The trade deadline has come and gone. Here’s the trades that affected the corners, and some quick hitters after.
The deal: Cubs acquire Isaac Paredes, Rays acquire Christopher Morel
Morel shouldn’t lose any of his power value in Florida but the counting numbers might dip. They clearly liked his XStats, and if you have been playing a league that uses them Morel has been great. Regular leagues, well, he’s not hitting .200. I would expect fewer at bats for him as they work with him, and he’s already proved he can’t handle third, so a utility role is in his future.
This also opens up the possibility of Junior Caminiero to get the call, and for Curtis Mead to receive an extended run. Both are eligible at third base. Mead is also 7 for his last 14! And Caminiero is a top prospect. Both of these guys rate higher than Morel, so Morel likely becomes the utility guy, the Ben Zobrist model. Ouch, this trade is not great for Morel
Don’t fret about Paredes and that silly stat that says he would lose 13 HR if he had played all his games on Wrigley. First of all, he only would play half his games there. Second of all, it’s a trash stat. He will continue to hit just like he has the past two seasons. Neutral batting average but highly productive. No change for Isaac.
Diamondbacks get Josh Bell
Josh Bell will continue to be Josh Bell. Deep league type of guy who if he hits a heater will be nice and valuable but if he does not is pretty meh. Arizona can find at bats for him at first and DH. He has not had ther heater, thus far, so it’s possibly coming. In his last 7 Bell is hitting .440 with 4 HR, so maybe it’s here already.
This is an insurance deal for Christian Walker who was hit with The Dreaded Oblique. Bell will be an everyday player until Walker gets back. Walker himself has said the MRI was good news, and he should be back playing in three weeks. Bell is a good short term pickup anyway. Interestingly he’s been traded the last 3 deadlines so I hope his UHaul account is up to date.
The Marlins dealt their entire team and there’s really nobody to pick up at first. Jake Burger will play one corner spot; the rest are up for grabs. Good luck lottery players!
Amed Rosario takes his multi position ability to the Dodgers where he will continue to have some batting average, and hopefully vibes and aura and other trendy words. Might be a sneaky pickup if he gets time.
Mark Canha gets to go to San Francisco, where along with flowers on his hair he goes to a team that really uses platoon splits to their advantage. Canha has an .857 OPS against backwards throwing lefties. The guess here is that he gets every start vs guys who throw with the wrong arm, and a few vs non evil hurlers. If you enjoy the daily grind of checking lineups and benching sluggards who don’t play, he’s your huckleberry.
Justin Turner should grow his beard back because he’s going to Seattle which is close to Oregon which has a lot of beards. Seattle is not a good place to hit. Turner is old. Nothing to see here, move on.
Non Trade Factoids
Vladimir Guerrero Jr is hitting .552 with 5 HR and 10 RBI during his last week. Remember when he was washed?
Nolan Schanuel had a really strange training regimen where he didn’t sit down for like an entire day. That sounds not bad but have you ever stood for someone in a wedding? That’s like 30 minutes (don’t remember I don’t do weddings anymore) of sheer torture on the knees and feet. Well for Nolan he’s got a .600 OBP his past 7. Maybe the first round pick who was rushed to the majors is clicking.
Jhonkensy Noel is breaking my Kyle Manzardo loving heart. It won’t last; the power will but expect a lower average. Fun player though.
Josh Jung was activated from a long absence for the Rangers. Josh Smith has been more than expected, and will probably shift into a utility role. Jung was hitting .400 and just crushing the ball before injury; maybe the wrist won’t sap too much pop.
Tristan Casas is headed to rehab, the good kind. Go ahead and see if he’s still available; I’ll wait.
Alright? Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your summer. And if you’re in a job with no summer vacation become a teacher. It’s really nice!
