The Padres’ journey this year has been somewhat similar to the Cubs’.
On May 23, they defeated the A’s and were 31-20, in second place in the NL West, just half a game behind the Dodgers.
Since then, they’re 12-19, the worst record in MLB. They have played a bit better recently, winning four straight before dropping the last two of a series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. But their Sunday loss put them 10 games out of first place.
This is the first time the Padres will visit Wrigley Field since last year’s Wild Card Series.
For more on the Padres, please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball.
Fun facts
There will be 75 games to go for the Cubs after this series ends, but they will be done for the year with the Padres, as they already are with two of the four other NL West teams, the Giants and Rockies. They will play three final games at home vs. the Dodgers on Aug. 3-5, then wrap things up at Arizona on Aug. 24-26.
The Cubs lost their season debut vs. the Padres at San Diego on April 27 by a score of 9-7, then won, 8-3 and 5-4, to start their first 10-game winning streak.
They have dominated the Padres at Wrigley Field all time, winning 152 games and losing only 110, for a winning percentage of .580. But they are 4-8 the past four years, in order: 0-4, 2-1, 1-2 and 2-1. The sweep in 2022 was only the Padres’ sixth at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have swept the Padres in 17 series, but in only three of 26 series since 2000: three games each in 2009, 2012 and 2021.
San Diego, CA - August 17: Gio Rojas pitches for the East team during the Dick's Sporting Goods Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park on August 17, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The 2026 is less than two weeks away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at Florida high school pitcher lefthanded pitcher Gio Rojas.
Gio Rojas is a 6’4″, 190 lb. lefthanded pitcher out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Rojas turns 19 today. He is committed to the University of Miami, though it appears unlikely he will actually hit campus.
Rojas has a quality fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has touched 98 with high spin. BA says his size and athleticism are such that he has the potential to reach triple digit with his fastball as he matures. He has a slider as his primary secondary, with big movement and high spin that gives high school batters fits and results in a lot of swings and misses. His third pitch is a changeup that, as is the case with most high school pitchers, he’s rarely had to use, and which will need work.
Rojas is tall and athletic, with what is describe as a clean three-quarters delivery and very good arm action. He has good control for a pitcher of his age and with his stuff, and per MLB Pipeline, he commands his fastball well to both sides of the plate. The total package gives him top of the rotation potential.
I was debating whether to include Rojas, given that he’s generally expected to be off the board when the Rangers pick at #16. BA mentioning him as a possibility for Texas in this latest mock draft led me to decide to write him up.
When I read the reports on Rojas, I think he won’t get out of the top 10. However, teams have gotten much more leery about taking high school pitchers in recent years — Keith Law mentions that only six different teams have taken a high school pitcher in the first round in the last four years. The Rangers haven’t taken a high school pitcher in the first two rounds since 2018, when they took Cole Winn and Owen White in the first two rounds.
We had the honor and privilege of having Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom as our guest for this week’s episode. We could not be more excited about the direction of the podcast. Gabe and Scott, you guys are the best, and I can’t do this to the level I want without you, and all of the wonderful guests we have had the privilege of speaking with this year, and will continue to do so, to bring to you, the frequenters of this site, the best product possible. One other unrelated topic, I hope that in my time at VEB, I have provided you all with content that you weren’t expecting or have over-delivered on whatever expectations you had upon my arrival! Enjoy!
Topics discussed:
– Introduction to the Podcast and Guest – Analyzing Matthew Liberatore’s Performance – Nolan Gorman’s Development and Strikeouts – Chaim Bloom’s Experience Across Organizations – Managing Expectations and Early Season Success – Deciding on Pitcher Roles and Performance – Addressing Trade Rumors with Players – Impact of Upcoming Draft on the Franchise – Philosophy on Player Extensions – Player Promotions and Development Strategies – Fostering Growth and Honest Feedback – Catching Depth and Player Versatility – Urgency and Long-Term Strategy – Evaluating Player Performance and Development – Challenges with Tink Hence – Reflections on the Season – Engagement with Fans and Organizational Focus – Trade Conversations and Deadline Dynamics – Leadership Changes and Future Directions
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Transcript:
Jake Wood (00:37) Welcome to the Viva El Birdos Podcast. As always, I am your host, Jake Wood. I am joined by fellow writers Gabe Simons and Scott Plaza. If you enjoy this episode, please be sure to like and subscribe to our channel. We are available on YouTube and all of your favorite audio streaming platforms. Today is a special day. You know very few markets in professional sports make their head decision makers available to come on platforms such as this. And you know, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a second to extend our collective appreciation to our guest today and the St. Louis Cardinals for their willingness to accommodate such a privileged experience. With all of that being said, today’s special guest is the Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations, Chaim Bloom.
Chaim, we sincerely appreciate your taking the time out of your busy schedule to join us today. How are you?
Chaim Bloom (01:39) I’m doing well, and it’s an honor to be on here with you guys.
Jake Wood (01:42) Thank you so much. Now, before we start grilling you with our exceptionally difficult questions, you know, I wanna throw out a quick disclaimer. ⁓ that we will not be asking Chaim about specific trades or extensions, as he has stated publicly in the past, he will not discuss the details of those discussions, and any disclosure of those details could harm his leverage in those conversations. So I just wanna put that quick blanket statement out there that, you know, those topics are off the table essentially, and that wasn’t Chaim’s doing, that’s our understanding going forward. So but you know, I do ⁓ Chaim, I do want to start with a player who is, you know, a major talking point right now amongst Cardinals fans, and that’s Matthew Liberatore You know, from your seat and the advanced data that you guys have internally, what, if any data points are you are are providing optimism to you that Libby can, you know, right this Ship?
Chaim Bloom (02:33) Yeah, look at the last ⁓ X number of starts and just, you know, recent outings, obviously tough for him, ⁓ tough for all of us. I think it’s not what anybody wants to see. You know, we’ve, as you can imagine, spent a lot of time on this. And, you know, if there were easy answers, we’d have found them, and ⁓ you know, we would be out of this. But I do think there are some nuggets that we’ve seen just in terms of, you know, when you zoom out, there’s a lot of things there that are ⁓ not that different or even in some cases better from ⁓ where he was last year and where he was coming into the season. There are some things that we’ve particularly focused on. You know, a lot of what’s happened has come on contact.
It’s come during a select number of big innings. So there’s been a lot of energy spent on that. Some little things that
You know, we’ve looked into even some things we found, but of course, obviously, you know, even going into last start, ⁓ we did still fall victim to that big inning. So we’ll continue to work on it. There’s a ton of effort being put into it and a ton of optimism ⁓ on getting him out of this. You know, it’s not that long ago we looked at this guy coming off a great spring, going into the season, feeling great about where he was at. He’s had some bright spots during this season. That’s not to diminish obviously the totality of the body of work so far in twenty twenty six. But, you know, we don’t want to be ⁓ passive here, but we also don’t want to be too knee-jerk and reactive and miss an opportunity to get somebody through this who we know has some talent.
Jake Wood (04:00) As as just a quick follow-up, would you say it’s more of a commitment to Libby as a starter or maybe more of a lack of another younger option forcing their way into the spot, a la like a Jimmy Crooks or a Blaze Jordan did in their situation? Or would it be a little bit of both to kinda hedge that?
Chaim Bloom (04:16) Yeah, I don’t know if it’s an either-or. I mean, we believe that he can do this. I know he does as well. We always want there to be competition, and you know, it’s one thing that I’ve said in a number of different forums that ⁓ we want to make sure that we’re staying with players, not being reactive, and most importantly, not giving up on guys, not giving up on guys prematurely. But there is competition in this game. The competition should come you know from within. It should come from our other players, and the reality is there’s X number of spots, and it’s always a meritocracy. But we also want to make sure that we don’t throw up our hands, and we’re staying with everybody. And if you know, the competition that is inherent in this game means that people take certain opportunities, as has happened in a couple of places this season, and that’s part of the game. But we also got to make sure that we never stop working towards the best version of every player.
Gabe (05:05) Speaking of struggling players, not to focus too much on the players that are struggling, but what’s the plan with Nolan Gorman? Because I know he’s just a guy who’s gonna strike out a lot, so you’re not gonna tell him to stop striking out, ’cause that’s just a part of his game. So what is the plan with a player where you just know strikeouts are part of the deal?
Chaim Bloom (05:22) Yeah, look ⁓
You said it. You know, there are plenty of players whose strikeouts are part of their game and we’ve seen Nolan be productive with that being the case. He had gotten to a point where the swing was just so uphill that it was really not allowing him to get to his power and to get to that quality contact that we know he can make, where it was giving him very limited opportunity ⁓ to hit a fastball, just because of ⁓ this, where the swing plane was. And then also, ⁓ along with that, if he ends up out in front on a changeup, just not giving himself an opportunity to stay through it and make contact. With those pitches, so you end up that proverbial in between. So when he went down to Florida and worked in a lab, a lot of that was creating training environments where he could address that. We were encouraged by the work there, and wanted to test it out in games. Obviously we know that’s gonna be a process too when you’re getting back in game action. But that and the long and short of it is that’s what we’re trying to do. There are obviously some other things that go with that in terms of approach, in terms of timing, but really we wanted to get him back to the version of himself that, while there’s still gonna be swinging and missing there that goes along with the power, gets his swing to a place where he can get to his power more frequently.
Scott Plaza (06:32) I’m gonna zoom this out a little bit. Instead of talking about the struggles, let’s talk about ⁓ kind of the good stuff here. So you’ve been with major league organizations for quite a while here, worked with three different teams, and all three places were very different from each other, market size, history, payroll, and all that stuff. Has that impacted your time in St. Louis at all? And how like is it fun or challenging to figure it out in each new place you go to?
Chaim Bloom (06:54) Yeah, well, first of all, I don’t mind talking about the struggles. It’s kinda I mean, this is sort of what we do. I was actually joking with somebody in-house last night, and this isn’t entirely true. It was a joke, but there’s a little bit of truth to it that so much a part of my job is just imagining all the worst-case scenarios and then doing everything we can to make sure that they don’t happen. That’s part of preparation. ⁓ There are also fun things that we get to do, and fun things that we get to imagine. But one of the cool things about this and all the places I’ve been, you get to wake up motivated by the chance to make something better. And usually that means something’s not exactly where you want it to be. And I personally get a lot of energy from being able to tackle something like that. So I don’t mind those questions. But yeah, look, you know, one of the things that outside of just knowing this is a great organization, great people, ⁓ great ownership, one of the things that I thought was really interesting about.
This opportunity when it first arose is that it had some really cool elements of the different places that I’ve been ⁓ in terms of you know, some of the the sort of all eyes on you nature ⁓ of the Boston market and the history and the importance of the organization in the community, ⁓ and just the deeply, deeply personal relationship that the fans have with the organization. And then also the continuity and the us against the world mentality that I grew up with, with the Rays. Not that every organization can’t have elements of both, but you know, it certainly felt like this one did. And you know, now having spent you know, real time with three different organizations. I think it’s incredibly valuable to just have those different experiences, both the positives, the things you learn from when you had success with something, and you take lessons out of it of what you can replicate or what you can bring to a different situation. And then even some of the setbacks. And you know the reality of it is, you know, I’m so proud of the 15 years that I got to be a Ray and got to spend with that group and some of the things we accomplished. But there are things on the way out the door that once you have that outside view of your own work, you can say, ” Man, we could have been better at this. Or we weren’t you we got a lot of pats on the back there was a little bit of a halo effect around everything that we did there but we weren’t really that great at everything we were really good at some things and there are some things we could have done better and sometimes it’s hard to see that until you’re out of it so you try to take all those lessons and then you know bring them to your next stop and
You know, I’m cognizant of the fact that because I have so much pride in the work that I was able to do in both places, that you walk in here and there’s a lot of people very proud of what is, and you better honor that and respect it and learn from it at the same time as you try to take the lessons that you’ve learned and bring them, you know, bring them here, because that’s part of the job is obviously to bring the benefit of that experience to bear on on whatever you find here.
Jake Wood (09:31) You know, I’m curious, I’m you know, given that experience, I’m curious how you think about navigating the next twelve to twenty-four months. ⁓ You know, some fans I’ve spoken to believe that the rebuild is already over and it’s already time for contention. You know, do you have any concerns that this sugar rush of excitement fans have felt over the first couple of months might lead to higher-than-appropriate expectations, kind of in the immediate future? I know that, you know, all a big part of your job is kind of, you know, ⁓ reining in those expectations. So I’m just kind of curious how you’re looking at the early-season success that the Cardinals have had on the field, ⁓ and how that kind of ties into the direction that the team is going right now.
Chaim Bloom (10:12) Well, really good question. ⁓ first of all, I wanna be very clear about something. We love success anytime we’re able to have it. ⁓ it’s really hard to have success in this business. Big league wins are hard to come by, every single one of them, so you never take any of them for granted. And you know, what we’ve seen early in terms of just seeing some of the energy from our fan base around this team. It’s not just the results, although I know that helps, I think you know, our fans are really smart, and I think they’re able to intuit and see even from a distance that this group has a different energy about it. That this group genuinely enjoys being around each other and competing together, and that energy is picked up on, I think, by our fan base, which is not a surprise. Obviously, you don’t take for granted that it’s happening. So every bit of this is really cool. And the other thing I want to make clear is that our expectations are always sky high. You know, we I’ve you’ve I’ve said it since day one here. This is the organization historically that set the standard for the rest of baseball. We cannot let that standard slip, and we want to have really, really high standards at all times. The things that I the thing that I’ve tried to make clear is that standard’s always changing. And so it’s not just somebody else’s standard that we live up to. It’s a very high standard that we get to set ⁓ time and again as as we go on in this organization. But I also understand the question that ⁓ it’s really easy to think in terms of quote unquote ahead of schedule. I don’t like to think that way. To me, that distracts you from what you’re trying to do. There is always the work in front of you. We have enjoyed more success than I think some people thought we would have early in the season by staying focused on that work, by keeping our feet on the ground, by being realistic about where we’re at, by competing relentlessly, by not taking anything for granted, and but just by grinding day after day, something that I think really is an important part of the identity of this organization. I don’t mind exuberance from the outside. People can get as excited as they want. That’s part of my job is to make sure our feet stay on the ground, make sure we stay head down on the work. ⁓ and certainly a part of that is in the communication you know part with you guys, with our fans, with everybody who loves this organization, but we gotta stay focused on the work. If we get distracted, if we start getting tempted by shortcuts, that will derail us. So it’s really on me and on us as an organization to just make sure we keep doing the right things. And what you hope happens with that, just like what has happened in the first half of the season, is that good things come from not getting tempted by those shortcuts. That if you try to, if you try to do something you shouldn’t, if you try to quote unquote get ahead of schedule, well you the game’s harder than that.
And it’s usually gonna punish you for that. So we’re going to get the best results and and and get rewarded by keeping our focus where it needs to be and just going brick by brick and trying to win every day. ⁓ and I don’t just mean on the field, but win every day in the work that we’re doing and stack those days and then look up and see where we’re at, rather than by trying to reach for things without really having put in the work.
Gabe (13:07) How do you know when it’s time for a starter to go to the bullpen? And sometimes you’ll have players who obviously fail at the major league level and that’ll make it easier, but with all the pitching prospects in the system you’ll have to make that decision before then. So what what makes that decision for you?
Chaim Bloom (13:22) Yeah, again, some of it that the the the game, you know, you gotta try to listen to the game. And again, there’s a that’s there’s an art to that, right? It’s not perfectly easy just because a guy has such and such ⁓ an ERA, or you know, the last week or month or two months have gone a certain way, doesn’t mean that it’s time to do that. There, you know, Oli was talking about it last week with Andre that it would have been really easy to do that at many different points. And, you know, not saying that, hey, we solved the puzzle. Like you cannot solve this puzzle, you can’t beat this game. but the strides that he’s made and the things that he’s accomplished, we would not have seen, you know, had we kind of taken the easy way out with that. So that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. There’s not a perfect answer. There is no formula for this. Trust me, I wish there were.
But there is some judgment layer on it and just really trying to peel back some of the things that are more variable, some of the things that are noisier, and just try to get down to the things that are most indicative of where you’re actually at. And then try to make a real plan that’s grounded as much as you can in evidence and and a little bit of baseball field to try to see the path forward. And again, then factor in the competition. Where’s everybody else at? Because we do only have so much opportunity. So the players are going to compete for that opportunity. But at the same time, we we we gotta try to keep our focus on the things that are most indicative of where someone is, and then all the realistic paths to get them to a better place.
Scott Plaza (14:41) Alright, so I played a few levels of indie ball and I understood that we were the most replaceable players out there. ⁓ ’cause there’s two dates we hated, the draft and the trade deadline. Jake’s gonna get to the draft here in a second and trying to still avoid like the whole, you know, what are we doing at the trade deadline type deal. ⁓ we we we were we worried about those because we knew there were gonna be new faces coming in, some of us were gonna lose our jobs. So as rumors come up, how do you go about like addressing those with the players? Like we know this is, you know, it we hear it’s a business so everybody understands, but like Sonny Gray was on the record of being like, I really don’t want to move again during the season. So how do you go about like addressing those rumors when like there’s either truth or not truth to those?
Chaim Bloom (15:21) Yeah, it’s important to recognize as you just highlighted, obviously we can sit here and sometimes we have to and and think about this very transactionally because we have jobs to do, but everybody in this game is a person. And there is a business side to this game, there’s a dark side to this game, and sometimes we all end up on the business end of it. I know I have. And, you know, those experiences I I like to think they help you handle these. I think number one, first and foremost, look, I believe in operating very relationally. I think that’s been a big part of how I built my career. I think people do appreciate it. I think I’ve gotten a lot out of it. I think it makes it easier to help people to move something forward. so I don’t shy away from trying to understand our players as people and relate to them on on a on a on a personal level to the extent that I can. And I think there’s a lot of good things that can come from that. There’s a lot of trust that can get built from that. Whether that that means your next conversation’s gonna be a great one or a tough one, it comes on a foundation of some kind of trust. At the same time, one thing I think is really important, you cannot hide or pretend, you know, you can’t hide the fact that there is that business side. And I think you you you lose a player when you try to pretend that that that doesn’t exist because they know that it does. So you try to be realistic about that, where you know, there’s there’s on one hand, I feel, you know, I owe it to everybody in here, players and staff, from the second you walk into this organization, from the second you leave, I want to treat you like I would want my own children to be treated if they were here, if they if if they were working somewhere. And try to take that personally. And at the same time, we have to make business decisions, and that comes with the job.
And that is part of it. So I just think you try to be very open and realistic about that. There is some element of, you know, sometimes players don’t want to broach those conversations, even if they want to have them. And you know, there is a feel element to that where sometimes there is a time. And you learn this by when you do it and it goes well. And sometimes when you miss the opportunity to do it and you realize after the fact that somebody would have wanted it.
⁓ that there is a time to to to have a conversation with a player and kind of read them into a little bit of what could happen. And some guys don’t want that. So there is a feel element to that. That’s part of where I think the relationships re the relationships help just to get to know people a little bit and understand what they might want. You know, they know we have jobs to do, but you want to try to make this as easy as possible for them. I think in the case as you mentioned, Sonny, obviously Sonny’s in a little bit different situation because he had a no trade clause. So he had control over this too. So, you know, just from a business standpoint, you need to work collaboratively with someone like that and understand what he wants. But even in the case where a player doesn’t have that, I still think, you know, them feeling like the door is open, look, this game’s hard. ⁓ and you don’t want to add stress onto the stress that’s already there that just comes with the business. So to the extent that players feel less stress around just being open with us, understanding what’s going on to the extent that they want that, I like to think that that can help everybody feel a little bit more comfortable around here and just make it that much easier for them to be their best selves.
Jake Wood (18:31) You know, like Scott had mentioned, the Cardinals hold six of the top eighty six picks in the upcoming amateur draft. You know, how much of another shot in the arm can that be for a franchise looking to reinvigorate a pipeline that, you know, this franchise, like you’ve mentioned, has historically leaned on for annual contention. You know, you y the aforementioned players who were trained in the offseason. Obviously Donnie was another guy that, you know, I’m sure that you yourself and Cardinals fans alike did not really want to see go out the door, but you were able to make a deal where it was worth the while to get this additional draft capital going in the direction that the team is. So just can you again, can you kind of talk about, you know, how how impactful that could be going forward and the amount of picks that you guys have coming up?
Chaim Bloom (19:16) Yeah, and you nailed it as far as the emotions around that deal. I mean, you know, sometimes you have to break your own heart in a sense, just the person and that and the player that he is, but also, like I’ve said, feeling like I would not be living up to all the things that I said in the fall ⁓ if we, if I didn’t pull the trigger on that. And a big part of it was, you know, the value we place, you know, this is not to diminish the value of the three players we got in the deal, but the value we place on the those two picks and the chance to to add to our to the impact we can make ⁓ on this organization coming up in a few weeks. And you know, certainly it’s a big opportunity for us. But every draft is a big opportunity. We just happen to have a a little more opportunity in this one because of that deal. But it’s one of the most impactful days of the year and and it’s important to recognize, you know, everything happens on those couple of days, but the prep is really a year round process that our team in the front office and our scouts are putting in. And it is a massive opportunity. I mean, we will live and die with the strength of our pipeline. That’s not news to anybody who follows the Cardinals. And so making sure that we have the most impact possible out of that draft is a huge focus for us right now.
Gabe (20:27) ⁓ sorry, Jake, I’m gonna ask a little bit of an extension talk. ⁓ so from a process standpoint, what boxes need to be checked, what for you to consider assigning a player to an extension? Like is there something they they need to do? Nobody specific, but just what do you look for when you want to sign somebody to a long term extension who’s currently under team control?
Chaim Bloom (20:48) Yeah, there’s so many things that go into this and I think, you know, it isn’t Jake, you mentioned early on that we wouldn’t talk about that because of the leverage piece. That’s not really what it is for me in this topic. It’s really just that it’s a very personal thing, I feel. ⁓ obviously it’s it’s, it’s a private thing on some level for an organization, but it’s a really personal thing for the player, and so you never. I just don’t feel like it’s our place to talk about those things because inevitably, if you’re gonna do that, you end up talking about them selectively. And I I just not I’m not sure that’s fair to everybody involved. ⁓ you know, so there’s so many things that go into it, which makes it hard to generalize. Obviously, how you assess the player is so important, but I think these sorts of things, and I’ve talked about them as like I don’t like the terminology about hey, we’re bestowing this extension or rewarding a player with an extension that you so often see thrown around. I mean, I guess yes, on some level that’s what’s happening, but to me, you know, the the players have agency in this too. And it’s really kind of a it’s a sharing of risk going forward and a sharing of upside going forward. And that’s something that both parties are gonna have different stances on what that could look like. I think for me, it’s also as much a statement about the person as it is about the player. And again, I don’t think people should read into it when there isn’t an extension that means we don’t like the person or don’t like the player. It’s just there’s a lot of discussions around these in the industry and not a lot of them that happen in the grand scheme. That’s because it is pretty hard to come together on these sometimes. But you know, when you’re talking about ⁓ kind of locking arms with somebody in that way, ⁓ when you still have, you know, a lot of team control with them, ⁓ a lot of it is ⁓ you know, just having a read on who the person is and is the person the right type of person for this sort of arrangement. And again, even if they’re not, that’s not necessarily a negative. There are some guys that you see over the course of their careers that man, they do so much better when that carrot’s always in front of them, when they when they have that chance to go year by year and and max it out. That’s a personal preference, and sometimes it’s our read of the person. But a lot of it is about trust and just feeling very confident that the security that a player gets through the through that type of deal is not going to change them, is not going to diminish their hunger to win or their desire to be great. You can’t know that for sure, but we try to get as good a read on that as possible because again, players are motivated in different ways. So you want to make sure that you know, even when you approach a player, that they’re they’re wired in a way that it makes sense to get into those conversations whether or not they lead to a deal.
Yeah.
Scott Plaza (23:15) Now, talking about a way a player is wired, like Ivan Herrera has played every single game while working, you know, to prove himself as a catcher while also being a top bat in the league. Like was well, being on pace for like four hundred and sixteen, I think, hit by pitches this year. Is playing every game did he come into that like with that was a goal in mind? Or is it just like that’s just the way it’s worked out and it’s been successful so far?
Chaim Bloom (23:37) It’s not a goal that I’ve heard him express. That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t expressed it, but ⁓ you know, we’re fortunate in the way that this has worked out because obviously put a lot of energy into the catching thing throughout the offseason, you know, want to diminish the effects of actually having had a surgery in the offseason and coming off of that, and I give a lot of credit to him, to our staff, both our skilled staff, ⁓ coaching staff and and our performance staff in just monitoring his health and his workload very carefully so he has been able to post for us the way that that he has. And hopefully this is something we’re able to continue. It’s damn hard. For him to do that over the course of a season. You need some luck on your side too, just for it to go well enough for that to be the case and not need to miss some time here and there. But ⁓ believe me, we notice it, we don’t take it lightly. It says a lot about who he is.
Jake Wood (24:22) You know, I wanna clarify something really quickly on the the extension conversation that was had previously. I I didn’t want to get into specific players like Chaim had mentioned. That’s what I was trying to avoid was like, hey, why aren’t you extending JJ or Jordan Walker or Destin Like I don’t wanna like get into specifics, but I felt like your question of the overall ⁓ like how he approached the extension, that’s fine and and fair and in-game. So I like that.
Chaim, I wanna go a different direction. What are some key elements to your philosophy on player promotions, right? What are the elements that you take into consideration the most when determining a player’s readiness, you know, for another level, much less just for the major leagues?
Chaim Bloom (25:03) Yeah, well when it comes to ⁓ promotions within the system, I mean for me, I don’t look at my role as to kind of dictate from up here exactly what should happen level to level. I wanna be in those conversations, particularly around you know, some of our more prominent players. And basically a lot of that for me, my job is to to try to ask tough and smart questions if I can. And you know, to understand the why, especially when something, you know, might be a little atypical. But but you know, I love the way that our our people have thought through these questions. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna get every single one of them right. And sometimes it’s hard to even know if you got it right. really we want to be put these players at all times in the right place for them to grow the most. And the goal of the whole thing is to help these guys reach their ceiling or as close to it as we can get them. And so you want to have players at every step of the way on the right path to do that, understanding that there are 165 of them. And sometimes you have to balance some competing considerations within that. So, you know, I I view my role as really trying to ask those questions and make sure that we are hitting that goal and how and and that we have some thought process behind why this level makes sense for this particular player at this time. The way I can, where I do think I can add some value to those discussions for our PD crew, is sometimes just maybe giving a bigger picture or even just getting into a conversation about how I’m seeing this player’s path, whether it’s in twenty twenty six or beyond, just making sure we’re in sync on that. If I think, you know, this is where a player’s at relative to where he might need to be to come to the big leagues and our people think something different, well let’s talk through that. Sometimes I learn stuff, sometimes we have good baseball conversations, some good debates around that. But for the most part, you know, I view it as something where whenever possible in this game, I think you always want to push decisions to the people who are closest to the action. There are obviously some decisions that can only be made from this chair, but ⁓ a lot of those promotion decisions are not those. So I I just view it as an extension of my responsibility to try to help and push our people and help them grow and just try to challenge them with tough questions. But when push comes to shove, ⁓ are the you you want to make sure like you it’s hard to sit here and think you know more about a particular situation than the people that you have charged and tasked with with those situations. So, you know, I hate and almost will never do it, you know, kind of coming over the top of those decisions like that. But I like to have a seat at the table to be able to challenge and then push people. And, you know, I insist on dissent and honest feedback in those conversations and I want people to do the same for me just because I think it might be time to bring a player to the big leagues. If people who are close to the action feel that is definitely not the case, you know, I need to create an environment where they feel comfortable expressing that so we can get to the best decision for the organization because all that that’s all that matters. It doesn’t matter who’s right.
Yeah.
Gabe (27:56) So I want to address the catching depth a little bit. ⁓ catching is kinda like starting pitching where you want to keep them at catcher as long as possible because it’s the hardest position. I feel like you guys will have to certainly make some trades, but maybe move some people off the position and what would go about like have you had conversations with players in the system or even in the major leagues about moving to a different position and what position they might play?
Chaim Bloom (28:23) Yeah, with respect to our catchers, first of all, it’s amazing to to have this problem because it comes from having some really good catching talent in the organization. And that’s pretty cool. We I think generally speaking, as guys go through the minor leagues, we want to try with almost every player building some versatility into every player. So you see it that our catchers play other positions. And it helps when you have multiple catchers that you want to get some action behind the plate at the same level. Now they’ve got other places they can play. So you don’t just have DH as an outlet to get those guys in the lineup. And that’s something we want to build in for everybody. And so what it means is that if it comes time at some point for them to play another position, or even if it ends up down the road just making sense for the club, not because they can’t catch, but because other people also can and you have different ways and give your manager different options to make out a lineup, especially for the guys that bring a lot to a a lot to the table offensively. You know, that’s part of why it’s good to build versatility into these guys. And that’s how we explain it to really all of our players. So you see, ⁓ you know, we we we’ve got it going with ⁓ a number of our catchers throughout the system that you’ll see them, not just DH, but you’ll see them play first. You might even see them at other spots in the infield or you might even see them in the outfield. Like that’s something that should be the norm for us, and not just at that position, but just have different options, you know, try to create players who are not Faberger eggs, who are not so fragile that they can only do one thing, that they can only play one position, that they can only hit in one spot in the lineup. Like, it’s our responsibility to prepare them for anything and prepare them for all of the differing circumstances and the adversity and the adjustments that they will face at the highest level. So I think that’s all part and parcel of it. If we got to the point where we actually wanted to take the catching away from somebody, you know, then obviously that’s a different conversation. And some guys might welcome that, some guys might not. Obviously you hope at that position in particular that guys wanna do it. ⁓ and you never wanna force it on somebody who doesn’t want to do it because it’s just not gonna work, but you know, for the moment, I think just creating options for ourselves and and creating that versatility, it to me, there’s only positives that can come from that. And again, just gives us more options, gives us more options for a big league club, more insurance against injury or underperformance. And yeah, I think it also creates options for us over time. If if there’s a way for us to use the trade market to do something that makes sense for the organization, it creates some options there too.
Scott Plaza (30:49) I’m sure I know the the kind of vibe of your answer coming to this one based on you as a competitor from what we’ve taken in here. But ⁓ you have the supportive ownership, obviously, with the the promotion and like the length of term in your contract, as well as being able to extend OLLI ⁓ for a couple of years. Does that allow you to take a breath and relax and be like, okay, this doesn’t need to be done now? Like again, I I’m sure that’s gonna be just an absolute no. ⁓ but do you also view like that term as kind of like a a deadline for a lack of better terms to get back?
Chaim Bloom (31:21) You know, I think if I’m gonna sit here and say like, hey, I don’t like the ahead of schedule term, then I think it would be just wrong of me to to look at that look at your question and say like that’s some sort of timetable. ⁓ and also wrong of me to put my own personal considerations into it. To me, you you gotta go you gotta you you just gotta get after it every day. Like I said, regardless of any kind of contract term, like in this business, we all gotta earn it every single day. We all gotta act as if everything’s on the line for us every single day. Like that’s how I feel. And that’s, you know, what I would want from any of our people. You know, I try to talk all the time about urgency. And now where it is important, you know, relative to your question is that does th that still might mean, hey, today is not the day to do something. And some things are going to take time. And there may be some things that it makes more sense to tackle tomorrow or next week or next month or next year or just some things that you can’t expect to bear fruit right now, you still do them. You still get after ⁓ urgently with whatever you can put into them today. So it’s, to me, like the strategy or you know the time that it might take for some things to come to fruition, that is unrelated to me, to the urgency and the effort that we need to put into them. You try to zoom out and take the most honest look at that as you can, but you really have to figure out every possible way that you can further the organization every given day. And yeah, like I said, some things might not might not happen today. But that should be because we decide to prioritize and we prioritize well. It shouldn’t be because we did not just bring enough of ourselves to our jobs to get to it.
Jake Wood (33:12) You know, to to jump off of Scott’s earlier point, you know, I’m gonna bring some positivity, right? We all love to talk about positive things. We’re watching Josh Baez demolish baseballs in Memphis right now, and you know, raw power, in my opinion, is one of the most seductive elements for baseball fans, and that coincides with the current lack thereof from the big league club recently. You know, can you explain the value of things that you’re looking at like chase rate and whiff rate and some of the things that, you know, Baez is currently working on
And how refining those elements ⁓ is is like essential for Baez to have success at the next level?
Chaim Bloom (33:48) Yeah, and you kinda hit on what I would point to. And I think it’s awesome that I keep getting this question because of what he is doing down there. We should not take that for granted. Obviously, you know where where Josh was a couple years ago and how remarkable last year was and and just how rare that is. So much credit to him. So happy for the people that poured into him and worked with him to get him to a point where he could get to his power the way that he has and really show off all of his tools as he continues to do on the bases and on defense and continues to improve there. And love where his head’s at and how he gets after his work. ⁓ the the example he sets. I mean there’s so much to like about this guy. ⁓ and those are things that we monitor. Obviously the power ⁓ the power is there, the understatement of of the podcast, right? ⁓ it it’s it’s big league power. ⁓ early in the year actually, like ⁓ even though you know you would see that power play and you and he would create those highlights I think particularly early in the year, actually when you look under the hood, there was even some backsliding a little bit off of spring training in terms of swing path, in terms of some of those things, in terms of pitch selection and in terms of contact. And it was even something you could see actually in his path and some of the other things that we monitor and measure. And you know, i as more season has gone on, and I I like to think due in part to the work that he’s been doing with our staff, we’ve seen that actually trend back in a in a good direction and get a lot closer to where he was last year. And some of that’s now being reflected in those numbers that are easy to track in in terms of strikeouts, in terms of of pitch selection. So you want to see those continue to move in a good direction. We know those will be tested and you know tested big time in the big leagues. So seeing those go in a good direction is is really gratifying. Just shows that he is putting in good work and, you know, continuing to master this level. And like I told you guys, there’s there is some art to it. I can’t promise you there’s a perfect formula to know, okay, like when has he done that to the point where you know he cannot benefit anymore at that level, and it’s time ⁓ for the next challenge and certainly he’s moving in a good direction towards that. I like I said, I can’t promise you there’s a there’s a perfect way to assess that, but love what we’re seeing from him, you know, particularly in recent weeks and months.
Gabe (36:00) What is the ⁓ status update on Tink Hence? Because usually when ⁓ his problem is injuries, but he’s, I think, been healthy all year. So what has been going on with him and is do you think he’s close to fixing whatever’s going on with him?
Chaim Bloom (36:13) Yeah, this has been a tougher one. And it’s not due to lack of effort by our staff or by Tink, who is a a a wonderful kid and a tremendous worker. As you can see, just following him outing to outing, we have struggled to help get him to a point where he can bring his A plus game from pitch one every time. And he’s flashed it, but we have not been able to see it consistently. There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes just on getting him ready for those outings in in from a movement perspective and from a prep perspective so that he can access some of those but high end velos and obviously this his superpower has been, you know, that velo and also the changeup that then goes with it to be able to speed guys up and slow them down, but also from that slot that he’s able to create it from. We just gotta make sure that we can help him bring that from pitch one every time. And, you know, obviously as you can see just by watching him, to this point it has not been there. that doesn’t mean it’s not in there somewhere because we’ve seen him flash it, but we have not yet solve that puzzle of being able to get him there consistently. So we continue to talk about that and continue to work at it.
Scott Plaza (37:15) Alright, my last question. ⁓ besides being on this podcast, what has been the best part of this season for you, either personally or professionally?
Chaim Bloom (37:23) that’s awesome. ⁓
I’m I’m lucky in that as challenging as this business is, and as much as there’s times when you wake up in the middle of the night and you’re just staring at the ceiling trying to figure something out, like the game also brings us so many wonderful things. And man, you just gotta keep your your yourself open to them because there’s so many great things that happen every day. Like I’m always super energized just by the relationships I get to build through this game, the people I get to be around. ⁓ so much of what, you know, I take pleasure from in this game is not just the the challenge of trying to build something great, but to do it with people that I’m invested in. That’s sort of my professional why, so to speak. ⁓ I think with that, you know, probably the the most fun part of this so far. I mean, look, winning is winning always makes things more fun, believe me. It’s ⁓ you know, you’re kidding yourself if you’re not it if you’re not honest about that. But beyond that, I think it’s where the culture ⁓ you know, within the organization and particularly within our big league clubhouse right now is going and that player group specifically. ⁓ you know, there’s a couple things that I would highlight and and even, you know, with our staff where ⁓ I think the way that they’ve embraced this project and just embraced some of what we’ve talked about about really when you can see that light at the end of the tunnel really sticking with players and you know staff, good staff take the successes and failures of players personally. And so it can lead when a player, when it’s not clicking for a player, can lead to frustration. And, you know, when that goes wrong, it leads to, you know, we talked about earlier, it can lead to giving up on a player before you should. And I’ve just been so happy with the way our staff has I haven’t felt that at all from them. that doesn’t mean they’re not frustrated when things aren’t going well, but they’re they’re staying in the fight with these guys. And I think that’s what a young group needs. And then from the players, like we talked about it from from day one. It’s really I I I think we spent as much time this off season and in spring training as a staff and particularly me and Ollie talking about culture and where we wanted this to go. And, you know, we had different ways and touch points to try to to lay that down for the players, but we can’t do it for them. They’re the ones that are that need to do this. And so trying to create that feeling with them of what I talked about earlier that, you know, the standard here is really high, but it’s not somebody else’s standard that you have to live up to. It’s yours that you get to create. You know, this is, it’s an amazing organization within an amazing game, and you have this privilege of setting your standard and writing your chapter and and they’re doing that and they feel that and they’ve kind of picked it up and they’re running with it. It’s not perfect every day. But I think, you know, taking ownership of that for themselves and running with it and defining for themselves what that’s going to look like. Look, look, this is something we build on every day and hopefully this is something that continues to evolve and grow ⁓ for years to come.
But just feeling that actually become real for these guys and every game, you know, there’s obviously wins that it becomes real through, and there’s also close losses where we battle back from a four-nothing deficit and score three in the in the ninth, or a six to one deficit and score four in the ninth. And yeah, at the end you don’t win and you’re you’re you’re sitting there with a bad taste in your mouth. But it’s like, hey, this is part of it too. This is part of this identity that these guys are building for themselves. And knowing that we wanted to see that and wanted to try to nurture that, like they have to do it, but we can hopefully till the soil in such a way that makes it a little easier for them. And so then when they pick it up and run with it and you get to see do it, like it’s it’s it’s pretty gratifying.
Jake Wood (40:50) Chaim, I want to kind of flip the script on you a little bit. You know, whenever you’re in a professional interview, it’s always good to ask the interviewer questions. I want to ask you, what do you think is a question that’s not being asked of you enough, or an area or element of the franchise that’s not being talked about or covered enough that you think needs to be highlighted more?
Chaim Bloom (41:13) This is a good one. I, you know, I was not ⁓ eating breakfast this morning and trying to think, what are these guys gonna ask me? What do I need to be ready for? This wasn’t on my bingo card, so good work. ⁓ might be hard for me to say in a sense because you know, it’s hard to always know exactly what’s on people’s minds. And I know no matter what’s going on in the organization, big league wins and losses are where the focus are gonna be at i is gonna be at, and that’s the way it should be. ⁓ so I so it’s it’s it might be hard for me to pinpoint. ⁓ I’ll say this is a complete dodge of your question, but I’ll say this. Like it was kind of it’s become even more apparent to me in this seat as it was the last couple of years, like our fans are on top of this.
Like I think this is a fan base that even more than its reputation, like follows this closely enough to really intuit what’s happening and what’s important. ⁓ both the good and the bad. I like it because it pushes us. You know, it brings the best out of us. Like you should want and welcome that engagement and that scrutiny. So I’m not sure that really that many stones are being left unturned, man. I don’t, I don’t ⁓ I don’t know that there’s anything that’s been missed. I just think it’s hard, obviously, for you guys or anybody who’s not within the walls to really see what it looks like every day. I think where so much of my focus, my energy is on is making sure like it’s cool that we got off to a good start. We actually have not accomplished anything yet. And my focus needs to be on and trying to make sure like we don’t do what you said, that some people might be doing is saying like, hey, we’re ahead of schedule, mission accomplished, cool, we figured it out. Like we can’t ever feel that way. And just to make sure that that hunger in the building is still the same as if we were 20 games under 500 and wondering, you know, all these different things that need to move forward that that but that’s not something that I necessarily expect people to see from the outside. You know, there for me, you know, we’re really just at the beginning of this. There’s so many things that I think we have so much room to grow in. ⁓ the fruits of that ultimately you’re you see them on the field, ⁓ if they work. So it’s not something that ⁓ really can be seen from the outside. probably a lot of them I couldn’t even tell you about, or at least my thoughts on them. ⁓ so I don’t expect it to necessarily be the subject of questions, but you know, to me it’s a lot of this is about just regardless of the results so far. You know, I I’ve talked about it a little bit, where I’m happy to be able to get questions about your farm systems rank this and that relative to where it was a couple of years ago. That’s awesome. But if if my ask of our people is like, hey, we should a always act like we’re thirtieth, then what does that look like every day? What does it mean we try to move forward on or or or or fix every day? And that should happen no matter what’s going on in the big leagues.
Gabe (44:08) So for my last question, I I feel compelled to ask a little bit about the deadline. when do conversations start with other teams?
Jake Wood (44:14) Broke the two rules I had,
Gabe. You broke the two rules!
Chaim Bloom (44:18) How can you not ask though, right? Like I would ask.
Gabe (44:19) Yeah.
Well when did when did the conversation start with other teams?
Jake Wood (44:23) sure. Go for it. Go for it, Gabe. I’ll let
I’ll but I’ll let him I’ll let him answer. Go for it.
Gabe (44:28) All right. when do they start getting serious and then how long are you typically talking with a team when you actually decide to execute a trade at the deadline?
Chaim Bloom (44:36) So in my experience, this shifted a little bit when the draft moved back into July. It just kind of changed the cadence of deadline talks in that you almost have like a little bubbling up of them now. That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s gonna be that many deals. Usually there are not, but you have these sort of like, you know, before the halfway point, after the first third of the season, you have these check-ins. And to me it used to be more of a straight line, just kind of leading up to the deadline. But now that the draft is where it is.
When you get that close to the draft, unless they’re trades specifically that might involve some of those few tradable picks that exist, you know, usually teams are kind of putting that on the back burner because they need to focus on the draft. And then you have the all-star break and everybody like takes a little bit of a breath, like make sure our families don’t completely kick us out of the family for a few days, and then and then now you’re back into it and it really heats up.
But you try to lay some of that groundwork. You don’t want to miss an opportunity if there’s something that could happen at this time of year that actually makes sense for you. It’s just usually that urgency created by the deadline tends to mean that most of those happen later anyway. But there are some conversations. Teams are already assessing needs, or they’re already think that there’s something that they might want to do. Sometimes there’s particular urgency that an organization feels to execute on a certain thing. But it’s kind of like you you you get some of it, and then everybody
Sort of focused on the draft, and then then it really picks up again. So it does it does start to happen kind of about now. And actually we’re almost approaching to where we are going to be pretty buckled down on the draft to where that’s less likely to happen, unless, like I said, it involves a pick. sometimes you do see those close to the draft. And as far as deadline trades and how much conversation, man, it’s all over the map in my experience. There are things that
I mean, I’ve been a part of trades, including some really big ones at the deadline, where literally some version of that concept had been talked around for y years between these two organizations, either because they want one of your players, you want one of their players, vice versa, you know, no one’s really ready to meet the price, or you could you can’t quite align, and then something happens and you could literally say, Man, we’ve been talking to them about so and so for years, and finally something happened. And then there are others where they come out of nowhere.
I’ve also been part of some things that you didn’t even conceive of this opportunity until deadline day. And maybe it’s spurred by somebody else makes a different trade, and now a player is available, or a team really changes their goals or their threshold like within hours of the deadline. And that’s it’s it’s fun, it’s exhilarating. It can get pretty crazy when that happens, but it’s all over the map. You know, there are some years where like wild stuff happens within the last couple hours and some years where you’re waiting for that and it ends up being exactly like what you thought, which can still be fun and exciting, but it’s a little bit of a different kind of excitement. So there’s not there’s not any any one formula for those, which is part of why it’s it helps to stay engaged.
Jake Wood (47:39) Chaim, we’re kinda starting to get to the the close of the show and so I have quite a few topics still on the top of my head, so if you want to we can just kind of quickly touch on some of these. First one, Dustin May was reported that he’s gonna skip his start and then make it on Wednesday. ⁓ everything good on that he just needs a little more rest, or is there anything more to be concerned about more long term?
Chaim Bloom (48:03) No, we’ve ⁓ it is ⁓ the former, what you said, you know, especially coming off of that complete game was just feeling it a little bit in his low back. you know, we actually did some precautionary testing just to make sure there was nothing ⁓ you know, more serious going on there and and that all looked good. You know, I’m really just trying to be smart with him and you know, try to try to again like the ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure type thing. so we’re still you know, figuring out exactly how we’re gonna slot guy, especially with the rain out.
I’m kinda ⁓ we’re moving things around a little bit, just to try to slot everybody for the next road trip, but anticipate him pitching ⁓ midweek and and being just fine.
Jake Wood (48:42) This past week you guys had ⁓ announced a little bit of change in the structure and the dynamic at the top of the organization with Bill DeWitt the third taking over as CEO, Anuk being elevated to president of business operations, just your relationship with Anuk, and ⁓ you know, the how if any like a legitimate change in that structure looks for the Cardinals moving forward?
Chaim Bloom (49:07) Yeah, obviously a big announcement and big news for the organization and and ⁓ great ⁓ and and well deserved for both those guys and that you know been nothing but great in the time that I’ve gotten to know each of them. ⁓ it’s actually, you know, within the organization, really like day to day, it’s not going to change much. To me, it’s just the next step in in where we’ve been going. You know, Nook has been here actually a little longer than I have ⁓ on the business side. And so, you know, like, I got, he comes into this now with a ⁓ a runway and some impact already in the organization and some great relationships throughout the organization. You know, I’ve enjoyed getting to know him and working with him and looking forward to partnering with him so that we can move towards our goals together. ⁓ and as far as Bill the Third, again, when I when I came in here and and and particularly in you know late summer in 24 when we were you know talking about the succession in this role, you know, to me, this has actually been very straightforward and ⁓ you know, very smooth in terms of the DeWitt family and and and working with both of those guys to make sure I understand where their heads are at and their expectations for how this organization needs to be run. And like I’ve said before, I think the consistency of that operating model and how they’ve thought about this is something that’s really envied throughout the industry. And it’s been incredibly smooth working with both of them. ⁓ I I’ve looked at it as my responsibility to do that from day one here. And you know that’s continuing forward. So to me it’s actually it’s really smooth and and very continuous. And you know that’s how you hope it goes. That you know over time in organizations there’s going to be different people taking on different responsibilities. There’s going to be succession plans. You want those to be smooth. ⁓ you know not not to say that we can’t all benefit from having our personal snow snow globe shaken up every now and then, but when possible to avoid unnecessary disruption, you want to do that. And I think so many of the ways that the organization’s going about things, whether it was what they did with with me, or what’s going on now with those two guys is actually helping that. And, you know, hopefully that helps us avoid some of the bumps in the road that could come when you’re not doing this in as smooth a way. So it’s been great.
Jake Wood (51:15) You mentioned the word succession and ⁓ you know, Mo yesterday it was announced that he is the new interim GM for the Angels. what was that short amount of time that you were able to work with Mo pretty hand in hand? What was that like and what was like the key thing you were able to take away from working with him on a daily basis? And what do you think he’s gonna bring most to the angels and in that new capacity for them?
Chaim Bloom (51:38) Well, first and foremost, I mean, I think what a great get for the Angels. And, you know, it looks like ⁓ something that’s ⁓ an amazing opportunity for all parties, really well set up. I’m sure he’s gonna do a great job with it. You know, the more the more time I’ve had to kind of reflect on that period that we overlap, the the more ⁓ privileged I feel to have had that time. You know, in this business, you compete against your counterparts all the time. You don’t unless it’s somebody that you kind of came up with and came up with in the organization, you don’t really have the chance to work together. So you don’t have the chance to really see people operate. And here’s someone who operated a really high level for a long time, accomplished some great things that, you know, I got to work with and and see operate ⁓ you know, for his last couple of years in this role. And again, that’s just not something that a lot of people get to have. And there’s a lot of things that I was able to take from it, hopefully that feeling is is mutual for him. ⁓ but I really enjoyed it and it was something that, you know, I really treasure. I think probably one of the best things I took from ⁓ from him and just seeing him particularly at that stage of his time here and what was an incredibly long tenure in an organization and in this role was just the value of time and the value of being present and how well he ⁓ did and does that, ⁓ something that really sticks with me.
Jake Wood (53:00) You know, I actually forgot at the very beginning that Chaim promised to tell us exactly who he’s trading for, who he’s extending, and what’s gonna happen in over the next two months, but unfortunately we’re out of time today. So thank you so much, Chaim, for joining us. we really appreciate you hopping in here and and we hope to be able to have you back on in the in the future to talk some more ball. We really appreciate this. Thank you so much.
Chaim Bloom (53:19) You bet. Thanks for having me. We’ll have to get to all that juicy stuff next time.
Jake Wood (53:23) That’s right, we’ll talk about what happened as opposed to what’s going to. Thank you so much for joining us for this episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast. Don’t forget to rate and review and hit that subscribe button so you’re notified every Monday morning when a new episode is released. We will talk to you all next week when we are joined by Cardinals’ longtime public address announcer, “U-Man” John Ulett will join us. Have a great day, St. Louis, and let’s go cards!
TORONTO, ON - CIRCA 1990: Tony Fernandez #1 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1990 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. Fernandez played for the Blue Jays from 1983-90, 93, 1998-99 and 2001. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You’d think there’d be more demand from top players for the number 1 on the back of the jersey, especially since it was worn by some notable players. However, it has largely been the designation of contact first, defensively solid infielders over the years and the Jays are no exception. When the Yankees and Indians first added numbers to the jerseys at the start of the 1929, they did so based on the starting lineup first, which meant that Indian’s shortstop Jackie Tavener and Yankee’s centerfielder Earl Combs, each club’s respective lead off man, earned the number. Since then, 1 has been mostly allotted to contact hitters and defense first players throughout the last 77 years.
Tavener, who didn’t last out the season, had always been a weak hitter and was at the end of his career at age 31. Combs, on the other hand, was a tremendous fielder and an excellent hitter, sporting a career wRC+ of 126. Other than his lack of home runs, he was a perfect leadoff hitter, with a career line of .325/.397/.459, excelling hitting into the gaps at Yankee Stadium’s cavernous outfield and leading the league in triples 3 times.
Hall of Fame players to wear no 1 include Richie Ashburn, Bobby Doerr, Pee Wee Reese, and Ozzie Smith; three infielders and a centerfielder, all excellent defenders.
The first Jay to wear 1 was also, ironically, the first player they chose in the 1976 Expansion Draft; Bob Bailor. Selected from Baltimore, Bailor was primarily an outfielder but saw time at short and third during his four years with the Jays.
Who is the most successful player to wear 1 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays?
WWIB: Tony Fernandez 1983-1990, 1993, 1998-1999, 2001 (37.5 bWAR)
Fernandez was one of legendary scout Epy Guerrero’s signings in 1979 and first came up in 1983 as a September callup. By 1985, he had seized the role of starting shortstop, winning four Gold Gloves, known for his ability to get balls deep in the zone and rainbow throws back to first half a second ahead of the runner. He was a five-time All-Star, all of them while playing for the Jays. He was part of the blockbuster trade between San Diego and Toronto, which sent him and Fred McGriff to the Padres in exchange for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. Fernandez was a tremendous patient hitter, walking almost as much as he struck out, and used his speed to take extra bases and steal. Interestingly, his second last run with the Jays – 1998 and 1999 – were the two best offensive years of his career, getting onbase at the best clip of his career and hitting 15 of his 94 career home runs. Fernandez was part of the World Series winning team in 1993, going 7-21 in the series, driving in 9 runs as a key part of the lineup.
Fernandez was a deeply religious man, to the point that the Jays Front Office was occasionally unsure whether he might retire during the offseason to start his ministry during the height of his career. Fernandez received just 4 votes for Cooperstown, falling off the ballot in 2008, but he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Fernandez passed away in 2020 following complications stemming from polycystic kidney disease.
Other Jays to wear number Orlando Hudson 2002-2005 (12.6 bWAR), Bob Bailor 1977-1980 (3.5 bWAR), Joe Inglett 2007-2009 (3.0 bWAR), and Aledmys Díaz 2018 (2.1 bWAR).
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 06, 2025: Cam Cauley #24 of the Texas Rangers in the field during the ninth inning of a spring training game against the San Diego Padres at Surprise Stadium on March 06, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Texas Rangers are calling up Cam Cauley from AAA Round Rock, per multiple reports. Or, I guess I should say, have already called him up, as the beats say that he is on the field with the team right now. He is not on the 40 man roster currently. There’s an open 40 man roster spot right now, though with the Rangers also signing Chris Paddack, per reports, there will need to be a second 40 man roster spot opened up once that signing happens.
Cauley, 23, was the Rangers’ 3rd round pick out of Mont Belvieu, Texas, in 2021. He was not really getting much attention until last season, when he slashed .253/.325/.448 in 490 plate appearances for Frisco while playing the up-the-middle positions (other than catcher). His performance had him discussed as a possible candidate to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, and then a possible candidate to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft when he was not added to the 40 man roster. He ultimately was not picked, and thus stayed with the Rangers.
Cauley had an impressive spring training, and has been at Round Rock all year. He’s slashed .262/.363/.407 in 343 plate appearances over 74 games for the Express while splitting his time between second base, third base, shortstop, and center field. He is presumably coming up to give the Rangers a versatile right handed bench bat who can fill in at numerous positions and get some starts against lefties. He’s also a late game pinch running option, having gone 29 for 29 on the basepaths this season, and 168 for 190 on stolen base attempts as a professional.
I think Cauley is going to be filling the role the team anticipated Cody Freeman might fill this year, as a high-energy versatile young guy off the bench, at least for the time being.
In regards to who goes to make room for Cauley, the possibilities would seem to be either Jarred Kelenic being designated for assignment or Brandon Nimmo going on the injured list. Kelenic has gotten limited playing time this year, and doesn’t really have a path to much playing time, though his pinch running appearance yesterday which ended in his scoring from second on a wild pitch was quite memorable. Nimmo, meanwhile, crashed into the wall in right field when making a catch on what was the final play of the game, and was shaken up a little bit. He was being reevaluated today.
UPDATE — Per the DMN, Jarred Kelenic is expected to be designated for assignment to make room for Cauley.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers’ first visit to West Sacramento puts forward the battle between one of the greatest left-handed sluggers in baseball and Shohei Ohtani. Obviously, we’re kidding, but the numbers that Nick Kurtz is currently putting up are no joke, nearly single-handedly carrying the Athletics’ offense into a fight for the AL West, whose current leader has a.500 record, easily the worst among all first-place teams. Kurtz’s efforts with the A’s are even more important with Brent Rooker currently sidelined on the IL, not that he’s been particularly productive when on the field this season.
The American League’s leader in both runs scored (59) and runs batted in (56)—the type of achievement usually reserved for the likes of Ohtani and Aaron Judge—Kurtz is not fazed by facing a left-handed starter such as he’ll tonight in Eric Lauer. Although the production for the A’s star first baseman naturally takes a hit against lefties, he has hit six of his 19 home runs against them, good enough for an .836 OPS. Ohtani has a similar OPS against left-handed pitchers, coming in at .826, and will also face one tonight in Gage Jump, who has been magnificent since joining the A’s rotation a little over a month ago.
It is quite reasonable that the Dodgers will find an A’s team with lowered morale, given their recent inability to take advantage of a soft schedule and really cement their case to at least fight for the AL West crown. Across their last 10 games, the A’s played strictly against last-place teams and only achieved a 4-6 record against the Angels and Giants, failing to win any of the three series they were involved in. Meanwhile, the Dodgers defend their undefeated record in Lauer’s outings, having won each of the five games this veteran lefty has pitched in.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 20: Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pavin Smith #26, Nolan Arenado #28 and Ketel Marte #4 talk during a pitching change during the fifth inning of the MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Chase Field on June 20, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arizona is just 10-15 here in June and have lost 6 of 8. But they’re 6-0 against the Giants this season with a +22 run differential. It hasn’t been a fair matchup, but if the Giants really are on a minor upswing (12-12 in June), then this should be a competitive series.
The Diamondbacks were 31-24 after sweeping the Giants in Arizona just about a month ago, and were 10th in runs scored and 16th in team ERA (far lower in both categories if you go to the analytics). Corbin Carroll (158 wRC+), Nolan Arenado (123), Ildemaro Vargas (122), and Ketel Marte (120) led the charge with the bats while they got by on the pitching side thanks to Michael Soroka (1.6 fWAR, 2.87 FIP) and Eduardo Rodriguez (1.1 fWAR, 3.73 FIP). But that sweep is when the seasons started to reverse for both teams.
Arizona is 10-18 since the sweep while the Giants are 13-14. While Michael Soroka’s great Comeback Player of the Year-type season was continuing apace (4 starts, 2.57 ERA/3.10 FIP, +0.5 fWAR) until 10 days ago when he found himself on the IL. Eduardo Rodriguez has sort of soft-landed from being above average to average with a 2.20 ERA over his last 5 starts (28.2 IP) betrayed by a 4.81 FIP (5.33 xERA). Meanwhile, Ryne Nelson, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen are a combined -1.5 fWAR over this stretch with a combined 7.08 ERA in 89 innings (16 starts combined). Simply put: three of the worst starters in the sport, making Arizona’s rotation one of the worst since they last swept the Giants.
But it’s not just the pitching that has lost its rattle. The Diamondbacks’ lineup has scored the second-fewest runs in MLB over the past 30 days (95), trailing only the Guards (91). Their offensive leaders through May 27th have all declined: Corbin Carroll (117 wRC+) and Ketel Marte (106) are still above average, but certainly not hitting at elite levels. Nolan Arenado (36) and Ildemaro Vargas (1 wRC+) have fallen off a cliff.
The Giants were looking like a lineup that had finally gotten on a roll, but for all their big wins, their 133 runs scored since May 28th is just 15th in MLB. Analytically, they’ve still been the best offense (126 wRC+ — 1st) and compared to Arizona’s putrid performance (80 wRC+), an absolute juggernaut. The only Giants (min 5 PA) who haven’t been better than league average over the last 30 days: Willy Adames (93 wRC+), Daniel Susac (47), Drew Cavanaugh (42), Eric Haase (28), and Buddy Kennedy (-53 and who was traded to the Mariners).
So, the Giants have this series locked up, right?
Well, you know, as dominant as Logan Webb and Robbie Ray have been, the rest of the Giants are still really easy to hit. Over the past 30 days, they’re 13-14 with a 4.51 team ERA. That’s 21st in MLB. Their +1.7 fWAR is 20th. Remarkably, the Giants have been one of the worst groundball teams in the sport, with a 40.2% groundball rate (19th). Now, on the season ,they’re holding firm at 44.4% (5th in MLB), and that’s where they want to be. It’s just interesting to note that they haven’t been getting as many groundballs this past month. To show you just how much of a groundball franchise they’ve been: the groundball/flyball data started being recorded in 2002, but since that time, the Giants have had a pitching staff with a groundball rate below 42% just twice: 2020 (38.8%) and 2008 (39.2%). So, hopefully, this is just a blip created by Logan Webb being on the IL.
Who: San Francisco Giants (35-48) at Arizona Diamondbacks (41-42) Where: Chase Field | Phoenix, Arizona When: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 6:40pm PT National broadcasts: None
Geraldo Perdomo: Last year’s breakout (7.1 fWAR) had a .672 OPS through the last sweep of the Giants, but since then, he’s hit .286/.397/.408 (.805 OPS) in 28 games. He and his teammates spent the weekend being swept by the Rays, but he had a great series, going 6-for-11 with a double and a homer. He’s been sluggish at home, though (.659 OPS) and he’s just 5-for-22 against the Giants in 2026.
Paul Sewald & Kevin Ginkel: Arizona’s bullpen has been bad here in June (5.00 ERA in 81 IP, +0.1 fWAR), though not nearly as bad as the Giants’ has been (5.95 ERA in 78.2 IP, -0.4 fWAR). And that’s because their closer and primary setup dude have performed as well as any pitcher in either role possibly could. Ginkel is 2-0 with a pair of holds this month, but his 2.16 ERA is exposed by a 5.98 FIP. Still, he’s managed to perform in leverage spots, with a +0.34 Win Probability Added. Sewald picked up two saves in that sweep of the Giants but he was a little rickety: a 3.72 ERA / 3.93 FIP; but, in June, he’s 1-0 with 4 saves and, despite a 4.70 ERA, a solid 3.23 FIP and +0.35 WPA. These guys are get-to-able if the Giants’ hitters are on their game, but right now they’re both pitching very well.
LuJames Groover: He was drafted in 2023 and is known for his plate discipline (.392 OBP in the minors), but look, all I care about is that his name is LuJames Groover, because that’s a cool name, but it also makes me think of MacGruber.
Giants
Bryce Eldridge: A potentially great hitter against a bad pitching staff? Yes, please.
Heliot Ramos: A middle of the order slugger combing back from injury against a bad pitching staff? Thank you!
Landen Roupp: He’s 0-6 with a 5.12 ERA (3.08 FIP) in his last 10 starts (51 IP). The Giants are 0-10 in those starts.
Prediction time
Since I haven’t mentioned them yet, I will predict that Pavin Smith and Tommy Troy will annoy the Giants at least once in this three game series.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 18: David Fry #6 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. #15 in the first inning during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are nearing an inflection point for the Guardians and David Fry.
Since June 1st, 2024, David Fry has an 81 wRC+ with a .266 xwOBA in 544 plate appearances. He has a 28.7/8.8 K/BB% and a .158 ISO. He has also not been particularly better against LHP with an 84 wRC+ againast southpaws during that time period. Primarily, he swings and misses WAY too often in the zone with a 77% contact rate in zone (he had been running zone-contact north of 85% during his breakout in 2024). His hard-hit rate is only in the 35% range during that time. He simply looks like a solidly below average hitter who can be put in a corner outfield spot, at first base, or as an emergency catcher or third baseman, but not offer any plus defensive value in any of those spots.
In a day of frustration the other day, I wrote that the Guardians should give Kody Huff a chance over Gabriel Arias at third base in Jose’s absence. I don’t think I was correct on this idea. Huff may or may not be able to play third base at an acceptable level, but it’s probably not worth losing Arias’s steady defensive value there while Jose is out. But, it’s in Fry’s case where I think we can see Huff coming into play. With the ability to play third if needed, first whenever wanted, and catcher any time, Huff could bring his .947 OPS against LHP in the minors to bear on major league games and give the Guardians a shot at improving on what Fry has done.
The biggest issue with moving on from Fry, of course, is that the outfield is, now, entirely left-handed. The Guardians will hate that. But, again, Fry is not doing anything against lefties. Going with Ingle, Kwan, Watson, DeLauter and Schneemann out there for a while is doable, then Angel Martinez should return in August and the team can be opportunistic in looking for a right-handed outfield bat.
The Rangers will be throwing some left-handed arms at Cleveland this weekend. It feels like a make or break moment for David Fry to do something as he is 2-35 over his last month of games. He needs to find a way to crush pitches in the zone and show there’s reason to keep him as a short-side of the platoon outfielder. He seems like a great guy and we know he has plenty of raw power… I’m rooting hard for him to turn it around.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Jasson Dominguez #24 of the New York Yankees hits a two-run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s official: the Yankees offense is in a slump. They have hit a new low this season, getting swept in four putrid games at Fenway by the last place Red Sox. The bats got no-hit through five innings in each of the final three games, not managing a hit until the eighth in the finale. As such, we have to go back to the last time they won a game to find a worthy candidate for At-Bat of the Week. It was certainly a deserving nominee, as Jasson Domínguez hit a home run from the right side off none other than Tarik Skubal.
We join Domínguez with two outs in the sixth inning last Wednesday at Comerica Park. The score is tied, 2-2, a pair of Paul Goldschmidt home runs in the first and third negated by the Tigers scoring in the second and fourth. Skubal has struck out the first two batters in the frame, but a Ben Rice single keeps the inning alive.
Skubal has already struck Domínguez out twice in his previous two ABs, both times throwing one high fastball and three changeups low and away. As such, you have to imagine that Domínguez is hunting the changeup in this encounter. He doesn’t get it from Skubal first pitch, who starts this AB with a 97 mph four-seamer up and in.
This is probably the best pitch Jasson has gotten to hit to this point, and it almost seems like it surprises him, the bat never leaving his shoulder on a very hittable pitch.
When Skubal is at his best, he establishes that fastball up and in to righties, which makes the low and away changeup all the more deadly.
This is such an unfair sequence from Skubal for the first two pitches of an AB. Look at the way he tunnels the changeup off the first-pitch four-seamer that landed for a called strike. Out of the hand, the change looks exactly like the pitch Domínguez just took, so it is no surprise to see him fooled into chasing and whiffing early over the top of the off-speed.
Just like that, Jasson finds him self in the hole, 0-2, facing one of the best strikeout artists of his generation. Now that Skubal has gotten Jasson to swing over the top of a changeup down and away, setting the hitter’s eye level down, he has the situation perfectly set up for a fastball above the zone.
Jasson fires an impressive swing to foul this pitch away. It’s excellent execution from Skubal, the 98 mph four-seamer close enough to the zone that the hitter has to swing but elevated in a spot that makes it really hard for Jasson to put it in play.
Now that Skubal has seen a willingness from Jasson to expand against the elevated heater, the obvious pitch here is another fastball just a little higher than the previous one.
It’s classic climbing the ladder from Skubal, this four-seamer in the same spot laterally over the plate but elevated a few inches higher than the one that preceded it. Therefore, it is a good take from Jasson, who we can see initially starts his swing before recognizing that this pitch is too high.
Skubal likely senses that Domínguez can still be tempted into chasing a high fastball with a little better execution, because he throws his third straight four-seamer up and away.
This one catches a lot more of the plate than the last two. Domínguez has clearly adapted a two-strike approach by this point, letting the ball travel before fighting it off with a late but still well-balanced swing.
Now that Skubal has shown Domínguez three straight four-seamers up and away, he looks to steal a strikeout looking by attempting to front-door a sinker. To the hitter, it should look like four-seamer in off the plate. Many might give up early on that pitch, only for the sinker’s 10 inches more arm-side movement to carry it back to the corner.
Skubal can’t quite execute to his spot, sailing this sinker a bit high. This pitch starts as a ball out of Skubal’s hand and doesn’t drop enough on its path toward home, making for a pretty straightforward take from Domínguez.
Four straight heaters should have sufficiently sped up Domínguez’s bat to make the changeup a killer option.
Had Skubal executed to the corner, I think this AB would have ended here. However, this pitch catches a fat chunk of the zone, so despite being early with his swing, Domínguez is able to foul it off to stay alive. Jasson likely wishes he could have this pitch back – the first real mistake he has seen – but that is the effect of all the prior fastballs to speed up his bat.
Hanging that changeup scares Skubal off the pitch temporarily, and he goes back to the strategy of trying to throw the elevated heater by Domínguez.
Skubal doesn’t quite finish this pitch and it stays up and away for ball three. Good eye from Domínguez to halt his swing.
Jasson has done an admirable job grinding back from 0-2 to a full count. Four of the last five fastballs he has seen have been high and out of the zone, so he’s getting a good sense of where Skubal’s misses are. What’s more, I had the sense watching this entire AB unfold that Jasson never moved away from sitting on a changeup in a hittable zone just from the way he was fouling off those high fastballs. He knows that pitch is probably his best shot at doing damage as he’s just not catching up to the heater.
Domínguez’s patience is rewarded, Skubal throwing his second mistake changeup of the encounter. Unlike the one he fouled off two pitches ago, Jasson doesn’t miss this time. He wins the nine-pitch battle, barreling the pitch over the wall in left for the go-ahead two-run home run, an impressive place to go yard as a righty in Comerica Park.
Here’s the full AB:
This encounter was the epitome of a “good AB” as Aaron Boone is wont to say. Domínguez quickly fell behind 0-2 but didn’t panic, making sure to foul off close pitches to stay alive. He didn’t expand the zone when Skubal tried to get him to chase, eventually battling back to work the count full. And finally, when his hard work was paid off by a mistake in the zone, he did not miss it and punished it to the fullest, which is the only way you are going to beat a starter of Skubal’s quality.
Domínguez’s improvement batting from the right hand side is a serious developmental win for the 23-year-old. Last year, Domínguez batted .204 with a 32.7-percent strikeout rate and 63 wRC+ from the right side vs. a .274 average, 24.9-percent strikeout rate, and 116 wRC+ batting lefty. This year, those splits have flipped, with Domínguez now batting .270 with a 23.1-percent strikeout rate and 105 wRC+ from the right side vs. just a .182 average, 21.3-percent strikeout rate, and 69 wRC+ batting lefty. He has now experienced success from both sides of the plate in separate years, the question now is whether he can combine those on a consistent basis.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 06: Eduardo Rodriguez #57 of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals at Chase Field on June 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a rough series in Tampa, Arizona comes home to hopefully get right again against the flailing Giants.
To say that Arizona had a rough go of things while in Tampa is putting things mildly. After a dreadful road trip, Arizona limps home with a record one game below .500 . They remain third in the NL West, but that doesn’t tell the story of their postseason aspirations, as even the Padres (the second place team) are now 10.5 games out of first as the Dodgers are finally putting the daylight between themselves and the division in the manner that most expected them to. No, their path to October baseball runs through the Wild Card, and they remain three games back in that race, trying to charge down the St. Louis Cardinals while also dealing with the four teams between them and the Red Birds from Missouri.
This series is going to force Mike Hazen and his advisors to make some difficult decisions. Continuing to kick the can down the road is not really much of an option anymore. The fallout from those upcoming decisions could go a very long way towards dictating Mike Hazen’s trade deadline strategy. If Arizona wants to have any realistic hope of achieving playoff baseball this year, they need to leave this series at or above .500. They also need to get there without losing any more players to injury.
Game 1
Tyler Mahle, RHP, 1-7, 5.49 ERA, 61 SO vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, 6-2, 2.27 ERA, 70 SO
Eduardo Rodriguez has been every bit the pitcher they thought they were signing back in 2024. Quite frankly, he has been Arizona’s best starting pitcher this season. Without his return to form, Arizona would likely already been sharing basement space with the Colorado Rockies in the standings. On the other side of things, Mahle is having himself a season to forget. Mahle’s win-loss record is not as indicative of his 12 starts as one might hope. In fact, it makes him look better than he has been. Sporting an ERA+ of 72, Mahle has never struggled this hard at any point in his professional career. The 31-year-old journeyman is coming to the point of pitching for his place on the 26-man roster. This would be an excellent game for the Diamondbacks to make a statement, having the lefty hitters pile on to put a dagger into the heart of the Giants from the outing. The sooner they can swat Mahle out of the game, the sooner thay can burn down the bullpen. Of course, that will mean Arizona will have to finally start having better performances hitting with RISP and taking walks, as Mahle still averages over five innings per outing, despite his struggles.
Game 2
Landen Roupp, RHP, 5-7, 4.07 ERA, 95 SO vs. TBD
Despite some very pedestrian, essentially league average, results, Roupp is averaging a bit over six innings per start. This ability to pitch later into games is another reason for Arizona to do their best to get into the bullpen early in the first game against Mahle. Roupp is 0-2 in his last five starts. In the two losses, he was blown up. In the three no decisions, he held the opposition to two runs or fewer. Roupp does a fair job of limiting the free passes, so Arizona is going to need to be patient. Attacking early plays into Roupp’s ability to go deep. Making him work increases the chances of Arizona finding a crack to exploit. It will also continue to put pressure on San Francisco’s beleaguered bullpen.
To counter, Arizona will be turning to the ageless wonder, TBD. In this case, TBD is looking more and more like Brandon Pfaadt. Jose Cabrera remains in the rotation already. Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake are ineligible to return to the 26-man roster unless another injury move is made. Brandon Pfaadt did not pitch during the series in Tampa. How long Pfaadt will be allowed to go (assuming it is him) remains to be seen, as he was only throwing around 50 pitches for a while there in Reno. It could be that Arizona tosses a bullpen game, or potentially uses Pfaadt as an opener before going to the bullpen. There are a lot of moving pieces involved here and the speculation is running rampant while Arizona is (at least currently) playing this decision close to their chest.
Game 3
Trevor McDonald, RHP, 2-6, 4.94 ERA, 45 SO vs. Zac Gallen, RHP, 3-7, 6.15 ERA, 52 SO
Trevor McDonald, like the recently faced Drew Rasmussen, is stingy with the free pass. He isn’t much of a strikeout pitcher, but he simply doesn’t give away at-bats. When he is hitting his spots, it makes him 2023 Merrill Kelly dangerous. When he is missing his spots, he looks like present-day Merrill Kelly. There is a reason McDonald is sporting an ERA+ of 80. Arizona needs to ambush McDonald and put their foot down on the gas. If they can get to him early, Zac Gallen might be nearly irrelevant. On that note, the Diamondbacks will be sending struggling former ace Zac Gallen to the mound. In his last outing, he was mostly adequate against the Rays. He gave up a terrible first inning before settling in and cruising through the next five, albeit without the strikeouts. If that version of Gallen shows up, Arizona should be in a good place for this game. If the Zac Gallen of many other outings this season shows up, this game could become ugly for both teams.
Players to Watch
At this point, there really is no primary player to watch. The questions greatly outweigh the answers right now. The players struggling, if they continue to struggle, will continue to weigh the team down. On the other hand, if Zac Gallen builds off his last outing and if the team can salvage the second game of the series, then this team continues to keep the playoff conversations alive. The Giants are having a terrible season and find themselves in much the same place as Arizona, needing to start looking at alternatives for future seasons.
The one exception to this might be Max Kepler. How long will the recently reinstated Kepler be given to make an impact. Even at his height, he was essentially an older version of Pavin Smith, who is already creating issues for Arizona. Kepler only has five plate appearances so far, so it is obviously early days. But it is hard to imagine that his leash is especially long. Look for him to either make an impact soon or to be sent to the DFA rejects heap.
Conclusion
This series presents Arizona with a great chance for a palate cleanser. They get to leave the AL East leading Rays in the rearview. They get to sleep in their own beds. They get to face one of the worst teams in the game right now. If Arizona takes two of three, they exit this series back at .500. If they can manage to dig deep and find their mojo in game two, they have a very good chance of sweeping this series, putting them back at two games over even as they prepare to host the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers. It will be important for Arizona to come out of this series on a high note as their next three series are against the Brewers in Phoenix and then the Padres and Dodgers, both in California.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 5: Washington Nationals mascot Screech waves the flag during home opener action at Nationals Park. (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
As everyone expected, there was a sweep at Fenway Park across the four games between the Red Sox and Yankees. The Sox are now 36-46, 12.5 games out of first place in the AL East, 4.5 games out of a Wild Card, tied in the loss column with the Orioles, one behind in losses against the Blue Jays. Boston is just 3 wins behind the Orioles and Jays. Those Jays have also lost 6 straight. Yes, the Yankees and Rays are the class of the East right now, but it’s back to essentially a pack of three battling for third. Facing “Red Sox Front Office – South” in the Washington Nationals is the next test. These Nationals can hit. And the Red Sox can pitch.
The Nats have allowed 5.22 runs per game on average, third highest in baseball behind only the Rockies and Athletics. That’s a cumulative 4.69 ERA among their pitchers. The Sox have allowed just 3.94 runs per game, fifth best in MLB with an ERA of 3.70.
Miles Miklolas is having, probably, his worst season. Even his FIP is approaching five-and-a-half. His numbers are slightly inflated from an 11-run outing in April but he’s also allowed 6 runs twice and 5 runs once. In June he’s been erratic in both runs and innings: 6 runs (6.0 innings) against the Marlins, 0 runs (4.2 innings) against the Giants, 0 runs (7.0 innings) against the Mariners, 5 runs (6 innings after an opener), and 2 runs (3.1 innings) against the Phillies. Ranger Suarez is rolling again. The Sox should have won his start in Colorado. Over his last four starts he’s allowed just 4 earned runs.
Cade Cavalli has cut his home run rate and boosted his strike outs since 2025. A righty, he’s been…pretty ok for the Nationals? He’s been on a good run in June: three 5.0 inning starts and one 6.0 outing with a 2.2 innings, 2 run performance mixed in. He was hit around for 6 runs (3 earned) once and 4 earned runs twice. He missed almost all of 2022-2024 and was up for just 48 innings in 2025. But the Nationals might have something here in the 27-year-old. Connelly Early started the sweep of the Yankees with a 6.0 inning / 2 run outing. He struck out a season-high 9 batters.
Andrew Alvarez is a 27-year-old southpaw from Anaheim, home of the Los Angeles Angels. He hasn’t gone more than 4.2 innings this season but was operating out of the ‘pen through May, although in 3.0-4.0 inning outings. Alvarez has the hard matchup in several ways going against Payton Tolle. Tolle took a no-hitter deep enough to get many people thinking about it. He didn’t allow a run to the Yankees over 7.0 innings. This Nationals team has power bats and he’s not getting an extra day of rest. It’ll be the next chance for Tolle to prove he’s going to be really special.
Nasim Nuñez is leading baseball with 32 steals.
Shortstop CJ Abrams is hitting .275/.358/.507 with 17 homers and 13 steals of his own.
James Wood is leading MLB in runs with 72. And walks with 64. And strikeouts with 121.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Monday, June 29: Miles Mikolas (5.24 ERA / 5.31 FIP) vs. Ranger Suarez (2.83 ERA / 2.67 FIP)
Tuesday, June 30: Cade Cavalli (4.00 ERA / 3.53 FIP) vs. Connelly Early (3.59 ERA / 4.72 FIP)
Wednesday, July 1: Andrew Alvarez (3.44 ERA / 2.74 FIP) vs. Payton “72 Ounce” Tolle (2.78 ERA / 3.18 FIP)
With 13 games on the docket, it’s a busy night on the diamond Monday, June 29, and I’ve got a trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions to cover you throughout the action.
My top MLB picks begin with the Detroit Tigers upsetting the New York Yankees and wrap up with a high-scoring game in the nightcap between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The New York Yankees are in a 3-8 freefall while averaging just 2.6 runs per game and ranking 29th in both wOBA and xwOBA.
They draw Detroit Tigers righty Casey Mize on Tuesday, and he’s quietly turned in an excellent 3.14 xERA with 0.62 HR/9, so I’m expecting New York to be in tough offensively again tonight.
Of course, the Tigers are also beginning to pick it up at the plate with a fifth-ranked wOBA and sixth-ranked xwOBA while averaging 5.0 runs per game in June.
Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson rounds out the SGP, and he’s hit the Over in this market in six of the past nine games and sports an above-average .343 wOBA against lefties for the season.
Finally, Chicago outfielder Ian Happ has teed off on righties this season to the tune of a .380 wOBA and .263 ISO, and he’s racked up 13 runs, 12 hits and six RBI across his past 15 games.
Giants vs Diamondbacks SGP: Runs in bunches at Chase
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez has statistical correction coming. His 2.27 ERA is miles below his 4.79 xERA, and the southpaw’s .251 BABIP and 86.9% strand rate are also way better than the respective .327 and 71.4% marks he posted during his first two seasons with the team.
I’m also expecting the San Francisco Giants to give Tyler Mahle a long enough leash to finish the fifth inning and record at least 15 outs for the ninth consecutive start, because their bullpen ranks 26th in ERA and 29th in xFIP across the past 30 days.
This is also perfect for the Over because he’s been beaten around on the highway the past two years with a 6.28 ERA while allowing a healthy .367 wOBA.
Arizona star Corbin Carroll rounds out the SGP, and he’s registered a hit in 14 of the past 19 games, and his .226 batting average against right-handed pitchers is way below the .250 mark he posted over the past two years.
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ARID, NBCSBA
Neil Parker's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 8-25, +3.0 units
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It may be old news, but in case you have not heard, the White Sox (43-39) are a good baseball team in 2026. They head to Baltimore tonight holding a share of first place in the AL Central. Meanwhile, the Orioles (39-46) have been less than good at best. Their goal is to climb back into both the race in the AL East (currently 11 games behind the Rays) and the Wild Card (three games behind the final spot).
Chicago arrives after taking two of three from Kansas City over the weekend, whereas Baltimore dropped two of three at home to Washington. The White Sox’ weekend series against the Royals featured both an offensive explosion and a frustrating finish. The high point came Friday when the White Sox smacked Kansas City 22-1. Their offense failed them Saturday but their pitching carried the day in a 2-1 victory. They could not finish off the sweep yesterday, however, falling 5-4. Don’t blame Miguel Vargas for the loss, though. The Chicago slugger homered, doubled, walked twice, and scored a run.
As noted, Baltimore's weekend against the Nationals was disappointing. The Orioles opened the series with a solid 3-1 victory Friday behind a strong performance on the mound led by Trevor Rogers. The pitching was not as sharp the rest of the weekend and the bats never arrived at the party as the O’s lost 4-3 on Saturday and 6-4 in the series finale yesterday. A positive to be drawn from yesterday’s game was the return of Adley Rutschman to the lineup. He is back not a moment too soon as the Orioles have lost four of their last five games and are searching for positives and momentum.
Tonight, the White Sox will give the ball to right-hander Sean Burke, who has quietly been one of the more consistent starters in the American League this year. Burke enters at 5-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. Over his last seven outings, Burke has posted a 3.23 ERA while holding opponents to a .216 average.
Baltimore counters with right-hander Shane Baz, who is 4-8 with a 4.31 ERA and 81 strikeouts across 94 innings. Baz took the loss in his most recent appearance, surrendering five runs in a 5-1 defeat to the Angels on June 24. That start aside, recent trends have been encouraging, as Baz has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: White Sox vs. Orioles
Date: Monday, June 29, 2026
Time: 6:35PM EST
Site: Camden Yards
City: Baltimore, MD
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, CSN, MASN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: White Sox vs. Orioles
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Chicago White Sox (+114), Baltimore Orioles (-137)
Spread: White Sox +1.5 (-179), Orioles -1.5 (+148)
Total: 9.5 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: White Sox vs. Orioles for June 29
White Sox: Sean Burke Season Totals: 87.1 IP, 5-4, 3.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 87K, 30 BB
Gunnar Henderson has just one hit – a single – in his last 18 ABs
Pete Alonso is 5-14 with 4 runs scored and 5 RBIs over his last 4 games
Taylor Ward was 3-13 over the weekend against the Nationals
Miguel Vargas has hit safely in 6 straight games (10-23) including 3 HRs and 8 RBIs
Andrew Benintendi picked up at least 1 hit in each of the weekend games against the Royals (4-11)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: White Sox vs. Orioles
The White Sox are 47-35 on the Run Line this season
The Orioles are 42-43 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 47 times in Baltimore’s 85 games this season (47-35-3)
The OVER has cashed 47 times in Chicago’s 82 games this season (47-33-2)
Expert picks & predictions: White Sox vs. Orioles
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the White Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the White Sox on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Sox on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 9.5
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Few things go together like the Fourth of July weekend and baseball, and this year, fans can head to NBC and Peacock to wrap up their holiday weekend with Star-Spangled Sunday. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock, NBC and NBCSN. Every game, all in one place.
Fans can look forward to Peacock's multiview feature throughout the day, which enables audiences to view up to four games of their choice at the same time.
Star-Spangled Sunday begins with a clash between two longtime NL East foes on Sunday Leadoff, with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves meeting for the third game of a four-game series at 12:30pm ET on NBC and Peacock.
Sunday Night Baseball features a primetime showdown between two NL West heavyweights, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres set to conclude a critical four-game series with Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers in Los Angeles. It will mark the second series between the two clubs this season, with the Dodgers taking two of three in San Diego in May.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club’s home television territory. For more information, visit Peacock’s Help Center.
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 19, 2026: Alfredo Duno #6 of the Cincinnati Reds bats during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on March 19, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
For 65 games, top Cincinnati Reds prospect Alfredo Duno mashed his way through Midwest League pitching for the A+ Dayton Dragons. He owned a .902 OPS while hitting .260/.390/.512, bashing 16 homers and driving in 47 runs while also serving as the team’s primary catcher.
Only two Midwest League players had more than Duno’s 16 homers as of Monday morning, one of them being his teammate Carter Graham, a 1B from Stanford University that the Reds drafted in the 8th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Those two will still be teammates come Tuesday – it’ll just be with a different squad.
The Reds are promoting both Duno and Graham to AA Chattanooga, along with shortstop Carlos Sanchez and outfielder Kien Vu. Right-hander Jose Montero is joining them in the promotion as well, according to Joey DeBeradino of Dayton’s WDTN.
BREAKING: The Cincinnati #Reds are expected to promote five of the Dragons’ top players from High-A Dayton to Double-A Chattanooga, including No. 1 prospect Alfredo Duno per sources.
It’s quite the honor for that crew, so congratulations to them. It will also temporarily create a pretty potent bit of star power on the Lookouts if they don’t make promotions of their own up to AAA Louisville.
Outfielders Carlos Jorge and Jay Allen currently anchor things on the grass, with Jorge having a breakout season in CF and Allen, a former 1st round pick, having the best offensive season of his pro career. Vu, presumably, will slot in alongside those two to form a solid, athletic-as-can-be outfield. Sanchez, meanwhile, will likely get time alongside Leo Balcazar on the middle infield with fellow top prospect Cam Collier anchoring 3B and Graham holding down 1B.
There’s no blocking Duno, of course. 25 year old Cade Hunter has been Chattanooga’s primary catcher so far this season, but he’s barely sporting a .600 OPS. Safe to say the Lookouts are about to get a big boost behind the plate beginning this week.
It does beg the question whether the Class A Daytona Tortugas will be promoting any Reds prospects to help fill these openings. 23 year old C/1B Jacob Friend is having a whale of a season in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, and obviously there are now available PA at the A+ level for him at both positions. You’d like to hope that Sanchez’s promotion would pave the way for top prospect Tyson Lewis, too, whose overall body of work isn’t great (.687 OPS in 236 PA) although he has heated up a lot of late (.308/.386/.538 in the month of June).
We’ll find out exactly which dominos begin to fall soon!
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