Red Sox Acquire Hansel Robles From Twins
The Red Sox acquired reliever Hansel Robles from the Twins, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Twins are including $500k in the deal, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (via Twitter). That should cover much of the remaining money owed to the right-hander, who signed a one-year, $2MM deal with the Twins this past winter. In exchange, the Twins will receive RHP Alex Scherff, the teams announced.
Robles fills a need for Boston as a hard-throwing righty in the pen. He will slot in somewhere behind setup man Adam Ottavino and closer Matt Barnes in the pecking order – though it’s worth noting that bullpen usage is hardly ever that clean, and Robles should no doubt expect some high-leverage work in the heart of the AL East playoff race.
Robles spent three and a half years with the Mets and two and a half years with the Angels before joining the Twins this offseason. He closed for a short time in LA, notching 23 saves in 2019 while tossing 7 2/3 innings and marking a stellar 2.48 ERA/2.88 FIP. He looked like a borderline elite bullpen arm at that point, but he hasn’t matched those run prevention numbers in the two seasons since.
The overall numbers for Robles this season aren’t all that confidence-inspiring: 45 appearances covering 44 innings with a 4.91 ERA/4.82 FIP worth -0.7 rWAR. He does have 10 saves as he stepped up to cover some high-leverage situations throughout the year. He’s struggled of late, however, with an 11.12 ERA in his last 12 appearances dating back to late June. He doesn’t have to be “the guy” in Boston, however, where he’ll make up just one part of manager Alex Cora‘s final line of defense to close out games.
For the Twins, they are adding an intriguing bullpen arm to their system. The 23-year-old Scherff has split this year between High-A and Double-A, racking up exceptional strikeout numbers. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs notes that his fastball is “is 92-96 with a good changeup”.
Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com was the first to note that Scherff was the return.
Blue Jays To Acquire Joakim Soria From Diamondbacks
The Blue Jays are acquiring reliever Joakim Soria from the Diamondbacks, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. The Jays will send a pair of players to be named later back to Arizona, according to the team. Outfielder Jonathan Davis was designated for assignment to open a spot for Soria.
Soria, 37, joins the ninth team of his career. A legendary closer in his first four seasons with the Royals back in 2007-10, Soria is now more of a useful depth piece. This year the veteran owns a 4.30 ERA, 24.8 K%, and 6.4 BB% in 29 1/3 innings. He lengthens a Blue Jays bullpen that also added Brad Hand, Adam Cimber, and Trevor Richards this summer. Blue Jays Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations & General Manager Ross Atkins saved his big splash for the rotation, acquiring Jose Berrios from the Twins for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson.
The Blue Jays, who return to the Rogers Centre in Toronto tonight for the first time in 670 days, are currently 4.5 games out of a wild card spot.
Giants, Rockies Continue To Discuss Trevor Story
2:26 pm: The Giants and Rockies remain engaged on Story with a little more than a half hour to go before the deadline, reports Feinsand.
1:03 pm: With just under two hours before the deadline, the Rockies have lowered their asking price on Story, one executive tells Sherman. That person suggests it’s now more likely than not that Story will be traded.
12:03 pm: There’s little traction between the Rockies and either of Tampa Bay or Toronto on a Story deal at the moment, hears Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Of course, the Jays just parted with a pair of top prospects to land José Berríos from the Twins, so it’s possible they might be disinclined to continue to mine the farm system for Story.
11:29 am: Some rival executives think the Rays and Blue Jays are the main contenders to land Rockies shortstop Trevor Story before this afternoon’s trade deadline, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). Bob Nightengale of USA Today adds that the Rays, in particular, are making a “hard push” to land Story. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com suggests the Giants also have interest, while Thomas Harding of MLB.com indicates the Rockies have had discussions regarding Story with the Cardinals as well.
Of course, that’s only if Story winds up traded at all, which Sherman confirms is far from a lock. The Rockies have expressed comfort with holding onto Story for weeks. While that could just be public posturing, it seems Colorado’s planning to hang onto fellow impending free agent Jon Gray past the deadline.
The end game there, however, is to try to hammer out a long-term deal with Gray. Story, on the other hand, isn’t seen as especially likely to sign an extension. The Rockies instead would be more likely to make him a qualifying offer and receive a compensatory draft choice if/when he rejects and signs elsewhere in free agency.
Of course, Story’s play this season has complicated matters. While he looked like an obvious trade candidate coming into the year on the heels of a .293/.361/.544 performance from 2019-20, he’s struggled to produce at the plate this season. The 28-year-old has a below-average .240/.312/.429 line (84 wRC+) over 375 plate appearances. That’s surely depressing the caliber of prospect teams are willing to part with, so there’s some sense for Colorado in recouping a high 2022 draft choice if rivals aren’t putting forth especially strong offers.
The Rays, Jays, Giants and Cardinals are all new reported entrants into the Story market. Sherman adds that the Mets — who have been linked to Story for a while — are still on the periphery but that the Rockies shortstop doesn’t seem to be their top priority at this time. The Yankees, Brewers and White Sox have also all been tied to Story in the past but seem less likely after adding to their infield in other ways (Anthony Rizzo, Eduardo Escobar and César Hernández, respectively).
Athletics To Acquire Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison
2:21pm: Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reports the A’s are sending three minor leaguers to the Nats: catcher Drew Millas, righty Richard Guasch and righty Seth Shuman.
1:53pm: The Athletics have agreed to a deal acquiring catcher Yan Gomes and infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison from the Nationals, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). The deal is pending medical review of the involved players.
Gomes, 34, is in the second season of a two-year, $10MM contract and has gotten out to a strong start, hitting at a .271/.323/.454 clip with nine homers, 11 doubles and a triple as the primary backstop in D.C — a demonstrable uptick from the league-average .226/.307/.387 slash posted by catchers so far in 2022. He’ll pair with Sean Murphy to give the A’s a pair of backstops who are outpacing that average level of offense behind the plate. Gomes also carries a terrific defensive reputation, which is supported by strong framing numbers and a robust 36 percent caught-stealing rate on the year.
Harrison, meanwhile, gives the A’s a versatile 34-year-old bench piece who has done nothing but hit since signing in Washington. He’s playing the year on a $1MM base salary and has turned in his best offensive showing since an All-Star 2014 campaign. Overall, Harrison has turned in a .291/.363/.431 slash in 450 plate appearances in parts of two seasons with the Nats. He’s experienced at second base, third base and in the outfield corners, so he’ll give manager Bob Melvin a right-handed bat with plenty of versatility for matchup-based lineup construction.
Millas, 23, was drafted by the A’s in the seventh round out of Missouri State by the A’s back in 2019. Baseball America labeled him a 40-grade prospect prior to the season, calling him “one of the top defensive college catchers” in his draft class. His bat is considered more of a question mark. Millas is hitting .255/.372/.359 in 266 High-A plate appearances this year.
Guasch, 23, has worked to a 4.67 ERA, 26.8 K%, and 11.4 BB% in 54 High-A innings this year.
More to come.
Cardinals, Twins Swap John Gant For J.A. Happ
In a swap of two struggling pitchers, the Cardinals and Twins swapped righty John Gant for lefty J.A. Happ, per announcements from both clubs. Minnesota also picks up minor league southpaw Evan Sisk in the deal.
Gant, unlike Happ, is controllable for another year beyond the current campaign. The 28-year-old Gant has long worked as a swingman in St. Louis, pitching to a 3.72 ERA in 339 innings dating back to his 2016 debut with the Braves. He’s sporting a solid-looking 3.42 ERA on the season, but that’s a deceiving mark; Gant has issued a staggering 56 walks in 76 1/3 innings this year, to go along with an identical 56 punchouts. That lack of command makes him a surefire regression candidate if he can’t right the ship.
That said, while command has never been Gant’s strong suit, he’s also never struggled to quite this level. Gant walked a still-too-high 12.1 percent of batters from 2017-20, but he’s seen that mark balloon to 16.2 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, his 20.6 percent strikeout rate from 2017-20 has dropped, matching that 16.2 percent walk rate.
Gant is earning $2.1MM this year and is due a raise in arbitration this coming offseason, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be tendered by the Twins. But he’ll give his new club some length in the bullpen or perhaps even as a starter down the stretch, where he’ll have a couple months to prove he can improve his command and contribute next year.
In Happ, the Cards will pick up a veteran innings eater, but one whose struggles have been rather alarming. The 38-year-old has soaked up 98 1/3 innings for the Twins this season but been clobbered for a 6.77 ERA along the way. Happ has been impacted a bit by an elevated .332 average on balls in play, but he’s also been among the game’s most homer-prone pitchers, averaging 1.92 dingers per nine innings pitched.
Even more perplexing is that Happ’s struggles have only grown in recent weeks. He hasn’t made a quality start since April 28 and hasn’t surrendered fewer than three runs in an outing since the end of May. Dating back to June 1, Happ is toting an 8.13 ERA, and sticking to just the month of July, he’s yielded more runs (28) than innings pitched (27).
Even with the Twins taking back Gant’s contract and kicking in cash, it’s something of a surprise to see the Cardinals include a minor leaguer in this deal. Sisk isn’t one of the organization’s top prospects, but he’s turned in a 3.31 ERA in 32 1/3 innings out of the bullpen between Class-A Advanced and Double-A so far in 2021. He’s fanned a very strong 29.1 percent of his opponents, but he’s also walked batters at an ugly 12.7 percent clip. Sisk, the Cardinals’ 16th-rounder back in 2018, induces grounders at a strong clip and at least has a chance of eventually emerging as a lefty option in the Minnesota ‘pen.
It’s probably more than most would’ve expected the team to get for the struggling Happ, but it underscores the Cardinals’ need to simply accumulate innings to fill out the rotation after doing little to address their questionable starting pitching depth in the offseason.
La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported the Twins were moving a starting pitcher. Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that the Twins were acquiring Gant. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted Happ was going to Minnesota. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted that the Twins were also getting Sisk in the deal
Twins Listening On Maeda, Buxton, Donaldson
1:45PM: The Twins are also listening to offers on righty Kenta Maeda, tweets Heyman. He’s signed through 2023 with an annual base salary of just $3MM, although he can earn an additional $10MM of incentives based on starts and innings pitched each season.
1:36PM: Both Buxton and Josh Donaldson are being shopped by the Twins, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets. Donaldson is in the second season of a four-year, $92MM contract with Minnesota.
12:56PM: The Twins have already traded Nelson Cruz and Jose Berrios, and they’re surely not done for the day, with several other players to shop to contending clubs. Center fielder Byron Buxton‘s market has picked up steam since last night, tweets Dan Hayes of The Athletic, although it’s no sure thing he’ll be moved just yet. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Phillies “love” Buxton and are one six or seven teams inquiring with the Twins.
Buxton, 27, is currently on the 10-day injured list with a fractured hand that he sustained when he was hit by a pitch earlier in the summer. He’d only just come off the injured list after missing more than a month due to a strained hip flexor.
The Twins and Buxton have had extension talks as recently as this month, but those negotiations didn’t bring about a contract. Minnesota was reportedly willing to offer upwards of $80MM and include some incentives to boost the contract’s overall value. It’s not the first time the Twins and Buxton have talked extension, but nothing has come of those efforts just yet and Buxton now finds himself 15 months from reaching free agency at the conclusion of the 2022 season. He’s said even after those extension talks broke down that he hopes to remain in Minnesota long-term and is very much open to future talks.
Buxton is one of the toughest players in the game to value either in a trade or on an extension. He’s arguably the best defensive player in all of baseball, at any position, and is among the sport’s five or so fastest players as well. While the former No. 2 overall pick struggled at the plate in his first several seasons, he’s batted .282/.322/.581 with 33 homers, 44 doubles and four triples in his past 540 plate appearances — a star-level offensive output.
Of course, the problem is that those 540 plate appearances have been spread across three seasons. Buxton has been on the Major League injured list a whopping 11 times, and while some have come as the result of freak injuries — the current broken hand, a foot fracture suffered on a foul tip — the lack of durability is an obvious concern both for the Twins and for potential trade partners.
Buxton is nearing a return from the injured list, and his play so far in limited at-bats in 2021 would be MVP-caliber over the course of a full season. He’s batted .369/.409/.767 with 10 homers and 11 doubles in just 110 plate appearances. The Twins figure to set a high asking price, as they did on both Cruz and Berrios. Whether another club will part with impact young talent and take on the health risks associated with Buxton remains to be seen.
Yankees Shopping Luke Voit
1:11pm: NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty also hears the Yankees are shopping Voit, however he adds that they’ve yet to receive much interest.
July 30, 12:33pm: The Yankees are “looking to trade” Voit, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link). Newly acquired Anthony Rizzo is slotting in at first base over him for the remainder of the season, and the Yankees can look to add a shortstop this winter, moving Gleyber Torres to second base and DJ LeMahieu to first base.
July 29: Luke Voit‘s name has come up in trade discussions the Yankees are having with various teams, reports the YES Network’s Jack Curry (via Twitter). Voit is currently on the injured list with a bone bruise in his knee, but he’s nearing a return to the active roster.
It’s been an injury-marred season for 30-year-old Voit, who missed the first month-plus after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear and then quickly landed back on the injured list with an oblique strain. This is his third IL stint of the year, and that trio of maladies has combined to limit him to 29 games and 122 plate appearances.
Voit got out to a slow start when he initially returned from knee surgery, but he was hitting quite well prior to his most recent knee troubles. In 17 games and 72 plate appearances from June 22 through July 11, Voit slashed at a .281/.361/.453 clip with a pair of homers, three doubles and a triple. That’s still a far cry from Voit’s powerhouse showing in 2020’s shortened slate of games. He appeared in 56 of the Yankees’ 60 contests last summer, hitting .277/.338/.610 and pacing all of Major League Baseball with 22 home runs.
When he’s at his best, Voit is a force to be reckoned with at the plate, but some of the Yankees’ recent dealings and rumored targets call his fit with the lineup into question. New York, for instance, has been repeatedly linked to Rockies shortstop Trevor Story in recent days. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweeted not long ago, in fact, that the Yankees’ interest in adding Story is quite real. However, acquiring Story would likely necessitate sliding Gleyber Torres to second base, thus pushing DJ LeMahieu to first base, where Voit is traditionally stationed. The presence of Joey Gallo, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton crowds the DH scene, and if New York’s reported interest in Kyle Schwarber manifests in a trade, that would only further muddy Voit’s role.
Voit is playing the 2021 season on a $4.7MM salary and will be due a raise in arbitration this winter. The lack of playing time and diminished production from his injuries will curb his earning power to an extent, but it’s fair to expect his salary to climb north of $6MM. He’s a Super Two player, so he’ll be eligible for arbitration in each of the next three offseasons before reaching free agency upon the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.
Craig Kimbrel Rumors: Deadline Day
The market is heating up for star reliever Craig Kimbrel, who looks likely to wind up traded before this afternoon’s deadline. With the Cubs moving players off the big league roster, there’s little reason to hold onto Kimbrel at a time when his value is almost certainly at its apex.
The eight-time All-Star is having as good a season as he’s ever had, pitching to an incredible 0.49 ERA/1.83 SIERA over 36 2/3 innings. He’s playing out the year on a $16MM salary (around $5.6MM of which is still owed) and is under team control next season via a club option at a matching price. Unsurprisingly, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets that multiple teams are in conversations with the Cubs regarding the 32-year-old.
Here’s the latest chatter on Kimbrel:
Latest Updates
- While the Dodgers are “kicking around” the idea of adding Kimbrel, his landing in L.A. seems unlikely, reports Rosenthal. The Rays, whom Rosenthal reported this morning have been in talks with the Cubs about both Kimbrel and Kris Bryant, remain involved.
Earlier Reports
- Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Dodgers were exploring the market earlier this week, and they have continued interest, he reiterates today. It has been a whirlwind deadline season for Los Angeles, who has already added Danny Duffy and is apparently soon to acquire Trea Turner and Max Scherzer.
- The White Sox already picked up one quality reliever from the Cubs — Ryan Tepera — yesterday. They’re apparently at least kicking around the idea of making another move with their crosstown rivals. The two Chicago clubs are having discussions about a potential Kimbrel deal, reports David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago (on Twitter).
- Kimbrel’s first club, the Braves, checked in on a reunion, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link). However, Atlanta does not “see itself as a factor” in the market at the moment.
Brewers Acquire Daniel Norris From Tigers
The Brewers are finalizing a deal to acquire lefty reliever Daniel Norris from the Tigers, tweet Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. MLB.com’s Jason Beck first broke news of the trade discussions, and he hears that minor league starter Reese Olson is heading back to the Tigers. The deal is done, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
Norris, 28, has struggled to the tune of a 5.89 ERA, 25.5 K%, and 9.6 BB% in 36 2/3 innings this year for Detroit. The southpaw has been done in by a .354 batting average on balls in play, so better things may be on the horizon. Plus, Norris has stifled lefties, whiffing more than 30% of them against a 7% walk rate. He’s due for free agency after the season, so he’s a clear trade candidate for the Tigers. Norris is earning $3.475MM on the season.
Norris was drafted in the second round by the Blue Jays back in 2011. He was the key piece in the Jays’ acquisition of David Price in a deadline deal of six years ago, along with Matthew Boyd. Back then, Norris was a 60-grade prospect with the potential of a frontline starter. However, Norris battled numerous injuries in his Tigers career. He made a career-high 29 starts in 2019, but switched to the bullpen permanently last August when Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize hit the scene. Though Norris has mostly pitched in low-leverage situations for the Tigers this year, he did work his way up in the bullpen pecking order in July.
This month the Brewers have been relying on Josh Hader and Devin Williams in high leverage situations, with Williams activated from the IL for elbow discomfort on Tuesday. In addition to Hader, the Brewers’ pen includes lefty Brent Suter.
Olson, 21, was a 13th round pick out of high school by the Brewers back in 2018. He’s got a 4.30 ERA, 26.9 K%, and 11.9 BB% in 14 High-A starts this year.
Braves Acquire Adam Duvall
The Braves have picked up slugger Adam Duvall in a trade with the Marlins, as originally reported by Craig Mish of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Catcher Alex Jackson is heading to the Marlins.
It is the second outfield trade in a matter of minutes for the Braves, who also just acquired Eddie Rosario from the Indians. Since Rosario is still on the injured list recovering from a right abdominal strain, Duvall will now immediately step into an outfield picture that has been entirely remade in the last few weeks, including the Braves’ trade with the Cubs for Joc Pederson.
Duvall is a known quantity in Atlanta, and was initially acquired by the team exactly three years ago to the day as part of another deadline deal with the Reds. Duvall didn’t perform well down the stretch in 2018, but he then hit .248/.307/.545 with 26 home runs over 339 plate appearances for the team during the 2019-20 seasons.
The Braves non-tendered Duvall last winter rather than pay him a $4MM in projected arbitration salary, opening the door for Duvall to sign a one-year deal with the Marlins worth $5MM in guaranteed money. Duvall is still owed the remainder of his $2MM salary for this season, and there is a $7MM mutual option on his services for 2022 that can be bought out for $3MM.
The 2021 season has seen Duvall continue his power-centric performance, hitting 22 homers and slugging .478 over 339 PA for Miami, though with only a .229 batting average and .277 OBP. The right-handed hitting Duvall has actually performed better against righties than lefties this season, but he has pretty even splits over his career, so the Braves will likely look to swing some of platoon system between Duvall and the left-handed hitting Pederson and Rosario.
Once Rosario is healthy, the Braves can juggle between the three veterans in the corner outfield, and Duvall could even be an option in center field, as he has held his own over 53 innings up the middle for the Marlins this year. That said, Duvall is a much more solid corner outfielder, if the Braves looked to prioritize their overall defense on the grass. Between the trio of new acquisitions and other in-house options like Guillermo Heredia, Abraham Almonte, or Cristian Pache, Atlanta has managed to fortify an outfield that lost Ronald Acuna Jr. and Marcell Ozuna.
Jackson has only a .293 OPS over 50 career Major League plate appearances, but the 25-year-old has been consistently productive at the Triple-A level, with a .236/.320/.544 slash line and 42 home runs over 593 PA at Triple-A Gwinnett. Selected sixth overall by the Mariners in the 2014 draft, Jackson hasn’t gotten much of an opportunity at the big league level, but might find more chances for a Marlins team that is thin at catcher. Jorge Alfaro hasn’t hit well over the last two seasons, calling into question his status as the Marlins’ catcher of the future.