The Athletics have been in trade talks about some of their more prominent arbitration-eligible players, including former All-Star reliever Blake Treinen. As per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), the Yankees are one of the clubs who have shown interest in a potential deal for the right-hander’s services.
According to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, Treinen is projected to receive a $7.8MM salary in is final year of arb eligibility before free agency. It isn’t a huge raise from the $6.4MM salary Treinen earned in 2019 after beating the Athletics in an arbitration hearing, though since the A’s are always conscious about payroll limitations, it could be more than the team is willing to spend after Treinen’s performance dropped off last season.
Granted, some level of regression was almost inevitable given the outstanding nature of Treinen’s 2018 work. The righty posted an 0.78 ERA, 51.9% grounder rate, and 4.76 K/BB rate while striking out 100 batters in 80 1/3 innings of work. While there was some batted-ball luck involved, ERA predictors (1.82 FIP, 2.42 xFIP, 2.46 SIERA) still indicated an elite level of performance in Treinen’s first full year as Oakland’s closer.
Things turned sour in 2019, however, as Treinen posted a 4.91 ERA, 42.8% grounder rate, and 1.59 K/BB rate over 58 2/3 innings. As compared to 2018, Treinen had big spikes in his walk rate (2.4 BB/9 to 5.7 BB/9) and homer rate (0.2 HR/9 to 1.4 HR/9), and batters made far more solid contact (.236 xwOBA to .334 xwOBA). Injuries surely played a role, as Treinen missed a couple of weeks due to a shoulder strain and then was shut down in late September after pitching with stress reaction in his back for the better part of a month.
Still, these recent health issues also surely aren’t helpful for the A’s in evaluating whether or not to spend a big chunk of their payroll space on a reliever who pitched at a sub-replacement level last season. Roster Resource projects the A’s at a 2020 payroll of just under $111.3MM, which would be well over the team’s franchise high of approximately $101.4MM at the end of the 2016 season.
While it can be assumed that the Athletics would be open to spending more than usual to take the next step on a roster that has reached the AL Wild Card game in each of the last two years, quite a bit of extra space could be freed up if Oakland were to trade or non-tender Treinen, Jurickson Profar ($5.8MM arb projection) and/or Josh Phegley ($2.2MM). Despite Treinen’s projected salary and his rough 2019, his 2018 performance is fresh enough in teams’ minds that finding a trade partner seems feasible for the A’s before Monday’s non-tender deadline.
It isn’t any surprise that the Yankees are among the teams who have come calling, given their reliance on a loaded bullpen in recent years. If Treinen can find even a middle ground between his 2018 and 2019 numbers, he’d be yet another fearsome addition within New York’s already-strong collection of Aroldis Chapman, Adam Ottavino, Zack Britton, Chad Green, and Tommy Kahnle, not to mention the plethora of other interesting young arms in the mix. In theory, Treinen would be replacing free agent Dellin Betances, though the Yankees already went virtually the entire season without any contributions from Betances during an injury-ravaged year for the right-hander.
Though the Yankees have some payroll concerns of their own in terms of the luxury tax, Treinen’s $7.8MM figure isn’t an overly exorbitant sum, plus some money could be sent back Oakland’s way in the form of another player’s salary. Beyond just a pure salary dump, it would be interesting to see what sort of creative deal could be swung between two clubs that figure to be contending for the American League pennant next season. Billy Beane and Brian Cashman have swung a few interesting trades during their long tenures running their respective front offices, perhaps most notably the July 2017 swap that sent Sonny Gray to New York for a three-prospect package.
Cashman has a fetish for bullpen arms at this point
Not a bad fetish to have.
A fetish for top of the rotation arms would have served them better the last few years
is there a need for a RHP bullpen arm, especially an expensive one? The Yankees are stacked with them. Obviously another top end starter is a bigger need.
I speculate that they’re going to trade Happ and eat a sizeable portion of his salary. If it’s not Cole or Strasburg, they’re going to get someone second-tier.
I hope every team indulges in his fetish as it’s a big part of what got team into winning 100+ games.
But the Nats….
Yeah, what is he doing? Is he playing real baseball or head to head categories?
NOT THE YANKEES. PLEASE GOD NOT THE YANKEES.
Horrible’19 season. Too much money for a RP
already shown to be erratic
He’d be a good fit for the Cubs. Maybe Albert Almora for Treinen and a decent prospect (since it’s a one year rental)?
Almora has no value. Stop it.
I’ll trade you a dirty pair of used socks for Almora, that’s about all I’m giving up for him
Do the Yankees realize that there are actually pitchers who start games and not just come in at the end??? Because it would be very beneficial for them to start signing the ones who start the games
You’re going to be in for a long off-season if you are going to fret over every rumor involving the Yankees.
And it will be a long time until the Yankees win a word series if they keep ignoring their lack of starting pitching
I’m pretty sure Cashman knows what their needs are.
People said that at the trade deadline and look what happened there…….
yea people were asking for Ace level returns for guys who were mid rotation arms (Robby Ray, Matthew Boyd) at best.
You sure? They haven’t won anything in a while.
They just couldn’t overcome Houston’s cheating.
It didn’t seem to bother the nationals. Who actually had good starting pitching
Absolutely true 7448–though diller is a whiner and needs something to fixate on when his zipper is down.
Kind of funny that the Astro’s, the team with all the starting pitchers didn’t win a World Series with it AND we now know would NOT have made it out of the ALCS without their cheating band and laser light show.
Look the Yanks and Rays lead the majors in relief innings last year and both made the playoffs with the Yanks winning over 100 games. They must be doing something right!
If you consider just making the post season a success your probably a rays fan. To us Yankees fans its winning it all or nothing. This team has needed an ace for at least a decade and if most of us fans see it why is it so hard for ownership to see it. I understand they now only care about making money which is so disrespectful to the bosses memory coming from his son but you would figure someone with a masters in business administration would know that if the team is winning the world series us fans would buy more merchandise and keep the stadium full all the time.
As long as you don’t count CC, Tanaka or Kuroda.
I don’t buy in to this silly notion that it’s WS trophy or bust. It’s great PR for sure to keep fans interested (aka buying tickets). Flags fly forever.
I could see them getting Treinen then dealing Chad Green as part of a deal for a starter.
Oakland pitchers haven’t fared too well the past few years coming to the Yankees
You only have sonny gray that hasn’t done well in the past years. Other former a’s pitchers were not very good that pitched there. Question is what would the Yanks offer for him? Must be some player in A ball.
Frazier and Andujar?
Both are DH’s.
Whoosh
A’s would not even get 1 of those for him. Also A’s have no where to play either one since they have 2 of the best corner infielders and a power hitting DH.
A’s would not even get 1 of those for him. Also A’s have no where to play either one since they have 2 of the best corner infielders and a power hitting DH.
A 2 for 1 isn’t going to work based on his 2019 stats….Yankees aren’t going to give away player pieces in multiple player trades as in this proposal.
Andujar would likely get y0u a far better player in return than him just based on the hope Andujar returns to his rookie year form.
If Billy asked Cashman for Frazier or Andújar. Cashman would/should hang up
True. Karsay, cadaret, and plunk were awhile ago, but all seemed to be better when they were in Oakland
All 3 were at the end of their careers when traded to yanks.
Profar, Phegley, and Treinen could realistically all be fits for NYY
All three for Florial 🙂
Lol no
When will Cashman give up his obsession with bullpen arms. I’m sick of hearing Yankees have the best bullpen in all of baseball year after year, when clearly the problem is we have five number three starters and not one single Ace. Please don’t bring up Severino as an Ace. No Gerrit Cole no WS Championship plain and simple.
The Astros had Gerrit Cole and didn’t win a championship.
“No Gerrit Cole no WS Championship plain and simple.”
You literally wrote that after Cole didn’t win a title on a VASTLY superior team to the Yankees. Typical clueless NYY fan, you guys should be banned from the internet you add nothing other than stupidity.
There are no guarantees in baseball. An ace like Cole is the big hole on the Yankees team and would vastly improve their WS odds imo.
Also imo the Astros were the better team than the nationals and if they replayed the WS a dozen times, I’d put money on the stros winning the majority of the time. But that’s the magic of baseball and being hot at the right time, the “better” team doesn’t always win
What an anti-social, ignorant, Yankee-hating arse you are Strike Four. You are the one who should be banned from comment boards.
Hold it right there. Gerrit Cole would definitely improve the Yankees chances of winning the World Series, but they would still need more because one player does not make a team.
So the Phillies are falling over themselves to spend stupid money on Betances. Meanwhile, the Yankees – that know him inside and out – are looking at reviving a broken down Treinen.
After 3-1/2 years of the rebuild that wasn’t, the Phillies are determined to bring back the days of Rubén Amaro, Jr.!
LOL
Betances would never go back to the Yankees. They treated him like garbage and he remembers. Besides, what free agent would go to the Yankees after they tried to take money from Ellsbury?
Do you believe any of this?
Ellsbury is shakedown artist. He collected a boatload of money to do nothing for 3yrs. Yankees should take him to the cleaners
Ellsbury had non-baseball-related treatments at an unauthorized facility without clearing said treatments with his employer, hence he violated the terms of his contract. The Yankees have every right to withhold payment until a judge tells them otherwise.
Why should Ellsbury get paid for not doing his job when, by several reports, the unauthorized treatments he received directly correlated with his inability to perform the essential functions of that job?
What are you talking about they paid him 7 million last year and he didn’t even pitch!
Amaro’s problem was that hung on to declining aging veterans longer than he should have.
If the Yankees make that trade and find out Blake’s arm is made of Crystal, it will hurt the Dynasty.
What dynasty?
The “one championship in 20 years” dynasty.
If you’re going back 20 years then they have won 3 championships.
2001-present + destroying the game by hoarding all the free agents = 1 title
Melchez: 3 in 20 years. Get your facts straight.
One in 18 years. Get yours straight.
Selective timeline Butch779988. 8 WS titles in my lifetime. 4 in the 90’s alone. I’ll take it. How ’bout your team?
The one with John Forsythe, Linda Evans, and Joan Collins. Or are you from Dallas?
Billy Crystal?
He’s bringing the MLT sandwiches.
LOL
Cardinals and Mozeliak have no interest in anyone but Eddie Bauer and Sam Cavato.
Perfect opportunity for the Braves to package Ender Inciarte, Shane Greene,Alex Jackson & Bryce Wilson to the Yanks & ask back Miguel Andujar & Clint Frazier. Yanks replace Betances with Greene, fill the void at CF, get a #3 Catcher, plus add to the Farm for 2 players they don’t really plan on using. Now the Yanks can go after Strasburg & the Braves can go get Bumgardner
Ender Inciarte
Maybe a Mexican league team. Doesn’t hit enough for Korea or Japan.
Lolol@ that ridiculous trade proposal. Inciarte is garbage and so is Greene.
braves4life1, that’s a terrible deal for the Yankees. Why take on Inciarte when cheap outfielders that can hold down the fort until Hicks comes back are easy to find. We already have Tauchman and could easily resign guys like Gardner or Maybin if necessary.
Alex Jackson isn’t going to move the needle. Greene and Wilson are the only players even remotely interesting in the deal and I wouldn’t waste Frazier or Andujar to get either one.
I’d waste Frazier to get Greene. Rather have Greene than Treinen.
Why don’t the Yankees just resign Betances
I guess it’s possible, but Betances is going to be 32, he has pitched a lot the past 6 years – minus 2019, of course – and has a bone spur in his shoulder, plus he suffered a partial achilles tear. I think he’s too much of risk, just like Robertson was last winter. They look like geniuses letting go of Robertson. I believe they feel Betances ‘ best days are behind him.
Oh boy!! Cashman has found his next shiny toy for his million(s) dollar bullpen. Must be nice to window shop throughout MLB with no thought towards the budget.
We’ll see if they top the Red Sox’s $246MM record in 2018 when they literally bought the WS.
@phamdownbytheriver
You obviously haven’t been paying attention to the Yankees for a handful of years now, if you think that they aren’t budget conscious. Hal’s Yankees are definitely NOT George’s Yankees. They have been OVERLY budget conscious for years now.
The A’s leaned way too heavily on Treinen in 2018 and for that matter 2019 when it was obvious something wasn’t right.
Of all the places where he can turn back into some shadow of himself from 2018 not sure New York is it.
I’d rather Oakland hang onto Treinen than give him to NYY. But they can have Phegley and Profar.
A’s need to put the blinders on with everybody but Chapman Olson and Semien. If they can get all extended to multiyear deals they can mix and match role players and Treinen Phegley Profar even Canha Pinder and Grossman could turn into lottery tickets that may turn into better players down the road.
You’re basically going to have $70-$80M locked into those three players plus Davis so you have $20-$25M for everybody else and I don’t see how you can let Bassitt Manaea and Hendriks go.
What I expect the Yankees to do just slap a quick 5-5 fix on things. Sign CC he can go 3 innings and get you about 5 wins.
Sabathia is retired.
G Cole is the only thing you should be looking at Yankees. As a matter of fact you should have already sent out a contract offer and have him signed but this is just anoter smoke and mirror Yankee diversion.
New York Yankees – Believe it when you see it cuz it’s most likley smoke and mirrors or one big diversion for their fans.
He was sub-replacement level and he is projected to get over a 20% raise!!?? I will never understand the arbitration system…..
Not a good deal for the Yankees…not a glaring weakness and the price tag does not fit his limited success
Don’t be fooled Cashman is hunting bigger game as in Cole, Strasburg, Mad Bum, or Wheeler.
Trienen and Profar for Wade and Tarpley
I’d rather have Wade than Profar.
Teams with large budgets should jump at the opportunity to add Treinen. I would love for the Yankees to see if Matt Blake could “fix” his issues. I would still prefer to resign Betances and flex our financial muscles. At this point, why not both?
Rather resign Betances, he has more upside!
Rather resign Betances, he has more upside!
Don’t trade ‘em! I feel a bounce-back post injuries!