Weekend Rumblings - News for August 14, 2021

Weekend Rumblings - News for August 14, 2021

The lower roster limit in September may mean top prospects don’t get called up, writes Lynn Worthy.

“With only being able to call up two players, it makes it a lot more challenging,” Moore told The Star. “You certainly aren’t able to give as many players as you’d like an opportunity.

“You’re probably going to need to call up a pitcher. If you’re going to have 15 pitchers on the roster, you certainly have to give strong consideration to a catcher. You have to give strong consideration to guys that are already on the (40-man) roster. (Salvador Perez) has caught a lot of games (Cam Gallagher) has been on the IL.

“I don’t know what we’ll ultimately decide. It’s very difficult to call up players. We just don’t have as many opportunities as we once had.”

Andrew Simon at MLB.com marvels at the season Nicky Lopez is enjoying.

It’s fun when players find different paths to success and different ways to produce, but we should be careful not to overstate the case. The style of play that’s in vogue is in vogue for a reason: It gets results. And while Lopez has been a solid player this year, that’s as much about elite defense at a premium position (plus-14 Outs Above Average) and excellent baserunning (10-for-10 in steal attempts) as it is any offensive prowess.

Even then, there are signs that Lopez’s roughly average numbers with the bat are not totally sustainable, including one of MLB’s biggest gaps between his actual batting average (.273) and expected average (.230).

But Lopez’s 2021 breakout also is a reminder that baseball is not a one-size-fits-all game and a style of play that works for the majority won’t fit every individual.

David Lesky at Inside the Crown looks at potential 40-man roster decisions that will have to be made.

Dylan Coleman - Coleman was the PTBNL in the Trevor Rosenthal trade last year and while he struggled on Wednesday night in Omaha, he’s shown the kind of stuff that can make him an impact reliever in the back of a big league bullpen. The fastball is upper-90s to low-100s and the slider is nasty. His control has wavered some in Omaha, but he generally throws strikes and gets a ton of strikeouts. If he’s eligible, he’s getting picked, maybe first overall.

Colby Wilson pinch hits for Craig Brown at Into the Fountains and gives some takes on the slumping Whit Merrifield.

Recently, Lopez moved into the No. 2 spot behind Merrifield in the order and I think it’s time to at least tinker with the idea of putting the OBP machine first and the stolen base threat second in the order. Merrifield will undoubtedly sacrifice some steals, but slotted between Lopez and a white-hot Salvador Perez should also help him get better pitches to hit and put Two-Hit Whit back in our lives a little more often.

Rex Hudler recently recalled a funny story about umpire Angel Hernandez.

Jordan Foote at Inside the Royals wants to stop the guessing game with Edward Olivares.

Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom won’t throw for another two weeks.

The MLBPA agrees to extend Trevor Bauer’s leave through August 20.

The Giants extend shortstop Brandon Crawford two more years.

The Red Sox designate Marwin Gonzalez for assignment.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Nationals’ decision to part with their stars.

The Blue Jays had the best free agent off-season.

The Field of Dreams game was the most-watched baseball game on TV in 16 years.

The game will return next year, with the Cubs likely a participant.

With the game a hit, what other non-MLB locations could we see?

A study looks at racial bias among MLB umpires.

A Utah company will pay for the tuition of every walk-on football player at BYU.

A one-armed basketball player gets a D-I scholarship offer.

What The Suicide Squad means for the future of DC.

Earth just had the hottest month in recorded history.

HBO Max knows its app sucks.

Your song of the day is Cannonball Adderley with Work Song.