MLB Rumors: Reds prospect Andrew Abbott adding name to list of young studs
Given how long the Cincinnati Reds have been in the cellar of the NL Central and MLB standings overall, it's not surprising that they've stockpiled some of the most exciting prospects in baseball. But while the likes of Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz are stealing all the headlines, there's another already in the majors who should be making just as big of waves: Andrew Abbott.
The 24-year-old southpaw who was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft out of Virginia made the third big-league start of his career on Friday night in Houston and, once again, delivered a gem as he went 6.0 innings while giving up no runs and just four hits and two walks against the vaunted Astros lineup.
Abbott has lasted at least 5.2 innings in all three of his starts for the Reds this season and has yet to give up a run in any outing to this point. His stuff isn't overpowering as he has just 12 strikeouts to his credit over 17.2 innings, but the job is to get outs and he's done that, registering an impressive 1.08 WHIP to this point.
The emergence of Abbott as a potential stalwart for the rotation could be huge in Cincinnati too. Pitching has been a concern for the club this season, even with their ascension up the standings, with guys like Nick Lodolo out after strong starts to the year.
But if Abbott can continue anything close to his blistering start with the Reds, that alleviates pressure on the front office at the trade deadline to potentially over-extend themselves to improve the rotation. Or, even if they do get aggressive to make a deal, they now have an even deeper rotation if the 24-year-old keeps shoving the way he has.
MLB Rumors: Braves reunion with World Series champ Johan Camargo could work
Among the many things that we've seen the Atlanta Braves do well in their rise to becoming a perennial World Series contender — beyond Alex Anthopoulos completely fleecing the A's for stars in trades — has been taking minor gambles on players and reaping rewards for it. This has been particularly true with some familiar faces, and now another one is on the market.
On Friday, Johan Camargo, a member of the 2021 Braves that went on to win the World Series, opted out of his contract with the Kansas City Royals after not being selected for the major-league roster. He's now a free agent.
Camargo started the season on the IL but was activated last month to play in Triple-A Omaha and has slashed .298/.412/.544 with four home runs in 68 plate apperances since then.
Obviously, the Braves don't necessarily need an infield utilityman direly by any stretch. They brought back another familiar presence, Charlie Culberson, who has still yet to play despite being on the 26-man roster, but also have their everyday lineup of Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson (from left to right) pretty much set.
Having said that, with the club potentially looking for rest days in the dogs days of summer for their core, having a player like Camargo could be valuable, especially with the way he was approaching his plate appearances in the minors. He's been a far more effective hitter than Culberson and, of course, has familiar witht he Braves.
Furthermore, if the Braves choose to make larger moves at the trade deadline, that could mean dealing Vaughn Grissom, who is a key depth piece in Triple-A behind the likes of Arcia and Albies. Camargo would be able to fill that void, albeit with less youth and overall potential, should the club find themselves in a bind and without Grissom in the system any longer.
If there's mutual interest, it's a move that could make sense for Atlanta to pursue to continue upgrading the roster and protect themselves with depth ahead of the trade deadline.
MLB Rumors: Yankees-Cardinals trade for Tyler O'Neill could help everyone
The New York Yankees have seemingly been searching for outfield help for quite a while now. Part of that has been the numerous injuries that have plagued the group in the grass, be it with Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader, or others. But the results haven't been there for the pinstripes so far this season.
Aaron Hicks was a disaster — one that's frustratingly started to thrive in rival Baltimore — Isiah Kiner-Falefa was a failed experiment, and Willie Calhoun has been inconsistent at best. Billy McKinney has been a pleasant surprise, sure, but it's overall clear that the Yankees need to explore adding an upgrade and more depth to the outfield group.
That's something the St. Louis Cardinals can help with.
The wheels have completely fallen off for the Cards and the needle is moving for them to sell at the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline. And while the Yankees could indeed explore the idea of Jack Flaherty or another pitcher to help in that department, it may also make sense to look at Tyler O'Neill, who was specifically connected to New York in a recent report from MLB insider Jon Heyman.
O'Neill has been on the IL with a mysterious back injury since early May but there is finally optimism about his return getting closer. His numbers prior to the IL stint weren't great, to be sure, slashing just .228/.283/.337 on the year as the Cardinals slipped into obscurity early on. However, he's just 1.5 years removed from posting a .912 OPS with 34 home runs and 62 extra-base hits over 141 games in 2021.
It's been clear this season that O'Neill needs a change of scenery and the Yankees could offer that. More importantly, the Cardinals could get what they need in return. New York has nine pitchers among their Top 20 prospects according to MLB Pipeline and, with St. Louis needing to turn the page for the future, they need more arms that can be part of that plan. The Yankees can help with that.
If Brian Cashman believes that O'Neill can help the team in the same way that Harrison Bader, who was also acquired from the Cardinals via trade last year, has when healthy, then it's a move that both parties could ultimately benefit from in regards to their differing outlooks.