MLB Trade Rumors and News: Braves use home run barrage to down the Phillies

The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we’re running here at MLBDD that rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be the shared? Hit us up at @mlbdailydish on Twitter or @MLBDailyDish on Instagram.

• The Atlanta Braves are coming off a June that saw them torch nearly every team in their path and soar to the top of the NL East standing with a comfortable lead. On July 4th, they demolished the Philadelphia Phillies thanks to home runs from every infielder including two from the resurgent Dansby Swanson.
• Tommy La Stella was amidst a breakout campaign this season which has seen his power production skyrocket and saw him get named to his first All-Star Game. Unfortunately, he will miss both the ASG and the next 8-10 weeks after he broke his leg when he fouled a ball off his leg.
• Over the last few years, we have seen a slew of exciting young prospects make their debuts in the majors to much fanfare and excitement. The current crop of minors looks exciting yet again so our own Andersen Pickard went over the AL Central to see which prospects from each team could debut this year.
• The Tigers’ phone is likely already ringing off the hook with teams inquiring about closer Shane Greene in advance of the trade deadline later this month. This made us ask the question where will the Tigers ultimately trade Greene?
• Tuesday was the first day of the international signing period, and teams across the majors were very active. Check out our international signing tracker to get caught up with the moves that every team made Tuesday.
• Sometimes, this world just is not fair, and Monday was one of those days as 27-year-old Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs was found dead in Texas. The Angels’ game was cancelled and as of this moment in time, no cause of death has been announced. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and fans of Tyler.
• There are some very real divisions that exist between MLB, MLB umpires, and MLB players at this moment as to how umpires and players should be expected to relate to one another and be held accountable. Our own Andersen Pickard took a look at some recent events and examined umpire accountability in Major League Baseball.
• The Rays find themselves right in the thick of the playoff hunt, and they added some major reinforcements over the weekend as one of their top prospects, pitcher Brendan McKay, made his major league debut on Saturday. McKay took a perfect game into the sixth and earned his first major league win, showing off just how dominant he is ready to be for Tampa Bay. The young pitcher also decimated a Rays record: retiring 16 consecutive batters to start a game. Talk about getting off on the right foot.
• It seems like each week, we are talking about a different Yankee hitting the injured list. It hasn’t bothered the team too much to this point of the season as they have one of the better records in baseball, but it is still fairly alarming. Now, it looks like the cycle is looping back around as Giancarlo Stanton is back on the injured list, this time due to a PCL injury. A biceps strain cost him a month and a half or so of the season already.
• Speaking of the Yankees, the injury-riddled team had no problem across the pond in the first ever London Series, defeating the Red Sox in both games held at London Stadium this weekend. With a shallow center field at just 338 feet, both teams scored an insane amount on runs across both games, with final scores or 17-13 and 12-8, respectively. The Cubs and Cardinals are up next in 2020! Get your passports ready, folks.
• Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft, has reached an agreement with the Orioles that includes an $8.1 million signing bonus, breaking the record for a draft pick that was previously set by Gerrit Cole in 2011. Rutschman made his first public appearance at Camden Yards on Tuesday, taking batting practice and getting introduced to media members and fans.
• Your 2019 All-Stars have officially been...er, chosen? After a new and confusing voting process, the players who will head to Cleveland as the tops at their positions have been revealed. Among the notable names are Pete Alonso, Tommy La Stella, and Ronald Acuna.
• The Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks has been lighting up radar guns since he got into the league with a fastball that routinely is in excess of 100 mph. Unfortunately, we were reminded that the laws of physics and the human body do not always get along as Hicks was diagnosed with a torn UCL on Monday.
• It is no secret that the Rays both have had real trouble drawing any meaningful crowds to their games (despite a strong product on the field) and that they are quite unhappy with their current stadium situation. However, an interesting wrinkle has developed as MLB has granted the Rays permission to explore a “two-city” model which would have the Rays call both Tampa AND Montreal home. Let’s get weird.
• Fan safety has been a hot topic of late, particular regarding foul balls that very often come screaming into crowds before anyone has time to react. While some would argue that this is long overdue, the Nationals and White Sox are joining a growing number of teams that are extending the netting along the foul lines.
• The 2019 MLB Draft has come and gone, but who are the teams that made out like bandits and who are the teams that, well, didn’t impress. Our own Matt Powers went through the National League and reviewed each team’s draft classes while highlighting the good, the bad, and the puzzling.
• The trade deadline will be here before you know it, and we are already starting to hear whispers of which teams are going to be buyers and sellers despite the actual deadline being over a month away. Andersen Pickard went ahead and picked five stars who could have new homes before the trade deadline passes.
• The Mets continue to be your drunk uncle who ruins family holidays, this time just with extra fighting. Both Jason Vargas and skipper Mickey Callaway had some heated words to say to a Mets beat writer for Newsday, with Vargas saying to the reporter, “I’ll knock you the f--- out.” The Mets have released an official statement and we can all guess at the one they’re drafting up next — Callaway’s walking papers.
• Are you excited about the new, young future of baseball? Who isn’t? Our Andersen Pickard wants you to be even more excited as he breaks down one prospect worthy of making their MLB debut from every AL East team. Keep an eye out as Andersen takes on the other divisions next.
• Not ready to let the draft go just yet? Worry not. Our 2019 MLB Draft First-round pick Signing Tracker will keep you in the loop of what picks will be headed to their teams and who may just pass it up.