Former top draft pick Brendan McKay continues to deal with medical issues for the Tampa Bay Rays.
McKay was a two-way star in college at Louisville and became the No. 4 overall pick by the Rays in 2017. He dominated as a pitcher in the minors and struggled as a hitter.
In 2019, McKay made his MLB debut and went 2-4 with a 5.14 ERA. He also batted .200 with a home run in 10 at-bats.
But McKay only pitched 12.2 innings in the minors last season as he recovered from labrum surgery on his pitching shoulder. Now the southpaw is undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome decompression surgery. The Rays say McKay should be ready to pitch for spring training.
#Rays announced LHP Brendan McKay underwent thoracic outlet syndrome decompression surgery Tuesday. Will rehab as a pitcher, and per team “is expected to resume throwing no later than early Feb. with goal to be in a throwing and mound progression at start of spring training.”
The Rays have made the postseason three straight years and reached the World Series in 2020. They’ve done all this despite having limited-to-no contributions from McKay, a player of whom they have had high expectations. If he’s able to recover and be at full strength next season, that would be a huge boost.
The 25-year-old has gone 12-2 with a 1.78 ERA during his minor league career across all levels.
Photo: Aug 19, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Brendan McKay (49) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The tweet was regarding the agent for pitcher Steven Matz.
Matz agreed to a 4-year, $44 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
Left-hander Steven Matz and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a four-year, $44 million contract, pending physical, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Matz is coming off a career-best season and has a chance to get to $48 million and will receive a signing bonus.
Cohen later explained his issues with Matz and the pitcher’s representatives in more detail. The Mets owner told reporter Joel Sherman that it was Matz’s side that reached out to them and said the Mets were the pitcher’s first choice.
1/Just talked to Steve Cohen on the phone. He was angered that the Mets were pursued by Matz and his agent — not vice versa — and told the NYM were Matz's first choice, that there was unfinished business with the NYM and he wanted to return.
3/I can’t imagine what the agent was thinking in the context of how they reached out to us and the reasons they wanted to come back. I have ever had an agent do that before with me.”
Matz, 30, went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA for the Blue Jays last season. He pitched for the Mets from 2015-2020 and was a 2nd-round pick by the team in 2009.
Photo: Sep 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets majority owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alexandra Cohen at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Noah Syndergaard will be pitching in the American League for the first time in his career, and he is really looking forward to getting a shot at one batter in particular.
The new Los Angeles Angels pitcher spoke this week with MLB Network and was asked which player he would most like to strike out.
“Carlos Correa,” replied Syndergaard. “Not just for the obvious reason but just what he said about Derek Jeter not deserving his Gold Gloves. I think that was a little ridiculous to say.”
Correa is also unpopular for the role that he played in the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal, which is likely what Syndergaard was referring to when he mentioned “the obvious reason.” Correa is a free agent, and Syndergaard will obviously get more shots at him if Correa stays in the Angels’ AL West division. But even if Correa ends up with another popular team that he has been linked to, Syndergaard should still get plenty of chances to face him next season regardless.
Photo: Aug 4, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) reacts against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. The Mets won 13-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
There is plenty of interest in the list of big-name free agent shortstops, but what about one of the teams at risk of losing one of those players?
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have an opening at shortstop, as Corey Seager is among the highly-touted free agents on the market. The Dodgers are trying to bring back Seager, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, but are not showing interest in any other shortstops.
Dodgers are trying to bring back Corey Seager but don’t appear seriously interested in the other big free agent shortstops. So for them it’ll either be Seager or Trea Turner at SS next season. @MLBNetwork
As noted, the Dodgers traded for Trea Turner last year, who is a very capable shortstop. It’s not the end of the world if Seager leaves, but they clearly love Seager and want to keep him in the fold.
The other obvious option if the Dodgers wanted a big-name shortstop would be Carlos Correa. However, Correa is one of the faces of a Houston Astros team that beat out the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series, which has become infamous due to the team’s sign-stealing scandal. Correa’s history does not seem to be a problem for one team, but it might be too much for the Dodgers, especially if they can get by at shortstop without him.
The contract is worth $36 million and will pay DeSclafani $12 million in each season.
The Giants are also bringing back pitcher Alex Wood on a 2-year deal reportedly worth more than $10 million per season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Left-hander Alex Wood and the San Francisco Giants are finalizing a two-year contract worth north of $10 million a season, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. First on the scene with the talks was @ByRobertMurray.
The Giants led MLB with 107 wins last season. Wood went 10-4 with a 3.83 ERA in 138.2 innings last season. DeSclafani went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA. They, along with Kevin Gausman and Logan Webb, formed the core of the team’s pitching rotation.
Photo: Apr 21, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (26) pitches during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Soriano, now 45 years of age, was a seven-time MLB All-Star and won four Silver Slugger Awards. He is also one of only four players ever to make the 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season). Soriano did so in the 2006 season, and no player has achieved that feat ever since.
Though he has not played in the league since 2014, it is good to see that Soriano is keeping himself in shape … and then some. He was known for using a large bat during his playing career, but that very same bat would probably look tiny compared to Soriano these days.
Photo: Jun 6, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Alfonso Soriano (12) during batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Nationals are being sued by two former employees who were fired for refusing to comply with the team’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Lawrence (Larry) Pardo and Brad Holman were pitching coaches in the Nats’ organization. The two refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons and were fired by the Nats as a result. The team instituted a mandate on Aug. 12 that went into effect on Sept. 10, leading to the firing of both men.
Pardo and Holman cited religious reasons for not getting the vaccine, which “were developed from or tested on aborted fetal cells.” The two are against abortion for religious reasons.
They believe they were discriminated against on the basis of religion and are due damages.
As of September, the two also were filing a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission.
In a statement sent to the Washington Post this morning, Brad Holman and Larry Pardo said they refuse to take the vaccine because "they are developed from and/or tested with aborted fetal cells." They filed a religious exemption with the Nationals that was denied.
Holman, 53, and Pardo, 55, were both hired by the team in 2018. Holman was the team’s minor league pitching coordinator, while Pardo was the pitching coach for the club’s Florida Complex League team, according to The Washington Post.
Former MLB All-Star closer Doug Jones has died at the age of 64, reportedly due to complications from COVID-19.
One of Jones’ former teammates, Greg Swindell, shared the sad news about Jones over Twitter Monday. Swindell said Jones died due to complications from COVID.
Sad to tweet, that a long time friend, teammate, husband father grandfather and one hell of a pitcher Doug Jones has passed from complications from COVID. RIP JONSEY. Please keep the family in your prayers. pic.twitter.com/4hoWRjYt0e
The Cleveland Indians also confirmed the news about Jones.
We are saddened by the loss of one of our orgs all-time greats, Doug Jones.
His 129 saves is 3rd in franchise history. He was a member of the club’s Top 100 roster, celebrated in 2001. He enjoyed 16 big league seasons, 7 in Cleveland (1986-1991, 98) including 3X as an All-Star. pic.twitter.com/aRYuBDPVNr
Jones pitched in MLB for 16 seasons. He was with the Indians from 1986-1991, making three All-Star teams during that span. He recorded 303 career saves and a 3.30 career ERA. He was known for his changeup and mustache, and he had incredible longevity.
Jones made his MLB debut in 1982 and pitched as late in his career as 2000 at the age of 43. In 1997, at the age of 40, he saved 36 games for the Milwaukee Brewers and posted a 2.02 ERA. He was still getting it done at a high level even at an older age.
If Carlos Correa was hoping to get a rise out of Derek Jeter with his recent comments about The Captain, he appears to have failed.
The All-Star shortstop Correa made some remarks during a recent interview questioning whether Jeter deserved the five Gold Glove Awards that he won during his career. The interview, conducted by former MLB player Carlos Baerga, was in Spanish.
Jeter, now the CEO and part-owner of the Miami Marlins, reacted to Correa’s comments this week.
“I didn’t think much about it,” he said, via CBS Miami’s Mike Cugno. “I don’t know how my name came up. My Spanish isn’t that good. I still haven’t seen it. I don’t know how my name was brought up, but it doesn’t even warrant a response. I could go in a lot of different directions, but I won’t.”
Correa is coming off the first Gold Glove victory of his career. As for Jeter, a popular criticism of him has been that he won Gold Gloves based more on reputation than on his actual defensive ability. That may have even been a consideration for the voter who left Jeter off his Hall of Fame ballot entirely.
There is also another reason why Correa’s comments got so much attention, and that is because of a team that Correa has been linked to in free agency. For Jeter’s part though, he seems to be totally unbothered about it all.
Justin Verlander opted to re-sign with the Houston Astros fairly quickly after becoming a free agent. That does not mean he did not have intriguing options elsewhere.
According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Verlander turned down a one-year, $25 million offer from the New York Yankees in order to return to Houston.
Yankees offered Verlander $25M 1-year deal. Solid offer but weren’t going to beat the $50M 2-year deal with opt out he got from Astros
The Yankees certainly made a competitive offer. In fact, it’s financially identical to what Verlander ended up getting. The difference is that the Astros were willing to tack on a second-year player option, essentially guaranteeing Verlander a two-year deal with an opt-out.
After being turned down by Verlander, the Yankees remain in the market for veteran starting pitching. With another top starter apparently unwilling to consider them, they might have to expand their search to find what they are looking for.
