The blockbusters continued on Thursday, as Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers joined the Astros, Mike Leake is headed to the Giants, and the wild three-team deal was completed, among much, much more.
Happy Trade Deadline Day, and welcome back to The Daily Bernie! It's the best dance in the game, so let's get rolling once more!
The trades simply would not stop on Thursday. First off, the three-team trade between the Dodgers, Marlins, and Braves was finalized. The Dodgers received starters Alex Wood, Bronson Arroyo, and Mat Latos, relievers Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan, first baseman Michael Morse, and top prospect Jose Peraza. The Braves picked up infielder Hector Olivera, reliever Paco Rodriguez, right-handed starter Zachary Bird, and the Marlins' 2016 competitive balance draft pick. Finally, the Marlins acquired young pitchers Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo, and Kevin Guzman. Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports helpfully consolidates each team's return (Dodgers) (Braves) (Marlins). The deal has been made official. The Dodgers designated Morse (along with three other players) for assignment.
The Cardinals seem to have overpaid to acquire an old friend of ours. Outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss is heading to St. Louis, in exchange for highly touted pitching prospect Rob Kaminsky. The move is official. Kaminsky is a much better prospect than the A's acquisition for Moss back in the winter, Joey Wendle, if the consensus rankings are to be believed. However, the Cardinals have a surplus of young pitching, and now add a bat to replace the injured Matt Holliday on their quest for another championship.
Next up came an out-of-nowhere blockbuster between the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros picked up star outfielder Carlos Gomez along with righty Mike Fiers and an international bonus slot in exchange for outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, along with pitchers Josh Hader and Adrian Houser. The deal has been made official. The rebuilding Brewers got an excellent haul for two pieces that likely weren't a part of their long-term plans, while the Astros added talent under team control beyond just 2015. And it seems like they might be continuing to do so, as...
...The Astros and Padres are discussing what could be a major move, per Passan. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports the deal, if completed, could send ace closer Craig Kimbrel along with starter Tyson Ross to the Astros in exchange for outfielder Jake Marisnick, former first overall pick Mark Appel, and others. This situation is definitely one to watch, as it could drastically change the futures of both teams involved, as well as the landscape of the 2015 playoff race.
The Giants have acquired right-handed pitcher Mike Leake from the Reds in exchange for young starter Keury Mella and infielder Adam Duval. The move is official. The Reds continue to stock up on young arms after dealing both Leake and Johnny Cueto, while the Giants try to bolster a previously-untrustworthy rotation. Sadly, old friend Tim Hudson will be sent to the bullpen to make room in the rotation for Leake. San Francisco missed out on top names such as Cole Hamels and David Price, and thus had to settle for Leake.
Speaking of David Price, the lefty was sent to Canada on Thursday morning. The Toronto Blue Jays continued to make noise, adding Price, while sending top lefty prospects Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt to Detroit. The move is official. The Tigers did an excellent job adding two mid-rotation arms in Norris and Boyd that can step into the rotation right away, along with a lottery ticket in the hard-throwing Labourt. Meanwhile, while Toronto's aggressive moves may pay off and take them to the postseason, one has to wonder where their team will be in the future. The Blue Jays have lost quite a few young, talented arms between the Price and Tulowitzki trades.
Some news and notes from around the league: the Yankees picked up 2B/OF Dustin Ackley from the Mariners in exchange for OF Ramon Flores and RHP Jose Ramirez (link); the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Dodgers are pursuing Rangers right-hander Yovanni Gallardo (link); the D-Backs have discussed acquiring closer Aroldis Chapman with the Reds (link); the Pirates picked up reliever Joakim Soria from the Tigers in exchange for young OF/SS Jacoby Jones (link); the Mets are interested in adding Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, and would likely give up righty Zach Wheeler to do so (link); the Orioles are discussing acquiring OF Gerardo Parra from the Brewers (link); the White Sox want to add a bat, and are interested in OF Yoenis Cespedes (link) as well as OF Justin Upton (link); the A's have released Triple-A outfielder Dayan Viciedo and added infielder Brent Morel to the Sounds' roster (link).
Bernie's Daily Deals: The Finale
Since today is the trade deadline, this will be my last opportunity to spew trade ideas towards you all. So I've decided to put together a couple of speculative deals in order to get them out of my head prior to the deadline.
On the ride home from Thursday night's game, I was listening to Chris Townsend's "A's Talk" on 95.7 The Game. While I don't always agree with what Towny has to say, last night, he really hit the nail on the head. In response to General Manager Billy Beane's comments about the team being competitive again right around the time the A's would finally get a new stadium, Townsend said that the A's will have to look at their roster and ask themselves, "Who can we see still being a big part of this squad in three or four years when it will be competitive once more?" Names like Josh Reddick, Jesse Chavez, and Ike Davis stand out as players who will likely no longer be around by the time the A's are competitive again. So now seems like the best time to trade them.
Josh Reddick to the Chicago White Sox for Frankie Montas and Trayce Thompson
The White Sox are looking to add a bat, with interest in outfielders specifically. Reddick makes a lot of sense for them, as he is under team control through 2016, and isn't just a rental. He will be costly, however. Montas, 22, is a hard-throwing right-handed starter with a high ceiling. Montas, currently in Double-A, has the ceiling of a number two or number three starter, but could also end up as an elite closer. Klay Thompson's younger brother Trayce would also come to the Bay Area (where he belongs!). Trayce is a 24 year-old outfielder in Triple-A with a nice power-speed combo and above-average defense. While his strikeout rate is a concern, Thompson's speed and defense give him a relatively high floor. Both players would likely debut in the major leagues around mid-2016, or early-2017 at the latest.
Jesse Chavez to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Harold Ramirez
The Pirates could sorely use an upgrade over Jeff Locke in the back of their rotation, and former Buc Jesse Chavez could be the perfect fit for them. Under team control through 2016, Chavez could remain in their rotation, where he could work on his stamina with highly-touted pitching coach Ray Searage. In exchange, the A's pick up 20 year-old outfielder Harold Ramirez. Ramirez has hit very well in High-A in 2015, but is blocked in Pittsburgh behind Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, Gregory Polanco, and Austin Meadows. Ramirez is fast, and is a good contact hitter. He would likely debut in 2017 at the earliest.
Ike Davis to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tommy Pham
While the Cardinals just added Brandon Moss, they could use another lefty bat off the bench, as well. Enter Ike Davis. Davis hasn't been great in Oakland, but I wouldn't put it past St. Louis to find a way to suck every little ounce of production out of him. In exchange, the A's pick up 27 year-old outfielder Tommy Pham. Pham's nice walk rate and speed make him a perfectly underrated fourth-outfielder type. Underwhelmed? Don't be. Any return for Ike Davis would likely be small.
Stephen Vogt, Eric O'Flaherty, and Edward Mujica to the Minnesota Twins for Kohl Stewart, Nick Burdi, Max Kepler, and Josmil Pinto
Yeah, I know you guys won't be happy with me for this one. But, again, I have to agree with Towny. Vogt's value will never be higher, and he likely won't be contributing to the club by the time it's competitive once more. He's breaking out at age 30, and while he's a fan favorite and a great story, right now the best move would likely be to sell high on him. The Twins and their great farm are interested in catching upgrades, as well as relievers, so this package fits them well. Vogt would serve as a leader for the young up-and-coming Twins, as they do their best to hang on tight to their Wild Card spot. Vogt is under team control for four more years.
Stewart is a highly-touted 20 year-old right-handed pitcher. While Stewart's strikeout and walk rates haven't yet met expectations, he has maintained success as a young pitcher in High-A. Stewart has mid-rotation potential. Burdi is a hard-throwing right-handed reliever, and while he struggled with command in Double-A, the 22 year-old has fantastic stuff, and would likely make for a lockdown set-up man or closer a few years down the road. Kepler is a 22 year-old Double-A outfielder. The left-handed hitter is enjoying a breakout season in which he is walking almost as much as he is striking out. He also possesses nice speed and is an above-average defender. Finally, Pinto is a 26 year-old catcher who has disappointed on both sides of the baseball in the big leagues. He does have some pop, however, and would serve as a decent back-up to new starting catcher Josh Phegley.
The returns from these four trades (or trades like them) would set the A's up very strongly for 2017 and/or 2018, by when they would hopefully have their new stadium. The team could be a little tough to watch until then, but players such as Billy Burns, Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie, and Sonny Gray will be sure to keep things interesting.
That's all for today. Prepare for a very, very hectic Trade Deadline. The A's take on the Indians once more at 6:35 P.M. PST, well after the 1:00 P.M. PST deadline has passed. Feel free to dump any links in the comments below. Until tomorrow - lean on, A's fans!