MLB Trade Deadline Roundup

A trade deadline that started slow overflowed with excitement as news trickled out shortly after the deadline. Aaron Sanchez, Zack Greinke, Scooter Gennett, Adam Kolarek, Dan Straily, Carl Edwards Jr., Sam Dyson, and Nick Castellanos were all deals announced after the 4 PM EST deadline.

While the rest of the league exchanged pleasantries, two of baseball’s most popular teams in the Yankees and Red Sox stood idly by and let the deadline come and go with barely a peep of rumored activity. The most exciting news that came out of Boston today was reported interest in Andrew Chafin and Daniel Hudson that ultimately went nowhere.

So Big Dave Dombrowski will stand pat with his current relief core of Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, and Marcus Walden with young Darwinzon Hernandez working his way quickly up the totem pole. The decision to stand pat opposite his counterparts will define the remainder of the regular season. The Astros cashed in some of their chips to add Zack Greinke, Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Biagini as rotation depth despite having their division all but wrapped up. Meanwhile, Boston trails in the wild card by 2.5 games and stands still with a deer-in-the-headlights look on your face.

The only reasonable explanation for the lack of moves was an unwillingness to go over the highest threshold of the competitive balance tax. For a team that’s one of the most valuable in it’s sport to be crying poor is B.S. of the highest order. But, even the Yankees are crying poor now so so maybe asking multi-billion dollar teams to spend money is just asking a little too much.

Here’s what took place around the league today.

• Cincinnati Reds Traded CF Taylor Trammell to San Diego Padres; San Diego Padres Traded RF Franmil Reyes, LHP Logan Allen and 3B Victor Nova to Cleveland Indians; Cincinnati Reds Traded LHP Scott Moss and RF Yasiel Puig to Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Indians Traded RHP Trevor Bauer to Cincinnati Reds.

Former Red Sox prospect and the last piece of the Craig Kimbrel trade is sent to Cleveland, where he was promptly optioned to Triple-A Columbus. Meanwhile, the Indians are hoping to improve their team with a little addition by subtraction by swapping Trevor Bauer for Yasiel Puig. Greg Allen and Jake Bauers have not had productive years in the corner outfield, so this trade allows them to run out a regular outfield of Tyler Naquin, Oscar Mercado, and Yasiel Puig. Not bad!

• Chicago White Sox traded Nate Jones, cash and Future Considerations to Texas Rangers for RHP Joseph Jarneski and Ray Castro.

Jones is out for the remainder of the season (shocker, I know) after surgery to repair a torn flexor mass in his right elbow back in May.

• Cincinnati Reds traded RHP Tanner Roark and $2.1MM in cash considerations to Oakland Athletics for Jameson Hannah.
• Toronto Blue Jays traded RHP Daniel Hudson to Washington Nationals for Kyle Johnston

Johnston is a 23 year old right handed pitcher repeating High-A and has a DRA over 5. This wasn’t something the Red Sox couldn’t top.

• Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Jake Faria to Milwaukee Brewers for 1B Jesus Aguilar.

Jake Faria was popular in fantasy circles for a while, but then he blew out his arm and became a full-time reliever. Jesus Aguilar was an all-star last year who’s come crashing down to earth in a hard way, slashing .225/.320/.374. He’s expected to platoon with left-handed DH Ji-Man Choi.

• Washington Nationals traded LHP Aaron Fletcher, RHP Elvis Alvarado and LHP Taylor Guilbeau to Seattle Mariners for RHP Hunter Strickland and LHP Roenis Elias.

I wouldn’t judge you for forgetting about Roenis Elias’ career in Boston. He pitched a grand total of eight innings with the big club over the course of two and a half years in the organization. He was traded in April of 2018 for a player to be named later. He has since gone on to save 14 games with the Mariners, albeit while posting a 4.40 ERA. The Nationals welcome this mediocrity with open arms as they have the worst bullpen in baseball.

• St. Louis Cardinals traded 3B Jedd Gyorko, cash and Future Considerations to Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Tony Cingrani and RHP Jeffry Abreu.
• Cincinnati Reds traded 2B Scooter Gennett and cash to San Francisco Giants for Player To Be Named Later.
• Arizona Diamondbacks traded C John Ryan Murphy to Atlanta Braves for cash.

I remember a Sunday Night Baseball broadcast between the Red Sox and Yankees, probably in 2014 or 2015, where the announcers put this guy over huge as a future franchise cornerstone. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins soon thereafter and has hit .184/.232/.345 in 389 plate appearances since. The Yankees acquired Aaron Hicks and rewired him into what he is today. Cashman wins again.

• Detroit Tigers traded RHP Shane Greene to Atlanta Braves for LHP Joey Wentz and LF Travis Demeritte.

So, this was the price Dombrowski was uncomfortable meeting. The consensus on Twitter on this return was that it was “light”. I’m not someone with expertise in the minor leagues, so I’m not qualified to tell you if Joey Wentz or Travis Demeritte are good or not, so think of this what you will.

• San Diego Padres traded LHP Brad Wieck to Chicago Cubs for RHP Carl Edwards Jr.

Brad Wieck is a throwback to the LOOGY’s of yesteryear. Edwards Jr has fallen from grace, recently being demoted to AAA. The Padres will look to get him back to his old ways, which would be a heck of a return for a young, controllable LOOGY.

• Detroit Tigers traded RF Nicholas Castellanos to Chicago Cubs for RHP Alex Lange and RHP Paul Richan.
• San Francisco Giants traded RHP Mark Melancon to Atlanta Braves for RHP Dan Winkler and RHP Tristan Beck.

Am I the only one that wouldn’t have minded seeing Melancon back in a Sox uniform? It was nice to dream about for a moment, but the Sox were never taking on the $18.6MM owed to Melancon. The Braves did and is reflected as such in the return.

• Seattle Mariners traded RHP Mike Leake and cash to Arizona Diamondbacks for 2B Jose Caballero.
• San Francisco Giants traded RHP Sam Dyson to Minnesota Twins for RF Jaylin Davis, RHP Kai-Wei Teng and RHP Prelander Berroa.

I have no idea what the Giants are doing, but the Twins are going to benefit from their entropy. He’ll be a free agent after 2020 and has been a very good pitcher since 2018. You might remember that in 2017, Dyson imploded with the Texas Rangers after a year and a half of dominance and was jettisoned to San Francisco, who were rewarded with 159.1 innings of 2.94 ERA ball. Not a bad return on investment! I still couldn’t tell you why they dealt him.

• Miami Marlins traded RHP Nick Anderson and RHP Trevor Richards to Tampa Bay Rays for RF Jesus Sanchez and RHP Ryne Stanek.
• Houston Astros traded RF Derek Fisher to Toronto Blue Jays for RHP Aaron Sanchez, LF Cal Stevenson and RHP Joe Biagini.

I’m very excited (read: dreading) for Sanchez to change a pitch grip and mow down batters to the tune of a 2.15 ERA for the remainder of the year.

• Arizona Diamondbacks traded RHP Zack Greinke and cash to Houston Astros for RHP Corbin Martin, RHP J.B. Bukauskas, 3B Joshua Rojas and LF Seth Beer
• Houston Astros traded C Max Stassi to Los Angeles Angels for RF Raider Uceta and RF Rainier Rivas.
• Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Dan Straily to Philadelphia Phillies for cash
• San Francisco Giants traded LHP Drew Pomeranz and RHP Ray Black to Milwaukee Brewers for SS Mauricio Dubon.

Two former Red Sox peek their heads out! Pomeranz was recently demoted to the ‘pen and Matt Collins favorite Mauricio Dubon recently made his Major League debut. I imagine Matt will be renting a U-HAUL and following his forlorn lover out to the Bay. (Ed. Note: It’s true!)