toonsterwu

I've got zero idea why this is on my mind this morning/noon, but with Hazen in Arizona now, I really wonder if we might end up matching up with them this offseason, and namely, perhaps for Pollock.

I'm sure the organization will make the right medical decision based on their evaluators. On the plus side, you put Schwarber in there, if the swing is on and he can run ... he can easily DH and be a useful late inning PH option. With 4 possible games in AL parks (here's hoping not ... and the Cubs win at home), okay. That said ... sure feels like, as talented and hard-working as he is, it might be risky to bring a guy who hasn't faced live major league pitching in months. Arizona is great, but it's different. Add in that it would limit the roster a bit more, in terms of flexibility, particularly if he's not 100% and limited to just hitting and running the bases. I guess, with Maddon, he can find a way around. At the end of the day, it's remarkable Schwarber is even ready to be considered. I trust they'll make the right decision. My hunch is that they'll put him on and take, say, Coghlan off, as Coghlan really isn't going to be used in the field unless it's an emergency.

This is meant in a positive way, as I was quite fascinated with him, but Paredes reminded me a tiny bit of Marco Hernandez. I think he's a bit more developed than Hernandez offensively was at the same stage (Hernandez hit AZL at 18, sticking around for a 2nd cycle at 19, before hitting A/Shortseason), with a bit more pop, but probably behind defensively (Paredes seems like he's a touch behind Marco athletically), but both had enough questions on their ability to stick at short.

Love the fact that those two arms had such great outings. Clifton's really taken big steps ... here's hoping he keeps chugging forward next year in AA. Doesn't seem like his control issues should be that big a problem, but I guess ... you never know. Seems a bit more polished entering AA than Underwood, so I have a bit more hope. Might not have the same ceiling, but Clifton's ceiling is strong enough. Gotta think he's a strong top 5 consideration in our system this offseason (I guess that isn't that ... big a statement ... considering it's thinned out a bit), and wonder if he's a borderline top 100. So exciting to see a young arm legitimately mature and develop (I mean, he wasn't throwing this hard or well back when he entered the system). So glad to see de la Cruz finish strong, especially in South Bend. Going to see if he can take it up a notch. I mean ... he really feels like he can become one of the elite minor league arms if it all comes together. I mean ... he really shows it all. Weren't there some reports that he was mid-90's when he came back, and he might add some more? Still looks like he has the potential for 2 plus pitches and 3 solid offerings from the little I've paid attention ... has shown solid command, has the frame and athleticism. Obviously, TINSTAAP ... but I look and I can't help but wonder if he's really that far from Anderson Espinoza ... and that I can see some similarities between him and Alex Reyes. The development of Cease/return of de la Cruz and Clifton's strong year more than makes up for any pitching disappointments (and ... I'm not that bothered by Justin Steele and Bryan Hudson's years ... Hudson was always going to take time, and Steele had a solid 2nd half. ... actually a part of me is starting to wonder about Steele as a power pen arm, a la Zach Britton, although I don't think he's sinker is anywhere that good yet ... obviously keep developing him as a starter until he can't). I mean ... that combination of those guys more than makes up for any losses in trades and makes this a big minor league season "win", IMO. As for Kopech, still think he's over-hyped a bit and a pen arm ... but Clifton dominated a lineup with some good, albeit, raw talent. Just awesome on his part.

Really hope something has clicked for DJ Wilson beyond feasting on Boise pitching. IIRC, Candelario took off last year after the bump up to AA. His offense has taken off after the bump up to AAA. Now ... put it all together. Good to see Almora go down and hit well. Not that they are Cubs anymore, but looks like Gleyber and Rashad have gotten off to slow starts for Tampa.

they desperately wanted out of Olivera after the domestic violence incident, iirc. guess they wanted out that bad.

Random thoughts: Marlins trade was horrible. Now, more than ever, they need to hope Wei Yin Chen isn't seriously injured, as mediocre as he's been this year. They sent Naylor, Castillo and Capps (I guess Cosart is a factor) for Cashner and Rea (and Guerrero)? That essentially emptied their farm again. Contrasting the Melancon trade with the Chapman and Cashner deals is interesting. On the surface, I get the reasonable trade aspect of it. Melancon should be an upgrade on Papelbon, and the Nats are pushing. Still, I really like this deal for the Pirates. They got a guy in Rivero who might be better than Melancon soon, if not now, and a big time arm in Hearn. I really don't think the move is going to dent their competitiveness this year, and it sets them up better long run. I question how much better the Nats pen is with Melancon as the closer vs. sliding Kelley to that role and restructuring the pen usage. Don't get me wrong ... it's better ... just not sure by how much. That said, yeah, it is reasonable.

I'm actually quite curious with how Matusz does the rest of the year. May end up being nothing, but always thought he should've gotten another chance as a starter.

A bit late on the news ... but just saw that a mystery team was in on Lucroy and I really do wonder if that could be the Cubs. Hard to see us landing him after making 2 deals ... but assuming adding an impact SP doesn't happen, adding a bat to further improve our chances makes sense, and compared to an impact arm, we probably have the pieces left to make a deal if they like some of our guys. My guess is that Stearns pulls the trigger on the best prospect/young talent he can get ... gotta think the Indians might head that conversation if they decide the pen upgrades are too costly.

on the mlbpipeline writeup, callis noted forearm soreness and that he's out until instructs. very curious about him now. I can't help but recall the reports on Jen-ho Tseng before his signing year (another kid that was "filled out" without much physical projection). Albertos sounds like he could be great ... gonna be curious. Reading Callis' writeup about Jose Rosario on that list reminds me of how fascinated I was with him a couple years back.

To be clear, I'm comparing Smyly to Odorizzi and Moore only, not Archer. Yes, if the medicals are bad, then you pass on it. Assuming they are okay ... I guess we can still say Moore has a higher ceiling than Smyly, with the better fastball, but I like Smyly's 4 pitch mix better, and neither guy has logged a ton of innings. Odorizzi ... just have never loved him. A stable workhorse mid-end of the rotation type. THis is predicated on the idea that Smyly would be relatively cheaper. IF he isn't, then no. I'm also curious about the idea of Smyly going back to the 2-seamer some, now that he has a firm grasp on how to attack hitters. A lot of the Rays pitchers give up the long ball as they focus on attacking with the 4-seamer. I could be thinking about the wrong guy, but I thought Smyly had a decent 2-seamer once, and I just wonder if there's something there to bring down the HR's a bit.

I'd like to see them make a run at a starter as well, but ... considering the rumored costs of some of the mediocre arms out there (like Jeremy Hellickson), it's hard to see something coming together. If that's all it costs for Reddick, you make the trade right away. I'd be hard pressed to buying that's all it would cost for Reddick, but who knows. Much as I would like to add Sale, Sale alone doesn't push us over any hump, and stripping the team's young core even more makes little sense. As for the Rays starter, I'm on the record as preferring Smyly. Archer's going to cost the moon to get back, I don't love Moore enough ... and Odorizzi doesn't excite me. At the end of the day, I think any talks they have now are probably laying the groundwork for the offseason.

I worry the 4th piece is a low level lottery ticket. Will just have to wait and see.

I don't like this. It's hard to see this not getting done at this stage, although you never know. It isn't that I have some insane love for Gleyber that would lead me to want to keep him. I think he'll be good ... but he was always more likely a trade asset than anything, barring a ridiculous season where he forced his way up (and that didn't happen). It isn't that I dislike Chapman. He's good, and he'll kick the pen up a notch. I'm just not sure that Chapman, though, takes us through the roof, and without achieving that, the idea of Torres and more for him ... I'm just not sure I buy it. Now, I get why Theo and Co. are doing it. It's their "Addison Russell" trade to an extent - selling a top talent to try and go all-in (and for all the talk about our deep system ... if we move Torres and another quality piece, it'll take a few years to rebuild the system with Contreras graduating as well). IIRC,Theo praised Beane's guts to make a move like that, and Theo and Co. see a good team that could be kicked up a notch. The Montgomery trade, though, was supposed to buy us some freedom from this. They addressed the core pen need, leaving room to go for a home run if they wanted. Torres and multiple Cubs pieces just seems way too much to me. Guess we'll have to see how it shakes out and what other pieces come along with it. I Also mildly worry about fit and culture issues. Emphasis on mildly. The Nationals added Papelbon last year, which wrecked some of the camaradarie in season. Maddon's a better manager of personalities than Matt Williams was, but Rondon would have every right to be peeved a bit.

I'd be very interested in picking up Drew Storen to work with/rebuild now that he's DFA'd. Am curious about the loss of velocity on his fastball, but at his age and history, it'd be a nice pickup to try out.

Yankees can only dream of getting Joe Ross. Honestly, wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs made a very competitive offer that could perhaps win it. Hard to see the Nationals parting with their elite prospects, and I question whether or not the Indians would. If their top level talents don't get moved, then we are very much in the mix.

I'd give up a lot, but I really don't think the two teams will successfully match up. They'll, and somewhat justifiably, want multiple impact talents, and preferably, some guys that have produced in the majors. While I think some of their fan proposals are extreme, as all fan bases have a tendency to be ... I'm also not sure that a Schwarber, Torres, Happ, Cease offer, or Baez instead of Schwarber, really makes all that much sense for them. Even if we extend it to Schwarber/Baez ... I'm still not sure they do that ... and anything beyond that gets counter-productive. It's not that I think they won't move Sale. I think Rick Hahn is smart enough that if he convinces ownership on the need to move Sale, they'll okay it ... but I just don't know if we match up all that well with them. My guess is they hold onto Sale. I think Quintana is the more likely guy they move, as Quintana, while still likely netting a lot, probably is cheaper enough to see a deal happen in this weak pitching market. Still, I could see them hold onto both and try again in the off-season.

I wouldn't either. Actually, I might be amenable to moving Happ for rentals, but I'm not sure I want to move Happ for some sort of Hill/Reddick package. That said, I do think, with the paucity of pitching, it might take a talent of Happ's ilk to perhaps land Hill. It seems like the same names have been cycled all year, which sort of makes me wonder if there's a chance that some sort of big deal is possible that hasn't been mentioned. Dunno why I keep wondering if Jerad Eickhoff could potentially be had - I doubt it (too many years of control to move now ...), but the Phillies have been better than expected and moving him at this deadline could potentially net a huge package. I also wonder about Gio Gonzalez a little bit ... although I doubt it. Still ... Tanner Roark has been great, and if Joe Ross comes back strong ... I wonder if they would be open to moving Gio to address needs without having to give up young talent. Actually, for all the Rays guys that are possible, I still think I might prefer Smyly 2nd to Archer. For some reason, Smyly's name doesn't seem to get bantered about that much, but then again, I haven't followed things all that closely this summer.

It's a logical move and something I brought up awhile ago ... when I thought Buchholz could be fixed this season. At this juncture, he'd be more depth than anything. Still ... sure ... why not? Get him in, see if they can fix him and have an option for the rotation next season. Still ... not sure the Red Sox part with him unless something turns around for another guy or they make another move. He's useful depth for them as well right now, as bad as he has been this year.

It seems like they backed down, but the Red Sox had moved on. I don't fault Beane for shooting for the moon early. My guess is Hill probably costs a team a 2nd tier prospect and a good A ball lottery ticket (or 2) in the end. I do think that Oakland is better off trying to package Hill with someone else (say Reddick) and see if that could increase the return (a la Samardzija/Hammel in some respects). Happ does seem like the type of guy that they could like a lot.

The Pomeranz/Espinoza deal seems to make sense for both clubs, but as someone that is high on Espinoza ... I'm not a huge fan of it from the Red Sox perspective. That said, to get one of the better arms available ... if you are in contention, as the Red Sox are ... it makes sense. I'm not a believer that Kopech is a starter long term, but you still have him in the bank, as well as some other solid 2nd tier starters. I wonder if this is a "one-off", though, instead of a sign of what the market will be. Both teams moved for what they "needed" - Padres gambled on upside, particularly with Pomeranz's injury and limited workload history. Will be curious. If it's a sign of the market ... I think it's overall, a positive sign that a 1for 1 deal like this was achieved for Pomeranz ... despite my intrigue in Espinoza.

I'd be quite surprised if such a need arose this year. He's veering into that potentially elite territory, the type of guys that rarely get moved, and the Cubs simply don't have that huge need. Heck, I'm not even convinced they go hard at a lefty pen arm unless the price really comes down. If a huge need arose, or a top level guy's price dropped ... could I see it? Perhaps, but I think the Cubs would try like heck to utilize other assets (namely, Gleyber Torres and maybe Jeimer Candelario) to try and complete a deal before Eloy.

There's some Sonny Gray in Bukauskas, I think, but I can't help shake the feeling that I don't buy him as a next level, top end starting pitcher. Nothing to really ... point to right now, though. Just a feeling. I'll be curious how this class turns out in a year. A year ago, the 2016 draft didn't look that thin at the top, but it really flat0-lined. Going to be curious if all these pieces hold up. ____ UVA's going to have a nice crop next year. Pavin Smith has one of the best bats in the country, a sweet lefty stroke with power. Feels like he should go at least in the top 3 rounds. My hunch is Adam Haseley is going to end up being drafted as a pitcher if he can keep adding a little more velocity and sit low 90's. Feel like his ceiling as a pitcher is higher than his ceiling as CF, but he does have a good approach and a nice swing. Feels like a top 5 round or so guy either way. Tommy Doyle has a good fastball/breaking ball combination, but his ceiling probably is that of a middle relief/borderline setup guy unless something really clicks. That said, the two most interesting guys to me are Ernie Clement and Derek Casey. I think Clement moves to shortstop next year, although that's to be determined. If he moves to short and continues to show a nice approach and gets on base, could be an interesting guy up the middle. I even think there might be a bit more pop in there. Casey had electric stuff out of the prep ranks. Fastball topped out at 95 back then. He got off to a good start his freshman year before going down with TJ. Going to be curious how he comes back ... could really jump up the ladder. Wouldn't surprise me if UVA's run of first round picks continued next year - Smith the most likely, Casey a possible darkhorse.

Guessing it was the latter moreso than the former. Gotta think Hatch has some leverage as a red-shirt sophomore. Hope I'm wrong. ___ It's a nice crop of arms considering the dynamics of this draft. I guess I'm expecting some college positional players today, guys to fill out the depth chart. Too lazy to check right now, but if Daniel Pinero hasn't gone, he might be an interesting guy to fit in.

Looking at what teams have done ... fascinated with the Braves. With so much pitching in the system ... they go pitching heavy, with a lot of raw upside. Going to be interesting to see how things pan out there. think the Orioles took some interesting chances to try and get arms early. not a huge fan of the Red Sox draft. Of course, Groome was a nice prize to fall to them, but don't love the rest of the draft. Shawaryn could be a nice piece, though. White Sox had a great draft in terms of, as Tom noted, letting things fall to them. Curbelo was a nice 6th rounder. Love the Cardinals draft. Gallen and Jones gives them two very good college arms, and I still believe Jones might be a better pro than in college, where his slider could be used more. Of course, there's the Virginia issue (the crouch). really like the Rays draft. Took a couple relative "safe" college guys and mixed in some prep ceiling. ____ Can't say I love the Hockin pick ... but okay.