caulfield12

Why no mention of Pollock’s $12-13 million next year? The type of bad contract that’s soaking up way too much payroll flexibility…and forcing him into the OD starting roster rather than actually finding more than a band-aid back up for?

https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2022/08/guardians-activate-oscar-gonzalez-from-injured-list-make-franmil-reyes-option-official.html Why can’t the White Sox operate like this with vets vs. rookies (see Sosa or Burger this year, Vaughn last year, etc.) Seems impossible for TLR , unless it’s his weird Sheets obsession.

Dayton Moore…although he has the ring with Yost.

Prospects are nice. Parades are better.

Miami instead of Pittsburgh. Was thinking of Josh Beckett, too.

Sonny Burnett=Miami Vice Sean Burnett Affiliation Undercover alias used by James "Sonny" Crockett Manolo cartel Carrera cartel Status Remains active as cover name of Crockett until quitting the force in 1989

4. Crickets from the White Sox and Guardians We could pick apart the moves and motivations of many a club here, but the AL Central race is the only one in which three teams entered Deadline day within three games of each other. And while one of those teams -- the first-place Twins -- got the memo about this opportunity to improve, the Guardians and White Sox were surprisingly silent. (Well, OK, Cleveland did make a Triple-A swap for former Sox pitcher Ian Hamilton, and the White Sox had acquired Jake Diekman on Monday, but forgive us if we thought there might be more). The White Sox have underperformed, while the Guardians have exceeded expectations. Both are within a whisker of a Twins team that significantly improved its pitching staff with Tyler Mahle in the rotation and bullpen additions Jorge López and Michael Fulmer. The division wasn’t decided at the Deadline -- far from it. But the Twins’ path to the postseason looks a lot clearer now. www.mlb.com

Josh Hader has the highest career strikeout rate in baseball history, and while that’s at least a little about the era in which he plays and the way in which he is used, he’s still a 28-year-old who has the highest career strikeout rate in baseball history -- and he’s not even a rental, because the Padres can retain him for 2023, as well. In case you’re wondering why the Brewers, a team leading the NL Central, might be willing to move him, well, you’re not alone. Maybe they know something we don’t; Hader, for what it’s worth, is in the midst of one of the worst stretches of his career. Maybe they think they can turn Lamet (30 years old) and Rogers (31), each currently struggling, but with not-distant runs of success in their past, into approximations of Hader, and get two prospects for the trouble. Given that the Padres get the best player in the deal, and that they did it without giving up any of the prospects they needed to get Soto, it’s a clear win there. www.mlb.com

That’s the good news. The bad news is our final winner: 9) Any contending team that plays the Nationals This team is not going to be very good the rest of the year. So congratulations to the following contenders, who have the corresponding number of games left against the Nationals: • Philadelphia (11) • NY Mets (7) • San Diego (7) • Atlanta (6) • St. Louis (4) • Seattle (2) The Phillies could make the playoffs simply from playing Washington: Nearly one-fifth of their remaining games are against the Nats. The Nationals will be formidable in a few years. But until then: Every contender will be happy to see them. Going to be crazy when the Padres and Braves face off in that wild card series…with Phillies vs. Brewers/Cardinals winner on the other side of the bracket.

5) Twins The Twins did what you want your first-place teams to do. They added, bringing in a starter (Tyler Mahle) and two key bullpen pieces in Jorge López and Michael Fulmer. Nothing there that knocks your socks off, but guys who should help them hang on to their lead in the American League Central. One of the reasons for that? The two teams they are fighting for that division title didn’t do much of anything. The Guardians didn’t make a single move other than trading Sandy León to Minnesota, of all teams, and all the White Sox did was add reliever Jake Diekman. This is going to be a tight race down the stretch. One team made itself better. The other two didn’t bother. mlb.com

Should have aspired for more second place finishes!

Huskers’ fan?

https://sports.yahoo.com/wittenmyer-cubs-handling-willson-contreras-055042016.html Cubs’ handling of Willson Contreras at trade deadline “shameful” Gordon Wittenmyer

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/02/juan-soto-trade/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/02/juan-soto-nationals-future/ If you include Mackenzie Gore, the Nationals' system jumped from 24th to 5th in one trade, and more than doubled its overall value. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2022-08-02/padres-juan-soto-seidler-josh-bell-aj-preller-mlb-bold

Here’s the easiest way to think of this: yesterday, the Nationals had the 24th-best farm system in baseball based on our rankings. Today, thanks to this trade, they’ve leapfrogged to eighth. Per Craig Edwards’ research, the Nationals can expect roughly the same amount of organizational value from the prospects they acquired today as they can from their entire system as of yesterday. That doesn’t even count Gore, who has already exhausted prospect eligibility (Abrams should graduate soon, too). Make no mistake: this was a treasure trove of a return, more glitzy prospects than have ever been exchanged in-season. It could get even better than that; Voit won’t be a free agent until after the 2024 season, and while his stock is down after two seasons where he’s been more average than exceptional, the Nationals would find several interested bidders if they decided to flip him for a prospect. If I were the Padres, I’d be happy to make this trade anyway. Again, have you heard of Juan Soto? He’s a career .291/.427/.538 hitter. Since he debuted, he’s second only to Mike Trout in on-base percentage, and his 155 wRC+ is fourth in the league, behind Trout, Yordan Alvarez, and Aaron Judge. His .408 OBP this season is third in baseball and also 63 points lower than what he produced in 2020 and ’21. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-padres-add-juan-soto-in-the-blockbuster-of-all-blockbusters/ https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=rel&lg=all&qual=30&type=8&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&page=3_30 Milwaukee’s Devin Williams Top Ten in fWAR for relievers, Hader in 60’s and Liam Hendriks in 30’s. Not sure either guy is worth the price tag, but will be fascinating to watch from here on out. https://sports.yahoo.com/juan-sotos-trade-to-the-padres-leaves-a-star-sized-hole-in-washington-that-might-never-be-filled-025454608.html

Current MLB OPS 8. Jose Ramirez 10. Juan Soto 12. Josh Bell 15. Machado 16. Andres Gimenez 20. Brandon Drury/Ty France (once a Padres’ prospect) 23. Abreu 24. Buxton/Ohtani 30. Arraez 32. W.Contreras 37. A.Vaughn 38. Schwarbs 40. JD Martinez 44. K.Marte 45. Lux/Santander 47. Seager 49. Lindor/Springer 51. Luis Robert

Trent Grisham just walked off Alex Colome for 4th consecutive victory. Haha.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/08/padres-to-acquire-brandon-drury.html www.mlb.com/prospects/reds Drury to Padres for INF Victor Acosta Victor Acosta slots in at #18 for Reds. Steer from Min now at #7 for comparison. Cost $1.8 million in int'l $$$ but they will only be paying Drury $300k before FA at season's end. Or 15 Leury Garcia's, haha. Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Arm: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45 Ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the 2020-21 international class, Acosta signed with the Padres for $1.8 million on Jan. 15, 2021. The early returns were promising as the Dominican Republic native flashes five-tool potential and hit .285/.431/.484 over 56 games in his Dominican Summer League debut, though he was having less impact offensively during his United States debut in the Arizona Complex League when he was sent to the Reds in return for Brandon Drury at the Trade Deadline.

Interesting piece of this trade is the Padres have to win in 2022-23 and would then have to decide in 2024 about restocking the minor league system with a 25 year old Soto trade or holding one for one more shot at a World Series. Of course, Padres would have a boatload invested in just three guys, $60 million left to Musgrove, four more Machado years and then Tatis' monster deal. If they could resign him before Boras takes him to LA or NY (Mets or Yankees), it would be permanent proof small market teams are crying poor while actually cash rich. Then the consideration of which team Soto wants to go to the HoF for? Next deal likely 10-12 years in length and potentially his last.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34334409/the-biggest-deadline-deal-ever-padres-nl-new-team-beat-make-blockbuster-juan-soto-trade

All the deadline trade grades in one place... https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-mlb-trade-deadline-grades-analyzing-mariners-move-for-luis-castillo-yankees-andrew-benintendi-deal-more-151930275.html

Drury to Padres Syndergaard Marsh Robertson to Phillies All-in

Cairo proxy manager tonight...like 36 holes at the golf course for TLR.

Way too early to make that call on two or three hot weeks from Colas. AA pitchers will make some adjustments. Let's at least inquire on Confort...we did Boras a solid with Rodon after all.

Good luck with their 22-23 budget, but Christian Vasquez would fit. A ton of money for two catchers and bullpen.