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Good morning everyone! Here's some news from around baseball...
Pinstripe Alley targets Hisashi Iwakuma as a possible trade candidate for the Yankees. If the Mariners were to decide that the season is done in the next couple of weeks, Iwakuma would seem to be the perfect trade chip. Iwakuma's contract is up at the end of this season and at 34 years of age, he doesn't hold a whole lot of future value for the M's even if they were to re-sign him. The Mariners currently have one of baseball's worst farm systems and a player like Iwakuma, who could immediately take over as an ace in many team's rotations if he is able to re-capture what he did from 2012-2014, should be able to net at least an interesting prospect or two in return in theory.
The main problem with the idea that the M's could sell off Iwakuma to bolster their farm system is that Jack Zdurencik is probably aware that if the team doesn't make the playoffs this season, he's out the door. A general manager with a safe job likely pulls the trigger on that kind of move, but don't expect Iwakuma to get traded unless the return is some immediate help at a position of need.
In other news...
- Speaking of, Craig Edwards at Fangraphs tries to figure out which teams will be in the market for starting pitching.
- Ryan Divish writes that there isn't a whole lot the M's can do at the deadline.
- This year's All-Star Game did poorly on TV compared to years past.
- Jeff Sullivan at Fangraphs wonders if the Blue Jays should consider giving up Marcus Stroman to improve their chances at making the playoffs this year.
- The Braves have signed reliever Jason Frasor.
- Brian Reinhart went on a mission to taste the wine sold at every ballpark in the majors.
- Check out this cool story on Joc Pederson and the video session that saved his career in the game.
- The Phillies are calling up pitching prospect Aaron Nola.
- A game at Nationals Park was delayed and then cancelled thanks to a power outage in the stadium. Max Scherzer thinks Taylor Swift is to blame for the issue.