CarterHud

The Cincinnati Reds have acquired RHP Luis Cessa and LHP Justin Wilson from the New York Yankees in exchange for a player to be named later.

The Yankees being cheap in 2021 has been a weird theme. This trade is glaring evidence that things are not like they used to be. With this trade, the team makes themselves worse in order to save a million dollars or two. Trading Wilson is understandable, as the lefty has been awful this year and has a player option worth $2.3 million for next year. But is that a huge deal? The team gives up a solid reliever in Cessa, who has two more seasons left of control after this year. This could be a precursor to something else, but it may just be the effect of the recent acquisition of Clay Holmes from Pittsburgh. Using a solid piece as a sweetener when prospects exist is a really weird choice.

The Reds win this deal big. They get a good piece in Cessa, who has a very good 31 percent hard hit rate this year. Cessa has years left under control and should not get too much in arbitration. The return for getting Cessa is basically taking on Wilson’s contract. But Wilson will not make too much money next year, so this is a freebie for them. Wilson has really struggled this year, but injuries have played a part. He does have a solid 85.5 mph average exit velocity, while his xERA is a lot better than his actual ERA.

Cessa, 29, has a 2.82 ERA with 31 strikeouts and a 1.252 WHIP in 38.1 innings for the Yankees this year. In his MLB career, all for New York, Cessa has a 4.19 ERA with 238 strikeouts and a 1.288 WHIP in 292 innings pitched.

Wilson, 33, has a 7.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts and a 1.500 WHIP in 18 innings for the Yankees this year. In his career for the Yankees, New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates, Wilson has a 3.44 ERA with 489 strikeouts and a 1.288 WHIP in 447.1 innings.

The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired forward Tyler Johnson and a 2023 2nd round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The Lightning have found a way to get out of their cap troubles again. They unload Johnson and his high cap hit without having to give up a first-round pick or solid roster player as a sweetener. Seabrook is a flashy name, but do not be fooled by his past performances and think Tampa Bay got somebody. The veteran defender previously retired from hockey. He still has three seasons left on his contract that carries a $6.875 million cap hit. He will go on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) for the remaining years. The Blackhawks mostly trade away Seabrook so the Lightning would be responsible for the money left on the deal. As they clear $5 million from Johnson’s salary, the team can now sign RFAs Ross Colton, Cal Foote, and Alex Barre-Boulet, while also having a shot at leaving UFA Blake Coleman or any other upgrades.

The Blackhawks are going for it this upcoming season, which is respectable. But GM Stan Bowman just is not doing it right. The team was not good last year. Adding Seth Jones then giving him $9.5 million a year while trading Adam Boqvist and making the risky move of trading for a potentially retired Marc-Andre Fleury could easily make them worse. This is another example. They take on $5 million of Johnson for the next three seasons, while they currently are pressed up against the cap, about as bad as Tampa was. At this stage in his career, Johnson is not the dynamic top-six player who can approach 30 goals. He was a fourth-liner during the team’s two Stanley Cup wins and he will not be much better in Chicago. His ceiling now is third-line center. The second-round pick is nice, but not worth the contract risk over three seasons.

Johnson, who will be 31 this week, scored eight goals with 14 assists for 22 points in 55 games for the Lightning in 2020-21. In his NHL career, all for Tampa Bay, Johnson has scored 161 goals with 200 assists for 361 points in 589 games.

The Winnipeg Jets have acquired defenseman Nate Schmidt from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2022 3rd round draft pick.

After a rough season in Vancouver, Schmidt departs for the same exact price that he was traded for a year ago — a third-round pick. This time, he got worse over that year. The Canucks do not exactly play defense, so an offensive defender like Schmidt suffered. He also comes with a really, really rough contract. Schmidt has four more seasons left on his contract at $5.95 million. Since the Canucks did not retain any of that, the Jets are on the hook. Schmidt is a solid second pairing player, but not worth that. The Canucks did a good job getting some sort of value for Schmidt, a player who could be on the demise. On the hockey side, the Jets do improve. After adding Schmidt and Brenden Dillon, their biggest weakness from last season.

Schmidt, 30, scored five goals with 10 assists for 15 points in 54 games for the Canucks this year. In his NHL career for the Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals, he has scored 34 goals with 121 assists for 155 points in 450 games.

The Houston Astros have acquired RHPs Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero from the Houston Astros in exchange for RHP Joe Smith and IF Abraham Toro.

This is a perplexing trade for the Mariners. Montero was recently designated for assignment, so it is not a surprise to see him go. But Graveman? He has been the team’s best reliever this season. For a squad that has a chance to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, selling should not be the option. Also, if you are going to sell, then sell. The return does not consist of prospects. Smith is a veteran who has had a successful career, but has also looked washed in 2021. Toro is a young third baseman with a good amount of MLB experience. However, he is not an exceptional defender and his offense has been below-average. In his three seasons with Houston, Toro’s wOBA is just .275. The main potential for Toro is his 2019 AA and AAA season, where he hit 17 home runs with a .938 OPS. Perhaps teams see him as a J.D. Davis 2.0 if he gets a starting job. Given how good Graveman has been, the trade can be jarring. He is primed for regression, which is a sliver of good news for Seattle. Meanwhile, Smith is on the opposite side of the spectrum, with an xERA nearly three runs better than his actual ERA. The active leader in relief appearances may not have much more left in the tank.

Toro, 24, has hit six home runs with three stolen bases, a .287 OBP, and a .672 OPS in 122 Plate Appearances for Houston this year. In his MLB career, all for the Astros, Toro has hit 11 home runs with five stolen bases, a .276 OBP, and a .626 OPS in 308 Plate Appearances.

Smith, 37, has a 7.48 ERA with 17 strikeouts and a 1.800 WHIP in 21.2 innings for Houston this year. In his MLB career for the Astros, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs, Smith has a 3.11 ERA with 632 strikeouts and a 1.184 WHIP in 717 innings pitched.

The Astros are going to the playoffs once again, with the bullpen being their main weakness. After this trade, the pen is much better than it was earlier today. Montero’s numbers look really bad, but he also has been one of the league’s unluckiest pitchers. Montero has a 3.73 xERA, a .298 xwOBA, and a good 86.7 mph average exit velocity. These are all decent numbers. However, his actual ERA and wOBA are much, much worse, meaning that he is a prime candidate for positive regression. Graveman has an elite H/9 this season at just 4.1, which has helped him tremendously. After Tommy John surgery, Graveman’s velocity has spiked up. This year it has averaged 96.5 mph. To add two potentially solid pieces for two players who were doing more harm this year is a smart move.

Graveman, 30, has a 0.82 ERA with 34 strikeouts and a 0.697 WHIP in 33 innings pitched for Seattle in 2021. In his MLB career for the Mariners, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays, Graveman has a 4.20 ERA with 335 strikeouts and a 1.326 WHIP in 497.2 innings.

Montero, 30, has a 7.27 ERA with 37 strikeouts and a 1.638 WHIP in 43.1 innings for the Mariners this year. In his MLB career for the Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Mets, he has a 5.29 ERA with 279 strikeouts and a 1.576 WHIP in 282.1 innings.

The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Mikael Hakkarainen.

This is a “trade” that will stir up a ton of drama for the next year. Fleury was beloved in Vegas, and you could say the same thing back. After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2020-21, the odds of the team actually dealing him were slim-to-none. But here we are. The Golden Knights, still cap-strapped, need to clear cap space. They will extended defenseman Alec Martinez and there are other moves to make. The team can also designate Robin Lehner as a long-term starter now. They clear Fleury’s $7 million cap hit for this year, but it comes at a price. That price? Goodwill. According to a tweet from Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, the player has still not heard anything from the team at the time of this writing despite the news leaking. Walsh also states that Fleury will consider with his family if he will play in Chicago. Despite having a year left on his contract, reports indicated that the veteran net minder could retire if he left Vegas. Well, he’s leaving now. The dynamic of whether Fleury retires or comes back with Chicago and eventually plays in Vegas will be a must-watch. The prospect that comes back is a 2018 5th round pick who has done very little in his professional career.

Hakkarainen, 23, had no points in six AHL games and one assist in six ECHL games in 2020-21. In his AHL career, all for the Rockford IceHogs, Hakkarainen has no points in 14 games.

There is so much risk involved with this deal on both sides, and the Blackhawks see a good portion of that. First of all, Fleury could retire and then leave the team with his cap hit. The Blackhawks were already in salary cap troubles. This trade puts them in the Vegas and Tampa Bay tier in the salary category, but not anything else. The Blackhawks had arguably the worst goaltending situations in the league prior to this deal. Fleury of course won his first Vezina Trophy this past year. He was dominant all around for the Knights. However, Fleury did struggle in the two seasons before. Given his age, even if Fleury plays he could do more harm to the Blackhawks than anything else.

Fleury, 36, had a 1.98 GAA, a .928 save percentage, and a 20.1 GSAA in 36 games for the Golden Knights in 2020-21. In his NHL career for the Golden Knights and Pittsburgh Penguins, Fleury has a .913 save percentage with a 2.55 GAA and a 63.6 GSAA in 883 games.