CarterHud

The Seattle Mariners have acquired RHP Diego Castillo from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for RHP JT Chargois and 3B Austin Shenton.

Man, do the Rays love to sell when they are up. Castillo is their best relief pitcher and the closest thing that they have to a closer. He also has not hit arbitration yet. He starts the process next year and will have three extra years of team control for Seattle. If you are dealing a player as good as Castillo with years left, you better get a haul. What the Rays got is about standard for a rental. That is not to say that the Rays got nothing in return. Chargois signed a minor league contract this offseason with Seattle and has become a very solid relief arm for them. He has over six inches of extension on his pitches, making his velocity seem faster than it really is. At an average of just under 96 mph, he throws hard at surface value. Batters have just a 5.1 BB% this year against him and Chargois has a very solid 3.56 xERA. He can turn into a late-inning arm in Tampa Bay. MLB Pipeline ranked Shenton as the 17th best prospect in the Seattle system prior to the deal. He was a 5th round pick in 2019 and his lit up the minor leagues since arriving. Knowing the Rays, this deal has a ton of potential.

Chargois, 30, has a 3.00 ERA with 29 strikeouts and a 0.967 WHIP in 30 innings for the Mariners this year. In his MLB career for the Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins, Chargois has a 4.13 ERA with 114 strikeouts and a 1.247 WHIP in 106.2 innings.

Shenton, 23, has hit 11 home runs with a .414 OBP and a .980 OPS in 321 Plate Appearances for Single-A Everett and AA Arkansas this season. In his minor league career Shenton has hit 19 homers with a .399 OBP and a .940 OPS in 547 Plate Appearances.

The Rays could easily develop Chargois and Shenton into great players but that should not hold the Mariners back. Castillo is as elite as it comes in the pen and is a perfect make-right for the clubhouse that was irate after closer Kendall Graveman was dealt. He has a 2.34 xERA with a .185 xBA, a .302 xSLG, and a .237 xwOBA. Those are all amazing numbers. He has also decreased his walk rate this year. His slider’s whiff rate has gone down in 2021, but to a very good 40 percent. This is a great add for GM Jerry DiPoto.

Castillo, 27, has a 2.72 ERA with 49 strikeouts, a 0.991 WHIP, and a 3.15 FIP in 36.1 innings for the Rays this year. In his MLB career, all for Tampa Bay, Castillo has a 2.99 ERA with 218 strikeouts, a 1.080 WHIP, and a 3.58 FIP in 183.1 innings.

In a surprise move, the New York Yankees have acquired 1B Anthony Rizzo and cash from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for OF Kevin Alcantara and RHP Alexander Vizcaino.

I’m not sure if many people saw this one coming. The Yankees’ rival, the Red Sox, reportedly had a ton of interest in Rizzo, who they drafted in 2007. He was a perennial all-star in Chicago and is arguably the league’s best defensive first baseman. He has a high 91.1 mph average exit velocity while he walks a ton and does not strikeout often. Rizzo is a pure rental, meaning that the Yankees are going for it this year despite being out of a playoff spot at the moment. This is a huge get for the team and they will not have to pay Rizzo, just like recent acquisition Joey Gallo. The Cubs and Rangers both took all the salary for their former slugger. For the advanced stats nerds, Rizzo has seven outs above average with a .343 wOBA this year. Statcast estimates that if he played every single game this year at Yankee Stadium and the short porch, he would have nine extra home runs than he actually does. Unfortunately for the Yankees, this may mark the end of Luke Voit’s time in New York, as the 2020 MLB home run leader could be moved for pitching.

Rizzo, 31, has hit 14 home runs with four stolen bases, a .346 OBP, and a .792 OPS in 376 Plate Appearances for the Cubs this year. In his MLB career for the Cubs and San Diego Padres, he has hit 243 homers with 64 stolen bases, a .370 OBP, and an .853 OPS in 5792 Plate Appearances.

This year must really hurt for Cubs fans. The team has not been good and with Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez all slated for free agency in a few months, they are only getting worse. Rizzo is gone and Bryant looks to be next. The list of remaining players of the 2016 World Series team is thin. It is time to look at what the Cubs got. MLB Pipeline ranked Vizcaino 9th and Alcantara 12th in the Yankees system. A hard throwing right-hander, Vizcaino will take Rizzo’s spot on the 40-man roster. He has been hurt for most of this year. Alcantara is a huge, six-foot-six outfielder who was signed internationally in 2019 and has looked good since rookie ball started.

Vizcaino, 24, has a 7.50 ERA with seven strikeouts and a 2.667 WHIP in six innings in the minors this year. In his minor league career, he has a 4.95 ERA with 268 strikeouts and a 1.477 WHIP in 265.1 innings.

Alcantara, 19, has hit a home run with a stolen base and a .968 OPS in 29 Plate Appearances this year. In his short minor league career, Alcantara has hit two home runs with six stolen bases, a .325 OBP, and a .707 OPS in 203 Plate Appearances.

The Chicago White Sox have acquired RHP Ryan Tepera from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for LHP Bailey Horn.

We have a Chicago and Chicago trade! This one may not be as lopsided as the last one, when the Sox got Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease for Jose Quintana. The buying team is also swapped. The White Sox are able to improve their bullpen by adding a stable arm in former accidental MVP candidate Tepera (look it up!). The veteran has been elite this season, posting a 2.71 xERA with a .173 xBA, a .285 xSLG, and a .213 wOBA. He has developed an elite slider, a pitch that has a 51.3 percent whiff rate this season. The pitch also has a .116 average against, helping Tepera with his amazing 4.6 H/9. He will definitely make a difference. It only costs a prospect who is just starting his professional career, making it very hard to evaluate him.

Tepera, 33, has a 2.91 ERA with 50 strikeouts, a 2.78 FIP, and a 0.785 WHIP in 43.1 innings for the Cubs this year. In his MLB career for Chicago and the Toronto Blue Jays, he has a 3.54 ERA with 284 strikeouts, a 4.08 FIP, and a 1.117 WHIP in 279.1 innings pitched.

The crosstown rivalry between the Cubs and White Sox is not a dramatic thing, so it is not impossible for the two teams to make a deadline deal, unlike if it were the Cubs and Cardinals. The Cubs are able to pick up Horn, who the White Sox drafted with their 5th round pick in 2020. Thanks to the pandemic, this is his first professional season. MLB Pipeline ranked Horn as the 23rd best prospect in the other Chicago team’s system.

Horn, 23, has a 5.63 ERA with 45 strikeouts and a 1.330 WHIP in 38.1 innings for Single-A Kannapolis and High-A Winston-Salem this year. In two seasons for Auburn, Horn had a 4.75 ERA with 58 strikeouts and a 1.382 WHIP in 55 innings.

The Chicago White Sox have acquired IF Cesar Hernandez from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for LHP Konnor Pilkington.

After rookie Nick Madrigal tore his hamstring, costing him the rest of the season, the White Sox have needed a second baseman. Hernandez is their guy. He is a switch-hitter who generally has hit for average with stolen bases and no power. But in his time with Cleveland, that changed, especially this year. Hernandez already has a career high in home runs, with a career low batting average. He also did not attempt a single steal in his 154 games with the club, despite still having above-average sprint speed. He won the Gold Glove at second last year in the American League, although he does have -3 outs above average this season. His complete change in power is an odd development but it does help the White Sox accomplish their goal of adding at the position.

Hernandez, 31, has hit 18 home runs with a .307 OBP and a .738 OPS in 420 Plate Appearances for Cleveland this year. In his MLB career for the Indians and Philadelphia Phillies, Hernandez has hit 67 home runs with 80 stolen bases, a .347 OBP, and a .736 OPS in 3963 Plate Appearances.

As the White Sox pull away with the AL Central title, everyone else in their division has become sellers. Cleveland is the closest to catching them, but this trade makes that gap even bigger. Hernandez has a $6 million club option for 2022. The Indians were unlikely to pick it up and since Madrigal will be back next year, they figure that the White Sox won’t keep him, either. So, Hernandez can only hurt them in Chicago for this year, or so they think. In return, they get a 2018 third-rounder in Pilkington. The Mississippi State product has been a very good pitcher in Double-A this season. His most impressive stat may be a 5.2 H/9 as a starter.

Pilkington, 23, has a 3.48 ERA with 71 strikeouts and a 0.919 WHIP in 62 innings for AA Birmingham this season. In his MiLB career, he has a 4.13 ERA with 220 strikeouts and a 1.205 WHIP in 205 innings.

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired LHP Brad Hand from the Washington Nationals in exchange for catcher Riley Adams.

Reports have indicated that the only Washington player who will not be open to be traded is outfielder Juan Soto. Pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner are among the list of players who are rumored to be on the market. Hand is now the first domino to fall. The Nationals signed the southpaw to a one year, $10.5 million deal with deferred money this offseason so he could be their closer. Hand does have 16 saves but has overall been a disappointment. His strikeout rate is 23.1 percent, marking the first time since he was moved to the bullpen in 2016 that it was under 30. His walk rate is up and his xERA is 4.49. It is best for the Nationals to move on. In return, they get Adams, who MLB Pipeline ranked as Toronto’s 17th best prospect. The 2017 third-round pick out of San Diego made his MLB debut this year but went 3-for-28 over 12 games. He is a big catcher with good on-base and power skills.

Adams, 25, has hit seven home runs with a .371 OBP and an .858 OPS in 143 Plate Appearances for AAA Buffalo this year. In his minor league career, Adams has hit 28 home runs with a .363 OBP and a .783 OPS in 1194 Plate Appearances.

The Blue Jays’ biggest issue this year has obviously been pitching. They have one of the league’s best lineups but an awful staff. This trade covers at least part of their bullpen solution but now they need a starter. Hand is still a good pitcher but there are many concerns with him. His walk rate is up while his strikeout rate is down. His main pitch is his slider, which is a good pitch. However, the slider’s whiff rate is down 13 percent from last year. Hand does have an increased fastball velocity in 2021 and his H/9 is a very good 6.5. He makes their bullpen better but has not been the pitcher he once was.

Hand, 31, has a 3.59 ERA with 42 strikeouts, a 4.33 FIP, and a 1.148 WHIP in 42.2 innings for Washington this year. In his MLB career for the Nationals, Cleveland Indians, Miami Marlins, and San Diego Padres, Hand has a 3.65 ERA with 666 strikeouts, a 3.73 FIP and a 1.230 WHIP in 651.1 innings.