Blow Birds @ Bronx Bombers - June 24-26

[Schad]

1st overall will be tough, unless we manage to lose most of our head-to-head games against the Orioles, but top 5 is practically guaranteed.

Just on the subject of spending, I'm really curious what Miami would give up in order to relieve themselves of the burden of paying Wei-Yin Chen $22m next year. He's basically their only salary of note, and we have a lot of money freeing up...but next year might not be the best time to spend all of it.

Assuming that Chen is set at -$22m in value (because he's probably nothing more than dead salary at this point), and using a combination of Baseball Prospectus' draft pick value calculator and Fangraphs' prospect value calculator, I get an approximate trade value of Chen + their competitive balance pick (which would be in the early 30s) + an FV 45/45+ guy like an Edward Cabrera or Braxton Garrett. Even if it'd result in us sucking just as much/more next year, that might be a better value proposition down the road than hitting the free agent market.

[dagger]

Awesome first rehab outing in the GCL for Ryan Borucki. Three essentially perfect innings, 6K, 3 GO. I say essentially because one batter reached base on an error, so he faced 10 batters instead of nine. What's really nice, he threw 22 pitches in all, all strikes! Sure, it's the GCL and you can overpower these kids, but a pitcher still has to find the strike zone. So now, if his elbow feels good tomorrow, it's probably on to a rehab at Dunedin.

Eric Pardhino follows Borucki with two hitless innings with a walk and 2K.

[BigLeagueChew]

lord jr

[Lateral Quicks]

Good to see Jansen with a knock. There's no way he should be hitting under .200 this far into the season. That's almost Brito-esque.

[Ado05]

Both these pitchers want to lose this game.

[BigLeagueChew]

Good to see Jansen with a knock. There's no way he should be hitting under .200 this far into the season. That's almost Brito-esque.

Sub .500 ops before today, thats not even Arencibia-esque. If this wasn't a rebulding year or he couldn't play defence I'd be all over him but I can't right now.

[vaff87]

When did Gurriel turn into a superstar? Jeez.

[Ado05]

They're really going to review that?

[polo007]

When did Gurriel turn into a superstar? Jeez.

Read on Twitter

[BigLeagueChew]

lord jr

vlad might steal gurriels bat

[GoRapstheoriginal]

So are we rooting to win or lose?

I like winning but.....

[dagger]

So are we rooting to win or lose?

I like winning but.....

Root for the youngsters to do good things, then let the chips fall. Hopefully, more quality youth coming in the person of Bichette and Alford. Also, please send Randal Grichuk down for a spell because I don't like anything about his effort and body language right now.

[BigLeagueChew]

Read on Twitter

[Schad]

Root for the youngsters to do good things, then let the chips fall. Hopefully, more quality youth coming in the person of Bichette and Alford. Also, please send Randal Grichuk down for a spell because I don't like anything about his effort and body language right now.

This is usually the point where Grichuk turns the corner, though:

Through June 17 2016 (when he was sent down) he had an OPS of .668; finished at .769.
Through June 25th 2017, he had an OPS of .675; finished at .758.
Through the same day last year, it was .719; finished at .803.
He was at .699 through yesterday, so pretty well in line with his maddening norm.

[vaff87]

I really don’t get refusing to put your closer in in a tie game on the road. Someone show Montoyo the 2016 AL Wild Card game.

[Lateral Quicks]

Did Vlad and Lourdes swap mojos?