2020 Trade Deadline Targets/Rumors

[Clem Fandango]

Indians just put Brantley on the IL

 

Bold strategy, Cotton.

[Brian]

bring Dan Vogelbach home, he'd get the same amount of hits as Almora but they'd be majestic dongs

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The city of South Bend is devoid of fatties hitting scrimmage dongs.

[Cubswin11]

I don’t think we’d give up what it requires, but he’d be absolutely perfect for us.

 

[We Got The Whole 9]

The Blue Jays DFA'd Anthony Alford and I'm not not interested. I see him as a possible late blooming Aaron Hicks type in that he's a former top prospect who is still a good age (26) and had enough going on including CF potential to still be interesting. He was the somewhat rare legit two sport guy out of HS in 2012, first round pick out of HS, played some NCAA QB terribly in 2012 before committing to baseball with the Blue Jays, and like Hicks was doing just fine as a prospect through AA at 22, really good stuff. Then he hit a wall, maybe started getting those nagging injuries, and hasn't really gotten it going since while still remaining pretty well regarded as far as intangibles, trying to make it happen yada yada. There's a solid approach including an 11% walk rate in the minors, some power, speed, and good defense...

 

One big, huge difference is that Hicks took 900+ ML PAs after debuting at 23 (Alford is at 75, very brief debut at 22) and wasn't outright a bad player in any of those, especially 25. Some details that might make up for that in (let's assume/pretend a more dynamic ML player development environment) are Alford's faster and a better defender, the Cubs have 3 starting OFers, Almora's on his last legs as a Cub...

 

With rosters expanded and especially with Souza out, I think he could be an opportunistic buy that gives the team a higher upside option than Almora in a role that actually has alot of room to make an impact (a 4th OFer that can spot the OF especially CF) this year and in the near future

 

Some MiL highlights:

 

.302/.380/.444 in the FSL at 20 over 255 PAs with a sub-20% K rate, follow up season there wasn't as pretty but included an IsoSLG well above league average and >10% BB rate

 

.310/.406/.429 in AA at 22 with, again, a sub-20% K rate and huge walk rate

 

I'm not coming up with a tl;dr because no one's reading that either

 

Edit: Alford's 26

I would absolutely kick the tires on Alford. There are major contact issues but as you said we are talking about 75 PA. His plate discipline is all over the place and it makes me think he's never found a comfortable MLB approach, although the sample is too small to make real judgments on.

 

He could need the proverbial change of scenery.

[Named After Maddux]

 

What about Wilmer Flores? He's got a career .505 SLG/.227 IsoSLG/.824 OPS against LHP

 

Yes he makes a lot of sense. The Giants are also out of it so a Flores/Tony Watson combo is one that can probably be had for a minimal return.

I'm not Watson's biggest fan. Looks like his velocity is down a bit like many pitchers, but he's a perfectly cromulent LHP who doesn't allow walks. He's dropping his sinker usage and increasing his change-up rate, which is interesting to monitor.

[Derwood]

This feels like a trap for the team too impatient to wait the Indians out on Lindor, wouldn't be surprised if asking prices are very similar due to control

 

Lindor would fit right in on this team (what with his sub-.300 OBP and -0.1 WAR)

[Brian]

Addison Russ is trending on twitter and I thought it maybe some dumb team rescued Russell from South Korea, but there is actually a pitcher named Addison Russ that the Yankees just traded for

 

was real tempted to make a thread

 

"The Yankees are going to take a chance on Addison Russ"

Edited August 21, 2020 by Brian

[Post Count Padder]

Phillies traded for David Hale and now trying to swing a deal with Boston for Workman and Hembree. The pitching market is heating up. Deadline is 8/31 right?

[Bertz]

Phillies traded for David Hale and now trying to swing a deal with Boston for Workman and Hembree. The pitching market is heating up. Deadline is 8/31 right?

 

Holy horsefeathers I didn't know the Phillies' bullpen had a 8.07 ERA until I went to MLBTR to read up on this more.

[jersey cubs fan]

Addison Russ is trending on twitter and I thought it maybe some dumb team rescued Russell from South Korea, but there is actually a pitcher named Addison Russ that the Yankees just traded for

 

was real tempted to make a thread

 

"The Yankees are going to take a chance on Addison Russ"

Pretty wild that his first kid is already old enough to play in the majors

[Backtobanks]

What about Wilmer Flores? He's got a career .505 SLG/.227 IsoSLG/.824 OPS against LHP

 

I thought we should have signed him as a FA in 2019. Of course, we wouldn't have seen the amazing feats of Descalso, Kemp, Garcia, and Perez then.

[Post Count Padder]

Pivetta has the stuff and intrigue but he's been trash the last couple years. Seabold is a nice arm but nothing special. Interesting return there. Sox are desperate for anyone who can slot into the rotation apparently.

[Cubswin11]

Yeah I’ve always liked Pivetta. Wish we could’ve gotten him for cheap and sent him to the lab and maybe turn him in to a useful pitcher of some kind.

[Named After Maddux]

Mike Mayers could be a complementary move for the pen who would also help with lefties. He’s a RHP, but added a 90 mph cutter this year. He dropped his 4 seam usage from over 50% to 35% while throwing his cutter 15%. His numbers are actually remarkably similar to Ryan Tepera and for a likely cheap price, I’d gladly add another Tepera to this pen.

[Cubswin11]

Mike Mayers could be a complementary move for the pen who would also help with lefties. He’s a RHP, but added a 90 mph cutter this year. He dropped his 4 seam usage from over 50% to 35% while throwing his cutter 15%. His numbers are actually remarkably similar to Ryan Tepera and for a likely cheap price, I’d gladly add another Tepera to this pen.

Yeah I’d be intrigued if they think the pitch mix change is a real thing. Also Strasburg is done for the year and the Nats are 9-13. Any of Howie, Eaton or Asdrubal would be nice offense targets. Tanner Rainey as a RP target from them too.

[Post Count Padder]

Brock Holt was DFAd by the Brewers. I wanted him in the offseason and would rather him than Hernan Perez.

[Cubswin11]

Brock Holt was DFAd by the Brewers. I wanted him in the offseason and would rather him than Hernan Perez.

I was just coming to post this exact thing. His splits neutral 90+ vs LHP and RHP and does the contact thing 80%+, I’d prefer him to Hernan.

[Bertz]

Mike Mayers could be a complementary move for the pen who would also help with lefties. He’s a RHP, but added a 90 mph cutter this year. He dropped his 4 seam usage from over 50% to 35% while throwing his cutter 15%. His numbers are actually remarkably similar to Ryan Tepera and for a likely cheap price, I’d gladly add another Tepera to this pen.

Yeah I’d be intrigued if they think the pitch mix change is a real thing. Also Strasburg is done for the year and the Nats are 9-13. Any of Howie, Eaton or Asdrubal would be nice offense targets. Tanner Rainey as a RP target from them too.

 

Asdrubal Cabrera and a reliever makes way too much sense. Sean Doolittle is a pending FA and about to come off the IL, if he looks right his next few outings he'd be perfect.

[CoolHandLuke]

Mike Mayers could be a complementary move for the pen who would also help with lefties. He’s a RHP, but added a 90 mph cutter this year. He dropped his 4 seam usage from over 50% to 35% while throwing his cutter 15%. His numbers are actually remarkably similar to Ryan Tepera and for a likely cheap price, I’d gladly add another Tepera to this pen.

Yeah I’d be intrigued if they think the pitch mix change is a real thing. Also Strasburg is done for the year and the Nats are 9-13. Any of Howie, Eaton or Asdrubal would be nice offense targets. Tanner Rainey as a RP target from them too.

 

Asdrubal Cabrera and a reliever makes way too much sense. Sean Doolittle is a pending FA and about to come off the IL, if he looks right his next few outings he'd be perfect.

 

Doolittle seems like a great person too, which is a nice bonus.

[Andy]

Doolittle is a good dude which is why he's ridiculously overrated by this forum. He wasn't good last year, has been absolutely awful this year, and is about to be 34 so there's no particular reason to think he's going to get any better.

[PackLandVA]

Maybe the issue isn't who the Cubs should go after, but rather, who on the roster would other teams want?

[Post Count Padder]

Tony Watson seems like a guy we should've acquired by now.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Probably a more dumb than usual hot take I don't really believe but in this moment I think this can team can win without Willson Contreras and would shop him this deadline...Same suspects as the offseason: Rays, A's, and Jays immediately come to mind. The Rays in particular still have a pretty easy fit with their MIF, CF, and reliever/P depth and the Jays could make an interesting offer probably

 

I was a big proponent of trading Contreras last winter, but the odds of getting appropriate value at the deadline of this bizarre half season are less than zero.

[Post Count Padder]

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