Top 20 Trade Candidates: August Edition
The non-waiver trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, and in the since last installment of MLBTR’s Top Trade Candidates, we’ve seen 20 of the players listed on the Top 50 list moved (including each of the top eight) as well as a few names that had originally just missed the cut (Hector Santiago, Joaquin Benoit) and a few that missed the list entirely (e.g. Brandon Guyer, Mike Montgomery, Scott Feldman). The end result drastically altered the top of the list.
- Derek Norris, C, Padres: The Padres still have Austin Hedges demolishing Triple-A El Paso, and with Christian Bethancourt also playing well this year, Norris doesn’t look like a future piece for the Friars. They could hope he rebuilds some value in August and look to move him this winter, but they were shopping him hard in late July and there’s no reason to think they won’t be motivated to move him in August whether he’s claimed or clears trade waivers.
- Adam Lind, 1B/DH, Mariners: Lind hasn’t hit in his lone season with Seattle, and the Mariners picked up another left-handed-hitting power bat for first base/DH in the form of Dan Vogelbach. GM Jerry Dipoto didn’t hesitate to move disappointing veterans (e.g. Benoit, Wade Miley, Joel Peralta), and the Mariners have Dae-ho Lee as insurance even if Vogelbach proves unready.
- Yasiel Puig, OF, Dodgers: We debated Puig’s placement on the list internally, but I left him with a high ranking not because I feel he’ll clear waivers, but rather because it’s easy to see a team like the Braves (who currently have pole position on the waiver wire) being genuinely motivated to get a deal worked out if they claim him. I can’t see many, if any teams passing on Puig, but in the off chance that he does clear waivers, he becomes even more likely to be dealt.
- Jim Johnson, RP, Braves: Johnson is cheap and has pitched well since returning from a DL stint on June 3 (1.69 ERA, 23-to-10 K/BB ratio, 55.6 percent ground-ball rate in 26 2/3 innings). The Braves explored deals for him prior to the non-waiver deadline, and a claiming team would probably give up a low-level prospect in order to add him to its bullpen for six or seven weeks (plus a potential postseason run).
- Danny Valencia, 3B/1B/OF, Athletics: Even after the trade of Josh Reddick, Valencia still isn’t getting regular playing time in Oakland. Ryon Healy is the top option at third base now, while Valencia jumps between both infield and outfield corner spots. He’s affordable, he’s mashing for the second straight year, and while he doesn’t have defensive value or a great clubhouse rep, Valencia’s bat makes him appealing to a number of teams.
- Kurt Suzuki, C, Twins: Interim GM Rob Antony told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he had some talks pertaining to Suzuki but nothing that compelled him to make a deal. Suzuki could easily be blocked if a team that doesn’t need a catcher claims him to stop him from reaching Cleveland (e.g. Seattle), but he can help a fringe contender if he gets there on waivers.
- Melky Cabrera, OF, White Sox: Cabrera isn’t challenging for any batting titles as he’s done in the past, but the switch-hitter is batting .297/.340/.455 with 20 homers dating back to June 1 of last season. He doesn’t provide any defensive value, but then again neither does Jay Bruce, who just netted the Reds a pair of nice prospects. Cabrera is priced the same in 2017 as Bruce ($13MM), and offers more OBP with less pop. He’s not as good of a hitter, but the difference between the two is a lot smaller than many realize when looking at the raw power numbers.
- Brian McCann, C, Yankees: McCann’s going to clear waivers by virtue of the $39.4MM left on his contract through 2018 (as of this writing), and at that point whether or not he’s moved will probably come down to how much money the Yankees are willing to eat to move him and clear a spot for Gary Sanchez to take the reins behind the plate.
- James Shields, SP, White Sox: Like McCann, Shields is all but a lock to clear waivers. He’s pitched well enough lately that the White Sox might not have to eat too much more of the $27MM he was owed upon their June acquisition of Shields. The peripherals on Shields are ugly, but a team in need of a back-of-the-rotation arm could consider him somewhat of a buy-low option if it believes that even his 2015 form can be rediscovered.
- Ervin Santana, SP, Twins: Minnesota doesn’t have an urge to move Santana — if they did, he’d be higher up on this list — and he’s pitched well enough that he could be claimed despite the $28MM he’s owed from 2017-18. Santana isn’t a steal, but he’s a fairly priced mid-rotation arm that could reportedly be obtained with a strong offer. Given the dearth of pitching on this year’s free agent class, a team could look to begin its offseason shopping this summer.
- Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies: I had Hellickson higher on this list originally, but if the Phillies didn’t find an offer to their liking in July, they’ll face a tougher time in finding a suitable offer in August. Hellickson is a lock to be claimed by an NL contender — likely the Pirates, Mets or Marlins — either to block him from other contenders or to try to work out a trade to help a beleaguered rotation. Perhaps a deal can be worked out in the allotted 47-hour window, but not trading Hellickson by the deadline suggests that the Phils are truly comfortable with the notion of a qualifying offer.
- Edinson Volquez, SP, Royals: Volquez has pitched poorly this summer and was absolutely shelled in his first post-deadline trade. If he rights the ship perhaps he’ll hold some appeal to other clubs, but he’s a pitcher with a reputation for inconsistency that is flirting with his third season of a 5.00 ERA or worse since 2011. That he’s owed $6.5MM through season’s end (including the buyout of a mutual option) doesn’t help his value.
- Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers: Braun’s contract will clear waivers. However, the Brewers want legitimate prospects in a trade, and any trading partner will almost certainly want some fairly significant financial relief. Whether GM David Stearns and another club can find that nexus in the next three weeks is the question. It didn’t happen in June or July and probably won’t in August, but the very fact that he’ll be available to any team after clearing waivers has landed him on the back half of this list.
- David Robertson, RP, White Sox: With another $28.5MM owed to him through 2018, Robertson is a near lock to clear waivers as well. He hasn’t pitched up to his standards this season, so it’s tough to see a club parting with premium talent based on his results from a dominant 2014 season — his last elite campaign.
- Ryan Madson, RP, Athletics: There’s $17.06MM remaining on Madson’s deal through 2018, and the peripherals here are ugly as well. He’s saved 22 games, but his deteriorating strikeout and walk rates and the complete disintegration of his ground-ball tendencies make even his fairly modest 3.74 ERA look like somewhat of a mirage.
- Brandon Kintzler, RP, Twins: He’s a useful reliever that isn’t earning anything substantial this year due to the fact that he signed a minor league pact in the offseason. Kintzler is controllable through 2017, and while he’s not as good as his 2.08 ERA would indicate, he’s allergic to walks and has an enormous 64.2 percent ground-ball rate. He’s not going to be viewed as a closer, but the money, ground-ball rate and control would make him an appealing middle-relief pickup for a claiming team.
- Jeanmar Gomez, RP, Phillies: The Phils apparently didn’t get an offer they liked in July and have hung onto Gomez despite a lackluster track record. He’s cheap enough and having a solid enough season that he’ll be claimed on the wire. He’s a similar case to that of Hellickson, though; if the Phillies didn’t get an offer they liked in the non-waiver period, will they get something more considerable when they can only negotiate with one team?
- Nick Markakis, OF, Braves: There’s still $24.3MM remaining on Markakis’ contract, and while he’s actually displayed some of the pop that had been missing from his bat over the past month, that’s too much for any team to claim him. He should clear and give the Braves will have an opportunity to discuss him with all 29 other teams.
- Daniel Hudson, RP, D-backs: The Diamondbacks said they weren’t interested in just giving Hudson away, and unless that’s changed since another brutal outing on Aug. 2, he’ll probably remain with the team. It’s tough to envision a club giving up anything of value for a reliever with an unthinkable 26 earned runs allowed in his past 9 2/3 innings, even if there’s plenty of upside to be had. (And there is with Hudson.)
- Zack Cozart, SS, Reds: It’s a stretch to list Cozart, as there’s no way he clears waivers, and the Reds aren’t actively seeking to move him. He’ll be claimed, and not necessarily by a contending club — Cozart is controllable through 2017 — so the only way he’ll be moved is if someone offers a legitimate package. If he had a chance at making it to the Mariners, who nearly acquired him on Monday, it would be likelier, but Cozart would have to clear every NL team and half of the AL as well — that’s an extreme long shot.
Injured
Jon Jay, OF, Padres: As a productive free-agent-to-be playing for a rebuilding Padres club that effectively posted an “Everything must go!” sign out in front of Petco Park in July, Jay would probably top the list if he were healthy. He’s slated to come back in mid to late August and should be dealt if he can prove his health even for a few games.
Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Twins: Plouffe is nearing a return and doesn’t necessarily have a place in Minnesota now that the Twins have halted the ill-conceived Miguel Sano-in-the-outfield experiment. He’s a free agent next season and has established himself as a solid defender at third with 20-homer pop. That hasn’t been the case this season, but he could clear waivers given his recent injury and 2016 struggles, at which point the Twins could get creative in finding a deal for him.
Peter Bourjos, OF, Phillies: Bourjos set the world on fire at the plate in the month of June, and even though it wasn’t sustainable, the hot streak brought his batting line up to an acceptable place. Combined with his speed, defensive reputation and $2MM salary, that should make him an appealing outfield option for a club in need of a bench piece once he’s off the DL.
Logan Morrison, 1B/DH, Rays: Morrison had one of the worst starts to a season I can recall any semi-regular player having, but he hit .271/.348/.462 with 10 homers in 234 PAs from May 16 through July 27, when he landed on the DL with a forearm strain. If he gets healthy, he’s at least a bench bat for a contending club, and the Rays have little reason to hold.
Also Considered
Yunel Escobar (Angels), Jorge De La Rosa, Boone Logan & Jake McGee (Rockies), Ian Kennedy (Royals), Shelby Miller (Diamondbacks), Matt Garza & Chris Carter (Brewers), Seth Smith (Mariners), David Freese, Matt Joyce & John Jaso (Pirates)
Nate Schierholtz Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
Free agent outfielder Nate Schierholtz has received an eighty-game suspension after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug, the league announced today. He’ll serve the suspension if and when he joins a new organization.
Schierholtz, 32, spent the early portion of the season at Triple-A with the Tigers but was release in late May. He carried only a .246/.280/.356 batting line over 125 plate appearances at the point of his release, and he hasn’t found another organization since.
An eight-year major league veteran, Schierholtz hasn’t seen the big leagues since 2014, when he spent most of the year with the Cubs before a brief stint with the Nationals. He also made a quick stop with the Phillies, who acquired him from the Giants midway through his sixth year in San Francisco.
Over 2,275 career MLB plate appearances, Schierholtz owns a .253/.302/.405 batting line with 52 home runs. He also spent the 2015 season playing in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp, an experience that he shared this spring with MLBTR’s Zach Links
Red Sox Claim Bryan Holaday From Rangers
The Red Sox have claimed catcher Bryan Holaday off outright waivers from the Rangers, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Texas designated Holaday for assignment on Monday in the wake of its acquisition of Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress from the Brewers.
Holaday, 28, was acquired by Texas from the Tigers late in Spring Training and saw significant action early in the season following an injury to backstop Robinson Chirinos. Holaday was quite productive in the month of May but hasn’t hit much outside of that stretch and has a collective .238/.290/.405 slash in 94 plate appearances with Texas this season. Prior to the 2016 campaign, he’d spent his entire career in the Tigers organization, shuffling back and forth between the Majors and minors while serving as a backup to Alex Avila. The presence of James McCann and Detroit’s offseason pickup of Jarrod Saltalamacchia left Holaday without a spot on the big league roster, however, and he’s out of minor league options, which left Detroit with no way to carry him in the Majors.
That he’s out of options means he’ll have to go directly onto the 25-man roster for Boston as well, as Holaday cannot be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. He’s a career .248/.285/.356 hitter with five homers in 376 plate appearances. Holaday has thrown out 30.2 of attempted base thieves over the past three seasons, though he rates as a well below-average framing catcher, per Baseball Prospectus.
AL Central Notes: Zimmermann, Fulmer, Sano
Tigers fans braced for bad news after right-hander Jordan Zimmermann exited his first start since returning from the DL due to a potential lat injury, but an MRI came back clean, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Detroit is optimistic that Zimmermann can avoid a return trip to the disabled list following the positive news, though yesterday’s six-run shellacking still comes with a fair amount of concern. Zimmermann now has a 7.30 ERA across his past 49 1/3 innings, which isn’t doing the Tigers any favors as they look to close a three-game gap for the division lead in the AL Central and a half-game deficit in the race for the second American League Wild Card slot.
A bit more from the division….
- Flying somewhat under the radar amid the considerable chatter surrounding Aaron Sanchez‘s innings total is the workload of AL Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Fulmer, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes. In the case of Fulmer, however, his uncanny efficiency — he’d rank 10th in the league in terms of fewest pitches per inning if he qualified — has the Tigers more focused on limiting his pitch counts on a start-to-start basis than taking a more general approach and monitoring his innings. A 25 to 30 percent increase in innings would cap Fulmer, who has thrown 119 1/3 innings between Triple-A and the Majors, at between 155 and 162 innings, but his low pitch counts could allow him to exceed that count in the event of a lengthy postseason run for Detroit.
- Demoting struggling slugger Miguel Sano is a “real option” for the Twins, writes Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Twins will get Trevor Plouffe back from the disabled list after this weekend series, and Sano’s recent woes in the field have been difficult to ignore. Of course, the Twins certainly compounded the issue by moving Sano to the outfield in the first place when it was clear even after last season that he had some work to do on his defense at third base, and asking him to move back to third midseason after not taking many reps there since last year has indeed yielded ugly results. Sano has made 12 errors in 27 games at third base this year. “He’s trying to make the changes that he needs to make to where he can walk out of here every day saying he did what he could do that day to become a better player,” said manager Paul Molitor. “It doesn’t happen every day, I’m sure.”
Blue Jays Going To Six-Man Rotation; Aaron Sanchez To Continue Starting
After months of debate surrounding emerging Blue Jays ace Aaron Sanchez, the team has made the decision to deploy a six-man rotation featuring Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey and newly acquired Francisco Liriano, per Toronto GM Ross Atkins (via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi).
As Davidi points out, the solution isn’t perfect, as even with a six-man structure, Sanchez figures to make another eight starts or so, which would push him to 180 innings even if he tossed only five innings per outing. That wouldn’t factor in the postseason, either, and an ideal scenario for Toronto would include Sanchez starting well into a deep postseason run. It’s a similar conundrum that the Mets faced with Matt Harvey last season, though Sanchez isn’t coming back from Tommy John. Rather, he’s simply looking at a massive increase in his workload after throwing a total of 133 1/3 innings in 2014 (a career high) and an even smaller total of 102 innings in 2015. President of baseball operations Mark Shapiro recently told the media that there’s “no scenario” in which Sanchez would be allowed to pitch 220 to 230 innings, and indeed Atkins said that the team plans on avoiding such an extreme spike in his innings.
Atkins suggested to reporters that in addition to the six-man rotation, the Jays will be able to leverage expanded rosters in September in order to perhaps further limit Sanchez’s innings in advance of what the Jays hope will be a deep playoff run. He also implied that Sanchez’s ability to continue bouncing back from starts will impact the plan for the remainder of the season, stressing the importance of remaining “fluid and flexible” in this type of situation. “We have all the math, of course,” said Atkins in reference to various innings projections for Sanchez. “Like I said, we’ll get into an area, hopefully we get into that area. He feels good, he’s recovering well, we’re not seeing fatigue in any way and (if) we get into an area that’s unprecedented, we’re hopeful that happens.” Davidi goes on to report that the Blue Jays have been extensively studying dramatic innings increases from years prior, specifically examining Noah Syndergaard and Jon Lester, among others.
Of course, keeping both Sanchez and Liriano in the rotation comes with other roster construction implications. With six starters on board, the Blue Jays will have to either utilize a three-man bench or a six-man bullpen between now and Sept. 1, when rosters expand. The former of those two options is the current alignment, as can be seen on the Blue Jays’ depth chart, leaving the club with a bench consisting of light-hitting Josh Thole, defensive specialist Darwin Barney and a resurgent Melvin Upton Jr. With Troy Tulowitzki attempting to play through a chip fracture in his thumb and Jose Bautista fresh off the DL due to a foot injury, the possibility exists that the Blue Jays could be stretched thin on the position-player front, though rookie right-hander Danny Barnes could be optioned back to Buffalo should the need for an additional bench player arise.
In 139 1/3 innings this season, the 24-year-old Sanchez has pitched to an American-League-leading 2.71 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 57.5 percent ground-ball rate that trails only his own teammate, Stroman, among qualified Major League starters this season.
Mark Teixeira To Retire After 2016 Season
The Yankees announced a 3pm press conference with first baseman Mark Teixeira today, and while they didn’t list a reason for the call in their press release, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (via Twitter) that Teixeira is expected to announce his retirement, effective at the end of the current season.
Teixeira, 36, expressed an interest in playing long beyond the current season earlier this year but has battled through torn cartilage in his right knee and some minor neck and foot issues this year while struggling at the plate. The switch-hitting slugger is in the final season of a huge eight-year, $180MM contract and is batting .198/.287/.340 with 10 homers on the season. Of course, one only needs to look at the 2015 campaign to find the most recent season in which Teixeira was not just an above-average performer but one of the more impressive sluggers in all the league. Tex swatted 31 home runs in 2015 and slashed a hefty .255/.357/.548 on the year, which translated to an adjusted OPS that was 46 percent better than the league-average hitter. While he hasn’t played up to his standards this season, Teixeira did crack his 400th career home run this year — becoming just the 55th player to ever reach that lofty total.
The 2016 season, it seems, will be the final chapter in what has been one of the most productive careers since the turn of the century. Teixeira was the fifth overall pick out of Georgia Tech back in 2001 and spent just one season in the minors before debuting with the Rangers in 2003 and never looking back. He’d finish fifth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting that season and go on to win five Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards in a 14-year Major League career. Somewhat surprisingly, Teixeira has only been an All-Star on three occasions, but his track record of dominance at the plate suggests that he probably should’ve participated in the Midsummer Classic on a few more occasions.
From 2004-11, Texiera was one of the more feared hitters in the league, batting .284/.377/.537 with per-season averages of 36 home runs, 37 doubles and 117 RBIs. His bat was 36 percent above the league average over that eight-year stretch, per OPS+, and his career totals to date (.269/.361/.511, 404 homers, 400 doubles) are similarly impressive. Teixeira was a major factor in the Yankees’ 2009 World Series victory in his first season in the Bronx, and he was also the subject of one of the largest trades in the past decade, going from Texas to Atlanta in exchange for Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones. To this point, Teixeira has been worth 52 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference, and 45 WAR in the estimation of Fangraphs. He’ll wrap up a brilliant career with just over $213MM in total earnings.
MLBTR wishes Teixeira the best in what will be the final months of an illustrious career and continued happiness and success in his post-playing days.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Angels, Valencia, Padres, Jones
The Angels have removed amateur scouting director Ric Wilson from his post, ESPN.com’s Keith Law tweets, though he may stay with the organization in another role. GM Billy Eppler tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times that the team hopes Wilson will stick around. He has been with the organization for quite some time, assuming his most recent position in 2011. Though the draft results since that time haven’t been terribly well-regarded, as DiGiovanna notes, the Halos have generally not provided him with advantageous draft positions from which to work and have traded away several of the more promising prospects brought in under Wilson.
Here’s more from out west to round out the evening:
- Even with Josh Reddick out of the picture, the Athletics continue to use Danny Valencia somewhat sporadically, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Manager Bob Melvin says the reason is that the organization needs to look to “see what our future is.” While Valencia isn’t a long-term piece, he is controllable for another season and has been highly productive at the plate. It was somewhat surprising he wasn’t dealt at the deadline, but he could be moved in August or over the winter as well.
- Though he has received quite a lot of criticism (and before that, praise) since taking over as the Padres‘ general manager, A.J. Preller has overseen a swift rebuilding of the team’s farm of late, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. The work has been accomplished through a variety of methods, as Cassavell explains in a long look at the club’s action since the start of 2016. Preller says that the initial investment in veteran assets when he took the helm occurred due to an “opportunity in the short term to try to take a chance to put a competitive team on the field.” But there was also a back-up plan, he suggests: “There was also understanding at the time that we were going to acquire assets that potentially could be valuable to other teams. … As a baseball group, you’re always talking about: ‘Here’s the best possible scenario, but also here’s other scenarios.'”
- The Rangers have moved James Jones from the outfield to the mound, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. A hurler in college, the 27-year-old (who is a southpaw) has reached the majors as a position player and has had success at the plate in the upper minors. He struggled to a .232/.297/.330 batting line this year at Triple-A after being acquired (and then outrighted and re-signed) over the winter by Texas.
Reds Outright J.J. Hoover
The Reds announced on Thursday that right-hander J.J. Hoover has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. That represents a disappointing end to his work this year in Cincinnati, though a late-year return remains possible.
Entering the year, Hoover was positioned as the Reds’ closer after winning his arbitration hearing in his first year of eligibility. That didn’t last long, though, as he blew his first save opportunity and only ended up converting one on the season.
Hoover ended up being optioned in early May after posting disastrous results in the early going. He showed better immediately upon his return, but coughed up five earned runs in consecutive outings before going out on optional assignment once again. A significant decline in average fastball velocity certainly hasn’t helped. Hoover sits with a 13.50 ERA over 18 2/3 frames at the major league level in 2016, with opponents hitting a ridiculous .345/.433/.750 against him.
Ultimately, Cincinnati decided it couldn’t dedicate a 40-man roster spot to the veteran and decided on today’s outright. As things stand, he looks to be a non-tender candidate in the fall. That being said, Hoover ought to receive attention as a bounce-back candidate. Entering the year, he owned a 3.34 ERA over 223 2/3 major league innings with 9.1 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9, and he has been better this season when pitching at the Triple-A level.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/4/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Angels outfielder Daniel Nava has been assigned to Triple-A after clearing waivers, the Halos announced. He hasn’t panned out as hoped since signing a $1.375MM deal over the winter, and it doesn’t appear as if the club will end up tendering him a contract this fall. Nava owns a .235/.309/.303 slash over 136 plate appearances on the year, and he is now two seasons removed from the solid offensive numbers he put up with the Red Sox. Still, the 33-year-old’s high-on-base approach would hold plenty of appeal if he can get back on track.
- The Indians have inked lefty Colt Hynes to a minor league pact, according to the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes (via Twitter). Hynes, 31, will head to Triple-A Columbus. The southpaw reliever has spent the last two years with the Blue Jays organization, briefly appearing in the majors last year. He has carried a sub-3.50 ERA at Triple-A each year, and was especially impressive this season. Over his 37 frames, Hynes retired 10.5 batters per nine via the strikeout while issuing only 1.7 BB/9.
Phillies To Promote Jake Thompson
As had been widely expected, the Phillies will promote righty Jake Thompson to the big leagues for the first time, per Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice (Twitter link). He’ll make his debut start on Saturday.
The move is partially tied to Philly’s placement of fellow young righty Aaron Nola on the 15-day DL, which opened a rotation spot. But the real driver is Thompson’s performance. Over his 129 2/3 innings on the year in his first attempt at Triple-A, Thompson carries a 2.50 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.
While that strikeout rate isn’t all that compelling, Philadelphia obviously felt it was time to give him a shot at the game’s highest level. The Phils are quickly building a formidable young rotation, and the organization surely hopes not only to give Thompson his first taste of the majors, but also to get a sense of how ready he will be to shoulder a full starter’s load in 2017.
In years past, Thompson has seen his name in headlines this time of year for rather a different reason. After being shipped from the Tigers to the Rangers in 2014’s Joakim Soria deal, Thompson went to the Phils last summer as a piece of the Cole Hamels package. Thompson will again be looking for a new place to stay this August, but this time it’ll be with the same organization.
A second-round pick in the 2012 draft, Thompson has rated as a leaguewide, top-100 prospect entering each of the last two seasons. There are varying ways to characterize his potential, with some giving him a shot at harnessing his four-pitch mix to become a top-of-the-rotation presence and others viewing him more as a durable, solid piece who has a somewhat limited ceiling.
The Phillies will soon begin to get an idea of just what they have in Thompson, who was arguably the key piece in the Hamels swap. Philadelphia’s big league roster already features three very promising young hurlers in Nola, Jerad Eickhoff, and Vincent Velasquez, and Thompson will be bidding to take up a similar place in a new-look staff.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images