Bases Covered is a daily roundup of the most interesting stories in baseball.
Replacing Big Papi
As David Ortiz prepares to bid adieu to baseball, there’s been a lot of talk about who might replace him in Boston. Will it be current Blue Jay Edwin Encarnacion? Toronto fans hope not.
One contender to consider: Joey Votto.
The 32-year-old Toronto native is having an incredible second half at the plate, which has led to some speculation that the Reds might have a shot at trading him this off-season.
Here, one writer considers why Votto might be the best option to replace Big Papi.
Hal Steinbrenner is reading your tweets
With their trade-deadline deals this summer, the Yankees became sellers—demonstrating that, for once, the team has decided to focus on a rebuild.
According to this story from the Associated Press, Hal Steinbrenner gave the OK to the rebuild, in part, after seeing fans’ reactions on social media to youngster Greg Bird during spring training.
Eager Seager
The Mariners defeated the Angels 4–3 on Wednesday after Kyle Seager made a game-saving play—which left Seattle closer Edwin Diaz with his mouth hanging open in appreciation. Watch the play here.
The M’s have now won 10 of their last 12 games.
Soler powered
The Cubs bested the Brewers on Wednesday, 6–1, and Jorge Soler played a large part in his team’s win. The 24-year-old outfielder hit a three-run home run during the first inning, in which the Cubs scored five in all.
Here’s looking at Yu
Yu Darvish pitched into the eighth inning on Wednesday and got the W as the Rangers defeated the A’s, 6–2. The victory was Darvish’s first against Oakland—he’d been 0-8 against the team.
Ever since returning from the disabled list in mid-July, Darivsh has been providing solid starts for Texas. The team sits first in the AL West with the second-best record in the majors behind the Cubs.