davell

Addy is available to PH, according to the beat guys.

Scissors hits the first pitch he sees, as a Padre, over the LF wall, against the White Sox. Pretty cool.

Houston has made it this far, he probably stays. The Bears don't really have a young OLB that they are desperate to get on the field. If he doesn't make the team, you're looking at Dan Skuta and Sam Acho fighting it out for the 4th guy in the OLB rotation. He probably does make it, especially since the Bears don't need cap room. But, I'm thinking Robertson-Harris conceivably can make Houston expendable.

[tweet] [/tweet] Best athlete Tweeter, bar none.

He only went to 27 Hmm, I could obviously see us doubling down on position players, a tiny SS seems a bit different than I'd think though. Maybe he's a DJ Wilson type of little guy, with pop?

Anyone have Insider that can tell us who Law had the Cubs taking at 27 and 30, in his first mock today?

Hatch isn't ready for High A. They need to just swap him and Cease.

Szczur + plate discipline - ability to play CF BA even mentioning the FO sees some Youkilis in Zagunis was pretty cool.

To me, he's kind of tailor-made for Oakland. Why would Beane trade him? They've got 5 young guys(or cheap at least) in Graveman, Triggs, Manaea, Hahn, and Cotton. My guess is Beane values that a bunch and allows for trading off Gray, who probably scares him at this point anyway.

I'm intrigued. I think Monty would be serviceable. The FO must think pretty highly of Butler to give him a start under these conditions.

I'm going to avoid the "name" guys. Anyone included on any major top 100 list(Eloy, Happ, Cease, De La Cruz, Candelario, Clifton) is excluded from this. Luckily, I don't think any of them are "down" anyway, outside of maybe Eloy, due to not playing yet obviously. If I'm not mentioning someone, I'd say they're basically in the same boat they were in earlier..... Iowa Stock Up Victor Caratini- The bat has been excellent so far. If he's not an everyday C or even a true backup, I'd say the bat puts him SOMEWHERE in the AL, in a lineup as often as not. And having the ability to catch on occasion is at least something. Stock Down Chesny Young- I brought him up as a potential Seal Boy replacement and he's actually started hitting since then somewhat. But, he's still got to increase the walks and the extra base hits, to get to where he's in contention to be a true bench bat for us. Tennessee Stock Up Charcer Burks- This ones easy. He's showing pop and plate discipline and getting better at both, the higher up the chain he goes. I'm very curious what happens if he does THIS all year. David Bote- He's coming off an excellent half season in MB and has continued hitting in Tennessee. Does he have a true position? Does he have a shot at becoming Seal Boys replacement? No idea. But he's at least thrown himself into a spot where he should get glanced at in the box scores. Jason Vosler- Same as Bote, but Bote had a better year last year, so I'd put him slightly higher, even though Vosler has been better so far in 2017. Jen Ho Tseng- He's repeating the level, but he's definitely been better and he's still just 22. He's certainly not exciting, but his profile looks slightly better and if he gets moved to Iowa and is decent, he puts himself in line to become a 7th-10th option for us in 2018. Zach Hedges- Also repeating the level, but had less time there. He's basically in the same boat as what he did last year, but he's also ready for Iowa and is in the same boat as Tseng. Plus, if you look at this guys picture on milb, you can see him as Teen Wolf, which is not nothing. Ian Rice- Even with no true position, although Arguello did JUST mention he's improving behind the plate, he's mashing again. Which is good, since he took a step back after his promotion to MB. The hitting has been excellent in Tennessee, to say the least. Stock Down I don't really see anyone struggling, so I'll say no one here. Myrtle Beach Stock Up Adbert Alzolay- He's got solid stuff, including a mid 90's FB. The results have been better. It may be a product of MB, but he's in a better spot than where he was at this point last year and is definitely someone to follow moving forward, even if he winds up in the pen eventually. Stock Down Carlos Sepulveda- Wow, he's really not hitting at all. He performed pretty well at 19 last year in SB, but he's been legit awful so far in MB. If he can salvage a .650 OPS this year, I'll be surprised. But, he's not K'ing a ton. Maybe he'll get some to drop. But 2 extra base hits so far kind of say he's really overmatched right now. Eddy Julio Martinez- I guess this ones a bit in the eye of the beholder. His K rate has gone down bigly. But, there's nothing else positive going on here. And this guy is supposed to have quite a bit of upside. I definitely was expecting more than this, although its still fairly early. That said, I definitely think its fair to label his season a disappointment, to date. Thomas Hatch- Again, maybe this ones a bit unfair. He's the first guy we've drafted that we started in high A at the start of their first full season, from a pitching standpoint. So my expectations were relatively high. He's getting exposed from a control standpoint, which I wasn't expecting at all. Its early and there's been solid reports on his stuff too, but I'd say he's down somewhat for sure. South Bend Stock Up Jhonny Pareda- He skipped short season ball and is performing just fine, in doing that. I'd say that puts him up a bit. I'm very interesting to hear reports on his catching. Zack Short- Is the pop for real? It seems like it shouldn't be, based on his frame. But, he was a guy that fell in the draft due to a poor season, maybe he's back to what made him successful earlier? At any rate, its not going to shock me if him and Sepulveda swap spots at some point soon. Dakota Mekkes- Yeah, you kind of expect him to be really good here. But, he's been better than that. I'm ready to see him move forward, I think he's for real personally and the size+deception is going to serve him well. Stock Down Jose Paulino- His stuff, plus his success in SB over a few starts last year, made me think he'd be in MB right now. Not only is he not, he's struggling in SB. Time to put him in the pen? Maybe so. DJ Wilson- I fully expect improvement here and he started slow last year too. His upside is excellent, but he's got to get to the point where he's making a lot more contact than he is at this moment. So, I'd say his stock is down, even if I suspect that'll change soon. Erling Moreno- WTF? He disappeared after one start. No idea what his injury is, but hope its not arm related, since he's already had TJS recently. Was really looking forward to seeing him in full season ball, but no idea what's going on here. So his stock has to be down. EXST Stock Up Aramis Ademan- The reports have been extremely encouraging here. Easy movement at SS and is showing more pop than what was originally expected out of him. He's our legit SS prospect moving forward and the fact that the bat is coming around early, makes him pretty exciting. Miguel Amaya- He's got a reputation already as an excellent defensive C. And like Ademan, he's also showing far more of a bat than what was expected. AZPhil said these two are the best two position player prospects to come thru EXST since Eloy and Torres. So, that puts them on my radar(and probably inside my top 20) and really looking forward to seeing them in Arizona or Salem soon.

Wow I was just getting bummed out he had no chance to slide to us at 27 and then this happens. I'm sure they're digging in a bunch on him, but I'd be very surprised if we don't pass(unless he makes it all the way to our 2nd round pick.

I liked Odorizzi a lot more two years or so ago, than I do now. At this point, I think any upside he may have had is likely gone and he's the epitomy of a number 4 guy. There's nothing at all wrong with that, but Tampa likely values him way more than what should be given up for a guy like him. The low salary is about the best quality he has and that'll be gone next year, once he's making 7-8 mill. It'd be relatively easy to find his production thru FA for 10 mill a year or so and it won't cost you an Ian Happ type of prospect, to get that guy.

I didn't include him because they're expecting to compete soon. Hell, they went into the year expecting 75ish wins this year. With their new stadium, they're going to be aggressive quick. I do NOT think its going to work great, but I think they make a strong push this off season. They like Foltynewicz, I don't see them moving him. If they did, I guess they'd want a major league ready position player, ala Happ(off season type of move) I think you're probably right but they are getting a 250 wOBA from their 3B position, manned by 32 y/o Adonis Garcia. What about a Candy-led package? That would really solidify their future infield with Swanson and Albies. Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk Eh, I think they'd need Happ as a starter for him. They're a great fit for Candelario, but its probably more for Wisler, as we've discussed before on here before. At this stage, I'm not sure I'd even do that deal. I would love to trade Candelario for a guy in AA or AAA though, just not sure its Wisler anymore.

I didn't include him because they're expecting to compete soon. Hell, they went into the year expecting 75ish wins this year. With their new stadium, they're going to be aggressive quick. I do NOT think its going to work great, but I think they make a strong push this off season. They like Foltynewicz, I don't see them moving him. If they did, I guess they'd want a major league ready position player, ala Happ(off season type of move)

Here's the guys I EXPECT to get dealt....(not counting back end types) 75% chance or higher Darvish, Quintana, Gray 50% chance Cole, Cueto 25% chance Teheran 10% chance or less Archer, Stroman, Verlander, Greinke Back end/middle of rotation types that have at least a full year of control moving forward.... 50% chance or better Happ, Santana 25% chance or less Odorizzi

Donaldson will be 33 when his FA deal starts, and Pillar is the only offensive player they have who 1) actually can be expected to play well and 2) is not post-prime and going to continue to get worse. On the pitching side they have Stroman, Sanchez, and little else, Osuna is a good end of pen guy and that's about it. They play in the AL East too, and they have a lot of money in guys who are uncertain to even be average going forward(Martin, Tulo, Happ, Morales). They may logically decide Stroman is part of the next good Jays team, but they're real close to the 'blow it up' point too, and cashing in pitching assets sure isn't a bad decision if they do. I'm not arguing whether its the right thing to do or not. I'm just saying I don't think they'll pull up for a rebuild this early, when they'll have some semblance of hope for next year, barring injuries. If they wait a year, its not going to affect things that much, so I'd expect that route. Especially since there's plenty of starting pitching options on the market that will alter Stromans value anyway.

I see no reason for Toronto to trade Stroman whatsoever. They've got close to 90 mill coming off their books. They'll give Donaldson 25 of that, and some other arb raises.....But, they'll have 50 mill to play with. If things go south NEXT year, then I can see Stroman available. For now, it'll be Estrada and maybe Happ.

Put rentals in a category at the bottom, 1 year guys, 2 year guys, and 3+ into separate categories. Although I think Quintana is the only 3+ year guy that moves.

This is our need, as of now. We may eventually add to the need of starting pitching, but this one probably isn't going away, even if Butler or Montgomery upgrade the Anderson spot. The rotation is just shaky this season. It may get better(probably will), but it seems like an inevitability, that we'll be adding this deadline..... The true question is whether we add one, or two, guys to the mix? We won't be adding two elite guys, I'd feel comfy saying that. But, I could see us adding a multi year guy and a rental. Even if one of them is a swing guy, that just provides more depth. Looking at the landscape, its far from settled, as to who is doing what, at the deadline. But, I'll list out the teams and their pieces that MAY wind up selling..... Toronto Pieces- JA Happ is a fairly decent pitcher and has 1-13 on his deal after this season. That's not horrible and he seems not to be a guy you'd blow your farm on obviously. Marco Estrada is a pure rental, he'd go before Happ. Again, solid addition depth-wise. Liriano is a rental too, he may be hard for them to move, at this point. Stroman? He's hurt. Plus, I legitimately see no reason for them to move him. Tampa Bay Pieces- Archer? Sorry, I don't see it. They're not even able to blow things up, with their attendance. So, they need to stick around in hell and hope for an outlier season. Odorizzi? He's got 2 years of arb left. My guess is they'd still want a TON for him. He'll be available, just not likely to be dealt. Cobb is a rental and WILL be dealt. Erasmo Ramirez is a dark horse, IMO. He's in arb and is a swing guy, I could see them moving on and he's not horrible. White Sox Pieces- Quintana is moving. To us? Highly doubtful, but I'm sure we'll be inquiring. He's got 3/29.35 left after this year. The price of acquisition would be uncomfortable, but he's the best guy moving at the deadline, that isn't a rental.....They're trying the flippy thing with Holland too. Kansas City- What a sad group. Good thing they've got hitting to move. Jason Vargas has been excellent and will turn into a pumpkin soon. Ian Kennedy can opt out of 3/49. I don't see it, but I do see them trying to move him somehow. Minnesota- No idea if they'll sell. If they do, they've got Ervin Santana, with 1-13 left after this year. He'd be attractive to many teams. Phil Hughes has 2/26.8 left, I'm sure they'd love to move on from that. Detroit No clue if they sell either, but I lean no. They're developing a bit of decent young pitching and probably want Verlander there to help honestly. He'd have 3/78 on his deal, if he wants his option picked up. Zimmermann is sitting on 3/74 and they'd gladly eat your toe jam, to get you to take that off their books. Angels Another sad case of pitching. They may not sell. If they do, they've got swingman deluxe Jesse Chavez, who we've shown interest in, in the past. He's a rental. Nolasco is a rental too, but with a club option. Skaggs hits arb next year, I'd guess they'd prefer to keep him, or still be asking too much, at this point. Oakland Its all about Sonny Gray. If he's healthy, they'll move him. They've got 5 cost controlled guys behind him, some with decent upside. He fits us well, in that they need hitting..... Seattle Iwakuma has been bad. But, he's a rental, with an option. Glaardo is in the exact same boat. I fail to see them moving anyone else. Texas Darvish. If they sell, which looks likely.....He's the prize rental of the season. Martin Perez has 3 options at 22.5 total, I doubt he'd cost much. Not sure what they think of him at this stage..... Atlanta Teheran? He's got 3/31 left, he's not been good, and everything else they've got is a rental. So, my educated guess is he's staying put again. They've got Colon, Dickey, and Garcia all as rentals to try and flip. Teams have tried copycatting our approach, which is flattering and yet dumb. Because that market is way over saturated at this point..... Miami Volquez has 1-13 left. They COULD move him. They could also stand pat, with the team getting sold soon. Tom Koehler is a swing guy who's been awful, that we've shown interest in previously. Philly Hellickson gets moved this year. Feel confident in that. They've got youngsters everywhere else, maybe you could target excess from them and get a Jake Thompson cheap?(he's been awful too) Cincy Our man, Scott Feldman is back to be flipped again. Assuming they wind up selling, which isn't certain. Arroyo could be had too. Milwaukee Peralta has 2 years of arb left and is a DFA candidate. That's about it, for them. Pittsburgh They're not trading with us. But, I could see Garrit Cole being made available. He's got 2 years of arb left. Nova has 2/17 left on his deal after this year and is a bargain they've fixed..... San Fran TT posted a Brisbee article explaining why they won't be active. I kind of agree, but if Cueto is a goner and a sure thing to opt out of 4/84, I could SEE them moving him. Assuming they don't extend him obviously and make this a moo point. Matt Cain is a rental now, I'd think they'd be happy to move him at this stage. San Diego Flip city of pure poop. Cahill is the best they've got. We're probably a bit ticked we didn't keep him(if he'd have taken less than a guaranteed SP gig). Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin are also out there to be had. Jarred Cosart probably wouldn't be too hard to obtain as a pre arb swing guy. Arizona Greinke at 4/126.5? Doubtful. They'll probably stick in the low end of the playoff hunt too. Is Miller a guy they'd move now? He's going to miss part of next year and only has one year after that. Buy low chance? Corbin has a year left too, if they fall out of things....Slight chance of selling, my guess is they add actually.... I'll clean this up more later tonight. Wanted to list all the guys now. The Rentals..... Yu Darvish, Marco Estrada, Alex Cobb, Jeremy Hellickson, Jason Vargas, Trevor Cahill, Derek Holland, Scott Feldman, Hisashi Iwakuma, Yovani Gallardo, Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia, RA Dickey, Matt Cain, Clayton Richard 1 year of control guys Ervin Santana 1-12, JA Happ 1-13, Edison Volquez 1-13 2 years of control Jake Odorizzi(4.1), Garrit Cole(3.75), Sonny Gray(3.575), Ivan Nova 2-17 3+ years of control Chris Archer 4-33.75 Julio Teheran 3-31 Carlos Quintana 3-29.5 Zack Greinke 4-126.5 Johnny Cueto 4-84, 5-106, or a rental

Hudson with a second straight excellent outing......6 4 1 1 1 3.

Alzolay goes 7 2 0 0 3 3. Another excellent outing. Wish he was slightly larger. The FO has mentioned him as a breakout guy though.

Yeah, I really want Hiura to fall to the Cubs. Maybe the threat of TJS will do it. Pearson seems intriguing. Also, interested in David Peterson, Brendon Little and Wil Crowe. I wonder if that one huge game took Peterson out of reach? I like all of those guys too.

Pearson seems like a great guy to take a chance on early. Especially if we took pitching at both 27 and 30. Hiura would be such a great get, if he fell that far, I just don't see it happening. Pearson, Schmidt, and an extra 5-600K to use on pick 67 seems like my favorite realistic scenario right now.

Dylan Floro was sent back to Iowa. We can pour one out for the 4.1 mop up innings he threw today that saved the pen.