MLB Rumors: Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer suffers injury setback
The Boston Red Sox are gearing up for a hectic and potentially very productive offseason under new man-in-charge Craig Breslow. And yet, the offseason starts with a bit of bad news from Boston's farm system.
According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, top prospect Marcelo Mayer has suffered a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury. (Assist from our friends over at BoSox Injection).
"Marcelo Mayer, who resumed swinging this fall in Fort Myers while rehabbing from a left shoulder impingement, is now home in California on a strength program and will be reevaluated after Thanksgiving. The Sox still expect Mayer's injury won't require surgery, and that he'll be a full-go for spring training."
Mayer, the No. 11 prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, is expected to be a full-go for spring training, which is the most important takeaway from this news. He's set to lose valuable fall league reps, but the 20-year-old has a long runway ahead of him. There's no reason for panic in Boston.
Splitting last season between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland, Mayer slashed .236/.306/.433 with 13 home runs, 54 RBIs, 68 walks, and 107 strikeouts in 314 at-bats. The No. 4 pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Mayer has a long way to go before he suits up for the big-league squad. That said, don't expect this injury to have any serious long-term impact.
MLB Rumors: Dodgers want to sign Shohei Ohtani and trade for Mike Trout
The Los Angeles Dodgers' offseason plans go beyond trying to sign Shohei Ohtani.
According to MLB insider Héctor Gómez, the Dodgers are angling for a "very aggressive" Ohtani pursuit that also involves attempting to trade for 11-time All-Star Mike Trout, who missed 80 games due to injury last season.
As far as free agent pitches go, "We won 100 games, have a bunch of money, and will trade for your superstar teammate" is as good as it gets. The Dodgers have long been considered favorites on the Ohtani front, even if teams like the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Boston Red Sox cannot be discounted. He could also re-sign with the Los Angeles Angels, lest we forget that (still very real) possibility.
The Dodgers are the MLB's foremost star-hunters. They pried Freddie Freeman away from the Atlanta Braves after his won MVP and a World Series. Mookie Betts left the Red Sox for greener pastures and sunny LA skies. Ohtani reportedly "respects" the Dodgers' winning ways, and LA has five top-100 prospects to move in a potential trade for Trout.
That said, the Trout half of the equation feels more like wishful thinking than a concrete plan of action right now. Even if Ohtani leaves, there's no guarantee the Angels embrace the tank (even if that's the smart move). Trout also has a full no-trade clause. The 30-mile move to Dodger Stadium to play with a loaded lineup probably doesn't sound too bad, but Trout has been reluctant to engage with trade speculation in the past. He has spent his entire career extremely faithful to the Angels.
In the end, the Dodgers have the trade chips to make Trout a reality if the star requests a trade or permits the Angels to seek a trade. His no-trade clause gives him full autonomy of his next baseball home in the event of a trade, so he could easily force his way to the Dodgers. He could also force his way to the Philadelphia Phillies, his hometown team, or a different contender altogether. So, the Dodgers can't count their eggs before they've hatched in this scenario.
Still... a lineup of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Mike Trout to open games is quite the tantalizing thought.
MLB Rumors: Why the Braves traded Kyle Wright to the Royals
On Saturday, the Atlanta Braves shipped RHP Kyle Wright to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for 27-year-old RHP Jackson Kowar. The move came as a surprise to many. Kowar split last season between MLB and Triple-A, and he has a 9.12 ERA in 39 MLB appearances since his debut in 2021. Wright is one year removed from leading the MLB with 21 wins and finishing 10th in Cy Young voting.
It's a lopsided trade on the surface. Wright is slated to miss the entire 2024 season as he rehabs from surgery on a torn capsule in his shoulder, but the Royals will have two years of team control left once Wright is healthy in 2025. If he can return to pre-injury form, Kansas City might have a No. 1 ace with postseason experience.
The operative word there is "might." With Wright, it's fair to be more than a little concerned about the injuries. He battled various forms of shoulder soreness throughout the 2023 season. It limited him to only nine appearances (seven starts), and his ERA ballooned to 6.97, compared to 3.19 in his breakout 2022 campaign.
At 28 years old, Wright has plenty of time to get back on track. But, there is considerable risk in banking on one season that, so far, is an outlier in his career. Wright didn't break through as a full-time rotation member for the Braves until 2022, his fifth MLB season. His velocity plummeted due to the injuries in 2023 and the Braves are expected to pursue upgrades to the pitching staff in free agency. There's limited room on the roster for a player expected to miss the entire season.
That said, the Braves didn't get much back in return. Kowar packs 96.9 MPH heat on his fastball, but control issues tend to get him in trouble. He posted a 6.43 ERA in 23 appearances (28.0 innings) for the Royals last season. He has one more minor league option left on his contract, however, which affords the Braves a bit of flexibility as they figure out the bullpen setup for next season.
Kowar was a first-round pick to the Royals in the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft. There is definite upside, but it is decidedly untapped. Atlanta will hope a change of scenery does the trick. It's hard not to trust Alex Anthoupolous and his rock-solid track record on the trade front, but on the other hand, Atlanta will look bad if Wright can regain his 2022 form in Kansas City. But, he will be two seasons removed from 2022 when he next suits up. So, it's a huge if.