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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter.
Good morning baseball fans!
Both the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg took risks when agreeing to their mega-deal.
With Strasburg off the board, there aren't many starters available next winter.
Introducing the all-or-nothing version of David Wright.
Wright physically can’t cover the plate like he used to. He’s adjusted to that reality by focusing on the pitches he can get to. With his approach and swing, he’s ending up with an awful lot of strikeouts, but the strikeouts also come with walks and homers, and the thing all of those have in common is very little running. Of course, when you walk, you have to prepare to run, and when you homer, you have to jog, but Wright is a big-leaguer — he can’t be totally inactive. He can do only as much as he can, and David Wright at the moment remains a threatening hitter. It’s a testament to rolling with the punches.
In the field, Wright isn’t himself. He can’t be. At least, the definition of “himself” has changed. In the field, he’s not what he was. At the plate, he’s also not what he was, but he’s still good. He’s still disciplined, and he’s still strong, and though he’s a hell of a lot more strikeout-prone, there’s productivity in between the whiffs. Players everywhere are always making adjustments, but Wright’s have managed to keep alive a potentially Hall-of-Fame career.
The Angels acquired Brendan Ryan from the Nationals.
Michael Bourn signed an minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Here is a roundup of news from around the American League Central.
Bryce Harper's 2016 has been great, but not historically great.
Harper is off to a great start, but not an historically great start. There is nothing wrong with that; it just should be appreciated for what it is. The totals posted by Barry Bonds and to a lesser extent Alex Rodriguez were on a completely different level than most. There is little doubt Bryce Harper is one of the best, if not the best player in baseball today (I happen to fall in that category), but his start to 2016 is not on an historic level, but rather right on pace with his MVP season in 2015. I am sure the Nationals and Bryce Harper will take the same end result as 2015.
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Today in Baseball History: In 1996, Al Leiter pitches the first no-hitter in Marlins history.