How will post-deadline Phillies look in outfield? Rojas down, Thomson's short-term plan, more originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Harrison Bader settled into his new clubhouse and fielded questions from reporters Friday afternoon.

He cracked a joke when asked about his role with the Phillies.

“Probably going to play some outfield,” Bader said with a smile. 

While that’s a safe bet, the details on that subject and the Phillies’ post-trade deadline outfield picture are not yet crystal clear. 

The team optioned Johan Rojas to Triple A Lehigh Valley on Friday. Reliever Daniel Robert went on the 15-day injured list with a right middle finger blister and new closer Jhoan Duran joined the bullpen. 

“Just to get him to play,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Rojas’ demotion. “He needs consistent at-bats. Again, try to simplify his swing, use the bunting game a little bit more. Just play every day.”

Rojas will share an outfield for now with prospect Justin Crawford, who Thomson noted “needs to learn how to play center field.” For that reason, Thomson told Rojas he’ll play “a little bit of left field, a little bit of right field” and “spell Crawford in center” at Triple A. 

As for Bader, Thomson indicated he’ll primarily be in center for the Phillies. 

“I see him sort of as the best center fielder we’ve got right now,” Thomson said.

However, Thomson’s short-term plan is to platoon Bader and left-handed bat Brandon Marsh. 

“It depends on Baltimore’s starter the first game (next series),” he said. “But right now it’s set up right, left, right, left, right, left for the next six days. So for the next six days, it looks like sort of a true platoon — for six days. And then once we get to that point, we’ll figure it out.”

The 31-year-old Bader was solid this season as a Twin against both lefties (.774 OPS in 88 plate appearances) and righties (.779 OPS in 219 plate appearances). 

“I don’t know,” Bader said. “I think Topper constructs the lineup the way he does, but my intention is to go out there and play baseball, just be myself. That’s really the only thing I know how to do. … I’m just going to help this team win. Like we all know, I’ve kind of been injected into a playoff race and all the notions of ego or me and my playing time, that’ll all go out the window. 

“I’m here to win, I’m here to help this team win, and I want a shot at the World Series. … I’m just excited to dive into it and see how it all shakes out.”

Bader faced the Phillies in the playoffs last year and has a good idea what the fanbase is all about.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “Playing here last year for the Mets, I’m obviously aware of the atmosphere. And being from the Northeast (Bronxville, New York), I understand the Northeast fan mentality and playing in front of that caliber of fans. I was always extremely excited to be here as a visitor. Now being on the other side, I think it’s just full circle.”

Thomson’s lineup for Friday’s series opener vs. the Tigers had Marsh manning center field and batting sixth. Max Kepler, hitting .203 on the season, was in left and a spot below Marsh.

“(Kepler) is swinging the bat good, man,” Thomson said. “There’s not much to show for it, but he’s barreling a lot of balls up. And he’s playing really good defense.”

How will post-deadline Phillies look in outfield? Rojas down, Thomson's short-term plan, more originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Harrison Bader settled into his new clubhouse and fielded questions from reporters Friday afternoon.

He cracked a joke when asked about his role with the Phillies.

“Probably going to play some outfield,” Bader said with a smile. 

While that’s a safe bet, the details on that subject and the Phillies’ post-trade deadline outfield picture are not yet crystal clear. 

The team optioned Johan Rojas to Triple A Lehigh Valley on Friday. Reliever Daniel Robert went on the 15-day injured list with a right middle finger blister and new closer Jhoan Duran joined the bullpen. 

“Just to get him to play,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Rojas’ demotion. “He needs consistent at-bats. Again, try to simplify his swing, use the bunting game a little bit more. Just play every day.”

Rojas will share an outfield for now with prospect Justin Crawford, who Thomson noted “needs to learn how to play center field.” For that reason, Thomson told Rojas he’ll play “a little bit of left field, a little bit of right field” and “spell Crawford in center” at Triple A. 

As for Bader, Thomson indicated he’ll primarily be in center for the Phillies. 

“I see him sort of as the best center fielder we’ve got right now,” Thomson said.

However, Thomson’s short-term plan is to platoon Bader and left-handed bat Brandon Marsh. 

“It depends on Baltimore’s starter the first game (next series),” he said. “But right now it’s set up right, left, right, left, right, left for the next six days. So for the next six days, it looks like sort of a true platoon — for six days. And then once we get to that point, we’ll figure it out.”

The 31-year-old Bader was solid this season as a Twin against both lefties (.774 OPS in 88 plate appearances) and righties (.779 OPS in 219 plate appearances). 

“I don’t know,” Bader said. “I think Topper constructs the lineup the way he does, but my intention is to go out there and play baseball, just be myself. That’s really the only thing I know how to do. … I’m just going to help this team win. Like we all know, I’ve kind of been injected into a playoff race and all the notions of ego or me and my playing time, that’ll all go out the window. 

“I’m here to win, I’m here to help this team win, and I want a shot at the World Series. … I’m just excited to dive into it and see how it all shakes out.”

Bader faced the Phillies in the playoffs last year and has a good idea what the fanbase is all about.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “Playing here last year for the Mets, I’m obviously aware of the atmosphere. And being from the Northeast (Bronxville, New York), I understand the Northeast fan mentality and playing in front of that caliber of fans. I was always extremely excited to be here as a visitor. Now being on the other side, I think it’s just full circle.”

Thomson’s lineup for Friday’s series opener vs. the Tigers had Marsh manning center field and batting sixth. Max Kepler, hitting .203 on the season, was in left and a spot below Marsh.

“(Kepler) is swinging the bat good, man,” Thomson said. “There’s not much to show for it, but he’s barreling a lot of balls up. And he’s playing really good defense.”

Some MLB teams make trades. This one dealt nearly half its roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

A month and a half into this season, the hottest team in Major League Baseball played in Minnesota.

When the standings closed on May 17, the Twins had won 13 consecutive games to sit second in their division. It was the franchise’s longest winning streak in 34 years, and the longest in all of MLB since 2022. Minnesota had one of baseball’s best staff of relief pitchers and an All-Star outfielder in Byron Buxton. Suddenly, a spring training declaration by the team’s top baseball executive, Derek Falvey, that reaching the World Series “has to be the mission from Day One,” sounded more like a possibility.

By this week’s trade deadline, that mission had changed dramatically.

No longer ascending in the standings, the Twins had moved from a buyer looking to bolster its lineup ahead of a playoff run into a seller trying to extract some value from a lost season — the kind of shift in thinking that happens to numerous teams across all professional sports.

Yet the scope of the Twins sell-off Thursday, in the final hours before the deadline, was anything but typical. Many teams out of playoff contention sell off key parts; the Twins, however, took it to an extreme. Over nine trades, they dealt away 11 players from a 26-man roster.

When Falvey sent a signed message to fans late Thursday, he wrote that “this wasn’t about patchwork or small adjustments.”

That was an understatement.

“We had been hovering around or under .500 for a period of time and just couldn’t quite get things going in the right direction, and we’ve got to find a new way to do it,” Falvey told reporters.

Falvey framed the roster reset as a baseball decision for the future of a team that had gone from six games above .500 on May 17 tosix games under. But along with bringing back a collection of prospects, the trades also accomplished slashing its payroll, and making it less expensive to operate. The trade of the highest-paid Twin, shortstop Carlos Correa, was effectively to ensure that another team, Houston, would foot the bill for more than $70 million of his remaining salary.

The Twins have historically never been among the top-spending teams, and their decline since May had only further disincentivized adding costs to a team whose ownership has been publicly looking to get out of the baseball business since late last year, when the Pohlad family — which has owned the franchise since 1984 — announced it was looking sell the team.

“The sale process continues to be an ongoing reality for our organization and something that we will work through at the right time,” Falvey said.

The intention to sell was announced at a time when labor peace between players and the league, and the attractiveness of owning a franchise in a smaller market, have come under question. Six teams last season had a payroll of $102 million or less, according to Spotrac, less than the amount the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly paid in taxes alone.

The average MLB team valuation at the season’s start was $2.62 billion, per CNBC. Minnesota’s $1.6 billion valuation ranked 22nd out of 30 teams.

The few remaining holdovers include pitcher Joe Ryan and Buxton, who only two weeks earlier had noted the security provided by his no-trade clause.

“I’m a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life,” Buxton said at the All-Star game. “So, that’s the best feeling in the world.”

The Twins woke up to a different feeling Friday. To fill out their roster for their first game after the deadline, the Twins were forced to call up eight players from the minor leagues. Gone are five relievers from a bullpen that had shined during the team’s winning streak, including top closer Jhoan Duran. Players on longer contracts, such as Correa, and others expiring at the end of the season were dealt with equal measure.

On Reddit, one user noted that the roster upheaval had turned the Twins’ official Instagram account into a series of graphics announcing either a “trade alert” or a “thank you” to a departed player.

The extreme teardown took place less than two years after Minnesota won its division and made the postseason for the first time in three years.

“I had some conversations with the front office in Minnesota and we were not moving in the direction that I thought we were after [making] the playoffs [in 2023], and they agreed with me that it was time to move me,” Correa told MLB.com.

And 10 others, too.

José Caballero was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays at the start of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees.

He was a member of the Rays when he turned a double play to end the fifth inning.

He was a member of the Rays when he popped out to second base to start the sixth inning.

He was a member of the winning team when he spoke to reporters after the game.

That team was not the Rays. In a bizarre scenario that played out as the MLB trade deadline came and went, Caballero was dealt to the opposing team during a game in which he was playing.

“I was winning today regardless,” Caballero said following the Yankees' 7-4 victory. “We won the game, I guess. That’s what I feel right now.”

Read more:Plaschke: Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers' urgent need for a closer

As part of the deal, the Rays received triple-A outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named or cash.

Caballero is tied for the MLB lead with 34 stolen bases this season. He has played in 86 games at six positions (shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield spots) and has a batting average of .226 with two home runs and 27 RBIs.

After entering Thursday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning, Caballero could be seen in the Tampa Bay dugout during the top of the seventh, giving hugs and saying his goodbyes. Shortstop Taylor Walls looked particularly stunned by the development.

Caballero, who was acquired by the Rays in a trade with the Seattle Mariners before the 2024 season, bid his final farewell Friday on his Instagram Stories.

"Grateful for every moment, every game, every memory, every person," he wrote. "Y'all made it special. Forever part of my journey. Thank you Rays!!"

Read more:Dodgers pass MLB trade deadline quietly, add Brock Stewart and Alex Call

Caballero also had a message for his new team.

"Honored to join such a legendary organization," he wrote. "Thank you, Yankees, for the warm welcome. Let's get to work! #NewChapter"

The Panama native is now a member of the team he grew up rooting for (Derek Jeter was his favorite player, Caballero told reporters). He is also now teammates with Gerrit Cole, the Yankees pitcher who famously wagged his finger in annoyance at then-Seattle Mariners rookie Caballero during a June 2023 game.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters he spoke briefly with Caballero after the trade.

“I said, `We’ve had some battles but I like your game,’" Boone said. "So I think he brings a lot to the table and I think he’s going to be a very useful player for us, just a lot of different things he can do on a diamond and provide a lot of position flexibility.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

José Caballero was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays at the start of Thursday's game against the New York Yankees.

He was a member of the Rays when he turned a double play to end the fifth inning.

He was a member of the Rays when he popped out to second base to start the sixth inning.

He was a member of the winning team when he spoke to reporters after the game.

That team was not the Rays. In a bizarre scenario that played out as the MLB trade deadline came and went, Caballero was dealt to the opposing team during a game in which he was playing.

“I was winning today regardless,” Caballero said following the Yankees' 7-4 victory. “We won the game, I guess. That’s what I feel right now.”

Read more:Plaschke: Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers' urgent need for a closer

As part of the deal, the Rays received triple-A outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named or cash.

Caballero is tied for the MLB lead with 34 stolen bases this season. He has played in 86 games at six positions (shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield spots) and has a batting average of .226 with two home runs and 27 RBIs.

After entering Thursday's game in the bottom of the fifth inning, Caballero could be seen in the Tampa Bay dugout during the top of the seventh, giving hugs and saying his goodbyes. Shortstop Taylor Walls looked particularly stunned by the development.

Caballero, who was acquired by the Rays in a trade with the Seattle Mariners before the 2024 season, bid his final farewell Friday on his Instagram Stories.

"Grateful for every moment, every game, every memory, every person," he wrote. "Y'all made it special. Forever part of my journey. Thank you Rays!!"

Read more:Dodgers pass MLB trade deadline quietly, add Brock Stewart and Alex Call

Caballero also had a message for his new team.

"Honored to join such a legendary organization," he wrote. "Thank you, Yankees, for the warm welcome. Let's get to work! #NewChapter"

The Panama native is now a member of the team he grew up rooting for (Derek Jeter was his favorite player, Caballero told reporters). He is also now teammates with Gerrit Cole, the Yankees pitcher who famously wagged his finger in annoyance at then-Seattle Mariners rookie Caballero during a June 2023 game.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters he spoke briefly with Caballero after the trade.

“I said, `We’ve had some battles but I like your game,’" Boone said. "So I think he brings a lot to the table and I think he’s going to be a very useful player for us, just a lot of different things he can do on a diamond and provide a lot of position flexibility.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Marcus Stroman's time in the Bronx has come to an end. 

The Yankees announced on Friday afternoon that they have released the right-hander to help make room for their recent trade deadline acquisitions.

Stroman's exit was ultimately due to a lack of market interest, as ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Yankees floated the veteran starter in trade conversations with teams before Thursday's deadline. There just weren't any bites.

Stroman signed with the Yanks last offseason on a two-year, $37 million deal with a conditional player option that could've kicked in with 140.0 innings pitched this season. 

The right-hander had a bit of an up-and-down first year with the club, pitching to a 4.31 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, and he ended up being left off the Yankees' 26-man ALDS roster. 

He was added back on for the ALCS and World Series, but didn't make an appearance. 

Stroman missed time at the beginning of this season with left knee inflammation, and he hadn't quite been able to find his footing since making his return from the IL. 

He allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings of work in his last outing Thursday against the Rays, bringing his ERA to 6.23 for the year. 

Luis Gil will rejoin the Yanks rotation this weekend so it was between Stroman, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler for the final two spots, and the team has decided to move forward with their young arms in the mix. 

Stroman finishes his time with the Yankees with a 4.69 ERA over 39 appearances. 

David Bednar, Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, and José Caballero have all been added to the active roster.

Marcus Stroman's time in the Bronx has come to an end. 

The Yankees announced on Friday afternoon that they have released the right-hander to help make room for their recent trade deadline acquisitions.

Stroman's exit was ultimately due to a lack of market interest, as ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Yankees floated the veteran starter in trade conversations with teams before Thursday's deadline. There just weren't any bites.

Stroman signed with the Yanks last offseason on a two-year, $37 million deal with a conditional player option that could've kicked in with 140.0 innings pitched this season. 

The right-hander had a bit of an up-and-down first year with the club, pitching to a 4.31 ERA and 1.46 WHIP, and he ended up being left off the Yankees' 26-man ALDS roster. 

He was added back on for the ALCS and World Series, but didn't make an appearance. 

Stroman missed time at the beginning of this season with left knee inflammation, and he hadn't quite been able to find his footing since making his return from the IL. 

He allowed four earned runs on six hits over five innings of work in his last outing Thursday against the Rays, bringing his ERA to 6.23 for the year. 

Luis Gil will rejoin the Yanks rotation this weekend so it was between Stroman, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler for the final two spots, and the team has decided to move forward with their young arms in the mix. 

Stroman finishes his time with the Yankees with a 4.69 ERA over 39 appearances. 

David Bednar, Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, and José Caballero have all been added to the active roster.

So much for the Dodgers ruining baseball.

They won’t finish this season with the best record in history, as they could win every one of their remaining games and still not realize the 120-win season that was envisioned for them.

They might not even finish this season with the best record in the National League — or in their own division, for that matter.

The Dodgers look beatable.

Read more:Plaschke: Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers' urgent need for a closer

Their perceived vulnerability didn’t necessarily inspire the frenzied action around baseball before the trade deadline, but it certainly didn’t discourage it either.

With blood in the water and the World Series field wide open, several contenders moved to prepare their rosters for October. No team changed as much as the San Diego Padres, who are suddenly positioned to turn the Dodgers’ title defense into a humiliation exercise.

“We went in knowing, OK, we have a team that can compete and play deep and ultimately we have these needs and let’s go fill them,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said.

Mason Miller, who throws a fastball with an average velocity of 101 mph, will turbocharge what was already the No. 1 bullpen in baseball. Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn will improve the balance of a top-heavy lineup featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Freddy Fermin will address a hole at catcher. JP Sears and Nestor Cortes will add depth to a rotation on the mend.

Particularly revealing of the Padres’ ambitions was what Preller didn’t do. He didn’t trade closer Robert Suárez, an impending free agent. He didn’t trade underperforming former All-Star pitcher Dylan Cease, who will also hit the market this winter.

The Padres were only three games behind the Dodgers at the trade deadline, making Preller’s team a legitimate threat to overtake them in the division and cost them a top-two seed in the NL, for which the reward is a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The danger didn’t compel the Dodgers to act, their relative inactivity in this situation reflecting the contrasting philosophies of the two organizations.

The Dodgers make deals on their terms. When president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman overpay for players — the combined $85 million the Dodgers spent over the winter on relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates is an example — it’s usually by accident.

The mentality often results in the market dictating to the Dodgers what they can and can’t do. For better or worse, the Padres have elected a proactive approach.

Landing Miller required to part with Leo De Vries, an 18-year-old shortstop who is widely considered one of the five best prospects in the entire sport.

Preller knew what he gave up.

“He’s going to be a very good major league player,” Preller said of De Vries.

Preller has done this before, He traded Max Fried and he traded Emmanuel Clase and he traded Josh Naylor. When he acquired Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline, he sent the Washington Nationals a package that included three future All-Stars in CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood.

Impact players have considerable price tags, and they’re higher in some years than in others. The Dodgers examined the prices of the best relievers and outfielders available, and they settled for more affordable options. The Padres went for it, with Preller saying he was confident the team’s scouting and player development departments would once again replenish the farm system.

Read more:Dodgers pass MLB trade deadline quietly, add Brock Stewart and Alex Call

“In different points in time over the last few years, we’ve been able to be in this position, to be able to make these types of decisions and calls,” Preller said. “It’s just because we have good players that other teams want.”

The Padres weren’t alone. The two New York teams reconstructed their bullpens, the Philadelphia Phillies found a closer in Jhoan Duan and the Seattle Mariners added some pop to their lineup by dealing for Eugenio Suárez and Naylor.

Why wouldn’t these teams be bold?

The Dodgers couldn’t make this a one-horse race. Their inability to separate themselves from the pack presented competitors with opportunities to pass them by at the trade deadline. Some of them might have.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

So much for the Dodgers ruining baseball.

They won’t finish this season with the best record in history, as they could win every one of their remaining games and still not realize the 120-win season that was envisioned for them.

They might not even finish this season with the best record in the National League — or in their own division, for that matter.

The Dodgers look beatable.

Read more:Plaschke: Andrew Friedman struck out on the Dodgers' urgent need for a closer

Their perceived vulnerability didn’t necessarily inspire the frenzied action around baseball before the trade deadline, but it certainly didn’t discourage it either.

With blood in the water and the World Series field wide open, several contenders moved to prepare their rosters for October. No team changed as much as the San Diego Padres, who are suddenly positioned to turn the Dodgers’ title defense into a humiliation exercise.

“We went in knowing, OK, we have a team that can compete and play deep and ultimately we have these needs and let’s go fill them,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said.

Mason Miller, who throws a fastball with an average velocity of 101 mph, will turbocharge what was already the No. 1 bullpen in baseball. Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn will improve the balance of a top-heavy lineup featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Freddy Fermin will address a hole at catcher. JP Sears and Nestor Cortes will add depth to a rotation on the mend.

Particularly revealing of the Padres’ ambitions was what Preller didn’t do. He didn’t trade closer Robert Suárez, an impending free agent. He didn’t trade underperforming former All-Star pitcher Dylan Cease, who will also hit the market this winter.

The Padres were only three games behind the Dodgers at the trade deadline, making Preller’s team a legitimate threat to overtake them in the division and cost them a top-two seed in the NL, for which the reward is a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The danger didn’t compel the Dodgers to act, their relative inactivity in this situation reflecting the contrasting philosophies of the two organizations.

The Dodgers make deals on their terms. When president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman overpay for players — the combined $85 million the Dodgers spent over the winter on relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates is an example — it’s usually by accident.

The mentality often results in the market dictating to the Dodgers what they can and can’t do. For better or worse, the Padres have elected a proactive approach.

Landing Miller required to part with Leo De Vries, an 18-year-old shortstop who is widely considered one of the five best prospects in the entire sport.

Preller knew what he gave up.

“He’s going to be a very good major league player,” Preller said of De Vries.

Preller has done this before, He traded Max Fried and he traded Emmanuel Clase and he traded Josh Naylor. When he acquired Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline, he sent the Washington Nationals a package that included three future All-Stars in CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood.

Impact players have considerable price tags, and they’re higher in some years than in others. The Dodgers examined the prices of the best relievers and outfielders available, and they settled for more affordable options. The Padres went for it, with Preller saying he was confident the team’s scouting and player development departments would once again replenish the farm system.

Read more:Dodgers pass MLB trade deadline quietly, add Brock Stewart and Alex Call

“In different points in time over the last few years, we’ve been able to be in this position, to be able to make these types of decisions and calls,” Preller said. “It’s just because we have good players that other teams want.”

The Padres weren’t alone. The two New York teams reconstructed their bullpens, the Philadelphia Phillies found a closer in Jhoan Duan and the Seattle Mariners added some pop to their lineup by dealing for Eugenio Suárez and Naylor.

Why wouldn’t these teams be bold?

The Dodgers couldn’t make this a one-horse race. Their inability to separate themselves from the pack presented competitors with opportunities to pass them by at the trade deadline. Some of them might have.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.