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Evening Trade Chatter: Realmuto, Profar, Reds, Dodgers, Rockies

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With rumors flying about Marlins backstop J.T. Realmuto, it’s still hard to guess where he’ll land. Miami president of baseball operations Mike Hill says that’s a result of the robust demand for Realmuto, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. While the Fish are working to home in on a narrower slate of suitors, per Hill, it’s hard at this point to do so.  The Rays are one of the teams to have “circle[d] back” on Realmuto, per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter), which lends credence to Hill’s statement. Though the Tampa Bay organization recently added Mike Zunino behind the dish, it seems another acquisition could still be contemplated. Both players could conceivably coexist on the same roster (perhaps, but not necessarily, in a three-catcher arrangement with Michael Perez), or the Rays could in theory flip Zunino.

For now, that’s just another scenario to keep an eye on as the market develops. Here’s some more trade chatter from the Winter Meetings:

  • The Athletics have engaged the Rangers in trade talks regarding infielder Jurickson Profar, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). It seems the Oakland organization is scanning the market at second base, as the club is known to have interest in bringing back Jed Lowrie and has also been connected to Ian Kinsler (link) and DJ LeMahieu (link), with veteran Troy Tulowitzki perhaps representing a possibility as well. Rosenthal adds that handing the job to Franklin Barreto remains a possibility, as GM David Forst recently suggested, though it certainly appears that’s not the club’s preference. Profar, who seems to have been around forever but is just 25 years of age, turned in easily his most impressive season to date in 2018, slashing .254/.335/.458 with twenty long balls and ten steals over 594 plate appearances.
  • There has been a bevy of rumors surrounding the Reds, who seem to be knocking on quite a few doors at multiple positions. Pitching, though, remains the key. The Cincinnati ballclub is still “active in trade discussions” with the Yankees on Sonny Gray and the Blue Jays on Marcus Stroman, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). It’ll surprise few to hear that the Reds see those two hurlers as more reasonably achievable targets than Indians ace Corey Kluber, as Morosi adds. Both Gray and Stroman profile as bounceback targets, marking quite a distinction from Kluber, with the former clearly set to be dealt but the latter occupying a less-certain position on the trade market. With two years of control remaining, the Jays are said to be putting a high price on Stroman.
  • Speaking of Reds trade chatter, Rosenthal tweets that the club is still kicking around scenarios with the Dodgers. (We previously rounded up the rumors on that match here, here, and here.) It turns out that the clubs are discussing scenarios involving Matt Kemp, along with a host of other previously rumored players, in what are quite obviously wide-ranging talks. No deal is close, says Rosenthal, though it certainly appears as if both teams believe they match up well on paper on a deal that would, in conjunction with some other pieces, send an expensive outfielder to Cincinnati and deliver the hefty Homer Bailey contract out west. It’ll be fascinating to see whether something comes together in these talks — or, frankly, any of the many others being conducted by the Cincinnati and Los Angeles organizations.
  • We heard yesterday about the latest in the Rockies’ search for a big bat, and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post updates the situation. Edwin Encarnacion of the Indians is a “legitimate target,” per the report, though GM Jeff Bridich has indicated that Wil Myers of the division-rival Padres is not. The Colorado organization is obviously looking to come away from the offseason with at least one significant offensive upgrade, though as yet it’s not clear whether the team has really narrowed its focus or is still canvassing the market in search of value.
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Comments

    • I still think Harper goes to LAA. Trout/Harper together in the OF with Pujols and Simba? That’s 4 legit HOFers, and then adding Ohtani? Ownership has to say yes, right? Trout is gone in 2021, so Harper on a longer term deal will still be there. Close to Harper’s LV hometown too. Angels are the big “come from nowhere” team who always seem to get the biggest FA of the day when least expected. There’s a lot pieces falling into play there.

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      • Well said lol I want Harper to go to the CWS but this Angel scenario would be too too

      • Could see it for sure. Then they could trade trout based on weather or not he says he will resign.

      • Who is the 4th HOFer you speak of on the Angels. Other than Pujols, Trout, Harper.

        • Open your eyes and notice you are watching a legitimate HOF in Simba. Perhaps the best fielding SS ever, and certainly in the top 5. And, the bat has come up to a level that is better than most HOF SS. Not the best hitting SS ever, but better than most SS already in the Hall.

      • What makes you think that Trout will be gone after 2021? Trout likes playing in Anaheim, the Angels farm will start producing beginning in 2019. Pujols’ contract will be off the books. There was plenty if reasons to stay in Anaheim. Moreno will pony up whatever it takes to re-sign Trout.

        • If Trout likes playing in Anaheim so much what they should do is trade him, gut another team’s farm, spend the next 2 years tanking for high draft picks and then bring him back during the 2020-21 offseason when they should theoretically be right on the cusp.

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      • I do like the idea though. Regardless of the team as just a baseball fan I want to see Trout win.

    • Give it until mid January. Boras needs time to construct the infamous mystery team

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    • Boras at Vegas meetings on Yankees lack of interest:

      “I’ve never heard the Yankees say that” “It might be that they say things to you. I wasn’t there.”

      “As far as the Yankees and what discussions I, Hal and Cash have had, I will leave that to our own,” And I will only let you know that when you’re talking about star players, and I go back to Teixeira with the Yankees.”

      Yankees publicly dismissed an interest in Teixeira. They wound up signing him. History repeats itself:..

      Call me crazy… Still better odds THAN White Sox!

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      • Listening to Teixeira interview today, he said he had 5 offers within 5% of 180M got w/ NYY and would take 70M overpay to sign w/ 62 win team… So he doesn’t see Harper w/ White Sox unless overpay because they’re not a good team even though he would sign Machado over Harper, but it was interesting

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  2. Don’t hold your breathe, or perhaps your nose, waiting for the White Sox to sign Harper.

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  3. That Bailey contract has worked the opposite of gangbusters for the Reds, I mean 105 million is ALOT of money for somebody with a 4.0 bWar since 2007.

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  4. A good question. IF Edwin can stay healthy AND he heads to Coors for at least the next two years does he have a legit shot at 500 homers? Currently he has 380 for his career.

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    • A better question. What makes you think a move to Coors Field will suddenly make Edwin Encarnacion a 60 homer a year player?

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      • Hey, Coors field turned Mark Reynolds into a 40 HR guy for a year. And Encarnacion is much better than Mark Reynolds

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        • Coors Field didn’t turn Mark Reynolds into a 40 homer guy. The most he hit for them was 30 in his second season. He only hit 14 homers in his first year in Colorado. He did hit 44 10 years ago for Arizona.

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      • I think this necessarily assumes that he will play somewhere else after that.

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      • I’m not sure he can play everyday in the field and produce like he has…

  5. Really hope Bailey would be an immediate DFA if he’s traded to LA.

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    • If it’s Kemp for Bailey, why trade away Kemp’s $21M owed for Bailey’s $28M – only to DFA Bailey?

  6. I’m absolutely shocked Kemp hasn’t been traded to an AL team so he can DH already. They would have to pay down like half the contract but you could do a lot worse as a DH.

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    • I’ve been thinking the team that misses on Nelson Cruz will be the landing spot for Kemp – assuming he doesn’t go to the Reds.

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  7. Enough “chatter,” MAKE SOME DAMN TRADES AND/OR SIGN SOME FOLK

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  8. Nice to see every comment is actually about baseball for a change…been getting a bit ridiculous lately

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  10. A’s fans, who would you prefer at 2B? Profar, LeMahieu, Kinsler, Tulo, Lowrie, or Barreto?

    • Profar, for the right price until Barreto is fully ready/developed. Profar has a team friendly contract and performed pretty well last year and is under control thru 2020. Kinsler has fallen off, LeMahieu and Jed are solid but would cost too much for the A’s.

      • I like Brian Dozier more than all of those non-Profar ones.

        Gotta grab Tulo for $600K too, at that price that’s not even close to a risk. If he doesn’t hit then cut him.

      • I’d want Profar. He’s 25 years old, You would figure that he has his best years ahead of him while Tulo, Kinsler and even Jed carry risk because they’re all in their mid-30s. I like LeMahieu too but at what cost?

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    • lowrie, but at what cost? if profar can be had for cheap he can platoon with Barreto

    • I’m leaning more towards a Tulo/Barreto combo so they can use their $$ towards a starting pitcher or 10.

      • I would be completely fine with that considering Tulo said he would like to play in the Bay Area

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    • I think Eli White is going to be ready at some next season, and 2B is his strongest position

      • He is definitely an interesting prospect. He had a very nice season as a leadoff hitter at Midland, but we will see what he can do in AAA first.

    • I like Adam Frazier of the pirates, but Profar makes sense because he should not be expensive to get while Tulo is a local and he will be extremely cheap with the Jays picking up his tab.

  11. Fowler for Profar works, right? Assuming Texas trades Mazara they might need MLB-ready OFs.

    • I don’t think its time to give up on Fowler just yet. He showed signs last year that he could produce at the big league level and tore up triple A. Maybe like a Mateo for Profar swap works out.

      • Interesting I’d say the reverse of those two. I think Fowler is the better chip due to MLB experience, but Mateo still has a higher ceiling, but also because Laureano made CF his own for the foreseeable future. Pinder is a better LF than Fowler too, Fowler might be a good everyday LF/CF soon, but Profar fits this window better and isn’t a long-term block to the 22 year old Barreto.

    • I’d rather see Fowler start in LF next year…trade him next offseason if Bolt and/or Beck is knocking on the door..

        • right now? totally..I think Fowler’s ceiling is higher though and Pinder’s value of flexibility would be undermined if he were starting in LF…A Pinder/Fowler platoon would be ideal

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        • I think its still too early too tell. Defensively I like Fowler over Pinder.

        • It’s too small a sample but Fowler has statistically been a worse OF defender than Pinder so far. He’ll probably be a good player, I have nothing against him, but you have to admit Laureano made him trade bait. The A’s moving him to LF is probably not what’s best for him either.

  12. Word on the street is the Rays want Jose Feliciano as their third base coach.

  14. How does someone profile as a bounce back candidate? By having a sucky previous season? Or is there more to it?

  15. hope is the Ray’s get JT than we see an opener with catchers and pitchers.

  16. The off season has been quite busy so far with quite a few trades and some FA signings Much faster than last year. It’s only December..

  19. No way can “in over my head Dick” pull off a trade that would help Cincinnati.. Dodgers want payroll moved and the Reds need 3 outfielders and 3 pitchers. Trade Bailey, Winkler, Stephenson and Shed Long for Kemp, Puig, Woods, Hill and Verdugo. That trades $60 million for $30 million for the Dodgers next year. With the Reds wanting to spend 30 million more this year it fits them. The release of Hamilton and the addition of Roark is close to a wash. The Reds have a big league roster next year (still no playoffs) without the long term commitment. The Dodgers then can sign Harper, LaMahieu, Andrew Miller with their savings. You have to go to school a long time and be very smart to do brain surgery. And this ain’t brain surgery…..

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  20. Rockies should pick up Tulo. He might turn back into the .320 hitter in that mountain air.

    • Not likely. He is allegedly very bitter about promises made to him by Colorado just prior to him being traded to the Blue Jays.

      He’ll land somewhere and be a piece or retire sulking away because no one will let him play shortstop.

      If I were Cashman I would take a flyer on him to fill in at Yankees SS until Didi returns.

  21. I hope the Yankees are looking into Profar….cause his bat looks pretty good, all of a sudden. And, as long as he doesn’t have to play shortstop too much, his defense is solid too.

    I even like him at first base, if Voit or Bird don’t work out.

  22. Why trade Profar? Beltre just retired. He finally has a full time starting spot in our lineup.

  23. MLBtraderumors should just reprint a rumor article around Realmuto from last winter and see if anyone notices the difference.

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  24. I truly believe that the Reds can turn Sonny Gray around. I’m guessing the Reds send Scooter Gennett and a prospect to the Yankees for Sonny Gray.

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