Trade Deadline Roundup: NL Central
Next up in our series of trade deadline roundups is the NL Central.
- The Cubs acquired righty Joe Smith from the Angels for pitching prospect Jesus Castillo. They also completed their deal for Aroldis Chapman, in which they sent Adam Warren and prospects Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney and Rashad Crawford to New York.
- The Reds got infield prospect Dilson Herrera and lefty Max Wotell from the Mets in exchange for outfielder Jay Bruce. They came close to trading shortstop Zack Cozart to Seattle, but that deal was never consummated.
- After star catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to Cleveland, the Brewers sent him and reliever Jeremy Jeffress to Texas in exchange for outfielder Lewis Brinson, pitcher Luis Ortiz and a player to be named. They also sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco in exchange for pitching prospect Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac.
- The Pirates shipped closer Mark Melancon to Washington in exchange for lefty reliever Felipe Rivero and lefty prospect Taylor Hearn. Later, in a surprising move, they sent lefty Francisco Liriano and top prospects Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire to Toronto in exchange for righty Drew Hutchison and relief from Liriano’s contract. They also dealt struggling lefty Jon Niese to the Mets in exchange for lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, and they acquired righty Ivan Nova from the Yankees for two players to be named.
- The Cardinals had a quiet deadline, but they got lefty Zach Duke from the White Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Charlie Tilson.
Trade Deadline Roundup: NL East
The NL East is first up in our series of roundups for each division in the week leading to today’s non-waiver trade deadline.
- The Braves‘ key move was to deal Hector Olivera‘s bad contract to San Diego for Matt Kemp and cash. They also acquired minor league infielder Travis Demeritte from Texas for righty Lucas Harrell and lefty Dario Alvarez. They did not, however, deal pitchers Julio Teheran and Jim Johnson.
- The Marlins acquired pitchers Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea and Tayron Guerrero from San Diego for pitchers Jarred Cosart and the injured Carter Capps, plus prospects Josh Naylor and Luis Castillo. Then, however, they sent Rea, who left his Marlins debut due to elbow trouble, back to San Diego in exchange for Castillo.
- The Mets acquired outfielder Jay Bruce from Cincinnati in return for prospects Dilson Herrera and Max Wotell. They also shipped struggling reliever Antonio Bastardo to Pittsburgh for their own former starter Jon Niese. Finally, they signed veteran outfielder Justin Ruggiano to a big-league deal.
- The Phillies had a quiet trade deadline, as GM Matt Klentak explained to reporters, including MLBTR’s Jason Martinez. Jeremy Hellickson, David Hernandez and Carlos Ruiz all remained with Philadelphia. The Phillies did make one small transaction, sending Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf back to the Royals.
- The Nationals spent the week connected to a variety of big names, and they finally landed one of them — their key move was to acquire closer Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh in return for reliever Felipe Rivero and lefty prospect Taylor Hearn.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/1/16
We’ve had a number of big moves as we approached the trade deadline today, but here are a few smaller ones.
- The Blue Jays have designated righty Ben Rowen to clear space on their roster for the newly acquired Mike Bolsinger, Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star tweets. The 27-year-old Rowen has pitched well this season in the bullpen at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 2.47 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 47 1/3 innings, and he’s continued his trend of getting tons of ground-ball outs in the minors, with a ratio of 3.25 outs on the ground for every one in the air.
- In an intriguing minor deal, the Dodgers have announced that they’ve acquired righty Josh Fields from the Astros for first baseman Yordan Alvarez. The 30-year-old Fields thrived in the Astros’ bullpen last season, with a 3.55 ERA, 3.4 BB/9 and an exceptional 11.9 K/9, but failed to get good results despite maintaining strong peripherals this season and has spent much of the year with Triple-A Fresno. The Dodgers signed the 19-year-old Alvarez for $2MM earlier this season. He played in Cuba’s Serie Nacional in 2013 and 2014 and has not yet appeared in a minor league game.
- In the wake of their trade for Jonathan Lucroy, the Rangers have announced that they’ve designated fellow catchers Bryan Holaday and Bobby Wilson for assignment. Both have played sparingly for Texas this year. Holaday, acquired in late March after many years in the Tigers organization, batted .238/.290/.405 in 94 plate appearances with the Rangers. Wilson, an eight-year MLB veteran, hit .250/.277/.352.
- The Mariners have announced that they’ve claimed infielder Mike Freeman off waivers from the Diamondbacks. To clear space on their 40-man roster, they’ve designated infielder Patrick Kivlehan for assignment. Freeman, soon to be 29, briefly played in the Majors this season but has spent most of the year with Triple-A Reno, where he’s batted .317/.387/.411 while playing second, first and all three outfield positions. The 26-year-old Kivlehan has hit a disappointing .242/.291/.399 with Seattle and Texas’ Triple-A affiliates.
- The Cubs have announced that they designated lefty Brian Matusz for assignment. The move clears space on their active roster for righty Spencer Patton, who was promoted from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs signed Matusz to a minor league deal in June after he was traded from the Orioles to the Braves and then designated for assignment. He had previously been a longtime and productive member of the Baltimore bullpen, but he’s struggled in nine big-league innings this season, allowing 14 runs.
Blue Jays Acquire Francisco Liriano, Two Prospects For Drew Hutchison
The Pirates have announced that they’ve received righty Drew Hutchison from the Blue Jays in exchange for lefty Francisco Liriano, outfielder Harold Ramirez and catcher Reese McGuire. The deal comes as a shock, as the Bucs gave up two legitimate prospects in exchange for a marginal rotation option and relief from the approximately $18MM remaining on Liriano’s contract.
[Related: Updated Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays Depth Charts]
Liriano was a top performer in the Pirates’ rotation in 2013 through 2015, but he has struggled badly in 2016, with a 5.46 ERA and a league-leading 69 walks. The Bucs, much-praised for their reputations for fixing struggling pitchers, evidently felt they wouldn’t be able to fix Liriano, who is making $13MM both this year and next.
Hutchison, formerly a regular in the back end of the Jays’ rotation, has spent most of the 2016 season with Triple-A Buffalo, where he’s posted a 3.26 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. He’s had considerably less success in his four-year big-league career, with a 4.92 ERA, although with a reasonable 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He’s making $2.2MM this season. He’s eligible for arbitration for two more years after this one, should the Pirates choose to keep him.
The 21-year-old Ramirez was batting .306/.354/.401 for Double-A Altoona. He has a stocky build and hasn’t yet developed much home-run power, but is relatively close to the Majors at a young age and has always hit well for average. MLB.com ranks him the Pirates’ ninth-best prospect.
Ramirez’s inclusion in the deal was surprising enough, but the inclusion of McGuire is downright strange — McGuire’s bat hasn’t developed, but he’s a very highly regarded defensive catcher who rated as the Pirates’ No. 8 prospect. MLB.com notes that his plus defense makes him a likely future regular, with potential to be more than just a defensive-minded player depending on how his bat develops. The 21-year-old has batted .259/.337/.346 for Altoona this season.
Overall, the deal is reminiscent of the Diamondbacks’ 2015 trade of Bronson Arroyo and top prospect Touki Toussaint to the Braves for Phil Gosselin and relief from Arroyo’s salary. The Diamondbacks’ end of that trade was harshly criticized by most analysts, and the Pirates’ end of this deal seems likely to suffer a similar fate.
Robert Murray of Fan Rag was first to tweet that a deal had been struck. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweeted that the Jays would receive two prospects. Gideon Turk of BP Toronto tweeted that Hutchison was involved, with Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noting Ramirez’s involvement.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Braves
Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos on FOX Sports.
- The Yankees will be willing to deal pending free agents Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran if they’re not in serious contention for a playoff spot by the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal says. They do not want to trade Andrew Miller right now, however. It’s also possible they could deal starting pitchers like CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda, but they are not in active discussions to sell right now and they could wait to deal members of that trio this offseason, since all are under control in 2017.
- The Marlins would deal Adeiny Hechavarria and replace him at shortstop with Miguel Rojas if they could get a top starter like Chris Archer of the Rays in return, Rosenthal says. From this vantage point, that sounds like a lot to ask for a shortstop who has hit .238/.274/.336 this season (although Hechavarria is a stellar defender), and one would think Hechavarria would have limited value in a deal for an ace, even as part of a package. Rosenthal unsurprisingly notes that the Rays aren’t interested in trading Archer for a package that has Hechavarria as its centerpiece. The Marlins are also very interested in Archer’s fellow Rays starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore, although their weak minor league system poses difficulties in lining up a trade.
- The Rockies don’t seem overly motivated to trade Carlos Gonzalez and have passed on opportunities to do so, Rosenthal says. Gonzalez’s contract runs through 2017, coinciding with the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s deal, and Rosenthal implies it might be in Bridich’s best interest to keep Gonzalez around to increase the Rockies’ chances of being competitive until then.
- The Tigers aren’t likely to make big moves before the deadline, with a large payroll that will limit their flexibility and a number of tough-to-move contracts on the books. They could, however, become a seller if they do especially poorly in the next two weeks, potentially dealing Francisco Rodriguez and/or other relievers.
- Braves GM John Coppolella continues to insist his team will not deal Julio Teheran, Rosenthal says. Coppolella believes Teheran (who is under team control through 2020) can be a key player on the next contending Braves team, although he acknowledges that won’t happen this season.
D’backs Willing To Trade Relievers, But Not Starters
Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart is willing to deal relievers Daniel Hudson and Tyler Clippard, but not starters Patrick Corbin and Robbie Ray, Nick Piecoro and Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic write. (Stewart had previously told Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball he wasn’t interested in dealing Corbin.) The Diamondbacks have already traded Brad Ziegler and appear amenable to continuing to trade from their bullpen, but it looks like their starters are off limits.
“We’ve gotten calls, and you have to call to ask, but I don’t really have an ear to listen,” says Stewart, speaking of Corbin and Ray. “If you want to talk about Hudson or Clippard, I’ll listen. That’s pretty much how it is.”
Stewart also says that, at this point, he’s unlikely to complete an extension for Hudson before the deadline, putting pressure on the Diamondbacks to deal him while they can. (Last month, Stewart named Hudson and Ziegler as potential extension candidates.)
“Once we get past that deadline, there’s uncertainty for the organization to be able to sign these guys,” says Stewart. “I don’t think I can put the organization in a position to not get some value back for Huddy.”
Stewart’s willingness to deal Hudson and Clippard but not Corbin or Ray makes sense, given the free agency timelines of the players involved. The Diamondbacks’ 2016 season appears to be mostly lost, with the team posting a 38-53 record so far, but Corbin and Ray could easily be significant contributors in future seasons. Corbin can’t become a free agent until after 2018, while Ray isn’t eligible until after 2020.
Hudson, meanwhile, is eligible for free agency this coming winter, while Clippard can become a free agent after 2017. Hudson has had a modestly productive season at best (4.91 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 in 33 innings) and might not fetch much on the trade market. Clippard has been better, with a 2.97 ERA, 3.0 BB/9 and strong strikeout numbers (11.1 K/9) that help compensate for his usual fly-ball tendencies. Given his long track record of productivity and experience closing, he ought to be able to net the Diamondbacks a nice return.
Ross Atkins On The Justin Smoak Extension
Earlier today, the Blue Jays made the somewhat surprising decision to extend first baseman Justin Smoak through 2018, with an option for 2019. Via MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm, Jays GM Ross Atkins this afternoon explained the rationale behind the move.
Edwin Encarnacion is due to become eligible for free agency after the season, provoking speculation that the Jays extended Smoak because they don’t believe they’ll be able to retain Encarnacion. Atkins denies that’s the case.
“Edwin could be a DH and Justin could be playing regularly at first base, as he was earlier this year. There’s a lot of different alternatives there,” says Atkins. “They’re on the same team now and could be on the same team moving forward.”
Atkins says the move had more to do with the possibility the 29-year-old Smoak could further develop. “[T]here’s the potential of Justin being more than the complementary player he has been over the last couple of years,” he argues.
This offseason, in addition to Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, R.A. Dickey, Drew Storen and Jesse Chavez, among others, can all become free agents, creating a difficult situation for the Blue Jays that will be exacerbated by a relatively thin free agent market. So, Atkins suggests, retaining Smoak helps ease the transition from this year’s team to next.
“Absolutely, and that’s part of it,” Atkins says. “So [we] saw this as an opportunity in a short window to see if there was something there with Justin.”
5 Key Stories: 7/9/16 – 7/15/16
Here’s a look back at this week’s top stories here at MLBTR.
The Astros agree to terms with Yulieski Gurriel. The Astros made a huge splash late this week, agreeing to sign Cuban superstar Yulieski Gurriel to a five-year, $47.5MM deal. The move further strengthened what had already been a very strong projected Astros infield, but the team has no plans to trade top prospect Alex Bregman. Instead, the Astros plan to promote Gurriel later this season, and when both he and Bregman are in the Majors, they could use them both at a variety of positions. Gurriel had lately also been connected to the Dodgers and Mets.
The Red Sox continue to add. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox had already been busy on the trade market, adding Brad Ziegler and Aaron Hill, but this week they reached even higher, nabbing Drew Pomeranz from the Padres. They can keep Pomeranz in Boston through 2018, so he isn’t a rental, but they paid heavily to get him, sending top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to San Diego. On a related note, shortly after the Ziegler deal last week, it emerged that Sox closer Craig Kimbrel would have to miss three to six weeks due to a knee injury; the Sox have said the Ziegler deal wasn’t directly related to Kimbrel’s situation, but Ziegler certainly provides the Red Sox’ bullpen with a convenient bit of help. The Padres’ willingness to deal Pomeranz, meanwhile, might not mean they’ll be opening the shop on all their veterans — both they and first baseman Wil Myers are interested in an extension.
The Diamondbacks demote Shelby Miller. The Diamondbacks’ controversial winter trade for Shelby Miller took another turn for the worse this week, as they demoted the slumping starter to Triple-A Reno after he posted a 7.14 ERA in 14 starts. The Diamondbacks as a team, meanwhile, are just 38-53 despite their flashy offseason, and there are whispers within the game that the organization could fire manager Chip Hale.
The Blue Jays extend Justin Smoak. The Jays signed first baseman Justin Smoak to a somewhat two-year extension Saturday, removing an infielder from next year’s free agent market. Toronto also, of course, has a couple higher-profile sluggers in Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion who remain set to become free agents. Via a tweet from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, the Jays maintain that the Smoak deal has no impact on their ability to re-sign Bautista and Encarnacion, but it’s hard not to see Smoak’s extension a bit of insurance if the Jays aren’t able to retain those players.
The draft signing deadline passes. The deadline to sign players from the 2016 draft was Friday. While many key draftees signed earlier in the summer, a few key picks waited until just before the deadline, including Jason Groome (Red Sox), Braxton Garrett (Marlins) and Anthony Kay (Mets).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Yulieski Gurriel, Astros
The Astros’ signing of Serie Nacional superstar Yulieski Gurriel became official today. Here’s the latest on what the signing means, with most of the details emerging from a Saturday press conference at Minute Maid Park.
- The Astros also plan to pursue Yulieski’s 22-year-old brother Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. Lourdes and Yulieski defected from Cuba together earlier this year. Lourdes, unlike Yuliesky, is currently subject to rules regarding international bonus pools (although he’ll be exempt starting in October) and will likely command a very large bonus to sign — he’s regarded as a top prospect.
- The Astros acknowledge that, with all their infield talent, Yulieski isn’t the easiest fit for them, as FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal explains (all Twitter links). They do not intend to trade top prospect Alex Bregman, however. Instead, they plan to use their DH spot to create opportunities for both Gurriel and Bregman, with Evan Gattis and A.J. Reed likely to lose playing time as a result. The Astros could potentially use Gurriel and Bregman at a variety of infield positions, with Bregman also potentially seeing time in the outfield.
- Astros GM Jeff Luhnow says Gurriel could also play the outfield, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). The team has had Gurriel work out in the outfield and feels he has athleticism and a plus arm. The Astros’ aim has simply been to acquire as many good hitters as possible and allow defensive alignments to fall where they may.
- The Astros will send Gurriel to their Florida complex, then perhaps to Double-A Corpus Christi, Jake Kaplan of the Chronicle tweets. Via Berman, though (on Twitter), the Astros do hope to have Gurriel in the big leagues later this season.
Astros Designate Matt Duffy For Assignment
The Astros have designated infielder Matt Duffy for assignment, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets. (Duffy is not to be confused with the Giants third baseman of the same name.) The move clears space for Cuban star Yulieski Gurriel, whose signing the Astros officially announced at Minute Maid Park today.
The 27-year-old Duffy has played sparingly for the Astros in the past two seasons, with three hits in a total of 12 plate appearances. He had a good season with Triple-A Fresno in 2015, but has struggled there this year, batting just .226/.303/.350 while playing third base, shortstop, first base and left field.