CarterHud

      The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired RHP Trevor Richards and RHP Nick Anderson from the Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Ryne Stanek and OF Jesus Sanchez.

      I don\’t understand this deal for the Rays. Richards is a decent starter and Anderson is a good reliever, but I\’d take Stanek over Anderson. Also, Sanchez is their fourth best prospect and 42nd overall in baseball. Trading Sanchez for two pitchers with ERAs around 4 doesn\’t make sense, especially when including Stanek.

      Richards, 26, has a 4.50 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 112 innings for the Marlins this year. In his two year MLB career, all in Miami, Richards has a 4.46 ERA with 233 strikeouts in 238.1 innings.

      Anderson, 29, made his MLB debut this year, with a 3.92 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. He also recorded one save. He would likely have been the closer if not traded, as Sergio Romo was dealt to Minnesota.

       The Marlins restock their farm system by getting Sanchez. They also acquire Stanek, a good arm, with a hard fastball and a good slider. He has a lot of starts, but that is because the Rays used him as an opener consistently.

       Stanek, 28, has a 3.40 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 55.2 innings for the Rays this year. In his MLB career, all in Tampa, Stanek has a 3.55 ERA with 171 strikeouts in 142 innings.

       Sanchez, 21, has a .263 average with nine homers, 54 RBIs and five stolen bases in 387 Plate Appearances for AA Montgomery and AAA Durham this year. In his minor league career, Sanchez has a .298 average with 46 homers, 295 RBIs and 29 stolen bases in 1881 Plate Appearances.

From Yahoo! Sports

      In the biggest trade deadline trade this year, the Houston Astros have acquired RHP Zack Greinke and cash. from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for OF Seth Beer, RHP JB Bukauskas, RHP Corbin Martin and OF Josh Rojas.

     The Astros already have a stellar front of the rotation, with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley. They now get Greinke, who is second in the MLB in WHIP, behind Verlander. Cole is fifth. They give up a lot of prospects, but they get Arizona to eat up $24 million, and they\’ll take on the rest of the $53 million owed to Greinke over the next two years, not including 2019. He is a star, and will help lead the Astros in their World Series run.

     Greinke, 35, has a 2.87 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 141 innings this year. In his MLB career for the Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Angels, Greinke has a 3.36 ERA with 2563 strikeouts in 2804.1 innings.

     The Diamondbacks are a .500 team, and they owed Greinke a lot of money. They get most of his contract off the books, and get three really good prospects, plus Rojas, who is Houston\’s 22nd best prospect. Beer, Bukauskas and Martin are three, four and five, in that order. Beer is the only top 100 prospect, as he is exactly number 100. This will improve their farm system dramatically.

      Beer, 22, has a .309 batting average with 25 homers and 86 RBIs in 432 Plate Appearances for AA Corpus Christi and High-A Fayetteville. In his minor league career, Beer has a .307 batting average with 37 home runs and 128 RBIs in 728 Plate Appearances.

      Bukauskas, 22, has a 5.25 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 85.2 innings for AA Corpus Christi this year. In his minor league career, Bukauskas has a 3.90 ERA with 178 strikeouts in 154.2 innings.

      Martin, 23, made his MLB debut this year, with a 5.59 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 19.1 innings over five starts.

      Rojas, 25, has a .315 average with 20 homers, 69 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in 439 Plate Appearances for AA Corpus Christi and AAA Round Rock this year. In his minor league career, Rojas has a .281 average with 38 homers, 164 RBIs and 70 stolen bases in 1230 Plate Appearances.

From ESPN

       The Houston Astros have acquired RHP Aaron Sanchez and RHP Joe Biagini from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for OF Derek Fisher.

       The Astros are going for their second World Series in three years, and this improves their pen. Sanchez has struggled starting this year, and the \’Stros can use him as a starter and a reliever. Biagini will also improve that bullpen.

       Sanchez, 27, has a 6.07 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 112.2 innings for the Jays this year. In his MLB career, all in Toronto, Sanchez has a 3.96 ERA with 458 strikeouts in 571 innings.

       Biagini, 29, has a 3.86 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 49 innings for the Jays this year. In his MLB career, all in Toronto, Biagini has a 4.76 ERA with 261 strikeouts in 308.1 innings.

       The Blue Jays don\’t need either one of those pitchers, as they are rebuilding. They definitely could use Fisher. Once a top prospect, Fisher has been blocked in the organization and hasn\’t performed well when in the majors. He will benefit with the Jays.

       Fisher, 25, has a .226 average with one homer, five RBIs and four stolen bases in 60 Plate Appearances. In his short MLB career, all in Houston, Fisher has a .201 batting average with 10 homers, 33 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 312 Plate Appearances.

      The Atlanta Braves have acquired RHP Shane Greene from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for LHP Joey Wentz and IF/OF Travis Demeritte.

       The Braves could use bullpen help, and Greene will be their closer. He has had a career season, and will be a free agent after 2020. They only give up one top 30 prospect, and they have a very good farm system.

        Greene, 30, has a 1.18 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 22 saves in 38 innings for the Tigers this year. In his MLB career for the Tigers and New York Yankees, Greene has a 4.53 ERA with 371 strikeouts with 65 saves in 391.2 innings.

         The Tigers don\’t need Greene, and his stock is at its highest. He is having a career year, and he won\’t match his 2019 again. Wentz is a top 30 prospect, Demeritte isn\’t. Wentz was Atlanta\’s 7th best prospect.

          Wentz, 21, has a 4.72 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 103 innings for AA Mississippi this year. In his minor league career he has a 3.31 ERA with 358 strikeouts in 345.2 innings.

          Demeritte, 24, has a .286 average with 20 homers, 74 RBIs and four stolen bases in 399 Plate Appearances for AAA Gwinnett this year. In his minor league career, Demeritte has a .244 average with 114 homers, 357 RBIs and 53 stolen bases in 2795 Plate Appearances.

       The Arizona Diamondbacks have acquired RHP Zac Gallen from the Miami Marlins in exchange for SS Jazz Chisholm.

       Gallen is a young, MLB ready pitcher that is the Marlins\’ 5th best prospect. He has had MLB and AAA success this year, and being on a bad team in the Marlins, it didn\’t seem like he\’d be available. But the D-backs trade their top prospect in Chisholm, but I still think it is worth it.

       Gallen, 23, has a 2.72 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 36.1 innings for the Marlins this year, his entire MLB career. He had a 1.77 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 91.1 innings for AAA New Orleans this year.

       The Marlins trade away one of their starters, but they get Chisholm in return, who was Arizona\’s top prospect, and is 59th overall, per MLB Pipeline. He has struggled in AA this year, but he does have good power.

        Chisholm, 21, has a .204 average with 18 homers, 44 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 364 Plate Appearances for AA Jackson this year. In his minor league career he has a .253 average with 53 homers, 163 RBIs and 46 stolen bases in 1260 Plate Appearances.