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Art Deco · 11-02-2023, 11:07 PM

Record: 64-43 (14-10 for the month)
1st place AL East, 4 games ahead of Baltimore

As the monthly record implies, it was and up-and-down month although we were still able to open up a decent lead on the Orioles in the division. July saw an 8-game win streak for the Rays in the middle of the month which was immediately followed a sweep in LA by the Dodgers including two late losses, triggering bad memories of last season's World Series. On the injury front, Carson Williams suffered his annual injury, this time straining an oblique which will keep him out until mid-August, reliever Hayden Juenger developed recurring back spasms and he'll be gone until mid-August as well, and Waylin Santana strained a hamstring which will sideline him until late August.

Oh, and we made a trade to upgrade the starting rotation for someone you might recognize:

He's baaaack! Traded last winter after he surprisingly accepted our qualifying offer, San Diego was looking to deal Springs so we took them up on it. He was 7-5, 3.51 with 1.6 WAR for the Padres this year and he was steady for us last season so why not bring him back? Rabe has decent stuff for a prospect but no idea where it's going and his lack of control will likely keep him from being a productive major leaguer but maybe San Diego will get lucky with him.

With the deal we moved Matt Brash to the bullpen and demoted Anthony Molina (who actually had to clear waivers - and did - since we needed to make 40-man room). Also DL Hall was put back in the rotation with Santana going on the IL and Andrew Nardi coming back for the first time since Opening Day from his injury.

The offense did perk up some in July as we're now up to 6th and 7th in a lot of categories instead of 8th and 9th, the pitching remains strong and the defense remains schizophrenic. We also really have a big problem against lefties, playing only .344 ball. It seems we have a lot of strong RH hitters with Bobby Marsh the only lefty playing against southpaws but the numbers just ain't good.

A really good month for the offense with just about every regular very productive. Caminero came off the IL and kept hitting, including a 2-HR, 7-RBI game, and Hirata hit like mad after coming back up to play SS when Williams was hurt. We also need to find a way to get Gelof in the lineup more.

McClanahan's Cy Young-caliber season continues apace but the other starters continue to struggle. Springs had to leave his first start back with us in the first inning but made it through the second, and Brash pitched really well after going to pen in long relief. But Taj was absolutely brutal and Santana struggled with the injury until we had to IL him. Peguero was having a decent month as closer until the final day when he gave up 3(!) solo homers in the 9th to lose a game to the Yankees.

Thanks to a decent draft all of our top 20 prospects fit within MLB's top 500. Advanced 1st-round pick Ethan Holliday was aggressively started at AA Montgomery and he's hit (325/413/525) although his defense at the new position of 2B is a work in progress. With Caminero really hitting (and Hirata too of late) 2B seems covered at the big league level so no instant promotion for Holliday but we already had an IF surplus coming into the year and we have one even moreso now, so look for a deal or two in the winter. Meanwhile Kim is a possibility if the non-McClanahan/Springs starters continue to fail to get their collective act together.

So we'll look to consolidate our lead in August and hope to get some consistency from the 3/4/5 spots in the rotation as we get into the business end of the season.

11-02-2023, 11:07 PM	#109
Art Deco Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 7,587	July 2023 Record: 64-43 (14-10 for the month) 1st place AL East, 4 games ahead of Baltimore As the monthly record implies, it was and up-and-down month although we were still able to open up a decent lead on the Orioles in the division. July saw an 8-game win streak for the Rays in the middle of the month which was immediately followed a sweep in LA by the Dodgers including two late losses, triggering bad memories of last season's World Series. On the injury front, Carson Williams suffered his annual injury, this time straining an oblique which will keep him out until mid-August, reliever Hayden Juenger developed recurring back spasms and he'll be gone until mid-August as well, and Waylin Santana strained a hamstring which will sideline him until late August. Oh, and we made a trade to upgrade the starting rotation for someone you might recognize: He's baaaack! Traded last winter after he surprisingly accepted our qualifying offer, San Diego was looking to deal Springs so we took them up on it. He was 7-5, 3.51 with 1.6 WAR for the Padres this year and he was steady for us last season so why not bring him back? Rabe has decent stuff for a prospect but no idea where it's going and his lack of control will likely keep him from being a productive major leaguer but maybe San Diego will get lucky with him. With the deal we moved Matt Brash to the bullpen and demoted Anthony Molina (who actually had to clear waivers - and did - since we needed to make 40-man room). Also DL Hall was put back in the rotation with Santana going on the IL and Andrew Nardi coming back for the first time since Opening Day from his injury. The offense did perk up some in July as we're now up to 6th and 7th in a lot of categories instead of 8th and 9th, the pitching remains strong and the defense remains schizophrenic. We also really have a big problem against lefties, playing only .344 ball. It seems we have a lot of strong RH hitters with Bobby Marsh the only lefty playing against southpaws but the numbers just ain't good. A really good month for the offense with just about every regular very productive. Caminero came off the IL and kept hitting, including a 2-HR, 7-RBI game, and Hirata hit like mad after coming back up to play SS when Williams was hurt. We also need to find a way to get Gelof in the lineup more. McClanahan's Cy Young-caliber season continues apace but the other starters continue to struggle. Springs had to leave his first start back with us in the first inning but made it through the second, and Brash pitched really well after going to pen in long relief. But Taj was absolutely brutal and Santana struggled with the injury until we had to IL him. Peguero was having a decent month as closer until the final day when he gave up 3(!) solo homers in the 9th to lose a game to the Yankees. Thanks to a decent draft all of our top 20 prospects fit within MLB's top 500. Advanced 1st-round pick Ethan Holliday was aggressively started at AA Montgomery and he's hit (325/413/525) although his defense at the new position of 2B is a work in progress. With Caminero really hitting (and Hirata too of late) 2B seems covered at the big league level so no instant promotion for Holliday but we already had an IF surplus coming into the year and we have one even moreso now, so look for a deal or two in the winter. Meanwhile Kim is a possibility if the non-McClanahan/Springs starters continue to fail to get their collective act together. So we'll look to consolidate our lead in August and hope to get some consistency from the 3/4/5 spots in the rotation as we get into the business end of the season.