CarterHud

 

       The San Diego Padres have acquired RHP Mike Clevinger, OF Greg Allen and a player to be named later from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for OF Josh Naylor, RHP Cal Quantrill, C Austin Hedges,  SS Gabriel Arias, LHP Joey Cantillo and IF Owen Miller.

       The Padres have been very busy over the last 48 hours, acquiring six players that will go on their active roster, and that was before this trade. The Padres and the Indians were in contact last year when the Indians were trading another very good starter in Clevinger\’s friend, Trevor Bauer. Bauer went to the Reds, but the Padres were involved in the three-team deal, and acquired prospect Taylor Trammell, who they traded yesterday to the Mariners. The big area that the Padres needed to improve to go on a playoff run was starting pitching, as Chris Paddack and Garrett Richards (among others) have struggled, leaving Zach Davies and Dinelson Lamet as the only dependable starters. Clevinger can be the bona fide ace that the Padres are looking for, as from 2017 to 2019, his worst ERA in a season was 3.11. While he has dealt with injuries, Clevinger is an elite starting pitcher. The Padres did not give up any of their top five prospects, and Clevinger has two more years left of control. They also get Allen, a light-hitting outfielder who has speed and can be a pinch-runner. He is also a San Diego native and he went to San Diego State University.

       Clevinger, 29, has a 3.18 ERA with 21 strikeouts and a 5.60 FIP in 22.2 innings for the Indians this year. In his MLB career, all in Cleveland, Clevinger has a 3.20 ERA with 584 strikeouts and a 3.58 FIP in 523.1 innings. 

       Allen, 27, has one home run with one stolen base, a .160 average and an OPS of .534 in 28 Plate Appearances for the Indians this year. In his MLB career, all with the Tribe, Allen has eight home runs with 31 stolen bases, a .239 average and an OPS of .639 in 614 Plate Appearances. 

       After Zach Plesac and Clevinger were suspended and sent down to the alternate site after breaking the COVID-19 protocols, the Indians were at a fork in the road. The other players were mad at Plesac and Clevinger for their selfish act, and the team could also get a lot for the pitchers. The Indians are 21-13, well on their way to the postseason. Clevinger is an amazing pitcher, but they need some better hitters, and Naylor is a much needed outfield addition. Even after this trade, the Indians have Cy Young frontrunner Shane Bieber, plus Carlos Carrasco, Aaron Civale and top prospect Tristan McKenzie, who have all pitched well this year. Plus Plesac, who is still in the minors, but had a 1.29 ERA in three starts before the incident. The Indians will be fine without Clevinger, and they get some boosts to their lineup and their farm system. A 2015 first round pick, Naylor will slide into left field, and he is still very young. Hedges is not a good hitter, but he is a boost over Sandy Leon, who is having an awful season so far. In San Diego, Hedges was pushed out by yesterday\’s acquisitions Jason Castro and Austin Nola. Quantrill, the eighth overall pick in 2016, started 18 games for the Padres in his rookie season last year, and he has had some success in the bullpen in 2020. The other three players in this trade are all in the top-11 prospects in the San Diego system, per MLB Pipeline. A 20 year old from Venezuela, Arias was ranked 7th in the system, and he had good numbers in High-A last year. The left handed Cantillo was ranked ninth, and the 2017 16th rounder was amazing for Single-A Fort Wayne last year, and made it to High-A. A 3rd rounder in 2018, Miller was ranked 11th overall, the worst of the prospects acquired in this deal, but he is probably closest to the big leagues. Miller is primarily a shortstop, but he has experience at second and third base, and if he is to make it to the big leagues, second base is probably his best bet, with Francisco Lindor (and now Arias) at short and Jose Ramirez at third, but no long-term option at second. 

       Naylor, 23, has one home run with one stolen base, a .278 average and an OPS of .732 in 38 Plate Appearances for the Padres this year. In his two year career, Naylor has nine home runs with two stolen bases, a .253 average and a .720 OPS in 317 Plate Appearances.

       Quantrill, 25, has a 2.60 ERA with 18 strikeouts and a 3.94 FIP in 17.1 innings this year. In his two year MLB career, Quantrill has a 4.79 ERA with 107 strikeouts and a 4.23 FIP in 120.1 innings.

       Hedges, 28, has three home runs with a .158 average and a .591 OPS in 71 Plate Appearances for the Padres this year. In his six year career, all in San Diego, Hedges has 49 home runs with a .199 average and an OPS of .616 in 1339 Plate Appearances.

       Arias, 20, hit 17 home runs with eight stolen bases, a .302 average and an OPS of .809 in 511 Plate Appearances for High-A Lake Elsinore last year. In his minor league career, Arias has 23 home runs with 16 stolen bases, a .270 average and an OPS of .715 in 1247 Plate Appearances.

       Cantillo, 20, had a 2.26 ERA with 144 strikeouts and a 0.931 WHIP in 111.2 innings in the minor leagues last year. In his minor league career, Cantillo has a 2.51 ERA with 221 strikeouts and a 0.990 WHIP in 168.2 innings. 

       Miller, 23, hit 13 home runs with five stolen bases, a .290 average and a .785 OPS in 560 Plate Appearances for AA Amarillo last year. In his minor league career, Miller has 17 home runs with nine stolen bases, a .307 average and an OPS of .808 in 890 Plate Appearances.

 

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       The San Diego Padres have acquired C/1B Austin Nola, RHP Austin Adams and RHP Dan Altavilla from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for OF Taylor Trammell, IF Ty France, RHP Andres Munoz and C Luis Torrens.

        The Padres have been very active recently, acquiring Trevor Rosenthal, Mitch Moreland, Jason Castro and now these three players in just over 24 hours. Castro looked to be the new catcher with Austin Hedges as the back-up, but Nola could start, and Castro could push both Hedges and Francisco Mejia out, or one of them could be traded for a starting pitcher, most likely Indians ace Mike Clevinger, whose best friend Trevor Bauer was dealt for Trammell last July. A career minor leaguer with the Marlins who developed into a catcher and debuted at age 29 last year, Nola is off to a hot start offensively, although he is heavily overshadowed by his younger brother Aaron. Adams becoming a strikeout machine after being acquired last May from Washington. While he has not pitched so far this year recovering from ACL surgery, he should return soon. He also has four more years of control. Altavilla has been with the Mariners since 2016, and while there have been a bunch of up-and-downs since, he has consistently struck batters out. All three are solid depth pieces to add to your team, but when you consider what San Diego gave up, the trade is definitely questionable. 

       Nola, 30, has five home runs with a .306 average and an OPS of .903 in 110 Plate Appearances for the Mariners this year. In his MLB career, all in Seattle, Nola has 15 home runs with a .280 average and an .827 OPS in 377 Plate Appearances.

       Adams, 29, had a 3.94 ERA with 53 strikeouts and a 3.12 FIP in 32 innings for the Mariners and Washington Nationals last year. In his MLB career for those two teams, Adams has a 3.79 ERA with 63 strikeouts and a 3.55 FIP in 38 innings.

       Altavilla, 27, has a 7.71 ERA with 14 strikeouts and a 5.88 FIP in 11.2 innings for the Mariners this year. In his MLB career, all in Seattle, Altavilla has a 4.08 ERA with 117 strikeouts and a 4.46 FIP in 106 innings.

       Even for the Mariners, these three players weren\’t necessities. While Nola was one of their best players, he was a guy that went from nothing to something with them, and they are selling high. Adams has been hurt all year, and Altavilla is a spare part. In return, they get Trammell, who has fallen off in recent years, but the former 1st round pick is still ranked as the 60th best prospect in the major leagues, and he was 5th in the San Diego system. While the rest of the players aren\’t prospects, they have MLB service time. Munoz is a Mexican right-hander who is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery and will miss this season, but he debuted last year and he can reach up to 102 mph with his sinker. France, drafted as a 34th rounder in 2015, has been a utility player since he was called up last year, and he has had a great start at the plate this year. A Rule-5 pick from the Yankees before the 2017 season, Torrens played in 56 games that year, but has only played in 14 games in the three seasons since, seven of those coming in 2020. He can definitely get more playing time in Seattle, with Tom Murphy injured and back-ups Joseph Odom and Joe Hudson having a weak start to the season.

       Trammell, 22, hit 10 home runs with 20 stolen bases, a .234 average and an OPS of .689 in 514 AA Plate Appearances last year. In his minor league career, Trammell has 33 home runs with 110 stolen bases, a .270 average and a .769 OPS in 1799 Plate Appearances.

       Munoz, 21, had a 3.91 ERA with 30 strikeouts and a 3.17 FIP in 23 innings for the Padres last year, his only taste of Major League Baseball action.

       France, 26, has two home runs with a .314 average and an OPS of .885 in 56 Plate Appearances for the Padres this year. In his MLB career, all in San Diego, France has hit nine home runs with a .251 average and a .737 OPS in 257 Plate Appearances. 

       Torrens, 24, has no home runs with a .273 average and a .697 OPS in 13 Plate Appearances this year. In his MLB career, all in San Diego, Torrens has no home runs with a .176 average and a .479 OPS in 168 Plate Appearances. 

 

       The San Diego Padres have acquired C Jason Castro from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for RHP Gerardo Reyes.

       The Padres have few holes offensively, and they cleared up one of them when they acquired Mitch Moreland today from Boston to be the designated hitter. Their biggest problem is behind the plate, with career .200 hitter Austin Hedges having a .614 OPS. While Hedges is good defensively, San Diego needs a replacement, and Castro is a fine defender. While I wouldn\’t call Castro a great, or even good hitter, he is better than Hedges. Castro hit 13 home runs with a 103 OPS+ last year. He has a strikeout problem, with a 30.8 K% over the past five seasons, and he has struck out over 100 times in five seasons, although Castro has only reached 500 Plate Appearances once. 

       Castro, 33, has hit two home runs with a .192 average and an OPS of .707 in 62 Plate Appearances for the Angels this year. In his career for Los Angeles, the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins, Castro has 88 home runs with a .231 average and a .703 OPS in 3084 Plate Appearances. 

      A disappointing season for the Angels has led to them being sellers this year. Another former all-star in Tommy La Stella was dealt to Oakland, and now Castro is gone. Overall, signing Castro and trading him after 18 games isn\’t bad. Reyes has not played in the majors this year, and he debuted last year. In AAA last year, Reyes struck out 61 batters in 45.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA. When called up, Reyes allowed a bunch of runs but he had a 13.2 K/9. With the Angels having a much weaker bullpen than the Padres, Reyes should find a spot.

     Reyes, 27, had a 7.62 ERA with 38 strikeouts and a 3.41 FIP in 26 innings for the Padres last year. He allowed just 24 hits but walked 11 batters. His fastball averages 97 miles per hour, and he can touch 100 mph.

 

       The Colorado Rockies have acquired RHP Michael Givens from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for 1B Tyler Nevin, IF Terrin Vavra and a player to be named later.

       Givens is one of the premier relief pitchers on the trade market this year, especially since he is not a rental. Givens will be a free agent after the 2021 season. That, plus his strong start to 2020 led to a three player return, including a former 1st and 3rd round picks. Debuting in 2015, Givens became a late inning reliever in Baltimore before becoming a part-time closer in Baltimore when Zack Britton was traded in 2018. While he lost the closing job to Cole Sulser this year, Givens is having an amazing season, and he is a big improvement to a bullpen that lost both Wade Davis and Scott Oberg, and has only three pitchers with an ERA under 4.00. 

       Givens, 30, has a 1.38 ERA with 19 strikeouts and a 1.000 WHIP in 13 innings for the Orioles this year. In his MLB career, all in Baltimore, Givens has a 3.32 ERA with 406 strikeouts, 20 saves and a 1.137 WHIP in 336 innings. 

       The return for Givens is nice, as the Orioles get two prospects ranked in the top 15 of the Rockies\’ system, per MLB Pipeline. Vavra is ranked 7th, while Nevin is 14th. A 2015 supplemental 1st rounder, Nevin is closer to the MLB. The son of former 1st overall pick and 12 year MLB veteran Phil Nevin, Tyler reached AA for the first time last year, but he had his worst offensive minor league season. Vavra is actually older than Nevin, but the 2018 3rd rounder has never reached a level higher than Single-A. Like in many other trades this week, the player to be named later is likely a player not on the 60 man player pool that will be revealed when the season is over. 

       Nevin, 23, hit 13 home runs with six stolen bases, a .251 average and an OPS of .744 in 540 Plate Appearances for AA Hartford last year. In his minor league career, Nevin has hit 36 home runs with 23 stolen bases, a .286 average and an OPS of .802 in 1546 Plate Appearances.

       Vavra, 23, hit 10 home runs with 18 stolen bases, a .318 average and an OPS of .899 in 453 Plate Appearances for Single-A Asheville last year. In his minor league career, Vavra has hit 14 home runs with 27 stolen bases, a .313 average and an .888 OPS in 652 Plate Appearances.

 

       The Chicago Cubs have acquired 1B/OF Jose Martinez from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for two players to be named later. 

      I really don\’t like this trade for the Rays, although we likely won\’t know who they got until the season is over. This offseason, they gave up LHP Matthew Liberatore, who is the 61st best prospect in the league (per MLB Pipeline) to acquire Martinez and Randy Arozarena. When the trade happened, it looked like an overpay, and it looks even worse after Martinez only played in 24 games in Tampa Bay. The Rays do have a lot of outfielders, including Arozarena, who was called up after the trade and has not played yet this year, but guys like Hunter Renfroe, Kevin Kiermaier and Yoshi Tsutsugo have gotten off to much worse starts than Martinez this year. For the Cubs, Martinez is a lefty-masher who has played in the NL Central before, spending his first four seasons with the Cardinals. In his career, Martinez has a decent OPS of .773 against right-handers, but against lefties? it is an outstanding .946 in 336 Plate Appearances. So far this year, he hasn\’t hit southpaws as well, with a .229 average and .718 OPS against them, although that only accounts for 38 Plate Appearances. He also walks a lot, with a 9.3 BB% in his career. While he may not be a great defender, Martinez is definitely an improvement at designated hitter over catcher Victor Caratini, who has started at the position 12 times this year. 

       Martinez, 32, has hit two home runs with a .239 average and an OPS of .717 in 76 Plate Appearances for the Rays this year. In his career for the Rays and St. Louis Cardinals, Martinez has 43 home runs with a .294 average and an OPS of .815 in 1364 Plate Appearances.