Breaking Bad: Phillies edition

By Craig CalcaterraOct 10, 2013, 1:41 PM EDT
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The guy who wrote this tweet is after my own heart:

Some background here. Apparently Bryan Cranston is a big Phillies fan. Which makes Walter White both the one who knocks and the one who continues to insist that the Ryan Howard contract was a good one. And that the Phillies are just a move or two away from contending next year. And that their team is somehow better because their fans are more “passionate,” or whatever euphemism is being used that day.

Report: A’s trying to finish deal for Jeurys Familia

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By Ashley VarelaJul 21, 2018, 12:02 AM EDT
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The Athletics appear to be closing in on a deal for Mets’ right-hander Jeurys Familia, according to reports from ESPN’s Buster Olney. Nothing has been finalized just yet, however, as the Mets confirmed that they would not be announcing a trade tonight and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic points out that other teams may still be in the mix for Familia’s services. It’s not clear what the A’s would be giving up in any potential deal for the reliever.

Familia, 28, has been pitching well this season. He currently sports a 2.88 ERA, 3.1 BB/9 and 9.5 SO/9 through 40 2/3 innings — across-the-board improvements from his last run with the Mets in 2017 — and has racked up 17 saves to boot. He’s due another $3 million for the remainder of 2018, and Rosenthal adds that the club is willing to throw some cash in the deal in order to guarantee a better return for the closer.

While the A’s have one of the better bullpens in the American League, sitting seventh-best with a 3.50 ERA and 2.8 fWAR, they still have a ways to go in order to overtake the Mariners and Astros for a postseason berth by season’s end. Familia’s contract expires at the end of the year, but he should provide enough short-term value to give the A’s the boost they need.