When the Purple Sox acquired Dustin Could from the Dodgers at Thursday’s commerce deadline, they introduced on board a starter with a pair of elbow surgical procedures in his rearview. The 27-year-old right-hander had Tommy John in 2021, then wanted to have a flexor tendon repaired in 2023. Boston additionally introduced on board a pitcher who has matured admirably since he was drafted a hundred and first total in 2016 out of a Justin, Texas highschool.
“As a pitcher, I haven’t modified an entire lot,” Could instructed me previous to the commerce. “My stuff is fairly corresponding to what it was earlier than. However off the sphere, I’ve modified quite a bit. Plenty of life modifications have occurred via the surgical procedures — numerous good issues — and I really feel like I’ve positively improved as an individual and as a husband.
“We’re all very blessed, and gifted, to be right here,” he added. “Stuff may be taken away from you immediately, and you’ll haven’t any management over it. Regardless of how laborious you’re employed, or what you place into it, life can come at you very quick at instances.”
A severe well being scare final summer time is an instance. Could suffered a torn esophagus that required emergency surgical procedure. Much less scary, however nonetheless troublesome, was his not bouncing again from TJ in addition to he’d hoped.
“I don’t know what occurred in the course of the surgical procedure, or via the rehab, however the elbow by no means felt proper afterwards,” defined Could, who’s throwing his signature sinker at 94.6 mph, down from 96.6 within the months previous his second surgical procedure, and 97.8 previous to his first. “It was simply the luck of the draw, I assume. The second [surgery] wasn’t the UCL, it was simply flexor-pronator, and it’s felt good from day one. Knock on wooden.”
Could’s breaking ball was additionally a dialogue level after we spoke final weekend. After I first talked to him in 2017 — the righty was with the Midwest League’s Nice Lakes Loons on the time — he threw extra of a slurve, whereas he now contains a sweeper. That change dates again to his pre-surgery days.
“Doing that was sort of within the works in 2021, once I initially blew out,” recalled Could.”On the finish of 2020, and all through that offseason, it was like, ‘We’d like a breaking ball that may be thrown within the zone and doesn’t alter your throw.’ That’s what we got here to, and ever because it’s been the identical breaking ball.”
The erstwhile Dodger defined that going from extra vertical to extra horizontal wasn’t a matter of manipulation — “it wasn’t pressured” — however somewhat how he’s “naturally ending the throw.” Requested if his arm motion contributed to his preliminary elbow damage, he answered within the unfavorable.
“No,” mentioned Could. “After I initially tore it, I feel it was simply nature calling.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Ryne Sandberg went 29 for 77 in opposition to Tom Browning.
Shawon Dunston went 17 for 51 in opposition to John Smiley.
Mark Grace went 20 for 46 in opposition to Ramon Martinez.
Leon Durham went 11 for 20 in opposition to Tom Hume.
Jody Davis went 11 for 23 in opposition to Greg Minton.
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The Colorado Rockies have a steep hill to climb. On tempo to lose effectively over 100 video games, they’ll end with a shedding document for the seventh consecutive season. flip issues round is a query with out a straightforward reply — particularly if there aren’t any significant modifications on the prime. The group not solely has a status of being too insular, they’re seen as being effectively behind the instances by way of analytics and know-how. Possession’s unwillingness to adequately put money into these areas, significantly in participant growth, has made a difficult job much more difficult for folks like Warren Schaeffer and Nic Wilson.
Schaeffer turned Colorado’s interim supervisor when Bud Black was relieved of his duties in Could, whereas Wilson was named co-hitting coach after serving because the membership’s minor-league hitting coordinator. I requested them for his or her perspective when the Rockies visited Fenway Park in July.
“My background is in growth, and I do know for a incontrovertible fact that there are lots of people on this group, on the event aspect, which might be superb at what they do,” Schaeffer instructed me. “However if you’re within the state of affairs we’re in, each particular person in our group, together with myself, must look within the mirror each day and see if we’re doing the proper factor. If we’re not, we have to change. Everyone wants to carry one another accountable and search for options alongside the best way. Are there issues that we will do higher in all places? Completely. We wouldn’t be on this spot if that wasn’t the case. However we’re pushing ahead, attempting to make the longer term higher.”
“I feel we’re instituting progressive issues alongside the best way,” added Schaeffer. “However to reply your query, sure. That’s a part of the longer term for us, getting extra progressive in growth. That’s to not say what we’re doing now isn’t a very good factor all through the minor leagues. Even right here. We’re progressing, and we have to proceed to progress.”
Wilson would additionally prefer to see the group transfer ahead, though he was cautious to not criticize when requested concerning the present limitations.
“We’ve what we’ve got,” mentioned the hitting coach. “It’s as much as us to determine alternative ways to leverage issues that we do have, and never essentially fear about what we don’t. There are numerous conditions the place we’re pressured to be inventive, and that’s the place we’ve bought to maintain our minds.”
As Wilson was working with hitters down on farm previous to his mid-Could promotion, I used to be particularly inquisitive about what is going on beneath the big-league degree.
“We don’t have Trajekt within the minor league system, “ he instructed me. “We do have one in Denver. We bought it this 12 months in spring coaching and our guys find it irresistible. Having a Trajekt has been actually good for our guys — you are able to do numerous cool issues with a Trajekt — however that’s not the one option to get it accomplished.
“We’re into that,” Wilson mentioned when requested about bat-speed coaching. “I feel bat velocity is necessary. However I additionally assume that bat velocity with out course doesn’t play as effectively within the sport. It’s not, ‘For those who enhance a man’s bat velocity he’s a greater participant.’ So, it does allow you to, however you’ve bought to be fairly particular with the place you need to implement that sort of factor. That you must practice the proper approach.”
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A quiz:
A participant who didn’t make his MLB debut till late July gained Rookie of the 12 months honors after batting .354 with 13 dwelling runs and a 185 wRC+ over 219 plate appearances. Who was it? (A touch: he went on to guide his league in dwelling runs thrice and seize MVP honors in considered one of his six All-Star seasons.)
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NEWS NOTES
Gordon Bloomfield died on July 28 at age 92. Later a scout, and a coach for the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, Bloomfield performed in Japan from 1960-1966, seeing motion with the Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Nankai Hawks. Earlier than that he performed stateside for six seasons, principally within the Milwaukee Braves system.
SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Convention will likely be held later this week, from August 7-9, in Louisville, Kentucky. Extra data may be discovered right here.
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The reply to the quiz is Willie McCovey, who was NL Rookie of the 12 months whereas taking part in for the San Francisco Giants in 1959.
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James Tibbs III has been a touring man. Drafted in first spherical by the San Francisco Giants a 12 months in the past, the 22-year-old outfielder was subsequently swapped to the Boston Purple Sox within the Rafael Devers deal, and simply this week he was acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers within the commerce that despatched Dustin Could east.
Left on the cutting-room flooring from this summer time’s Talks Hitting interview with Tibbs have been his ideas on the participant who went one decide after him in final 12 months’s draft. Tibbs was chosen thirteenth total whereas Cam Smith was taken 14th total by the Chicago Cubs (and later despatched to the Houston Astros as a part of the Kyle Tucker commerce). Tibbs is greater than a bit of aware of Smith. Each have been drafted out of Florida State College.
How comparable are the Astros rookie and the 22-year-old outfielder at present with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers?
“Cam and I are very completely different ballplayers, as a result of our dimension and skills are completely different,” Tibbs instructed me. “His skill to hit the ball the opposite approach with power and energy is among the greatest I’ve ever seen. His sport plans are extraordinarily robust. He’s very grounded with what he’s attempting to do. He’s additionally extraordinarily even-keeled. I’m not saying that I’m not any of these items, however I like the best way he goes concerning the sport. It’s extraordinarily skilled.
“We’d speak hitting, and he actually broke down the swing and what we have been attempting to do within the field,”continued Tibbs. “He’s an especially sensible hitter. Watching the best way he developed… he struck out quite a bit his freshman 12 months, then got here again a distinct participant his sophomore 12 months. I imply, it was a lot enjoyable to hit behind him [in the lineup]. He’s top-of-the-line gamers I’ve ever performed with.”
Smith has seven dwelling runs and a 98 wRC+ over 383 plate appearances with Houston in his rookie season.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Hanwha Eagles are 59-38-3 and have the perfect document within the KBO. The Kiwoom Heroes are 29-70-4 and have the worst document.
Hanwha Eagles right-hander Cody Ponce is 13-0 with a 1.68 ERA over 133-and-two-thirds innings. The 31-year-old right-hander is in his first KBO season after pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020-2021, and in NPB from 2022-2024.
The Hanshin Tigers are 59-36-2 and have the perfect document in NPB. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows are 32-53-5 and have the worst document.
Hiroto Takahashi is 3-8 with a 3.02 ERA over 110-and-a-third innings for the Chunichi Dragons. The 22-year-old right-hander went 12-4 with a 1.38 ERA for the NPB membership final 12 months.
Julio Robaina is 4-5 with a 3.03 ERA over 65-and-a-third innings for the Tigres de Quintana Roo within the hitter pleasant Mexican League. The 24-year-old left-hander was within the Houston Astros system from 2018-2024.
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Ryan Gusto is with the Marlins now, Miami having acquired the rookie right-hander from Houston on the commerce deadline as a part of the Jesús Sánchez deal. Gusto’s backstory is an efficient one.
“He was reduce from his highschool baseball crew thrice,” Astros radio analyst Steve Sparks instructed me. “He ended up sending a letter to a man who was teaching at [Broward College] in Florida, asking if he may stroll on. Lastly, along with his persistence, the coach instructed him he may. He bought higher yearly. The coach left and went to a much bigger school [Florida SouthWestern State College]. Ryan adopted him there and ended up being an Eleventh-round decide of the Astros [in 2019] after his junior 12 months.
“He negotiated each single penny the Astros had left of their [draft pool],” continued Sparks. “They’d supplied him a specific amount, however he was the final man to signal from that draft class, so he knew how a lot cash they’d left. I feel he bought one other $80,000 as a result of he knew the Astros had that of their coffers.”
Gusto went 7-4 with a 4.92 ERA over 86 innings earlier than being traded to Miami. In response to Sparks, his greatest pitch is an elevated fastball that permits the remainder of his repertoire to play up.
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FARM NOTES
Kevin McGonigle is slashing .344/.435/.586 with eight dwelling runs and a 189 wRC+ over 253 plate appearances throughout three ranges. At the moment with the Double-A Erie SeaWolves, the 20-year-old shortstop within the Detroit Tigers system is No. 1 on our recently-updated Prime 100 Prospects listing.
Zyhir Hope is slashing .292/.401/.486 with 12 dwelling runs and a 150 wRC+ over 393 plate appearances for the Excessive-A Nice Lakes Loons. The 20-year-old outfielder within the Los Angeles Dodgers system is No. 35 on our recently-updated Prime 100 Prospects listing.
Luis Peña is slashing .312/.377/.477 with six dwelling runs and a 141 wRC+ over 300 plate appearances for the Low-A Carolina Mudcats. The 18-year-old shortstop within the Milwaukee Brewers system is No. 45 on our recently-updated Prime 100 Prospects listing.
Carter Jensen is slashing .280/.355/.456 with 14 dwelling runs and a 122 wRC+ over 411 plate appearances between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. The 22-year-old catcher within the Kansas Metropolis Royals system is No. 66 on our recently-updated Prime 100 Prospects listing.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Johnny Weekly went from Waterproof, Louisiana to the Houston Colt .45s. Born within the small city [population approximately 500] close to the Mississippi River earlier than attending highschool in Pittsburg, California, Weekly went on to seem in 53 video games for the enlargement crew throughout the 1962-1964 seasons. An outfielder, he logged 25 hits, together with 5 dwelling runs, in 121 at-bats. His first hit, which got here in his second sport, sailed into the bleachers at Wrigley Subject.
The perfect efficiency of his profession was a three-hit effort in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Subject in 1963. With Jim Maloney, who completed the 12 months with a document 23-7, beginning for the house crew, Weekly doubled and homered because the Colt .45s gained 8-4. Cincinnati’s second baseman that day was a rookie named Pete Rose.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
This 12 months’s Corridor of Fame inductees performed in quite a lot of minor league outposts. Josh Jackson wrote about it at MiLB.com.
Carlos Could performed for the Chicago White Sox from 1968-1976 earlier than ending up his profession with the New York Yankees and California Angels. Joseph Wancho profiled Could for SABR’s BioProject.
Lone Star Ball’s Adam J. Morris supplied his ideas on the Texas Rangers’ commerce deadline offers.
Lookout Touchdown’s Kate Preusser wrote about Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, the Seattle Mariners’ two largest commerce deadline acquisitions.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
When the Colorado Rockies rallied to win after permitting 9 runs within the prime of the primary inning on Friday — they went on to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-16 — they joined the Philadelphia Phillies as the one crew within the trendy period to prevail after falling behind by 9 or extra runs earlier than coming as much as bat. The Phillies have accomplished it twice. On September 30, 1913, they gained 10-9 after the Brooklyn Superbas scored 9 instances within the prime of the primary. On June 8, 1989, they gained 15-11 after recognizing the Pirates 10 runs within the prime of the primary.
Chicago Cubs batters have grounded into 47 double performs, the fewest within the majors. The [don’t call us Sacramento] Athletics have grounded into 90 double performs, essentially the most within the majors.
The Purple Sox are 16-1 in video games the place Trevor Story has gone deep this season. Story has 197 dwelling runs for his profession.
Freddie Freeman has 27 dwelling runs and a .344/.404/.633 slash line in 492 profession plate appearances versus the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Jigger Statz — his given identify was Arnold John — recorded 4,093 hits whereas taking part in professionally from 1919-1942. A graduate of Holy Cross Faculty in Worcester, Massachusetts, Statz logged 737 of his knocks in MLB — the majority of them with the Chicago Cubs — and the remainder within the Pacific Coast League with the Los Angeles Angels. His 3,356 hits are a PCL document.
In 1913, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson mixed to stroll 59 batters over 652 innings.
Tom Candiotti tossed a one-hitter on right this moment’s date in 1987 because the Cleveland Indians edged previous the New York Yankees by a depend of 2-0. The customer’s lone hit in opposition to the knuckleballer was an eighth-inning single by Mike Easler.
On right this moment’s date in 1969, Baltimore Orioles left-hander Dave McNally noticed his document drop to 15-1 because the Minnesota Twins rallied for 4 runs within the seventh inning and went on to win 5-2. McNally completed the season 20-7, the second of his 4 consecutive season with a minimum of 20 wins.
Gamers born on right this moment’s embrace Corridor of Fame outfielder Harry Heilmann, who batted .342 with a 142 wRC+ whereas logging 2,660 hits and amassing 68.6 WAR from 1914-1932. With the Detroit Tigers for all however his last two seasons — he completed up with the Cincinnati Reds — Heilmann had his greatest 12 months in 1923 when he slashed .403/.481/.632 with 44 doubles, 11 triples, and 18 dwelling runs.
Additionally born on right this moment’s date was Rod Beck, a right-handed reliever who recorded 286 saves whereas pitching for 4 groups from 1991-2004. The mustachioed, mullet-coifed nearer had a 51-save season with the Chicago Cubs, a 48-save season with the San Francisco Giants, and a 20-save season with the San Diego Padres. He additionally labored out of the bullpen for the Boston Purple Sox. Burdened by drug abuse, Beck was simply 38 years previous when he died in 2007.
