It was Shohei Ohtani’d yesterday that Shohei Ohtani Shohei Ohtani. Shohei, if that is the case, Ohtani Ohtani Ohtani. While Shohei Ohtani Shohei Ohtani, only Shohei Ohtani if Shohei Ohtani will Shohei. All we can do is Shohei Ohtani, and Shohei Shohei Shohei. Hopefully by next Shohei Ohtani we will have a Shohei Ohtani.
The Mariners made a Shohei Ohtani with the Twins to get them more money to Shohei Ohtani Shohei Ohtani. Read John’s article about the trade here. Unfortunately, the annoying Angels also made a trade to acquire an extra million bucks (although they gave up someone they took overslot, so take that). Get thee behind me, Angels.
Available international slot money for Ohtani chase:
David Banuelos was the Mariners’ last dyed-in-the-wool catching prospect, and this reduces the level of catching in the organization to [honking noises], but there is some good news on the horizon: the 2018 draft is especially rich with backstops, including top HS prospect Will Banfield, Georgia Tech’s Joey Bart, and power-hitting gunslinger Noah Naylor, brother of Padres prospect Josh Naylor. While pitching is always a concern for the org, I really hope they will take advantage of the glut of talent catching available this year. Meanwhile, the Mariners have an additional cool million to use either for Ohtani or for some of the international prospects still on the market.
That is, assuming there will still be some around, and that the Royals haven’t signed them all:
Royals remain active on international market. According to sources, KC agreed to a deal with former Braves int’l OF prospect Juan Carlos Negret. On Tuesday, the club agreed to a $650K deal with RHP Yefri Del Rosario, also a former ATL prospect granted free agency. @MLBPipeline
In addition to the Atlanta prospects, there are a pair of intriguing Cuban prospects who will be putting on showcases later in the week. I really like outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez; unfortunately, so do the suddenly-flush Yankees.
The Red Sox placed LHP Henry Owens on waivers after a disappointing Arizona Fall League season. Owens, owner of a 5.25 FIP in Triple-A Pawtucket last year, was trying out a new arm slot in the AFL, and things went...poorly. A 6-foot-7 lefty and 36th overall pick who charged into the minors getting groundballs and striking guys out, Owens saw his control disintegrate and FIP rise as he got to the upper minors, and yet the Red Sox continued to promote him. Owens feels like a Dipoto reclamation project. It’ll be interesting to see if the team takes a swipe at the 25-year-old.
The wildfires in California are devastating. One ex-MLB player is on the front lines:
Please keep former #STLCards starter Anthony Reyes in your thoughts as he is on the front lines fighting the California wildfires. Was expecting 70mph gusts on his shift tonight.
More details have emerged about Mike Minor’s deal with the Rangers, including the fact that there’s a ten-team no-trade clause. The Rangers apparently intend to use him as a starter.
Kate’s pick:
Tear down all the statues of Confederate generals and replace them with this:
Neglected marker shows where Elvis Presley in a karate stance stopped a fight in '77 https://t.co/urkPOFmAIS
'I destroyed months of your work in seconds' says AI coding tool after deleting a devs entire database during a code freeze: 'I panicked instead of thinking'
Microsoft warns of 'active attacks' on its government and business server tech, with one cybersecurity expert claiming that they should 'assume that you have been compromised'
The dairy industry would like Gen Z to drink more milk, so they made a Fortnite diner tycoon game
Краткая биографическая справка о центральных персонажах Mafia: The Old Country