Deadline moves - Sox and others.

[MongoLikeSox]

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.

If Devers wants a better team, he needs to set examples and double up on his fielding practice.

I don't buy that approach on Paxton in this situation.

[Sea Dog 23]

mlbtraderumors is out with a story that Bloom was talking to an American League team over the weekend, and Bloom brought up the availability of Verdugo to said team.  Dugi, as you know was hitting .307 not long ago, but in July his numbers show a paltry .143.   The Sox seem to be totally confused as to what Verdugo's market value is moving to his 2024 contract year.  Has he hit his ceiling?  As an offensive threat, he may have.

The writer dropped the name of Raphaela as a possible intro to Fenway as some of the Duvall/Verdugo talks move along.

[longgame]

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.

Now Verlander transparently wants the same, complaining in hopes he'll get traded.  These guys may make a lot of money, but they don't get that they're commodities.

[longgame]

If anything the past month where they played well until they didn't confused things enough.  I've said that I don't think this team has the juice to go all the way so why try too hard to improve it.  Plus I have no confidence in Bloom to effectively make improvements.

Devers has a lot to carry on his own shoulders, but apparently doesn't realize it.  Between his all-or-nothing approach to the plate or his fielding which seems to have regressed this year, he's not the guy he thinks he is.

[MongoLikeSox]

mlbtraderumors is out with a story that Bloom was talking to an American League team over the weekend, and Bloom brought up the availability of Verdugo to said team.  Dugi, as you know was hitting .307 not long ago, but in July his numbers show a paltry .143.   The Sox seem to be totally confused as to what Verdugo's market value is moving to his 2024 contract year.  Has he hit his ceiling?  As an offensive threat, he may have.

The writer dropped the name of Raphaela as a possible intro to Fenway as some of the Duvall/Verdugo talks move along.

Verdugo can and will slump. I'm not convinced he's as nonchalant about this trade deadline thing as he claims to be. I suspect it's eating him up.

What I CAN believe is that Verdugo claims to have not been approached about any sort of longer term extensions. In that light, yes, I'd be sh*tting bricks if I was him, too.

Rafaela to Fenway soon? He's certainly hot. He's also a stud defensively. Duran can cover RF, but does not have the arm for it.

[MongoLikeSox]

The Angels got Randall Grichuk, CJ Cron and $2M from the Rockies for their #28 and #8 prospects, now listed as the Rockies' #20 & #21 prospects. One is in his first year of pro ball and the other will need protection after next season.

So that's the price for two decent, above average rental bats. Two controllable, valued but not blue chip pitching prospects.

Note that the Angels also got two White Sox pitchers a few days ago giving up a couple more similar prospects. 

[Sea Dog 23]

The White Sox have made catcher Grandal available.  I think he's hitting .270.  Would be a good backup for Sox since we're dealing with Alfaro and McGuire's injury.  But the Yanks are trying to make the trade, as their guy Trevino went down with a hand injury.

Tampa traded with the Guardians for pitcher Civale in exchange for Rays #4 prospect.  For a midling pitcher, that would be like Boston trading Yorke or Anthony to get that done.  It looks more and more that Bloom has asked for a steep price on Paxton, as he should, to get a trade worked out. 

I think we will stick with what we got heading into August.  Probably not a big threat to get beyond one wild card game on the road.

[MongoLikeSox]

The Rays gave up an MLB #37 for Civale, who they will have under control for 2 additional seasons. Damn!

Diamondbacks got the Seattle closer for a pair of top #30 prospects and a MLB OF'er, platoon kind of guy IIRC.

The Brewers got Cahne from the Mets for a Brewers #30 prospect starting pitcher who just got promoted to AAA, but is scuffling after 3 games. The Mets are paying for all but the league minimum portion of the salary. Not sure about the buyout.

I think the Scherzer trade involved getting a MLB #44  prospect, but they had to pay $34M of the remaining contract. Think about that kind of pressure. "we paid $34M for you kid. Do good!!!"

[SeaBeachFred]

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.

If Devers wants a better team, he needs to set examples and double up on his fielding practice.

I don't buy that approach on Paxton in this situation.

I've come to the sad conclusion that Devers either from here on or next year at the latest must be ejected from third base and be made the permanent DH.  I don't think he will  ever be a quality third baseman because he has not imp roved in his six plus years w ith the Red Sox.  In fact he has gotten worse. It seems every other game he is kicking the ball or throwing it away to add to his embarrassing error total.  Besides if DH was good enough for David Ortiz it would be good enough for Devers. And it isn't as if we are devoid of young talent for that postion. Between Blaze Jordan and Dave Meidroth we have a couple of young talents that can man the position for a long time and give us power and talent at the position

But I do see Raffy's point though I disagree with it.  We should be sellers now not buyers.  The way we stunk up SF in  those last two games of the recent series it is time to accept the fact that this team is not capable of keeping the line moving.  The A's series should have convinced many of us of that; this series with the Giants should have cemented it.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if  the team blew the Seattle series and pe rhaps being swept up there.  From there I could actually see the Red Sox go into the tank a la 2022.

[MongoLikeSox]

Happy Trade Deadline Day! FYI - Trade Deadlines are now at 6:00PM instead of 4:00 PM.

So, buyers, sellers or piss-poor fringe job like last season? I suspect Bloomer & Company repeat last year OR give up the ship for a couple of seriously tarnished toolsy, but aging vets.  My confidence is very low.

Is Duvall all but gone? We could have used Duvall last night twice in PH roles against Lefties, but did not. Not even a late game defense instead of Refsnyder. Last game before the deadline. Not a typical off-day scenario for Cora. He was not on the injury write-up before the game. We'll see.

We are not deep in RF as an organization. We seem to have zero interest in extending Verdugo. Cora is singing his praises just as he has been singing about Pivetta. Not saying it's part of the company's sales efforts and that they're both gone, but I'm trying to not gonna let anything surprise me.

[longgame]

Agreed Mongo, it's not like he's going to make a blockbuster deal that brings them a top of the rotation starter and some defensive help and of course there's always the fear he goes after someone old, like Hill. Nothing about this team this year makes any sense.

[Sea Dog 23]

OK, I'll go ahead and give Bloom an out here.  There is a narrative that Verdugo and Duvall are expendable BECAUSE some think that Raphaela is ready for a call up mid to late August.  He would get CF, Duran moving to RF.  The backups would be Ref and Reyes, who can play SS and outfield.  That again is just a popular scenario.

However, like Ted alluded to, there are little to no last minute plugins via the trade market that will project this team into the playoffs.  Bloom just does not have the track record to make impactful deals.  He's more nibble and quibble around the edges. He's all about building the network of A and AA farm guys. And the man who writes the checks wants this year to be under the tax line, period.

[MongoLikeSox]

I've already spewed off what I think of Duran as a Fenway RF'er. IF Rafaela can play RF, then left to right of Yoshida-duran-Rafaela sounds interesting. Rafaela can go back on deep fly balls which is huge in Fenway RF, and his arm will reduce the automatic 1st to 3rd base-running that I think Duran's would be. 

So far, most of these trades for prime MLB talent have included minor leaguers who were not about to be rule-5 eligible. Some, yes, but not as much as a few years ago. Many of the ones that did get traded weren't exactly rule-5 draft material that you worry about losing.

[longgame]

Interesting tweet:

Two Red Sox strategies that make the most sense today:

1.  Trade for Justin Verlander, and win it all.

2.  Blow it up.  Trade the short term guys like Turner, Verdugo, Paxton, Martin, Jansen.

Number two is what Bloom really wants. 

But ownership is sick of losing, and Bloom has been so terrible at building competitive rosters, and winning trades.

So neither will happen.

[Sea Dog 23]

A WBZ/CBS article today predicts the Sox trade for a pitcher - on the small scale.  The Tigers are making ERod available, he has the Sox connections, and also Michael Lorenzen.  That would be a backend of the rotation guy, and the stats on Lorenzen only show about a .5 WAR.  The Orioles are also showing interest in ERod.  WBZ thinks Sox will hold onto Verdugo and Turner, but likely move Duvall.