Guess the trade that kicks things off... and when does it occur? Bordeoms not a burden anyone should bear.

Verlander/Avila to Cubs for Almora and a few minor league pitchers

Gray gets traded but I'm not sure where. Cubs?

Gray gets traded but I'm not sure where. Cubs?

 

Yeah I'll go Eloy + a lower prospect for Sonny Gray. The Cubs are desperate for a cost controlled starter and he's probably the best option available if the Sox and Cubs aren't willing to deal with each other.

Robertson, Kahnle, & cash for Soto & Kieboom.

Robertson, Kahnle, & cash for Soto & Kieboom.

 

I'd drive both to the airport if that is an option.

Verlander/Avila to Cubs for Almora and a few minor league pitchers

 

God I hope the Cubs back up the truck for Verlander. It would be awesome.

Verlander/Avila to Cubs for Almora and a few minor league pitchers

Let's see if the Cubs have any interest in the Sox 1.5 WHIP pitchers.

I assume that Verlander has kept his velocity or most of it (considering the apparent demand for his services) but he's also 34.

I think Verlander gets the ball rolling on these trades. I don't think it's the Cubs, but I think he gets moved before the deadline.

Here's my guess:

Group 1: It starts with a team like Colorado, AZ or KC making a big move to shore up top wild card contender status.

 

Big doesn't necessarily mean top known targets, but maybe a known-vet name coming off of one of the disappointing teams

 

Group 2: Teams like Yankees/Red Sox/Astros/Nationals wait until the absolute deadline to see if supply opens up.

 

Group 3: Some of the rebuilding/not there yet teams trade some mlb for mlb players based on positional need.

 

Names for group 1:

Ian Kinsler

McCutcheon

Lucroy

Carlos Gomez

Samardjiza

Frazier

Bullpen

 

Names for Group 2:

Cueto

Quintana

Gray

JD Martinez

Donaldson

Archer

Cole

Bullpen

Darvish?

 

 

Group 3:

No idea.

Quintana makes a whole of sense for just about any team. Not only are you getting a front line pitcher, you are getting one who is young, affordable, and signed for a number of years. If a team is going to buy big, he is a guy to do it for.

Quintana makes a whole of sense for just about any team. Not only are you getting a front line pitcher, you are getting one who is young, affordable, and signed for a number of years. If a team is going to buy big, he is a guy to do it for.

 

The problem is of the "chasers" only Colorado has a good farm system, and I really don't like the fit of Quintana in Colorado.

I don't know...if I'm the Cubs, I'm stuck. They're 4.5 games back from an overachieving Milwaukee team who always fades late...6.5 back in the Wild Card. They have essentially the same team as last year that won. About everyone in their core group is under-performing well below what they are capable of--but they are all still intact. I feel like they are a cold shooter on a basketball court. All they need is to see the ball go through the hoop--string a few wins together, see a few studs start to heat up and the team will take off and still win the division by a half-dozen games. I'm not sure if I were them--a year removed from dealing Gleyber Torres, if I'm ready to send off Jimenez or anything else of that level of significance when they have a World Championship caliber roster as it is now. If they can add a SP, without giving up another pillar of strength from their system, I think they will do it, but I don't see them unloading another haul from their system to acquire someone like Sonny Gray or Verlander who is doing the SAME thing the rest of their players are doing--underachieving.

 

If I'm the Cubs--which I'm not--I'm not dealing Eloy, Happ, or anyone of that talent to acquire anything but TOP, long-term potential talent in return. I'd move some lesser pieces and take on salary for a guy like Verlander in hopes he turns it around, but yikes...to see them gut their system for someone who has been kicked around like a beach ball on a summer day is a head-scratcher to me. A Trevor Cahill re-acquisition seems more likely because the price is right. If they decide to go for broke, I think you'll see a run at someone like Yu Darvish rather than Sonny Gray--someone who can be a confident regular in a short playoff rotation.

I don't know...if I'm the Cubs, I'm stuck. They're 4.5 games back from an overachieving Milwaukee team who always fades late...6.5 back in the Wild Card. They have essentially the same team as last year that won. About everyone in their core group is under-performing well below what they are capable of--but they are all still intact. I feel like they are a cold shooter on a basketball court. All they need is to see the ball go through the hoop--string a few wins together, see a few studs start to heat up and the team will take off and still win the division by a half-dozen games. I'm not sure if I were them--a year removed from dealing Gleyber Torres, if I'm ready to send off Jimenez or anything else of that level of significance when they have a World Championship caliber roster as it is now. If they can add a SP, without giving up another pillar of strength from their system, I think they will do it, but I don't see them unloading another haul from their system to acquire someone like Sonny Gray or Verlander who is doing the SAME thing the rest of their players are doing--underachieving.

 

If I'm the Cubs--which I'm not--I'm not dealing Eloy, Happ, or anyone of that talent to acquire anything but TOP, long-term potential talent in return. I'd move some lesser pieces and take on salary for a guy like Verlander in hopes he turns it around, but yikes...to see them gut their system for someone who has been kicked around like a beach ball on a summer day is a head-scratcher to me. A Trevor Cahill re-acquisition seems more likely because the price is right. If they decide to go for broke, I think you'll see a run at someone like Yu Darvish rather than Sonny Gray--someone who can be a confident regular in a short playoff rotation.

 

The issue is they absolutely need a cost-controlled starter for the next few years. Arrieta isn't the same guy, Lackey is toast, and Lester will be 34. That's not a rotation you can win a World Series with going forward.

 

Plus, most of these guys are blocked. Calendario has literally nowhere to play. Almora can't get on the field enough. Hell, even Happ doesn't have a full time position with the log jam the Cubs have in the outfield.

 

Maybe they won't move Eloy. But they'll most certainly move Calendario and/or some of even the major league pieces. Otherwise those assets just waste away.

 

The issue is they absolutely need a cost-controlled starter for the next few years. Arrieta isn't the same guy, Lackey is toast, and Lester will be 34. That's not a rotation you can win a World Series with going forward.

 

Plus, most of these guys are blocked. Calendario has literally nowhere to play. Almora can't get on the field enough. Hell, even Happ doesn't have a full time position with the log jam the Cubs have in the outfield.

 

Maybe they won't move Eloy. But they'll most certainly move Calendario and/or some of even the major league pieces. Otherwise those assets just waste away.

All good points. The cubs farm is thin on pitching so at some point the cubs will have to trade some hitting assets for pitching as well as sign one or two on the FA market if they want to have a contending starting rotation in the future. That rotation has already peaked and begun breaking down. Time for an overhaul on that rotation and Q would be a great place to start, not that I'm counting on a Sox/cubs trade to actually happen. Theo has to be pretty desperate though.....

Is it just me or has this years trading season been slooow?

Is it just me or has this years trading season been slooow?

 

Its still early.

I'm surprised some teams don't try to acquire players earlier to get more out of them so to speak. But it's another form of "baseball tradition" I guess. Most of the deals are near the trade deadline.

I'm surprised some teams don't try to acquire players earlier to get more out of them so to speak. But it's another form of "baseball tradition" I guess. Most of the deals are near the trade deadline.

 

That's what we tried doing with Peavy a few years back.

That's what we tried doing with Peavy a few years back.

That's right. I forgot about that.

That's what we tried doing with Peavy a few years back.

 

That was always KW's M.O. Peavy, Garcia, Everett, Alomar come to mind immediately. Youkilis to some extent too, though that was under different circumstances.

Carl had a career .271 average. 202 home runs. And a ring. Not a bad career.

I too think Sonny Gray is the 1st trade. And just to be different, I'll say he goes to Minnesota, centered around Nick Gordon.

 

 

 

I'm surprised some teams don't try to acquire players earlier to get more out of them so to speak. But it's another form of "baseball tradition" I guess. Most of the deals are near the trade deadline.

 

With the 2nd wildcard, more teams are in the race longer. So you have less teams giving up early. You really have to be very far out to start dealing in early July.

Seems like the 2nd wildcard is gumming up the works, so to speak. Right now, only three AL teams are definitely selling, and most of the NL teams that are in sell mode don't have much to trade.

 

I'll say first major trade is Ryan Madson to the Red Sox. Dombrowski is aggressive and they could use a set-up man for Kimbrel.