July/August 2020 Game Thread

[Nick]

I don't get it, Chisholm, Sanchez, Lewin, Sixto they're all on the 40-man, if they're not going to lose a year of service time, why not call them up? Unless you're already planning on doing the same shit with them next year.

[fauowls44]

Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is among the 15 Miami players who are positive. Marlins are at a real pitching deficit. Have already claimed 3 pitchers. Need more (especially ones ready to pitch in bigs right away)
10:03 AM · Jul 29, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

This sucks. Hopefully he is healthy and gets back soon. They have at least Yamamoto ready to go. I wonder how many more starting pitchers are infected. Again, I don't understand the secrecy of who has tested positive. They should be in on Folty for sure, but I'm not certain that they would want to trade for him.

[fish16]

id like to know how many of these guys are symptomatic. could make a difference into how long it takes them to come back and how messed up they might be

[fauowls44]

Marlins are signing Logan Forsythe per Craig Mish. He was in camp with the Phillies and beat out for a spot by Neil Walker.

[fish16]

decent addition for a week or so if that's what that is. he had a few great years with the rays a few years back but has fallen off but he can at least be a major league caliber player for a week

[fauowls44]

So far, we know the Marlins have added Forsythe, Morin, Shafer, and Smith. They are likely to add Yamamoto, Brinson and Joyce (Frisaro called him "close to returning"). That is 7 players added and they need at least 13 (lost 15 but rosters shrink to 28 next week). Not knowing who they need to replace, I would assume Harrison, Alvarez, and Snider would be added from Jupiter as well. That leaves 4 more to go at a minimum.

Also, another potential name to add to the list of available players. Lucroy would be a solid addition at C if they need to add one. Certainly better than Brantly.

Chad Jennings
@chadjennings22
From myself and
@Ken_Rosenthal
: Sources say the Red Sox are taking Jonathan Lucroy off their roster and recalling pitcher Chris Mazza. Lucroy made the team as a third catcher but has yet to get an at-bat.
11:44 AM · Jul 29, 2020·Echofon

[Lee Stone]

As usual, I see this whole situation differently. Signing all these vets that nobody wanted seems foolish to me. The right course of action would be to put Chisolm, Sanchezes, Harrison, L Diaz, Rogers, Castano, Mejia, Cabrera when he's ready, right into the major league lineup. This season is about THEM and their development. Financial implications of team control etc. are really nothing when the team doesn't even know if any of those prospects is going to be any good. So, it's a win-win-win: Team gets to evaluate, players get to grow in the only way really available to them, and fans are entertained.

[fauowls44]

As usual, I see this whole situation differently. Signing all these vets that nobody wanted seems foolish to me. The right course of action would be to put Chisolm, Sanchezes, Harrison, L Diaz, Rogers, Castano, Mejia, Cabrera when he's ready, right into the major league lineup. This season is about THEM and their development. Financial implications of team control etc. are really nothing when the team doesn't even know if any of those prospects is going to be any good. So, it's a win-win-win: Team gets to evaluate, players get to grow in the only way really available to them, and fans are entertained.

There’s no reason to rush prospects just to fill in for a week or two. I’d like to see Harrison, Diaz, and Jazz called up now too...and I’m sure a few might be, but bringing up guys when they aren’t ready can do more harm than good. Ideally, when you bring them up, they are up to stay.

[Nick]

As usual, I see this whole situation differently. Signing all these vets that nobody wanted seems foolish to me. The right course of action would be to put Chisolm, Sanchezes, Harrison, L Diaz, Rogers, Castano, Mejia, Cabrera when he's ready, right into the major league lineup. This season is about THEM and their development. Financial implications of team control etc. are really nothing when the team doesn't even know if any of those prospects is going to be any good. So, it's a win-win-win: Team gets to evaluate, players get to grow in the only way really available to them, and fans are entertained.

I agree, for the most part. If we lost relievers I think I'd rather them be replaced by these scabs, but position players and starters go with the young guys and see what they've got now that they've exceeded the cut-off date for service time. Obviously if we need to replace 15 guys there's going to be some scabs, but Chisholm, Sixto, Jesus, Lewin, Harrison at the very least should all be up. Then you have Brinson who would definitely come up. Guys like Northcraft, Vincent and Yamamoto who are already on the roster, you should really only need 5 or 6 of these scab DFA guys.

- - - - - - - - - -

There’s no reason to rush prospects just to fill in for a week or two. I’d like to see Harrison, Diaz, and Jazz called up now too...and I’m sure a few might be, but bringing up guys when they aren’t ready can do more harm than good. Ideally, when you bring them up, they are up to stay.

I don't necessarily agree with that, especially in a situation where there is no minor leagues to go back to.

- - - - - - - - - -

So far, we know the Marlins have added Forsythe, Morin, Shafer, and Smith. They are likely to add Yamamoto, Brinson and Joyce (Frisaro called him "close to returning"). That is 7 players added and they need at least 13 (lost 15 but rosters shrink to 28 next week). Not knowing who they need to replace, I would assume Harrison, Alvarez, and Snider would be added from Jupiter as well. That leaves 4 more to go at a minimum.

Also, another potential name to add to the list of available players. Lucroy would be a solid addition at C if they need to add one. Certainly better than Brantly.

Chad Jennings
@chadjennings22
From myself and
@Ken_Rosenthal
: Sources say the Red Sox are taking Jonathan Lucroy off their roster and recalling pitcher Chris Mazza. Lucroy made the team as a third catcher but has yet to get an at-bat.
11:44 AM · Jul 29, 2020·Echofon

What happened to the whole 45-day IL with Joyce? (That's for TJ to answer)

[fish16]

As usual, I see this whole situation differently. Signing all these vets that nobody wanted seems foolish to me. The right course of action would be to put Chisolm, Sanchezes, Harrison, L Diaz, Rogers, Castano, Mejia, Cabrera when he's ready, right into the major league lineup. This season is about THEM and their development. Financial implications of team control etc. are really nothing when the team doesn't even know if any of those prospects is going to be any good. So, it's a win-win-win: Team gets to evaluate, players get to grow in the only way really available to them, and fans are entertained.

finncial implications of team control are not everything but they should be the main concern. of course you dont know what they are and good chance a few become nothing but you dont get reckless and waste a full year of team control for top 100 prospects for no reason when half of those guys arent even ready anyways just because you want to be impatient and see what you have ASAP.

Especially when its going to be for probably a week or 2 and then they go right back down once guys get healthy again. that is beyond short sighted.

[Nick]

finncial implications are team control are not everything but they should be the main concern. of course you dont know what they are and good chance a few become nothing but you dont get reckless and waste a full year of team control for top 100 prospects for no reason when half of those guys arent even ready anyways just because you want to be impatient and see what you have ASAP.

Especially when its going to be for probably a week or 2 and then they go right back down once guys get healthy again. that is beyond short sighted.

Correct me if I'm wrong, though, since we're past the service time cut off for this season now, wouldn't service time only matter if you were completely sure that you wouldn't call that player up before the next service time cut off? (May/June 2021) We play a full season this year and chances are Jazz/Sixto/Lewin/Jesus are up at some point, we're in a situation with such a short season and expanded playoffs where making the playoffs would not be impossible, I think you have a responsibility to your fans to put the best product out there.

[fish16]

Correct me if I'm wrong, though, since we're past the service time cut off for this season now, wouldn't service time only matter if you were completely sure that you wouldn't call that player up before the next service time cut off. (May/June 2021) We play a full season this year and chances are Jazz/Sixto/Lewin/Jesus are up at some point, we're in a situation with such a short season and expanded playoffs we're making the playoffs would not be impossible, I think you have a responsibility to your fans to put the best product out there.

Yes if it no longer mattered for this year i'd be fine with it but some of those guys wont even be ready until the cut off for next year. I dont think we should be seeing Cabrera, Bleday, Rogers, Garrett, and maybe jazz this year given his plate discipline issues and young age and rojas has done a good job at the position. No need to rush them. I'm fine with Monte obviously, Sixto for a couple starts later in the year once he gets in better shape in jupiter, brinson obviously, jesus sanchez for a little bit of action at the end of the year, lewin definitely once the cutoff is over, and that's about it. At most for other guys i'd be ok with small bits of action for the last 2-3 weeks as i think that can really help a guy going into the offseason to give them an idea of weaknesses they still have in their game that will be taken advantage of at the major league level. Other than that i dont really want to see guys like Meyer, Rogers, Garrett, Bleday, and younger guys like that who arent fully ready.

We can take it injury by injury and day by day but i dont think this year is the year to unload every single one of these guys just because we can. Play it smart, continue to be patient, and bring these guys up when they are fully ready and there is a major league spot for them to play everyday, not because we are all eager to see what we have in them.

[Nick]

We know Rojas is out, if Villar or Diaz is one of the other 15. I think Jazz has got to be up. We know Cooper is out. If Aguilar is one of the other 15. I think Lewin's gotta be up. We know Ramirez is out. Replace him with Brinson, fine, You almost certainly need Harrison up to man CF. If Dickerson's one of the 15, I think you gotta think about calling up Sanchez.

It all depends on who the 15 are, but I think you at least have to be open to using them.

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Then Starting Pitching. We know Urena and Sandy are out.

What are you left with? We better hope Caleb and Pablo are ok. Neidert and Elieser get a spot, if they are Covid-Free, Dugger and Yamamoto are in line. That's 6 guys. 2 of those 6 guys have Covid, I think it's Sixto time.

[fauowls44]

From Barry Jackson's article in the Herald, he makes it sound like the pitching staff has been hit harder than the position players:

At least two members of the rotation tested positive: Jose Urena and Sandy Alcantara (according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman). Multiple relievers also have tested positive.

That’s why Miami claimed three pitchers off waivers this week: Justin Shafer, Mike Morin and Josh Smith. Morin, a right-hander designated for assignment by the Brewers in recent days, is 11-11 with two saves and a 4.65 ERA in his career.

The Marlins also expect to be without at least four starting position players when they next take the field, including shortstop Miguel Rojas, outfielder Harold Ramirez, catcher Jorge Alfaro and outfielder/first baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper. But several key Marlins position players had not tested positive.

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We know Rojas is out, if Villar or Diaz is one of the other 15. I think Jazz has got to be up. We know Cooper is out. If Aguilar is one of the other 15. I think Lewin's gotta be up. We know Ramirez is out. Replace him with Brinson, fine, You almost certainly need Harrison up to man CF. If Dickerson's one of the 15, I think you gotta think about calling up Sanchez.

It all depends on who the 15 are, but I think you at least have to be open to using them.

- - - - - - - - - -

Then Starting Pitching. We know Urena and Sandy are out.

What are you left with? We better hope Caleb and Pablo are ok. Neidert and Elieser get a spot, if they are Covid-Free, Dugger and Yamamoto are in line. That's 6 guys. 2 of those 6 guys have Covid, I think it's Sixto time.

Yeah. Have to hope Caleb and Pablo are healthy. Frisaro mentioned in a tweet about Yamamoto and Neidert being part of the rotation so I hope that means Neidert is healthy. If there are any other starters out, they may have to go to an opener strategy for a while.

[fish16]

given the different bullpen arms weve claimed and just common sense about how frequently and close together the bullpen guys are you gotta think that the pen has been hit especially hard.