Fernando Tatis Leaves Game With Apparent Shoulder Injury
Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. left tonight’s game after sliding into third base and seemingly re-injuring his left shoulder, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
There isn’t any word yet on the severity of the injury. But this is an issue that has been bothering Tatis on-and-off for the entire season. It first flared up in March, before the season even began. Tatis then appeared to re-aggravate the issue, landing on the IL April 6th. Thankfully, he was reactivated after a minimum 10-day stay, being reactivated April 16th. But then on June 19th, Tatis was again removed from a game with what seemed like another shoulder injury. Though Padres manager Jayce Tingler later said that the move was precautionary and Tatis did not end up going back on the IL.
Losing Tatis for any amount of time would be a serious blow to the Padres. They are currently holding down the last playoff spot in the National League, but have the Reds nipping at their heels, just 4 1/2 games back. The calendar will flip over to August on Sunday as teams will be pushing to make their final pushes for the postseason. Tatis has been superb this year, despite dealing with this ongoing injury. He’s produced a 165 wRC+ on the season so far on his way to accruing 4.7 fWAR, easily the best on the team. Tatis and Padres fans will surely be hoping this is just another precautionary measure.
Draft Signings: 7/30/21
Today’s most notable signings from last week’s amateur draft. As always, you can get more background on these players via the prospect rankings and scouting reports compiled by Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. As well, here is MLB Pipeline’s breakdown of the slot values assigned to each pick in the first 10 rounds, as well as the bonus pool money available to all 30 teams.
- The Diamondbacks signed first-round selection Jordan Lawlar, according to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. Lawlar will receive almost $1MM above slot value. As Callis notes, this was the highest number the team could give without exceeding their bonus pool.
- Marlins have also signed their first-round selection Kahlil Watson, pending a physical. Callis expects Watson to get well above slot, similar to Lawlar.
- The Nationals have also signed their first-round pick Brady House, according to a team announcement. Terms were not disclosed. But the slot value is $4.55MM.
- The Red Sox have signed fifth-round pick Nathan Hickey, $1MM on a slot of $410k. As noted by Callis, this is the highest bonus given to any player in rounds 4 through 10 so far this year.
Deadline Day Roster Moves
After what was arguably the wildest trade deadline in years with dozens of deals around the league, multiple teams made follow-up roster moves. Trades end up squeezing some players off of rosters, or creating holes that need to be filled. This post will itemize the many 40-man roster moves that teams made after a dizzying array of blockbuster deals earlier in the day.
AL East
- The Orioles claimed Ryan Hartman off of waivers from the Astros, according to Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com. The 27-year-old lefty was recently designated for assignment when Brooks Raley was reinstated from the COVID-IL.
- The Red Sox designated outfielder Marcus Wilson for assignment. The move was needed to accommodate the acquisition of reliever Hansel Robles from the Twins.
- The Yankees announced that they designated Ryan LaMarre for assignment. The outfielder was recently selected to help the team patch some holes during their COVID outbreak.
- The Rays designated righties Sean Poppen and Jake Reed for assignment, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. This was to create roster space after the acquisition of Jordan Luplow and DJ Johnson from earlier today.
AL Central
- Pablo Sandoval was released by the Indians. This was just hours after he was acquired in the Eddie Rosario trade. Based on his release, it’s clear that he was only included as salary offset.
- The Tigers selected the contract of reliever Ian Krol. The left-hander is back after being designated for assignment earlier in the week.
AL West
- The Mariners outrighted Vinny Nittoli to Triple-A. The righty recently had his contract selected, throwing one inning before being designated for assignment.
- The Rangers announced they were selecting the contracts of right-handers Jharel Cotton and Drew Anderson. Both hurlers signed minor league deals over the winter.
NL East
- The Marlins selected the contracts of outfielders Bryan De La Cruz and Brian Miller. Both players are now in line to make their major league debuts. Miami designated infielder Deven Marrero and outfielder Corey Bird for assignment to create roster space.
- As expected, the Mets officially reinstated starter Carlos Carrasco from the 60-day injured list. The righty made his team debut this evening against the Reds.
- The Phillies designated reliever Brandon Kintzler for assignment and transferred outfielder Matt Joyce to the 60-day injured list. The moves were necessary to create roster space to accommodate Philadelphia’s three deadline acquisitions.
- The Nationals selected the contracts of Gabe Klobosits and Adrian Sanchez, according to Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. Klobosits, a right-handed pitcher, is a 36th round draft pick from 2017. He has no major league experience. Sanchez had a couple of cups of coffee with Washington from 2017-2019 before being outrighted in 2020 and then re-signing on a minor league deal.
NL Central
- The Cubs selected the contracts of RHP Michael Rucker and utilityman Andrew Romine, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Rucker was picked up by the Orioles in the Rule 5 draft in 2019 but returned to the Cubs before the season started and has yet to make his major league debut. As for Romine, the 35-year-old utility man was signed by the Cubs to a minor league deal earlier this year. The Cubs also selected the contract of righty Jake Jewell prior to yesterday’s game.
- The Brewers announced that they designated RHP Patrick Weigel for assignment. Weigel was acquired as part of the Orlando Arcia trade with Atlanta back in April.
NL West
- The Diamondbacks claimed outfielder Jake Hager off waivers from the Mariners. This will be Hager’s fourth club on the season, having been previously designated for assignment by the Mets, Brewers and Mariners. Arizona also selected the contracts of infielder Drew Ellis and left-hander Miguel Aguilar.
- The Dodgers announced that they claimed catcher Chad Wallach off waivers from the Marlins. Wallach was recently designated for assignment when Brian Anderson was reinstated from the IL.
Dodgers Reinstate Corey Seager From Injured List
The Dodgers announced they’re activating star shortstop Corey Seager from the 60-day injured list prior to this evening’s game against the Diamondbacks. He’s in tonight’s starting lineup, hitting cleanup and playing shortstop.
The star shortstop has been out since being hit on the hand with a pitch from Ross Detwiler in mid-May. X-rays revealed a fractured right hand for Seager that was expected to cause him to miss at least a month. Seager ended up more than doubling that timeline, missing 2 1/2 months. In the meantime, the Dodgers went out and acquired another star shortstop in Trea Turner.
Turner recently tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the COVID-IL, just a day before being traded. So, Seager can be slotted into the six-hole for now. But it’s unclear how the team will proceed once they have both players on the roster at the same time. Seager spoke to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and didn’t seem to be able to shed light on the situation, telling Ardaya that the team has not discussed the situation with him.
Being a free agent at season’s end, the Dodgers have no investment in Seager maintaining as a shortstop for the long-term. Turner, on the other hand, will still be under team control through 2022, having one year of arbitration remaining. Turner also is the better fielder, according to DRS, with Turner at a 10 for his career at shortstop and Seager at -8. UZR is reversed though, having Seager at 5.4 and Turner at -5.6.
Regardless of how it plays out, it’s a good problem to have for the Dodgers. Both players are among the best shortstops in the league. Before going on the IL, Seager had put up a wRC+ of 118. That’s down from his career mark of 129 but still well above the league average of 100. Turner, for his part, has a wRC+ of 137 this year, well above his career number of 121.
Jacob deGrom Shut Down Another Two Weeks Following Setback
Mets ace Jacob deGrom has suffered a setback in his rehab from a forearm issue, as recent testing revealed additional inflammation, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link). He’ll be shut down from throwing entirely for another two weeks.
It’s already been more than three weeks since deGrom pitched in a game, so he’ll need some form of rehab assignment or buildup once he’s ready to begin throwing again. Given that, it’s hard to imagine him returning to a big-league mound for the Mets prior to September.
The Mets have a 3.5 game lead in the National League East. Neither the Braves nor Phillies – their closest competitors – made significant splashes at today’s deadline, though both clubs did add some pieces in an attempt to contend with New York. The Nationals and Marlins both sold pieces, and the Mets face that pair 11 times in the coming month.
In terms of their own deadline, the Mets clearly had their pitching depth in mind, though they weren’t able to make a significant addition to that end, and besides, no one can fill deGrom’s shoes. Carlos Carrasco is returning, however, and Trevor Williams was a fine pickup from the Cubs as a depth option (he was optioned to Triple-A). Still, the Mets’ viability as a contender would seem to hinge on deGrom’s long-term health.
Clearly, this will be a situation to monitor moving forward. The trade deadline has passed, so the Mets are what they are for the most part, but hopefully, another couple of weeks of rest will be enough to figure out how to get deGrom back on track and ready for the postseason push.
White Sox Acquire Craig Kimbrel For Nick Madrigal, Codi Heuer
The Cubs and White Sox swung a crosstown blockbuster, with the South Siders adding star reliever Craig Kimbrel in exchange for second baseman Nick Madrigal and right-hander Codi Heuer. Kimbrel will pair with Liam Hendriks to give the Sox a lethal one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen.
Kimbrel becomes the second reliever dealt between the crosstown rivals in as many days. The Sox also picked up Ryan Tepera from the Cubs yesterday. Obviously, adding Kimbrel is a far more impactful development, as the 32-year-old has been arguably the best reliever in baseball over the course of the season.
While the Cubs’ three-year, $43MM free agent investment in Kimbrel originally looked like a misstep, he’s completely turned the tables around in 2021. Through 36 2/3 innings across 39 appearances, the eight-time All-Star has incredibly pitched to a 0.49 ERA/1.83 SIERA. He’s among the top two relievers (minimum 30 innings pitched) in ERA (1st), SIERA (2nd- 1.83) strikeout rate (1st- 46.7%), strikeout/walk rate differential (2nd- 37.2 percentage points). Only his new teammate, Hendriks, bests him in SIERA and K% minus BB%.
The reinvigorated Kimbrel can remain in Chicago through 2022. He’s playing out the final guaranteed season of his contract on a $16MM salary (around $5.6MM of which is still owed) and is controllable next season via $16MM club option. Entering the year, it seemed likely he’d be bought out for $1MM, but that price now looks like a bargain.
Picking up the top reliever on the trade market, as one might expect, came at a hefty price. The White Sox move two players directly off the big league roster, including their starting second baseman for much of the season. Madrigal, a former top five overall pick and highly-regarded prospect, made his big league debut last season. He’s immediately stepped in and performed well, hitting .317/.358/.406 (114 wRC+) over his first 324 big league plate appearances.
Madrigal doesn’t hit for power, but he’s perhaps the game’s best contact hitter. The right-handed hitter has amazingly gone down on strikes in just 7.4% of his plate appearances. That propensity for putting nearly everything into play has led to high enough batting averages to make Madrigal an above-average offensive player despite the lack of extra-base impact. He’s also a capable defensive second baseman, so Madrigal brings value on both sides of the ball.
Unfortunately, Madrigal won’t play again this season. The 24-year-old suffered a significant right hamstring tear in early June. He underwent season-ending surgery shortly thereafter, ending what proved to be his final season with the White Sox. He’s expected to be back to full strength by Spring Training 2022 and would seemingly step in as the Cubs regular second baseman from that point on.
Madrigal didn’t accrue a full year of service time last season, so he’ll be controllable through 2026. He does seem likely to qualify for early arbitration as a Super Two player after the 2022 season, but he remains a long-term pickup for the Cubs who should solidify the middle of the infield and potentially hit near the top of the order for a few seasons.
Heuer looks likely to jump right into the big league bullpen. The hard-throwing 25-year-old has pitched in the majors for two seasons, tossing 62 1/3 combined innings of relief. Heuer has averaged a blistering 97.1 MPH on his fastball and worked to a 3.75 ERA/3.60 SIERA as a big leaguer, although he’s struggled a bit in 2021 after a fantastic rookie campaign. He’s controllable for the next four seasons, reaching arbitration by 2023.
Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation first reported the White Sox were acquiring Kimbrel. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was first to report that Madrigal and Heuer were going to the Cubs in return.
Giants To Acquire Kris Bryant
The Giants made a major splash at the trade deadline buzzer, acquiring slugger Kris Bryant from the Cubs for prospects Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke news of the trade, while Francys Romero of LasMayores was first on Canario and journalist Marc Delucchi had Kilian.
Drafted second overall in 2013 out of the University of San Diego, Bryant won the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year with the Cubs and followed that with the 2016 NL MVP award as the club finally won a championship. The Cubs famously waited until April 17th to call Bryant up back in 2015, effectively granting them a seventh year of control over the player by a margin of one day.
Though Bryant would never return to the lofty 6-8 WAR heights of his first three seasons, he settled in comfortably as a 130 wRC+ type bat, with the exception of an injury-marred 34-game 2020 season. Bryant’s bounceback season was punctuated by his fourth All-Star selection earlier this month.
As early as his sophomore season, the Cubs began deploying Bryant at positions other than his primary spot of third base. This year, manager David Ross has gotten Bryant at least 80 innings at both corner infield positions as well as all three outfield spots. Third base makes sense for Bryant in San Francisco, with Evan Longoria out until at least August 6th with a shoulder injury. Once Longoria returns, Bryant could see time in left field and perhaps center.
The Giants have surprisingly been the best team in baseball this year, and they lead the NL West by a three-game margin over the Dodgers. Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi may have felt some pressure after the Dodgers completed a blockbuster trade with the Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner today, also adding Danny Duffy in a deal with the Royals yesterday. So the Giants have added the big bat of Bryant to an offense that already ranked third in the NL with 4.81 runs scored per game. The Giants have a front office connection to the Cubs, as GM Scott Harris spent seven years in their baseball operations before joining San Francisco in November 2019.
Cubs fans might be disappointed to see a Bryant trade fail to return a top 100 prospect, but the player’s $19.5MM salary and impending free agency kept teams from overbidding. Canario, 21, was assigned a 50 grade by MLB.com. Prior to the season, Baseball America had Canario as a 55, a player with plus raw power but questionable plate discipline and defense. Canario suffered a torn labrum back in November, but has since posted a .235/.325/.433 line in 274 Low-A plate appearances. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen gave him a 45 grade, concluding, “He has huge ceiling if the hit/approach component improves, but I wonder if the compressed developmental timeline created by his presence on the 40-man and potential lingering effects from the injury might make that tough.”
Kilian, a 24-year-old righty, was promoted from High-A to Double-A back in May. In 11 starts at that level, he owns a 2.43 ERA, 26.2 K%, and 3.3 BB%. MLB.com assigned him a 40 grade, noting that “he could develop into a No. 4 starter.”
The Bryant trade was just one part of an extensive fire sale held by Cubs GM Jed Hoyer, who also traded Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel, Jake Marisnick, Trevor Williams, Joc Pederson, Ryan Tepera, and Andrew Chafin this month.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Phillies Acquire Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy For Package Including Spencer Howard
The Phillies struck a deadline deal to add a pair of quality arms — one each for the rotation and the bullpen. Philadelphia acquired starter Kyle Gibson and reliever Ian Kennedy from the Rangers, along with pitching prospect Hans Crouse. In return, the Phils are sending three players, including young righty Spencer Howard. Texas also added pitching prospects Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner.
After Max Scherzer and José Berríos were dealt, Gibson was perhaps the top remaining starter on the market. The Phils were known to be targeting pitching help, and they struck big with a package deal to address the middle of the rotation and the back end of the bullpen.
Gibson signed a three-year, $28MM deal with Texas over the 2019-20 offseason. It started inauspiciously, as he tossed 67 1/3 innings of 5.35 ERA ball during last year’s shortened season. However, the veteran righty flipped the script this season. After a rough Opening Day, Gibson got on a roll and eventually pitched his way to his first career All-Star selection with a fantastic first half. He’s hit a rough patch recently, but his overall line remains impressive.
The 33-year-old has worked 113 innings across 19 starts, pitching to a 2.87 ERA/4.46 SIERA. His run prevention numbers have been aided by opponents’ .267 batting average on balls in play and an elevated 79.7% strand rate. That said, Gibson has a long track record of inducing grounders, and he’s continued to do so this season. He’s a generally durable hurler who throws strikes at a decent rate and has had success limiting damaging contact.
Gibson’s not the top-of-the-rotation starter his ERA and All-Star nod might suggest at first glance. But he’s a dependable arm who can be counted on to log average or slightly better production. That’s an upgrade over the inconsistency that has plagued the back of the Philly rotations for the past few years.
Speaking of longstanding troubles in Philadelphia, the bullpen has again been a problem for the Phils. They’ll try to shore that up with Kennedy, who has made good on an offseason minor league deal. The veteran righty gave the Rangers 32 1/3 innings of 2.51 ERA ball, striking out a strong 27.8% of opposing hitters against a 5.6% walk rate. The deal turned out exactly as the rebuilding club had hoped, with Kennedy performing well enough to be flipped midseason to a contender.
Gibson is playing out the season on a $10MM salary (about $3.5MM of which remains to be paid out). He’s controllable affordably for 2022 at $7MM as part of a backloaded arrangement. Kennedy, meanwhile, locked in a $2.15MM base salary when he made the Rangers’ Opening Day roster and is due about $750K for the stretch run before hitting free agency at the end of the year.
The Rangers are reportedly including around $4MM in salary, which was critical for the Phillies as they looked to stay below the $210MM luxury tax threshold. Philadelphia’s luxury mark sits at around $204MM, in the estimation of Jason Martinez of Roster Resource, so the front office successfully stayed below the figure in pulling off their big midseason additions.
Doing so will require parting ways with Howard, who has long been one of the organization’s (and league’s) top pitching prospects. Baseball America ranked the righty among MLB’s top thirty prospects entering both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He’s bounced on and off the big league roster over the past couple years, tossing 52 2/3 innings of 5.81 ERA/4.81 SIERA ball.
Clearly, Howard has yet to find consistent major league success. But the 24-year-old is a well-regarded stating pitching prospect with a strong minor league track record. He’s performed very well over six starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season and is a quality young arm around whom the Rangers can build as they continue their organizational retooling effort. Howard is controllable through at least the 2026 season, and future optional assignments could push back that trajectory.
Texas also adds a pair of pitchers who haven’t yet gotten to the big leagues. Gowdy is a former second-round draft choice, but the righty has yet to get out of the low minors. The 23-year-old has performed fairly well in High-A, though, tossing 61 innings of 4.43 ERA ball with strong strikeout and walk numbers (24.0% and 5.7%, respectively). Gessner, a former international signee out of Australia, has yet to advance beyond the complex level.
In a final twist, the Phillies add a prospect of their own. Crouse was a 2017 second-round draftee, and he’s spent the season in Double-A. The righty has tossed 51 innings with a 3.35 ERA at that level, punching out 27.7% of batters faced while walking 9.7% of opponents. Eric Logenhagen of FanGraphs wrote over the winter that Crouse’s injury history and atypical mechanics seem likely to push him to the bullpen, but noted that his repertoire depth could be good enough to give him a chance to stick as a starter. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter or exposed to the Rule 5 draft.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported the Phillies were acquiring Gibson and Kennedy. Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report that Howard was included as part of the deal. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported Gowdy’s and Gessner’s inclusions. Jeff Wilson reported the Rangers were including a prospect, whom Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported to be Crouse. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported the Rangers were including approximately $4MM in cash considerations.
Braves To Acquire Richard Rodriguez
The Braves and Pirates completed a last-minute deal sending closer Richard Rodriguez from Pittsburgh to Atlanta, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adds that righties Bryse Wilson and Ricky DeVito are headed to Pittsburgh in return for Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, 31, is under team control through 2023. He currently sports a 2.82 ERA, 22.8 K%, 3.4 BB%, and 29.2% groundball rate. Rodriguez’s only standout ability this year has been avoiding walks, and with so few groundballs he may return to his homer-prone ways. Nor does Rodriguez throw particularly hard for a reliever in 2021, averaging 93.2 miles per hour on his fastball. Rodriguez’s ERA stood at 0.45 on May 25th, but since then in 18 games he’s managed a 5.40 ERA.
Still, the Braves have added a solid, controllable setup man to their bullpen behind closer Will Smith. This month Smith has gotten the highest-leverage work for Atlanta, followed by A.J. Minter and Chris Martin. The Braves are four games out in the NL East, sitting one game below .500 at present. This still leaves the club with a 9.7% chance at the playoffs, according to FanGraphs, and Braves President, Baseball Operations & General Manager Alex Anthopoulos chose to go into buying mode. Aside from Rodriguez, Anthopoulos has essentially assembled a brand new outfield with Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, and Jorge Soler.
In Wilson, the Pirates snagged a 23-year-old righty with 14 career big league starts to his name. Drafted in the fourth round out of high school back in 2016, Baseball America gave Wilson a 50 grade before the season. BA wrote, “Wilson profiles as a back-of-the-rotation workhorse type who will throw strikes and compete.” The Braves had optioned Wilson to Triple-A on Tuesday, but GM Ben Cherington said he should be in Pittsburgh and active tomorrow.
DeVito, a 21-year-old righty, has a 2.66 ERA this year in five High-A starts. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein gave him a 40 grade before the season, noting that “if Devito’s pitch-quality improves a little bit he has a strong chance to be a three-pitch reliever.”
Mets Acquire Javier Baez, Trevor Williams
The Mets and Cubs announced agreement on a deal sending star shortstop Javier Baez to Queens. He’ll be accompanied by right-hander Trevor Williams, with outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong sent back to Chicago in return.
Between landing Francisco Lindor during the offseason and now trading for Baez, the Mets have obtained two of the sport’s best shortstops (who are also great friends with each other) within the span of a few months. Baez is a free agent after the season, so while this is quite possibly a short-term pickup meant to only help the Mets in 2021, it will nonetheless be a huge boost to New York’s chances of winning the NL East and making a run in October.
The trade ends a very memorable eight-season run for Baez in Wrigleyville, after he was selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft. Beginning his career as a free-swinging power bat, Baez’s propensity for striking out never really went away (his 131 whiffs leads the league this year), but he has hit .269/.307/.502 with 116 homers over 2310 PA since the start of the 2017 season. That includes a huge 2018 season that saw Baez finish second in NL MVP voting, while also winning a Silver Slugger Award.
As accomplished as Baez is at the plate, his defense has become his calling card. It took Baez until 2020 to capture his first Gold Glove, but his shortstop ability has been celebrated for years, even if he didn’t fully leave second (or even third) base duty until 2019. Since Lindor has played only as a shortstop at the MLB level, Baez is the likelier of the two to be moved around the diamond as the Mets’ needs develop.
Most of the Mets’ rumors were centered around the team’s search for third base help, though Lindor’s recent placement on the 10-day injured list seemed to expand the search to the shortstop position as well. Baez can handle short until Lindor is healthy, and could then slide over to play second base or potentially even third base, giving the Mets a clear and immediate upgrade to their infield defense. Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis are the current first-choice options at second and third base, though either could be moved into the outfield, with McNeil being the more versatile of the two.
Williams will add depth to a Mets rotation that has been thinned by injuries, though once everyone is at full health, Williams is likely to be relegated to bullpen duty. The 29-year-old right-hander has a 5.06 ERA over 58 2/3 innings for the Cubs this season, and there isn’t much to like about his Statcast metrics. That said, Williams’ SIERA is a more palatable 4.18, and he has experienced some misfortune — a .343 BABIP, and a .358 wOBA that is far above his .320 xwOBA.
The Baez deal continues a Cubs fire sale that has already seen the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, and Joc Pederson all dealt. The Mets announced they’ve received an undisclosed amount of cash in the deal. Baez has roughly $3.96MM remaining on his $11.65MM salary for the 2021 season. The Mets still have some breathing room under the $210MM luxury tax threshold, as only the prorated portion of that $11.65MM counts against their tax number (and the Cubs might are also kicking in some money).
In exchange for Baez and Williams, the Cubs will receive a solid but not quite elite prospect in Crow-Armstrong, who wasn’t listed by either MLB Pipeline (fifth) or Baseball America (sixth) as one of New York’s top four prospects. Still, Crow-Armstrong was selected 19th overall just last summer, and he began his pro career with a 1.024 OPS over the very small sample size of 32 PA for the Mets’ A-ball affiliate before having to undergo shoulder surgery.
The 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong might already be just about MLB-ready on the defensive front, as he has an excellent throwing arm and speed that makes him a fit as a future center fielder. As Pipeline’s scouting report simply puts it, “the offensive game will be a work in progress,” as Crow-Armstrong has shown only power potential thus far rather than any real power. He does make a lot of contact, however, and his speed could be a difference-maker in helping him turn grounders into singles or singles into doubles.
Andy Martino of SNY reported the Mets’ acquisition of Baez. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that New York was also acquiring Williams, while Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Crow-Armstrong was headed back to Chicago in return. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark initially reported the two sides were making progress on a trade, with The New York Post’s Joel Sherman tweeting that a pitcher might also be involved as part of the negotiations.