Ace has surgery, star hitter has a scandal… Tampa Bay is in the midst of the Great Depression

 It’s a shame. Tampa Bay, which started with 27 wins and 6 losses, including 13 consecutive wins in the first 13 games this season, was in an emergency. Following the departure of the ace, the center hitter deviated and lost all key pitching players in an instant.

Tampa Bay, whose monthly record 메이저사이트 was 8-16 in July, had to seek a rebound in August. However, after the match against the New York Yankees on the 3rd, left-handed first starter Shane McClanahan complained of pain in his left forearm. The forearm was an ominous sign, as it was a precursor to an elbow injury.

McClanahan was placed on the injured list. Afterwards, the news of McClanahan announced by Tampa Bay Manager Kevin Cash was devastating. McLanahan, who met with several doctors and heard their opinions, was confirmed to be out for the season.

“Gathering as many opinions as possible means that the players are not in good shape,” he said. “We are considering all types of surgery on the elbow,” Cathy said. And just today, news broke that McLanahan was going to undergo Tommy John surgery (reconstructive elbow ligament surgery). McLanahan, who had already had one Tommy John operation while in college, is the second, more demanding Tommy John operation. It is also unclear whether he will return next season.

Recently, Tampa Bay’s starting pitcher injury is especially serious. Starting with Shane Barz on the Tommy John operating table in September last year, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen, who performed outstandingly in the early stages, also ended the season early with surgery (Springs Tommy John & Rasmussen elbow surgery). With the return of Tyler Glasnow and the addition of Aaron Servally, I felt like I could breathe, but with McLanahan missing, a power leak became inevitable. Several alternatives have been offered, but none can replace McLanahan.

When the mound is weak, the batting line must be strong. Tampa Bay’s sluggishness in July also stemmed from the offense. The 87 points he recorded during the month of July was the lowest in the league and 29th overall in the major leagues. No matter how strong the mound is, it is difficult to win many games with a monthly average of 3.7 points.

Team with the least points in July

93 – Pittsburgh
92 – Colorado
87 – Tampa Bay
83 – San Francisco

*#1 Chicago Cubs (150 points)

The key to Tampa Bay in August was the batting line. As the other lineup was not reinforced during the trade deadline, the existing players were in dire need of exertion. But yesterday something disappointing happened.

Wander Franco is the player Tampa Bay has chosen as the team’s present and future. As soon as the first season in 2021 was over, he was given an 11-year, $182 million super-large contract. He only played 83 games last year due to injury, but this year he was showing good form, making his first All-Star season. On the 12th, against the Cleveland Guardians, he also hit his first walk-off home run in his debut.

AL Fielder Win Contribution Ranking (Baseball Reference)

5.5 – Shohei Otani
5.5 – Wander Franco
5.4 – Marcus Simeon
5.0 – Corey Seager

*Pangraph.com Win Contribution 4.7 (4th in the league

) He was washing with a batting average of 0.415 (17 hits in 41 at-bats). However, this performance is hard to see anymore. There’s no word on when we’ll see him.

Franco was exposed on social media for inappropriate relationships with minors. Evidence supporting the facts followed. The Dominican Republic and MLB secretariat each launched an investigation. Initially, Cathy described Franco’s absence on Monday as a “simple break”, but when the background was reported, he admitted that he had “guessed” about the matter.

Franco vehemently denied this. According to the Tampa Bay Times, a local Tampa Bay media outlet, Franco said through his social media that people don’t know the truth. He dismissed rumors about him as rumors. Someone not caught on screen supported Franco’s innocence by saying, “People always want to get their money.”

Regardless of Franco’s claim, Tampa Bay placed Franco on the restricted player list. The list of restricted players lists players who cannot play due to problems outside of baseball. Last year, players who had not been vaccinated were not allowed to enter Canada, and were on the restricted list during the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. In addition, psychological issues such as nervous symptoms are also targeted. This year, the likes of Austin Meadows and Daniel Bard were put on the restricted roster for this reason (sometimes the specific reason is not disclosed for privacy reasons).

Franco could, in principle, return for a home game against the Colorado Rockies next week. However, the period may be extended depending on the progress of the investigation. On the other hand, the restricted list is similar to administrative leave, but with differences. Administrative leave preserves player salaries and service time, while restricted rosters do not oblige teams to do so. However, Tampa Bay agreed to pay the salary as it put Franco on the list of restricted players.

Franco has been in the limelight this season due to friction with his teammates. He missed a few games as he hurt the team atmosphere with violent emotional expressions or lazy play during the game. Yandi Dias openly said “I hope he learns from the current situation”, cautioning that he needs to mature. However, it wasn’t long before he caused trouble again, and the level of criticism rose.

Whether Franco will return is not certain. Suspicion was also raised that there may not be one minor involved with Franco. There was no one like Franco, but players like him disappeared from the league.

Even if they are acquitted at trial, it will be difficult to avoid the disciplinary action of the Secretariat, which treats the case strictly. Even after returning from the punishment, the gaze toward Franco will be cold. Public opinion can’t be good. In this case, Tampa Bay, which has a contract until 2032, becomes complicated. If Franco is not guilty, Tampa Bay will have to fulfill its contract with Franco.

The 20-year-old prospect’s quick debut led to the 22-year-old All-Star’s quick fall. The team, which was already in crisis, was driven into a corner. I wonder if Tampa Bay will be able to erase the shadow of Franco’s aftermath.