Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal’s weekend news updates FOX Sports (all video links)…
- Given the Braves’ third base vacancy, Rosenthal believes the team “will at least check in on Manny Machado” prior to the trade deadline. Machado would seem like a perfect fit for an Atlanta team that is looking to stay in the postseason race, plus his impending free agency wouldn’t make him a long-term block at the hot corner for top prospect Austin Riley. Acquiring Machado from the Orioles would require a heavy prospect cost, however, and Rosenthal wonders if the Braves might instead use their minor leaguers to acquire a frontline starting pitcher, since they’ll be pursuing such an arm anyway in the offseason. The Braves’ prospect capital could also be used to try and pry J.T. Realmuto away from the Marlins, as Realmuto would provide a longer-term answer behind the plate than the Braves’ veteran tandem of Kurt Suzuki and Tyler Flowers (who are both free agents this winter).
- Even after designating Hanley Ramirez for assignment and sidestepping his potential $22MM salary for 2019, Rosenthal notes that next year’s Red Sox could still be approaching the maximum penalty limit for surpassing the luxury tax threshold. If the Sox were more than $40MM over next year’s $206MM tax threshold, they would face up to a 90 percent tax on the overages and their top pick in the 2019 draft would drop by ten positions. Boston already has over $137MM committed next season towards seven players, plus Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo. Beyond that $137MM already on the books, Chris Sale’s $13.5MM club option is a no-brainer to be exercised, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts are on pace for huge arbitration raises, and key players like Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz are free agents.
- “The Rays keep playing for tomorrow and tomorrow never seems to come,” Rosenthal says about Tampa Bay’s constant need to trade high-priced players due to the team’s salary limitations. This payroll need may be impacting the team’s ability to get the best possible return for their veteran players. For instance, in the Rays’ recent swap that sent Alex Colome and Denard Span to the Mariners, Rosenthal wonders if the Rays could’ve gotten more for Colome if they hadn’t attached Span’s heftier remaining salary to the deal. Tampa might have been able to get a bigger return for Colome last offseason given all of the interest he drew from other teams, and the same could potentially be said for Chris Archer, given how the right-hander’s slow start may have dimmed his trade value.
Machado and Gausman could get a haul of prospects
To the redsoxs
Keep dreaming buddy, the Red Sox will be lucky to get a mediocre middle inning reliever at the deadline with their terrible farm system
Wait Machado for Blake Swihart straight up isn’t fair???
What did they give up for reed last year?
It took them 3 prospects to net a half decent set up man on an expiring contract last year. The Red Sox badly 2 quality relievers and will likely be outbid by every other contender looking for the same
The Red Sox have the best record in baseball. They don’t need much. Their Bullpen is fine their lineup is fine and the starters I hope will be fine LOL.
You’re right about being in front now but the Sox need a little help in the pen. Depending on which Barnes shows up…either carrying the gas can to the fire or you fall in love with his stuff again….
The Red Sox record has been boosted by a cream puff early schedule. Also can anyone in their bullpen outside of Kimbrel be trusted to pitch in the postseason?
Cream puff early schedule? They have the 12th strongest SOS in the majors…
The O’s hold Gausman. He’s part of a rotation that could become very good ( with Bundy, Cobb and Harvey).
I don’t think Gausman will cost THAT much actually. He’s a fairly middle-of-the-road starter. He might be a decent #3 or #4 starter on a contender, but you don’t pay that much for a player like that. I think some people are still basing his value on his high prospect ranking. He does not have the value now that he had as a prospect. He MIGHT garner a low top 100 guy, but I am betting on a couple of lower end team top 20 guys from a mid range farm system. I know Colorado has always loved Gausman, so my guess would be something like Breiling Eusebio (COL #13), Yonathan Daza (COL #20), and a low level lotto ticket would pick him up.
i bet daza and a lotto ticket would do it
Braves will not be getting Machado, and if they did, would they care that he was blocking a top prospect, let’s see, top..talent or top prospect? Which do we prefer..
Machado in all likelihood will end his career being better than Riley, but extending him 6 years would not likely happen and would be ridiculously expensive versus the possibily almost as good Riley (I’m not saying he’s a lock I’m just saying the potential is there)
Dude. They discussed that in the article
Machado would be amazing but Moustakas or Donaldson far more likely.
The cost to acquire Machado would not be cheap, would cost a couple solid young minor league pitchers. Machado would be gone after the season and the Braves would still probably fall short pitching wise.If Atlanta is seeking pitching both for the rotation and a true closer great, otherwise forget the rent a star. Pitching will decide the Braves fate in 2018, not who plays third base.
As Folty beats Sale.
Machado to Bosox to play 3rd move Devers to first base!
I doubt they have the pieces to get him
I don’t like him n he wants SS anyways, Xander would hafts move to 3rd
Xander is twice the SS he is, Machado should have stuck to 3B, it is his better defensive position
Now I’ve seen it all from Sox fans..OMFG you’re beyond delusional…
Relax
There’s no point in them getting Machado since they have Bogaerts, but Machado is better
First place is quite a delusion, huh? LOL Enjoy!!!
So you don’t know baseball
I’m a fan, don’t lump me in with that dumb statement.
“I don’t like him” well by all means don’t get him since pasha2k doesn’t like him. bdallen714 rated “Xander is twice the SS he is” well print those HOF tickets now for Xander Red Sox fans.
These trades seem rediculous. The article mentions next year. Idea of trading for example Xander would only to get back prospects assuming you have the next SS in place. Unless of course Price has indicated he’ll opt out (LOL). Question though. Why is Castillo mentioned? He still won’t count unless he’s on the 40 man roster.
The Rays “playing for the future” is simply a marketing ploy. I suppose it’s better than saying “Hey folks, we just suck”…….Now they can piggyback KK and Archer maybe and get out from those deals……RAYS IN 3030!!!!”…….
Castillo’s salary has no barring on their payroll really. He was outrighted before the new CBA. So they will pay him his money to stay in AAA, but his contract wont count against the payroll/threshold tax.
It’s too depressing for me to watch a ball game played at Tropicana Field. I wouldn’t want to play here. The franchise is a lost cause.
Move them to Nashville
Vegas Baby
Then they could swap divisions with the Indians or Tigers due to Nashville being in the Central time zone. and Cleveland and Detroit being in the Eastern zone. Wouldn’t be a horrible idea.
Indy
People thought having a hockey team in Nashville was crazy, wrong, Nashville is booming and more than able to support a team, a move there would be smart.
Lazy article
What article? I see three videos from KR and a post from MLBTraderumors. Curious what’s lazy? The post?
Rosenthal is right. It is a vicious circle with the Rays–just when guys are beginning to bloom, we shed the salaries (see: 2017-8 offseason). And the young pups are kept in the minors so long to avoid having to pay them–but then they never pay them because they trade them first! Thus we are stuck with the Brad Millers, Wendles, and (eek) Refsnyders of mlb…the guys no one else wants. Still love my team, but it has been painful since Friedman and Joe left.
They definitely operate as if they’re just scraping by. They’re really too focused on trimming payroll to the bare bones for the foreseeable future without concern for the product on the field today or tomorrow. If the organization is that desperately cash strapped, they need to move.
As a Braves fan I remember when we traded the farm for Nate Mclouth one year and Mark Texeira the next. Both flops in ATL that gutted a good farm. Please not again!
I know. Exactly what I’m thinking. Tex wasn’t exactly a flop but considering what the players we traded to get him did… yea. Tough. They revolutionized that Texas franchise
Mclouth flopped, but the players that Pittsburgh received hardly excelled while under their control. Of course Morton has had good success the last two years.
Braves could have signed Morton this past year ad a free agent. He wasn’t much of a loss to PIT.
Texeira smacked 37 hr and 134 rbi in 157 games for the Braves. I’ll give you the fitting of the farm but he was hardly a flop.
Gutting*
sorry, late to the party here, but yea nothing about Tex’s production was a flop – we had Mets-level injury problems… And while the return for Tex was garbage (Casey Kotchman) we later flipped Kotch for LaRoche.
but back then if a team let a top tier player walk in FA they’d get draft pick compensation. so we had to choose between the draft picks or the trade pieces. obviously we chose the players – and LAA got 2 draft picks when Tex signed with NYY.
They were Tyler Skaggs and……. Mike Trout!!
Wherever Machado goes so goeth my heart. Sick of Angelos, Davis and that stupid contract. Davis just stood there taking called strike three again yesterday. I am 76 and bet I could get a hit before he would.
I’ve noticed that myself this season. Takes a lot of called third strikes, makes faces, and walks back to the dugout talking to himself.
A rental for top prospects…… only if it gets you to the world series.
All my fellow Braves fans who want to see Machado in a Braves uniform you should expect that whatever we pay in a trade is gone for about 150-200 AB’s. The Braves window is JUUUUUST opening and this year might still be to early.
You can hope that Machado will fall in love with the team and Braves culture and signs with us rather than bigger contracts but that seems niave to me.
I could see Boston giving Hector Velazquez, Brian Johnson, or Steven Wright the starting job Pomeranz vacates. I can also see Kelly moving into the closer role to fill Kimbrel’s vacancy. Either of those moves would be a cost savings move over what currently fills the spot, although at a sizeable performance penalty. They don’t have the headroom to resign Kimbril and unless Pom rights the ship, they’re not gonna want to re-sign him. This year is pretty much World Series Title or Bust for the BoSox, so I see them getting frugal for replacements next year.
Tampa will never again be a contender. Machado is going somewhere, probably an injury on a contending team. The Red Sox are in luxury tax hell. That is all.