On the heels of the American League emerging victorious from last night’s All-Star game, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. It’s trade season!
With the 2024 Amateur Draft complete, front offices around the game are now set to fully turn their attention to augmenting their rosters ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. A few notable trades have already occurred this month, such as the Rays flipping right-handers Aaron Civale and Phil Maton to the Brewers and Mets, respectively. The most recent trade of note occurred this past weekend, when the Royals acquired righty Hunter Harvey from the Nationals. If you haven’t already taken a look at MLBTR’s Top 50 Trade Candidates For The 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, it offers an opportunity to brush up on some of the names most likely to be dealt in the coming weeks. Harvey was the 15th player on the list, and other top names who could be on the move this summer include Garrett Crochet of the White Sox (2nd) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Marlins (5th).
2. Musgrove takes step towards return:
The Padres have been without right-hander Joe Musgrove since late May as the veteran deals with inflammation in his elbow caused by a bone spur. He’s set to make a major step towards his return today, however, as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that he’ll throw the first bullpen session of his rehab today. If that goes well, it will be followed by more intense bullpen sessions throughout San Diego’s road trip after the break. While the 31-year-old has struggled in 10 starts this year with a 5.66 ERA across 49 1/3 innings of work, the Padres are hoping he’ll return to his typical form as a frontline starter when healthy. Entering the 2024 campaign, Musgrove owned an excellent 3.05 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 459 2/3 innings of work since first donning a Padres uniform back in 2021. In Musgrove’s absence, the club is currently deploying a four-man rotation of right-handers Dylan Cease, Michael King, Matt Waldron, and Randy Vasquez.
3. White Sox 40-man roster move incoming:
Last night, it was reported that the White Sox and infielder Nick Senzel are in agreement on a big league deal. Senzel, 29, hit .209/.303/.359 (89 wRC+) while playing third base for the Nationals this year but was released just before the All-Star break began. Even that below-average pace would be an upgrade over struggling ChiSox infielder Lenyn Sosa, who has posted a 74 wRC+ in 52 games while splitting time between second and third base. Chicago’s 40-man roster is currently full, so they’ll need to make a move to open a spot before games resume Friday.
With no obvious candidates to be placed on the 60-day IL who haven’t already been transferred there, it’s possible the club will be forced to designate a player for assignment in order to make room for Senzel on the roster. On the other hand, the White Sox figure to be one of the most active sellers in the league this trade season. Given that, it would hardly be a surprise to see the club make a sell-side trade in the coming days, a move that could organically open a 40-man spot and allow them to add Senzel.
Low risk, high reward signing.
Senzel? More like no risk, no reward.
I keep hearing that teams are leery about paying up for crochet this year. If we make the assumption that the price in the offseason is the same as now but acquiring now gives you three playoff runs with however you want to use him. It seems reasonable to pay up now and get a plan to use him however you want in 2024.
Wouldn’t be surprised if a non contender nabs him. Regardless of who gets him, the new team continues on with his innings limitation program this year with focus on future season readiness/contributions.
I don’t think the price in the offseason will be the same. It will be slightly different. I just don’t think he’s worth as much as people think he’s worth. You can’t count on him for October 2024. He has a nasty injury history and he’s only under control through 2026.
Like “1. It’s trade season!”. Fun.
Cue the Norby-for-Crochet and Fedde trolls.
It will be interesting if the Orioles do target Crochet or Skubal. They definitely have the prospects and won’t have the holes to use them in the near future. Both would be great backup plans to slot into the ace spot for the foreseeable future should Burnes leave this offseason.
Tarik Skubal is not available. The Tigers are in a building up stage and not a tear-down
Don’t get me wrong the Tigers would need to be blown away to trade him. But if they received a similar offer to the one the Nationals traded Soto for they’d probably be pulling the trigger.
Not within the next 2 years they aren’t.
Skubal has Boras as his agent. Chris I likes a zipper on his wallet. Detroit won’t be signing him. The Tigers have lots of pitching and if ever they could afford to trade him, they have the depth necessary now.
If they can fill some spots like SS, 3B, 1B or C, it may be the right move.
Skubal will be traded either before or during the 2026 season. But for now, there’s no reason to trade him for “potential” and/or waiver wire trash.
I definitely think the O’s should do that. But, I don’t think Elias will part with the elite position prospects that it will take to do it. We’ll see.
They can go through the dance of thinking Mayo doesn’t have to be headliner, but Getz and his advisers didn’t budge on Westburg headlining the Cease deal before rental Burnes was acquired.
The conservative move is Balt gets Fedde with Norby being the main return. Someone like the LAD will know they can extend Crochet without blinking if they pony up top prospects.
Yeah I think it will be something like Fedde to O’s for Norby and Dylan Beavers. They keep their top guys like Kjerstad, Holliday, Mayo, Basallo.
True. Granted Santander will be gone, which opens up a spot for one of the outfielders. But it’s almost a necessity for them to deal at least one, maybe two infielders.
Hoping Os extend Tony Taters. Main cog in this winning thing that’s been going on since mid 22 in Baltimore. He continually out plays the newbies nipping at his heals. I’d move one or 2 of them before him.
Of the two, I think they’re more likely to get Fedde. Unless they become willing to part with Mayo or Basallo, they’re not getting Crochet. Fedde is more likely if the best guy they will give up is Norby.
Agreed. For Crochet, you’re looking at at least Mayo and/or Basallo to start. For Fedde, I’m thinking Norby, Beavers and third smaller piece gets it done.
I expect Montas, Martinez, Sims, Wilson, Farmer, and who knows who else to depart the premises in the next two weeks.
I look forward to all the Baseball Trade Values proposals that users will propose in the coming days. I especially like the ones where they’re trading for Crochet and giving the Sox both Dominguez & Jones.
I mean if the white sox would accept that trade it would be a steal for the Yankees. Neither Dominguez nor Jones has shown themselves to be exceptional hitters in the minor leagues yet over a significant sample size.
Os1995, Yankees aren’t willing to trade either for Crochet.
That is their right but it may be a mistake not to unload Jones before his value plummets. He is striking out 37% of the time and is an average AA bat at 23. Teams will only watch him struggle for so long before they begin to sour on him.
@York: BTV isn’t free anymore. That seems to have toned down the amount of those proposal postings on the sites I follow.
Yeah they thought someone would pay for their site. Haven’t visited their site or mentioned them since.
Nothing the ChiSox do is newsworthy.
Oh no! What bad Sox player will be DFAd that no one will want..bet Getz is racking his brain wondering what to do!!
I bet a trade of DeJong or Pham opens up a spot.
Sosa actually has been okay on this most recent call up. My guess is Danny Mendick is getting released.
Lenyn Sosa has been hitting better and figures to be the White Sox regular 2B down the stretch with the signing of Nick Senzel and the return of 3B Yoan Moncada from the IL ahead of the July 3oth trade deadline.
Senzel figures to be the regular at the hot corner until Moncada returns and then be used at various positions when other veterans like Tommy Pham and Paul DeJong are dealt.
I gotta believe Moncada gets traded.
He’s owed just under $15M, including his buyout. It’s a sunk cost, but it’s hard to see JR eating enough money to move him.
Moncada is worth more to another team. Whether it’s salary relief or prospects the White Sox should trade him.
@black
The problem is no one wants them unless chi eats the contract or sends out some top end prospects. Which at that point they should just stick with him of dfa him. Plus he’s hurt and may not get back in time to show he’s worth picking up.
Why shouldn’t the White Sox eat the contract and take a prospect back from another team? Even if it’s a marginal prospect that’s better than nothing. The money is already a sunk cost.
@black
What team would give up a lotto ticket and waste the roster space on him just to dfa him themselves.
b-b
No team would
A team would though if they thought he would produce
Seems a reasonable bet since he has produced every season (positive fWAR) he’s been in MlB
@cb
He has what about 2 weeks to show that, assuming he is activated here in the next few days. Slight possibility in the offseason if he finishes strong but I doubt it.
From everything I have heard he’s going to be healthy right around the trade deadline. A lot of teams need 3b help. The Mariners and Cubs do for sure and probably more teams. Why would they DFA him? If he’s healthy he’s at least a decent player and potentially a good player.
Whatever he brings from here until the end of the year it’s better for a contending team to get that benefit instead of the White Sox. You can argue his value but he has some value.
@black
Because the book is out on him and can’t be counted on to stay healthy, not saying it’s possible but it very unlikely. Cws is stuck with him because if we’re going to go down the rabbit hole of great when healthy laa has a 3rd basemen they love to trade
He’s gonna be healthy soon. All you have to do is count on him to be healthy the rest of the year that’s not a big deal.
Rendon has a giant contract. The Angels aren’t going to pay that entire contract. Moncada is only owed his 2024 salary and the buyout. It’s a very different situation. That cost is already a sunk cost they can pay it and then take whatever they can get for him. Again even if it’s not a lot it’s better than nothing.
Bpita
The White Sox still have to weigh the offers they get now against what offers they think they’ll get in the off-season based on various levels of performance that Moncada might exhibit
These things are difficult
Moncada has an expensive option for 2025 that will most likely not get picked up. So he’s really just a rental. A well paid rental but the Sox can pay that can be worked out.
@black
Problem with moncada is you trade and in 2 weeks he’s hurt again or during a stretch you need him, now your back to where you started. The only way I see him traded at the deadline is if a fringe team can’t find someone within there comfort zone and they pull the trigger. with anything being possible I’m putting money down he’s a cws next season or cws buys himout
Anyone could be hurt 2 weeks from now thats always a risk. And if you are back where you started then so be it. Someone like the Cubs they give up a marginal prospect and who cares? They don’t have anything to lose. I dint think he’s super valuable just saying he has some value of the White Sox pay the salary that they have to pay regardless.
@black
The problem is I don’t see anyone being that desperate nor the cws eating that much money to make the trade. At this point it’s a sink cost keep playing him until the wheels fall off and save the clock on the kids
When it comes to team control you can call a guy up in July get 2 plus months for free and still get your 6 years of team control for the future with just 3 arb years. That’s a big reason why teams trade guys around this time of year.
I’ll happily take that bet. No way with how Moancada has been will they pick up that option. More realistic answer would be to sign him to a one-year “prove it” deal, and with how his run has gone with the White Sox, I don’t expect Getz to be offering that, and would expect several other teams (Royals, Cubs, Dodgers to name a few) to offer that instead.
@some_guy
I agree that is probably the most likely outcome he finishes the season with the cws then gets bought out and takes a 1 year prove it deal
Tigers are in the same position as the white Sox just not as bad they should trade Skubal
I guess Senzel is an improvement over Sosa, not by much though…
Unless the CWS get blown away on an offer, there isn’t any reason to trade Crochet. His value (unless injured) will be the same in the offseason as it is now. If they do decide the trade Crochet, they better off load all the other fringe players to playoff teams also..
Crochet could get hurt. Again. That would be a reason to trade him now.
Why trade a dominating pitcher—just turned 25? A Sox rebuild should make them competitive while Crochet is in his prime. But if he must be traded, then demand in return similarly young, proven major league player(s).
Crochet is only under team control through 2026. Heck they could trade him away then sign him back as a free agent in 2 years and get the benefit of the prospects he brings back in the process.
Because they will not be contending in the next two controllable years, and he’s not signing an extension. Points to trade him now and get value for him versus letting him walk and get diddly-squat for him. Shades of Chris Sale.
DeJong pack your bags for LA …
The Sox aren’t satisfied with Lenin’s lack of means of production so they’re Trotskying Senzel out there, Stalin for time until Yoyo is ready.