MLB Rumors: Red Sox get Chris Sale back?
Red Sox fans have long awaited the return of Chris Sale, who seems to spend more time on the injured list these days than in a Boston uniform. Christopher Smith of MassLive was just one of several Boston reporters who relayed the information from Sox manager Alex Cora.
One of Boston's biggest weaknesses which wasn't addressed at the trade deadline is starting pitching. If the Sox are going to make a postseason run, they need Sale to pitch like the player he's capable of being at his best. That's an ace, which Sale hasn't proven to be since 2018. Brayan Bello, James Paxton, Kutter Crawford and Co. have pitched well in his steed.
As MLB Trade Rumors suggests in their newsletter The Opener, Sale's career has largely been derailed by injuries at this point:
"Injuries have been a huge issue for the southpaw in recent years, as he hasn't thrown 60 innings in a season since 2019. Prior to landing on the IL, he tossed 59 innings this year with a 4.58 ERA. The Sox would surely love to get him back to his previous ace level, but results similar to earlier this year would also be welcome. They have frequently been deploying openers and bullpen games to cover for the absences of Sale, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. Both Whitlock and Houck are currently on rehab assignments and could return to the club soon as well."
The Sox are in fourth place in the AL East, 11 games back of the Baltimore Orioles. Boston is four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot, as well, so they have plenty of work to do. Thankfully, their rotation is getting healthy at the right time, starting with Sale.
MLB Rumors: Jose Bautista to retire with Blue Jays
Joey Bats will sign a one-day contract with Toronto on Friday to retire as a member of the Blue Jays. While Jose Bautista played for eight teams in his MLB career, he'll be best remembered for his time north of the border, when he was a tremendous power threat for a Jays team which revitalized baseball in Canada.
Bautista represented the Blue Jays in the All-Star Game from 2010-15, which included three 40-plus home run seasons, as well as his 54-home run 2010 campaign, where he finished fourth in MVP voting.
"There aren't many names as synonymous with Blue Jays baseball as José Bautista, and it is our great honour that he will officially retire in a Blue Jays jersey," said Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays. "On behalf of a generation of Blue Jays fans that had the privilege of watching his clutch moments on the field and inspiring work ethic – thank you, José, for a mesmerizing decade representing the Toronto Blue Jays."
Bautista's most memorable moment as a Blue Jay was this bit of postseason heroics, which sent the Rogers Centre into complete chaos.
"The stadium was vibrating," former teammate Josh Donaldson remembered, per The Athletic. "It was probably one of the coolest moments I've been on the field to where it was so loud that it felt quiet."
The Jays would win that dramatic Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, and Bautista's bat flip would go down in MLB lore as one of the more emphatic celebrations in recent memory.
MLB Rumors: Jack Flaherty trade pays dividends for Cardinals, too
As Jack Flaherty continues to pitch well for the Baltimore Orioles — even spitting some unintentional venom at St. Louis faithful — the Cards are happy with their end of the bargain, as well.
Flaherty made a comment after his first start in Baltimore, stating it was the first time he ever had trouble hearing his PitchCom. This is rather odd, considering Flaherty played in Busch Stadium on a regular basis, long thought to be one of the louder and well-attended stadiums in the sport. Alas, it's Camden Yards which is louder, despite the Cards nearly doubling their attendance on a regular basis, if MLB is to be believed.
Despite that noise, St. Louis is happy with their return in the Flaherty trade. Thus far, it's worked out just as well for them, with left-handed pitcher Drew Rom pitching well in his debut with Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Rom had 10 strikeouts in his Memphis debut, and at this rate could make a big-league cameo before the year is up. It would be wise of John Mozeliak and the Cardinals front office to see what they have in Rom, who was acquired specifically to provide starting pitching depth within the organization. At 23 years old, Rom's expected MLB debut would come this year or early next.
Why not speed up the timeline some?