The Moonshot: Robert Murray rumor mill, All-Star Game snubs, Home Run Derby fixes

Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.

Welcome to The Moonshot.

1. Identifying MLB All-Star snubs has jumped the shark but we’re going for it anyway, with a twist. Give us your 11 biggest snubs, from either league — a nine-man lineup with a DH, one starting pitcher and one reliever.

Terrence Jordan: Catcher: Logan O’Hoppe (Angels) O’Hoppe played only 51 games after tearing his labrum last year, but he’s been one of the best hitting catchers in the game since coming back, and at 24, he’s only going to get better.

First Base: Christian Walker (Diamondbacks) Walker has better stats than Pete Alonso across the board, and he may single-handedly stop the Dodgers from becoming a dynasty. That’s enough to get him in.

Second Base: Brice Turang (Brewers) We could always use more speed in the All-Star Game, and Turang has plenty to burn. His 29 steals trail only Elly De La Cruz for the Major League lead, and his .288 average is second among all second basemen behind Jose Altuve.

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Mets) How does this keep happening? Lindor has to feel like MLB has a vendetta against him at this point, as this is the fifth straight year he’s missed the All-Star Game despite being one of the best all-around shortstops in either league. A frigid April might still be fresh in the minds of fans, but he’s been on a tear since then.

Third Base: Jordan Westburg (Orioles) The Orioles are too good to only have three All-Star representatives. Westburg flies under the radar behind names like Henderson and Rutschman, but he hits for average and power, and he even has the defensive versatility to move over to second when needed.

Left Field: Brent Rooker (Athletics) Rooker toils in obscurity in Oakland, but his .891 OPS proves he deserves a spot here. Mason Miller is the lone Athletic on the All-Star roster at the moment, but Rooker’s inclusion would ensure that the A’s have a representative in case the Dodgers can pry the electric closer away for the low, low price of their top four prospects, Bronny James, and the Hollywood sign.

Center Field: Brandon Nimmo (Mets) I’m cheating a little bit here, because Nimmo mostly plays left field now, but he’s more deserving than any regular center fielders that didn’t already make the cut. Nimmo has been instrumental in the Mets’ resurgence since Carlos Mendoza moved him out of the leadoff spot, and he drove in 23 runs and put up a 1.003 OPS in June.

Right Field: Anthony Santander (Orioles) How many home runs does a guy have to hit to make an All-Star team? With 23 on the year, Santander is surely wondering, as the incomparable Aaron Judge is the only outfielder with more. The switch hitter has been prolific from both sides of the plate, and his ability to hit from the right side is integral in the Orioles’ lefty-heavy lineup.

DH: Kyle Schwarber (Phillies) Baseball is just more fun when Kyle Schwarber is involved. He may not be the MVP of the National League-leading Phillies, but his 17 homers and terrifying presence at the top of the lineup is still a big reason why the Phils are en route to their first division title since 2011.

Starting Pitcher: Joe Ryan (Twins) The All-Star Game should be a chance not only to celebrate the stars of the game, but to give under-appreciated players their due, too. Ryan has been the Twins’ ace as they’ve quietly kept pace with the red-hot Guardians, and he’s the only qualified starter with a WHIP under 1.00 that isn’t already on the team.

Relief Pitcher: Craig Kimbrel (Orioles) We’ve written already about the absurdity of leaving Kimbrel off the All-Star roster in favor of Yankees closer Clay Holmes, so we won’t belabor the point here. Kimbrel’s stats speak for themselves, and he’s given up one earned run in the past two months. This is an easy one.

Zachary Rotman: Catcher: Patrick Bailey (Giants) Patrick Bailey might be the best defensive catcher in the game and he has quietly put up a 117 WRC+ while hitting in the middle of the order for a Giants team directly in the postseason race. He shouldn’t have made it in over the two NL catchers, but the teams should also have more than two catchers.

First Base: Christian Walker (Diamondbacks) There’s no excuse for Christian Walker being left off of the All-Star Game roster given the fact that he’s bested Pete Alonso in just about every offensive category and happens to be elite defensively as well. Hopefully the league finds a way to get him in, but given the amount of snubs, don’t hold your breath.

Second base: Brice Turang (Brewers) Brice Turang has been an above-average hitter, has 29 stolen bases (only trailing Elly De La Cruz in the NL), and is a good defender while playing for a Brewers team that has been one of the best in the NL all season. 

Third base: Josh Smith (Rangers) The answer was Jordan Westburg, but since he was announced as an injury replacement, it is now Josh Smith of the Rangers. Despite virtually everyone else underperforming around him, Smith, a player who replaced the injured Josh Jung at the hot corner, is tied for second among all third baseman in WRC+ and is third in fWAR.

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor (Mets) His brutal start to the season crushed him, but Francisco Lindor has been one of the best players in baseball since the Mets moved him into the leadoff spot in mid-May. Even with his slow start, Lindor is tied for seventh in the majors in fWAR, proving to be an elite all-around player.

Outfield: Brandon Nimmo (Mets) Brandon Nimmo is third among qualified NL outfielders in fWAR, third in WRC+, tied for third in home runs, fourth in RBI, and fourth in OPS, yet he did not make the team. It is truly baffling.

Outfield: Anthony Santander (Orioles) Anthony Santander hits in the middle of a loaded Orioles lineup and is second among all outfielders in home runs, only trailing Aaron Judge. What’s even crazier is that he’s tied for fourth in the majors in long balls. He, like Nimmo, has never made an All-Star team, so hopefully they can both find their way in somehow.

Outfield: Willi Castro (Twins) This one might be cheating a bit, but MLB has to find a way to get WIlli Castro to Arlington (and they did!). The man has made at least 20 appearances at five different positions including both left field and center field. He has been steady defensively despite all of the movement, and his 128 WRC+ is higher than several All-Stars. I don’t care if you consider him an infielder or an outfielder, just get him there.

DH: Brent Rooker (Athletics) David Fry is a great story, and it might be weird to see the Athletics with two deserving All-Stars, but Brent Rooker deserved to make the team over Fry. Rooker is 12th in the majors with a156 WRC+, has 18 home runs and an .891 OPS. He was an elite DH in 2023, and has been even better this season.

Starting Pitcher: Ronel Blanco (Astros) Ronel Blanco is fourth in the majors with a 2.53 ERA. He has thrown a no-hitter. He has completed seven innings in 10 of his 17 starts. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 17 starts. To go one step further, he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 17 starts. He might not be a big name, but Blanco absolutely deserves to be an All-Star.

Relief Pitcher: Hunter Gaddis (Guardians) The Phillies (deservingly) sent two relievers to the All-Star Game, so why can’t the Guardians, who happen to lead the majors in bullpen ERA by a substantial margin, do the same? Emmanuel Clase made it, and Hunter Gaddis should be there as well. Gaddis has a 1.25 ERA in a league-leading 45 appearances and 43.1 innings of work. He has 44 strikeouts compared to just seven walks. He has allowed a total of one home run. He has allowed just one earned run, posting a 0.32 ERA in 29 appearances since the calendar flipped to May. I can go on, but won’t. Get Gaddis to Arlington.

Robert Murray: I'll keep is short and sweet.

Catcher: Logan O’Hoppe.

First base: Christian Walker.

Second base: Brice Turang.

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor.

Third base: Josh Smith.

Outfield: Brandon Nimmo.

Outfield: Anthony Santander.

Outfield: Willi Castro (don't worry, he's in now!)

Starting pitcher: Cristopher Sanchez.

Reliever: Hunter Gaddis.

2. The Home Run Derby isn’t broken. But what twist would you add to make it even better?

Terrence Jordan: How about a bonus round where players need to hit the ball out to the opposite field, or to straightaway center? It’s rare to see anything but a straight pull homer in the derby, but most of these guys have power to all fields. Let’s see it.

Zachary Rotman: MLB fans don’t only want to see home runs, they want to see absolute moonshots. With that in mind, let players use aluminum bats. Don’t you want to see how far Aaron Judge can hit a baseball with an aluminum bat? We might have to get kids out of the outfield, but it’d be worthwhile.

Robert Murray: I love the aluminum bats answer. I wish that the event could be held at Coors Field every year just so we can see consistent 500+ foot moonshots. Imagine aluminum bats at Coors Field for the Home Run Derby. Like, how awesome would that be?

3. Hotbox, fastest pitch derby, throwing out runners at home from the outfield, Rob Manfred sitting on a dunk tank — what other micro-skills competition would you like to see added to MLB All-Star Weekend?

Terrence Jordan: Give me a plain old-fashioned foot race. It could be something like a 40-yard dash or a trip around the bases, but who wouldn’t want to see players like Elly De La Cruz, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jarren Duran showing off their speed? MLB needs to do a better job of showcasing the athleticism of its players, and this is an easy and entertaining way to do it.

Zachary Rotman: I’d love to see something showcasing how accurate pitchers can throw, and have them showcase several different pitches. Set a target behind home plate, and see if the pitcher can hit directly in the center. Let’s see Mason Miller dot a 100+ mph fastball and Paul Skenes paint the corner with a splinker.

4. Robert, it's time to open your notebook. What MLB Rumors do you have for us this week?

Robert Murray: Before the All-Star break, the expectation around baseball remains that the Blue Jays will hold onto Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

The Pirates have interest in the Angels’ Taylor Ward, but no deal has ever been close, and he is one of many options the team is currently considering.

There has always been skepticism around baseball that Max Scherzer would waive his no-trade clause, and he confirmed that on Foul Territory by announcing he plans to remain in Texas.