The Mariners Trade Blankenhorn to the Red Sox
Loss of Travis Blankenhorn on waivers to the Mariners
Could be big, but it comes with a risk.
We’re still on TBS, but if you missed it, you can catch it: The Mariners are still in the midst of the process of dealing Travis Blankenhorn to the Red Sox. The deal was consummated late Wednesday night.
Last spring, when the Mariners traded Justin Smoak to the White Sox, it was reported that they had made a play for Blankenhorn. A closer for the Mariners last season, he posted a 1. 43 ERA over 62 innings at Triple-A. He also threw out a pair of home runs, and the Mariners ended up with two players who should provide more depth for the next level.
He was on the Mariners’ 40-man roster last fall to protect him from waivers after the White Sox were able to trade him back to the Mariners. Last season, the Mariners won the AL West despite dealing with two Rule 5 Draft selections, and the White Sox didn’t acquire him until after the All-Star break; they traded away all their righty-type pitchers in the process.
The Mariners and Sox both seem to be ailing at the moment. At least in terms of prospects, it seems like the Sox have all but disappeared. In addition to the ones we mentioned above, the big surprise among the Red Sox is the deal of Scott Downs, who was expected to be dealt to the Tigers.
The Mariners made the deal with the White Sox on the belief that the Yankees would select him, something the Mariners didn’t get last year (by design). After the trade, the Mariners were reportedly going to try to trade Downs, to were reportedly going to try to trade Downs, too.
They’re not going to wait, and they’re sending Blankenhorn to the Red Sox. The Mariners have the chance to become the Yankees’ sixth-worst team. They also have a chance to get the best prospects that they could have brought their way. They could use them in the bullpen, too, so their rotation is going to be in great shape going forward with the addition of Travis Berry.
Travis Blankenhorn is out of options and could be gone.
The Giants and Cardinals Homestand
According to the team, the 11 home matches will continue with distanced pods and fully-vaccinated only sections from June 15. Tickets for the Giants (27-30 May) and the Cardinals (31 – June 2) Homestand are currently available and tickets for the games against Rangers and Phillies on June 11-14 will go on sale on Tuesday, May 25, at 2:00 p.m. All tickets sold will continue to be subject to any restrictions or limitations on capacity or attendance that may be established or revised by state, county or city authorities at any time. Refunds or exchanges may be required for games affected.
What do they have in common? The two teams come to town at the same time, both in a run of winning seasons and both needing victories in their last two games to clinch a playoff spot.
The Giants and Cardinals have to be on the brink of elimination, at the very least. This is why you always see the players from opposing teams dressed in their team’s jerseys, the most obvious reason being that so many of them are on teams that are battling for the playoffs. Here’s a look at some other tidbits from both clubs that will aid you in predicting whom will come to town:.
— It isn’t enough for the Arizona Diamondbacks not to be in contention for the National League wild-card spot to have home-field advantage. They also have to beat the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels to win it.
(AP) — The New York Yankees will play their first regular-season game at AT&T Park, in a game that’s expected to have minimal excitement.
(AP) – Here are three things to watch for in the San Francisco Giants’ loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Wednesday night’s Divisional Round game at AT&T Park.
— Giants’ closer Brian Wilson has played two innings in his first appearance with the New York Yankees, a game in which he gave up three runs and five hits, two of which were earned.
(AP) – It may sound counterintuitive: To take baseball’s best-known uniform (the Yankees’ white and gray), which features the team’s name and the year it was worn, and wear a jersey with baseballs on it. And yet, in the latest issue of ‘Baseball’s Other 100′ — the magazine of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and the Baseball Writers’ Association of North America — it says the Yankees have made that decision.
(AP) — The San Diego Padres are getting behind their starting second baseman with a series of adjustments to his approach.
A Game Plan for Pujols
“I think being transparent with the player is the way to go, so there’s no bait and switch. We painted as good a picture as it could go in any other direction and he made a decision that this was the best place for him, ” Roberts said. It’s now our job to navigate each game, roster and how it looks. No one really knows right now. “This organization had a really good game plan for me,” Pujols said. That’s exactly what it was at the end of the day for me.
I’m told he wasn’t even sure of what he might have done for a team in a long season.
“I had a good year,” Pujols said. “You’ve got to appreciate a lot of stuff that was really good for a team to win a championship. I got a chance to win a World Series championship with four straight season with four straight seasons. That’s a tremendous thing. It means something for you.
It’s true that Pujols has had an MVP-caliber year. But I wouldn’t have expected him to do it with such a thin lineup. I realize the Reds are a little heavy for a National League pitcher to play in the World Series, but, really, I think it’s unlikely they’ll get enough to overcome the Royals.
I had some people suggest that might have played a role in Pujols missing all of the playoffs. But I wonder if he would have been a better pitcher with a healthier bullpen than he is without. He was the eighth-inning man for the Royals last year, and although he has a strong arm, he’ll be 27 in Septembe man for the Royals last year, and although he has a strong arm, he’ll be 27 in September. I doubt he would have improved on the numbers that he had to start the year. That said, it’s still great to see Pujols in the big leagues.
We didn’t think it possible when the Dodgers announced Pujols’s contract extension, since the man was always playing, but, man, the Dodgers have never been right. This is more than just a good start: They are the most fun team in baseball and just might be the most fun team in baseball for another few years to come.
It’s going to be tough to top the Dodgers going forward. They are a perennial playoff contender, have an elite offense, are in the thick of the postseason conversation, and they have a good team on paper.
It doesn’t matter how fun a team is if there are no playoffs at all. The Padres are in that boat, with a team that is getting better at every level.
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Spread the loveLoss of Travis Blankenhorn on waivers to the Mariners Could be big, but it comes with a risk.We’re still on TBS, but if you missed it, you can catch it: The Mariners are still in the midst of the process of dealing Travis Blankenhorn to the Red Sox. The deal was consummated late…