Despite a depleted farm system and a payroll that is dangerously close to crossing the $246MM maximum luxury tax penalty line for the second straight year, the Red Sox have “confidence” that “they can make an impactful deal before the deadline,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. The Sox picked up Andrew Cashner earlier this month, though they still have needs in the bullpen and rotation, plus possibly the bench. Relief pitching seems to be Boston’s top priority, given that the club has been linked to such names as Kirby Yates, Ken Giles, and Daniel Hudson on the rumor mill.
To this end, Olney opines that the Mets’ Edwin Diaz could doubly fit Boston as a prominent upgrade at relatively low cost, as Diaz isn’t arbitration-eligible until this offseason. Then again, several other teams are interested in Diaz, and since the Mets have put a big price tag on the closer despite his struggles in 2019, the Red Sox might not have the minor league depth to win a bidding war.
More from around the AL East…
- The Orioles are discussing Trey Mancini with “multiple suitors,” MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link). I looked at Mancini as a trade candidate back in May, and he has kept raking ever since, with 24 homers and a .279/.338/.531 slash line over 429 plate appearances this season. Mancini isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season, though since the O’s may not be out of rebuilding mode even in three years’ time, it makes sense that they would see if they could strike a big deal while Mancini’s value may be at its highest.
- Orioles left-hander John Means is hopeful that his current stint on the injured list will only result in a single missed start, as he told MLB.com’s Joe Trezza and other reporters that an MRI on his left biceps didn’t reveal any structural damage, and only minor rotator cuff inflammation. Means has been one of the few bright spots on the pitching front for Baltimore this season, posting a 3.12 ERA over 98 innings and representing the O’s in the All-Star team.
- Sunday’s three-player trade between the Rays and Indians was likely inspired by both a 40-man roster crunch, and July 31 being the new absolute trade deadline this season, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes (Twitter links). Both Hunter Wood and Christian Arroyo were out of options next season, plus the Rays needed to create at least one 40-man roster opening for the newly-acquired Eric Sogard plus any other players they could add in trades before the deadline. Plus, Tyler Glasnow and Anthony Banda need 40-man spots when they’re activated off the 60-day injured list. In past years, the Rays could have dealt with Glasnow and Banda’s situations in August when they were ready to be activated, but this year, they felt the need to act early to create roster space rather than designate the likes of Wood or Arroyo in August and lose them for nothing on a waiver claim. It will be interesting to see if we get more deals of this ilk over the next few days, as teams look to do some roster clearance now since their options are so limited after July 31.
Oh Lordy NOT Diaz!!!! They have enuff Hebrew types in the Blow-pen.
Hebrew types? Get out of here you racist piece of garbage.
You lost the war 1945 pal
I think and hope he meant Hembree.
WOW would that be a mistake on my part. My sincere apologies if that is the case. I hope that is the case.
What makes Diaz a Hembree type though?
Losers. N ty for the apology, appreciated.
Hem Bree not Hebrew, sheesh!!!!
Never heard of the the Hebrew race before
they swear they’re a race though. ask any of them.
“Them”? We’re not an exotic species.
This is a major yikes parade from start to finish
Lol yea so does any genetic test, classic stupid gentile smh must suck to suck
These goyim have no idea what they’re talking about.
I doubt it. Just because a group gets separated and inbred doesn’t make them a separate species.
What a bunch of idiots
His auto correct function might be more racist than he is.
Boy. Sensitive are we much
The return of Archie Bunker.
Lmao!
What team did he play for?
Chicago white sheets
KnicksFan
@beardedface_killah And proud to be a Knicks fan regardless of their situation.
I feel this season will see more 3ways than before
One can hope. Adding a third always makes things more exciting for all those involved.
Ain’t nothing wrong with a 3way tho – can I get an Amen?!
My gf suggested it, but I couldn’t figure out what to do with the cat……
I wonder if the Braves could move a package involving Bryce Wilson,Inciarte & Folty for Iglesias from the Reds
Then put together another package for Givens & Mancini. Say Touki, Wentz & Winkler
Then get Greinke and take back his whole contract while giving them Gohora, Darren O’Day, Kevin Gausman & Sobotka.
Don’t think the Reds for take those offers.
You think the Reds don’t take Wilson, Foley, and Inciarte for Iglesias?
If im reds I take that all day and twice on sunday!!! As a braves fan I approve all these trades including the salary dump for both teams for grienke
The O’s will Take Touki for Mancini and Givens. You don’t even need to include Wentz.
Well, this thread of comments went downhill rapidly. Can we stick to baseball?
Don’t worry. Mets will be happy to trade with the Red Sox if that means the Yankees will be hurt. That’s all that really matters any more.
Red Sox have a way deeper farm than the Yankees anyway.
Is that a joke?
Did you take it as one?
We should!
It wasn’t!!
Not really
I think if they actually trade Diaz to Boston after signing Stroman, Cashman is going to take a ride over to Queens and give the entire mets front office a proper Bronx beat down. Lol.
Would be one of the most spiteful deadlines in my memory between cross-town rivals.
And besides, nobody wants the Brien Taylor show that is Jason Groome (unfortunately. Because his arm was rock and roll in HS). The best prospect they have is Casas. My opinion is he will turn into a Gallo type. Can’t be all that bad? Footnote-Mike Sharawyn used to be lights out in college. Don’t know what he’s been up to, but damn, dude was good.
Was Groome in a bar fight i didn’t hear about?
Also, Surgery has come a long way since the days of Brian Taylor.
Well, if you posting Sox fans are going to argue that Groome, who is recovering from TJ, and this kid Casas vaults the Red Sox above the Yankees farms system, then there is no need to keep trying to convince you of the errors in your judgment….
While the Yankees system is probably middle of the road, to say the Sox system is in the top half is pretty wild!
FWIW, BA just re-ranked them, and the RS are one spot below the NYY.
omg this gonna blow Rocky’s world apart. I’ve also read the Sox are deeper with prospects that have higher ceilings than the Yankees prospects. The word is out on Florial and the shine ain’t what it use to be.
I believe this is what they are refrencing TedYazJimEd
pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/father-of-b…
But I believe the Tommy John is a clearly larger issue.
Anyone who thinks the Mets make moves with other teams for reasons other than making their own organization stronger are nuts. They aren’t trying to hurt the Yankees.
I was thinking that the jays and orioles could make moves to decide the east, but that seems unlikely as well.
I can see the O’s moving Mancini, since one of their best prospects, Montcastle, is, well, Trey Mancini. And Boom-Boom has value as an ever-sought for RH bat, whose limited to 1B, but he’s pretty good there; the mistake is putting him in the OF. They’re hung with Davis; there’s only 2 spots between 1B/DH. And Mancini’s been a pretty solid citizen.
I don’t see the Orioles moving Mancini unless they’ve given up for years to come or like, they package him with Chris Davis as a salary dump in order to give a power deprived team a couple of thumpers. Maybe trade to Kansas for Billy Hamilton and then Kansas tries to lock Mancini up and hopes Alex Gordon, Merriwood, Mancini and Davis create a power house line up, improving KC’s chances but not really altering the Orioles’ fate/trajectory?
I don’t see the Orioles moving Mancini unless they’ve given up for years to come or like,
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Is this not already implied in their business model? Mancini is there for three more seasons.
Right now, Baltimore is #29. And I don’t see any top prospects on the team that will drive them forward over the next three seasons. What do you think they are giving up on in 2022?
We could extend Mancini and make him a building block moving forward. He’s 27 w 3 more years of control. I’d prefer trading him if the offer is sufficient though. But if we’re getring back prospects like Bobby Dalbec, What is the point? I don’t think that interest will be strong enough to bring back anything worthwhile. If that’s the case I’ll just keep Mancini and possibly tack on a 2 year extension. The orioles only have 2 players under contract for next season and beyond. (Davis and Cobb) There’s tons of payroll flexibility.
In all likelihood we deal Givens and Villar which further shrinks any arb raises. Odds are the O’s 2020 payroll maxes out at around 70MM. Which is extremely low.
An extension would start once he crosses the age of 30, so not a building block at the time the O’s become competitive. Doing so would be like the mistake of signing Brian Roberts to an extension over a decade ago. By the time we could compete, he was an underperforming albatross.
I proposed a 2 year extension. That would only take him until he’s 32. He hasn’t made any money yet so he may be agreeable to a 5 year deal this offseason. But like I said, we can deal him if the offer is sufficient. I don’t see any merit in giving him away for prospects like we did last year. I don’t need anymore Luis Ortiz’s/Josh Rogers or Evan Phillips coming in.
What do you mean the O’s are #29? The O’s have the #8 farm system according to the latest rankings from Baseball America. And MLB placed Adley Rutchman, who the O’s just drafted, as the #6 prospect in all of baseball.
He could be ready next year, along with several other of their top prospects.
They’re a ways away for sure, but the future looks a lot brighter than it did a year ago.
Probably meant #29 as far as record goes. We’re only ahead of the Tigers. Who somehow are even worse than the O’s this year. Our farm system is certainly pointing up which is good because there aren’t many ML core players on this team.
Yeah, makes sense. But it’s nearly a miracle the Orioles this year are better than any single other team this year. A few under the radar moves, including dumping their worst starters in Straily and Hess, and they are suddenly playing slightly better than .500 baseball since the All-Star break. The entire organization feels energized and rejuvenated ever since the draft and the team’s roster moves over the past month. The O’s have been fun to watch lately after being beyond bad in May and June.
Yeah, the core young players for the O’s over the next couple seasons are probably mostly still in the minors, especially the pitchers. At the ML level perhaps just John Means and then position players like Mancini and Cisco and maybe Santander, Nunez and one or two others
If we let Nunez play 3B he’ll at least be our stopgap for the next couple seasons. If we don’t I don’t see much of a place for him. Sisco, also will have to move positions to have a long term spot with AR coming up. (2B, maybe?)
I think Santander could be a long term corner OF and Means is probably a mid rotation starter for us moving forward. But other than that I don’t see much on the current Orioles who will be here. Sisco’s D really doesn’t play at catcher and AR’s draft pick all but sealed that. I’m hoping he does slide over to 2B next year. Villar should be gone shortly
29th best record. Once i look at the record, I look at ages. For example, after 2018, SD had the #25 record. But they also had Renfroe, Margot, Reyes, Lucchesi, and Lauer. And top prospects that were real close. You could guess they’d be in the .500 range in a year, maybe .550 in two years, and maybe .575+ in three years.
Baltimore is currently pretty bad, very few players that project to get a lot better (maybe Means?), and no one on the immediate horizon. I’d bet real money that BA finished last in 2020, and would make at least a moderate wager they finish last in 2021.
FWIW, I said the same thing about BA & Machado, as well as TO & Donaldson. And it will be the same as the Tigers with Boyd & Greene. When you are looking at multiple 100-loss seasons, it makes no sense to hold onto any chips you have.
Or, from another perspective, if you like your farm now, think of how much you’d like it had you traded Machado, Britton, O’Day, Gausman, Brach & Givnes when they had peak market value.
But it’s nearly a miracle the Orioles this year are better than any single other team this year.
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FWIW, I am not BA-bashing. You guys have done a lot better than I anticipated. I thought only Mancini and Bundy would have any positive value. I thought you could lose 120.