Friday, June 17, 2016

Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and the Yankees Three-Headed Bullpen Monster


The New York Yankees continue to slide in the standings both in the American League East Division and in the chase for the Wild Card slots which could mean a trade or three are on the horizon for the Yankees. New York made players like Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Pineda, Brett Gardner and others available this winter and even more could be available this summer including all of the Yankees three-headed monster in the bullpen that is commonly referred to as “No Runs DMC” inside Yankee Stadium. The Chicago Cubs are already said to be scouting these three and some reports have even suggested that Theo Epstein may want two of the three, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. While the Cubs may have MLB ready talent to trade for both I think it would be foolish to trade both to one team, especially after the Washington Nationals just lost their closer Jonathan Papelbon.

If the Yankees want to do this right and corner the market while using two teams against each other they should trade one to Chicago, preferably Chapman for Jorge Soler straight up if possible, and the other to Washington, Miller for a list of players we will showcase here in this post. I prefer Miller to go to Washington because the Nationals have more in the way of prospects and talent than Chicago does down on their minor league farm affiliates. Here are a few potential players the Yankees could ask for from Washington if a trade involving Andrew Miller were to occur.

I may be reaching for the stars but the first names out of Brian Cashman’s mouth need to be Treat Turner and Lucas Giolito. You can accept less for Miller, who is not a rental unlike Chapman hence my willingness to accept “Baby Puig” in return for him despite his lackluster career numbers, but you have to absolutely ask for the sky and meet in the middle here. Giolito is the Nats best pitching prospect at 21-years old and is fresh off an Eastern League (Double-A) Pitcher of the Week Award. Meanwhile Turner made his MLB debut this season for Washington and quietly went 3-for-3 opening some eyes inside the organization.


If you take less for Miller you take less but prying one of these two away from Washington would be absolutely huge for the Yankees. Turner is another middle infielder that the Yankees may not necessarily need but he’s got a talent set and a tool bag big enough that you have to make room for while Giolito may just be the real deal and a real deal for a long time. Ask for the moon, settle for less if you have to. Just don’t trade both Miller and Chapman to Chicago when the Yankees have all the leverage over both Chicago AND Washington this summer. Stay tuned. 

10 comments:

  1. can you give your opinion of that question, daniel? If Warren brought us Castro, straight up, why is Chapman supposed to bring us Soler, straight up? Castro has similar #'s to soler, with like 4-5x the number of at bats. It doesn't add up. What's more important, the cubs adding chapman, or the yankees adding soler?

    Hell, compare soler to both gregorious and castro. Middle infield, 1-2 years older, significantly better. Shane Green, Adam Warren, Chapman.
    Seems like the player with the greatest impact, to the team that most badly wants a world series, would be getting the least valuable return.

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    1. I can answer that quite easy. Top flight Gm's take advantage of our inept Gm. Its that simple. The guy brought back Javy Vasquez after he melted in NY the first time so what does that tell you. If he makes any move without a top flight prospect or prospects and some decent major league talent he should be relieved of his duties immediately, however I don't think the elf will trade anyone of his relievers because they truly believe they have a shot at a play in game. The tease will start now with the Yanks beating the worst team in baseball four games.

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    2. The market has a lot to do with any and every trade. The offseason is a crap shoot because most teams feel like they have a chance and that the sky is the limit. Once you get into June, July and August you have a more reasonable idea of what you have in a team and what you have to offer on the trade market.

      I don't believe the Cubs are willing to move the prospects and/or MLB ready talent to get Miller. They've said as much. They are willing to move Soler and he would be a lesser loss for them, in my opinion, while acquiring a rental like Chapman.

      What's more important is obviously the Cubs adding Chapman. What leverage does the Cubs have in this hypothetical deal? Soler hasn't been great so it's his contract and that's probably the only thing that's attractive to the Yankees (since they wont trade Contreras, Baez, etc.).

      I didn't say it's the ideal trade for either team but it just makes sense in my mind for both teams. You have to give something to get something and the deal usually has to work for both sides.

      Did I answer your question? I feel like I rambled a bit lol.

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  2. Burch I believe you are wrong on this on a few fronts. First the Cubs have a loaded farm system. second I don't want Soler and not staight up. Third you keep Miller as he is a lefty and has a budget friendly contract. You make sure you're not sitting with a sandwich pick like we did for Cano and Robertson and thats what scares me about this team. It wouldn't bother me in the least of they lost every game remaining as I want the high draft picks and I want prospects from other teams. No straight up deal unless its Miller for Strasburg or Miller for Bryant

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    1. I'm not quite sure the system is loaded anymore. Not with most of those studs already in the Major Leagues. I've read on many sites, as I am far from a Cubs expert, that the system is not loaded anymore. That's why the infield and outfield is loaded with talent, they all got called up. If I'm wrong I'm wrong, again I go off what I read as I am not an expert on the Cubs nor their farm system.

      You're not going to get what you think out of Chapman. Teams have smartened up on rentals and such and in years past they haven't been paying what they did just five years back or longer. Soler is useful because he's young, cheap and controllable. He's a reasonable fetch for Chapman in my opinion. Again, I could be wrong and maybe I am. I want the world for Chapman I just don't think the Yankees are going to get it.

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    2. http://www.inquisitr.com/3189767/mlb-trade-rumors-yankees-and-cubs-discussing-trade-for-aroldis-chapman/

      Here is just one example. It does state the Cubs have talent and solid prospects but three of those are already off the board per many reports. The Yankees are going to want, at minimum, Double-A prospects. Not prospects they have to wait on. They will want MLB ready prospects that Chicago isn't willing to give up right now.

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    3. So why does he have to go to the cubs. Send to the Nats or Dodgers. Take the package the dodgers offered the Reds for Chapman, hell even the elf couldn't screw that one up...wait maybe he could

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    4. Yanks wont get the world because the elf is running the show. He will end up giving up more for Champman than what he will get back for him he that talented

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    5. He doesn't necessarily have to go to the Cubs. I was simply responding to the rumors that were circulating. When I see that the Dodgers are interested then that may change my mind. It may not.

      I'm just throwing stuff out there. Nothing is set in stone. You call it flip flopping, I call it being a fan that is entitled to change his mind. I'm not getting paid to do this so I can be passionate where a Buster Olney has to stick to his guns to "save face." I'm ugly enough, no need to save face :)

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    6. I'm not jumping on you Daniel, you know I think you do fantastic work.

      I am speaking in general, I just find it weird that the Cubs are getting all this talk-thru all news sources! Just like I found it odd San Francisco Giants were interested, even though they don't have anything worth acquiring lol

      I'll break the news first. Any team playoff bound expresses interest in one or multiple of the Yankees big three

      :D

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)