AFL/Offseason Update: Nov. 20, 2021
With a pair of crooked numbers in the 4th and 5th innings, Surprise overcame an early 3-0 deficit to defeat Glendale, 5-3 in seven innings.
Despite the Javelinas paddling the Rafters to finish with an identical 17-12 record, the Sagauros appear to have been awarded the AFL West title by virtue of a 33-32 edge in runs scored in the six games between the two teams, which they split 3-3.
In the clinching victory, the usual suspects (Jackson Cluff and Drew Millas) played on offense while Todd Peterson (pictured above) retired the side in order – two by way of the K – in the 7th to earn the save.
Cluff led off and played shortstop and went 0-for-2 with an RBI via a sac fly. He finished the Fall season with a .342/.432/.456 line with one HR, 14RBI, 14BB, and was 8-for-8 in SB attempts.
Millas batted 8th and caught, going 1-for-2 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI, which was not enough to get over the Mendoza line at .196/.359/.275 with one HR, five RBI, and three stolen bases.
Surprise will play Mesa in the AFL Championship Game at the Salt River Fields (adjacent to the Talking Stick Casino and Resort, which is juuuuust a coincidence) tonight at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on the MLB Network and will not have Tom Verducci on the call.
NATS ADD TWO TO 40-MAN ROSTER
As expected, Washington added Donovan Casey and Evan Lee to the 40-man roster ahead of next month’s scheduled Rule 5 draft. Given that Casey had just been traded for this past July, you could bank on that move like a Nats trade with the A’s.
Lee was a bit of a surprise – our e-migo and Rule 5 guru Todd Boss had pegged Tim Cate – with a much lower profile: 15th Rd. pick in 2018, #30 on the 2020 MLB Pipeline Top 30 (#21 currently) and unranked by Baseball America. Seems rather obvious that the Nats would rather protect the harder-throwing southpaw, who is a better “fit” for a drafting team to hide in the bullpen, and gamble that teams will pass on Cate and his 5.31/4.64/1.55 line.
MINOR-LEAGUE RE-SIGNS
Three longtime OGs opted to go with the devil they know and stick with the Nats:
● RHP Luis Reyes
● RHP Jefry Rodriguez
● UT Adrián Sanchez
Evan Lee also featured yesterday, throwing a scoreless, hitless, walkless, strikeoutless inning to bring his ERA down to a respectable 4.66 in the offense-heavy AFL. Besides Rutledge, the arms were “Surprise-ingly” pretty good!
I’m still holding out hope that the Saguaros have stashed Henry as their secret weapon for the Championship game. With the 2nd most strikeouts and 3rd best WHIP among SPs, there’s an argument to be made that Henry has been the best starter in the AFL. Could make sense to keep him around for this game… but even if not, it’s been a wildly successful stint for him. I just hope his recent absence isn’t injury related. He’s already had plenty of injuries already in his short career.
Speaking of hoping, Casey’s absence screams injury but we’ve been told nothing.
I hope Lee is there for the game tonight.
Thanks, Luke, on the re-signings. Its been hard to tell who’s coming back.
Todd barked at me for not thinking Cate was worth protecting but I still hope he’s not taken in the Rule 5. He still has a chance of seeing the show one day.