JULY 31, 2019
BUSY DEADLINE CLOSES
A busy couple of days full of transactions have come to a close with the passing of the July 31st trade deadline. A total of 29 trades were made involving major league players. Here's a rundown of all 29 below.
Milwaukee Gets: LHP Mike Minor
Texas Gets: OF Tristen Lutz, 1B Jesus Aguilar, C/1B Jacob Nottingham
Milwaukee acquires some much needed starting pitching help with hopes that Minor will take some stress off of the bullpen with the most innings pitched in baseball. Lutz is a power bat that was ranked 4th in the Brewers farm system. Aguilar was an All-Star just last year, but has struggled mightily in 2019 and has lost playing time to the likes of Eric Thames and Ryan Braun. Nottingham is an offense-first catching prospect.
New York Yankees Get: RHP Marcus Stroman
Toronto Blue Jays Get: OF Clint Frazier, OF Everson Pereira, RHP Clarke Schmidt
The Yankees won the bidding war for Marcus Stroman, edging out Houston, Oakland, and Philadelphia. Frazier is a former top-5 prospect in all of baseball that the Yankees acquired for Andrew Miller. There are defensive and swing-and-miss concerns with Frazier, but he has tons of tools. Pereira is another toolsy outfielder that is a top-10 prospect in the Yankees system. Schmidt is a high-floor, low-ceiling pitcher that projects as a back of the rotation arm.
San Diego Padres Get: Noah Syndergaard
New York Mets Get: 2B Luis Urias, OF/1B Josh Naylor, LHP Ryan Weathers
In one of the most shocking moves of the deadline, the Padres dipped into their deep farm system to acquire Noah Syndergaard from the Mets. The Astros and Rays were also in on Syndergaard, but neither team were willing to include a prospect on the level of Urias. Naylor is a bat-first prospect that doesn't have a defensive home, and he could have trouble finding consistent AB's with the presence of Dominic Smith and Pete Alonso, but the bat is real. Weathers is only 19-years-old and is a few years away, but he projects as a top-of-the-rotation arm.
Philadelphia Phillies Get: LHP Matt Boyd
Detroit Tigers Get: RHP Adonis Medina, SS Luis Garcia, OF Mickey Moniak, C Deivi Grullon
The Phillies picked up the heavily sought-after Boyd from Detroit for a large haul of prospects, edging out Houston and Oakland for his services. Medina was the top pitcher in the Phillies system. Whether or not he pans out depends on whether or not he finds the strikezone. Garcia is another exciting prospect. The 18-year-old will report to Detroit's Low-A affiliate. Moniak is a former number one overall selection that has disappointed as a professional. While Moniak will be a big leaguer barring something unforeseen, he likely won't be an All-Star. Grullon is a defense-first catcher.
Atlanta Braves Get: LHP Robbie Ray
Arizona Diamondbacks Get: RHP Bryse Wilson, LHP Luiz Gohara, 1B/OF Greyson Jenista
The Braves picked up one of the top available pitchers and didn't have to give up anyone too valuable to their farm. While Wilson and Gohara are highly thought of, they had fallen behind other young arms like Sean Newcomb, Mike Soroka, Kolby Allard, Touki Toussaint, and more. Jenista is a bat first prospect that doesn't really have a defensive home. Houston was also in on the bidding for Ray.
Minnesota Twins Get: RHP Zack Wheeler
New York Mets Get: 1B/OF Brent Rooker, SS Nick Gordon
Minnesota gets one of the top rental arms on the market in Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler. Rooker put up one of the best offensive seasons in collegiate history in his senior year at Mississippi State, and he's raked his way through the minors as well. Scouts disagree on his defensive ability. Some think he isn't athletic enough to play the outfield, and some think he is. Gordon is a former first round pick that has underperformed as a pro but still has value.
Houston Astros Get: RHP Zack Greinke
Arizona Diamondbacks Get: OF Derek Fisher, C Max Stassi, RHP Francis Martes
The Arizona Diamonbacks get a tad of salary relief with the trade of Zack Greinke. Arizona will retain $34M of the $62M remaining on his contract. In return, the snakes acquire a toolsy outfielder in Fisher, who in three separate big league stints has impressed twice and been woeful once. Stassi is a defense-first catcher that will be a solid backup to Carson Kelly. Martes is a wild card who used to be one of the top prospects in all of baseball but has since had a poor first stint in the big leagues, Tommy John, and an 80 game PED suspension.
Cleveland Indians Get: OF Yasiel Puig
Cincinnati Reds Get: LHP Sam Hentges, RHP Nick Sandlin
The Indians get a corner outfielder that they've been seeking for seemingly a century. The Reds get two minor league arms.
Oakland Athletics Get: 2B Jonathan Villar
Baltimore Orioles Get: OF Greg Deichmann, RHP Grant Holmes
The A's get a dynamic second baseman that has outperformed Jurickson Profar. Deichmann has tons of pop and tons of swing-and-miss, Holmes has swing-and-miss stuff, but often struggles to throw strikes.
Oakland Athletics Get: LHP Madison Bumgarner
San Francisco Giants Get: OF Lazaro Armenteros, OF Skye Bolt
The Giants held off on selling for quite a while, but ultimately Farhan Zaidi decided that a team that is a game under .500 after over 100 games was unlikely to be a true title contender, especially in the age of the super-team with the Dodgers, Yankees, and Astros. The A's weren't on Bumgarner's no-trade list, and the trade is reminiscent of when Oakland dealt for Jon Lester in 2014. Armenteros is a top-100 prospect and Bolt is close to MLB-ready, a solid haul for a rental. Bumgarner stays in the Bay Area...just not in orange and black.
St. Louis Cardinals Get: RHP Shane Greene
Detroit Tigers Get: 3B Elehuris Montero, LHP Evan Kruczynski
The Cardinals initially tried to swing a deal for a bat, targeting Royals star Whit Merrifield, but all the attempts for offense fell through. Instead, the Cardinals bolstered the bullpen by adding Shane Greene, who has a microscopic 1.76 ERA.
Chicago Cubs Get: LHP Will Smith, RHP Reyes Moronta
San Francisco Giants Get: OF Ian Happ, RHP Adbert Alzolay
The Cubs add arguably the best available reliever in Smith and a controllable arm in Moronta. The Giants get a former top prospect in Happ that has fallen behind in the Cubs deep outfield depth chart and a pitcher with electric stuff in Alzolay.
Philadelphia Phillies Get: OF Corey Dickerson
Pittsburgh Pirates Get: RHP Enyel de los Santos, C Logan O'Hoppe
The Phillies needed an outfielder to fill in for their injury ravaged situation. Dickerson fit the mold.
Tampa Bay Rays Get: OF Jorge Soler
Kansas City Royals Get: 2B Alberto Figuereo, SS Taylor Walls
Soler has had a sneaky good season, belting 27 homers for the Royals. The Rays add some much needed thump.
Tampa Bay Rays Get: UTIL Derek Dietrich
Cincinnati Reds Get: OF Joe McCarthy, Cash Considerations
The Rays continued on their quest for power by trading for Dietrich, who has hit 19 homers this year. He can also play all over the diamond, something that Kevin Cash and the Rays value.
Los Angeles Dodgers Get: RHP Alex Colome
Chicago White Sox Get: C Connor Wong, RHP Martin Santana
The Dodgers lost out on Smith and Greene, and the Pirates and Padres were unwilling to deal their elite relief arms Felipe Vazquez and Kirby Yates, so they turned their attention to tier two of the available relievers. Colome will join Kenley Jansen in the back end of the 'pen.
Los Angeles Dodgers Get: RHP Kyle Crick
Pittsburgh Pirates Get: RHP Tony Gonsolin, RHP Edwin Uceta
Crick is a high-spin rate guy that analytically driven teams covet. He will join Jansen and the aforementioned Colome in the back of the bullpen.
Washington Nationals Get: RHP Ken Giles, 1B Justin Smoak
Toronto Blue Jays Get: LHP Tim Cate, RHP Mason Denaburg
The Nationals get Giles, who is having a renaissance in Toronto, to fortify a leaky bullpen, and Smoak, who will fill in at first with Ryan Zimmerman on the DL. Toronto adds two intriguing prospects to their already deep farm system.
Washington Nationals Get: RHP Ian Kennedy
Kansas City Royals Get: 2B Yasel Antuna, OF Gage Canning
Ian Kennedy has been sneaky good for the Royals. Kansas City was willing to eat $12M of the $24M remaining on Ian Kennedy's deal, which made him enticing enough to the bullpen-needy Nationals.
Houston Astros Get: LHP Jake Diekman
Kansas City Royals Get: RHP Brandon Bielak, Cash Considerations
The Astros didn't have a single lefty in the bullpen. Diekman has a high strikeout rate and fits the Astros philosophy. Bielak is a high-floor minor league arm.
Atlanta Braves Get: RHP Sam Dyson
San Francisco Giants Get: SS A.J. Graffanino, RHP Freddy Tarnok
The Braves add an experienced arm to an inexperienced bullpen.
Philadelphia Phillies Get: LHP Tony Watson
San Francisco Giants Get: OF Simon Muzziotti, LHP JoJo Romero
The Phillies already had plenty of lefties, but they just needed reliable arms in general as they make their playoff push.
Houston Astros Get: C Bryan Holaday
Miami Marlins Get: Cash Considerations
The Astros needed a defense-first backup catcher for Robinson Chirinos after trading Max Stassi for Greinke.
Oakland Athletics Get: RHP Jordan Lyles, RHP Keone Kela
Pittsburgh Pirates Get: INF Jurickson Profar, RHP Daulton Jefferies
The A's felt it was okay to deal Profar after acquiring Villar. Seeking more pitching help, Lyles and Kela will go a long way towards providing depth to a thin staff.
Los Angeles Angels Get: RHP Tanner Roark
Cincinnati Reds Get: OF Michael Hermosillo, UTIL Taylor Ward
The Angels have played great baseball since the unfortunate passing of Tyler Skaggs, making them a dark horse wild card candidate. Roark will attempt to fill the void that Skaggs left in the rotation.
Minnesota Twins Get: RHP Jesse Chavez
Texas Rangers Get: Cash Considerations
Chavez will attempt to help a taxed bullpen as the Twins try to hold off the hard-charging Indians.
Cleveland Indians Get: RHP Chris Martin
Texas Rangers Get: SS Luke Wakamatsu
Martin is a tall drink of water that has been a reliable reliever for a few years now.
Boston Red Sox Get: RHP Lance Lynn
Texas Rangers Get: INF Antoni Flores, RHP Tanner Houck, SS C.J. Chatham
The Rangers cash in on their offseason signing of Lynn by flipping him to the defending champs for a trio of prospects that should produce at the big league level in some form or fashion one day.
Boston Red Sox Get: RHP Mychal Givens
Baltimore Orioles Get: OF Nick Decker
Mychal Givens isn't Craig Kimbrel, but he's somebody.