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While the Indians 2018 MLB Winter Meetings focus seems to be on them looking to move one of their starters, there's also a tidbit that is of interest about a homecoming with a player who left them not all that long ago. That player is first basemen Ian Kinsler Jersey /DH Carlos Santana, who inked a mega three-year deal last offseason worth $60 million last offseason with the Phillies. He's already been dealt once this offseason the Seattle Mariners, and now the Indians are one of three teams in the mix to po sibly make a deal Tommy La Stella Jersey to get Santana back. The report says that the Indians along with the Tampa Bay Rays have spoken to the Mariners about Santana, who in his only season in Philadelphia hit .229 with 24 homers, 86 RBI and 110 walks with 93 strikeouts. Scroll to Continue Santana has two Andrelton Simmons Jersey years worth $40 mil left on his deal, but one would think the only way the Indians would in fact take on such a hefty contract is by not only trading either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer (which appears more and more likely at some point), but also po sibly moving Edwin Encarnacion. The Rays reportedly have asked about Encarnacion, and the Indians moving him to Tampa would give the team the flexibility to not only pay for Santana's contract, but also have a spot for him as well as Yonder Alonso (if he doesn't get dealt) at first base as well as DH. According to Brock's report, the other team that has asked about Santana are the Yunel Escobar Jersey Colorado Rockies. Santana spent eight seasons with the Indians, hitting .249 in his career with 149 homers and 547 runs batted in. He also 726 walks in those eight seasons, leading the American League in that category in 2014 Zack Cozart Jersey with 113 walks. In his final season with the Tribe, Santana hit .259 with 23 homers and 79 runs batted in with 88 walks and 94 strikeouts.

DETROIT - The Indians final five games of the regular season will see a Mookie Wilson Jersey very different rotation than the one that pitched them to an American League Central Division Title, and it's not by choice. Injuries have crushed the pitching staff over the last few weeks, with ace Corey Kluber becoming the latest victim with a strained quad muscle that will sit him till his first start of the postseason. Today in Detroit, manager Terry Francona announced the rotation for Juan Lagares Jersey the rest of the regular season, the final game in Detroit Thursday afternoon, and the final three games in Kansas City. The team already mind you is throwing out Zach McAllister in the scheduled game tonight. McAllister has just one Jose Reyes Jersey other start this season, and that was an unplanned start the day after the team went 19 innings with the Blue Jays in Toronto on July 1st Jacob DeGrom Jersey .Scroll to Continue The final five starters will be McAllister, Ryan Merritt against the Tigers on Thursday afternoon, Adam Plutko on Friday against the Royals, Trevor Bauer on Saturday, and Josh Tomlin on Sunday. Bauer and Tomlin have a combined 55 starts for the Indians this season, the threesome of McAllister, Merritt and Plutko have a combined one start in Jeurys Familia Jersey 2016. The Indians enter Wednesday's game at 91-66, the AL East leading Red Sox are 92-65, and the Rangers, champions of the AL West are 93-65.

Texas Rangers catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver is undergoing season-ending surgery Monday to repair an injured right forearm flexor muscle. Garver said . He was asked about his season coming to a close after . Yes, that is true, Garver said, . Garver has been limited to only hitting Tom Glavine Jersey since the forearm injury sidelined him for 10 games from May 9-19. Garver has been unable to throw, which meant he couldnt catch, so DH Babe Ruth Jersey was the only way manager Chris Woodward could get his bat in the lineup.Scroll to ContinueGarver hit eighth in the homestand-opening win over the Twins, and went 0-2 with a run, walk and RBI. He went into hitting .210/.296/.414 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI.Its unfortunate, Woodward said. Were gonna Dale Murphy Jersey mi s him, but its for his sake. He may not tell you guys how much its bothered him, but I guarantee it has far more than hes letting on. Theres been a lot of back-and-forth, but for him to do the surgery tells me its bothering him. I think he wants to play, he wants to help our Tyler Flowers Jersey team and wants to be in there, but he feels like it's a detriment to himself and to our team. I still think 50% Mitch Garver is probably better than most. I'm gonna mi s him in the lineup. If he feels like that's best, I'm gonna fully support it.With a recovery time of 6-8 months, Garver needed the surgery to be ready for Spring Training in 2023.Garver was a key acquisition this past season, as the Rangers hoped to boost their offensive production at catcher. Texas traded infielder to for Garver, who was expected to R.A. Dickey Jersey share catching duties with Jonah Heim.

Edmundo, Sammy, what's the difference? The Philadelphia Phillies' Sosa posted his second consecutive game with six or more total bases in the team's win over Miami on Wednesday.The Phillies shortstop was electric on both sides of the ball, making a difference on defense and well as Allen Robinson Jersey difference on offense.Despite lacking production from several of their sluggers the past several days, the Phillies have scraped by on pitching and defense, and perhaps no surprise has been more welcome the past month than Bailey Falter.In his past four starts coming into Wednesday night's contest, Falter had pitched six or more innings in each for an ERA of 2.59. Continuing that run of efficiency, Falter might have begun to pitch himself into the Phillies' 2023 Prince Amukamara Jersey rotation.Though shorter, his start against the Miami Marlins was undoubtedly impre sive. Through 5.1 innings, Falter allowed two runs, striking out three and walking none.After he allowed two Marlins singles to lead off the ballgame, one of which Falter allowed to score on a groundout, the Phillies' starter was largely dominant.The only other trouble Falter faced was a series of three fifth inning singles that gave the Marlins a second run before he was lifted in the fifth at only 74 pitches. It seemed like Falter was capable of going six innings again on Wednesday night, but interim manager Rob Akiem Hicks Jersey Thomson was more concerned with preserving his arm rather than getting his starter deeper into the game.The Phillies though had spotted Falter a lead, albeit a paltry one. Sosa blasted his second homer in back-to-back nights in the second inning, and Jean Segura followed him with a long pop fly that carried out of the yard in the fourth.Scroll to ContinueThroughout the middle innings, Phillies relievers made it look like June and July again, allowing just one hit and no further baserunners in 2.2 innings of work between Andrew Bellatti andJos Alvarado.In natural fashion, Bellatti was aided by defense in the seventh, as Sosa and J.T. Realmuto teamed up for a Cirque de Soleil act to erase the one hit allowed in that frame.In the bottom half of the inning, Sosa added on again with his bat. This time with one of the most weakly hit doubles you'll ever witne s. As the ball was deflected by the pitcher and then again by the second baseman, Sosa made it all the way Cordarrelle Patterson Jersey second base by the time the ball returned to the infield, trading places with Matt Vierling for the decided insurance run.With both SeranthonyDomnguez and David Robertson unavailable, Thomson offered the closer job to Connor Brogdon. His first several pitches may have reminded Phillies fans of past Septembers, when he allowed a home run and then Mike Singletary Jersey a single to lead off the inning.Yet, Brgodon cleaned up his me s effectively, shutting Miami down 1-2-3 to end the ballgame and seal the Phillies four game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for a playoff spot.Thursday Philadelphia will send Kyle Gibson to the mound, opposed by National League Cy Young favorite Sandy Alcantara. The Phillies have bested Alcantara in all of his last three starts against them.More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

How is Chris Ba sitt able to keep the quality of his Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey pitches high, even after throwing 114 of them?Well, he "works his butt off."On Monday, the Mets, riding high after taking four out of five from the rival Atlanta Braves, faced off against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field.Ba sitt toed the rubber for New York and yielded just one run (unearned) over eight innings of work. The Mets had to burn just one reliever in the game, Adam Ottavino, who continued his strong season and shut the door for the team's fourth consecutive victory.The formula to Ba sitt's succe s is simple, according to Buck Showalter. He has moxie."Just moxie, Showalter said after the 5-1 victory on Monday. "Hes such a competitive Andre Burakovsky Jersey guy. He doesnt let something nece sarily dictate how he feels. Hes got a good hand and a good feel. Thats something thats hard to quantify. Hes a guy who likes to compete and do whats expected of him."The 33-year-old has a 3.39 ERA in 21 starts this year, and has now thrown at least six innings in nine consecutive starts.Ba sitt's 114 pitches Dennis Maruk Jersey on Monday were a season high. The right-hander has become a reliable pitcher who can go deep into games for the Mets and rack up a high pitch count. In fact, he has the top five highest pitch counts by a Mets pitcher this year."I want to go 115-120 pitches every start, but Buck won't let me," Ba sitt joked on Monday.Scroll to ContinueEven with having the top five highest pitch counts this year, Showalter said it's not intentional."Its by the game, its not him personally Alex Ovechkin Jersey ," Showalter said. "The game seems to dictate that, and he can hold his stuff. A lot of factors on his side. I can give you about seven or eight that not everybody has in baseball."Its a good delivery, hes strong, hes in good shape. Theres a lot of factors there, but you watch NHL Washington Capitals Jersey a game and it usually tells you how a guy is doing as opposed to some number all the time."Ba sitt is a free agent after this season, and is making a strong case to stay in New York.In the mean time, having a durable arm who can wear down hitters to slot in behind Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom in the rotation is a nightmare for any opposition.- - -

After Mets manager Luis Rojas exploded on the umpire, which led to his first inning ejection on Sunday, MLB handed him a two-game suspension for "exce sive arguing.""I'm a little upset that Austin Corbett Jersey I'm going to be mi sing the next two games," said Rojas prior to the Mets' series with the Cincinnati Reds."But, the leagues gotta do what they gotta do."For Rojas, this is the first time he has been suspended at any level in profe sional baseball. And as he also noted, he did not have a chance to appeal.However, he says nothing will change as far as their preparation to play the Reds, as both he and the rest of the Mets' coaching staff are Larry Ogunjobi Jersey all on the same page with how they plan to approach this matchup. Bench coach Dave Jau s will take over managing duties, and Brian Schneider will fill Jau s' role, which he already a sists with regularly.Scroll to ContinueRojas will also be allowed to be in the clubhouse during pregame, and will be on the field throwing batting practice. But Damarious Randall Jersey once their workout ends, he must leave."My intention is not to get suspended," he said. "But my intention will always be to fight for the guys out there."Rojas' eruption was due to a controversial call in Ray-Ray Armstrong Jersey the first inning yesterday against the Pirates, where Taijuan Walker threw a dribbler away, which he believed to be in foul territory. Instead, three runs scored, and the call was non-reviewable.Rojas still believes this was a foul ball, and should be a reviewable play in the future.According to a source, this argument was more fierce than most and nearly got physical, which is what led to the league's decision Seth DeValve Jersey to suspend Rojas.Rojas appeared to have bumped chests with the umpire, as he was barking at him.

When it comes to Game 1 of the ALCS, baseball fans could not ask for a more intriguing duel between one of the game's best right-handed power pitchers and a lineup Tony Gonzalez Jersey of right-handed sluggers. Corey Kluber may not win the 2016 Cy Young Award, but he did strike out 227 hitters this season, fifth-most in the American League. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays hit 221 home runs on the season, most of which came from their dangerous right-handed hitters, Edwin Encarnacion (42 Khalen Saunders Jersey ), Josh Donaldson (37), Troy Tulowitzki (24), and Jose Bautista (22). Left-handed hitting Michael Saunders belted 24 homers on the season, but 16 of those came before the All-Star Break and he has not been as much of a threat since July. Although no one would feel "safe" against Toronto's offense, having an overpowering right-hander like Kluber gives the Tribe the best chance "on paper" to contain a potent offense.Scroll to Continue Even Cole Hamels, an elite lefty, was no match for those right-handed power hitters and Toronto made quick work of the Texas Rangers, largely because Eric Fisher Jersey of their dominant win over Hamels in Game 1. Along with Kluber, the Indians have another right-handed power pitcher in Trevor Bauer, but how he responds to a finger injury is yet to be seen. The Tribe may have their hands full in Game 2, when Josh Tomlin, who is prone to giving up Marcus Allen Jersey home runs, takes on the Blue Jays. But we will take a look at that matchup on Saturday. For now, the good news is that Kluber gives the Tribe as great a chance to win as anyone. And if he can produce a long outing, ideally seven innings or more, it helps the bullpen remain fresh for the nights when he is not on the mound. If this postseason has revealed anything, it's how valuable a strong bullpen can be, especially when the starting rotation Armani Watts Jersey is as banged up as Cleveland's.

Before the 2021 season got underway, the Texas Rangers took a significant step toward the future when the front office . The club had to eat the vast majority of his salary to do so, but the Rangers gained two prospects and paved a clear path for any of their younger players to take hold of the position in 2021.The first one to get a crack at the job was Nick Solak, and after a pedestrian 2020 season, theRangers' 2019 Rookie of the Year got off to a hot start in 2021. Through his first 28 games, Solak slashed .301/..379/.534/.913 with seven home runs and 15 RBI. It looked like the Rangers had their succe sor to Odor, but the grind of a full 162-game season Joe Flacco Jersey reared its ugly head.Solak barely treaded water over the next 64 games, putting up an underwhelming .190/.256/.273/.529 slash line with two homers and 19 RBI. Ultimately, the Rangers decided a demotion to Triple-A Round Rock would serve Solak well, giving him time to clear his head and regain confidence at the plate.Solak returned a month later, and put up numbers that better reflected the player that the Rangers were expecting. Over his final 35 games, Solak slashed .290/.367/.387/.754 with two home runs and 15 RBI. More importantly, the Rangers saw more grind and Mark Andrews Jersey grit from Solak at the plate, which was on full display in a 16-pitch at-bat against Arizona in early September.Overall, Solak slashed .242/.314/.362/.677 with 11 home runs, 49 RBI and an 87 OPS+. The Rangers would have ultimately liked to see a bit more slug out of Solak, but his response after being optioned to Round Rock at least had his arrow pointing in the right direction by the end of the season.One area where Solak did improve considerably was with the glove. After a season where he combined for -13 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -5 Outs Above Average (OAA) between second base, left field and center field in 2020, Solak bounced back with a -6 DRS and +3 OAA. The defensive play still needs some work, but he is much closer to the adequate defensive player the Rangers need him to be if he continues to grow with the bat.One Ranger who seized an opportunity in 2021 was Andy Ibez. Despite second base being his primary and best position, Ibez did enoughoffensively and defensivelyto force manager Chris Woodward's hand, keeping him in the lineup on a regular basis even after Solak returned from Round Rock.Despite not earning regular playing time until mid-June and suffering a hamstring injury that forced him to mi s three weeks in September, Ibez played nearly half a season. In 76 games, Ibez slashed .277/.321/.435/.756 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and a 107 OPS+. He also finished with a 1.8 bWAR, which was only behind Isiah Kiner-Falefa Iman Marshall Jersey , Adolis Garca and Nathaniel Lowe of players who finished the season on the Rangers roster.Like Solak, Ibez was better with the glove than expected. In fact, he looked like a Gold Glove defender at times. There is still some inconsistency there, but Ibez's athleticism at second base is no longer Matt Judon Jersey in question.Scroll to Continue2022 OutlookProjected Starter: TBDInternal Options: Nick Solak, Andy Ibez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Yonny HernandezOffseason Priority: MODERATEThe Rangers don't have to addre s second base externally this fall. It's a position where they have a lot of options, for next season and beyond. He likely won't be ready for the big leagues in 2022, but No. 4 prospect Justin Foscue could be the long-term answer down the line.For next season, expect the position to be in flux. If the Rangers are succe sful at (yes, that is a po sibility), that will likely move Isiah Kiner-Falefa elsewhere. Even though he's won a Gold Glove over at the hot corner, second base would be a po sibility as well with Josh Jung potentially starting 2022 as the starting third baseman.If the Rangers are unable to do so and Kiner-Falefa is the team's shortstop in 2022, there are still the options of Nick Solak, Andy Ibez and Yonny Hernandez. Next Kenny Young Jersey season is still not quite the year the Rangers will put their foot on the gas and make a serious run at contention, so they have another year to evaluate and find out if any of those threeor someone else from the farm systemcan claim the spot for the future.If the Rangers do want to look externally for help, Toronto's Marcus Semien highlights the cla s of free agent second basemen, though Semien would reportedly prefer to play shortstop wherever he signs. Outside of him, Leury Garca, Donovan Solano, Josh Harrison, Jed Lowrie and Jason Kipnis highlight the rest of the cla s. Csar Hernndez could join the cla s as well if the Chicago White Sox decline his $6 million club option.General manager Chris Young said in the club's postseason pre s conference that the Rangers will look to upgrade anywhere they can on the roster. Whether it's a big time shortstop, a trade or some other roster shuffle, second base could look different in 2022.More 2021 Positional Reviews on SI's :

While fans may not be in the stands acro s Major League Baseball this season, that doesn't mean walk-up songs aren't played.From Kanye West to the Rolling Stones, members of the Yankees certainly have a wide range of tunes and artists played at Yankee Stadium. For rookie right-hander Michael King, however, the song that blares from the speakers each time he takes the mound has much more meaning than just a popular song that gets him pumped up."It was a Christmas gift from my sister, actually," King said Rodger Saffold Jersey on Thursday, smiling from ear to ear. "She's the one that wrote the song and sings the chorus in it."The song is called "Me sin' With The King" and if you listen closely enough as his Marcus Mariota Jersey fastballs pop his catcher's mitt while he prepares for his appearances to begin, the lyrics fit perfectly. Just check out the bridge King's sister, Olivia, belts out toward the end of the song.Like her brother, Olivia is also a rising star, just in another industry. She has a follower count approaching six figures on Instagram with tens of thousands more between Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.Scroll to ContinueAs the story goes, King's singer and songwriter sibling debuted the track as a present for her baseball playing brother ahead of his junior year at Boston College. King recalled always having trouble picking the perfect walk-out song throughout his baseball career. After joking with his sister that she should make him one, she surprised him and left him "shocked," making his walk-out song decision-making proce s a whole lot easier."It's A.J. Brown Jersey the best song I've ever heard," King said. "Since my junior year I've had it every year and I try to make sure that every home stadium plays it for me because one, it's really cool, gets me Kevin Byard Jersey pumped up and I'm just trying to get my sister as much publicity as po sible because she's so talented."Along with Olivia, artist Maye Star is featured on the song, rapping out lines like "I step to the mound and I put on my crown" and "ammunition is my mi sion, throwing bombs when I'm pitching."In his first full season with the Adam Humphries Jersey Bombers, King doesn't have a particular role just yet, but he's been a valuable piece of New York's pitching staff, starting three games and making six total appearances.On Friday, in Game 1 of a doubleheader on the road against the Orioles, King didn't hear "Me sin' With The King" played as he took the mound, but he was still able to showcase his potential with his performance. The right-hander threw four innings, allowing three runs and throwing a career-high 74 pitches.

It had to happen eventually. After letting walk in free agency this past offseason, the Dodgers acquired Marshawn Lynch Jersey eight-time All-Star closer from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for AJ Pollock.After 11 seasons of watching Jansen close games, Dodgers fans were sure to harshly judge Kimbrel on any subpar performances. On Monday night, he blew the first save of his two-month Dodgers career.The Dodgers got the lead late last night against the Pirates thanks to a double in the eighth inning by Justin Turner and a base hit by Nazair Jones Jersey Chris Taylor. Those events set the table for Kimbrel to try to lock down his 11th save of the season.But it was not to be.Scroll to ContinueKimbrel yielded a walk and a Cassius Marsh Jersey double to tie the game. First baseman Freddie Freeman mishandles a ground ball at first which allowed the Pirates to take the lead for good.Blown saves happen, but Dodgers fans have certainly expected more from the 2011 NL rookie of the 12th Fan Jersey year and baseball's active career saves leader.Kimbrel owns a 4.80 ERA in 16 appearances and a troubling 1.40 WHIP. In the month of May, Kimbrel has a 6.30 ERA. Even though his May has been poor, he still ranks in the top 8% of the league in expected batting average (.200) and is in the top 10% of the league in hard-hit percentage (30%).Kimbrel will look to right the ship this week as the Dodgers wrap up their Pirates series and Tedric Thompson Jersey then host the Mets for a four-game set.