It was on this day in 1916 that one of the biggest trades in early baseball history was finalized, as the Indians acquired superstar center fielder Tris Speaker from the Red Sox for right-hander “Sad” Sam Jones, minor leaguer Fred Thomas, and $55K in cash considerations. A salary dispute prompted the move, as the Sox wanted Speaker to take a pay cut following something of a down year (.322/.416/411 over 653 PA) by his huge standards in 1915. While the two teams agreed to the swap a few days prior to April 12, it wasn’t officially completed until Speaker received a reported $10K bonus to agree to play for Cleveland, a bonus Speaker demanded be personally paid by Red Sox owner Joseph Lannin.
While the Sox were criticized for the trade, they weren’t exactly hurt in the short term, as Boston went on to win the World Series in both 1916 and 1918 — Jones posting a 2.25 ERA in the latter season to play a big role in the championship run. Speaker, meanwhile, had plenty of great baseball left in him, as he hit .354/.444/.520 over 6634 plate appearances with the Tribe from 1916-26, and also served as Cleveland’s manager for the last eight of those seasons. Speaker’s time with the Indians was highlighted by a World Series victory in 1920, the first title in franchise history.
Some notes from around the modern baseball world…
- Though the Blue Jays loaded up on arms this offseason, team president/CEO Mark Shapiro still feels “pitching, pitching and more pitching” is his club’s biggest need. In a Q&A conversation with The Athletic’s Jim Bowden (subscription required), Shapiro noted that Toronto’s splashy $80MM signing of Hyun-Jin Ryu was partially based on that need, since “we have more position players than pitchers that are major-league ready to impact and we needed more balance.” Another factor, however, was the internal confidence amongst the Jays’ current core roster “that they are closer to winning than people think.” This is one of many topics addressed during the interview, as Shapiro also discussed issues as rule changes, how baseball could adapt to a shortened season, and how he is coping with trying to run an organization with everyone staying at home.
- Also of note was Shapiro’s mention that “more of a traditional center fielder” was the Blue Jays’ second-biggest need, though “we have lots of outfielders and we would like to give them an opportunity before adding to that mix.” Randal Grichuk is slated for the bulk of center field duty, though Teoscar Hernandez, Derek Fisher, Anthony Alford, and perhaps even Cavan Biggio could all get some time up the middle. While Grichuk is mostly thought of as a right fielder, he has actually amassed almost as many innings in center (1988 1/3) as he has in right (2196 2/3) over his MLB career, though defensive metrics are somewhat split on which is his better position. UZR/150 and Statcast’s Outs Above Average favor Grichuk’s work in right field, while the Defensive Runs Saved metric prefers his glovework in center field.
- With this year’s amateur draft slated for only between 5-10 rounds, many top high school prospects could opt to attend college or junior college, while some college seniors could take their renewed year of NCAA eligibility and instead enter the 2021 draft. Other youngsters, however, will opt to begin their pro careers, which MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo notes will likely lead to a huge free agent market of available amateur talent. Teams can’t spend more than $20K to sign any undrafted amateur, so a host of other factors could impact whether or not a player chooses one particular team over others offering the same dollar figure, as executives, agents, and players tell Cotillo. These factors range from the relationship between a team’s scout and the player, a player choosing a team close to his hometown and family, or perhaps even a club strategically drafting one prospect in order to draft another. As one scouting director put it, “If we draft a kid in the fourth round, do we have a better shot at signing his buddy?“
- “Team officials and player agents are bracing for what they expect to be a dramatic shift in the financial landscape if the sport is shut down for the season,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required), which could mean particular concern for teams with major long-term salary commitments on their books. Clubs like the Angels, Padres, and Rockies are in this camp, while teams with less money committed beyond the next season or two — such as the Giants, Rangers, Mariners, or Dodgers — are in a bit better position. Of course, the coming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations are “the industry X factor” in all financial forecasts.
LouisianaAstros
Wanted to see this season for one reason.
Who was going to break out first
Chicago WS or Toronto
I really liked some of what the Blue Jays had going on.
dimitrios in la
You feel the Jays are ready to break out?
jkinser20
I do for sure. Maybe not good enough to compete with TB or the Yankees but I could see them being in the hunt for, or winning a wildcard spot. There’s so much talent on that roster that they certainly have the potential to all breakout at once and surprise a lot of people.
LouisianaAstros
Saw it with the Astros in 2015.
Young teams have a sense of pride. If you see one of the young hitters break out the others could follow.
The question is do they have that young hitter or two to break out.
I do think the 2 vets can provide solid at bats.
The Blue Jays if healthy could have a decent rotation. Enough to win 80-85 games.
its_happening
Unlike the Blue Jays, the Astros had the luxury of drafting 1st and 2nd overall for a bunch of years in a row. Comparing the two is nonsense.
The Blue Jays have a big problem area that 2020 was going to address; team defense. The young players were coming along offensively, but we need to find out if guys can play certain positions. Until then, 80-85 games would have been a best-case scenario and certainly 85 with a buzzer system under their shirts.
astros2017
The only players taken #1 or #2 overall on the Astros are Correa and Bregman. Yes, they make a huge difference (the few times Correa is healthy) but for this argument they actually are a good comparison
ReverieDays
That rotation is much closer to being bad than decent and their bullpen is a dumpster fire. They aren’t close.
its_happening
No it’s not Astros but thanks for trying. The Blue Jays are far from being compared to the Houston Astros at this point. Since there really hasn’t been much of a comparison to begin with I do not know how, without evidence, you can support a baseless statement. The Blue Jays are closer to the 2014 Astros, and even that would be a bit off.
jimmertee
The Jays rotation might have started off well but there is only two pitchers worth anything in it: Ryu and Borucki if healthy . The rest are trade fodder or bullpen material.
shimmy_rosenbloom
I like what TOR did this offseason and how they’re building.
BigB
Just for accuracy. I believe there w
as an all Chicago World Series in 1906.
everlastingdave
I just wanted to see how the Sox would stack up against the Twins- and if the Marlins would find a young position player or two- but yeah, basically same.
Appalachian_Outlaw
Toronto has some outstanding young pieces, but I think Chicago is closer, if you’re defining breaking out as being a post season contender. They added some thump, and play in the easier division.
Gettin greedy
As a Cubs fan and fan of Chicago sports in general I am/was looking forward to what the young Sox could do this season as well.
Strike Four
Jays are still not contending in the next 18 months, but after that – finding an elite OF out of their current bunch would help – they’re looking really good for 2022.
Joeypower
So cleveland has been cheap since back waaay back lol
Strike Four
Almost all teams have this same story.
Anytime anyone says “(insert whatever media narrative of the day) ruined baseball” its hilariously wrong, as team owners have always, ONLY been the ones who have ruined teams by purposely being cheap and refusing to take a financial loss they could easily afford.
Kewldood69
Why did they give Randal Grichuk that extension?
All American Johnsonville Dogs
Good question.
Better question is I wonder if the Padres and Jays have had talks centered around Wil Myers for Randall Grichuk
Myers could be put at 1B for the Jays and Grichuk can fill in for CF for the time being for Padres.
Myers is owed around 67.5 mill over the next 3 years. Grichuk is owed around 40 mil over the next 4 years. Padres toss in other assets, mainly pitching, to offset the jays taking on 27.5 mill, but get out a year earlier.
Something like
Wil Myers, Michael Baez, Gerardo Reyes, and Ronald Bolanos for Randall Grichuk.
Padres get out of Myers contract
Jays get pen help and a SP prospect for their trouble. while ridding themselves of Grichuk and get out from Myers contract after 2022.
downsr30
1. Finding a player of Myers’s caliber to play 1B isn’t hard, therefore inheriting any negative financial implications doesn’t make much sense.
2. Sure, the prospects would offset some of the contract burden of Myers, but those guys are not enough a deal breaker to justify it.
3. Makes little to no sense for Padres. They’d be better off holding Myers and his bat contract. Better yet, they should deal him for a bad pitcher contract
All American Johnsonville Dogs
Sticking Myers at 1st wasn’t meant to be some long term solution. His most durable seasons came when he was at 1st. If youre paying a guy 20 mill he should be playing, if healthy. 1st was just an easy destination to put him as he’s proven he can’t stay in the OF.
Bad pitcher contract isnt a bad idea. Price and Myers was a possibility before Price was dealt to the Dodgers.
What other bad pitcher contracts are there currently where the team would have a place for myers.?
Yu Darvish is up there, but cubs have more need for pitching and really nowhere to play Myers.
Nathan Eovaldi? 3 years 51 mill left for Eovaldi. and Red Sox can just stick Myers at 1st. Money is closer and picking up some pitching would be good for the red sox. Padres could also take Jackie Bradley Jr back. Idk how far down the tax line they are, but clearing 28 mill for 2020 couldnt hurt.
Miles Mikolas? He’s got 4 years 65 mill .left, but idk what the cardinals do with Myers.
Rockies have a trio of unproductive pitchers on bad contracts in Davis, McGhee, and Shaw, but again where would Rockies play Myers.
LouisianaAstros
If Red Sox would give Eovaldi for Myers that is a steal
Eovaldi has A stuff but he can’t stay healthy
I doubt the RS looking to unload him
jimthegoat
I could see a Wil Myers for Nathan Eovaldi framework working out for both teams. Maybe Eovaldi for Myers, Cal Quantrill, Ryan Weathers and Charlis Aquino, no kicker?
jbigz12
You can scratch Mikolas, who is actually productive off that list. Deal is definitely a bit underwater but 180-200 innings of high 3/low 4 baseball is worth a heck of a lot more than Wil Myers and some b prospects.
jbigz12
Eovaldi for Myers plus 2 pretty good prospects? Bloom would be an idiot not to take that. Quantrill would be his #4 starter tomorrow.
I doubt seriously that you’d get that much for an always hurt Eovaldi. I was foolishly aboard the hype train for Eovaldi after the post season as well. But at some point you have to look at the body of the work. Dude is never healthy—he’s had great stuff his entire career and can never consistently put it together. He can look really good for stretches of time but for one reason or another it doesn’t stick.
I think Weathers is too good of a prospect alone to add. I’d start at Quantrill and add lesser prospects than Weathers from there.
Javia
The Padres have no RF to replace Myers and they have lots of young pitchers coming up with no space in the rotation. They are not going to make this trade. It would just make the situation worse. If they aren’t getting rid of Myer’s money they aren’t gaining anything. They won’t give up 2 quality pitching prospects just to make themselves worse.
jimthegoat
@Javia Wil Myers wouldn’t even get a major league contract if he were a free agent this offseason. How is getting rid of him “making themselves worse?”
LouisianaAstros
They are pretty comfortable with Travis Shaw at 1B
Like what was said an above average hitter at 1B is easy to find.
jimmertee
Travis Shaw is about done. The Jays need to face the music. Vlad jr can’t play 3rd so he has to be moved to first. He shares Dh duties with Tellez and Hernandez.
Ejemp2006
No one is helping the Padres and taking on Myers, especially since it came out that he has a bad attitude to go with his dead bat.
All American Johnsonville Dogs
Link to the bad attitude? I’m curious to read that report. Only one that came up in google was from 2014 mentioning an incident prior to 2014 when Myers was will with the royals.
royalsreview.com/2014/12/23/7441077/wil-myers-may-…
MikeEmbletonSmellsBad
@All American Johnsonville Dogs you just answered your own question. You’re bad at this.
<- Knows More Than You Do
Are you saying an incident from 6+ years ago means Myers has a bad attitude in 2020?
You’re reaching pretty hard for that one Embleton.
That’s just dumb to assume that without more recent incidents, within the past 2 years. Just like Hader getting in trouble for tweets he posted years ago in high school.
Javia
Maybe you should actually read the article Mike. It actually refutes the notion that he has a bad attitude.
MikeEmbletonSmellsBad
Hey people still say Mat Latos has a bad attitude because of stuff that happened when he was a prospect.
And there was that incident from 2018 where he was talking smack about Andy Green on Carlos Asuaje’s Twitch stream and didn’t know that he was being recorded.
its_happening
Mat Latos had a bad diet.
its_happening
All American Jax doesn’t have a better question, so ignore him.
The reason Grichuk was given the extension is because certain members of the Blue Jays organization is very high on Grichuk’s potential. Some believe he can reach that potential. And they wanted a face of the franchise for a couple years as the young players came up to Toronto.
He’s a very good athlete, has power. But there was no reason for the extension.
<- Knows More Than You Do
Wanted a face of the franchise? That’s a stretch to explain the extension.
Grichuk signed the extension somewhere around April 2. Almost 3 weeks later the Blue Jay called up Vlad Guerrero Jr. Even as a prospect, many consider the face of the franchise to be Impaler Jr given his historical prospect grade and bloodlines.
At the very least, grichuk was given an extension to keep him around as a veteran presence in the clubhouse on an otherwise young roster.
its_happening
There are more layers to the extension. Yes it was signed early April – and it takes the pressure off the young players. And yes, the face of the franchise because Toronto is trying to appeal to women as well as men. Catch my drift?
Leadership hasn’t been a label to stick with Grichuk so the whole veteran presence part is a bit of a stretch. Grichuk’s talent is well-respected by the organization and they believe he can turn the corner the way Encarnacion and Bautista did. Now, a big season would make Grichuk an attractive trade piece down the road. However, the organization may look at said big season as a sign of things to come. With the young talent coming up they hope Grichuk can reach his potential, and the extension is part of that hope.
<- Knows More Than You Do
I did not say leadership.
I did say veteran presence in the clubhouse.
The two are not synonyms for one another. You can be a veteran presence and not be a leader or voice in the clubhouse.
After trading Kevin Pillar the Jays locked up Grichuk almost immediately.
Could of been uncertainty regarding their young crop of young outfielders.
Untapped potential =/= face of the franchise. I did not disagree on the investment in his potential. But the face of the franchise idea was laughable.
its_happening
Veteran = he better bring leadership. I skipped a step for you. With this team, Grichuk has to be.
Uncertain or not, Grichuk didn’t deserve the extension and should have been a trade piece.
If he’s not the face of the franchise then why has his face been prominently featured in Blue Jays advertising over the last year? If you live outside of Canada you wouldn’t have a clue. Since the callups that hasn’t stopped. Slowed yes, not stopped.
What is laughable is having the audacity to say you know more about anything. Aside from a nice little picture I’d say you’re just average.
Ejemp2006
Hats off to MLBTR for keeping up the articles and helping us all through this trying time.
jorge78
Love these shots of history!
Appalachian_Outlaw
I can’t imagine hitting .322 and being asked to take a pay cut, in an era where batting average carried so much weight.
jdgoat
Someone was way ahead of their time when it came to OPS or slugging.
Tim_Buck-Two
I remember watching Grichuk as a Cardinal he was a really good defender. Reminded me of Jim Edmonds, just not as good offensively. When he first came up it seemed his ceiling was so high. Still a good player, would have been a great player if he coulda figured out pitch recognition a little more. Was sad to see him traded, thought the front office gave up on him to soon.
LouisianaAstros
I have seen a lot of good young baseball players.
Grichuk in high school was up there. Knew he was going to be a major leaguer.
Even more so than Matt Carpenter who I also saw in High School.
In terms of how good that is still on him. I wouldn’t say he has had a bad career but not to the All Star level yet.
But he is capable of having 2-3 great years if he can get better plate discipline.
Truthfully think that could come with better production around him.
wild bill tetley
Most players would arguably be better if surrounded by better talent. As you said, he lacks plate discipline. This is not a guy in his early 20’s in his second or third season. He is almost 30 and hasn’t figured it out. At this point his claim to fame was landing that extension and being drafted ahead of Mike Trout.
agentp
It’s looking like May 1st is turning into a reality! Let’s PLAY BALL!
Or we can continue reading about the dead-ball era and how good Wally Pipp was and how he scouted and was responsible for helping to discover Lou Gehrig, and how a guy nicknamed Home Run, a guy who had a lengthy career amassing less than 100 career home runs, shared a bench with Babe Ruth at one point.
That must’ve been an uncomfortable locker-room when the Sultan of Swat moniker was donned by Ruth. I’ll see myself out…
dynamite drop in monty
Your schtick is just boring now.
whyhayzee
Tris Speaker was one of the all-time greats. Leave it to the Red Sox to trade him. At least they didn’t bite on the Yaz for Tom Tresh rumors. It’s a rainy day in paradise. Windy, too.
mrgreenjeans
So tired of old news, negative buster Olney.. the season is not going to be banged.. we are 8 straight days of less cases and less deaths.. the UU reached its peak a few days ago.. my gosh.. so many dooms day people .. enough .. we will have Mlb games by July 1st at the latest .. still get 100-120 games in
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Citing the evidence that social distancing works as the reason to end it…
Curious logic.
dynamite drop in monty
The unbridled selfishness of some people has really come into focus during this trying time.
baji kimran
The Red Sox owner who traded Speaker wasn’t the same one who traded Ruth a couple years later. There must have been some hard times there moneywise for someone.
CKinSTL
Anyone interested in that Speaker deal, check out Jeremy Feador’s twitter account. He is the team historian for the Indians and just started a podcast. He just covered the Speaker deal in episode 2.