As always, this year’s trade deadline will prominently feature many players who will be eligible for free agency after the season. Here’s a look at 10 rental hitters off to strong starts who could be available in trade. All of the teams included in this post currently feature playoff odds below 35%.
- Josh Bell, Nationals: 178 wRC+. Off to a blistering start, Bell has sliced his strikeout rate to less than 10% in the early going. There’s a strong chance the Nats send him to a contender this summer. The Twins would make for a nice fit.
- Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: 157 wRC+. There’s little question Bogaerts will opt out of his contract after the season, but the 10-19 Red Sox at least have a fighting shot at the playoffs this year (FanGraphs gives a 21.8% chance). If the team fades further, it’ll make sense to put Bogaerts on the market. However, Bogaerts has full no-trade protection, so he controls his fate. The Angels and Cardinals could make for good matches.
- Brandon Drury, Reds: 157 wRC+. Drury showed some pop last year for the Mets as well, and he has a .274/.324/.524 line with 10 home runs in 182 plate appearances since 2021. And Drury does have the Statcast hard-hit data to back up his success this year. He joined the Reds on a minor league deal in March, and the 29-year-old figures to be spun into some kind of modest trade deadline return.
- Willson Contreras, Cubs: 148 wRC+. Contreras figures to be highly sought after at the trade deadline, especially with the average catcher putting up an 81 wRC+. Unless the Cubs change their mind about extending their soon-to-be-30-year-old longtime backstop, he’s quite likely to be dealt. The Guardians or Mets could make sense.
- J.D. Martinez, Red Sox: 148 wRC+. Of the three Red Sox regulars who are actually hitting this year, two of them are headed toward free agency after the season. And Rafael Devers isn’t far behind. Martinez is earning a hefty $19.375MM this year and can block trades to three teams.
- Ben Gamel, Pirates: 142 wRC+. Gamel is one of a handful of bright spots on the Pirates, but he’s also earning only $1.8MM this year and is slated for free agency.
- Andrew Benintendi, Royals: 133 wRC+. There’s a chance the Royals extend Benintendi, but as of now he’s on track for free agency. He hasn’t shown much pop this year, but he’s sixth in the AL with a .330 batting average.
- Jean Segura, Phillies: 128 wRC+. Like the Red Sox, the Phillies are another potential trade deadline seller that isn’t out of contention yet. Segura, who is earning $14.25MM this year and has a $17MM option for ’23, does have full no-trade protection.
- Jesus Aguilar, Marlins: 122 wRC+. The Marlins’ first baseman hasn’t hit for much power this year, but with the deadened baseballs, standards have changed. There’s a good chance he’s traded.
- Tommy Pham, Reds: 118 wRC+. The Reds have limited trade bait on the position player side, but Drury and Pham figure to be sent packing.
Though this post is focused on trade targets who have hit well through the season’s first month, the rental market will certainly feature others with track records of success, such as Nelson Cruz, Mitch Haniger, and Adam Frazier.
You know the Braves and Phillies are separated by half a game currently, correct? They aren’t playing great, but it’s a little soon for this.
In addition to Aguilar, we will be conducting a fire sale in July with much of our roster available for trade.
That would be a smart move by you guys.
Which is why I’m having a hard time believing it
Cubs should have moved Wilson last year and started the rebuild…
I strongly agree. Hoyer also waited too long to move the rest of the core last year. Guess they hoped to contend this season. What a (crack) pipe dream that is.
Last year they were hoping to contend, so they did the right thing by waiting until the trade deadline to unload.
As for Contreras, they didn’t have a catching prospect ready to take over, so it made sense to just keep Contreras and either extend him, trade him at this year’s deadline, or at least collect a draft pick for him next offseason; especially with last offseason’s weak crop of free agent catchers.
Spot on.
If you’re not going to contend, what does it matter if you don’t have a prospect ready to call up? Trade the guy and put a mask and pads on a Home Depot bucket for all anyone cares.
Teams don’t give up much these days for short term rentals, especially 30 year old catchers, but a season and a half of control is something I bet many teams would have been willing to give up value for.
not ruining your young pitchers
Cubs got top returns for their players last year. I can’t see them getting much more or even more if they traded them sooner. Many of the headliners are in my top 100 so if the ranking websites don’t have them there they will next year. If someone made a decent offer for Contreras he wouldn’t be on the team.
YourDreamGM… I agree with all that except for Contreras. They literally had no one else to handle all the young arms they brought up in the second half. He’s having a very solid start this year and though I think they should extend him, they’ll get a very good return at the deadline if Hoyer goes that way.
Your top 100? Do you really scour the 3000 plus farm hands and come up with your own top 100 list or is “your” top 100 just a wee (a lot) but biased?
With that said, the cubs got some really good talent, Pete crow-Armstrong, alcantara, kilian, candario are all solid prospects. Getting caissie and perciado for darvish is really good return as well.
Why would anyone scour 3000 prospects? Are elite prospects dropping out of it? You take out graduations and evaluate new draft picks and signings. You take a look at guys performing well and top 100 guys that are struggling. I personally only watch a average of 1 minor league game a day. 4 innings here and there a day. Get a lot of information from people I trust. Only do ranking once a year.
Yes, the fact that they traded everyone else doesn’t show they started the rebuild, because they didn’t trade Contraras.
I dont know if MLB teams share this opinion, but I would give up a lot more for a catcher in the offseason than I would at the deadline, compared to any other position. By and large baseball players can be just dropped into the lineup without an issue, but I’d want the catcher to have spring training to work with the pitchers before having them catching in a game that counts.
@jakec77 Ideally it’s nice. Easier now though with electronic pitch calling. Tablets in dugout. DH. Contreras could DH mostly for first week and get coached up in the dugout. Catch a lot of maintenance secessions. For a hardworker and good listener it’s not a big deal.
I strongly disagree and think they should extend him for the rest of his career.
I agree 100%. He needs to be the foundation of the team, not traded for more prospects. Top 3 catcher in the league is too valuable even if he is 30.
CLE needs to be in on Bell and Aguilar for sure. Need a run producer at 1B if they want any kinda chance at a playoff spot. I can’t see them making a play for Contreras because they prefer their catchers to hit like pitchers.
Naylor has worked pretty well of late, though. And Franmil is kind of locked into the DH spot.
Nice post! It would be cool to include the player positions in future iterations.
Naylor took the baton from Matt Stairs as the Official MLB Beer Leaguer. Dude can rake though.
When players with his build step to the plate, you know they can likely hit because they’re not there for their speed!
Cleveland doesn’t need Bell or Aguilar. Naylor plays against RH pitching, Miller moves over to 1B against LH pitchers.
CLE will be in on trading multi prospects for one or 2 impact players, as they already have problems with the 40 man roster. But it is too early in the season for them to determine what they need. Future injuries and bad seasons from their players will be a factor in what they need to upgrade……same as with all teams. We’re not even 20% into the season. Premature speculation.
One outfielder, Benintendi would be great fit, move kwan to right. A catcher that can hit and play defense, and a back end reliever to shorten the games if they make the playoffs. Dream scenario would be hader, that would clear up quite a few spots on the 40.
If KC decides to trade Benintendi, Cleveland certainly has enough prospect capital to do something, but I think they’ll be hesitant. He would only be a rental, I can’t see them re-signing him. And whatever prospects they sent to KC would be good enough to come back & haunt for years. I don’t see the Guards taking that risk. Seems more likely they’d pick up someone like Drury. I just don’t know what he’d be worth.
The thing about Xander is that is defense appears to be markedly improved from seasons past too. I don’t know if it’s health or it’s his opt-out looming, but he’s been getting to everything it seems.
I’ve said in the past, he’s much more suited for pinstripes than Boston red…. Cora loves Marwin so much we can give him back as part of the trade.
And Contreras? Cashman, please stop….hoarding….prospects. Contreras is an excellent complement to either Higgy or Trevino.
Love these types of articles, Tim. Thanks for the content. Many of us are already thinking about what teams may do at the deadline, especially with offense down around the league.
Contreras will be a hot commodity for any contender
If the Yankees continue to play and pitch this well, I don’t see Cashman paying the high prospect cost for Contreras. Teams also don’t like bringing in a new primary catcher mid season to learn the staff.
I’d love to have Contreras, but I simply wonder if the Yankees will make that move. If they plan to, better now than later.
RobM: As always, your voice of reason is the last nail in my dream’s coffin! You’re right though, hence the un-man-like groveling… lol.
Clipp, Contreras obviously makes the most sense of anyone on this list, but don’t sell short on Benintendi. Exactly the kind of contact hitter the Yanks need. He can also play an above average LF even at Yankee Stadium and can even fill in at Center. Wonder what the Royals would want in return? Would love either Contreras or Benny.
Ya know, that’s a great thought, Mick. He’s obviously back to his offensive high side, LH bat, fiery player, decent speed – yeah, with Gallo’s departure imminent, Hick’s perennial health problems, Judge’s questionable future… might be a really smart play.
Best of all, he can pepper that Boston wall like crazy during the series!
New York should acquire Benintendi for a group of nothing prospects, but tell their fans they are “building the farm system” as some type of pacifying medicine. I hope Benny rakes all year.
@Yankee Clipper- yes, Contreras would definitely help the Yankees. Trevino has an option left to go to AAA. I don’t think Higgy does. Higgy or Trevino could always be included in a package going back to the Cubs. A Deivi, Andujar, Higgy/Trevino package sounds about right. NY would probably have to add a prospect like shortstop Alexander Vargas to get that deal done. The Cubs are afraid to trade Willson because of the fans reaction. The loyal Contreras is a fan favorite. The fans wouldn’t forgive the franchise if he’s moved.
Well, I think it’s apparent he’s not staying there. If he were, I’d imagine it would’ve been an extension more readily explored by the Cubs. Contreras was very vocal about staying with the only club he’s known for 16 years.
So, I think the bidding will push the asking price higher though, especially with his performance this first half. Cubs will capitalize on that. Is he worth it? No, probably not. But, to the right club, he sure would be.
I agree though, he seems the perfect fit for the Yankees as the roster is constructed.
It is not an official trade proposal without Andujar being involved.. Always gives me a chuckle..
@hockeyjohn- Andujar isn’t that bad. He would do well on the Cubs. He has power that they need. He just needs to play everyday. He would get that chance in Chicago. He’d hit at least 25 homers a year playing at Wrigley. He likely won’t get a shot in NY,and has to be moved. My NL is the Cubs, so I would love to see him playing there regularly.
Yankee fans defending Andujar also give me a chuckle. Andujar has little to no trade value.
@hockeyjohn- your right he doesn’t have much value, but he does need to play. With the Cubs he would definitely get an opportunity to do so. Not a bad player to get as a “throw in” He has really good power that could help the Cubs.
Devers should go to the Brewers so Urias can move to second.
He’s not going anywhere
Contreras should be a Mets target.
I would think Angels should jump on Conteras
I’d much rather see Xander then Conteras
I’d be very surprised if they went for Contreras unless the price is a bunch of low-end lottery tickets. Alvarez is one of the best prospects in baseball and will most likely be up in the second half. He’s a special, special talent. Baty and Alvarez will be first division starters for many years.
Alvarez coming up at 21 with little to no AAA experience coming in midseason learning from a staff with this much experience is a lot to ask from a rookie catcher.. Especially considering he is not on the 40 man. I would say maybe beginning of next season with some spring training to get some familiarity with the staff or nido will be starting a lot more games.
your also too optimistic on his timeline
Mets or Giants
If the Giants are in the hunt I’d love to plop Martinez in the middle of the lineup.
I hope it doesn’t happen but I’m fearful the Sox are going to continue to suck this year. The only enjoyable part of a crap season is selling off veterans at the deadline and scoring young chips in return.
Yes I know it’s only one month in and way early but these bats better wake up before we’re 12-30.
Gary – I don’t think it’s fair to put it all on the offense. Management and the bullpen should share the blame.
Yes the bullpen too. The starters have been outstanding but there’s failure almost everywhere else.
It’s possible Bogaerts rejects all trade scenarios. He may want to remain where he’s comfortable for the final months of the season, while also recognizing his career home/road splits show enough difference that he may want to ensure he enters free agency with the best numbers possible so that he in turn gets the best dollars possible.
Doesn’t Matter. I still see Bogaerts as next winters unsigned FA. He and his agent will be looking for SS money, and no other team considers him a SS.
Lord – I agree with what you say, but I think Xander will try to maximize his earning potential by shining in the postseason and perhaps winning a pennant or championship.
Willson Contreras makes a lot of sense for the Blue Jays who need a catcher badly. Kirk has made some strides but Chuckles the Minor League Manager thinks he is a 90 year old man and won’t let him catch regularly and Collins and Heineman belong in AAA and Jansen should have been traded but now Chuckles (who thinks he is Johnny Bench) will use him everyday and we can look forward to starters who can’t get out of the 5th inning because Jansen is not a good catcher, can’t call a game and do not know how to adjust during a game.
Moreno will be up this year..they don’t need Contreras
If you’re a team with realistically an unlimited bankroll like the Yankees or Sox or Dodgers or Phillies I’ve always thought it makes sense to deal these FA to be players and the resign them in the off-season. Recoup premium prospects, and then just go spend the money you already earmarked for the player without draft compensation penalties.
Just my two cents. Was what the Phil’s should have done with Cliff Lee.
They did at least try that with Lee. They traded him in 2010 and resigned him in 2011. They should have done that with JTR given they didn’t make the playoffs in his contract year – then signed him that offseason.
Philly – The Red Sox are no longer an unlimited bankroll team, but I agree with your philosophy. The Yanks did just that with Chapman, as one example.
FWIW – Bloom has been signing players with midseason trades in mind. He did it with Moreland and Pillar in 2020, and I believe Wacha and Hill and some of the relievers will also be offered up this year prior to the trade deadline. Whether he re-signs any of those players after this season remains to be seen.
The Mets need a big bat behind Alonso, I would go after JD Martinez or Nelson Cruz. I would love to have Devers or Bogaerts but don’t want anyone blocking 3b , it’s for Baty (Vientos) next year.
No thanks on Cruz. I won’t speculate on who they will target. I have a feeling this list changes a whole lot with injuries over the next two months.
Drury is 29….did he suddenly figure it out, or has he had other streaks? 1800+PA and a lifetime BWAR of .1 (as in “point one”).
Or remembered what he once knew? He was a prospect of note, started his career fine, and then totally tanked for the next 4 1/2 years. Curious if there’s anything in the metrics or a change in his approach to suggest he’s for real.
Drury is giving off strong Derek Dietrich vibes. Reds better trade him before he craters.
If Aaron’s the judge, then Brandon’s the drury.
Not sure, but I remember his very short stint in pinstripes & it was enough I didn’t really care to see it again…
It is possible he figured it out though. Some other players made some late-age adjustments & it worked wonders for their career. One that comes to mind is Justin Turner.
If I recall, he suffered from migraines as a Yankee and Blue Jay. Can’t imagine that’s easy to deal with. Seeing a few of his highlights with the Reds the swing mechanics are very different from when he was a Blue Jay. He actually steps towards the pitcher now. In Toronto he would lunge towards home plate with his lead foot so that all his momentum was going towards the first base dugout and not towards the field of play. It was as if he couldn’t be on time for the fastball and this was his way of letting it get deeper and still making some contact. The stats are showing that he is hitting fastballs really well this year which he has never done before. Could be related. The other noticeable thing is that he’s cut down his chase rate considerably. If that is a repeatable/sustainable skill, I’d guess there’s real progress. How does he look when he takes? If it’s easy and he looks like he sees it all the way, that’s different from a few years ago.
Wasn’t aware of the migraines. They’re debilitating at times, so that had to be very difficult & unpredictable. It’s very possible he’s healthy now too. If that’s the case you can’t help but root for the guy…
well my braves need to start hitting or they will be added to this list
Contreras needs to be extended. That should be a priority.
This. The Cubs FO completely screwed up that team that did so well–ws title and three consecutive nlcs appearances. They signed not one of those guys to an extension? And they have very little to show for it. For the sake of all that is right, at least extend Contreras!!!
Charlie Blackmon? Not currently hitting well enough to make this list, but I could see him going to a team in need of a RF/DH if the Rockies eat some salary.
Assuming they fall out of contention which I think is likely.
Blackmon isn’t a rental though is he? Doesn’t he hold a player option for next year?
Yes, not a pure rental and not as good as his salary level anymore. Rockies would definitely have to eat some money, especially if they want a decent prospect back.
Are you a Rockies fan? He just strikes me as the kind of guy they’ll keep and would want to stay.
I am a Rockies fan. Blackmon is a fan favorite who has spent his whole career here and seems to like it. The previous GM would not have traded somebody like that unless they demanded it (like Arenado). Not sure how the new regime will weigh such sentiments if an opportunity arises to improve the team for the long run.
I think even if you paid him down to his value, there really isn’t going to be much coming back to improve the future. He has value to the Rockies organization more so than the rest of the league. I think you’re more likely to get interesting future pieces for Bard or any relievers that are doing well by the deadline. On that note, they would trade Bard right? Rather than just keeping him through the end of the season like they did with some of the younger impending free agents. They don’t seem to line up on trade values with other teams very often. But they have to be willing to take a best offer in his case I would think. Mind you, they have to believe they are out of contention and above .500 ball at the moment even though FG has their playoff odds below 1%. I find the Rockies super fascinating because they are different. Whenever there has been a player on that roster I’d like my team to target in trade, I don’t get my hopes up but I do try to understand the way they value players. As a Jays fan, I was into McMahon as a target but the Rockies saw him as a building block. Bard is the next trade target I’d like Toronto to keep tabs on and it’s encouraging that they lined up on the Grichuk/Pinto trade so the two sides are capable of lining up on value.
Judge will be on the block.
Doubtful if they stay hot and keep the whole best win/loss record in the League thing going… I’d opine that they’ll be looking to add at the deadline. We’ll see!
I just want to say that these deadened balls suck. I want them to bring back the juiced balls. It’s more fun to watch. Also, approve some sort of tack or something that helps pitchers grip the ball better.
why wouldn’t they give the players position..and who cares about wRC+
Ummm, virtually everyone not named mikcd28 apparently.
People trying to assess how well hitters are hitting
mikcd, what stats would you prefer to wRC+?
I like OPS+ myself, but the two numbers are often very close to each other for a given hitter anyway.
I know OPS/OPS+ have the issue of OBP and SLG being on different scales, but since OPS+ and wRC+ track very closely most of the time, either seems effective.
Certainly better than using Triple Crown stats.
I get that, but I prefer simplicity. I feel I could calculate OPS+ myself, but wRC+ just seems more convoluted. And definitely agreed on either of those being way better than counting stats, especially RBI.
OPS is very easy to figure out. OPS+ is more complicated, with ballpark factors and offensive environment needing to be accounted for.
I know some people question the details of these adjustments, but I’d rather someone try to account for them than just use OPS by itself. An 800 OPS today is much different than an 800 OPS 20 years ago.
No, I meant OPS+. OPS is ridiculously simple. The park factors adjustment is the most complex part, but if that data were provided, the math is easy enough. Just a little more in-depth on the wRC+ side, especially getting into wRAA.
As for your second paragraph, it’s why I prefer both of these metrics to straight OPS, especially when looking at players from other eras. It doesn’t measure fairly against today (how could it?), but they do give a ratio of dominance vs that player’s peers.
Happy for Drury. Injuries curtailed what appeared to be a promising beginning to his MLB career. Still young enough to turn it around.
Padres need Nelson Cruz
Hard pass. I’d rather have Drury and it’s not even close. I’d even settle for Naquin or Benintendi.
Yeah, Tyler Naquin and Donovan Solano (IL) are other position players who’ll be available from the Reds. Both are cheaper and probably offer more value than Cruz at this point in his career.
Cruz looks pretty cooked.
Man, you see Cruz running around the bases? Solid ‘old man’ running… back vertical, legs out in front, chin back – he looked 90.
Guess PEDs do have an effect after all…….
In the offseason I was pushing for Bell, but Preller wasn’t listening to my posts on here. LMAO.
I still think that Bell is the best bet for a rental bat for the Padres. I would pass on Cruz. He will be 42 before the break and his bat speed is slowing.
For those saying Drury, I would have no issue with that. I am just wary of the fact that he had 6 really bad years an 1500 AB where he put up an 83 OPS+ and then about 170 good AB. in 2021-2022. As long as Preller gave up no top 10 prospects he might be a good pickup.
Bell would be incredible for the team, but what would they do with Hosmer & Voit? Platoon 1B/DH between the three I guess?
The Red Sox may benefit from the DH with Martinez on the market. If they do deal Martinez and Bogaerts they should get some nice returns. It will set them back as they have no kids close to the majors next year. They also have a lot of payroll coming off the books. I think with Yorke and Mayer coming I don’t think there is a snowballs chance they keep Bogaerts which is too bad.
Trade the prospects for pitching. Keep Bogie.
Sabre, you haven’t been paying attention to Bloom. He does the opposite,’ that ain’t happening.
between gamel and quintana the pirates can get some fair additions when considering they’re cheap rentals based on their general 2022 performance so far.
Corner outfielders usually don’t bring back much but something is something. Excellent value for the buying team. Quintana should get better return than Anderson. Maybe a reliever gets something going. Stratton Hembre look bad though.
yeah not a heck of a lot. decent amount of cash or a 40 maybe a 45 lvl prospect if he keeps it up.
just something and hope they turn out to be more than depth.
Cardinals will never pay bogarts 30M + at any time. that is what he will get.
Agreed. The Cards have no interest in Bogaerts, They haven’t even exhausted all of their internal options and you have to believe they are hoping DeJong turns it around in AAA. If they were ready to cut ties with DeJong, they would have DFA’d him instead of sending him down. Bogaerts doesn’t play their style any way.
He won’t get 30/10 thats for sure.
Hitters will be cheap. SPs not so much
Looking forward to the article that lists pitchers. SP and RP will be in demand
Hmmm… what would it take for the Twins to get Josh Bell?
Near major-league ready prospect capital. Nats will assumedly want to make one more run at a title while Soto is still there, so it’ll have to be guys who can come up this year or start of next year at the latest and make real contributions. It’d make the Twins better now, but worse next year. Not sure I buy Bell’s breakout enough to make that trade. He’s a solidly above average hitter, but I don’t think of him as the elite superstar he’s been so far this year.
Bogaerts to Halos. Yes please! Offensive production at SS has been abysmal for the Angels—one weak spot in their lineup. This is a great match. I just worry about the RedSox ask price. And I wouldn’t expect Bogaert’s to get an extension from Arte Moreno & Co. with the kind of money he will want, so he would be a rental. Who can the Angels afford to give up? Surely not Adell?
Who do you feel they would give up to get him? Love the player, so I get why you’d want him. The nice thing about the Sox is: unlike some other teams (Pitt, Oak, Az, KC, etc), BOS doesn’t have to worry about taking back MLB talent that may be a bit more expensive (say, in arb years) to compensate for minors talent. Question still remains though: who do you give up?
Erich, he ain’t going to that loser team. He is a winner and wants that to continue winning.
Stick
Yep, much better to stick with the last place Red Sox than go to the first place Angels. Now, I don’t think the Angels will stay in 1st, but with the expanded playoffs, they ought to get there. So…having a shot at a title seems way better than ending in 4th in the AL East, doesn’t it?
Not to mention playing with Trout, Rendon, and some others…. In California!
Was thinking I’d see Robbie Grossman on the list and then realized he’s not exactly off to a “hot start”. The OBP is good but how long can someone walk 15% of the time with a .044 ISO while hitting .231? At some point, pitchers are just going to attack him in the zone right? Will the power come then or is he just a victim of the deadened balls? He’s not exactly a high exit velo guy but the swing decisions have at least led to decent slugging results before.
The Rangers should trade Semien, talk about a terrible signing!!!
Trade him for what? If you assume the Rangers signed him for FMV (I think it was an overpay in years given his age, but that’s just my opinion), and his value is undeniably lower now, they’d have to eat some of his deal just to get out from under it. I don’t see that happening a month and a half in, especially considering the plan was never to contend this year anyway. They have all year to let him figure it out so they have a chance at next year. If he’s still awful at next year’s trade deadline, which I doubt, then it’s a real problem.
As of this morning. the Red Sox are within a game of being as close to their division leader as the Reds (arguably the worst team we’ve seen in a while). The question isn’t will they’ll have a fire sale; it’s more about Bloomy’s ability to conduct one.
That’s an interesting juxtaposition to the Yankees who, if they win one more game, are in a position only seen 6 times since their franchise’s inception, including the Highlanders. They’re only one game back from their record through their first 30 games in 1998 – no I don’t think this team is that.
I only say that because at the beginning there is no way I thought they would be this far apart. In fact, I admittedly had these two teams fighting for fourth place and an expanded playoff spot.
I had the Jays winning clear and above with the Rays finishing a healthy second. It’s still early, but it’s certainly not going the way it seemed. But, this is why the game is played between the lines.
i don’t think your original take was wrong. i felt BOS played above the rim last year and was expecting a return to earth but wasn’t expecting this much of a crater.
as for the yankee’s their .733 is almost .50 higher than the LAD- a legit all star squad.
not taking anything away from NY i’m loving watching them mash but for some reason i’m not buying the hype just yet. i still feel this will be a fight down to the wire between the jays and NYY for first in the division.
fat – The only surprises last year were the tremendous performance of the bullpen in the first half of the season along with the solid performance of Renfroe and Hernandez, and the tremendous performance of Dalbec in the second half of the season.
Other than that, a team with Devers/Xander/JD/Eovaldi/ERod/Sale is gonna be competing for the postseason. They’ve all got the track record.
I think the problem is people put way too much weight in the team’s prior year performance and they always assume there will be a carryover. Which was stupid because in 2020 ERod missed the entire season, Devers was playing injured the entire season, JD was lost at the plate because of the new Covid video protocol, and the bullpen was totally overhauled after 2020.
BigFat: Yeah, those are good observations, man. I think the one constant in the Yankees favor, shockingly, is their pitching staff continuing its elite-level performance. Matt Blake has been incredible – I only say that because I don’t know what else to attribute this long-lasting, high-performing, broad-reaching effect to.
Their pitching has literally saved their underwhelming offense. The terrible baseball has helped them immensely too, surprisingly, because now many teams’ offenses are suffering fates similar to the Yankees.
So, I don’t know that there is going to be a drastic drop-off. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if your assessment of a Yankees/Jays fight for first comes to fruition in September. The good thing is: It looks like we’ve got their number this year!
FPG: Brother, I still think Xander would look quite nice in pinstripes!!!
Go Yankees!
Clipp – Normally the thought of Xander in pinstripes would send a chill down my spine, and if this were 7-8 years ago there’s no doubt the Yanks would have signed him to play 2B or SS.
But now? I really don’t think there’s a chance of that happening … unless Judge walks, which again I don’t think will happen.
Im glad to hear you don’t think so. I’m honestly not sure what’s going to happen with Judge. I hope he stays for the obvious reasons, but I also hope the Yankees don’t over-extend him in years (or money to the point it prohibits future improvements).
I wouldn’t mind a much higher AAV 5-or 6-year deal though. Judge should be healthy to produce during that timeframe.
Bob, you’re wrong about the Reds. They are an average team that has been decimated by injuries. Three starting pitchers have been out for more than a month, while recently their 1B, 2B, SS, 3B were all on the IL, while their C had just returned. CF and RF also with long stints on the IL. You’ve been seeing the AAA team, and now they are winning some series with SOME players having returned.
Pirates would not want to move Bryan Reynolds? Would hope the Brewers would be interested.
I’m a believer that literally everybody is available for trade if the price is high enough (rules about trading recently signed FA’s or recent draft picks aside). I mean, would the Rays really say no if the White Sox offered Robert, Cease, Kopech, Vaughn, Giolito, and TA for Franco? (Not that the Sox would ever do this.) So, yes, I think the Pirates are willing to move him; it’d just have to be for a heck of a package.
That said, I don’t think that’s the plan. He’s not a FA until after 2025, and supposedly the Pirates are trying to actually win something during that time. If they still suck in 2024, I’d expect him to be dealt at the trade deadline. Before that, I rather doubt it. It’d take a bunch to pry him away, and rightfully so.
I think Benintendi should stay with the Royals on a 4 year/$53M guarantee w/ an option of some kind that could take it to 5 years/$67.5M
If Bell gets moved again, I’ll finally have to change more than two letters of this screen name otherwise it would become plural.
If Boras is the agent St.Louis isn’t the destination
Smart move by players to hire him then. He keeps them away from that clown organization
Kind of funny how I was saying last year how great a hitter Drury was and how he should be in the Mets lineup over Conforto. Guys like Cosmo and other would rather have a guy that bats 200 with 10 homeruns and strikes out in every clutch situation instead of a guy like Drury who was batting 280 with a couple homeruns and came up in just about every clutch situation last year
Beniintendi would work well for Atlanta with Rosario out , he could play LF and bat second and get on base for the big bats.
Willson Contreras could make a really nice addition for the Mets. I know we’ll be seeing Francisco Alvarez fairly soon, but right now, the 9th spot is the weakest spot in our batting order.
The 9th spot is the weakest in your line-up? That’s… odd.
e.e
Lets make a deal…. Contreras and who else for Baty?
My initial thought at the current moment, Contreras and Wisdom for Baty, McCann (Cubs eating 24 million of dead money) and Ziegler.
If the Mets didn’t want Wisdom, then sending Robertson along in the deal but I would probably want the Mets to either kick in money in McCann or add another prospect.
The list missed Cleveland moving Ramirez and his new deal to Toronto….Toronto will pay more for Jose now that he’s further indentured to one of mlb’s most team friendly deals….and with Cleveland smelling like beef stew and sour cabbage, Jose is likely ready to move on
Jose Ramirez took less money for a NO TRADE CLAUSE because he wants to finish his career playing in Cleveland. Why can’t people understand that. He is going nowhere.