Category: Toronto Blue Jays

A Pirates scout got COVID-19 in Venezuela — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Pirates scout Jessie Nava got COVID-19 while in Venezuela and is raising money on GoFundMe for treatment.

A Pirates scout got COVID-19 in Venezuela — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Pirates scout Jessie Nava came down with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Venezuela. He is currently hospitalized and there is a GoFundMe to raise money for his treatment with a $5,000 goal. As of this writing, the goal is a little over halfway towards being met, at $2,710.

We’re going to be seeing more and more of this as the months go on and the MLB season progresses. Inevitably, people working within baseball, however tangentially, will be afflicted by the virus. For many of them, they will also need GoFundMe or similar drives — or the benevolence of their employers — to pay for medical treatment.

Hopefully, in Nava’s case, the Pirates get involved directly and help cover his medical costs. Pirates owner Bob Nutting (pictured) and his family have a net worth of $1.1 billion, per CNBC. According to Forbes, the Pirates are valued at $1.26 billion. (Update: The Pirates have made a “sizable” contribution towards Nava’s medical expenses, per Rosenthal.)

Nava, 32, pitched in the Mariners’ minor league system from 2006-11, making it as high up as Single-A Clinton in ’11.

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Two Cincinnati Reds players test positive for COVID-19 — Redleg Nation

With players arriving in Cincinnati on Tuesday to prepare for workouts to get ready for the upcoming season, Reds players and staff underwent testing for COVID-19 as a part of the health and safety plan. Some players underwent testing before arriving. Two of those players have had their tests come back positive. Bobby Nightengale of…

Two Cincinnati Reds players test positive for COVID-19 — Redleg Nation

With players arriving in Cincinnati on Tuesday to prepare for workouts to get ready for the upcoming season, Reds players and staff underwent testing for COVID-19 as a part of the health and safety plan. Some players underwent testing before arriving. Two of those players have had their tests come back positive. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer had the quickest fingers this morning, beating the other beat writers to the report by a matter of seconds, reporting the news that neither of the two players live in, or were in Cincinnati.

#Reds had 2 players in the organization test positive for COVID-19. They were tested outside of Cincinnati and are not in Cincinnati now.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) July 2, 2020

Major League Baseball and the 30 teams are not allowed to report who the players are that test positive for COVID-19 as it’s considered a “non-baseball” injury, which makes it different from a team announcing that a player has a sprained ankle or some other physical injury suffered while playing. Essentially, the media and fans will have to play “guess who it is” unless the player chooses to announce it themselves. We know that it wasn’t Tucker Barnhart, who announced on twitter yesterday that he tested negative. And if you really want to, you can browse the social media of other players and see that some of them are in Cincinnati and eliminate them as possibilities, too.

Players have the choice to opt out of the 2020 season if they would like to. They don’t get paid, nor do they get the service time – but they can choose to sit out if they do not feel comfortable playing for any given (or ungiven) reason. So far the number of players to opt out is small, but includes former Reds pitcher Mike Leake. Manager David Bell told the media on Wednesday morning, as first reported by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, that no Cincinnati players had opted out as of now.

#Reds David Bell says as of now, nobody has opted out

— C. ???????????? (@ctrent) July 2, 2020

The first workouts at Great American Ballpark and Prasco Park – the teams second training site in Mason, Ohio – will begin on Friday. There are currently 57 players on the Reds 60-man player pool roster – though with the two positive tests, only 55 players will be present.

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Phillies, Blue Jays place players on IL, COVID-19 speculation ensues — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

The Phillies and Blue Jays placed a handful of players on the 10-day injured list, inviting speculation about which players might have COVID-19.

Phillies, Blue Jays place players on IL, COVID-19 speculation ensues — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

With ‘summer camp’ about to get under way, MLB.com’s transactions log is back up and running. As of this writing, two teams have placed players on the injured list: the Phillies and Blue Jays. For the Phillies, Héctor Neris, Tommy Hunter, Ranger Suárez, and Scott Kingery are on the 10-day IL. The Blue Jays have Brandon Drury, Jonathan Davis, Hector Perez, and Elvis Luciano DL’ed. None of the players have reasons listed for their appearance, so speculation about which players might have the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has ensued.

On Tuesday, I discussed the tricky spot MLB teams are in regarding disclosure of players affected by COVID-19. Due to the Basic Agreement, teams aren’t allowed to disclose their players’ medical issues if they aren’t employment-related (consider a cancer diagnosis versus a torn UCL). The lack of transparency — whether for nefarious reasons or not — for COVID-IL players will simply invite rampant speculation, and that is what we have seen early on. Fans and members of the media alike are wondering which players, if not all of them, are suffering from the virus. Since a player’s placement on the IL typically comes with a reason for said placement, it won’t be difficult to parse which players are there for COVID-19 and which are not.

The most important thing is that players have privacy and control over their medical information. That being said, the highly public and competitive nature of their jobs has resulted in transparency regarding their medical information. One wonders if the headaches caused by the speculation might result in the current policy being amended. Players could have generic reasons listed for their placement, or teams could simply reveal which players have COVID-19. There isn’t an easy fix, but the current system doesn’t appear to be the solution.

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BLUE JAYS CLAIM VALERA

BLUE JAYS ROSTER MOVES

The Toronto Blue Jays have claimed INF Breyvic Valera off waivers from the San Diego Padres.

Additionally, RHP Bryan Baker, INF Patrick Kivlehan and OF Josh Palacios have been added to the Club Player Pool.

Valera, 28, played in 17 Major League games last season, splitting time between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. The 5-11, 190 lb. infielder batted .234 in those 17 contests and connected for his first career home run on the final day of the regular season. In 54 career games, the native of Montalban, Venezuela, holds a .223 batting average while playing for five teams. He has also slashed .299/.360/.397 across 1,001 Minor League contests.

– BLUE JAYS –

Rob Manfred Reveals MLB Players ‘Left Real Money On The Table’ During Negotiations — NESN.com

For a minute it looked as it there may not be Major League Baseball in 2020. Negotiations between the league and the MLB Players’ Association went back-and-forth for months, with both sides proposing a different amount of games for the shortened season. Eventually, a 60-game season was implemented and things have begun to get going.…

Rob Manfred Reveals MLB Players ‘Left Real Money On The Table’ During Negotiations — NESN.com

Cubs’ pitching coach Tommy Hottovy talks about his COVID-19 battle — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

He’s only 38 and took every precaution but still got seriously sick.

Cubs’ pitching coach Tommy Hottovy talks about his COVID-19 battle — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Chicago Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy was on the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 The Score in Chicago this morning and talked about his recent battle with COVID-19.

Hottovy, who is only 38 years-old and who had no underlying health conditions, says that he and his family took every precaution they could think of. They socially distanced. They cleaned and disinfected. They wore masks. You name it. But he still got seriously, seriously sick and took a very long time to recover.

From the interview:

Hottovy called the first five to six days of his battle with the coronavirus typical with fevers and the usual symptoms. Then it got much worse.

“The problem with is on day eight through 14, it crushed me,” Hottovy said. “It got into my lungs. I got the full what they call the COVID pneumonia, a viral pneumonia, shortness of breath, really trouble breathing, constant fevers.”

Hottovy had a fever of more than 100 degrees for six straight days. He had breathing treatment upon checking into the hospital, he said. Hottovy was treated and released from the hospital on the same day, he added.

It took Hottovy 30 days before he tested negative for the coronavirus, he said. He went through what he called a stretch of depression.

There are many who have downplayed the threat of COVID-19 with respect to younger people like Hottovy or who have cited evidence of slowed death rates from the virus. As Hottovy’s example illustrates, however, even if you’re young and healthy, you can get it, it can be serious, and it can have long-term effects even after the worst of it is over.

Phillippe Aumont retires, takes up farming — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Former major league pitcher Phillippe Aumont has retired from baseball and will take up farming in the meantime. He last pitched in the majors in 2015.

Phillippe Aumont retires, takes up farming — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Former pitcher Phillippe Aumont told Stu Mills of CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning that he has retired from Major League Baseball and has taken up farming.

Aumont, 31, signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in December and pitched three innings for the club in spring training before the league shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The right-hander was a top-100 prospect from 2008-10 and was included in the blockbuster trade that brought pitcher Cliff Lee to the Mariners from the Phillies in December 2009.

Aumont reached the majors in 2012 with the Phillies but he wasn’t able to find sustained success. Over parts of four seasons, Aumont allowed 33 earned runs in 43 2/3 innings, striking out 42 batters and walking 34.

After being outrighted by the Phillies during the 2015 season, Aumont — born in Gatineau, Canada — became a free agent and signed with the Blue Jays. He would later join the White Sox and Tigers while also having a couple of stints in the Canadian-American Association. Unfortunately, he never made it back to the majors, though he appeared to have a decent shot to do so this year before the pandemic put the season on hold.

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Travel complicating MLB Toronto approval — Global News

The Ontario government says the necessity of frequent travel between the U.S. and Canada is the complicating factor holding up approval for Major League Baseball to play in Toronto amid the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading →

Travel complicating MLB Toronto approval — Global News

Rockies sign Matt Kemp to a minor league deal — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Kemp was left off the Marlins’ 60-man roster but Ian Desmond’s 2020 opt-out opened a job in Denver

Rockies sign Matt Kemp to a minor league deal — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

The Colorado Rockies have signed OF/DH Matt Kemp to a minor league contract.

The move to sign Kemp was likely motivated, at least in part, by Ian Desmond opting out of playing this season. Kemp, in turn, became a free agent after the Marlins decided against including him in their 60-man player pool. Which reminds me that the Marlins had signed him to begin with. My God, have I forgotten about every offseason transaction. He signed that deal in December, which may as well have been a million years ago. Guess we’ve all been distracted.

Kemp, 35, batted just .200/.210/.283 with one home run in 62 plate appearances with the Reds last season and missed time with a broken rib after signing a minor league deal with the Mets. He’d likely have no job at all if not for the DH being adopted for the NL this season, but now he gets another, possibly last chance to continue his big league career.

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Umpires’ assignments will change due to pandemic baseball — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

And masks for umps will be optional

Umpires’ assignments will change due to pandemic baseball — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

We’ve spent an awful lot of time talking about how the players will deal with pandemic baseball, but the umpires are affected too. They travel more than the players do, after all. They don’t have a home park. They, also, (a) get people up in their face during arguments; and (b) have to yell and project their voices, which is itself a risky thing to do in the time of COVID-19.

Last night Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported on some of the changes in routine the umps will have to deal with in 2020. Starting with spring training, where groups of three umps each will be embedded with big league camps, will watch bullpen sessions and batting practice and stuff as a means of easing themselves back into game shape, just like the players are.

During the season things will change a good deal too. In normal times umps travel to a new city after every series and are rotated across the league so they are not seeing one team more than others, which could create creeping, unconscious biases or grudges in one direction or another. Now, to limit travel, an umpire crew may stay in a certain city across an entire homestand, for example. And in two-team cities they may just go across town to the other park as opposed to getting on a plane and heading to Cleveland or wherever.

Masks are an issue too. Rogers reports that they will be encouraged for umps but not required. Which seems to be heat/weather driven. The MLB/MLBPA guidelines have already specified that arguments between players and umps should be minimized or eliminated, but human nature may overtake that at times putting players and umps face-to-face in argument. Even if they avoid that, though, I’m wondering how much spit flies from a mask-free ump standing behind a catcher and a batter in the normal course of a game. When you’re bellowing out “strike!” and “out!” scores of times a game, you have to imagine it’s a non-trivial amount.

Just another complicating factor in what will already be a complicated season.

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Report: D-Backs’ Mike Leake to opt out of 2020 season — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake is the first player to elect to sit out the 2020 season amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Report: D-Backs’ Mike Leake to opt out of 2020 season — HardballTalk | NBC Sports

MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert is reporting that Diamondbacks pitcher Mike Leake will opt out of the 2020 season. He is, at the present moment, the only MLB player to have opted out of the season, but it is highly unlikely he will be the only one.

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Leake’s agent Dan Horwits said, “During this global pandemic, Mike and his family had many discussions about playing this season. They took countless factors into consideration, many of which are personal to him and his family. After thorough consideration, he has chosen to opt out of playing in 2020. This was not an easy decision for Mike. He wishes the best of luck and health for his Diamondback teammates this season and he’s looking forward to 2021.”

Leake, 32, is in the final guaranteed year of his contract. Both sides can agree on a mutual option worth $18 million for the 2021 season, otherwise Leake will be bought out for $5 million. In 2019, between the Mariners and D-Backs, the right-hander posted a 4.29 ERA with 127 strikeouts and 27 walks across 197 innings of work.

Leake’s absence will likely mean that Alex Young and Merrill Kelly will duke it out for the fifth spot in the D-Backs’ rotation.

On Friday, Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman wrote for the Associated Press that he was “still deciding whether to play” this season amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Unless the player opting out is considered “high risk,” he will forfeit both pay and service time in doing so.

Last year, Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson received criticism when he left his team during the NLCS for the birth of his child. There will, no doubt, be critics of players who choose to sit out the season because of COVID-19. It will be completely undeserved, just as Hudson’s criticism was undeserved. Players should receive full support from their teams, from their peers, from the media, and from fans for sitting out the season for any reason.

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