Full Disclosure - I am obsessed with the trade deadline and look for every possible rumour I can over the next couple of weeks. It's a painful addiction.

I heard from Jim Bowden that the Pirates and Cubs had a deal in place for Mitch Keller and Owen Caissie but the Pirates pulled out at the last minute.

The Jays have decided to use the break to re-sequence the lineup.
Bassitt throws over 40% sinker. Berrios is 32% sinker, 27% slurve.

Scherzer has thrown 47% 4-seamers and Gausman 53%.
I though they wanted to split those as well.

Verlander has made 15 consecutive starts from opening day this season, and as Magpie pointed out, is still winless. That apparently is a Giants record. Makes sense, since most pitchers would have been pulled from the rotation by then.

The MLB record for most consecutive starts without a win is 28, done 3 times, so he's barely halfway there. The last pitcher who did it was pulled from the rotation at times for relief work, but kept getting chances starting. And he got his record 28th winless start in a Blue Jays uniform. Anyone remember who that was?

Verlander is averaging 94.0 MPH on his FB this year, compared to 94.8 MPH over his career. Pretty good for a 42-year-old! He’s declined in recent years but he’s still having a respectable season as a back-end SP.

Could be a good matchup for Barger.

Jo-Jo!?!?! I remember him as a hard-luck chronic loser...

Cracka with the win. Everyone else a no decision.

Jo-Jo was a man who thought he was a pitcher, but he was another guy

Old friend Rowdy Tellez rising again from the ashes, this time with Texas after Jake Burger got hurt.

Deadline-ish trades over the ASB include a slap hitting Adam Frazier going from PIT back to KC for a 28 y/o AAAA infielder.

Dane Dunning, stuck in the minors, was traded from TEX to ATL for a 30 y/o reliever in Jose Ruiz.

Frazier and Dunning weren't exactly hot commodities, but acquisition prices so far have been remarkably low.

Giants select Matt Gage. Maybe see him this weekend.
And the Cubs have agreed to sign Spencer Turnbull.

My Top 10 Valuable Trade Assets for the Jays:
1. Kendry Rojas, LHP, AA
2. Trey Yesavage, RHP, AA
3. Khal Stephens, RHP, AA
4. Arjun Niimmala, SS, low-A
5. Johnny King, LHP, low-A
6. Gage Stanifer, RHP, high-A
7. Victor Arias, OF, AA
8. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, AA
9. RJ Schreck, OF, AAA
10. Edward Duran, C, high-A

Non-prospects: Alan Roden, Leo Jimenez, Jonatan Clase, Joey Loperfido, Braydon Fisher

Others that might intrigue: S. Hechavarria, Y. Licourt, S. Shaw, J. Sanchez, C. McAdoo, Y. Pinango, L. Maroudis

I still think people are sleeping on Tiedemann. Just because he's recovering from TJ doesn't mean he won't be pitching in the SHOW likely before all or most of the people on that list.

I think the AAAA guy will get a shot to play for the Pirates after they clear out some guys at the deadline. And he may well out-preform Frazier.

I think the Jays will hunt for trade partners that are looking to compete next season. I believe the Jays will try to move their AAAA type players (Clase, Roden, Jimenez, Orelvis Martinez, etc).

Yankees have set their rotation so that Fried and Rodon will pitch against Jays which makes sense for them but hopefully Braves make them pay this weekend. Varsho going to Dunedin for rehab. Would be nice if he's back for Yankees but with them throwing two lefties, less of a rush.

I think Tiedemann will be traded this deadline.

I hope they don't because his value is the lowest and I don't see him as a Pearson-McGowan type.

I don't want to trade any of the prospects on Hulet's list because they all look so tantalizing. At the same time perhaps now is the best time to trade some of them. I would prefer to trade "high" value prospects rather than a low value asset who can become high again. Trade Stephen King, Stanifer before Tiedemann

I appreciate the enthusiasm on Tiedemann but he had full TJ on 7/30/24... and the recovery is 12-14 months. He pitched a total of 44 innings (plus AFL) in 2023 and 17.1 innings in 2024. In his career, he has just 45 innings at AA and AAA with an ERA well above 5.00.

He's going to need a good chunk of MiLB time... and neither Barriera nor Maroudis came back at full strength.

Tiedemann BTW is up to 95MPH 11.5 months after TJ surgery. He was at 98MPH with his sinker and his change up is still deadly.

Here is Keith Law's report on him last year before the injury:

"Tiedeman threw just 44 innings in the regular season around injuries to his left shoulder and biceps, making four starts in the AFL to try to make up for some of the lost time. He did regain the velocity that had been missing at the end of 2022, bumping 98 mph and pitching at 93-96 in the outing I saw in the desert, with a plus changeup and a big-breaking slider that wasn’t up to its past standard that day. The slider’s pretty high spin and has good tilt, giving him two real weapons, one for lefties and one for righties, which also helps as his fastball doesn’t have a ton of life or movement and hitters square it up more than the velocity might imply. His delivery isn’t ideal for durability, as his shoulder stays open late, with some sling to the arm stroke, and that might be putting undue pressure on the joint. You have to start a guy with these weapons, and if he stays healthy enough for it he’s a mid-rotation starter or better depending on the control (maybe 45 now, but he’s shown better) and command (40). Two years of missed time and suboptimal mechanics give him a lot of reliever risk, though."

So the wort that could have happened has happened. He's got nowhere to go but up at this point. Similar to the Marlins apparently not trading Alcantara because his value right now is too low, the Jays aught to keep Tiedemann because the chance of him being more valuable to them as a starter is higher than the value he would likely bring back in trade. This guys closer to a Schwellenbach than a Whitley.

That Law clip doesn't really change anything or add any context I didn't already know. The talent is there but he has yet to harness it in the upper levels of the minors so looking for him to reach the majors and be impactfuk soon is... aggressive.

Barriera was at 100 mph coming back from hybrid TJ and still imploded. The tough part, from what I've read, is the muscle memory and the mental aspect.

"The talent is there but he has yet to harness it in the upper levels of the minors so looking for him to reach the majors and be impactfuk soon is... aggressive."

This is true for every prospect from your list. I am saying Tiedemann should not be excluded outside of your top 10 due to injury since he is on the mend. The only reasonable explanation is if you think "damaged goods" means he won't ever come back but TJ success for pitchers his age are high. Barriera was never in the same class as Ricky.

Tiedemann's not on the list because his current value is not worth his potential value so it makes no sense to trade him unless the acquiring team actually views him at a fair value... which is unlikely.

I think the AAAA guy will get a shot to play for the Pirates after they clear out some guys at the deadline. And he may well out-preform Frazier.

I don't know much about Cam Devanney, the 28 y/o infielder they got from KC for Adam Frazier.

But it seems like KC picked up a cheap rental in Frazier (salary something like 1.35 mil) for the equivalent of a Will Robertson-type.

And as we saw with Robertson dealt to the CWS, he was deemed to have no value to the league.

I'd argue the Jays gave up more value in that fireballing A-baller Martin to acquire Robinson Pina than either of the first two minor deadline deals (though the Braves are arguably out of the race).

Other old friend news

- Richard Lovelady DFAed by the NYM

- Trevor Richards called up by the DBacks

- Michael Petersen dealt back to MIA from ATL

@ Pooks you forgot Derek Law

@ Marc ok so we think the same then

I would trade anyone depending in return. Controllable assets? Absolutely. Rental for non elite player? Just not into giving a top prospect for that. I'd be a bit hesitant to trade Nimmala because of lack of position player prospects but also because of what having a Desi star player would mean for Toronto and the franchise. I don't know the most recent numbers but I'd guess there are around 1.5-2 million south Asians in the Toronto area. I'd absolutely trade him but it adds another level of complication IMO.

"I don't know much about Cam Devanney, the 28 y/o infielder they got from KC for Adam Frazier."

He was the 10th ranked KC prospect, 40+ FV at FG. He's an infielder with a 137 wRC+ in AAA. "Devanney has pulled off a substantial swing change to start 2025 – his fourth season in Triple-A – and is on a massive power-hitting heater."

Frazier has been worth 0.1/0.4 WAR this year. He's an "upgrade" because the guys he's replacing have negative value. But KC has won 7 of their last 10 and is on the far fringes of the playoff race. The FO made a move now, getting a player I imagine is well liked in the clubhouse, hoping to provide a spark by showing they are trying. "hey guys, we believe in you - here is some help."

It's in almost all likelihood not nearly enough. But if it doesn't work, they can still sell in a couple of weeks.

He was the 10th ranked KC prospect, 40+ FV at FG.

Thanks hypobole.

Still having a hard time rationalizing FG including 28 y/o prospects in their rankings. I usually have a cutoff of 25-26 myself. Hence my Will Robertson comparisons.

Heck, in this very thread you have Marc Hulet declaring Jonatan Clase, Alan Roden and Orelvis Martinez "non prospects".

Derek Law

Thanks Dalimon. I hadn't heard the news.

TBH, I wasn't aware Law was still playing. He's now 34 and was just announced he's done for the year with flexor tendon surgery after a total of 2 AA 2025 rehab innings witn the Nationals.

I believe I vaguely remember the two games he pitched against the Jays in 2024 looking it up. But if I'd had to guess before, I would've said it was this spring instead (which is impossible as Law didn't pitch in 2025 in the majors.)

Yimi now having shoulder issues looked at. Jays need a backend reliever as #1 need (in likelihood of ace not available) and maybe another middle reliever.

Some injury updates from Zwelling:

- Garcia "recently began experiencing ulnar nerve symptoms in his right elbow".

- Burr is done for the season (shoulder surgery)

- Santander has yet to resume swinging.

If Santander is going to be out longer than expected, then adding a power bat becomes more of a priority. The Jays were going to have to add bullpen help regardless, but an injury to Garcia amplifies that as well.

I think the Blue Jays will offer a major prospect package to the Twins for Ryan and a reliever (Duran or Jax). Maybe they can get a deal done.

I do not think Joe Ryan would be a good use of a top prospect package. He is a mid-rotation starter and the Jays already have four of those.

Duran would be worth giving up a lot for.

I would offer the Rangers their choice of Nimmala or Yesavage, plus one of Schneider, Loperfido, Lukes, Wagner or Clase. I'd also pick up the salary.

For Jacob DeGrom

Dalimon - keep the rumours coming buddy!

I’m also very excited for the deadline this year!

Joe Ryan is a top-20 starter in baseball by pretty much any metric and has been for a few years. Not sure how that's mid-rotation. Worth much more than any bullpen guy.

To each their own!

If I had to give up Yesavage or Nimmala in a trade, I would part with Yesavage.

Glevin, I'm basing my opinion on what Baseball Reference tells me about his career. A career 3.70 ERA is good but not great, in my books. I'd willing to walk back my description of him from "mid-rotation" to "good, but not an ace." It is my opinion, as I've put before, the team needs an ace if it is serious about advancing far in the post season. It is also my opinion the owner and the front office are shooting a little higher than past years. This has been backed up by Jim Bowden's reporting recently and imagine it will be picked up more on in the coming days.

I would rather have Ryan than deGrom. As I’ve mentioned previously, the two pitchers have posted about equal value this season, with very similar K and BB rates. But Ryan is 29 and has low mileage on his arm. deGrom is 37, is frequently injured for long stretches, and carries a big contract (2.5 years remaining at $37m AAV). Texas would be wise to cash in that trade chip in the next couple of weeks if they get a big offer.

I would be happy if the Blue Jays acquired deGrom, but I don’t think he’s the best use of their best prospect capital.

How reliable is Jim Bowden? I stopped reading him years ago, has he gotten better?

JoJo Parker signed for about $600K under slot, according to the radio.

At this point, it is fair to wonder whether we will see Santander again this season. The Jays' track record of managing injuries is, well, it's not great, Bob.

The signings plus the 5% overage gives the Jays about $1.5 million for overslots so far.

Because in '26-27 he will make just over half of what Degrom makes next year, Ryan will presumably cost a lot more of that precious prospect capital, a lot more than it took to bring Berrios here. I'm with you, Petey Baseball, and understood your comment to mean that Ryan is a mid-rotation starter for a team that fancies itself a serious contender (which isn't a slight). Degrom has much higher upside and would be a huge addition, but the Rangers have the kind of schedule that can keep them in the race.

Jake Cook just signed, $71,400 under slot ($922,500)

Blaine Bullard signed for a record amount given for a pick in the 12th round. $1,697,500

Great draft!

https://twitter.com/jimcallismlb/status/1946349115857600836?s=46&t=diXnpShw9OcRP2je1fU-dw

DeGrom has not “frequently been injured for long stretches”. He has had three elbow surgeries in his life and about five years of clean health after each. When healthy he’s been the best pitcher on the planet for long stretches.

Somehow the Mets not having him go under the knife in 2021 (after 5 years of clean health) for his elbow led to more throwing arm issues until he had it surgically repaired in 2023. He hasn’t missed a start all year. He threw 100mph (fastest pitch this year) in his last start…

Vladdy simply has to be better than that ahead in the count in an RBI spot. I would've sent Lukes up 4-0.

A fastball to Bichette's ribs with first base open? Yikes...

Let’s assume the Blue Jays acquire deGrom with a view to making a deep run in the postseason. How many more innings would the 37-year-old need to pitch in the second half and the postseason combined in a WS run? 100? 120? What are the chances he stays healthy enough to do that? Is he going to pitch more innings in 2025 than he did in the last four years combined (from 10.2 IP in 2024 to 210+ innings in 2025)? Having a name-brand ace isn’t going to help you if he’s on the IL.

It's a bit counter-intuitive, but with first and Kirk on second, no outs, I'd have Clement bunt to avoid the DP. Worst case scenario you get Kirky off the bases. Clement is allergic to ribbies anyway.

In other happy news, the Yankees are currently down 6-0 to Atlanta (Strider).

greenfrog, sure there's no question he's an injury risk. But if the team wins a division title and a gets to a World Series because he's one of the best pitchers in baseball, he could blow out his arm afterwards and it would still be worth it.

I wrote in the other thread, the Jays operated in the off-season (and the previous off-season, fwiw) as a team willing to take risks with injuries and money. They paid big for upside in Hoffman ( considerable injury risk) and Santander, paid big in veteran presents (as Keith Law once said) for Scherzer. They added a big contract in Giminez through trade.

I see them looking for the very best player available, with very little regard for the cost. I'm all for it.

Just as a sidenote, this is so much better than talking about selling at the trade deadline. Been around Da Box since 2003 (kids that means we actually had a chat room for the games), and we've only seen a few of these type seasons.

Agreed Petey, season like this are much more enjoyable than "Dave Berg, cleanup hitter"

He has a new UCL and the last one he got lasted 13 years. I don’t think hard innings limits are going to be around much longer- so I’m not particularly worried about any of that.

I’m absolutely questioning this. What is the risk of a UCL failing when you’re 2+ years removed from surgery and throwing at your previous level?

Jays look pretty good but I feel like the bullpen needs a 6-run lead.

Loperfido looks like a different hitter in the small sample size.

Vladdy continues to look like one of the least dangerous hitters in the lineup, which is weird.

Bassitt is pitching up a storm tonight. Velocity isn’t everything…

Bassitt is very fortunate he hasn't given up any runs. Two hard hit groundballs for double plays and a ball scorched right at the leftfielder with two men on. The swings and misses are great, though.

Bassitt through 5IP tonight:

ERA 0.00
FIP 1.08
xFIP 1.97

Looks pretty good to me.

After the Santander injury fiasco, I hope the Blue Jays aren’t making a mistake letting Kirk play through the apparent left hand/wrist discomfort he was experiencing at the plate B5.

Sweet pitching by Little to get the last two outs of the 7th and preserve the shutout. Nasty stuff.

Watching highlights. Did the Cubs find some old Expos uniforms?

That was a nice rebound tonight after losing 3 out of 4 before the break. Nobody has won more games at home than us, and that feels pretty good right now.

A win is a win but Jays can't keep relying on their bottom of order guys (and Springer) to win for them. Loperfido looking really good since back up not just in results but in quality of abs. Really hope Varsho coming back means end of Clement abs VS RHP too.

So basically Vlad and Bo can't be trusted to carry the offense and the FO finally has lots of depth to actually do this job. Perhaps Atkins meant he wanted " waves and waves of depth" not "prospects" when he blurted out his mission on Day 1 at the podium.

Pre-2024 I read somewhere that a Loperfido for Vlad trade wasn't insane. If what we are seeing is real then I might be able to see why some were that high on Loperfido. If he and Barger can keep it up going forward a big woo-hoo to whichever coaches got them going.

Maybe they can rely on the bottom of the lineup. It's hard for pitchers to have elaborate plans to deal with everybody. 
Most of these guys are left bats. That means the starting RHP has a reduced repertoire to attack them. 
Even when they don't score, they often wear the starter down.  
It would be nice to have a couple of MVP candidate at the top of the lineup and a Cy Young pitcher at the head of the rotation but they are getting it done.
The defense is excellent. The pitchers don't need to get 15 Ks per game, but they need a deep bullpen.

Loperfido is a 7th round pick.
His biggest tool is speed, but he hasn't really shown if off.
His arm is either average or just below average. He probably fits better in CF than in RF.
He started college as an infielder and could probably play 2B if needed.
I'm sure he wouldn't be worse than Schneider or Wagner.

In college he hit for average. The scouts didn't think he had more than average power.
They change his swing in the Astros system to hit more balls in the air.
It worked really well in the PCL, but that doesn't mean much.
The new swing came with contact issues as we saw last year.
So far this year, he's shown good contact and balls hit in the air.
I think it's all about swing decisions. He's not top of mind for the opposite pitchers, so we'll see what happens.

Careful Glevin, you might incur the wrath of Ernie's Army. He has been a negative value player for 2-3 weeks now.

The Giants 7-8-9 were due up in the 9th down 4 runs. After the game, Schneider said Hoffman needed the work to shake off the rust but then admitted that had they scored another run, he would have sat down. Make it make sense. Hoffman threw a helluva inning, but hopefully it doesn't cost the team an appearance of his in the Yankees series.

Steven Kwan is an excellent fit for this team. He isn't the bopper the team might need to replace Santander, but he is a great leadoff hitter and really helps lengthen the lineup. Phenomenal defender too.

Jays are rolling with the same lineup today, sans Kirk.

The right bats will see some action Sunday against Robbie Ray.

Clement against RHP

Season: 54 wRC+ (233 PA)
Since May: 72 wRC+ (185 PA)
Since June: 65 wRC+ (105 PA)
Since July: -6 wRC+ (34 PA)

Starting him everyday regardless of matchup was always going to lead to this. Like I said before it's not Ernie's fault that the manager loves him (while he benches Barger as soon as a LHP is starting, because apparently platoon splits matter then). If Santander is out for longer than expected, then that means Clement is playing everyday likely the rest of the way unless the Jays trade for Suarez. That's not good. Clement needs to be used more optimally to increase his productivity. The way he's used now is not helping him or the team (offensively).

You guys make it seem like there is a replacement ready for Ernie who will vastly outperform him. Who is that? Barger is never sitting for Ernie. So if you sit Ernie against a RHP then who plays 2B? Schneider? Leo Jimenez? Will Wagner? Not that hard to see he is playing against righties because his defensive value outweighs any gains you get from Schneider, Jimenez or Wagner at 2B.

Are you going to propose that Barger play 3rd, Schneider at 2nd and then an OF of Loperfido, Straw, Lukes? Thanks but I'll take the elite team defense instead of a Bo/Wagner DP tandem.

Lets act like Ernie is playing full time in the absence of Varsho, Santander and Gimenez and not because he is some manager favourite.

Schneider has looked excellent at the plate recently, I don't see what the issue would be playing him over Clement occasionally. Or at having a look at Jimenez at 2B.

And the OF you suggested with Schneider at 2B is a similar overall team defense to one with an inferior OF and Clement at 2B. It's probably better, actually.

Given that the team is 56-41 and leading the AL East by 3 games, I’m not too concerned about the Clement against RHP issue (the pros and cons of which have already been discussed at length). John Schneider seems to be doing a good job on multiple fronts of late, as dalimon mentioned the other day, so no real complaints about managerial decisions. The team is motivated and playing well.

At the moment I’m more focused on what the team looks like on Aug. 1 (after the trade deadline). What is the best way to transform this very good team into a great team?

Schneider is the only guy on the bench that can pinch hit against a tough lefty. When Atkins said he was looking for a right bat, it's not to start against right handed pitching. The lineup is still right heavy, especially at the top.

Barger would see nothing but sweepers and pitches on his hands. Why put him through that when he's doing great?

The Clement thing isn't that he shouldn't be playing, it's that he shouldn't be automatically starting against RHP. Jimenez and Schneider can get some abs as well. Or, they can send down Jimenez or Wagner and call up one of the lefty AAA OF guys. (I like Wagner but with Springer at DH and Vlad at 1B, he doesn't offer much flexibility) "we're winning so who cares" doesn't make any sense to me. The Jays lost 3/4 and still started Clement against RHP.

Side note: Clement is 1/2 with a home run against Webb in his career.

The issue is your argument against the rational decision imho. Clement is not automatically starting against RHP. He is automatically starting against RHP instead of Schneider, Wagner andJimenez and "automatically" starting against RHP as replacement for Gimenez, Santander and Varsho who are all injured.

Your opinion is one that is different from the one the manager has made but instead of saying you'd prefer Plan B2 over Plan B1 you argue as if this manager is using Clement against RHP as Plan A. It is very clearly plan B. If you think it should be Plan C because some combination of moving AAAA players up and down can marginally improve the wRC+ in the 7th spot in your line up, okay.

To me it reads as if you are perplexed why Ernie Clement has supporters in the coaching staff or here because these people don't see how terrible he is against RHP. We all see it and expect him to be cut down once there is a clearly better alternative. "Throw Jimenez" in there is worse than "stick with the winning." How many dropped balls did he have covering a stolen base? 3 in 4 attempts?

I wonder what your starting rotation staff would think if you told them you're going to run out Wagner at 2B out of position because you're elite defender batting 7th had one of the worst profiles against RHP the past 2 months.

Also, Vlad shouldn't be hitting 3rd or 4th on a contending team if he can't hit more than 20 HR in a year. He still bats there "automatically" because there is no better alternative.

Someone "automatically" or routinely filling a spot in the line up doesn't mean the manager did a study and finds them to be good for that role it just means he thinks it helps his team win that day relative to another version of the line up.

All this time wasted on Ernie when Vlad has an 81 WRC+ in July. Slash line of 222/364/267. ISO of .044. Terrible and I think it’s the worst WRC of his career. At least Ernie is one of the best defenders on the team. Glad has been a net negative this month. Can’t have that from your best player.

Also, Vlad shouldn't be hitting 3rd or 4th on a contending team if he can't hit more than 20 HR in a year. He still bats there "automatically" because there is no better alternative.

Vlad was a 2-hole hitter this year until much ballyhoo was made on the broadcast June 17th that he felt more comfortable moving down to hitting 3rd.

His current high BA, high OBP/walks, more-balls-in-play profile does fit better in the 2-hole than the 3rd spot historically.

His slash line is actually pretty much identical surprisingly from Day 1 moving there according to game logs despite his current power drought/slump.

He's down about 10 points of BA since the move with 6 doubles and 3 HRs over the last 30 days, but his OBP and SLG are pretty much exactly the same as they were after the June 17th game where he moved for good.

Now we are on a topic that I find is a much bigger concern. I've gone back and forth on Vlad and (not using numbers) I feel this year is his most disappointing for me. I really was expecting a big power output with Santander hitting behind him.

"People in the know" said Vlad is a top concern for the team right now. They are asking him to sacrifice high OBP for power and asking him to strike out more if necessary. A day after I heard that I saw Encarnacion and Vlad on the broadcast mid game in what appeared to be a disagreement. I know EE and Martinez are the two coaches who are supposed to have sway with Vlad.

It's really interesting for this FO to have a strong deep line up and stable reliable pitching which should serve them well in season but poorly in playoffs with no ace or elite hitter.

Just some of my random thoughts today. Whoever mentioned Kwan that probably makes the most sense for this team if you can get him. It would really lengthen the line up having him hitting at the top. I'm starting to think there won't be any deGrom or Ryan SP traded.

With Kirk's hand/wrist possibly acting up, I'd look at Miami's Nick Fortes. He has two milb options and very good defensive numbers (outside of base stealers). Shouldn't cost much given the Marlins have A. Ramirez and L. Hicks, two promising young (cheap) catchers. Fortes' first run through arb should be this winter.

I don't have much faith in Clarke, Bethancourt, and Sanchez.

Barger has a negative DRS in RF, and a positive one at 3B. That means when Gimenez was healthy and they were starting Clement at 3B, the defensive gains were minimal if they existed at all. Straw's WAR/162 (hehe) is higher than Clement's.

There really isn't much to say about Vladdy, other than that they need him to be better and maybe he should never PH.

Tell me, how many games did Clement start at 3B against RHP in this span with Barger in RF and Gimenez at 2B? 2 games? 12 games? 25 games? Do you know? And how did he perform in those games, including the amount of times a LHP came in from the opposing team after the RHP starter.

Let's dig into numbers to entertain this idea that the team is somehow faltering by playing Ernie Clement over players like Schneider, Jimenez, Straw and Wagner (all of while btw other than 1 were in the minors for most of this time.)

Go, let's see.

* all of which

And no I haven't looked up these numbers myself.

Another terrible Vlad AB

Boy am I am sick of watching Vladdy pound the ball into the dirt, he has been doing this most of the year, clearly he is having problems.

The team is doing great without much contribution from it's so called stars Bichette and Vladdy.

Imagine how good the Jays would be if they played better.

Getting beat by fastballs down the middle is embarrassing for a player of his caliber. I don’t understand how he can’t figure this out at this stage of his career.

Staff Ace Eric Lauer is having a great start to the day!

Vladdy abs are super frustrating not only because of the results but because he looks awful. Terrible swing decisions, bad swing path, just guessing. He's supposed to be an elite hitter, this can't happen almost every year. I am sure he'll figure it out but question is whether that is in two days or two months. It's amazing the Jays have gone so far with this version of Vlad.

Lauer looks great today. He has dominated the SF lineup. Let’s see how he does the second time through the order.

What a find for the Blue Jays.

Vlad is definitely a concern. The issue is his track record is all over the place so he could be a 165 wRC+ player or a 120 wRC+ player, and neither scenario would be all that surprising.

The Vladdy and Bichette double plays today may have bought Webb another inning or two today. His pitch count (32 through 3IP) is low despite allowing 4 hits and a walk. Could be a close, grinding game today.

I generally don’t consider Guerrero to be an exceptionally adept first baseman defensively but he does seem to have a strange knack for catching those tough balls over his shoulder.

I can’t believe they held Bichette there. He had rounded 3rd before the ball got to the cut off man who was pretty deep into the outfield.

Bottom of lineup coming through yet again.

Bichette can't run for sh*t. Its wild how slow he has gotten.

And of course it was Clement who broke the ice. Obviously the reason he's been slumping we haven't been complaining about him. Seems almost invariable once the complaints heat up, so does his bat.

If the plan was to go to Little in the 8th, then using Green instead of Fisher in the 7th was very questionable. Might be best to get Green off the roster by the deadline, one way or the other, to avoid any "respect the veteran" usage moving forward.

Another nice win. Bottom of the order is really coming through.

Quality win against a quality opponent. It is so much more fun to watch knowing that this team can fall behind a few runs but still find ways to battle back into it.

That they can still score enough runs to win even without their headline guys (Guerrero, Bichette) contributing much today makes this squad all the more compelling.

I feel like the Blue Jays could deliver a life-saving glass of water in the desert to some posters here and they would gulp it down and then comment on the spots on the glass.

I couldn’t agree more, electric carrot! A perfect, and hilarious, way to put it.

It used to make me angry and now it just makes me laugh.

The Blue Jays are 57-41 (.582). The farm system is excelling. This season has been incredible and a complete turnaround for the organization. It is definitely fun to be a Blue Jays fan again.

I wonder what it's like on the Giants discussion boards.

Bichette can't run for sh*t. Its wild how slow he has gotten.

It's been going on for a while now so it should really stop surprising me, but I was flabbergasted he didn't score on the Barger double. In the end it didn't matter but I don't know if I've ever seen a player lose their speed so fast.

Great win. The just keep finding ways. Only 5 strikeouts over their 16 innings of hitting.

"I feel like the Blue Jays could deliver a life-saving glass of water in the desert to some posters here and they would gulp it down and then comment on the spots on the glass."

Pin this in the "Preview" of every post.

It's going to be interesting to see what the Jays do at the deadline aside from adding to the pen. They need a SP, but if everyone stays healthy (big if) and they end up adding a SP, then they either have to take Lauer out of the rotation (arguably the team's best performing SP at this point) or run a 6 man rotation. The latter might be something they'd be interested in given the team has prioritized giving the veteran starters extra rest but that takes an arm out of the pen as well. Same thing with the position players. Right now, at least at home, they are hitting on all cylinders. Tough to see a real weakness here once everyone comes back. Maybe a real platoon guy to partner with Lukes (Luis Robert?). Going to be a fun, unpredictable deadline on the Jays end.

I wonder what it's like on the Giants discussion boards.

I had a look. The manager needs to be replaced, the hitters approach is terrible, everyone is underachieving, the coaching is suspect, the season is going down the drain....

The usual.

It looked to me like Bichette was favoring his side today where he got plunked in the ribs. He wasnt moving that arm in the same fashion as his right when he was jogging off the field multiple times. Could be why he seemed slower today and maybe didn't want to risk a slide. He could play through bruised or a cracked rib - it's pain tolerance.

Lauer looks great. I don't see how they could bump him from rotation if they got someone else. Bullpen looks like easiest way to upgrade. I think Rojas might be a sneaky guy to add to the pen. He's been dominant in AA as a starter. He could be very good out of the pen right now. Hard pass on Robert. Can't hit and makes a lot of money. Basically he's Myles Straw making $15M and you have to give up a prospect.

Right now the Jays have the 5th best record in the MLB. Incredible!

I feel like the Blue Jays could deliver a life-saving glass of water in the desert to some posters here and they would gulp it down and then comment on the spots on the glass.

It’s back…It’s deep…It’s GONE! Home run Electric Carrot!

Robert kills LHP (146 career wRC+ against lefties), so it would be a logical platoon fit with Lukes, whereas Straw can't hit either side well so he's more of a 5th OF/pinch runner type. However, if they feel Davis Schneider's resurgence is sustainable then I guess he fills that role. I'm just trying to think of where the Jays can improve offensively, and aside from adding Suarez to play 3B (something I don't think they are considering), it's hard to see a logical spot that they could clearly upgrade. What Santander's timeline is will have to factor in.

A high leverage relief option, if not 2, could be the biggest difference making upgrade, especially if it pushes Green off the team. A starter is likely required but it might be more due to injury insurance than replacing a rotation spot. Lauer has been fantastic, and Scherzer since he's come back has also been good. The other 3 are what they are.

Cracka pointed out that no team has more home wins than the Jays. And with the Mets loss at home today, Jays also have the best home winning %. Great news for the club , keeping the home fans happy and coming back.

Noticed something that may or may not be unusual, but...
17 teams are at .500 or better. All have a better winning % at home than on the road. The 13 losers though have 5 teams that have better records on the road than at home and the DBacks are even. Only the Pirates and Braves are much better at home. Is that an anomaly this year or normal?

Atlanta is now up 4-0 on the Yankees, thanks to a three-run HR in the bottom of the fourth by Ozzie Albies off Will Warren.

Let the good vibes continue!

If the losers are better on the road, it's because they are beating the other losers since they aren't beating the good teams.

8-8 in the Eighth.
It would be cool if they would go a couple of extra innings with the pens all used up.

Atlanta's pitching looks so bad... those Yankees runs were way more about Atlanta being bad than New York being good.

They have guys who can hit mistakes and who don't chase much. Even relievers with ERA under 3 couldn't put out zeros. I wouldn't trade for Iglesias.

Braves blew it. Just incredible how bad that team is. I thought they were a top-3 team in baseball this year talent-wise. Orioles also disappointing but always knew their starting pitching sucked but Braves... Regression, injury, and a pretty passive off-season. They should trade a few guys (Murphy, expiring contracts) and retool and try again next year. Talent is still there. At least Yankees used five relievers. Would be amazing if they had to again tomorrow. Stroman hasn't gone more than 5 innings all season so it seems possible.

The Yankees still have the second-best run differential in the majors and they’re about to get Gil back. Don’t count them out yet.

scottt that makes no sense. Sub-.500 teams play other sub.500 teams both at home and on the road. If they are beating other losers on the road, why aren't they beating other losers at home?

Jim Riley has some proposals for Jays trades. Like I mentioned in previous threads, I like Jim's evaluations as being close to realistic (compared to others I see). Once again these are proposals and not predictions:

Ricky Tiedemann + lesser pieces for Sandy Alcantara.

Orelvis Martinez straight up for David Bednar.

That's it. He mulls Yesavage and Nimalla for Kwan but says no.

What's the Yankees' run differential if you remove their April at home results when the ball was magically jumping like it was muggy July?

Yes and compare that to the Jays since May 12...

I'd do the Orelvis for Bednar trade in a heartbeat. Don't think there is any chance the Pirates would.

Normally a top 100 prospect for a reliever is a no-brainer but Orelvis has been dropping like a stone in rankings.

Pipeline still has Orelvis #3 in our system. Not sure if they did a mid-season update, but if they did, they are either still high on Orelvis for some reason or think the rest of our system is trash.

FG has been low on him for a while and had him 8th in our system pre-season. Couldn't guess where they would place him now.

He's not hitting for average and has a career low ISO by far leading to a 76 wRC+. He's still young, but will be turning 24 later this year.

Jim Riley was using Pipeline rankings (Nimalla, Yesavage, Martinez, Tiedemann, Bloss).

I think the actual rankings of players value (for trade values) is very close to Marc's list but I've modified it:

1. Kendry Rojas, LHP, AA
2. Trey Yesavage, RHP, AA
3. Arjun Niimmala, SS, low-A
4. Ricky Tiedemann, RHP, Rehab
5. Khal Stephens, RHP, AA
6. Johnny King, LHP, low-A
7. Gage Stanifer, RHP, high-A
8. Victor Arias, OF, AA
9. Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, AA
10. RJ Schreck, OF, AAA

Yeah, that's closer to reality than Pipeline

I think they keep one of Rojas or Stephens and trade the other one as part of centerpiece for a big trade of very good relief pitcher under control like J Duran or Clase.

Yesavage or Nimalla would center a package for a better player.

Examples:

Khal Stephens, Will Wagner and Johnny King for Emmanuel Clase or Jhoan Duran.

Arjun Nimalla, Khal Stephens, Joey Loperfido, Rj Schreck for Steven Kwan and Cade Smith

"Tell me, how many games did Clement start at 3B against RHP in this span with Barger in RF and Gimenez at 2B?"

Well, since Gimenez returned from injury, the answer is 8 games. In those 8 games Clement went 4/27 with 0 extra-base hits, 3 runs, 2 RBI, and 5 walks for a sparkling .148/.281/.148 line. Perhaps that alignment vs. a RHP wasn't helping the team?

I left out the game the White Sox opened with a righty and went to their bulk lefty, because that's an obvious start for Clement.

And yes, we all know the Jays the are in first place, and we all know that their 500MM man is not hitting well enough yet. That doesn't mean we can't have reasonable discussions about what their best possible alignments might be when they face RHP.

Oh, I left out the most important part. The Jays went 6-2 in those games. All part of Ernie's magic.

Attaboy Vladdy. Man, he needed that.

Guerrero needed that one. Quite a blast.

That was huge for Vladdy. Can't remember seeing him looking as despondent in the dugout as he did yesterday.

And he follows it up with an extremely nice scoop off that Bichette throw, who really wasn’t very aggressive fielding that grounder.

I think the top of the first was the perfect example of why the team prefers putting the better defender on the team, despite the offensive shortcomings. Schneider cost them a run on a routine play.

This version of Robbie Ray is a completely different guy than the one who won the Cy Young for the Jays. The fastball velocity is down, and he's fallen in love with that changeup, which he didn't even have back then. No idea if it's just today (I don't have the good heater today), or if he's always like this now.

And Ramos with an even worse and more costly lost the ball play.

Great frame from MVP Kirky there to strike out Devers. I liked that he didn't complain too much on the horrendous strike called against him in the top half of the frame, looking out for his pitchers.

Yeah I think the 6-2 record in the 8 games (vs RHP) where they had the possibility of removing Ernie for Barger at 3B and and OF of Straw, Lukes and Schneider puts the quibbles to rest as to whether playing Ernie so much has hurt this team.

I haven't done the exercise but Lukes probably was injured as well for some of those 8 games. So again, Clement a perfect solution against RHP when you have 3-4 better options injured (Varsho, Santander, Gimenez) and another 1-2 possible options in the minors at the time (Schneider, Loperfido, Roden).

Yeah, Pittsburgh is not doing Bednar for Orelvis. Martinez is now the third piece in a larger deal - by no means is he a headliner.

It's Keagan Matheson who does the Jays MLB pipeline top prospect list and it's very much out of date and wasnt super great to begin with.

Kirk looks tired again; he's back to collapsing his back leg (it was very noticeable on the pop fly to RF).

Yeah agreed on Orelvis.

Way to go George!

Listening to the Giants broadcast, they’ve been raving today and yesterday about the Blue Jays ability to consistently make contact and extend at-bats. A lot of “How’d he hit that? It was a foot outside!”

Wow, Barger!

Love watching Barger, even if he is a little over-aggressive... it works for him

On the flipside, Lukes hasn't looked good the last couple of days - overly aggressive and just non-competitive ABs.

Yeah I've been impressed by this team against Fried, Webb and Ray, three bonafide ace-level pitchers.

Rough outing from Fisher there. Bad inning might’ve been a whole lot worse if not for the sharp play by Leo Jimenez. Always hold the tag on the runners, kids.

Why did their best outfielder just get PH for in a 7-6 lead?

Because their bullpen options are better, so the Jays are likely to need more runs if they want to win

I would have liked to see Straw trying to catch that ball.

Will Wagner is making the case that he needs playing time - a 164 wRC+ since coming back.

On upgrading the starting rotation, I don't know that it can be done effectively, unless you trade away one of the existing starters. As it looks now, Lauer might be the best starter on the team, and you can't move any of the others to the bullpen. In my view, the only obvious spot to upgrade is in the bullpen, and you either need to get creative or stand pat with respect to the rotation and the lineup.

I still see a big hole in the lineup (unless you're assuming it can be filled by Santander). Even if you believe fully in Lukes, that still leaves a spot at 3B or an OF corner.

Clement's best role is vs. LHP and giving guys a day off, which is plenty of playing time.

Gabriel, they at least need to get someone who can start. If anyone gets hurt (Berrios looks to be fighting something and who knows how many bullets Max has). If anyone goes down I think it would be a disaster based on their current depth chart.

On the subject of disaster, it started looking like that until Tommy Nance came in. Fantastic job to stem the tide.

Let the foghorn blow!

Is Nance for real do we think? I hadn’t followed him before he got here…

They just keep winning. Incredible.

Only 1 game back of Detroit now, and Houston has lost 7 of their last 8.

It's good that the Yankees are currently in a tight game. Their bullpen might even be more tired than the Jays' heading into the next 3 games.

I'm pretty sure that Bruihl, Nance, and Pina will not be occupying three bullpen spots after the deadline, even if they got away with it today. That's the obvious place to upgrade.

The rotation is full at the moment, even if the prospect of it staying that way feels iffy. And so is the lineup. Gimenez obviously replaces Jimenez soon enough. And when Varsho comes back, who goes down? Schneider? Wagner? Loperfido? (I figure it's Loperfido.)

If something comes up, and you can improve the lineup or the rotation somehow - sure, go for it. But the bullpen is a necessity.

Nance is a sinker/slider right handed pitcher with a plus curve. The velo on the sinker is decent but it's the kind of pitch that can leave the park in a hurry on an uppercut swing. The curve is really good but if he throws too many he will likely hang one.

Exactly that.

I think starting rotation upgrade need depends on the definition. Does one mean to upgrade rotation for rest of season to win the division (assumes coverage for some injury) with a #3/4/5 type coming in or does one mean upgrading the rotation for the playoffs, which presumes a #1 or strong #2?

I see rotation as a place to upgrade if it's the latter. In addition to that we have to remember that in the playoffs the starters essentially become 3-5 inning pitchers unless they are a true ace. So, in either case the bullpen will need upgrading at the back end while the worse of Bassitt, Gausman, Berrios, Lauer, Scherzer become bullpen/long men in the playoffs.

Oakland and Cleveland are my ideal fits of a deal were to be had. I'd offer pretty much anyone for Severino and Miller or Bieber and Smith from the Guardians.

For the 2nd time in team history and the 1st time in 40 years, Jays have won 10 in a row at home.

Anyone hear an update about Tampa game restarting? The thunderstorm is supposed to be gone by now. The Rays need to finish up their loss!

NL sucking today. AL won or is leading (easily) in all 7 matchups. Really hoping a few teams drop further out of it this week to create a few more possible sellers. Twins are at Dodgers, Royals are at Cubs, and Angels are at Mets. A sweep or two by the NL sides would be helpful.

The best option would be to sell out for someone like Edward Cabrera or maybe Joe Ryan (Keller or Gallen/Kelly fallback) and then move to a six-man rotation until the playoffs (if they make it) and then go with the 3 hot hands and piggyback the other 3. Vets would probably be OK with a six-man if they were saving bullets for a long playoff run.

They need to switch Pina out for Estrada before tomorrow night. I don't have a ton of faith in Gausman vs New York.

Eugenio Suarez's trade value continues to go up. Two home runs (so far) today. He now has 35 HR and is hitting .258/.329/.604 (153 wRC+) on the season. Great trade chip for the Diamondbacks. I'm sure the Yankees will be bidding hard to acquire him. It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jays do the same.

Truth is there are no major holes on the roster.

The right play at the deadline is to trade for the best possible player, regardless of role.

And if the best possible player is controllable and still in their prime beyond 2025, so much the better (Donaldson / Chapman / Berrios type of trade). This is probably less applicable to relievers, as their performance tends to vary more from year to year.

I think bullpen is pretty big hole right now and lack of frontline starter is a hole for playoffs. I don't like trading for elite relievers because I think cost is usually insane for players who are so volitile but there are a ton of relievers who can help available. If they want to spend, I like Duran and Smith and Jax more than Clase but I'm fine if they go a level below that too. I Like Gregory Soto or Coloumbe or Bummer as lefties for example. The dream would be Mackenzie Gore and I'd give up almost every prospect in the system to get a guy like that.

The Yankees need pitching but more like a 4th starter than an ace. They could improve a ton at 3B.

The Phillies have signed David Robertson.

The positive is the Phillies have been mentioned as a main deadline competitor for bullpen arms. One spot filled for them.

Huge game for Vlad. He deserves the kudos. I hope he keeps this up!

The Jays got Clase for Garcia last year who was having an excellent season. Just make 2 or 3 trades like that and the bullpen is fine.

Héctor Gómez@hgomez27

Ricky Ricardo, the Spanish Radio voice of the Yankees:

"There's a proposal on the table...5 Yankees prospects, not Lombard, not Jones. 5 prospects including Schlittler to the Diamondbacks for Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suarez, and Jalen Beeks, per @AlfreAlvarez3

I'm pretty sure that Bruihl, Nance, and Pina will not be occupying three bullpen spots after the deadline, even if they got away with it today. That's the obvious place to upgrade.

Not all three and possible none of the above. I would think Pina would be first on the bus He is absolutely no use if he never plays. Perhaps he keeps a bench nicely warm. And he has options.

Nance has had a long and tantalisingly good minor league career, but has walked too many (4.1BB/9) and coughed up too many dingers (1.1HR/9) in the majors. Today’s performance will have earned him another major league paycheck or two.

Bruihl does one thing extremely well, and that is holding LHB to the tune of an 537 OPS over a not totally insignificant number of PAs (151). He is also holding RHB to the tune of a 910 OPS. Used judiciously he has his uses and will probably stay on the roster until they find a LHB who can actually face a RHB without spontaneously combusting.

That would be a pretty crazy trade in terms of value the Yankees would get. I'd love us to be able to trade 5 prospects - none in the top 100 and not our best 2 prospects - for those 3 players from Arizona. A quality 3B, SP, and lefty RP would definitely fill the gaps here.

Jays could obviously match that, and even beat it if they include one of the top guys.

The Yankees have a clear opportunity to upgrade their team at the deadline. They need a third baseman who can hit, and a very good one (Suarez) is available. They need another mid-rotation SP, and there are a number of those available. And there are some good bullpen arms on the market.

As UO mentioned, the Blue Jays don't have as many holes to fill (other than in the bullpen). But they should still make an aggressive move or two to upgrade their team in an effort to win the division and advance in the postseason. Adding someone like Suarez could help them do this. Even if they don't *need* a third baseman, acquiring him would give the team another big middle-of-the-order bat, and indirectly hurt the Yankees by blocking them from getting him.

Here are my not very bold trade deadline predictions:

At least one poster will complain we did not make enough trades.
At least one poster will complain we should have gotten a better player than at least one of the players we did acquire.
At least one poster will point out a player another team acquired and complain we could have/should have topped what they paid.
At least one poster will complain we did not trade for a player who did not get traded to anyone.
At least one poster will complain we paid too much for at least one of our acquisitions.

And that's normal! We're baseball fans.

Yup, happens every year in every fan base when they think their team has a chance to win it all. Hence the "not so bold".

As someone who is not good at complaining (is it lack of ability or lack of dedication?), I do find it amusing.

Great win yesterday especially with the relievers they had available. Nance came up huge.

If Santander is out for longer than expected (or possibly the rest of the season), then Suarez would be my main target. He would have been one of my main targets regardless but certainly more so if the biggest power source on the team (on paper) is a wash for 2025. Combine all the contact hitting with a legit 40-50 HR bat in the middle of the lineup, and that significantly increases the team’s chances in a post season setting when they are facing top pitchers. The cost to acquire him is the question.

If Suarez goes elsewhere then focus on the bullpen and 1 SP, as I’m not sure what else would be available on the position player side to be worthy of adding over existing players. Bullpen is definitely where the most impact could come from. For some reason I feel like the Jays end up with Bednar (controllable through next season) but as mentioned the price for rental relief shouldn’t be crazy so if they go that route then it would be perfectly reasonable. Where team control becomes more valuable is for a starter.

"Adding someone like Suarez could help them do this. Even if they don't *need* a third baseman, acquiring him would give the team another big middle-of-the-order bat, and indirectly hurt the Yankees by blocking them from getting him."

The problem with this is that there are like 5 teams that are desperate for Suarez so if Jays don't really need him, they have to outbid those teams and giving up elite prospects for a rental you don't really need doesn't make any sense. Even if Santander doesn't come back, Jays don't need 3B, they have Barger so they can be flexible and upgrade somewhere else. Yankees have an easier team to upgrade and that's fine. Jays need to do what's best to improve the team. That's a reliever or two, maybe a starter, and if Santander isn't coming back this year, I can see a LH corner OF if it's not too expensive. Schenider is hitting well so don't see a RH OF right now but it's an easy place to improve.

Some guys I like

Starters
Gore-Super expensive, not likely
Ryan-Very expensive, not likely
Gray-if Cardinals fall out of it. Owed $35M next year so maybe not too expensive.
Kikuchi-Replaces Bassit next year, can be in bullpen if
needed. Not cheap contract so maybe price is OK?

Right handed relievers
Jax, Miller, Smith, Duran-Elite relivers under control. Will cost an arm and a leg though.
Helsey might be cheaper. A rental and not as good as those guys. I like Soroka as a potential swingman/bullpen guy
Jake Bird, Graham Ashcroft, Seranthony Domínguez, one of the other Twins middle relivers, so many guys that can help in middle innings.

Left-handed relivers
Bummer, Soto, Coulombe

Hitters
Nobody I particularly would want to target but if Santander is out for year, I'd want a LH corner OF to move Barger to 3B and get Clement out of the vs RHP lineup. The names being bandied about in general as trade possibilities for OF: Adolis Garcia, Jesus Sanchez, etc.. aren't great and I don't see how they really help. I don't really like Kwan. I like him but not as much as it would cost to get him. (Defensive LF is not an archetype I like. Andre Benditendi-types.) Maybe someone like Josh Naylor would make sense if the Jays were willing to play Springer in OF more (They can play him in LF and Lukes in RF) and shouldn't be expensive as a hitting rental. If Jays do want to get a Vs LHP bat, tons are available. Laureano, Hayes, Call, Badar, etc...

My gut is the Jays don't want to lose their top few prospects so deals where they eat cash or get pen rental parts are most likely. So no Suarez, no ace, just a much deeper pen.

One question worth considering is: how rare/special is the opportunity the Blue Jays currently have to win the division and advance deep into the postseason? The last time the team had a similar shot at winning the division was a decade ago. If this is a chance that may not come around again for a while, then it might be worth making an extra push to add an impact player or two at the trade deadline.

On the other hand, if the front office thinks the team’s future is bright beyond 2025, then taking a more “sensible” targeted approach to addressing the team’s needs might be the preferable approach.

"Here are my not very bold trade deadline predictions:

At least one poster will complain we did not make enough trades.
At least one poster will complain we should have gotten a better player than at least one of the players we did acquire.
At least one poster will point out a player another team acquired and complain we could have/should have topped what they paid.
At least one poster will complain we did not trade for a player who did not get traded to anyone.
At least one poster will complain we paid too much for at least one of our acquisitions."

You forgot "at least one poster will complain that everybody else is doomed to complain"

Sounds like a lot of "we will trade you guys we don't need next year" for "guys we can use next year" negotiating happening.

Thanks, no thanks.

Mendocino thanks for the update from Gomez.

You forgot "at least one poster will complain that everybody else is doomed to complain"

Not a complaint whatsoever. Like I said, I find it amusing. And it's not everybody else, at least in in my humble opinion. Magpie, for one, seems not all that good or prolific at complaining.

I was not pointing out your complaint. Wanted to finish the natural conclusion to your post in a way I found amusing.

The good news is that the Yankees system, after Lombard and Jones, is not overly strong and then also have guys like Chase Hampton that recently had TJ.

I'd expect something for the Arizona package from NYY to be like:
Cam Schlittler (MLB ready SP)
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (AA SP but developed by Boston not themselves)
Rafael Flores C/1B (questionable DEF)
Roc Riggio 2B (Platoon/Bench ceiling but carrying power)
And a fifth lesser prospect/wildcard

I know little of other teams systems, but FG has the Mariners, who also really need a 3B, well ahead of the Yankees system. They should be able to top the Yankees offer, no?

ESPN has Kris Bubic, with another year of control, at 15% chance of being traded, mostly because the Royals would have to be blown away by any offer. I'm guessing we definitely could blow them away if we include Barger. Any other way of doing it, since near-ready hitting seems to be their biggest need.

There's no way this lineup could survive without Barger. Subtracting him negates a lot of what adding Suarez gives you.

Seattle is a Top 3 system so they could absolutely beat just about anyone's trade offer.

It was 2 separate questions. You answered the 1st. Any wasy we could blow KC away without including Barger?

He has a little more than 1 year left. That's not going to cost enough to warrant blowing anybody away. A package of Stephens and Kasevich is probable enough to center a package with lesser long shot prospects added if this isn't itself an over pay.

In a way, it’s convenient that Toronto is playing the Yankees this week. The outcome of the series could affect the teams’ trade deadline moves. For example, if the Blue Jays sweep the Yankees, they would hold a six-game lead over them entering the last week of July. That might make Toronto more comfortable focusing on targeted or measured moves as opposed to more impactful or costly ones.

Bubic has been the 8th most valuable MLB pitcher by BRef, 6th most valuable by FG.  Plus another year of control at a bargain price.

PSA: The Blue Jays do not have a prospect by the name “Stephens”.

Once again, the majors will have a player who can call Justin Verlander "kid".  45 yr old Rich Hill just got called up by the Royals.

Fluharty back up, Pina down.

OK, Bubic is actually a crazy bargain so yeah that would have to be an offer that blows KC away. I did not realize he was so cheap.

His fastball is among the slowest in the league and this is basically the first success he’s had this year as a MLB starter. He’s another DeGrom type (/s) that is (supposedly) injury prone because he hasn’t pitched more than 30 innings in the last three years and is already 20innings away from his career high.

For a team like the jays that enforce innings limits…why would they trade for a guy that might hit his career high in innings before the trade?

I also don’t get why the jays would add another guy like this unless they don’t want to bring bassist back. The free agent crop for starters is pretty much ranger suarez and hoping some former cy-calibre guys can find something they couldn’t in their contract years.