11:20am: Beyond Osuna, it doesn’t seem that the Jays are marketing much in the way of controllable players. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that their deadline talks are centered around Osuna, Tyler Clippard, John Axford, Aaron Loup and Curtis Granderson — each of whom is a free agent after the 2018 season.
8:45am: The Blue Jays are actively trying to trade closer Roberto Osuna, whose suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy will conclude on Aug. 5, execs with other teams tell Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links).
While there’s been speculation of a potential Osuna trade over the past couple of months, Rosenthal’s report is the first recent indication that the Jays are actually shopping their closer in an effort to find a deal. Previously, GM Ross Atkins had made strong on-record indications that the organization fully anticipates Osuna to step back into the closer’s role upon returning from his league-imposed 75-game ban.
Obviously, any club weighing a trade for the 23-year-old Osuna will have multiple layers to consider. Beyond any moral and public relations considerations, Rosenthal noted last week that Osuna’s next hearing is set for Aug. 1 — the day after the non-waiver trade deadline. A criminal conviction could result in additional time away from the field and/or complications in his ability to travel with a team.
It should be noted that unlike players who are suspended for performance-enhancing drugs, those suspended under the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy are eligible for postseason play. Osuna, who was generally regarded as one of the game’s best relievers prior to his suspension, would be able to pitch in the playoffs this season for any club that acquired him.
Another element that teams will surely consider will be that of Osuna’s service time — or, more specifically, the lack thereof. Players do not accrue MLB service time while serving suspensions pertaining to domestic violence, meaning that Osuna won’t accrue enough time in 2018 to reach four full years of Major League service. As such, the suspension has delayed his path to free agency by a full year. He entered the season on pace to reach the open market following the 2020 campaign, but he’ll now be controlled through the 2021 season and will be arbitration-eligible thrice more.
As always, weighing the on-field abilities and the business perspective of someone facing these types of personal allegations is a dicey line for teams to walk, though Chapman’s 2016 suspension, trade and subsequent free-agent contract serve as evidence that clubs will still pay a premium for talent even if it comes with this of baggage. Through 223 innings at the big league level, Osuna owns a career 2.87 ERA with 10.2 K/9, 1.6 BB/9, 0.77 HR/9 and a 38 percent ground-ball rate. Virtually every contending club in MLB is looking to bolster its bullpen in the day and a half leading up to tomorrow’s non-waiver trade deadline, and there are some clubs who are out of contention in 2018 but remain open to adding long-term pieces that could help in 2019 and beyond as well.
who would want this bum
That what they said an Chapman when he had his run in. The Dodgers pulled out from that deal with the Reds and it cost them.
But Chapman’s issues didn’t result in a suspension of that length, and if I remember correctly I think the charges were dropped
Charges were dropped but that doesnt mean he is innocent. Likely settled out of court as he makes many millions.
This.
idiot
30 vs 75.
30 shows it wasn’t bad, but had to be done to show face, MLB really owes Chapman an apology for this. He was never charged and should have never been suspended.
A 30 game suspension means it wasn’t bad? He choked his girlfriend and blindly fired 8 shots out of his garage. He was never charged because his girlfriend stopped cooperating.
If he actually choked her then why couldn’t the police find any evidence? And firing shots isn’t all that uncommon in Florida lol, he never should have been suspended.
He did not “blindly fire 8 shots out of his garage”. If he did that, he would have been facing charges other than just the domestic violence. he shot the wall of his garage. big difference
He got a gift in my opinion. Blindly shooting alone should have resulted in criminal charges. What happens if a bullet richochets? Injuries shouldn’t define a penalty.
LOL at firing shots? Says a lot about society today.
Look up accidental deaths due to richochet bullets.
I’d argue that firing in to ANY wall is firing blindly, can’t see what’s on the other side of it.
lol! ‘…he shot the wall of his garage. Biff Digerence!’
Oh man, that should be on a t-shirt. Seriously tho, did you ever in your life imagine you would type out that sentence on a public forum AND be taken seriously? Man, I’m still chuckling. Thanks!
Could have bounced and hit himself. Who’s kidding who?
You typically aren’t charged based on what ifs.
The Blue Jays might be worried about his trial if they’re actively looking to trade him. They’re trying to field a competitive team next year so they shouldn’t have an incentive to trade him.
It wont go to trial, they are looking to settle this. Its classified as a misdemeanor charge and he is a first time offender. In terms of charges for abuse, this is the lowest of the scale, meaning even if he was found guilty he would not receive jail time.
Osuna for a PTBNL. If exonerated or otherwise able to pitch this season, Jays get a team’s “A” list prospect; otherwise a “B” list prospect.
no, they are worried about the PR aspect more than anything. However, any criminal guilty convictions will make border crossing much more complicated. A US based team would lessen border crossings.
Hell, the Cubs are looking for a closer with Morrow down, and they proved in 2016 when they got Chapman that morality doesn’t play a role in their acquisitions, so they may as well go for it. I do agree he’s a bum as a person, however. I wouldn’t want him around me but sports teams are very forgiving.
Something tells me that the whole domestic violence thing, may lighten the return, just a little bit. Pure speculation on my part.
maybe but they likely know the PR nightmare of keeping him is worth any return at this point.
People tend to have short memories. The story in the end will be news for a week.
Ya think??
Welcome to the Yankees.
Then to be traded to the Cubs?
Then re-signed by the Yankees
That’s a lot of home runs per nine. Lol. I’m sure it’s just a typo tho. Good article Steve
Pretty impressive ERA despite that.
His career is .8/9 so less than 1 HR per 9
It had originally said 9 per nine or something crazy like that.
Sounds like they are willing to sell really low must have been really bad don’t know if I want the Braves taking a chance and having to deal with the backlash
Braves might, but at a very reduced value. But after Newcomb social media account going public? Kids have to learn a trail is left. And hurtful, biased rants. Will become public.
Obviously I don’t know the details, but I think it also has to do with Rogers being the owner. As a company I don’t think they want to be associated with that.
They fired Gregg Zaun this offseason over inappropriate workplace comments. Should have fired him over being terrible before it got to that. It would be pretty hypocritical to have Osuna on the mound after allegedly beating his girlfriend.
Zaun gave me dozens of insights on the intricacies of the game. He also called it as he saw it. His replacements have been pretty good too but Zaun was always interesting.
^Zaun was the only company guy that did not comply with the company “rules”. He ripped the team when he felt the need, something a true fan can appreciate.
However, he did not comply with the human resources policy and that got him fired. He would have a job if he toed the company line.
Ken Giles for Roberto Osuna
Puncher of himself for puncher of women
I feel bad that I laughed at that.
I’d be ok with this. a guy who is only violent to himself and on the last day of the season can come off the mound and flip the bird to what is surely a soon to be fired Gibbons
If Gibby is fires he’s purely a scapegoat. That’d be a terrible decision
Beat me to it. This deal actually makes a lot of sense. Both have seen their stock drop for different reasons, and can ultimately be very good closers. Osuna has more service time left, but also more baggage. I wonder if Luhnow would be so bold.
If Luhnow knows just a fraction of what’s really going on he will not make the deal. It’s that bad.
Osuna is a top five closer. Giles a bottom five former closer. The Jays would need a seriously good minor league player for Osuna.
Well… you predicted right.
Good job Garry!
From a business-perspective, this is a tough one to gauge. He was a great reliever, how will he be when he returns and when will he actually pitch?
Also, the Jays probably don’t want to sell too low on him, so what would a reasonable return be?
Might just want to keep him, put him on the restricted list for the remainder of the season, have him pitch in the Fall league to renew faith in his ability and try trading him prior to the 2019 season.
Tgovey: sounds like a reasonable plan but one big issue. I tried to find specifically what he is accused of and only learned he was in a relationship with the woman. This could be worse than Chapman and my guess is the Jays and MLB have more info. Jays may be trying to move him prior to more info coming out after the next court date. Pure speculation on my part. Depending on what really happened, his value could be nil or as you alluded to, could skyrocket if he proves the diwn time hasn’t hurt his ability to pitch. Personally, I think all suspensions should be treated the same as far as playoffs go with the worst crimes and repeat offenders getting the longer time off UNPAID. PED use is big dollar fraud and assaults are normally physical violence.
Couple things that need to be stated:
Just because you haven’t heard any details about the incident, it doesn’t mean it was “worse” than Chapman, or others. This is Canada, they keep a tight lid on legal details for privacy reasons. It could be horrendous. It could be mild. It’s probably somewhere in between.
Second thing is that teams have probably reached out to Manfred to ask about the severity of the accusations. Remember, the MLB did an exhaustive investigation to come up with the 75 game suspension. Any team trading for Osuna would have a general sense of the crime, the estimated public backlash, and the chances of conviction etc. They wouldn’t be making this deal blind, that would be ludicrous.
My guess is that this is coming to light now – that the Jays are shopping him – because the two parties are coming close to finalizing a settlement, and so Osuna’s future is coming into focus, making him tradeable again.
Just my 2 cents on the situation.
As a Jays fan, I’d trade him for the right prospect offer, but keep him if the offer isn’t there. Forget about PR, what’s done is done, and you’re trying to win ballgames.
I’m not 100% certain, but I don’t think Manfred has the right to disclose any information about this to anyone, as that would seem to be a pretty big privacy concern.
I’m not 100% sure about the right to privacy about their findings, but keep in mind, the owners employ Manfred. This is business, it doesn’t have to be public or overt, it can be done under the table.
Great post- prospective buyers will certainly do their homework before making a move. Absolutely everyone makes mistakes in life, hopefully he learns from his. I’m a Mariners fan and frankly would love Osuna in our BP. If traded to a contender it will be interesting to see how he handles a new set-up/occasional save role. No doubt he’ll be grateful just to pitch.
While I would be ok with Osuna remaining on the Jays, I would rather they trade him for less than market value to get him off the team.
Beyond the fact that the guy’s an effective closer, it will be difficult for any team to take him on right now at any price with the possibility of a conviction in the near future.
Where are the Raiders when you need em?
He would still be playing if this was the NFL.
Ray Rice disagrees.
Ray Rice got a two game suspension from the NFL for the incident and no sanctions at all from the Ravens. This was after video had already surfaced of him dragging his fiancee’s unconscious body out of an elevator, and with the knowledge that a physical altercation had happened in the elevator.
The whole thing would’ve been swept under the rug and ignored… if another video showing what happened in the elevator hadn’t gone viral a few months later.
Suddenly video of Rice punching his fiancee repeatedly in the face and knocking her unconscious was all over the internet and the news. Then, and only then, many months after the incident, was Rice released by the Ravens.
…to paraphrase, you can count on the NFL to do the right thing, after they exhausted all other possibilities.
Most teams dont care assuming he settles out of court or found “not guilty”.
See: Chapman. Best to wait until next year Jays.
As long as they sell low I’d be all over it
JBJ straight up!
No.
Jon Bones Jones is still suspended too!
This is tough case for sure. Right now all we have to go on is pure speculation. From what I have read from a legal perspective his case is classified more as a misdemeanor which means any criminal implications are highly unlikely. What seems to be the impression is that this case will be settled and or resolved at some point in the future.
I had always hoped the Jays would sign Osuna to a long term deal, now with this case plus his previous struggles with mental health makes me wonder if there is come connections here. I would still like to see him stay and get long term help. I do think there is some value in trying to make him a better person.
We do not know what happened in this case with his GF and I do hope she has also received any and all help she can receive.
There has been a lot of speculation that the Jays will trade him as Toronto is a very Socially correct city where even speculation of abuse is not very well tolerated. He was basically guilty and not wanted from a large percent of the population from day one. Without any details its hard to judge the situation but I wont be surprised if he goes to another team and this situation eventually fades away.
But I do hope he learns to be a better person, get ongoing help and continues to work on his mental state.
You just mean speculation in the realm of a trade correct? A 75 game suspension for domestic abuse was not speculation.
From a legal perspective taking a work issued suspension does not shed any light into what actually happened. His lawyer noted that they did not even speak with his GF.. At least from his lawyer he noted that Osuna decided not to challenge the suspension as he wanted to get back to playing ASAP.
So while receiving a 75 game suspension would make us assume something bad happened it by no means is an admission of guilt and more of a formal work policy.
If you work for a large organization and are accused of a crime, receiving a work suspension is not an admission of guilt.
Right, I mean, I would love to have him on my team…as far as his talent, but the fact we have no idea exactly what happened makes it difficult to say, sure, lets trade for him. There was an Astros farmhand where video came out of him punching his girlfriend repeatedly. Something like that, I would never want or support. You mention previous mental health issues? What is the story there?
Last year he had some struggles and they gave him some time off. It was noted that he needed time as he was struggling with some mental health issues. Not much information to my knowledge was given but that he was receiving help.
I have to think being a poor farm kid from Mexico and coming to the bigs as a 20 year old has its own challenges. Not to mention his GF had a baby late last season and I can see how this creates challenges.
But from what I have seen, his family comes to visit, they seem like a nice tight family. Media reports on Osuna have always been positive.
“I have to think being a poor farm kid from Mexico and coming to the bigs as a 20 year old has its own challenges.”
Come on. Many present and past MLB players have come from equally deprived backgrounds yet managed to avoid kicking the crap out of their significant other. Not feeling a ton of sympathy for him atm.
Yes and in the past having money could get you away with anything. I am not trying to make excuses, but I do think since this is based on speculation there is a human element most people overlook.
Oh. So if you’re raised on a poor farm in Mexico, you get a free “beat your wife” card these days?
Oh course not.
But you don’t know if he did beat his GF and mother of his child.
Mlb determined the evidence was strong enough that he did, that he received an extremely harsh 75 game suspension.
They don’t hand that out over false allegations
Getting a suspension from work does not mean or reflect level of guilt. While I believe he likely crossed some line which MLB felt was warranted of a suspension due to the fact his charge was the lowest of charges that reflects a much lighter situation than most assume.
Length of suspension says otherwise. As does the fact the case hasn’t gone away yet and he’s still having to make more court appearances.
I agree with that John that speculation in these cases by us fans often leads to inherently incomplete or inaccurate depictions of the individuals involved in these cases. That being said, going so far as to align that uncertainty with straight up compassion and forgiveness isn’t the right move. Just as much as we shouldn’t be so quick to condemn someone without all the facts, we certainly can’t forgive him knowing that something clearly happened. These are sticky situations when all info is drip fed from the media.
Fact is he hasn’t ever stepped in a court room. The legal system takes time regardless if you are innocent or guilty. Once Osuna got his suspension he had already served a large portion of it. He has been pitching for a few weeks now in the minors.
The reality is that we might not even get to know the facts in this situation.. The part most people misunderstand is that this is a legal process and separate to that there is a workplace process.
I know some people will choose to never cheer for him again or support him.
On the other hand I hope that he gets help. I hope that he has learned from this and can be given a second chance. I do hope that in the future he can share some of the story and show what he has learned and how he has become a better person. I do believe people can better themselves.
On the other hand I understand many people will want nothing to do with him.
I do think the seriousness of the situation will impact how most people feel.
From the CBC …” The disclosure by Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna that he is suffering from anxiety is another positive signal that some athletes feel comfortable enough to publicly discuss such issues, experts say.
Yet despite progress being made in awareness and the ability to openly talk about mental health, it may still be considered a “bold” acknowledgement for the 22-year-old closer to make — especially in the world of sports, where the topic is not widely discussed.”
Many players deal with it . Few talk about it.
Yes, they did deal with it in a positive way last season. I am glad the organization gave him time instead of the old way of telling him to deal with it or man up
Yeah, they gave him pills to numb his brain, then he beats the crap ot of his girlfriend.
Thank God they didn’t tell him to deal with it and man up.
Melo – they gave Osuna 36 hours of off-time. The organization let him sit out a Friday game, announced why on Saturday and pitched him the Sunday afternoon that same weekend. That’s not “giving time”.
Number of court appearances has nothing to do with severity of crime. Our system is slower than molasses. I went to court multiple times for a noise complaint ticket while camping at a provincial park.
There’s no such thing as a misdemeanor or felony in Canada. Here we have two types of offences, summary and indictable. Theft is an example of a summary offence, murder is an example of an indictable offence. You can obviously see which is the more severe. We also have something called hybrid offences, which means it can be either a summary offence or an indictable offence and it’s up to the prosecutor to decide which way to go. Assault is an example of a hybrid. If it’s a minor assault not causing injury, the crown will probably choose summary. If it’s a more serious assault, the crown may choose indictable.
I said like a misdemeanor. I believe it was classified as a simple assault charge which is or will be a summary.
The legal review I read which I wish I could find again, classified his charge as not something likely to result in any serious punishment.
This was an interesting read on the subject: jaysfromthecouch.com/2018/06/12/a-lawyers-take-the…
In Canada, simple assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, most types of sexual assault, and assaulting a police officer, all can be dealt with either as summary convictions, or as indictable offenses. It just depends on the severity of the offense, and, presumably the level of evidence available.
Only aggravated assault and aggravated sexual assault are always prosecuted as indictable offenses as they involve debilitating or life threatening injuries to the victim.
That said, even a summary conviction of any type of assault can carry a jail sentence of up to 18 months in prison — although that’s obviously extremely unlikely given that (at least as far as we know) Osuna has no prior history.
This has NY Yankees written ALL OVER IT! If there’s one team who plays fast and loose with abusers it’s NYY!
You seem really excited about that.
Excited that the NYY loves bringing in wife beaters?
Why’re you asking me? You’re the one with the all the exclamatory statements. Seems you’re rather pumped about it!
osuna to the a’s to join familia or to the yankees with chapman and there’s a one two punch.
hahahahahha i get you bro
Good call!!!
Nats or Cards seem like the logical choices.
I’d give them Luke weaver and Greg Garcia for him. Maybe throw in another lower minor league or jed gyorko
Neither team is going to the post season this year, I would think they would be sellers, not buyers.
If guilty, would he be allowed to cross the border?
That’s the least of it. If he has court dates he must attend, as a contender do you want to take the risk he can’t pitch a day in the playoffs.
2. If he is found guilty, even if there is minimal jail time or community service, being able to.cross the border or the chance his work visa is suspended is a good question.
I think the jays would be lucky to get a real lower level prospect but might be able to swing some international bonus pool money.
The charge he’s facing is not a felony charge so he’d still be allowed to travel across the border and his work visa should not be affected unless he has other misdemeanors on his record that we don’t know about. He’s also only 23 and controlled for 3 years after this, so if all the Jays want is a lower level prospect teams would be jumping on that. Even non-contenders would easily give that up. Even if he doesn’t pitch at all this year he’s still got value going forward, and like it or not the PR issues that come with these types of allegations generally blow over pretty quickly as long as the player performs on the field.
He is already in the U.S. pitching on a rehab assignment in preparation of his suspension coming to an end.
Man, that’s got to be an easy sell…
“He hasn’t pitched in a long time and he might actually be serving another punishment and all, so what will you give him for us? He used to be really good and could possibly even pitch for you this or next season!”
“He hasn’t pitched in a long time . . .”
Got a 23 year old flamethrower, in >200 IP he has an ERA <3.00, a WHIP <1.00 and is controllable for at least the next two seasons. At some point he will be able to pitch again, most likely sooner rather than later. You don’t think that has value?
He has a “majorflaw” in his resume…
Sorry, couldn’t resist!
“He has a “majorflaw” in his resume…”
You think I haven’t heard that hundreds of times over the past twenty years?
“Sorry, couldn’t resist!”
Heard it so many times I’m immune. But I do gotta wonder, do folks really think I chose this UN without any awareness of its humorous implications?
Was hoping you did, and if you didn’t, was certainly hoping you’re not thin-skinned!
He’ll go to Miami. It’s the place where careers slowly die. I’m shocked the Marlins havent traded starlin castro yet. He could help a few teams. Boston, Maybe Seattle, Washington. Philly.
Preller pls don’t trade bc we respecc womans here
I got tuns of respecc for ppl that respecc womans. Nisely put they’re fella
I respecc womanz every day an I respecc you fren
Makes sense as he’ll be a much bigger PR disaster in Toronto, where the news was likely discussed on local tv heavily, than another city where local news may not have touched it as much, if at all. (Bet they do locally in new city after a trade tho! Haha)
But wow, talk about willing to sell low! Tor is offering a guy that, if sentenced, might not even be guaranteed available the rest of the year.
Plus he hasn’t pitched competitively in more than two months, so he will probably need at least a little rehab/refresh time as well (does he have options to even give him that, I wonder?) That further cuts into how much help he is going to be this season.
He’s already on a rehab assignment and pitching. once the suspension is up he’s expected to be in the majors somewhere.
He’s been pitching in AAA for the last few weeks and lower levels before that. The jays would be stupid to sell low. Wait till the offseason or next season.
Did not know he was allowed to pitch in Buffalo during this whole ordeal. Thanks guys.
And at least that is one thing in TORs favor
He is already on a rehab assignment and will return after his suspension – unless of course something goes down in court.
Didn’t Chapman discharge a firearm? Pretty sure Osuna isn’t accused of that. Tough to compare those 2 situations. He should still have tons of value. I still find it incredible how many people jump to the conclusion that he’s guilty without hearing either side of the story. An accusation was made, that’s it. Nobody has even heard HER version of events. Crazy how careers can be ruined in the court of public opinion without first hearing a shred of evidence.
MLB investigated and concluded the evidence was strong enough that it deserved a 75 game suspension. Completely innocent, he is not.
MLB investigates by asking her what happened. He’d have the same right to remain silent as if it was a police investigation. There is always the possibility what she said is completely fabricated. Again, that’s why there is an actual court system to sort this out, yet everyone seems to forget that whole “due process” thing.
If you seriously think MLB investigation is absolutely nothing more than asking the accuser and handing out massive penalties based off merely what they say…
Well if that were the case, then there would likely be a guy or two suspended from each team at any given time.
According to Osuna’s lawyer he isn’t aware that MLB even talked to the woman.
It also isn’t clear that she accused him or charged him.
They lived in a condo, so its very possible if there was a loud situation that the police were called in.
Due process is too boring for todays culture, just look at all the people getting off on condemming him right now.
I’ve noticed. It’s a good old fashion Lynch Mob. She said he did it so obviously he did and lets just hang him from a tall tree in downtown Toronto. I have yet to see anyone produce one small bit of evidence that he actually committed a crime.
police didn’t hear her version? or is it just you that needs to hear it?
I think people should reserve judgement until all the facts of the case are made public and he has his day in court. Women do make false allegations from time to time.
He may encounter legal problems even being allowed to enter or work in Canada.
temporaryresidentpermitcanada.com/misdemeanor.php
The baseball fan inside me wants the braves to go after him and low ball an offer. But I can’t push aside the fact that he’s scum and I want the braves to keep as clean of a public appearance as possible. I want my children to be proud of the teams I cheer for more than the champs the win.
Tomahawk chop
He could go to Oakland, he was the star that now has some black clouds on him and this is a type of players the A’s are interested in. He won’t be getting paid a lot in arbitration in the future and he could be bought low.
9.7 homeruns per 9 innings? sounds a little off Mr. Adams
Good catch. I gotta think that should be 1.7.
It doesn’t help that the Astros had Danry Vasquez in their system a couple years back who beat his girlfriend in the stairwell of the AA ballpark. The Astros released him after the event, but it wouldn’t be a good look to bring in someone who did something similar recently.
Trade him to Colorado or Texas. He should pitch in a hitter’s park… Or in Oakland with Maxwell. Talk about a battery!
Should he go to the Brewers?
So an abuser, a racist and a roider walk into a bar…
Is there any immigration issues? He is a Mexican national. I know Canada has some strict rules. He might not be able to cross the border so frequently as well
Any team should lose their entire fan base if they trade for Clippard. Nothing wrong with his pitching, but the simple fact that I can get through a couple chapters of “War and Peace” as he goes 2/3rds of an inning is reason enough for me to consider changing allegiances. 🙂
I agree on this it is so refreshing to see the kids coming up from the minors that have been subjected to that pitch clock actually pitch fast. There is no reason to take 45 seconds between pitches. If baseball wants to do something for the fans institute that 20 second pitch clock it would speed up the game tremendously and just make it more watchable. I love Sale day in Boston because not just because you are going to get a well pitched game but you are getting a pitcher that gets it and throws it. He is anti Buchholz what a pleasure to watch pitch and it seems to be rubbing off on other Sox pitchers.
I think Shatkins just sees this as a way for them to continue the rebuild and get some great prospects and focus all the blame on “having to trade him ” squarely on Osuna’s shoulders. Getting Asuna some help would be a better PR story then just casting him aside after he allegedly made a mistake. Get both of them some help and use the high profile case to teach others .
Osuna is a legit talent. The Yanks signed Chapman in spite of the bad optics and potential criticism, then the Cubs traded for him and won a WS, then he was re signed by the Yanks as a free agent. It worked out really well for both clubs, so I imagine teams will consider this when thinking about trading for Osuna.
maybe the Brewers could trade Santana for Osuna
At some point the Brewers need at least one SP, they’ve stacked their pen. But, IF, the finally make the playoffs, they’re gonna be facing aces like Kershaw, Lester, etc… postseason is very different than the regular season. Pitching and defense plays a much bigger role. I thought DeGrom would be a scary good fit for the Crew. But Stearns has proven to be the runner up in potential deals, too in love with unproven “prospects”.
Other than deGrom (who I don’t believe was ever really going to have a chance at being moved) and now maybe Wheeler was there really anyone available that was going to really help them out? I mean does Happ, Eovaldi, Hamels, Gausman, Harvey, etc who were made available really even move the needle?
Man, that’s tough, you can really only project. Hamels for instance has an ERA under 3 away from Texas, pitched in front of a horrible defense and is post season tested, but he’s older and it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll be rejuvenated by being back in a pennant chase and pitching in front of one of the best defenses in the game.
Happ is more of a mid to back of the rotation innings eater at this point. Harvey, nothing but question marks, Evoldi is very interesting to me, but unproven.
That said, the Brewers simply don’t have a legit post season rotation. Especially if they snag the WC, who do they pitch in a win or go home scenario? I think Wheeler would be an instant upgrade, obviously DeGrom and even Archer would be a great fit, imo. Thor is younger than DeGrom, I don’t think he was ever truly on the block, but DeGrom will be a 33 year old free agent by the time the Mets are truly ready to contend. I think he can be had.
The issue with the Brewers is that they also need a ML catcher and SS. Moving Shaw to a position he’s literally never played was ballsy to say the least, let’s see how that pans out. Right now, as a NL club, they essentially have 3 automatic outs in their lineup (C, SS, P)
My point is Stearns has other concerns, the pen not being one of them. He seemed to start an “All In” mode when signing an aging Cain and trading for Yelich in spite of having too many OFers to begin with. I think many assumed he would continue and address 2B/SS/C/SP and really go for it. In between is the worse place to be in pro sports. You’re either committed to winning or building towards a point where you are committed to winning.
I wouldn’t assume that they were “all in” just yet. You say that they had “too many” OFs already, but what did they really have? Broxton who’s going to hit .220, an aging and rapidly declining Braun, Phillips who’s numbers were helped by an unsustainable BABIP and had too much swing and miss, and a defensive liability who’s peripherals suggested that last season was an outlier in Santana?
Yelich isn’t a free agent until 2022, Aguilar 2023, Arcia (who they are not ready to give up on but is starting to look like a glove only SS) 2023, Shaw 2022, Cain 2023 though he’ll be probably moved to RF by then. Then Nelson should be back and controlable through 2020, Peralta, Burnes, Woodruff, and possibly Hader if they move him will be fighting for rotation spots. Hiura is coming up, Corey Ray has increased his prospect stock….. It’s not like this was a 1 season go for broke year. This offseason if they don’t make a move for a SP and a C I will start to worry, but as for now I’m not in panic mode like some Brewer fans over them having to make a trade right now in a stale SP market and not much out there at catcher.
Boston could use a setup man and a replacement for Kimbel next year when he leaves in FA because Boston doesn’t have the luxury tax room to bring him back.
Great trade the guy while his value is low when despite all previous instances of suspensions such as these blowing over after reestablishing their value. IE: Chapman traded by the Reds to the Yankees for nothing and then a half season later traded to the Cubs for Gleyber Torres and two other pieces.
I don’t condone what he may have or may not have done, MLB clearly saw enough evidence as a private company to suspend him before his trial. Still just keep him for the rest of the season and trade him in the off-season or during the next trade deadline..
I disagree. I’m hopeful he never suits up in a Toronto uniform again, and don’t care a whit about what comes back in return, personally.
Honestly, I don’t give a damn about these guys as people. I don’t need their help raising my kids, none of them are coming to my house for Thanksgiving this year. I care about what they do on the field. As a Cub fan, I loved the Chapman acquisition, bottom line, they don’t even make it to the WS without him. Not a lot of respect for him as a person, but again, who cares?
I’d be thrilled if the Cubs acquired Osuna for the same reason.
Eh, I find myself falling victim to these thoughts at times myself. I’m very much so an on-the-field-only sort of fan. I try not to get caught up in the drama off the field, mostly because there’s no real way to tell what happens when it’s sensationalized in media reports. That being said, I have to think I’d be against Ted Bundy pitching for my team, regardless of how good he might be. There’s certainly a fine line here, and it’s a perfectly reasonable argument in my mind to dismiss off the field problems as fans. MLB and team leadership, however, are the ones with the moral quandary.
Completely agree! It’s entertainment! I’ll no doubt get slaughtered for this but I’ve always felt we should let athletes put any substance they want into their bodies. We’d have some pretty entertaining games if that happened haha.
Physical abuse isn’t in the same galaxy as PEDs though.
Thank you Capt Obvious
No surprise that the Jays are trying to trade Osuna. That was called as soon as his infraction was announced. Rogers board does not want this guy in a Blue Jays uniform. think “Rogers family plan”. And I hear that he roughed her up pretty badly.
If possible, the Jays really need to bundle all these potential FA guys together in packages to increase the return. Two or three for the price of one and they need to get rid of them all to acquire as many near ready pieces as they can.
Is Atkins up to it?
Jimmer, the greatest GM’s in history would have a tough time with this one. I do know more about the Osuna situation, and all I can say is it’s really bad. There’s also more to the story.
That said, if a team thinks they can help Osuna with off-field personal issues they might be willing to deal for him. Jays won’t get much if these teams know about the problems.
I got ridiculed by buddies for suggesting Osuna should be traded over a year ago. Huge swing and miss last year for many players on this team.
I have heard Osuna’s only hope is to buy out the girlfriend so all charges are dropped due to insuffiecient evidence.
I see a strong possibiliity this process moving through offical court systems until the GF decides to do this….
Yah, we are in agreement. I have heard that Osuna may have a tough time getting a mjor league job once the severity of the situation comes to light…
There were some more severe rumours, like he threw her down stairs, beat her up real good and so forth.
The only reason I think that might not be the case is that he was charged with Simple Assault and not Assault Causing Bodily Harm or Aggravated Assault.
For all involved I hope it was a much lighter version.
Osuna is a lottery ticket. No harm in checking what a playoff team will offer, but if they don’t get near market value hold him until his legal issues are over and won’t make headlines for his new team.
I don’t really understand the crossing-the-border issues though or how it would be different on a US based team. Would Canada block him from coming back from a road game or would the US block him from entering? If Canada won’t let him leave then it seems like it wouldn’t matter what team he plays for.
A young man with mental health issues who beat up his gf is not scum. He is a troubled youth who needs help and guidance so he does not repeat his actions and can make amends for his actions.
The blue jays would do right by everyone involved to hold onto him and get him the help he needs so he can be a productive member of society and to the blue jays
That’s a great thought but not is the mandate of a basbeall organization that is only mandated by the collective bargaining agreement.
It’s a business first.
The Blue Jays asked Osuna not to return to his native mexico last year during the off-season because they were aware of some severe character issues and the people around him.. They asked him to relocate his offseason to Florida. Osuna refused.
Good riddance Giles. Enjoy Jays fans.