MLB trade deadline roundup: All the trades from Monday
Less than 24 hours remain before the MLB trade deadline. If you want to catch up on all the deals made over the weekend, here’s your Thursday-Saturday roundup, and here’s Sunday’s edition. Let’s dig in on all the deals that went down Monday.
Lorenzen to Royals
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For Kansas City, while rotation help did not appear to be at the top of the list of needs, Michael Lorenzen is a useful addition, especially with Alec Marsh approaching a career high in innings pitched.
The Rangers, in any other division, would be clear sellers at 52-55. But in the AL West, they entered Monday just 4 1/2 games back with more than two months left to go. So while dealing Lorenzen was a “sell,” in a sense, it’s not that cut and dried: Texas has Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle coming back from the injured list soon. Jon Gray also hit the IL on Monday, but it isn’t expected to be a long-term stay. Add in Max Scherzer, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney (with Dane Dunning and Cody Bradford also recently back from injury) … that’s a lot of starting pitchers!
So it made sense to deal from a surplus, sending Lorenzen to the Royals for LHP Walter Pennington, who was an undrafted free agent in 2020 but has a 2.26 ERA (0.99 WHIP) with 79 strikeouts and 20 walks in 59 2/3 innings in Triple A this year. For a pending free-agent surplus starter, that’s not a bad deal for Texas, who may be able to use Pennington in the bullpen sooner rather than later.
France to Reds
Given the Reds’ surplus of infielders, the acquisition of the recently DFA’d Ty France makes me wonder if they are pre-emptively backfilling for more moves coming soon. France comes with a dowry of cash considerations, and in exchange, the Mariners receive 21-year-old catcher Andruw Salcedo, who is hitting .188 (.538 OPS) in Low A.
Red Sox, Pirates swap prospects
The Red Sox needed a starting pitcher and the Pirates needed a bat. What we might not have expected was that the match would involve guys in the early stages of their careers. Boston sent 22-year-old 2B/OF Nick Yorke (.278 average, .785 OPS, 68 strikeouts, 42 walks in 83 games between Double A and Triple A) to the Pirates for 23-year-old RHP Quinn Priester, who hasn’t quite put it together in 20 big-league games but has a 3-1 record with a 3.21 ERA, 36 strikeouts and seven walks in 33 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.
While it’s slightly surprising to see a youth-for-youth deal, neither departure is particularly shocking on an individual basis. As Jen McCaffrey writes, Yorke was rumored to be the odd man out in a middle-infield logjam in Boston, and the Pirates’ rotation can easily withstand the loss of Priester.
3-way trade
Sure, why not? Let’s break it down team by team.
Cardinals get: RHP Erick Fedde (7-4, 3.11) and OF Tommy Pham (.266 average, .710 OPS) from Chicago
I know win/loss records don’t mean what they used to, but a 7-4 record on this year’s White Sox team should be calculated in dog years. But is he a stark upgrade for the Cardinals’ rotation? Eno Sarris says … maybe not. Pham, meanwhile, goes back to where it all began, having played for the Cardinals from 2014 to 2018. Seven teams later, he’ll help rectify the Cardinals’ miserable performance against left-handed pitching as they push for a playoff spot.
The Cards also get a PTBNL or cash from the Dodgers.
Dodgers get: RHP Michael Kopech (4.74 ERA, 59 strikeouts, 24 walks, 43 2/3 innings) from Chicago, utility man Tommy Edman and 17-year-old RHP Oliver Gonzalez from St. Louis
Kopech is a fireballing reliever who hasn’t been able to fully harness his gasoline into consistency but will give Los Angeles another late-innings high-strikeout guy in the bullpen. Edman hasn’t played this year as he returns from offseason surgery on his right wrist, but he should be back soon. In his rehab assignment, he is batting just .207 (.535 OPS) in eight games, but when fully healthy, he’ll bring some speed and defense (he won a Gold Glove in 2022) to the Dodgers, particularly at shortstop and center field, where injuries and underproduction have hampered them.
White Sox get: UTIL Miguel Vargas from L.A. and two minor leaguers: 2B Jeral Perez (19 years old, Single A), INF Alexander Albertus (19, Single A).
The sell-off was rumored for months, and the first two chips — assuming you don’t count Dylan Cease this spring — have finally fallen, as Chicago brings back one big-league piece and two lower-level prospects, plus a PTBNL or cash from the Dodgers
Turner to Mariners
The Mariners were 25th out of 30 teams in OPS against left-handed pitching, and with 1B France departed for Cincinnati, Justin Turner makes a lot of sense as a 1B/DH type. He also has plenty of playoff experience from his time with the Dodgers from 2014 to 2022. Seattle sent back 24-year-old outfielder RJ Schreck, who has an .836 OPS in Double A.
Thomas to Guardians
The Guardians have been well-documented in their need for starting pitching, but as they’ve searched, the lineup has cooled down a bit.
So while they still might acquire a starter, they pivoted for a moment to acquire a right-handed outfield bat in Lane Thomas. His .738 OPS is slightly above average this year, but he is mashing lefties to the tune of .326/.410/.512.
The Nats land 23-year-old shortstop José Tena and two 19-year-olds — LHP Alex Clemmey and infielder Rafael Ramirez.
Kikuchi to Astros
Given the onslaught of injuries they’ve faced this year, it was no secret the Astros needed a starting pitcher (if not multiple starters), so it came as no surprise when they landed Yusei Kikuchi from the Blue Jays. The part that made me say “whoooaaaaa” out loud was the return.
The Astros are sending RHP Jake Bloss, 1B/OF Joey Loperfido and INF Will Wagner, who is hitting .307 (.853 OPS) in Triple A.
That’s a huge return for Toronto. Kikuchi (who said after his last start that he expected to be traded) won’t be Houston’s ace, but he doesn’t have to be; between Ronel Blanco and Hunter Brown — and with Justin Verlander and Luis Garcia expected to return from the IL at some point — Houston has pitching talent. It just didn’t have any depth.
