Potential Trade Deadline Targets

johnnywayback

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I'm sure you were just throwing out a random name, but Raudes is out for the rest of the season with elbow inflammation. He's not going anywhere.
You know, I did just throw out that name, and then I realized I hadn't heard much about him in a while, so I looked him up and, oof. What a disastrous year for the system.
 

mfried

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Trading Bogaerts for Machado may/may not have defensive benefits but goes against a reasonable fan identification with the team.
 

grimshaw

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The Rockies seem to make it up year to year how they are going to build their team for the future. For some reason they thought dropping all their money into the bullpen was a good idea instead of fixing their terrible offense this off season.

They ought to sell since Ottavino is probably worth more than Britton this deadline. But of course they won't.
 

Sox and Rocks

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The Rockies seem to make it up year to year how they are going to build their team for the future. For some reason they thought dropping all their money into the bullpen was a good idea instead of fixing their terrible offense this off season.

They ought to sell since Ottavino is probably worth more than Britton this deadline. But of course they won't.
Unfortunately, I think you're right. They have a ton of young talent, and they can really augment that with some savvy deadline deals.

Bridich, though, has been anything but savvy thus far.
 

BigSoxFan

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Unfortunately, I think you're right. They have a ton of young talent, and they can really augment that with some savvy deadline deals.

Bridich, though, has been anything but savvy thus far.
With Hampson and Rodgers killing the ball in the minors, they absolutely should trade LeMahieu for something.
 

Sox and Rocks

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With Hampson and Rodgers killing the ball in the minors, they absolutely should trade LeMahieu for something.
Agreed, but then again, they have several young outfielders (Tapia, Dahl, Cuevas, Patterson, Tauchman) who deserve an extended look, yet they signed Cargo late in the offseason.

Both Bridich and Black seem to prefer veterans, so I think they'll stay the course even though they should probably trade Otto, LeMahieu, Para, et. al.

Generally, if teams want someone from the Rockies, they have to overpay since they overvalue their own vets and hope to contend even when it doesn't seem likely.
 

EP Sox Fan

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Any thoughts on trading for Adrian Beltre? Cafardo recently reported that he would waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender. And given he's 39 and on the last year of his deal, the cost should be reasonable. The article indicated that the Sox had thought about it previously but had traded for Pearce instead. Wonder if they would re-consider given Devers' injury and general inconsistency in the field and at the plate. Beltre is at .288 / .349 /.401 and while his defense has regressed to average per his advanced fielding metrics on Fangraphs, they are much better then Devers. Adding his veteran leadership wouldn't hurt too. It seems a low cost upgrade to a position of weakness as opposed to the king's ransom that Machado is going to command.
 

chawson

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Just for fun, DJ LeMahieu was also a late scratch. Reported later as “lower back tightness,” which I’m inclined to believe—but that’s not an injury he’s been reported to have had this year, fwiw.
 

YTF

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Catching concerns me and I wish Swihart had more of an audition to this point to find out what is or isn't there on both sides of the ball. That said when you look at potential rentals there isn't a whole lot there that might be reasonably had and as far as decent upgrades go, there really isn't much out there. Wondering if Asdrubal Cabrera as Pedroia insurance can be had and what he might cost.
 

Dewey'sCannon

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I could see Shawaryn having some value as a trade chip. But I also wouldn't mind keeping him as a replacement for Porcello when his contract is up, as I doubt we'll have the money to keep him with all the other guys who are much bigger priorities.
 

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Catching concerns me and I wish Swihart had more of an audition to this point to find out what is or isn't there on both sides of the ball. That said when you look at potential rentals there isn't a whole lot there that might be reasonably had and as far as decent upgrades go, there really isn't much out there. Wondering if Asdrubal Cabrera as Pedroia insurance can be had and what he might cost.
Is Cabrera really a whole lot different than Nunez?
 

Cesar Crespo

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Is Cabrera really a whole lot different than Nunez?

Heh, not really. Minus recent performance, anyway. They also have Brandon Phillips in AAA. Kinda curious how he didn't have a job in the first place since he's been close to average the last few years. I'd guess Cabrera is more of a sure thing but he's also more expensive.
 

YTF

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Red(s)HawksFan

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Is Cabrera really a whole lot different than Nunez?
No, he isn't.

Holt, Nunez, Lin, Phillips. That seems like more than enough "Pedroia insurance" to get through the rest of the season. It's not a black hole either offensively or defensively, which with the seasons being had elsewhere in the lineup, should be perfectly fine.
 

Dewey'sCannon

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Earlier in the year, It seemed that the general consensus was that Nunez was a good signing. Now, i think the consensus goes the other way - there are a number of other guys who seem to be availble who might be better at the same or lesser cost.

Of course, the Nunez signing was originally designed as Pedey insurance - which it turns out was very much needed. But we also didn't know if we'd get anything out of Brock Holt. If DD knew then what he knew now about how well Holt would be playing, I wonder if they would still make the Nunez signing.

In any event, we have Nunez now, so I don't see that we'll be picking up another IF, unless we can send Nunez off elsewhere (maybe to one of the teams need ing help at 3B that doesn't land Manny Machado - but in that case, they probably be the ones to land Cabrera, or whomever).
 

YTF

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Earlier in the year, It seemed that the general consensus was that Nunez was a good signing. Now, i think the consensus goes the other way - there are a number of other guys who seem to be availble who might be better at the same or lesser cost.

Of course, the Nunez signing was originally designed as Pedey insurance - which it turns out was very much needed. But we also didn't know if we'd get anything out of Brock Holt. If DD knew then what he knew now about how well Holt would be playing, I wonder if they would still make the Nunez signing.

In any event, we have Nunez now, so I don't see that we'll be picking up another IF, unless we can send Nunez off elsewhere (maybe to one of the teams need ing help at 3B that doesn't land Manny Machado - but in that case, they probably be the ones to land Cabrera, or whomever).
I think he definitely has value. He has been moved at or near the deadline several times in his career and has had an impact on his new team.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Take a look and decide for yourself. He's played in 91 games, has been the best hitter on a largely shitty team and if we had gotten this from Pedrioa I think many here would be downright giddy. IMO he also extends that batting order. Roughly 3.5 million left on this year's contract.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabreas01.shtml
From 2015-2017, he was slightly better than Eduardo Nunez. I'm not all that confident he'll be considerably better than Nunez going forward. Given the Sox are against the cap and have a weak farm system as is, I don't see the point in making a move for him. I think acquiring a 2b would be a waste of resources but if they want to waste those resources, I'd target Brian Dozier, who has the same 3.5 mil left on his contract.
 

tonyarmasjr

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Earlier in the year, It seemed that the general consensus was that Nunez was a good signing. Now, i think the consensus goes the other way - there are a number of other guys who seem to be availble who might be better at the same or lesser cost.

Of course, the Nunez signing was originally designed as Pedey insurance - which it turns out was very much needed. But we also didn't know if we'd get anything out of Brock Holt. If DD knew then what he knew now about how well Holt would be playing, I wonder if they would still make the Nunez signing.

In any event, we have Nunez now, so I don't see that we'll be picking up another IF, unless we can send Nunez off elsewhere (maybe to one of the teams need ing help at 3B that doesn't land Manny Machado - but in that case, they probably be the ones to land Cabrera, or whomever).
I don't think you were trying to directly compare Nunez and Holt (rather, just saying they didn't know if Holt would provide anything), but Nunez has been significantly better at the plate over the last month: 99 wRC+ vs. Holt's 63. That's more along the lines (though at the disappointing end of the spectrum) of what I expected in March. I really hope/believe the break will do good things for Nunez. I think it's been apparent that his body hasn't held up well as an everyday player coming off last year's injury. He's played too much, in my opinion. Hopefully, a few days off can rejuvenate him a little bit. Holt was fantastic for the first half of the season and should have been playing more than Nunez. Let's hope he can get back on track, too. Between them, 2B should be adequately covered.
 

YTF

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Question....So most here seem to be OK with what we have at second base. JBJ's defense is invaluable and he's started to sting the ball, but past performance tells us that this comes in small flashes. SSS so far, but hopefully Brasier and Thornburg solidify the bullpen. Pearce fills the need for back up 1B and OF. So with two weeks before the non waiver deadline, what is the biggest need? For the record, I'm OK with Holt/Nunez at second but feel that Cabrera as an every day player is an upgrade. As things stand another starter (especially with Rodriguez, Wright and Pomeranz on the DL) makes sense and I would like to see something added to bolster the catching. With the limited resources in the farm system and tight cap space what do the Sox have to offer in return? One of Lin, Holt or Nunez is pretty much all they can really offer off the current MLB roster. Perhaps Johnson depending on the return. Maybe Swihart with a catcher coming back. Or Pearce for a bigger bat, but at the moment it's a pretty solid team with less question marks than most. Not necessarily advocating any of the things mentioned, just thinking out loud and like many wonder what moves the Sox may make. There is also waiver claims that can be made once teams have determined that they are out of contention.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Question....So most here seem to be OK with what we have at second base. JBJ's defense is invaluable and he's started to sting the ball, but past performance tells us that this comes in small flashes. SSS so far, but hopefully Brasier and Thornburg solidify the bullpen. Pearce fills the need for back up 1B and OF. So with two weeks before the non waiver deadline, what is the biggest need? For the record, I'm OK with Holt/Nunez at second but feel that Cabrera as an every day player is an upgrade. As things stand another starter (especially with Rodriguez, Wright and Pomeranz on the DL) makes sense and I would like to see something added to bolster the catching. With the limited resources in the farm system and tight cap space what do the Sox have to offer in return? One of Lin, Holt or Nunez is pretty much all they can really offer off the current MLB roster. Perhaps Johnson depending on the return. Maybe Swihart with a catcher coming back. Or Pearce for a bigger bat, but at the moment it's a pretty solid team with less question marks than most. Not necessarily advocating any of the things mentioned, just thinking out loud and like many wonder what moves the Sox may make. There is also waiver claims that can be made once teams have determined that they are out of contention.
Seems like a good survey to start
 

Coachster

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Good lord, why? He's another left-handed bat (you want a left-hand corner, the Adam Lind era could begin any time....), would cost us something in prospects, would push us even closer to the larger salary penalty, and we have plenty of infielders, especially with Brandon Phillips moving to AAA today.

What we need is an insurance starter. Without the injury to Vasquez, Swihart would have been our trade bait; now, who knows? Still, an inning-eater would allow us to use Velazquez in a role suited for him, and we'll have to live with Johnson as a starter till Wright is back or Pom figures it out.

We really don't have a critical need for anything else out there, especially if Braiser and Thornburg are what they appear to be.
 

bosockboy

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Good lord, why? He's another left-handed bat (you want a left-hand corner, the Adam Lind era could begin any time....), would cost us something in prospects, would push us even closer to the larger salary penalty, and we have plenty of infielders, especially with Brandon Phillips moving to AAA today.

What we need is an insurance starter. Without the injury to Vasquez, Swihart would have been our trade bait; now, who knows? Still, an inning-eater would allow us to use Velazquez in a role suited for him, and we'll have to live with Johnson as a starter till Wright is back or Pom figures it out.

We really don't have a critical need for anything else out there, especially if Braiser and Thornburg are what they appear to be.
Unless Devers is a lot more banged up than they are letting on. That’s the only way it makes sense.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Good lord, why? He's another left-handed bat (you want a left-hand corner, the Adam Lind era could begin any time....), would cost us something in prospects, would push us even closer to the larger salary penalty, and we have plenty of infielders, especially with Brandon Phillips moving to AAA today.
The why is simple...the Royals are trying to generate interest in Moustakas. What better way to do that than to float the rumor that the team with the best record in the league is interested? And what better time to do it when the Red Sox' phenom young 3B is on the DL? Unless Devers' shoulder is way worse than has been let on, I think it's safe to say that the Sox aren't really in the market for a 3B.

Really, ALL rumors purporting Red Sox interest in pretty much any player needs to be taken with a shaker of salt given their financial and farm situations.
 

canderson

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Given we now have 4 starters, I’d think they absolutely have to get a SP over any other position.

Who might be available? Hellickson, maybe Colon?
 

Hank Scorpio

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Are we at the point where we should just cast aside any hopes of being under the final salary cap? The penalties for going over are quite severe, but if we’re looking at addressing multiple injuries as we close in on August, it doesn’t seem likely we’d do so on our current meager budget.

If we’re going to go either a cent over, we may as well go millions over, and grab a starter, a reliever, and whatever bat we may need. If we only think we need a bullpen arm, then maybe we can be a bit crafty.
 

Dewey'sCannon

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I agree with those who think that SP is now at the top of the shopping list - I don't think we really have that much need in the bullpen or IF given the various in-house options, which are probably as viable as anything we're likely to be able to acquire on the trade market.

But as others have noted, there's not much out there on the SP market, and the price for anyone who might approach the level of a 3/4 is likely more than we can pay, in terms of prospects. We maight be able to pick up a back-end guy for depth, but it probably makes sense to wait a week or 10 days to see what's happening with Pom and Wright to see if it's really worth doing.
 

BigPapiMPD34

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It probably makes sense to pick up a SP at the deadline, just in case Pomeranz can't figure things out in AAA and E-Rod/Wright are out long-term. It's quite possible that whoever we pick up will only be in the rotation for a month and become a mop-up guy in September and left off the post-season roster. However, it would be an unnecessary gamble to assume those guys will come back healthy. Imagine if we wasted this amazing regular season, only to have to start someone like Johnson or Velazquez in the playoffs due to injuries?

I feel the same way about 2B as well. While Holt has played great, I'd rather have him as a super-sub who can play IF/OF depending on which player inevitably gets hurt. Plus, there are so many solid 2B available that would cost very little to acquire (Lowrie, Cabrera, Dozier, LeMahieu). If Pedroia actually comes back healthy, the acquired player could shift to DH, with JD playing OF instead of JBJ. Lowrie/Cabrera in particular have an extra benefit because they can play 3B and are switch hitters.
 

bosockboy

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It probably makes sense to pick up a SP at the deadline, just in case Pomeranz can't figure things out in AAA and E-Rod/Wright are out long-term. It's quite possible that whoever we pick up will only be in the rotation for a month and become a mop-up guy in September and left off the post-season roster. However, it would be an unnecessary gamble to assume those guys will come back healthy. Imagine if we wasted this amazing regular season, only to have to start someone like Johnson or Velazquez in the playoffs due to injuries?

I feel the same way about 2B as well. While Holt has played great, I'd rather have him as a super-sub who can play IF/OF depending on which player inevitably gets hurt. Plus, there are so many solid 2B available that would cost very little to acquire (Lowrie, Cabrera, Dozier, LeMahieu). If Pedroia actually comes back healthy, the acquired player could shift to DH, with JD playing OF instead of JBJ. Lowrie/Cabrera in particular have an extra benefit because they can play 3B and are switch hitters.
The A’s are right on the M’s heels, Lowrie won’t be going anywhere. But in principle yes.
 

soxhop411

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I don't think I'd do a damn thing. The potential acquisitions are either shitty, will cost more than we have to give, or are no/marginally better than the depth we have. I'm totally comfortable riding playing this hand.
Only one is a RP. Which is light years better market than what’s available for a SP
 

E5 Yaz

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I don't think I'd do a damn thing. The potential acquisitions are either shitty, will cost more than we have to give, or are no/marginally better than the depth we have. I'm totally comfortable riding playing this hand.
Agreed. You're talking about the 4/5 slots in the rotation. If one of the first 3 went down, you'd have reason to overpay for a replacement. Not here
 

tonyarmasjr

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Good lord, why? He's another left-handed bat (you want a left-hand corner, the Adam Lind era could begin any time....), would cost us something in prospects, would push us even closer to the larger salary penalty, and we have plenty of infielders, especially with Brandon Phillips moving to AAA today.

What we need is an insurance starter. Without the injury to Vasquez, Swihart would have been our trade bait; now, who knows? Still, an inning-eater would allow us to use Velazquez in a role suited for him, and we'll have to live with Johnson as a starter till Wright is back or Pom figures it out.

We really don't have a critical need for anything else out there, especially if Braiser and Thornburg are what they appear to be.
Why? What "innings-eater" improves this team's chances of making or going deep into the post-season? Put differently, what starting pitcher improves on Velazquez and/or Johnson? I could possibly get on board with the idea to go get a starter who would be penciled into the post-season rotation (ahead of 3 of Pom/Porcello/Price/EdRo?), which would require significant trade assets/salary we may not have. But Velazquez and Johnson have both been serviceable as either starters or long relievers. A better use of resources would be to get an 8th inning type arm. I've been impressed with Brasier, and I hope he (or Thornburg, like you also suggest) can be that addition. Kelly righting the ship is important, too, in that regard. But neither Velazquez or Johnson are a late-inning guy. Moving them into the 5th starter slot doesn't significantly alter the makeup of the playoff staff where you're using 4 starters and relying on your back-end relievers. Really, losing 2 of EdRo/Pom/Wright weakens the bullpen more than the starters, because it means you aren't adding one of the starters to the bullpen in the playoffs. I'll also add that I think losing Rodriguez hurts more than the others, since he's been the 2nd best starter thus far. If he's not back to form by the playoffs, they could be in a tough spot absent other guys stepping up. But, again, an "innings-eater" doesn't solve that problem.

Johnson overall: 24 G, 44.2 IP, 7.46 K/9, 2.62 BB/9, .343 BABIP, 4.23 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 4.33 xFIP
As starter: 3 G, 14.2 IP, 5.52 K/9, 3.07 BB/9, .313 BABIP, 2.45 ERA, 4.71 FIP, 5.05 xFIP
As reliever: 21 G, 30 IP, 8.40 K/9, 2.40 BB/9, .359 BABIP, 5.10 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 3.98 xFIP

Velazquez overall: 28 G, 50.2 IP, 5.86 K/9, 2.49 BB/9, .323 BABIP, 2.66 ERA, 4.13 FIP, 4.45 xFIP
As starter: 3 G, 13.2 IP, 7.90 K/9, 2.63 BB/9, .263 BABIP, 2.63 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 4.53 xFIP
As reliever: 25 G, 37 IP, 5.11 K/9, 2.43 BB/9, .341 BABIP, 2.68 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 4.43 xFIP