The Daily Bernie, 7/5/16: Ryan Dull makes Oakland A’s history, Fernando Rodriguez to DL

Welcome back to the Daily Bernie! While the biggest Bay Area news from yesterday was certainly the Golden State Warriors’ acquisition of Zaza Pachulia, there’s still plenty of notable baseball news to cover. It’s the best dance in the game, so let’s get rolling once more!

• One of the most underrated and unknown relief pitchers in the entire game has made history for the Athletics. Rookie Ryan Dull has set a major league record for the highest streak of inherited runners stranded to start a season, as Jane Lee of MLB.com tweets, courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau. Dull has stranded each of the 36 baserunners he has inherited this season, and could ride this streak into an All-Star selection. The rosters for this year’s All-Star game will be announced at 4 PM PST this afternoon on ESPN.
• The roster shuffle continues for the A’s, as injuries have reshaped the bullpen. Righty Fernando Rodriguez has hit the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. As Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports, Rodriguez will probably undergo an MRI today. In addition, lefty Daniel Coulombe was optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Taking their spots will be righty Andrew Triggs (who has now accumulated quite a few Frequent Flyer miles) and lefty Pat Schuster. The moves were announced by the team on Twitter.
• The last place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim aren’t going to be blowing up their roster, as GM Billy Eppler tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. While the 33-50 club could look to deal pending free agents such as Yunel Escobar and Joe Smith, players such as Kole Calhoun and Andrelton Simmons will most likely be staying put. This could affect the A’s, as Calhoun would offer a more attractive alternative for a team interested in acquiring Josh Reddick. Overall, the Angels are a mess, and better start winning soon if they don’t want to waste Mike Trout’s prime.
• Some injury updates around the league: Minnesota Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe has hit the disabled list with a cracked rib; the Washington Nationals have activated closer Jonathan Papelbon and optioned struggling outfielder Michael Taylor; San Francisco Giants reliever Sergio Romo has been activated; Detroit Tigers ace Jordan Zimmermann was placed on the disabled list with a neck strain; Pittsburgh Pirates rookie starter Jameson Taillon has been placed on the disabled list with “shoulder fatigue,” a very worrisome setback for the young righty.

Bernie’s Daily Deal: Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to the Boston Red Sox for Rafael Devers and Joe Kelly

This is a blockbuster, and while I’m currently against trading Reddick, a return to Boston would certainly make a lot of sense for both parties. The Red Sox need a corner outfielder and definitely need quite a bit of rotation help, and have already been linked to both Hill and Reddick.

Every report has Boston unwilling to move highly-touted youngsters Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada. However, these reports often fail to mention Rafael Devers, leading me to believe that he is in fact available. Devers, only 19, has already made it to High-A. He is holding his own as one of the youngest regulars at that level. The left-handed hitter has plenty of pop in his bat and quite a bit of upside overall. Devers should become an adequate third baseman, and if not, would be a fine first baseman. Long-term, however, he will be blocked by the aforementioned Moncada at third and Travis Shaw and Sam Travis at first. While the A’s are also plenty deep at the corner infield spots long-term, none of their prospects have even close to Devers’ upside.

Joe Kelly is in serious need of a change of scenery. The 28 year-old pitched well early in his career in St. Louis, but after being traded to Boston he has fallen flat on his face. He could be a nice reclamation project for Oakland, however, as his mid-nineties fastball is enticing at could make him, at the least, a solid reliever.

That’s all for today. The A’s, behind rookie Sean Manaea, will take on the Minnesota Twins and old friend Tommy Milone at 5:10 PM PST. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until tomorrow - lean on, A’s fans!