Weekend Rumblings - News for September 5, 2020

Weekend Rumblings - News for September 5, 2020

Jeffrey Flanagan writes about Matt Harvey’s move to the bullpen.

“He had a bullpen day today [scheduled anyway],” Matheny said. “We’re still looking at him having that start potentially coming up here soon. It was a day for his ‘pen and we needed the inning, so why not have his work be on the field rather than just a side session?”

Sam Thomsen at Call to the Pen looks at what happened to Matt Harvey.

Alec Lewis writes about Carlos Hernandez’s path to the big leagues.

Ahead of the July 2016 international signing period, Rene Francisco, the Royals’ assistant general manager of major league and international operations, was sent a video of a tall 19-year-old who was on the mound and throwing with long-arm action.

It was Carlos Hernandez.

Venezuelan scouts Joelvis Gonzalez and Richard Castro had followed the right-hander for years and pushed for him while few other teams had. Francisco and Orlando Estevez, the Royals’ coordinator of Latin-American scouting, thought Hernandez’s command was merely fair, but they trusted their scouts. Once Estevez saw Hernandez in person, they made the decision.

“We just said, ‘OK, go ahead and sign him,’” Francisco said.

Clint Scoles at Royals Academy thinks the Royals may have a closer in Jesse Hahn.

The Royals may have upgraded at closer over Rosenthal if they move Jesse Hahn into that spot. The right-hander’s active spin on his fastball is Top 50 in the league at around 95 mph, a nice weapon to keep hitters looking out. It’s that 3193 RPM curveball that a hitter has yet to make significant contact with that is the game-changer. That curveball is Top 10 in active spin rate in the league and a weapon that should keep hitters honest and build his value into next season. Given his injury history, if the Royals can highlight him enough these final three weeks to build enough value to flip him in the offseason for a bat, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

MLB.com ranks the Royals as having the third-most improved farm system.

Following a strong 2018 Draft that included four college arms in the first 40 picks — Brady Singer and Kris Bubic already have reached the Majors — the Royals have continued to pile up talent. Witt (No. 2 overall pick in 2019) and Lacy (No. 4 overall in 2020) are potential difference-makers, as is Dominican outfielder Erick Pena (signed for $3,897,500 last July). Kansas City loves the hitting ability and baseball IQ of 2020 supplemental first-rounder Nick Loftin, who could be Witt’s future double-play partner.

Carlos Mancano at Prospects 365 writes it is time to pay attention to Danny Duffy.

The start of the season has brought us a somehow improved version of Duffy, an enhanced 2016 version.

On one hand, he is striking out a lot more people this season, almost 30% more batters per 9 innings than his career average for a K/9 of 10.29. The southpaw’s K% of 27.9% which is on par or better than that of Lance Lynn, Brandon Woodruff, Dylan Bundy and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

But that’s not the only improvement Duffy is showing, he is also walking batters near the lowest level of his career, for a 6.9% BB%, close to his prime 2016-2017 numbers; all of this is leading to a career-best 20.8% K%-BB%, good to be number 18 among all the qualified SPs.

Mariners outfielder Dee Gordon will go by his legal name of Dee Strange-Gordon to honor his late mother.

How did Austin Nola become so valuable?

JD Martinez is leery of testing out free agency this winter.

After a huge letdown this year, what’s next for the Angels?

Alex Rodriguez is mad the Mets sale was rigged.

What the latest Statcast upgrade makes possible.

The Anaheim City Council gave Angels owner Arte Moreno a huge discount on land sale around the ballpark.

Billy Beane buys a stake in a Dutch soccer club.

Trey Wingo is out at ESPN.

The English Premier League cancels a broadcast deal in China.

A look at the industries most hurt by work-from-home.

Scientist detect the loudest and largest collision of black holes yet.

That “ALS ice bucket challenge” from a few years ago may have actually led to a big breakthrough.

Your song of the day is Miles Davis with Footprints.