Worldwide Sports News

A former ESPN host has lost his longtime play-by-play gig.

Steve Berthiaume, the former “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight” host, is out as the Diamondbacks’ television voice after 14 years.

“His contract is up and we felt it was a good time to take a step back and re-evaluate our broadcasts,” Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall told the Arizona Republic. “He was here 14 years and was a great DBack.”

Berthiaume said he was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision.

“As I told the Diamondbacks, I’m very appreciative to have had the opportunity to connect with our fan base these past 14 years. I’ve always tried to put the club first. I enjoyed my Arizona experience and I’m grateful to all my friends and colleagues in our broadcast group,” Berthiaume told the Republic.

“I’m quite proud of how hard our group worked to raise the production level on our shows. MLB Local Media is an outstanding partner and I’m sure will continue to be. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Berthiaume began his Diamondbacks gig with the 2013 season and worked alongside the team’s World Series-winning manager, Bob Brenly.

The team does not yet have Berthiaume’s replacement lined up, but its radio play-by-player, Chris Garagiola, is expected to be a candidate, according to the Republic. He’s the son of former Diamondbacks GM Joe Garagiola Jr. and grandson of the late Joe Garagiola Sr., who was an MLB catcher and broadcaster for the D-backs.

Berthiaume had replaced Daron Sutton, who was suspended in June 2012 for insubordination — reportedly because he preferred to wear suits on the air, while the Diamondbacks wanted him to wear polo shirts with the team’s logo — and never returned.

Sam McDowell, a former Yankees pitcher and six-time All-Star with Cleveland, died on Monday, per KDKA in Pittsburgh.

He was 84.

McDowell, who had to end his career due to substance abuse, debuted on the mound at 18 years old in 1961 for the then Cleveland Indians, now Guardians. Four years later, the lefty hurler led the AL in ERA (2.18) and earned his first All-Star nod while recording a career-high 325 batters. He went on to lead the American League in strikeouts five times.

The Pittsburgh native played for Cleveland for 11 years before having stints with the Giants (1972 and ’73), Yankees (1973 and ’74) and Pirates (1975).

Across his 15-year career, he struck out 2,453 batters, which put him eighth on baseball’s career list at the time he retired and currently No. 46 all-time.

The career for “Sudden Sam” was cut off at 32 years old in 1975 when he was tossed from the MLB due to a struggle with alcohol.

“I was the biggest, most hopeless and most violent drunk in baseball,” McDowell said to The Post regarding the days that included jumps off hotel balconies into swimming pools.

The man who was the youngest southpaw to ever strike out 300 batters in a season recalled sitting on a curb in his hometown in 1978, broke and needing something to eat as well as gas in his car. He was selling insurance for a living three years after being one of the most unhittable pitchers in the game.

“I lost everything — my family, my career,” said McDowell. “I lost it all.”

That same year, he opted into an alcohol rehabilitation program and began to turn around his life.

McDowell returned to college and became a licensed therapist in sports psychology and addictions. He later worked for the Rangers and Blue Jays and became the Baseball Assistance Team’s addiction and recovery consultant from 1987-2016.

He counseled many athletes, including beyond MLB, who struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.

“I remember when I got out of rehab, I must have called that man every day, at every hour of the night, for four straight months,” former big league pitcher Mike York told the Los Angeles Times. “I mean, I was calling him at 5 in the morning, midnight, it didn’t matter. He was always there when I needed him.”

Additionally, McDowell paid off all his debt, which totaled over $190,000. He wrote to each creditor, promising to pay them back. In 1988, all was paid off.

“I truly believe with all my heart, the greatest thing that ever happened to me was that I was an alcoholic and found out about it,” McDowell said. “Had I never known and had not been thrown out of baseball, I would not have the great life I have now. I would not have the education. I would not have learned how to live and love. Every day is a kick.”

Much of McDowell’s struggle is covered in his memoir, “The Saga of Sudden Sam: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Sam McDowell” that was published in 2022.

First Half Record: 33-33 (2/4 Florida State League East)

Second Half Record: 25-39 (3/4 Florida State League East)

The 2025 St. Lucie Mets were a powerhouse. The team went 34-31 in the first half to win the Florida State League East Division and went 43-22 in the second half, once again finding themselves atop the standings. They met the Daytona Tortugas in the FSL East Divisional Series but fell two games to one, ending their season.

The 2026 team, on the other hand, at no point were really that relevant of a team. In the first half, they went an even 33-33 to end the season second in the division, but they still found themselves 4.0 games behind the first place Jupiter Hammerheads. In the second half, they were a dismal 25-39, somehow not last in the division but irrelevant in the standings all the same.

Towards the end of the season, some of the 2026 draftees began making appearances, but outside of individual milestones or appearances, the 2026 St. Lucie Mets season wasn’t particularly fun or exciting.

TEAM MVP

Elian Peña: 96 G, 365 AB, .271/.388/.397, 99 H, 18 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 61 BB, 94 K, 28/37 SB, .343 BABIP

(Runner Up: Randy Guzman)

Considered one of the best players available in the 2025-2026 international free agent class, and potentially the best position player available, the Mets and Elian Peña agreed to a $5 million dollar signing bonus, shattering the prior organizational record (Yovanny Rodriguez, $2.85 million) and eating up the majority of the $6,261,600 that the team had in their 2025-2026 pool.

Assigned to the Dominican Summer League, the 17-year-old Peña has had an interesting start to his career. It took him nearly two weeks to log his first professional hit, going 0-fer from June 2nd until June 14th. After finally getting over that hurtle, Peña hit an incredible .351/.467/.635 over the course of the rest of the season, hitting .292/.421/.528 in total with 13 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts, and 36 walks to 36 strikeouts in 55 games.

He was promoted to the Low-A St. Lucie Mets for the 2026 season and a somewhat divisive year. In total, he appeared in 96 games for St. Lucie and hit .271/.388/.397 with 18 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 28 stolen bases in 37 attempts, and 61 walks to 94 strikeouts. For large stretches of the season, Elian Peña looked meek at the plate, going up and alternating between taking too many pitches or taking bad hacks. For other stretches, he looked like a star, spraying the ball around the field and pulling fly balls for homers. Regardless of the actual offensive value he created, Peña spent the year playing against pitchers and fielders three years older than him, on average, and that in and of itself is a major positive. In late August, he was promoted to High-A Brooklyn and appeared in 15 games for them, hitting .164/.250/.224 in a ballpark that is the exact antithesis of his left-handed pull-and-lift approach.

TEAM CY YOUNG

Emilio Obispo: 14 G (10 GS), 53.1 IP, 43 H, 19 R, 12 ER (2.03 ERA), 24 BB, 54 K, .285 BABIP

(Runner Up: Zack Mack)

Emilio Obispo was signed by the Mets in May 2024, just prior to the start of the 2024 Dominican Summer League season. The Dominican right-hander was given a low five-figure signing bonus and was suiting up for the DSL Mets a few weeks later. The 17-year-old right-hander appeared in 9 games for the DSL Mets Orange, starting all of them, and posted a 3.47 ERA in 36.1 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 12, and striking out 41. He was assigned to the FCL Mets for the 2025 season but never actually played, missing the entire season due to an injury.

Obispo returned to the mound in 2026, and after analyzing his progress during extended spring training, the Mets made the decision to begin the season in Low-A St. Lucie, a challenging assignment for the 19-year-old. He rewarded the faith that scouts and evaluators in the organization had in him by posting a 2.03 ERA in 53.1 innings over 10 starts and 4 relief appearances, allowing 43 hits, walking 24, and striking out 54. In late July, the right-hander was promoted to High-A Brooklyn, where he appeared in 6 games with them, all starts, and posted a 3.76 ERA in 27.0 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking 12, and striking out 28.

Obispo throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. He does not push off or extend much off the mound and as such, his whippy arm has a comparatively high release point. The right-hander throws a sinker, four-seam fastball, changeup, and curveball. During his time with St. Lucie, he threw his sinker roughly 45% of the time, his changeup 25% of the time, his curveball 20% of the time, his four-seam fastball 10% of the time.

Obispo’s sinker sits in the high-80s-to-high-90s, the volatility in its velocity highlighting the potential but unpredictability in 19-year-old right-hander. Averaging 93 MPH, the pitch features 18 inches of horizontal arm-side break, above-average for a sinker. Florida State League batters hit .217/.330/.265 against it with a 22% whiff rate. His four-seam fastball finds itself in roughly the same velocity range, sitting in the low-to-high-90s, averaging 94 MPH, but because it does not feature much backspin or sidespin, it features fringe-average life and below-average induced vertical break, resulting in batters hitting a healthy .273/.333/.500 against it with a suboptimal 8% whiff rate.

His changeup sits in the low-to-high-80s, averaging 84 MPH. With a spin rate ranging between 1,500 and 2,150, the pitch has averaged an average 35 inches of vertical drop and an above-average 18 inches of horizontal arm-side fade. The pitch has been Obispo’s best offering, limited FSL batters to a .169/.247/.292 slash line with an impressive 46% whiff rate.

His curveball sits in the mid-70s-to-low-80s, averaging 80 MPH. The pitch has a low spin rate, averaging 2220 RPM, resulting in a big, loopy pitch that doesn’t have much bite. Obispo occasionally struggles to land it in the strike zone, and batters hit .276/.364/.310 against it with a 36% whiff rate. Occasionally, he will fire one off that has sharper bite, and has the appearance of a gyro slider rather than a curveball.

I am no scout, though I’m pretty sure by this point I can tell the difference between a good baseball player and a bad baseball player. Projecting which players will be good, though, simply by watching workouts and game action and coming away with knowing what I’m talking about is still a science I don’t full grasp. It’s every season where I hear about something that still makes me appreciate those that can do it and do it with pretty good accuracy.

Rarely have I watched the Arizona Fall League at any point in a season, mostly because my baseball focus was solely on the Phillies and how they were faring in the playoffs. That has of course changed with the Phillies currently at home for the offseason and some of their better prospects getting some run down Arizona. It’s because of those prospects that more attention should be given to those games as they are going to have some say in how the Phillies approach their offseason plans. Maybe they aren’t going to chart the ultimate course of action the team decides to take, but several of the players that are there will have some bearing on what the Phillies plan to do.

Aidan Miller

The highest profile name the Phillies have sent there, Miller’s performance is likely going to play a part in several decisions the team makes. As you already know, Miller did miss most of the 2026 season with a back injury that needed some kind of procedure done, but he returned healthy enough to get a week’s worth of games in at the end of the regular season before helping Reading win the Eastern League championship. When he did return, there was rust on his frame, but there were glimpses!

How he performs in Arizona will probably not determine if he makes the major leagues out of spring training or not, but it will likely influence the roster on the fringes. He’s on a team that also includes Sebastian Walcott on the roster, arguably the top hitting prospect in the game today, so getting Miller every day at bats in Arizona will be a challenge. Let’s say he shows that he’s still one of the better hitting prospects in the game in these few weeks. Does the team decided to prop open the door for him to win a spot in Clearwater? Do they move Trea Turner in deference to his impending arrival? Do they sign someone as a stopgap in order to not block him at shortstop? Is shortstop even his final home or is a move to third base already in the cards? He’s played only one game so far and that came at third to make room for another shortstop there, Welbyn Francisca from the Guardians system.

Of course, the entire thing will depend on how Miller ultimately holds up healthwise. The team is likely just hoping he has a good, solid six weeks of health and plate appearances to make up for some of the time he lost this year. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he was held back a bit by the team to make sure there is nothing going wrong. You can imagine that the slightest tweak of anything and he is going home for the winter.

Realistically, it would be unfair to place too much stock in how he performs and let that influence the team’s decision making. He just needs to get the work in, not worry about how it’ll set his place for 2027. He’s going to make his debut next year at some point. It’ll just depend on next year more than anything he does in Arizona. Still, he’s easily the most interesting watch they have.

Aroon Escobar

Escobar was arguably the team’s best hitting prospect besides Miller coming into 2026 and he flat stunk the joint up. Pretty much everything that he was good at took a step backwards this year, lowering his stock within the organization quite a bit. There was a time when his name would come in trade discussions about how he was the best prospect the team could move at the deadline while getting something real back in return. Now, that idea seems too foreign to actually occur.

The team will need to make a decision on whether or not to place him on the 40 man roster this offseason, a decision that was pretty easy prior to this year. It still is thanks to the dearth of hitting prospects this team has, but if he isn’t going to take some steps back in the right direction, the team may want to think twice before taking the plunge on the roster spot. He needs to have a good showing in Arizona to show that he is worthy of a roster and/or worth another team taking a shot on him in a deal this offseason.

Dante Nori and Kehden Hettiger

Speaking of falling stock…

Neither Nori nor Hettiger would be something teams would classify as a “top prospect”. Pay no mind to the fact that Nori is a first round draft pick. He wasn’t considered one then by people on the outside and really hasn’t done anything to sway that opinion since.

Think Justin Crawford, only worse.

Yet within the Phillies farm system, he is still seen as someone who might potentially fit a role with the team. That speaks more to their lack of actual hitting prospects than anything else, but finding competent role players from within the organization is one of the biggest reasons the Phillies have started to show more cracks in the armor at the major league level. Nori’s performance in Arizona won’t go very far in determining if he can earn a starting position as that’s not really on the table. His ever being penciled into a big league lineup with regularity is likely off the table. But consider that Felix Reyes was batting cleanup at one point this year. Gabriel Rincones was given lots of chances to see what he could do. Heck, even Otto Kemp was touted as an option in the outfield for the team. The chances are there for minor league players to earn playing time in this outfield. Nori needs to start putting things together if he wants to be among the many that are given that chance.

The very same could be said about Hettiger. The team has very few catching prospect in their farm system and willingly gave playing time to Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan. They are begging for players within the organization to take a step forward to claim a backup role on the team. There might even be some chances to start games!

Marchan started games.

Stubbs was on a playoff roster…on purpose!

Opportunities abound if only players take it and seize it. Hettiger finished the year in Reading, making it unlikely that he’s going to reach Philadelphia any time soon. Yet good performances can sometimes springboard a player into having a good season the following year. Perhaps he can gain a better standing with the team by showing that there is still a good prospect in there, somewhere.

The Arizona Fall League isn’t the greatest baseball being played. Pitchers don’t pitch long, players leave at the slightest sign of injury and generally, it’s played during the MLB playoffs, meaning our focus is elsewhere. Yet the Phillies have some interesting guys at play this year. How they do can help answer some questions about this team’s future.

The Royals have a stadium to sell, a payroll to explain, and a lot of confidence about both. The numbers have not exactly gotten the memo. Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco go through John Sherman’s latest answers on spending and the stadium timeline, and the gap between the pitch and the math is where this episode lives.

Jeremy brings the skepticism, starting with why the stadium district report feels more like a sales job than a breakthrough. Then he turns it on J.J. Picollo’s first four years, where he spots a pattern that keeps repeating: the Royals hold on to players long after the value is gone. Jacob counters with the labor angle, and a TV rights window that may make a lockout far less likely than the doom talk suggests.

October gets its turn too. The Padres’ supposedly elite bullpen cracked under pressure, and the Brewers, Braves, and Dodgers have made some decisions that deserve a second look. It is a good reminder of how often playoff theater and playoff truth are two different things.

If you want the version of the Royals offseason that comes with receipts, this one is for you. Stream the full episode, then tell us whether the stadium math adds up for you.

For the reporting on the 60-game threshold regarding MLB broadcasts, check it out here.

Find all the Arizona Fall League live stream information here.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

Twitter / X
– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

For game three in Chicago, I’d like to see the Guardians try a bullpen game with an all-hands on deck approach.

By including Foster Griffin and Tanner Bibee on the roster, the Guardians indicated a willingness to throw the kitchen sink at the White Sox. So, let’s do it.

It’ll be a wild atmosphere to open the game, so you want to open with a steady hand. I wouldn’t be opposed to Shawn Armstrong in this role given his excellent performance in game 2. People are going to hate this, but I also wouldn’t oppose Erik Sabrowski or Tim Herrin in the role. Give them a clean inning and see if Venable will put in his Grichuk and Pham pieces before going immediately to a right-hander at the first sign of trouble or to start the second if Sabrowski or Herrin get through a clean first.

So, say, Herrin for the first. Then, Daniel Espino for one, Foster Griffin for one, Tanner Bibee for one, Joey Cantillo for two. Then, you have Shawn Armstrong, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowksi and Cade Smith to finish off the game. You also have each arm available to plug in as need be if someone listed above gets in trouble. I would be willing to give Griffin a couple innings (centered against a heavily LHH-portion of the White Sox lineup), but I would give Bibee the bottom of the order in a middle inning and nothing more. I think this set-up has the best chance at keeping the White Sox off balance for a game.

In regards to the hitters, I don’t expect this to happen, but I’d like to see Daniel Schneemann get the start over Angel Martinez. Aside from the fact that Angel is chasing disastrously (as might have been predicted looking at his season rates), I am afraid this is a vibes move. Schneemann has been great at being plugged into a lineup and getting a random hit or home run. I want to see White Sox fans tweeting “SCHNEEMANN? WHO THE BLEEP IS SCHNEEMANN?” Also, Schneemann provides some defensive excellence in left field.

Give me this lineup:
1. Kwan CF
2. Jose 3B
3. DeLauter RF
4. Lowe 1B
5. Adell DH
6. Bazzana 2B
7. Schneemann LF
8. Bailey C
9. Rocchio SS

And bullpen chaos/all-hands on deck and let’s try to push this thing to game four.

Welcome to Tuesday everyone!

The Athletics suffered massive injury issues this year with the majority of their starting lineup spending time on the injured list. No team can survive the onslaught of bumps and bruises that the team had this year and it showed in the final standings. If the team can’t stay healthy next year we’re looking at a repeat of 2026.

The injury bug hasn’t quite fallen asleep for the winter. Right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson has undergone surgery on his left knee, fixing an issue that apparently hampered him all year long:

The right-hander’s first look with the A’s didn’t go all that well. He pitched in 12 games for the A’s after his mid-season trade from Philadelphia and allowed a whopping 12 runs in just 17 1/3 innings of work. Not what the team was hoping for when they acquired him for Colby Thomas at the trade deadline. Johnson has yet to really have any sort of success at the big league level since making his one-game big league debut in 2024, with a total of 39 appearances over the past three years.

Still, he was highly regarded enough for the A’s to trade Thomas, who was only two years ago considered one of the top prospects in the Athletics’ system. His numbers in Triple-A indicate that he could have success in the big leagues if he’s able to really put it together. Maybe the knee was holding him back this year. It is the one he plants on when he pitches after all. Either way, next season will be a big one for the 28-year-old, who will have an excellent chance to make his first Opening Day roster if he has a big spring training. For now, he’ll be focused on rehabbing that knee and getting as strong as possible before camp.

As for today’s playoff slate, we’re back in the National League after watching the AL matchups last night. The #2 seeded Dodgers let Game Two slip through their fingers and now head to Atlanta with the series tied 1-1. This Dodgers squad has looked old and beatable at times this year and Atlanta is giving it their best shot. This could end up going the full distance.

The Brewers meanwhile, even though they’ve had plenty of regular season success, have only made the NLCS once in that same time period. In fact, the last time they made the NLCS was in 2018, when they lost to…. the Dodgers. Milwaukee would love to avenge that loss nearly a full decade ago. It’s the matchup baseball wants and the one the fans need to see. Unless the Braves have something to say about that. It’ll be Yamamoto versus Sale in the Dodgers-Braves game, and Dustin May against Nick Pivetta in the nightcap between the Brewers and Padres.

First pitch between the Dodgers and Braves is at 6 PCT. Have a good one A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• ‘Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
• Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
• Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Athletics’ Zack Gelof sues Tigers after hitting metal fence
• A’s Las Vegas ballpark cost rises to $2.1B, public funding delayed
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• A’S OPEN TO MOVING LUIS MEDIA BACK INTO ROTATION 
• Last MLB game in West Sacramento? Why A’s 2026 season deserves a eulogy
• Perkins finishes intriguing season with another flash of potential
• ‘Road Trip Mike’ on the move to wherever his beloved A’s go
• Wheat/Chaff Updates As Season Winds Down
• Paralyzed A’s prospect Lasko released from rehab facility to ovation from staff
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• Notes From Star-Studded Rockies-A’s Instructional League
• Injuries Out Of Control, But Why?
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• Should Mark Kotsay return in 2027? A’s Players Weigh In
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Less than 2 years later, Crochet trade return trio paying huge dividends for Chicago
• Padres Activate Walker Buehler Onto NLDS Roster
• Was Miller tipping pitches? Closer — and Brewers’ skipper — both say no
• Mariners Announce Surgeries For Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor
• First home playoff clincher in 120 years? White Sox on cusp of making it happen
• Breslow, Tracy: Red Sox not overly reliant on analytics
• Roman Anthony Expected To Avoid Offseason Surgery
• Red Sox View Curtis Mead As Early Favorite For Second Base Job
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Very possible, if he’s still in the organization by then:

Crazy Yankees stat:

Tough to see Miller struggling on the biggest stage:

Despite only being in the job for a year, Paul Toboni has already made plenty of moves. He is an active GM who leaves no stone unturned when it comes to trying to make his team better. However, there is one trade I will discuss that has not aged well so far.

Back in Mid-December Paul Toboni made a rare prospect for prospect swap. He made a deal with his old boss Craig Breslow that sent LHP Jake Bennett to the Red Sox in exchange for RHP Luis Perales. It was a fascinating trade because of the one for one nature and the fact that Perales and Bennett are such different pitchers.

The Red Sox went after a polished lefty with great command in Bennett. Meanwhile, the Nats got a high upside flame-thrower in Perales. It was a classic case of stuff vs command. In year one, the command specialist easily won the day.

While Perales was the more well-known name, Bennett was the one who burst on to the scene in 2026. Entering the year, it was difficult to see how Bennett could break into a crowded Red Sox rotation. However, things changed after Garrett Crochet went down and Bennett dominated in AAA.

Bennett was impressing Red Sox fans as early as Spring Training with improved velocity to go with his already elite execution. He did not make the team out of camp, but after a few starts in the minors, it was clear that the lefty was big league ready. Bennett posted a 1.60 ERA in nine AAA starts.

Once injuries hit the Red Sox rotation, he was the next man up. When he arrived, Bennett made the most of his opportunity. In 113.1 innings, Bennett posted a 3.65 ERA with 91 strikeouts to just 21 walks. He became a stabilizing force in the Red Sox rotation and played a key role in turning their season around.

In fact, Bennett was so good that the Red Sox were willing to trade the more highly touted Connelly Early for offensive help, ironically to the Nats. That 3.65 ERA was no mirage either. Bennett’s FIP was 3.51, his xERA was 3.42 and his xFIP was 3.81. He is tracking like a quality number 3 starter for years to come.

Jake Bennett does not have electric stuff, but he makes up for it with phenomenal command and deception. Bennett only walked 4.6% of hitters and generated a 37.4% chase rate. Those are both extraordinary numbers. His fastball and changeup were absolute weapons this season.

It is worth noting that Bennett posted a 4.66 ERA in his last 7 outings. However, his strikeout and walk numbers were actually better in that time. I think that 3.65 ERA number is pretty representative of his true talent. The lack of dominant stuff holds him back from being a top of the rotation guy, but Jake Bennett is rock solid.

In exchange for Bennett, the Nats got Luis Perales, who could not be any more different as a pitcher. While Bennett throws in the 92-94 MPH range, Luis Perales averages 99 on his heater. To go with that heater, Perales has a 93 MPH cutter and a nasty splitter that just falls off the table.

If you are just looking at pure stuff, Perales is world’s better than Bennett. His fastball gets a lot of carry and his splitter drops a lot. However, there is more to pitching than just raw stuff and the Nats are learning that the hard way in this trade.

Like Bennett, Luis Perales started the season in AAA. However, he did not have the same success early on. He really struggled with command out of the gates, and that became a trend. While things got better, and the ERA was not bad, there were some red flags in his profile.

Speaking of that ERA, if that was the only thing you looked at, his AAA season would seem pretty strong. He posted a 3.64 ERA in Rochester over 96.1 innings. However, the underlying numbers told a different story. Perales had a FIP of 4.63, almost a full run higher than his ERA. His xERA was 4.12 and his xFIP was 4.86. Perales walked over 13% of hitters in the minors this year. 

While his strikeout numbers were good, they were not elite. A 23.5% K rate is not enough to make up for all those walks. The reason his ERA was so low is due to a .243 BABIP, which is very low. Perales was getting lucky in Rochester.

As the season finished, Perales was moved to the bullpen so he could get a shot in the big leagues. He actually looked good in that role in Rochester. Perales made three relief appearances in the minors and dominated. In 6 innings, Perales allowed 0 runs, struck out 12 and only walked two batters. That relief role seemed like a great fit for him.

However, things took a turn for the worst once he reached the majors. In his first outing, Perales allowed a grand slam, and that really set the tone. Perales made 6 appearances and tossed 11 innings. In those outings, Perales allowed 14 runs, walked 13 hitters, gave up 15 hits and surrendered 5 homers. It was a complete disaster and Perales did not look big league ready in the slightest. Despite throwing over 100 fewer innings, Bennett walked just 8 more hitters than Perales.

There were some major problems that were easy to identify. The first one is just the command. So many of Perales’ pitches are either uncompetitive misses or right down the middle. He just does not execute at an MLB level, especially with his fastball. In a lot of outings, Perales just had to abandon his triple digit heater because he can’t command it.

Perales’ best pitch is his splitter. When he actually finds a way to get ahead in the count, the pitch is filthy. It generated whiffs at a 48.9% clip and batters hit just .063 on the pitch. However, his splitter is a chase pitch. Unless he is ahead in the count, hitters can just lay off the pitch.

The one pitch he can consistently throw in the zone is his cutter. Unfortunately, his cutter is the one pitch that just is not very impressive stuff wise. Hitters just teed off on his cutter and 4-seamer. Perales’ pitch mix and command just does not work in the MLB right now.

I still believe in the raw stuff and I think he has a chance to be a good reliever with further development. We will see how that development goes because there is a dark cloud looming. Right now, Perales is out of options meaning he will have to stick on the big league roster moving forward. However, there is a strong chance he could get an extra option year due to missing almost all of last season with Tommy John.

We better hope Perales gets that option year because he is not big league ready right now. It would be tough to carry a pitcher this raw on an MLB roster and it would also be a disaster if he were DFA’d.

On the season, Perales posted -0.5 fWAR while Bennett compiled 2.3 fWAR. So far this has been a story of command being more important than stuff. The funky lefty who knows how to pitch is way better than the flamethrowing righty with bad command.

It is worth noting that this was Perales’ first year back from Tommy John. As he gets further removed from the surgery, I hope he regains some sharpness. The stuff is all the way back, but the command still has a long way to go. Control had always been a question for Perales, but prior to the surgery he was headed in the right direction. This season has been a big step in the wrong direction though.

We will continue to go over some of Paul Toboni’s moves as we get deeper into the offseason, but so far this looks like the worst one. Right now, Bennett looks like a mid rotation starter while Perales needs a lot to go right for him to even become an effective reliever.

There is a chance this trade looks better after another year, but so far this has been a big swing and a miss. Toboni’s old boss seems to have got one over on him here. This trade gives us an important reminder that while stuff is very important, it is not everything. Pitchers still need to be able to execute and throw quality strikes. Jake Bennett is a master in that regard while Luis Perales is well below average. Let’s hope Perales can figure it out moving forward because this is not looking good right now.