Several general managers predict diminished trade activity this summer, when teams navigate baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement for the first time, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Additional playoff berths mean more teams than ever are in contention and modified rules mean team can no longer obtain draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason.
The Brewers and Diamondbacks have struggled through the season’s first two months and might have become sellers in other years, but neither team is inclined to make its players available yet. Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers knows his team faces a light schedule in the coming weeks and with Matt Kemp on the disabled list in Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks could strike. Similarly Brewers president of baseball operations Doug Melvin remains optimistic about his team’s chances of re-entering the race.
One GM says Zack Greinke, Josh Hamilton and Cole Hamels are the only prospective free agents assured of receiving one-year qualifying offers from their respective clubs after the season. More than three free agents will obtain these offers, but most players aren’t worth $12-3MM on a one-year deal, so teams will be pressured to make trades if they aim to convert players on the brink of free agency into long-term assets. As Rosenthal notes, GMs predict a quiet trade deadline annually, but lots of trades happen every year.
and we predict hundreds of report linking Anthopoulos to trading for every player in the majors
I still don’t like the odds of the Cubs unloading Soriano, no matter how much dough they’re willing to eat. BUT… if they’re going to pull it off, a market largely bereft of power hitters at the same time as Soriano is riding a hot streak is probably their best chance.
Well as a Cubs fan anything less than 100% odds is disappointing. He really needs to go this year, if for no other reason than to open the position and give the team some flexibility in if and when they bring up players like Rizzo or Jackson.
But that said, if the reports are true that they are willing to eat $45MM of the $48MM I don’t think the odds of a trade are bad at all (depending of course on what they ask for to do so). He’s easily worth that much money even with his diminished performance. Obviously he’d fit better as a DH, but his defense hasn’t been too bad this year. I think even NL clubs would be willing to take a chance for that money.
What about Edwin Jackson? I’m not familiar with the new rules, but he wants a long term deal. If the Nats offered 12 or 13 for next year it is more or less what he is making now, but would he accept a one year deal…? I guess he did this year…
I can understand the Brewers’ optimism… with Ryan Braun healthy and finally eligible to play again after serving his 50-game suspension for PED use, the Brewers can surely improve on the 23-28 record they’ve compiled so far this year without him :agreed:
One would think Andre Ethier would get a qualifying offer.