Deadline moves - Sox and others.

[MongoLikeSox]

Verdugo is an emotional guy. Not a bad thing. If he's hearing trade scuttlebutt, he's feeling it and wearing it on his sleeves. IMO.

New deal. Marlins get the Met's David Robertson for a couple of FCL kids (ranked 18 and 22 in the Marlins' system). Smart on the Mets taking very young players instead of ones who will need Rule-5 protection. Trading lower-level talent can blow up for either team.

Brewers got Carlos Santana from the Pirates to replace Rowdy Telez as he's in the IL. I forgot the return, but it seemed reasonable IIRC.

[Sea Dog 23]

And, Mongo it could go the other way.  News from Philly overnight,

The Philadelphia Inquirer has been linking Duvall to the Phillies the last few days, and also mentioned Paxton today.

@ByRobertMurray
confirmed Duvall’s link, "There’s quite a bit of interest in Duvall, he’s got a good chance of being traded, the Phillies are far from alone."

[MongoLikeSox]

And, Mongo it could go the other way.  News from Philly overnight,

The Philadelphia Inquirer has been linking Duvall to the Phillies the last few days, and also mentioned Paxton today.

@ByRobertMurray
confirmed Duvall’s link, "There’s quite a bit of interest in Duvall, he’s got a good chance of being traded, the Phillies are far from alone."

Trading Duvall over Verdugo makes sense. Gets Refsnyder a few more reps that can alternate with the three LHB starters. A few weeks down the road if Rafaela is still doing well, he could get some spot starts all over the place as he adjusts to MLB. That's thinking too far ahead, though. :) 

[Sea Dog 23]

Rumblings that Sox and Cardinals are talking about one of ther L/H hitting MILs.   Gorman, Donovan, or Tommy Edman.  Donovan just got a bad injury, so likely Edman is the focal point if credible.  Edman isn't much of a hitter, but good defender and plays infield and outfield.  Would Yorke be in this proposed trade?

[MongoLikeSox]

Rumblings that Sox and Cardinals are talking about one of ther L/H hitting MILs.   Gorman, Donovan, or Tommy Edman.  Donovan just got a bad injury, so likely Edman is the focal point if credible.  Edman isn't much of a hitter, but good defender.  Would Yorke be in this proposed trade?

On a side note, Yorke's recent absence has been due to a lower body soreness after a play at 2B last week. Sliding, IIRC, or maybe just stepped wrong?

Isn't Edman a really sweet defending multi-position guy? Switch Hitter. An upgrade over Reyes and Chang if it's who I'm thinking of. If it's Gorman, it would be a haul going to the Cardinals. Yes, including Yorke and 1-2 others in the top-30. I do not like his K rate, though. mega-yikes.

[Sea Dog 23]

Some more from the West Coast hopefuls,

Dodgers are sending Double-A right-hander Nick Nastrini and reliever Jordan Leasure to the White Sox to complete the deal for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.

ChiSox also traded relief pitcher Kendall Graveman to Houston.

That's four of their pitchers gone including Giolito.

[MongoLikeSox]

The unrated reliever, Leasure, is tossing a 3.09 ERA with 58Ks in 35 innings.

If our bloomidiot trades Yorke for Hill, he should get his fingernails pulled out by Maz.

[Sea Dog 23]

Scherzer was miffed when Mets traded their relief pitcher Robertson.  He asked for an interview with MGT, then got himself traded to Rangers.  Really.  Trade is subject to Scherzer's approval.

[MongoLikeSox]

Scherzer was miffed when Mets traded their relief pitcher Robertson.  He asked for an interview with MGT, then got himself traded to Rangers.  Really.  Trade is subject to Scherzer's approval.

It's supposedly been approved. Met's get the Ranger's #3 guy, Luisangel Acuna, younger brother of the Braves star. Ranked MLB #44. 21 year old SS. In 84 games so far this season, he's got 7 HR's, 315BA and 42 SB's with only 5 CS.  My initial reaction is good the the Mets.

[Sea Dog 23]

Scherzer was miffed when Mets traded their relief pitcher Robertson.  He asked for an interview with MGT, then got himself traded to Rangers.  Really.  Trade is subject to Scherzer's approval.

It's supposedly been approved. Met's get the Ranger's #3 guy, Luisangel Acuna, younger brother of the Braves star. Ranked MLB #44. 21 year old SS. In 84 games so far this season, he's got 7 HR's, 315BA and 42 SB's with only 5 CS.  My initial reaction is good the the Mets.

Some more contractural details.  Scherzer is taking his "opt-in" and staying with Rangers in '23 and '24.  His contract is 2/$$85mil.  It looks like Mets are paying half of his contract through next year, but I could be reading that wrong.

[Sea Dog 23]

There is growing belief that Bloom will not improve the team, by a trade. BUT, his move will be adding two players at the deadline, sort of. The two new players being Story and Sale.  It's Bloom magic , and he did not lose a single prospect of value.

That's a short term remedy, and fools gold. Come December Bloom has exposed about 70 of his prospects to the Rule 5 draft without getting any returns.  Still two days for this to play out.

[MongoLikeSox]

I'll play Devil's Advocate for a moment.

Let's say he does not do anything else to improve the team.

Offense - I'm fine.
1 - Duran - CF
2 - Yoshida - LF
3 - Turner - DH
4 - Devers - 3B
5 - Story - SS
6 - Verdugo - RF
7 - Casas - 1B
8 - Arroyo - 2B
9 - Wong/McGuire - C
Duvall - Primary sub in, damned near a Starter plays DH, LF, RD, CF 5 days a week -
Refsnyder and Reyes

BullPen - Solid as we've had in a long time.

Starters
SP 1 - Paxton (A whole other topic - Not trading him for prospects is the same result as trading prospects for a good starter)
SP 2 - Bello
SP 3 - Crawford
SP 4 - ???
SP 5 - ???

As you read what my thoughts are below, keep in mind that we have a soft-ish mid-August. 7th through 17th feature the Royals, Tigers and Nationals. Surviving a 3 starter staff without losing ground is possible, as is also surviving the next returnee's first outing. It's a knife-fight after that.

So, then, the final two starters spots. The notoriously short term Chris Sale and the best of what will Houck and Whitlock turn into. We won't see any of them for at least two weeks, if not longer.  We can survive with only one of the 3 coming back and performing at a #4 man level, though 2 would be great. Meanwhile, I believe we will need to bite the bullet on either Walter or Murphy NOW and get them back up to 5 inning starter spots in Worcester for an additional chance of getting another 4th or 5th starter from within.

Duvall, fwiw, on deadline day might be enough for a legit #4 starter. That would move Refsnyder back into the playing rotation a little more. Verdugo might also be the one to be traded, perhaps landing us a little bit better return.

[SeaBeachFred]

There is growing belief that Bloom will not improve the team, by a trade. BUT, his move will be adding two players at the deadline, sort of. The two new players being Story and Sale.  It's Bloom magic , and he did not lose a single prospect of value.

That's a short term remedy, and fools gold. Come December Bloom has exposed about 70 of his prospects to the Rule 5 draft without getting any returns.  Still two days for this to play out.

My worry Sea Dog is who Bloom decides to trade.  Needles to say almost of all of his trades have been disasters and our best prospects are those that were drafted and not from his trades.  Besides if we lose today and drop the series in San Francisco we should simply throw in the towel because false optimisim aside our team will have set themselves up for a series loss in Seattle, if not a sweep and then most likely a headlong disastrous slump that might cement us in last place right back where we started.  If OTOH we win the SF series and take the first game in Seattle we would have three of four on this West Coast swing and maybe proved this team has the guts, courage, and fight to make a go of it.  These next two games before August 1 are absolutely decisive to our 2023 future.  WE MUST WIN TODAY AND MONDAY TO STAY RELEVANT.

[MongoLikeSox]

There is growing belief that Bloom will not improve the team, by a trade. BUT, his move will be adding two players at the deadline, sort of. The two new players being Story and Sale.  It's Bloom magic , and he did not lose a single prospect of value.

That's a short term remedy, and fools gold. Come December Bloom has exposed about 70 of his prospects to the Rule 5 draft without getting any returns.  Still two days for this to play out.

To your point - today's trades so far have featured a good MLB pitcher for a pair of AA type players, one or both ranked depending on trade.

[Sea Dog 23]

I see Devers has been on the air, imploring MGT to help the team out.  This is beginning to lookmore like 2022 where Bloom left a sour taste in the clubhouse at the deadline.  36 hours left to get smart (not the tv show).

Chad Jennings says Bloom is now shopping Paxton for a young pitcher, with 2024 control.  How that helps the '23 playoffs is a complete mystery to me.  Paxton did decline his 2024 option to return.