Last up in our series of divisional trade deadline recaps is the AL West, where the Rangers and Athletics made the most noise.
- The Astros shipped veteran righty Scott Feldman to Toronto in exchange for minor league pitcher Lupe Chavez, and they sent reliever Josh Fields to the Dodgers for young first baseman Yordan Alvarez.
- The Angels landed pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer from Minnesota in return for pitchers Hector Santiago and Alan Busenitz. They also sent righty Joe Smith to the Cubs for minor league pitcher Jesus Castillo.
- The Athletics sent lefty Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick to the Dodgers in exchange for young right-handers Grant Holmes, Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton. They also shipped speedy outfielder Billy Burns to Kansas City for fellow OF Brett Eibner.
- The Mariners dealt lefty Wade Miley to Baltimore for minor-league lefty Ariel Miranda. They also sent reliever Joaquin Benoit to Toronto in exchange for fellow reliever Drew Storen. Finally, they got close on a trade that would have netted Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, but were unable to complete it.
- The Rangers landed one of the season’s biggest prizes, getting catcher Jonathan Lucroy (as well as reliever Jeremy Jeffress) from Milwaukee for outfielder Lewis Brinson, righty Luis Ortiz and a player to be named. They also acquired Carlos Beltran from the Yankees for righties Dillon Tate, Erik Swanson and Nick Green. Finally, they added pitchers Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez from Atlanta, giving up minor league infielder Travis Demeritte.
Clearly .. The winners were the Texas Rangers… And the losers were … Once again, the Angels …
People keep saying that about the Angels. How do you figure. They basically swapped two pitchers with similar periphals and cost (with offset money) and they recieved an extremely high upside 18 months former top 20 prospect. They didnt set teh world on fire but if Alex Meyer develops its a killing and if not it is clear that Eppler is not confident we can compete next year.
They should go into rebuilding mode until they can shed those fat Hamilton and Pujols contracts. The best way to have done that would be to trade Trout for 5-6 top prospects.
They lost because regardless of how Meyer turns out, they didn’t do enough to improve the future outlook of the team. They had a clear need for prospects and did very little to address that need. They could have traded Shoemaker and Bedrosian giving up wins in the short term but they would’ve at least potentially cracked open the window 3 or 4 years down the line. Right now not only is the window nailed shut but the lights are out and they’re flashlight is out of batteries.
You mean two cost controlled starters for more similarly cost controlled starters? You do understand in a best case sceanrio most of those minor leaguers are just as cost controlled as Shoe and Bedrosian. Bedrosian also was valued as a 7th inning guy and not a closer, so he couldnt get the robberies the others were getting.
As for the Trout logic it would be impossible to get value. Even if they got 6 top prospects and 3 panned out it would almost certainly equate to a single postion player producing a consistent 10+ WAR year from ONE spot in the batting order. 5 war by two players in two spots is worth substantially less than than 1 doing 10.
Eppler is in a tough place. The expendable assets that could have been valuable (soto, wilson expendable young starters when the staff is healthy, huston street and hell even Cron went down) all messed it up. Most of the Angels cost controlled players are very cost controlled (in fact the one that wasnt was Santiago only for a year). So he moved what he could.
By not being a repeat tax offender, next year the Angels should absord as many bad contracts as they can for prospects (ala Toki Toussant) and go HUGE international. If they dont, then the gripe should lay with a bad owner. Otherwise Epp did a passable job with what he had. Keep drafting well and trying to find value. Who knows, next year Pujols could have a monster year and convince a contender he has something left. Year to year this game can be crazy
Bedrosian is the only young asset they have (Trout excluded). They were negotiating at a disadvantage as they didn’t have leverage with no minor leaguers. Santiago was giving 5 maybe 6 innings a game. That’s it. Smith was a FA. Weaver and Wilson come off the books next year. Shoemaker would have been a deal to make. But the way he is pitching I guaranteed they wouldn’t have gone then good return. Glad they got a couple of prospects today instead of doing nothing.
I’m thrilled they traded Santiago. He gave Texas fits. The Rangers own Nolasco. Much appreciated!
Rangers gave up a lot but they got proven MLB talent in return! I cant wait to see the lineup the next couple weeks! Take out Wilson and Chirinos and a guy like Alberto and plug in Lucroy and Beltran!! Mitch has been on fire lately, Profar hopefully keeps getting AB’s! Desmond and Beltre along with Odor and to a lesser extent Elvis have been carrying this team! Man im pumped!!
Oh and if Choo can ever get and stay healthy, holy crap, then you got freaking Mazara.. This might be something special!
I have doubts about our starting pitching in the playoffs though
The Rangers have likely locked up the division, though they may have already had it.
As far as being a contender in the postseason, with a weak rotation, they aren’t any better.
Our 1 and 2 are right up there with anybody in the game but I’m more worried about our 3 and 4. If Colby comes back pitching like he did when he was healthy I will be much less concerned.
I dont think the Royals rotation was that special last year, was it? The Rangers have a pretty good looking bullpen but not as great defensively as the royals, at least in the outfield. The offense has the potential to be the best in baseball. It sometimes comes down to pitching in the playoffs but its not like teams will be throwing their aces every game. Plus Hamels and Darvish can hold their own.
Well, Hamels is bank. Darvish is a question mark for durability right now. The good news will be getting Colby back for the playoffs. Forget Holland. All we can do is hope for an overwhelming offense to win it all and maybe for a waiver trade or pickup.
I don’t. Darvish and Hamels are fantastic and Colby Lewis always excels in big games. The fourth starter will be whichever one of Perez, Holland, Harrell or Griffin are in the zone. The bullpen has been greatly strengthened and the lineup is the best in baseball.
The A’s need to sold Lacob, Guber et al… Business minded people with the idea spending without hesitation to be successful, new ball park or not… They would probably ask Beane to stay put with those resources in mind well the sky is the limit… It is what it is…
In case you havent watched, the league has caught up with Beane’s value system and it has been rather unsuccesful for a few consecutive years.
Beane is “soooo” brilliant. He develops talent gets them to the big league trades them for prospects, develops them, trades them for prospects, etc etc.
Obviously Beane works for an owner not interested in investing in a baseball team. Bkbkbk I am with you, his Billy ball tactics, have become tiresome. Yet talking heads constantly say how great Beane and the A’s small ball system works. Not really they are like 1-17 in recent playoffs history and that has been a few years ago.
Maybe Braves can buy low, (yes low),in the offseason and acquire Sonny Gray. His numbers are poor this year but a resurgence for next year is plausible. How’s that for small ball.
Yeah but the think with A’s, they don’t sell low. They will hold Gray til his value is back up and sell like usual. I would love to see Gray in a Braves uni, but don’t see it happening.
rangers did a great job acquiring bats but they needed starting more than hitters. My opinion they should’ve tried for Ivan Nova over Beltran but still good job Daniels
I’m glad the Astros didn’t go all in.
The Rangers have made some big trades. Maybe, eventually, they’ll thin it out.
The Angels, Mariners, and Athletics don’t seem too scary for the next few seasons.
I hope the Rangers all in moves hastens the Astros AL West dynasty 2017 and beyond.
Lol AL west dynasty, please
Is there a word for losing in the world series consistently? Maybe a Buffalo Bill’ysty?
Is there a word for not even making the world series to begin with? Minnesota Vikingsty? How many world series have the astros even been to? One in their entire franchise history LOL?
I dont think arguing over who loses harder is a winners route.
Not with that GM and that cheapskate owner.
In Lunhow I trust.
Yeah, our owner is a cheapskate, but I’m okay. I’ve never understood how the biggest city with only one is a mid-market team, but that’s what it is.
As long as the Astros build from within, they don’t need to spend on free agency.
Texas kept its best young talent – Mazara, Odor, Profar, Gallo, Traveras, Guzman, DeShields. Brinson can be replaced by extending Desmond. (Which it is already in process of doing.) This will be a very talented lineup for the next 5 plus years.
I hope there are depth issues.
I wonder if there was no real interest in Yunel Escobar or if the offers were simply subpar. I guess the Halos can deal him next yr or in the off-season but his value seemed to be at it’s ripest.
I love seeing all the salty astro fans
All three of them?
Not salty at all. I’m very happy that we should pat.
Honestly why? You just sat there and watched as we got better and you didn’t
With a healthy Felix and Paxton and Walker continuing to improve Gohara up part way through next year or two years away you are right I wouldn’t worry about the M’s either. Go ahead ahead and be that dynasty because Texas is going to be good Seattle is going to be better the A’s you never know and LA is feeling bad for being down a few years but it usually doesn’t last with them. To bring football into the mix remember when the NFCW was the joke of the NFL and now it is one of the tougher div? The ALW looks to be like that soon. But I am one of those M’s fans that keeps thinking next year what do I know?
I don’t understand how the Ms aren’t better, but I’m your bad contracts strangle the future.
Meyer, drafted out of my Alma Mater, has great stuff with a mound presence to accompany Tyler Skaggs. For those of you that don’t know Skaggs yet, you will!! My only concern with Meyer, though, is durability and whether he can sustain as a SP with that rather unorthodox form similar to Ryan Madsen’s. He’s only had 5 starts this season between Rochester and Minn. He’s shown to be unhittable in AAA that Eppler eluded too of interview after the trade yesterday, but he’s 26 y/o by a gambled projection trade and clock ticking.
The Astros blew it they should’ve gone for Lucroy in December and got some kind of starting pitching or bullpen help at the deadline instead they let the team that consistently beats the crap out of them get that kind of help and now they’re going to lose their division simply because of that, it is disgusting in my opinion,they obviously do not know what it takes to win they only care about making money and could care less about the friends who have been sticking with the steam year in and year out from some really really bad seasons.