The Red Sox have made a significant addition to the lineup, announcing the acquisition of corner outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the Nationals. Pitching prospect Aldo Ramirez is headed back to Washington in return. To create 40-man roster space, Boston designated reliever Brandon Workman for assignment.
It’s the continuation of a rapid sell-off for the Nationals, who were straddling the line between buying and selling as recently as last week. A recent run of poor play has made their direction clear, with Washington moving a series of veterans in rapid succession. No move was bigger than the reported Max Scherzer – Trea Turner blockbuster with the Dodgers, of course. But Washington has also traded reliever Brad Hand and Schwarber today, and it seems there’s more on the horizon. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported this evening the Nats are also fielding offers on reliever Daniel Hudson, utilityman Josh Harrison and potentially on catcher Yan Gomes.
Schwarber is currently on the 10-day injured list on account of a right hamstring strain. It seems he’s still a couple weeks away from returning, but he was on an absolute tear before he went down. The 28-year-old won the National League Player of the Month award in June after blasting a league-best sixteen home runs. Thanks largely to that incredible run, Schwarber’s amidst the best season of his career. The left-handed hitting slugger has a .253/.340/.570 line (138 wRC+) with 25 homers across 303 plate appearances.
That level of play certainly warranted Washington’s $10MM investment in Schwarber last offseason. He’s playing the 2021 campaign on a $7MM salary, with around $2.4MM still to be paid through the end of the season. Schwarber is also guaranteed a $3MM buyout on an $11MM mutual option covering the 2022 campaign. Mutual options are rarely exercised by both parties, so the Sox are likely to view Schwarber as a rental acquisition. The midseason trade rules out any chance that Schwarber’s tagged with a qualifying offer this winter.
Schwarber has primarily been a corner outfielder over the course of his career, but it’s possible the Red Sox front office views him as a potential solution for their subpar first base situation. While he’s never played the position in the major leagues, it would be a surprise if he didn’t see some time there in Boston.
The Sox have gotten good work from Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe in the corner outfield this year. Either of those players are capable of kicking over to center field in a pinch, but with top prospect Jarren Duran now in the big leagues, it seems likely there’ll be some days where Schwarber lines up at first with that trio manning the grass. Obviously, J.D. Martinez has the designated hitter spot spoken for.
However Alex Cora decides to manage his roster, there’s no question Boston’s making an offensive upgrade. The Red Sox hold a modest 1.5 game lead in the American League East over the Rays, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and the front office continue to explore other acquisitions in the coming hours.
Neither team made mention of cash considerations, so it seems as though the Red Sox will assume the remainder of the money owed to Schwarber. That’s a rather significant development, as taking on the prorated portion of Schwarber’s $10MM luxury tax hit puts the Sox near the $210MM CBT threshold. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource estimates Boston’s current luxury number at just below $214MM. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, however, reports the Red Sox are “scraping” the tax threshold but haven’t yet exceeded it. Speier suggests the club is exploring deals that might eventually take them over that mark, particularly as part of an ongoing effort to bolster the pitching staff.
In exchange for Schwarber, the Nationals pick up a promising young arm in the lower levels of the system. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs immediately slotted Ramirez as the #8 prospect in the organization. Over the offseason, Longenhagen wrote that the righty had a velocity spike that pushed his high-spin fastball into the low 90’s. Ramirez has a good changeup and advanced control, and he’s performed well this season. The 21-year-old has tossed 31 innings of 2.03 ERA ball in Low-A, striking out a decent 24.6% of opponents with a minuscule 6.2% walk rate.
The Schwarber acquisition ends Workman’s second stint with the Red Sox. Signed to a minor league deal after being cut loose by the Cubs, the right-hander tossed 18 innings of 3.50 ERA ball with Boston. His peripherals didn’t support that level of run prevention, though, as Workman has issued fourteen walks while striking out thirteen. It’s possible he’s traded before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline, but it seems likelier he’ll wind up on the waiver wire. If he clears waivers, Workman would have the right to elect free agency.
Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Red Sox were acquiring Schwarber. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Ramirez’s inclusion.
Sheesh nice trade
I thought he was to be a San Francisco Giant. Man, it looks like the Giants were not able to acquire Scherzer and now Schwarber. Let’s see what Zaidi does now.
Not looking for a lefty thank you…. Move along…. Kris Bryant though …. ?
The price for Bryant should be dropping as so many teams have traded away prospects there can’t be that many still in in Bryant.
Crazy scenario that could work for the giants with some much money coming if the books after this year how and the Giants take Jason Heyward back this should require little prospect return and Heyward can still play a good right field
Dropping? As other players come off the market? No. His price is going up as teams like get more desperate.
Giants need right handed hitting.
Luke Voit?
Have faith Zaidi will push the right buttons. He’s basically waited for Trevor Story’s demand to plummet, with the Yanks now out of the bidding and the Brewers set with Escobar, he might be able to snag him for super cheap
Story/Gray with a side of Daniel Hudson would be ok. Bryant would be nice but not for Bart.
Berrios seems like a long shot with the AL East teams super interested in him.
Baseball 1600- You are definitely right. I’m also waiting to see that the Phillies do. They are likely to make some moves. I don’t expect much from my team and I don’t blame them because we are 9.5 games back from first place.
Phillies recent play (4-6) makes me think they won’t be doing much of anything. They need a complete rebuikd, but they have the wrong GM for that. I’m hoping for a massive splash one way or the other, but all seems quiet. They don’t really have much to trade.
The Padres were reported to be aggressively going after Berrios prior to the Scherzer reports. I would assume they would be back on that horse, but after the rumor whirlpool today, who knows?
VonPurpleHayes- Their rebuild was a failed no disrespect to all the Phillies fans. I also like the Phillies. Thankfully, they have an owner who invest in the team, but otherwise that team would not be in good shape right now. Although, they have an easy schedule and who knows they might get to the playoff.
Phillies came out of their rebuild weak. They don’t have a lot to sell for prospects. The east is winnable. They just need a starter or 2 and couple relievers. Anderson would have been great. Still plenty of pitching out there. Have to give up some rookie ball and A guys. Hope the Giants Padres win the west and or Padres Giants knock out Dodgers in wild card game.
YourDreamGM – I agree with you, but i’m not so sure about Anderson because his ERA is a bit concerning to me and he has allowed like 16 home runs this season.
They had more than 1 rebuild and they all failed.
@Francys01 Anderson had one start that he wasn’t on and the bullpen was beat so he was left in to eat up innings and gave up 8 or 9 runs.
Only stat that matters is 18 starts this year and he went at least 5 innings all 18 times. 15 of those starts he gave up 3 runs or less. If your bats can’t win games with that pitching you might as well have a fire sale and forget about playoffs.
YourDreamGM- You’re right.
@VonPurpleHayes They should have never signed Harper to that ridiculous deal. They have limited pitching. I said since day 1 Phillies are probably the most .500 team in baseball and that’s proving to be true.
The Giants are ahead of their rebuild. I’m sure Zaidi is going to be careful about prospect costs. He isn’t going to overpay. He was good at finding players when he was with the Dodgers, I’m sure he will keep doing that.
Ahead of their rebuild? There guys are all over 30 and free agents at the end of the year. You’ll be starting from scratch next year.
More reason to hold onto their prospects. They have like $100 million coming of the books next year.
Yes, exactly what you described,therefore they are ahead of their rebuild.
He better have something up his sleeve after missing out on everyone who has moved so far! Like I said before hope giants don’t dumpster dive
You gotta be willing to give up value & Giants always seem unwilling to trade good prospects. We’ll see very soon!
Damnit. Wanted the Ms to scoop
We need a RHH. Ms are left heavy.
We need a bat. Period.
Maybe they can Schoop instead. Maroons!
Good luck with that. I wouldn’t count Schoop as a serious upgrade offensively over anyone. He’s had some pretty mediocre seasons.
This honestly has the chance to be a much better pick-up than Rizzo
No its not. He is a strikeout machine
Any team will take the strikeouts if he can keep producing a .900+ OPS.
Considering the Yankees just traded for Gallo I doubt either team cares about players striking out too much
More and more teams endure strikeouts for homeruns. Oakland has been doing this for years… Moneyball 2.0.
He’s both. He’s the streakiest player in baseball. Either he’s hitting bombs or striking out, but what he is most of all is a platoon hitter. You can’t play him vs lefties.
As of 9/27/21, Schwarber is hitting .265 against both lefties and righties. His average vs. lefty starters is better than his average vs. righty starters. His power numbers are predominantly vs. righties but that is not a surprise. But “You can’t play him vs lefties” is one of the most uninformed statements I have seen in print this season.
KS. AR
BA .253 .248
OBP . 340 .346
SLG .570 .446
OPS .910 .792
If he can play 1st base
Here a question sox trade for hosmer?
Don’t think so, his contact is an obstacle.
@anthony c Hell no. Hosmer is washed up and overpaid. Bloom wouldn’t invest in him.
Schwarber will be playing left field with Boston. It should work out fine, he doesn’t have to cover a lot of ground there and the Red Sox have solid defensive options in CF and RF. Schwarber has very little experience at 1B, so forcing him to play there would not work.
The Sox have one of the best OF in baseball right now. Over 30 OF assists, which has helped them cover up all the people they let on base. Putting Schwarber out there lessons that.. Put him in left, slide Verdugo over to CF, Kike back to 2nd doesn’t fix the problem at first base. It also makes them a lesser defensive team in the OF which is one of their strengths.
For me the only way this works is if they get still get somebody
for 1B.
Anybody can play in front of the Monster. If Manny Ramirez did it anybody can. All he has to do is get use to throwing to second and playing balls off the monster.
Also we got Arroyo who can play 1B when he comes back with Dalbac and Kike Will move to his normal position 2nd base. Sox will have a better infield.
Sox got so many players who can play different positions they will have no problem adjusting.
Arroyo didn’t even last one game at 1B. That’s where Schwarber will be headed, not the OF.
There’s a difference between playing LF and playing LF well. Verdugo
has been solid all year. Moving Kike to 2nd may or may not make the IF better since Arroyo has been very good at 2nd. Taking Kike out of CF will makes the OF not as good. He’s been lights out along with Renfroe.
Schwarber played very respectable left field for the Nats. He’s better than the stereotyped assumption that he is a slow, fat guy who can’t throw. He’s worked to be better, he got better, and his arm is totally underrated.
Wow, a blast from the past!
I had no problem with Schwarber playing LF even though playing balls off the monster is not as easy as it looks. I was more concerned that when he did play LF , Verdugo was moved over to CF. Verdugo is a defensive liability in CF.. Schwarber has also played 1B and has been horrendous. I mean really bad. Not his fault since he’s never done it before. If he was my everyday LF I would have no problem with it. With the Sox current roster whenever Schwarber plays the defense takes a hit from shuffling people around or there’s a damn good bat on the bench. Not the worst situation to be in. I’d much rather have Schwarber than JD.
If he comes back hitting bombs at a 5 per week pace, there’s no question. He was the hottest hitter in the whole league before he got hurt. Gonna be crazy if the Yanks / Red Sox meet in the playoffs. Rizzo vs Schwarber!
Get lost…RedSox fan in denial
Except he is on the IL , likely until the end of August.
Lot cheaper than Rhizzo was prospect wise. boston doesn’t have that many really decent pitching prospects and I wouldn’t go out and label Aldo Ramirez as 1 of the better ones. he’s young and could develop into a decent starter, but is behind half a dozen + other starters within the system and Sox fans have to be happy to see about anyone to replace Dalbec at 1b most of the time. His ardent supporters cannot covers their eyes and hold their nose much longer he has stunk so bad.
It was a good trade imo, dirt cheap prospect wise.
I agree that it was a good trade. Better hitter than what we have and a low level prospect. Still concerned about his injury. and him having zero experience at first.. Whatever the Sox have done this year has worked so far. Dalbec is 26 and he needs to have a lot more discipline. Hopefully he’s a late bloomer like Youk was but as of now it doesn’t look like that’s happening.
Bloom is the complete opposite of DD and sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture..
Youk always had walks to fall back on… Dalbec doesn’t. Not the greatest comparison.
There is still time, but if that is their only move…..meh
A tough night for Nats fans.
Turner is the only one that hurts, we have a lot of injuries this year and so many rental guys.
Is it? They probably weren’t making the playoffs this year and turned some rentals/short term players into a lot of prospects.
I was gonna say. This was a great night for the Nats fans. They’ve got a ton to look forward to now, and they’ve got Soto as well.
The only player they’ll lose that wasn’t an impending FA after the season was Turner. Even then Turner, along with Scherzer, netted the Nationals two MLB ready top prospects. I’m not sure what their outlook for 2022 was before tonight, but it certainly looks a bit better.
Still tough to lose some fan favorites. Especially Turner who would’ve seemed like more of a long shot at the beginning of the year to be traded.
I’d be stoked to get Ruiz and Gray. Losing Turner would hurt, but Max and Schwarber are gone in their months anyway.
Turner is the only one that really hurts. I knew we had to move Scherzer….he can’t receive the QO offer so if he leaves we get nothing, so had to get something for him. Hand & Hudson I figured would move. The fact we were able to trade Schwerber despite him probably still being out a few weeks is a plus and Yan Gomes, and Josh Harrison up for sale to is a plus. Now if only we could take a team to eat Patrick Corbin’s contract…
Bell,Hudson to.
Bell’s signed through I think 2023, He’s not going anywhere plus we have no one to play first base (as much as I love him Ryan Zimmerman isn’t an every day player anymore).. However….I think money is an issue but IF the Pads really wanted to trade Hosmer I would gladly take a straight up Hosmer-Corbin swap (and the Pads need SP badly), and than shop Bell and see if you can recoup something. That’s probably something more for the offseason when you can spend more time on the dollar numbers when you don’t have a deadline though.
Imagine being the Cubs, letting him walk and then the Nats getting a return for him while he’s on the DL
This would make sense except if they kept schwarber they don’t sign pedersen and get the prospects for him..Fake news
This is bs
Hard pass on Schwarber coming off a severe hammy pull I doubt they gave up much for him.
Good pickup
for Verdugo?
The Nats are making the right moves. They won a ring and now they can replenish and take a realistic route back to contention. They have a GM and ownership that cares about winning as evidenced by the transactions they made prior. Luckily for the Nats, there is a team in their division that does not have the same aspirations.
Unfortunately, signed Strasburg to that albatross of a contract which will tremendously weigh them down.
Corbin IMO is worse. At least when (if??) Strasburg is healthy he has really good stuff. Corbin never even had good stuff to begin with and now just sucks. Only good thing about that contract is that it’s done after the 2024 season so maybe, if we are lucky, we can unload it on someone at the start of the season.
Ok but why?
I think when strasburg was shutdown for the year the nats front office was like, that’s it – tear it all down!
Yes, that had to figure in to the brainstorming. Once it looked like Fedde/Ross/Voth were supposed to be high achievers, they knew the season would be mediocre. Pitching is everything, and I am glad Rizzo acts accordingly.
We supposed to be excited for a guy currently on the DL ?
No, you supposed to be excited for a guy currently on the IL.
yOu cAnT sAy diSaBleD LiST tHaTs aBLeiSt!!!
Is THAT why they changed it??? Dumb AF.
I would be. He has 25 homeruns in only 265 at bats!
Baseballs main website still has nothing on this… good going MTR.
There is another day to go but I don’t get this deal. They could use a starter and a 1B. Unless they plan to play Schwarber in left and Verdugo goes to CF for RH pitching. I just don’t get it.
Classic red sox countermove to the yankees. They want to prove they can make better trades! It’s a hold my beer situation.
Sounds like they want to use Schwarber for 1B
Good trade
It is being reported straight up for prospect Aldo Ramirez, #19 in the Sox system and in A ball.
Wow! We got the Red Sox #19 prospect?? Couldn’t do a little better than that? How about #14? Or #11?? There are 30 teams, which means among all prospects, he’s about #570.
Was so looking forward to taking game day kayak excursions into McCovey cove
I don’t understand this deal. Schwarber is a defensive liability in the OF. His best role is that of DH but the Red Sox have the best DH in baseball in DJ Martinez. Does that make sense? There must be more to this move, unless Schwarber is. expected to play 1st base. or be a second back up catcher.
I think we’re going to try him at 1st
If he can play 1st, I like the trade. I’d like to have had at least some experience there.
I’m with you. No matter where he plays he’ll be a defensive liability. Even if you play JD in left field, he’s a liability on one of the Sox strengths. They still need to fix the problem at first. That’s the only way this works. .
A defensive liability? Re-read the stats sheet.
Exactly.
…..and the rich continue to get richer. What is going to happen when the only baseball fans are LA’s and NY’s?
No clue since that won’t happen
Ok who actually knew the name Aldo Ramirez?! Liar.
Me, good prospect hate to see him go
Yeah, any Sox fan who keeps tabs on their minor leaguers knows who he is. Very young and advanced for his age… and his fb velo has climbed significantly since signing from Mexico. Has the chance to be a legit ML SP someday… having said all that… he is currently dealing with an elbow injury.
I like Schwarber, but this feels like the two Yankee trades. Where is Schwarber going to play? And it doesn’t really address 1B.
What do you mean feels like the Yankees trades? Gallo is LF or CF and Rizzo is 1B
It’s a reference to all the moves look like a collection of talent, rather than addressing specific needs. Gallo is good, but not really a CF. Rizzo is good, but so was Voit. Schwarber is good, but he has no experience at 1B.
He means the Yankees had plenty of OFs and Voit at 1B.
However, at least the Yankees trades attempted to address the lefty righty imbalance.
Vs RHP / LHP
LF – Schwarber L
CF – Duran L / Verdugo
RF – Verdugo L / Renfroe R
3B – Devers L
SS – Bogaerts R
2B – Hernandez R
1B – Cordero L / Dalbec R
C – Vazquez R or Plawecki R
DH – Martinez R
Schwarber can play C, 1B or OF. And I personally would rather have Schwarber over Rizzo. Gallo would have been nice but would have costed too much in return when the Sox have Dalbec and Triston Casas in the minors.
Schwarber ain’t playing catcher unless it’s extra innings in a playoff game and there’s no one left to do it.
Doesn’t matter. The Dodgers won the trade deadline with Mad Max, Turner just sealed it. That deck is stacked. But let’s play the games and see what happens!
That is huge, but man, every team seems staked. LOL Especially in the AL West and NL East. However, there will be injuries, under performers, surprises and more. However, on paper……….
Was hoping the braves for him
He wont be a backup catcher, we already have 2, i admit i dont know much about him but as a red sox fan i now care who he is, from the reports, hes gonna play first base, we dont need a DH or a corner anything, while i have no idea how good he is at 1st, again i dont follow NL baseball, if he can hit, he will be fine, the yankees also signed a guy that strikes out 32.2%, no body cares anymore. And no boston is NOT done.. they will sign a pitcher before tommorow, as much as i love them, rotation is very thin with guys not performing well, and Rodriquez lately has been a disaster.
Sounds like a fire sale . Maybe the braves could trade for Soto
also as a side note, whats in the air in Washington? the ENTIRE team is leaving and being traded, i know they are having a bad year but is their GM just saying okay,’ everyones available’
According to recent reports…. gunshots
Too soon bandwagon jumper
Can he pitch?
what a stupid trade. schwarber’s got real power, but the dude’s seen all of one game at first base in the majors and is currently on the IL indefinitely with hamstring stuff. would bet money he winds up mostly a non-factor. could probably list at least 5 better options that would’ve been available for reasonable prices. guess it’s time to get used to the dalbec / franchy tandem….
I can’t believe Bloom is stripping the farm system so badly!!! hahahaha What was the guys name again?
Seriously, the biggest name Bloom has ever acquired and he can’t play DH because of JD, he can’t play outfield ahead of Duran, Verdugo or Renfroe, he can’t catch for Vazquez, he’s not a middle infielder and despite being a better defender than Devers at 3B they won’t move Devers. The guru of baseball just killed the farm system for a bench guy or he’s going to sit Duran and move Verdugo to CF. Either way, with all the Red Sox needs, this solves nothing!!
The Red Sox now have best pinch hitter of all the contenders!! Or they just sacrificed defense for offense. Let’s think …. hmmmm…. which was better their offense or defense? Yep, their offense so naturally the ONE trade you make is to improve your strength and increase your weakness. Makes perfect sense when you think of all the moves of the last two years.
Well at least we didn’t waste a farm guy on a SP!! Can the front office be any worse?
You sound like you need to smoke a blunt.
IF they play Schwarber at 1B the already weak left side of the defense gets even worse. Devers erratic throws and a guy that never played 1B? Sounds like a problem to anyone other than me?
Maybe it makes more sense to put Verdugo back in RF, move Renfroe to 1B and put Schwarber in LF. It’s a bat upgrade and a defensive downgrade. I’m sure the pitchers will be excited to hear about this trade!! Maybe he produces an extra run a game to off-set the extra run given up by the defense so it’s a draw!!
Meh. Which Schwarber are the Sox getting? The one who was hot for a month or the one that’s been bad for years
I question the fit, but you got the rest of it backwards. He’s actually been decent/good every year but 2020.
It’s gonna be weird for Schwarber and Rizzo to suddenly become competitive enemies. What if Brynt landed with the Mets and Kimbrel with………
He should be able to play 1B once he comes off the IL. I mean, the guy was playing a non horrible outfield so he should be better at 1st base.
He came up as a catcher. He should be able to dig balls out of the dirt.
Have followed the Nationals (among other teams) closely for most of the last 6-7 years. I wrote here in late Spring Training that what was going to happen to them in 2021 was going to be sad, stating that they were pretty much a the end of an era.
In my wildest expectations I didn’t think it would come to this at the end of July. Do understand why what has been – and will be – done is being done, but it’s still a shock.
We hear the word “bold” in MLB when a team does something like trade a name player. What the ownership and the front office have done here in such short order is something I’m not sure I’ve seen since following the sport starting in 1956. I recall organizations throwing in the towel in the offseason, usually firing the FO and/or manager and his staff. Have seen teams trade off some veteran stars mid-season as they take a step back. But I can’t remember a team that some (mistakenly) considered a contender in pre-season literally disassemble their roster entering the stretch run.
This truly is “bold”. It makes me respect the ownership even more. In a society where so many hedge and slowly make changes rather than face reality, the Nationals are looking a bad situation square in the face and preparing to address it head on. They aren’t looking to be “good” or “competitive” – they’re looking to regroup and win another championship. Bless ’em. I hope Mike Rizzo and his staff stay. It’ll be interesting to watch the next few years.
Spot-on correct, imo.
The analogy I would us would be to compare the Nats with the Rox. The Rox are currently holding onto Story (or selling him at a reduced price) and Gray. Who is going to be better off in two years? If there is one BB truism, it is that you cannot sit still.
Rizzo and Lerner are going to trade off everyone, and be back in two years.
Glad, very glad I am not a Nationals fan. Talk about completely gutting a contender.
WTF?
They were no longer a contender. Without Corbin and or Strasburg they were in trouble. They could have added a couple #4 starters and gave the east a run and then watch all these guys leave for nothing. Or and I prefer this for them, instantly rebuild one of the worst farms from dead last or bottom 3 to middle of the pack or at least closer to 20 than 30.
We were never a legitimate contender anyway. The rotation outside of Max stinks. The bullpen is a complete dumpster fire as it usually is, outside of Turner and Soto, the offense was so inconsistent. Yah it sucks that they gutted the team in a potential winnable division, but so what?? The Dodgers, Giants, Brewers and Padres were so much better as the regular season matchups shows (5-13 with a series still remaining against the Brewers) against those 4, that any of those 4 would’ve easily beaten us in the NLDS, probably a sweep, but 4 games Max, that depleting a bottom 5 farm system if not the worst overall in the league for a few players that wouldn’t move the needle at all in the overall grand scheme of things, which was winning a World Series, than that didn’t make sense at all. The only one I’m really sad about is Turner because he didn’t have to leave. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because 2019 happened!
Schwarber with the Red Sox and Rizzo with the Yankees. Who’da think it?
The unexpected trade of Turner hurts, but look at it this way: The Nats won a ring. Now Rizzo is going for it in another way, aggressively replenishing the farm system all at once.
The Nats brought in some rentals this year in an effort to compete again. OK, it didn’t work, but Rizzo knew he had the option to jettison guys on expiring deals and accelerate a rebuild.
He’s not taking half measures. Along with drafting Brady House, this new infusion of prospect talent gives us hope that after a couple of down years and a couple more good drafts, the Nats will be in position to compete again.
The worst case scenario is to wait too long, like the Phillies, who still don’t have a winning season since 2011.
The unexpected trade of Turner hurts, but look at it this way: The Nats won a ring. Now Rizzo is going for it in another way, aggressively replenishing the farm system all at once.
The Nats brought in some rentals this year in an effort to compete again. OK, it didn’t work, but Rizzo knew he had the option to jettison guys on expiring deals and accelerate a rebuild.
He’s not taking half measures. This infusion of prospect talent gives us hope that after a couple more good drafts, the Nats will be in position to compete again.
The worst case scenario is to wait too long, like the Phillies, who still don’t have a winning season since 2011.
What about the Redsox going for Story and Gray maybe CJ Cron also gives them first a Pitcher and Story who said he thought Bogarts was the most underrated ss , so story plays with him at second
I don’t understand this Schwarber trade makes no sense, would rather get Story for second base and Gray for pitching and CJ Cron for first make much more sense covers all our needs
SF you are NOW ON THE CLOCK 15hrs til Deadline! Give me at least gray and story!
Doesnt move the needle in any way for me. Stupid bargain basement move. What I was afraid of when they hired Bloom. A guy from Tampa to try to use minor league talent to improve a major league club that needs MORE of an impact player. Schwarber isn’t that guy and he doesn’t feel ANY glaring needs like 1B or starting pitching!
At one point this year, the Nats won 14 of 17, mainly because they moved Schwarber to lead-off and he went on an unprecedented tear. He carried the team. He’s still in his prime and he will help if used right.
Just an additional note on Workman… his ERA with the Sox actually ballooned tonight allowing 4 ER in 2 IP… so not only do his peripherals not support his 3.50 … he also not longer even has a 3.50 ERA with the Sox after tonight’s rough outing…
Schwarber finally goes where he should have a long time ago. As a DH in the AL. He’s just terrible in the outfield.
he wont be our DH, JD Martinez is, he’ll need to play a position
Martinez is probably a better outfielder than Schwarber. He has a very accurate arm.
If they aren’t putting Kyle in a platoon with Dalbec at first— which is what I’d do— then he may end up DHing at least some.
MafiaBass…yes good thoughts… I think Schwarber has been in line for AL DH since 2017… LoL
Think about this for a minute, red sox and yankees right now two teams that desperately need a starting pitcher, im putting boston in that mix because Rodriguez has been a disaster lately, hurt or not he just has been terrible really since before the ASB, so getting back to my point, you have the 2 teams who today and yesterday got 3 hitters, granted kyle is hurt and wont play for awhile but still, they have yet to get a starter OR reliever, im personally glad boston didnt get max, i didnt wanna give up top prospects for a guy who will be gone in 3 months, i mean if he gets the Dodgers back to the world series, awsome, you lost your top 2 prospects for him, but think about it, so far the 2 richest teams in the game have not signed ANY pitching… interesting?
Well think about and look at what the Dodgers got for Max and his 2 month rental. Now factor all the playoff teams needing pitching and what the cost will be to acquire on?
Not just Max but a full year of an All Star SS when they’re expecting to lose Seager at the end of the year… wonder what this means for Lux when Seags and Turner are both healthy
he wont be our DH, JD Martinez is, he’ll need to play a position
Amanda2019 – all I can say is “oh no”! Perhaps first base?
Yeah, first base is probably where he’ll be considering that they have a very good outfield and have had weak first base production.
At least they didn’t give up much. Schwarber will end up playing maybe 6 weeks for Boston due to his injury. Hammies are tricky things.
Smart “GET” Sox needed another lefty bat.
I’m not sure I get this. Are we giving up on Dalbec? With fine-tuning, I see him hitting as well or better than Shwarber. Also, I’m hesitant to get rid of Workman. I guess I shouldn’t question Bloom though- I’ve done that enough and been wrong.
Bos has the least production at 1B in entire league.Wont be surprised if they go get Santana today.
Workman has been awful, his curveball is very hit-able and that’s what he throws most of the time. He should have been DFA’d a while ago
Considering how we got him for nothing, I think differently. He was very effective in two postseasons for us and is just a couple years away from being dominant. I’d be okay if he’s sent to AAA but would hate to see him leave the team entirely. His pure talent is better than some guys we have had in the bullpen.
FWIW:
(1) Lots of the guys traded Thursday will have minimal effect on anything, except
(2) Turner, who I’m utterly shocked the Dodgers got so cheap.
(3) Berrios is a game changer…he’s the prize (besides Max) of the week.
Bob = I agree most won’t impact but I think both Turner and Scherzer will be the Dodgers version of getting Mookie last year. Biggest reason they might win!
Schwarber when you need pitching? Makes as much sense as getting Verdugo, Downs and Wong when you need pitching. Can’t have enough bad fielding big left handed bats I always say!!! Glad Duran wasn’t a victim of this acquisition. Too bad Dalbec is. Hey, but at least there are a dozen utility players available to fill in when all the injuries occur!! Boy Bloom sure knows his stuff! hahaha
If they wanted a 1B why not Aguilera not Schwarber? Or even Voit since the Yankees need to bench him now. Bell is a National, why not him? He’s hot and they are dumping. Of all the guys, Schwarber makes the least sense because he has no experience at 1B and he’s a bad OFer.. At least it didn’t cost a valued asset.
The Red Sox are one of the worst defensive teams in baseball with Devers at 3B and several others who aren’t stellar defenders so naturally Bloom gets another butcher on defense. How can ANYONE applaud the guy. He’s done such a crap job. He’s riding the coat tails of the team he inherited and when he finally gets a chance to spend money, he gets a guy that’s got no natural position but is a streaky power hitter. The Red Sox already are near the top in hitting but near the bottom in fielding. It makes absolutely no sense.
None of this matters like you said Bob. Cora took JD out of the 3 hole so everything is downhill from here. A home run a game by Schwarber won’t off set the crap pitching from E-Rod, Richards and Perez. Scherzer made so much sense but no way Bloom tries to outbid Friedman for him. That would mean no Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at the Friedman house!!!
I agree; Schwarber is loose change when you need rent money. He’s not terrible, in a no-defense, K-prone, base-clogging- #7 kind of hitter way, but he really offers little value.
They’re banking on Sale, but that’s expecting a lot. And they weren’t especially sexy moves, but the Yanks got significantly better; if nothing else, Rizzo and Gallo will wake up that clubhouse. I never watched a team like the Yanks where ALL the players looked like they were waiting for the game to end. Those 2 guys will change that.
And the Rays gonna Ray. It’s a good life in Tampa; absolutely no pressure. Win or lose, the financials stay the same. A much easier job; kinda like playing Fantasy Baseball with Monopoly money.
It’s been a good few months. I’m not seein’ the rainbow at the end of the path, tho.
We’re on pace for 98 wins. We’ve already seen the rainbow. Now it is a question of whether or not we see the pot of gold. No one in the entire RSN expected us to play this well, so it is pure gravy right now.
JB – Yes it’s pure gravy. But sometimes it’s better to not get your hopes up when you know you are going to fail. Enjoy the ride but keep expectations low because talent will win out not luck. The Red Sox have been injury free and 3 guys have carried them. As the reality of where they are starts to hit some of scraps Bloom has collected you’ll see their hands around their throats and they will choke.
I think two of the big three will be fine but the unexpected hit from 7-9 in the line-up is going to stop happening. JD will continue to fail when he’s not in the 3 hole. Also, if they keep running out E-Rod, Perez and Richards they will be chasing their opponent a lot. Nobody thinks much of those 3 because they’ve watched them pitch and looked at their numbers. Teams with 3 bad pitchers don’t often make the playoffs and especially in a tough league like the AL with TB, NY, TOR, HOU, OAK and CHI all vying for the top 5 spots. The current lead should help them try to secure the 2nd wildcard but the odds are against them.
The dodgers got Turner and Scherzer “so cheap”? On what planet? They gave up 2 consensus top 50 prospects, including one who’s having a monster year, a legit 5th starter/high leverage relief prospect, and a good 4th OF guy. That isn’t cheap.
This really only makes sense if Schwarber stays on the IL until the rosters expand lol
Hopefully he’s able to learn 1B quickly.
I don’t like it. look at his Average for past 6 years. Not above .253 and most years are lowerl OBP not great either. Yes he hits Home Runs, but they needed a 1st baseman who could hit for average. Still think Eric Hosmer was a better fit. Or they should have pushed for Rizzo stronger. The Yankees just got a bunch better, and the BoSox have really done much of nothing so far.
Schwarber’s OPS is about 200 points higher than Hosmer, with a 100x better contract.
fantasypros.com/mlb/start/eric-hosmer-kyle-schwarb…
I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean. In Yahoo, Schwarber, despite being on the IL, is owned in 82% of the leagues. Hosmer is owned in only 63% of the league.
In terms of production, Schwarber is ranked #132 while Hosmer is ranked #243, even though he has 25% more ABs. And that doesn’t even reflect his horrendous contract.
JB – How about Aguilera? How about Voit since he’s expendable? How about Bell because he’s been hot lately? So many better choices. I’m not a Hosmer fan so I wouldn’t have put him near the top of the list but at least he plays 1B!! If Dalbec is not the future and I do want him to be, then consider how many better 1Bs were available –
Aguilera
Voit
Bell
Walker
Cron
Santana
Nate Lowe
If Schwarber is there to platoon with Renfroe in LF then a 1B still should have been chosen. If Schwarber or Renfroe will now play 1B and Dalbec will be cast aside, Bloom made a huge mistake.
Remember, Schwarber and Renfroe are both very streaky hitters so together they make for a powerful hitting platoon but Renfroe is the only one that can field so like Devers Schwarber’s offense is offset by his lack of defense. The Cubs never found an effective place to play him just like Devers. He’s a DH waiting to happen just like Devers.
Schwarber doesn’t improve the Red Sox at all. Currently on the IL and a guy who strikes out too much. This move is every bit as questionable as the Yankees getting Gallo.
The difference between this trade and the Gallo trade is: Red Sox’s lineup isn’t already infamous for striking out and the Sox only gave up their #18 prospect. Schwarber is versatile, can play LF, 1st and possibly catch in an emergency. Don’t forget he was smashing the ball before getting hurt. I like it, now time to get a SP.
Actually the difference is the Yankees needed left handed hitters and got 2. Neither Boston or NY gave up anything of great value in these trades.
This is the lefty bat the Yankees have needed, not the quickly-declining Rizzo. But Brian Cashman will point to all the rings he won — while Gene Michael did all the important scouting.
Just checking. If Workman or any other DFA’d player isn’t on a 40-man by the deadline, he’s not eligible to be on a postseason roster. Correct?
Makes absolutely no sense getting Kyle. We needed a First Baseman and yet got a man who has never played first. You all remember how nervous we was when Papi played first in the World Series. Atleast David played first during interleague play some.
Kyle, has played the catcher position, 1st base and the outfield.
Lamar Smith – Are you suggesting he played good defense at those 3 positions or that he “could” play any of them and be adequate or less? If you are thinking we already have the Butcher of Boston playing 3B why go out and get another defensive albatross, I agree.
A OF/DH??? With a bad hammy. WTF do we need him for. I get hes a good bat and good clubhouse guy, but Rizzo made more sense. Im hoping a good starter LHH 1b and reliever are in the plans…not so great start
Agreed
Nice move by the Nats, Aldo could develop during the time Washington ramps up again as a contender.