Both the Braves and Cubs are making pushes for Orioles reliever Brad Brach, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets. Brach, a pending free agent on a $5.165MM salary, looks like a shoo-in to move prior to Tuesday’s non-waiver deadline. The 32-year-old has endured an uncharacteristically mediocre season, however, with a 4.85 ERA/4.01 FIP and unexciting strikeout and walk rates (8.77 K/9, 4.38 BB/9) over 39 innings.
More rumors with the deadline nearing…
- No fewer than six teams have shown legitimate interest in Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, though New York doesn’t feel it has to trade him, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. Wheeler, who’s making just $1.9MM this season, still has another year of affordable control remaining. As such, “there’s no urgency for the Mets to move him,” a National League talent evaluator tells Feinsand.
- Meanwhile, ex-Met and current Reds righty Matt Harvey is likely to move by Tuesday, per Feinsand. Harvey has pitched better in Cincinnati than he did in New York this season, but the soon-to-be free agent still hasn’t come close to replicating his halcyon days. As a result, teams aren’t showing much excitement over the 29-year-old, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic relays.
- More from Feinsand, who observes that the Marlins shouldn’t have difficulty finding a taker for pending free-agent reliever Brad Ziegler. In the end, though, it may be a relatively quiet deadline for the Marlins, who are “intent on keeping their crop of controllable players, including their young, talented bullpen pieces,” Feinsand writes. That may rule out trades involving the likes of Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider and Adam Conley, each of whom has come up in the rumor mill this summer. Unlike those three, Ziegler hasn’t enjoyed a strong season overall (4.06 ERA/4.69 FIP with 6.18 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 51 innings), but the 38-year-old has gotten much better results since June and is continuing to induce ground balls at a ridiculous clip (74.5 percent). Ziegler has approximately $3.5MM coming his way through season’s end. The Cubs, Indians and possibly the Red Sox are among the teams with interest in Ziegler, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.
- There have been rumblings about the Braves trading young left-hander Luiz Gohara for relief help, but that’s not going to happen, according to Rosenthal. Rather, Atlanta’s only going to move Gohara (or pitching prospect Kolby Allard) if it gets controllable starting pitching in return.
- “A few teams” have interest in Cardinals minor league third baseman Patrick Wisdom, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Regardless of whether Wisdom’s dealt this season, Goold regards him as a lock to be out of the Cardinals organization by next year. The Cardinals spent the 52nd overall pick on Wisdom back in 2012, but he still hasn’t made it to the majors. The 26-year-old has shown some promise of late at the Triple-A level, where he homered 31 times and posted a .263 ISO in 506 plate appearances last season. That power came with a so-so .243/.310/.507 slash, which Wisdom has improved on in 2018 (.293/.373/.485 in 370 PAs).
What would it take to get Kela without trading any SP prospects.
Positional player prospects…
Probably prospects that are hitters or relievers.
The Rangers aren’t trading Kela without getting starting pitching in return, so it’s a moot point.
They need to pony up. Kela would be a big piece for the Braves. If it takes Gohara, give him up.
Then it would take prospects that are not SP prospects
The Rangers don’t need to trade Kela and they don’t need to deal with the Braves. If the Braves don’t want to trade starting pitching prospects, they’re not getting Kela. It’s really that simple.
The only reason the Rangers are shopping Kela at all is to replenish the starting pitching in their system. They’re not going to make concessions for the Braves. They’ll either keep him or move on to a team that will give them what they’re looking for.
They still owe us for the Mark Teixeira trade.
🙂
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It’d be pretty funny if teams actually did that
My take wasn’t that the Braves weren’t willing to trade SP prospects for relievers, just that they weren’t willing to Gohara or Allard for relievers. They’ve got lots of SP prospects.
Or hang on to him until the off season. Now is relevant only if the offer meets or exceeds their real expectations.
Come on Theo and Jed. Stop with the bargain hunting on mediocre relievers.
As an O’s fan I can tell you you’re exactly right about Brach. When he’s on, he’s real good. But he is NOT closer material and tends to get racked at bad times. Last year was his best season IMO.
Are you actually an O’s fan? Because if you were, you’d know 2016 was his best season, not last year. I don’t know how you can think 4-5 3.18 ERA is better than 10-4 2.05 ERA with an All-Star appearance.
The guy has a career 3.18 ERA in a hitter’s park in the AL East. He’s far from mediocre.
That’s in the past. What has he done this year?
That’s not a great attitude for a Cubs fan to have. Since Rizzo hasn’t hit as well this year as he did in 2016 it doesn’t matter right? He’s only as good as his current season?
It’s in the past
Correct
Then we had better trade Rizzo, Bryant, Contreras, Hendricks, Q, Wilson, Etc…even Lester.
Cubs dont need him to close and most guys do get rocked at times……point?
#CubsFanLogic
They don’t have elite prospects to trade. And they aren’t dealing off their big league roster for a relief pitcher – especially considering that the bullpen has been fine. The only reason they’re looking for relievers is in the event the pen starts to dip.
Brach is better than mediocre. If we were to get him and Diekman that would be a TOUGH bullpen!
Brach’s damn good. Coming from a Jays fan. Bullpen guys will always play “catch-up” when they get jacked a couple games. Brach’s had a rough July, but after a bad April he was coming around. His last out against the Jays shouldn’t have happened; O’s are having a tough time making plays behind their pitchers. A change of scenary may help. Many bullpen guys have done this after deadline deals.
Exsctly what awesome reliever are you seeking and what are you willing to give up?
“His halcyon days” — had to look that up
More halcyon references are needed around here!
I hope Wisdom finally gets a shot somewhere.
Ditto eatonculo! Wisdom has been screwed over by John Mozeliak. Wisdom stats, both hitting and fielding should have had him on the Cards 25 man roster 3 years ago. Last year he hits over 30 hr and close to 100 RBI’s. This year he is on the same pace. Mozeliak had rather had Mike Mathaney a bunch of players playing out of position than bringing up a true First baseman. Cardinal Fans have had their nuff of Mozeliak and his lies and excuses.
If the braves trade allard or gohara it better be a legit return that we will have for a few years. Any reliever we get should only require a lower top 30 prospect. Even brach. No way we give up more in my opinion
Yeah, for a rental. Kela is a whole different story though. Not saying he’d cost as much as Hand, but you’re looking more at that level than a lower top 30
Sounds like wisdom has already been traded lol
trying to get that Patrick guy from St. Louis would be a wise move.
Wisdom has some serious pop in his bat, he just needs a chance to get up to the majors and show case himself a bit. Let’s see if he gets s shot.
Cue Casey what’s-his-bucket to comment on the Wheeler/Archer animation.
that gets me fixing.
There are people on the internet who aim to get people fixing. Ignore them and they have no power
oh I know you’re right. but it’s Casey.
“That power came with a so-so .243/.310/.507 slash”
I was going to say an .817 OPS is better than so-so even in the PCL, but then I look up last years Memphis Redbirds and see that 11 guys had higher OPSs than him last year so yeah I guess it is pretty so-so, if even.
I’ve always gotten the impression he’s a AAAA player.
He might be but I’d still give him a chance just in case he can capitalize on the upside he used to have. I liked when the Indians did that with Richie Shaffer a year or two ago, and it didn’t work but moves like that just kinda fascinate me.
The Mets would be wise to keep Wheeler, from their perspective, banking on a breakout 2019 season would mean a larger return than present.
It would also be smart to move him considering his value will probably not get much higher than it is now. He’s had a sub 3 ERA now in his last 8 starts and the starting pitching market is as thin as can be. If they think he’s going to pitch to a sub 3 ERA in his first 15 starts next year and stay healthy, I think it’s wishful thinking. If 35 year-old JA Happ in a contract year can get a top 10 prospect in the best farm system in baseball, after being rocked in his last two starts prior to the trade; Wheeler can demand a top 5 prospect easily.
No chance in hell he gets a top 5 prospect
If he stays in the low 3’s….I definitely think a top 5 team prospect is very attainable with another couple of lower level lotto ticket types. Wheeler is night and day different than in prior years. I am hoping they can extend him. Wheeler hasn’t cashed in yet and given his injury history, a 3 year extension may look mighty tempting at 3/$36m. I believe he’s made <$5m in his career, so that money is a big deal for a 30yr old pitcher.
Its mind boggling that we would give away 25 year old Christian Yelich on an amazing contract, but we are going to keep relievers that have nothing to do with the future of this organization???!!!??? Its bad enough they waited so long that Marmol’s value has gone down. Why wouldnt we trade him? Barraclough needs to be moved. It makes zero sense not to trade him. How is this organization still so bad? How?? We FINALLY got rid of Loria, and yet it feels like they’re almost just as bad. I still have faith they’ll eventually do the right things when it matters, unlike how it’s been with Loria, but why cant this organization ever be like everyone else in trades, and get stuff back, or not give up ridiculous amounts for nothing? Are they rebuilding or not? You dont need relievers on this team! Get rid of them while we can. Relievers are volatile as everyone knows, especially when you have someone with the command problems of Carlos Marmol (barraclough) and people think he’s good…whatever. I’m used to this at this point
Please don’t compare Barraclough to Marmol. He brings back too many horrible memories for me. Can he really be that bad?
I’ve been calling him that for 2-3 years. He led the league (out of the bullpen) in K%, BB%, and wild pitches a couple of years in a row a couple of years ago
Wouldnt you go back and trade Marmol when he had that dominant year in I think it was 2010? This is what I’m talking about
Totally agree man. Conley and Steckenrider could maybe stay and let their stock rise a little more. But Barraclough for sure should get shipped out
Marmol was dominant in ’08, the year the Cubs won 97 games. He was one of the rare players (at that time) to make the All Star game as a set-up man that year. But yea – Barraclaugh is basically a poor man’s version of Marmol. The ceiling wasn’t as high as it was for Marmol, the floor isn’t as low – but like Marmol, he’s going to drive you insane with his control issues.
Ya I would probably hold Conley and Steckenrider until the offseason/next years trade deadline, but I’ve been wanting to move Barraclough for a year. And the other thing is the Marlins have already lost opportunities to trade guys b/c of injuries in the last year. I dont get why he is still here
Wisdom deserves a shot in the majors but it doesn’t look like he’s in the cardinals plans. I hope he gets traded so he can play MLB instead of just triple a or the cardinals promote him so he can play
Ziegler is not what the Indians need, not worth trading for.
In an article in the Post Dispatch from 2013, he felt through his trades and player moves, “the Cardinals were set up for Long Term Success!” From that day to to this day, instead of getting progressively better, the Cardinals under Mozeliak’s leadership, the Cardinals have fallen in the Central Division standings each year. I can’t believe the Cardinal owners are going to be allowing John Mozeliak do anything as far as trying to upgrade the Cardinals for 2019. After all, he is responsible for building the past 4 seasons of Cardinal mediocrity.
Yeah cause that 100 win 2015 season was pretty mediocre. Mozeliak has put together 10 straight winning seasons with a World Series and built a solid farm system. He hasn’t been perfect, but I think any team would take his body of work in a heartbeat.
Look boys and girls, it’s simple. The Cubs brass won’t deal from their short list of untouchable prospects for a 2 month rental. If they deal from that short list, it’s going to be a multi-year controllable pitcher…
That’s the problem. Cubs already blew through their untouchable list. All they have left is a no one’s really that interested list.