Playing Fact or Fiction with All of MLB's Hottest Week 19 Buzz, Rumors
It's been a busy week in baseball—and most of the action has come away from the field.
New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira announced that 2016 will be the last year of his professional career. Shortly thereafter, his teammate Alex Rodriguez let the world know he will be released by the club following Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Finally, Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder revealed that, due to neck injuries, doctors won't clear him to play baseball again, forcing his career to be cut short at the age of 32.
There's plenty to digest in those three events, but of course, that's not all the news and chatter that made its way across the rumor mill in Week 19.
Was there a noticeable absence (no, not Derek Jeter) from A-Rod's press conference? Should a player always go back home when given the chance? Is a contender's injured star going to take the field again in 2016?
We'll hit on all that and more in this week's edition of Fact or Fiction.
Fact: Michael Brantley Won't Play Again in 2016
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News of yet another setback in All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley's quest to get back onto the field for Cleveland should put to rest any thought of the 29-year-old rejoining the Indians as anything more than a cheerleader in 2016.
MLB.com's Jordan Bastian provided a detailed list of issues Brantley has dealt with since last September, the most recent being chronic biceps tendinitis. Per Bastian, Indians team president Chris Antonetti acknowledged this latest setback could require surgery to repair.
If there's a silver lining in all of this, it's that Brantley's latest issue isn't directly related to the shoulder he had surgically repaired last November that has caused him to spend most of the season on the disabled list.
The Indians have gone 57-43 without Brantley in the lineup, so there's no reason for the team to hold out hope that he could become a factor over the season's final two months. If doctors believe surgery is the best option to solve his latest issue, schedule it as soon as possible.
For the Indians, giving Brantley as much time as he needs to properly recover and rehabilitate should be their top priority, not trying to squeeze some useful September at-bats out of him.
Fiction: Alex Rodriguez Is Done Playing Baseball
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Alex Rodriguez used a lot of words during his nearly half-hour press conference at Yankee Stadium on Sunday to announce his upcoming departure from the New York Yankees. But there was one word he never used: retire.
Not once did A-Rod say he was retiring. He alluded to it, but he never said it.
That leaves the door open for A-Rod to continue his pursuit of 700 career home runs. While the accomplishment may mean nothing to most baseball fans, given his tainted history, you'd best believe it still means a whole lot to him.
Given his Florida roots, Miami and Tampa Bay are the two most obvious potential destinations. Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball reported Miami has had "internal talks" about Rodriguez, though it seems unlikely he'd join a Marlins club in the thick of the playoff race. For that reason, Rodriguez might not re-appear until next spring, looking to land a part-time role closer to home.
While Rodriguez insists that he's "at peace" with the Yankees' decision to end his time as a player in the Bronx, it's hard to believe the same holds true about his career as a big league ballplayer. If he thinks he can still contribute as an active player, it'd be shocking if he didn't explore every avenue to do so.
Fact: Philadelphia Would Trade Odubel Herrera
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At first, the idea of a rebuilding team trading a 24-year-old All-Star center fielder makes about as much sense as walking around South Philadelphia and not stopping for an authentic Philly cheesesteak.
But with Herrera having a miserable second half and his performance increasing manager Pete Mackanin's frustration level, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury wonders if the time has come for the Phillies and Herrera to part ways.
“He adapted to center field so well last year,” Mackanin told Salisbury earlier this week. “This year, he's not quite the same guy.”
As Salisbury noted, dealing Herrera this winter wouldn't necessarily leave the team with a gaping hole in center field.
"The Phils are in a position where they can listen to trade offers for Herrera because they do have some outfield depth brewing. [Aaron] Altherr and [Roman] Quinn are both strong defensive center fielders and the Phils have some young corner-outfield talent in the pipeline in Nick Williams, a likely September call-up, and Dylan Cozens.
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We've seen the Phillies sell high on young talent before. Think back to last offseason, when closer Ken Giles found himself headed to Houston for a boatload of prospects, including starting pitcher Vince Velasquez.
While it's unlikely Philadelphia would be able to extract a similar package in exchange for Herrera, the Phillies could still land talent that's intriguing enough for them to make a deal.
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Fiction: There Won't Be Any Notable Waiver Trades in August
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With just over a week having passed since the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline arrived and zero noteworthy swaps since, it's easy to think baseball's trade season is over. But we'd be wrong to put too much stock into that line of thought.
As teams continue to fall out of the playoff picture, they'll be looking to move veteran players who don't necessarily fit into their plans for 2017 and beyond. Oftentimes, those teams aren't looking for much in the way of a return—the value they seek is in contract relief and freeing up a roster spot.
We've seen notable waiver deals be made late in August. Both Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham were traded after the deadline in August 2014. The nine-player blockbuster between Boston and Los Angeles that made Carl Crawford (and others) a Dodger? That deal didn't go down until Aug. 25, 2012.
There's plenty of time for a notable trade or two to be made and no shortage of players who could still be moved. That list includes Los Angeles outfielder Yasiel Puig, Kansas City designated hitter Kendrys Morales, the White Sox's James Shields and Colorado's Jake McGee, among others.
Fact: Carlos Gomez Will Wind Up with the Mets
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A year after nearly trading utility infielder Wilmer Flores and injured starting pitcher Zack Wheeler to Milwaukee for outfielder Carlos Gomez, could the New York Mets bring the 30-year-old back to where his career began, as they did earlier this season with Jose Reyes?
“We always have an open mind,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson told the New York Post's Howie Kussoy when asked about a possible reunion with Gomez, who was designated for assignment by the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow had nothing but good things to say about Gomez on his way out the door.
"It's one of those situations where for whatever reason it didn't work out the way here he wanted to and we wanted to, and we felt it was the best interest of the organization and the team to move on and potentially get a fresh start somewhere else."
After hitting .221 with a .619 OPS since arriving in Houston at least year's trade deadline, other teams aren't rushing to assume the balance of Gomez's $9 million salary. He'll clear waivers and become a free agent, leaving Houston on the hook for the rest of that contract.
Another team would only be responsible for a prorated portion of the minimum salary to bring him aboard. That's the kind of low-risk, high-reward move a team like the Mets, in a battle for their playoff lives, needs to make.
With Yoenis Cespedes and Juan Lagares injured, Alejandro De Aza irrelevant and neither Michael Conforto nor Curtis Granderson well equipped to handle center field, a reunion with Gomez makes sense.
At the very least, Gomez can provide solid defense at a premium position and speed on the basepaths. The latter is something the Mets have lacked all season. But the possibility exists that a return to the National League, where he spent the bulk of his career, could be all he needs to get back on track.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs and are current through games of Aug. 10. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk the waiver trade window and all things baseball:@RickWeinerBR.
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