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Reactions To A’s-Cubs Trade

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For weeks now, the baseball world has been waiting for the Cubs to line up trades for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.  Last night, Theo Epstein & Co. killed two birds with one stone and packaged both together in a deal with the A’s.  In return for two of the most talked about pitchers on the trade block, the Cubs received top prospect Addison Russell, outfield prospect Billy McKinney, and pitcher Dan Straily.  Here’s a look at some of the reactions to the blockbuster deal.

  • MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (on Twitter) says the Cubs are taking an interesting approach by stockpiling top position player prospects and putting off acquiring pitching.  Dierkes can see Straily providing Travis Wood-like value for the Cubs since teams pay big money for innings from a No. 4 type (link).  Meanwhile, the deal makes the rest of the trade season kind of anticlimactic for Cub fans after their two best trade chips were moved on the Fourth of July (link).
  • Before pulling the trigger on the deal with the Cubs, the A’s discussed a swap involving Russell with the Rays for David Price, writes Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. However, nothing ever materialized on that front.
  • The Yankees exchanged proposals with the Cubs on both Samardzija and Hammel, but could not compete with Russell’s inclusion, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.
  • In a separate tweet, Rosenthal reports the A’s don’t intend to flip Hammel because they will need him to win the AL West.
  • ESPN’s Keith Law writes in an Insider piece (subscription required) the A’s and Cubs both significantly impacted their franchise, albeit with different timelines in mind.
  • The early word is the Cubs are not looking to make any moves from their shortstop stockpile as the Mets have nothing brewing with Chicago and the Yankees have checked but to no avail, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links).
  • Moneyball isn’t about on-base percentage or any one statistic, it’s about exploiting what is over- or under-valued and prospects are over-valued at present, writes Sherman. However, he notes (link) Javier Baez and Russell are big guys who might not stay at shortstop, so Starlin Castro may still be the Cubs’ long-term guy.
  • The A’s may have made themselves the favorites for 2014, but the Cubs ultimately may have won the deal, writes CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman.  “He’s Barry Larkin with power,” one rival baseball executive said of Russell.
  • The loss of Russell, in particular, could end up haunting the A’s, whose current shortstop Jed Lowrie is a free agent after this season, but GM Billy Beane has never been afraid to take an unconventional route, writes Rosenthal.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle echoes Rosenthal and adds the trade may point towards an extension for Lowrie and this wouldn’t be a bad time to do it.
  • The trade demonstrates Beane’s burning desire to win now and now could be his only window for winning a World Series, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee.
  • Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com calls this trade fascinating because of the guts it took to swing such a deal between two men (Epstein and Beane) who defy convention for the way the game of baseball changes.
  • The Cubs signed Hammel to a one-year, $6MM deal in late January and in July he has netted them one of the five best prospects in baseball, notes Passan (via Twitter).
  • Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron (via Twitter) is usually against trading great young talent, but likes the trade for the A’s since present wins have so much value to them right now.  Of course, he likes the swap from the Cubs’ perspective, too.
  • Mike Petriello of Fangraphs writes the trade is a win-win for both the A’s and Cubs, but the real winner could be the Rays, who just saw two of the top available starting pitchers dealt while only one contender benefited increasing the demand for Price.
  • Addison Russell (Twitter link) is excited to be joining forces with Kris Bryant.
  • Billy McKinney called the A’s an “amazing and classy organization” and is “excited to start and (sic) new chapter in the Cubs organization” (Twitter links).
  • Dan Straily also tweeted his appreciation of the A’s organization, but is looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his career with the Cubs (Twitter links).

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

White Sox Claim Angel Sanchez From Rays

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The White Sox have claimed righty Angel Sanchez off waivers from the Rays, tweets Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. He will join the club’s Class-A affiliate.

The Rays claimed Sanchez off waivers from the Marlins last month, only to designate him to make room for the addition of Cory Burns. Sanchez, 24, was part of last year’s Ricky Nolasco deal. Over 61 1/3 Double-A frames on the year, Sanchez owns a 7.04 ERA with 5.3 K/9 versus 2.9 BB/9.

Rays To Sign Adrian Rondon, Jesus Sanchez

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2:23pm: Tampa has also reached agreement with outfielder Jesus Sanchez on a $400K bonus, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Sanchez was rated the 27th-best prospect by Baseball America entering the signing period.

11:48am: The Rays have agreed to sign international shortstop prospect Adrian Rondon, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). He will earn a $3.3MM bonus, per Deportes’ Dionisio Soldevila (via Twitter), though he cannot technicaly sign until July 7 because he has yet to turn 16.

Rondon occupies the top slot in Baseball America’s ranking of available prospects and comes in at third in the view of MLB.com. BA cites his outstanding feel for the game and athletic presence in the middle of the diamond, where he could stick. He is also one of, if not the most advanced hitters available. He makes good, hard contact and has some power projection in his swing and body.

The Rays entered the signing period with only $1,998,100 in pool money at the club’s disposal, well shy of the reported bonus for Rondon. The difference of over $1.3MM would handily exceed the 15% bar, above which the club must both pay a 100% overage tax and give up the ability to sign international prospects for bonuses of over $300K for the next two signing periods.

Quick Hits: Phillies, Ruiz, Hamels, Royals, Padres, Price

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Here are the latest trade deadline news and rumors from around the game …

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that the club’s next ten games will help decide how the club navigates the trade deadline, per an interview transcript from Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News. “We’ve been assessing this thing and will continue to do so all the way through this month,” he said. Amaro said that he has had “tons” of conversations, mostly to feel out needs, and that his focus is on improving the club’s production at the plate. “On our side, we’re looking for some offense, we’re looking for some younger players, we’re looking for some things that can help us short term and long term,” said Amaro. “As far as the other teams are concerned, some of them know exactly what they want, but most of them don’t. I mean, there’s still a lot of time. A lot of injuries can happen, there’s a lot of different things that can happen with some of these teams moving forward.” In terms of the club’s timeline, Amaro reiterated that he is not interested in a complete tear-down, but said that, “if we have to go a step backward for a year or two to move forward then that’s what we’ll try to do.”
  • One theoretically possible Phillies trade chip — catcher Carlos Ruiz — has suffered a concussion that Amaro calls “a little more serious than we originally thought,” as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Since signing a three-year, $26MM deal in the offseason, the 35-year-old has produced a .257/.33/.357 triple-slash through 273 plate appearances.
  • It remains to be seen whether or not Phillies starter Cole Hamels is shopped at all. But if he is, the Blue Jays would only be able to acquire him if he waived his no-trade protection, as they are one of the teams on his list, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Rival officials are skeptical that the Royals have freedom to add payroll, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. GM Dayton Moore has indicated that the club would be able to take on salary to bolster the roster for a postseason push.
  • The Padres have fielded trade interest in outfielders Seth Smith and Chris Denorfia, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Nevertheless, the club’s most asked-about pieces to date have been back-end relievers Huston Street and Joaquin Benoit.
  • Heyman also reports that the Rays have set a high asking price for David Price in discussions with the Dodgers, with Tampa seeking multiple elite prospects. Heyman argues that giving up more than one of the club’s five best youngsters — he includes Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Julio Urias, Chris Anderson, and Zach Lee — would be a mistake for Los Angeles.

AL East Notes: Rays, Price, Yankees, Headley, Refsnyder

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Here is the latest out of the American League East …

  • The Rays may be more likely to hold off on making decisions on possible deals given the team’s recent run of success, club owner Stuart Sternberg tells Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). A 7-3 stretch has brought the club to within ten games of the top of a division that still looks very much up for grabs.
  • Of course, Tampa’s most notable potential trade chip is ace David Price, who said yesterday the he expects to stay with the team if it can maintain its current play (via Andy Martino of the New York Daily News). If he is ultimately dealt, though, the team figures to have little trouble finding suitors. ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider link) broke down the trade packages that the Rays might command from hypothetical trade partners (the Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, and division-rival Blue Jays).
  • The Yankees have had interest in Padres’ third baseman Chase Headley in the past, but “aren’t strongly pursuing” him right now, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. A report yesterday indicated that the club is, however, scouting the third bagger.
  • While the Yankees’ underwhelming array of infielders has led to strong suggestions that the club could shop for help, David Lennon of Newsday writes that the club has an internal option worth trying in Rob Refsnyder. The 23-year-old second baseman has been strong in his first stints at both Double-A (.342/.385/.548) and Triple-A (.364/.494/.606) this season. One issue is that Refsnyder is still learning the keystone after converting from the outfield, but GM Brian Cashman indicated that the club is quite high on him. “He’s moving himself very fast,” said Cashman. “It’s been pretty impressive. No doubt he’s forcing us to pay attention.”

Rays Designate Angel Sanchez For Assignment

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To make room for the newly-acquired Cory Burns on the 40-man roster, the Rays have designated right-hander Angel Sanchez for assignment, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

Sanchez was claimed off waivers from the Marlins earlier this month.  The 24-year-old was one of three pitchers that Miami acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and cash last season.  In 12 starts at Double-A Jacksonville this season, Sanchez posted a 6.88 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings.  He then made two starts for the Rays’ Double-A affiliate this season.

Rays Claim Cory Burns Off Waivers From Rangers

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The Rays have claimed Cory Burns off waivers from the Rangers, according to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter).  The right-hander has spent parts of the last two seasons in the majors but has been with Texas’ Triple-A affiliate for 2014.

Burns, 26, owns a 7.44 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 19 relief appearances and one start this season.  In a combined 27 appearances for the Padres and Rangers between 2012 and 2013, Burns posted a 4.60 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9.

AL East Links: Machado, Reimold, Lester, Jays

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Manny Machado’s five-game suspension has been upheld by the league, the Orioles announced today, and the third baseman will begin serving his suspension tonight.  Machado had been appealing the ruling, which stemmed from a June 8th incident that saw him throw his bat towards third base in a game against the Athletics.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • The Orioles are thought to be looking at trade options for Nolan Reimold, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports.  The O’s must decide by today what they will do with Reimold, as they would otherwise have to designate the outfielder for assignment unless he is placed on the Major League roster.  Reimold has been hampered by multiple neck surgeries over the last few seasons but has posted a .902 OPS over 17 games on a Double-A rehab assignment.
  • Jon Lester told reporters (including WEEI.com’s Alex Speier) that there haven’t been any new negotiations between his representatives and the Red Sox, and there won’t be any extension talks during the season since Lester considers them a distraction.  “Like I said from the beginning of the season, everything is amicable. Conversations continue. But nothing as far as contract or numbers or anything like that,” Lester said.  The southpaw also noted that his preference to wait until after the season to negotiate doesn’t mean he is any less set on remaining in Boston.
  • Also from Speier, Mookie Betts and Brock Holt are both similar to Dustin Pedroia in both makeup and physical stature, a sign of how the Red Sox are focusing more on ability than body type in developing their prospects.
  • One AL scout would “without hesitation” trade the prospect package of Daniel Norris, Aaron Sanchez and Dalton Pompey for David Price if the Blue Jays received such a demand from the Rays, the scout tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  This may not be enough for the Jays to outbid others for Price, however, given the number of teams interested and how Tampa is rumored to want a premium if they were to trade Price within the division.  Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is said to be refusing to move all of Norris/Sanchez/Pompey in a deal for anyone, including Price, Jeff Samardzjia or another pitcher.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman is “looking to make some additions if I can,” he told reporters, including Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times. “I’d like to try to do a few things before those guys [C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda] get back, if possible. But I’ve already been trying. There’s a reason we haven’t done anything; it’s not because of a lack of phone calls. We’ll see.”  The Yankees are known to be looking for starting pitching to help their rotation depth.

Cafardo On Price, Hammel, Pirates, Tigers

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Here’s the latest from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo:

  • With David Price of the Rays on the trading block, Cafardo asks Brewers GM Doug Melvin about the process of trading, or trading for, a top starting pitching. Melvin has been on both sides of that process, having traded Zack Greinke and having acquired Greinke and C.C. Sabathia. Melvin says he would have been willing to trade Greinke within the NL Central, but for an extra charge. “I had teams within the division asking for him, and my approach to that is this: I had no problem doing it, but I had to get a little extra if I was going to do it. And that’s what I told them,” he says. Even assuming that’s the Rays’ policy too, though, it isn’t clear there’s a great matchup between them and any other AL East team. The Blue Jays are one possibility, but Cafardo writes that they seem to be more interested on a lower-tier starter like Jason Hammel of the Cubs.
  • A source tells Cafardo, “You could argue that Hammel is the most sought-after player, positional or pitcher, in the trade market right now.”
  • This season, the Pirates are likely to pursue a starting pitcher and a reliever, but not an offensive player.
  • Victor Martinez wants to stay with the Tigers. One potential hitch as he heads toward free agency, though, is that the Tigers will have to figure out how long Miguel Cabrera will be able to play defense until Detroit needs to move him to DH.

Quick Hits: Price, Rays, Taveras, McCarthy

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Dealing David Price is the Rays’ “only chance for success,” executive Andrew Friedman tells the New York Times. He doesn’t seem to be saying that the Rays are duty-bound to trade Price, only that dealing valuable players is a crucial way for the Rays to add talent. “The trades that we’ve made, looking back, the only reason we got good players in return is because we traded really good players,” says Friedman. Nonetheless, Friedman is frustrated with the trade market — he needs to acquire young players for the Rays to succeed, and yet the market isn’t favorable to teams acquiring prospects. “The attrition rate and the hit rate isn’t factored in nearly enough or appreciated enough,” he says. “But it’s really our only chance for success.” Here are more notes from around baseball.

  • Rival executives think the Rays won’t trade Price until close to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, writes CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. The Rays’ front office likes to be deliberative in its decisions. There is consensus, though, that the Rays will trade Price this summer, since the Rays’ season has gone poorly, Price has lots of value now, and he’ll have a hefty salary in 2015.
  • The Cardinals are unlikely to trade, and should not trade, Oscar Taveras, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. With pitchers dominant in today’s game, offense is at a premium, and Taveras’ bat is too good not to keep, particularly for a veteran who might only be around for one or two seasons.
  • Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy is bracing for a possible trade, FOX Sports Arizona’s Jack Magruder writes. “It certainly seems likely, but if I am still here at the end of September, then great,” says McCarthy. “Right now as a Diamondback, sometimes your best value is your future value and what they can get for you. I totally understand that side of the game.”
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