The Nationals do indeed “want in” on the budding Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes according to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post (via Twitter). We’ve heard of this connection previously — assuming, of course, that the Yankees finally commit to a sale.
But while Washington’s interest is real, it doesn’t seem that the club is prepared to give up its best young talent to get a deal done. According to Svrluga, the Nats are unwilling to deal away top prospects Lucas Giolito, Trea Turner, Victor Robles, or Reynaldo Lopez for the opportunity to rent Chapman.
Those are exactly the types of players that the Yankees are surely hoping to get back in a deal for a pitcher who could change the entire post-season picture. Giolito and Turner are considered among the best prospects in the game, and both have appeared in the majors already. Robles, too has attained that status with his sky-high ceiling, though he’s still a few years away.
If anything, it seems like Lopez could be a player the Nats might be willing to give up, as he’s not quite as highly valued by prospect hounds amid questions whether he can stick in the rotation. Several observers have noted him as a possible piece that could change hands in a deal for Chapman, Andrew Miller, or another major trade acquisition. But he too was recently deemed ready for his first MLB action and remains a near-term option in D.C., so it seems there’s not a lot of inclination to give him up either.
Washington expects there to be plenty of competition for Chapman, per the report. And that’s no surprise, as he’s a truly elite player who is a pure rental asset. We’ve mentioned before that it could be a game of chicken on the high-powered southpaw, with the Yankees and every team with interest looking to see who’ll blink first, and it looks as if the Nats are sending a message that it won’t be them.
That’s not to say that the D.C. farm is otherwise devoid of talent. Righty Erick Fedde is perhaps the next-best pre-MLB player in the Nats system, and there are some other intriguing chips. It’s also possible to imagine the Nationals parting with Michael Taylor and one of several controllable relievers if the right scenario emerges, so there’s some possibility for creative packages that don’t include the blue chip prospects. We’ll find out whether that’s enough to entice the Yanks.
Who would the Nats give up
I don’t see the Nats trading Turner and Giolito for Sale, however I would trade Giolito and Robles for Sale
The Nats would have to give up all 3 just to get in the conversation
Not sure who could beat Turner, Giolito and Robles…. That’s a top 3 prospect, a top 10 prospect and a top 25 prospect. I don’t think the red sox can beat that, nor the Cubs. It’s way too much to give up for anyone unless it’s like Bryant or Correa because of years of control and cost
I don’t think so… Giolito has the upside of at least Chris sale himself. You would be getting three guys who have at least chris sale upside. I would say giolito and fedde is a more reasonable offer for him.
I don’t think you understand how good Chris Sale is if you think their upside is “at least” his. There’s only 1 pitcher in baseball that is for sure better than him (Kershaw). There are another couple guys that could be argued, but he’s not falling outside of the top 5 pitchers no matter who you prefer. Saying those 3 guys have “at least Chris Sale upside” is a HUGE stretch.
Not a Yankee fan but yeah right they won’t give up a top prospect. Then they won’t get him.
Looks like chapman won’t be a Nat then.
Ah come on man I was just about to say the same thing! Ha ha
You are correct sir!
I never expected Giolito or Turner regardless for Chapman, but I thought Lopez might be available. I see this basically lasting a few days until Cashman comes back to everyone and says “final offers gents” and see what teams put up.
whole thing is a waste of time. These GM’s are for the most part master negotiators. They’ll employ every trick, including whispering to writers who they will or won’t make available. It’s all just an elaborate game of poker. Wait till 7/31 and we’ll see who really is or isn’t available.
Looks like Dave Stewart is more of pinochle kind of guy.
Mets surely do not want Chapman to end up on either the Nats or the Marlins !
I think this is really lame on Mike Rizzo. It’s understood that Giolito and Turner are untouchable, but posturing over Reynaldo Lopez is a waste of time. The Cubs and Giants (in the NL) are hot on Chapman and have the realistic pieces to acquire him. Rizzo is no Epstein; he has to be careful if he wants to play chess here.
the giants or the rangers could make a package for chapman
I think it is going to be tough for the giants, they have a pretty depleted system (didn’t get a first rounder this year either) and it would be a huge burden on the to lose a few top prospects and sabean knows it. If the yanks would be willing to listen on a top guy like beede and some smaller pieces it could happen but if they ask for something like beede + bickford + fox or something for a chapman rental the answer would surely be no since the depth is needed within the system.and it would make more sense to go for a smith or jefress or robinson
“Intriguing chips” aren’t going to get the Nats Chapman from the Yankees.
Unless they are willing to give to get, and that means front line talent for a shot at the World Series, then don’t bother us with these silly comments about intriguing chips that nobody else wants.
front line talent for a guy who is going to throw 30 innings tops for 2 months, and then an additional 5 innings or so in the playoffs? yeah, not happening, i don’t care if he throws 110 or 120 mph.
5 innings?? Do you expect the Nats to go out in the first round?
how does he end up pitching 5 innings all in 1 series? he comes in and pitches 1 inning per game, do you expect the nats to play all 5 games in the first round? and all of them to be close enough for chapman to have to pitch in all of them? if they do make it to the nlcs, he probably racks up 7-8 innings at most. come to think of it, when is the last time the nats made it to the second round?
Nats will flop and make the playoffs as a wild card. Marlins will win the division. St. Louis vs Washington for the wild card game
If the games are close they will pitch him, he is 28 and in his prime. If it helps them they will do whatever it takes.
the odds he pitches 5 innings all in the first round is very small. maybe only 3 games of the series are played, some may be blowouts one way or the other. chapman is typically only pitching 1 inning per outing. sorry, it’s not happening. which ever team he ends up with, he isn’t throwing 5 innings in the first round of the playoffs, unless someone tries to turn him into a starter.
You may not think it makes sense, but to a GM and an owner, it makes PLENTY of sense. The Nats fell apart last season, and are no sure thing to win the division in 2016. Chapman helps with that. He helps try to win them a WS. And for a franchise that is in all-out, “win now” mode, you will be surprised what they will be willing to give up in the end – especially if they know there are bids coming in from their chief NL rivals.
Your response suggests that I work for the Nationals and you work for the Yankees. Far as I can tell, neither is true. I’m all about discussion and debate, but please don’t come in here with that kind of attitude. I’m just giving neutral observations about the organizations.
I’m not sure what you mean by saying the Nats’ non-premium prospects are players “that nobody else wants,” but it’s an odd and presumptuous thing to say. The Nats have interesting names beyond their super-premium prospects. I’m not suggesting they can just throw a couple together and get Chapman, but you never know who specific teams are high on, etc. Take a guy like Koda Glover, who is a fast-rising relief prospect who just reached the big league roster. Maybe the prospect rankings haven’t quite caught up to perceptions on him. Maybe NYY ascribes real value to a player of that kind – or another who you and I have never even heard of.
Chapman is a unique beast, but it’s best to remember that his value has limits. Eduardo Rodriguez was rated about where Fedde is now when he was dealt for Andrew Miller, and that was in a highly-competitive bidding situation.
The Yankees presumably place Chapman’s minimum value as greater than the value of the QO-related draft pick. Maximum is whatever anyone would be willing to give up for him. Seems to me there would have to be an unusual fit–a contending team with an emergent need in order to make a deal go. It’s not imperative that it be a shoot the lights out deal, but they do have to get more than if they just held on to him. Personally, I don’t think three real prospects, even if they aren’t top 20, would help the Yankees longer term
Chapman is a reliever. He’s the best, I’ll give him that, but still a reliever AND a rental.
Yanks will get something for him, but not a haul.
Getting Chapman isnt giving anyone a shot at the World Series, hes a closer..
You are right. He doesn’t get you there he strikes out the last batter to win it all. Imagine if Texas had Chapman when they were 1 strike away… Twice.
Lopez has only thrown 290.1 professional innings, he is a long way off from being a 200 inning force in any rotation.
I don’t think this is intended as a critique of what I wrote, but if it is … I’m not suggesting that.
Its not, I was merely stating that if he were to be developed as a starter (Yankees top need) it would take at least 2 season for him to hit the 200 inning mark.
Obviously Turner or Giolito are not going to be included in a package for a rental reliever, even if it is a top 3 reliever in the game.
I think Fedde is a realistic target. Maybe even as high as Robles if someone beats that offer. Lopez is viewed as more of a reliever than a starter in the long run, so I don’t think that should be a target for Cashman.
Robles is now widely considered a top-20 prospect. Personally, I think it’s too high a price.
I definitely hope the nats don’t give up Robles but love the idea of a fedde package for him.
teams should tell the yanks to sign chapman to extension before they trade him so they can be sure they keep him.. I.e. I’m a gm that trades for chapman tell cashman you will give him a better prospect but chapman has to sign a extension
That’s not how it works. The team taking him on can entice him with an extension. I don’t think he’s going to bite anyway, whether it is with the Yanks or another team. Signing an extension 2 months from free agency is a horrible decision for Chapman.
Worst case, the Yankees don’t like what other teams are offering, hold on to him and recoup a draft pick if he signs elsewhere next year. Of course the Yankees would have to believe what they’d get with that pick is better than what’s being offered.
To an extent I agree. Except, when is the last time they actually developed a starting pitcher? Andy Petite? They need arms. There is no one in the market for them to buy. Unless they trade there is not another way to get one.
Sadly, yes. Pettitte is the last significant starter the Yankees developed. The closest they’ve come is Hughes
Chapman is not signing an extension to be traded! And on top of that you think Cashman can make Chapman do so?
Besides the fact that is one of the dumbest comments I have seen. Why would Cashman trade Chapman if Chapman signed an extension? Duh!
Chapman isn’t signing an extension. Don’t hope, don’t wish, it’s just not going to happen.
From what I’ve been reading, it has to be at least Lopez +.
It will come down to who is serious about playing in the big game
Remember when we said Preller was crazy for asking Turner in return for Kimbrel… Now Yanks hoping for Turner/Giolito in return for half a season. The trade market nowadays…
I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask for top player tho… Preller did ask for Goldy last year lol
They can ask all they want. Nats aren’t giving up Turner or Giolito for a rental reliever.
I’m sure Lopez will be in play as part of a package for Miller. However, good for RIzzo to not make a knee jerk reaction. While Chapman is a dominant pitcher he is still a luxury. There is no reason to go crazy for a luxury. The fact remains that no other team matches up better with the Yankees than the Nationals except maybe the Dodgers. The Nats have the power arms the Yankees need and have no way to get. Rizzo may not over end up getting Chapman but if he doesn’t it will not be because they didn’t have the pieces.
If I’m Brian Cashman, I’m looking to Cleveland as a potential match. Said to have Miller/Chapman at the top of their wish list, and one of deepest systems in MLB. Could choose from Bradley, Aiken, Sheffield, Hillman, McKenzie, Clevinger, Frazier, Zimmer, Benson from minors. Obviously some of those more highly regarded guys may be off limits (Frazier and Zimmer), but if they could try to trade Gardner/Beltran and Miller they could get Naquin/Zimmer/Frazier and a couple of those intriguing arms back.
Hillman and McKenzie are the type of high potential arms the Yankees system lacks, as they have flashed nothing short of brilliance in the minors so far. Could boost a system that seems to be rated as top notch in regards to their main guys, but seriously lacking the depth of a Texas, Boston, Chicago, or Cleveland. Another possibility would be trying to make a deal with the Giants to get Beede and/or Bickford. I don’t think the Yankees should bother negotiating Chapman/Miller deals if Reynaldo Lopez is off limits. They should be going after a few high upside arms like Glover/Lopez on Nats, Cease on Cubs, Aiken/Hillman/McKenzie, Matuella/Ortiz on Texas, Beede/Bickford.
The Indians prefer to have Miller over chapman bc they’d have him for more than 2 months
There is a trade-off though. Chapman without a doubt will cost a team LESS than Miller will. If you want Miller, be prepared to pay super big. Probably bigger than you would ever want to pay for a reliever. Why? Because the Yankees have the leverage – they can hold onto him and have an excellent reliever for a few more seasons. As for Chapman, neither side really has a lot of leverage – the Yankees risk losing him for nothing more than a draft pick (last time they had a compensation pick, they used it on Kyle Holder – so let us not place too much value here). But, on the flip side, teams acquiring him don’t have a lot of leverage in negotiations either. Why? Because they are fighting with other teams to get him.
I think Cashman’s price on Chapman is simple: He wants to make a net profit. He gave up four guys for Chapman, none of which are anywhere near elite status. Circumstances allowed for that, of course. So, he wants to essentially flip him for much more than what he gave up – offer him a top guy in your system + a lower level lottery ticket, and the deal likely gets done.
I do NOT expect the Yankees to demand a Turner or Giolito in a Chapman deal, but the Nats could find out that keeping them off of the table could cost them the pitcher. It is a very high stakes game of chicken…….almost like the old Japanese posting system, where you had no idea what any other team was offering, so you try to make the highest bid without going too far over.
Why would you give up a top 100 prospect for 3-4 months control over a pitcher .if allowed to try and sign him to extension first -maybe!The Nats were scared to give up a couple B and C prospects like the Yankees did.Were afraid it wouldn’t sit good in the community.For this the Yankees deserve credit.Great Investment.
⤴️⤴️⤴️to win a world series⤴️⤴️
They may get Lopez but I would be upset if they included other Top prospects .
Someone tell Cashman to sign Chapman and then trade him. He doesn’t have to pay a penny and will get a Kings Ransom for him if he’s under contract instead of a rental.
Oh ok Bobhut. Go tell Cashman that. You got it all figured out
So tell us bobhutt99, why would Aroldis Chapman agree to that? How does doing that make sense in any way, shape or form from his point of view?
Top heavy system syndrome. Sort of like what the Dodgers ran into. Prospects that are too valuable to move and then a group that is probably less than what other teams can offer. Anyway Lopez probably can be had
Chapman to the Nats for Victor Robles and lottery pick Taylor Hearn and I’m thrilled. If the Nats insist on an outfielder back in the deal, throw in one of either Ben Gamel, Jave Cave, or Mason Williams, and insist Nats throw in a young short season level but quality arm to make it good, As much as Yankees need young, controllable upside starting arms, if they have any chance of making young Victor Robles a Yankee, they have to do all they can to ensure it happens. Chapman almost guarantees the Nats don’t lose a chance at a WS title by blowing a lead late in a critical game. Chapman is the cream of the crop at closing out games a club has to have. Rizzo has to decide what’s more important to him: a serious chance to win a WS or multiple high end talented players in his farm system. If his priorities are in order, a bird in the hand is worth more yada yada yada. Cashman has to bring a talent like Robles back if he deals Chapman or Miller to the Nats. If he doesn’t, it’s malpractice.
Lopez will be the centerpiece and than I figure something else like a Fedde/Difo/Voth for Chapman seems like a fair deal for both sides. Lopez bombed against the Dodgers the other night but he’s only 22 and he really shouldn’t have been starting that game, as he probably only started as a showcase.
Yankees can have Turner/Giolito but they’ll have to give us Miller for one of them, and really if Rizzo insists on trading either of them they should be getting back more than a relief pitcher, albeit a really good one, and one we’d still have 2 more years, but still a relief pitcher who between August 1 and October 2, or whatever day the final Sunday of the season is probably pitches no more than 30 innings. I’d rather Rizzo save Turner/Gilito for a bat (who they need more anyways than RP), and save them for the rest of this year. They’ll probably fetch more in the offseason.
Nats seem to have started their annual mid year implosion. They usually don’t address their hitting needs before the trade deadline dwhich kills them down the road. Werth , Esponoza and Zimmerman have been decent at times need to go. Lopez, from what I see could become a great closer if he is trained that way now. 100 mph fastball and nasty breaking stuff. Nats do not play situational hitting very much. They live and die by the home run. Rizzo needs to look for a couple of contact hitter in the .280 to .290 BA range. Leave rental pitchers alone..
These two teams are the perfect trading partners. The Yankees have what it takes to give Washington the World Series and Washington, in return, can retool the Yankees farm system. The real questions are: (1) how confident Washington’s FO is on the caliber of their team, as currently constructed; and, (2) how motivated are they to go for it all?
The Yankees can offer any combination of Chapman, Miller and Betances and give Washington the most formidable bullpen in baseball. They can also trade any number of back-of-the-rotation SPs or unload Tanaka in a real blockbuster.
This will be fun to watch.