I know you love Hosmer, but I was praying the Padres would be able to unload him on someone. The guy is a great mentor and teammate but he is just not that good of a player anymore. I will say that he is clutch but other than that he is subpar on both sides of the ball.
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You're right.
He's getting up there.
So is Moose, his stick has slowed down a lot the past few months in Cincy.
Only one left now from the back to back AL champ teams is Sal Perez now that Duff is gone, and he's four years younger than Moose, and Hos.
Whit came in 2016 a year later.
Sal is the face of the team, Whit I suppose is the co-face of the team.
It's their team now.Comment -
Team USA stroking the ball off of Israel right nowComment -
Craig Kimbrel, 2019-20: 6.00 ERA, 1.528 WHIP, -0.7 WAR Craig Kimbrel, 2021: 0.49 ERA, 0.709 WHIP, 2.3 WAR
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Michael Cerami
@Michael_Cerami
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SOURCE: I'm hearing Craig Kimbrel has been traded to the Chicago White Sox.Comment -
The @Cubs
are receiving 2B Nick Madrigal and RHP Codi Heuer in return, according to MLB Network Insiders @Ken_Rosenthal
and @JonHeyman
.Comment -
Looks like the Cubs are trading everyone BUT Bryant
Just my luck, points incoming shortly Cross
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Rough day for Cross but the farm system got stocked a bit. Might as well get rid of them all if they were going to be free agents and not brought back though.
As for our wager, feel free to send my shiny points any time.
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Blue Jays gave up an awful lot for Berrios..I'm glad the Padres bowed out at that price.Comment -
Thank you for the quick payment, Cross.
Hang in there buddy, i know you are upset but realistically it's probably the best move for the franchise long term.
Lick your wounds for a bit, we will be here when you return.
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JP's treating tonight.
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Padres will stay in 3rd. Oh wellComment -
That was quite the fire sale for the Cubs. The Dodgers, Padres or Giants in the NLCS for sure.Comment -
Need the Rockies to score another run
9-0
Figured I'd pick team that didn't have a chanceComment -
What a rough day. Cubs trade the whole team and can’t even get a few top prospects. I need more alcohol.Comment -
Now I know what Pirates fans feel like.Comment -
The Giants made a major splash at the trade deadline buzzer, acquiring slugger Kris Bryant from the Cubs for prospects Alexander Canario and Caleb Kilian. ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke news of the trade, while Francys Romero of LasMayores was first on Canario and journalist Marc Delucchi had Kilian.
Drafted second overall in 2013 out of the University of San Diego, Bryant won the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year with the Cubs and followed that with the 2016 NL MVP award as the club finally won a championship. The Cubs famously waited until April 17th to call Bryant up back in 2015, effectively granting them a seventh year of control over the player by a margin of one day.
Though Bryant would never return to the lofty 6-8 WAR heights of his first three seasons, he settled in comfortably as a 130 wRC+ type bat, with the exception of an injury-marred 34-game 2020 season. Bryant’s bounceback season was punctuated by his fourth All-Star selection earlier this month.
As early as his sophomore season, the Cubs began deploying Bryant at positions other than his primary spot of third base. This year, manager David Ross has gotten Bryant at least 80 innings at both corner infield positions as well as all three outfield spots. Third base makes sense for Bryant in San Francisco, with Evan Longoria out until at least August 6th with a shoulder injury. Once Longoria returns, Bryant could see time in left field and perhaps center.
The Giants have surprisingly been the best team in baseball this year, and they lead the NL West by a three-game margin over the Dodgers. Giants President of Baseball Operations Farhan Zaidi may have felt some pressure after the Dodgers completed a blockbuster trade with the Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner today, also adding Danny Duffy in a deal with the Royals yesterday. So the Giants have added the big bat of Bryant to an offense that already ranked third in the NL with 4.81 runs scored per game. The Giants have a front office connection to the Cubs, as GM Scott Harris spent seven years in their baseball operations before joining San Francisco in November 2019.
Cubs fans might be disappointed to see a Bryant trade fail to return a top 100 prospect, but the player’s $19.5MM salary and impending free agency kept teams from overbidding. Canario, 21, was assigned a 50 grade by MLB.com. Prior to the season, Baseball America had Canario as a 55, a player with plus raw power but questionable plate discipline and defense. Canario suffered a torn labrum back in November, but has since posted a .235/.325/.433 line in 274 Low-A plate appearances. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen gave him a 45 grade, concluding, “He has huge ceiling if the hit/approach component improves, but I wonder if the compressed developmental timeline created by his presence on the 40-man and potential lingering effects from the injury might make that tough.”
Kilian, a 24-year-old righty, was promoted from High-A to Double-A back in May. In 11 starts at that level, he owns a 2.43 ERA, 26.2 K%, and 3.3 BB%. MLB.com assigned him a 40 grade, noting that “he could develop into a No. 4 starter.”Comment -
The Mets and Cubs announced agreement on a deal sending star shortstop Javier Baez to Queens. He’ll be accompanied by right-hander Trevor Williams, with outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong sent back to Chicago in return.
Between landing Francisco Lindor during the offseason and now trading for Baez, the Mets have obtained two of the sport’s best shortstops (who are also great friends with each other) within the span of a few months. Baez is a free agent after the season, so while this is quite possibly a short-term pickup meant to only help the Mets in 2021, it will nonetheless be a huge boost to New York’s chances of winning the NL East and making a run in October.
The trade ends a very memorable eight-season run for Baez in Wrigleyville, after he was selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft. Beginning his career as a free-swinging power bat, Baez’s propensity for striking out never really went away (his 131 whiffs leads the league this year), but he has hit .269/.307/.502 with 116 homers over 2310 PA since the start of the 2017 season. That includes a huge 2018 season that saw Baez finish second in NL MVP voting, while also winning a Silver Slugger Award.
As accomplished as Baez is at the plate, his defense has become his calling card. It took Baez until 2020 to capture his first Gold Glove, but his shortstop ability has been celebrated for years, even if he didn’t fully leave second (or even third) base duty until 2019. Since Lindor has played only as a shortstop at the MLB level, Baez is the likelier of the two to be moved around the diamond as the Mets’ needs develop.
Most of the Mets’ rumors were centered around the team’s search for third base help, though Lindor’s recent placement on the 10-day injured list seemed to expand the search to the shortstop position as well. Baez can handle short until Lindor is healthy, and could then slide over to play second base or potentially even third base, giving the Mets a clear and immediate upgrade to their infield defense. Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis are the current first-choice options at second and third base, though either could be moved into the outfield, with McNeil being the more versatile of the two.
Williams will add depth to a Mets rotation that has been thinned by injuries, though once everyone is at full health, Williams is likely to be relegated to bullpen duty. The 29-year-old right-hander has a 5.06 ERA over 58 2/3 innings for the Cubs this season, and there isn’t much to like about his Statcast metrics. That said, Williams’ SIERA is a more palatable 4.18, and he has experienced some misfortune — a .343 BABIP, and a .358 wOBA that is far above his .320 xwOBA.
The Baez deal continues a Cubs fire sale that has already seen the likes of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera, and Joc Pederson all dealt. The Mets announced they’ve received an undisclosed amount of cash in the deal. Baez has roughly $3.96MM remaining on his $11.65MM salary for the 2021 season. The Mets still have some breathing room under the $210MM luxury tax threshold, as only the prorated portion of that $11.65MM counts against their tax number (and the Cubs might are also kicking in some money).
In exchange for Baez and Williams, the Cubs will receive a solid but not quite elite prospect in Crow-Armstrong, who wasn’t listed by either MLB Pipeline (fifth) or Baseball America (sixth) as one of New York’s top four prospects. Still, Crow-Armstrong was selected 19th overall just last summer, and he began his pro career with a 1.024 OPS over the very small sample size of 32 PA for the Mets’ A-ball affiliate before having to undergo shoulder surgery.
The 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong might already be just about MLB-ready on the defensive front, as he has an excellent throwing arm and speed that makes him a fit as a future center fielder. As Pipeline’s scouting report simply puts it, “the offensive game will be a work in progress,” as Crow-Armstrong has shown only power potential thus far rather than any real power. He does make a lot of contact, however, and his speed could be a difference-maker in helping him turn grounders into singles or singles into doubles.Comment -
Rizzo hits a bomb last night for NY
How come the Cubs can't get hitters like that?Comment -
At least KC got a good live arm in exchange for Soler.
I liked Soler but I think the front office is right, he's one of those players that peaked in their rookie year.Comment -
Tatis got injured again. Looks like the Padres will stay in 3rd placeComment -
How many days til NFL season?Comment
