Kellogg: Flagg 'as advertised' in win over Arizona
Clark Kellogg joins Dan Patrick to break down the first day of action during the Sweet 16, including Cooper Flagg's impressive display against Arizona, Arkansas' brutal loss to Texas Tech and more.
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Fox Sports
39 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Snake eyes: D-backs' $425 million investment in starting pitching hasn't gone as planned
Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — The normally budget-conscious Arizona Diamondbacks have been willing to spend big money over the past several years, taking chances on the notoriously volatile market of free agent starting pitching. So far, it's a bet that has come up snake eyes. Over the past 5 1/2 years, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick has committed roughly $425 million to four pitchers — Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez and Madison Bumgarner. The combined return on that investment: A 30-48 record, 5.25 ERA, minus-0.4 WAR and two Tommy John surgeries. Yikes. The latest bad news came on June 1 when Burnes — who signed a $210 million, six-year deal in January — abruptly left a game against the Nationals with right elbow pain. Now he's set to undergo Tommy John surgery and might not return to the mound until 2027. It's a brutal blow for the D-backs, who have a 31-34 record heading into Monday night's game against the Mariners. The 30-year-old Burnes seemed like the safest bet on the market last winter when the D-backs made the signing. The four-time All-Star and 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner had been remarkably consistent and healthy over the previous four seasons, making at least 28 starts every year. 'I might as well do another job if we're going to be scared of bringing in a guy of this caliber on your team,' Arizona's general manager Mike Hazen said at Burnes' introductory news conference. Added Kendrick: 'We're stretching the budget. It won't be the last time.' And for two months, he was everything Hazen, Kendrick and the D-backs hoped for with a 3-2 record and 2.66 ERA. Now he's out for the foreseeable future. It's the latest in a bad run of luck for Arizona's front office. It's also a brutal reminder of the substantial risk in handing out big money to pitchers in an era when injuries are happening at an alarming rate. The D-backs aren't the only team facing the same problem, even in their own division. The Los Angeles Dodgers currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list — including starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Tony Gonsolin. Snell has made just two starts this season because of injuries after signing a $182 millon, five-year deal in the offseason. The difference is the Dodgers seem to have nearly unlimited money to keep adding talent. The D-backs do not. The string of disappointing signings started in December 2019, when the D-backs added Bumgarner with a $85 million, five-year deal. The lefty had declined from his peak in the early-to-mid 2010s, when he led the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles, but there was reason to believe he would be a solid middle-of-the-rotation option. Instead, he regressed even more in the desert, going 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA over a little more than three seasons. The D-backs released him in 2023 after he had a 10.26 ERA through four starts, eating more than $30 million in the process. The D-backs made a surprise run to the World Series that year and invested in a pair of pitchers — Montgomery and Rodriguez — during the ensuing offseason. Montgomery signed a $25 million, one-year deal with a vesting option for 2025. Rodriguez was added on an $80 million, four-year deal. Much like the Bumgarner signing, both seemed like good deals at the time. Montgomery had just helped the Rangers beat the Diamondbacks in the World Series and was a solid lefty with a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the previous three seasons. Rodriguez was coming off one of the best seasons of his career after going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA for the Detroit Tigers. Things haven't worked out for either pitcher. Montgomery was awful in 2024 with a 6.23 ERA and eventually demoted to the bullpen. But because he made 21 starts, his vesting option for $22.5 million kicked in for 2025. His bid for a bounce-back season ended before it even started. The lefty got hurt during spring training in March and needed Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, ending his time in the desert. Rodriguez hurt his shoulder during spring training in 2024 and didn't make his D-backs debut until August, contributing a 5.04 ERA as the team faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs. He's battled injuries and ineffectiveness again this year with a 6.70 ERA through 10 starts. There's still time for the Rodriguez and Burnes deals to take a turn for the better. Even if Burnes doesn't return until 2027, he'd have four more years remaining on his deal. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo chose to remain optimistic following Burnes' injury. 'We're all with Corbin right now,' Lovullo said. 'This is a tough day to get this news. But we'll find a way to rally around him, play hard for him all year long. ... It's a long road, and it takes time for him to heal and recover. And he will. He'll be great for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I'm convinced of it.' ___ AP MLB: recommended
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Top fantasy baseball prospects: Roman Anthony gets the call, Brady House could be next
A reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2025. That out of the way, here's a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season. 1. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox 2025 stats: 53 G, .303/.430/.492, 8 HR, 3 SB, 45 BB, 4349 SO at Triple-A Worcester. has been deserving of this promotion for a while, but perhaps a 497 foot grand slam was what it took for the top prospect in baseball to finally get a chance to face MLB pitching. Prospects fail because baseball is hard and scouting isn't/never will be an exact science, but the skill set Anthony possesses makes it hard for me to imagine he won't at least be a solid player in his first taste of MLB action. The future's even brighter, but fantasy managers should run -- not walk -- to their electronic devices to add Anthony if he's still available. 2. Jordan Lawlar, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks 2025 stats: 39 G, .326/.405/.580, 8 HR, 14 SB, 22 BB, 52 SO at Triple-A Reno; 8 G .000/.175/.000, 0 SB, 3 BB, 9 SO at Arizona. Lawlar's average has taken a dip since being demoted back to Reno, but he's seen his slugging percentage go up and had another two homers since our last update. Even with how disappointing his run with Arizona was, there's doubt in my mind that he belongs on this list. There's five tools at his disposal, and he offers as much upside as any prospect in the minors -- at least at the higher levels. When the Diamondbacks give him another chance this summer, I'd still be willing to make the roster move. 3. Brady House, INF, Washington Nationals2025 stats: 59 G, .299/.352/.521, 12 HR, 0 SB, 19 BB, 66 SO at Triple-A to the list, Brady. We've been expecting you. House was disappointing in 2024, but the former first-round pick has bounced back nicely in his first full season in Triple-A. There's easy plus power in his right-handed bat, and while he does offer considerable swing-and-miss, there's also some Kris Bryant to the game -- the Cubs version, to be clear -- where he makes enough hard contact to still help in the average category. The approach needs work, but House has a chance to do enough good things to make him worthy of fantasy consideration whenever the Nats call him up. It seems like that could be relatively soon. 4. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers 2025 stats: 13 G, 63.1 IP, 2.12 ERA, .175 BAA, 31 BB, 80 SO at Triple-A Nashville. That's more like it. Misiorowski had an awful week in our previous edition, but bounced back nicely in his most recent start. The right-hander fired five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, and he allowed just a pair of hits. He also walked three, and the control has not been great for Misiorowski as of late; something that the Brewers are certainly aware of as it's considered his biggest flaw. As long as he can throw strikes at an average rate, Misiorowski's stuff is special enough for him to be an elite bat-misser at the highest level. Even at a below-average mark -- a more realistic expectation -- Misiorowski is certainly good enough for fantasy plaudits. 5. Christian Moore, 2B, Los Angeles Angels 2025 stats: 52 G, .270/.367/.388, 3 HR, 8 SB, 30 BB, 63 SO at Double-A Rocket City and Triple-A Salt Lake. It's a little surprising that a first-round pick from the previous year hasn't gotten called up yet based on their recent history, but Moore did receive a promotion to Triple-A, and it has gone well so far, albeit in a small sample. The eighth-overall pick has hit .362/.456/.468 since joining the Bees over 18 games, and he's stolen three bases with three extra-base hits. Moore has plus power and speed in his bat, and while he will strike out, he's also a patient hitter who can draw free passes and put those wheels to work. The Angels have been playing well, but their middle infield still leaves a lot to be desired. I like his chance for fantasy success whenever he does get the call.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Snake eyes: D-backs' $425 million investment in starting pitching hasn't gone as planned
PHOENIX (AP) — The normally budget-conscious Arizona Diamondbacks have been willing to spend big money over the past several years, taking chances on the notoriously volatile market of free agent starting pitching. So far, it's a bet that has come up snake eyes. Over the past 5 1/2 years, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick has committed roughly $425 million to four pitchers — Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodríguez and Madison Bumgarner. The combined return on that investment: A 30-48 record, 5.25 ERA, minus-0.4 WAR and two Tommy John surgeries. Yikes. The latest bad news came on June 1 when Burnes — who signed a $210 million, six-year deal in January — abruptly left a game against the Nationals with right elbow pain. Now he's set to undergo Tommy John surgery and might not return to the mound until 2027. It's a brutal blow for the D-backs, who have a 31-34 record heading into Monday night's game against the Mariners. The 30-year-old Burnes seemed like the safest bet on the market last winter when the D-backs made the signing. The four-time All-Star and 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner had been remarkably consistent and healthy over the previous four seasons, making at least 28 starts every year. 'I might as well do another job if we're going to be scared of bringing in a guy of this caliber on your team,' Arizona's general manager Mike Hazen said at Burnes' introductory news conference. Added Kendrick: 'We're stretching the budget. It won't be the last time.' And for two months, he was everything Hazen, Kendrick and the D-backs hoped for with a 3-2 record and 2.66 ERA. Now he's out for the foreseeable future. It's the latest in a bad run of luck for Arizona's front office. It's also a brutal reminder of the substantial risk in handing out big money to pitchers in an era when injuries are happening at an alarming rate. The D-backs aren't the only team facing the same problem, even in their own division. The Los Angeles Dodgers currently have 14 pitchers on the injured list — including starters Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Tony Gonsolin. Snell has made just two starts this season because of injuries after signing a $182 millon, five-year deal in the offseason. The difference is the Dodgers seem to have nearly unlimited money to keep adding talent. The D-backs do not. The string of disappointing signings started in December 2019, when the D-backs added Bumgarner with a $85 million, five-year deal. The lefty had declined from his peak in the early-to-mid 2010s, when he led the San Francisco Giants to three World Series titles, but there was reason to believe he would be a solid middle-of-the-rotation option. Instead, he regressed even more in the desert, going 15-32 with a 5.23 ERA over a little more than three seasons. The D-backs released him in 2023 after he had a 10.26 ERA through four starts, eating more than $30 million in the process. The D-backs made a surprise run to the World Series that year and invested in a pair of pitchers — Montgomery and Rodriguez — during the ensuing offseason. Montgomery signed a $25 million, one-year deal with a vesting option for 2025. Rodriguez was added on an $80 million, four-year deal. Much like the Bumgarner signing, both seemed like good deals at the time. Montgomery had just helped the Rangers beat the Diamondbacks in the World Series and was a solid lefty with a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the previous three seasons. Rodriguez was coming off one of the best seasons of his career after going 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA for the Detroit Tigers. Things haven't worked out for either pitcher. Montgomery was awful in 2024 with a 6.23 ERA and eventually demoted to the bullpen. But because he made 21 starts, his vesting option for $22.5 million kicked in for 2025. His bid for a bounce-back season ended before it even started. The lefty got hurt during spring training in March and needed Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, ending his time in the desert. Rodriguez hurt his shoulder during spring training in 2024 and didn't make his D-backs debut until August, contributing a 5.04 ERA as the team faded down the stretch and missed the playoffs. He's battled injuries and ineffectiveness again this year with a 6.70 ERA through 10 starts. There's still time for the Rodriguez and Burnes deals to take a turn for the better. Even if Burnes doesn't return until 2027, he'd have four more years remaining on his deal. D-backs manager Torey Lovullo chose to remain optimistic following Burnes' injury. 'We're all with Corbin right now,' Lovullo said. 'This is a tough day to get this news. But we'll find a way to rally around him, play hard for him all year long. ... It's a long road, and it takes time for him to heal and recover. And he will. He'll be great for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I'm convinced of it.' ___ AP MLB:
