Monday, November 20, 2017

Hot Stove Update: Trader Jerry Strikes Again!

Just a few days after saying he wasn't going to "go crazy" with trades this winter, "Trader Jerry" DiPoto, GM of the Seattle Mariners completed 2 more trades for 3 in 4 days.  As I reported in a prior Hot Stove Update, DiPoto kicked the Hot Stove League off by sending a pretty good reliever and a DSL SS to the A's for 3B/1B/DH Ryon Healy.  His second trade was to send hard throwing RHP Thyago Viera to the White Sox for $500 M in International Bonus Pool money.

Viera pitched last season in AA and AAA compiling a combined pitching line of 2-4, 4.00, 54 IP, 22 BB, 46 K's.  That line isn't so impressive, but Viera's FB has been clocked in the triple digits.  After the trade, there was speculation that DiPoto is trying to build a war chest to make a bid for Shohei Otani.  There may have been 40 man roster considerations here too.

Trader Jerry then turned around and acquired RHP Nick Rumbelow from the Yankees for 2 lower level minor league pitchers, JP Sears and Juan Then.  Rumbelow is 26 years old, 6'0", 190 lbs.  He has something like 15 innings of MLB experience to his credit, all in 2015.  He missed most of 2016 after undergoing TJ surgery.  His AAA line for 2017 was 5-1, 0.62, 29 IP, 8 BB, 30 K.  The Yankees have a 40 man roster crunch coming into tomorrow's deadline for protecting players from the Rule 5 Draft, and needed to trade Rumbelow or lose him for nothing.

JP Sears is an undersized LHP drafted in Round 11 in the 2017 draft.  He goes 5'11", 180 lbs.  He put up a line of 1-2, 0.65, 272. IP, 12 BB's and 51 K's over 2 levels after signing.  Then is a 6'1", 155 lbs. 18. yo RHP from the DSL whose 2917 line was 2-2, 2.64, 61.1 IP, 15 BB, 56 K's.  The Yankees were able to take a player they were going to lose anyway and turn him into 2 intriguing lottery tickets.  Nice trade for the Yanks.

I thought the Healy trade was OK from the Mariner's standpoint but Trader Jerry seems to be spinning his wheels a bit on these last 2, unless he lands Otani.  Then he gets the last laugh.

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We may see a few more of these kinds of trades today as the deadline for setting the 40 man roster looms.

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Bobby Evans all but confirmed that the Giants had at least inquired about a trade for Giancarlo Stanton.  His comment was that he did not think the Marlins would have fielded the offer at all if they did not at least think it was a possibility they would trade the slugger.  Evans left the impression that interest from the Marlins end is still a bit vague and they indicated they would only approach Stanton about waiving his no-trade clause after talks had progressed to a final offer.  I would add that the Giants would not be kicking the tires on Stanton if they did not think they could figure out a way to absorb his hefty salary.  MLBTR is reporting that the Cardinals have also made an offer for Stanton.

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