Trevor Bauer is an interesting guy. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of love him, hate him, indifferent – he’s interesting in one way or the other for you. He’s been vlogging the season, and in his most recent episode things got pretty real as it covers what took place on Friday – to an extent – with the Cincinnati Reds having a player test positive and having games postponed over the weekend. While the entire episode is only 14:26 long, that specific part begins at 5:24 if you wanted to jump ahead. *Warning: There is a little bit of adult language shortly after that time stamp*
“As we’re going to slap hands on the field, positive COVID test. So now, this is where it gets real. We don’t know if we’re playing tomorrow because I don’t think MLB knows if we’re playing tomorrow,” said Bauer in the video. “We got one positive COVID test. That test was taken yesterday (Thursday). Everybody else’s test from yesterday came back negative. So as we stand right now, we have one positive COVID test. Now, that doesn’t mean other people don’t have it because the incubation period is 14 days, or whatever it is. I think it’s about two weeks.”
“Tomorrow, our game has not been cancelled yet. But we’re almost positive our game is going to be cancelled. Tomorrow, I’m supposed to pitch. But we’re going to get cancelled yet due to COVID, but it hasn’t been cancelled yet. From 9-11am we have to show up to the ballpark, we can’t go in, and we’re going to take a rapid test. The commissioner is sending his private plane to Cincinnati to test us, collect the test and fly them out to the testing facility so we can hopefully get our saliva tests turned around by Sunday where we would potentially play a doubleheader if tomorrow’s game were cancelled.”
It was an interesting inside look of sorts at how things are being handled. Rob Manfred sending a plane to expedite the saliva tests to the MLB lab was certainly something that I wasn’t expecting to learn here. Perhaps that’s a weekend delivery issue where another service can’t guarantee overnight delivery and MLB took matters into their own hands?
What we did find out was that the games indeed were postponed over the weekend. We also found out there would be no doubleheader between the two teams on Monday. Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that if there are no new positive tests for the Reds, they are expected to play in Kansas City on Tuesday.
As mentioned earlier, if the #Reds have zero additional positive tests tomorrow they should be cleared to play in KC on Tuesday. Otherwise, their season remains on hold. https://t.co/TPdPAWm7Dl https://t.co/kHnpr91agM
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) August 17, 2020
Very informative. Well spoken young man. Compare to the Plesac guy and his interview from the car.
I coach at the college level and our season is already on hold until January. The experimental seasons of MLB,NBA and WNBA are important as we figure out if we will be able to proceed safely.. Helps when the commissioner uses his private plane to get test results within a day.
I really like this guy… hope he stays a part of Reds organization for a while.
I guess i am beating a dead horse here but since there is no baseball. There is nothing else to talk about.
Testing these players routinely when they are asymptomatic is the wrong approach. An antigen test is not, i repeat NOT a screening test. A positive test in an asymptomatic player means NOTHING!
The best screening test we have would be daily physical exams and histories taken by physicians experienced with the disease right now. This would include full vitals and bloodwork monitoring white blood counts liver enzymes, inflammation markers. If players are showing any concerning physical exam findings or bloodwork abnormalities, THEN you can use your antigen tests to confirm suspicions.
I just think we need to treat these players like patients on a ward. We need to be looking at the whole picture. And right now these routinr antigen tests are just BAD medicine. And like Mr. Bauer said it is causing undue stress.
Are you a doctor?
I had the same question (and I am a doctor).
+1000
Interesting approach. You condemn screening asymptomatic individuals with a test specific for covid, then you want to screen them with physicals, vitals, “and bloodwork monitoring white blood counts liver enzymes [sic], inflammation markers”. So, you don’t want to do asymptomatic screening using a test that is specific for the disease whose presence you are seeking to identify, but you want to screen using an entire battery of tests that are not specific for anything whatsoever. Certainly not the way I was taught to practice medicine.
+50,000
Yes doc. If a patient came to you with cough and fever lets say. You would first want to take a history with thorough review of systems followed by a physical exam. Most times you can make the diagnosis based on these two tools. If you are still not sure, then you would order tests. If you suspect covid 19 chest xray, cbc and cmp would likely be ordered. By this time you should have a fairly good ideal if the patient has covid or not. If you are still not sure, then and only then would you order a nasal swab antigen testto help to confirm your diagnosis.
I just think we are doing things backwards by ordering the last test you would do first. These players are taking huge risks by going out there and playing and should be treated like patients not public health test subjects. They deserve better than this and i think that is what mr bauer is trying to say.
We (and by we I mean all of Humanity WorldWide) are still learning a lot as we go and we need to try and love our lives the best we can.
The FDA noted on Friday “People without COVID-19 symptoms and who aren’t known to have been exposed to the virus shouldn’t necessarily be screened with a rapid test. This new guidance raises questions about whether businesses, sports teams and others are too reliant on the rapid tests to screen asymptomatic people because they are less sensitive than PCR tests. “‘Negative’ results should be considered as ‘presumptive negative,’ and healthcare providers should consider them in the context of clinical observations, patient history, and epidemiological information,” the FDA wrote on its webpage.Rapid diagnostic tests are done with a nasal or throat swab and can deliver results in an hour or less. They can be molecular or antigen tests, but not antibody tests. ”
CDC also published something Thursday or Friday that is someone has recovered from Covid the antibody test can be positive for 90 days and they cannot spread the disease at that time.
I have read there is a general acknowledgement that the number of people whom have had this version of Coronavirus is many multiple of the people that have had confirmed positives via testing. This is just like the annual Flu in that aspect, many cases without testing. Each country has it own reason/cause for under reporting cases.
Testing is a great tool but it should be only one of the tools in a Doctor
‘s toolbox in treating patients.
I like Bauer a lot. I hope he remains in Cincinnati longer than just this season. The Reds can afford it. If you had to pick between Bauer and DeSclafani to keep after this year, I would go with Bauer. I’d hate to lose either, but if I had to pick one it would be Bauer. Gray and Bauer at the top of the rotation is a formidable 1-2. Castillo is getting bogged down in some inconsistency, however would be a top #3 in the rotation.
With Suarez entering the expensive years in his contract, he might be one to trade to fit Bauer’s salary into the 2021 budget and beyond. Bauer has said that he isn’t adverse to a multi-year deal but would prefer the one year deals.
As for Suarez, I don’t know if his very slow 2020 season is mainly due to his shoulder injury he had last winter. If they were to trade Suarez, then they have to keep Castellanos in the fold. I think I would offer Castellanos a raise to the same $64MM over 3 years to buyout his opt-out clauses. That would be a $21.33MM average annual value, up from his current $16MM. Raisel Iglesias could be another trade candidate to free up some budget / salary room if they can find a closer for much less money.
Keeping Bauer and Castellanos has to be priority #1 and #2 this winter. If the Reds can achieve this, then they don’t really have to play in the free agent market this winter except to maybe bolster the bullpen. However that could be done through a couple of trades.
Keep Bauer. Keep Castellanos.
Don’t trade Suarez
In a recent post on The Athletic, Jim Bowden wrote that the shoulder injury could still be affecting Suarez. Not because he has any knowledge of Suarez’s actual condition, but he said his previous experience indicates that particular shoulder surgery takes longer to fully recover from than Suarez has had to date. Not saying I agree or endorse … just passing it along.
I am not advocating that the Reds should trade Suarez, but only that it is an option to take if they don’t have the budget room to re-sign Bauer. The Reds do have other options at 3B if they desired with Moose, Senzel, India among others. Remember back in February it was reported that Suarez’s injury wasn’t quite as serious as Senzel’s and they expected Suarez to return sooner. Senzel has looked pretty good while Geno has not.
It was my thoughts too, that Suarez’s shoulder isn’t up to full strength. I still have the ghost of Ryan Ludwick and his shoulder injury still fresh in my mind. Never the same.
But I am good with giving Geno another year (2021) to see how his shoulder is responding. His contract isn’t necessarily expensive, or cheap, as in 2021 he starts making $11.2MM per season through the end of his contract.
Letting DeSclafani and Galvis walk after this season gives the Reds some budget room. Strop and Jones were signed to a combined $3.3MM and are free agents also after 2020. As mentioned Iglesias is set to make $9.1MM in 2021, his last year under contract. Wade Miley is due $8MM next year with a 1MM buyout for 2022 could save some money in a trade. Barnhart is due to make $4.1MM in 2021, his last year under contract. Lorenzen is set for Year 4 arbitration on his $3.7MM 2020 salary, his last year of team control.
On the flip side, Winker, Castillo, Mahle, Garrett and BobSteve all will be entering Year 1 of arbitration this off-season and should see some substantial raises in next years budget.
The Reds have several avenues they could take this winter to be able to fit Bauer and Castellanos in their 2021 and beyond budgets. So trading Suarez doesn’t necessarily have to be one of those avenues, which would be my preference.
(Salary figures above came from Cots.)
Bauer’s free agency will be interesting to watch…
1) will he really look only for a 1 year deal? (it sounds as if he may be wavering on that)
2) if he does…..how high will some team be willing to go on a 1 year deal? 30 million? more?
No, RedNat, you are wrong. If a patient comes to me in the middle of a large outbreak of a disease, and has symptoms of that disease, the first lab test I would do is the one for that disease.
If someone comes to me with fever and a red beefy throat, the first test I do is a strep screen. I don’t do a battery of non-specific tests first and then conclude with the strep test, unless my interest is more in my bottom line than it is in efficient and effective practice of medicine. History and physical can make the diagnosis 70-80% of the time, but when lab testing is needing it should be directed by the most likely testing that will clinch the diagnosis.
I do agree that there is far too much testing of people being done. Science is not driving the covid response.
The Yankees have DFA’d RHP David Hale to make room for Aroldis Chapman. He has been a pretty decent reliever for the Yankees over the last few years. Good ground ball %. Not a big K pitcher. ERA of 3 and a FIP of 2.30 this year.
You all interested? Could help bullpen right away. Could do a waiver claim but the Reds are too far down that list, as a few teams will certainly put in a claim. So it might have to come by trade. Cash considerations, PTBNL, an established player or a player at Prasco would be the options to trade.
Just to tie this entire thread up. Because it is all over the place
1. I am not a Doctor. I tried at one point, but I lost all my patience
2. If I owned a MLB team— Trevor Bauer would be my next player/manager—ALA Pete
3. It is hard to read anything seriously from a 30+ year old man who thought it was OK to wear leather pants.
4. Do not trade Suarez
5. I am not an MLB scout. Although I did scout a couple teams for my sons 10u team in the 12 years back. Don’t pick up Hale.
No baseball. Ugh. Have some fun.
Bauer is a keeper.
The problem with Suarez is that he’s been trying to figure out how to hit 49 homers in 60 games.
Put me down for these three things:
1. If a person can transmit Covid-19 while asymptomatic, how could you NOT do the specific test. What else would you even look for?
2. The Reds need Suarez to produce. If he’s not healthy they need to figure that out and get him healthy.
3. Trevor Bauer has quickly become my 2nd favorite Red behind Joseph Daniel Votto.
4. The Reds should be talking with him already about how to keep him in Cincinnati for next year and if he’s amenable several more. And that includes working with him to make sure he’s happy with how he’s used in 2020.
I misspelled “four” things. I really 4 is not spelled “three”.
*realize. Sheesh