MLB Trade Deadline 2021

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
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Jul 19, 2005
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From a Mariners’ perspective, at first blush I hate it - run differential aside, they’re a game out of a playoff spot and it sure looks like a “white flag” trade the day after a big comeback win (and two days after taking 3 of 4 from their nearest competition). And if you are going to trade Graveman, surely you can do better than Abraham Toro!
 

ThePrideofShiner

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Jul 16, 2005
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Mariners just had an emotional big comeback win last night. They aren't happy with this trade, understandably, but their run differential is pretty bad. Getting a cost-controlled infielder with some potential for a rental reliever seems solid to me. (Joe Smith / Rafael Montero seems like a change of scenery attempt /. maybe salary matching, I'm considering this a 1 for 1 deal.)

View: https://twitter.com/RyanDivish/status/1420158735922520065?s=20

I don't know, man. They haven't been to the playoffs in 20 years!
 

stp130

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From a Mariners’ perspective, at first blush I hate it - run differential aside, they’re a game out of a playoff spot and it sure looks like a “white flag” trade the day after a big comeback win (and two days after taking 3 of 4 from their nearest competition). And if you are going to trade Graveman, surely you can do better than Abraham Toro!
Seriously, M's fans must be pissed. There has to be another turn and/or piece to this deal for the Mariners, right?
 

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
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Jul 19, 2005
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Seriously, M's fans must be pissed. There has to be another turn and/or piece to this deal for the Mariners, right?
The only way it makes sense to me is if DiPoto can include Toro as part of the package for someone else, but we’d have to be talking Trea Turner level.
 

E5 Yaz

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The only way it makes sense to me is if DiPoto can include Toro as part of the package for someone else, but we’d have to be talking Trea Turner level.
Turner was removed from the lineup tonight after one at-bat ... don't know details

edit: twitter suggests possible injury running bases
 

E5 Yaz

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Why would Dipoto say this before ensuring that the succession of moves are all but done? He's hanging himself out to dry if nothing else happens.
 

stp130

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Dipoto sounds like he’s playing the kind of dangerous game Danny Ainge would do sometimes where if you do x and y then z will happen.
Right. If you're going to gamble, why not just gamble that in the next 3 nights a reliever for a contender gets injured and Graveman nets a bigger haul? Seems just as likely.
 

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
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Jul 19, 2005
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Some choice quotes from the Mariners via Divish in the Seattle Times, DiPoto is really out on a limb here:

The vibe on the field before Tuesday’s game was expectedly subdued. The early work from the position players lacked the typical emotion and energy. Many disappeared into the clubhouse immediately.

“An hour ago, it was great,” said one player. “It was probably better than it’s ever been. And now, it’s the worst.”

Multiple pitchers emerged from the clubhouse with tears still in their eyes from saying goodbye to Graveman.

“You should’ve seen it earlier,” said a veteran player about the initial reaction.

Several players opted not to speak on the record about the move, but their anger was palpable. Sources said equipment was broken and smashed while one player “went absolutely mad.”

“Betrayed” was a word used often.

“Are you (expletive) kidding me?” said the same player. “It never changes. They don’t care about winning. How do you trade him and say you care about winning? And you trade him to Houston? It never changes.”
Multiple players felt it was disingenuous for Dipoto to trade a team leader like Graveman at such an emotional time without offering some explanation for it in person. They found out from Graveman and social media.

“He hasn’t come down here,” a player said of Dipoto. “He sits up in his suite, playing fantasy baseball and rips apart our team without telling us anything.”

Another player via text said that “no one has heard a thing.”
But Dipoto felt confident in what would be accomplished before Friday’s deadline.

“This is the first move in what should be a succession of moves over the course of this week that I think will result in the present team looking deeper, and the future team looking deeper, and that’s been the goal throughout,” Dipoto said.

Several players scoffed at the notion.

“Prove it,” one said.
 

Jason Bae

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The Mariners have been very underwhelming in regards to pythag W-L/BaseRuns/WAR/whatever other metric. Even so, they're already 55-46.. They only need to do so much to get to 90 wins, which could very well be enough for a playoff spot. Why not try to get that? This team has been in a rebuild forever, why not try to be the next 2007 D-Backs?
 
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nattysez

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I don't know if the Mariners ownership actually cares what DiPoto is doing, but any kind of rational ownership group would fire the GM after a quote like that. Is there any context in which "this trade will make sense when you see my next moves" is anything but a massive concession of leverage to all of your future trade partners?
 

snowmanny

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Aren't those like their 4 and 6 relievers or something? Cessa seems like a little selling off, but maybe it is almost as much about 40-man roster management? The NYY fans will know better.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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The Gray Eagle

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Does this mean they are selling off???
This is the first move in what should be a succession of moves over the course of this week that Cashman thinks will result in the present team looking deeper, and the future team looking deeper.
 

Hendu for Kutch

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That's pretty stunning and makes me worried about Luzardo's future. A bad half-season seems awfully quick to get rid of someone seen as your future ace unless you think the problems are unfixable.
 

Murderer's Crow

Dragon Wangler 216
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Jul 15, 2005
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Mets GM being interviewed on WFAN said aside from Scherzer, the pitchers being made available are more depth pitchers than top of the rotation pitchers.
 

nattysez

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That's pretty stunning and makes me worried about Luzardo's future. A bad half-season seems awfully quick to get rid of someone seen as your future ace unless you think the problems are unfixable.
Keith Law's take is that Luzardo seems unable to stay healthy and looked lousy against major league batters this year, so the A's cut bait. Between AJ Puk and Luzardo, the A's have had very injury-prone top-level pitching prospects. TINSTAAPP I guess.

https://theathletic.com/2736724/2021/07/28/keith-law-the-as-surprise-us-all-by-trading-young-starter-jesus-luzardo-and-more-trade-breakdowns/?amp#click=https://t.co/8KEzNRPKCX
 

Sad Sam Jones

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White Sox getting Hernandez from Indians.

The White Sox obviously weren't going to give up a future talent to the Indians they think they might later regret, and I wasn't expecting much for Hernandez, but Konnor Pilkington is at least an interesting return… 23-year-old lefty starter with success at AA. He seems like the type of pitcher the Indians target with a solid floor and a ceiling they can raise with some development. Hernandez's attraction was his $6M team option for 2022, but Cleveland was never going to pick that up with the middle infielders they need to audition. I assume this means Andres Gimenez gets another extended shot in the majors, but Gabriel Arias (from the Mike Clevinger trade) is also on the 40-man and has heated up over the past month.