Here’s the latest on some names who may or may not be on the move by the August 1 trade deadline…
- The White Sox are reportedly asking for “five top prospects” for Chris Sale, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports. It’s an incredibly high asking price but one that at least one rival executive thinks will be met, though others believe Chicago may not actually be serious about dealing its ace. The Marlins are among the teams who have inquired about Sale but with such a thin farm system, Miami doesn’t seem close to meeting Chicago’s demand. The Red Sox and Rangers do have deep systems and have asked about Sale, though Heyman reports that the Rangers/White Sox talks haven’t led to much progress.
- The Rangers are known to be widely scouring the starting pitching market, and if Sale can’t be obtained, Texas will turn to the Padres’ Andrew Cashner or the Rays’ Jake Odorizzi or Matt Moore, tweets T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- The Rays continue to ask for Jurickson Profar from the Rangers in exchange for a starting pitcher and Texas is still refusing, FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi reports (Twitter links). Several other Rangers prospects have been mentioned in talks between the two teams, including lefty Yohander Mendez and first baseman Ronald Guzman.
- The Twins are seen as something of a “backup plan” for multiple contending teams in case other deadline plans ball through, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link). Ervin Santana, Eduardo Nunez, Fernando Abad and Kurt Suzuki are a few of the Twins mentioned as possible trade chips, though since none of these players are top-tier upgrades, it makes sense that contenders would explore other options first.
- Barring a knockout offer, it doesn’t look like the Braves will move Ender Inciarte at the deadline, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. Inciarte received some trade interest even after Atlanta acquired him from the D’Backs last offseason, though a hamstring injury sidelined him for a month and he hasn’t delivered much at the plate. Still, Inciarte has so much defensive value in center field that the Braves consider him to be a strong piece for the future.
parkdav
What about Moncada and the next 4 top prospects not named Benintendi? Think that would do it? That would be Devers Kopech Sam Travis and Brian Johnson since I don’t think they can move Groome so quick.
A'sfaninUK
Laughable. Benintendi and Moncada simply MUST be in a trade for sale. The other 3 Chicago might lean on taking a #6 or #7 instead of the full #1-5, but it’s simply not worth it for them to take on that package for Sale, who is arguably the best pitcher in the game behind Kershaw.
josc2
Would have to be the 1-5 for the Rangers, Dodgers, and BoSox only, unless Mazara is included by TEX. At that point Profar or Gallo would still need to be included along with other prospects. You’re talking about the #1 asset (as far as talent AND contract) in all of baseball excluding pre-arb guys.
Priggs89
Won’t happen without both of them, unless they want to add major league talent (like a JBJ), which I don’t see happening.
Bruin1012
I think Sale is just too costly the White Sox are swinging for the fences and seeing if someone bites. You never know maybe someone will flinch.
Priggs89
I agree with that statement 100%. They DO NOT NEED to trade him. They are willing to listen to offers and MIGHT pull the trigger if they feel it’s a clear win for the organization (aka a huge overpay). I still don’t see him being traded, but we’ll see.
Mbolled
Sale is going no where, so let the overpayment of number 3 and 4 starters begin.. That 1 for 1 sox/Padres deal will look reasonable on Aug 2nd after it is all done. Teams will give up prospects they don’t want to and take on salary they really don’t want to take.
YaBettsBelieve
I believe a package of E-rod, swihart, kopech, devers, and Johnson should do it. All young and have a ton of potential.
halos101
no. moncada and benintendi would both have to be in it
jimmydugan
I would be furious if the Red Sox gave up both of them for Sale. Idc how good he is. Moncada and Benintendi are more than likely full time starters beginning next year.
parkdav
I would imagine Moncada has to be in any Sale offer. I was just hoping to not move Benintendi
Mbolled
Jackie Bradley will be the start, then moncada and e-rod, who is being showcased right now, Benintendi, and Devers are the top prospects and major league talent they will want. The Red Sox would love sale, who wouldn’t, but these talks would have started awhile ago and need to be in advanced stages by now for any team. Since very few leaks tell me that no team is that advanced at this time
Priggs89
And this is exactly why a deal most likely won’t happen. This is the kind of package the White Sox would be looking for, which the vast majority of teams won’t be willing to meet. They don’t NEED (or even want) to move Chris Sale. The only way it happens is with a MASSIVE overpay.
Bruin1012
Lol if the Sox traded JBJ, who for a year now has been a 900 ops player and is under control for longer he is probably untouchable like Betts and if you had JBJ no way they would trade Moncada too. That is just silly overpay request. It would be a heavy prospect deal.
Bruin1012
That’s funny they won’t include JBJ and Moncada that would be an overpay even for Sale. JBJ is almost untouchable in the Betts territory the guy has been a 900 ops hitter for a year now plus great defense no way they trade JBJ.
josc2
Not even close. Dombrowski has a history of paying the price for talent, would expect him to do so again here if a trade was consummated.
Priggs89
Not even close. You really think you can get arguably the second best pitcher in all of baseball (on an unbelievably cheap contract) without giving up your top 2 prospects and/or young major league talent? Not happening.
ilikebaseball 2
Schwarber, Hendricks, Soler, Torres, Jimenez and Johnson for Sale and Jennings.
George Herman
Injured, #3/4 ceiling, injured, A-ball, A-ball, long reliever ceiling. I’m a Cubs fan, and no way that deal cuts it.
chitownsale49
Glad to see there are some reasonable fans out there. The trade offers I keep seeing are the kinds your kid makes on forced-trades mode on MLB The Show…
JoePauer
Hahahaha this made my day. Spot on.
josc2
While not a ludicrous offer, Reinsdorf won’t trade Sale to the North Side. Sox would most likely ask for Happ as well so id substitute him in for Johnson.
AndreTheGiantKiller
Would a package of Joc Pederson, Urias, Cody Bellinger, Alex Vedugo, and Jharel Cotton or Grant Holmes get it done? Thoughts from Sox fans?? Just curious.
coachbrad
Biggest overpay ever.
chitownsale49
On behalf of the Sox. Joc is a power guy who pitchers have figured out. Urias could be a mini-Sale or he could turn out to be nothing. Bellinger is a slightly above average power hitter with below average BA. And the last two are lotto tickets. A Dodger/Sox deal won’t happen simply because the Dodgers best pieces are young pitching and the Sox already have plenty. They’ll be looking for controllable position players who can jumpstart the offense. Not strikeout or HR hitters.
schaddy24
I know a cross-town trade is VERY unlikely, but I’m trying to think of an offer that isn’t laughable, while still maintaining the Cubs core.
Gleyber, Torres, Jorge Soler, Eloy Jimenez, Ian Haap, Jeimer Candelario, Duane Underwood for Sale.
josc2
Gleyber Torres is one person…
schaddy24
Typo…
Priggs89
Switch out Soler and Candelario for Schwarber and Baez, and you’d be a LOT closer.
schaddy24
That seems a little too much if you ask me. Schwarber and Baez are already major league starter caliber players. I doubt the Cubs would do that given the fact that their top prospects are all included (except Contreras and Almora). I could see Baez or Schwarber included but not both.
Then again, it’s not happening either way. I think both teams would be too worried of “losing” the trade.
Priggs89
It’d have to be AT LEAST “a little too much” if Jerry would be willing to let Sale go to the Cubs. Otherwise, like you said, it’s not happening.
lwayne
Sale is good but pitchers seem to flame out more often than position players.. Profar for Sale even up might be worth the gamble but no more than Profar. The quickest way to the top draft pick is depleting your farm system in a blockbuster trade.. How many teams are saddled with paying multi millions to players no longer with them or unloading that player by paying millions to the new owner. Hamilton-Fielder-etc.
halos101
so your saying a profar for sale is even? wow
chitownsale49
You wouldn’t believe the kinds of things Ranger fans have been saying…treating Sale like a 1 year rental reliever.
lwayne
Yeah, even on the risk level. Much better chance Profar is still around starting in 10 years than Sale is in 5. Taking nothing away from Sale but today’s pitchers are trained to flame at 90-100 pitches, have more career ending injuries.
halos101
no way that’s even. every deal has risk but giving up 1 player for an ace is not even
Priggs89
Even Kenny Williams isn’t that bad at judging value.
JohnnyDodger
Wait, how long has it taken Profar to FINALY be the prospect he was suppose to be years ago. Profar for Sale is at best a slap your mama in the face joke. You would be laughed out of the building, your city and loose your job.
lwayne
Profar is not a prospect anymore. He could start on most MLB teams at several positions.. His injury kept him out 2 years but when healthy took up where he left off. He is still very young and improving. Sale is at the top of his game but for how long. Why do the Sox want to dump him?? Are they not competing next year?? I would push for the same thing the Sox are because it would be the best thing for them.
Priggs89
The Sox don’t want to dump him. They are listening to offers to see if anyone blows them away with a franchise altering package. They don’t “need” or “want” to trade him. It’s really that simple.
One Fan
Lwayne give it a rest already. The White Sox are not looking to “dump” Sale. Profar for Sale is just too stupid an offer for you to keep trying to defend. Give up already.
chitownsale49
Reading Ranger fans’ twitter responses is absolutely laughable. Acting like Profar and Gallo (aka Mike Olt 2.0) alone is an overpay or overreacting about the mention of Mazara. Take a look at what they paid for Hamels last year, now double that, and that’s what Sale is going to command.
gammaraze
bothering to read ANY team’s fans responses on twitter is absolutely laughable.
coachbrad
These types of trades are extremely difficult to make in this day and age. Not too many wheeler-dealer types of GMs anymore. The teams that have enough talent to make these kinds of deals are now modeled on developing home grown talent and being sustainably competitive. Dombrowski might do it in Boston, but the other teams capable of making that trade, the Dodgers and Cubs, are most likely unwilling to empty the farm to take a chance on a guy like Sale, because it jeopardizes future competitiveness.
Not to say that one player is worth it or not, but that it doesn’t line up with team development philosophies.
agentx
I’m against trading Sale, or any SP in the argument for Top 3-5 league wide, on the basis of what prospects acquired in any such deal are likely to produce versus the hole that having traded the star player is likely to leave.
I realize there are exceptions, but how many packages traded for truly “Top 3-5 in their league” SP and/or superstar players in the Wildcard era were worth offloading the star? For instance, did any team ever benefit from trading Cliff Lee? How about the package CLE got for Sabathia?
Put another way, which package(s) traded for a franchise player in the Wildcard era would you accept for Sale or Trout or any other truly elite franchise player that we’ve speculated about being traded lately?
KB R.
Cleveland got Carlos Carrasco for Lee….. plus 3 prospects that never panned out. But I’d say they are pretty happy with Carrasco.
Phillies didn’t have anything pan out when they traded him to the Mariners.
The Mariners traded him to the Rangers in addition to Mark Lowe for Justin Smoak + 3 prospects who didn’t pan out. Justin Smoak is………….. serviceable. haha
Clearly the Indians made a pretty good trade though that I’d say panned out. So yeah, I say they pan out.
CC Sabathia
The Indians traded him to the Brewers for Matt Laporta, Michael Brantley, and 2 prospects that didn’t pan out. Laporta was a disappointment but I’d say Brantley has been pretty damn good for them
Zack Grienke along with Yuniesky Betancourt was traded from the Royals to the Brewers for pretty much several solid players out there today in Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress, and Jake Odorizzi……………. Odorizzi was later packaged in a deal that netted the Royals James Shields and Wade Davis…………….. So Greinke indirectly got them Escobar, Cain, and Davis….. who is one of the better closers in the game. So I’d say it panned out for them.
Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell were packaged in a deal that netted the Marlins Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez + two other guys who didn’t pan out, but I’d say Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez have panned out quite well
Roy Oswalt was traded to the Phillies for JA Happ, Anthony Gose, and Jonathan Villar. Houston is probably kicking themselves they didn’t keep Villar and instead traded him and now has Cy Sneed. JA Happ is doing pretty well in Toronto too and has put up a decent career.
Point is, yes, it is VERY possible to have these deals pay off. I know Sox fans refuse to acknowledge this, but you should be WANTING to trade Sale. You guys don’t like to hear reality but Sale’s mechanics and funky delivery WILL result in him getting injured. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” His stock will likely never be higher than it is now. He has 3 years left on his deal. Do you think the Sox are going to be contenders within the next 3 years? Here, I’ll answer that for you, NO. They will not be contenders with Sale in the next 3 years.
notkenrosenthal
What about Profar, Brinson, Chi Chi and Demeritte for Sale?
Priggs89
Not even close.
Priggs89
Astros/Nationals/Red Sox are the teams the White Sox need to be talking to if they are looking for a heavy prospect return. They all have the combination of high end hitting/pitching prospects that would be ideal for a trade. Rockies could probably get into that mix as well if they were interested. Any other team would have to dip into their big league roster IMO, which makes it more unlikely.
lwayne
The 3 Rangers mentioned are Gallo, Mazara, and Profar. Two in the bigs now and one on the brink. Sale is the an ace this year and has a better chance of being mush less than an ace in a year or two. They just do not stay that way, It is a team game. and the best team wins and not the team with the best pitcher. Trading 4-5 A or AA players is one thing but not MLB ready players. Sale would be a great addition but that price would be too much subtraction.
benchguy1
Word is that Sale has been scratched from tonight’s start.
gammaraze
“non-physical altercation”
… so, an argument? a yelling match? You (CWS) scratched your best pitcher for arguing? The only reason to bother doing this is if you’re ready/willing to make a trade. I hope CWS fans can get their money back on their tickets…
Ray Ray
Not an argument per se. Sale acting like a petulant child and cutting up his uniform because he didn’t want to wear the throwbacks. I don’t care how good the stats say he is, I wouldn’t trade anything for him now. His primadonna behavior is going to be a clubhouse cancer wherever he goes. I used to be sad that the Rockies didn’t sign this guy when they drafted him out of high school, but now it seems like a relief.
Priggs89
I’m sure you said the same thing after the LaRoche incident. And then didn’t give a crap once the rumors started that he might be traded. The same thing will happen after this “incident.” I can guarantee you that every team in the league still wants him.
Ray Ray
No because I actually supported him after the LaRoche incident. So check yourself before you are “sure” next time.
niclopez
I think that many of the people that are getting upset about giving up prospects and MLB-ready players forget that the reason you would want a SP like Sale is because you want to win the World Series this season. The GM making a deal like this is focused on winning now and competing next season. They would most likely address future seasons with transactions next season and beyond. Like trading Sale for another handful of top prospects in two years.
jroberto
I feel like this is a Jose Fernandez type thing the White Sox are testing the waters seeing what they can get and the only way they trade Sale is if a team over pays for him
KB R.
That is a ridiculously high asking price for Sale. Randy Johnson in 1998 was traded for Freddy Garcia and Carlos Guillen + a PTBNL. Garcia and Guillen were the Astros 6th and 7th best prospects at the time. Johnson had a Cy Young under his belt already…… and was f***ing Randy Johnson. Maybe the times have changed and asking ridiculous prices is normal and I have just been out of touch.
I thought a fair deal would’ve been like Odor OR Mazara and Gallo OR Brinson for Sale…… that’s it, to use the Rangers as an example.
For the Red Sox……. Probably something like Bogaerts and Travis for Sale.
Or if we’re just dealing in prospects, Rangers – Gallo and Brinson + PTBNL. And for the Red Sox – Devers and Benintendi + PTBNL
If this was 1998 those deals would be fair…… at least in the Mariners eyes.