As days get crossed off the calendar, the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline moves closer and closer.
Sunday is a big day in that process, because the 2022 MLB Draft will get underway in Los Angeles. Once that’s in the rearview mirror, executives around the game will be able to turn their focus toward the Deadline, giving them a chance to dig in and figure out what’s next for their respective clubs.
As always, you can send your questions to me on Twitter @feinsand.
(Some questions have been edited for clarity.)
Are there any players you can see ending up in Atlanta? Who would Atlanta part with? Do you know why Atlanta covets that 35th overall pick? Here for those Braves. -- @Rick_Devens
That’s a lot of questions in one tweet, Rick. But before I get to them, let me just give you a shoutout for being a beast on Survivor: Edge of Extinction. You crushed it on your season. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch this.)
Now, the Braves. After watching the way Alex Anthopoulos attacked the Trade Deadline last summer, I’m most intrigued to see how he approaches this year.
There has been some talk about a reunion with Joc Pederson, but barring a major injury, Atlanta’s outfield seems to be in good shape. The rotation, on the other hand, could use some help, especially since we don’t know how many innings the Braves will let Spencer Strider throw in his rookie season.
I don’t know if Anthopoulos will pay the price to land Luis Castillo or Frankie Montas, but I could see some mid-level starters such as Zach Davies or Tyler Mahle winding up in Atlanta. It would be the pitching equivalent of how the Braves bolstered their outfield last year with their deals for Pederson, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall.
After dealing four of their top 15 prospects in the Matt Olson trade, the Braves’ system entered the season ranked No. 27 by MLB Pipeline. The promotion of both Michael Harris II and Strider -- the club’s top two prospects before the season -- and the trade of No. 3 prospect Drew Waters has thinned out the crop even further, so Anthopoulos might have to deal from big league depth or use multiple prospects to make an impact deal.
As for the trade that landed the Braves the 35th pick in this week’s Draft in exchange for Waters, infielder CJ Alexander and right-hander Andrew Hoffmann, the slot value of roughly $2.2 million brings Atlanta’s bonus pool north of $10 million, which they are free to use to pay any selections in the Draft. That deal was likely as much about that slot value as it was the player they will get with the pick itself.
Is Joey Gallo a viable option for a team outside of New York? -- @RandyinPO
I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case. Gallo’s tenure with the Yankees has been a huge disappointment, as he’s slashing .164/.295/.371 with 23 homers and 43 RBIs in 129 games. Not that Gallo was threatening for batting titles during his years in Texas, but he hit .211 with the Rangers in 568 games. That’s 47 points higher, which isn’t insignificant. His on-base percentage with Texas was .336, which is more than respectable for a guy flirting with the Mendoza line on an annual basis.
For whatever reason, Gallo hasn’t been able to produce to those levels with the Yankees. I hate tabbing players with the “He can’t play in New York” label, but the fact is that some players just have trouble handling the Bronx spotlight. A change of scenery wouldn’t automatically mean better production for Gallo, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt, either.
Gallo has a track record of being a productive big league player. He’s made two All-Star teams and won two Gold Glove Awards. He also hit 151 home runs in 573 games between 2017-21, which is a 162-game average of 43 per season. There’s no reason to think he just fell off a cliff, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Yankees add an outfielder -- and for another team to roll the dice on Gallo, who is slated to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Is there any trade where the Orioles get value back for Trey Mancini that would be worth trading him during a possible playoff push? -- @TalbottDylan
First of all, how great is it that we’re even talking about the Orioles making a playoff push? Baltimore has gone through some lean years during this rebuilding process, and it’s fantastic to see the Orioles finally seeing some results from that process on the field.
This will be an interesting Trade Deadline for general manager Mike Elias. I don’t think even he believed the Orioles could be talking about the playoffs in 2022, so the fact that they’re ahead of schedule presents him with some decisions to make.
Is it meaningful to get a Wild Card spot even if it’s a long shot that Baltimore could beat teams like the Yankees and Astros in the postseason? Of course. But Elias and the O’s have a longer-term plan in mind. Mancini seemed to be a lock to be traded, while Anthony Santander and Jorge López weren’t far behind.
Elias has used the word “flexible” to describe his approach to this Deadline, meaning the Orioles could wind up being both buyers and sellers. Aside from a couple of players with 2023 options, the roster isn’t exactly overflowing with impending free agents.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the O’s add a player or two with control beyond 2022, and while Mancini has a $10 million mutual option, it’s difficult to imagine the club trading a player that means so much to both the clubhouse and fan base. That said, if another contender is willing to part with good, young talent to add Mancini, Elias might have to deal the fan favorite for the betterment of the franchise.
Any trades Elias makes will likely have two goals: bolster the roster for this improbable run, but more importantly, set Baltimore up to be a contender in 2023 and beyond.
Would the Angels have buyers if they tried to sell and do a reset? -- @Nielkta
What a loaded question. I suppose it depends on your definition of “reset.” If you mean breaking it down completely, I imagine the Angels would have 29 teams lined up for Shohei Ohtani and 20 or so for Mike Trout, whose contract would make his market a bit more limited than Ohtani's.
But let’s get this out of the way now: the Angels aren’t trading either Ohtani or Trout. At least not between now and Aug. 2.
As I sit here writing this on Wednesday, the Angels are 38-50, eight games out of a Wild Card spot. While it’s not implausible for a team to make up eight games in the standings with 74 games still on the schedule, it’s tougher to do so when that team has five teams sitting between them and the third Wild Card.
To put it in perspective, the Angels have only three teams behind them in the AL standings, so the idea of Los Angeles leapfrogging six teams to capture that spot seems far-fetched. As of this moment, FanGraphs puts the Angels’ postseason chances at 3.8 percent. Not great.
So back to your question. If GM Perry Minasian decided to become a seller, there would be several players that would garner interest around the league.
Noah Syndergaard hasn’t looked like his pre-surgery self this season, but he’s been good enough for a contender to want him for the middle or back end of the rotation. Like Syndergaard, Michael Lorenzen is a free agent at the end of the season, but his recent shoulder strain might have wiped away any trade value he may have had left. Perhaps a contender would have interest in Ryan Tepera and/or Aaron Loup, who are both under contract through next season.
Perhaps the most fascinating trade candidate is Jo Adell, who has yet to live up to the hype with the Angels. Adell has struggled during his three stints in the Majors, slashing .216/.260/.358 with 10 home runs in 98 games between 2020-22. Just as I discussed with the Gallo question, maybe a change of scenery would help Adell start fresh. Yes, the Angels would be dealing him at his lowest value, but if he struggles again the next time he gets called up, that value will take an even greater hit.