It’s time to bring back our trade-deadline power rankings, drawing from our power ranking approach to pending free agents. As the summer trade market develops, you can expect more regular updates when modifications to the list are warranted.
As with last year, the approach is pretty straightforward. We’re looking at both trade value and trade likelihood in compiling the list. In terms of value, it starts with overall on-field value — with a premium on an ability to make an impact in the current season — with an adjustment for contract and market factors. As for the probability of a swap, the focus is on potential selling teams’ motivation to deal, with contract status, near and long-term roster fit, and overall competitiveness all weighing heavily. Some teams simply aren’t in a position at present where it makes sense to include their top potential trade chips, but that will evolve over the coming weeks.
You’ll note that the list includes quite a few relievers and short-term veterans. That’s because teams often find a need to add complementary pieces at the deadline, with selling clubs more willing to cash in on that type of asset. You’ll also notice an absence of players from some teams that aren’t in good shape in the standings. But that’s because I have utilized my discretion to hold off on considering players from a few teams that could fall back despite a quick start (e.g., the Twins) or that seem to have reasonable hopes of making a surge back toward contention (e.g., the Blue Jays, Mariners, Giants, Mets).
It’s subjective; it’s debatable; it’s all sure to change over the coming months. And that’s what makes it fun. Here’s the first list, with some additional names and teams to keep an eye on appended at the end:
1. David Robertson, RP, White Sox: The deadline is typically a good time to move closers, and Robertson looks more likely to be as readily available as any. He has also rebounded somewhat from a down 2016 season thus far, though his walk rate is still up a bit. His contract isn’t cheap, but in the context of soaring relief salaries perhaps it’s also not as much of a burden as it seemed over the winter given the turnaround.
2. Lorenzo Cain, OF, Royals: Unless K.C. can author another great run, there’ll be plenty of players available. Perhaps none will be more sought after than Cain, who could be the best rental outfielder dangled. He’s reaching base at a prodigious clip with outstanding plate discipline thus far, though his value would be boosted if he can rediscover some lost power.
3. Zack Cozart, SS, Reds: Few players have boosted their free-agent and trade stock to the extent Cozart has thus far. His suddenly excellent walk rate has combined with his typically good power to make him one of the game’s better-performing hitters through the first six weeks of the season. Given his status as a premium defender up the middle, Cozart could draw plenty of interest as a rental. The only limitation may be the lack of a clear market, though if he keeps this up perhaps a contender will bump another player off of shortstop to make room for Cozart.
4. Yonder Alonso, 1B, Athletics: His stock is rising quickly with a newfound power stroke. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s on a cheap contract that runs out after the season, making him a fairly easy and obvious trade piece if the A’s remain buried in the AL West. Demand is still an open question, but it stands to reason that a few organizations will be looking for a slugger; if J.D. Martinez isn’t ultimately marketed, Alonso could be the top available source of offensive production.
5. Jose Quintana, SP, White Sox: It’s still not certain whether the White Sox will move Quintana, but he’ll undeniably be available. The question here is whether he can tamp down a rising walk rate and get back to his steady productivity. That would go a long way toward drawing sufficient trade offers to get Chicago to bite on moving its best-remaining veteran asset.
6. Kelvin Herrera, RP, Royals: There’s an argument that Herrera could be the top relief arm available, but there are some caveats. Kansas City may elect to hold onto him even if the team is buried, given that he has another year of control. And the 27-year-old has seen a strikeout dip early on, though his swinging-strike rate and velocity remain at typically excellent levels.
7. Tony Watson, RP, Pirates: Though his results this year are outpacing his peripherals, Watson is well-established as a high-end relief arm and is set to enter free agency after the year. While he’s closing for the Pirates, it’s not immediately clear whether he’ll be targeted in that role by contenders. Either way, barring a turnaround from the Bucs, he seems quite likely to be a top trade piece this summer.
8. Pat Neshek, RP, Phillies: With free agency beckoning, the veteran reliever is probably the Phils’ clearest trade piece. He has been excellent thus far, even showing improved performance against left-handed hitting, and could be a very valuable addition for a lot of organizations.
9. Brad Hand, RP, Padres: If Watson can’t hold the line, it could well be that Hand is the top shutdown lefty on the market. He’s running at more than 11 strikeouts per nine yet again — this time with a whopping 15% whiff rate — and currently owns a 1.88 ERA through 24 frames. San Diego doesn’t have to make a deal, since Hand is cheap and comes with two more years of control, but odds are the rebuilding club will see this as an opportune moment to cash in.
10. Jason Vargas, SP, Royals: No, we shouldn’t expect Vargas to keep pitching like an ace. But he is showing a big jump in swinging strikes and doesn’t need to be an elite hurler to be an appealing trade candidate. The typically steady veteran will be a free agent at year’s end and would help patch up many rotations for the home stretch.
11. A.J. Ramos, RP, Marlins: Though he has been effectively wild thus far, there are some worrying signs. Ramos is getting whiffs just 10.8% of the time, the lowest rate of his career, even as his walk rate has ballooned to 5.5 per nine. Still, he’ll have value with an established track record of sub-3.00 ERA pitching in spite of the control problems. He also has an added year of arb control.
12. Joakim Soria, RP, Royals: The 33-year-old is getting a ton of swings and misses (14.5%, best in his career) with the results to match. But he is also continuing his late-career walk rate inflation and has benefited thus far from an absence of dingers. Plus, he isn’t cheap, with a $9MM salary this year and another $11MM due for 2018 (plus an option buyout).
13. Ryan Madson, RP, Athletics: With 8.8 K/9 against just 1.7 BB/9, Madson’s 2.20 ERA through 16 1/3 innings is deserved. And the velocity, health, and whiff rates are all looking good. Like Soria, that’s a nice bounceback from a rough first season under a new contract. Also like Soria, there’s still a fair bit of cash left to go for 2018 ($7.5MM) — and Madson is closing in on 37 years of age.
14. Marcell Ozuna, OF, Marlins: It’s anyone’s guess whether the Fish would pull the trigger on a deal this significant with the team weighing a sale, but Ozuna looks to be the top possible trade chip on a club that is in need of some fresh talent. Ozuna is reaching new heights — .302/.379/.564 with 11 home runs and an 11.2% walk rate through 169 plate appearances — at 26 years of age. While he would also be an obvious extension candidate, the Marlins have already reportedly tried and failed. With two more years of arb control left, now may be the time to move him — and the return could be substantial.
15. Mike Moustakas (3B) & Eric Hosmer (1B), Royals: Both have had their ups and downs early, but would likely represent solid regulars for contenders that need to plug holes. The demand side likely won’t be as robust as in the case of Cain, who could fit on plenty of different teams.
17. Anthony Swarzak, RP, White Sox: Chicago caught lightning in a bottle with the breakout 31-year-old righty, who’ll be back on the market next winter. If he can maintain anything approaching his current form — 1.37 ERA on 10.1 K/9 and 0.9 BB/9 with a league-leading 19.8% swinging-strike rate — as the deadline draws near, he’ll be quite a nice deadline asset.
18. Jed Lowrie, INF, Athletics: The veteran is back on the upswing as he prepares to hit the open market. Injuries and performance issues have limited his value since Lowrie last turned in this kind of effort, but he has done it before. Currently, he’s hitting .268/.345/.436 with five dingers and a 10.1% walk rate through 168 plate appearances.
19. Todd Frazier (3B) & Melky Cabrera (OF/DH), White Sox: Neither veteran is hitting much early on, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t still likely trade pieces. While the Sox will likely need to eat some salary even if both bounce back, they seem quite likely to end up playing elsewhere for the second half of the season given that both will hit the open market after the year.
21. Ian Kennedy, SP, Royals: The big question here is how teams will view Kennedy’s contract. He has been as solid as could have been hoped when he signed before the 2016 season, but it’s a backloaded deal and Kennedy is already 32 years old. Whether or not he’s dealt, he’ll enter the winter with a three-year, $49MM player option (or, instead, a $6MM buyout). While that could be a palatable price tag, potential shoppers will need to consider the uncertainty in weighing an offer.
22. Alex Cobb, SP, Rays: We’ve heard that Tampa Bay is already putting out feelers on Cobb, and the team’s rotation depth would allow it to swing a deal for the pending free agent while still maintaining some hope for a Wild Card. The 29-year-old is performing well after returning late last year from Tommy John surgery, but he hasn’t really shown signs yet of fully returning to his pre-injury form. Since the team is still in the pack, he’s the only player from the Rays roster I’m putting on the list at this time.
23. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies: There’s real concern in Hellickson’s plummeting strikeout tallies, given that he’s also sporting a career-low 7.4% swinging-strike rate while showing a slight velocity decline. And he’s hardly cheap. Still, it stands to reason that the Phillies will look to cash him in this year after holding off on doing so in 2016. (*NOTE: Hellickson left tonight’s game with what appeared to be an injury to his side.)
24. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates: This’ll be a story until a deal comes together. While the Bucs will be hesitant to sell low on the currently scuffling veteran, the team is also on track to be in a clear selling stance this summer.
25. Sonny Gray, SP, Athletics: In a somewhat analogous situation, Oakland is surely wondering when the time will be right to make a move involving Gray. He is delivering a 9.9% swinging-strike rate that’s actually over any single-season mark for his career, but the strikeouts (6.8 per nine) and results (3.97 ERA) haven’t caught up to his 2014-15 levels.
26. David Freese, 3B, Pirates: Now 34 years old, Freese is slashing a robust .271/.373/.443 with three home runs and a career-best 13.3% walk rate. Plus, his strikeout rate has trended down to 16.9%. His two-year, $11MM deal looks like a bargain, though that could motivate the Pirates to hold onto him given the ongoing uncertainty with Jung Ho Kang.
27. Matt Kemp & Nick Markakis, OF, Braves: It’s not quite clear whether Atlanta will end up looking to move these moderately priced veterans, but both are swinging the bat well and could be useful pieces in the right situation.
29. Derek Holland, SP, White Sox: Though Holland has put up excellent results, he is posting typical peripherals that peg him as a back-of-the-rotation arm. The same holds true of rotation-mate Miguel Gonzalez. Both could plug gaps for contenders who need depth.
30. Drew Storen, RP, Reds: Storen’s peripherals are largely in line with what he posted last year, and the velocity has dropped further, but he’s carrying a 1.93 ERA through 18 2/3 frames while relying more heavily on his offspeed offerings. So far, he has tamped down on the gopher balls and is also getting grounders at a career-best 60.8% rate. He’ll need to show that he can sustain this level of success for a while longer before moving up the list, though.
Injured: Nate Jones (White Sox), John Axford & Sean Doolittle (Athletics), Trevor Cahill (Padres)
Also Considered:
Rays: Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Alex Colome, Erasmo Ramirez, Danny Farquhar
White Sox: Miguel Gonzalez, Tommy Kahnle, Jose Abreu
Royals: Alcides Escobar, Brandon Moss, Jason Hammel, Mike Minor
Athletics: Stephen Vogt, Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce, Santiago Casilla
Braves: Kurt Suzuki, Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino, Jaime Garcia, R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon, Julio Teheran
Phillies: Freddy Galvis, Cesar Hernandez, Michael Saunders, Daniel Nava, Joaquin Benoit
Marlins: David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough, Edinson Volquez
Pirates: Josh Harrison, Ivan Nova, Gerrit Cole, Juan Nicasio, Wade LeBlanc
Padres: Yangervis Solarte, Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin, Ryan Buchter, Brandon Maurer
Nice piece Jeff, always fun.
I second that, Jeffery!
Third here, Geoffrey, masterful.
Surprised there’s no jays on this list jeffy
Addressed it in the intro. They might make it into future lists.
interesting to see if the big guys with multiple years of control get moved. should be a good deadline even with just the relievers and rentals
I would really like to see the O’s go after Cozart. He would be a huge upgrade over Hardy both offensively and defensively. It would also be nice if they could get a solid starter like Gray or even a good 4 or 5 guy like Hellickson.
I don’t think Baltimore has enough minor league talent to land a guy like Gray. Hellickson is definitely a possibility though. Anything above a #3 starter teams are going to be asking for Cisco .
That’s what I’m thinking but they have some very good young catchers so if trading Sisco helps land them a solid top of the rotation starter they need to go for it, especially if it would be Gray since he is controllable for a few more years.
baltimore barely has a farm to trade for a depth piece. no way they get Gray or any top FA unless a 3rd team is involved and BAL gives up some ML talent.
If the Brewers can stay in the race then Brad Hand would be a nice addition to their bullpen which is right handed heavy, Knebel, Feliz, Barnes, Torres and Peralta could benefit from having a pretty filthy left handed added to that mix, who also comes with control for a young up and coming team.
They have a deep farm they have developed so gambling a few of those chips for Hand wouldn’t be a bad idea. Kind of like the Miller deal in Clevelands perspective last year where you give up value to get him but you also get him for more than just the playoff run in the current year.
While the Brewers success this year has been nice, Stearns is not going to abandon the long term rebuild plan which is still 1-2 years off. If they can get a reliever for spare parts, great, but don’t expect Milwaukee to trade off any of their key young pieces.
This.
But where is budding all-star Matt Garza on the list of those available? And if things go south, Corey Knebel could bring a boatload.
Does Corey bring in more than Tyler Thornburg?
Why didn’t JD Martinez make your list?
because all the teams mentioned above are all rebuilding and are most likely to trade away talent, the tigers aren’t, so probably won’t trade away JD Martinez
However, the Tigers likely aren’t going to resign JD, so why not get something in return? If they don’t trade him, of course they can offer him a QO.
Addressed it in the intro (w/r/t teams not being considered, though I didn’t specify the Tigers) and noted him in the Alonso bullet. If they fall back he’ll be on the list in the future.
There’s something blocking the intro and the David Robertson part of the write-up.
I’ll still think the M’s will be selling if they are hovering around .500 at the deadline.
The problem they have is, they really have 3 players that most teams would really be interested in that is Seager, Paxon and Jean Segura. And with Dipsnot trade history, he will basically lose those trades. By giving them away. Now if King Felix wasn’t always hurt, he would have brought back a couple of really good prospects. But this is two years in a row he is battaling injuries.
How are the Mets not mentioned in this?? Bruce, Walker, Cabrera, Reed, Granderson to name a few trade candidates
Addressed it in the intro. They might make it into future lists.
Because nobody wants those guys!
List G. Stanton as #1. He is sick of losing and wants to play for a winner. Bring in multiple high end prospects to be more appealing for a buyer.
Now that won’t happen. Nobody wants his contract even if he’s hitting 50 home runs a year as he seems to have an injury issue. The only way he gets traded is if Miami eats a lot of that contract or if the team doesn’t have to give up any top prospects.
I’d imagine Miami has to take on a lot of the contract regardless if they want to make a deal for him. 2018 is the start of his contract where it gets insanely high at around the ~30MM/yr mark.
As expected, a lot of White Sox on this list. It might have been easier to just write that every player on their current 25-man active roster is available with the exception of SS Tim Anderson. lol
Well, thankfully, Quintana seems like he’s starting to get back on track after his slow start. He pitched a gem tonight.
I think Quintana is gonna be going to the yankees or Astros, maybe the cubs as a surprise team
Works for me. All 3 of them have prospects I’d be happy to add to the organization.
But the bad part is, the yankees won’t trade any of their young prospects they got last year
Then they most likely won’t be adding any long-term impact players this year. They’ll have to look into the rental market if that’s the case IMO. Though I am really high on Rutherford, I don’t see him being enough of a headliner for Hahn to move Quintana.
Nope , I think Hahn would be asking for more then Rutherford, My guess Frazier or Judge plus a couple other prospects
He’s not worth Judge plus!
why? because Judge has a hot 2 months? Quintana is young, proven, and under team control.
Rutherford could easily be a headliner for Quintana, IMO. He had an excellent debut last year, and he’s doing more than enough at Charleston this season. He’s a guy who could easily be a plus hitter with plus power (and solid discipline) with three other tools grading at least average. He easily has the potential to be a Top 10 prospect in another year or two.
And considering how deep the Yanks farm system is behind him (Mateo, Kaprielian, Sheffield, Adams, Fowler, Andujar, Acevedo, Abreu, Florial, etc.), they could easily put together a package for Quintana without touching Torres, Frazier, Sanchez, Judge, or Severino (if they wanted to).
You’re either severely underrating Quintana or severely underrating what it’ll take for the Sox to trade him if you think that Rutherford could “easily” be a headliner.
Sanchez and Judge obviously aren’t going anywhere at this point – it’d be pointless to add Quintana this year by subtracting from the major league roster… I absolutely think that at least one of Torres/Frazier would have to be on the table to get the Sox to pull the trigger. The only way I could possibly see it getting done without either of them or anyone off the big league roster is if the Yankees want to part with a handful of the other guys you listed. And when I say a handful, I mean a solid 5+ of them (which won’t happen).
Rockies also a good candidate to deal Quintana with their hitting prospects and strong start.
Is there a blank space covering up the top right side of the article for anyone else?
Yes
Yep.
this deadline could be a real big one if the tigers start to sell and join likely sellers like kc and white sox
The Royals could replenish their farm in fairly short order this summer with the right matches, especially if guys like Vargas etc continue to build or at least keep their stock at a decent level. I’m not saying we’ll be seeing their farm in top 5 discussions by seasons end, just that there are many possibilities out there for them. Oh, and great article Jeff!
Good article, but I’m pretty sure the Jay’s will be sellers by the end of July. Add Josh Donaldson and Marco Estrada to the top 10 list.
This’ll be updated, so if it keeps trending that way I’ll include them.
I really really hope Atlanta doesn’t dump Markakis or Kemp off.
I can’t imagine what a rebuilding team would need Markakis for. Kemp has been better offensively since joining the Braves but he’s old and doesn’t add any value on the basepaths or on defense.
What would we replace them with, Bonifacio?
Kemp will be fine, I think, I don’t see him being traded with 2 years of his deal left. Markakis is the one though, since his deal is over next year, and he has shown his value so far this season.
And you’re right, we don’t need them this season. But, this “rebuild” we’re going through (Seems like we’ve been in one for 10 years), could be cut short and 2018 could be exciting if pitching was brought in/up. Inciarte, Freeman, Kemp, Markakis, and Swanson (if he can get it together), can make a pretty interesting line up. And if our rotation/bullpen wasn’t so god awful, that line up could actually take us somewhere. But, it might not make any difference at all if Markakis and Kemp are here, I can wish for 2018 all I want, but 19 and 20 make more sense, and their contracts would be up by then. I’d just like to use their talents while we have the chance.
“Who would we replace them with?”
Anyone. Kemp’s defense is so bad that he is basically replacement level. That means you could bring up your best outfielder from AAA and he would contribute just as much.
What outfielder in the Braves system could contribute .350/.379 w/ 7 homers and 24 RBI’s through the first 2 months? If we have s guy like that we should bring him up and find s spot for him. Some of you act like Kemp is Adam Dunn out there. He’s not that bad in left, keeps the ball in front of him and makes all the routine plays. He’s fine.
Kemps defense is nowhere near the black hole the Cubs currently deploy in left!
Black holes tend to catch everything… SCIENCE!!
Meant the term as sucking..genius!
its been like 2 years dude. pushing your chips in/not getting long term value because you think there is an outside shot at contention next year is exactly how you prolong a rebuild.
no, his outfield defense IS that bad. hes also likely over performing with the bat.
Wrong question. The question you should be asking is: What outfielder in the Braves system could contribute replacement level production? The answer: Their best AAA outfielder.
And lol at “He makes all the routine plays.”
Name one AAA outfielder in the Braves system who can contribute replacement level production? You guys who live and die by WAR really need to watch a game and quit googling stats for an argument. Kemp is far and away the Braves best offensive player. There’s no argument for anyone else.
If “black holes” caught everything their wouldn’t be a universe.
I don’t really follow the Braves’ system but a brief look at their AAA stats tells me Dustin Peterson is probably their next guy up in the outfield. If he can be above replacement level with both the bat and the glove it won’t be too hard for him to contribute more wins than Kemp. And THEN consider that he makes league minimum.
That “you need to go watch the game” line is so tired I swear. I watch plenty of games (going to one tonight) and Kemp looks even worse in the field when I watch the game than the stats say he is.
Kemp is also by far the Braves’ worst defensive player. In fact, he’s among the worst defensive players in all of MLB.
Kemp hits another homer
And Dustin Peterson has played a handful of games above AA
If anyone’s defense is costing the Braves it’s Swanson and nobody is screaming to replace him.
And lets another ball drop for a hit that my dead grandma would have caught
In a WIN!
Dustin won’t be next guy up he’s only played three games this year
Where are the Giants players?
As explained in the intro, I’m not quite there on SFG yet.
As explained in the comments about 40 times so far: nobody can read the intro. There is a formatting issue where a large blank box blocks most of it out.
Don’t think the braves move Markakis, Kemp, or suzuki.
Markakis and Kemp have been huge pieces to the lineup and are everyday players for next year when they are ready to contend.
Suzuki has had a solid bat also but he is a solid backup right now and the braves don’t have many other options there. I do think Teheran is available along with everyone else mentioned. Teheran is going to be tough to pull the trigger on, but the right price will get him moved.
Why would the Braves want Kemp and his arthritic hips patrolling their outfield with all the young arms they have coming up in the next year or two?
Because his bat gives us way more than a AAA rookie’s will right now. His fielding doesn’t concern me, or his injuries either. With him swinging the bat the way he is now, he’s earned his spot in LF. And not only that, but batting him 4th makes Freeman see better pitches. And it was working great until the other day.
Dumping off a few pitchers is the far better choice, since they’re the one’s giving this team problems. Not to say the line up is perfect, or the bench, but they are costing us far less games than our pitchers are. I find it incredibly dumb to dump off the guys who actually are winning for us, while not doing a damn thing to fix that rotation. But knowing Coppola, he’ll do the exact opposite of the correct choice.
Ask the Braves’ young pitchers if Kemp’s fielding and injuries concern them. And it’s already been proven that lineup protection is a hoax.
Ask The Braves pitchers how many runs they’ve given up in the first few innings, and at home, and outta the bullpen. And then ask them how many of those runs were Kemps fault, and how many times Kemp has RBI’d or scored a run to help keep our pitchers in the game.
Trading off our bats, while doing nothing to help the rotation, will prove nothing. If Kemp and Markakis can bring us ML ready pitchers who can actually pitch, then we’re getting somewhere, but that’s highly unlikely. Unless we’re getting good value out of these guys, I’d rather just keep them and use them instead of just throwing them away. There’s multiple holes in this team, and I see no point in creating more holes if you can’t fill the others in the process.
The runs that scored because of Kemp’s fielding ineptitude are, statistically, just as plentiful as the runs he has knocked in. And with Kenp being owed as much h as he is I honestly don’t know why you expect to get anything good for him. You need to worry about getting his contract off the books before you can worry about getting ML ready pitchers for him.
Because he is hitting .340, that’s why. He is a huge bat that will be hard to replace. Look at the braves offensive numbers since he joined the lineup.
do you honestly think he hits well next year. his awful D makes him barely replacement level. if his bat is anything short of elite, he’s worthless.
No he won’t be hard to replace. He is barely replacement level as a player which means all they have to do to replace him is bring up their best outfielder from AAA. And Kemp has no effect on everyone else’s offensive numbers.
I love how you keep bringing up defense because you know he is hitting as good as any power hitter right now. Braves didn’t bring him in to be inciarte on defense, they brought him in to hit bombs and drive runs in. Kemp has given up 2.5 runs on defense this year. His offense makes up for those easily.
I love how you keep bringing up offense because you know he is among the worst defensive players in MLB right now. Braves brought him in to be productive and thanks to his horrible defense, he hasn’t really done that. Even though he has hit well. The stats say that his offense barely makes up for all the runs he gives up on defense.
Kemp is a DH. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it.
Lol I guess you haven’t payed attention to the fact the offense is on fire since about August of last year when Kemp came. He is bad on defense, I admit that, but he makes up for it with his offensive numbers. His overall war says his offense is surpassing his bad defensive war.
The Brave brought him in to be a bat. He has been. Period. They are probably stuck with his contract. No one at AAA is ready. And yes, he is hitting the cover off the ball. It would be stupid to not play him.
Kemp has hit well for the Braves. There is no denying that. But it’s already been proven that lineup protection is a myth. He isn’t just bad on defense. He is arguably the worst fielder in baseball. His overall WAR may be positive. But not by much and certainly not worth what he is being paid.
Yes he has been a bat. And a brick in the outfield. You admit that the Braves are stuck with his contract but some people on here are saying that they shouldn’t move Kemp unless they get actual young talent in return. They will not get actual young talent for Kemp. I am telling you this now. Less than a year ago you got him for a guy you were about to release anyway.
Yeah and it was a rip off of the padres lol. And why would the braves move Kemp for a lottery ticket a ball player when he is a perfect fit in the braves lineup? If they aren’t going to get a good prospect they aren’t going to move him because of his numbers.
He is making more money than he is worth is the reason why the Braves would do that. No team is going to trade you a good prospect for Kemp. I promise!
Then they will keep him.
Hosmer to Boston
Hosmer is a top notch 1 B with power–They need a 3 B with a solid bat that can be a threat in the center of the lineup to give them a power source to take the pressure off Hanley and Bogaerts. Frazier is a HR threat when he comes to the plate.. In addition he is a pretty good defender.
Feast or extreme famine bro!
*Frazier
hosmer is probably the 20th best first baseman…
For obvious reasons, I expect the BoSox to go after 3B Mike Moustakas or another potential 3B rather than 1B Eric Hosmer. Dave Dombrowski is not reputed for upgrading the bullpen.
Detroit will be selling even if they are winning. As was announced in November, every player is for sale for young, low cost MLB ready talent.
SDP’s RP Brad Hand, MIA’s RP David Phelps and PHI’s Hector Neris look like good CL conversion targets.
Detroit is looking to win this year. They will have to fall out of it to be trading any major pieces. I curious whether, or how they will add pieces. Next year they will have little hope of winning. Its now or never for this group.
Can’t see it.
As much as DD likes big prospect trades, he’s already almost gutted that system. I can’t see him making ANOTHER big one that would likely require Groome and Devers and put Boston near the bottom of the pack in farm talent.
The Red Sox are 1 game above .500–sitting behind the Yankees and O’s with the Rays and Jay’s closing in quickly. Porcello has been mediocre, Price injured and Sale could suit for lack of run support.. ERod will be fine but DD has given JF an extension who should have been replaced by Lovullo at the end of last season.
On paper the team should be a contender but they are pretenders.
They have 3 good outfielders they will have a hard time signing to long term deals:
Betts, Bradley, Jr. and Benintendi. SS is another of the Killer B’s–Bogaert’s is a fine player–all home grown–along with a couple of good defending catchers.
I think the R Sox have a few chips that might appeal to teams like the Marlins, W Sox, A’s.
They have a few players with very bad contracts like Pablo, Price and Hanley at the ML level in addition to Castillo and Craig at the AAA level the Sox are just in a holding pattern on.
I could see the Sox taking on Kemp for the balance of his contract for Pablo. Both are injury prone.
The Sox have enough talent to lure Quintana or Gray–questionable if the Sox and A’s would bite.
Nobody wants the Panda other then fast food nation!
BoSox were the best team in MLB before the season started. Injury to David Price is a big hit. Even with injuries to SPs, the BoSox one glaring problem is 3B. Panda was never a sure thing and the contingency plan is proving to be weak. However, I would expect DD to make one of his miracle trades to improve 3B.
The only way Panda or Hanley Ramirez are going anywhere is if they get bundled together (not necessarily with each other) with other players and traded for another bundle of players with heavy contracts. For instance (Something outrageous to demonstrate my point): CF Jackie Bradley, 3B Rafael Devers, RP Jamie Callahan and IF/DH Panda for 1B/DH Miguel Cabrera, 3B Nick Castellanos and RP K-Rod.
That is the craziest trade I’ve seen posted yet!
That was the intent
madmc44 are you suggesting that the Braves trade Kemp (who is hitting quite well and fielding better than last season) for Panda (who is not hitting and has mainly been hurt)? Kemp hasn’t missed nearly as many games in the last few seasons as Sandoval has. I just don’t see a match in that at all. No incentive for the Braves to do that deal unless the Red Sox added something. Also guys like Castillo and Craig both have no real value to any organization. The Red Sox gave them contracts and are stuck with both of them.
Mets will have pieces to sell but really Bruce, Reed, Blevins will have actual value. Maybe Walker.
The Mets got Bruce for pocket change last season, and he’s only lost value since then. And you won’t get significant prospects for a reliever (especially one who’s 33 year old and one who’s a free agent after the season) unless you’re talking about a guy of Chapman’s caliber. And Neil Walker’s no bargain at $17.5 million, although he’s got the most value among the four, IMO.
So if by “actual value” you mean future bullpen arms and bench players and extreme lottery tickets, then yeah.
The Pirates have to trade Gerrit Cole. Keeping him serves no purpose and getting the right players back for him is pretty much their only path back to contention any time soon since they won’t get much for trading Cutch.
I would be happy to see the Astros help you out. Houston has surprisingly little SP depth. We need another ace to make sure the season isn’t ruined by a SP injury.
I saw an article that said the Astros needed a top starter and a left handed reliever.
Cole and Watson for Martes and Tucker?
Good deal or would one side need to add to the mix?
they have for 18 and 19. so there is plenty of purpose.
Add Tommy Joseph to that Phillies list. Hoskins doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors.
Pirates should just acknowledge the elephant in the room and sell. Rebuild. The winning was fun while it lasted, but the door is closed, window is shut, and the dark clouds are rolling back over PNC……
What about JD Martinez?
My thoughts exactly.
what about JD? He plays RF for the Tigers, and will continue to do so. With any luck, J-Up will opt out and they will use that money for JD.
Tommy Kahnle? Aka the worst teammate ever?
I’m sure the Cardinals will end up trading a prospect for a cheap relief pitcher rental that may or may not work out. It seems like every year we do this, why would it be any different this year?
Would the Red Sox consider trading for Frazier? He would come relatively cheap. Seems like a decent fit for a team who has the worst 3B production this year.
Your right in that he could help the Red Sox continue with the worst production at 3b. I’m thinking they have their sights set higher.
I will push Sandoval for Kemp until it actually happens.
If the Mets are tired of Matt Harvey I’m sure the Red Sox could find some prospects and bullpen help.