That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Stanton, Judge, Soto Outfield?

Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals gets a lift from the St Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols during the home run derby at the All Star Game at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on Mon Jul 18, 2022. Soto could be a New York Yankee before the trade deadline (AP News photo)

Stanton, Judge, Soto Outfield?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

August 2 is the last day this year for trades. Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals is the name that is on many contending teams. Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals and Toronto, yes, Toronto is a bigger market than most people believe and if they really want to make an “earth shaking” move, they would trade for Soto. Soto fits their profile, the Toronto Blue Jays are a very young and talented team, Juan Soto is 23 with all the talent in the world.

Of course the Yankees are always a player, because they have and spend the money. Just image this outfield: Giancarlo Stanton in left, Aaron Judge in center and Juan Soto in right.

That arguably could be the most powerful trio of outfielders in the history of the major leagues. Never discount the possibility about the NY Yankees making this type of a move. It should not surprise anybody.

A day prior to the All Star Game last Tuesday, Dominican star Juan Soto said no to the Nationals offer of a 15 year-contract for $440 million. Not because he would not like that type of contract, but because he knows the Nationals are not going to be contending for a few years.

Other teams like the Dodgers, (with Yankees type of money) have to be considered. The Dodgers have a very strong farm system and are capable of trading for Soto. However, the Yankees and Dodgers are going to be playing in October, maybe playing each other in a World Series even without Soto.

Then here comes the Houston Astros, but they will not trade for Juan Soto. The Astros are one the best teams right now in the. I do not believe Dusty Baker’s team is in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

A team that could go for Soto and use his bat are the San Diego Padres, right now a playoff team with a very good pitching staff but an offense that, except Manny Machado has been sputtering for a while this season. They hope that, the often injured Fernando Tatis Jr. can play soon for the last two months of the season and obviously having him ready for the postseason.

The Boston Red Sox are going to sell soon, they are in serious trouble right now but I do not believe Juan Soto is what they need. Their shortstop Xander Bogaerts will be traded, if not before this deadline, somewhere after that.

Any other teams that could land Juan Soto, they would be a surprise. One thing I do believe is that Juan Soto will be traded before the August 2 deadline. Right now Boston is a seller not a buyer. Seattle was playing very well, they had a 14-game winning streak, until they faced “reality” and were swept at home this weekend in 3 games by the Houston Astros.

If A’s ace Frankie Montás pitches well tomorrow against the Houston Astros (like last week when he pitched three innings allowed no runs and made 53 pitches) he would be traded. If not, is because the A’s are still asking too much in return for him, but eventually Montás will not be with the team very long.

Do not be surprised if the A’s trade these players also: Ramón Laureano, Tony Kemp, Sam Moll or another lefty reliever, Chad Pinder and there is a long shot that even a guy like catcher Sean Murphy, for the right deal, could leave Oakland as well as veteran shortstop Elvis Andrus, since young Nick Allen seems ready now to be an everyday shortstop.

The Giants are in an interesting situation after they just got swept in LA in a four game series and they’re are not going to win the division, there is one pitcher that could help a lot of teams, lefty starter Carlos Rodón, he has a lot of value, but because there are more opportunities to make it as wild card this season, I doubt the Giants would depart with Rodón, but they could trade with Boston, who is ready to unload JD Martínez a professional hitter, a good defensive player going to San Francisco, a team that is not a good defensive team.

This just In: Congratulations to NY Yankees WFAN radio announcer Suzyn Waldman, she was just elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish Radio Network and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Yankees’ rookie plays Judge, jury and executioner in Home Run Derby

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge smiles as he competes during the MLB baseball All-Star Home Run Derby, Monday, July 10, 2017, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

By Morris Phillips

Back-to-back shots, 504 feet, then 513 feet?

That’s crazy, and that was Aaron Judge on Monday night in Miami, crushing baseballs in the Home Run Derby above and beyond the most prodigious feats ever in the event’s history.

In excess, and as a preface, to Judge being crowned champion of the Derby, the Yankees rookie survived an epic opening round, hitting 23 home runs after Justin Bour of the Marlins hit 22.

The much-anticipated matchup of Judge and hometown hit man Giancarlo Stanton didn’t materialize, as Stanton fell in the first round to Judge’s New York teammate, Gary Sanchez. Miguel Sano of the Twins outlasted Sanchez in the semifinals to reach the finals opposite Judge.

All four first round matchups were cliffhangers, decided by one home run, which in some respects robbed all the drama what transpired after that. Sanchez (18) and Sano (11) both posted totals that Stanton and Sano’s initial opponent, Mike Moustakas fell just short of matching. Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies and Bour posted totals, that were eclipsed, just barely, by Cody Bellinger and Judge.

If most of the drama was contained in round one, then the remainder was spent in round two, along with all of the fireworks courtesy of Judge. In defeating Bellinger, Judge clubbed 12 homers, half of which traveled at least 445 feet, and three of the last four went over 500 feet. Judge’s tie-breaking blast traveled 507 feet and bounced high off the Marlins Park glass facade in left field.

“I don’t know what to say,” a disbelieving Bellinger said. “What do you say after those balls?”

In Bellinger’s case, the answer was ‘say good night.’ In both of the initial rounds, Judge went last and eclipsed his opponent’s total without needing the 30-second bonus he earned.

In the final round, Sano went first and hit 10 home runs, and Judge followed with 11, ending the competition with nearly two minutes remaining on his clock.  Like Bellinger, Sano expressed his respect for his competition who, according to Sano, may have lapped the field before the competition commenced.

“The first time I saw Aaron Judge hit BP, I could tell he was a monster,” Sano admitted.

Judge’s four 500-foot blasts registered as the longest ever in the Derby’s history. With the new rules that give each competitor a definitive time block, Judge had no incentive to pad his totals, still his first round total of 23 ranks third all-time behind Josh Hamilton (28, 2008) and Bobby Abreu (24, 2005).

“It was a blast,” Judge said. “I enjoyed every minute of it–watching the other guys swing, coming here early and talking to the media. Everything about today was fantastic.”

The competition figured to be epic with the largest field–by the combined height and girth of the eight competitors–ever assembled. Led by the Bunyanesque Judge who is 6’7″, 282 pounds, Stanton (6’6″, 245) and Sano (6’4″, 260) the anticipation for the event was at level above normal.

For sure, those that watched the event from its first launch were not disappointed.