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Mets Acquire Miguel Castro From Orioles

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The New York Mets swung another deal just before the trade deadline, acquiring Miguel Castro from the Orioles, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Orioles will receive southpaw Kevin Smith, per Robert Murray (via Twitter). In addition, the Mets will be sending a player to be named later or cash to Baltimore, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

The Mets completed a flurry of deals at the last minute, also acquiring catcher Robinson Chirinos and third baseman Todd Frazier from the Rangers. In Castro, the Mets are getting another power arm from the right side to help out late in games. The 25-year-old owns a 4.02 ERA/3.71 FIP across 16 appearances this season. He strikeout to walk numbers have blown up in the 15 2/3 innings he’s logged this year with 13.8 K/9 to 2.9 BB/9. Those numbers are far better than his career norms, so at least some regression is to be expected. With just another month to go in the season, the Mets are betting the overall profile holds up.

Castro was set to make $1.05MM before prorating for the shortened season in his first season of arbitration eligibility. The Mets will retain his rights for two more seasons after 2020. Given the injury to Dellin Betances and Edwin Diaz’s struggles since joining the Mets, Castro figures to see some high-leverage opportunities over the final month of the season. Retaining his control for two years beyond this season is a win for the Mets as well. They have continually sought bullpen reinforcements in recent seasons.

Smith was the Mets’ 12th-ranked prospect per Baseball America and MLB.com. The 6’5″ Smith spent 2019 between High-A and Double-A tossing 117 innings across 23 starts with a 3.23 ERA. That showing prompted Smith to jump up the Mets prospect boards before the start of 2020. Smith, 23, could be given a look as early as this season, given the trend of debuting youngsters we’re seeing throughout baseball, but it’s more likely Smith stays in the development pool for now.

The Orioles sent a number of pitchers out in trades before the deadline, also dealing Mychal Givens to the Rockies and Tommy Milone to the Braves. They continue to rebuild under second-year GM Mike Elias.

Mets Acquire Robinson Chirinos, Todd Frazier

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The Mets have acquired catcher Robinson Chirinos and infielder Todd Frazier in a pair of trades with the Rangers, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links).  Texas will receive a player to be named later in return for Chirinos, as per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link).  The Rangers have officially announced the deals, revealing that they will also get a player to be named later for Frazier, and some money will be sent to New York to complete the Chirinos deal — Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that those cash considerations will total $360K.

Chirinos has been bothered by an ankle injury for much of the season, and eventually had a 10-day stint on the injured list to fully recover before returning to action last week.  It’s safe to assume that Chirinos’ dreadful .119/.224/.143 slash line over 49 PA is at least partially the result of that ankle problem, as the 36-year-old backstop has been a much more potent hitter over the last six seasons with the Rangers and Astros.  Chirinos hit .235/.331/.445 with 84 homers over 1953 plate appearances from 2014-19.

Anything close to that type of production would be a nice boon for the Mets, who have received little from Wilson Ramos at the plate this year.  With Tomas Nido on the IL, the Mets were thin on options behind the plate, and now could use both Chirinos and Ramos in something of a timeshare in September.

Chirinos could also be on the Mets’ radar for 2021, as the catcher has a $6.5MM club option on his services for next season ($1MM buyout).  It’s a fair price based on his past track record, though Chirinos will need to get on track at the plate or else the Mets might decline to exercise that option and seek a less-expensive catcher on the open market.  (Or, speculatively, maybe a much more expensive catcher if a change in ownership means the Mets have more dollars to spend on big-ticket talent like J.T. Realmuto.)

After playing for the Mets in 2018-19, Frazier makes his return to Queens after hitting .241/.322/.380 over 121 PA with Texas this season.  Frazier ended up playing almost every day with the Rangers, mostly at first base due to Danny Santana’s injury problems and Ronald Guzman spending much of the season at the team’s alternate training site.  Frazier also saw some time at third base, and he’ll provide the Mets with some depth and a right-handed bench bat at both corner infield positions.  Of note, J.D. Davis has been hampered over the last couple of games with a minor hip problem, so Frazier’s addition could be a particular depth add for third base if Davis has to miss any significant time.

Cubs Acquire Cameron Maybin

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The Cubs have acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Tigers, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Passan.  The Cubs will send infielder Zack Short to the Tigers in return, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.

Maybin, 33, has been about league average in his brief 45 plate appearances for the Tigers this year after signing as a free agent in February.  He missed time early in the month with a quad strain.  The Tigers’ 10th overall pick way back in 2005, Maybin has created value in a utility role in recent years.  He posted a 127 wRC+ for the Yankees in 2019, and is able to handle all three outfield positions.  A 14-year veteran, Maybin is owed about $225K on the season.

Maybin is the Cubs’ second bench bat addition in two days, as they picked up Jose Martinez from the Rays yesterday.  The Cubs’ depth was a bit compromised with Steven Souza Jr. on the IL for a hamstring strain and Kris Bryant out with a sprained finger and sore wrist.  The first-place Cubs have been otherwise focused on the bullpen today, adding lefties Andrew Chafin and Josh Osich in trades.

Short, 25, reached Triple-A in 2019 as a middle infielder.  Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked Short 28th among Cubs prospects, citing “a consistent blend of strong defensive skills and sneaky impact at the plate.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reds Acquire Brian Goodwin

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In a trade snuck in just under the deadline wire, the Reds have picked up outfielder Brian Goodwin from the Angels, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  The Angels officially announced the deal, revealing that the return is left-hander Packy Naughton, as well as either cash or a player to be named later.

Goodwin can play all three outfield positions, though his likeliest deployment in Cincinnati is left field or center field, giving the Reds an upgrade over Shogo Akiyama and rookie Mark Payton.  Once Nick Senzel returns from the injured list, the Reds will be able to juggle some combination of Senzel, Goodwin, Jesse Winker, and Nick Castellanos between the three outfield spots and the DH position.

Over 109 PA with the Angels this season, Goodwin has hit .242/.330/.463 (113 wRC+, 114 OPS+) with four home runs.  It marks Goodwin’s second straight year of good production in Anaheim, after being claimed off waivers from the Royals in March 2019 and originally slated as a fill-in for an injured Justin Upton.  The 34th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Goodwin was a well-regarded prospect coming up in the Nationals’ farm system but became expendable since Washington had several other outfielders in the pipeline.  He is already 29, so is perhaps something of a post-hype breakout player, but Goodwin has shown that he can contribute as an everyday player.

This gives the Reds extra outfield depth going forward, as Goodwin is controlled via arbitration through the 2022 season.  Senzel and Winker don’t appear to be going anywhere and Akiyama is signed through 2022, plus Castellanos’ $64MM contract runs through the 2023 season.  Goodwin’s presence could give the Reds a plan B if Castellanos exercises either of the opt-out clauses in his contract (after this season or after the 2021 season).

Naughton was a last-second addition to the Reds’ 60-man player pool, which allowed him to be dealt to L.A. now rather than officially traded in a few months time as a player to be named later.  A ninth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in the 2017 draft, Naughton has a 3.59 ERA, 3.72 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9 over 371 career minor league innings, starting 68 of his 70 games.  MLB Pipeline ranked Naughton 14th in their list of the top 30 Cincinnati prospects, describing him as a “cerebral pitcher” whose “stuff doesn’t wow people, but it’s still considered a good enough three-pitch mix where he has the feel for his fastball (87-94 mph), slider and changeup.”

Cubs Acquire Josh Osich

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The Cubs have acquired left-handed reliever Josh Osich from the Red Sox for a player to be named later, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first suggested Osich would likely end up as a Cub.

This is the second lefty pickup of the day for Chicago’s bullpen, which previously grabbed Andrew Chafin from the Diamondbacks. Osich, whom the Red Sox claimed from the White Sox last fall, has posted 11.87 K/9, 2.87 BB/9 and a 50 percent groundball rate over 15 2/3 innings this season, but he has still struggled to prevent runs despite those impressive figures. The 31-year-old owns a 5.74 ERA and has seen his average fastball velocity drop from the 94-95 mph range to 92.4.

In 2019, Osich was one of the game’s more effective relievers against left-handed hitters.  Among those with at least 100 left-handed batters faced, Osich allowed a .229 wOBA, punching out 30 against four walks.  That success hasn’t continued in the brief 2020 sample, as Osich has allowed homers to lefty batters Chance Sisco and Michael Conforto.

Blue Jays Acquire Jonathan Villar

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The Blue Jays have acquired infielder Jonathan Villar from the Marlins, tweets Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.  Villar was pulled from this afternoon’s game against the Mets at Citi Field.  In return, the Marlins will receive right fielder Griffin Conine from Toronto, according to Craig Mish.  Given that Conine is not part of the Jays’ 60-man player pool, he’s considered a player to be named later in this deal, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald.  The move comes on the heels of the Marlins acquiring Starling Marte from the Diamondbacks as the Miami club attempts to return to the playoffs for the first time since their 2003 championship.

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette was placed on the IL on August 16th with a knee sprain, which is expected to keep him out until at least mid-September.  Rosenthal had previously reported the Jays’ interest in the versatile Villar, and Toronto was also said to have checked in on the Angels’ Andrelton Simmons.  The Blue Jays have already stocked up with trades for Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker, and Dan Vogelbach.  Should Bichette return within a few weeks, Villar can help out around the diamond.

Villar, 29, had an excellent 2019 season for the Orioles.  But with the infielder headed for an $8.2MM salary through arbitration (of which about $1.2MM is still owed this season), the O’s saw fit to ship him to Miami in a December trade.  Due to the shortened season, Villar wound up playing just 29 games for the Marlins.  According to Craig Mish, the Marlins “felt Villar is still an extremely talented player but played reckless at times, and never fully bought in to what they are trying to do.”  According to Mish, Villar was expendable due to Isan Diaz’s return to the club.  Diaz had opted out and is awaiting approval on returning, according to Rosenthal.

The speedy Villar has a few above-average offensive seasons on his record, most recently with a 107 wRC+ last year.  He’s generally not been lauded for his infield defense, however.  He’ll be eligible for free agency after the season, with the Jays serving as his fifth organization.

Griffin Conine, the son of Mr. Marlin Jeff Conine, chose not to sign after the Marlins drafted him in the 31st round out of high school.  He then went to Duke and was drafted by the Jays in the second round, most recently playing A ball in the Midwest League.  Part of the Jays’ run on sons of popular Major Leaguers, Conine was ranked as the club’s #15 prospect prior to the 2019 season by Baseball America.  BA praised his plus power and arm, though Conine did serve a 50-game suspension for testing positive for ritalinic acid.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rockies To Acquire Kevin Pillar

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The Rockies will acquire outfielder Kevin Pillar and cash from the Red Sox for a player to be named later and 2019-20 international slot money, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

This season has been a major letdown for the Red Sox, but Pillar proved to be a good investment during his month-plus in their uniform. After signing a one-year, $4.25MM contract in the offseason, the former Blue Jay and Giant slashed a respectable .274/.325/.470 with four home runs over 126 plate appearances. Pillar also lined up at all three outfield positions as a member of the Red Sox, though he primarily played right field.

In Colorado, which will enter Monday 17-17 and as a surprising playoff contender, Pillar will hand the club another proven outfielder to join a group highlighted by Charlie Blackmon, Raimel Tapia and David Dahl.

Blackmon has been great this year, Tapia has provided solid production in his own right, and Sam Hilliard has given the club passable numbers. However, the oft-injured Dahl – who has been on the IL for about two weeks – has stumbled, as have the rest of the Rockies’ outfield options. Beyond this year, though, it remains to be seen whether Pillar will stay in Colorado, as he’s slated to reach free agency again over the winter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cubs Acquire Andrew Chafin

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2:27pm: Arizona’s getting a player to be named later, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The D-backs could also include money in the swap, per Nightengale.

2:16pm: The Cubs have acquired Chafin, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

2:10pm: The Cubs are working to acquire Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Chafin, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

To this point in his career, the 30-year-old Chafin has only been a member of the Diamondbacks, who drafted him 43rd overall in 2011 and who has largely pitched well in their uniform since he made his debut in 2014. Chafin owns a 3.68 ERA/3.20 FIP with 9.54 K/9, 3.88 BB/9 and a 52.2 percent groundball rate in 271 2/3 innings, but keeping offenses at bay has been a problem this season. He has already given up six earned runs on nine hits and four walks (10 strikeouts) through 6 2/3 frames in 2020. Chafin has also been on the injured list for about two weeks because of a left finger sprain.

If he returns to health soon, Chafin’s history suggests he’ll give the NL Central-leading Cubs another credible reliever – which they certainly need. They’ll enter Monday’s action with a replacement-level bullpen that has recorded a 5.42 ERA/5.10 FIP over a month into the season. Chafin may not be long for the Cubs organization, though, as he’s due to reach free agency after the season. In the meantime, he’s earning a prorated $3.045MM.

Athletics Acquire Mike Minor

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2:26pm: Both teams have announced the trade. Texas will also land $133K in international slot compensation in the deal, and it will pay half of Minor’s remaining salary, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.

1:05pm: Texas will receive outfielder Marcus Smith and third baseman Dustin Harris, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports. Both players were 2019 draft picks for the Athletics, who took Smith in the third round and Harris in the 11th. MLB.com ranked Smith as the A’s 22nd-best prospect before the trade.

11:32am: The Athletics have acquired left-hander Mike Minor from the division-rival Rangers for two players to be named later, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. The two players are prospects, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The 32-year-old Minor is only a season removed from serving as one of the American League’s most effective starters (he finished eighth in Cy Young voting), but 2020 hasn’t worked out according to plan. Minor has made seven starts this year and managed a dismal 5.60 ERA/4.83 FIP with 8.92 K/9 and 3.31 BB/9 through 35 1/3 innings, all while experiencing a 2 mph drop in average fastball velocity compared to last season. His disappointing production is among the reasons the Rangers are just 12-21 and among the few teams in baseball that look to be completely out of the playoff race.

Now, considering the Rangers’ status as non-contenders, Minor’s prorated $9.83MM salary and his pending free agency, the team’s moving on from him. He wouldn’t have been in line for a qualifying offer because of this year’s poor output, so Texas took what it deemed as the best offer for Minor. We may not know the identities of the players the Rangers are getting for Minor for a while, as only those in teams’ 60-man pools are eligible to be dealt right now.

Meanwhile, the Athletics – owners of the AL’s second-best record (22-12) – are no doubt hoping Minor will return to his previous form in their uniform. He encouraged in his final Rangers start Friday with six shutout innings against the high-powered Dodgers, and will now join an A’s staff that has produced middle-of-the-road results thus far. Jesus Luzardo and Chris Bassitt have logged sub-4.00 ERAs this year; Sean Manaea has registered far better peripherals than run prevention numbers; and Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers and Daniel Mengden have struggled across a combined 15 starts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians Designate Domingo Santana

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The Indians announced that they’ve designated outfielder Domingo Santana for assignment. The move makes room for newly acquired outfielder Josh Naylor, catcher Austin Hedges and right-hander Cal Quantrill, whom the Indians got from the Padres on Monday.

The 28-year-old Santana joined the Indians last winter for $1.5MM off back-to-back lackluster seasons with the Brewers and Mariners, but his attempt at a rebound hasn’t worked in 2020. Before the Indians booted him from their roster, Santana batted .157/.298/.286 with a pair of home runs in 84 plate appearances. His contract includes a $5MM option for 2021, but considering his production so far, the Indians surely would’ve bought him out for $250K had they kept him in the fold.

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