The Angels and Dodgers were among the clubs that pursued reliever Kelvin Herrera before he was dealt yesterday from the Royals to the Nationals, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (in an article and on Twitter). In fact, per the report, the two Los Angeles franchises were “in serious talks” about Herrera.
That information is not only of historical interest. For one thing, it may hint something about the process the Royals undertook to move Herrera. The veteran reliever was among the most obvious and the best rental trade pieces in baseball. Most often, teams holding such an asset will take the decision until the deadline approaches, hoping that’s the best way to maximize their return.
With multiple teams involved in serious talks, it seems that the Kansas City organization decided to oversee bidding in mid-June. Perhaps that was due to concern over what other relief arms might reach the market and/or a desire to minimize risk associated with a high-performing pitcher. It also may reflect a universe in which contenders see an advantage to moving aggressively.
That’s all open to interpretation. What is clear, though, is that both L.A. clubs have an eye on bolstering their bullpens — and a willingness to do so by pursuing a pure rental asset. Presumably, they’ll be among the teams to pursue other such hurlers that come available over the coming weeks.
According to Nightengale, the Halos in particular “remain immersed in talks with multiple teams for pitching.” That’s notable given the team’s recent fade and spate of injuries. There’s certainly still a path to the postseason, but it’ll take some internal improvements (including a return to health) and stumbles from one or more teams ahead in the standings. It seems, though, that the organization is willing to chase roster improvements even in this setting — a topic that Nightengale explores in greater length in the above-linked post.
dang he really would’ve helped halos. Not a high price to
Jahmai Jones and another top 15 prospect for Kyle Barraclough. How about it?
How about Jones, Rodriguez, and Suarez for barraclough, Straily and and arm like Ziegler or tazawa
Tazawa got released and signed with the Tigers
no way
I like Bearclaw but Jones is too much for me. Taylor Ward maybe?
What about Barraclough for Marsh and Suarez?
No!
Hard to imagine that Dodgers did much more than “kick-the-tires” on Herrera considering his $8MM contract and team commitment to saying below the CBT threshold this season.
My friend Julian says the Dodgers offered Forsythe, Garcia and an attractive prospect or two for Herrera. Salaries would even out.KC would get potential closer, hot prospects and then try to flip Forsythe. Nationals trade was cleaner as LA/KC couldn’t agree on prospects..
Obviously the Royals would say no to that. They don’t want to even out salary. They want to unload it.
How could nobody beat the Nats offer. It really was weak.
The Nats offers something the others didn’t they took on all of his salary.
Agree getting under cap has been a Prioraty for teams since last season ended
This is a huge factor that a majority of fans seem to be very ignorant to and it’s affecting the value of some players. The Lux tax played a huge role in free agency and will do so at the deadline for the Yankees and dodgers especially.
If you read what Dayton Moore had to say about the trade, Herrera was never in danger of going to the Angels. Moore.was very specific about making sure he sent Herrera to a team that could win a World Series this year.
I’m sorry but you’re ignorant if you think Moore cares about that whatsoever. If for some reason the Orioles made the best offer for Herrera he would’ve been traded there. Moore’s job is to make the Royals a contender, not trade his players to good teams lol
Agreed. If Moore took the lesser trade so Herrera had a better chance at winning this year he is a fool. I don’t even believe that narrative. It be one thing if it was Adrian Beltre kinda guy who is a surefire HOF who hasn’t won a championship or Carlos Beltran but Herrera already has a ring and frankly anyone who is trading for a rental RP should be a contender in a playoff spot now or that teams GM is a fool.
I am fully aware of what Dayton Moore‘s job is and so is he. Since you probably don’t live in Kansas City or follow the Royals very closely, you are probably not aware that Dayton Moore is a very different type of general manager. Some of your baseball fans out there perhaps know what I’m talking about. He doesn’t operate like a typical general manager, right or wrong he simply cares more about his players lives off the field as much or more than he does on the field.
He sure has you fooled huh? Yes some GM’s care more than others… to the extent they would accept a trade that is even 1% worse for their team to please the player? NEVER. You are a fool.
I also can’t believe that KC didn’t at least contact Atlanta to see if they were interested.
How is two of a teams top ten plus a third player “weak”? For a right handed rental, it was a solid return.
Not all top tens are equal. Some teams have zero top 100 players and other teams have up to 11 (depending on which list you look at). None of the prospects acquired even currently project to be everyday players. Of course things can change.
The biggest question is that because this trade was completed so early it suggests that very few teams were spoken with about a potential deal. You’d think before a deal was made for this small return the GM would at least touch base with every contending team and try to start a bidding war for a quality reliever many experts thought would be the most heavily pursued reliever of this trade season.
None of the guys the Royals got were even close to top 100 prospects. Rental relievers get traded for top 100 prospects all the time and Herrera has been one of the best in baseball this year.
Man this month has been brutal as an Angels fan.
The Halos have been disappointing me since 1975. They were my other team after the Tigers… The stories I can tell.
Dude we won a world series in ’02 and made the playoffs like 6 straight years. What are you talking about?
Garry, what do you mean? You sound ignorant or just plain ungrateful. I’m betting on the former. 2002 was a magical year for the Halos. If came at the expense of my Giants. Disappointing you since 75?
“Most often, teams holding such an asset will take the decision until the deadline approaches . . . “
You have studied the question, Jeff, found this to be true but forgot to link to your source(s) or you are just assuming this to be true? Would appear to be a question of fact, no.
Most trades happen in July not June source look at previous years months and count the trades in each month.
“ . . . look at previous years months and count the trades in each month.”
Well, you’d have to be specific to rental BP pieces for this purpose but that would be a way of doing it. But shouldn’t it be done by the person making the claim rather than those of us in the peanut gallery?
Lol everyone wants to be spoon fed answers these days.
If I think something that is said is wrong I don’t just say you’re wrong prove to me you aren’t wrong. I say in my head, that doesn’t sound right let me look up and prove this guy doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
“If I think something that is said is wrong I don’t just say you’re wrong prove to me you aren’t wrong. I say in my head, that doesn’t sound right let me look up and prove this guy doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
Understand what you’re saying and I have taken that approach with other users at this site.
But Jeff Todd and I are not similarly situated here. Jeff is paid for this, I am not. Jeff had time to plan, write and edit his post, I had a few minutes to reply. Jeff’s work is expected to be professional quality, mine, at least at this site, doesn’t have to be quite so good.
I grew up baseball-wise reading the annual Bill James Abstracts as they came out. One of the strongest memories I have is of BJ ripping some pretend expert a new sphincter for some dumb and easily disprovable statement about baseball. He did it to the Elias people several times, even David Halberstam wasn’t immune, not to mention various and sundry national and beat writers and network and local broadcasters who regularly regurgitated conventional and mistaken ideas about baseball. I’m no Bill James, of course, but I do occasionally channel his spirit on the internets.
I’d like to go back several years, define which pitchers qualify as similar and the parameters for an early, timely and last minute trade, and see whether Jeff’s statement is accurate. But, as aforesaid, I don’t get paid for this and it doesn’t interest me enough to do it gratis. I have noted that Jeff’s statement is at least questionable and, unless something is posted which supports it, will remain just anecdotal bullcrap.
Generally, the burden of proof starts with the proponent of a statement. Once the proponent has produced his/her “proof” the burden then shifts to the person denying the statement to disprove the proponent’s proof and produce whatever he/she has which counters it.
To date Jeff’s statement is supported by nothing, it doesn’t deserve a substantive response. When writing about Halberstam’s errors James concluded that they weren’t the result of incompetence, DH just didn’t think baseball was important enough to get all the details right.
I’m not gonna apologize for busting a professional baseball writer’s chops for saying something possibly wrong, possibly dumb and in any event not proven about baseball. Although I will apologize for my verbosity.
Dayton Moore built an exciting, smart, fundamentally strong, entertaining team on a small market budget. He is now doing it again.
While teams are looking for relief help in the stretch run, the fact is that the market is full of other teams trying to get something for relievers in their walk year. Add that teams are trying out their marginal starters in the bullpen, as well as looking for strong arms in their farm system – all of which cost a fraction of the salary of the relievers being made available. Dayton Moore got what he could before Herrera’s value went down.
This reminds me of the Jay Bruce signing this past winter. Bruce and his agents were criticized for not waiting to sign for more money….only to see others sign for a fraction of what Bruce signed for (as of today, the Mets cannot dump Bruce and his salary for a picture of Rob Manfred). GM’s have finally figured out that few players are worth the salaries their agents want, or the return fans expect in trade. Some team(s) are going to give Harper and Machado an A-Rod type contract in which a half of it will handicap that franchise for years.
I’m telling you the angels can solve their problems trading trout to the Mets you can get there 1to3 starters it in the junk picther we have a starters put them in the bullpen
That’s very funny. Thanks for the laugh.
Like clockwork, the Cardinals were nowhere to be seen on this. But Mozeliak did buy 2 new bow ties yesterday, and his little buddy Gilligan Girsch got an ice cream cone for helping out.
Houston and Brad Hand makes too much sense now. If I’m Preller I would take a package of Bukauskas, JD Davis and Cionel Perez.
Methinks Preller would insist on Whitley being in a Hand-to-Houston trade. He wanted a Miller/Chapman type return last year and Hand’s trade value is even higher now with the extension and further sustained success.
Barraclough makes more sense for the Dodgers in terms of how they tend to operate.
Don’t give Moreno or trout will see you for what you are…..and sign elsewhere
the only negative for a pitcher (reliever or starter) in coming to the Angels is the clause that he’d have to undergo TJ surgery prior to expiration of the rental agreement.
The change in how GMs approach the trade deadline is likely due to the change in the marketplace. The current trend is to tear down or contend. With the increase in sellers, some may decide to trade early, rather than get nothing back for their rental. Like last year, there is a limited number of buyers. Now that the Nats have Herrera, there is one less landing spot for a righty reliever. As the deadline approaches, the number of buyers will only grow smaller.
Angels are so lost…. Your headed towards another 20 games out and under .500 year. All you can do is laugh I guess.
Great move by the Nationals getting a quality back-end reliever/closer for such a reasonable price. I’ve always wondered why teams that have obvious needs don’t attempt to address them well before the deadline like this because the asking prices for quality players just continue to rise as the deadline approaches. I’m sure this partly has to do with GM’s wanting to wait as long as possible, but even with that said, it’s somewhat rare to even hear about trade inquiries in June
The Dodgers are trying to stay below the luxury tax, so adding his $8 mil salary would have meant dealing at least one or more current players on the 40 man roster with significant salaries. It will be interesting to know who they were willing to give up in a potential trade