Major League Baseball won't host the 2021 amateur draft for another month, but some fan bases can't be blamed for already looking ahead to next year's cla s. (Here's a tip: go to YouTube and search for "Elijah Green baseball.") Two such fan bases are those belonging to the and the .Coming into play on Sunday, the Orioles and the Diamondbacks po se sed the worst Anibal Sanchez Jersey records in their respective leagues. The Orioles are on pace for merely 53 wins, which would be the second-lowest total since the franchise moved to Baltimore in 1954. The Diamondbacks aren't much better: if Arizona continues down this road, it'll finish with 55 victories, also the second-worst mark in franchise history (albeit over a shorter timeline than the Orioles').The only competitivene s either team has shown lately is in their race to the bottom: the Diamondbacks have dropped 13 games in a row, while the Orioles have lost each of their last 12. For more insight into what's going on with both teams, let's examine the Tony Oliva Jersey tale of the tank.The vitals: 17-35, minus-65 run differential, 12 consecutive lo sesWhat's gone wrong? It may come as a shock that the team who had late-career Flix Hernndez and in its rotation plans has a bad pitching staff. Were it not for and/or the , Baltimore would rank 30th in the majors in ERA. The Orioles have had eight pitchers throw at least 20 innings, and only one of them (Means) has an ERA below 3.00. The other Baltimore starters don't tend to carry leads late into games, but the Orioles' bullpen has also been atrocious -- to the extent that it leads the majors in " ," a counting stat based on win probability added (or, in cases like this one, subtracted). Has anything gone right? By way of comparison, Baltimore's offense looks great. The Orioles rank 19th in FanGraphs' wRC+ metric, a rate measure that adjusts for ballpark (among other wonky things). is the odds-on favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year, and is hitting like he didn't mi s an entire season undergoing cancer treatment. has reemerged as a potential long-term piece Addison Reed Jersey . is making Orioles fans forget about Jos Iglesias. There are some negatives to point too with the lineup as well -- the Orioles have gotten pitiful production from second and third base; 's strikeout and walk rates have veered the wrong way after a solid first impre sion last year -- but, on the whole, it's a silver lining. Oh, and yeah, Means is still here and shoving every fifth day.Whom might they trade? Surely, the Orioles will get pestered about Means, who won't even qualify for arbitration until after this season. Baltimore discu sed trading Mancini the offseason before last, and his free agency date (after next season) is close enough that they might revisit those negotiations. Galvis seems like a layup to be on a contender's roster come Aug. 1. The Orioles could also examine the markets for their most reliable relievers, Rod Carew Jersey and , since a team doesn't get to where they want to get by holding onto pesky leads.Reason to watch: If you're tempted to watch an Orioles game that isn't started by Means, do yourself a favor and invest in an MiLB TV subscription and tune into the Bowie Baysox instead. There, with the Orioles' Double-A affiliate, you'll find the likes of catcher , righty , and lefty , or three of Baltimore's future building blocks. The vitals: 18-35; minus-56 run differential; 13 consecutive lo sesWhat's gone wrong? You can't blame everything that has gone south with the Diamondbacks on injuries, but you can blame a fair amount of it on them. Arizona is currently operating without three starting pitchers (including ace ), three relievers, and a pair of starting position players. Per Baseball Prospectus' calculations, , , , and (duh). This Diamondbacks team had modest aspirations entering the spring, and whenever a middle-of-the-road team has to do without their best players for extended stretches, it runs the risk of cratering. (It doesn't impact the big-league roster, but the general vibes around Arizona are impacted by being out for the season and not yet playing this season because of personal reasons. Those two are widely considered to be the organization's best prospects.)Has anything gone right? is single-handedly making the trade look worth it again. is doing his part to lift the opinion of the deal. is holding his own. and are positioning themselves for a midseason trade. has made Ervin Santana Jersey a beautiful transition to the bullpen after being yanked after one start. And it's worth reiterating that Gallen and are high-quality players who have produced when they've been able to stay on the field.Whom might they trade? The aforementioned Miguel Sano Jersey combination of Peralta and Escobar seem like the most obvious candidates to go. A contender might take a long look at Caleb Smith, , and , too. seems like the type who would appeal to a team seeking competence. It probably wouldn't hurt the Diamondbacks to examine Kelly's trade market, either. He's having a fantastic season, of course, but if Arizona thinks its timeline has been pushed back a year or so by this season, then they should at least listen. Reason to watch: Marte and Gallen, mostly. Otherwise, the best-case scenario for the rest of the season is that Arizona hands over the reins to , Pavin Smith, and some other younger players who have the potential to stick around for a few years.
Zoeken
Sponsor
Sponsor