pitch of the season, we thought it was time to release our first Power Rankings of the year. Each week we'll have a special guest picker give us their top 10 teams as wel.. This week's guest is Andrew Alix, co-host of ESPN Blacksburg's The Drive. Andrew's Picks1. Los Angeles Dodgers Could it finally be the Dodgers time? They lost the World Series to a team that cheated and then lost it again to another team that the evidence suggests may have cheated too. It has to happen eventually, right? With Mookie Betts added to the mix, it very well might be their time. 2. New York Yankees Murderer’s row has returned to New York. If the heart of their lineup can remain hot and healthy over the course of the shortened season, the Bronx Bombers have their best shot in a decade to secure title number twenty eight. Stealing the reigning Cy Young winner from the team that bounced them in the postseason can’t hurt either. 3. Tampa Bay Rays Moneyball is back! Led by the front office vision of Virginia Tech alumni Eric Neander (shameless plug for my alma mater), the Rays have one of the most versatile rosters in baseball. The lineup is young and intriguing. The bullpen is strong and deep. Perhaps most importantly for when the postseason rolls around, the rotation, if healthy, has elite potential. They may be off of the casual fans radar because of the market they play in, but I view the Rays as a serious dark-horse contender to make a run for the championship. 4. Washington Nationals Unfortunately for the DC faithful, the Nationals aren’t able to truly experience their World Series victory tour. The good news: Their rotation still features perhaps one of the greatest 1-2-3 punches in baseball history. The question: Can Soto, Turner and the rest of the returning crew maintain the offensive production even with the loss of MVP candidate Anthony Rendon in free agency? If the young bats can sustain that production, Washington is primed to “stay in the fight” during their title defense. 5. Houston Astros I wish they got to tour the country all summer to a chorus of boos. Alas, the Astros will get to attempt to return to the World Series in silence. They may have lost Gerrit Cole to a rival contender, but George Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, Zack Grienke and Alex Bregman remain from a team that was one game away from their second championship. The proven talent on this team is simply impossible to ignore, scandal be damned. You might not like to admit it, but the Houston Asterisks are still very much contenders. 6. New York Mets Full disclosure: I am slightly biased here because I’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of being a lifelong Mets fan. But the Mets return the two-time reigning NL Cy Young winner and best pitcher in New York (Jacob DeGrom), the NL Rookie of the Year and Home Run leader (Pete Alonso) and a guy that almost won the NL batting title (Jeff McNeil). All from a team that won 15 out of 16 games during a magical run in the second half of the season. Will they disappoint me again? Perhaps. Losing Noah Syndergaard hurts. The success of new additions like Rick Porcello, as well as potential career resurgence of old friend Yoenis Cespedes, will determine if the Mets are well-rounded enough to make a deep run. 7. Atlanta Braves In a 60 game season, I see the NL East as a wide-open four team race. The Braves are smack dab in the middle of it. I do believe they still have ample offensive firepower to overcome the loss of Josh Donaldson in free agency, but the pitching rotation is going to have to overachieve to hang with the likes of New York and Washington in a shortened season. One interesting storyline to follow is the early season availability of franchise cornerstone Freddie Freeman, who recently experienced a wicked bout with COVID-19 that left him praying for his life with a 104.5 degree fever. In this abbreviated season, every game that he misses is magnified. 8. Oakland A’s Moneyball is back, again! The A’s lineup features three players that received MVP votes last season. Their rotation, on the other hand, is competent but not outstanding. I think they have an interesting group that will make some noise in the postseason, but I don’t really think that have the quality of pitching that it takes to be considered a true championship contender. Unlike the team assembled in Tampa Bay, I think that budget restrictions may be too much for Oakland to overcome. 9. Los Angeles Angels The halos feature the best player in baseball (history?), a Swiss Army knife type player the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades and added a guy that many considered to be worthy of last season’s National League MVP honors. This is, on paper, the best supporting group that the Angels have surrounded Mike Trout with since he arrived in Anaheim. It is on Joe Madden and his staff to maximize a mediocre pitching rotation and finally give Trouty the chance to shine in the postseason. 10. Chicago Cubs The young core of the 2016 World Champions remains in tact in Chicago. This club certainly still has the talent to be a division winner — potentially even a World Series contender. But the late 2020 collapse that saw the Cubs finish with just 84 wins begs the question; Does the young group that broke the curse of the billy goat have one last run in them before being dismantled by free agency when their rookie contacts expire? They turn to World Series hero David Ross as manager to see if this Chicago team can have their own “Last Dance” of a sort. Matt's Picks1. Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers won 106 games last year, and added Mookie Betts in the offseason. They lost Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda to free agency and trades, but their rotation is still solid with Walker Buehler developing into a great pitcher and Clayton Kershaw still one of the best in the league. With their young prospects now ready to play a full season, this team should be ready to win their eighth-straight division title. 2. New York Yankees Yeah, it's boring, but you have to go with Dodgers-Yankees at 1 and 2. The Yankees brought in the best pitcher in the league in Gerrit Cole. Their lineup is as scary as ever, and if Stanton and Judge can stay healthy all season long, they're sure to repeat as division champs, and maybe win a whole lot more. 3. Houston Astros Yes the Astros lost Gerrit Cole in free agency, but they still have Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. Fans are never going to let them forget about the sign-stealing scandal, but there was no evidence of sign-stealing during 2019, when the Astros won a league-best 107 games. Look for them to have a similar season this year. 4. Minnesota Twins The Twins set the MLB record for most home runs by a team in a single season last year, and then they went out and got Josh Donaldson in free agency. They also bolstered their rotation this season with the addition of Kenta Maeda, so Minnesota is a dangerous team. 5. Tampa Bay Rays If you don't pick the Yankees to win the AL East, you've gotta go with the Rays. They've put together quite the team over the past two seasons, and with their pitching trio of Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Tyler Glasnow, they're among the league's best rotations. 6. Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuña, Jr. won't get the chance to go 50-50 this year, but there's a good possibility he could go 20-20. With all the young talent the Braves have, plus Freddie Freeman still anchoring down first base and Marcell Ozuna now in the lineup, Atlanta should get their third-straight division title. 7. Oakland A's The A's have suffered from being in the same division as the Astros, but they've been one of the best teams in the league recently. Not much has changed over the offseason for them, so they should be able to contend again. 8. Washington Nationals They might've lost Anthony Rendon over the offseason, but with Scherzer and Strasburg still at the top of the rotation and Juan Soto holding down the lineup, the Nats have a good shot at making a run again this season. 9. Cleveland Indians This could be Cleveland's last season with Francisco Lindor at shortstop, so the Indians better make it a good one. They've still got the core players needed to do some damage, and they should be able to contend with the Twins in the Central. 10. Cincinnati Reds Perhaps no team is better suited to make a run in a short season than the Reds. They have added so much talent in the offseason and are loaded with bats. They could surprise a lot of people in the NL Central this season. Trey's Picks1. Dodgers
The best team in the NL over the last four seasons, the Dodgers added a top 5 player in baseball in Mookie Betts. A top-five rotation and lineup make the Dodgers the favorite to win it all this season. 2. Yankees The Yankees are the clear cut AL favorites with the dynamic lineup and depth they have in their lineup and bullpen, which is the best in baseball. The only thing the team was missing over the last couple of seasons was a front end starting pitcher, filling that hole they put in the best pitcher in baseball in Gerrit Cole. The expectations are high for the Bronx Bombers this season. 3. Nationals The World Series Champs deserve as much credit as possible, however, after losing Anthony Rendon to the Angels, this past offseason knocks them a few notches off the list. Yet, the team still has a great young core and maybe the best pitching staff in baseball. 4. Astros The defending AL Champs had the most interesting offseason in recent memory with the sign-stealing scandal coming out. However, despite losing their Manager in AJ Hinch, the team fields a top tier line-up and rotation. So much talent that they are bound to make the playoffs. However, figure there will be a struggle out of the gate for a team still adjusting to a new culture. 5. Braves One of the most talented baseball teams with two young studs in Ronald Acuña, Jr. and Ozzie Albies. The team did lose Josh Donaldson, who performed well for the team last season. But they did get Marcell Ozuna in the offseason. Braves have the ability to make the World Series. 6. Twins A team with a great line-up that added Josh Donaldson, a team that is flying under the radar a little but wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the Fall Classic this season. A team built on the long ball looking to repeat in a very deep Central division. 7. Cubs A team that is replacing a manager, has a great lineup and a pitching staff that can be able to put together a great season in 60 games. A team that won the World Series in 2016 is primed to try to make it back to the postseason in a loaded NL Central. 8. Cardinals Defending NL Central champs, looking to repeat, a consistent lineup and rotation are going to allow them to contend in the best division in baseball. 9. A’s A team that breeds consistency and will always be in contention, the A’s have a great lineup with some great players. This will always be a team that might not have the most talent, but is so consistent and will always be a tough team to beat. 10. Angels The team adds one of the best managers of all time in Joe Maddon and Anthony Rendon, an MVP caliber player. The team gets a fully healthy Shohei Ohtani back as well. Oh, they also have the best player in the world in Mike Trout. A talented team primed for a run back into the postseason. After the Washington Nationals got the OK from Washington, D.C. officials to play their home games in the city, all eyes turned to Toronto where the Blue Jays were still unsure of their status. The AP reported this afternoon that the Canadian federal government is expected to deny the Blue Jays permission to play their home games in Canada.
The team had received permission from the city of Toronto and the province of Ontario, but needed permission from the federal government to play their home games at the Rogers Centre. Canada's current restrictions require anyone entering the country for nonessential reasons to self-isolate for 14 days, which would not be possible in an MLB season. Teams would be coming in and out of Canada very frequently and would obviously not be able to isolate for 14 days each time they do so. The NHL received an exemption from the Canadian government to restart its season, but its teams will be hosted in two Canadian cities, so there is not as much international travel involved. Now the Blue Jays and MLB will either have to try to work a deal out with the Canadian government, or start looking elsewhere for the team to play its home games. One option that comes to mind immediately is Sahlen Field in Buffalo, home to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, which are a Blue Jays affiliate. That stadium seems like it makes the most sense given the relationship between the teams and the relative proximity to Toronto, as Buffalo is just under two hours away. The Blue Jays are scheduled to play their first home game on July 29 against the Washington Nationals.
Outfield Yasiel Puig announced on Twitter this afternoon that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Puig was reportedly set to sign with the Atlanta Braves prior to his positive test.
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) July 17, 2020
"I am sorry to share with my fans, friends, and family who follow me and who really support me, that I have just been notified that I have tested positive for COVID-19," Puig's statement reads.
"Although I tested positive, I am asymptomatic, and I feel absolutely fine. I will be quarantined until I receive two negative test results, which I hope will arrive shortly." Reports came out on Tuesday that Puig was signing with the Braves. The deal was pending a physical, so presumably Puig's positive test means that the deal doesn't get done. The Braves were set to get a talented outfield bat in Puig, which was much needed since Nick Markakis has opted out of the 2020 season. Puig could also have served as a designated hitter since the National League has adopted the DH for this year. I would assume it's still possible the Braves could work out a deal with Puig once he produces two negative tests, but this complicates things and makes it seem way less likely that we see him in a Braves uniform this season.
The Atlanta Braves announced this afternoon that All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman and pitcher Touki Toussaint have been cleared to return to club activities. Both players tested positive for COVID-19 on July 3.
Reports came out last night that Freeman would likely not be ready for Opening Day, and that could still be the case, but this is still a big step forward. In order to resume club activities, Freeman and Toussaint were required to produce two negative tests, and no one knew when that would be.
Now that they're back, it would seem that there's at least a small chance he could be ready when the Braves travel to New York to take on the Mets next Friday. Of course, he might still need some more time to get ready for the season, but it looks like his return to play is sooner than initially thought. Freeman's wife Chelsea posted on Instagram earlier today, saying that he was "feeling great" and their "whole family is healthy." Freeman batted .295 with 38 home runs and 121 RBIs for Atlanta last season, and the Braves would have suffered from his absence in the lineup. While we're still not sure when exactly he'll make his season debut, this is good to see. |
AuthorMatthew Atkins, Journalist and Baseball fan. Archives
March 2023
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