Some guys handle the approach of free agency better than others.
For example, Jon Lester of the Red Sox, as compared to the Indians’ Justin Masterson.
Both pitchers went into the season as their team’s No. 1 starters. Both pitchers can become free agents at the end of this season. Both pitchers tried but failed to negotiate contract extensions with their teams in spring training.
That’s where the similarities end.
Lester has gone on to be named to the American League All-Star team, and is having one of the best years of his career while Masterson is having the worst year of his career, and has spent the last few weeks on the disabled list.
In 21 starts, Lester is 10-7 and is fourth in the AL with a 2.52 ERA. In 19 starts, Masterson is 4-6 and is 42nd out of 43 AL starters with a 5.51 ERA. Lester has a 1.119 WHIP, Masterson: 1.653.
Lester is averaging 9.4 strikeouts and 2.0 walks per nine innings while Masterson’s averages are 8.5 strikeouts and 5.1 walks per nine innings. Lester has hit four batters and thrown two wild pitches, Masterson has hit 11 batters and thrown nine wild pitches.
Lester has a 2.9 WAR, Masterson: minus-0.6.
In a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on July 25, Masterson gave up five runs, walked six and threw 108 pitches in 6 2/3 innings.
If you go simply by the numbers, Lester is much more comfortable with his looming free agency – and when the final free agent contracts are in this winter, look for Lester to cash in bigger than Masterson.
Lester’s big season also could help out the Red Sox, who appear to be sellers at the trade deadline, and could conceivably get some value for Lester in a trade.
The Indians aren’t so lucky with Masterson, whose trade value couldn’t be much lower.
Counting caps
This is induction weekend at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The Hall is inducting three former players (Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas) and three former managers (Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre) on July 27.
The hall plaque depicts the former player or manager wearing a cap often with a team logo on it. This year, however, both Maddux and LaRussa have chosen to have no logo on the caps in their plaque portraits becoming the 132nd and 133rd members of the hall to have no designation on their likeness.
Seven of the 30 major-league clubs have yet to have their insignia represented on a Cooperstown plaque for a former player or manager: the Anaheim Angels, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays.
Believe it or not, in the all-time cap count for players in the hall, the Indians actually rank second behind only the Yankees in the AL and fourth in the majors overall. The Yankees have 19 players wearing a Yankee cap. The Giants have 15, the Dodgers 14 and the Indians 11.
Where are they now?
Remember Mark Reynolds? He was second on the team in home runs when the Indians released him in August 2013. Reynolds is now with Milwaukee, and he has been just as streaky with the Brewers as he was with the Indians.
Reynolds emerged from one of his longest slumps last week with two home runs in a 5-1 victory over the Reds. Before that he had hit just one homer since June 2. Reynolds has also struggled mightily to get on base, going 3-for-33 (.091) in July to drop his average to .199.
‘It was brutal,’ said Reynolds of his slump. ‘That’s kind of been my thing my whole career: up and down, up and down.’
A Chicago thing
Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs (25) and Jose Abreu of the White Sox (30) lead the NL and AL, respectively, in home runs and. If they continue to do so, it would be the first time ever that players from both Chicago teams won their league’s home run title in the same season.
They wouldn’t, would they?
Believe it or not, there is speculation in Philadelphia that the Phillies might release Ryan Howard, meaning they would have to potentially eat the remaining 21/2 years and $62 million left on his five-year $125 million contract.
Over the first 100 games of the season, Howard, 34, hit .224 with 15 homers, 57 RBI and 118 strikeouts in 371 at-bats. His .682 OPS ranked 126th out of 162 qualifying major-league hitters and 21st out of 23 qualifying major-league first basemen.
Over his last 25 games, he has hit .168 (16-for-95) with a .269 on-base percentage and a .221 slugging percentage. Howard is making $25 million this year, $25 million next year and $25 million in 2016.
Mr. No Decision
Reds reliever Manny Parra is the active leader among major-league pitchers for most appearances without recording a decision. Parra has appeared in 39 consecutive games this season without a decision.
Quick pitches
The Angels are the only team in the majors to have a winning record (20-19) in games in which they fail to hit a home run. … Four-fifths of the Yankees’ opening day rotation (CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda) is on the disabled list. … Mark Buehrle needs to pick off just four more base runners to pass Andy Pettitte (103) for most career pickoffs. … Fewest managerial challenges in the majors this season? Eleven, by Reds manager Bryan Price. … David Ortiz has the record for most multi-homer games (44) in the majors without hitting more than two in a single game. … The Twins this year brought back former Twins Jason Bartlett, Jason Kubel and Matt Guerrier. None of them are still on the team.
JIngraham
@News-Herald.com
@jitribeinsider
