Here’s the latest from around baseball as we move another day closer to the August 1 trade deadline…
- Red Sox GM Mike Hazen discussed his team’s recent flurry of moves with CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam in a video interview. Because the Sox had “a fairly clear need on our end…it allowed us to be focused on what we wanted to be aggressive on,” and thus Hazen said the team could act quickly to address those needs before the trade market began to thin out. Getting a controllable pitcher like Drew Pomeranz was in part a priority since there aren’t many quality starting arms available in free agency this winter. The full interview is well worth watching, as Hazen covers multiple topics about the Red Sox as they head into the second half.
- Before the Padres finally landed pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza from the Red Sox in the Pomeranz trade, San Diego team president Mike Dee tells Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune that his club made two earlier attempts at landing Espinoza’s services. The Padres also asked about the 18-year-old righty at last year’s trade deadline, and again last offseason when the Friars and Sox were negotiating the Craig Kimbrel deal. In the same interview, Dee also discusses how the organization will be more entirely focused on improving the on-field product in the coming years.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington discusses several Bucs-related topics with Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other reporters, including how the Pirates are exploring the trade market for pitching but finding very high prices. “You continue to look externally, but your bar’s set fairly high in terms of what your acquisition needs to be,” Huntington said. “That acquisition comes with an extreme acquisition cost. We will weigh, are we better going with our own guys, is there something that makes sense from the outside, and that will play out over the next couple of weeks.”
- In another Huntington interview, he discussed the Pirates’ pitching search and other items with Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link).
- Yoenis Cespedes told reporters (including ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin) that he would like to play left field for the rest of the season, based on both personal preference and a desire to avoid aggravating his quad injury. Cespedes has made 61 starts in center this season (with 13 in left) to accommodate the Mets’ roster construction, though if Cespedes is better off in left, it creates a bit of a jam for New York. Michael Conforto would be forced into right field, leaving Curtis Granderson, Juan Lagares and Alejandro De Aza all in the center field mix (assuming Conforto hits well enough to retain a regular job). This is just my speculation, but I wonder if the Mets could explore moving Granderson, Lagares and/or De Aza at the deadline as part of a trade for more reliable center field help.
Cargo??
There are very few trade options out there this summer that could justify Huntington and the Pirates sacrificing any of the top prospects in the system. First off, the talent level of the trade pool is slim. Rich Hill? Nathan Eovaldi? Not for Kuhl/Brault/Williams/Ramirez et al.
Secondly, lets honestly and rationally look at the NL. The Pirates – for as much as I love them as my team – are not catching the Chicago Cubs. Neither is St. Louis. The 2016 Cubs are a perfect storm occurring at the right time. So, even if you trade, you are trading for a chance to roll the dice in another Wild Card game. No thanks. If this team is talented enough to get there, great. If not, 2017 looks awfully good already. If you can acquire a solid starter and not dip into the top youngsters, fine – take a shot. If Nutting and Huntington really wanted to play the market in hopes of a championship, LAST YEAR was the time to do it, in the midst of a 98 win season. But they dropped the ball, and Locke/Morton killed winning streak after winning streak and every chance we had to catch the Cardinals. Nah, I’ll let this play out and happily renew my season tickets for what should be a fantastically talented 2017 and 2018 club.
I really like what Huntingdon has done this season ASSUMING he’s going to play the kids in the second half.
For years, the Penguins spun their wheels because they were unwilling to take a step back to make two steps forward and have a “retooling” year.
The Pirates needed to do this this year anyway and the Cubs gave them the perfect chance.
Play Taillon, Kuhl, Glasnow and after a bit more work on his defense, Josh Bell. Get them the experience they need to be ready from Day One in 2017.
From there they have 3 great chances to win with Cole still on the roster.
How about NYM moving Conforto? I know he’s young with lots of promise but that’s precisely what makes him a commodity.
I know of a 3rd bagger and right handed relief arm that the Mets could have. They’re both currently stationed in Anahiem….
conforto plays right and granderson center when a righty pitches. lagares center and Grandy right when a lefty pitches. get rid of de aza. he’s terrible. Bring back nimmo who can truly play center in case granderson struggles
Do you even watch the games?
your keeping Grandy in the lineup. in order to do that he’s gonna have to play center. cespedes isn’t w that quad. conforto has to get in games. and he isn’t playing center. Grandy is the only other guy who’s capable. ur not playing lagares everyday unless he’s gonna keep killing it
Conforto played 4 games in RF in AAA this month; that’s his only RF exposure ever. Bringing him back makes me agree that he’s being showcased for a trade, to help elsewhere.
Grandy is owed $20mm thru YE 2017 — he’s not playing well enough to get value back. Lagares has injury issues that depress his value. Both are serviceable and above Replacement value players, though.
There’s no way Mets are trading Conforto. He’s just 23, long-term affordable with big bat potential he’s likely to reach.
There is indeed an outfield log-jam at this time in light of Cespedes’s quad.. The Mets will have to work that out this season and then look to move an outfielder to third or first base next season should Cespedes stay, or trade Granderson who should bring back solid value given the power, veteran professionalism and OBP.
Lagares is now very important and likely to stay long term with his team friendly contract. He’s now again playing excellent CF, using his speed well, and yet again showing what he can successfully achieve on offense.
De Aza gets no playing time so you can’t say he sucks. However, moving him wouldn’t be a bad idea to free up some space but it doesn’t help the outfield problem because he really was never part of the equation anyway. He is also a good LEFTY of the bench which is crucial. We do not have another lefty
I also think he’s being showcased for a trade which is a damn shame. I just wish he entertained the idea of 1st base that way we can make the line up longer and keep a solid defensive outfield out there.
there are a few Pitchers out there that might be availabel that would probably make us better this and in coming seasons. Archer, Terhan, Viz, Sale but their prices will be very high and probably not worth adding on the additional payroll for let alone the loss in prospects. The two you mention, Hill and Eovoldi.. i really don’t see them as options. Eovoldi doesn’t have it, and he needs work before he should be even allowed to pitch pro ball and Hill has had 105 innings of good play. Before that his previous 465 innings, he was no better than our worst is now.
Addition by subtraction. Removing Niese, Liriano and maybe even Locke from the team via trade would give more room for Kuhl, Tailon, Glasnow, Brault, and Tarpley, Kingham and… you get the idea. The pirates have a great crop of starting pitching talent that needs room to make it. Also by moving them you can free up some salary to extend some players.
(please talk to freese about another year!)
The Cubs are 20-21 since the start of June, if the Pirates just keep playing like they’re playing, they could catch them. Especially if the young arms can holdup
Play Lagares in center and use the test as trade bait for bullpen help. Granderson and/ or De Aza will not bring you much. One is getting old and nearly finished with his current contract while the other has shown nothing all year.
Radical. But how bout mccutcheon to mets. I think Harvey would have been a good return, but he’s hurt. Maybe nimmo and a couple pitching prospects??
As a Cubs fan, I do believe the Pirates can catch them. The Pirates are very talented and anything can happen ‘when’ they make the post season. However, I do believe the Cardinals fall short. The Pirates use of their young, talented pitchers will be the difference.
I don’t see the Mets moving Granderson he’s a fan favorite and he’s a good leader