Mining the News (11/2/23)

• Here is the average age (per batter faced) for all the pitchers in the league. The age went up even with several high-profile rookies being promoted to the majors. I suspect even more prospects to be promoted to bring the average age down some.

American League

Astros

• Jake Meyers made some mid-season swing adjustments.

Meyers made some swing adjustments during the season, but still slashed just .227/.296/.382 in 341 plate appearances. His average exit velocity dropped to 86 mph — in the fifth percentile among major-league hitters — and he didn’t make enough contact to allow his speed to shine.

• Hunter Brown added a sweeper late in the season.

The Astros overhauled Brown’s delivery and added a sweeper slider later in the season, but he still struggled to control right-handed hitters.

Rays

• Adam Berry of MLB.com thinks Taylor Walls will be the team’s shortstop next season …

There have been no definitive updates in months regarding the All-Star shortstop, who was placed on indefinite administrative leave in August while being investigated by MLB and authorities in the Dominican Republic following allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

It is unclear when the investigations will conclude. In the meantime, the Rays must prepare for next season without knowing whether Franco will be part of their roster. If Franco is unable to play, expect Taylor Walls to remain the regular shortstop.

…but Walls just had hip surgery…

Full update from #Rays:

“Taylor Walls underwent a surgical procedure on his right hip to relieve discomfort from an impingement and repair a labral tear. He is expected to return to participating in baseball activities in February. His readiness for Opening Day will be…

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) October 30, 2023

…and he needs to be running by Opening Day to be ready for the season’s start…

While the Rays are not prepared to say that Walls will be ready for Opening Day, his manager is “optimistic” he could be back for the start of the 2024 season, per Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times.

“If he’s running before he comes into spring training, that would be a very good sign,” said Kevin Cash. Still, the skipper cautioned that it’s too soon to know for sure: “I think we’ll know more in a month.”

…with some subpar replacements available.

The Rays have a few other options at shortstop in the event that the everyday job remains vacant headed into Opening Day. Youngsters Junior Caminero, Osleivis Basabe, and Vidal Brujan are all already on the 40-man roster, though none of the group have found success in the major leagues to this point in their careers.

Red Sox

• Bryan Mata will be out of options when the season starts.

The 24-year-old Mata, in particular, will be a name to watch this offseason. He’s battled injuries and inconsistency the last couple of years with Tommy John surgery followed by a shoulder strain this year. He’s on the 40-man roster but is out of options this winter so will have to make the active roster or be designated for assignment. In the AFL, Mata’s results have been subpar.

Abraham said that the work ethic has been there, but at some point, the results have to come as well.

“It’s one thing to talk about how good he can be and another where he has to do that,” Abraham added. “He’s very aware of that and has been out there working with a purpose looking to challenge in the strike zone with the stuff.”

Twins

• The team has several center-field options if Byron Buxton isn’t ready.

The Twins will take what they can get from Buxton, who never stepped foot in center in the Majors in ’23 and just underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for a second consecutive offseason — but they can’t plan around him.
…
Internally, they can mix and match Willi Castro and the organization’s No. 20 prospect Austin Martin, who appears a lock to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Another intriguing name to watch in the organization is DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who had an .821 OPS in the high Minors and could be on the Rule 5 roster bubble.

• Nick Gordon is out of minor league options and must be added to the MLB roster or cut.

Gordon remains one of the best-liked and energetic players on the team, but he was held back by underperformance and a fractured leg in what he’d hoped would be a breakout ‘23, and the emergence of Castro and Martin as the seeming utility men of the future could make for a roster squeeze involving Gordon, who is out of Minor League options.

Yankees

• In the future, Hal Steinbrenner sees Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza playing in the middle of the infield.

Steinbrenner has said that he envisions Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza as the future middle infield in the Bronx, and Volpe is entrenched at shortstop, while DJ LeMahieu figures to pick up a lot of work at third base. Torres is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency.

National League

Cardinals

• The team will be looking for two more relievers.

Relief pitching is also high on the organization’s priority list. St. Louis will likely look to add at least two high-leverage arms to bolster the bullpen behind Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos.

I thought JoJo Romero might be a decent Saves/Holds option in deeper formats but this news points to him possibly being further down the pecking order than I thought.

Giants

• For now, Alex Cobb is expected to miss the season’s first month after having hip surgery.

The Giants were already hoping to fortify the front of their rotation on the free-agent market. Now that Cobb is undergoing hip labrum surgery, that hope becomes more of a necessity.

Cobb gritted through most of the second half with hip discomfort but was optimistic when the season ended that the impingement would improve with an offseason of rest and rehabilitation. However, after a month of trying different therapies and treatment options, and following another consultation with Dr. Marc Philippon in Vail, Colo., Cobb decided to go the surgical route Tuesday morning. The Giants said that Cobb will be able to return to pitching in six months, which would rule him out at least through April of next season.

Nationals

• Mark Zuckerman of MASN says the team wants Kyle Finnegan to be the closer next season.

The Nationals made it clear they’re committed to Finnegan, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll head into next season as the established closer once again.
…
Will Finnegan still be a big part of the Nationals bullpen when they’re ready to contend again? It’s a great question. Club officials want to believe that will be the case. They’re also realistic enough to know how volatile reliever performance can be. If the team is out of the race again this summer and Finnegan is pitching well, Rizzo will certainly get trade offers again. He’ll have to decide at that point whether to stick with his guy and count on him closing games for a contender in 2025 or finally make the tough choice to move him for younger players who could help farther down the road.