Wednesday’s News & Notes
| Team | Yesterday | Today | Pitching Probables |
| Rochester | Postponed | @ Buffalo, 12:35 p.m. | Rutledge (4-6, 6.93) and TBD vs. Espino (1-4, 5.07) and Kaprielian (0-1, 7.58) |
| Harrisburg | Lost, 5-3 | @ Bowie, 6:35 p.m. | Saenz (0-0, 4.50) vs. Pham (3-3, 5.23) |
| Wilmington | Lost, 10-5 (7 inn.) |
vs. Jersey Shore, 7:05 p.m. | Atencio (2-8, 3.447) vs. Fausnaught (7-3, 3.56) |
| Fredericksburg | Lost, 15-5 | vs. Carolina, 7:05 p.m. | B. Romero (0-0, 0.00) vs. Corniel (3-5, 4.24) |
| DSL Nationals | Won, 9-6 | OFF DAY |
Rochester vs. Buffalo – PPD
With Hurricane Debbie expected to transition to a tropical depression and move up the East Coast (pic above), the Red Wings-Bisons rainout will probably not be the only one this week. Meanwhile, they’ll shoot to make up yesterday’s postponement with doubleheader this afternoon. Roster moves: RHP Carlos Romero reassigned from Harrisburg; DH Joey Gallo assigned from Washington for MLB Rehab.
Bowie 5 Harrisburg 3
• Solesky (L, 0-4) 5IP, 8H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 2K, 2HR
• Cuevas 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Arruda 2-3, BB, RBI
• Pinckney 2-3, R, 2B, OF assist @ 2B
Bowie put the knife to Harrisburg early and held off a late charge for a 5-3 win in the opener. Chase Solesky remains winless after taking his fourth loss in eight starts, allowing four runs on eight hits (two HR) and two walks ove five innings. He struck out two. The Senators took advantage of walks and errors to score three times in the 9th and make this look closer than it was, with J.T. Arruda lead the six-hit effort with two single, a walk, and an RBI, followed by Andrew Pinckney with a single, a double, and a run scored. Roster moves: C Hudson Livesey assigned from Washington (released from Jacksonville, 7/30); LHP Matt Cronin reassigned from Wilmington.
Jersey Shore 10 Wilmington 5 (7 inn.)
• Davis (L, 0-2) 2⅓ IP, 2H, 5R, 5ER, 3BB, 3K, HR
• Schultz ⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 1K, 3-3 IR-S
• Brown 2-2, 2R, BB, 2B(5), RBI
• Glasser 2-3
• Naranjo 1-2, R, BB, 2B
The BlueClaws doubled up the Blue Rocks, 10-5 in a game shortened to seven innings. Marc Davis, who was named the Carolina Lg. Pitcher of the month for July, was roughed up again with five runs allowed on two hits (one HR) and three walks over two and a 1/3rd innings while striking out three. Marcus Brown led the Wilmington counterstrikes with a single, double, and two walks while Phillip Glasser had two safeties in three trips to the plate. Roster moves: OF Robert Hassell assigned from Harrisburg for MiLB rehab.
Carolina 15 Fredericksburg 5
• Polanco (L, 7-4) 2IP, 7H, 7R, 7ER, 3BB, 3K, HR, HBP, WP
• Hall 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 2K
• Morales 3-5, R, 2RBI
• Cox 2-3, 2R, 2BB, RBI, SB(20)
• Mota 2-4, R, 2-2B
Fredericksburg was down 11-0 halfway through and fell 15-5 to Carolina to drop the FredNats’ lead over the Mudcats to a game and a half. Bryan Polanco was pounded for seven runs for the second time in three starts, with seven hits, three walks, and three whiffs over two innings. Yoyo Morales led the FredNats offense with three singles and two RBI, followed by Brenner Cox with two singles, two walks, and his 20th steal.
DSL Nationals 9 DSL Mariners 6
• De La Cruz 4IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 3BB, 5K
• Oliveros 3IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 4K, HR
• Tavarez 2-3, R, BB, 2B, 3RBI, SB, E
• Marmolejos 2-3, 2R, BB, SB
• Obispo 0-1, 2R, 2BB, SB, E
The D-Nats outslugged the D-Mariners for a 9-6 win. Marlon De La Cruz went the first four and gave up the first three runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out five. Deiver Oliveros finished the game, allowing the last three runs on five hits (one HR), no walks, and four strikeouts. Feldi Tavarez extended his hit streak to ten games with single and a double while Eddy Marmolejos reached base three times on two singles and a walk to lead the DSL Nationals offense.
I must’ve missed the move, but Matt Cronin was FINALLY promoted to Harrisburg!!! I’m still utterly baffled as to why it took this long, but at this point just need to be happy that it’s happened. Hopefully it’s not too late for him to get a look in in September with the Nats, as he’ll be a minor league free agent this winter.
Almost as deservedly as Cronin’s promotion is Carlos Romero’s. He came out of nowhere this season. After posting a 6.47 ERA last season, his ERA sits at 2.06 across two levels. Somehow, he got better after being promoted from Wilmington to Harrisburg, sporting a Cronin-esque ERA of 0.47 in 19.1 IP with 27 K.
Lastly, the pick up of another catcher in Harrisburg is curious. I haven’t seen a corresponding move of Pineda or Stubbs to the IL, and with Lomavita and Bazzell set to appear any day now, there’s going to be an imminent catcher shuffle between Fredericksburg and Harrisburg. If anything, we have too many backstops, so I don’t get signing another…
Are you sure that Cronin hits FA after this season? I think he has one more year.
My understanding is that minor leaguers hit free agency after 6 full years of service time, and Cronin was drafted in 2019, so 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 only makes 5.
In any case, there are a few 2018 draftees still around: Vega, Cate, Schaller, Wilson and Denaburg. Were they all MLFAs last winter? I’m not seeing any transaction records on their milb.com pages (like I do for, say, Blankenhorn signing as an MLFA in both the 22/23 and 23/24 off seasons).
Either way, the Cronin promotion is overdue, but without the ticking clock on control, he’d likely be behind some of the impending R5 guys on the major league depth chart.
I think 2019 counts towards his service clock. It’s why the Nationals added him to the 40 man roster in 2022, as that was his 4th season of control, which made him R5 eligible, and therefore he’s now completing his 6th season in 2024, but happy to be corrected here.
I absolutely don’t know for sure and, if I’d be unhappy to be the one corrected, it’s only because it would further complicate the team’s roster situation. But here’s what I’ve found:
1. https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2023-milb-free-agents/ has a list of last year’s MLFAs. The Rule 4 guys who never made the majors seem to be 2017 draftees.
2. Cate et al from 2018 are still with the team. Cate’s listed transactions on his MILB.com page don’t include him opting for free agency or signing an MLFA deal. Those transactions are listed on the player pages where I know they’ve occurred like Blankenhorn or Meneses.
But it is really hard to pin down these rules. You’re definitely right about R5 eligibility kicking in for the 2021 college draftees this year, and I have no idea why the service time clocks wouldn’t line up.
Actually, here’s a theory: I vaguely remember the most recent CBA shortened minor league control from 7 years to 6. Is it possible that guys signed under the old deal still have to accrue 7?
Just on point 2: I don’t think they consistently add a transaction for a guy who opted to stay with his original club, despite being a free agent. Case in point: Luis Reyes was without a doubt a free agent more than once in his 12 year Nationals minor league career, but him electing free agency is only noted one time (in 2021).
But again, I really don’t know, and you’re right that the new CBA may have really further muddled things up. I guess we’ll see!
Rutledge May never achieve the clean polish Peter Van Loon has .
Add Jose Atencio to the list of starters on farm who have topped 100 IP
Can we use the weather effects spiritually on the starting pitching lately especially tonight the 7 th ?? Eghads! We can give Saenz an excuse dinner he’s just back with his feet in EL again .
I
Mentioned in yesterdays pile of Boomer
Bereavements
Hudson Livesey from a great baseball family .
Let’s see how Delino delegates the energy for the playoff push now that he has reenforcements.
Especially when Hassell 3 returns .
Todd or whoever responds : watching the mechanics of Van Loon ( Orioles next hopeful at AA) made me wish JR can repeat his mechanics as smoothly as Peter V has this year swing his skinny ERA for Bowie
No wonder Birds traded Stowers with Beavers causing pitchers and skippers to utter damn in EL .
Pal Joey double vision for Rochester ( sing it , Lou Gramm!)