What Went Down at the MLB Trade Deadline
August 1, 2018
The trade deadline made its presence known this year in baseball, as we saw a ton of player movement. Teams had to make the executive decision to either buy into this season, or sell and wait for next year. Let’s take a stab at the major trades that went down this past week, right up until the final moments yesterday before the deadline hit.
Ian Kinsler to the Red Sox: Did the Red Sox need to improve their offense? Not necessarily. But Dave Dombrowski pulled off a really smart move here, especially with the recent injury to Rafael Devers. Depth was not as big of an issue as was finding the consistent, right man for the job. Second base has been a weird, defensively-sketchy piecework of Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt. Now with Kinsler aboard, he can be the reliable everyday guy at 2nd. What does he bring to the table, you may ask? On the surface, his numbers are mediocre – .239 BA, 13 homers, 9 stolen bases. Nothing that really blows you away. However, Kinsler is a 36-year-old, four-time All Star who has been there. He has a .291 batting average with a .400 OBP in the playoffs, and is widely praised as being a ‘gamer’ and ‘intense’. The perfect addition to the 2018 Red Sox team, in my opinion as a fan. Plus, it allows Alex Cora to plug in the best possible guy at 3rd base. By the time the playoffs come around, he will be able to choose between Devers, Swihart, and Nunez to man the hot corner. Dombrowski just filled one of the few holes on this roster for a very cheap price.
Tommy Pham to the Rays: To be honest, the Rays are in a very unenviable position as a franchise. The Red Sox and Yankees don’t appear to be relinquishing the AL East anytime soon, and it’s been a while since Tampa Bay has been a serious playoff contender. Chris Archer was traded at the deadline and the Rays also parted ways with Matt Andriese and Nathan Eovaldi. I’m not sure what they are trying to do here. Sell some, buy others? Pham isn’t a cornerstone guy – he’s a 30-year-old, above-average outfielder. The Rays gave up their 14th and 25th best prospects to acquire him. If Pham was 24 or 25 years old, I would understand it. But by the time the Rays would even have a glimmer at competing for the AL East title, Pham will be in his mid-30s. It seems like a very Oakland Athletics-type of move, where your franchise is walking a tightrope between competing and tanking.
Roberto Osuna to the Astros: The Red Sox, Astros, Yankees, and Indians are on an incredible collision course and I can’t wait. It is an arms race, with each team fortifying their weaknesses before going all-out in October. What was the Astros’ weakness? A 9th inning guy. They couldn’t really find the right guy for the role, and it was a glaring weakness for other teams to exploit in the playoffs. Osuna figures to take over as closer once his 75-game suspension is up this weekend (for domestic violence – he’s a good pitcher, but a scumbag). He was right there at the top last year for saves, and comes into Houston down the stretch with a fresh arm and a 2.93 ERA and 11.3 K/9. He also pushes everybody back an inning, which will only benefit the Astros. Hector Rondon, Collin McHugh, and Chris Devenski can slot into a deadly 6-7-8 combo. Excellent move for the Astros in response to the Indians getting Brad Hand.
Lance Lynn to the Yankees: If the Yankees want to seriously keep up in the playoffs, they’re going to need Lance Lynn and J.A. Happ to pitch at their best down the stretch. With Luis Severino taking a step back recently, Lynn’s performance as a starter becomes that much more critical. He hasn’t shown it much with the Twins, posting an ERA over 5. Lynn is walking more guys and getting hit hard. That being said, maybe a fresh start on a competitive team can bring out the better version of Lance Lynn, which is about a mid-3’s ERA kind of pitcher. Since undergoing Tommy John, he’s realistically got a ceiling of a good 3rd starting pitcher in a rotation. That may be sufficient for the Yankees, who really just need their starters to get the game into the 6th inning before handing it over to the bullpen. New York would have been better off going with younger, more electric Chris Archer. With slim pickings at the trade deadline, however, I must say this isn’t a bad move. It just probably doesn’t make up the gap to overcome the Sox in the AL East, let alone a playoff season versus the Astros.
Adam Duvall to the Braves: The Braves traded three non-impactful players to Cincinnati to get a potential impactful bat off the bench. Duvall is having a rough season, hitting just .205 with 15 dongs and a horrible OBP. The Braves want him, however, for the power potential and track record. He becomes a much needed 4th outfielder, providing depth, pinch-hitting, and platoon options. With Nick Markakis likely leaving as a free agent this offseason and 3 more years of team control for Duvall, the Braves could have just gotten their power right fielder for the foreseeable future (assuming he bounces back, at least slightly). For this season, however, the Braves need some kind of bench pop. Who knows? Maybe the Braves will need a DH in the World Series.
Brian Dozier to the Dodgers: The Dodgers land another Gold Glove, All-Star infielder? Yep, second-baseman Brian Dozier is headed to LA, albeit with much less fanfare. 2018 has been a down year for Dozier, as he’s hitting a paltry .224 to go along with his 16 home runs. A low batting average is generally Dozier’s mojo, as he makes his impact in a lineup with the long ball. Last year he hit 34 home runs, and in 2016 he hit a career-high 42. He figures to be the Dodgers everyday second baseman with the departure of Logan Forsythe (in the same deal). The addition of Machado and Dozier this trade season turned the Dodgers’ lineup from an aging, vulnerable patchwork of hitters to a pretty fearsome group. Dozier came at a relatively cheap price, too – LA’s only real sacrifice was parting with their 19th overall prospect. In a championship-or-bust season, that is easily worth a guy capable of catching fire down the stretch.
Chris Archer to the Pirates: When I see this trade, all I can think about is how much better Chris Archer will get in Pittsburgh. It doesn’t even have anything to do with going from baseball purgatory (Tampa Bay) to a more respectable and competitive organization. Archer gets to go from the AL East to the NL Central, and will be given tutelage from pitching coach/wizard Ray Searage. Archer is a good get for the Pirates, who believe they can compete for the 2nd Wild Card spot down the stretch. Long term, however, this trade will be evaluated based on Archer’s ability to access his untapped potential. If he turns into a bona fide ace under team control for the next decade, it’s a win for the Pirates. Anything less than that and the Pirates will have overpaid. Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow is a heavy price for a 4.31 ERA pitcher. Meadows is going to be a stud, and Glasnow is only a couple years removed from being one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball – still a work in progress, however. The Rays should be very happy with their return.
Jonathan Schoop to the Brewers: This move is going to cause some logistical headaches for the Brewers, who will have to play some guys out of position (Shaw at 2B, Schoop at SS). It is a worthy move to make, however, as the offensive production from Schoop will be a huge improvement over Orlando Arcia’s performance. Schoop is hitting .244 with 17 homers, and has the power to hit many more. Oh, and his July performance was blistering hot (.360, 9HR). Although I like Jonathan Villar (who was sent to Baltimore in the trade) I don’t think he will ever repeat his 2016 production. The Brewers sold at the right time and got a legitimate upgrade in Schoop, who is under team control through 2019. That should lead them right up until top prospect Keston Hiura is ready to take over.
Written by Matt Loehle
