Quick Hits: Maddon, Molina, Hernandez, Gilbert
After being fired as the Angels manager in June, Joe Maddon would like to return to baseball, but “right now I need to get tired of what I’m doing in order to want to do something else,” Maddon told Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. The veteran skipper is enjoying a rare “summer vacation” of sorts, and would only be interested in a managerial or advisory job with a team that had a “strong balance between the old and the new” approaches to the game, and not too tilted in favor of analytics.
It seems clear that Maddon didn’t feel this balance existed in Anaheim. In general, Maddon felt the Angels’ “infrastructure needs to be improved….It’s the non-sexy stuff that has to get better. It’s not just bright, shiny objects — they have that. They need to do the infrastructure better in order to get to where we had been in the past.” Maddon also implied that the front office tried to have too much of an influence on baseball decisions, thus trying to turn the manager into a “middle man” rather than an actual leader in the clubhouse.
“It’s at the point where some GM should really just put a uniform on and go down to the dugout, or their main analytical membrane, he should go down to the dugout….And what happens is when the performance isn’t what they think it should be, it’s never about the acquisitional process,” Maddon said. “It’s always about the inability of coaches and managers to get the best out of a player. And that’s where this tremendous disconnect is formed.”
More from around the baseball world…
- The Cardinals placed Yadier Molina on the restricted list today, and called up catcher Ivan Herrera from Triple-A to take Molina’s place on the active roster. Molina is away for “business reasons” in Puerto Rico, Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, and the longtime catcher is expected to return to the Cardinals on Monday. Goold notes that the pro basketball team Molina owns is playing in the finals of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional championship, Puerto Rico’s top league. While seemingly an unusual reason to take time off during the season, Molina’s absence probably amounts to one game at most, as the catcher played on Friday and wouldn’t have played in both weekend games against the Diamondbacks.
- X-rays were negative on Teoscar Hernandez‘s left foot after the Blue Jays outfielder fouled a ball off his foot in the eighth inning of today’s 5-2 win over the Yankees. Hernandez was replaced in right field for the bottom half of the eighth inning. While it appears as though Hernandez has avoided any serious injury, it seems likely that he’ll miss Sunday’s game, thus leaving the Jays even more shorthanded in the outfield. George Springer has been limited to DH duty since returning from the injured list, and Springer has also missed the last two games due to a sore right knee after a wayward foul ball of his own on Thursday. While Toronto has outfield depth on the bench, the lineup would be hurt if both Hernandez and Springer each have to miss more time.
- Drew Gilbert‘s first pro season is already over due to a dislocation in his right elbow, the Astros announced. (Hat tip to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle.) Gilbert hasn’t played since August 13, when he suffered a forearm contusion after a collision with the outfield wall in a game for the Astros’ A-ball affiliate. However, according to the team, a further medical exam revealed that Gilbert “had sustained a dislocated right elbow that spontaneously went back into place before he was examined.” The 21-year-old Gilbert was the 28th overall pick of the 2022 draft, and MLB Pipeline already ranks the University of Tennessee product as the second-best prospect in the Astros’ farm system.
Angels Reinstate Mike Trout
The Angels announced that outfielder Mike Trout has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. After Wednesday’s game, they opened a spot on the active roster by optioning fellow outfielder Steven Duggar.
The return of Trout after just over a month on the IL will surely be a tremendous sigh of relief for the Angels and their fans, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was just last year that Trout landed on the injured list due to a seemingly minor calf injury. However, that injury lingered and Trout was never able to return, limiting him to just 36 games on the season.
Secondly, this year’s injury, which was initially termed “ribcage inflammation” at the time of his IL placement, was followed by a very ominous-sounding report from Mike Frostad, the club’s head trainer. Frostrad relayed that Trout had been diagnosed with a “a costovertebral dysfunction” in his back, adding that Trout “has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably.”
Given that Trout had already lost most of his 2021 season due to a nagging condition, this update caused understandable consternation among the fanbase. With Frostad’s description of the issue making it seem chronic and ongoing, some wondered if Trout would ever get back to his previous elite level, but the superstar was quick to shrug off those concerns. “I appreciate all the prayer requests, but my career isn’t over,” Trout quipped at the time of Frostad’s report. Subsequent developments helped part the storm clouds hanging over the situation, as Trout later saw a specialist and began ramping up physical activities by the end of July, eventually leading to today’s return.
Before landing on the injured list, Trout was still one of the best players in baseball. He hit 24 home runs in 79 games and produced an overall batting line of .270/.368/.599. That production amounts to a wRC+ of 169, or 69% above league average, fourth-highest in baseball among those with at least 300 plate appearances on the year.
While Trout’s return will be most welcome for the Angels, it is unlikely to have a significant impact on the team in terms of this year’s standings. The Halos are 12 1/2 games out of a playoff spot and have a 0.0% chance of a miracle comeback, according to the playoff odds calculated by FanGraphs. However, just returning to health and getting back onto the field is still a positive development, considering last year’s frustrations and the worries surrounding this recent issue.
Angels Notes: Trout, Lorenzen, Duffy, Bradley, Moniak, Iglesias
Mike Trout has been cleared to run and throw, and the former MVP is scheduled to take batting practice on the field today. Trout and Angels head trainer Mike Frostad spoke with reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) yesterday, with Trout expressing confidence that he’ll be able to return to the lineup “sooner rather than later.” A more specific timeline isn’t yet known, as Trout may require a minor league rehab assignment.
Trout has now missed a full month of action due to left ribcage inflammation and back spasms, and Frostad’s past update about Trout’s larger-scale back problems (a costovertebral dysfunction) left concern over both Trout’s short-term and near-term future. Given that Trout ended up missing almost all of the 2021 season due to a calf problem that just kept lingering, fans probably won’t be fully relieved until they actually see Trout back on the field, no matter this latest positive news about his rib injury.
More on the Halos…
- Frostad also provided details on several other injured Angels players, including 60-day injured list members Michael Lorenzen, Matt Duffy, and Archie Bradley. Lorenzen has thrown two bullpen sessions this week and will face live batters on Tuesday. The right-hander (who has sidelined by a shoulder strain) is tentatively expected to be activated from the 60-day IL when first eligible on September 2. Duffy’s first eligible activation date is August 26, and the infielder is slated to start a minor league rehab assignment next week as he makes his return from back spasms. The news isn’t as good on Bradley, who has been out since late June with a fractured right elbow and has yet to start throwing, though Frostad suggested that Bradley could start throwing this week. Given Bradley’s long layoff and the amount of rehab still to come, he might not pitch again in 2022.
- Mickey Moniak‘s season was though to be in jeopardy when the outfielder fractured the tip of his left middle finger, which sent him to the 10-day IL on August 7. Frostad said that Moniak’s stitches were removed yesterday, and depending on how he heals, might be able to return even if Moniak might still be playing through some discomfort. Acquired from the Phillies as part of the Noah Syndergaard trade at the deadline, Moniak played just five games for the Angels before hitting the injured list.
- The Mets and Yankees were among the teams also interested in acquiring Raisel Iglesias prior to the deadline, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes. However, neither New York club was willing to cover all of the $51.5MM remaining on Iglesias’ contract, while other teams were willing to take that deal entirely off the Angels’ books. Los Angeles ended up moving Iglesias to the Braves for Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez, but though the Halos dealt Iglesias and Syndergaard, Shohei Ohtani remained. “Half the teams or more” around baseball inquired about Ohtani, Heyman reports, and Heyman views owner Arte Moreno’s refusal to trade Ohtani as a missed chance. With Ohtani set for free agency after the 2023 season, there has already been a lot of speculation that he could be on his way out of Anaheim, and in search of a potential record-setting contract that reflects his unique two-way skillset.
Outrights: Thomas, Charles, Zabala
A few players recently designated for assignment have passed through waivers unclaimed. We’ll round up the latest outrights around the game.
- The Angels announced that outfielder Dillon Thomas has been outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 29-year-old has the right to refuse the assignment in favor of free agency, having previously been outrighted by the Mariners last year. Thomas has only played in eight MLB games this season, but he’s bounced around the waiver wire a bit. Signed to a minor league deal by the Halos, he was briefly selected onto the big league roster. He was quickly waived, landed with the Astros, then went back to Orange County before going unclaimed. Thomas has an excellent .294/.389/.500 showing through 319 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
- A’s right-hander Wandisson Charles cleared waivers and was sent outright to Double-A Midland, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. It’s the first career outright for Charles, so he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency at the moment. The 25-year-old (26 next month) will stick with the RockHounds and try to play his way back onto the 40-man roster. Charles has a power arm, but he’s had a disastrous season in Double-A. He owns a 9.53 ERA across 34 innings of relief, striking out and walking batters at a matching 18.6% clip. If he’s not selected back onto the 40-man by the start of the offseason, Charles would qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the year.
- Marlins reliever Aneurys Zabala has been sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to his MLB.com transactions log. It’s the second outright of the season for the righty, who has the right to elect free agency this time around. Zabala has made his first two MLB appearances this season, working 2 2/3 scoreless frames while averaging north of 99 MPH on his fastball. Zabala clearly has high-octane stuff, but he’s walked an unacceptable 27.9% of batters faced in Triple-A this year. Those strike-throwing concerns have prevented him from finding a roster spot despite his elite arm strength.
A.J. Preller, Mike Rizzo Discuss Juan Soto Trade
We’re a week removed from one of the biggest blockbusters in MLB history, the deal that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals to the Padres for five young players and first baseman Luke Voit. Jeff Passan of ESPN takes a long look into the process that eventually led to the deal in a piece that’s well worth a read in full.
A Soto trade seemed unfathomable around a month before the deadline, with Washington general manager Mike Rizzo flatly stating the club wouldn’t deal him. That was before Soto passed on a 15-year, $440MM extension offer that apparently represented the Nationals final offer. At that point, Rizzo and his staff reversed course and turned their attention to the trade market. Passan writes the Nationals identified the Padres, Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals, Mariners, Rays, Rangers and Blue Jays as a preliminary list of teams with the kind of young talent to pull off a deal.
According to Passan, the Nats had whittled that down to a trio of the Cardinals, Dodgers and Padres by the final week of July. With St. Louis reportedly reluctant to include Dylan Carlson in a package that also included a number of top prospects, Los Angeles and San Diego became the final two. Passan relays that San Diego and Washington higher-ups really gathered momentum late into the evening of August 1, the night before the trade deadline. A late entrant to discussions was the inclusion of Bell, one of the top rental bats available, to convince the Friars to part with high-upside 18-year-old pitcher Jarlin Susana. By the middle of the night on August 1-2, Passan reports, the parties agreed to the package of young talent that’d go back to Washington pending review of medical records the next morning. (Passan adds the humorous anecdote that San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller then continued working deep into the night on additional trade possibilities before falling asleep in the middle of a conversation with a member of his scouting staff).
While the initial iteration of the deal included Eric Hosmer going to Washington, the first baseman exercised his limited no-trade protection to block the deal. San Diego pivoted and traded Hosmer to the Red Sox, and Passan writes that San Diego and Washington had each previously agreed that one of Voit or Wil Myers could take Hosmer’s place in the event he refused to waive his no-trade clause.
“We did as well as we could do,” Rizzo opined to Passan. “You lost a Hall of Famer at 23, but I think we expedited our reboot. When you’re looking at the alternative, the same narrative would’ve been out there this winter. If you don’t trade him now, what are you doing in the offseason? I give the Padres’ ownership credit. And I give A.J. credit because he’s not afraid to make a trade like this. And I give our ownership credit.”
Preller went into detail about his team’s involvement in the Soto discussions during an appearance this afternoon on The Show, a podcast from the New York Post with Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman. The San Diego baseball operations leader confirmed the Nationals identified his system as one of a handful that could support a blockbuster of this magnitude early in the process.
“We could tell we were going to be one of the final teams if we wanted to participate,” Preller told the Post. “You never know if you’re going to be the team. It’s like anything else, there’s going to be two or three teams that all have really strong packages. … There was just a lot of debate and discussion for us over the next few weeks about the right thing to do, the right players to give up.”
Once the sides were nearing agreement on the prospect return, the onus fell on San Diego to push the deal across the finish line, Preller explains. “At the end, you have to decide. Do you want to do this or not? That’s kind of the gut-check at the end, when the Nats put it on you: ‘this five or six-player package gets it done.’ That’s when you come back into the room with your small group of people and (owner) Peter Seidler. It’s on the table if we want to do this. And if we don’t do it, ultimately we have to live with the fact that he may go elsewhere. … At the end of the day, you have to make that decision.”
Obviously, Preller and his group decided to pull the trigger, although he indicated the club wasn’t narrowly focused on a Soto deal. Preller confirmed to the Post that San Diego was involved in discussions with the Angels about Shohei Ohtani. He said there was some but not entire overlap in the young players of interest to both Washington and Anaheim but indicated the Angels were ultimately unwilling to part with Ohtani. Heyman reported last week that Angels owner Arte Moreno wouldn’t sign off on an Ohtani trade while Mike Trout is on the injured list.
Padres fans and/or anyone interested in additional details about San Diego’s trade talks will want to check out Preller’s interview with Heyman and Sherman in full. Preller also discussed the necessity of balancing a roster with star talent and depth, the acquisition of All-Star reliever Josh Hader from the Brewers, plans for rehabbing star Fernando Tatis Jr., and his team’s struggles against the Dodgers among other topics.
Angels Claim Steven Duggar, Designate Dillon Thomas
The Angels announced that they have claimed outfielder Steven Duggar off waivers from the Rangers. In order to create a space for him on the 40-man roster, they have designated Dillon Thomas for assignment.
Duggar, 28, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Giants in 2015 who came over to the Rangers in June in exchange for Willie Calhoun. Last year was his best and lengthiest showing in the big leagues, as he got into 107 games for the Giants, hitting .257/.330/.437 for a wRC+ of 107. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to build on that here in 2022, missing over two months due to an oblique strain and not really getting into a groove when healthy. Between San Fran and Texas, he’s hit .189/.241/.245, wRC+ of 39, striking out in 48.3% of his plate appearances on the year.
Despite those poor results this season, the Angels will give him a shot and see if he can recapture anything resembling his 2021 form. The need for an outfielder arose last night, when Mickey Moniak was attempting a bunt and the ball hit his finger. After the game, interim manager Phil Nevin told reporters that the news was not good, per Sam Blum of The Athletic. Today, the club has announced that Moniak has a fractured left middle finger, relays Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. The timeline of his injury is still not known, but it was enough that the club was motivated to go out and grab Duggar. Moniak himself tells Bollinger that it’s unclear if he’s out for the season, which suggests he won’t be returning soon.
As for Thomas, this is the third time he’s gone gently into DFA limbo in recent months. He signed a minor league deal with the Angels in the offseason, getting selected to the roster in June. After just a few days with the Angels, he was designated for assignment and was claimed by the Astros. After just over a week in Houston’s system, he was designated again, returning to the Angels on another waiver claim and today getting DFA’d for a third time. He’s only played eight MLB games and made 14 plate appearances amid all those transactions. He’s fared well in 73 Triple-A games, however, split between the Angels’ and Astros’ orgs. His line on the year is .294/.389/.500, wRC+ of 123.
Angels Select Mike Mayers
The Angels selected the contract of right-hander Mike Mayers, the team announced today. To make room for Mayers on their 40-man roster, the club transferred right-hander Michael Lorenzen to the 60-day IL. A spot on the active roster had been cleared last night, when the team optioned righty Janson Junk to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Though he’s had some success in an Angels uniform, 2022 has been a struggle for Mayers. The 30-year-old logged a 5.40 ERA (5.81 FIP) in 16 2/3 innings before accepting an assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake after he went unclaimed following a late-May designation. Things didn’t go much better for him in the minors, though he was stretched out as a starter. The righty notched a 6.27 ERA in 33 innings across 8 Triple-A appearances (all starts).
While he’ll be given another chance to establish himself in the majors, Mayers remains a strong non-tender candidate in the offseason, as he’d be in line for a raise from this year’s $2.15MM salary. Regardless, he should get an opportunity to latch on somewhere, as he’s pitched quite effectively in the fairly recent past, including a combined 105 innings of 3.34 ERA ball between 2020 and 2021. Across parts of seven seasons between the Cardinals and Angels, Mayers has struck out 24.5% and walked 8.4% of the batters he’s faced (both a tick better than league average) and owns a 4.98 ERA (4.30 FIP) in 202 1/3 innings.
A’s Claim David MacKinnon, Designate Wandisson Charles
The Athletics announced Friday that they’ve claimed first baseman David MacKinnon off waivers from the Angels. Right-hander Wandisson Charles was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
MacKinnon, 27, is a former 32nd-round draft pick who made his big league debut this season after a huge showing in Triple-A Salt Lake. He went just 7-for-37 at the MLB level without an extra-base hit at the Major League level, but the righty-swinging MacKinnon mashed at a .324/.429/.631 clip in 273 plate appearances with Salt Lake (156 wRC+). In just 273 plate appearances in Triple-A, MacKinnon belted 14 homers and connected on 19 doubles and four triples — all while walking nearly as often as he struck out (15.4% to 18.7%).
Because MacKinnon was only selected to the Major League roster for the first time this season, he’s in the first of three minor league option years. And while he’s never quite produced at this level in the minors in the past, MacKinnon still slashed .285/.380/.474 (139 wRC+) with 13 dingers and 30 doubles through 426 plate appearances in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting a year ago.
Following the offseason trade of Matt Olson, the A’s have given most of the playing time at first base to lefty-swinging Seth Brown and the since-traded, right-handed-hitting Christian Bethancourt. Brown has batted .249/.310/.494 when facing right-handed pitching but just .170/.200/.283 in 55 plate appearances against lefties. MacKinnon, hitting .294/.390/.588 against lefties this season (big leagues and Triple-A combined), will give Brown a natural platoon partner at first.
Charles, 25, is a hard-throwing righty who has battled command issues throughout his time in the minors and struggled considerably this season in his second stint at the Double-A level. He’s yielded 36 earned runs in just 32 innings, thanks to a through-the-roof 19.4% walk rate and a career-worst 1.13 HR/9 mark. Charles can run his fastball into the upper 90s and has had multiple seasons where he’s fanned more than 30% of his opponents, but this year’s 19.4% walk rate is right in line with the career 19.3% mark he’s posted across parts of six minor league seasons. The A’s can put Charles on waivers at any point in the next week.
Angels’ Griffin Canning, Chris Rodriguez Out For Season
Angels right-handers Griffin Canning and Chris Rodríguez will not pitch this season, trainer Mike Frostad told reporters (including Sam Blum of the Athletic). It’s a lost year for both, as they’ve each spent the entire 2022 campaign on the injured list.
Canning is now over a year since his last game action. He suffered a back injury while on optional assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake in July 2021, and he was shut down for the year not long after. The 26-year-old suffered a setback in May while throwing a simulated game in trying to build his way back. Canning declined to undergo surgery at the time in hopes of making it back to the mound this year, but that unfortunately won’t come to pass.
The only silver lining is that Canning has accrued a full year of big league pay and service time this season. The former second-round pick entered the season with two-plus years of service, so he’ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. Canning won’t be in line for much of a raise, as he carries a 4.73 ERA through 209 1/3 career innings and had no work in his platform year. Depending on his health status, it’s possible the Angels nevertheless non-tender him rather than devote him a 40-man roster spot for the offseason.
Injuries have been all too familiar for Canning, who’d been one of the Angels better pitching prospects during his time in the system. Despite the lackluster ERA, he’s shown some of that promise during his big league stint. Canning has a slightly above-average 23.8% strikeout rate and quality 13.2% swinging strike percentage as a major leaguer. He still seems to have mid-rotation upside if healthy, but he’d also lost an extended chunk of the 2019 season due to elbow inflammation before these back issues.
Rodríguez underwent surgery on his throwing shoulder last November. The team announced at the time the procedure would cost him most of this season, so it’s not especially surprising that he won’t make it back to Angel Stadium this year. Frostad indicated Rodríguez is still throwing at the club’s Arizona complex and generally progressing well, so it seems they simply doesn’t want to press him late in a non-competitive season.
The 24-year-old made his MLB debut last season, working 29 2/3 innings over 15 appearances in a multi-inning relief role. He posted a 3.64 ERA, compensating for mediocre strikeout and walk numbers with a robust 54.7% ground-ball percentage. As with Canning, Rodríguez collected a full year of service and salary in 2022. He won’t reach arbitration-eligibility until after the 2024 campaign at the earliest.
Deadline Recap: American League
A wild trade deadline has now passed, with contenders fortifying themselves for a World Series run or a playoff push, rebuilding teams looking towards the future, and some teams in both camps being more cautious in their moves. Here is the recap of every American League club’s most notable trades of the last few days, with the NL wrap-up coming on Wednesday….
New York: Though the Yankees’ rotation had been a big reason for their first-half dominance, the team still added Frankie Montas (one of the biggest trade candidates of the last few months) to reinforce the pitching staff. Bringing in Montas and reliever Lou Trivino cost New York four noteworthy prospects, yet the Yankees were able to hang onto everyone in their true top tier. Beyond Trivino, the Yankees further bolstered the relief corps by landing Scott Effross from the Cubs. Acquiring Montas also gave New York the rotation depth for a fascinating one-for-one trade, as Jordan Montgomery was sent to the Cardinals for Gold Glove-winning center fielder Harrison Bader.
Assuming Bader returns from his current bout of plantar fasciitis in his normal form, he’ll form quite a defensive tandem with another reigning Gold Glover in Andrew Benintendi, acquired from the Royals earlier in the week. The struggling Joey Gallo was subtracted from the outfield mix, as New York sent Gallo (a big get at last year’s trade deadline) to the Dodgers for pitching prospect Clayton Beeter. Gallo is an example of how sometimes the best deadline moves on paper don’t work out, but the Yankees look to have fortified themselves well for a return to the World Series.
Houston: The Astros are in hot pursuit of the Yankees for top spot in the AL, and also made multiple moves to shore up some weaker spots on the roster. With catcher Martin Maldonado and first baseman Yuli Gurriel both struggling at the plate, Houston brought in two longtime faces of AL East franchises — former Oriole stalwart Trey Mancini and former Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, for the combined cost of three prospects and young center fielder Jose Siri.
The Astros also dipped into their rotation depth to move veteran Jake Odorizzi for an experienced bullpen arm, moving Odorizzi to the Braves for Will Smith. One need Houston didn’t address was center field, so it looks like the team will stick with the tandem of Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick down the stretch.
Seattle: The Mariners are chomping at the bit to finally make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, and this aggressiveness manifested itself in one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters. After months of speculation, the Reds finally moved Luis Castillo, and it was the Mariners who stepped up with a big package of four prospects (including top-50 types Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo) to land the All-Star right-hander.
Castillo only adds to a rotation that was already among baseball’s best, and on deadline day itself, the M’s patched a few more holes. Curt Casali and Jake Lamb were acquired for bench depth, and Matthew Boyd was acquired from the Giants as an intriguing flier for September. Boyd has missed the entire season rehabbing from flexor tendon surgery, but if he is able to return, he projects as a left-handed option for a bullpen short on southpaws.
Minnesota: Speaking of trading for Reds starters, the Twins nabbed Cincinnati’s other available (and controllable through 2023) righty in Tyler Mahle, after checking in on most of the bigger starters available. While Castillo’s better track record meant the Mariners had to pay more, Minnesota’s concession was nothing to sneeze at, with three young prospects headlined by infielder Spencer Steer. Still, having Mahle for as many as two postseason runs was worth the cost in the Twins’ view, and Mahle should only help a Twins rotation that has already been quite respectable amidst several injuries.
The bullpen was the greater pitching need, and the upgrades came at the cost of a total of five prospects. But, the Twins made two significant trades in landing Jorge Lopez from the Orioles and Michael Fulmer from the Tigers. The duo could instantly step right in as Minnesota’s primary late-game combo, or at least take some of the pressure off rookie Jhoan Duran and second-year hurler Griffin Jax. The Twins also got Sandy Leon in a minor trade with the Guardians, bringing some catching depth on board with Ryan Jeffers still injured.
Toronto: The Blue Jays also mostly checked in on pitching, reportedly coming close to landing Noah Syndergaard and also being linked to such pitchers as Raisel Iglesias, Michael Fulmer, Luis Castillo, and Frankie Montas. Instead of a headline-grabbing move, Toronto settled for reinforcing the bullpen by acquiring the hard-throwing Zach Pop and former Jay Anthony Bass from the Marlins, and getting swingman Mitch White from the Dodgers. The Jays had to move some of their own young pitching to get White, and dealt top-100 prospect (but struggling at Triple-A) Jordan Groshans to Miami.
The Cubs’ Ian Happ was frequently mentioned as a Blue Jays target leading up to deadline day, yet Happ wasn’t dealt anywhere, and the Jays instead obtained longtime Royal Whit Merrifield. The former All-Star is struggling through his worst season, but the Jays are hoping that a change of scenery will help Merrifield get back into form, and add depth at multiple positions around the diamond. The trade with Kansas City was presumably made with the knowledge that Merrifield will be able to play in Toronto, as he recently missed a Royals/Blue Jays series because he wasn’t vaccinated.
Tampa Bay: Beset by injuries in the outfield, the Rays adjusted by acquiring Siri from the Astros (for young righties Seth Johnson and Jayden Murray) and David Peralta from the Diamondbacks (for catching prospect Christian Cerda). While fan favorite outfielder Brett Phillips was designated for assignment and then traded to the Orioles to make room, the Rays feel they’ve reinforced their lineup — the weak link on a wild card contender with excellent pitching.
Garrett Cleavinger and Jeremy Walker also acquired from the Dodgers and Giants to bring a couple more arms into the pipeline. The Rays did at least explore a real eye-opening move in checking in with the Nationals about Juan Soto, and one position left unaddressed was the catching position, though Tampa reportedly had interest in Willson Contreras.
Cleveland: The Guardians are another team with a longstanding need at catcher, and it seemed like Cleveland was getting close to a deal for A’s backstop Sean Murphy — especially since the Guards were reportedly open to making a big move by offering one of their controllable starters. However, though the Guardians were said to be looking hard for pitching of their own and also flirted with the idea of an offer for Juan Soto, all of the talk resulted in a very quiet deadline.
Other than moving Sandy Leon to Minnesota, the Guardians didn’t make a single trade. Especially with so many other contenders fortifying their rosters, the Guards’ inaction was a risky move for a team in the thick of the AL Central and wild card races. Cleveland is counting on its internal mix to step up over the last two months, but if the Guardians fall short of the postseason, there will be some what-ifs asked about this deadline.
Chicago: In somewhat similar fashion to the Guardians, the White Sox are in the AL Central/wild card races, checked in on a big name (Shohei Ohtani), focused on pitching additions (linked to such familiar Chicago names as Jose Quintana, David Robertson, and Mychal Givens) and…ended up coming away without much on deadline day. White Sox GM Rick Hahn even openly stated that he was “disappointed” at his team’s relative inaction. The Sox did add some needed left-handed depth to the bullpen in landing Jake Diekman from the Red Sox in an exchange for backup catching Reese McGuire, even if Diekman’s control problems don’t exactly promise drama-free innings.
Boston: With a dismal July record, the Red Sox were exploring trading their veteran players leading up to the deadline, and to some extent this did happen when Christian Vazquez and Jake Diekman. But, the likes of Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez, and Rich Hill are all still in Red Sox uniforms, and the Sox even added two more veterans in Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer. In Pham’s case, he’ll likely be a rental player due to his mutual option for 2023, but Hosmer is signed through 2025.
In an odd turn of events, Hosmer used his no-trade clause to refuse heading to the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto blockbuster, and has now landed in Boston along with two prospects in exchange for former first-rounder Jay Groome. Since the Padres are paying virtually all of Hosmer’s salary, in a way it’s kind of a no-lose proposition for the Red Sox, except for the fact that Hosmer has been more or less a league-average player for the last four-plus seasons. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Sox look to flip Hosmer again after the season, but for now, the idea is that Hosmer and Pham can help the club regroup and make a late run at a wild card slot.
Baltimore: The surprisingly competitive Orioles entered today’s play 2.5 games out of a wild card berth, but rather than make a true playoff push, the O’s kept their eyes focused on the future. As a result, team leader Trey Mancini and breakout closer Jorge Lopez were each traded, with a total of six pitching prospects coming back as further reinforcements to Baltimore’s minor league system. The three-team Mancini trade involving the Astros and Rays also unofficially netted the Orioles Brett Phillips, as the O’s acquired Phillips as backup outfield depth after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment. It surely isn’t the outcome that Baltimore fans wanted to see after so many years of rebuilding, but with the steps forward the team has made in 2022, it now seems possible that the Orioles could again be on the buyer side of the ledger by the 2023 deadline.
Texas: Another “wait until next year” team, the Rangers spent a ton on its roster in the offseason but 2023 seemed like the real target point for the club’s return to contention. Perhaps reflecting this in-between state, Texas didn’t do much buying or selling at the deadline, apart from moving reliever Matt Bush to the Brewers in a swap for the versatile Mark Mathias and left-handed pitching prospect Antoine Kelly.
Detroit: 2022 was the go-for-it year for the Tigers, yet a swath of injuries and slumping players quickly put the team back into seller mode. Reflecting the disastrous nature of the season, the Tigers were reportedly willing to discuss “just about everyone” in trade talks, but rather than a truly transformative move, Detroit played it pretty safe on the trade front. Impending free agents Michael Fulmer (to the Twins) and Robbie Grossman (to the Braves) were dealt, but though Detroit had plenty of good bullpen arms on offer, GM Al Avila felt “the market was flooded with relievers,” limiting the Tigers’ leverage.
Kansas City: Trading Carlos Santana to the Mariners in late June gave the Royals an early jump on their trade plans, and they ended up making more significant deals in swapping Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees and longtime Royal Whit Merrifield to Toronto. It was pretty easy to figure out Kansas City’s goal — six of the seven young players acquired in those three trades were pitchers, adding more arms to all levels of the farm system. There was plenty of interest in other Kansas City veterans like Michael A. Taylor or Josh Staumont, but the Royals to some extent held steady on a true housecleaning.
The Royals also brought in a more experienced arm in Luke Weaver, giving K.C. a pitcher (who may used either as as a reliever or starter) controlled through the 2023 season. For Weaver, the Royals sent the Diamondbacks Emmanuel Rivera, who was likely an odd man out amidst Kansas City’s multitude of infield options. The Royals also acquired Brent Rooker to help fill the holes in the outfield, landing Rooker from the Padres for backup catcher Cam Gallagher.
Oakland: The Athletics have been in rebuild mode for months, and Frankie Montas was finally moved after countless rumors. As in their offseason moves of star players, the A’s continued to pursue a mix of big league-ready and longer-term prospects, getting four young pitchers back in return from the Yankees for Montas and Lou Trivino. JP Sears has already made his MLB debut and Ken Waldichuk is the highest-ranked prospect of the quartet.
With Montas so widely expected to be dealt, his situation took up much of the buzz surrounding the Athletics, though the club also looked into moving Sean Murphy and Ramon Laureano. Since Murphy and Laureano are each under arbitration control through 2025, however, the A’s didn’t quite have as much urgency in working out a trade immediately. Despite those years of control, it’s probably safe to expect Oakland to continue taking calls on both players this winter as the A’s continue their latest roster overhaul.
Los Angeles: Another disappointing season led the Angels to take perhaps more of a bigger-picture view of their roster, as the team at least heard out other clubs’ offers for Shohei Ohtani, even if nobody met the Halos’ understandably huge asking price. However, the Angels were still quite busy, and reloaded by dealing away Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Marsh to the Phillies, and Raisel Iglesias to the Braves.
Getting Iglesias’ remaining $51MM in salary off the books is itself a win for Anaheim, but the team also obtained a top young catching prospect (Logan O’Hoppe), a controllable starter (Tucker Davidson), a familiar face of a veteran pitcher (Jesse Chavez), an outfield prospect (Jadiel Sanchez) and a lottery ticket of a former first overall pick (Mickey Moniak). It is an interesting array that falls a bit short of a true reload for 2023, but it gives the Angels some options, flexibility, and plans for the future as they work out their next steps.