Around the League - 2021 Szn

[bravesfanMatt]

In the category of Baseball Is Beautiful

Braves traded John Gant for Jamie Garcia
Braves traded Jamie Garcia for Huascar Ynoa

Gant has a 2.08 era this year
Ynoa has a 2.36 era this year

Garcia last pitched in 2018

I always liked Gant. I think we got Gant and Whalen from the Mets maybe. On of our many times trade Kelley J I think. Could have been uribie.
Wonder if Whalen fell out of the league.

[Tapate50]

Pujols to be released today

[CyYoung31]

Angels are releasing Pujols. Might be an option if Freeman continues to struggle.

[bravesfanMatt]

He was like the great weight to mike trouts helium.

[bravesfanMatt]

Angels are releasing Pujols. Might be an option if Freeman continues to struggle.

One arm FF is better than AP

[thewupk]

One arm FF is better than AP

Freeman's 157 OPS since getting hit says otherwise

[Carp]

Pujols still mashes LHP, still doesn't K very much, still has a decent amount of pop, and his exit velocity is the highest it's been in 3 years. His starting days are over, but he could be a pretty decent bench bat for someone if his ego would allow that.

The Angels should have just made him hit against LHP only. Maybe have some sort of platoon with Ohtani at DH. At least could have retained him as a bench piece against LHP if you're paying him anyways.

[bravesfanforlife88]

Pujols still mashes LHP, still doesn't K very much, still has a decent amount of pop, and his exit velocity is the highest it's been in 3 years. His starting days are over, but he could be a pretty decent bench bat for someone if his ego would allow that.

My thoughts exactly.....but I think he either ends up back in St.Louis or retires

[Carp]

It's strange that Pujols ability to draw a walk deteriorated so poorly after his 31st BDay. You don't typically see that among elite level guys. Taking a look at his peers at 1b over his career, Thome, Tex, Giambi, Berkman, Miggy, Adrian Gonzalez, Votto... none of them saw the sort of decline in their walk rates over the course of their decline. I mean Pujols went from elite on base skills at age 30, to Francouer-esque by age 34. Very strange.

[thewupk]

It's strange that Pujols ability to draw a walk deteriorated so poorly after his 31st BDay. You don't typically see that among elite level guys. Taking a look at his peers at 1b over his career, Thome, Tex, Giambi, Berkman, Miggy, Adrian Gonzalez, Votto... none of them saw the sort of decline in their walk rates over the course of their decline. I mean Pujols went from elite on base skills at age 30, to Francouer-esque by age 34. Very strange.

You have to remember that Pujols is really like 45 right now. So he was already in his late 30's when he started to decline.

[Carp]

You have to remember that Pujols is really like 45 right now. So he was already in his late 30's when he started to decline.

True, but even the guys I mentioned were still walking around 10% or better late in their careers too.

[50PoundHead]

I always liked Gant. I think we got Gant and Whalen from the Mets maybe. On of our many times trade Kelley J I think. Could have been uribie.
Wonder if Whalen fell out of the league.

You got it right. It was Johnson and Uribe to the Mets for Gant and Whalen. Gant (along with Chris Ellis and Luke Dykstra) was in the deal that got us Garcia. We traded Whalen and Povse to the Mariner for Alex Jackson and Tyler Pike. Neither Whalen nor Povse has pitched in organized ball since 2018.

I remember the big debate after we traded Garcia was when the Twins traded him shortly thereafter and sides were drawn on who got the better return; the Twins or the Braves? Twins got Zach Littell and he's no longer with the Twins even though he had a nice season in 2019. Twins released him after 2020 and he signed with the Giants. He's two-and-a-half years older than Ynoa, but he still could develop into a contributor. I've always been impressed with Ynoa, but it's a long season.

[thewupk]

We missed the Yankees at the right time. Through the Braves series Stanton was hitting .158 with a 571 OPS.

Since then he is hitting .500 with a 1416 OPS. And that doesn't include his 1st inning homer today.

[50PoundHead]

You have to remember that Pujols is really like 45 right now. So he was already in his late 30's when he started to decline.

Still younger than Juan Soto.

[bravesfanforlife88]

Mike DiGiovanna
@MikeDiGiovanna
·
47m
According to source, #Angels slugger Albert Pujols was upset that he wasn't in lineup to face #Rays bulk LHP Ryan Yarbrough last night, and that the decision to bench him came from front office, not MGR Joe Maddon. Pujols was 6 for 9 with 2 HR, 2 2Bs, 7 RBIs vs. Yarbough.

[Carp]

I mean given that their alternatives are also trash, it may not have been the greatest lineup decision to take out one of your best hitters against LHP who also happens to hit the current pitcher extremely well.

On the other hand, even someone with a big of an ego as Pujols has to realize he's a pretty awful hitter at this point, and getting benched shouldn't be surprising.

[bravesfanMatt]

Still younger than Juan Soto.

Noice

[thewupk]

A shame about Pujols though. I was hoping he had enough left in him to get to 700 homers.

In a similar fashion I hope Cabrera has enough in the tank to get to 500 (11 away) and 3000 (128 away) but he has been absolutely dreadful this year.

End of an era with those two. Arguably the two best hitters of the last 2 decades.

[Tapate50]

Mike DiGiovanna
@MikeDiGiovanna
·
47m
According to source, #Angels slugger Albert Pujols was upset that he wasn't in lineup to face #Rays bulk LHP Ryan Yarbrough last night, and that the decision to bench him came from front office, not MGR Joe Maddon. Pujols was 6 for 9 with 2 HR, 2 2Bs, 7 RBIs vs. Yarbough.

Well... I mean he’s got a point

[Southcack77]

You have to remember that Pujols is really like 45 right now. So he was already in his late 30's when he started to decline.

Naw, he had a steady decline from his late 20s. Had a long way to come down, but

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/al...x=&dStatArray=