Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins brags about ‘years of control’ gained through trades

By Jul 31, 2019, 6:42 PM EDT
Nick Turchiaro/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
37 Comments

The Blue Jays were among the more active teams in the lead-up to Wednesday’s 4 PM ET trade deadline. The club dealt infielder Eric Sogard, starters Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and relievers Joe Biagini and Daniel Hudson. In exchange for those players, the Jays acquired two players to be named later, pitcher Kyle Johnson, Anthony Kay, Simeon Woods-Richardson, and Derek Fisher.

With a 42-67 record, it’s no surprise that the Jays decided to pawn off their players and recoup as much value as possible. For Jays fans, though, they watched some of their favorite players — particularly Stroman — leave for greener pastures. The hope is that some of these new players will eventually grow into new fan favorites.

Oddly, that’s not how GM Ross Atkins characterized the Jays’ moves in a conference call. Per Scott Stinson of the National Post, Atkins bragged that the Jays “turned 14 years of control into 42 years of control.”

Atkins is no stranger to these kinds of quotes. At Pitch Talks in February 2018, Atkins said of free agency, “You’re talking about aging players and the trend of overpaying a player’s aging curves has come to an end across baseball.” Earlier this year, in order to justify keeping Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the minor leagues to begin the season so as to gain another year of contractual control of him, Atkins said, “I just don’t see [Guerrero] as a major league player.” Guerrero, who should have been promoted to the majors in 2018, has a .767 OPS and 11 home runs in 78 games since his call-up in late April.

Can you feel the excitement in Toronto? Fans will flock to the Rogers Centre, wearing their fresh home white jerseys with “Contractual Control” written on the back. Concession stands will offer memorabilia cups that describe how many years from now players like Kay and Woods-Richardson will reach free agency. Rather than include actual players in TV ad spots, an accountant will simply detail how much money the Jays will save because so many of their players are not yet eligible for arbitration.

Nationals blow 6-run lead, rebound to beat Phillies 8-7

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 12:55 AM EDT
Getty Images
2 Comments

WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

—

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports