On Tuesday, with help from the top 60 trade candidates list MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams put together last week, we took a look at the movable starters who have outpaced the rest of the pack in K/BB ratio this season. We’ll do the same here with qualified relievers in advance of the July 31 trade deadline…
Sam Dyson, RHP, Giants: K/BB ratio: 7:33
- Dyson’s just two years removed from being left for dead by the Rangers, who traded him to the Giants for a meager package in 2017. The 31-year-old has revived his career in San Francisco, though, and will garner a far better return this time if the Giants move him this month. Dyson has fanned 8.61 per nine innings against just 1.17 walks, induced grounders at a 55.6 percent clip and notched a nearly identical 2.74 ERA/2.73 FIP in 46 innings. Dyson, who’s on a $5MM salary, also comes with another year of arbitration eligibility.
Kirby Yates, RHP, Padres: K/BB ratio: 7.11
- Yates is going to be hard to pry out of San Diego. Multiple reports have indicated the Padres are understandably seeking a king’s ransom in return for the 32-year-old. Since the Padres claimed Yates off waivers from the Angels in April 2017, he has evolved into one of the game’s premier relievers. Yates owns a jaw-dropping 1.10 ERA/1.28 FIP with 14.05 K/9 against 1.98 BB/9 over 41 innings this season, and has made good on 30 of 32 save opportunities. Adding to Yates’ appeal, he’s making an affordable sum ($3,062,500) and under arbitration control for another season.
Will Smith, LHP, Giants: K/BB ratio: 6.22
- There has been widespread interest in Smith, who – along with Dyson – has helped form an imposing late-game setup in San Francisco. Smith has recorded a 2.75 ERA/2.70 FIP with 12.81 K/9 and 2.06 BB/9 in 39 1/3 frames, during which he has converted 24 saves on 26 opportunities. Although Smith’s making a reasonable $4.225MM this season, the 30-year-old would be a rental for another team, as he’s due to hit free agency over the winter. Having charged back into the NL wild-card race of late, the Giants might not be locks to move Smith (or their other vets) on paper. However, they’re reportedly planning to sell in the next two weeks despite their recent hot streak. Smith figures to be in another uniform soon, then.
Ken Giles, RHP, Blue Jays: K/BB ratio: 5.89
- The 28-year-old Giles has dealt with an elbow issue since last weekend, but indications are it isn’t serious. If true, he should hold plenty of value around the deadline. Not only does he make a fair salary ($6.3MM) and come with another season of arbitration control, but the hard-throwing Giles is enjoying a career campaign. The former Phillie and Astro has registered a stunning 1.45 ERA/1.50 FIP with 15.39 K/9 and 2.61 BB/9 in 31 innings. Giles also ranks second among all relievers in swinging-strike percentage (20.4), and has blown just one save in 14 chances.
Tony Watson, LHP, Giants: K/BB ratio: 5.8
- With three Giants on this list, it’s no wonder president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi seems inclined to sell this month in lieu of taking what would likely be a futile run at a wild-card spot. Plus, at 34, Watson’s not exactly a long-term piece for the club. While Watson, who’s making $3.5MM this season, does have a player option for 2020, it’s likely he’ll decline the $2.5MM guarantee in favor of a trip to free agency over the winter. After all, Watson has logged a 3.03 ERA with 6.75 K/9, 1.16 BB/9 and a career-high 13.3 percent swinging-strike rate across 38 2/3 innings this year. On the other hand, Watson’s strikeout rate is a personal low, he’s allowing more home runs than ever (1.4 per nine) and his 4.35 FIP and 4.42 xFIP aren’t the marks of a late-game force. He’s also having an unexpected amount of trouble against lefties, who have lit him up for a .341/.356/.477 line in 2019. There’s a strong argument for the Giants to sell high on Watson.
Dyson is a very underrated arm. hope Klentak eyes him uo specifically
The Phillies need starters more than relievers. This season is lost; even if they make the wild card they are not going far. Save the chips.
Yup
So you’d rather them not go at all? I don’t care if they get demolished by the Dodgers in NLDS. I want these players to get a taste of what post season baseball is in Philadelphia so they come back harder next year.
Also, what chips? Everyone not named Bohm and Stott can go and no one would notice.
Are you implying that professional athletes making millions require motivation to do their best job? Any minor leaguers wanted in a trade are worth keeping. Wasting resources on an exercise in futility is irresponsible and foolish.
No. What would be foolish and irresponsible is passing up the opportunity to return to the post season for the first time in eight years because you don’t want to surrender B-level prospects for binaries big leaguers that will contribute to your roster this year and next.
And no. They don’t need any extra motivation. But getting a taste of the playoffs will only make them want it even more the following year.
*bonafied big leaguers
Bona fide..Latin for “in good faith.”
The goal is winning a championship, not making the playoffs. If the target is a player who could truly help next year, when the Phillies will hopefully have acquired legitimate starting pitching beyond Nola, I concur with you. I would not, however, acquire any rental players.
The goal is to play winning baseball not to throw in the towel
By all means, give full effort. But you have to be realistic when your towel turns out to be a washcloth.
As a baseball fan, I hope no playoff team picks up Giles. Dude is mentally weak.
Stroman and Giles to San Diego for Hunter Renfroe, Cal Quantrill and Hudson Potts.
Team needs an Ace, help for Yates and to break up log-jam in OF.
Jankowski comes back soon & clogs it up even more, esp. with Margot actually playing well.
Blue Jays need starting pitching so Renfroe and Potts would not be what they are looking for. It will talk a couple of your pitching prospects.
Why in the world would the Blue Jays make that trade? Renfroe will be a free agent (not to mention about 30) around the time the Blue Jays are good again. Potts is a 3B, which the Jays don’t need (ever heard of Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.?). Cal Quantril might be of interest to them, but the Padres would have to give up more than just him to land either of Stroman or Giles, much less both.
See the jays being more interested in Jankoski then renfroe, jays are locked at the corner outfield, and all infield positions now other than 1st and possibly catcher (Jansen has a been really good of late) only thing jays really need is any kind of pitching prospect and a potential CF. So don’t been sending no corner outfielder or infilled in a major trade
I think the Padres plan on mixing him and Margot in CF to create a nice speed element to go with Tatis at the top of the order here soon.
I can see the Padres sending more pitching to complete a deal for Stroman and possibly even Giles.
2 of, Morejon, Quantrill, L.Allen or Lawson.
Plus a CF prospect
The Padres are going to need a stabilizer soon, this young rotation is going to run into inning limits and is going to get gassed.
I;d rather go with Reyes, Quantrill, Weingeter for Boyd and Nicholas Castellanos if the Tigers would do this great.
Another fantasy trade by Padre fan
Giants can really do some damage at the deadline and make their minor league system good again!
Mid-season trades rarely yield big returns. They are doing fine with the infusion of talent that has been going on the past couple of seasons.
Tell the Yankees that when they traded Chapman for Glaybar Torres.
Not saying any of the giants relievers are on Chapman’s level, but you might want to check facts before making nonsensical statements
Well Bryce, to Vince’s credit, he did say “rarely”, and Chapman would probably be closer to the rare exception rather than the norm.
Regardless though, I could definitely see the Giants doing really well if they play their cards correctly.
Potentially available, they’ll have Bumgarner, Dyson, Smith, and Watson..Now, the type of prospect they’re able to get in return will heavily depend on who they’re dealing with, the market, and whether or not they’re willing to package together at least two of these pitchers to increase their return.
I could definitely see Bumgarner and Smith bringing back a top 75 prospect, plus some depth, and Dyson and Watson could each return a teams top 7-12 prospect…
So, while it won’t change anything drastically for the Giants, they could certainly, potentially add at least one significant prospect, and four or so intriguing b-level guys.
That’s the outlier. You still make the trades and take the chance. But Vince is right. The reality is the vast majority of prospects don’t pan out.
I didn’t say it was impossible. But, you can only point to one trade. Mid-season trades have been going on for decades. Trading a few relievers isn’t going to make a substantial difference in the Giants farm system.
Smith is on Chapman’s level in turns of production. His numbers are better, stuff isn’t nearly on the same level though.
I’m sorry Vince but I disagree, there have been a number of trades over the years that turned out to be huge players. Now maybe if you’re doing a percentage of the ones that work out to the ones that don’t the ones that become stars is probably a low percentage but they definitely do work out.
Examples: Torres, Wheeler, Bagwell there is a whole article written in 2017 by SI about the previous 10 years of trades and most worked out for both teams.
Konerko for Jeff Shaw
Pedro for Delano Deshields
Carlos Santana for Casey Blake
The first two still sting…
Watson should have a much higher strikeout rate based on his swinging strike rate
All will go elsewhere while the braves stockpile overrated pitching and exit the first round again
Hey Connor. Do a little research. 3 games is not an improbable number to overcome. Teams have overcome worse deficits with only a month to play. The Giants have 66 games left. They just swept the Rockies in Colorado, something that hasn’t been done since 2011. They’ve been scoring over 5 runs a game since June 1st…They may not make the playoffs. But, it is definitely not futile.
The teams ahead of the Giants are a lot better than them and aren’t playing well at the moment. I think what Connor means is that even if they made the Wild Card, they’d likely lose right away or get swept by the Dodgers next round, while watching their trade chips leave in the offseason for nothing.
Outcomes are not etched in stone. There are plenty of times that the ‘better’ teams did not win. Nobody knows what Bumgarner, or Smith, will decide at the end of the season. Bumgarner has been happy in SF, and achieved a lot of success here. He is young enough to go through a rebuild.
Or they may beat the dodgers, they’ve played them well all season.
The Giants are sellers and you’ll see three players gone from their 25 man roster
If the Jays send Stroman and Giles to SD, the best farm system in baseball is going to start vomiting a couple decent prospects. That’s all the jays are after, young SPs and relievers…that’s what that MGMT team did for so long in Cleveland. Trade everything for home grown talent and then enjoy a few years of success before another rebuild.
Bring them both on to SD if Yates is a no!!
Will Smith and Sam Dyson for Carl Edwards Jr., Ian Happ Addisom Russell and Martin Maldonado and a PTBNL
2 for 5. Russell improves the giants at 2nd plus he can play SS and 3rd. Happ can play anywhere but catcher and SS. Edwards is still a reliable reliever that needs a change of scenery. Maldonado is a.good defensive catcher. he can go in the game later. Give posey a rest. All ppl players except Maldonado need a chance of scenery.
I just threw up in my mouth a little after reading that MLB the show like trade proposal lol
It’s a fair trade. Giants get
Nearly 16 years control from 4 of those players..
If your a bleacher bum that means your a Cubs fan how would you not like a trade like that. It helps both teams right now. Help the cubs this year and next…will Smith is a rental dyson has a year and a half of control.
Why would the Giants want any of those guys? None of them are an upgrade.
Russell is an upgrade. Happ plays 6 positions. And they’ve been looking for an outfielder for 9 months.
SF doesn’t need outfielders. we need top pitching prospects and maybe infield. our system is good for outfielders with Ramos, bishop, slater, Duggar, Dickerson, Yaz, and I think well keep pillar for a while. that is a lotta outfield depth. Infield we have Luciano, Wyatt, and Bart but none of them are that close to the majors so we need some depth there. SP is where we are the weakest imo. Relief pitchers, however, we’re golden there.
Cubs fan, right?
Lol the Giants will laugh at that proposal and hang up immediately. You dont get 2 lockdown late-inning relievers with unwanted pieces on your team. Russell is a glove first shortstop with significant off the field issues, Happ got demoted to Triple A this year because he cant hit worth a lick, Edwards absolutely sucked this year and Maldonado is nothing more than a backup/stopgap catcher. Keep dreaming that you are going to get two shutdown relievers with unwanted garbage on your team LOL
Russell is not an improvement over Panik. They have no need for Happ, or Edwards. Vogt is better than Maldonado. Next.
Russell is better in nearly every way possible compared to Joe Panik. Panik is a role player that is on a bad team with no other options. panik isn’t ose to the defense that Russell has..russell has more power too…hes just off to a slow start because of the circumstance. You clearly dont know baseball if you think Joe Panik is better than addison Russell.
Sure Russell may be better than Panik, which isnt saying much given how frequently injured Panik has been. But whoever acquires Russell will have to deal with significant off the field baggage, which honestly, isnt worth it for a shortstop who hasnt shown he can produce an OBP above .330 for a full season and could barely slug .400. Keep dreaming delusional Cubs fan
He doesnt do much because he plays Maybe 2 times a week. Dont give any excuses for panik. He was never that good. Russel is a top 15 as and he can play 2nd and 3rd as well.. he’s a top 10 2B.
The Giants are 2.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. The players Zaidi have added are helping the Giants win. The Giants may not be sellers.
The Giants are sellers and this just boast their prospect haul
Not necessarily! They won’t buy but they may not be big sellers if sellers at all. They have a decent shot at the playoffs and we all know this team has the best postseason roster with Bum, Posey, BCraw, Panda (he hit 3 HRs off Verlander in WS game 1 2012) in his prime, Bochy, and others.
The best postseason roster? 7 years ago maybe
Giants won’t even finish at .500 this year, SELLERS
Yates down to a 1.07
Some kind of nice
Trade Yates now. Our closer of the future throws 104 and is sitting beside him. Package Myers and solve another problem. Jankowski back soon….excess of outfield players. Preller has to earn his pay….now. We are not as good as 5 other teams….stop this stupid playoff talk…keep building.
Unfortunately the Friars have been rebuilding for eleven years when does it stop and when do the finish with at least 87 wins? This team has a ways to go, but shipping out Myers and several prospects for a SP or two middle RP is a good direction to move in. I just hope AJ who is not the best trader does something, this team will not finish at .500, SORRY they look BAD.
That’s a little extreme. They don’t look BAD. Pretty exciting team. They’re young, though. Young teams will have violent swings up and down during the season. 87 wins is coming soon as the pitching settles in. The Padres are set up nicely. AJ has done a great job.