Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier claims he did not look at the Toronto Blue Jays data card that he picked up after being tagged out in the sixth inning of the Rays-Jays game on Monday.

"I never even looked at it, I'll say that," Kiermaier told Arash Madani of Sportsnet. "But at the same time, I'm not going to drop it or hand it back."

Madani provided detail, highlights and more Kiermaier quotes.

Spoke w/ Kiermaier. These are his comments.

Around 5:20 pm, Kevin Cash came out to speak with Charlie Montoyo about it.

The Jays are pissed. As a team source told me, "if there’s one card we wouldn’t want any opponent to have, it’s that one"

More at 6:30 pm on @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/Rp6iaGNPwM

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 21, 2021

The Rays ended up winning Monday's game 6-4.

The Kiermaier incident brought forth a host of opinions.

"Kiermaier did absolutely nothing wrong," Chris Carlin of ESPN Radio tweeted."Bad on Kirk for dropping it. Sorry."

The Toronto Star had this take, per an opinion piece from Mike Wilner.

Was Kevin Kiermaier scooping up Alejandro Kirk's cheat sheet the morally correct thing to do? No. Would everyone on the #BlueJays have done the same thing? Yes.

If you don’t want important information stolen, take better care of it. New @Wilnerness column:https://t.co/29ksxafHg8

— Toronto Star Sports (@StarSports) September 22, 2021

Tao of Stieb, a Sportsnet blogger, tweeted this perspective: "I would have more respect for Kiermaier if he just owned it. If he saw it and picked it up, so be it. All this 'aw shucks, I didn’t even, I don’t know, I just handed it to someone and never heard of it again' is pretty fake."

As Kiermaier noted, he did not give the card back.

This incident occurred during a very important series with postseason ramifications for both teams.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed shortstop Wander Franco on the 10-day injured list Saturday because of a right hamstring injury.

Franco went down in Friday's loss to the Detroit Tigers and was replaced by Joey Wendle. The burgeoning superstar was 1-for-1 before exiting, reaching base for the 39th straight game.

Tampa Bay recalled Taylor Walls from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding roster move.

#Rays Cash said there is 2-3 week timeline for Franco’s return

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 11, 2021

Franco, who made his MLB debut in June at age 20, is hitting .285/.347/.463 with seven home runs and 36 RBI. He's been spectacular over the last month-and-a-half after a rough start, hitting .313 in August and posting 11 hits in 30 September at-bats.

The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Rays, who are looking to maintain their large lead in the American League East and clinch home-field advantage for the AL playoffs. They have built a nine-game lead over the Boston Red Sox and are 5.5 games ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in the Junior Circuit.

Nelson Cruz continued his power surge and made a little history along the way while leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 12-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old Cruz launched two home runs during the game to give him 30 for the season and 447 in his career. ESPN noted he became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 30-homer total in a season, surpassing David Ortiz and Darrell Evans.

Another day, another boom pic.twitter.com/E4UjYuT7b4

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 8, 2021

Another at bat, another Boom pic.twitter.com/81Th8EIAK5

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 8, 2021

Ortiz and Evans were each 40 when they accomplished the feat in 2016 and 1987, respectively.

"That's definitely a privilege. David Ortiz means so much to baseball, also he's Dominican," Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, said. "So, it's an honor to be by his side."

The Rays slugger now has four home runs in the last four games and three in the first two contests of the series against the Red Sox.

Tampa Bay will look to complete the sweep Wednesday and move further ahead in the division. It leads the American League East by 9.5 games over the New York Yankees and 10 games over the Red Sox.

Just as it was a scintillating rookie who led the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series in 2020, so too might another first-year player perform the same trick in 2021.

Move over, Randy Arozarena. It's Wander Franco's turn.

This is not meant as a slight against Arozarena, who's still technically a rookie and very much in the race for the American League Rookie of the Year. His stat line includes an .806 OPS, 18 home runs and 3.3 rWAR. Indeed, he actually leads Franco in the latter category.

Franco, though, has been charging hard over the last month or so. You've probably heard that he's gotten on base in 33 straight games, the most recent highlight of which was his two-run homer off Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale on Wednesday:

Wander stays hot with a two-run shot! pic.twitter.com/8NDXt2Svnh

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 2, 2021

Though he was able to add to his on-base streak with a seventh-inning walk on Thursday, Franco promptly had to leave the game with a headache. The Rays are monitoring him for concussion symptoms, though it's hopefully nothing that serious.

Franco is slashing .315/.387/.528 during his on-base streak and is up to a .794 OPS and 2.4 rWAR for the season. This is over just 56 games—48 of which have seen him start at shortstop—which would hypothetically put him on track for a 7.0-WAR season if he had been with the Rays from Opening Day. That's MVP territory, folks.

Of course, there are good reasons to pump the brakes on this hype train.

If 56 games is a small sample size, then 33 contests is a downright Lilliputian stretch. Franco and the Rays, whose 84-50 record has them atop the American League for the second time in as many years, have also been feasting on relatively weak competition of late.

Yet it's not as if Franco's rapid rise is surprising. He wasn't an ordinary prospect before he arrived in the big leagues on June 22 and, even though he's only 20 years old, it's already clear that he's no ordinary hitter as a major leaguer.

---

What Franco Was Supposed to Be

At the time the Rays called Franco to The Show in June, there wasn't much doubt that he was the No. 1 prospect in baseball. Nor was there much doubt that he was absolutely deserving of it.

At the outset of both this season and last season, Franco ranked as MLB's top prospect not just here at B/R, but also at MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America. FanGraphs was also in on the hype, with Eric Longenhagen going so far as to say that Franco "looks like, and has performed like, a generational talent and annual MVP contender."

Coming into 2021, the catch was that Franco didn't play in any professional games last year after the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the cancellation of the minor league season. Accordingly, there was something resembling rust on him as he hit just .257 with seven strikeouts and one walk in 16 games with the big club during spring training.

After that, though, the Dominican Republic native promptly got back to tearing up the minors with Triple-A Durham. He slashed .315/.367/.586 over 39 games to bring his overall minor league line to .332/.398/.536 in 214 games.

More specifically, two things made Franco's minor league dominance even more exciting. For one, he was significantly younger than his competition every step of the way. For two, he refused to fit into the typical mold for young hitters by racking up 20 more walks than strikeouts in the minors.

As comps go, Jose Ramirez was one that Franco himself quite liked, per Baseball America. You could also squint and see the possible second coming of Juan Soto. Except this time, he'd be a switch-hitting shortstop instead of a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder.

---

What Franco Is Now

Upon reaching the major leagues, Franco made an immediate impression by going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run off Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. But after that, reality called to check on him.

In 14 games from June 23 through the end of the first half on July 11, Franco went just 10-for-57 with one homer. He was better out of the gate in the second half, but only to the extent that he went 9-for-34 with yet another lone homer in eight games through July 24.

Then began his on-base streak, during which he's looked a lot more like that fantastically tough out that he was in the minors. He's improved his walk rate from 6.8 percent before the streak to 9.2 percent during it and cut his strikeout rate in half from 20.4 to 9.2 percent.

When something like this happens, it's typically because a hitter started choosing his swings more carefully and benefited via increased contact against more hittable pitches. But Franco is doing things differently, as he's increased his swing and contact rates against pitches both inside and outside the strike zone: 

On their own, the increased swing rates would imply that Franco decided to swing his way out of his slow start and is sticking with it because, hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But in tandem with his improved contact rates, the picture is more so of a guy who's adjusted to the speed of the major leagues and is swinging comfortably.

This theory is further solidified by Franco's about-face against high fastballs. Through July 24, he was 0-for-11 against four-seamers at or above the top of the strike zone. He's 10-for-25 against such pitches since then, a sample that notably includes the 95 mph heater from Sale that he took for a ride Wednesday.

As reported by John Tomase of NBC Sports Boston, you can take it from Sale himself that a normal big leaguer doesn't hit a pitch like that over the wall: 

Those are the ones you don't lose sleep over, honestly. That's not a home run pitch. He's not supposed to hit that ball out. That was me vs. him and he won. That's one of those cliche moments where you tip your cap, but it's true. Not too many guys can get to that.

You know what else is hard to do in the major leagues? Hit sliders. They are baseball's signature nasty pitch, and increasingly so as the leaguewide average against them has descended from the .220 range in the late 2000s to the .210 range in the early 2020s.

For Franco, though, sliders have presented little problem. He's hitting .360 and slugging .840 against them. In terms of run value per 100 pitches, he's the best slider hitter in the game.

Mind you, this is just the stuff that can be quantified. To actually watch Franco is to see a constant display of more intangible, dare we say Gwynn-ian, hitting qualities. He's just one of those guys who knows what to do with different pitches, whether it's:

• A sinker with the infield shifted? Poke it through the hole for a single.
• Fastball on the inner half? Turn on it and line it to left for a single.
• Backdoor cutter? Whack it the other way down the line for a double.
• Hanging changeup? Hit it to the dang moon for a home run.

As such, it's misleading that some of his Statcast metrics, such as exit velocity and hard-hit rate, have either been static or gotten worse during his on-base streak than they were before. That would imply he's been lucky, when the eye test confirms what he really is, is locked in.

---

What Franco Could Still Be

Small sample size be damned, Franco is one of the best hitters in the American League. Among AL hitters who've taken at least 130 plate appearances since July 25, his 155 wRC+ ranks fourth.

The next step for Franco involves proving he can keep the hits coming under the oh-so-bright lights of October. That's a difficult test, but the fact that he's gotten so hot even as he's carried the No. 1 prospect label in the thick of a pennant race is as good as omens get.

Come 2022, Franco should be at least a dark horse for the American League batting title. His switch-hitting will be an inherent leg up in that regard, and he may well outlast batting average luminaries Michael Brantley and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. if he can pick up where he left off from this season.

What's harder to predict is whether Franco will come into still more power, but it's a good guess that he will.

He may only be 5'10", but he's a well-put-together 5'10" at a muscular 189 pounds. Not unlike Guerrero during his first two seasons, Franco's only missing link may reside in his ability to consistently elevate the ball. His average launch angle (9.5 degrees) and sweet spot rate (33.3 percent) could stand to go a little higher.

His defensive ceiling is still another question mark, as none of the major defensive metrics (OAA, DRS and UZR) rate him as a particularly gifted shortstop. That tracks with scouting reports on his defense, seemingly none of which billed him as the next Andrelton Simmons.

Even if Franco's power and defense remain stuck in neutral, however, the Rays will still have something like a switch-hitting Xander Bogaerts. If the power comes, it will be as if Franco is their very own Soto at shortstop. If the power and the defense come...well, think 2017-2019 Francisco Lindor turned up to maximum.

Bottom line? Go ahead and dream big on Franco. No matter how he turns out, he's one prospect who won't break your heart.

---

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced Sunday they've placed designated hitter Nelson Cruz on MLB's COVID-19 injured list.

Relief pitcher Chris Mazza was recalled from the Triple-A Durham Bulls to fill the vacant spot on the Rays' 26-man roster.

Cruz, who was acquired in a July trade with the Minnesota Twins, is eligible for activation at any time. The COVID-related IL doesn't have a minimum duration like MLB's other injured lists.

The 41-year-old Dominican Republic native has struggled since the trade. He posted a .294 batting average and .907 OPS across 85 appearances for the Twins this season, but those numbers have dropped to .198 and .705, respectively, in 24 games for the Rays. He's still provided some pop with seven home runs, though.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that Cruz's impact went beyond his baseline stats.

"You see it every day, even the days that maybe he's not contributing to the biggest at-bat or the biggest moment," Cash told reporters. "The positive effect it has on everybody throughout the lineup, hitting in front of him, hitting behind him—he has really added and thickened us up a lot."

Brett Phillips and Yandy Diaz should both see an uptick in playing time until Cruz is cleared to return.

Meanwhile, Mazza returns for another stint in the Rays' bullpen. He's struggled in his prior appearances at the MLB level this year with a 5.57 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 21 innings.

The 2011 27th-round pick has compiled a 5.21 ERA across 29 career games for the Rays, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets over the past three seasons.

He's enjoyed more success at Durham this season, tallying a 3.73 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

Mazza, 31, should handle a middle-innings role for Tampa, which finishes a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday before embarking on a five-game road trip with stops to face the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles.

The Rays enter Sunday's action four games ahead of the New York Yankees atop the AL East with MLB's third-best record at 76-48.

Tampa Bay Rays star Tyler Glasnow is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery next week, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The involved parties haven't decided on that course of action, though, as Glasnow could rehab his partially torn UCL. Should he have the procedure, the right-hander could return during the 2022 season but might be out until 2023.

Glasnow got off to an electric start in 2021. He was 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 2.76 FIP through 14 starts, per Baseball Reference. He had also notched 123 strikeouts in 88 innings.

The 27-year-old hasn't pitched since a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on June 14. He exited after four innings and was diagnosed with the UCL injury.

Glasnow subsequently told reporters that he thought MLB's effort to restrict pitchers from using sticky substances "contributed" to his injury. He said he altered how he threw the ball:

Tyler Glasnow sounds off on MLB's foreign substance crackdown and how it may have led to injury 😳 https://t.co/47rcTnpk0l

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) June 15, 2021

Glasnow and the Rays opted for rest and rehab to try to get him back in action.

The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reported Glasnow threw off a mound Friday as part of his rehab and followed up Saturday to report the session "didn't go well" and that he will see a doctor next week with Tommy John surgery the expected recommendation.

There's no way to positively spin potentially missing so much time, especially since Glasnow is in his prime. But if he undergoes surgery, he could have at least a full season before becoming a free agent following the 2023 campaign.

The Tampa Bay Rays have reportedly held "preliminary discussions" about both Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer and Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant ahead of Friday's 2021 MLB trade deadline.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday the Rays are "expected to be active" to upgrade their roster before the deadline, even if they don't land one of those marquee names.

Tampa Bay is second in the AL East with a 60-40 record and 1.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox (62-39) in the division race. It tops the wild-card standings with a 5.5-game edge over the Seattle Mariners (55-46), who are currently the first team outside the playoff picture in the AL. Oakland is in the second wild-card slot at 56-45.

So the Rays are in a strong enough position to believe another deep playoff run is possible. They reached the World Series last year before falling short against the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games.

Scherzer struggled a bit by his high standards during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign, posting a 3.74 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 12 starts, but he's been right back to his dominant self this year. He's compiled a 2.83 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 142 strikeouts in 105 innings.

Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported Monday the 37-year-old right-hander is "open" to a potential trade and wouldn't use his 10-and-5 rights to block a deal.

Scherzer would immediately take over as the ace for the Rays, who are without Tyler Glasnow because of an elbow injury.

Meanwhile, Bryant's story is much the same as the Nationals starter. He struggled last year to the tune of a career-low .644 OPS, but he's bounced right back to form with an .856 OPS and 17 home runs through 91 games for the Cubs in 2021.

The 29-year-old has posted those numbers while shifting around between first base, third base and all three outfield spots to give Chicago valuable lineup versatility.

The Rays have long been known for trying to find unique market deficiencies, and a player like Bryant, who can provide MVP-level offense while playing all over the diamond, could provide a major boost for a team whose bottom half of the batting order has struggled much of the season.

It's unclear whether Tampa Bay has the payroll flexibility to add the remaining salaries of both Scherzer ($34.6 million) and Bryant ($19.5 million), but both players are slated to become free agents at year's end, so it would be a short-term financial commitment to chase a title.

Even if the Rays can only land one marquee name before the deadline, it could be enough to shift the AL East in their favor if the Red Sox don't make any blockbuster moves.

The New York Mets reportedly acquired veteran starting pitcher Rich Hill from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported the deal, with MLB Insider Robert Murray adding the deal is close. Joel Sherman of the New York Post said the Rays will receive veteran reliever Tommy Hunter and minor-league catcher Matt Dyer in return.

At 41 years of age, Hill is the oldest pitcher in Major League Baseball, and he is now set to join his 11th different MLB team.

In 2021, which is Hill's 17th MLB season, he has made 19 starts for the Rays. Hill has accrued a 6-4 record to go along with a 3.87 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 91 strikeouts over 95.1 innings.

While 12 of Hill's starts have lasted five innings or less, he figures to be a good fit at the back of New York's starting rotation.

When healthy, the Mets have one of the best starting pitching trios in the league with Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman. Settling on the Nos. 4 and 5 starters has been difficult, though, especially with David Peterson and Joey Lucchesi landing on the injured list.

The sense of urgency to land another starter increased even more recently with deGrom landing on the 10-day IL as well.

Once deGrom returns, the Mets should have a solid starting five in place with deGrom, Walker, Stroman, Hill and Tylor Megill.

While Hill has never been named an All-Star or won a World Series, he has enjoyed a highly successful career. In 311 appearances, including 183 starts, Hill has posted a 73-48 record, 3.80 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 1,126 strikeouts over 1,071.1 innings.

Hill also has 13 games of postseason experience to his credit, including pitching in the World Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 and 2018.

Hunter, who is the best-known part of Tampa's return in the trade, is currently on the 60-day IL after initially being placed on the 10-day IL in May with lower back pain.

The 35-year-old Hunter has appeared in four games this season, posting a 0.00 ERA and striking out six in eight innings.

Hunter has pitched for seven different teams during his 14-year career. That includes a one-year stint with the Rays in 2017 when he went 3-5 with a 2.61 ERA over 61 outings.

In 476 career MLB regular-season appearances, Hunter is 56-45 with a 4.04 ERA.

The 23-year-old Dyer will likely be the biggest determining factor in who ultimately wins Friday's trade.

Dyer was a fourth-round draft pick of the Mets in 2020 out of the University of Arizona after hitting .393 in 2019. He dropped off significantly in 15 games for the Wildcats in 2020, though, hitting just .220.

The Phoenix native has appeared in 36 games for A-ball St. Lucie this season, playing catcher, first base, third base and right field. He is slashing .194/.329/.452 with seven home runs, 20 RBI and six stolen bases.

Adding Hill is a logical move for a Mets team that owns a four-game lead in the National League East, although the trade is somewhat curious for the Rays, as they are just one game out of first in the American League East and currently hold a wild-card spot. 

The Tampa Bay Rays made the first major move of MLB's trade deadline season, acquiring Minnesota Twins slugger Nelson Cruz and minor league pitcher Calvin Faucher for two prospects.

Cruz, 41, remains one of the league's most impactful hitters with a slash line of .294/.370/.537 and 19 home runs. That should immediately help a Tampa lineup that ranks 13th among American League teams in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS out of the DH spot. 

The Rays are finalizing a deal to acquire Nelson Cruz according to @JeffPassan.

Cruz's 19 home runs are tied for 2nd-most among designated hitters this season. While the Rays have struggled to get production from that spot ranking in the bottom 5 in AL in BA, OPS and HR pic.twitter.com/MGffmCw1Hv

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 22, 2021

Here's a look at the Rays' likely lineup with Cruz in the fold. 

Tampa Bay Rays Updated Lineup and Payroll

1. Brandon Lowe, RF

2. Randy Arozarena, LF

3. Wander Franco, 3B

4. Nelson Cruz, DH

5. Austin Meadows, CF

6. Joey Wendle, 2B

7. Yandy Diaz, 1B

8. Mike Zunino, C

9. Taylor Walls, SS

This is the trade. No word in this of cash consideration. Thus the small-market #Rays would be taking on about $5.3M of Cruz’s $13M contract for this year. https://t.co/D24JCyqePy

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 22, 2021

In return, the Twins received two right-handed hurlers, Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. Ryan is the No. 10 prospect in the Rays' farm system per MLB Pipeline and has thrown 57 innings over 12 games in 2021, racking up a 3.63 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with 75 strikeouts on 10 walks issued at Triple-A Durham.

Strotman isn't far behind in the farm system. Ryan's teammate in Triple-A is the No. 17 prospect in the Rays organization and has racked up a 3.39 ERA over 58.1 innings with 62 strikeouts on 33 walks.

Snap verdict on the Nelson Cruz trade: The Rays get the single best bat on the market and someone with an A+ clubhouse reputation. But the Twins did very well, too, in getting Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, two hard-throwing right-handers who are close to big-league-ready.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2021

Had written about Cruz fitting with TB just yesterday so yeah, sometimes the most obvious fits are obvious for a reason. pic.twitter.com/nW0s4No1zO

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) July 22, 2021

Once Minnesota (41-55) began sinking in the standings, moving Cruz began to feel inevitable. Even now in his 40s, Cruz remains one of baseball's most consistent hitters and a beloved teammate. He's also played in 46 postseason games, earning ALCS MVP with the Texas Rangers in 2011 after hitting six home runs with 13 RBI against the Detroit Tigers. 

Now, Cruz goes from the bottom of the AL Central to a second-place Tampa team (57-39) in the AL East that's still in the race for a division title. 

The Minnesota Twins announced Thursday they are trading designated hitter Nelson Cruz and minor league pitcher Calvin Faucher to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league pitchers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. 

The veteran slugger just keeps hitting home runs, hitting .294 with 19 dingers, 50 RBI and a .907 OPS in 85 games this season. 

Erik Neander #Rays GM just texted me “Time to get the big fish” as he acquires Nelson Cruz from #Twins. Run .907 OPS with 18 HR 50 RBI in 296 AB with 2.1 War. A leader. A mentor. A winner and the games best eyebrows.

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) July 22, 2021

Between 2014-19, Cruz never dipped below 37 homers in a season and hit 40 or more dingers four times. Last year, he managed to leave the yard 16 times in just 53 games during the COVID-19-shortened season. 

So his power hasn't left him later in his career. 

But, with the Twins surprisingly struggling this season, going 41-55 thus far, a firesale appeared to be coming. That made a veteran like Cruz, who will be a free agent after the 2021 season, a logical piece to move. 

For the Rays, the six-time All-Star bring a much-needed power boost to the middle of the lineup, though he'll need to be utilized primarily as a designated hitter, as he doesn't offer much in the field at this point in his career. In fact, he hasn't played in the field since 2018. 

But Tampa added him for his bat. Even at 41, Cruz is still slugging. 

Cruz's acquisition should make Austin Meadows Tampa's everyday left fielder and will likely shift Randy Arozarena into right field, while Manuel Margot and Kevin Kiermaier should split time in center field.

However those outfield permutations shake out, Cruz is an instant upgrade to a Tampa offense that very much needs the punch he'll provide to the middle of the order if they're to once again battle for a World Series title.