Welcome to the pressure cooker, general managers.
The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is Monday at 4 p.m. ET, which means there are officially hours remaining for front offices across the league to pull the trigger on late moves. Naturally, there are plenty of rumors swirling as the contenders seek to separate themselves in the postseason race and the pretenders look to jump-start their rebuilding efforts.
With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest buzz circulating around the league before the deadline.
Ervin Santana Heading North of the Border?
The Toronto Blue Jays are eyeing a playoff spot for the second straight year, and they could add a quality starting pitcher on Monday.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Blue Jays are “discussing” Minnesota Twins hurler Ervin Santana leading up to the deadline. He pitched Sunday and allowed one earned run in six innings during the Twins’ 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.
As of Sunday, Santana sported a 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 85 strikeouts through 120.1 innings pitched. While the Twins have struggled this season in last place in the American League Central, Santana has served as a quality pitcher at the front end of the rotation.
The 2008 All-Star posted an ERA below 4.00 in five of the past seven seasons and also counts eight postseason appearances on his resume. He is experienced in the pressure-packed moments of October, which would fit in nicely with the Blue Jays in the crowded American League East race.
Toronto’s starting pitching has been effective in that race (fifth in the major leagues in rotation ERA as of Sunday, per ESPN.com), and Santana would only bolster the strength. If the Blue Jays make the trade, they will add someone who can take the mound in a win-or-go-home scenario as they try to build on last year’s American League Championship Series appearance.
Yankees May Sell on Carlos Beltran
The New York Yankees already traded Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller this season and may continue their selling efforts with Carlos Beltran.
Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine listed the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians as potential suitors for the slugger, although Joel Sherman of the New York Post provided a word of caution:
Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors noticed the fact it is American League teams interested in Beltran, which makes perfect sense given his limitations in 2016:
Unsurprisingly, all the clubs listed above are in the American League. While Beltran’s bat has been sensational even as he approaches forty years of age, he’s no longer the quality center fielder he once was. Instead, Beltran is now limited to playing right field — which he has done passably, though not terribly well, this year. And the wise move will likely remain to slot him in as a DH rather liberally.
Beltran may not be the player he once was, but he has a head-turning resume to fall back on as a potential acquisition. He is a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover and two-time Silver Slugger winner and has also been a formidable presence in the Yankees lineup even at age 39.
As of Sunday, Beltran was slashing .301/.342/.538 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI in 2016. He already has more long balls than he hit all of last season (19) in what has been his best campaign in pinstripes since joining New York before the 2014 campaign.
The Astros, Red Sox, Rangers and Indians are all contending teams and could catch lighting in a bottle with Beltran. If he continues to perform at an elevated level, he could be the difference between the postseason and spending October on the sidelines. What’s more, he boasts a proven track record in the playoffs if his team was to get there.
In 52 postseason games, Beltran slashed .332/.441/.674 with 16 home runs, 40 RBI and 11 stolen bases. That is the type of October resume that will intrigue teams right up to the deadline.
Padres Looking to Deal Derek Norris
According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, “Derek Norris will be [the] next Padre domino to fall.”
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune said “the Padres would like to clear playing time for Triple-A El Paso catcher Austin Hedges,” although he noted “the Padres could lose a year of club control by bringing him up for more than a couple weeks this year” because Hedges was in the majors for 152 days in 2015.
While Norris is a trade candidate, he is in the midst of a slump. He didn’t have a hit in his past six contests in 16 at-bats, although he does have 12 home runs. However, he is hitting below the Mendoza Line (.193 on Sunday) on the season and could be a cliche “change of scenery” bounce-back candidate.
He was a 2014 All-Star and reached double-digit home run totals in three consecutive years, so there is plenty to like about Norris. He could also be under team control through 2018, per Spotrac.
At his best, Norris is a weapon behind the plate as well. He threw out 44 runners during the 2015 campaign and has posted seven total defensive runs saved above average this year as of Sunday, per FanGraphs.
Heyman mentioned Texas and Houston as potential suitors. Norris may not be a superstar capable of single-handedly altering the American League West battle, but he does bring plenty to like behind the plate with some power, a controllable contract and the ability to throw runners out on the base.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments