On the heels of some huge information out of San Francisco, listed here are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world all through the day as we speak:
1. Will another offers come collectively this September?
Whereas the overall rule of thumb is that in-season extensions are uncommon, they’ve grow to be a bit extra frequent in current seasons, significantly close to the top of the yr. Chapman’s deal final evening was the thirteenth extension signed in September or October going again to 2022, a yr that noticed main offers between Luis Castillo and the Mariners in addition to Spencer Strider and the Braves come collectively within the season’s last months. Blockbuster extensions are hardly the one kind that may happen simply earlier than the offseason begins: veterans Charlie Morton and Charlie Blackmon, for instance, have each signed one-year extensions simply earlier than they had been scheduled to hit free company in recent times.
In Chapman’s case, the deal was certainly spurred on partly by the approaching opt-out in his contract, which he was all however sure to train. Chapman wasn’t the one participant on that monitor this yr, nonetheless. Lefty Sean Manaea is anticipated to choose out of his cope with the Mets and return to free company this winter, and Chapman’s personal teammate Blake Snell seems very prone to do the identical on the heels of a dominant second half with the Giants.
2. Robert exits with damage:
It’s been a brutal season for heart fielder Luis Robert Jr. and the White Sox. Issues went from unhealthy to worse yesterday when the membership’s 8-1 win over the Orioles, simply their thirty second victory of the season, was soured by Robert exiting the sport because of tightness in his proper hamstring. Per MLB.com’s Damage Tracker, interim supervisor Grady Sizemore instructed reporters following the sport that the hamstring subject first began on Tuesday and that he made the choice to drag Robert when he noticed the outfielder working the bases extra gingerly than standard.
Given Robert’s significance to the membership as certainly one of their few potential influence items and the group’s dismal 32-109 document, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Sox prioritize Robert’s long-term well being and place him on the injured listing to make sure his hamstring heals totally. It’s been a troublesome yr on the plate for Robert, who has slashed simply .219/.274/.398 (86 wRC+) with defensive metrics in heart discipline which can be nearer to league common than the elite numbers he posted in earlier seasons. The membership figures to show to Dominic Fletcher in heart discipline within the occasion that Robert misses time nursing his ailing hamstring.
3. Tucker nearing return:
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker has been on the shelf since early June, and it lately got here to mild that even though Houston brass constantly referred to his damage as a bone bruise all through his prolonged rehab course of, Tucker had truly suffered a fractured shin. Whatever the uncommon messaging from membership officers concerning Tucker’s damage, it seems that a return is on the horizon. Supervisor Joe Espada instructed reporters (together with these at MLB.com) yesterday that Tucker is “actually, actually shut” to being activated from the injured listing and will return to the membership’s lineup as quickly as as we speak, though Espada did warning {that a} return to motion tomorrow was the extra doubtless final result.
Tucker acquired out to a scorching begin this yr with a .266/.395/.584 slash line (175 wRC+) in 60 video games previous to his placement on the IL. Ben Gamel and Jason Heyward have been dealing with proper discipline within the star’s absence, and it’s doable that Tucker’s return might create a roster crunch that impacts a kind of veterans. Corresponding strikes will have to be made to make room for Tucker on each the 40-man and lively rosters earlier than he could be activated.
