While all five AL East teams have clear roster needs, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe observes that the division is so closely-packed (and overall mediocre) through two months that one team could break away from the pack simply by getting healthy and playing up to expectations, rather than by making a big trade or two. Here are some hot stove items from Cafardo’s latest Sunday Notes column…
- “I don’t see us making a major acquisition for a pitcher [at this time] but I’m not going to say I wouldn’t do it,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. As Cafardo notes, the returns of Masahiro Tanaka and Ivan Nova could bolster the rotation, and prospect Luis Severino could also provide some late-season help.
- Reds right-hander Mike Leake is considered by one AL scout to be able to “pitch in either league with no problem” and at the trade deadline, “there might be more action on him than any pitcher out there.” The Reds could be looking to deal the free agent-to-be since they didn’t discuss an extension with him during the offseason.
- Leake’s trade value may be improved by the fact that teammate Johnny Cueto and the Athletics’ Scott Kazmir (two more pending free agents) have recently been dealing with elbow and shoulder problems, respectively. Teams will need to see a few healthy outings from both pitchers before their trade interest can be rejuvenated.
- The Dodgers were scouting the Red Sox during their series with the Twins last week. Cafardo notes that L.A. is looking for relief help.
- With Matt Adams gone for possibly the entire season and the Cardinals in need of first base help, Cafardo opines that Allen Craig could be a possible trade fit. Craig’s contract, of course, is a major obstacle, not to mention the fact that St. Louis felt comfortable dealing Craig away last summer. Craig is hitting well at Triple-A but Cafardo writes that it might take “another two weeks of good hitting” for Craig to earn a call-up back to the Red Sox.
- With Trevor Plouffe playing well as the Twins’ regular third baseman, Cafardo wonders if Minnesota would consider a position change for star prospect Miguel Sano. There has already been a lot of speculation that Sano might be not be able to handle playing third over the long term, though Plouffe is also not a great defensive option. Of greater concern for the Twins right now is Sano’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, and the early results are pretty good, as Sano is hitting .247/.346/.488 over 191 Double-A plate appearances.
Dr Strangeglove
Craig to the Cards. Do these reporters just write down every name out there?
Draven Moss
Cafardo does.
Mikenmn
Cafardo is consistent. If the person plays for the Red Sox, he’s immensely valuable. If he leaves, then Cafardo is the conduit for dirt. And if Cafardo wants to see a deal made, he pushes for it. Craig to the Cardinals solves a Red Sox problem–that’s why Cafardo likes it.
951redbird
Craig to the Cardinals makes a lot of sense if the Sox eat a lot of the deal.
Lanidrac
In what universe does Allen Craig start over Mark Reynolds? Have you been in a coma for the last two years? It’s not 2013 anymore.
951redbird
Did I say Craig would start over Mark Reynolds? I said it ‘makes a lot of sense if the Sox eat a lot of the deal.’ Just in case you haven’t been paying attention for the past, oh, 15 years, I said this because Cardinals management is outstanding at picking solid ‘buy-low’ players and reviving their careers. In this case, the great part of the career happened to be with the Cardinals.
Lanidrac
It still doesn’t make sense for two very important reasons:
First, if they could revive him, he wouldn’t have failed so miserably to begin with before they gave up and traded him.
Second, the whole point of trading for a first baseman is to have someone to replace or platoon with Reynolds, and Craig even hits from the wrong side to be an effective platoon partner. If they were just looking for a 1B off the bench, they’d just call up Scruggs from AAA and even he’d probably hit better than Craig would.
Brixton G.
The Dodgers were scouting the Red Sox? Don’t both teams basically have the same needs? Pitching?
Craig has hit .345 in the minors so far, but thats in 15 games. Cardinals are a smart organization, they won’t have interest yet.
I’m hugely curious on the market for Leake when he becomes a FA. He could top 100M.. as strangely as that sounds. He has a somewhat better track record than Porcello, hes the same age, and Porcello just got 82.5M
fred-3
Hmm, I’d trade anything not Urias, Pederson, Seager, De Leon, Holmes, Cotton, possibility Bellinger for Buchholz if I were the Dodgers. He’d be a perfect #3 for them.
That’s assuming the Sox continue to play like this.
Bruinsfan94
The Dodgers would probably have to overpay a bit for him.
TimeisIllmatic
I think the Dodgers have moved on from pursuing Hamels. Cueto or Kazmir can be had for cheaper.
Wainwrights_Curveball
Craig to the Cardinals legitimately makes sense but my guess is that the Cardinals will expect Boston to chow down on a good amount his contract.
My guess is that the Red Sox will just stash Craig in AAA until he is ready to come back up. If he is hitting well at the big league level, they will just sit back and see if the market develops for other teams in need of help at 1B/OF/DH. That will give them the most leverage in terms of saving money on Craig’s contract and getting a better return in terms of prospects/players.
We also need to see how Mark Reynolds does with the everyday job for the Cardinals. If his bat heats up in the summer and he actually hits his weight and then some, the Cards might not need to make any moves.
Lanidrac
Why would Craig make sense when they already have Reynolds? They traded him away in the first place, because he just can’t hit MLB pitching anymore. Even if Reynolds’s batting average regresses back to barely over the Mendoza Line of the last two years, his power still makes him a better hitter than Craig. Heck, even their AAA 1B Xavier Scruggs is likely a better option at this point!
Vandals Took The Handles
“…. though Plouffe is also not a great defensive option.”
Trevor Plouffe worked extremely in the offseason, and has been playing 3B as well as anyone else in the AL. Probably was looking over his shoulder at Sano – but, whatever works.
Sky14
Agree, he improved dramatically last year and has looked pretty good by my unsophisticated eyes this year. He made two smart plays today (that won’t show in the metrics), one potentially saving a run by going home instead of attempting an unlikely double play.
frogbogg
Best part of the link is in the comments:
1. Twins and Plouffe, “a great example of being patient with a kid”
2. “It’s time for the Red Sox to trade Jackie Bradley Jr. … “
Karl Larson
“though Plouffe is also not a great defensive option.” Plouffe has been an above average defensive 3B the last 3 seasons according to Baseball Reference totaling 1.6 dWAR.
slider32
I don’t see Cashman getting another pitcher unless Tanaka is out for the rest of the season. If Tanaka and Nova come back and pitch well the Yanks will have a good shot of making the playoffs. They were 20-12 before Tanaka went down. On the other hand if neither is healthy the Yanks will get a top pitcher at the deadline. I could see them picking up a player like Zobrist or Clippard at the deadline to sure up 2nd and their relief pitching.
slider32
Jays AA needs to make the right moves before the deadline or he is toast!
Montu Masters
Wouldn’t trading for Mark Trumbo make so much more sense for the Cardinals? He would be an awesome fill-in at 1B for now, then move to RF next year (let Heyward walk, or trade him at the deadline). Trumbo might be cheaper in the long run, and provide better power numbers…….
Lanidrac
Ignoring the fact that Trumbo has now already been traded, the Cardinals would prefer not to add a guy with multiple years remaining on his contract. They’ll have Adams back next year and Grichuk and/or Piscotty likely ready to take over RF if Heyward walks.
Montu Masters
I posted that the day before he was traded……and the Cards could have just let Heyward walk, use Trumbo in RF and as a Fill in for Adams vs lefties………but it’s all moot now.
Lanidrac
Yes, but the point was that the Cardinals already have Grichuk and Piscotty as potential replacements if Heyward walks at the end of the season. Do you think Trumbo would be happy in a Mark Reynolds type role (what it was before Adams’s injury, anyway) as a bench player and pinch-hitter who draws an occasional start against a tough lefty?
Mark 20
What? Im confused? When and where did I say they werent clutch or blamed them? I just said they arent good situationally compared to other elite players in the league. Of course they are great players, but honestly what I said is true. especially of bautista. He mashes off bad pitching, not aces. and if you watch the games, youd know its a fact. That being said, the offence isnt the problem. I still say trade bautista for an arm.
Mark 20
I dont believe in every saber metric out there. You have to have baseball IQ and actually watch the games and you can get so much more information from that. Bautista is the pop up king. Good hitter, not a great hitter. Very overrated. Alot of padding of the stats with him.