MLB Bullets is all heart

Happy Independence Day!

• You’ve probably heard this already, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak questioned the “effort” and “energy level” of outfielder Dexter Fowler. Mozeliak tried to clarify his comments, but I think he just made it worse.
• Obviously this is a sore subject around here as few players (and zero Cardinals) have ever been as well-loved among Cubs fans as Fowler was and still is. Writing in The Athletic (subscription required), Sahadev Sharma believes that the incident is more evidence that the Cardinals are no longer a “model franchise” to be emulated.
• Speaking of the Cardinals and another “red” team, the Nationals, David Schoenfield explains why both teams’ playoff chances are in serious trouble.
• Mike Axisa wonders what the chances that the Nats fall out of the playoff hunt and trade outfielder Bryce Harper before the trade deadline?
• Bradford Doolittle had a fun exercise. He “traded” Orioles shortstop Manny Machado to all 30 teams (including the Orioles keeping him) and figured out how much adding Machado helped their postseason chances.
• Jim Duquette has some predictions on where some of the top trade targets might end up. I link to this just so you can mock his prediction that the Cubs would even consider trading two top pitching prospects, Adbert Alzolay and Alex Lange, for Josh Donaldson, a player they don’t need and is also hurt. No wonder Duquette isn’t a GM anymore.
• The Red Sox are reportedly interested in Marlins relievers. I bet a lot of teams are.
• Whitney McIntosh grades how believable the following trade rumors are: Cole Hamels to the Phillies; Manny Machado to the Dodgers; and Noah Syndergaard to the Brewers.
• Alden Gonzalez looks at how after a rough and injury-plagued start, the Dodgers are contenders once again.
• The Mariners success this season is easy to explain, notes Jeff Sullivan, as they have become the “clutchiest” team in MLB history. Or at least since 1974, which is as far back as those records go.
• The Mariners also signed LHP Wade LeBlanc to a contract extension and R.J. Anderson approves.
• On the other hand, the Twins’ 2018 season has been a disaster, writes Jay Jaffe.
• Jaffe does note a few exceptions for the Twins, and now they have WIllians Astudillo, who is here to save us from the scourge of the “Three True Outcomes,” writes Ben Lindbergh.
• The Twins also played a whole game on Tuesday without a single putout at first base.
• Jeff Sullivan notes that the Royals’ June of 2018 was the 11th-worst month at hitting in MLB history. He tells Royals fans if he thinks their team is bad, they’re right.
• The Rockies sent pitcher Jon Gray down to Triple-A and Ben Lindbergh notes that Gray is having a bizarre season where his stats and stuff simply don’t match up with his results. Lindberg pretty much comes up empty as to why Gray’s results are as bad as they have been.
• Jay Jaffe notes that Reds pitcher Matt Harvey is having a career-renaissance in Cincinnati, which means he could be traded soon.
• Jerry Crasnick looks at how some teams are using former players, including former Cubs outfielder Sam Fuld, to explain to current players how analytics can help their game.
• The Angels activated Shohei Ohtani off the disabled list. He went 0 for 4 as a DH on Tuesday night. He’ll be a “DH-only” for a while.
• Grant Brisbee has a lot of thoughts but a few of them are that Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen should be in the Home Run Derby and he’s proof the DH is stupid. Lorenzen has three home runs in seven plate appearances (6 ABs) this year. Seriously, who was the last relief pitcher who produced 0.6 in offensive WAR by the All-Star Break? Maybe Ken Brett in 1970, but he started too.
• Astros catcher Brian McCann will miss the next 4-to-6 weeks after knee surgery.
• Craig Calcaterra took a trip to West Virginia and he caught some games of the rookie ball Bluefield Blue Jays. There he was taken in by the generosity of spirit of the Bluefield Blue Jays Booster Club. You’ll find these booster clubs at most minor league clubs and bravo to Calcaterra for taking time to get to know and write about these people who support these small minor league outposts and the parade of players from all over the world who play there. The Bluefield Boosters seem as good as any of them.
• Calcaterra has some more stories that you can get when you sit and talk to these long-time boosters.
• The Indians think they’ve found a pitching gem in Shane Bieber.
• Also, the Indians would like to remind people (especially a national NFL writer) that despite LeBron James’ departure from the Cavaliers, there is still a good pro sports team in Cleveland.
• Jose Bautista returned to Toronto and got a standing ovation from Blue Jays fans.
• Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has a 43-game on-base streak.
• Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner has been fined for repeated “pace-of-play” violations.
• For the second time in two year, Orioles outfielder Colby Rasmus has retired.
• White Sox manager Rick Renteria talks about mentoring young players. He’s kind of become a specialist in that. At least in Chicago.
• There is an accusation that the 2012 purchase of the Dodgers by the Guggenheim Partnership was financed, in part, by some fraudulent financial activity.
• The Triple-A National Championship Game may be in jeopardy after this season after its sponsor pulled out. One thing I had no idea about was that the Triple-A Championship game takes place after the season as defined by the agreement between major and minor league baseball, and because of that, the individual minor league teams are responsible for all the salaries and travel expenses of the players for that game. Yes, it’s only one game, but that’s a lot for a minor league team for just one game that they don’t even host.
• Minor league outfielder Tim Tebow had a triple bounce off his head.
• This article is behind The Athletic’s paywall, but I hope they open it up to everyone soon so I’ll link to it. Peter Gammons tells the story of outfielder Alfredo Edmead. Edmead was one of the top prospects in baseball in 1974 when he became the last professional player to die as the result of an on-field injury. Edmead was tearing up the Carolina League as an 18-year-old for the Pirates organization when he dived for a ball and his head collided with the knee of the right fielder. Edmead never woke up.
• And finally, we seem to be ending in tragedy today but this one at least has a hopeful ending. The MLB Network did a piece on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas baseball season after the atrocity committed there. Stoneman Douglas graduate Anthony Rizzo narrates the piece.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.