MLB Rumors: What's the latest with Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza?
Anthony Volpe has the worst on-base percentage of any regular in baseball. The Yankees rookie shortstop has struggled to adapt at the major-league level, and some fans want him sent down. By no means would this signal the Yankees giving up on their prized shortstop of the future, but it would allow them to call up another top prospect, Oswald Peraza, who is playing far better than Volpe at Triple-A.
Peraza is stuck between a rock and a hard place, wanting to be the ultimate team player but also stuck in the minors when he could absolutely help the big-league club. It's a delicate matter for Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office. How they handle these two prized prospects could very well determine the near future, and perhaps even their jobs.
Manager Aaron Boone has defended Volpe despite his struggles, which include notching the team lead in strikeouts.
"(Volpe) has still had productive at-bats," Boone said, per The Athletic. "He's got nine homers. He's gotten a lot of big hits for us. He's done a lot of big things. He's done a lot of winning things, even though he's hitting under .200. Just offensively right now, he's in the middle of a lot of winning games. While he's taking his lumps and had his struggles, he's also had some massive successes, too."
Since May 19, Peraza has an OPS of 1.124 in 19 games. He's arguably the hottest hitter in minor-league baseball, which makes the Yankees insistence to keep him down all the more confusing. If not in a clean swap for Volpe, then perhaps the team could find another use for Peraza on the roster?
"We all feel very highly about who he is as a player and who he's going to be as a player," Boone said of Peraza. "To his credit, I've been in his shoes, where I've gotten a taste of the big leagues off of a really good Triple-A season and had to go back for an extended period, and that's not the easiest thing. He's handled that really well. That's a credit to him and the player he is and the character he shows."
New York runs the risk of stunting the growth of their two best young players at the same time. That's not something the front office can take lightly.
MLB Rumors: Mets fans are fed up with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer
New York sports radio has officially turned on Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the two veteran aces brought in to replace the production of Jacob deGrom, who signed with the Texas Rangers on a lucrative deal this offseason. deGrom hasn't worked out for Texas so far, and he'll undergo Tommy John surgery in the near future. But that doesn't make the Mets smart for letting him walk, as New York has pitching struggles of their own.
Verlander and Scherzer have been up and down so far this season in Queens. The Mets as a whole are four games under .500, and on the verge of selling at the trade deadline should they not turn things around come late July.
WFAN host Evan Roberts went off on Verlander and Scherzer, specifically, feeling as though they haven't delivered for the fanbase.
"It was a collective fail by the bullpen and Justin Verlander. The Mets spend $90 million on these two mercenary pieces of crap who've done nothing," Roberts said. "Max Scherzer's pretended to do something because his overall numbers are good and he's had some really good starts. But think about what he did last year … Max Scherzer pitched well, missed a big chunk of time, and then when they needed him the most against the Atlanta Braves and then in the playoffs against the Padres, he wasn't bad, he was awful."
New York sports radio airwaves have been dominated by discontent Mets fans in recent weeks, and it's easy to see why. While sports fans in the big apple frequently rush to judgement, Steve Cohen has the highest payroll in all of baseball, yet they've been outperformed by the likes of the Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins. Series defeats to the Braves and Pirates over the last week were the last straw for some fans, though Cohen himself is preaching patience.
"The reality is it's not going to solve our problems," Cohen said, per The New York Post. "And I think in some ways it can be demotivating….I think that's the worst thing you can do is to be overly reactionary. General fan reaction, it's usually, 'I can't believe Steve's not going nuts, fire somebody.' My answer to that is, 'OK, let's say I went nuts. Let's say I fired somebody. Then what?' What does that accomplish? Who are you gonna replace them with? This is the middle of the season. And then if you actually ask people [who are the replacements], they have no answers, other than they're just angry, and I get that. I'm frustrated too."
If Roberts can be used as evidence, Mets fans don't have much patience left.
MLB Rumors: Astros a fit for Cubs star Cody Bellinger
In an appearance on Sportstalk 790AM in Houston, Astros general manager Dana Brown hinted at the team's trade deadline plans. Per Brown, the Astros are looking to upgrade in the outfield, but prefer a player with the versatility to play the infield when called upon.
Bellinger has experience both as a corner outfielder and at first base. Considering the weak production from Jose Abreu at first for Houston, Bellinger could play either position and provide more from an offensive standpoint.
There are two things holding back a potential Bellinger trade to Houston, however. First, it's unclear if the Cubs intend on selling at the deadline given they are in a wide-open National League Central division. If Chicago does sell, Bellinger could be a popular target because of his defensive versatility and his bat, which has improved immensely in 2023. Bellinger hasn't played since the middle of May due to injury, but if he can come back healthy before late July, he's an ideal rental target for Houston and others.
The second matter holding back a Bellinger-to-Houston trade is what he had to say about the Astros in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. Bellinger, then a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, called out several Astros players.
Astros brass such as Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and other members of the 2017 World Series team would have to be on board with acquiring Bellinger in spite of his comments. Bellinger's Dodgers lost to Houston in the 2017 World Series, in part due to the Astros illegal sign stealing.
Based on fit alone, though, Bellinger makes a ton of sense.