CarterHud

        The New Jersey Devils have acquired F Nikita Gusev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2021 second round pick and a 2020 third round pick. Gusev has immediately signed a two year deal worth $9 million ($4.5 AAV).

         Gusev was a superstar in the KHL, and just came over to North America, but was an RFA. Vegas could not afford to sign him with their tight salary cap situation, and get two picks for him. The Devils add to their great offseason. They have brought in Gusev, plus Wayne Simmonds, Jack Hughes and PK Subban, the latter the only defenseman, but the best player. $4.5 million is more than expected, but the term is good and Gusev can be a top six threat.

           Gusev, 27, scored 17 goals with 65 assists for 82 points in 62 games this year for the KHL\’s St. Petersburg SKA. In his KHL career for St. Petersburg, CSKA Moscow, Khabarovsk Amur and Khanty-Mansiysk Yugra, Gusev has scored 119 goals with 213 assists for 332 points in 391 games.

From Getty Images

     The New York Mets have acquired RHP Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for LHP Anthony Kay and RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson.

     The Mets might trade Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler, and Stroman would be the replacement. They don\’t trade any top 100 prospects, but two of their top three pitching prospects, per MLB Pipeline (Kay is first, recently drafted Matthew Allan is second). Stroman is a very good pitcher, and is from Long Island. He has playoff experience, and has a year left of control. Stroman has been rumored to be traded for a long time.

      Stroman, 28, has a 2.96 ERA with 99 strikeouts in 124.2 innings for the Blue Jays this year. In his MLB career, all in Toronto, Stroman has a 3.76 ERA with 635 strikeouts in 789.2 innings. He is a premier ground ball pitcher, though the Mets\’ infield defense is terrible.

      The Jays were going to trade Stroman with his value at the highest and with an extra year left of team control. The return is decent, but I would think that other teams were offering more. Kay was having an amazing season at AA, with a 1.49 ERA, but has a 6.61 ERA since being promoted to AAA. He\’s already 24 and struggling at his first AAA taste, which isn\’t good, but he is highly rated. Woods-Richardson was a second round pick in 2018. He is just 18.

       Kay, 24, has a 3.13 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 97.2 innings for AA Binghamton and AAA Syracuse this year. In his minor league career, he has a 3.76 ERA with 219 strikeouts in 210.1 innings.

       Woods-Richardson, 18, has a 4.25 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 78.1 innings for Single-A Columbia this year. In his two year minor league career, he has a 3.76 ERA with 123 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.

        Weird stat: every pitcher in this trade has a career ERA of 3.76. For Stroman, it\’s in the majors, for Kay and Woods-Richardson, the minors.

From TB Times

      The Cleveland Indians have acquired RHP Hunter Wood and INF Christian Arroyo from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for OF Ruben Cardenas and international signing pool bonus money.

       The Indians could use bullpen depth, and Wood fills that bill. He has a fastball in the mid-90s with a spin rate in the 92nd percentile, per baseball savant. He has good numbers this year, despite not having an amazing strikeout rate. He also young, turning 26 in less than a month. Arroyo was once highly touted as a prospect, but has faded in the majors. He is currently on the 60 day IL due to tendinitis in his right forearm. He is just 24 and was a first rounder in 2013.

        Wood, 25, has a 2.48 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 29 innings for the Rays this season. In his MLB career, all in Tampa, Wood has a 3.20 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.

         Arroyo, 24, has a .220 batting average with two homers and seven RBIs in 57 Plate Appearances for the Rays this year. In his three year MLB career for the Rays and San Francisco Giants, Arroyo has a .215 batting average with six homers and 27 RBIs in 251 Plate Appearances.

         The Rays need to free up a 40 man roster spot after acquiring Eric Sogard from the Blue Jays, so I understand trading Wood, even though he has good numbers. But Arroyo isn\’t actually on the 40 man roster at the moment (60 day IL players don\’t count towards 40 man), and he had a lot of potential. He was the centerpiece of the Evan Longoria trade. The unexpected success of Mike Brosseau, plus Matt Duffy just getting activated made Arroyo expendable. Cardenas was a 16th rounder last year and is having minor league success. The international money is $250k

          Cardenas, 21, has a .284 batting average with 10 homers, 54 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 354 Plate Appearances for Single-A Lake County this year.

       The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired INF/OF Eric Sogard from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for two PTBNLs.

       This is a classic Rays trade. Sogard is a utility player that is having a breakout year. He\’s also very cheap and is a pending free agent. Before this year, his career high home run total was three. He now has hit 10, with a career high .300 average. He isn\’t young, this is his ninth season, but by far it is his best.

         Sogard, 33, has a .300 batting average with 10 homers, 30 RBIs and six stolen bases in 323 Plate Appearances for the Blue Jays this year. In his MLB career for the Jays, Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers, Sogard has a .247 batting average with 21 homers, 155 RBIs and 41 stolen bases in 2066 Plate Appearances.

          The Jays are rebuilding, and this is the first of potentially many trades for the Jays over the next four days, as Marcus Stroman and Ken Giles could be dealt as well. We don\’t actually know who they got yet, but it seems like it probably is someone they like, as other teams were interested.

From USA Today

         The Minnesota Twins have acquired RHP Sergio Romo, RHP Chris Vallimont and a player to be named later for 1B Lewin Diaz.

         I love this trade for the Twins on first reaction. Even if it was Romo for Diaz straight up it would be decent. Romo is a veteran closer with postseason success. Vallimont is ranked as the Marlins 23rd best prospect by MLB Pipeline, and that is a better ranking than Diaz on the Twins, which doesn\’t necessarily mean that Vallimont is better than Diaz, but it is still good value for the Twins getting Romo and a PTBNL as well. Romo has a 3.09 career playoff ERA, and won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014, not allowing a run in six innings with three saves over the three fall classics. Vallimont was a 5th round pick in 2018.

           Romo, has a 3.58 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 17 saves in 37.2 innings for the Marlins this year. In his MLB career for the Marlins, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers, Romo has a 2.91 ERA with 665 strikeouts and 126 saves in 600.1 innings.

           Vallimont, 22, has a 3.16 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 105.1 innings for Single-A Clinton and High-A Jupiter this year. In his two year minor league career, he has a 3.82 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 134.1 innings.

           The Marlins are probably very high on Diaz and must have an issue with Vallimont, or this trade doesn\’t make any sense. Diaz has had a very good minor league season, and he is the same age as Vallimont, so I see some appeal there, but including both Romo and Vallimont doesn\’t make sense.

             Diaz, 22, has a .297 batting average with 19 homers and 61 RBIs in 369 Plate Appearances for High-A Fort Myers and AA Pensacola this year. In his minor league career, he has a .273 average with 55 homers and 248 RBIs in 1728 Plate Appearances.