CarterHud

From USA Today

       The Atlanta Braves have acquired RHP Chris Martin from the Texas Rangers in exchange for LHP Kolby Allard.

       Martin has had a very good season this year, and is a free agent at the end of the year. He has walked just four batters this year, and has a stellar 0.9 BB/9. His career BB/9 is 1.5, which is elite. He also has a K/9 over 10. The price is a little hefty, but he is a good get for the Braves, who need pitching, both starting and relief, in the worst way.

        Martin, 33, has a 3.08 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 38 innings for the Rangers this year. In his MLB career for the Rangers, New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies, Martin has a 4.58 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 116 innings.

        The Rangers have fallen out of the playoff race, now back at .500 (53-53) and are 6.5 games back of the second wild card spot. Martin has been a very effective reliever, but he will be a free agent, and they get a really good prospect in Allard. MLB Pipeline had him as Atlanta\’s 10th best prospect. His stock has fallen the past two years, but he is just 21 and has been in the majors before (small sample size alert) and was picked 14th overall in 2015. Pretty good haul for Martin.

         Allard, 21, has a 4.17 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 110 innings for AAA Gwinnett this year. In three games in the majors last year, his entire major league career, Allard has allowed 11 earned runs in eight innings (12.38 ERA) with three strikeouts.

From NHL.com

         The Ottawa Senators have acquired F Ryan Callahan and a 2020 5th round pick from Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for G Mike Condon and a 2020 6th round pick.

         The Senators are essentially taking on Callahan\’s salary for nothing. They get rid of Condon, but Callahan has a higher salary. Condon will actually play, while Callahan\’s career is over due to a degenerative back disease. Callahan has a $5.8 million cap hit, though will be placed on LTIR.

          Callahan, 34, scored seven goals with 10 assists for 17 points in 52 games for the Lightning this season. In his NHL career for the Lightning and New York Rangers, Callahan scored 186 goals with 200 assists for 386 points in 757 games.

         The Lightning need to free up cap space to sign RFA Brayden Point, and this does the trick. They save $3.6 million in the process (Condon has a $2.4 million cap hit). Condon spent most of this season in the AHL. The Lightning have a goaltending logjam with star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, but Condon fourth on the depth chart behind Louis Domingue and newly signed Curtis McElhinney.

         Condon, 29, had a .800 SV% and a 6.38 GAA in two games for the Senators this year. In his NHL career for the Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins, Condon has a .905 SV% and a 2.79 GAA in 129 games.

From Getty Images

         The Chicago Cubs have acquired RHP David Phelps and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Thomas Hatch.

          Phelps isn\’t the starter/reliever pitcher he was with the Yankees, but he is a decent reliever that will improve the Cubs bullpen. He hasn\’t pitched much this year, but he has good numbers in 17 games.

          Phelps, 32, has a 3.63 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 17.1 innings for the Blue Jays this year. In his MLB career for the Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins, Phelps has a 3.88 ERA with 538 strikeouts in 571 innings.

          The Blue Jays are rebuilding and don\’t need Phelps. He isn\’t even a prominent part of their bullpen. They get Hatch, who was the Cubs\’ 29th best prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Not a bad return for a player on a one year deal with just 17 outings.

           Hatch, 24, has a 4.59 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 100 innings for AA Tennessee this year. In his minor league career, the 2016 3rd rounder has a 4.10 ERA with 336 strikeouts in 368.1 innings.

From Newsday

     The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired LHP Jason Vargas and cash from the New York Mets in exchange for C Austin Bossart.

      The Phillies could use starting pitching for their playoff push, especially a lefty, which Vargas is. Only Aaron Nola has good numbers, and only after a recent hot streak. The Phillies have only had five starts from lefties this year, including the time Jose Alvarez was used as an opener. Vargas a hot pitcher. On May 5, he had a 5.92 ERA, and it now is nearly two full runs lower. He has an option for 2020.

      Vargas, 36, has a 4.01 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 94.1 innings this year. In his MLB career for the Mets, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners and Florida Marlins, Vargas has a 4.26 ERA with 1104 strikeouts in 1587.2 innings.

      With the recent acquisition of Marcus Stroman, the Mets needed to clear a roster spot, and a rotation spot as well. Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler might also be traded, but they deal Vargas, who has the lowest upside. If they don\’t trade away any more starters, then a rotation of Stroman, Syndergaard, Wheeler, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz (no specific order) would be lethal. Bossart is a bad hitter, and is an old prospect, but he was college teammates in 2015 with Brady Wilpon, son of Mets owner Jeff Wilpon.

       Bossart, 26, has a .195 batting average with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 236 Plate Appearances for AA Reading this year. In his minor league career, Bossart has a .261 batting average with 18 homers and 112 RBIs in 939 Plate Appearances.

       The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired RHP Jordan Lyles from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for RHP Cody Ponce.

       This is the second consecutive July where the Brewers have acquired Lyles. They used him as a reliever after getting him for the Padres last year, and he had a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings. As a starter for the Pirates this year, he has a career high 9.8 K/9. His career K/9 is 6.8. He had a 1.97 ERA through his first eight starts, but it has gone haywire since.

        Lyles, 28, has a 5.36 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 82.1 innings for the Pirates this year. In his MLB career with the Pirates, Brewers, San Diego Padres, Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies, Lyles has a 5.29 ERA with 640 strikeouts in 851.1 innings.

        The Pirates could make a run for a playoff spot, but with the way Lyles has been pitching lately, they were right to trade him, and they got a prospect for him. Ponce is an older prospect in AA.

         Ponce, 25, has a 3.29 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 38.1 innings for AA Biloxi this year. In his minor league career he has a 3.72 ERA with 344 strikeouts in 394 innings.