[jaa36]

The M's continued to shoot up the standings, winning 17 games and losing 8 to end the month with a 63-43 record overall. That's the second-best record in the AL, but four games behind the Astros. The team was led by the incredible Nolan Arenado, who won the AL Player of the Month award after hitting .343 with 15 home runs and 38 RBI. Arenado has already reached the century mark for runs batted in, with two months to go, proving he can hit every bit as well in the marine layer of Seattle as he could at a mile of altitude in Denver.

The other themes for July were injuries, and trades. Four pitchers went on the IL, the most significant loss being Craig Kimbrel, who is gone for the season with shoulder inflammation. Kimbrel finished his season with a 2.37 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. Shawn Armstrong may also be gone for the season, though Jared Miller and newly-acquired Justin Wilson will likely return in a few weeks. Noah Syndergaard hurt his back, but thankfully will return without missing a start.

We swung deals for a total of five relievers in the month: the aforementioned Wilson, Corey Knebel, Durbin Feltman, Sean Doolittle, and Chris Archer. The other team is paying for 100% of the salaries of Knebel, Wilson, and Archer, and 90% of Doolittle, while Feltman is making the league minimum; Wilson and Doolittle will remain (essentially) free for us next year as well. Archer had been a capable starter with the Twins the last two seasons, but joins us in a long reliever role. Knebel and Feltman shore up the back end of the bullpen with Kimbrel and Alfredo Bautista lost. The biggest piece we lost in all these deals was pitcher Seth Romero, who was the #19 prospect this season, but pitched poorly in three brief stints with the club, and each time we sent him down I got a message saying the team was glad we had gotten rid of him.

Never satisfied with the outfield mix, I also picked up David Peralta from the Orioles for infielder Xavier Edwards. Peralta also will play for us for free this year and next, and provides solid pop against righties and decent defense in left field. This led Yordan Alvarez to be sent to the minors; all he did was put up a .404 on-base percentage.

Buster Posey was the All-Star Game MVP, with two hits, including a home run. Framber Valdez, Arenado, Willie Calhoun, and the injured Kimbrel and Bautista also made the club.

We picked up Venezuelan teenager Elpidio Verride for $5.4M, who might hit, but has no other skills whatsoever.