Red Sox get Peavy and Villareal:
(JE) Jhonny Peralta's pending suspension seems like a gift that fell into the Red Sox's lap. They had to get creative to avoid giving up the singular elite prospect that the White Sox reportedly were seeking (and don't get me started on signal-to-noise at this time of year), and voila, this suspension opened that door. The ballpark swap should be neutral at worst for Peavy, maybe a little better because he's right-handed. He'll get more run support, at the expense of facing tougher competition. This seems like a pretty good addition for a potential stretch run, as well as an improvement in a playoff rotation.
(CL) I'm surprised Peavy came so cheaply, especially after the White Sox''s new GM was posturing so much early on. Peavy had a great year last year and he's been very good this season if you remove the terrible start he had when he was pitching with a rib injury that subsequently required a six-week DL stint.
(DVR) I like Peavy more than Matt Garza, and feel that both starters carry similar health concerns. The Rangers overpaid for Garza, in my opinion, but that is the luxury of developing as much talent as any other organization in the game. Considering that he's more than held his own since making the move to U.S. Cellular Field from Petco a few years ago, there's little reason to think that Peavy's value will significantly change as a result of the
Red Sox get Peavy and Villareal:
(JE) Jhonny Peralta's pending suspension seems like a gift that fell into the Red Sox's lap. They had to get creative to avoid giving up the singular elite prospect that the White Sox reportedly were seeking (and don't get me started on signal-to-noise at this time of year), and voila, this suspension opened that door. The ballpark swap should be neutral at worst for Peavy, maybe a little better because he's right-handed. He'll get more run support, at the expense of facing tougher competition. This seems like a pretty good addition for a potential stretch run, as well as an improvement in a playoff rotation.
(CL) I'm surprised Peavy came so cheaply, especially after the White Sox''s new GM was posturing so much early on. Peavy had a great year last year and he's been very good this season if you remove the terrible start he had when he was pitching with a rib injury that subsequently required a six-week DL stint.
(DVR) I like Peavy more than Matt Garza, and feel that both starters carry similar health concerns. The Rangers overpaid for Garza, in my opinion, but that is the luxury of developing as much talent as any other organization in the game. Considering that he's more than held his own since making the move to U.S. Cellular Field from Petco a few years ago, there's little reason to think that Peavy's value will significantly change as a result of the new home run environment in Boston. At $14.5 million in 2014, Peavy is an affordable addition for next year as well, which is what made the White Sox's decision to give him a two-year deal last fall a good one, as it enabled them to get a pretty nice return as part of this three-team swap.
(JC) The only concern for Peavy is health. His skills, when health in recent years, have been incredibly stable. His run support gets a lot better with this trade, but so does his level of competition. Just stay healthy, just stay healthy.
Tigers get Jose Iglesias:
(JE) We undervalue defense in the fantasy world, and as Chris mentioned, Iglesias is a vast improvement defensively over Peralta, needed badly for a well-below average team defense. But man, the Red Sox still profited on the timing of this. Iglesias' bat is already in freefall mode, and I don't see that changing. If the Red Sox can ultimately bench Brendan Ryan, so can the Tigers with Iglesias, though the Tigers don't have the equivalent of Brad Miller waiting in the wings in their farm system.
(CL) I get why Detroit did this with Peralta likely done, and it could help the Tigers pitching staff, especially a groundballer like Rick Porcello.
(DVR) Jhonny Peralta was headed to free agency after the season anyway, and his expected suspension simply accelerated the timetable for the Tigers to acquire a new shortstop. Iglesias is a long shot to hit big league pitching at clip that makes him anything more than a bottom-of-the-order hitter, but his elite glove work is a big upgrade for the infield defense and he's under team control through the 2018 season. In the absolute best-case scenario, Igleslias might have an Omar Vizquel type career. At the very least (and much more likely), he's another Rey Ordonez, and even that outcome provides a boost in the form of Gold Glove defense up the middle for the Detroit pitching staff. In the short term, his arrival will be particularly beneficial for Doug Fister and Rick Porcello.
(JC) Doug Fister and Rick Porcello may faint from watching Iglesias turn groundballs into outs after watching Jhonny Peralta turn what looked like outs into hits. Iglesias should just be stuck in the nine spot in the order and let him work his magic in the field.
White Sox get Avisail Garcia and prospects:
(JE) Garcia was under my radar in terms of just how good he was hitting at Triple-A, but even still, I like the package that the Cubs got better for Garza than the White Sox got for Peavy. Garcia is toolsy and young enough to improve, but I still like Olt better - especially because he's a third baseman rather than an outfielder. It's funny, because the White Sox have two other outfield prospects that sort of fit Garcia's profile - Courtney Hawkins and Trayce Thompson, though I think Garcia has a higher ceiling. I do wonder if Garcia can stick in the outfield in the long run, for that matter.
(CL) He could hit a little bit, but he doesn't draw a walk and seems like a pretty poor haul for a pitcher like Peavy.
(DVR) I have never seen Garcia play in person, but those who have seem to marvel at the raw tools. He's 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and possesses a very good arm, so there's reason to believe that he can be an above-average corner outfielder if the pieces all come together. As Chris noted, his plate discipline has been awful, but he reached the big leagues at age-21 and was young for his level at every minor league stop. Getting out of Comerica, where the crowded depth chart and cavernous park dimensions were likely to hinder his development, and into U.S. Cellular Field is a huge gain for his offensive upside, and the White Sox can give him an everyday gig by Opening Day 2014, if Alex Rios isn't traded away before the August 31 waiver trade deadline.
(JC) This is a prototypical White Sox player in that he is big and athletic. The 'Baby Miggy" comps are terribly unfair in that the only similarity between he and Miguel Cabrera is that they look somewhat similar in the face. This kid has a lot of potential, but has not yet realized it all. Patience is the play here and the switch to U.S. Cellular will help his power production once he gets it together.
Oakland gets Callaspo:
(JE) I asked this on Twitter last night - what's the appeal of Carrasco for the A's? I too question whether he can play second base, and the selling point for making this move is that he'll make for a platoon partner for Sogard, seems like an awfully hollow payout for giving up on Grant Green. Maybe Green truly is without a position. Maybe Green will take another year before he's big league ready. But certainly the A's couldn't have concluded that after just five major league games. They sometimes give up too soon on hitting prospects, and I think that they'll regret this deal in the long run. Meanwhile, you may gain 2B-eligibility eventually for Callaspo from a fantasy context, but I think he'll play less often than he did for the Angels, so overall it's a net loss.
(CL) Can he really play second base? Not sure his bat is that much of an upgrade, either. One good trait is his ability to make consistent contact, something that might be useful against better pitchers the team will face in the playoffs (assuming they make it).
(DVR) A's manager Bob Melvin said that playing second base is like riding a bike, but Callaspo hasn't played there in years. His bat obviously fits a lot better in the middle infield than in the corner, but it's hard to see him as more than a bottom-third of the order option for the A's and a temporary solution to the revolving door they have dealt with at the position since Jemile Weeks flopped a year ago.
(JC) I don't see any gain here for Callaspo. He will still be in the bottom of the lineup and his playing time should be about the same. He moves from one pitchers' park to another one. Yawn.
Angels get Grant Green:
(JE) I think that Green is another version of Todd Frazier - a slow developing prospect, hindered in some respect that he's never had one single position. For the low price of Callaspo, why wouldn't you take this offer if you're the Angels? Callaspo is exactly the type of player that was going to be freely available in the offseason. It almost rises to the level of something-for-nothing for them.
(CL) He's already 25 and doesn't walk much, but for Callaspo why not gamble on a former first-rounder who has some pop and has hit for average at Triple-A from a middle infield spot.
(DVR) Green receives mail at the Arizona Fall League offices in Phoenix, having spent three seasons there while learning to play new positions for the A's. Kaleb Cowart has struggled with the move to Double-A this season, and while he's young enough to figure it out with a repeat of the level in 2014, Green may slot in as the Angels' temporary solution at the hot corner as they look to bridge the gap with Cowart, or a bad free-agent contract in the coming months. Somehow, his path to playing time is clearer with the Angels than it was with the A's, but his upside as a corner-infield bat seems moderate.
(JC) Great athlete, but the fact that he's never been able to crack the Oakland lineup despite its mostly revolving door up the middle and throughout the injuries in the outfield says something. He should have ample opportunity to figure things out with the Angels but do not put him on your roster until he shows some production.
Rays get Jesse Crain:
(JE) The Rays' bullpen had a lot of holes earlier in the season. Jake McGee and Fernando Rodney have both started pitching better, but the Rays still needed one more solid option, which Crain certainly is when healthy. This was done with September and October in mind.
(CL) If healthy, he's an elite reliever, something the Rays need after disappointing seasons from their usually reliable bullpen.
(DVR) It's a simple, yet likely effective move. Fernando Rodney has been much better lately after a terrible start to the season, and stabilizing the bridge from their starters to the endgame was one of few weaknesses to address at this stage for a team that looks like the favorite to win the AL East even after the Red Sox added Peavy.
(JC) He should be back in a few weeks and will offer help to a very overworked Joel Peralta in the late innings. I am more interested in this move for 2014 as the Fernando Rodney is a free agent and Crain seems like the type of guy the Rays would ink to a new deal to come in and close.
Tigers get Jose Veras:
(JE) I'm intrigued how the Astros got Veras to cut his walk rate nearly in half, well below his career best at 2.86 per nine innings. It's pretty rare to see a 32-year old to exhibit such skills growth, and I worry that it won't be permanent. But … he's probably better than many of their in-house options. Good job by the Astros to get a free prospect, at least, but I don't think this was egregious by the Tigers, either.
(CL) His command got better this year, but it's only 44 IP, and I don't particularly trust him. But the Tigers needed bullpen help, and he's been good so far.
(DVR) For what the Astros paid to get Veras this offseason, they did a nice job getting an intriguing young outfielder in return. It's difficult to see him getting save chances in Detroit, but their bullpen has underwhelmed throughout the season. Still, it's Joaquin Benoit's job to lose, so Veras is a cut in the vast majority of rotisserie leagues at this stage.
(JC) Great move for the Astros to turn and burn a reliever like this. Veras gives Detroit a better arm in the pen to get the ball to Benoit, who should hold that closer role because he has been very impressive all year. He doesn't have the closer name, but his numbers have been very strong.
Padres Get Ian Kennedy:
(JE) There are two lines of thought here. We always say "buy lowest" - this is exactly what San Diego is doing with Kennedy. They gave up a LOOGY, a relief prospect (and look at their experience with Brad Boxberger as just one example of how those are hardly a sure thing) and a compensation pick, which might be of more value than the prospect they gave up. On the other hand, the Diamondbacks obviously felt that they had run their course with Kennedy and couldn't trust him. He was going to be non-tendered in the offseason. So they viewed it more as a "something-for-nothing" type of deal. At any rate, it's pretty weird to see the contending team be the one to give up a pitcher in their rotation to a division foe who is not contending.
(CL) I like this trade for San Diego. Kennedy's velocity is where it's always been, and it's really his command that's cost him. At Petco, he'll probably be more inclined to attack the strike zone.
(DVR) When Bernie Pleskoff was on the XM show Wednesday, we were talking about Kennedy's struggles and Bernie links it to Kennedy getting hit from the stretch. Chase Field exacerbates the cycle, since it's such a hitter-friendly environment, while the move into Petco is as favorable as it gets. A lefty reliever, compensation pick and "prospect reliever" seem like a bargain buy for San Diego, who at the very least have another veteran innings eater at their disposal until some of their younger starters are ready to get into the rotation in 2015 and beyond.
(JC) The change of ballpark will be a blessing for Kennedy as his approach will play better in Petco than it has in Chase field. I really liked Kennedy coming into 2013 but the season has not played out as well at all. 2014 could be a nice change of fortune to get him back on the right track.
Diamondbacks get prospect Matt Stites:
(JE) The Snakes needed a LOOGY in Thatcher, with Reynolds on the DL, so that's the primary target, in my opinion. Stites has good Double-A numbers, but he's a relief prospect, and not so earth-shatteringly good that to be a major acquisition. It's so rare to see a minor league closer end up as a major league closer.
(CL) Isn't he a minor-league reliever? Seems like a weak haul (along with a left-handed bullpen arm) for Kennedy.
(DVR) Admittedly, I had never heard of Stites prior to today. Kevin Towers has an excellent track record obtaining bullpen arms (although, how much did Petco help in that endeavor?), and Stites' combination of velocity and control should make him a late-inning option in the relatively near future, with the chances to close at the big league level depending on circumstances that may simply be out of his control (see: Hernandez, David).
(JC) One of the 257 arms San Diego could turn into a power reliever as they do year after year. I liked what I saw from him in the AFL and is someone to keep an eye on for NL leagues as Arizona figures out how to use him in the coming years.
Royals get Justin Maxwell:
(JE) Nobody understands this deal from the Royals' point of view. Kyle Smith might be overrated as a prospect (though I think sometimes the "command" guys get unfairly evaluated versus the "pure stuff" guys), but hey, Maxwell is waiver wire bait. If they wanted a platoon partner for David Lough, why not just keep Frenchy? Check out Rany Jazayerli's Twitter feed for a more impassioned and amusing response to this deal.
(CL) The Royals had four OF for three spots as it is, so I don't get this.
(DVR) What the hell are they doing? Dayton Moore might be great at building farm systems, but has he ever made a move involving big league players that made sense? Maxwell, who is older than you probably think, will platoon nicely with David Lough in a spot that was previously going to belong to Wil Myers from 2013 through 2018. Instead, the Royals will likely botch a James Shields trade next summer, or get draft pick compensation when he leaves after the 2014 season. Kudos to the Astros again for getting a piece (Kyle Smith) capable of developing into a mid-rotation starter for a guy in Maxwell who may struggle to keep a 40-man roster spot before this time next year.
(JC) Can Maxwell play second base? He can't? Damn. In all seriousness, Maxwell can be an effective fourth outfielder if he is left in to face lefties only. He is not a fulltime guy as he gets exposed when facing too many righties and has never been able to stay healthy long enough to take full advantage of his athleticism.
Orioles get Bud Norris:
(JE) Well, Jason Hammel is hurt and Miguel Gonzalez is taking on water. So maybe Norris is an upgrade over that. Otherwise, meh. Hate the velocity drop, hate how he has trouble going deep into games. I could see more value in Bud-Chuck as a max-effort short reliever someday.
(CL) I have a hard time seeing this as a game changer given the difficulty of that division and park. Norris might be an upgrade over their back-end guys, but I don't see a great case for using him except as a match-up play in fantasy.
(DVR) We've already seen the impact of moving from the National League to the American League on Norris' strikeout rate. I'm not convinced that he's really a significant upgrade over Jason Hammel. Maybe Norris helps get the Orioles to the playoffs, but he doesn't seem likely to take the ball in a situation where the rotation would be shortened up. The cost to acquire him wasn't particularly steep and big league rotation depth was a concern (hence the addition of Scott Feldman in early July and now Norris). Value-wise, the bullpen behind him has to be better than it was in Houston and he should receive more consistent run support, but he's a ratio liability and the shift from Minute Maid Park to Camden Yards won't change that in the least.
(JC) Stay far away. 5.46 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over the last five seasons while pitching on the road over 57 starts. He has had three scoreless outings on the road this season - twice against the Angels and once against the Cubs. Before that, you have to go back to 2011 to find another scoreless road outing. He can get the strikeouts and but struggles against lefties and there are quite a few good ones in the AL East.
Astros get LJ Hoes:
(JE) Another improvement to the system, though Hoes' is going straight into the major league lineup, purportedly to play regularly. Already, he's probably better than Maxwell in the long run though - more on-base skills, albeit with less power. Maybe they can flip him before he becomes arb-eligible to the Royals for a better prospect in two years.
(CL) You have to love a player whose name is a complete sentence.
(DVR) There were plenty of jokes out there today with Hoes' arrival in Houston -- including 'Stros before Hoes' among others. As prospects goes, I've never seen the appeal and his status as a highly regarded position player in Baltimore spoke more about the lack of quality prospects in their farm system, than Hoes' actual talent. With speed and the ability to handle multiple position, Hoes could provide some value in AL-only leagues and to the Astros in the short term, but it seems unlikely that he'll maintain more than a bench role on the next good team in Houston.
(JC) He should get playing time with the Astros so AL-Only players can speculate on the playing time if they are desperate to fill a hole in the lineup with someone that has a pulse. Hoes can take walks and has a little speed but lacks pop.
Dodgers acquire Drew Butera (have fun with this one):
(JE) Sure glad that such a dynamic, memorable trade deadline day ended with a bang.
(CL) I'm sure he's tired of being the Butera of everyone's jokes. (Horrible even on the Liss scale).
(DVR) Ned Colletti knew that the Dodgers' aspirations of winning a division title hinged on adding on more quality bat. Fortunately, he landed the most impactful player on the market today in Butera, which will almost certainly lead to a long-term contract extension (see also: League, Brandon) given Colletti's history of ensuring that premium assets are secured in a fiscally responsible manner.
(JC) He's yet another terrific product from the University of Central Florida. They all can't be me, but Butera has made a nice career for himself in baseball as an all-glove absolutely no bat whatsoever player. His career OPS+ is somewhere near .001.
