Break up the Juggernaut: 2022 Trade Deadline thoughts, & rumors

[Smithian]

Which one can't?  One's 23 and the other's 22, and they're already both better-than-average everyday MLB position players and both have positional flexibility.

I mean, I hate the Cardinals more than the average dude, but those guys are both legit. 

Carlson can't be the solo key piece to a Soto trade. it can't be "Carlson and a couple AA arms for Soto."

But if Soto was traded for a package of Gorman, Carlson, and Liberatore plus a couple low minors prospects? Sign me up now. I don't know how the Padres can approach that without the Nationals thinking CJ Abrams is a sure thing All Star.

[Slateman]

Walker has to be included. Gorman has struggled to hit velo his whole career.

[Natsinpwc]

Lol, wat

I was unaware that Lane Thomas had a season and a half of over 110 wRC+ while playing good defense in CF.

Y'all overate Lane Thomas so much. He's a 4th OFer/platoon bat until he gets good at CF.

He hasn’t had much of a chance since they insist on Victor playing everyday. Last year his OPS+ was 108. Not nearly as good this year.

[Smithian]

I'm getting cautiously optimistic the Josh Bell return may be a good one. Definitely a lot more than we paid for him from the Pirates.

He did the Nationals front office a solid smashing a huge homer on national TV last night to help make some front office thirsty.

[Natsinpwc]

My view on Carlson and Gorman is more eye test and probably unfair as limited sample size. Just seems like the Cardinals lots of good prospects who just turn out ok. And some look good at first and then tail off. DeJong comes to mind. They seem to produce quantity in recent years and not high quality. They are in the race largely due to Goldschmidt and Arenado.

[Natsinpwc]

I'm getting cautiously optimistic the Josh Bell return may be a good one. Definitely a lot more than we paid for him from the Pirates.

He did the Nationals front office a solid smashing a huge homer on national TV last night to help make some front office thirsty.

Another Rizzo great trade!

[Natsinpwc]

Walker has to be included. Gorman has struggled to hit velo his whole career.

Yea. I don’t think you can be a plus player nowadays without being able to hit high fastballs.

[Slateman]

Yea. I don’t think you can be a plus player nowadays without being able to hit high fastballs.

.185/.284/.431 against four seamers

[Natsinpwc]

.185/.284/.431 against four seamers

Ouch.

[bluestreak]

Walker has to be included. Gorman has struggled to hit velo his whole career.

I agree. Which is why I don’t think it gets done with the Cards.

[Elvir Ovcina]

My view on Carlson and Gorman is more eye test and probably unfair as limited sample size. Just seems like the Cardinals lots of good prospects who just turn out ok. And some look good at first and then tail off. DeJong comes to mind. They seem to produce quantity in recent years and not high quality. They are in the race largely due to Goldschmidt and Arenado.

Producing a lot of Kolten Wongs means you have a lot of cheap Kolten Wongs at any given time.  That's what allows you to trade very little to take on Arenado's contract and trade a few guys off the same assembly line for Goldschmidt and then pay him.

For example, if the Nationals could produce even decent pitching prospects, they don't have to choose between spending tens of millions every season for free agent pitchers or putting Anibal Sanchez out there.

[Natsinpwc]

Producing a lot of Kolten Wongs means you have a lot of cheap Kolten Wongs at any given time.  That's what allows you to trade very little to take on Arenado's contract and trade a few guys off the same assembly line for Goldschmidt and then pay him.

For example, if the Nationals could produce even decent pitching prospects, they don't have to choose between spending tens of millions every season for free agent pitchers or putting Anibal Sanchez out there.

Makes sense. I just am not excited about getting a few Kolten Wongs.  No wongs for me.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Makes sense. I just am not excited about getting a few Kolten Wongs.  No wongs for me.

It wouldn't be my preferred trade partner either.  But it's better than what you likely get from SD, which is likely a mix of guys no better than St. Louis offers plus a pile of injured pitchers.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Producing a lot of Kolten Wongs means you have a lot of cheap Kolten Wongs at any given time.  That's what allows you to trade very little to take on Arenado's contract and trade a few guys off the same assembly line for Goldschmidt and then pay him.

For example, if the Nationals could produce even decent pitching prospects, they don't have to choose between spending tens of millions every season for free agent pitchers or putting Anibal Sanchez out there.

I posted this in the Soto turns down the deal thread, but the organization had such productivity for position players in the last decade that it could afford the huge starting pitcher contracts.  Hard to believe the Nats 2018 roster had 4 guys who have or probably will sign first free agency contracts worth over $1.25 billion who were all on pre-FA contracts (Harper, Rendon, Turner, Soto).  With that sort of cost-controlled core, they were able to pay ludicrous amounts for pitching and trade the rest of the development stream for closers, an Eaton, Span, or Gomes. The failure of Robles and Kieboom to keep that line going more or less exposed the problem with that approach.

[English Natsie]

Makes sense. I just am not excited about getting a few Kolten Wongs.  No wongs for me.

They do say that two wongs don't make a right.... (sorry...)

[imref]

Nats send Ehire Adrianza to Atlanta for OF Trey Harris. The Nats twitter announcement notes "Harris was the winner of Atlanta’s 2019 Hank Aaron Award, presented annually to the top offensive player in Atlanta’s Minor League system."

26 years old, still in AA, .238 / .338 / .323 this year. Yawn.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

let's post completed minor deals to a completed deals thread. If there's a Soto deal, it gets its own thread.

[Section214]

The Yankees just traded their #7 prospect SP Hayden Wesneski to the Cubs for RP Scott Efross. Now I am very excited to see what we get for our bullpen arms..

Let's make some deals Rizz! Not ya know, the big deal....but let's make a bunch of other deals!

[imref]

Padres are acquiring Josh Hader from the Brewers, which could impact any deal for Soto.

[Smithian]

Padres are acquiring Josh Hader from the Brewers, which could impact any deal for Soto.

They’re going for it!

Make them pay, Rizzo!

[Section214]

Brewers sending Josh Hader to San Diego for RP Taylor Rogers, LHP Robert Gasser, OF Esteury Ruiz and RHP Dimelson Lamet.

San Diego keeps Abrams, Hassell, Wood, Merrill and Gore... for now.

[DPMOmaha]

Wait...the Brewers are trading Hader?

[UMDNats]

Soto is definitely going to San Diego. Seems like Preller has realized you aren't beating the Dodgers with small moves.

[Section214]

Soto is definitely going to San Diego. Seems like Preller has realized you aren't beating the Dodgers with small moves.

Worst case scenario to me is getting back the Padres theoretical haul. Gore + Abrams + Hassell + Wood + Merrill + Susana.. That's a lot of Single A lottery tickets, a very good looking young SS and pitcher with elbow issues....

[Smithian]

If they pull this trade to Padres and it's CJ Abrams, MRI shoulder Gore, and some A-ball hitters, I will be broken as a baseball fan.

CJ Abrams would have to come in and light it up for that is just a devastating trade for fans to process.