The trade deadline is exactly four weeks away
•
3 min read
We are less than a month from the Major League Baseball trade deadline (Aug. 3) and, well, it sure looks like a seller’s market. Thanks in part to the expanded playoff field, only six teams are more than five games out of playoff position. Hopefully things in the next few weeks shake out and give us a bit more clarity — that is, provide a larger group of sellers. Until then, we march on with the rumors.
Yankees, Rays eye catching help
The Yankees have been among the worst teams in baseball this season in getting production from the catcher position. Through 89 games, Yankees catchers have hit .172/.252/.253 with a negative WAR. With Austin Wells failing to live up to his Rookie of the Year finalist status, New York is looking at Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers — who is on a rehab assignment while recovering from a hamate injury — according to The Athletic. The Yankees aren’t alone here, though, as the AL East-leading Rays are also reportedly involved; Nick Fortes has done most of the catching for the Rays and is hitting .259/.301/.347.
Speculation persists that the New York Yankees will pursue Jeffers. The Tampa Bay Rays are another team interested in catching help, creating the possibility of an AL East bidding war.
In 37 games this season, Jeffers is hitting .295/.408/.541 (163 OPS+) with seven home runs and he’d obviously be a monster upgrade behind the plate for either team.
Of course, the Twins are only four games out of first in the AL Central and 1 ½ games back of a wild card right now, so their position as sellers is far from clear. That said, they have both Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson, which could make Jeffers expendable even if they don’t sell.
How much will the Mets tear down?
One of the few teams definitely out of playoff contention is the Mets. They are 16 games out in the NL East and 11 ½ out of a wild card spot. It’s an opportunity to beef up the farm, so the question is how far the Mets want to go in selling. They would like to contend next season, so a radical rebuild isn’t in the cards, according to SNY, but they have plenty of pieces to move.
They are not determined to trade everyone, but they will listen to offers on almost everyone. Players on expiring contracts — Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, and Tyrone Taylor – will be available, unless something changes their long-term status with the club. Should the Mets pitch Holmes on an extension, for example, that could obviously change their plans.
Peralta is the biggest name from that group. He’s having a bad year, but he finished fifth in Cy Young voting last season and is a two-time All-Star with playoff pedigree. This makes him a good change-of-scenery candidate.
Holmes is interesting. He’s not far away from returning from a fibula fracture and was great (2.39 ERA in nine starts) before the fluke injury. There’s a player option for next season that is unlikely to be picked up.
SNY also floated Luke Weaver (free agent after 2027) and Francisco Alvarez (free agent after 2029) as possible targets for buyers, though their team control obviously makes them both more expensive and less likely to move if the Mets plan to contend next year.
Further, there’s also been speculation on Bo Bichette. His three-year, $126 million deal has an opt-out clause for after this season. He’s mostly been bad this season, but has really started to hit lately. In his last 29 games, he’s slashing .350/.373/.564. If this keeps up, he would probably opt out of his deal and if the Mets believe this to be the case, would they get in front and trade him? Would anyone take on that money?
It’s a situation worth monitoring.
Angels say they aren’t trading Trout
Another non-contending team that should be able to sell a decent number of quality players is the Angels. They recently fired general manager Perry Minasian and former Cardinals executive John Mozeliak has taken over. The big question mark around the likely sell-off is whether or not Mike Trout could go. He’ll soon return from injury and is having a solid year (2.8 WAR, 145 OPS+). He’s still due nearly $150 million from 2027-30, but he’d surely be tradeable if he and the Angels are willing. In the case of the latter, it doesn’t sound like they are.
Via the Los Angeles Times:
Trade Trout? That’s not happening, right?
“That’s not happening,” Mozeliak said.
Things could always change, but that was a pretty straight answer.
