The trade deadline hype train is gathering momentum. We have a little over 48 hours before it pulls into the station of inactivity until after the World Series.
Four of your favourite Bat Flips & Nerds personalities pit their wits against each other in an attempt to predict deadline deals.
TEAM RUSSELL
Cubs catcher, Willson Contreras must surely be on his way out of Wrigley Field. Plenty of teams need an upgrade behind the plate and Contreras’ stellar 2022 with the bat should net a valuable return.
Pirates starter, José Quintana, is having an All-Star campaign and will fit as a fifth starter in most rotations. His very affordable $2 million price tag will ease scepticism of the near-three-run drop from his 2021 6.43 ERA.
At $700K, Brandon Drury is getting even less money than Quintana so it seems inevitable the Reds will offload him unless they can re-sign the 29-year-old. After all, he has enjoyed the best year of his career in Cincinnati.
Fan-favourite Trey Mancini‘s trade value has slumped – he’s hit .162 over his last 10 games – so maybe, if they can’t find a trade partner, the Orioles will keep the 30-year-old to mentor the young clubhouse of playoff contenders.
After this season, Pablo Lopez still has two years of team control, so the price to lever him from Miami will be significant. Durability issues have surrounded the 26-year-old who, with 116 innings pitched this season, has passed his career high.
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
TEAM JOHN
The smart money is on Tyler Mahle having pitched his last game for Cincinnati, but as neither smart nor money are words that are generally associated with the Reds, who knows if the starter gets dealt.
Are the Boston Red Sox, one of the largest sporting franchises in the world, quitting on yet another season, despite only 4.5 games away from a Wild Card spot? John thinks they will trade away their five-time All-Star slugger. I hope he’s wrong.
The Cubs have Ian Happ under club control for another season, but the 27-year-old offers a level of offensive and defensive production that is seldom available for the relatively modest cost it will take to acquire him.
Amir Garrett has a 5.61 ERA with the Royals and enters his third year of arbitration eligibility in 2023. His number of suitors is probably below one.
John went for the big Juan (see what I did there?) The 23-year-old superstar apparently rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington. Although knowing the Nationals, they probably concocted some ludicrous delayed-payment scheme whereby Soto’s grandchildren will still be picking up his pay cheque. It looks like Soto will get traded in the next two years, so why not in the next two days?
Verdict: 1 out of 5
TEAM ROB
Even if the Nationals don’t trade Soto, they might flip Josh Bell by the deadline. The first baseman is owed $10 million and offers an unappreciated level of production. I’d like to see him in the postseason.
Ramón Laureano, who is under team control until the end of 2025, is still rebuilding his reputation after the PED suspension, so perhaps the Athletics are not motivated to sell low on the 28-year-old.
Give the Cincinnati Reds credit; they did well by signing Brandon Drury, Donovan Solano and Tommy Pham to one-year rental deals. Can they convert the impressive seasons of this trio into tangible future assets? I hope my lack of faith in the Reds’ Front Office is unjustified.
It feels like the Pirates have been trying to move Bryan Reynolds for several seasons. He is not a free agent until 2026, so Pittsburgh will need to be blown away to deal him.
Gleyber Torres? Hmmm.
Verdict: 1 out of 5
TEAM DARIUS
Unfortunately for my fantasy baseball team that has relied on David Robertson‘s saves, I cannot see the closer staying in Chicago. A 2.23 ERA in just over 40 innings of relief will work for any of the contending teams.
With Tyler Naquin (now with the Mets) and David Peralta (now with the Rays) off the market, Ben Gamel is the remaining outfielder for teams looking for a left-handed bat. Surely the Pirates will move him, even if it is for a minimal return.
In Frankie Montas, the A’s have the best starting pitcher on the market but maybe they will overplay their hand looking for a similar package to that sent by Seattle for Luis Castillo.
Donovan Solano can play second or third base and offers good on-base skills. Unless the Reds blow the trade negotiations, Solano will play for a new team on Wednesday.
The Angels invested heavily – $21 million heavily – in one year of Noah Syndergaard. Most contenders will want to take on Thor and his 3.83 ERA, but the price tag will rule several teams out.
Verdict: 4 out of 5
According to my haphazard analysis, Mr Darius Austin will be the winner. We will see who was right at 11:00 pm BST Tuesday evening.
Agree? Disagree? Join the discussion on Twitter @BatFlips_Nerds.
Gav is one of the growing team of writers at Bat Flips & Nerds. You can follow him on Twitter @GavTramps. Want to write for Bat Flips & Nerds? Click on the “Write for us” link above.