Month: July 2015

Here’s how the NL West fared in the days leading to the trade deadline this afternoon.

• The Rockies only really made one move, but it was a big one — they traded star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins to the Blue Jays for shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco.
• The Dodgers acquired pitcher Mat Latos, 1B/OF Michael Morse, infielder Jose Peraza, and pitcher Alex Wood, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson and Bronson Arroyo in a complex 13-player deal with the Braves and Marlins. As part of the deal, they sent infielder Hector Olivera and pitchers Paco Rodriguez and Zachary Bird to Atlanta, also sending pitchers Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham and Victor Araujo to Miami. They then designated Morse, Brandon Beachy, Chris Heisey and Chin-hui Tsao for assignment, and shipped Morse and cash to the Pirates for outfielder Jose Tabata. They also lost reliever Preston Guilmet via a waiver claim.
• The Giants acquired veteran righty Mike Leake from the Reds for pitching prospect Keury Mella and infielder Adam Duvall. They also lost reliever Jean Machi via a waiver claim and designated infielder Joaquin Arias for assignment.
• Despite their 50-53 record, the Padres declined to sell at the deadline, instead acquiring reliever Marc Rzepcyznski from the Indians for outfielder Abraham Almonte and doing little else.
• The Diamondbacks, too, were very quiet at the deadline, though they were connected in trade rumors to Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, who remains in Cincinnati. In a minor move, the the D-backs traded pitcher J.C. Ramirez to the Mariners.

Here’s what happened in the NL Central in the week leading to the trade deadline this afternoon.

• As expected, the last-place Brewers were very active as sellers. They sent star center fielder Carlos Gomez, starting pitcher Mike Fiers and international bonus spending rights to Houston for outfielders Domingo Santana and Brett Phillips, along with pitchers Adrian Houser and Josh Hader. They also shipped outfielder Gerardo Parra to the Orioles for pitching prospect Zach Davies, and they sent reliever Jonathan Broxton and cash to the Cardinals for outfielder Malik Collymore. Last week, they dealt veteran third baseman Aramis Ramirez and cash to the Pirates for pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. They also claimed reliever Preston Guilmet from the Dodgers.
• The Reds also sold, trading starting pitchers in two high-profile deals. They sent Johnny Cueto to the Royals, getting lefties Brandon Finnegan, Jake Lamb and Cody Reed in return. They also shipped Mike Leake to the Giants for pitcher Keury Mella and infielder Adam Duvall. Finally, they outrighted Chris Dominguez.
• The first-place Cardinals addressed their bullpen by getting Broxton in the aforementioned trade with Milwaukee, and by acquiring Steve Cishek from the Marlins for pitcher Kyle Barraclough. They also acquired 1B/OF Brandon Moss from the Indians for pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky, and they designated first baseman Dan Johnson and pitcher Marcus Hatley for assignment.
• The Pirates received Ramirez in the aforementioned trade with the Brewers to shore up an injury-ravaged infield. They acquired lefty starter J.A. Happ from the Mariners for pitcher Adrian Sampson, and reliever Joakim Soria from the Tigers for infielder JaCoby Jones. They also got first baseman Michael Morse from the Dodgers for outfielder Jose Tabata, and veteran pitcher Joe Blanton from the Royals for cash. Finally, they designated relievers Deolis Guerra and Vance Worley for assignment; outrighted infielders Brent Morel, Steve Lombardozzi and Justin Sellers; and traded minor league pitcher Jayson Aquino to the Indians for cash considerations.
• The Cubs acquired veteran starter Dan Haren from the Marlins for shortstop Elliot Soto and righty Ivan Pineyro. They also sent outfielder Junior Lake to the Orioles for reliever Tommy Hunter. In more minor moves, they designated pitcher Ben Rowen and outfielder Mike Baxter for assignment, and they released Edwin Jackson.

Here’s what teams from the NL East did in the days leading to this afternoon’s trade deadline.

• The Phillies were, unsurprisingly, at the center of the action, shipping ace Cole Hamels to Texas (along with reliever Jake Diekman and cash) in exchange for Matt Harrison, top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, pitching prospects Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff, and outfield prospect Nick Williams. In another significant move, they sent closer Jonathan Papelbon and cash to Washington in exchange for pitching prospect Nick Pivetta. They also sent outfielder Ben Revere and cash to the Blue Jays for pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado.
• The Nationals were, of course, the team on the other end of the Papelbon deal, for which they agreed to exercise Papelbon’s 2016 option after it was reduced from $13MM to $11MM, some of that deferred. They also outrighted catcher Dan Butler.
• Despite not completing a reported deal for Carlos Gomez, the Mets made plenty of noise at the deadline, acquiring Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers for pitching prospects Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. They also acquired reliever Tyler Clippard and cash from the Athletics for pitcher Casey Meisner. Last week, they acquired infielders Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, plus cash, from the Braves for pitchers John Gant and Rob Whalen, and they promoted top prospect Michael Conforto.
• The Braves were on the other end of the Uribe/Johnson deal. They also were part of a massive 13-player trade with the Dodgers and Marlins in which they acquired infielder Hector Olivera, lefty Paco Rodriguez and pitching prospect Zachary Bird for top infield prospect Jose Peraza, along with pitchers Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and Bronson Arroyo. The Braves also designated reliever David Carpenter for assignment.
• In that aforementioned 13-player trade, the Marlins sent Mat Latos and Michael Morse to the Dodgers in return for pitchers Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham and Victor Araujo. They also shipped Dan Haren and cash to the Cubs for shortstop Elliot Soto and righty Ivan Pineyro, and they traded reliever Sam Dyson to the Rangers for catcher Tomas Telis and lefty Cody Ege. Last week, they dealt reliever Steve Cishek to the minors for pitcher Kyle Barraclough. Finally, they released infielder Jeff Baker.

Here’s how the last few days before the trade deadline went for teams throughout the AL West.

• The Rangers acquired Phillies ace Cole Hamels in a monster eight-player deal, also receiving Jake Diekman and cash. In return, the Rangers gave up pitcher Matt Harrison, catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, pitching prospects Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff, and outfield prospect Nick Williams. In a more minor deal, they acquired reliever Sam Dyson from the Marlins for catcher Tomas Telis and pitcher Cody Ege. They also claimed catcher Bobby Wilson from the Rays and designated lefty reliever Wandy Rodriguez for assignment.
• The Athletics were busy as usual, this time selling in the wake of a disappointing season. They got a solid pitching prospect in Sean Manaea, plus another young pitcher in Aaron Brooks, when they sent Ben Zobrist to Kansas City. They got yet another pitching propsect, Casey Meisner, from the Mets for Tyler Clippard. Last week, they received catcher Jacob Nottingham and pitcher Daniel Mengden from the Astros in exchange for Scott Kazmir. They also traded reliever Ryan Cook to the Red Sox for a player to be named and acquired lefty Felix Doubront from the Blue Jays for cash.
• The first-place Astros were, of course, the team that received Kazmir. In yet another significant deal, they acquired outfielder Carlos Gomez, starter Mike Fiers and international spending rights from the Brewers for outfielders Domingo Santana and Brett Phillips and pitchers Adrian Houser and Josh Hader. They also designated Roberto Hernandez for assignment and outrighted outfielder Alex Presley. Additionally, they designated reliever Joe Thatcher, who became a free agent.
• The Angels addressed their outfield and DH issues by acquiring David Murphy from the Indians (for infield prospect Eric Stamets), David DeJesus from the Rays (for pitcher Eduar Lopez) and Shane Victorino from the Red Sox (for infielder Josh Rutledge). They also designated reliever Vinnie Pestano for assignment and signed lefty Wesley Wright to a minor league deal.
• The Mariners sent lefty J.A. Happ to the Pirates for starting pitching prospect Adrian Sampson, and reliever Mark Lowe to the Blue Jays for pitchers Rob Rasmussen, Jake Brentz and Nick Wells. They also shipped outfielder Dustin Ackley, a former No. 2 overall pick, to the Yankees for outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez. They also promoted top prospect Ketel Marte. Finally, they acquired righty J.C. Ramirez from the Diamondbacks.

Here’s a roundup of AL Central activity in the last few days before this afternoon’s trade deadline.

• The first-place Royals bought heavily at the deadline, pulling off one of the biggest trades of the season when they acquired Johnny Cueto from the Reds for lefties Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. They followed that up with a second big move, acquiring infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist from the A’s for pitchers Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks. The Royals also shipped pitcher Joe Blanton to the Pirates for cash considerations.
• The 50-52 Tigers, meanwhile, went the opposite direction, ultimately selling heavily rather than pursuing hopes of a Wild Card berth. They traded ace David Price to Toronto and got lefties Daniel Norris, Jairo Labourt and Matt Boyd in return, then sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets for a pair of righties, Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. Along the way, they shipped closer Joakim Soria to the Pirates for infield prospect JaCoby Jones.
• The Indians reportedly discussed trading Carlos Carrasco with several teams, but didn’t make a move of that magnitude. They got a good pitching prospect, Rob Kaminsky, from the Cardinals in return for Brandon Moss. They also dealt outfielder David Murphy to the Angels for infield prospect Eric Stamets, and they traded lefty Marc Rzepczynski to the Padres for outfielder Abraham Almonte. In a minor move, they also acquired lefty Jayson Aquino from the Pirates for cash considerations.
• The Twins had a relatively uneventful deadline, with their biggest move being the acquisition of reliever Kevin Jepsen from the Rays for pitchers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia. They’re also set to designate reliever Caleb Thielbar for assignment.
• The White Sox had one of the quietest deadlines of any team despite their recent surge, with GM Rick Hahn feeling frustrated that they weren’t able to make a significant move. Ultimately, the only deal they made involving a remotely well known player was shipping infielder Conor Gillaspie to the Angels for cash.

Here’s a roundup of activity from around the AL East, covering the last few days before this afternoon’s trade deadline.

• The win-now Blue Jays made by far the biggest splash in the division, making not one but two blockbuster deals. They acquired star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Rockies for shortstop Jose Reyes and prospects Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco, then swung a deal with Detroit for ace David Price, giving up top prospect Daniel Norris and two other lefties, Jairo Labourt and Matt Boyd. They got outfielder Ben Revere from the Phillies for pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado, and righty reliever Mark Lowe from the Mariners for pitcher Rob Rasmussen and minor leaguers Jake Brentz and Nick Wells. Finally, they traded lefty Felix Doubront to the Athletics for cash.
• The Orioles acquired improved their outfield, getting Gerardo Parra as a rental from the Brewers for pitching prospect Zach Davies. They also got outfielder Junior Lake from the Cubs for reliever Tommy Hunter. They also designated Chris Parmelee and Bud Norris for assignment.
• The first-place Yankees were connected to top relievers like Craig Kimbrel of the Padres, but weren’t able to swing a trade for bullpen help. Instead, they bolstered their outfield depth by acquiring Dustin Ackley from the Mariners for outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez. They also designated Chris Capuano and Garrett Jones for assignment, later outrighting Capuano. They also announced that they would promote top pitching prospect Luis Severino.
• The Red Sox showed at least some interest in big-name arms like Carlos Carrasco and Tyson Ross, but ultimately didn’t have a very eventful deadline. They traded Shane Victorino to the Angels for infielder Josh Rutledge, and they acquired reliever Ryan Cook from the Athletics, They also designated Daniel Nava and Jemile Weeks for assignment and claimed reliever Jean Machi from the Giants.
• The 51-52 Rays made moves to deal a couple of veterans, although they don’t look massively different than they did last week. They traded reliever Kevin Jepsen to the Twins for pitchers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia, and also dealt outfielder David DeJesus to the Angels for pitcher Eduar Lopez. They also lost catcher Bobby Wilson via a waiver claim by the Rangers.