Who to buy at the trade deadline?

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Olney on STL radio said the Marlins are open for business on Luzardo right now.

He's definitely a target, but for a lot of teams and the Marlins will likely get something close to a Teel, Mayer, Anthony in return and I'd rather the Sox not deal any of that mix.
I think Flaherty is a more likely and cheaper target- and IMO, they really just need to shore up the rotation for a possible injury and/or tired arms into August/September. Adding Flaherty could turn the rotation into a 6 man without a weak link and still have Wiinckowski ready.
I don't see the need for the RHH- we have one in O'Neill right now.
I'd look more for a 3-team deal sending Jensen to a team with the need for him and getting receiving team to spin prospects and some of the 40-man crunch prospects to build up more high upside arms in the Crawford, Houck mold (neither had any "rotation anchor" buzz about them) that may have spent some time on a ML roster for an appearance or two. Basically looking for a stealth starter in a deal that wouldn't require any of the top guys as future depth.

 

[dynomite]

He's definitely a target, but for a lot of teams and the Marlins will likely get something close to a Teel, Mayer, Anthony in return and I'd rather the Sox not deal any of that mix.
I think Flaherty is a more likely and cheaper target- and IMO, they really just need to shore up the rotation for a possible injury and/or tired arms into August/September. Adding Flaherty could turn the rotation into a 6 man without a weak link and still have Wiinckowski ready.
I don't see the need for the RHH- we have one in O'Neill right now.
I'd look more for a 3-team deal sending Jensen to a team with the need for him and getting receiving team to spin prospects and some of the 40-man crunch prospects to build up more high upside arms in the Crawford, Houck mold (neither had any "rotation anchor" buzz about them) that may have spent some time on a ML roster for an appearance or two. Basically looking for a stealth starter in a deal that wouldn't require any of the top guys as future depth.

I agree with a lot of this.

I hope the Sox check in on Luzardo so long as Mayer/Anthony/Teel are off the table. Given the state of the Marlins, Cespedes could fit their next contention window and he's (hopefully) blocked at SS and 2B (where SoxProspects thinks he'll likely end up) long-term by the emergence of Mayer and Grissom anyway. If a package headlined by him isn't enough, I'm fine moving on to less expensive options, but it's worth seeing how the Marlins view him.

Re-RHH, I do think they need another one if they're going to grab a WC spot and advance. Per MLB.com, our RHH this season have the 19th OPS in MLB at .676. Fortunately there's a lot of RHH who could represent an upgrade.

 

[grimshaw]

There's no world in which the Sox give up Mayer/Anthony/Teel for a 3 month rental, so if that's the price I'm obviously out.*

As for why the Sox would go after a rental SP, it would be because Giolito and Whitlock are both lost for the season, and the front office thinks him being in the rotation gives them a better chance to grab a Wild Card spot (and advance in the playoffs) than Criswell. Criswell has been an enormously pleasant surprise, but Flaherty's FIP is a full run lower at 2.99.

* BTV calculator is now $25/year, so I can't see what they say is the value there, but the Blue Jays and Dodgers are free this week, so for a rough comparison Kikuchi -- another rental SP -- is worth 16 in value, which slightly less than the Dodger's #3 prospect in Josue de Paula (19 yo OF in A ball, #82 in MLB per MLB.com) and slightly more than their #5 prospect River Ryan (25 yo RHP in AAA, not in top 100). For comparison, Mayer, Teel, and Anthony are all ranked top 30.

Ya, I'm skeptical of the price for Flaherty being sky high, but every season is different and not every GM is an equally skilled negotiator
Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton went to the Rangers for their 11th and 14th rated prospects respectively last season and a reliever throw in.

Scherzer went straight up for an FV 45

The Guardians dealt Aaron Civale and his 2+ seasons of control straight up for Kyle Manzardo, an FV 45 and Civale was having a good season.
None of the above were or are top 100 prospects though that could change.

The White Sox traded Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez for a Kyle Teel type in Edgar Quero and a decent 2nd prospect. Maybe that's in the ballpark of what the Tigers could look for but that's not apples to apples either.

Makes the Mets getting the #55 ranked prospect and another solid one for Verlander look more like an outlier.
I'm obviously saying no if the Tigers ask for something along those lines.

 

[Fishy1]

I would absolutely give up one of the M/A/T group for Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is only 26, fantastic K/BB, fantastic stuff, and you can never have enough pitching.

I mean, I'm excited about Mayer, Teel, and Anthony, but none of them are guaranteed things. Now, a pitcher's arm can fall off... but Luzardo has already been worth 7.1 WAR in his last three seasons. Mayer, Teel, and Anthony may not even stick in the big leagues. None of them have proven anything past AA.

Not to say they can't be successful major leaguers, but Luzardo has been really good for his last 58 major league starts and is still only 26. You bet on a guy like that over a prospect with a couple of great tools but, in the case of Teel and Anthony, K rates that might limit their success.

In my view, Anthony is the one to move. Mayer and Teel are at premium positions where offense is harder to come by, and Anthony is a right-fielder going forward with a fantastic pedigree but the worst K rates of the bunch. His profile also looks really similar to Abreu's: great discipline and good pop, with tough whiff rates -- and that might make him more expendable.

Then again, as others have pointed out, the price may just not be that high. We might not have to deal one of them, we might be able to ship off somebody less highly ranked.

 

[Yelling At Clouds]

Re-RHH, I do think they need another one if they're going to grab a WC spot and advance. Per MLB.com, our RHH this season have the 19th OPS in MLB at .676. Fortunately there's a lot of RHH who could represent an upgrade.

Plus if you’re the forward-looking type, ATM all bat left-handed, so if you’re planning on inserting them into a 2025 or ‘26 lineup with Devers, Casas, and Duran… you might want another RHH or two in that scenario.

 

[Yo La Tengo]

It is frustrating to consider potential trades for starting pitching and then to look at Imanaga and Lugo and even Lorenzen putting up great/good numbers on incredibly affordable contracts. Obviously Snell has not panned out yet and Montgomery has been a C- but for those of us pushing for the Sox to sign another starter, it sucks to see the prospects needed to make a trade now just a few months later.

 

[jon abbey]

I would absolutely give up one of the M/A/T group for Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is only 26, fantastic K/BB, fantastic stuff, and you can never have enough pitching.

It doesn't matter so much but the Yankees absolutely batter Luzardo, 17 ERs allowed in 3 career appearances, 18.36 ERA, most of that in 2023 and 2024.

 

[Fishy1]

It is frustrating to consider potential trades for starting pitching and then to look at Imanaga and Lugo and even Lorenzen putting up great/good numbers on incredibly affordable contracts. Obviously Snell has not panned out yet and Montgomery has been a C- but for those of us pushing for the Sox to sign another starter, it sucks to see the prospects needed to make a trade now just a few months later.

I mean, on the other hand, this team has a lot of young, cost-controlled starting pitching. Crawford, Houck, Bello are all extremely affordable. Pivetta is a good starter, and Criswell has shown he can hang. They've got Winckowski stretching out in the minor leagues too. Fitts hasn't been great at AAA, unfortunately.

So can you add somebody to that mix and bump Criswell? Absolutely. But would that be the priority right now? I don't know. Seems like upgrading the Yoshida-Cooper-Smith poo poo platter would be a greater priority.

 

[simplicio]

I would absolutely give up one of the M/A/T group for Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is only 26, fantastic K/BB, fantastic stuff, and you can never have enough pitching.

I mean, I'm excited about Mayer, Teel, and Anthony, but none of them are guaranteed things. Now, a pitcher's arm can fall off... but Luzardo has already been worth 7.1 WAR in his last three seasons. Mayer, Teel, and Anthony may not even stick in the big leagues. None of them have proven anything past AA.

Not to say they can't be successful major leaguers, but Luzardo has been really good for his last 58 major league starts and is still only 26. You bet on a guy like that over a prospect with a couple of great tools but, in the case of Teel and Anthony, K rates that might limit their success.

In my view, Anthony is the one to move. Mayer and Teel are at premium positions where offense is harder to come by, and Anthony is a right-fielder going forward with a fantastic pedigree but the worst K rates of the bunch. His profile also looks really similar to Abreu's: great discipline and good pop, with tough whiff rates -- and that might make him more expendable.

Then again, as others have pointed out, the price may just not be that high. We might not have to deal one of them, we might be able to ship off somebody less highly ranked.

I'd have been way more interested in Luzardo before the season started and the new pitching group proved they can turn Cooper Criswells into better-than-Luzardos. So now if Breslow does target him, then fine, I'm all in and accept the demands. But do we need to?

 

[dynomite]

I would absolutely give up one of the M/A/T group for Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo is only 26, fantastic K/BB, fantastic stuff, and you can never have enough pitching.

Right, not too many 26 yo SPs with Luzardo's pedigree are available these days. At this point I already have faith in Breslow/Bailey/et als evaluation of pitchers in particular, so if they decide to give up a haul for cost-controlled Luzardo I'll be happy.

Plus if you’re the forward-looking type, ATM all bat left-handed, so if you’re planning on inserting them into a 2025 or ‘26 lineup with Devers, Casas, and Duran… you might want another RHH or two in that scenario.

Right. Which makes a longer term add appealing. That said, re Rooker, he's a hilarious and insightful social media presence and a joy to watch hit when he's on, but he's got his flaws. He won't come cheap, he strikes out a ton (32%, would be highest rate on the team), and I don't think his .373 BABIP this season is here to stay.

There's some cheaper RHH the Sox could bring on board:

- 1B Josh Bell: If heavily subsidized by Miami (due $14M this season) he's a switch hitter and would likely be a significant upgrade at the plate over Smith/Cooper.
- UTL Brandon Drury: I've explained elsewhere, I think better days are ahead (like a Beatles lyric, they couldn't get much worse!)
- Old friend (pun intended) DH Justin Turner: If the Blue Jays sell, he probably won't cost much, but he fell off a cliff this month and might not be able to hit RHP anymore
- Old friend (pun intended) DH JD Martinez: Mets are 21-28 and face some hard choices in July with their $300M payroll -- Alonso is a dark horse for biggest name to be moved, Severino/Quintana are due a combined $26M this season (yuck), etc.

 

[bosockboy]

I'd have been way more interested in Luzardo before the season started and the new pitching group proved they can turn Cooper Criswells into better-than-Luzardos. So now if Breslow does target him, then fine, I'm all in and accept the demands. But do we need to?

Probably need a lot bigger sample size on Criswell before those type declarations.

 

[simplicio]

Probably need a lot bigger sample size on Criswell before those type declarations.

Would you take a sample size of the staff as a whole as an acceptable number? Criswell was just one individual example.

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

In my view, Anthony is the one to move.

First, I want to say to Fishy here that maybe he didn't do this... and he makes a good point regarding defense positions..... but this board is crazy when it comes to it's prospects. Maybe 3 months ago, Anthony was the untouchable one and half the board thought that Mayer was the expendable one. Bleis was the untouchable one...... it's just a laughable carousel of the latest highly rated prospect who has struggled for a bit. I wish I could find a graph charting who is struggling in the farm and who is suddenly the expendable one and I'm 100% certain those lines will be converging.
But they could all be correct too. Maybe Lugo has actually turned into the guy who we'd better not trade. I mean, Mookie Betts wasn't exactly a "can't miss" prospect most of his time in the minors. He was a late bloomer, and there's been plenty of young prospects that get the "Next A-Rod, Andruw Jones, etc...." but then fade away as they move up the minors ladder.
I'm just more confident now in finding someone that won't cost any of those guys that could be the next Crawford. I imagine most teams have a few guys that Bailey can squint and see something that just a tweak or two will make him much better. And might cost only something like Nick Yorke (speaking of guys who were once untouchables).

 

[Cassvt2023]

Plus if you’re the forward-looking type, ATM all bat left-handed, so if you’re planning on inserting them into a 2025 or ‘26 lineup with Devers, Casas, and Duran… you might want another RHH or two in that scenario.

And Abreu.

 

[sean1562]

Does Luzardo significantly improve our chances in the next two and a half years? His performance is more or less what we hope for out of Bello, no? If we are worried about pitching depth for future seasons, why not try and sign Burnes away from the Orioles during free agency for nothing but money? Trading one of our big three plus others for a guy that would be our 4/5 starter this year and could blow his arm out at any moment seems like an unwise attempt to accelerate this team’s contention window.

 

[Yaz4Ever]

So long as we don’t trade Swihart. I’m on board of pursuing Luzardo

 

[bosockboy]

Does Luzardo significantly improve our chances in the next two and a half years? His performance is more or less what we hope for out of Bello, no? If we are worried about pitching depth for future seasons, why not try and sign Burnes away from the Orioles during free agency for nothing but money? Trading one of our big three plus others for a guy that would be our 4/5 starter this year and could blow his arm out at any moment seems like an unwise attempt to accelerate this team’s contention window.

You’ve missed the last few offseasons. Henry isn’t handing out 250 million to any pitcher.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Does Luzardo significantly improve our chances in the next two and a half years? His performance is more or less what we hope for out of Bello, no? If we are worried about pitching depth for future seasons, why not try and sign Burnes away from the Orioles during free agency for nothing but money? Trading one of our big three plus others for a guy that would be our 4/5 starter this year and could blow his arm out at any moment seems like an unwise attempt to accelerate this team’s contention window.

Of course Luzardo significantly improves the team over the next 2.5 years. What would be wrong with having two guys performing like we hope Bello will (or better)? Luzardo is three years younger than Burnes and is already under control through 2026. There'd be no need to sign him through 2034 just to lock in the next two seasons and an extension could still be on the table if they want to sign him longer term. And obviously, trading for him doesn't preclude the Sox from pursuing Burnes as a free agent anyway. Also, his being left-handed is a plus IMO given the Sox have no lefties in the rotation or in the pipeline (unless you count Walter and Murphy).

I'm not going to go all in on trading for Luzardo, but I don't think giving up one of the "big three" to get him is an unbreachable barrier.

 

[simplicio]

You’ve missed the last few offseasons. Henry isn’t handing out 250 million to any pitcher.

Speier had an AMA toward the end of the offseason when everyone was still tearing their hair out about not getting Montgomery, and he mentioned Burnes specifically, multiple times, as someone who's stuff they liked (in contrast to JM). I think I wouldn't write him off entirely due to that alone.

 

[Sad Sam Jones]

The Guardians dealt Aaron Civale and his 2+ seasons of control straight up for Kyle Manzardo, an FV 45 and Civale was having a good season.
None of the above were or are top 100 prospects though that could change.

Manzardo was a consensus top 100 prospect who was nearly MLB ready when he was traded.
2023: BA #60 / MLB #73 / BP #81
2024: MLB #59 / BP #37

It's looking like a really good deal for Cleveland at this point.

 

[chrisfont9]

Speier had an AMA toward the end of the offseason when everyone was still tearing their hair out about not getting Montgomery, and he mentioned Burnes specifically, multiple times, as someone who's stuff they liked (in contrast to JM). I think I wouldn't write him off entirely due to that alone.

Yeah, and the $250m figure is a straw man. Sure, the Sox showed that they aren't going to take huge risks on all manner of attractive-sounding SPs, but the Devers contract alone shows that there's always an exception. The number goes up as the risk goes down, probably? And with pitchers, the risk factor will always be at least somewhat in tension. We'll see.

 

[nvalvo]

Plus if you’re the forward-looking type, ATM all bat left-handed, so if you’re planning on inserting them into a 2025 or ‘26 lineup with Devers, Casas, and Duran… you might want another RHH or two in that scenario.

Exactly: Grissom, Wong, Hamilton, and Rafaela are the RHH side of the ball club for the near future. There's upside there, but... you see why I'm shopping for an RHH DH.

(O'Neill is a guy I would be delighted to have on a reasonable deal, but I expect he will have a shot at more money than I think I'd want to commit to a player with his track record. But if I'm wrong about that, he could be an option, too.)

As much for my own edification as yours, here are all of our RHH position prospects that Sox Prospects included in their top 30. We have some very exciting homegrown RHH, but they are all either years out or have bigger question marks than the typical prospect.

SP Ranking	Name	Defensive Position	Age/Level	SP ETA	Comment
4	Miguel Bleis	All over the OF, perhaps plus in CF	20/A	2026	Back on track after the shoulder surgery. Waiting on the return of the power.
5	Yoeilin Cespedes	IF	18/FCL	2027	This guy gets Acuña comps: muscular build on a compact frame, plus speed, plus power, plus contact. Maybe our highest-ceiling'ed prospect, but so much can happen with players who aren barely even stateside.
9	Nazzan Zanatello	SS/CF	19/A	Late 2027	Injuries have slowed him out of the gate.
11	Nick Yorke	2B/LF	22/AA	2025	Questions about contact rate on a hit-over-power player.... *yikes*
13	Chase Meidroth	IF	22/AAA	Early 2025	NO POWER TO SPEAK OF limits his upside, and there are questions if his elite batting eye would play with human umpiring. Bench upside.
14	Allan Castro	OF	21/A+	2026	Switch hitter.
15	Johanfran García	C	19/A	2027	Just suffered a pretty rough knee injury, but he was DESTROYING the Carolina league in the early going. Extremely exciting.
17	Blaze Jordan	1B/3B	21/AA	2025	Not really a prospect IMO: at some point, a bat-first player has to hit.
20	Kristian Campbell	2B/LF	21/A+	2026	.900 OPS in Greenville while posting exit velocities at 21 that would be decent for a MLB slugger in his late 20s. This guy is my prospect binky; I think he's our DH of the future.
22	Franklin Arias	SS, reportedly at a high level	18/FCL	2028	Who knows?
26	Antonio Anderson	IF, probably 3B	18/A	Late 2027	Switch hitter. Hasn't really hit yet in limited pro experience, but the tools look good.
Honorable Mention (SP 35)	Jhostynxon Garcia	OF	21/A	No ETA	Johanfran's older brother, also destroying the Carolina league, but older and with less defensive value.

The comments are my own editorializing, but it's notable that there are three guys with near-term ETAs, and they are all not exactly people I'm planning on. I mean Blaze Jordan can take over the Bobby Dalbec memorial 40-man slot.

Still, this exercise makes me think that it might make more sense to target RHH with 2–4 years of control. We don't necessarily need a Mayo type with rookie eligibility if we don't match up perfectly in trade, because by 2026 we should have cavalry arriving in whichever of Bleis, Campbell, Castro, and maybe even Cespedes (he's crazy young, but that kind of player can move fast if it comes together) have clicked.

Maybe there's an opportunity to spin a few of our departing FA to contenders for a few decent prospects and offer Oakland those plus a couple of ours for a Brent Rooker. A more modest move of that kind.

 

[YTF]

There's some cheaper RHH the Sox could bring on board:

- 1B Josh Bell: If heavily subsidized by Miami (due $14M this season) he's a switch hitter and would likely be a significant upgrade at the plate over Smith/Cooper.
- UTL Brandon Drury: I've explained elsewhere, I think better days are ahead (like a Beatles lyric, they couldn't get much worse!)
- Old friend (pun intended) DH Justin Turner: If the Blue Jays sell, he probably won't cost much, but he fell off a cliff this month and might not be able to hit RHP anymore
- Old friend (pun intended) DH JD Martinez: Mets are 21-28 and face some hard choices in July with their $300M payroll -- Alonso is a dark horse for biggest name to be moved, Severino/Quintana are due a combined $26M this season (yuck), etc.

If Bell is heavily subsidized by Miami he's not likely to be cheap.

 

[nvalvo]

- Old friend (pun intended) DH JD Martinez: Mets are 21-28 and face some hard choices in July with their $300M payroll -- Alonso is a dark horse for biggest name to be moved, Severino/Quintana are due a combined $26M this season (yuck), etc.

Alonso is obviously a big-SLG RH bat, but what do we think of him as a long-term piece?

I'm wary. He's been pretty so-so this season and last, as his Ks have risen and his BABIP has cratered and his HR/FB has declined. He's only 29, but his EVs are dropping off, too. He's earning $20m this season, and seems likely to be worth ~1.5 WAR given his terrible defense. Triston Casas has been worth the same amount of WAR this season; Alonso has played in more than twice as many games.

With the caveat that power numbers tend to improve in the summer — so let's see a bit more before we announce his terminal decline — he really has the one tool, power, and if that's declining, a contract that prices him as a perennial 40 HR bat is going to be a disaster.

He fits the profile we need, but I don't see him as meaningfully better than Rooker, and I expect he'll be paid a lot more. If we can get him for 3/$50m or something, that's fine; any more, and we'd do better locking up another of our young guys.

 

[dynomite]

If Bell is heavily subsidized by Miami he's not likely to be cheap.

Still cheaper than Rooker, which is all I said above. Do you disagree with that?

Anyway, I doubt the Marlins have too many suitors for Bell’s dead weight contract, and I’m sure they’re pretty desperate to get anything of value for him. If the Sox took half of whatever is remaining of his $16M and offered a low level prospect that might be enough.

 

[YTF]

Still cheaper than Rooker, which is all I said above. Do you disagree with that?

Anyway, I doubt the Marlins have too many suitors for Bell’s dead weight contract, and I’m sure they’re pretty desperate to get anything of value for him. If the Sox took half of whatever is remaining of his $16M and offered a low level prospect that might be enough.

Not every POV is an argument. "Heavily subsidized" by a team who is looking to shed payroll is not likely to come "cheap" IMO.

 

[grimshaw]

Manzardo was a consensus top 100 prospect who was nearly MLB ready when he was traded.
2023: BA #60 / MLB #73 / BP #81
2024: MLB #59 / BP #37

It's looking like a really good deal for Cleveland at this point.

Ah, my bad. Looks like Fangraphs had bumped him after the previous season and he was considered the best prospect moved at the deadline. Makes more sense.

 

[dynomite]

Not every POV is an argument. "Heavily subsidized" by a team who is looking to shed payroll is not likely to come "cheap" IMO.

That’s certainly true, and I didn’t mean to sound combative.

But again, all I I said above was not “cheap” but “cheaper [than Rooker]” How much do you think the Marlins will get for Bell?

Also If there’s a universe where taking his full salary makes Luzardo “cheaper” that could be interesting.

 

[YTF]

That’s certainly true, and I didn’t mean to sound combative.

But again, all I I said above was not “cheap” but “cheaper [than Rooker]” How much do you think the Marlins will get for Bell?

Also If there’s a universe where taking his full salary makes Luzardo “cheaper” that could be interesting.

Concerning Bell, I've no idea. We're still about 2 months away from the deadline, he could be a different player by then.

 

[nvalvo]

Another trade target: Brock Wilken, Brewers minor leaguer.

22 years old. Big (6'4", 225) 3B/1B/DH type. BIG raw power, good approach. Pull orientation, high launch angles. He was a late first-rounder, and had a good first year in the minors, but has scuffled a bit in AA in his second year — although it's just 115 PA or so.

Here's what Fangraphs had to say (they put a 70 on his power, FWIW).

Wilken has plus-plus present raw power and hit several balls harder than 115 mph at Wake, where he slashed an amazing .299/.419/.679 during his career. He generates that power with a comically simple swing. He’s an extremely patient hitter who rarely chases, and most of Wilken’s whiffs come against sliders that finish in the strike zone but that he simply can’t reach because his approach is so pull-oriented. His contact ability will probably trend down as he climbs the minors, but so far Wilken has had a successful post-draft debut, hitting .285/.414/.473 in 47 games. Wilken’s selectivity and the lift in his swing help ensure that he’ll get to his power in games despite what will probably be a 40-grade hit tool during his career, and his on-base skills will also help keep his offensive profile afloat.
The power and OBP components together are important because there’s a chance Wilken ends up at first base. He has big raw arm strength, but his size and stiffness aren’t a clean fit at third base in the big leagues, where he’ll be measured against the Matt Chapmans and Nolan Arenados of the world. He’ll need to work to stay as agile and mobile as possible to avoid a shift to first. For now, I have him projected as a 40-grade third sacker. Just outside the Top 100 prospects, Wilken was a Pick to Click with an everyday corner infield tool set, and we want to see him retain strong levels of contact through a large Double-A sample before moving him into the 50 FV tier.

He doesn't seem especially blocked or anything, so we'd have to give the Brewers something useful, but they should be going for it: they have one of the deepest and best-balanced rosters in the NL and look to me like a team that I would expect to see in an NLCS.

Proposal: Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen, and Antonio Anderson for Brock Wilken and AAA SP Carlos Rodríguez.

 

[nvalvo]

A few other RHH trade target thoughts.

I wonder if "posthype sleepers" Spencer Torkelson (DET) or Marco Luciano (SFG) might be available in trade. Both are righties with plus-plus power, but Luciano is a shortstop who may actually be a DH, and Torkelson was supposed to be the Tigers cleanup hitter of the future and just... hasn't hit yet in the majors. Maybe a change of scenery helps. Jo Adell (LAA) has actually had a decent year, so he's probably off this list, but he'd be another candidate.

Obviously, all of these guys have been/are top prospects, but each have enough issues that you could imagine a team wanting to move on.

 

[TomRicardo]

Blaze Jordan
1B/3B
21/AA
2025
Not really a prospect IMO: at some point, a bat-first player has to hit.

Blaze Jordan is only 21 and has absolutely smashed LHP his entire minor league career. He probably ends up being RHH Bench Bat.

 

[Cassvt2023]

Who to buy: Eric Fedde. he is having a decent year with a miserable White Sox team, is an upgrade over Cooper Criswell, and shouldn't cost much prospect-wise. I'd be curious to see what more the B's could pull out of him.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

A few other RHH trade target thoughts.

I wonder if "posthype sleepers" Spencer Torkelson (DET) or Marco Luciano (SFG) might be available in trade. Both are righties with plus-plus power, but Luciano is a shortstop who may actually be a DH, and Torkelson was supposed to be the Tigers cleanup hitter of the future and just... hasn't hit yet in the majors. Maybe a change of scenery helps. Jo Adell (LAA) has actually had a decent year, so he's probably off this list, but he'd be another candidate.

Obviously, all of these guys have been/are top prospects, but each have enough issues that you could imagine a team wanting to move on.

These kinds of ideas are intriguing but what motivation would they have for "moving on" from these guys? I know Torkelson was just sent down to AAA so he can sort himself out, but he's making the league minimum through next season so he's not becoming expensive and it's not like the Tigers have a clear and obvious replacement for him waiting in the wings. Urshela appears to be their 1B for the time being but he's not a long term answer. Torkelson arguably has no value in trade but has options and is dirt cheap so at the very least he can be a shuttle guy until he figures things out or runs out of options. Just "moving on" now seems more like something frustrated fans want to see. Most front offices are far more patient, particularly with someone of Torkelson's age and pedigree.

Adell, on the other hand, is out of options and is on the verge of getting more expensive (arb eligible this winter) so he seems like a more likely player to be on the verge of being moved on from. And because he's having a decent year, that's arguably more motivation to move him now while he's showing signs of the promise he held as a prospect. Problem there from a Red Sox perspective is he's an outfielder and they're not exactly hurting for outfielders at the moment. Typically, if you're acquiring a change of scenery guy in the hopes that that change makes him a better ball player, you're taking that flyer at a position of need. I get the want for more RHH pop, but ideally you want it to come at the expense of someone who's not all that productive (like the current 1B combo).

 

[chrisfont9]

These kinds of ideas are intriguing but what motivation would they have for "moving on" from these guys? I know Torkelson was just sent down to AAA so he can sort himself out, but he's making the league minimum through next season so he's not becoming expensive and it's not like the Tigers have a clear and obvious replacement for him waiting in the wings. Urshela appears to be their 1B for the time being but he's not a long term answer. Torkelson arguably has no value in trade but has options and is dirt cheap so at the very least he can be a shuttle guy until he figures things out or runs out of options. Just "moving on" now seems more like something frustrated fans want to see. Most front offices are far more patient, particularly with someone of Torkelson's age and pedigree.

Adell, on the other hand, is out of options and is on the verge of getting more expensive (arb eligible this winter) so he seems like a more likely player to be on the verge of being moved on from. And because he's having a decent year, that's arguably more motivation to move him now while he's showing signs of the promise he held as a prospect. Problem there from a Red Sox perspective is he's an outfielder and they're not exactly hurting for outfielders at the moment. Typically, if you're acquiring a change of scenery guy in the hopes that that change makes him a better ball player, you're taking that flyer at a position of need. I get the want for more RHH pop, but ideally you want it to come at the expense of someone who's not all that productive (like the current 1B combo).

Right, the way I'd phrase it is that the Tigers would be trying to trade into the same competitive window as the Sox, which makes a trade unlikely except for potentially an exchange of blocked prospects/40-man roster squeeze-outs. If the Sox would admit that they are trading into a near-future window and out of 2024, then we can fire up the speculation machine. I'm not sure they are sure about this just yet.

 

[simplicio]

Who to buy: Eric Fedde. he is having a decent year with a miserable White Sox team, is an upgrade over Cooper Criswell, and shouldn't cost much prospect-wise. I'd be curious to see what more the B's could pull out of him.

I'm not sure what to make of Fedde. His home/away splits are alarming (ERA almost 5 points higher away, FIP nearly 2) in a way that has me very skeptical about his ability to succeed as a resident of the AL East, or whether he's an upgrade over Criswell at all.

 

[nvalvo]

Blaze Jordan is only 21 and has absolutely smashed LHP his entire minor league career. He probably ends up being RHH Bench Bat.

This is true. The problem is that he really can’t hit righties or play defense, so it’s a narrow role — unless he makes strides vs. righties, which remains possible. As you say, he’s young.

 

[TomRicardo]

This is true. The problem is that he really can’t hit righties or play defense, so it’s a narrow role — unless he makes strides vs. righties, which remains possible. As you say, he’s young.

His first base defense is perfectly fine. He is below average at third.

 

[billy ashley]

His first base defense is perfectly fine. He is below average at third.

Yeah, he's actually gotten good reviews there.

Blaze Jordan is a fun little lotto ticket. He has some really cool core skills, is young and seems like a really good guy but most accounts. He deserves a ton of credit for all the work he did this past offseason to get in shape while also dealing with what he's described as difficult mental health over the past few years.

I like him. He's worth rooting for. He does enough well that he has some internal value to the team.

But it's kind of wild seeing people talk about him in a thread about the major league team. The delta between where he is now and where he needs to be to be a MLBer is huge. Beyond that, his specific player type has such a narrow path to becoming a major league regular.

Is it impossible? No. Is it likely? No.

My advise on Blaze: Enjoy him as a prospect. He's a cool lotto ticket. If that lotto ticket hits, he might be a useful or better MLB player. He shouldn't be seen as a part of the future plans, yet. Further, I doubt many teams are out there in a rush to pick him up. Every team probably has a handful of players with some really cool upside, and murky development paths forward. Baseball is super hard and all these guys are insanely talented. Unless there's some sort of compelling scouting reason to acquire him, I don't think he's going to be targeted by other clubs in a trade.

I'm rooting for him. We certainly need a RHH bat... but I woudln't bank on him

 

[nvalvo]

Beyond that, his specific player type has such a narrow path to becoming a major league regular.

Precisely.

Look, it would be huge for us if we actually had an in house RHH DH/1B, but to justify a roster spot such a player would need to be playable versus RHP: right now Blaze has a sub-.600 OPS vs righties in Portland.

 

[Sin Duda]

Precisely.

Look, it would be huge for us if we actually had an in house RHH DH/1B, but to justify a roster spot such a player would need to be playable versus RHP: right now Blaze has a sub-.600 OPS vs righties in Portland.

So we can agree he's not the solution for this season, but he may be one in 2026 if he continues to progress.

 

[TomRicardo]

So we can agree he's not the solution for thus season, but he may be one in 2026 if he continues to progress.

Yea, that said he is probably our best internal option. Nick Yorke, Sogard, Meidroth, and co do not have his bat.

 

[dynomite]

Back to the idea of a RHH for 2024:

Old friend (again, puns intended) JD Martinez is up to .278/.331/.476 with 5 HR in 34 games (134 wRC+), i.e. a solid late stage JDM season. He signed a 1 year, $12M deal with the lolMets in late March, and took a while to debut because of some unspecified "soreness" as he ramped up.

Going into today the Mets are 25-35 (3rd worst record in the NL, 16.5 games (!) behind the Phillies) and are so embarrassing they're being exiled from the country this weekend...

Feels like he would be a good fit and doubt he'll be that expensive to acquire (although I could see the Mariners in particular making a strong push for him). Would leave many fewer ABs for Yoshida when he returns, but would be a huge addition to the lineup.

 

[Sin Duda]

Thanks, by the way, billy ashley, for your detailed "lotto ticket" assessment of Blaze. I had lost sight of him a little. And I appreciate your positive spin on the whole topic. These are kids after all. No need to give up on them yet. The Minors will dictate that.

 

[Fishy1]

Back to the idea of a RHH for 2024:

Old friend (again, puns intended) JD Martinez is up to .278/.331/.476 with 5 HR in 34 games (134 wRC+), i.e. a solid late stage JDM season. He signed a 1 year, $12M deal with the lolMets in late March, and took a while to debut because of some unspecified "soreness" as he ramped up.

Going into today the Mets are 25-35 (3rd worst record in the NL, 16.5 games (!) behind the Phillies) and are so embarrassing they're being exiled from the country this weekend...

Feels like he would be a good fit and doubt he'll be that expensive to acquire (although I could see the Mariners in particular making a strong push for him). Would leave many fewer ABs for Yoshida when he returns, but would be a huge addition to the lineup.

I'm finding myself talking myself into this. I mean, I would even take 2022 JDM right now. Of course I would.

Just by virtue of having Yoshida on the roster, I don't think they shouldn't stop hunting for a better fit at DH. Yoshida's sunk money, there's nothing they can do about him but hope he improves.

 

[grimshaw]

So we can agree he's not the solution for thus season, but he may be one in 2026 if he continues to progress.

Or 2025. He already has 300+ AB's in AA with a 12% k-rate. Though he has more of a Sam Travis type profile to me.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Jim Bowden takes a crack at identifying what each team might want to buy or sell at the deadline. He lists the Red Sox as a buyer:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5532397/2024/06/03/mlb-trade-deadline-tiers-buyers-sellers-needs/

Red Sox:
The Red Sox are looking to add more starting pitching depth. They’re also interested in adding a shortstop. They’re eagerly awaiting the return of first baseman Triston Casas, who has been out since April 20 with a rib injury. They’re getting very little production from that position and badly miss his bat in the lineup.

Logical, but a little surprising, that we are reportedly trying to add more SP depth and a SS, but no mention of looking for another bat, even though he spends half the blurb talking about Casas and how badly the lineup misses him.
The SS seemingly would be a stopgap for the rest of this year only I'd guess, and would only happen if we are still in the race near the deadline, unless we made some massive unpredictable move.
We are likely to need another SP at some point to keep from overworking our starters and for depth, so that makes sense, but I can't imagine we would be bringing in any big name, more likely looking for an innings eater type.

Hard to see us making any big trades, especially with Abreu now out and the schedule looking tough over the next few weeks.

 

[nvalvo]

So we can agree he's not the solution for this season, but he may be one in 2026 if he continues to progress.

Yea, that said he is probably our best internal option. Nick Yorke, Sogard, Meidroth, and co do not have his bat.

I mean, I guess, but by 2026 Bleis and Campbell will likely have passed him as RHH options, without (so far) the huge splits.

Plus, Jordan is rule 5 eligible this offseason, so he has to simultaneously progress enough to become an option for the Red Sox without progressing so much that he becomes an option for another team, or else he has to be rostered.

It's really a very narrow path.

 

[TomRicardo]

I mean, I guess, but by 2026 Bleis and Campbell will likely have passed him as RHH options, without (so far) the huge splits.

Plus, Jordan is rule 5 eligible this offseason, so he has to simultaneously progress enough to become an option for the Red Sox without progressing so much that he becomes an option for another team, or else he has to be rostered.

It's really a very narrow path.

Maybe with Bleis, who is a year younger than Blaze but is a level below? Campbell is older than Blaze and hasn't shown his bat.

If Blaze isn't good enough to get a look so far [minus his current injury], he isn't going to get picked up in the Rule V draft this winter. The Red Sox are literally dumpster diving for hitters.

 

[NJ_Sox_Fan]

I’d still like them to go after L. Robert. He’s back from injury, homered last night, and has the RH power bat they need. Although I read the Phillies may go hard after him, which, depending what they’re offering up, may make him too costly.