With the Yankees are looking like they’ll be deadline sellers for the first time in a generation, there’s been an unsurprisingly large amount of trade buzz out of the Bronx. We’ve already published one set of Yankees-related notes today and now here’s even more from New York…
- The Yankees and Royals discussed a Carlos Beltran trade earlier this season, with Luke Hochevar mentioned as part of the return package, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Hochevar is a free agent this winter (with a $7MM mutual option for 2017 that can be bought out for $500K), which makes him something of a curious short-term target for the Yankees. The timing of these trade talks would be interesting to know — if New York pursued discussions when it was still looking to contend, Hochevar could’ve been seen as a possible replacement if one of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances was traded. The Yankees’ bullpen outside of those three superstars has struggled, so they could’ve also used Hochevar in his K.C. role of providing earlier relief as a bridge to a big late-game trio. A reunion between Beltran and the Royals has been rumored for a few years, and Kansas City isn’t one of the 15 teams under Beltran’s no-trade provision.
- Also from King, Miller is the Cubs’ “No. 1 trade priority.” Chicago has been linked to Miller and the Yankees’ other star relievers for weeks now, as a bullpen reinforcement may be the Cubs’ only real deadline need. The Yankees haven’t been eager to move Miller but they’ll do so if someone meets their large asking price.
- As of yesterday, Yankees ownership hadn’t decided whether or not the team should trade veterans at the deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. You would have to think a decision will be made soon, especially since the Yankees have lost two in a row to Boston and face a tough slate of games (tonight’s series finale with the Red Sox and then 10 games against the Orioles, Giants and Astros) coming up.
- The Yankees should either give Alex Rodriguez more playing time at DH or release him, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post opines, and abandon any though of re-trying Rodriguez at first base. A-Rod has been mostly relegated to at-bats against left-handed pitching only, which Davidoff feels is something of a waste despite Rodriguez’s struggles against righty pitching this season. Between A-Rod’s poor numbers, inability to play the field and the club’s desire to keep Beltran healthy with frequent DH appearances, Rodriguez has essentially become redundant on New York’s roster.
The Yankees need to simply release A-Rod. Who cares what uniform he is wearing when or if he breaks HR records?? The record will be tainted by performance enhanced drugs and won’t be recognized by most of the people who really care about the game of baseball. He is taking up a valuable roster spot and shouldn’t be a part of the Yankees future.
Outside of possibly Miami who would suffer the PR nightmare even at league minimum for a guy who can’t play any more. Bonds was turned away even when he could still play.
The Oakland A’s
He isn’t going to break that record, he needs 67 more and I highly doubt any other team would give him reg. At bats with his struggles this year..
Supposedly reports claim he is amazing in the club house with the young guys and is always helping them improve their swings. If they have to pay him anyway, they might as well keep him around one more season for the youth movement.
Breaks the record? He’s not even close to breaking hank Aaron’s hr records. He has like 250 legit hrs. And yes Aaron is still the HR king until someone breaks it. That and the hit streak will never be broken.
Inb4:
Yankees’ Fan: The Cubs must include Schwarber
Cubs’ Fan: No way you get Schwarber
Yankee fan reply
No way you get Miller them and so goes another year of waiting for next year
Yeah but poor Miller…..if he doesn’t get traded, he’ll likely never win another ring.
Why does everyone in favor of Schwarber for Miller come to the immediate conclusion that Miller is the difference between winning a World Series and not winning? If Miller guaranteed the Cubs a championship, I’d drive Scwharber to the airport myself. I’d hate to do it, but a World Series would be worth it.
The problem is that it doesn’t guarantee anything. Would he help? Sure. But there are no guarantees in either direction – that they’d win because of him or that they’d lose because they didn’t acquire him.
Please come up with a new argument that’s not based on a false premise. Miller guarantees nothing.
Agree with justinept. Nothing is guaranteed. Schwarber stays. If that means Miller is not a Cub that is fine.
Similarly — why does everyone think Schwarber is the next superstar? While he showed some power, the guy only has 250 ML AB’s, only hit /245 and had 1 K/3 ab’s. Add to that a full year on the DL. and the fact that he adds zero value to the Cubs chances this year. – he’s still more gamble than blue chip. Miller on the other hand has been unhittable the last 5 years. Yankee fans should pray they could get the Cubs to take Chapman instead.
Cub fan reply, ok we will have healthy Schwarber next year flat out raking and sign chapman in free agency. We have waited over 100 years what’s another one:-) Miller will be great asset for years to come when Yankees are losing every game by 5 runs. With that said someone will overpay for him just hope not Cubs. Carl Edwards Jr. is looking good and Travis wood , strop, Cahill warren are good enough. Middle relievers are fickle . One year stud next year may be a dud.
It doesn’t have to be Schwarber but the package will have to be at a minimum as good as what the Padres got for Kimbrel. Probably something like that with one more piece added since Miller is better and cheaper.
Not for a reliever. Unless it severino betantas(sp?) and Miller Schwarber will be the cubs back up catcher and mostly play left next year. Contreras and him will basically platoon and Montero will be gone.
If i were the Cubs i would trade Schwarber in a package that includes Miller. Not Miller alone, obviously there would have to be something else. If you have a chance to win a championship you go for it! There are plenty of examples of great teams that have never gotten back to the World Series or even gotten there at all. The 90’s Indians and Mariners come to mind. There is no guarantee that next year will be the year or after that. Schwarber cant help them this year. And when you havent won in 100 years you go all in! Besides, the Cubs arent going to be able to sign all these guys in 4 or 5 years anyways so go get yourself a championship this year Chicago.
“Besides, the Cubs aren’t going to be able to sign all these guys in 4 or 5 years anyways”
You do realize that they basically print money at Wrigley Field, don’t you? If they wanted to keep all these guys, they’d have no problem signing them all.
Not even the Cubs will be able to print that much money.
Lol you have no clue. They’re going to get a monster TV deal in 2019-2021 range. Same time most of these guys deals will be up. Not including the bit that take a team friend 1 or 2 year extension delaying their free agency. The Cubs should have no problem extending these guys, as it becomes a matter of when, not if.
TV deal comes through in the next year or so. They will have a whole lotta cheese to spend and they will do just that. Plus by the time it’s time to pay up to some of these guys Heyward and Lester money will be coming off the books also and obviously neither will get resigned. There will be plenty of money to toss around in Chicago
The current Cubs revenue is around 340 Million according to Forbes.
The average team spends 45% of their gross revenue.
Even if a tv deal pushes them to 450 million (major if, that would be a huge improved tv deal that is incredibly unlikely)
That’s still barely over 200 million.
If Rizzo and Bryant turn out to be as good as they have been, they are both over 30 M a year, Heyward is 20, their staff is another 100M
That’s 180 before anything else.
Not every one can be retained, no way.
And the Cubs won’t have some 250-300 million payroll in four years from now
Bryzzo isn’t gonna go anywhere. Bryant should drop boras as his agent though. He’s nothing but a slimeball that will take his money and do everything possible to leave Chicago. He’s a talentless POS.
Realistically the Yanks might be able to get Baez for Miller, but the best package would be Volelback, Happ, and Almora.
nope, Happ, McKinney, Vogelbach, and some low level arms. Almora is next year’s center fielder.
Sorry slider but yankees are not getting Javy Baez for Miller
They’ve had different periods of “going for it” and putting all their eggs in one basket (2003). Sustained success is the ultimate goal as it provides the most chances at competing in the crapshoot that is the playoffs and hopefully playing in (and winning) the WS. Schwarber allows them an opportunity of having sustained success and throwing that talent away for one year is irresponsible given how far they’ve come in this rebuilding process. They have a 4-5 year window (as you mentioned above) and won’t be subtracting from the core of the major league roster anytime soon. However any and all prospects would be in play I’d imagine as would Soler.
Nailed it. Playoffs are a crapshoot so you attempt to maximize a window of 3-5 seasons that gives you a seat at the table.
1984 . Joe carter and Mel hall left. Went for it with sutcliffe
The Cubs will not trade schwarber for a bullpen arm, period.
The Cubs are so talent rich in the minors that they can make a trade for Miller without including schwarber.
If the yanks don’t budge, then go find another left handed middle reliever. Go to the Rockies and get either McGee or Logan.
Why, after reading an article on the Yankees need to dump A-Rod in order to open up DH time for others, would anyone think that Schwarber is the Yankees target in a Miller trade? It’s been speculated that he needs to go to the AL because then he could DH, but you don’t look for a young DH when you are rebuilding. The Yanks have plenty of older candidates. Athleticism is going to be more valuable. Schwarber just isn’t a good fit.
Hello seckert, like VOR said they organization is talent rich. Other teams will go hard after Miller like the Giants, Nationals maybe Rangers. So if the Cubs stick to no Schwarber, maybe they dangle Baez out there. The Cubs have 3 “ss” right now in the organization Russell/Baez/Torres so it would make sense that one could be traded. The Yankees are not very happy with Headley at 3rd, Baez would be an upgrade and they could hopefully off-load Chase’s salary. If not, they could always use Baez in other positions. They also would have Baez under control for many years. Just a thought. Take care now.
Baez should be off the table
I’d trade A. Russell and K. Schwarber, J Grimm and Tseng for Miller, Chapman, and Betances and Severino
Jesus Christ a full bullpen and a potential TOR starter for a somewhat light hitting SS w an incredible glove and a broken catcher/OF who hits monster dongs? I honestly don’t know which side would say no. I started this post thinking the Yanks would say no, but at this point I have no idea.
So um yeah
Why must the cubs move schwarber for miller? I think a package of Torres and Vogelbach should be sufficent.
I think that Yankee ownership knows that they should sell but are afraid that if they do that attendance will take a significant hit and reduce projected revenues. I wouldn’t be surprised if their concession leases also had attendance tie ins.
Cubs fans seem to think that Schwarber is the next coming of Babe Ruth. Schwarber for Miller straight up works out well for both teams and ups the odds of the Cubs winning it all this year. Yanks have no urgency to deal Miller and unless they get a top player in return – and not a package of decent players – I bet they pass on deals for MIller.
Schwarber is not being traded straight up for a reliever, regardless of talent or years of control.
The Cubs need Miller if they want to have a good chance at winning the world series, they will have to over pay for him. The Yanks don’t have to trade him.
That argument just doesn’t work.
The Giants could use a speed demon to pinch run. Should they trade arroyo just because they have a need and want to win?
Well said Kayrall
Lot’s of guys are speed demons that can’t get themselves on base. Jarrod Dyson/Rajai Davis types. They can be had easily and cheaply. Lock down bullpen arms can not be had easily, nor cheaply.
The argument does work, but you also have to factor supply and demand. You also have to look at if closing one gap in your team creates another.
I think the Cubs would be extremely wise to move Schwarber after the year he had last year. He simply isn’t made for the field, he fell off the second half, super high K rate, lots of HR but very few doubles. I anticipate a serious regression.
Schwarbers (very limited) 162 game average #’s are eerily similar to Adam Dunn’s. Same HR, comparable K rate, Dunn struck out more but walked more. Big difference is Dunn had twice the double rate of schwarber, and there was only a .005 point difference in batting average.
Schwarber for Miller would be a steal for the Cubs, in my opinion.
I don’t think Schwarber is the next coming of Babe Ruth but the bat has potential to be something special and under control for the next 5 years. You simply don’t trade that for 110 innings you get from Miller until his contract is up
2.5 years of control left right? No way that’s less than 175 innings? Or am I doing real bad math right now?
I’ll give you 200 innings and it still doesnt change the fact that it isn’t enough
I agree closers are not worth what teams have been willing to pay. However, they have repeatedly been willing to pay them. I great closer only pitches about 75 innings a season. Not sure why teams see that there is more value in that then in a number 3 starter who gives you 200 or a .270 20+ HR guy who plays over 1300 innings.
It seems to me the yankees think schwarber is the next coming of Babe Ruth they way they are drooling all over him
Say no to crack this rumor of schwarber for Miller is a joke , a fantasy of yankme fans and their media not going to happen in a million years
This guy right here has it figured out.
When has a middle reliever ever been traded for a monster bat? Schwarber is the real deal. When the draft comes every year and free agency , who gets paid the big bucks and drafted higher? No way do Cubs trade Schwarber. Yes it may be cub fans and management thinking higher of him then everyone else but he is beloved by all wearing Cubbie blue.
Trade for Boone Logan. Miller would be nice but he doesn’t make or break the Cubs season. Then trade Schwarber for a young controllable starting pitcher
Just out of curiosity, what would you consider a fair trade for Boone Logan?
I know Logan does not cost Schwarber. He is a rental and the cost is nowhere near what Miller would fetch. Cubs have a fairly deep farm system I’m sure there is a deal to be found. I’d say 1 in the 10-25 range, maybe a low level young lottery ticket
For Logan? Candelario and Dewees
Rox are sitting ok at 3rd with Arenado. Dewees, Martinez,Tsang, Wilson, Stinnett ect would probably be the range
I think I would be thrilled with a Vogelbach/Tseng combo for Logan. If only to see Vogelbach mash at Coors.
2 lottery ticket prospects are probably about right. A typical hard thrower who can’t throw strikes who’s still young enough to figure it out
Who did the A’s get for Pomeranz?
Yonder Alonso I believe lol.
Anderson Espinoza
The Yankees will make moves so will Cubs. Chapman,Gardner or Jocaby E.,Sabathia to Cubs and Torres,Dan V.,Billy M.,Edwards and so on to Yankees? Beltran/Nova to Royals for Almonte/O’Hean,Dozier and so on. Headley/Miller to Miami Naylor and so on to Yankees.
This so on dude just getting tossed around in these proposals and so on
You forgot the and so forth part.
Yankees aren’t getting Baez schwarber or almora so keep dreaming, your team can’t even agree to fire sale or to try and load up
Hahaha well said by Toksoon. Dream on Yankee fans. Cubs have the smartest front office in baseball with a hands off owner who lets the do their jobs. Yankees owner and President are clueless and interfering with their front office which just spells disaster. You cannot win that way. Enjoy being a .500 team the next five years and all those pricey empty seats
I wonder what the actual Yankee asking price is for Miller compared to the Yankee fan asking price for Miller. That said, Dan Vogelbach is the highest prospect I’d give up for him…… and that’s a hell of a prospect, likely in the top 3 or 5 in most team’s top 30 prospect lists. He’s #20 on the cubs list though. If Yankee fans don’t think a ML ready 1Bman who hits for average, power, and has extreme plate discipline which leads to high OBPs isn’t “enough” for a 31 year old reliever, then I say fuck the yankees. Let the yankees continue to suck. But hey, at least they have a sexy bullpen to go with the .500 record or worse. I hear Yankee fans talking like they don’t have to trade anyone from their pen. OK. So let’s say they don’t. They re-sign/extend Chapman sometime this year or offseason. Then what? They bring back the same mediocre as hell team with their solid bullpen? Smart……. I guess. Then when they suck next year and people need a reliever they’ll dangle Miller out there again, but he;ll be worth less since he’ll have 1 less year of control……… smart thinking there Yankees…………. idiots. Vogelbach for Miller straight up. That’s a potential long term solution for the Yanks at 1B for a relief pitcher who tosses, what, 50-60 innings per year? He’s had only 3.5 years of dominance and Yankee fans think he is the White Mariano Rivera. He’s a 31 year old with only 44 career saves. He’s not the closer on the yankees and a move to the Cubs wouldn’t slide him into a closer’s role either since we already have a pretty damn stellar closer in Rondon with his 1.67 ERA and 0.65 WHIP as our closer. Only thing Miller has on Rondon is his K-rate. But it isn’t like Rondon’s 11.7 K/9 is horrible, hahaha. In other words, Miller would play a role as a tag team set up man with his right handed partner being Pedro Strop. Cubs need a reliever not a closer, so the selling point “well, he can close games” isn’t a selling point. 1) he isn’t closing games for the team he is currently on. and 2) he’s left handed. LHP relievers are hard to find and you’re wasting them by solely using them in the 9th inning.
So once again, Vogelbach for Miller. If not, then laugh at the Yankees and their mediocrity – buried by shitty contracts given to 35+ year old fossils and walk away. Enjoy that Yankees.
Yanks can just trade Miller to Texas for Gallo, which would be better for the Yanks anyway since Gallo can play 3rd. The Nats will take Cahpman for a pair of SP prospects lead by Lopez. Evoldi has a market, Beltran does as well and if they do land Gallo they might as well see what’s out there interest wise on Headly. As a Yankee fan I’d love for them to pull off a deal to land both Schwarber and Gallo. It’s possible to do so if you trade say Chapman to Texas with say Romine for Gallo and then trade Miller and Evoldi to the Cubs for Schwarber and a throw in releiver.
Maybe the Yankees could send Refsynder to the Angels for Trout too
The only thing Gallo will lead the league in is K’s
50% strikeout ratio in mlb lol his swing has a giant hole
Kyle Schwarber career WAR is 1.1. I realize he had a great postseason and has a high pedigree, but Cubs fan seems to think this guy is Mike Trout. As far as the Cubs having the “smartest front office”, I think I’d prefer SF.
Dear Cubs fan,
Although middling ownership is not idea, you in fact CAN win that way.
Sincerely,
NYY 96, 98, 99, 00
Ideal*
And 2009
Can’t buy your way out of this disaster
The ONLY way the Yankees get Schwarber is if it for BOTH Miller and Chapman. Schwarber and…….. say, Jeimer Candelario for Miller and Chapman. That’s 2 seasons and 58 games of Miller and 58 games of Chapman for quite possibly the best power hitting prospect/young major leaguer in the game in Schwarber who has 5 years of control I believe and a 3B prospect in Candelario. STILL lopsided from a baseball standpoint in the Yankees favor IMO. IMO 1 bona fide stud in Schwarber and a decent prospect to play 3B and who has good power potential in Candelario for 2 guys who play 1 inning per appearance. Schwarber is a potential $300M+ player when his career is all said and done, Miller and Chapman COMBINED might be worth….. say, 100-150M when their careers are all said and done. IMO it is pretty much the equivalent of trading Kris Bryant and Candelario for Miller and Chapman. Stupid. Yankees and Yankees fans need to get a grasp on reality. Relievers while great to have when they are super effective, just aren’t all that valuable. Pretty sure Chapman is currently the highest paid reliever/season making just over $11M. $11M……. Schwarber will likely be worth that much once he just reaches his arbitration years. If the Yankees want to fleece a team for their relievers good for them……. I just seriously doubt it will be the Cubs despite them matching up perfectly with the Yankees in terms of what the Yankees need, good, young positional players. Jorge Mateo and Aaron Judge are the Yankees BEST positional prospects. Mateo is a 21 year old hitting .266 with a .323 OBP and limited power but excellent SB potential in only advanced A ball……. Aaron Judge is an OFer/DH hitting .261 with a .357 OBP who has about as much power potential as Vogelbach on the Cubs judging by their number of ABs between HRs (23.9 ABs/HR for V-bach in his minor league career, 23.8 ABs/HR for Judge). In their minor league careers Vogelbach has better numbers than Judge. Again, Judge is the Yankees #2 prospect…… V-bach is the Cubs’ #20 prospect. THAT’S why Cub fans think….. KNOW the Yankees and their fans are overvaluing the shit out of their relievers. Vogelbach would be a nice haul for the yankees. It’s just because he isn’t ranked on some subjective top 100 prospect list he doesn’t garner as much attention or respect. And IMO the only reason Vogelbach isn’t a ranked prospect on one of these arbitrary prospect lists is because he is blocked by Rizzo so no one pays attention to the fact he is a .288/.389/.483/.872 hitter in his minors career……. and is currently raking in his first season at triple A (.310/.419/.533/.953). Yankees cry for Schwarber, yet Vogelbach has just as much potential IMO, only difference being that instead of an OF/C/DH option in Schwarber who is coming off a torn ACL, they get a 1B/DH prospect in Vogelbach…. who ISN’T coming off a torn ACL and who is just as every bit ML ready as Schwarber is and was when Schwarber got called up…… but he wasn’t because again, Vogelbach is blocked by Rizzo. From a baseball standpoint there is no incentive to trade Schwarber for Miller or Chapman. There is BARELY any incentive to trade him for BOTH of them. If Schwarber were healthy all year and doing what we all know he can do, he’d probably have 20-25 HRs right now (if not more) and would be hitting AT LEAST .250 with a .360 OBP, likely better though. Yankees and their fans would be blatantly laughed off more so than now at the proposal of a Schwarber for Miller deal then.
Remember this last offseason when Cub fans were proposing trades including Baez. Fans of the teams involved in said proposed fan trades laughed at them and called Baez a bum…….. 6-7 months later everyone wants the .277 hitting, 9 HR bashing in only 224 ABs, 7 SB, gold glove caliber fielding, every position playing Baez now, hahaha. Idiots. Theo and Co. were open to trading him last offseason but weren’t just going to give him away like most teams and their fans wanted them to. So why do people think they’ll give Schwarber away who has shown more potential than Baez at the same point in their careers respectively? Schwarber could very well be a .270-.280 hitter with an OBP flirting with .400 and murdering about 25 HRs right now if he were healthy. I mean in the regular season and postseason combined he “only” hit .255 BA, .362 OBP, 21 HRs, 51 RBIs, and scored 58 runs in 78 games and 259 ABs…….. not even half a season games played-wise, and not even close to half a season AB-wise. And that was his ROOKIE year. You trade Schwarber you better be getting Miller and someone along the likes of Luis Severino in return. Schwarber’s numbers in not even a half season last year as a ROOKIE are arguably better than what any current Yankee position player is putting up this year. And Yankee fans think he is worth a 31 year old reliever in Miller, hahahahahahaha.
KB — how long a Cubs fan? Schwarber could be really good or he could be a roster filler. Judging him on his full half year ML career — he had good home run totals, whiffed a lot. can’t run, can’t field. if we’re calling a 250 – 270 hitter with 25 hr’s and 170 k’s/yr a star — yikes!
Time to release Arod and move on, and no one should be considered untouchable. This team needs more youth, players with higher batting averages who hit to all fields, get rid of plodding players who can only hit into the shift reducing BA to .220., and guys with high OBP. Otherwise, they’re doomed.
Schwarber is no Trout or Harper, and he’s only a DH. I seem to remember his dropping fly balls in LF and almost getting hit on the head with fly balls. He’s no sure thing.
So in other words he’d fit right in defensively with the yanks shoddy defense
It’s only a matter of time before the nl gets the Dh , Cba is set to expire soon and they are already talking about shorting the season
Yes Schwarber is respected by teammates runs out ground balls and his relief pitcher has never choked him so he is not Bryce Harper. Nobody said he is and trout and Harper wouldn’t be traded for a middle reliever either . Schwarber will be .260 40 hr 100 rbi guy. You don’t trade that for middle reliever . Harper is batting .252 right now on pace for 40 hr 100 rbi. Hmm maybe Schwarber is Harper
THAT would be the most improbable trade that I’ve ever heard of. What would we do with Beltran besides wipe the drool from his chin.