Morning Rundown: Bligh Madris signs with Tigers, Cardinals could gauge interest on Arenado, Siani has two hits in Fall-Stars game
Madris signs minor league deal, Cardinals gauging interest on potential trade
Fall-Stars game recap by John Dreker
The Arizona Fall League held their Fall-Stars game on Saturday night. The format was National League prospects vs American League prospects, which meant some of the Scottsdale Scorpions players we have mentioned this year were on the opposing team of the three Pittsburgh Pirates involved in the game. Pirates pitcher Derek Diamond was the starting pitcher for the National League squad. Sammy Siani got the starting nod in left field. Catcher Geovanny Planchart was also selected for the team.
Diamond pitched a scoreless first inning, though it came with a lot of hard contact. The first batter of the game hit a long fly to the left field gap that Siani tracked down. That was followed by a scorched grounder to first base for the second out. Diamond allowed a line drive single to center field, before getting a liner to Siani for the third out. Diamond threw 15 pitches in the inning, with 11 going for strikes. The TV broadcast of the game had a pitch gun set up, but the velocities were clearly wrong during his time on the mound, so no numbers are available.
Siani popped out to shortstop in the first inning against Houston Astros prospect Alex Santos. He reached on an infield single in the third inning, then scored one batter later on a double by Robert Hassell III. That made it a 5-4 game in favor of the American League. Siani singled on a line drive to center field in the fifth off of Los Angeles Angels prospect, Samy Natera Jr., He lined out to left field on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh inning.
Planchart entered the game in the top of the seventh inning on defense. He got one chance to bat, coming up in the eighth inning with a runner on first and one out. He grounded out to third base, which moved the runner up. Siani struck out looking in the ninth inning, leaving him 2-for-5 in the game. The National League lost 6-5.
Scottsdale has off on Sunday. They resume play Monday at home against the first-place Surprise Saguaros (16-8). The game will begin at 2:30 PM EST.
There are four games left in the Arizona Fall League season. Scottsdale trails a playoff spot by two games. There's also a team between them and the third-place club, so they have a small chance for the playoffs, but it exists. The second and third-best teams play one game on Friday to see which team faces the first-place team in a one-game final on Saturday. The league tiebreaker is head-to-head records in case of a tie for third place.
Former Pittsburgh Pirate Bligh Madris has signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers, which also comes with an invite to major league spring training.
Madris, 28, played 21 games with the Tigers last year, posting a 97 wRC+. He spent another 108 in Triple-A playing for the Toledo Mud Hens.
He made his major league debut back in 2022 with the Pirates, playing in 39 games. In 123 plate appearances, Madris slashed .177/.244/.265 in his debut, also hitting a home run.
According to Derrick Goold, the St. Louis Cardinals are expected gauge interest when it comes to a potential trade of Nolan Arenado this offseason.
Arendao, 33, slashed .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 152 games played.
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Here hoping that the ratbirds are not able to get off from under that contract and feel the full weight of it for years to come!
would be a fun challenge trade to swap KeBryan for Arenado and spilt the difference in salary owed