Giants Acquire Matt Moore For Matt Duffy, Prospects
In their second significant deadline deal today, the Giants have acquired southpaw Matt Moore from the Rays. Tampa Bay has long been said to be pursuing trades involving its controllable starters, and this one comes in right at the wire.
[Related: Updated San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays Depth Charts]
Currently injured third baseman Matt Duffy headlines the package going to Tampa Bay. Infield prospect Lucius Fox is also included, with righty Michael Santos is heading to the Rays to round things out. There are some complicating factors in this pact that seem likely to cause a delay in an announcement, per reports. Duffy’s DL placement and Fox’s relatively recent international bonus appear to be two possible causes. Sherman tweets that Tampa Bay will cover a portion of that sum, which may require league approval.
The 27-year-old Moore brings plenty of talent, but also a good deal of risk, with him to San Francisco. Entering the 2014 season, Moore was considered one of the best young pitchers in baseball, but he popped his UCL after just two starts.
Since returning from Tommy John surgery in the middle of 2015, Moore has pitched to a 4.52 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 over 193 innings. Those numbers are trending up this year, generally, and Moore has regained much of the fastball velocity that he showed earlier in his career, so clearly the Giants’ scouts saw plenty to hang their hats on. And Moore has run up seven consecutive quality starts, allowing just nine runners to cross the plate in 40 2/3 frames.
That being said, it’s not all rosy for the lefty. Even in his recent string of nice starts, he has managed only 25 strikeouts against 14 walks. And he currently owns a 4.50 FIP, 4.67 xFIP, and 4.41 SIERA on the year, with Moore benefiting a bit from a .280 BABIP against. Still, he should provide a nice boost to a rotation that has two questionable pieces at the back end in veterans Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, and there’s upside aplenty in this contract.
Indeed, the early-career extension that Tampa Bay signed with Moore has proven to be an asset, even if it’s not quite as valuable as it once seemed destined to be. He’s only owed the balance of a $5MM salary this year, and is under control for three more years through club options. San Francisco can keep him through 2019 at a grand total of only $26MM, a pittance in the current market.
For the Giants, Moore is the second significant left-handed pitcher acquired today, as the club also landed reliever Will Smith. The pair came at a steep cost. In this particular deal San Francisco was forced to give up a player in Duffy who entered the year as the club’s regular third baseman.
Duffy certainly hasn’t matched his productivity from a year ago, when he ran up a surprising .295/.334/.428 batting line with a dozen home runs and a dozen stolen bases in his rookie campaign. Thus far in 2016, he has not only battled through injuries, but owns a much less useful .253/.313/.358 slash.
Tampa Bay obviously sees something in Duffy, though, as reports have suggested the team held out for his inclusion before striking the deal. Critically, he delivers a top-quality glove at third. Despite his struggles at the plate, Baseball-Reference credits him with 1.6 WAR on the year due almost entirely to the leather. Plus, he won’t qualify for arbitration until after next season, so there’s plenty of cheap control remaining.
The other two pieces of this deal are of the more speculative prospect variety. Fox signed on with San Francisco for a $6MM bonus as an international free agent last summer, he’s considered a quality prospect despite his struggles this year in A ball, and only just turned 19. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old Santos has a big frame and big arm, and has featured on organizational top prospect lists with the Giants. Pitching this year in the Sally League, he has a 2.91 ERA over 58 2/3 innings (ten starts) with 6.8 K/9 and a sparkling 0.8 BB/9.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported that Moore was going to the Giants (Twitter links). Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link), and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) reported the package returning to Tampa Bay.
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Giants Acquire Will Smith
The Giants acquired left-handed reliever Will Smith from the Brewers, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. The Brewers will receive minor league pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The trade is now official, according to the Brewers.
Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9, and a 33.3% groundball rate in 22 innings for the Brewers this year. He dealt with a torn LCL in his knee in March, making his season debut on June 2nd after rehabbing the injury. Notably, the southpaw is exhibiting nearly a two-tick decline in his average fastball as against his prior numbers, and that remains a concern. The knee is an obvious question mark in that regard, though certainly it’s possible that Smith will just need to continue building back full body strength after the injury.
Health is always an important factor, but never more than when making an investment in a player that goes into the future. While San Francisco won’t be promising any future salary to Smith, they were buying into his control rights and paid to do so. He is under team control through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player. That contract status also conveys some real upside, especially if Smith can get back to his former trajectory. He was particularly tough in 2015, with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.
The first-place Giants have received a middling 3.76 ERA from their relievers, and paid a trade deadline premium to acquire the controllable Smith. Drafted in the seventh round by the Angels in 2008, Smith was dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Alberto Callaspo trade. Later, after the 2013 campaign, the Brewers acquired him for Nori Aoki.
Now, Milwaukee has cashed in on the southpaw — in addition to moving late-inning righty Jeremy Jeffress in a separate trade. The haul seems to be rather promising, and swaps out the valuable-but-risky seasons remaining on Smith’s control rights for many more years of control on two solid young assets.
Bickford, 21, was drafted 18th overall by the Giants last year and is currently working at High-A. In their midseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Bickford 50th overall, while MLB.com ranked him 65th. BA says Bickford’s fastball is known for its movement, and he throws a plus slider. The jury is out on whether he’ll wind up a reliever. Bickford had been drafted tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign.
Susac, 26, could take over as the Brewers’ starting catcher if Jonathan Lucroy is traded today. Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Susac has been blocked by Buster Posey. He did get some Major League experience in 2014 and ’15, but has spent all of this year at Triple-A. He’s hitting .273/.343/.455 in 239 plate appearances at that level.
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Cubs Acquire Joe Smith
The Cubs acquired reliever Joe Smith from the Angels, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. The Halos will receive minor league pitcher Jesus Castillo from the Cubs, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Cubs have officially announced the deal.
Smith, a 32-year-old righty, has been OK this year. The veteran has a 3.82 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 0.96 HR/9, and 54.8% groundball rate in 37 2/3 innings, missing most of June due to a hamstring strain. Smith has about $1.8MM remaining on his contract, after which he’ll be eligible for free agency. He signed a three-year, $15.75MM deal with the Angels in November 2013 after a long, successful run with the Indians. Unlike years past, the sidearming Smith has not been great against right-handed hitters in 2016. It’s been a month of bullpen additions for the Cubs, who previously added Aroldis Chapman, Mike Montgomery, and Joe Nathan.
Castillo, 20, has posted a 3.27 ERA in seven starts for the Cubs’ Low-A affiliate this year. The Cubs previously acquired Castillo from the Diamonbacks in the February 2013 Tony Campana trade.
In another deadline day deal, the Angels traded Hector Santiago and a minor leaguer to the Twins for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.
Pirates, Mets To Swap Jon Niese, Antonio Bastardo
The Mets have reacquired left-hander Jon Niese from the Pirates, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (on Twitter). Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that lefty Antonio Bastardo is going back to the Pirates (Twitter link). Both teams have announced the move, and Pittsburgh notes that they’re receiving cash considerations from the Mets in the deal.
The swap of left-handers reunites each southpaw with his 2015 team, as Niese spent his entire career prior to the 2016 campaign in Queens and Bastardo pitched for the Bucs last season. Pittsburgh picked up Niese in what now looks to be an ill-fated swap that netted the Mets Neil Walker, while Bastardo inked a two-year, $12MM contract with the Mets. Neither pitcher has performed up to his standards, though, with Niese posting a 4.91 ERA and briefly losing his spot in the rotation and Bastardo logging a similar 4.74 ERA in 43 2/3 innings of relief.
Niese posted a 4.13 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in New York last season, while Bastardo had a 2.98 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 last year in Pittsburgh. The trade seems to suggest an optimism on the part of their old teams that the flaws the two players showed this year (a vanishing strikeout rate and home-run problems in Niese’s case; control and home-run problems in Bastardo’s) might be painted over. Niese is making $9MM this season, plus a $500K buyout on his 2017 option. Bastardo, who will rejoin the Pirates’ bullpen, is under contract through 2017, when he’ll receive $6.5MM. He’s making $5.25MM this year.
Mariners, Reds Fail To Complete Zack Cozart Trade
3:25pm: Seattle didn’t pull off any deals, Dutton tweets, so evidently the sides were not able to line up on Cozart.
9:05am: The Mariners and Reds are closing in on a trade involving Zack Cozart, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (on Twitter). While the trade isn’t done yet, both sides are confident that a deal can be worked out, according to Dutton, who notes that talks are still fluid at this time. ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported last week that Seattle had asked the Reds about Cozart.
Cozart, 30, is one of the game’s premier defenders at shortstop and has also substantially elevated his offensive game over the past couple of seasons, hitting a combined .263/.314/.461 with 24 homers over 615 plate appearances. He’s earning a reasonable $2.925MM salary in 2016 and is controllable through the 2017 season via arbitration.
The Mariners have a young shortstop option in Ketel Marte that looked to have cemented himself at the position with a strong rookie campaign in 2015, but the 22-year-old’s bat has taken a huge step backwards in 2016. After a .283/.351/.402 slash in 247 plate appearances last year, Marte has batted a mere .273/.299/.358 in a larger sample of 300 PAs in 2016. Beyond that, Marte has missed time this season with a sprained thumb and, more recently, a bout of mononucleosis (for which he is currently on the disabled list). Adding Cozart to the fold wouldn’t necessarily preclude Marte from emerging as Seattle’s primary shortstop down the line, but it could relegate him to a utility role next year before giving him another crack at a more regular role in 2018.
From the Reds’ vantage point, moving Cozart could open up an avenue for prospect Jose Peraza to at last get regular at-bats. Cincinnati picked up Peraza in the Todd Frazier deal this offseason, but he’s played sparingly of late while spending more time on the bench than the club would presumably like for a piece that could be a long-term asset in their lineup. The 22-year-old speedster has 93 plate appearances in 33 games since being recalled from Triple-A back on June 15.
Twins, Angels Swap Ricky Nolasco, Hector Santiago In Four-Player Deal
In a surprising move, the Twins announced that they’ve picked up left-hander Hector Santiago and minor league righty Alan Busenitz from the Angels in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and minor league righty Alex Meyer.
The move is certainly a curious one for both clubs, as neither would’ve been pegged to add starter that is only controllable through the 2017 season. However, the Twins’ signing of Nolasco has been a bust, and they’ll now swap him out for a starter that has had more success in recent seasons. That Minnesota will come away with the superior big league arm in this deal is a positive if the team intends to contend in 2017, as it has previously indicated. Santiago is sporting a 4.25 ERA on the season and has a solid 3.75 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 in 577 2/3 innings dating back to 2013 — the first season in which he was primarily a starter at the big league level. He’s one of the more homer-prone pitchers in baseball, though for a club that hopes to deploy Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario and Max Kepler in a spacious outfield next season, the Twins may not be as worried about Santiago’s fly-ball/home run tendencies as a club in a smaller park.
They’ll lose Meyer — the more highly regarded minor league arm in this trade — as the cost of upgrading the current roster, though the addition of Busenitz gives them an arm that has performed well in Double-A this year, even if he’s never been been all that highly regarded. The 25-year-old Busenitz is a former 25th-round pick and posted a 1.93 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 in 32 2/3 innings before being promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake, where he has struggled considerably. Busenitz has served up 11 runs in 13 Triple-A innings, though the 13-to-5 K/BB ratio he’s posted is at least somewhat encouraging.
Meyer, formerly regarded as a top 50 prospect, has battled significant shoulder injuries and hasn’t pitched since early May due to injury. Scouts have long viewed him as a potential bullpen piece, and the Twins used him primarily in the ‘pen last season. It’s unclear how the Halos will attempt to utilize Meyer, who will turn 27 this offseason, but it’s possible they’re looking at him as a buy-low option to plug into a farm system that is devoid of upper-level talent. Whether the Halos look at Meyer as a potential power arm for the bullpen or a possible starter in 2017 and beyond, his ceiling is higher than not only that of Busenitz but than the vast majority of the prospects in their barren farm system.
The Angels will slot Nolasco into their big league rotation and hope that he can right the ship after a brutal two and a half years in Minnesota. Nolasco signed a four-year, $49MM contract prior to the 2014 season and has missed significant time with a right elbow strain, right elbow inflammation and a right ankle impingement while with the Twins. His work with Minnesota has resulted in an ugly 5.44 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in just 321 innings of work. Of course, prior to signing with the Twins, Nolasco was a fairly durable innings eater with the Marlins and Dodgers, From 2010-13, he averaged 188 innings per season and posted a 4.33 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. If a change of scenery and a return to his native SoCal can revitalize Nolasco and see him return to that form, he could be either a solid contributor to the 2017 Angels or at least turn into a reasonable trade chip. That the Twins are on the hook for $4MM of his 2017 salary should help increase his appeal on the market if he is able to rebound.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Santiago, Nolasco and Meyer were all in the cash-neutral deal (links to Twitter). MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweeted that Busenitz was going to Minnesota. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune chipped in some specifics on the finances (links to Twitter).
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pirates To Acquire Ivan Nova
The Pirates have reached a deal to acquire Ivan Nova from the Yankees, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (on Twitter). MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets that the Yankees will receive two players to be named.
The Bucs will lean on the 29-year-old Nova to help their beleaguered rotation. Nova hasn’t had the best season himself, posting a 4.90 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 97 1/3 innings, although his struggles this year are due in part to a very high 21.3% HR/FB rate that the Pirates probably feel will improve in Pittsburgh. Nova’s 54.3% ground ball rate was likely appealing to the Bucs, as was the fact that ERA estimators like xFIP and SIERA are almost a run lower than his actual ERA.
Nova is eligible for free agency after the season, so he’ll be a rental for the Pirates. (The 52-52 Yankees likely felt there was limited downside in dealing him, given that he wasn’t pitching particularly well and was set to depart anyway.) The Bucs will have limited time to help Nova improve, but they have a reputation for helping struggling pitchers and did quite well in acquiring the previously-nondescript J.A. Happ as a rental at last year’s deadline, so perhaps they feel they can do so again.
Nova will soak up starts in a Pirates rotation that has leaned heavily on struggling veterans like Jeff Locke, Jon Niese (who was traded back to the Mets today) and Francisco Liriano (who headed to the Blue Jays). The Bucs had previously traded closer Mark Melancon to the Nationals, but their trade for Nova looks to be at least a tepid move toward improving their chances of winning a Wild Card spot this season.
Dodgers To Acquire Jesse Chavez
The Dodgers have struck a deal to acquire righty Jesse Chavez from the Blue Jays, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Presumably the deal was done in conjunction with Toronto’s acquisition of Scott Feldman. Righty Mike Bolsinger is headed to Toronto in return, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter), with cash also moving form Toronto to Los Angeles, per a tweet from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.
Chavez, 32, has a 4.57 ERA but with a solid 9.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings of relief this year. He spent most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons starting for the Athletics (when he briefly shared an organization with current Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi).
The 28-year-old Bolsinger has made six starts for the Dodgers and hasn’t had much success, with a 6.83 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He fared better with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a 3.41 ERA and solid peripherals over 29 innings. He only throws in the upper 80s, which would appear to give him limited upside either as a back-end rotation option or as a reliever, but he does give the Blue Jays the advantage of providing flexibility, since he’ll be controllable for five more years beyond this one.
Blue Jays To Acquire Scott Feldman
The Blue Jays are acquiring right-hander Scott Feldman from the Astros, reports MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (Twitter link). The Astros will receive minor league pitcher Lupe Chavez in return, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.
Feldman opened the season as the Astros’ fourth starter, but by the end of April was spending most of his time working as a reliever. The 33-year-old is owed about $2.75MM this year, after which he’ll be a free agent. In another move, the Jays sent Jesse Chavez to the Dodgers for Mike Bolsinger.
Rangers Acquire Carlos Beltran
The Rangers have reportedly agreed to a deal to acquire veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran from the Yankees. Righties Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green head to New York in the deal, which caps a partial but significant sell-off from the Bronx Bombers. The Rangers will pay $2.5MM of the approximately $5MM left of Beltran’s 2016 salary, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
Bringing in Beltran not only gives Texas an immediate upgrade to its lineup, helping to cover for injuries to Prince Fielder (out for the season) and Shin-Soo Choo (who recently returned to the DL), but may help the team stomach a deal of top prospect Joey Gallo. The young slugger was perhaps an increasingly important part of the near-term picture given the losses, but the Rangers are working hard to add pitching and he looks like a prime trade piece. Texas is also still in the market for catcher Jonathan Lucroy, with Gallo a possible piece in that prospective swap.
Beltran’s next birthday will be his fortieth, but that hasn’t prevented him from posting an outstanding .301/.342/.538 batting line and 21 home runs over 383 plate appearances on the year. His late excellence makes him not only a legitimate Hall-of-Fame candidate, but also a quality option down the stretch and in the post-season.
Indeed, Beltran has been at his best in the past under the brightest lights. He has produced a .332/.441/.674 slash and 16 home runs in 223 turns at the plate in the playoffs. Now, he’ll join a strong Texas club with designs on its own deep run.
Defense remains a question, of course, as Beltran has slowed considerably since his days of playing a solid center field. He’s limited to right at present, and is a marginal defender there. But the Rangers will presumably place him most often in the DH role, taking the spot vacated by Fielder.
The fourth overall pick in last year’s draft, Tate has seen his prospect star fade a bit this year. After opening the season as a consensus top-100 prospect, he has struggled to a 5.12 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 at the Class A level.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News said the Yankees were moving toward a deal (via Twitter). MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan said the Rangers were the team involved (via Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the inclusion of Tate (Twitter links). Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the deal was done (Twitter links). Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported the inclusion of another prospect (via Twitter). Jack Curry of the YES Network tweeted the full package.
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