OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Dull days of July

[xlm34]

I don’t want them to do anything crazy for a rental, but I do think this team has earned the right to take some run at things this year and that’s going to require Cherington to do something.

Whether it’s now or in the offseason, he’s going to have to make a decent sized external acquisition and it may require him to “lose” the trade. I just hope when the opportunity comes he’s willing to pull the trigger.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I'm staunchly anti-Cherington, but Mackey's article is a little bit misleading. When you are trading out MLB talent and getting back prospects, you are always going to do worse if you look at it from a production perspective. That said, there are obviously several other ways to attack most of his major trades (bad timing, bad development and/or choice of some prospects).

I'm kind of on a "Rooker or bust" train today. Trouble is, I am uncomfortable giving up Chandler's upside for a DH who you ideally hope maintains his level of play for 2.5 seasons at least. I find the buzz around Oakland a little bit suspiciously quiet... it likely points to them wanting bigger offers than they've gotten so far, and in one sense I can totally buy that they just don't really need to move cheap players. But in another sense, it's a huge seller's market and they have carte blanche to do anything they want given the situation with the move and the owner.

 

[BusinessGoose]

T-minus 5.5 hours

 

[Empoleon8771]

Will you settle for third?

 

[Empoleon8771]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818330145805176836

I'd rather be doing nothing than dumpster diving for relievers

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Murray's depth obviously. LHP who still has options. Still funny that everyone is desperate for any hitter with a pulse and this comes out first.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Shelton said champen is not getting traded

 

[TimmyD]

A 29 year old pitcher with an ERA over 5…. Exactly what this team needs. I’m glad this was the first move they made today because it really fills such a glaring need

 

[OnMyOwn]

He’s a lefty with some form of control left. That’s basically all the move is for.

 

[BusinessGoose]

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Canha is not in the lineup for the afternoon game going on right now for the Tigers. Even though he's a rental, I think I prefer him a little bit over Ward. He's a pesky AB.

 

[Empoleon8771]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818339217883467805

 

[DJ Spinoza]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818341858113695870

Would be cheap power. I think in theory, he would make for an alright platoon pairing with a fixed Suwinski.

If it was depth prospects, I would have no complaints. He hasn't taken the full step forward that he's shown flashes of, but the power is real and more than what guys like Olivares (who people do/would compare him to) have actually shown.

 

[Empoleon8771]

De La Cruz is a guy who has had pretty consistently good underlying batting numbers but the actual results just don't match up with it. In the last 3 years:

2022: .252/.294/.432 slash line, .287/.355/.498 expected slash line
2023: .257/.304/.411 slash line, .273/.331/.445 expected slash line
2024: .245/.289/.417 slash line, .257/.327/.465 expected slash line

As DJ just said, you can clearly see the underlying power is there, it's just a matter of actually getting the output results that the batted ball data suggests.

If he was actually good defensively, I'd be substantially more into the idea of De La Cruz. He has a strong arm but the range is bad as you'd expect. He'd likely be fine as a RFer for the Pirates and the power is objectively there, but it's the cheap bat type that I was anticipating the Pirates would end up bringing in.

Would be cheap power. I think in theory, he would make for an alright platoon pairing with a fixed Suwinski.

De La Cruz actually has a better career OPS against righties than lefties.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818342879934259452

 

[td_ice]

Shelton said champen is not getting traded

I heard that during the interview. "I fully expect Chappy to be here tomorrow."

But really, what is he going to say? If they are possibly shopping him, they are not going to tell us.

 

[OnMyOwn]

Chapman is having a good season. I’d prefer to keep him if the pirates are going to add, but you could probably get a nice piece or two by moving him.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Geez, a gap on BDLC?

What kind of prices are these lunatics asking for?

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Bmore just gave a haul for Rodgers we will definitely have suitors for Martinez

 

[OnMyOwn]

I would be pretty happy with DLC for RF. He’s a consistent bat and has power.

 

[TimmyD]

Geez, a gap on BDLC?

What kind of prices are these lunatics asking for?

I’d be willing to bet the ask really isn’t that big… this team doesn’t want to make a trade. That’s the reason there is a gap and why they haven’t done anything… they simply do not want to.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Geez, a gap on BDLC?

What kind of prices are these lunatics asking for?

The gap probably comes from the fact that the Guardians just gave up a stupid return for Lane Thomas, so Miami is probably asking for a stupid return for DLC now.

I'd do Peguero and a SP prospect below the 45 FV tier for DLC but that's about as high as I'd go. With what Thomas just brought back for the Nationals, that may not be enough for De La Cruz.

It's probably injury related, but just to note this:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818353053386653822

Johnson went 2/4 with 2 singles and a walk today, so it doesn't seem like it was performance related.

 

[OnMyOwn]

I’d imagine he would only be moved for someone like Robert.

 

[TimmyD]

The Johnson thing is very interesting unless it’s a potential injury. I don’t see why you would pull him if he’s healthy for any other reason but a trade

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Johnson thing is very interesting unless it’s a potential injury. I don’t see why you would pull him if he’s healthy for any other reason but a trade

I'd guess it's probably injury related, mostly because there's really no one that has been linked to them that's worth trading Johnson for. Even if you think his stock has fallen, I don't think you trade Johnson for Ward or Diaz.

Edit: the tweet that said "he got pulled because he threw a tantrum in the 7th" got deleted. It didn't make much sense to begin with, but it has been deleted.

 

[Empoleon8771]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818356223693177130

Alex kills it.