Under The Knife 6/29/22

Feeling 22

While Baltimore’s rebuild remains long and frustrating, by the time the team reaps the results of all it’s talent collection (on and off the field), it will be in Baltimore. Suggestions that the Orioles would uproot and head to Nashville are “fiction”, according to a source with a key view of all the players. While the Angelos family may fight over control, there’s little indication that will change anything in the front office and it certainly doesn’t seem to change the outlook for expansion.

Baltimore not only has local owners - many of them, beyond the Angelos’ - but renovations on the Camden Yards complex make it less likely they would leave, or even have a route out. In addition, there’s no indication that MLB is looking at imminent expansion. It was discussed in whispers during the pandemic as an easy route to make up lost revenue, but it would also necessitate a few more slices of the TV revenue pie.

That pie is in flux, somewhat. MLB has experimented with streaming and despite a strong internal option - what if they hadn’t sold BAM? - it appears that’s where they’re headed in the future. Both the Apple and Peacock deals have shown good ratings in relative terms and the expanded playoffs help more. With Apple’s MLS deal, Disney’s F1 deal, and the upcoming NFL Sunday Ticket deal expected to be big dollars, the streaming market will be mature. Baseball will be the remaining belle at the ball and while national ratings pale in comparison to the NFL - everything does - the ability to locally target makes streaming a solid option for baseball’s advertisers.

That leaves the likely expansion centers - Nashville, Las Vegas, Montreal, and Monterey - with no clear path. Instead, my source tells me that a shift to re-location is happening, especially with Nashville. Oakland’s ongoing stadium drama isn’t about to resolve and while they’ve been focused on Las Vegas land deals, Nashville’s potential ownership group could put together an attractive package and a quicker path to a stadium, though the Titans stadium issues have to be considered, especially since it’s in the same block of land downtown.

While Baltimore isn’t moving, Montreal isn’t getting a part time Rays residency, and Oakland doesn’t know if it’s staying or going, the key to all these, I’m told, is ownership. None of those - Baltimore, Tampa, or Oakland - have owners that want to sell, or even sell minority shares to a local group. On the other hand, there are teams for sale and absent lock-in leases, it’s more likely that we see a move from one of those than we do a sale from one of these.

Anyone have an old St. Petersburg Sailors hat? Nashville might well end up the modern equivalent. For now, let’s get to the injuries:

KENLEY JANSEN, RP ATL (irregular heartbeat)

Kenley Jansen has been about as automatic a closer as exists in baseball. He’s kind of boring in that sense and doesn’t have the level of drama that most do. No one thinks of a quirk, an entrance song, but at the end of the day, he’s likely put another save, another win on the board rather than thrown 100 mph. In fact, his only real issue has nothing to do with baseball, but the fact that his heart issue is back is a big issue for Jansen and the Braves.

Jansen has dealt with an irregular heartbeat before and underwent a procedure to correct it called cardiac ablation. He’s been fine since, but recurrence happens with this kind of a procedure. In this case, Jansen’s been regularly monitored and the change is minor but has to be taken seriously. He’s likely been given medication to assist in regulating the heartbeat and keeping his heart rate relatively low while that kicks in is the reason he’s on the IL right now.

However, it could be a short stay, perhaps even the minimum. Jansen’s indicated that he’ll continue throwing while on the IL. The Braves have their Triple-A and Single-A close, so if a short rehab is needed, that’s available as well. Right now, this looks like a little bump in the season, likely what Jansen’s heart looked like on an EKG. It’s correctable and controllable, thankfully and quickly. In the meantime, the Braves will likely turn back to Will Smith for saves.