Nuts notes: Vincej details how Nuts handled moves at MLB trade deadline
“There’s always somebody watching.”
That’s what Modesto Nuts manager Zach Vincej said can be learned from the 2024 MLB trade deadline.
After a couple of relatively quiet years for Nuts players around the deadline, outfielder Aidan Smith, catcher Jacob Sharp and pitchers Brody Hopkins and Will Schomberg all were dealt before this year’s July 30 deadline.
Hopkins and Smith were sent to the Tampa Bay Rays organization in a blockbuster deal July 26 that brought All-Star outfielder Randy Aronzarena to Seattle. That same day, Sharp was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays organization with Triple-A outfielder Jonatan Clase for relief pitcher Yimi Garcia. On July 30, in the final minutes of the deadline, Schomberg was sent to the Miami Marlins for JT Chargois, a relief pitcher.
“You’re not only playing for the Mariners, but you’re also playing for 29 other teams as well. That’s a big eye-opener for them, too,” Vincej said. “They don’t realize how many scouts and general managers may come to the game that are part of organizations. They’re looking for guys all the time. … They got a good shock of that from these trades.”
Vincej said it’s bittersweet. While it hurts to see promising prospects leave the team, it is also a sign that they have shown enough promise for other organizations to take interest.
“It’s something where we have to keep reminding the guys that it’s a part of the business,” Vincej said before a home game Tuesday, June 30. “It’s nothing that they did wrong or anything, it’s more of a positive for those guys. Especially for Aidan and Brody, those guys were a huge part of our team and they really opened up some eyes this year.”
For a lot of the Nuts players, this is their first experience with “the business” of baseball. They lost teammates who were great players and helped create team camaraderie to help the major league ball club. Vincej said the team didn’t talk about the deadline in mid-July, but the trade involving Hopkins and Smith prompted a conversation.
“We just don’t know if someone’s going to get traded, and it’s something we don’t really talk about,” Vincej said. “On this particular one, once the news broke about Aidan and Brody, the next day I approached the team and said, ‘Well, here’s the elephant in the room.’ We talked about the controllables being the only things that you can worry about. It’s the business of the game.”
Nuts host back-to-back home series
Twice every season, the Nuts host back-to-back series. The first time this season, they had 12 straight games at John Thurman Field, from April 23 to May 5. This week’s home series against Visalia marks the end of the Nuts’ second stint of back-to-back home series. Last week, they went 2-4 against the Inland Empire 66ers. The Tuesday-through-Sunday series is one of the Nuts’ three final home regular season series.
Colt Emerson gets anticipated call-up
Seattle Mariners No. 3 prospect Colt Emerson also was involved in a transaction, but this one keeps him in the organization. The 19-year-old shortstop was promoted to the High-A Everett AquaSox on Aug. 5. Emerson battled back from an injury earlier in the season and has improved since returning to Modesto from rehab in Arizona. He flashed his smooth fielding abilities at shortstop and reached base safely in 39 straight games.
While trades often are sad transactions, Vincej said promotions are the exact opposite.
“Any kind of promotion is huge for us, it’s happy,” he said. “They’re still in the organization and they’re moving up. We all work together. It’s really cool to see the progression of the players and they’re able to keep the train moving up. That’s our goal, to make them as good as we can.”
Emerson reunites with fellow Mariners top 10 prospects Lazaro Montes (No. 4) and Michael Arroyo (No. 9), who were promoted to Everett in June.
Along with Emerson, RHP Gabriel Sosa and LHP C.J. Widger leave Modesto for Everett.
Top 10 prospect shows versatility
Since being called up to Modesto last season, Tai Peete has thrived in the infield as a shortstop and third baseman. Over the past few weeks, he’s moved to the outfield and has seen time as designated hitter.
There’s a reason, Vincej said.
“We’ve been talking about it for a while, going back and forth about it,” Vincej said. “He’s a really good infielder and he’s making strides on the infield. … But we also want to make sure he’s as valuable as he can be going forward. Making him aware that he can play in the outfield can only bring value to him and to our team. Having versatility is big for him in his career, but also big for our organization as a whole.”
Through his time in the outfield, he has had impressive outings, including a two-home-run game. In the Nuts series opener against Visalia on Tuesday, he played shortstop in the Nuts’ first game after Emerson’s call-up.
Nuts player named CAL League POW
Nuts outfielder Carlos Jimenez was named the California League Player of the Week on July 29. The Dominican Republic native hit an impressive .611 with 11 hits, a home run and 6 RBI with a .682 on-base percentage, 1.167 slugging percentage and a 1.848 OPS.
This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 12:18 PM.
