2016 trade deadline thread

[7express]

I have 2 trade proposals for the Blue Jays to help restock their minor league system. Note: I know this won't happen because the Jays don't want to blow up the team, but these proposals would benefit all 3 teams.

Cardinals get:
Josh Donaldson

Blue Jays get:
Carson Kelly (catcher)
Luke Weaver (starting pitcher)
Matt Carpenter

Nationals get:
Roberto Osuna

Blue Jays get:
1 of: Andrew Stevenson/Victor Robles (minor league OF)
Eric Fedde (RP)
1 of: Michael Taylor/Brian Goodwin (major league OF)
Wilmer Difo (IF/OF)

On the Cardinals end:
Donaldson, even in a down year for his standards, gives the Cardinals a legitimate clean up hitter which is what the team has been lacking.

On the Nats end:
The Nats are probably still 1 bullpen arm away from being a legit threat in the playoffs, and an Osuna acquisition may just put them over the top. The core of this Nats team will be back for 2018 (Werth is a free agent and Weiters & Gio both have options that will probably be picked up) so they have a 2 year window to win a playoff series. Sure Fedde & Robles may turn out great, but look at last year with Reynaldo Lopez & Lucas Giolito. They could've had Miller for those 2 (and STILL had him this year) and neither turned out to be that great in the majors. IF the Nats end up winning the World Series this year or in 2018, Robles could turn out to be the next ken Griffey Jr, but it wouldn't matter because we would have won! Do you think Cub fans will care if Gleybar Torres turns out to be a Robin Yount or Allen Trammel or Honus Wagner like player?? Hell no because he got traded for someone that helped the Cubs win a world series and end a 108 year drought! If Osuna helps the Nats win a World Series, I won't care what Fedde or Robles or Stevenson, if they go that route, do in the majors, their trade would've helped the Nats win their first World Series in franchise history, and give DC their first championship in baseball since I think 1924.

On the Blue Jays end:
Osuna is a big loss, but this current group looks old, and unfortunately I don't see them competing in the next couple of years. If you aren't a competing team, no since to
They'll get 4 highly rated prospects from 2 teams. The Cards just signed Yadi to an extension, so Kelly is expandable. Russ Martin has been a big decline, and Luke Maile doesn't look like major league material. Much like the Nats with the core back, the core of the Cards rotation will be back next year. Only Lance Lynn is a free agent, and Alex Reyes (out this year for tommy john surgery) is likely higher on the depth chart than Weaver is, so once Lynn leaves in free agency (or a trade) Reyes will fill that spot, so Weaver is expandable as well. Dexter Fowler has done better batting leadoff than 3rd, so it would be beneficial for the Cards to dispatch one of those 2 leadoff hitters. Carpenter isn't a true leadoff hitter, but is better than Jose Bautista (if he doesn't get dealt either), and can play multiple positions in the infield.
The Jays 2 big outfield prospects Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrero Jr are still at least 2 years away from contributing to the major league team, and Taylor or Goodwin would help fill that OF gap on the major league roster. Goodwin can play all 3 outfield positions, but Taylor's only a center fielder.
Stevenson & Robles are 2 highly touted prospects in the Nats system. Stevenson is in AAA and had a cup of coffee in the majors while Robles is in AA. Robles has a higher upside, but Stevenson is closer to major league ready, so it'll be interesting to see which direction GM Ross Atkins wants to go.
Fedde has alternated between a starter & reliever this year for Syracuse (AAA) and Harrisburg (AA).
DiFo is a middle infielder that can play some outfield as well.

[7express]

There were some minor moves in the last week. Anthony Swarzak moving from the White Sox to the Brewers, Jaime Garcia & Anthony Recker moving from the Braves to the Twins, Erasmo Ramirez moving from the Rays to the Mariners for Steve Cishek, Dan Jennings moving from the White Sox to the Rays, and Lucas Duda moving from the Mets to the Rays. Friday evening picked up steam, as we had 3 trades in about a 45 minute span, 2 of them were interesting.

Howie Kendrick goes from the Phillies to the Nats in an intra-division trade. Good trade for the Nats as Kendrick gives them multiple position versatility (1st, 2nd, 3rd, left and maybe even right). A.J. Ramos gets traded from the Marlins to the Mets in another intra-division (actually same division) and this one is strange. The Mets aren't competing for the playoffs, and still have their closer and set up man on the roster as the set up man is expected to be dealt but hasn't been traded yet. Not sure what the Mets did here. In the final trade for Friday, Jeremy Hellickson goes from the Phillies to the Orioles for a Hyon-Soo Kim, a minor leaguer and an international signing bonus slot. A "WTF are the Orioles doing" trade in my eyes. Yes, the Orioles rotation is garbage. Earlier this year they tied a major league record for most consecutive games allowing 5 or more runs in a game, so that rotation definitely needs some improvement. That subpar Orioles rotation is a big reason why the Orioles will not be going to the playoffs this year, so I don't know why they'd buy a pitcher who is going to be a free agent in 2 months. Hellickson is a pitch to contact pitcher, and with Camden Yards being one of the more hitter-friendly ballparks in baseball (as well as Fenway Park, Rogers Centre, and Yankee Stadium, all stadiums in the division) this is a recipe for disaster. And really I don't think he's really any better than these current schmucks pitching for the Orioles anyways: Wade Miley, Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman (this year anyways).

With about 63.5 hours until the deadline there are still plenty of names on the block: Sonny Gray, Yu Darvish, Zach Britton, Justin Verlander and here are my predictions on where they end up along with some others.

Gray: Stays with the A's. Nobody will give into Billy Beane's asking price, and with Gray around another 2 and a half years he can also shop him again in the winter and next deadline.
Darvish: Dodgers. Dodgers, will ultimately give up 1 of their 2 top prospects to get Darvish.
Britton: Astros. Knocked out of the Gray & Darvish sweepstakes, they'll turn their attention and put all their eggs in the Britton basket.
Justin Verlander. Stays with Tigers. Tigers want teams to eat his contract, but also get back a good prospect since Verlander was one of the faces of the team. Combine the 2 and Verlander stays in Detroit
Francisco Liriano: Royals. Royals can use him out of the bullpen as a long man and spot starter. If they can't get Lynn, Liriano might be the next best choice
Marco Estrada and Jose Bautista: Stay with the Jays. Estrada, who didn't have much value anyways has pretty much made his value non-existent with clunker after clunker of a start since June 1. Bautista never really had any market anyways dating back to the winter and with full no trade rights will make it difficult to trade him, even though he'd probably waive it to go play in Cleveland, about the only fit for Bautista.
Lance Lynn & Trevor Rosenthal: Nats. Nationals will do 1 stop shopping in St. Louis adding a starter in Lynn and fortifying the bullpen with Rosenthal. I said the Nats needed 3 relievers, well so far they have 2 still looking for that 3rd, and Rosenthal would be a good fit.
Justin Wilson: Yankees. Not wanting to include Torres or Frazier in a Gray deal (and I don't blame Cashman), knowing they can just acquire Darvish in December anyways if they really want him, and now in first place, the starting pitching isn't all that imperative, so they'll go out and improve their lock down bullpen. Make it a 5 inning game. But what the Yankees don't have a lot of....left-handed relievers, only Chapman who is a closer. If they did this trade to go along with Kalhne, Robertson, Betances, and Chapman good luck to your team if you are trailing them after 5 innings!
Jonathan LuCroy: Rockies. As a rental, LuCroy likely wouldn't cost the Rockies a whole lot.
Alex Avilla: Cubs. Cubs, who are looking at a backup catcher would be a nice landing spot for Avila. The big question is the senior Alex Avila (the Tigers catcher Avila's father) is the GM of the Tigers. Does the GM trade his own son?? It'll make for interesting and awkward conversations at the dinner table. if he does trade his own son, I think he would trade him to a team with a chance to win, so that's why the Cubs look like an almost certain fit.

[7express]

Royals acquire Melky Cabrera from the White Sox.
Rockies acquire Jonathan LuCroy from the Rangers for a PTBNL. What an epic bust that was for the Rangers trading Lewis Brinson, for a catcher that was bad in the playoffs last year, and even worse to start the 2017 season.
Cubs look like they are on the verge of getting Justin Wilson & Al Avila from the Tigers.