Analysis: Trade deadline activity robust with All-Stars
Major League Baseball’s non-waivers trade deadline looms Friday, and activity has been robust. USA TODAY Sports’ Jorge L. Ortiz takes a look at the motivation behind the big moves that went down in the hours leading up to the deadline:
The deal: The Detroit Tigers send LHP David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor-league LHPs Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd and Jairo Labourt.
The Blue Jays’ thinking: Toronto hasn’t reached the postseason since 1993 and general manager Alex Anthopoulos is making a strong bid to end that drought, picking up Price and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in a four-day span. Price represents the staff ace the Blue Jays desperately needed to head a shaky rotation that also includes Mark Buehrle and R.A. Dickey. Not only does Price know the AL East well from his years with the Tampa Bay Rays, but he has a 7-0 career record at the Rogers Centre. He also figures to benefit from pitching for the club with the majors’ most potent offense.
The Tigers’ thinking: It didn’t take long from the time GM Dave Dombrowski acknowledged the Tigers would be sellers until he moved his biggest piece in Price, a a free agent after the season. With a postseason spot looking less likely, it makes sense to sell off players with expiring contracts such as Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria. Norris starts for Detroit on Sunday, should be ready to join the rotation full-time next year and and Boyd and Labourt are legitimate prospects.
Upshot: A couple of weeks ago, Jays manager John Gibbons acknowledged, “The name of our game is offense.’’ But that has only produced a .500 record, so Toronto has further boosted its attack while adding the premier available starter. The Blue Jays’ bullpen could still use some help, but they’re now in better position to make a run at a playoff spot.
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The deals: The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired RHP Mat Latos, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jim Johnson, LHP Luis Avilan, RHP Bronson Arroyo, OF Michael Morse and minor-league INF Jose Peraza in deals with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. The Braves receive minor-league INF Hector Olivera and RHP Zach Bird, as well as LHP Paco Rodriguez and a competitive-balance draft pick, the 34th overall (from Miami). The Marlins receive minor-league pitchers Jeff Brigham, Victor Araujo and Kevin Guzman.
The Dodgers’ thinking: L.A. wanted to boost a flagging bullpen and prop up the rotation behind co-aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. The trades addressed those needs without weakening the current club, though the Dodgers did not land any of the three big-name starters on the market, Johnny Cueto, Price and Cole Hamels. Johnson and Avilan should fortify the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen. L.A.’s starting corps, which has been weakened by injuries to Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy, now has four options behind the top two in Latos, Wood, Brett Anderson and Mike Bolsinger.
The Braves’ and Marlins’ thinking: Atlanta initially lost out on the bidding for Olivera, the Cuban infielder who agreed to a $62.5 million deal from the Dodgers in March, yet managed to land him while being responsible for roughly half the value on that contract. Olivera, 30, has performed well in the minors and is considered major-league ready but is sidelined by a hamstring injury. He comes at a high price, especially in having to give up Wood, who has a 3.10 ERA in three big-league seasons, and a well-regarded Class AAA infielder in Peraza. Miami dumped salaries while gaining three pitching prospects.
Upshot: The Dodgers have no qualms about adding salaries (think Arroyo and Morse, who was swiftly designated for assignment), and that makes them a popular trading partner for teams out of the running looking to clear the books. In exchange, Los Angeles gets to bolster its roster while holding on to top prospects like shortstop Corey Seager and lefty Julio Urias. The added pitching depth may help the Dodgers hold off the hard-charging San Francisco Giants.
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The deal: Milwaukee Brewers send OF Carlos Gomez and RHP Mike Fiers to the Houston Astros for LHP Josh Hader, RHP Adrian Houser, and OFs Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana.
The Astros’ thinking: They add an athletic and dynamic outfielder in Gomez as well as a power arm for the rotation or bullpen in Mike Fiers, whose versatility should play well in what’s expected to be the club’s first playoff berth in a decade. And like their deal for Scott Kazmir, they sacrifice none of their top prospects to pull it off.
The Brewers’ thinking: With another lost season at hand, Gomez represented a solid trade chip because he’s signed beyond this season. And in engaging the Astros, they might have found a plausible replacement in Phillips, 21, who has a .925 on base plus slugging at two levels this season.
Upshot: The Brewers may end up thrilled their deal for Gomez with the Mets was nixed; this package may provide better depth. Suffice to say, the Atros are glad, too.
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The deal: The Philadelphia Phillies trade LHP Cole Hamels and LHP Jake Diekman to the Texas Rangers for LHP Matt Harrison and minor-league C Jorge Alfaro, OF Nick Williams and pitchers Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff.
The Rangers’ thinking: Texas trailed by four games in the wild-card standings going into Thursday’s games, and Hamels may help reduce that margin. But the real aim of this trade is to fortify the rotation for next year, when the Rangers hope to have Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Martin Perez back at full strength. They could form the majority of a formidable rotation. To help absorb the $76 million left in Hamels’ contract through 2018, Texas unloaded former All-Star Harrison, who has been beset by back woes and is owed $28 million over the next two seasons.
The Phillies’ thinking: Philadelphia is trying to accumulate assets as it overhauls its roster, and it added an impressive collection headed by Thompson and Alfaro. Thompson, a 6-4 right-hander who was a second-round pick in 2012, has struck out eight batters per nine innings this season at Class AA, although his ERA is at 4.72. The Colombian-born Alfaro, currently out with an ankle injury, may wind up as the future replacement for Carlos Ruiz behind the plate.
Upshot: The Phillies had long been dangling Hamels but wanted a big package of prospects in return, and they got that. The Rangers improved their lot for now and the future while retaining their top two prospects, third baseman Joey Gallo and outfielder Nomar Mazara.
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