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Hello everyone and welcome back to the happenings of Mariners baseball! The team begins a series against Houston today (who, unfortunately, swept both games of a double-header against the Yankees yesterday. Womp womp). Let’s dive into what’s going on around baseball right now.
In Mariners news...
- Jerry Dipoto was on the radio again yesterday, which means we got a lot of news from that. For starters, it seems Kyle Lewis is expected to return today!
Jerry Dipoto tells me Kyle Lewis is set to rejoin the Mariners big league roster tomorrow night against Houston.
— Mike Salk, Seattle Sports Station (@TheMikeSalk) July 21, 2022
- Jerry also provided a timetable for Mitch Haniger, who probably won’t be back before the trade deadline passes.
Jerry Dipoto on Mitch Haniger starting his rehab assignment this weekend.
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) July 21, 2022
"Sometime over the next 2-3 weeks we should have Mitch back in our Major League fold."
He needs time. DH days, days off, outfield play.
- Dipoto has seemingly changed his tune on starting pitching, since he was previously suggesting they were looking for more of a swingman type of player. Obviously a frontline-level starter would be very exciting (and cheaper than Juan Soto!)
Dipoto says prime goal is to add starting pitching.
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) July 21, 2022
"If that means impact at the top and timeshare at the back... We are tempting fate if we don't provide help. You will pay premium prices, that's part of it. When you are in the position we are in, you have to consider it."
- I know many of you are going to wonder, so yes Dipoto did get a question about Soto. But his answer was pretty much a nothingburger.
Jerry Dipoto on @SeattleSports on adding superstar level talent at deadline
— Maura Dooley (@Maura_Dool) July 21, 2022
"I'm open to anything and I know we are organizationally open to anything that helps us get better and add impact. There are potential opportunities and we have to stay in tune with what they are."
- The Mariners are still active on the UDFA front.
The Mariners have signed C Connor Charping as an UDFA. The senior catcher from WMU was one of 16 semifinalists for the Buster Posey Award this season. https://t.co/S4CwzqJSSo
— Lookout Landing (@LookoutLanding) July 21, 2022
- Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs told the story of the wild rise of the Mariners this season.
Around the league...
- Here’s another All-Star round table from this past weekend. Nobody here said Matt Brash’s slider, which is insulting.
If you could borrow a pitch from anyone in history, what are you picking? pic.twitter.com/JCXpaawsWZ
— MLB (@MLB) July 21, 2022
- Jayson Stark and Eno Sarris at The Athletic dove into the decline in the occurrence of three true outcomes this season. ($)
- Howard Megdal at FiveThirtyEight dug into what went wrong for the Angels this year.
- Matthew Ritchtie wrote about Morgan Park High School, a school in Chicago that is doing some heavy lifting in keeping baseball alive in Black communities.
- I’m sure this has nothing to do with the rising cost of tickets despite the relatively stagnant rise in wages.
One big down arrow: attendance. It's down *20%* since 2007 peak, or a pace for the loss of 16 million ticket buyers. It's down 14% since Manfred took office and it's down 7.5% this year compared to 2019. pic.twitter.com/Gcei6AnA4o
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) July 21, 2022
- The trade deadline is beginning to take shape, and things could get real interesting if the Marlins decide to sell given their bevy of starting pitching.
Marlins are extremely unhappy with the last few days of games. Today we saw that frustration boil over with Don Mattingly. JJ Bleday’s call up now feels imminent. Lewin Díaz may finally get his chance soon. Trade deadline will be fascinating. I wouldn’t rule out anything.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) July 22, 2022
- Ben Carsley at Baseball Prospectus wonders what an MLB skills competition would look like during the All-Star festivities. ($)
Anders’ picks...
- I bet Kyler Murray is glad he didn’t sign that contract with the Oakland A’s!
Breaking: The Cardinals are giving Kyler Murray a five-year, $230.5 million deal that includes $160 million guaranteed, a source told @adamschefter.
— ESPN (@espn) July 21, 2022
Murray is now the second highest-paid QB with an average at $46.1 million per year. pic.twitter.com/pOXNBp40Oe
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