NEWSLETTER
Good Wednesday to you all. If you’re in the same boat as I am this morning, it’s back-to-school day for the kiddos. In which case, congratulations, you made it! I will admit, this was my first summer break of working remotely, and it was a grind at times trying to get into “office mode” with a nine-year-old and 12-year-old running around the house all summer. But I digress. Let’s talk some baseball.
Braves Surging, Putting on Masterclass in Roster Building
Last year’s trade deadline was instrumental in the Atlanta Braves winning the World Series, and they didn’t do too bad at this year’s deadline either. In recent years, Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta front office have been putting on a masterclass in roster building, and last night was another feather in their cap.
The Braves inked rookie centerfielder Michael Harris II to a new eight-year, $72 million contract extension, once again securing their future at a critical position. Here are the specifics of the new deal for Harris, one that can only be seen as super team-friendly for a player who has posted a 126 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR for Atlanta this season:
With Harris locked up for the better part of the next decade, the Braves now have much of their core under contract control for the foreseeable future.
Of course, all they have to do now is avoid hiring Tony La Russa, because I’ve seen a similar tweet from Jeff Passan in recent years:
Ugh. I hate things sometimes. Anywho, the Braves are not only winning in the front office; they’re seeing the fruits of their labor on the field, especially as they’ve rattled off eight straight victories. With the last two wins coming against the Mets (in dominating fashion), the Braves have slashed the Mets’ one-time comfortable lead in the NL Central to just three and a half games.
Injury Bug Bites Mets
Atlanta drubbed the Mets 13-1 on Monday night and shut them out yesterday 5-0. The Mets have not only seen their lead dwindle in the division, but they’re also dealing with some concerning injuries to their pitching staff.
According to a release by the team on Tuesday, Carlos Carrasco is dealing with a low-grade left oblique strain. While Buck Showalter declined to put a timeline on Carrasco’s, the Mets release said that the “typical timeline for an injury of this nature is 3-4 weeks,” which would put Carrasco’s return around the second week of September.
The Mets also saw starter Taijuan Walker depart Tuesday’s loss to the Braves in the second inning with a lower-body issue. Walker said after the game that the training staff wasn’t too concerned with the injury, but Walker will still have an MRI today.
All of this comes after Luis Guillmore was placed on the IL with a “moderate groin strain” on Monday, an injury that usually comes with a 4-6 week recovery timeline. Guillmore has posted a 1.3 fWAR and a 110 wRC+ for the Mets this season.
Eduardo Escobar is a question mark as he deals with left-side tightness, according to the Mets. The Mets promoted No. 2 overall prospect, Brett Baty this week due to the flurry of injuries.
MLB Pipeline Drops Fresh Top 100
MLB Pipeline dropped their new Top 100 Prospects list on Tuesday night, and there’s a new No. 1. Mets’ catching prospect Francisco Alvarez took the top spot on the latest installment of the running list of the game’s brightest young stars in the making. Alvarez leads a list of four Mets in the top 100, including the recently promoted Brett Baty (19), catcher Kevin Parada (40), and outfielder Alex Ramirez (90).
Every team is represented on the list at least once, but the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers have the most prominent presence, with six prospects in the top 100. The Reds and Pirates rebuilds are coming together, with each team having five prospects on the list.
Locally, the Cubs have three prospects on the list (which Brett recaps here), and the White Sox have one (Colson Montgomery).
Check out the complete list here:
