Now that the flurry of rumors and deals is over, let’s quickly take stock of what actually went down on deadline day:
- Tigers acquire David Price in three-team deal with Mariners (who receive Austin Jackson) and Rays (who receive Drew Smyly, Nick Franklin, and Willy Adames)
- Marlins and Astros agree to six-player swap, with Miami receiving Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates in exchange for Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, and a 2015 compensation draft pick
- Braves acquire James Russell and Emilio Bonifacio from Cubs in exchange for Victor Caratini and cash
- Yankees acquire Martin Prado from Diamondbacks in exchange for Peter O’Brien
- Yankees acquire Stephen Drew from Red Sox in exchange for Kelly Johnson and cash
- Nationals acquire Asdrubal Cabrera from Indians in exchange for Zach Walters
- Orioles acquire Andrew Miller from Red Sox in exchange for Eduardo Rodriguez
- Mariners acquire Chris Denorfia from Padres in exchange for Abraham Almonte and Stephen Kohlscheen
- Athletics acquire Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, and cash from Red Sox in exchange for Yoenis Cespedes and a 2015 compensation draft pick
- Cardinals acquire John Lackey, Corey Littrell and cash from Red Sox in exchange for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig
- Brewers acquire Gerardo Parra from Diamondbacks in exchange for Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda
- Twins acquire Tommy Milone from Athletics in exchange for Sam Fuld
Also, there were several other deals and roster moves that took place during the course of a busy day (with more likely to come):
- Twins extend Kurt Suzuki
- Yankees designate Brian Roberts for assignment
- Yankees claim Esmil Rogers from Blue Jays, release Scott Sizemore
- Pirates claim Angel Sanchez from White Sox, designate Josh Wall for assignment
- Athletics designate Jake Elmore for assignment
- Rockies designate Ryan Wheeler for assignment
You got that last trade backwards there, but otherwise good recap (A’s acquired Fuld, traded Milone)
Yep, fixed.
That was fun!
Best trade deadline ever!
Merry Christmas, everyone. What a day.
Lackey has informed the Cardinals he plans to honor his team option for 2015. Makes the trade even better for the Cardinals.
I would too if I got to pitch for St. Louis lol congrats and best of luck! – Random Blue Jays fan lol (got a friend in St. Louis who I always chit chat with about the Cards/Jays)
I think that trade is a rare trade that will end out working out well for both sides :), Enjoy Lackey he is a pretty good pitcher especially when it matters most.
I hope so. Craig is one of my favorite players and I really hope he figures it out. Kelly, I don’t think he’ll ever be anything more than a decent reliever/below average 5th starter, but he is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever seen. I will really miss him on the pre and post game shows. I hope he can string together some solid seasons.
Do you think if Koji left the sox that Kelly could slot in as a closer/setup man? I also think that if Craig can figure out how to pull the ball into the green monster that he will have a lot of success in Boston. I really hope that Lackey helps give you guys that push that you need because him and lester deserve to both go deep into the post season.
Kelly has a legit fastball but I’m not sure he’s a closer unless he can develop another pitch. But honestly, he’s one cool dude. Boston will love his personality. Only downfall is he can’t grow a beard.
So he’s a good clubhouse guy? 🙂
Yeah. He’s a pretty awesome person!
So he’s a good clubhouse guy? 🙂
Kelly can do anything asked of him, just not at an elite level. He doesn’t strike enough guys out and walks too many to excel at setup or closing. And I think those things will always hurt his bullpen work. He’s best set for a backend rotation spot, but would be moderately successful (probably at best) in almost any role.
I don’t get why he would say that now…
I’m not sure. It could have been something discussed before the Cardinals would finalize a trade. Anyhow, that’s what multiple reporters have said.
So the Mariners acquired Austin Jackson for Nick Franklin…seems like a steal.
It is a steal, just like the Tigers got a steal on Price.
Do you think it would of been better for Tampa to just deal Price this offseason for a chance at getting more in return? I kinda feel like they could of gotten a better deal that way.
Their problem was they waited too long, They should of did what Theo and the Cubs did because it was a brilliant move in acting early and getting the Athletics to bite and give them Russell, who is easily better then anyone the Rays got. Friedman overplayed his hand when he didn’t try and take Russell from Beane when he had the chance.
Yeah I would of traded Price to the Athletics for Russell. At least he’s less of a rental player then Lester will be lol
But you also have to take into consideration playoff experience, Price is 1-4 in the playoffs, while Lester has an ERA around 1 for his career in the World Series and has traditionally been better under pressure.
Yeah very true.
And the A’s, oddly enough, might not have wanted another year of Price given his salary… might be Lester appealed BECAUSE he’s a rental with big time playoff experience.
I agree it would of made things difficult for Beane to make any moves in the offseason because even if they did have enough payroll to add price It probably would of maxed out any cap space flexibility that they might of had to begin with if any.
Sam Fuld for Tommy Milone? What has the world come too…
A world where David Price gets Frankin,Willy Adames, and Drew Smyly
Yeah I’m not a fan of both the Athletics/Tigers deals today, I guess the A’s deal kind of looks better but still not sure what they’re going to do offensively with Cespedes gone lol
I like the A’s deal but of course i’m a Red Sox fan. But I think they’ll be fine because they still got Donaldson, Moss, Reddick, Vogt and some pretty good role/platoon players. But I think they might miss Cespedes’ arm.
Fair enough, yeah I guess it looks better than I thought plus at least Gomes can go back to the A’s again with a chance at the playoffs again. Better luck next season to the BoSox, already looking like some good pieces in place for 2015.
I don’t know why but my gut feeling tells me that they could be gunning after Stanton this offseason after the deals they made, it gave them some depth to work with and some additional prospect power. Sending Miami some MLB talent with prospects may be too good for them to pass up, but maybe that’s me just being optimistic :P.
Boston will probably have to part with guys like Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley though, just to start lol but I can kind of see them gearing up towards a trade for him too and you know the Marlins have to get what they can for him because he won’t sign an extension I’m sure. Although with the way the Marlins are trying to get starters atm it makes me think they might actually consider emptying the bank on Stanton to stay…
My whole thinking was if you send Kelly, Barnes, Eduardo and Cespedes/Craig it could get done imo.
Definitely would, but I don’t see them dealing all those guys and in fact they might of even given up on the thought of Stanton and that’s why they got Craig and Cespedes for next year.
Cespedes is a free agent after 2015 while Craig is controlled through 2018 I believe, it would give the Marlins some stuff that they need, veteran offensive pieces plus solid young pitching. I think if the Sox want to go after Stanton and they are confident they can sign him to an extension they won’t hesitate with offering a package like the one above, plus the closer Stanton gets to free agency the cheaper he will get and the more inclined the Marlins will be to trade him if they don’t feel like they can sign him to an extension.
Sorry but if the Red Sox wanted Stanton , JBJ and Middlebrooks are in no way shape or form the key pieces from Boston
Middlebrooks has some power and JBJ has great leather but neither of the 2 have shown anything more than that.
Now Boston’s farm is very very good and I think they would have the pieces to acquire him. But expect Middlebrooks and/or JBJ to be probably the 3rd/4th or 4th/5th player Boston gives up (talent wise).
I never saidd they were the key pieces, just saying they are definitely going to have to be included with some damn good prospects lol
Question for you. Does Cespedes end up in center? It’s a waste of his arm to put him left or right at Fenway.
Right Field is where hs is slotted for currently I believe, and Right Field is typically tough to play in Fenway but Victorino did a fine job last year, it will all depend on Victorino being healthy or not, if he is healthy I can see him shifting to Right and having Cespedes shift to Center, but as it stands currently I believe the plan is to use him in Right.
To me center seems like the spot with his speed and that arm. I guess we’ll see.
If JBJ is in the lineup then he plays center, the majority of his value is on defense, Cespedes should stay in RF and Craig/Victorino (when healthy) should be in left
Agreed. considering the fact that Craig can barely move around and that way he only has to wait for the ball to bounce back off the green monster towards him lol
I agree completely. Cespedes’s arm belongs in RF and JBJ belongs in CF.
Twins need to celebrate this trade
Andrew Miller???…..print the WS Tickets !…smh
Miller makes Baltimores bullpen one of the best in the league.
Miller is one of the best relievers in baseball lol…especially since he can get out both righties and lefties.
One of the best deadline’s in recent history
The Tigers have the best GM in baseball.An average center fielder and a 5 rotation starter and an 18 year old prospect for a cy young winner.That was a fleecing
The Tigers and Mariners teamed up to take the Rays to the cleaners. Although the Rays are said to be very high on Franklin and on Willy Adames also, but only time will tell.
Good point. Franklin could blossom outside of Safeco and we may not know how good Adames can be for 3-5 years.
I don’t think it was Safeco that hurt him because isn’t Safeco a good ballpark for contact hitters which is basically what Franklin is? I think it was the lack of consistency/lack of patience with Franklin that was his downfall in Seattle.
Adames is a great offensive prospect. 32 extra base hits in 100 games in an extreme pitcher friendly environment as one of the youngest, if not the youngest, player in the league. That is really saying something.
Adames is a great offensive prospect. 32 extra base hits in 100 games in an extreme pitcher friendly environment as one of the youngest, if not the youngest, player in the league. That is really saying something.
Something that has gone overlooked today is the trade that the Yankees made to get Prado, I feel that Prado is one of the more underrated players in the league, He should fit well in New York due to the fact that he can play multiple positions, he may have more value to the Yankees then just his bat or glove may provide, he can be put all over the fiend and be used to give some of their veterans an off day whenever they need it and keep them fresh for down the stretch.
Should be a fun fight to the finish with the Orioles/Jays for the East.
This Division is the O’s to lose if Davis can turn it around they will really start to run away with it. The Jays have been decimated by injuries. Losing Edwin and Lawrie for an extended amount of time really hurt them. The Yankees could potentially be the sleeper in this division.
I actually think it’s the opposite. Lawrie, Lind, & Encarnacion should all be back by the end of the month. IF they can stay with the Orioles and IF Stroman continues lights out stuff and Dickey continues to pitch well, I think the Jays end up winning the division. Not a run away, but Lawrie, Lind & Encarnacion will be the 3 biggest acquisitions in the division in August.
That’s assuming they all continue where they left off, sometimes it takes players weeks to get back into the groove of things when coming off a significant injury, plus that’s not counting the fact that any one of them could have a setback and easily be out the rest of the year.
That’s true. They still play each other 10 times between now and the end of the season I think too with 7 of the 10 in Toronto I believe. And I also think the final 3 games of the season are in Baltimore. Those final 10 games and possibly even final 3 could be huge in regards to whether the Orioles or Jays end up as division champs.
I’m not so sure about Lind, I mean as a whole. I don’t think the Jays should pick up his option for 2015. He just gets injured too much and with Francisco now in the fold and being younger, he might fit in nicely at the DH/1B combo with Edwin.
We miss Prado in Atlanta, but he hasn’t been the same since he went to AZ. I hate to see him in NY, but hope he does well.
You guys have a good infield and decent outfield even without Prado. The only sore spots I can spot at first glance is Upton and Johnson and both of them are starting to turn their seasons around. You guys also just got Boni who should be good in the leadoff spot if you guys choose to use him there or as a super utility type player. Russell also helps solidify your bullpen…I think overall the Braves are in the best place in the NL East.
So not much happened.
With the N.L. central being so close , i thought it was strange that the biggest move
by the teams in it was Lackey. Surprised Pittsburgh did nothing.
NL Central
Pirates can’t afford Price next year and would’ve been stupid trade away Bell/Polonco/Kingham for 11 or 12 starts worth of Lester since Pitt couldn’t afford to resign him. Pirates & Brewers should be thankful that the Cards decided to hold onto Miller, Gruichak & Tavarez. if they had gotten Lester or Price (had the prospects and money to do it) they would have totally run away. Lackey & Masterson are decent starters but definitely not division changing starters like Lester or Price would’ve been in the Central.
That is my point. The other 2 did almost nothing if you do something
that might give you the edge. Obviously not price but Lester would have given them an edge. Volquez,, Liriano, , Morton, those are big ifs. Cincy is down . Cards are hurt, Brewers are just keeping their head above water. Now is the time to take a chance. They have plenty of depth in the minors to take that chance.
I’ve always been curious about this, but if a team wanted to contend the season after like the Red Sox and they trade their big pieces away like Lester could they ask him what it would take to sign him during free agency and have a verbal agreement on that contract and just make it offical during the first day of free agencyor is that against the CBA
Big winners: Tigers, Cardinals, A’s
Big losers: Rays, Red Sox, LOLPHILLIES
Clear losers? Phillies. How the Phillies fail to trade players is beyond me. If I were them, I would eat all the money just to get SOMETHING in return.
Clear losers? Phillies. How the Phillies fail to trade players is beyond me. If I were them, I would eat all the money just to get SOMETHING in return.
remember Mets traded Byrd after the deadline, they ll make deals
They apparently don’t want to make deals. The whole team needs to explode, I would trade everyone another team would take and start over. I’d tell the veterans with no trade clauses that they have this choice: get traded and have a chance, or stay here and lose 100 games a year for the foreseeable future. That franchise is going nowhere fast and the sooner they rebuild, the better off they will be.
While Cole Hamels is worth A LOT, he’s the only player with any value on the Phillies. Utley and Rollins have no value because they won’t go anywhere, Lee has no value because he’s hurt again, Howard’s contract is disgusting (to say nothing about his baseball skills), and everybody else on the team just isn’t very good at baseball.
So you tell everyone either they are agreeing to a trade or they will be losing boatloads of games for the remainders of their careers, with empty stadiums booing them until their contracts are up. You eat their contracts to maximize return, and offload everyone you can. Then, maybe in 4 years the Phillies will have a team that can be .500 again.
I agree completely. Today (and actually these last few years) was a complete debacle for RAJ.
Braves actually received the cash in the deal with the Cubs.
Braves actually received the cash in the deal with the Cubs.
Today was a really fun day in baseball.
The “Under the Radar” trade of the day was the Twins getting Milone for Fuld……..what a steal.
They should extend the deadline to midnight (I know it won’t happen but still would be fun)
IMO,
Trade Deadline Winners:
1 – Tigers
2 – A’s
3 – Cardinals/Red Sox tie
Trade Deadline Losers:
1 – Phillies
2 – Rays
3 – Giants
(Some other teams not far behind).
You forgot the Dodgers because yanno….just because they didn’t get Price they are automatically losers according to everyone 😛
Today sure made up for last year’s boring deadline day (Justin Maxwell/Bud Norris)
I first read that as “This year was a boring deadline” and I was like what?