Friedrich Pulls a Brady, Will Un-Retire

The Idaho Taters will remain in the Roger Dorn Baseball League after all as GM Mike Friedrich pulled a 180 and will not retire at the conclusion of the 2022 season as previously announced. Friedrich confirmed his plan to return with the league's Commissioner Sunday morning.

After previously announcing the club planned to not entertain deals, Friedrich has opened up the lines of communication with just two weeks to go before the RDBL Trade Deadline.

The club had previously had significant interest in left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2FA/$5) who holds a 3.26 ERA and 1.04 WHIP and is on pace for almost 500 points this season.

Maltese Falcons Assistant General Manager Erik Nielsen had expressed interest in taking over the club and was vetted and approved by the Commissioner's Office according to sources. Nielsen will remain in line for the next available Franchise.

On The Lookout: Falcons Look to Extend Lead with Four Starters Friday

The race for the Playoffs continued to tighten on Thursday as the Las Vegas Aristocrats and Honolulu Hammerheads continue to put pressure on the top eight teams with a focus on the three Wild Card spots that remain extremely in play for all clubs.

Here's the latest around the Roger Dorn Baseball League for Friday's action.

Falcons Look to Extend Lead

The Maltese Falcons are set to send four starters to the mound Friday with Nestor Cortes (@BOS), Sonny Gray (@TEX), Tyler Wells (vs.LAA) and Zack Wheeler (@STL) lined up for the first place club. The Falcons enter Friday with a 81.5 point lead which could extend significantly with the trailing Alamo Short Stacks without a starter Friday.

McClanahan Looks to Continue Dominant Year

Only Sandy Alcantara has outscored Hops ace Shane McClanahan on the mound this season as the lefty has posted a 1.74 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 16 starts this season. The current American League Cy Young and RDBL Activation of the Year favorite will face off against the Reds Friday afternoon.

Fish Try to Bounceback on the Mound

The Spokane Fightin' Fish lost their grip of 4th place on Thursday and will look to pick things up on the mound as the club owns a 6.46 ERA and 1.39 WHIP this week with just 20.0 pitching points this Period. They will send Charlie Morton (vs.WSH) and Luis Castillo (vs.TB) to the mound with the duo combining for 64.0 points in their last outings.

Top Ducks Prospect Debuts

Third base prospect Nolan Jones was promoted to the big leagues by the Cleveland Indians and is expected to make his debut Friday. Jones was limited to start the season but was slashing .311/.417/.500 in 90 at-bats at Triple-A. Jones owns a .399 OBP in 1,615 career Minor League at-bats and could push his way into a Playoff activation for GM Ryan Walsh alongside infielder Luis Garcia.

Pressure Shifts to 'Crats Offense

The 'Crats have surged in the standings over the last 1.5 weeks with the rotation carrying the load in Period 14 with eight earned runs in 32 1/3 innings (2.23 ERA) while leading the league with . The pressure will now shift to the offense as only Shane Baz is scheduled to pitch for the remainder of the week for the 'Crats. The club currently sits 133.0 points out of the final Wild Card spot and has had a strong week at the plate so far, ranking 3rd in hitter scoring as a team with a .301/.348/.506 line.

Fringe Need More from Giolito

The Lunatic Fringe enter Friday just 42.5 points out of the Playoffs and will hand the ball to Lucas Giolito against the Tigers. Giolito owns a 4.90 ERA this season and prior to his last two outings, he posted -25.0 points combined over a four start stretch. GM Tony Guglielmi will need more help behind Alcantara and it starts with Giolito on Friday.

New Stacks Carrying the Load

The trio of Rafael Devers, Juan Soto and Mookie Betts went 6-for-12 with four home runs and a walk Thursday. The trio is 12-for-31 (.387) with five home runs and four walks since joining the Stacks on Monday.

Rumor Central: Six Starters to Watch Before the Deadline

With Luis Garcia off the market following his trade to the Honolulu Hammerheads, the Trade Market for starting pitchers are quite bare. With a little over three periods remaining until the Roger Dorn Baseball League Trade Deadline and 10 teams on the lookout for help, Front Offices around the league are being forced to be creative with a focus on help for the final stretch and a potential Playoff run.

Clubs will continue to monitor the performance of the Las Vegas Aristocrats who currently sit ~170 out of the final Wild Card spot. If they fall out of contention, Max Scherzer (3/$68) will immediately become the prize of the Trade Market.

Without Scherzer, here are six starting pitchers to monitor in the coming days and weeks that could be moved before the deadline:

RHP Adam Wainwright (2/$4), Mt. Diablo Devils

The Devils have received multiple inquiries on Wainwright, but he's hardly a toss-in to a deal despite his age. Waino was a top-five pitcher in the RDBL in 2021 and has backed that up with a 3.26 ERA in 96.0 innings this year. He could offer Watson some salary cap relief for 2023 given his $4 contract but he could be impressed enough with an offer to move him as well before the August 1st deadline.

RHP Jose Berrios (1/$38), Asti Grape Stompers

Berrios has been a disaster this season, first for the Idaho Taters and then for the Asti Grape Stompers who attempted to buy-low on the right-hander. The cost to acquire him could not be lower with his contract taking him out of any future plans by the Grapes. He's coming off a 23-point outing against the Oakland Athletics, which could be the jumping off point for a strong run considering he's posted 400+ points in each of the last full three seasons he's pitched.

With Nate Lowe (2FA/$5), Christian Yelich (1/$31) and Eduardo Escobar (2FA/$5) all candidates to be moved, look for Berrios to be a potential toss in for a contender.

RHP Marcus Stroman (3/$6), Asti Grape Stompers

Much in the mold of his teammate above, Stroman's value is quite low but could offer some depth to a contender's starting rotation for the remainder of the season. Stroman is back with the Cubs as he closes in on his return from right shoulder inflammation that sidelined him in early June. Before getting crushed for -33 points in his final outing on June 3rd, Stroman posted five consecutive positive starts totaling 111.0 points.

LHP Blake Snell (1/$10), Cloverdale Clovers

Snell has posted just 54.0 points for the Clovers with a 5.13 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over 40.0 innings while working around an IL stint. That has pushed him out of the Clovers future plans, giving contender's the ability to land a veteran arm for a small price.

RHP Jake Odorizzi (1FA/$5), Las Vegas Aristocrats

The 'Crats have a deep rotation which could allow them to deal from an area of strength to obtain some additional offense for the stretch drive. Set for a start against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, Odorizzi could offer a quick boost this period with the Wild Card race likely to be extremely close where one start could make a difference.

RHP Kyle Gibson (2FA/$5), St. Joseph Jokers

Up until his last two starts, Gibson held a respectable 4.06 ERA before posting -35.0 points combined against the Padres and Cardinals. With 121.0 points on the season, Gibson could be used with the right matchups against weaker National League clubs and bring a boost to a contender's starting rotation.