Trade Deadline Roundup: NL East
Here’s what teams from the NL East did in the days leading to this afternoon’s trade deadline.
- The Phillies were, unsurprisingly, at the center of the action, shipping ace Cole Hamels to Texas (along with reliever Jake Diekman and cash) in exchange for Matt Harrison, top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, pitching prospects Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff, and outfield prospect Nick Williams. In another significant move, they sent closer Jonathan Papelbon and cash to Washington in exchange for pitching prospect Nick Pivetta. They also sent outfielder Ben Revere and cash to the Blue Jays for pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado.
- The Nationals were, of course, the team on the other end of the Papelbon deal, for which they agreed to exercise Papelbon’s 2016 option after it was reduced from $13MM to $11MM, some of that deferred. They also outrighted catcher Dan Butler.
- Despite not completing a reported deal for Carlos Gomez, the Mets made plenty of noise at the deadline, acquiring Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers for pitching prospects Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. They also acquired reliever Tyler Clippard and cash from the Athletics for pitcher Casey Meisner. Last week, they acquired infielders Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson, plus cash, from the Braves for pitchers John Gant and Rob Whalen, and they promoted top prospect Michael Conforto.
- The Braves were on the other end of the Uribe/Johnson deal. They also were part of a massive 13-player trade with the Dodgers and Marlins in which they acquired infielder Hector Olivera, lefty Paco Rodriguez and pitching prospect Zachary Bird for top infield prospect Jose Peraza, along with pitchers Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan and Bronson Arroyo. The Braves also designated reliever David Carpenter for assignment.
- In that aforementioned 13-player trade, the Marlins sent Mat Latos and Michael Morse to the Dodgers in return for pitchers Kevin Guzman, Jeff Brigham and Victor Araujo. They also shipped Dan Haren and cash to the Cubs for shortstop Elliot Soto and righty Ivan Pineyro, and they traded reliever Sam Dyson to the Rangers for catcher Tomas Telis and lefty Cody Ege. Last week, they dealt reliever Steve Cishek to the minors for pitcher Kyle Barraclough. Finally, they released infielder Jeff Baker.
Trade Deadline Roundup: AL West
Here’s how the last few days before the trade deadline went for teams throughout the AL West.
- The Rangers acquired Phillies ace Cole Hamels in a monster eight-player deal, also receiving Jake Diekman and cash. In return, the Rangers gave up pitcher Matt Harrison, catching prospect Jorge Alfaro, pitching prospects Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff, and outfield prospect Nick Williams. In a more minor deal, they acquired reliever Sam Dyson from the Marlins for catcher Tomas Telis and pitcher Cody Ege. They also claimed catcher Bobby Wilson from the Rays and designated lefty reliever Wandy Rodriguez for assignment.
- The Athletics were busy as usual, this time selling in the wake of a disappointing season. They got a solid pitching prospect in Sean Manaea, plus another young pitcher in Aaron Brooks, when they sent Ben Zobrist to Kansas City. They got yet another pitching propsect, Casey Meisner, from the Mets for Tyler Clippard. Last week, they received catcher Jacob Nottingham and pitcher Daniel Mengden from the Astros in exchange for Scott Kazmir. They also traded reliever Ryan Cook to the Red Sox for a player to be named and acquired lefty Felix Doubront from the Blue Jays for cash.
- The first-place Astros were, of course, the team that received Kazmir. In yet another significant deal, they acquired outfielder Carlos Gomez, starter Mike Fiers and international spending rights from the Brewers for outfielders Domingo Santana and Brett Phillips and pitchers Adrian Houser and Josh Hader. They also designated Roberto Hernandez for assignment and outrighted outfielder Alex Presley. Additionally, they designated reliever Joe Thatcher, who became a free agent.
- The Angels addressed their outfield and DH issues by acquiring David Murphy from the Indians (for infield prospect Eric Stamets), David DeJesus from the Rays (for pitcher Eduar Lopez) and Shane Victorino from the Red Sox (for infielder Josh Rutledge). They also designated reliever Vinnie Pestano for assignment and signed lefty Wesley Wright to a minor league deal.
- The Mariners sent lefty J.A. Happ to the Pirates for starting pitching prospect Adrian Sampson, and reliever Mark Lowe to the Blue Jays for pitchers Rob Rasmussen, Jake Brentz and Nick Wells. They also shipped outfielder Dustin Ackley, a former No. 2 overall pick, to the Yankees for outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez. They also promoted top prospect Ketel Marte. Finally, they acquired righty J.C. Ramirez from the Diamondbacks.
Trade Deadline Roundup: AL Central
Here’s a roundup of AL Central activity in the last few days before this afternoon’s trade deadline.
- The first-place Royals bought heavily at the deadline, pulling off one of the biggest trades of the season when they acquired Johnny Cueto from the Reds for lefties Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. They followed that up with a second big move, acquiring infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist from the A’s for pitchers Sean Manaea and Aaron Brooks. The Royals also shipped pitcher Joe Blanton to the Pirates for cash considerations.
- The 50-52 Tigers, meanwhile, went the opposite direction, ultimately selling heavily rather than pursuing hopes of a Wild Card berth. They traded ace David Price to Toronto and got lefties Daniel Norris, Jairo Labourt and Matt Boyd in return, then sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets for a pair of righties, Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. Along the way, they shipped closer Joakim Soria to the Pirates for infield prospect JaCoby Jones.
- The Indians reportedly discussed trading Carlos Carrasco with several teams, but didn’t make a move of that magnitude. They got a good pitching prospect, Rob Kaminsky, from the Cardinals in return for Brandon Moss. They also dealt outfielder David Murphy to the Angels for infield prospect Eric Stamets, and they traded lefty Marc Rzepczynski to the Padres for outfielder Abraham Almonte. In a minor move, they also acquired lefty Jayson Aquino from the Pirates for cash considerations.
- The Twins had a relatively uneventful deadline, with their biggest move being the acquisition of reliever Kevin Jepsen from the Rays for pitchers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia. They’re also set to designate reliever Caleb Thielbar for assignment.
- The White Sox had one of the quietest deadlines of any team despite their recent surge, with GM Rick Hahn feeling frustrated that they weren’t able to make a significant move. Ultimately, the only deal they made involving a remotely well known player was shipping infielder Conor Gillaspie to the Angels for cash.
Trade Deadline Roundup: AL East
Here’s a roundup of activity from around the AL East, covering the last few days before this afternoon’s trade deadline.
- The win-now Blue Jays made by far the biggest splash in the division, making not one but two blockbuster deals. They acquired star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins from the Rockies for shortstop Jose Reyes and prospects Jeff Hoffman, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco, then swung a deal with Detroit for ace David Price, giving up top prospect Daniel Norris and two other lefties, Jairo Labourt and Matt Boyd. They got outfielder Ben Revere from the Phillies for pitchers Jimmy Cordero and Alberto Tirado, and righty reliever Mark Lowe from the Mariners for pitcher Rob Rasmussen and minor leaguers Jake Brentz and Nick Wells. Finally, they traded lefty Felix Doubront to the Athletics for cash.
- The Orioles acquired improved their outfield, getting Gerardo Parra as a rental from the Brewers for pitching prospect Zach Davies. They also got outfielder Junior Lake from the Cubs for reliever Tommy Hunter. They also designated Chris Parmelee and Bud Norris for assignment.
- The first-place Yankees were connected to top relievers like Craig Kimbrel of the Padres, but weren’t able to swing a trade for bullpen help. Instead, they bolstered their outfield depth by acquiring Dustin Ackley from the Mariners for outfielder Ramon Flores and pitcher Jose Ramirez. They also designated Chris Capuano and Garrett Jones for assignment, later outrighting Capuano. They also announced that they would promote top pitching prospect Luis Severino.
- The Red Sox showed at least some interest in big-name arms like Carlos Carrasco and Tyson Ross, but ultimately didn’t have a very eventful deadline. They traded Shane Victorino to the Angels for infielder Josh Rutledge, and they acquired reliever Ryan Cook from the Athletics, They also designated Daniel Nava and Jemile Weeks for assignment and claimed reliever Jean Machi from the Giants.
- The 51-52 Rays made moves to deal a couple of veterans, although they don’t look massively different than they did last week. They traded reliever Kevin Jepsen to the Twins for pitchers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia, and also dealt outfielder David DeJesus to the Angels for pitcher Eduar Lopez. They also lost catcher Bobby Wilson via a waiver claim by the Rangers.
Rangers Out Of Market For Top Rentals, Have Talked To Padres About Pitchers
JULY 28: Not only are the Rangers in contact with the Padres regarding Ross and Cashner, they’re discussing the pair with San Diego as much as they’re discussing Hamels with the Phillies, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (Twitter link).
JULY 26: Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported yesterday that the 47-50 Rangers were mostly seeking players who could help beyond 2015. Today, Wilson writes (Twitter links) that according to GM Jon Daniels, the Rangers are out of the market for top rental players, although they could pursue minor trades for impending free agents. The Rangers have, of course, lately been strongly connected to Cole Hamels, but Hamels is under contract for several seasons beyond this one.
The team has recently had discussions with the Padres about Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, Wilson writes. Cashner is under control through 2016, Ross through 2017. Ross, who has more years of control remaining and is a strikeout pitcher with an excellent ground ball rate, appears especially likely to require a significant return. The two pitchers were, until recently, frequently connected to the Astros, although Houston would seem less likely to acquire either of them now that they’ve traded for Scott Kazmir.
Royals Interested In Martin Prado, Ben Zobrist
JULY 27: Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals are expected to remain in the Ben Zobrist market “until the end,” which adds another versatile target to the list of Royals targets.
Zobrist, unlike Prado, is a rental player that’s eligible for free agency this offseason. He’s a bit more affordable, though, earning $7.5MM this season (of which $2.9MM remains). Zobrist is a better hitter than Prado and comes with the bonus of being a switch-hitter. He’s batting .268/.354/.447 and would be an excellent stopgap for Kansas City until Gordon is healthy enough to return to the lineup. Upon his activation, Zobrist would then be an immediate upgrade over Infante. The Athletics, who have already traded Scott Kazmir and could soon trade Tyler Clippard, are believed to be willing to part with Zobrist as well.
The Royals, it seems, will remain active even after picking up Johnny Cueto from the Reds in what has easily been the largest trade of the summer thus far.
JULY 26: The Royals have interest in Marlins infielder Martin Prado, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweets. The 31-year-old Prado recently returned from a shoulder injury and is batting .277/.316/.374 in 308 plate appearances in his first season in Miami. He’s making $11MM this season and next, although the Yankees are paying $3MM of that in each season. Morosi notes that the Royals would need to receive cash from the Marlins in the deal. Whether the Marlins would agree to send any is unclear — another recent report indicated that they weren’t interested in dealing Prado at all.
In any case, the Royals have a good player, Mike Moustakas, at third base, where Prado has played most of this year. But Royals second baseman Omar Infante has mostly struggled, so Prado could potentially help at that position. Also, he can help the Royals in the corner outfield while they wait for Alex Gordon to return from the DL — right fielder Alex Rios has hit just .256/.290/.333 this season.
Quick Hits: Dodgers, Angels, Reds, Mets
The Dodgers might be able to take advantage of a productive season from Andre Ethier to clear a logjam in their outfield and add pitching, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggests. Ethier is in the midst of a resurgent .276/.361/.459 season, so now might be a good time to deal him and move Carl Crawford back into a starting role. The approximately $46MM remaining on Ethier’s contract would likely still be an obstacle. But Sherman suggests there might be a match with the Angels. In one scenario, the Angels could send the Dodgers C.J. Wilson, who has about $28MM remaining on his own deal. There aren’t any specific rumors connecting the Angels and Dodgers, and a deal involving Wilson and Ethier would surely be complex, due to the contracts involved. The Angels have, however, reportedly recently shown interest in another lefty hitter, David Murphy, and they’re about to get Jered Weaver back from the DL. So perhaps Sherman’s idea isn’t that far-fetched. Here are more quick notes from around the big leagues.
- Reds players knew to expect the team to trade Johnny Cueto, but the team’s trade of Cueto to the Royals for three left-handed pitchers still stung, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. “Shocking is not the word, but it’s kind of a blah feeling,” says Jay Bruce. “Because everybody anticipated it happening, but for it to actually happen and someone I’ve personally known for 11 years now, just poof, gone.” Bruce, of course, is himself a candidate to be traded this week, along with Mike Leake and perhaps others. It can be easy to forget that the trades we outsiders discuss so matter-of-factly do affect the players on a personal level.
- In contrast, the Mets are excited to have the newly acquired Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson on their side, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. “That versatility is enormous, to keep key, quality players on the field,” says Mets manager Terry Collins. “It’s hugely enormous.” As Kepner points out, that might be an overstatement, but the Mets are getting help, or are on the verge of getting it, from Uribe, Johnson, returning players Jenrry Mejia (suspension) and Travis d’Arnaud (elbow), and newly promoted top prospect Michael Conforto. The Mets do have reasons to be hopeful. “I’ve been in Chicago, and nobody’s thinking like Chicago’s winning. I’ve been in San Fran, and nobody’s thinking like San Fran’s winning. And they win,” says Uribe. “In baseball, you never know what could happen.”
Athletics Could Trade Clippard As Early As Monday
Tyler Clippard, and not Ben Zobrist, seems likely to be the next Athletics player to be traded, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. That deal could take place soon, perhaps on Monday, with a Zobrist trade coming later. It’s unclear who the Athletics’ trade partner for Clippard will be, although Slusser lists the Nationals, Mets and Yankees as candidates. Clippard has been linked to all three teams in recent reports.
Clippard has posted a 2.79 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in his first season in Oakland. He also has 17 saves, although many potential trade partners would likely use him in a setup capacity anyway. He was originally drafted by the Yankees in 2003 and made his big-league debut with them four years later, and he spent the next seven years pitching in the Nationals bullpen.
AL Notes: Blue Jays, Carrasco, Rangers
The Blue Jays, who are on the lookout for pitching help, are still in talks with the Padres about both starters and relievers, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi tweets. The Padres, of course, have starters Ian Kennedy, James Shields, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, and relievers Craig Kimbrel and Joaquin Benoit. The Jays’ payroll could be an issue, however. Morosi writes that, for example, it would be tough for the Jays to take on the remainder of Kimbrel’s contract. Kimbrel is due about $4MM the rest of the season, plus $11MM in 2016, $13MM in 2017 and a $1MM buyout on a $13MM option in 2018. Here’s more from the American League.
- The Blue Jays and Indians nearly completed a deal involving starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. It’s not clear why the deal wasn’t completed, but Carrasco would have provided a long-term fix for the Jays’ rotation — Carrasco is signed through 2018, with team options for 2019 and 2020, and his outstanding peripherals (10.1 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 2015) suggest he has a strong foundation for future success. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported on Friday that the Jays had made a “big push” to trade for Carrasco.
- The Rangers‘ solid recent play suggests that they should make moves to improve their pitching, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. They’re still in the playoff race, but Rangers starters have struggled to work deep into games, and they have a weak bullpen. The team has already decided to steer clear of big names on the rental market, though they’ve been connected to Cole Hamels along with Cashner and Ross.
Padres “Pushing Hard” To Trade Big-Name Players
The Padres are “pushing hard” to trade big-name stars, executives from other teams tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Obviously, Justin Upton, Will Venable and Ian Kennedy are clear trade candidates, since those players are due to become free agents after the season. But James Shields, Andrew Cashner and Craig Kimbrel, who all are controlled beyond 2015, have also come up very frequently in talks, according to Heyman. Other possibilities include Tyson Ross, who’s due for free agency after 2017, and Joaquin Benoit, whose contract contains a club option for 2015.
This isn’t the first time that any of these players have been mentioned in trade talks, of course, but rival executives now seem to think the Padres could be even more active at the deadline than had previously been anticipated. Given how aggressively GM A.J. Preller remade the team last offseason, it would come as little surprise if he were itching to make another round of big trades in the midst of what’s turned into a disappointing season.
Heyman adds that another potential motivation for the Padres to make trades could be to reduce payroll. (ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote earlier today that the Padres were feeling “pressure” to shed payroll beyond 2015 by making trades.) Via Cot’s Contracts, the Padres had an Opening Day payroll of about $108MM this season, about $17MM more than their 2014 figure. Trading someone like Shields, whose contract is backloaded, would help the Padres reduce their already significant payroll obligations for 2016 and beyond.