BOLDLY Predicting the MLB Trade Deadline: National League West

The July 31^st trading deadline is fast approaching here for the 2018 MLB season, so let’s take the chance to post a few bold predictions for every team in the National League West before the deadline next Tuesday. Enjoy, and leave your comments and thoughts below in the comments section.

The Arizona Diamondbacks need a shortstop and a catcher, but their biggest issue will be the lack of prospects that their farm system has available in order to acquire either one of these positions of need. Another area of concern for Arizona this summer will be money, especially with the bulk of their allotted salaries going to RHP Zack Greinke. The window to win in Arizona is quickly closing as Patrick Corbin will hit the free agent market after the season leaving Arizona with no choice but to take advantage of the slow start by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. The team will need to go all-in, but unfortunately the market for both shortstops and catchers is dry and barren. The team needs to make some additional moves in my opinion to hold off the rest of the National League West, but I just can’t see them having the pieces and the dollars to make any substantial moves.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already made the biggest splash to date in the July 31^st trading deadline season and you would be a fool if you thought that they were done. The Dodgers stumbled coming out of the gates here in 2018 and have a lot of ground to make up, but the good news for Los Angeles is that now they are back within striking distance of not only the playoffs, but the division as well. The team needs second base help and could look at a veteran rental like Brian Dozier to team with Chase Utley and others as well as a relief pitcher or two to help get the ball to Kenley Jansen. The Dodgers are not done though, not by a long shot, so stay tuned.

The Colorado Rockies need a first baseman or an outfielder as well as more pitching, much like every single contender and potential playoff team here in 2018, so why wouldn’t the team get all that done in one major deal with the Cincinnati Reds. I truly think these two teams can matchup for a blockbuster trade that could bring in outfielder and first baseman Adam Duvall along with reliever Raisel Iglesias. If the Rockies truly want to get greedy they could also try and pry away Matt Harvey in the deal as well to plug in a hole at the back end of their rotation. The Rockies window for winning is closing as Nolan Arenado, their third baseman, inches closer towards free agency so the time to strike for this club may be now. They have already solidified the bullpen some this trade season, but this move may finally push the Rockies to the “All in” category. The team is close not only to clinching a postseason berth, but also close enough to potentially snipe the National League West away from the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres will trade Kirby Yates, Tyson Ross and Craig Stammen. The Padres are not going anywhere this season and will likely trade away all their valuable arms before the deadline much like the team did with Brad Hand and Adam Cimber. Kirby Yates is a true rental and is having a career-year, which to be honest was likely aided by pitching in baseball’s equivalent of Yellowstone Park, while Ross came back to San Diego this season on a Minor League deal. I could see a team like the New York Yankees taking a waiver on Ross just because of how cheap he is in terms of dollars and cents, or any other team for that matter who needs a starter including the Atlanta Braves, Washington Nationals or the Milwaukee Brewers.

The San Francisco Giants will trade Jeff Samardzija. Yes, I said it. The team went out and aggressively acquired Evan Longoria and Andrew McCutchen before the season, but to date their efforts have been for nothing as the team is once again on the outside looking in at the postseason as we stand here today. I don’t think the Giants are out of it enough to completely tear everything down, and I don’t think they are at the point yet where they will or where they need to trade Madison Bumgarner, so a simple trade that could net them a prospect or two in a weak pitcher’s market while also clearing some money off the luxury tax cap could be in order in San Francisco. Sorry, Giants fans… I know you expected more.

Disclaimer: BOLD predictions are meant to be BOLD for a reason. Keep that in mind before directing hate mail towards me or any of my writers on the blog or on Twitter. Thanks in advance.

Everyone Wants Hamels, But Bring Me Tyson Ross Instead

The New York Yankees will be in the market for a starting pitcher before the July 31^st trade deadline comes and goes here in 2018. Now let me preface by saying that this does not necessarily mean the team will acquire a starter, only that they will be in the discussions for many of the top available starters this trading deadline. One thing Brian Cashman, the Yankees GM, has shown though is an unwillingness to “lose” a trade and trade away top talent just because. Cashman won’t make a deal just for the sake of making a deal, and that includes any deal that could potentially bring a starter like Cole Hamels to the Bronx. Hamels is the name I have seen thrown around the most when discussing who could potentially be on the radar for the Yankees this winter, but he isn’t the top arm on my radar. While everyone wants Hamels to be donning pinstripes on August 1^st I’d much rather have Tyson Ross of the San Diego Padres personally, but maybe that’s just me.

Ross is set to reach free agency for the first time in his career after the 2018 season meaning that the right-hander is a true rental for any team that could potentially acquire him. Where Ross is especially attractive to the Yankees where Hamels may not be is in the financial department. Ross is making just $1.7 million this season, which any team who acquires him would be on the hook for roughly half that with a pro-rated salary, while Hamels comes attached to not only a $23 million base salary for the 2018 season (pro-rated to about $12 million for whichever team acquires him) but the lefty also comes with a $20 million option for the 2019 season as well with a $6 million buyout. 

Ross is 31-years old and has undoubtedly benefited from pitching in one of the biggest and most spacious ballparks in all of Major League Baseball. I truly believe if the Yankees were to acquire Ross that they would not be acquiring the ace that the San Diego Padres may be selling him as, but I also truly think that Ross could be better than CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray, Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga.

I am not an expert on the farm system of the San Diego Padres, but the team seems to be in full rebuild mode meaning they may simply take the best available package rather than a package heavily weighted towards a certain position or pitching. The Yankees have plenty to offer in terms of prospects and I truly believe that the team could acquire Ross for a reasonable price, maybe a package of Chance Adams and Tyler Wade for example. Ross would be the better fit in my opinion for the Yankees this season while also giving the team a sneak peak of his abilities before he hits the free agent market next season.

35 New Free Agents Enter the Fold

As you have already learned the New York Yankees lost future reliever Jacob Lindgren to the Atlanta Braves after the team non-tendered him a contract making him a free agent. Lindgren will likely miss all of the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery so I feel it is safe to presume that the Yankees felt like they could sign him to a new minor league deal while getting him off the 40-man roster before the Braves swooped in and gave him a cool million bucks to rehab down in Atlanta. This such scenario, or a similar one at least, happened for 35 players before the deadline adding 35 new free agents into the fold, let’s take a look at them.

Tyson Ross likely headlines the pack of new free agents after becoming an All-Star just two seasons ago with the San Diego Padres. Joining Tyson Ross are other notables including Washington Nationals outfielder Ben Revere, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Cody Asche, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Welington Castillo and pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, Baltimore Orioles starter Vance Worley and Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen arm Louis Coleman. Chris Carter, formerly of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Jeff Locke, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, were also non-tendered but only after being designated for assignment last week.

Ross is likely the most intriguing for the Yankees followed possibly by Vance Worley only because they are starting pitchers, an obvious need for the Yankees. Ross is still just 29-years old and is coming off a season in which he posted a 13-14 record with a 2.81 ERA in 2014 before slipping a bit to 10-12 with a 3.26 ERA in 2015. 2016 was a different scenario for Ross though posting just one MLB appearance due to a thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he had in the offseason. Ross earned $9.625 million in 2016 for that one appearance and will look to latch on with a team despite his four-to-six month recovery time for the surgery he had in October. He may or may not be ready for spring training but on a one-year deal with incentives, he isn’t going to take a minor league deal at 29-years old, I don’t see an issue with taking a waiver on him whatsoever. Do it.

Worley would be a fifth starter with the Yankees and an innings eater, nothing more unfortunately. He is AL East trained after pitching with the Baltimore Orioles last season but he should be a clear Plan C or below. I’d take him personally but only after a lot of names and a whole lot of arms came off the board. That’s just me. It’s Ross or bust in my opinion. What say you?

If the San Diego Padres Start Selling.... Part II

We have done quite a few of these "If the fill in the blank team starts selling" posts this offseason including one for the San Diego Padres already. The thing about the offseason is this though, you have to constantly keep up on these things. Things are constantly changing and so are team's directions and plans as moves are done and plans are revealed. Many probably thought the San Diego Padres would go for it again in 2016 much like they did in 2015 but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. The Padres have already traded Yonder Alonso and others while the team is also losing Ian Kennedy, presumably, to free agency leaving many to wonder who is next?

We've already written a post wondering if James Shields would make sense for the Yankees but honestly I cannot see that happening anymore. The Yankees have added payroll in the Aroldis Chapman trade and the Starlin Castro trade meaning that Hal Steinbrenner's checkbook is tucked away in his purse for the winter making the deal unlikely. The good news for New York is that San Diego has the young pitching that the Yankees desire this winter, and they may be selling.

It would make sense for San Diego to sell. They aren't a complete team, far from it in fact, and teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks have surpassed them in the division. San Diego should look at trading the likes of Yangervis Solarte, Dustin Norris, Matt Kemp, Will Myers, James Shields, Odrisamer Despaigne and the two that would interest New York the most, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross.

New York would not be able to pull off a four "C" type prospects for either Cashner or Ross but I don't believe they would cost the team Jorge Mateo, Aaron Judge or Luis Severino types either. Ross is just 28-years old and would be under team control for the 2016 and 2017 seasons while Cashner enters the 2016 season in his age 29 season with just one year left of team control. Cashner would come cheaper for obvious reasons and could be offered a qualifying offer after the season to counteract the price tag but Ross is obviously the more ideal candidate. He's under team control for longer, he's younger and truth be told he's probably the better pitcher of the two.

Cashner is coming off a 16 loss season to be honest, although his peripherals are much better than his traditional stats, while Ross continued to struggle with his command. Ross walks a lot of guys and throws a lot of wild pitches but with a 2.98 FIP (in 2015) and 212 strikeouts you can live with that. If the Yankees give up a lot they should also find a way to get the once promising Brett Wallace in the deal as well. Wallace was once a top prospect that can play both first base and third base, both needs for the Yankees, despite the fact that he hits left-handed.

San Diego is probably selling, maybe not as aggressively as they were buying at this time last season, and the Yankees need to take advantage of that. They want young and cheap starting pitchers that can be controlled beyond this season and San Diego has at least one of them. Make the call, get the job done and don't give up too much. Sounds easy, right?

Most Popular Article of the Week: Brace Yourselves: A Robert Refsnyder Trade is Coming

Brace yourselves Yankees fans because more trades are coming and one of those trades will likely include Yankees second base prospect Robert Refsnyder. The New York Yankees acquired Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs for Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan at the Winter Meetings leaving the Yankees with their second baseman for at least the next four years, five years if the Yankees pick up a very team friendly option for the 2020 season. New York has concerns about Refsnyder’s defense and are not going to let him play a bench role on the team unfortunately, eventually he will have to be traded.


Refsnyder is Major League ready now despite what a lot of fans say. His defense is adequate and his bat is getting better all the time. Refsnyder looked poised and relaxed in his small shot in the big leagues in 2015 and teams would be heavily interested in his services I would think. But who would New York send Refsnyder to in a hypothetical trades? There are a few teams actually.


The Cincinnati Reds come to mind immediately as they are shopping their third baseman Todd Frazier, first baseman Joey Votto, outfielder Jay Bruce and second baseman Brandon Phillips. Frazier would interest the Yankees the most at third base and would cause the team to make yet another trade involving Chase Headley but it could work with Refsnyder and a whole lot more. Frazier is a pipe dream, I know, but what Brian Cashman is doing right now goes to show you that even a pipe dream is a possibility at this point.


The second base market is quickly coming together with Ben Zobrist going to the Cubs and the Mets getting Neil Walker so many teams are now scrambling for former Met and postseason hero Daniel Murphy. All the teams that lose out on Murphy’s services could be interested in Refsnyder as a backup. Another option could be a team like the San Diego Padres or Atlanta Braves who are seemingly rebuilding and would be willing to send either Julio Teheran or James Shields, Tyson Ross or Andrew Cashner back to the Bronx.



If the Yankees don’t trade Refsnyder, and they will eventually, he will begin the season back in Triple-A and back at second base for the RailRiders. Rest assured though, a trade is coming and Refsnyder will be a part of it. It may be this winter or it may be in July, but it is coming!

Brace Yourselves: A Robert Refsnyder Trade is Coming

Brace yourselves Yankees fans because more trades are coming and one of those trades will likely include Yankees second base prospect Robert Refsnyder. The New York Yankees acquired Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs for Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan at the Winter Meetings leaving the Yankees with their second baseman for at least the next four years, five years if the Yankees pick up a very team friendly option for the 2020 season. New York has concerns about Refsnyder’s defense and are not going to let him play a bench role on the team unfortunately, eventually he will have to be traded.

Refsnyder is Major League ready now despite what a lot of fans say. His defense is adequate and his bat is getting better all the time. Refsnyder looked poised and relaxed in his small shot in the big leagues in 2015 and teams would be heavily interested in his services I would think. But who would New York send Refsnyder to in a hypothetical trades? There are a few teams actually.

The Cincinnati Reds come to mind immediately as they are shopping their third baseman Todd Frazier, first baseman Joey Votto, outfielder Jay Bruce and second baseman Brandon Phillips. Frazier would interest the Yankees the most at third base and would cause the team to make yet another trade involving Chase Headley but it could work with Refsnyder and a whole lot more. Frazier is a pipe dream, I know, but what Brian Cashman is doing right now goes to show you that even a pipe dream is a possibility at this point.

The second base market is quickly coming together with Ben Zobrist going to the Cubs and the Mets getting Neil Walker so many teams are now scrambling for former Met and postseason hero Daniel Murphy. All the teams that lose out on Murphy’s services could be interested in Refsnyder as a backup. Another option could be a team like the San Diego Padres or Atlanta Braves who are seemingly rebuilding and would be willing to send either Julio Teheran or James Shields, Tyson Ross or Andrew Cashner back to the Bronx.

If the Yankees don’t trade Refsnyder, and they will eventually, he will begin the season back in Triple-A and back at second base for the RailRiders. Rest assured though, a trade is coming and Refsnyder will be a part of it. It may be this winter or it may be in July, but it is coming!