Some trade chatter from around baseball…
- The Mariners talked with the Rays about a trade for Drew Smyly at the Winter Meetings, the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reports. The M’s were known to be talking to the Rays about their pitching this winter, with Smyly mentioned as a better potential fit since the Mariners probably don’t have the prospect depth to land Chris Archer or Jake Odorizzi. Smyly posted solid but only decent numbers over 175 1/3 innings for Tampa last season, and with a projected $6.9MM arbitration figure, he has been often mentioned as a possible trade candidate for the payroll-conscious Rays.
- The Blue Jays reportedly turned down the Rockies’ ask of Marcus Stroman as part of a deal for Charlie Blackmon earlier this winter, and that seems to have ended the Jays’ chance of landing the outfielder, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. “Talks quickly died” between the two clubs once Stroman wasn’t made available, and Chisholm doesn’t think Toronto has enough other trade chips to get Colorado’s interest.
- There is always a premium on trading for pitching, though evaluators tell ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (subscription required) that the prospect haul the White Sox received from the Red Sox for Chris Sale has driven the price of available arms through the roof. “It’s crazy. It’s like everyone is trying to replicate their version of the [Sale] trade,” one executive said. As Olney notes, teams with pitching to spare like the Rays, Diamondbacks or the White Sox again (with Jose Quintana) lose nothing by making high demands now, since they could always shop their starters at the July trade deadline or next winter.
- The Athletics are thought to have “at least gauged trade interest for” Jed Lowrie, CSNBayArea.com’s Joe Stiglich writes. A deal could be difficult due to the foot surgery that prematurely ended Lowrie’s 2016 season last August, not to mention Lowrie’s long injury history in general and his middling numbers in recent seasons. Salary could also be a consideration, as Lowrie is guaranteed $6.5MM in 2017, and he has a $6MM club option (with a $1MM buyout) on his services for 2018. Dealing Lowrie would create even more uncertainty for the A’s at second base, a position Billy Beane already admits is “a concern” in the short term. Joey Wendle and Chad Pinder could be options at second if Lowrie is dealt or not healthy, while top shortstop prospect Franklin Barreto could also potentially switch to the keystone down the road.
The Pirates should try for Smyly. He wouldn’t cost their top prospects like Archer or Quintana would.
Would still cost a lot though. Rays aren’t in the habit of letting cheapish, good SP’s with two years of control go for nothing.
He will be way cheaper than Archer or Quintana. Would be a better move for the Bucs to make.
Yeah for any team Smyle seems to be way more affordable, Archer is stuck in himself anyway
Why does the media think Blackmon was even possible. A guy like cargo makes way more sense. Jays need a couple corner outfielders not a centre fielder
The Rockies are loose cannons. I’d probably just not deal with them until i could reach some common ground with them.
Its not ridiculous for the Rockies to base a package around Blackmon for a frontline starter. They should be hunting Quintana and Archer….an ace is a game changer for them. That offense is very threatening at this point.
Yeah but guys, outfielders are not what is getting it done for pitching prospects and still like Quintana way over Archer
Im not saying Blackmon gets it done alone…the Rockies have a nice system
Pitching prospects are actually dealt over outfield prospects because they have such a crazy attrition rate. Proven starters are valuable because they’ve managed to fend of at least some of that attrition.
Isn’t that how ALL trades work? Teams don’t deal until they reach common ground.
I’ve always thought that the Braves should trade for Smyly. Then go all out for Wieters
I hope they don’t go all out for Weiters. It just doesn’t make sense. At this point in his career, he just is not much more valuable then the tandem of catchers the Braves have already
Why should they target a young player with limited years of control they’re not contending this next year
Will see what happen wt the trade for Sale!! Hes a prouven pitcher!! Prospects are prospects nothing sure!! Remember Milesbrook Myers from Tampa and even Buchosl
dude, Christmas got u that drunk? I cringed reading that.
Maybe he’s just high on life, the universe, and being a Red Sox fan?
Loll
Do you remember Millie/Xander/JBJ? They were prospects not too long ago.
Mookie*, stupid phone.
I remember every player that’s in the MLB were once prospects too. Fascinating
You know who else was a prospect? Chris Sale. And…..every player who has entered MLB as an amateur. The whole “prospects are unproven” line is so tired. If they were proven commodities, they wouldn’t be traded.
I’m curious to know what a Mariners package for Smyly would look like. I like the M’s top 3 prospects, but feel like their system really falls off after that.
Blackmon for Stroman? That’s an awful deal for Toronto, therefore I can’t believe Shapiro/Atkins said no.
Would love to trade Jed Lowrie for even a middle reliever. Guy is not good, period. Signing him was a huge mistake
The A’s would get rid of him for nothing if they could. Probably will need to eat some of the money to dump Lowrie.
Am I the only one that didn’t think the Sale trade was THAT huge of a haul for the White Sox? Don’t get me wrong, I think they made a nice deal, but I don’t think they fleeced Boston by any means… The way that “one executive” makes it sound, everyone apparently thinks this is Shelby Miller 2.0… Maybe I’m just reading it incorrectly, but I don’t really think the Sale trade did anything to drive up prices on lesser players…
(and this is coming from a White Sox fan)
I agree we got one very good Prospect another pretty good Prospect and a couple of question marks definitely a solid haul but not game changing if they had gotten moncada & benintendi that would be game changing
It was a haul in the fact that it was probably one of the highest price(prospect wise) for 1 player but sale has a ton of value going forward so it’s not a Shelby deal by any means where the imbalance is so obvious.
It was a huge haul, but it was a fair value haul. They certainly didn’t “fleece” the Red Sox, but they got top value for their most valuable asset.
It was a rare case of a deal that involved a proven elite Major League talent for elite prospects. Prospects aren’t ever a guarantee, but I firmly believe that in Moncada’s case that his peak will have him as at least a top 30 position player in MLB. Best case he’s in the conversation of best position player in baseball “Non Mike Trout Division”.
Would like to see the Mariners get Alex Cobb.
@redsox fan for life..forget about baseball for awhile and learn english
Lowrie and $500k for Benintendi seems like a good deal go make it happen Billy.
Also making it tough to trade Lowrie is the fact that he sucks
Lowrie had a down year but was injured. How about Lowrie Smolinski and Alcantara for Puig and Kazmir? Lowire can hit LHP when not hurt. Play 1B 3B and some 2B. Smolinski owns LHP and plays all three outfield spots. Alcantara could be 5th starter or long man. Dodgers get to dump some payroll so they reset their cap likely a year from now.
Puig isn’t really very expensive and Kazmir and Lowrie have zero trade value at this point. Last thing the Fodgers need to trade for is a fifth starter or platoon outfielder.