CarterHud

 

       The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired F Alex Galchenyuk from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for F Egor Korshkov and D David Warsofsky. 

       It was clear from the start that the Hurricanes didn\’t really want Galchenyuk after acquiring him from the Senators on Saturday. He was placed on waivers yesterday, and now traded today. The team now takes a gamble a little bit bigger than Galchenyuk with this trade. The main asset is Korshskov, who was the first pick of the 2nd round in 2016. He spent 2019-20 in the AHL, before making his NHL debut, scoring a goal. For now, that is his only NHL game. Korshkov returned to the KHL this year, and his sixth season there is already his best. It is unclear when, or if Korshkov will come back to North America. Warsofsky is a veteran AHL defenseman who has some NHL experience. His involvement in this trade is purely to benefit the Chicago Wolves. 

       Korshkov, 24, has scored 16 goals with 15 assists for 31 points in 53 games for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the KHL this year. For the AHL\’s Toronto Marlies in 2019-20 Korshkov scored 16 goals with nine assists for 25 points in 44 games.

       Warsofsky, 30, scored 10 goals with 23 assists for 33 points in 51 games for the AHL\’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins in 2019-20. In his NHL career for the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins Warsofsky has scored two goals with nine assists for 11 points in 55 games. 

        While trading two guys for a slumping player who just cleared waivers seems like a bad idea, the Leafs might end up giving nothing away here. Warsofsky was acquired in the offseason in the Kasperi Kapanen trade, and his value is next to nothing. Korshkov is not going to be playing for them anytime soon, and there is a slim chance that he will turn into much if he comes back to the NHL. Galchenyuk can now be sent freely to and from the taxi squad. He is a much better fourth line option than Scott Sabourin, another former Senator who was promoted to the active roster. Galchenyuk has had success before, but his bridge to prominence has burned. 

       Galchenyuk, 27, had just one point, a goal, in eight games as a Senator this year. In his NHL career with Ottawa, the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild Galchenyuk has scored 136 goals with 185 assists for 321 points in 557 games.

 

       The Ottawa Senators have acquired F Ryan Dzingel from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forwards Alex Galchenyuk and Cedric Paquette.

       This is a trade exclusively for the 2020-21 season. All three players involved are going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Dzingel was of course with the Senators from when he was drafted in the 7th round in 2011 to when he was traded away in 2019. He has great speed, and scored more than 20 goals in two seasons in Ottawa. At best, he is a third line winger, and his numbers away from the Senators show that. The Sens get him back without giving up any valuable assets, as Galchenyuk and Paquette are fourth liners. The Senators could try to rebuild Dzingel\’s value and flip him at the trade deadline. His $3.375 million cap hit is manageable. 

        Dzingel, 28, scored two goals with two assists for four points in 11 games for the Hurricanes in 2020-21. In his NHL career for Carolina, the Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets Dzingel has scored 76 goals with 95 assists for 171 points in 343 games. 

        Dzingel really didn\’t work out in Carolina, with 10 goals in 75 games, which would be a career low compared to his three full years prior. However, they do not upgrade much. Neither Paquette nor Galchenyuk are expected to become regulars with the Hurricanes. Galchenyuk\’s really has plummeted over the past few years, and Paquette is strictly a 4th line center. Both just came to Ottawa over the offseason. Paquette brings no offense, but he can kill penalties, while Galchenyuk is not good in his own end. Between Galchenyuk\’s $1.05 million cap hit and Paquette\’s $1.65 million hit, the Canes save $675k in cap space. 

       Galchenyuk, 27, had just one point, a goal, in eight games as a Senator this year. In his NHL career with Ottawa, the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild Galchenyuk has scored 136 goals with 185 assists for 321 points in 557 games. 

      Paquette, 27, also scored a goal with no assists for Ottawa, but in nine games. In his NHL career for the Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning he has scored 48 goals with 38 assists for 86 points in 386 games. 

 

       The Miami Marlins have acquired RHP Dylan Floro from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for LHP Alex Vesia and RHP Kyle Hurt. 

       This is a minor trade that works out for both teams. The Marlins recently lost Brandon Kintzler to the Phillies, and Floro is a nice replacement. He has gone under-the-radar on a stacked Dodgers roster, and the  stats show it. In 2020, Floro was in the top six percent of pitchers in average exit velocity (84.6 mph), hard hit percentage (26.7%) and BB% (4.1). He is not a big strikeout guy, but Floro had a 3.10 ERA from 2018 to 2020 with Los Angeles. For a Marlins team that has lost some bullpen pieces, he is a welcome addition. Plus, they have him under team control for the next three seasons. They trade two prospects with promise, but neither were ranked in the top 30 prospects in the organization by MLB Pipeline.

       Floro, 30, had a 2.59 ERA with 19 strikeouts, a 2.66 FIP and a 1.110 WHIP in 24.1 innings in 2020. In his MLB career for the Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, Floro has a 3.33 ERA with 139 strikeouts, a 3.23 FIP and a 1.328 WHIP in 159.2 innings. 

      Vesia is a really intriguing prospect for the Dodgers to go after. He will be 25 in April, so he isn\’t the youngest guy, and he got lit up in five MLB games last year. However, he has been a dominant minor league pitcher since being selected in the 17th round in 2018. He had a 13.5 K/9 in 2019, however most of that were in levels under AA. So, it would be wise for the Dodgers to start out Vesia in either AA or AAA, and let him develop. If he can continue the success he has had so far in the minors, they could easily win this trade. Vesia isn\’t going to post a 18.69 ERA with seven walks in 4.1 innings again like he did in 2020. Hurt was selected in the 5th round in 2020\’s draft out of the University of Southern California. Of course, he has not played any professional games yet. 

       Vesia, 24, had a 1.76 ERA with 100 strikeouts and a 0.945 WHIP in 66.1 innings for AA Jacksonville, High-A Jupiter and Single-A Clinton in 2019. In his minor league career Vesia has a 1.62 ERA with 138 strikeouts and a 1.010 WHIP in 100 innings.

       Hurt, 22, had a 3.71 ERA with 25 strikeouts and a 1.118 WHIP in 17 innings for USC in 2020. In his collegiate career Hurt has a 5.06 ERA with 170 strikeouts and a 1.436 WHIP in 172.2 innings. 

       Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired IF Sheldon Neuse and RHP Gus Varland from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for LHP Adam Kolarek and OF Cody Thomas. 

       Having incredible depth just about everywhere pays off, and it shows with these two trades. The Dodgers\’ bullpen has no shortage of options, especially on the left side. Kolarek had a 0.88 ERA in 46 games in Los Angeles, and the fact that he is expendable is impressive. With Victor Gonzalez and Caleb Ferguson also giving them production, they could focus on other elements of the roster. After losing Enrique Hernandez and potentially losing Justin Turner, the Dodgers could use a right handed hitting infielder. In steps Neuse, who debuted for the A\’s in 2019, but struggled. He absolutely raked at AAA, however. Neuse did not appear in an MLB game in 2020, but that could easily change in 2021. Varland was a 14th round pick in 2018 for Oakland. He does not have much minor league experience, but his 10.8 K/9 in the games that he has played in is impressive. The Dodgers trade Thomas here mostly because they did not have a spot for the 26 year old in the organization. Overall, I don\’t like this trade for them as the deal Kolarek, an effective left hander and Thomas, who was their 29th best prospect (per MLB Pipeline) for a depth piece in Neuse and a low-level prospect in Varland.

        Neuse, 26, hit no home runs with a .250 average and a .599 OPS in 61 Plate Appearances for the Athletics in 2019. In AAA Las Vegas, he hit 27 home runs with a .317 average and a .939 OPS in 560 Plate Appearances. In his minor league career, Neuse has hit 49 home runs with 23 stolen bases, a .294 average and an .812 OPS in 1728 Plate Appearances. 

        Varland, 24, had a 2.39 ERA with 27 strikeouts and a 1.177 WHIP in 26.1 innings for High-A Stockton in 2019. In his minor league career, Varland has a 1.54 ERA with 77 strikeouts and a 0.964 WHIP in 64.1 innings.

        From both a win-now and future perspective, I like this trade for Oakland. After Jake Diekman\’s 2020 dominance, they could use a left-hander to deal with platooning while Diekman moves to a high-leverage role. Kolarek is a perfect option. He has three extra years of team control after 2021, and was great in Los Angeles. In 2020, lefties went 3-for-40 against him, with a slugging of .088 against his sinker.   A 2016 13th round pick, Thomas has hit for power in his minor league career, most recently at AA. He moves up to the 20th spot in the A\’s prospect rankings, per MLB Pipeline. He is an older prospect, and he\’s actually older than Neuse. 

         Kolarek, 32, had a 0.95 ERA with 13 strikeouts, a 3.14 FIP and a 0.789 WHIP in 19 innings for the Dodgers in 2020. In his MLB career for Los Angeles and the Tampa Bay Rays, Kolarek has a 3.32 ERA with 81 strikeouts, a 3.87 FIP and a 1.157 WHIP in 116.2 innings. 

         Thomas, 26, hit 23 home runs with five stolen bases, a .236 average and a .751 OPS in 532 Plate Appearances for AA Tulsa in 2019. In his minor league career, Thomas has hit 81 home runs with 26 stolen bases, a .255 average and an .803 OPS in 1869 Plate Appearances. 

 

       The Kansas City Royals have acquired OF Andrew Benintendi and cash from the Boston Red Sox in a three team trade with the New York Mets. The Royals sent OF Khalil Lee to New York and OF Franchy Cordero plus two players to be named later to Boston. The Red Sox will also acquire RHP Josh Winckowski and a player to be named later from the Mets. 

       This is an awkward time to trade Benintendi for Boston. He was pivotal in the team\’s 2018 World Series championship, but he declined soon after. He was perfectly average in 2019, and his OPS+ of 100 shows that. But, 2020 was a complete lost year for Benintendi. He was awful in 14 games, before a rib cage sprain cost him the rest of his season. Given that his value would naturally be depressed, it isn\’t the best time to give up on a 26 year old with a career 107 OPS+. It is not like Benintendi is very expensive, or he is an upcoming free agent. He is set to earn $6.6 million (but only $5 million against the luxury tax), with one more year of arbitration remaining, meaning that he could become a free agent after 2022. That makes this a good bet for the Royals, and they receive $2.8 million from Boston as well. Before 2020, Benintendi profiled as an above average hitter who does not strike out much and gets on base. He has above average speed, but his sprint speed has decreased in each season. Also, he is not the best defender, with -10 outs above average in 2019. The Royals definitely make an upgrade from Cordero, although both him and Lee have promise. Trading away four players for Benintendi just is too much. Now after acquiring Benintendi and Carlos Santana, the Royals don\’t really have a liability on offense, besides Nicky Lopez, who can make up for his lack of offensive production with his speed and defense. 

       Benintendi, 26, had a .103 average with a .442 OPS in 52 Plate Appearances in 2020. In 2019, he hit 13 home runs with 10 stolen bases, a .266 average and a .774 OPS in 615 Plate Appearances. In his MLB career, all in Boston, Benintendi has hit 51 home runs with 53 stolen bases, a .273 average and a .789 OPS in 2104 Plate Appearances. 

       While selling low is not a great strategy, Chaim Bloom and co. get a variety of potentially impactful players here. Cordero is the headliner, and his greatest strength is his power. However, injuries and a crowded Padres outfield have disturbed him from unlocking his potential. While Kansas City looked like a potential chance to breakout when he was dealt there just before the start of the 2020 season, Boston brings a better opportunity, especially without Benintendi. As it seems more and more unlikely that the Red Sox will bring back free agent Jackie Bradley Jr., the Sox could start Cordero in center, with Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe in the corner outfield spots. Both of this offseason\’s additions, Cordero and Renfroe, are right-handed power bats who could benefit from the green monster in left field at Fenway Park. Cordero overall has upside, plus two more years of team control after 2021. But, at the same age as Benintendi, his value should be much less. Winckowski was a 2016 15th round pick by the Blue Jays, and the Mets acquired him on January 27th for Steven Matz. MLB Pipeline ranked him 27th in the Blue Jays system and 26th in the Mets organization in the last few weeks. The three players to be named really show how Boston is going with a quality over quantity approach. While in my opinion, acquiring five players here is a good thing, eliminating the Mets side of this completely and acquiring Lee and not getting Winckowski and a PTBNL would be even better. The only reason I could see Boston being inclined to taking the Mets players instead of Lee is extreme interest in a potential prospect. 

         Cordero, 26, hit two home runs with a stolen base, a .211 average and a .733 OPS in 42 Plate Appearances for the Royals in 2020. In his MLB career for the Royals and San Diego Padres, Cordero has hit 12 home runs with eight stolen bases, a .236 average and a .737 OPS in 315 Plate Appearances. For perspective, that is roughly 24 home runs over a full season. 

         Winckowski, 22, had a 2.69 ERA with 108 strikeouts and a 1.202 WHIP in 127.1 innings for Single-A Lansing and High-A Dunedin in 2019 (Toronto\’s system). In his MiLB career, he has a 3.35 ERA with 237 strikeouts and a 1.297 WHIP in 263 innings. 

         The Mets are definitely the third party among this trade, but for now there is an argument that they are the winners. They move up from a low-end prospect to a potential starting player in Lee, who in 2019 Baseball Prospectus ranked as baseball\’s 61st best prospect. He\’s recognition has dropped off since then, as MLB Pipeline rated Lee as the 8th best prospect in the Royals system prior to this deal. A 3rd round pick out of high school in 2016, Lee reached AA in 2019, and showed that he is a speed demon, with 53 stolen bases. His offensive numbers are about average, and a high strikeout rate raises some questions. Overall, this is a risk that the Mets should definitely be willing to take, especially since the PTBNL should not be a high-profile prospect. 

          Lee, 22, hit eight home runs with 53 stolen bases, a .264 average, and a .735 OPS in 546 Plate Appearances for AA Northwest Arkansas in 2019. In his minor league career Lee has hit 37 home runs with 97 stolen bases, a .256 average and a .775 OPS in 1719 Plate Appearances.