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Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll was recalled shortly after my last article, Stash List Volume 6, Songs for the Jung in Summerwhich feels like a win for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The league tried to lead these snakes and birds to water, but it’s just snakes drinking at the moment. Makes sense I guess, for the birds to wait their turn, but snakes don’t strike upward real well. Bird should be able to dip in for a sip, if she’s quick about it. Baltimore is three games out of first wild-card spot, two games out of third, so they’re well within striking distance of any or all three of the teams in front of them. The Sig and Elias braintrust imported from Houston has worked wonders in Maryland. Hot-hitting outfielder Colton Cowser was promoted to Triple-A this week, so the coming storm continues to gather just outside AL-Eastern cities. I just think it makes sense to jump him straight to the majors. I realize Kyle Stowers is ahead of him in the time-served column on the pecking-order spreadsheets, but they could go to him if Cowser falters. I suppose they could just easily do the reverse and might be setting up exactly that. Every day matters for them, and I feel like Cowser is more likely to help a team win games right now than Stowers. I haven’t even mentioned Gunnar Henderson yet. He’s reportedly joining the squad today, so they’ve got that going for them, which is nice. Baltimore could be fun to root for when they stop handling this stretch run in the most cynical way capitalistically possible. I realize this horse has been laying motionless between us for quite some time now, but you know who they could really use in that young lineup? A consistent, patient, veteran bat like Trey Mancini. 

Carroll’s promotion reinforces my thought that Diamondbacks OF Stone Garrett should’ve been up months ago. He’s now something like a 5th outfielder behind Jake McCarthy. Pretty short-sighted of Arizona to leave Garrett as a short-side platoon bat while he’s white hot. On the other hand, he’s their only right-handed hitting outfielder, and the team doesn’t have an established DH, so he’ll probably play more than a typical short-sider. I’ve been rewatching a little Game of Thrones this month, and I’d forgotten that scene with the stone men. Don’t let them touch you! Pretty good life advice in general. 

Also recalled shortly after that article was Brewers OF Garrett Mitchell. I had OF Sal Frelick ranked fourth among stashes and Mitchell nowhere on the list. My bad on that. Mitchell has played well in 20 games at Triple-A and should’ve been on my list. Excellent bounceback season for him no matter how it goes from here, but early indications are that he’s in a good position to carry his minor league rhythm up to the show with him. He’s also a double-plus athlete who immediately helps the club with his centerfield defense. He stole nine bases without getting caught in Triple-A and already has one in the majors. 

Athletics LHP Ken Waldichuk will reportedly be promoted to start Thursday’s game against Washington. He’s a better streamer than most rookies making their debut, given the opponent, but I’d still lean toward benching him in head to head where one bad start can make a big difference. 

The Pirates brought Captain Jack Suwinksi back to The Black Pearl, where he still leads all National League rookies in home runs after six weeks in the minors. Pittsburgh’s decision-making this year feels like “decision-making” in name only. Remember when Liover Peguero came up for a couple days because he was geographically close-ish? Yarrrr. Tough stuff for a mere landlubber like me to comprehend. 

Reds OF TJ Friedl is setting himself up to open the 2023 season as a lineup regular. He might not hold the gig, but he’s slashing .378/.442/.784 with three home runs and a steal in 13 games since rejoining the team on August 16, and that kind of thing tends to get you noticed. You’ll hear him called a fourth outfielder if you hear his name at all this winter, and okay, maybe he would be relegated to a reserve role on a deep team. On this roster, his plus defense in centerfield makes him unique. Unless they add someone over the off-season, he doesn’t have much competition this side of Nick Senzel, who was asked to fake center this season before Friedl came along. He improved throughout the year, but his 76 wRC+ suggests they need not hurt themselves on defense to make sure he’s in there on offense. Reads like a classic scenario where one guy is doing all he can to earn a gig, while the other guy is doing all he can to lose it, but the team decided ahead of time which one it likes so long ago it didn’t even bother to try guy number two until the season was fully a lost cause. 

Houston recalled RHP Hunter Brown and C Yainer Diaz this week, and I think they’re both going to play a lot down the stretch. By bringing them up now, both are eligible for the playoff roster, and both could break camp with the club next Spring. Diaz in particular has a clear path to playing time and plenty of talent to maximize his chances. 

Colorado surprised me Tuesday by promoting 1B Michael Toglia, who smashed his 30th home run of the season in a three-homer game on August 27. He’s slashing .333/.413/.758 with seven home runs in 17 Triple-A games. If he hits, he’ll set himself up as a primary option at first base and designated hitter for 2023. Toglia was the club’s first round pick in 2019, so they might give him a little better opportunity than they have some of their prospects, such as this next guy. 

Over the last month (27 games), Rockies 2B/SS Coco Montes (25, AAA) is slashing .321/.395/.613 with eight home runs and five steals. He’s rarely dominated but always produced in journey through the minors since being a 15th round pick in 2018. Colorado has Jose Iglesias at shortstop, but he’s a free agent after this season, so it makes sense to take a look.

Thanks for reading!

I’m @theprospectitch on Twitter.