Bryce Harper cussed out the commissioner. Plus: Trade deadline catch-up

New York Times

4 days ago

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Bryce Harper cussed out the commissioner. I repeat: Bryce Harper cussed out the commissioner.
Plus: Emmanuel Clase is the latest Guardians pitcher to become embroiled in MLB's gambling investigation, Ken looks into the Brewers and Rangers' deadline plans, and we catch you up on yesterday's trades. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to The Windup!
Some days, when you sit down to write a baseball newsletter, you furrow your brow as you try to decide which story should go in the first section.
Other days, Bryce Harper drops an F-bomb on the commissioner of the sport, and you get to use the phrase 'cusses out' in a section headline. Bryce Harper cusses out the commissioner! Wow!
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Let's set the stage: after the 2022 lockout that threatened the regular season, commissioner Rob Manfred began meeting with each team once a year. The premise: Improve relations with the players! Not try to convince them that a salary cap would benefit them. Definitely not that.
In fact, Manfred brought in a collection of former players to improve communication with the players. It's called the Commissioner's Ambassador Program, or CAP for short. (But again, please don't put in the papers that I'm talking about a salary cap, OK?) The union, predictably, has reservations.
Fast forward to last week, when Manfred met with the Phillies. As first reported by ESPN, Harper took the opportunity to engage in some communication with the commissioner.
As later related by Nick Castellanos, Harper informed Manfred that the commish could 'get the f— out of our clubhouse' if he wanted to talk about a salary cap. Manfred, according to the report, informed Harper that he would 'not get the f— out of here,' because it was an important conversation.
The report goes on to say that while Harper and Manfred shook hands at the end of the meeting, the Phillies first baseman did not answer a call from the commissioner the next day.
Then Evan Drellich reported that there was even little more drama, with Mark DeRosa telling players something along the lines of: 'The commissioner's a powerful guy, don't f— around with him.'
DeRosa later insisted he was joking. Players apparently weren't sure — since the former MLB veteran now works for Manfred, such a statement could be interpreted as a veiled threat.
I bet the next CBA negotiations are going to be super easygoing and fun, yeah?
Brewers still adding?
The Brewers, who acquired catcher Danny Jansen from the Rays on Monday, are among the teams interested in the Orioles' Ryan O'Hearn.
While O'Hearn would not be a perfect fit for Milwaukee, the team could find at-bats for him at first base, in left field and at designated hitter.
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Christian Yelich is the Brewers' primary DH. Andrew Vaughn has filled in well at first for Rhys Hoskins, who is expected to return from a sprained left thumb in mid-to-late August. Switch-hitter Isaac Collins, one of the season's bigger surprises, has emerged as the team's primary left fielder.
The Brewers, however, entered Monday ranked 21st in slugging percentage by left-handed hitters and 23rd in home runs. O'Hearn, 32, was batting only .218 with a .648 OPS since May 27. But among the Brewers, only Yelich (19) and Jackson Chourio had exceeded his total of 12 homers.
O'Hearn, a potential free agent, will be owed about $2.5 million. The Brewers also showed interest in another left-handed hitting first baseman, Josh Naylor, before the Diamondbacks sent him to the Mariners. Naylor at the time was owed nearly $4 million.
Financial angle in Texas
Something to watch with the surging Rangers: Whether they are willing to go over the luxury-tax threshold for the third consecutive season.
The Rangers' estimated luxury-tax payroll, per Fangraphs, is $234.9 million. The first threshold is $241 million. As a third-time offender, the Rangers would be taxed at 50 percent for every dollar they spend over the threshold. If they stay under, their penalty rate would reset to 20 percent.
Winners of six straight games and nine of 10 entering Monday night, the Rangers were still day to day in determining how aggressively they should buy. If ownership gives the front office the flexibility to exceed the threshold, the Rangers might as well go significantly past the number. It would make little sense to end the season, say, $1 million over.
A trade of right fielder Adolis García, who will be owed approximately $3 million at the deadline, would create additional room under the threshold. The Rangers also could move a pitcher such as right-hander Jon Gray or one of their catchers, Jonah Heim or Kyle Higashioka. But such trades would be self-defeating for a team trying to reach the postseason.
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The Rangers want to add another right-handed hitter as well as a high-leverage reliever such as the Cardinals' Ryan Helsley or Pirates' David Bednar. Trading García would subtract a right-handed bat, and like many of the Rangers' hitters he is on the upswing.
Through May 28, Garcia was batting .208 with a .626 OPS. Since then, he has been better, hitting .256 with and a .728 OPS. He also is an excellent defender, and the Rangers consider him an important part of their club.
More Rangers: Sam Blum points out that the Rangers' hot streak has come at exactly the right time.
Yesterday, we pondered, 'Hmmm, wonder if the Guardians will make Emmanuel Clase available?'
Oh, how sweet and innocent we were back in those days, when there was only one Guardians pitcher under investigation by the league for gambling-related suspicions.
That has since changed. Guardians closer Clase is now on non-disciplinary paid leave until Aug. 31 while the league investigates him in connection with sports betting.
Not only is Clase the team's closer, he would likely have been the biggest relief chip on the market, had Cleveland opted to trade him. With his leave extending through August, that's definitely not happening now.
We don't have as many details (yet) about Clase as we have about Ortiz, but here's what we know so far — which isn't much. Neither the team nor the league plans to comment until the investigation is complete.
It's going to be a staple in The Windup this week: One section per day will — unless there's an inexplicable dearth of trades — be dedicated to the trades made the previous day. Here's a Monday recap:
More trade deadline:
Ryne Sandberg — Hall of Famer, 10x All-Star, 9x Gold Glover, 7x Silver Slugger and 1984 NL MVP — has passed away at 65 after a long battle with metastatic prostate cancer.
With the NL Central lead on the line, the Brewers beat the Cubs 8-4.
Also, the Cubs agreed on a multiyear extension with president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
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It's been a while since we've seen a player fully throw the coaches under the bus. Enter Astros starter Framber Valdez, who … might have a point?
Two top prospects — Travis Sykora of the Nats and Tekoah Roby of the Cardinals — will be undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Keith Law scouts Travis Bazzana, Braylon Doughty and other prospects from the Guardians and Orioles.
This week's Power Rankings give us one goal for each team over the next two-plus months.
On the pods: On 'The Roundtable,' Sam explains 'Phase 2' of the season, and the Clase news breaks.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: You listened! It was Andy McCullough's story on team executives' trade deadline 'personalities'. (Part 2 is here.)
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