Re: General Discussion

13864
Watching Greg Amsinger interviewing Vogt. Lot of stuff we already heard but Amsinger asked him if Tito ever contacts him. He said no.....that Vogt contacts Tito! He said he just talked to him a few days ago. He said that "why wouldn't he ask questions of a Hall of Fame manager". He said he will be calling him again
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain

Re: General Discussion

13865
Pretty tough schedule remaining

https://www.tankathon.com/mlb/remaining ... e_strength



SOS Left Toughest Opponents Easiest Opponents
1

Tampa Bay
.528 56 346346 2433
2

Cleveland
.519
57 433387 32332
3

Colorado
.517 55 363366 43333
4

St. Louis
.515 57 333632 336433
5

Kansas City
.512 56 373633 333373
6

Pittsburgh
.511 57 333336 34763
7

Miami
.510 56 633733 463433
8

Arizona
.509 56 434733 63326
9

Milwaukee
.508 57 334637 33376
10

Boston
.508 58 743363 3863
11

Toronto
.507 57 273338 337333
12

Philadelphia
.506 57 333733 6723
13

Cincinnati
.505 57 273433 43363
14

Washington
.505 56 723353 36374
15

CHI White Sox
.504 54 333333 662373
16

Seattle
.502 55 333323 73763
17

Minnesota
.501
58 833633 33333

Re: General Discussion

13870
The Guardians are acquiring outfielder Lane Thomas from the Nationals in exchange for three prospects, left-hander Alex Clemmey (Guardians' No. 8 prospect), shortstop Rafael Ramirez Jr. (No. 22) and third baseman José Tena, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Monday. The teams have not confirmed the trade.
UD

Re: General Discussion

13871
Clemmey is a hard throwing talented LH teenager. After a bad April has done very well but he's years from the majors,
Tena's AAA stats are good at bat 17 homers 17 doubles; but also 17 errors and rates low on prospect ratings
Ramirez is more highly rated also a teenager who hasn't cracked 200 in Lynchburg.
You trade talent to get talent. I remember reading that Thomas was on their wish list last season. his 2024 stats aren't exciting.

Re: General Discussion

13872
CLEVELAND -- The Guardians had two big things on their to-do list heading into Tuesday’s Trade Deadline: Add starting pitching and pick up a bat. One of those two seems to be accomplished.

Cleveland has acquired outfielder Lane Thomas from the Nationals in exchange for three prospects: lefty Alex Clemmey (the Guardians’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), shortstop Rafael Ramirez Jr. (No. 22) and infielder Jose Tena.
Thomas seems to fit the Guardians’ typical hitting profile. His chase rate ranks in Baseball Savant’s 91st percentile and his expected batting average in the 79th percentile. The plus side that comes with Thomas is that there is also a threat of some power, although he hasn’t swung the bat the same way as he did last season.

Thomas, who turns 29 on Aug. 23, had a breakout year in 2023. He recorded career-highs in batting average (.268), home runs (a team-best 28), hits (168), runs (101), RBIs (86) and stolen bases (20). This season, he searched for the same production. Thomas has hit .253 with eight home runs, 40 RBIs and 28 stolen bases as the Nationals’ No. 2 hitter.

TRADE DETAILS:
Guardians get: OF Lane Thomas
Nationals get: LHP Alex Clemmey, SS Rafael Ramirez Jr., INF Jose Tena

Thomas was a Trade Deadline success story for the Nationals in 2021. Thomas became a centerpiece of the Nats lineup, but with top outfield talent in the Minor Leagues -- including 2023 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews -- and No. 2 overall prospect James Wood already in the Majors, they had the depth to part ways with him.

Although Jhonkensy Noel has been seeing time in right field, Thomas would be an easy bat to slide into the corner, which would mean Noel could see more time as a designated hitter when the matchups are right.

Thomas is under team control until 2026, which is why the Nationals were looking for a significant return.

Said Washington's general manager Mike Rizzo on July 19, “I think he's still a heck of a player. There are a lot of teams that would really benefit from getting Lane Thomas. He's got as good of an arm as anybody in right field. He throws out a lot of guys, he's got power, he dominates left-handed pitching and is good against righties. So he's a really good player. We've got control of him, so we're going to do a deal that we're comfortable with. And if we don't, we won't do a deal.”

Lane Thomas extends his on-base streak to 25 games

The trio of prospects that Cleveland was willing to part with was enough to get the deal done. Clemmey was the Guardians’ second round Draft pick last year and in his first professional season, he’s owned a 4.67 ERA in 19 starts with a whopping 97 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings. But being just 18 years old, Clemmey is some ways away from his Major League debut, which made it easier for the Guardians to take from their starting pitching depth. [actually we had no starting pitching depth until we signed this year's draft picks]

Re: General Discussion

13873
The Guardians also have a plethora of infielders to choose from. With second baseman Travis Bazzana now in the mix -- on top of Brayan Rocchio, Gabriel Arias, Juan Brito, Andrés Giménez, José Ramírez, Daniel Schneemann and others -- it was hard to imagine Jose Tena finding a roster spot. And even though Rafael Ramirez Jr. is a little younger, as MLB Pipeline projects his arrival to the Majors to come in 2027, he’s in the same boat.
After Cleveland had been relatively silent over the last few weeks, the team decided to make its first move. But maybe it won’t be the last. The Guardians know you can never have too much pitching. And they certainly know they need to add a starter, if they can.

There’s less than 24 hours remaining to get other deals done. We’ll see if they can cross both of their big items off their to-do list before the buzzer sounds.

Re: General Discussion

13874
Lane Thomas to Guards:

The Guardians have landed outfielder Lane Thomas in a trade with the Nationals, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (X link). Left-hander Alex Clemmey is part of the trade package headed back to D.C. in return, as per Robert Murray of FanSided (via X). ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report that the Nats will receive two other players in the trade, and according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, those other players are infielders Jose Tena and Rafael Ramirez.

It was almost exactly three years ago that Thomas was part of another prominent deadline trade, coming to Washington from the Cardinals in exchange for Jon Lester. The move to the Nats and more consistent playing time unlocked something in Thomas, who performed brilliantly over the remainder of the 2021 season and then settled into a regular role in the Nationals’ outfield over the last three years. This season, Thomas has hit .253/.331/.407 with eight homers and 28 steals (out of 40 attempts) over 341 plate appearances, despite missing about a month of action with a sprained MCL.

Thomas’ emergence in Washington was soon followed by more trade speculation, as it wasn’t clear whether or not the Nationals would view this newfound breakout player as a building block, or as a trade asset to aid in their rebuild. Today’s move answers that question, as the Nats have dealt Thomas (who turns 29 next month) in the second of his three arbitration-eligible seasons. Thomas is earning $5.45MM this season and will be in for a raise next year before hitting the free agency market in the 2025-26 offseason.

This extra year of control added to Thomas’ trade value, and ironically, the Guards themselves have traditionally looked to deal such increasingly-pricey players as they approach the end of their team control. With Cleveland in first place in the AL Central, the Guardians have instead looked to bolster their roster in major fashion, as Thomas can step right in as the team’s new regular right fielder. The left-handed hitting Will Brennan should still get a decent chunk of at-bats since Thomas has been much better against southpaws than against right-handed pitchers this season, but Thomas brings a needed right-handed bat to a Cleveland lineup perhaps a bit overloaded with lefty-swingers and switch-hitters.

The Guardians are opting for extra hitting over defense here, as Thomas’ public defensive metrics (-9 Defensive Runs Saved, -8.1 UZR/150, -7 Outs Above Average) have been very lacking. Cleveland has traditionally prioritized glovework in the outfield, yet while the lineup’s production has been better in 2024 than in recent seasons, Guards hitters have provided roughly average numbers league-wide. It seems quite possible the Guardians might still address their bigger need for rotation help before tomorrow’s deadline, but the Thomas trade is a key first step towards upgrading the roster for the stretch run.

From Washington’s perspective, the three-player package is a nice return for a season and two months’ worth of Thomas’ services. The Nationals have added one MLB-ready player in Tena who has already gotten some time in the Show, and two longer-term assets, including a noteworthy pitching prospect in Clemmey.

Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Clemmey is just 11 days removed from his 19th birthday, and he has a 4.67 ERA over 69 1/3 innings at A-level Lynchburg this season. Clemmey has struck out batters at an impressive 32.6% rate, but his 15.8% walk rate is evidence of some control issues early in his pro career.

Baseball America ranked Clemmey seventh among Guardians prospects and MLB Pipeline had him eighth on their list, with both outlets wowed by his high-90s fastball. The fastball earned a 70 grade from both scouting reports and his curveball received a 60, giving him some impressive upside for rotation work if he can develop at least one more quality offering. While projections might be a bit difficult for such a young pitcher, Clemmey already looks like he could be a quality reliever, though obviously the Nationals will fully explore his potential as a starter.

Ramirez was ranked 20th in BA’s list of Guardians prospects and 22nd by MLB Pipeline. He is the son of former Braves/Astros infielder Rafael Ramirez Sr., and while the elder Ramirez spent most of his 13 Major League seasons at shortstop, the 19-year-old Ramirez might eventually end up as a third baseman or second baseman, as per the scouting reports. Ramirez is in his third year of pro ball and hasn’t hit much in A-ball this season after posting much bigger numbers in rookie ball in 2023.

Tena made his big league debut in the form of 18 games and 34 PA for Cleveland last season, and he has appeared in three games for the Guards in 2024. An international signing in 2017, Tena has spent his whole career in Cleveland’s farm system, and he has an eye-popping .308/.365/.522 slash line and 22 homers in 494 career PA at the Triple-A level.

Despite these big numbers, the 23-year-old Tena always seemed to be a bit of an odd man out amidst the Guards’ infield picture, especially with Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez locking down two positions. Tena’s big strikeout numbers probably didn’t play well within a Cleveland organization that prizes contact hitting, but he’ll now get another opportunity in the District. The Nationals have an infield cornerstone of their own in CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. has done well to re-establish himself as a regular second baseman, though Tena could potentially look to make an impact at third base or in a utility role.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain

Re: General Discussion

13875
Guardians Acquire Lane Thomas

By Mark Polishuk | July 29, 2024 at 5:59pm CDT

The Guardians have landed outfielder Lane Thomas in a trade with the Nationals, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (X link). Left-hander Alex Clemmey is part of the trade package headed back to D.C. in return, as per Robert Murray of FanSided (via X). ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report that the Nats will receive two other players in the trade, and according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, those other players are infielders Jose Tena and Rafael Ramirez.

It was almost exactly three years ago that Thomas was part of another prominent deadline trade, coming to Washington from the Cardinals in exchange for Jon Lester. The move to the Nats and more consistent playing time unlocked something in Thomas, who performed brilliantly over the remainder of the 2021 season and then settled into a regular role in the Nationals’ outfield over the last three years. This season, Thomas has hit .253/.331/.407 with eight homers and 28 steals (out of 40 attempts) over 341 plate appearances, despite missing about a month of action with a sprained MCL.

Thomas’ emergence in Washington was soon followed by more trade speculation, as it wasn’t clear whether or not the Nationals would view this newfound breakout player as a building block, or as a trade asset to aid in their rebuild. Today’s move answers that question, as the Nats have dealt Thomas (who turns 29 next month) in the second of his three arbitration-eligible seasons. Thomas is earning $5.45MM this season and will be in for a raise next year before hitting the free agency market in the 2025-26 offseason.


This extra year of control added to Thomas’ trade value, and ironically, the Guards themselves have traditionally looked to deal such increasingly-pricey players as they approach the end of their team control. With Cleveland in first place in the AL Central, the Guardians have instead looked to bolster their roster in major fashion, as Thomas can step right in as the team’s new regular right fielder. The left-handed hitting Will Brennan should still get a decent chunk of at-bats since Thomas has been much better against southpaws than against right-handed pitchers this season, but Thomas brings a needed right-handed bat to a Cleveland lineup perhaps a bit overloaded with lefty-swingers and switch-hitters.

The Guardians are opting for extra hitting over defense here, as Thomas’ public defensive metrics (-9 Defensive Runs Saved, -8.1 UZR/150, -7 Outs Above Average) have been very lacking. Cleveland has traditionally prioritized glovework in the outfield, yet while the lineup’s production has been better in 2024 than in recent seasons, Guards hitters have provided roughly average numbers league-wide. It seems quite possible the Guardians might still address their bigger need for rotation help before tomorrow’s deadline, but the Thomas trade is a key first step towards upgrading the roster for the stretch run.

From Washington’s perspective, the three-player package is a nice return for a season and two months’ worth of Thomas’ services. The Nationals have added one MLB-ready player in Tena who has already gotten some time in the Show, and two longer-term assets, including a noteworthy pitching prospect in Clemmey.

Cleveland’s second-round pick in the 2023 draft, Clemmey is just 11 days removed from his 19th birthday, and he has a 4.67 ERA over 69 1/3 innings at A-level Lynchburg this season. Clemmey has struck out batters at an impressive 32.6% rate, but his 15.8% walk rate is evidence of some control issues early in his pro career.

Baseball America ranked Clemmey seventh among Guardians prospects and MLB Pipeline had him eighth on their list, with both outlets wowed by his high-90s fastball. The fastball earned a 70 grade from both scouting reports and his curveball received a 60, giving him some impressive upside for rotation work if he can develop at least one more quality offering. While projections might be a bit difficult for such a young pitcher, Clemmey already looks like he could be a quality reliever, though obviously the Nationals will fully explore his potential as a starter.

Ramirez was ranked 20th in BA’s list of Guardians prospects and 22nd by MLB Pipeline. He is the son of former Braves/Astros infielder Rafael Ramirez Sr., and while the elder Ramirez spent most of his 13 Major League seasons at shortstop, the 19-year-old Ramirez might eventually end up as a third baseman or second baseman, as per the scouting reports. Ramirez is in his third year of pro ball and hasn’t hit much in A-ball this season after posting much bigger numbers in rookie ball in 2023.

Tena made his big league debut in the form of 18 games and 34 PA for Cleveland last season, and he has appeared in three games for the Guards in 2024. An international signing in 2017, Tena has spent his whole career in Cleveland’s farm system, and he has an eye-popping .308/.365/.522 slash line and 22 homers in 494 career PA at the Triple-A level.

Despite these big numbers, the 23-year-old Tena always seemed to be a bit of an odd man out amidst the Guards’ infield picture, especially with Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez locking down two positions. Tena’s big strikeout numbers probably didn’t play well within a Cleveland organization that prizes contact hitting, but he’ll now get another opportunity in the District. The Nationals have an infield cornerstone of their own in CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. has done well to re-establish himself as a regular second baseman, though Tena could potentially look to make an impact at third base or in a utility role.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (X link) was the first to report that Cleveland acquired Thomas, and FanSided’s Robert Murray (via X) reported that Clemmey was part of the trade package. ESPN’s Jeff Passan specified that the Nationals would be receiving three players in return for Thomas, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to report on the inclusion of Tena and Ramirez.

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“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller