Here’s a recap of some of the biggest moves made by American League teams on what ended up being a very busy day of trade deadline action…
Astros Add Arms: It was no surprise that Houston was looking to acquire starting pitching, but the Astros struck the day’s biggest trade just minutes before the 3pm CT deadline, acquiring Zack Greinke from the Diamondbacks for a four-prospect package. While the Astros gave up some of their best minor leaguers to make the deal happen, the idea of a Greinke/Justin Verlander/Gerrit Cole trio atop the rotation (and, of course, the idea of another World Series trophy) was just too tempting for GM Jeff Luhnow to pass up.
If that wasn’t enough, the Astros also picked up right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini from the Blue Jays, with minor league outfielder Cal Stevenson also coming to Houston while Derek Fisher went to Toronto. Biagini’s addition will bolster the relief corps while Sanchez will add even more depth to what now looks like a truly fearsome rotation, though Sanchez could potentially also be used out of the bullpen down the stretch. Finally, the Astros acquired a familiar face behind the plate to help guide these new pitchers, sending Tony Kemp to the Cubs for catcher Martin Maldonado in what marks the second straight year the Astros have traded for Maldonado at the deadline.
Twins Land Sam Dyson: After adding Sergio Romo earlier in the week, Minnesota continued to augment its bullpen by acquiring Dyson from the Giants for three low-level prospects. While relief pitching was a need, the Twins arguably needed just as much help in the rotation, yet the club couldn’t land a starter despite talks with multiple teams about some very notable names.
Athletics Trade For Tanner: While the A’s are still counting on some of their young arms to return from the injured list and make an impact on the postseason race, Oakland supplemented its rotation with a veteran in Tanner Roark. The Athletics got Roark and $2.1MM in cash considerations for outfielder Jameson Hannah. Despite a pretty solid year in Cincinnati, Roark was something of an odd man out after the Reds picked up Trevor Bauer on Tuesday, and the A’s pounced on the opportunity to add a rental player to their starting mix.
The Rays’ Shuffle Continues: Tampa Bay continued to be one of the deadline season’s most active teams, facing the need to both add reinforcements for the wild card chase and also pare down some names from a forthcoming 40-man roster crunch. To this end, the Rays picked up the right-handed bat they had been seeking in Jesus Aguilar, landing the former All-Star first baseman from the Brewers in exchange for righty Jake Faria. Another deal with the Marlins also saw the Rays bolster their their injury-riddled rotation with a regular starting pitcher (Trevor Richards) and also add a young and controllable reliever (Nick Anderson), though these adds came at a steep cost — top outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez and erstwhile “opener” Ryne Stanek are headed to Miami. In other moves, the Rays sent Adam Kolarek to the Dodgers and, in a swap of minor leaguers, outfielder Joe McCarthy to the Giants.
Rangers And ChiSox Swing A Deal: The White Sox and Rangers combined on an interesting under-the-radar trade that saw Nate Jones and $1MM in international bonus pool funds head to Texas in exchange for two minor league pitchers. The deal may have been more about the int’l signing money in the short term for the Rangers, though Jones could help the club next season if he gets healthy. From Chicago’s perspective, the Pale Hose save some money in getting the oft-injured Jones’ contract off the books.
The Rebuild Continues In Detroit… Matt Boyd, Shane Greene, and Nick Castellanos were the three biggest trade chips on the Tigers’ plate, and while the controllable Boyd is staying put, Greene and Castellanos were shipped out. The Tigers acquired minor league outfielder Travis Demeritte and lefty Joey Wentz from the Braves for Greene, and Castellanos went to the Cubs for two more young arms in Paul Richan and Alex Lange.
…and in Seattle… After weeks of speculation, the Mariners finally dealt Mike Leake, sending the right-hander to the Diamondbacks for prospect Jose Caballero. The M’s will also eat roughly $12.66MM of Leake’s remaining salary (through the 2020 season) in the trade. Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland also departed the Emerald City, going to the Nationals in a pair of trades that netted the Mariners three minor league pitchers.
…and in Baltimore… The Orioles found a taker for the recently-outrighted Dan Straily, as the Phillies acquired the struggling right-hander.
…and in Toronto: In addition to the aforementioned Sanchez/Biagini deal with the Astros, the Blue Jays also sent Daniel Hudson to the Nationals for high-A ball right-hander Kyle Johnston. The Jays were such clear deadline sellers that it’s also worth noting who they didn’t trade, as veterans Justin Smoak and Freddy Galvis are still with the team. Ken Giles received some late buzz, though as expected, the closer’s elbow problem all but erased his trade candidacy.
The Quiet Deadlines: The Yankees and Red Sox almost entirely stood pat, so the arch-rivals will head down the stretch with major question marks still remaining on the pitching front. Boston’s acquisition of Andrew Cashner two weeks will mark its only noteworthy new arm of the summer, while the Yankees were linked to virtually every pitcher on the market but came away empty-handed. New York is still one of the league’s best teams simply by dint of its incredible lineup and bullpen, though the Astros’ big pitching additions stand in stark contrast to how the Yankees didn’t address their most prominent weakness.
The Angels were another team with a need in the rotation, though since the Halos are only on the fringes of the playoff race, they opted not to make any big moves and only added backup catcher Max Stassi from the Astros. The rebuilding Royals and Orioles also stayed quiet on Wednesday, while the Indians took it easy after their huge three-team blockbuster on Tuesday.
Greinke to astros…quite a trio of starters. I would think they’re favorites to win WS.
Yeah. The light from screwed wouldn’t even hit the Yankees until the year 4000 in regards to winning a WS this year.
scarfish… English much?
Still can’t believe the Yankees didn’t add a starting pitcher
I have said the these three things for the past couple of years. You would think the fan base would be prepared for this, but each time it must annoy the base.
@jakec77 Why trade for another relief pitcher just to seem busy? We have a 25 man roster and several guys that are coming off the IL soon. We have to find space for Betances, Severino and Paxton. There’s also Montgomery I assume too. No need to get a guy just to get him. We have plenty of depth in the bullpen.
As for others how do we know that the Jays even wanted to trade him to a AL East team? We know Strowman wanted to be a Yankee but I doubt the Yanks would’ve passed unless the ask was too outrageous. Do you acquiesce to every trade proposal just to look busy? I’m not convinced the Mets (Syndegard) or Giants (BumG) were serious about moving either. I think the Mets were gauging the trade value for Thor and if traded, it will likely be this off-season. Would not be shocked if the Giants resign BumB too.
I hate looking like a homer when it comes to Cash but it isn’t exactly fair to grade Cash simply because he didn’t get anyone without knowing what he was willing to part with or if the other team wanted our package vs the competitors. It’s completely possible that the Yanks may have put Frazier, Garcia, Florial, etc on the table and maybe some other team simply had players they preferred. I guess with my line of work I have a perspective of how deals get done in an open market. Scouts can fall in love with a player they may have wanted to draft and maybe now haw a shot to get him. Scouts don’t care about a top 100 list. Half the teams might see Garcia as an elite SP and some might see his ceiling as a dominant relief pitcher.
Yanks offered Robinson Cano in the trade to get Arod. The A’s said no and asked for some guy named Jaquin Arias. It isn’t as simple as some ppl think. It takes two to tango and no one is looking to do the Yanks a favor especially rivals. . .
I’ll say it again, the Reds found a way to get a frontline starter.
I don’t pass on any opportunity to bash the NYY, but their biggest need is an ace. Greinke comes closest, but might’ve had the EE on his no-trade list.
The rest of it is just shuffling papers. At that price, Stroman made sense for the NYY, but TO probably had a higher price to trade him within the division.
Yeah, but anyone could’ve landed Bauer, if they were willing to pay enough. There is no glory in simply obtaining a player. The real gold is getting him cheap.
Bob Klapisch tweeted that the Mets were willing to trade Stroman to the Yankees for Estevan Florial and Deivi Garcia, but the Yankees declined. As a Mets fan I would have done that deal, but I’m perfectly happy the club help onto Stroman.
From the Yankee perspective, it was a steep ask insofar as Garcia is a hot prospect that numerous teams wanted. Florial’s stock has dropped, so that also impacts the overall value. There would be near zero consideration for a rental, but Stroman has another arb year. I don’t blame Cashman for not taking that offer, but if he did take it, there is an argument that you get Stroman for two playoff runs and the Yankees are stacked everywhere else but starters.
The Indians were not trading Bauer to the Yanks, and Greinke was not coming to NY either.
I know teams wanted an overpay, but it’s still frustrating. Very upsetting
I’m surprised that they did nothing. Even if th high end starters were too expensive, you’d have thought they would have at least added a reliever or swingman type to increase their depth.
There was no one for them to add. The Blue Jays for some reason took a lesser offer for Stroman, they didn’t have enough for Bauer, the Mets weren’t giving up their pitchers without a completely ridiculous haul, Bumgarner wasn’t going anywhere, Greinke wants no part of New York and Robbie Ray was laughably expensive. Who was there for them to get?
The Blue Jays are supposedly in love with Richardson and have been since the ’18 draft, so they took a lesser package to get him. I agree with you about the Mets…per Bob Klapisch the ask was Florial and Garcia for Stroman. There can be arguments on both sides if a likely overpay would still be worth it.
I have no idea what Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays are doing. I hope it works out and some of these guys turn out better than expected. The Fisher deal is the biggest head scratcher for me. Maybe they see something in him that others don’t.
When I first read of the “3-fer” the Astros got for Fisher, I thought the website had crashed…..I’m not sure Fisher is worth Stevenson, never mind the two pitchers. I realize there’s money considerations, but (a) Biangini is a not-useless reliever and (b) I’m sure if they picked up some coin, somebody would have nibbled on Sanchez; he’s always enticed.
Frankly, makes no sense at all…..
With all the talk about “control”, Blue Jays had control with Biagini until 2022. Nobody in the media called them out on that.
Fisher has talent, just needs to play everyday. However it’s doubtful he’ll be better than Brantley and Springer. Tucker has higher upside. So he really didn’t have a spot. But the guy has all the tools if he ever puts it all together.
I couldn’t believe it. I wish the RS had pulled off that trade. Like Bob said, a not-useless RP, and a decent lottery ticket in Sanchez.
Also, they had an opportunity to demote Sanchez and extend his control. I can’t believe that acquiring Fiser makes more sense than demoting Sanchez and hoping he fixes himself.
Good article. Shane Greene isn’t an impending Free Agent, but other than that, very nice.
Really surprised Smoak didn’t move. Atkins was ready to take nothing. He would have been a great help in NY while Voit mends.
When you are that focused on adding Fisher at any cost, the other deals are tough to consummate.
Same with Giles even with been injured. Also Billy Hamilton,Danny Duffy,Givens,Mancani,Colume,Minor,Lynn,Pence,Drury,Seager,Domingo Santana,Bundy and so on.
Danny Duffy wasn’t for sale anyway. Eric Skoglund, the only other lefty starter on the 40 man is a shell of his former self in AAA. Plus Danny used #BuryMeARoyal a lot on Twitter before he deleted his Twitter account.
Even in a rebuild, teams still play 162 games. You don’t automatically stop playing games just because you’re not in contention. We were only selling off one year contracts anyway.
After missing the boat on moving Smoak two deadlines in a row plus last offseason nobody should be surprised. Not moving Galvis 3 weeks ago was another miss. If Blue Jays fans were serious about a regime change they’d shut the TV off, cancel the extra Sportsnet channels and never buy a ticket until ownership takes a hit.
Wow, Jesus Sanchez is a top OF prospect….at 44 years old!?
Frasier will be there soon if he doesn’t get away from the Yankees.
Actually, he’s 21 years-old.
So the Red Sox farm system is worse than people on here thought given what most teams obtained in trades.
I don’t think it had anything to do with the farm and everything to do with the luxury tax. I’m happy they didn’t do anything crazy.
It’s hard to be happy about doing nothing, but that’s the reality. Unless Sale & Price start pitching like they can, we could’ve added Vazquez, Diaz & Smith to our BP, and it would’ve been meaningless.
And, imho, we should’ve been selling big time. Eat something close to 100% of Porcello’s salary would’ve netted a prospect (before last night’s game). JDM would’ve gotten us a prospect, plus salary relief. I’d have listened on everyone but Sale, ERod, Workman, Barnes, Devers, Bogaerts, Chavis, and Vazquez.
The Brewers are a great team but once again fail to come away with an ace in Madison Bumgarner. How embarrassing that they trade for starter Drew Polmeranz. They were 1 win away from a World Series last year. They still are missing a number one. Heck they could have even tried to require Greinke.
They probably did try, but their farm system was no match for Houston’s. Not even close, really.
But also in NL and this is about AL Teams. Rangers,White Sox,Orioles,Mariners and so on could of Traded others to.
When their no.3 or 4 prospect (depending on the source) gets you Pomeranz and Ray Black your options are limited. With Hiura up at the major league level, they only have one prospect in the top 100. To get Bumgarner it would have probably required their two best prospects at least even with him being a rental. Not much they can do now but try and work with what they have
brewers would Never be able to take on that contract, not completely anyway. They are the smallest MLB market after all.
WHAT ABOUT CLEVELAND? how can they be written off: they are stronger now then they were a week ago and are slated to get 2 starting pitchers back… And as a Twins fan I fear what they did.
You should. The Astros won the “tournament”, but the Indians were there until the buzzer. It was bold, it was unique…..it was also quite brilliant.
I’m still in shock from all the Astros moves. I’m not high on the prospects they gave up. Fisher had no where to go, spare part. JB Bukauskas is probably a closer or late inning RP, Beer is a non-athlete, bat first 1b, Martin has serious maturity/mettle issues (plus TJ) and Rojas is ready for the show but probably won’t be a premium player in the bigs… assuming Arizona takes on the deferrals (which I believe they are), astros set themselves up very well through 2021 today.
I like it both ways. I think the Astros have set themselves up as the power in the AL. But AZ, in 6 months, have remade themselves from a 3-4 rebuild, to a team that might be wildcard bound as soon as a year.
Correction: Shane Greene is not a pending free agent. He has a year left of arbitration eligibility.
It’s atrocious. Say anything you want about “not overpaying,” but when your best long-term starting pitchers over the last decade have been CC Sabathia and… nobody, fans have the right to be angry. They sign mediocrity in the offseason. They make no moves at the deadline. Totally frustrated by the Yankees. Their starting pitching is embarrassing, and that was way before this past week.
Yea who wants to win the World Series in 2019 anyway.
Isn’t the “overpay” spending hundreds of millions to come up short? Not giving up an extra prospect?
It’s like buying a 100 acre estate and building a 6,000 square foot mansion on it but then deciding the roof is too expensive, go without it.
Astros v LA World Series. HOU in 6
Blue Jays had a garage sale and everything was buy one get three free. As a bonus, free prospects or free cash with every purchase!
I’d be inclined to trash Cashman, except that I really wonder if the total meltdown amongst all the starters didn’t raise other team’s asks while at the same time telling Cashman one guy wasn’t going to be a difference maker. Their starters, plural, need to be better.
At first glance, it appears that the Rays paid a heavy price for two pitchers who don’t have great numbers. SP Trevor Richards (below average) and RP Nick Anderson (old for a rookie). OF Jesus Sanchez seems to be overhyped and doesn’t look great in AAA while the Rays may be selling high on P Ryan Stanek who is injured and his unorthoox usage may be propping up his ERA.
The deadline is the worst time to try and get players, most teams overpay. The draft can be the best for lower level teams, and winter trades seem to be the best way to obtain players. Deadline and free agency are big gambles that usually don’t work out. Houston seems to be the best at it, and their addition of Greinke was stellar. I don’t see the Bauer or Stroman moves paying off for teams that need too much help. Maybe they can be flipped next year at the deadline.
The deadline is the worst time to try and get players, most teams overpay. The draft can be the best for lower level teams, and winter trades seem to be the best way to obtain players. Deadline and free agency are big gambles that usually don’t work out. Houston seems to be the best at it, and their addition of Greinke was stellar. I don’t see the Bauer or Stroman moves paying off for teams that need too much help. Maybe they can be flipped next year at the deadline.