With the trade deadline just five days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Is the trade market heating up?
The slow build up to the trade deadline has continued into the early part of this week, but it’s possible things are finally starting to heat up. According to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times, White Sox GM Chris Getz believes the trade market has “come alive” in recent days with “more meaningful” conversations. Getz added that while he expects most deals to get done closer to the deadline, he “wouldn’t be surprised” if some trades started to occur as soon as today. Getz, of course, has plenty of say in what happens this summer as the baseball operations leader of one of the league’s few true sellers. The White Sox have stars Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. to dangle, but those are hardly their only trade chips. Names like Erick Fedde, Tommy Pham, Michael Kopech, Paul DeJong, John Brebbia, Chris Flexen, and Mike Clevinger will all be in play in the coming days.
2. Kershaw to make season debut:
One day after Giants lefty Robbie Ray dominated at Dodger Stadium across five innings of work, striking out eight and allowing just one run, the Dodgers will welcome a Cy Young winning southpaw of their own back from the IL for his season debut. Longtime franchise face Clayton Kershaw has been sidelined all year after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason, but he’s set to be activated to face San Francisco ace Logan Webb (3.59 ERA). The Dodgers will need to make corresponding moves on both the 40-man and active rosters to bring Kershaw back into the fold prior to this afternoon’s game.
One of the most decorated pitchers in MLB history, Kershaw sports a combined 2.40 ERA and 2.77 FIP in 403 appearances over the last 15 years. During that time, the lefty has made ten All-Star appearances, won three Cy Young awards, and been elected the NL MVP in 2014 while never posting an ERA higher than 3.55. He’ll look to bring that ace production to a Dodgers rotation in need of pitching depth following injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler.
3. A’s activate veteran ahead of deadline:
The Athletics are one of the league’s few obvious sellers. While most of the attention has been focused on the club’s controllable trade chips like closer Mason Miller and outfielder Brent Rooker, the club figures to market an assortment of rental players to clubs looking for cheaper upgrades ahead of the deadline as well. One such rental is veteran righty Ross Stripling. A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters last night that Stripling will be activated from 15-day injured list today to take the ball against the Angels (via MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos).
Stripling, 34, has struggled to a 5.82 ERA in 11 starts with the A’s this year but sports a solid 3.99 FIP this season. He’s been plagued by a .359 average on balls in play and 56.4% strand rate that both seem likely to improve over a larger sample. Even with his struggles, Stripling could draw interest in a pitching-hungry market if he looks healthy and effective in his return from an elbow strain that has sidelined him since May.
As an Astro fan , I would touch this dude or waste a prospect with his if .359 ba on balls in play . No thank you.
Wouldn’t be
It seems to me that Mike Wlias holds the keys to this year’s trade market.
I imagine teams holding the aces don’t want to move them until they have heard Elias’s best and final.
If they wait too long, they’ll end up holding (which is t terrible, unless it’s a rental).
Expect the lesser pieces (Flaherty, Reds’ Pitchers, Evolaldi (assuming Texas is a seller), etc. to move before any big names.
And Elias likes to take his time and play it close to the vest, so the big deals – if any- will be next week.
Yep, Friedman and Elias might be duking it out for Crochet. I’m starting to believe one of them bites the bullet and gives up a haul.
It will be interesting, the trade market.
In the Reds case, is it just selling to save Bob some lettuce as all expect, or will they do the smart thing and sell rental pieces but also buy some other assets to supplement the holes in the roster?
The NL Central is there for the taking still, a wild card spot too.
Big red machine? What’s that? It’s all about the money for the reds
Goes back to when they were one of the model franchises under previous ownership. Sadly, those days are past.
Looks like some here are forever yearning for the halcyon days of the svelte, sensitive, abstemious Marge Schott and her demure darling dogs.
@sad tormented neglected mariners fan
I miss the Big Red Machine.
Why is no one talking bout Andujar trade? .303 average. Ignore the homers and RBI’s as he missed 6 weeks. Hitter with an arm and gets homers
Cashman is seething that Andujar is hitting in an everyday role
After last night’s performance, I wonder what Ray’s market looks like. The salary is high, but not if he pitches like he did in 2021. The Giants are probably already ahead on the trade on salary alone. They could likely rid themselves of pretty much all of Ray’s salary as well.
I don’t think the Giants want to trade him. If they trade him now they look like fools.
Because they traded for him. He’s been hurt all year. He’s finally healthy has an excellent first start and you trade him now?
Why trade for an injured player have him rehab and get healthy all offseason and ove half the season with your organization just to trade him after 1 start?
Has that ever happened before?
It’s a bad look. Giants are supposed to be contending not just this year but in future years. That’s what they got Ray for.
It came done to reds and white Sox for ever ago Robert services. Love to see the reds go get him now !
Lowder collier and Cabrera would be a nice haul
Love that poetic first sentence. Ezra Pound, right?
Releasing Yohan Ramirez will make room for Kersh
Robert and to a lesser degree Jimenez are two players that have a ton of talent and if given a scenery change and surrounded by veteran leadership would flourish. Robert still has all the tools and Jimenez is limited to DH. Jimenez would cost far less probably two #15-#30 level prospects and if it doesn’t work out you can deny the club option at year end. Someone like the Cardinals who need a RH bat and have Goldy coming to an end would be an interesting fit.
Jiminez has negative trade value. The Cardinals don’t need Jiminez. The Cardinals could use Robert for sure not Jiminez.
Looking for Mariners and Blu Jays to make some sort of trade finally!!!
They don’t really line up. The Jays best pieces (and most likely to move) are pitchers
The M’s need hitting.
Jays hitters available:
Kevin Kiermaier (no bat)
Justin Turner (no bat this year)
Danny Jansen (bat disappeared 2 months ago)
Kiner-Falefa (has hit but is injured and may not keep hitting after return)
M’s brought in some guys who could hit but haven’t. May be time to try the opposite? We are desperate!!!!
Sorry to break it to you, but that’s worth only one exclamation point:!
It deserves enough exclamation points to write out S.O.S. in exclamation points
The mariners are in a water park slide trying to climb back up but if they fall too hard then they fall into the pool with the rangers and then sink into the floor with the (gulp) angels
Those angels gained a lot of ground with their recent series
Sounds like posturing by Getz. “Hey, guys, the auction is starting and everyone else is sending in offers.” Probably some truth to it, but I think this is largely a tactic to get more teams to get serious before it’s too late. Just like talking up a guy’s stats and character.
All these guys think they can get a better deal by waiting but I don’t think there is any actual truth to that.
It will be interesting to see if Getz gets fleeced on the Robert or Crochet market or if he understands that their value (barring injury) may have more value and suitors during the offseason.
I think they trade Crochet (FOMO from other teams) but keep Robert. I doubt Crochet’s value gets much higher and the Sox are taking a big risk holding him. Robert could see his value go up with a strong 2nd half or even 1st half of next year.
Both guys are risky to hold on to. Robert is going to have an injury history even if he can stay healthy for a while. Crochet is an injury away from a major decrease in his value. They held on to Jiminez and Moncada and watched those guys trade values evaporate. They need to make some trades.
Trade these guys before they get injured.
Phillies trade Taijuan Walker to Os for Austin Hays? Strength for strength of both teams. If they could get Mullins that’s good too (I think he’s a Switch hitter?)
Walker’s contract is terrible that’s not going to work.
O’s say yes to either of those
The heck they do. Walker’s contract is terrible he has negative trade value.
Sure, you can never have enough $18M, injury-prone players with a 5.60 ERA on your team.
Unless Stripling throws a perfect game in his next start i can’t imagine anyone trades for him at the deadline with how bad his numbers were before
Just saying Os have a lower payroll just read they’re willing to move Mounty. That’d work over Mullins bc he’s Lefty and in Rob Thomsons stupid brain Schwarber and Harper are only Phillies qualified to hit lefty on lefty
Would you rather have Turnbull or Tyler Phillips? We have 8 legit SPs. Os have a million young bats