If Chaim's continued plan is to build a
Sustainable Championship Contender™, then gaining additional resources below the MLB level appears to be the Plan's foundation. The Yankees appear to have done an excellent job of employing a coaching staff at all levels that takes all those MiLB resources, trains 'em up (as we say in Texas), and brings them much closer to the finish line. Tampa seems to do that very well too. I've personally been surprised at how quickly several Red Sox pitching MiLBers have progressed so quickly to the finish line this year too. Maybe Chaim has begun building the sustainable contender we all clamor for.
Trading Vasquez and not JD or Evo due to their likelihood of getting QOs is more Star Trek 3D chess than my 2D chess understanding of baseball, so I give Chaim the benefit of the doubt that the Plan is progressing. But some of you guys seem to be thinking you're watching checkers. I like the Hosmer deal if it's fully subsidized. I'll reserve judgment on the Vasquez deal but hope one of those two Houston players becomes a solid major leaguer. The Diekman / McGuire rubs me the
right way since we gave up an unreliable pitcher (and his salary for this and next season) and got back a defensive-oriented former 1st round pick catcher.
So the net is Chaim traded
- 1 above average MLB C on his last 2 months in town
- 1 unreliable MLB LHR and his salary for 2022-23
- 1 blocked AAA former-first-round P
- 1 PTBNL
For...
- 1 below average MLB former-first-round C
- 1 average MLB 1B
- 1 below average MLB LF
- 1 well above average AAA hitter (1.010 combined OPS at AAA & AA) with no real position
- 1 above average corner OF with speed and hitting ability
- 2 A+ lottery tickets
- 1 PTBNL
Not sexy but definitely a winning trade deadline in my estimation. Frankly, I'd like to see AAA Valdez up
this year if there's room for him.