Latest On Phillies’ Rotation – MLB Trade Rumors

Latest On Phillies’ Rotation – MLB Trade Rumors

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The Phillies are making an adjustment to their rotation. Rookie right-hander Tyler Phillips will make his first big league start on Saturday against the A’s, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. Fellow rookie Michael Mercado is set to work from the bullpen.
Mercado, 25, just stepped into the starting five in late June. He threw five innings of one-run ball against the Cubs in his first MLB start. The Braves teed off on Mercado on Saturday, though, tagging him for five runs on a trio of homers before he could escape the second inning. While one poor start won’t change the organization’s view on Mercado, most prospect evaluators suggest his fastball-curveball arsenal is better suited for relief work.
A former second-round pick of the Rays, Mercado joined the Phils in a minor trade at the beginning of last offseason. He has started 10 of 14 appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Mercado has a stellar 1.71 earned run average at the top minor league level. However, he has walked more than 11% of batters faced while averaging fewer than four innings per appearance.
Phillips has had a more conventional starting role with Lehigh Valley. He has started all 15 Triple-A appearances and averaged slightly more than six innings per game. His 4.89 ERA is a lot more pedestrian than Mercado’s mark, although he has shown somewhat better control (9.4% walk rate). Mercado throws a bit harder than Phillips does and has demonstrated a lot more bat-missing ability in the minor leagues. Phillips, whom the team added to the 40-man roster last week, has a modest 19.8% strikeout rate for the IronPigs. To his credit, Phillips punched out seven hitters across four innings of relief behind Mercado against Atlanta in his big league debut.
The Phillies have built enough of a cushion that they shouldn’t be concerned about some short-term uncertainty in their starting five. They’re eight games clear of the Braves for the division lead and 4.5 games ahead of the Dodgers for the National League’s top seed. An excellent rotation has been a major reason. Philadelphia’s front four of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez is arguably the best in MLB.
The fifth spot is the only question mark. Taijuan Walker allowed a 5.60 ERA over 10 starts before inflammation in his index finger sent him to the injured list a few weeks ago. Spencer Turnbull managed great results as a sixth starter, but he sustained a lat strain that’ll knock him out into August.
Barring injury, the Phils look like the rare contender that doesn’t need to urgently pursue rotation help over the next three weeks. Wheeler’s status is worth monitoring after the Phils lifted him at 76 pitches during tonight’s start. The team announced that the star righty was battling lower back tightness. After the game, skipper Rob Thomson called it a precautionary measure with the Phillies already holding an eight-run lead (X link via Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Thomson suggested the team would evaluate Wheeler tomorrow but indicated the club expects he’ll be fine to make his next start.

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Bobby Miller’s career-worst start sinks his year and the Dodgers’ rotation to a new low

Bobby Miller’s career-worst start sinks his year and the Dodgers’ rotation to a new low

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PHILADELPHIA – Bobby Miller’s uniform was sopping with sweat as Mark Prior greeted him on the mound in the fourth inning. As much as he tried, the sweat would not cease. Nor would the beatdown that faced him. Little has gone right this year for Miller, the budding Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher of the future who so loudly announced his presence last summer.After Prior’s visit, Miller delivered a first-pitch slider to Trea Turner. It spun over the heart of the plate. The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop punished it, swatting a grand slam that turned a rout into a laugher. By the seventh inning of the miserably hot night, utility man Kiké Hernández was pitching, and he delivered the best performance of the night. Austin Barnes was playing second base.“Tonight was embarrassing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after what ended as a 10-1 loss.That fourth inning would be Miller’s last inning of the night. He gave up nine runs, pushing his ERA to 8.07 in his seven starts. Getting right has been a slog.“I have some work to do,” Miller said.Trouble followed him all night. A two-out walk in the second inning opened the door to a three-run frame, with two runs coming home on Kyle Schwarber’s single into the right-center field gap. The bottom third of the Phillies’ order stung three consecutive hits to push across another run by the time Turner strode to the plate in the fourth. The first-pitch slider Miller threw wound up in the left field seats.
SHIESTY SLAM#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/SYeFZhpHeu
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 9, 2024“You face a team like that and you make unexecuted pitches, they put good swings on it every time,” Roberts said. “There was some unlucky stuff in there as well. I didn’t think that grand slam was hit too hard, but at the same time it wasn’t a great pitch.”Miller has insisted he feels healthy after missing two months with right shoulder inflammation, though his velocity was once again down from his norms. Known for his triple-digit velocity, he hasn’t hit 100 mph since his opening start of the season. He hasn’t hit 98 mph in either of his past two starts. Testing on his shoulder has led the Dodgers to think he’s healthy, Roberts said. Both he and Miller hypothesized something could be off with Miller’s delivery.“Stuff just doesn’t have enough bite to it right now,” Miller said.He’ll have the All-Star break to figure out why. But no one expected this.“I’m a little shell-shocked right now, given what he’s done, expecting him to continue to take steps forward and to see where we’re at,” Roberts said.It’s never a good time to have an ERA that starts with an eight, but this is hardly a good time for the Dodgers pitching staff. The club as a whole has largely trod water for the last month. There are currently 12 different Dodgers pitchers on the injured list, with Tyler Glasnow added hours before Miller’s start on Tuesday afternoon. Since Yoshinobu Yamamoto went on the injured list on June 16, Dodgers starters have a 5.67 ERA in 101 2/3 innings — the second-worst mark in baseball.“Winning baseball games, sustaining winning, stems and starts with starting pitching,” Roberts said. Nights like Tuesday haven’t been as few and far between as they once were.There isn’t an immediate answer. As it stands now, Miller is one of four rookies in this Dodgers rotation alongside James Paxton, a veteran in the midst of trying to discover something that works consistently with his current arsenal.The Dodgers are hopeful Glasnow won’t miss much time. They think Clayton Kershaw might be able to return after a couple of rehab starts. But their position is clear. Few expected the Dodgers to add pitching to their shopping lists this summer. Now, they may be one of the most pitching-needy teams in the sport.(Photo of Miller reacting to a home run: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)


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Cubs Rotation Plans, Reliever Returns, Kilian, Bigge, De La Cruz, and Other Cubs Bullets

Cubs Rotation Plans, Reliever Returns, Kilian, Bigge, De La Cruz, and Other Cubs Bullets

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Bulls starting lineup and rotation if the unthinkable happens

Bulls starting lineup and rotation if the unthinkable happens

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Zach LaVine has been in trade rumors for what seems like years, and most believe it is just a matter of time before the Chicago Bulls find him a new home. The Bulls have reportedly tried, but have yet to find a trade for LaVine that they can stomach. Rather than have to give up draft assets they don’t have just to get off LaVine’s contract, the Bulls may decide that keeping him and letting him build trade value to be the more prudent route. If LaVine is healthy and playing well, he’ll be an asset to someone, especially as his contract gets shorter. Related Story. Sign-and-trade of DeRozan to the Kings could get Bulls out of one mess. Sign-and-trade of DeRozan to the Kings could get Bulls out of one mess. darkIf the Bulls did the unthinkable and kept Zach LaVine, they’d have a fun group of players but one with obvious flaws. The Bulls swapped out Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey in a trade that looks increasingly worse for the Bulls. They also re-signed Patrick Williams, drafted Matas Buzelis and signed free-agent Jalen Smith. The roster may not be a finished product, as the Bulls are obviously going to continue to explore trades for LaVine and possible sign-and-trade options for DeMar DeRozan. But here’s what we’d have if the season started today: -Josh Giddey/Lonzo Ball -Coby White/Ayo Dosunmu -Zach LaVine/Matas Buzelis -Patrick Williams/Torrey Craig -Nikola Vucevic/Jalen Smith A three-guard lineup of Giddey/White/LaVine could be fun, as Giddey is a creator who doesn’t need many shots, a guy who can feed both LaVine and White. If LaVine were willing to play more off the ball as a spot-up 3-point shooter, this trio could work, at least offensively. Defensively, this would be a disaster, as Giddey and LaVine are poor defenders and there is no one to protect the rim to clean up their mistakes. You could argue that Jalen Smith should start over Vucevic but that doesn’t solve the problems with perimeter defense. If Lonzo Ball is healthy, that Bulls bench would be interesting but also has flaws, as there is not much floor spacing. You can see why the Bulls are eager to trade LaVine. With him in there, Coby White’s role is less clear and Chicago would be atrocious defensively. I am sure both sides are hoping they can work something out to avoid having to think about this, but the Bulls with LaVine could be a really fun offensive team that would have to score 130 points a night to win. 

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Aaron Civale excited to join Brewers’ rotation

Aaron Civale excited to join Brewers’ rotation

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DENVER — Perhaps under a different set of circumstances, the Brewers would let Aaron Civale settle in and meet his new coaches and teammates before he takes the mound.
But under these circumstances, with the Brewers still firmly atop the National League Central after Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Rockies finished a four-game series split, and looking to stay there in spite of a chaotic starting rotation, Civale will get right to work on Friday when Milwaukee opens a big three-game series against a former and perhaps future postseason opponent, the Dodgers. He’ll be the 16th man to start a game for the 2024 Brewers — already one shy of the franchise record with 73 more games to go.
Speaking of chaotic, the outing will cap a busy series of days. Civale was with the Rays after their rain-delayed game in Kansas City late Tuesday when he learned he’d been traded to the Brewers. To stay on schedule for what Milwaukee officials had planned, he’d need to throw a bullpen session, so Civale traveled to the Brewers’ complex in Phoenix on Wednesday rather than join the big league team in high-altitude Denver. On Thursday, he spoke to reporters while waiting to board a flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles.
“‘Whirlwind’ is one way to describe it,” Civale said. “I went through a trade last season, so it’s not the first go-around processing all of the little things. Once you go through it once, it’s definitely easier. I’ve heard other players say that, but until you go through it, you don’t know. I’m excited to get out there and meet the guys and go to work.”
Putting Civale to work immediately allows some well-deserved extra rest for Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who bumps to Saturday. He’ll be followed by another organizational newcomer, Dallas Keuchel, who will start Sunday.
It also allows the Brewers to strengthen and lengthen the bullpen by pushing swingman Bryse Wilson back to a relief role, where he has been so valuable in a variety of roles that he won the team’s “Unsung Hero” award last season.
“All hands on deck,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s kind of the theme of our club, ‘Let’s get it done somehow instead of worrying about all the stuff you get hung up on, whether I’m a starter or a reliever and how is that going to affect arbitration,’ and all of that kind of stuff.
“This is about waking up with a great attitude and seeing how you can contribute, and making sure your locker stays in there. That’s what it’s all about.”
Two of Civale’s new teammates have a hunch he’ll fit into that mindset.
Catcher Eric Haase played with Civale in the Minors and Majors with Cleveland, though he never caught him in the big leagues. And right-hander Tobias Myers, who absorbed the loss at Coors Field, pitched for Cleveland’s Triple-A club in 2022 when Civale made a series of rehab starts.
“He’s a competitive pitcher,” Myers said. “I think he’s going to fit right in. He’s out there to win.”
Myers competed better as the game rolled along. Burned by a cutter that wasn’t cutting in the thin air during the early innings, when the Rockies took a 3-0 lead by the second, Myers transitioned to his slider and settled into a rhythm until he caught too much of the outside edge of home plate against Jake Cave in the sixth. Cave’s first home run of the season proved the difference in the game.
The loss was Myers’ first since May 4, when he was still one of the new guys in a Brewers rotation that has been built and rebuilt all season long.
“It’s just a constant conversation with catchers and pitchers,” Haase said. “They throw their sides and their bullpens and know what they want to do. We have good game-planning meetings about, ‘If you’re going to get beat, get beat by your strengths.’ When you put it like that, it simplifies things.”
The timing of the trade surprised Civale, who’s been dealt in consecutive seasons. Last year, he went from Cleveland to Tampa Bay while the Guardians were in New York, and did his between-starts work in Central Park to stay on schedule.
Now, he’s headed from Tampa Bay to Milwaukee for one of the Brewers’ top infield prospects, Gregory Barrios. For Civale, it’s a chance to start fresh after he went 2-6 with a 5.07 ERA in 17 starts for the Rays.
“Milwaukee is definitely known for their pitching. They’re known for playing a good brand of baseball, which I’m excited to be a part of,” Civale said.

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Logan Webb remains beacon of stability in Giants’ chaotic starting rotation – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Logan Webb remains beacon of stability in Giants’ chaotic starting rotation – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

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During a season when there’s been little to zero stability to the Giants’ starting rotation, Logan Webb has been virtually unshakable.

Webb spun another classic outing against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, going seven very strong innings while pacing San Francisco to a 4-2 victory that inched the club one step closer to the .500 mark.

It certainly wasn’t anything new or unexpected.

Giants fans have become accustomed to seeing a well-pitched game any time that their durable and efficient ace toes the rubber.

Webb leads the National League with 19 starts and is atop the entire MLB with 119 innings pitched. He’s already got seven victories under his belt this season and will likely make one more start before the All-Star break.

That leaves the 27-year-old in prime shape to reach double-digits for wins in a fourth consecutive season, cementing himself as the staff ace.

His latest gem came on Independence Day in front of a crowd of nearly 41,000 in Atlanta, and secured a third consecutive series victory for the Giants.

“It’s an easy one to get up for,” Webb told reporters at Truist Park. “You have the Fourth of July, it’s a packed house and you’re playing a good team, a very, very, vert good team. I had a lot of adrenaline going throughout and it kind of never stopped.”

As has been the case for most of the 2024 season, Webb’s biggest issues started right out of the gate.

The Braves’ first two hitters of the game reached base, and Atlanta scored its first run following a throwing error by right fielder Mike Yastrzemski. Webb got Marcel Ozuna to strike out swinging before Matt Olson singled and Austin Riley hit a sacrifice fly to drive in another run.

That was all the scoring the Braves could muster off Webb and two relievers. Webb is now 3-0 in five career starts at Truist Park.

In his 19 starts overall this season, Webb has a whopping 5.21 ERA in the first inning. That’s nearly a full point higher than Webb has in any other inning.

“It’s typical of a lot of really good starters,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s the best chance you have to get to them. They got a couple runs in the first and then (Webb) was just dialed in command-wise, reading swings and doing what he does.”

It’s certainly not surprising why Webb leads the National League in innings pitched during the 2024 season. The game against the Braves marked the 11th time this year that he has logged at least seven innings.

The Giants’ workhorse also is second in the NL with the lowest average of home runs allowed per nine innings.

Yet the nagging problems that he’s had getting out of the first inning continue to be the biggest hurdle that Webb has yet to fix.

“I gotta figure out something,” said Webb, who was winless in his previous three starts. “I don’t know what it is, I couldn’t tell you. But it’s frustrating. It’s not a fun feeling being a starter and putting your team in a hole early on.

“Obviously the boys came back. It was awesome to see.”

Fans of The Orange and Black have been saying pretty much the same thing every time Webb trots out out to the mount. He’s been pretty awesome to see all season.

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Blue Jays aim to keep rotation strong beyond Trade Deadline

Blue Jays aim to keep rotation strong beyond Trade Deadline

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TORONTO — As difficult as it is to see these things through the heavy fog, baseball exists beyond the July 30 Trade Deadline and seasons exist beyond this one.
Most of these conversations will stay down the road where they belong, but all of those will be colored by what we see right here, right now.
There’s no silver lining or grand realization to take away from Thursday’s 5-3 loss to the Astros, their third loss in four games to end a disappointing series. The Blue Jays are 39-48 with just 20 games between now and the Deadline, and while it’s looking clear that they’ll be forced to sell, they also need to salvage some things from the fire.
Going back to the start of last season, Toronto’s rotation has been a strength, even as it weathered major injuries to Hyun Jin Ryu and Alek Manoah. Last season, this group ranked third in baseball with a 3.83 ERA. This year, they sit 14th with a 4.03 ERA, showing similar talent but in streakier ways.
These four veterans are good — Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi — but their durability is just as important. They know how to pitch, which is more than just throwing a baseball hard, and have saved the Blue Jays from their thin pitching depth over and over again.
“They’re right at the spot of being old-school enough and open-minded enough to evolve a bit,” manager John Schneider said. “Just think of Yusei’s time here and how he’s changed. José is a bit of a different animal with his durability, then Chris and Kevin are the same way. We’d like to instill that in all of our pitchers.”
This is what the Blue Jays need to keep alive in their rotation next year and beyond. Kikuchi is an obvious candidate to be dealt ahead of the Trade Deadline, but beyond that, the Blue Jays have Bassitt under control through 2025, Gausman through ‘26 and Berríos has a contract that runs through 2028 with an opt-out after ‘26.
That’s a fine core for a rotation, and that’s been so necessary given how few options the Blue Jays have developed to support this group. It’s been an organizational weakness covered up by the strength of these signings and trades.
Take Bassitt, who stumbled out of the gates and allowed four runs over five innings against Houston, but came into play with a 1.47 ERA over his last eight starts since his mid-May resurgence. He’s 35 and coming off a career-high 200 innings, but it feels like he’s made of rubber.
“He understands his body. He’s not the tightly wound, muscular guy like José is, to put it lightly,” Schneider said. “He understands his workload between starts, really, and when he’s out there, he doesn’t want to come out. He’s figured out how to sustain and then gain as the season goes on. He’s a rare breed in today’s game.”
Schneider leans on all the classic pieces of praise. Bassitt is a bulldog, he says, a different breed. He’s old school in the best possible way.
“I think that style of pitching is making its way back, too,” Schneider added.
Baseball is spilling over with young arms who can throw 100 mph and light up a computer with their sweeper’s data, but pitchers like these four veterans are becoming rarer. They’re the foundation the Blue Jays were supposed to succeed upon, particularly last year.
The heartbreak will come again, whether it’s two, five or 10 years from now when the Blue Jays have a dominant offense but shaky starting pitching. We’ll look back and say: Imagine if they had that group of starters from 2023-24.
For now, there’s only so much Bassitt and the Blue Jays’ starters can say. Even when newcomer Yariel Rodríguez gave Toronto the best outing of his young career in Monday’s series opener — 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball — he got stuck with the loss.
“Win tomorrow. That’s it,” Bassitt said. “If you start to think about all of the other stuff, it doesn’t help anything. There’s no benefit to thinking about it. Just win tomorrow. Make it simple. Anything else, I think, is just the wrong answer.”
No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann could be part of this equation soon, particularly if he gets hot in Triple-A and particularly if Kikuchi is moved, but the Blue Jays’ prospect depth is thin beyond that. Somehow, some way, the Blue Jays need to keep this style of rotation alive into the future. It’s the rest that needs fixing.

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