It is MLB Trade deadline day. Ray Flowers has his Red Bull, some pizza and he made sure to get good night’s sleep to gear up for this special day. All day Ray will be updating this running diary of the day. When a trade happens, Ray will list the deal and fire off some initial trade deadline analysis. Rumors spreading? Ray will not that too. If some bit of baseball news breaks, Ray will be sure to relay it right here in this comprehensive look at the deadline. Make sure you bookmark this page as Ray will be updating the piece all day long, every time some bit of information pops.
*** All times listed are PST. The deadline for deals to be completed is Tuesday, August 1st at 6 PM EST (though we often learn of deals after the appointed hour).
FINAL THOUGHTS
- The Rangers added Scherzer/Montgomery in a true power move.
- Verlander to HOU marks the Astros as potential AL favorites.
- Guys who weren’t moved who we thought would be: Eduardo Rodriguez, Jose Quintana, Dylan Cease, James Paxton, Teoscar Hernandez, Adam Duvall, Jurickson Profar and Dylan Carlson. D. Cease has one of the better strikeout arms in baseball. He was special in the second half last year, and predictably he hasn’t lived up to the expectations this year. He’s pitched better of late (his last 10 outings he has a 3.34 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and an impressive 31.5 K-rate), and he’s still posting a 28 percent K-rate with a slightly lower walk rate than last year overall. E. Rodriguez has a 2.95 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and more than a K per inning. He also has a career best 6.0 percent walk rate. He’s pitching very well, and he’s only at 88 innings due to injury. Note that he also threw just 91 innings last season (he also didn’t pitch in 2020). He’s a vet who has thrown 200 innings before (2019), so there isn’t a worry about innings. D. Carlson was a can’t miss kid. A first round pick in 2016, he was thought to be a player who would develop into a 20/20 threat in the bigs. The speed has never translated into steals but he was solid in 2021, his first full big-league effort (.266-18-65-79-2). Over his last 197 games he’s only done deep 13 times while slashing .234/.319/.369. He’s still just 24 years old, and a change of scenry seems like a perfect way to get his career back on track.
- No one took a shot at fixing Luis Severino. He still has good stuff, and at times it appears that his slider is on the cusp of returning him to relevance. However, the results have been horrid. His K-rate is 18 percent, more than 10 percent down from the last three years and his walk rate is up. He’s been destroyed by the long ball, his 2.34 HR/9 is double his career mark, and he commented after his last start that he has no idea what the hell is going on right now, but he’s just been awful. History and stuff suggests – yes, he can rebound. Produciton this season says – hell no.
TRADE DIARY
3:35: Dylan Cease is still a White Sox. Mitch Keller is still a Pirate.
3:31 PM: The Royals dealt their closer – Scott Barlow – to the Padres.
Barlow loses all his fantasy value as he becomes nothing more than a setup man. Meanwhile, have to think that Carlos Hernandez likely moves into the 9th inning for the Royals.
3:26 PM: The Padres are getting Garrett Cooper while sending Ryan Weather to MIA. This addition could lead to a Cronenworth/Cooper duo at first base for SD. Cooper has always hit lefties, his career OPS is .802 against them, and though his K-rate is way up to 34 percent against them, he’s destroyed port-siders with a .348 average and .871 OPS this season. A nice addition for the Padres, but it doesn’t really do much for his fantasy value unless I’m missing something. Weathers is still just 23 years old, but the former 1st round pick certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations to this point of his career. He’s simply not missed bats at all, and that’s difficult to have success with in today’s game.
3:24 PM: The Dodgers are getting Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals. The soft tossing lefty can start or bulk relieve, and he’s always a solid addition for any big-league club. He’s not a fantasy weapon though.
3:22 PM: The Sox added Luis Urias. He’s been a complete disaster this season and has spent a lot of time in the minors. With Trevor Story likely back soon, Urias is really gonna need to hit to find himself in the Sox lineup consistently. At one point in time, Urias was an up and comer, but he has really stagnated. Can help defensively all over the place though.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| MIA | 1B Josh Bell |
| CLE | 3B Jean Segura, INF Khalil Watson |
Bell will be in the lineup daily for the Marlins. Bell seemed to have found his game, but when you look at his July numbers you don’t see it (.239/.295/.375). Overall he’s been slightly below league average offensively, and it’s hard to see why that would appreciably change with this deal.
Segura has had a rough season, so perhaps a trade will get him back to the world of the living. He’s an AL-only addition at all. Scratch that. He’s totally useless.
Watson is a former first rounder who is still someone who profiles as a full-time big leaguer – and then some. He plays strong defense and has a ton of speed. He also has plus bat speed that could lead to 25-30 homers at full development. He’s a potentially big time long-term adddition for the Guardians.
3:12 PM: Another minor deal.
3:10 PM: It’s been 10 minutes, and we know deals can still be announced. Unless something significant happens that we don’t know about, the deadline kinda passed with a whimper.
3:06 PM: It sounds like Eduardo Rodriguez turned down the deal to move to the Dodgers for family reasons. He was not dealt.
3:05 PM: A minor deal.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| BAL | RHP Jack Flaherty |
| STL | LHP Drew Rom, INF Cesar Prieto |
Jack Flaherty was at one point a star (2019: 11-8, 2.75 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 231 Ks in 196.1 IP). The last two years he’s thrown 145.2 innings going 9-7 with a 4.39 ERA and a huge 1.57 WHIP (that walk rate has exploded to 11.7 percent). He’s had issues staying healthy, and controlling the strike zone when he’s on the field. His 21.3 K-rate the last two years is also miles from the 28.7 percent mark he posted 2017-21. He’s just 27 years old, but he’s been league average at best the last two years and there are questions about his ability to return to his previous glory, or on an even simpler level, to stay healthy.
3:02 PM: Jon Morosi reporting that Dylan Cease was not dealt.
3:00 PM: The Yankees are adding Keyan Middleton in a deal. This boosts the value of Gregory Santos in CWS land tremendously.
2:58 PM: The Pirates are about to make a low level deal for depth.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| ARI | OF Tommy Pham |
| NYM |
ARI has Carroll-Thomas-McCarthy-Gurriel in the outfield. Pham clearly is being brought in as a support piece, nothing wrong with that at all since he gives the club an impressive veteran presence to support the youngster in the outfield, but he also seems like a clear loser (personally) in the fantasy game. He does have a strong .871 OPS this season against LHP and should see plenty of work against them in the desert.
2:52 PM: Jack Flaherty to the Orioles gaining steam…
2:50: We started the day thinking Dylan Cease would not be moved. Oh how times have changed…
2:48 PM: People still expecting that the Mets will make another move. They might even trade their top-2 bullpen arms?
2:45 PM: Kolten Wong… is not being dealt… but he’s gonna be released? A former Gold Glover, who is speedy on the bases, simply hasn’t hit at all this season. Reports suggest his career in SEA is over.
2:40 PM: Joel Sherman suggesting that Jake Flaherty will be dealt, and that he could become a combo-deal with Dylan Carlson or Tyler O’Neill. He also noted that the Dodgers, who have three rookies in the rotation, brought in Lance Lynn to help. They are still interested in adding another arm – the lost out on E-Rod when he backed out of the deal. They are still searching for an arm.
2:38 PM: Just a reminder… the Mets paid nearly $90M to get rid of Scherzer/Verlander. They paid three times more money to get rid of two HOF pitchers than Zac Gallen and Sandy Alcantara and Framber Valdez have made in their careers.
2:35 PM: The Twins lead their division by one game… and they’ve done nothing. Perhaps Pham?
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| TEX | C Austin Hedges |
| PIT | International Bonus Money |
Hedges goes to the Rangers to help cover up the short-term loss of Jonah Heim. Hedges can’t hit and has no fantasy value except for those in deep AL-only leagues who are desperate for a second catcher who has no shot to hit his weight. He’s good defensively though.
2:29 PM: Sounds like Tommy Pham has been dealt?
2:27 PM: Still sitting here – in my robe if you were wondering – with little to report. Dexter still sitting with me, and I’ve gone all water since the Coke/Monster early combo. Probably a wise choice on my part.
2:19 PM: Further confirmation that the Phillies will go with a 6-man rotation for at least a couple of weeks.
2:17 PM: My final mention of JV (I hope). Here is more on the money being exchanged.
2:11 PM: MLB Network research… and it is pretty shocking.
573 prospects dealt 2013-22
17 became impact players (3.0%)
62 became Impact Players/Contributors (10.8%)
29 percent of the players dealt – have not appeared in the big leagues.
2:08 PM: It’s gonna be a wild next hour. Strap in.
1:58 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez was gonna be dealt to the Dodgers, but he said, nope. Not going. Yikes on the Dodgers. They have to deal him now, don’t they, after signaling that they wanted to trade him?
I’ll say it again… teams giving no trade clauses are dumb. If the guy won’t agree to be there straight up, then don’t sign the guy. The Tigers will likely now have to settle for an inferior deal.
1:55 PM: The season is over for Brendan Donovan.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| MIA | 3B Jake Burger |
| CWS | LHP Jake Eder |
Burger is on a 46 homer pace over 162 games (25 homers in 88 games). His 32 percent K-rate is terrible, it’s why he’s batting .214 and his OBP is just .279. He’s a great power addition, but he’s a terrible overall offensive player and a less than appealing fantasy option. He’s not much different from Joey Gallo in a fantasy perspective, but in the real world his lack of walks drops him well behind Gallo overall. Burger should play daily, but it is all peaks and valleys.
A former 4th round pick, the 24 year old Eder is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. He’s made six appearances at Double-A this season and has a long way to go before he’s a force in the bigs. He’s got a nice arm and it could pay off in a few years for the White Sox (top-10 MIA prospect).
1:49 PM: MLB Network just teased a Marlins deal right before the break. I’m searching, but don’t see anything yet.
1:48 PM: Maybe a Salvador Perez deal out of KC could still happen?
1:43 PM: Some of the bigger names that could be dealt over the next 90 minutes.
1:41 PM: So the Mets aren’t really trying to win in 2024?
1:37 PM: Wow. Did this move not work out. Trey Mancini is set to be – let go by the Cubs. Yikes.
1:31 PM: Real lull here. Nothing happening. Quiet before the storm? Keep asking that question, and keep waiting. Remember, even though the deadline is 6 PM EST, we will almost certainly learn about deals after that, takes a while for MLB office to get all the details set, so stick around.
1:21 PM: The Pirates will trade catcher Austin Hedges.
1:13 PM: The D’backs added Paul Sewald, so they were comfortable making another move, and it’s Andrew Chafin headed out of town.
Chafin is a nice lefty arm out of the pen, so this seems like a bit of an odd move on the surface.
1:11 PM: With the emergence of Sabol/Bailey this season, the Giants are said to be interested in dealing Joey Bart, the #2 pick in 2018. Bart, who at one point was thought to be a potential 30-90 type, just hasn’t been able to close up the hole in his swing and he’s clearly been surpassed in importance behind the dish. Someone might still think they can fix him though as there are teams looking behind the dish.
1:08 PM: It sounds like Bo Bichette (knee)… deep breath… isn’t severely hurt. No word yet on when he might return, but day-to-day is still comforting to hear after what we saw last night (still might use the IL, but they will wait a bit to decide). Also dims the excitement, if there was any, with Paul DeJong.
1:07 PM: Less than two hours to go. Haven’t eaten lunch yet as I’m living of my big pizza breakfast still.
1:03 PM: Tylor Megill is expected to take the vacated spot of Justin Verlander.
1:01 PM: MLB Network… say it with me… still obsessed with the Yankees.
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| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| PHI | RHP Michael Lorenzen |
| DET | 2B Hoa-Yu Lee |
Lorenzen has a 3.58 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 18 solid starts. He throws five pitches, but doesn’t miss bats (19.9 K-rate). He hasn’t beat himself with a 2.30 BB/9 rate, which would be his first season in four years under 4.00, so there are some doubts about him continuing along current rate. He’s also working with a 42.2 ground ball rate, well off the 48.8 percent mark he posted last season. He’s a decent hurler, though one without upside and one who seems maxed out right now. Still, huge improvement in terms of environment and that also ups his win outlook the rest of the way. Would seem to signal the Cristopher Sanchez is likely headed back to the bullpen – or might they send Ranger Suarez to the pen? That said, Lorenzen is piling up innings in his own right, and one of the main beat writers of the Phillies suggested Lorenzen isn’t a certainty to start the rest of the way.
For now, it is being suggested that they will attempt a 6-man rotation.
Lee is a 20-year old second baseman who has 73 games at High-A ball. He’s swiped 14 bases in 64 games this season while batting .283 with a .372 OBP. He’s got an impressive hit tool and he frequently gets the barrel to the ball. His power/speed combo though is moderate. He seems like a near lock to have a big league career, but he doesn’t appear to have the skills to impact the fantasy game.
12:35 PM: The Mets are said to be interested in moving on from Tommy Pham, Brooks Railey and potentially Omar Narvaez as well. That would lead to even more value for Adam Ottavino.
12:30 PM: The Phils are making a push to add Michael Lorenzen. Cristopher Sanchez is approaching his career-high in innings pitched already, and Andrew Painter will not be seen this year.
12:27 PM: Sounds like the Mariners are expected to hold on to Logan Gilbert. I have no idea why they would consider dealing him anyway unless someone were to offer an insane offer for the young righty. He’s exactly the type of arms SEA should be building around.
12:23 PM: Ty France is a name that is starting to come up more. I like him as a hitter, but this season has been a rough one. After a solid start to the year, he’s gone in a deep funk that has dropped his slash line to .250/.321/.364. A .685 OPS just doesn’t work, and it is more than 100 points below the .798 mark he has the last three years. He’s a professional hitter, but he hasn’t been very productive this season. He’s not a FA until 2026.
12:21 PM: Day has been a bit slower than expected. At least the JV deal is done so we can look forward to other moves and stop talking about him (the hope at least). When you think it’s slow, it likely speeds up, so #letsgo folks. Strap-in.
12:17 PM: Harrison Bader is not in the Yankees lineup today, lending more fuel to the fire that he could be dealt today.
12:12 PM: Now we’re focused on Tigers’ starting pitchers. Some options for Michael Lorenzen…
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| HOU | RHP Justin Verlander, Cash |
| NYM | OF Drew Gilbert, |
Verlander has been pretty damn good his last seven games going 4-1 with a 1.49 ERA. Still, he has a 2.06 K/BB ratio in that time which, honestly, stinks. He’s not VERLANDER at this point of his career. Solid no doubt, but he’s more of a solid arm than superstar at this point. Still, he goes back to a team where he dominated, in an environment he knows, to help a team to push for another World Series title which has all the hallmarks of a move that will illicit the best out of Verlander. This is an excellent move for the Astros, and it has to be viewed as a boost to his fantasy outlook as well, even with the drop in his K-rate (21.6 percent the last seven games during his run of success and 21.0 percent on the year). Does this move mean Jose Urquidy is gonna return to a bullpen role?
More on the money piece… and clearly Steve Cohen really doesn’t care about money.
Gilbert was one of the top prospects in the Astros system. A first round pick out of college, he’s worked to improve his contact rate while reworking his mechanics a bit. He’s patient and uses the whole field, but he’s still someone who projects as a 15 homer bat with double-digit steals. The skills don’t leap off the page and he seems to project on the Benintendi/Grisham/Taveras range.
Clifford was a top-5 Astros prospect. He has a nice lefty strong with a better than average hit tool. Has 18 homers in 83 games on the season, but he’s yet to have an at-bat over High-A ball. Solid contact rate though and a .900+ OPS at barely 20 years of age.
111:47 AM: Royals considered dealing Salvador Perez… but it sounds likely he will stay in KC.
11:41 AM: It seems like a throwaway comment here, but Jon Heyman said that the current expectation is that Bo Bichette’s injury will not keep him out long-term.
11:35 AM: The Angels are obviously keeping Shohei Ohtani. Phillips/Sherman were discussing the future, and the number of $60 million dollars a year was bandied about. Also heard earlier $500-600 million overall. Not saying it doesn’t happen, and if you look at him as a $30M hitter and a $30M pitcher, I can understand those numbers. Same time, that’s a ton of money, and if he ever goes does with an injury, the practical situation is that the team loses Two elite players, so the risk is substantial if you are investing that much in one human being.
11:31 AM: My buddy Steve Phillips is crushing it on MLB Network right now. #UnbiasedOpinion
11:28 AM: The Dylan Carlson out of town move was pretty much pre-ordained. Well, maybe not unless a young starting pitcher is the return.
11:22 AM: The Mets are still likely to move guys. How do we know this?
11:17 AM: MLB Network still obsessed with the Yankees.
11:14: Jared Walsh passed through waivers, so he will remain with the Angels being sent to Triple-A. His season ahs been awful as he’s dealt with insomnia and headaches. The 30 year old did go .277-98-98 in 2021, but over his last 146 games he’s at .202-16-49 with a hideous .618 OPS. IF healthy, maybe he can recapture a spot in the bigs? So messy right now that his star has nearly flickered out.
11:10 AM: The Yankees remain interested in adding Dylan Carlson. Interestingly, they seem willing to deal a former Cardinals’ outfielder in the oft-injured Harrison Bader.
11:05 AM: JV to the Astros… another report. There’s an obvious fit for JV in Houston, but it would be pretty boring to see him go back to the ‘Stros, wouldn’t it be?
11:00 AM: It’s Monster time.
10:56 AM: So not Dylan Cease might be dealt? Another note in the tweet is that Kenyan Middleton might be dealt. If that happens, one would think that it is Gregory Santos time in the 9th until Liam Hendriks returns for the White Sox.
10:51 AM: The Dodgers are said to be in on Eduardo Rodriguez. However, it might take a sweetener to make a deal happen.
10:47: Reds are interested in pitching… and here are some names that could be available on the bump.
10:44 AM: As expected, the Royals are continuing to discuss trading Scott Barlow – which in theory would make Carlos Hernandez the top 9th inning option. They are also rumored to be considering dealing others as well.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| TOR | SS Paul DeJong, Cash |
| STL | RHP Matt Svanson |
Paul DeJong is a power hitting middle infielder who has 13 homers in 279 ABs. The .710 OPS reflects who he is – and it is really just about power with his offensive game (no speed, no average). He’s an AL-only addition but not of interest in mixed leagues if BB is OK. Even if Bichette is out long term, DeJong is boring and should only be added in mixers if you need one thing – power.
10:28 AM: Jon Morosi suggest that the D’backs and Tigers are discussing Michael Lorenzen. He’s a solid righty who is fully expected to be moved today.
10:20 AM: Dylan Cease staying with the White Sox… seems likely to be the end result today.
10:18 AM: Hard not to read something into this and the health of Bo Bichette… Paul DeJong to the Jays is closing in on reality.
| TEAM | PLAYER (S) |
| SD | LHP Rich Hill, 1B Ji-Man Choi |
| PIT | LHP Jackson Wolf, OF Estuar Suero, 1B/OF Alfonso Rivas |
Choi has a solid .789 OPS against RHP this year and his career number is .809. He could easily see time at first base where Cronenworth has been spending a lot of time – and he has not been hitting.
Hill, aka Dick Mountain, is an effective lefty. His 19.6 K-rat is the lowest mark since 2010 and his 1.48 WHIP stinks. He could make starts with Michael Wacha still down… but he’s not an overly interesting option in fantasy – even with the deal. He’s just more of the same – a place holder – hoping to stay healthy.
Wolf has posted a near 30 percent K-rate at Double-A this season. He’s a fly ball pitcher who is more slurvy, with a low arm angle, than truly dominant. He profiles as a 4th or 5th starter in the bigs, and shouldn’t be expected to be an extreme strikeout arm in the bigs.
10:02 AM: The Braves are adding to their bullpen picking up Brad Hand. He has a strikeout an inning but with a 10 percent walk rate and 1.43 WHIP.
9:55 AM: JV was closing in on a move to the Astros… but…
9:45 AM: The Braves are interested in adding pitching. Fried is close. Wright should be back in the regular season. Soroka is waiting. AJS is around. So are Dodd and Schuster. They are really looking for more starting pitching?
9:41 AM: Dexter cat sleeping. Robe keeping me warm. Getting itchy trigger finger for that Monster drink. Homemade pizza sitting well in my belly. Oh, we have a special football offer too at FG –
9:39 AM: The D’backs added Paul Sewald, so they might be interested in moving on from Andrew Chafin.
9:36 AM: If JV is dealt, one baseball insider believes that it will be to the Astros.
9:31 AM: Another extremely small deal.
9:28 AM: Wonder if the Reds made a move? As noted below, there was a lot of smoke about a potential move of Jonathan India, but now that he’s on the shelf with a foot issue the buzz there has died completely.
9:23 AM: Those chairs that Kenny/Phillips/Stark are sitting in — do not look comfortable.
9:20 AM: Apparently this move happened 19 minutes ago… and honestly… I didn’t see it mentioned by anyone. Here is the deal.
9:18 AM: This robe is comfy. I’m thinking of blowing this thing out today. I’ve been sick the last week and done nothing but lay around the house. I had that Coke earlier… I’m thinking that a Monster is calling me too. Interestingly, caffeine really doesn’t affect me. I can swig that Coke and go to bed no problem. I like the taste of the Monster (low-carb blue). Interestingly II… I don’t like champagne much.
9:14 AM: Top-3 teams in payroll heading into the year – Mets, Yankees, Padres – none are in a playoff spot right now. Shocking with the Padres IMO. The Orioles (29th) are.
9:08 AM: Brian Kenny breaking down how JV is still good, but that his hard-hit rate is up, his K-rate is down, his swinging strike rate is down, and he’s gone from being 99th percentile in spin rate on his 4-seam heater down to 86th this season.
9:03 AM: Steve Phillips about to be on MLB Now. I miss working with him on SiriusXM. He’s extremely knowledgeable, but beyond that he’s just a great guy. Humble, funny. He never, not once, big-timed me or Kyle Elfrink. A tremendous guy to work with.
8:59 AM: We are still waiting for an update on the knee of Bo Bichette. It didn’t look catastrophic last night, but it also didn’t look good. The team running more tests… you can certainly read that as a negative, but we continue to wait.
8:57 AM: Continual quiet only means this afternoon will be wild. Last year there were a bunch of deals “After” the deadline. The league needs to be made aware by 6 PM EST… but that doesn’t mean the deals will all be announced by that point, so stick around past the time on the clock as there will certainly be moves we learn about after.
8:49 AM: Joe Kelly likes vans. He’s wearing the hat during his interview. He’s a Dodger again if you missed it. He wrote a book. Who knew?
8:48 AM: There are JV to Padres rumors. Now we’re seeing Erod to Padres rumors.
8:45 AM: YouTube is now my friend again. You can see my robe too.
8:40 AM: Trying to record a short on YouTube and I’m being thwarted.
8:29 AM: I’m not gonna keep writing Verlander all day, so we’re going with JV from now on.
8:28 AM: So I wonder who will be the player dealt – that no one saw coming. Will there be a blockbuster move – other than Verlander? Part of the issue with teams is that with 93 playoff spots available, many clubs that in the past would be sellers might think they could sneak in to the playoffs. Kinda an unintended consequence of expanding the playoffs.
8:23 AM: The A’s are 30-77. Let that sink in for a moment. What a disaster of a franchise.
8:21 AM: Seriously MLB Network… there are more than two teams in baseball. Stop the incessant Mets/Yankees talk. Come on. There are FIFTEEN teams with more wins than the Yankees and only eight teams have fewer wins than the Mets.
8:19 AM: Justin Verlander… all anyone is talking about.
8:17 AM: The Pirates are in deal mode… as they seemingly have been for most of the last decade. Hedges/Hill are being mentioned as trade chips according to move sources, and Ji Man Choi is coming up now too.
8:14 AM: I don’t like the Dodgers (lifelong Giants Fan). Jon Heyman has an update on their pitching search.
Heyman also noted that Justin Verlander to the Orioles isn’t looking great.
8:10 AM: Jayson Stark wrote a column about the fact that most teams are frustrated – if they are looking to add offense. Here are the players he lists that could be moved:
• Jeimer Candelario
• Dylan Carlson
• Tyler O’Neill
• Tommy Pham
• Teoscar Hernández
• Adam Duvall
• Jonathan India (though he just landed on the injured list)
8:04 AM: I figured it was about time to get serious. I put my robe on. No, I wasn’t in the buff previously. I was just in my sweats and slippers. Yes, and a shirt. A Batman shirt.
7:55 AM: Eerily calm right now. None of the big boys have tweeted anything of note the last few minutes… kinda like the calm before the storm? I don’t know how many folks want to read my critical commentary of commercials all day. Give me something to talk about MLB!
7:50 AM: Watching TV this morning, I’m reminded how much I hate commercials. I can’t be the only person who records everything to avoid having to watch them, can I be? Dorky hiker sprained his ankle – but Advil was there to save him! One Key showed a lady in an airplane – smiling. That’s fake. No one ever smiles on airplanes since they are never on time, someone is always complaining and there’s a high chance that someone sitting next to you is either coughing or sneezing on you.
7:46 AM: We need a whole segment about the Mets and Yankees? Really MLB Network? Perhaps the Coke is kicking in, but it does get frustrating to see the national media be so right coast obsessed. The Mets stink and the Yankees might not even make the playoffs. In fact, they are last in their division.
7:43 AM: I’ve been on the case for about an hour this morning, and I’m already over Justin Verlander talk. It is ALLLLLL MLB Network is talking about.
7:41 AM: Another report that Teoscar Hernandez could be dealt. The 30 year old is a free agent next year, so he’s in the rental zone. Has a mere .694 OPS on the year, but the number is .726 since June 1st as he’s improved a bit and has a history producing runs.
7:36 AM: A Cardinals update – they are willing to trade everyone. Well, not quite, but they are open for business with names like Burleson/Carlson/DeJong seemingly nearly certain to be dealt. There have also been rumors of Arenado/Flaherty potentially being available.
7:34 AM: Dexter the cat is sitting with me. Seems like he’s got the fever today to… baseball fever.
7:32 AM: Eduardo Rodriguez is going to be dealt (3-years, $49M with opt out). He also has a limited no-trade clause (eight teams). Both Heyman and Feinsand believe he will be dealt – though the fact that he could/would opt-out is causing some concerns amongst teams. Michael Lorenzen will be a free agent at the end of the year, so he’s a pure rental. Jack Flaherty mentioned as possible arm to be moved as well. Dylan Cease still has two years left, and it sounds like the Sox aren’t interested in moving the power righty – despite the sell-off that is underway. Lots of talk about pitching today. Not much to get excited about on the hitting side?
7:22 AM: Rumors are swirling that one of the teams in the Justin Verlander sweepstakes is the Orioles. Might they be willing to trade some of their impressive young talent to bring Verlander to town? Would JV be willing to accept the deal?
7:19 AM: Why does any team give any player an opt-out? I get it, but don’t do it teams. If a player stinks, he stays. If he does well, he opts out. If you can’t convince a guy to play with you, if he doesn’t want to really be there, just don’t sign him. It never works out for the club that signs the guy.
7:17 AM: Do people normally drink Coke this early? Maybe it is because I grabbed a piece of homemade pizza, but it’s pretty good. Maybe I’ve found a new breakfast drink?
7:10 AM: Justin Verlander the next Met to be sent out of town? Everyone in NY was convinced that Uncle Stevie was gonna lead the team to the Series this year. Nope. In fact, it seems like they are in full tear down mode as they look toward the future. With Scherzer already gone, will Verlander and his $43M contract for next year be next (and $35M vesting option in 2023 if he throws 140 IP in 2024)? I believe he has a no-trade clause so he would need to OK any deal.
7:08 AM: Teoscar Hernandez is a name on the block. A power hitter who started slowly, he’s found his footing of late and is a serious, middle of the order run producer.
7:06 AM: The Reds expect back Greene/Lodolo later in the year, but they are still involved in the market today. Doesn’t sound like they will be surfing the talk of the market though as it seems more likely they will be looking for depth.
7:05 AM: Pretty wild all the deals that came down the last couple of days. For a list of all those moves, and there have been many, scroll down to the bottom of this piece.
6:57 AM: This day always is a blast. Hours upon hours. No breaks. Just wall-to-wall baseball talk. I got prepped this morning doing something I never do… I draft a soda. We got an errant Coke on Saturday when we ordered dinner, so it’s going in my belly right now… and I cannot, for the life of me, remember the last time I had a soda before 7 AM. I may never have (unless I was still up from the night before.
6:56 AM: Not to be outdone, the Pirates are said to be interested in moving Rich Hill, though there is some belief that the could move Bednar/Keller if they are bowled over by an offer.
6:54 AM: The Tigers are expected to deal pitching today.
6:53 AM: Sitting down at my desk. Let’s do this.
COMPLETED DEALS PRIOR TO DEADLINE DAY
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Aaron Civale
Cleveland Guardians receive: 1B prospect Kyle Manzardo
Milwaukee Brewers receive: OF Mark Canha
New York Mets receive: RHP prospect Justin Jarvis
Arizona Diamondbacks receive: IF Jace Peterson
Oakland Athletics receive: RHP Chad Patrick
Chicago Cubs receive: 3B Jeimer Candelario
Washington Nationals receive: LHP prospect DJ Herz and infield prospect Kevin Made
San Francisco Giants receive: OF A.J. Pollock, Util. Mark Mathias
Seattle Mariners receive: Player to be named later or cash
Cincinnati Reds receive: LHP Sam Moll, international pool money
Oakland Athletics receive: RHP Joe Boyle
Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Jose Cuas
Kansas City Royals receive: OF Nelson Velazquez
Texas Rangers receive: LHP Jordan Montgomery, RHP Chris Stratton
St. Louis Cardinals receive: INF Thomas Saggese, RHP Tekoah Roby, LHP John King
Atlanta Braves receive: INF Nicky Lopez
Kansas City Royals receive: LHP Taylor Hearn
Los Angeles Angels receive: INF C.J. Cron, OF Randal Grichuk, cash
Colorado Rockies receive: RHP Jake Madden and LHP Mason Albright
Toronto Blue Jays receive: RHP Jordan Hicks
St. Louis Cardinals receive: RHP Sem Robberse, RHP Adam Kloffenstein
Texas Rangers receive: RHP Max Scherzer
New York Mets receive: SS Luisangel Acuna
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: RHP Lance Lynn and RHP Joe Kelly
Chicago White Sox receive: OF Trayce Thompson, RHP Jordan Leasure and RHP Nick Nastrini
Miami Marlins receive: RHP David Robertson
New York Mets receive: INF Marco Vargas and C Ronald Hernández
Houston Astros receive: RHP Kendall Graveman
Chicago White Sox receive: C Korey Lee
Milwaukee Brewers receive: 1B Carlos Santana
Pittsburgh Pirates receive: SS Jhonny Severino
Los Angeles Angels receive: RHP Lucas Giolito and RHP Reynaldo Lopez
Chicago White Sox receive: LHP Ky Bush and C Edgar Quero
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: SS Amed Rosario
Cleveland Guardians receive: RHP Noah Syndergaard
Miami Marlins receive: RHP Jorge Lopez
Minnesota Twins receive: RHP Dylan Floro
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: UTIL Enrique Hernandez
Boston Red Sox receive: RHP Nick Robertson and RHP Justin Hagenman
