Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun is “the hot name out there” on the trade market, a National League scout told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The scout listed the Astros, Cardinals, Giants, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox and White Sox as potential buyers for the 32-year-old Braun, who has resembled his past NL MVP-winning self offensively this season in slashing .351/.424/.583 with nine home runs in 170 trips to the plate. Braun is in the first season of a five-year extension that could be worth either $94MM or $105MM, depending on what happens with the contract’s mutual option for 2021.
Here’s more from Cafardo’s weekly column:
- With prospect Blake Snell knocking on the door and Alex Cobb nearing a return from 2015 Tommy John surgery, the Rays could soon have a glut of starting pitching. Thus, they’d be willing to deal southpaw Matt Moore for both a major leaguer and a quality minor league piece. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Moore is controllable through 2019 on a cheap contract, but the former top prospect already has a Tommy John surgery under his belt and has run up a bloated 5.37 ERA in 120 2/3 frames since last season.
- If the Rockies decide to trade right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, one talent evaluator told Cafardo that the Red Sox could be an ideal fit. “Their offense is cranking right now, but there’s an outfield position there that could possibly be enhanced if the Red Sox don’t think Brock Holt or Blake Swihart or Chris Young are the answer. They might be. But Cargo fits them as a top all-around player with power.” After slugging 40 home runs last season, Gonzalez has hit .294/.333/.471 with a somewhat modest seven homers this year. Gonzalez would presumably play left for the Red Sox, whose left fielders have hit .241/.321/.377 with four long balls. Their struggles haven’t exactly crippled baseball’s highest-scoring offense, however. Gonzalez, who will turn 30 in October, is making $17MM this year and will rake in another $20MM next season.
- While Reds right fielder Jay Bruce is available, he won’t come cheap if the team has its way. The Reds nearly sent Bruce to Toronto during the winter, but the deal fell through after Cincinnati got cold feet over the health of one of the prospects whom it was supposed to acquire. The lefty-swinging Bruce was coming off two uncharacteristically subpar offensive seasons at the time, but he has perhaps rebuilt some of his value with an above-average .261/.313/.497 line to pair with eight homers in 176 PAs this year. Bruce, 29, is currently on a $12.5MM salary and has a $13MM club option ($1MM buyout) for 2017.
- Angels left-hander Hector Santiago is a name to watch around the trade deadline if the Halos drop out of the race, though he’ll likely need to start faring better if the team wants to move him. Santiago, who’s collecting $5MM and has a year of arbitration eligibility remaining, has thrown 55 innings of 4.58 ERA ball this year to accompany a 7.04 K/9 and 3.44 BB/9.
Maybe Braun finally found a steroid that is undetectable
Braun’s suspension wasn’t because of a positive test.
Why was he suspended?
For his connection in 2012 to the Biogenesis of America clinic that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to professional baseball players. On July 22, 2013, MLB suspended Braun for the remaining 65 games of the regular season, plus the entire postseason, for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic.
Although the standard suspension for a first offense under MLB’s drug policy is 50 games, Braun was suspended an additional 15 games for his actions during and after his appeal of his positive 2011 test which was overturned by an arbitration panel due to a “technicality” in handling procedures as well as a second test that showed normal levels of testosterone in his system.
Great summary of what actually happened.
You mean like your penis?
That was horrible
Interesting that the scout mentioned St. Louis as a potential buyer on Braun given that they have Piscotty and Holliday in the corners. I wonder if that would mean moving Holliday to primarily 1B for the rest of this season and next year (assuming his option is exercised).
More like: What Cafardo’s Brain Came Up With Today!
Carfardo is a joke. Why do they keep quoting him?
H. Santiago has got to be one of many Angels to get traded to build depth in the weakest organization in the MLB.
Haha! Yeah the weakest organization that hasn’t had a 90 loss season in almost 20 years and contends almost every year. Yeah, Angels fans have it so bad! I especially feel sorry for them having to watch Mike Trout play every day! They’re all victims! Lol
Farm system of the Halos is one of the worst.
Well the guy has a point…the team has absolutely no depth/farm system.
No he doesn’t. Farm system is one of numerous aspects of the quality of an organization. Angels fans have had it pretty easy for a long time.
And now that’s over. Prepare for some very, very dark years
They have…but this year at least they barely have any depth and their farm system is bad. Yeah they have Mike Trout…but Trout isn’t single-handedly delivering a World Series there. I’m not sympathizing with him at all, I’m a Mariners fan so if the Angels are bad than good for my team. The Angels are by no means “weakest organization in the MLB”…but they probably have the weakest farm system and poor depth.
Based on what crystal ball?
Exactly. 100% agree.
Is there a chance White Sox land Shields and Braun?
no
I’d rather have Santiago and Braun.
You and I both!
Melvin and Shields
No not really. Just too much money, if the pads pay 10 mil a year on shields then maybe they can make it work. But only 1 high priced guy.
I agree Theo, but you know trades are a combination of money, prospects, and desire.
But they aren’t rentals, so acquiring them both would require the padres and Rockies to pay money years down the line. Teams don’t mind the first year, but they don’t like doing it for multiple years, it hardly ever happens.
Again I agree, but to unload a player not needed, some teams will front yearly payments to unload a player. Dodgers are paying yearly not to have Kemp. Padres receive $3.5m a year for Kemp.
How again would one scout know the trade targets of MLB front offices?
They guess. Just like you or I.
Um, think about it; scouts would be sent to, you know, scout a trade target.So if Rick Hahn tells his advance scout to go watch Ryan Braun, for example, that scout would very certainly know that he was a possible trade target.
They assume like anyone else. But probably a more educated guess.
Knowing the right people goes a long way
Braun to White Sox?
Why not? He’s the best overall hitter on the market who could also be had the soonest. The question with the White Sox would be: How much money would owner Jerry Reinsdorf be willing to take on with Braun’s deal, same as with the reported James Shields talks..
If the Sox aren’t willing to part with Fulmer (and I doubt they would) they would probably have to take on more of his contract than they would like. If the demand is really that high I see other teams being able to offer higher prospects if the Brewers pay part of his salary, so it may come down to money vs prospects.
Braun to the Bo’Sox makes perfect sense. They can afford his contract, he can play left field or be their Ortiz / DH replacement
Would seem to make some sense, he’ll be 37 by the time his deal is up, so going to the AL where he could eventually switch to DH definitely has its upside.
The question I have is whether GM’s would really be willing to give up so much knowing the baggage that comes with Braun.
If the Angels are out of it at the trade deadline they could possibly find a young left fielder for a Santiago package to finally stabilize that position.
Who among the rumored “impact” players available this summer does not have some sort of “baggage” attached to their name, be it past injuries, age, clubhouse concerns, PED’s, contractual issues or declining production?
Carlos Gonzalez?
Yasiel Puig?
Jay Bruce?
Josh Reddick?
Andre Ethier?
Justin Morneau?
Jose Reyes?
Sonny Gray?
Jose Fernandez?
Tyson Ross?
Matt Moore?
???
Or, in the words of God’s other favorite son:
The only baggage you can bring
Is all that you can’t leave behind
“Walk On”, my friend…
Matt Moore’s value is close to rock bottom. If the Rays could get anything of value for him they should take it.
it is now but it’s typical of tj surgery pitching to go through an adjustment period. His velocity is fine, just needs some refining. The Rays are smart, they’ll get what they want eventually.
I don’t see how Braun is a fit with the Mets.
I don’t really either. Probably just because Cespedes will be gone after this season.
Can’t see the BoSox wanting to trade for CarGo, especially when they have Andrew Benintendi waiting in the wings for nest season. Nest season H-Ram to DH, Travis Shaw to 1B (his natural position), Yoan Moncada to 3B, and Beintendi in LF. That leaves Sam Travis (1B), Blake Swihart ©, and Raphael Devers (3B), left to trade for a young stud pitcher.
I’m a huge Benintendi fan and I’ll think he wIll be good in time but I think Red Sox fans are jumping the gun a bit. He dominated Single A no question but there’s still a long way to go before the bigs. And he’s not exactly tearing up double a, though its early. Just might be a few years before he hits the bugs.
Moncada is in A+ right now. Penciling him in at 3b for next year is more than a little premature
I like that option but let’s see how Benintendi does in higher levels of minors before anointing him the starting LF. Also I don’t see a starter that is worth those 3 who is currently on the market.
Moncada is in A ball and has yet to play one game at 3rd base…. Yet hell be starting in the Majors next season? No way.
God damn I wish Benintendi was a Giant right now
More possible hitting targets for the White Sox, and in my order of preference: Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, then Jay Bruce.
Matt Moore might also be an option for the rotation despite being a left-handed pitcher. His contract and team control would be appealing to the White Sox. As long as his velocity can still approach his pre-surgery level, pitching coach Don Cooper might have an impact. The White Sox also have a top notch training staff headed by Herm Schneider, who has a knack for keeping players and pitchers off the disabled list.
Another southpaw, Hector Santiago would be another possibility for the White Sox pitching staff. He was drafted by Chicago and spent 2+ years in their bullpen and rotation before being dealt for Adam Eaton in a three team trade that involved the Angels and Diamondbacks back in December of 2013. No team would be more familiar with Santiago than the White Sox, a pitcher who also had his best effort of 2016 against them back on April 18th at the Cell, pitching 7 shutout innings, allowing only two hits and fanning 10. I happened to be at that game and he looked as overpowering as his stat line would suggest.
With all the players rumored to be headed to Boston in Cafardo’s weekly “would look good in a Red Sox uniform column” the team may have to petition the Commissioner for an exemption to the 25 and 40 man roster rule.
Tidbit of info for those fans of teams who might be wanting Carlos Gonzalez and thinking that is a great idea…….. outside of Coors field he is hitting .258 with a .312 OBP and a .754 OPS. And in about as many games away from Coors Field as he’s had in Coors field he has 37 fewer HRs……… then’s there the pile of injuries he’s had in his career. Just some things to think about before anyone starts pining for their team to trade for him.