The Trade deadline is just two days away, which means the Bleacher Nation Blogathan is just a day away. And …. GUESS WHAT!? We just reached our goal of sponsoring two wishes! But we don’t have to stop there. We can still push for more!
The Orioles are all over the Cubs rumor-world lately. Earlier today, we learned that the Cubs asked about middle-infielder Jonathan Villar, though the deal ultimately went nowhere (for now). But he’s hardly the only Baltimore Bat on our radar.
Orioles first baseman/corner outfielder Trey Mancini has been available for a while, but the interest and rumors just haven’t been there. That might be related to the big step backwards he took offensively last season (93 wRC+) compared to his rookie year (118 wRC+). But he’s already getting far betters results this season (124 wRC+) than he ever has before. Plus, he’s just 27-years-old and is under team control via arbitration for 3 more years after this one.
With all of that said, the Cubs are looking for someone who can help them against left-handed pitching, and that’s not necessarily Mancini’s game. But he is still above average against southpaws this season (112 wRC+) with even better numbers against righties (130 wRC+) – and the same is largely true for his career. Statcast believes he’s outperforming his peripherals, but overall I don’t see much to scare you off (especially given his age and team control).
So given where the Orioles are in the standings and their competitive cycle, I imagine we’ll be hearing a lot more “Mancini” before the deadline – possibly even in connection to the Cubs :
Trey Mancini trade talks are active for #Orioles with multiple suitors in the final 72 hours before Trade Deadline, source says. @MLB@MLBNetwork
Unlike Mancini, Alberto would be a pure bench bat – pretty much exclusively for left-handed pitching. Think of him like a LOOGY in the pen, but on the bench instead. If, for example, he were to cost next to nothing to acquire – which he should – this could be a pretty compelling way to improve the 25th spot on the roster and bump up the expected performance against tough lefties, especially late in ballgames (and, notably, he isn’t making much this year, which squares with the Cubs budgetary limitations).
Baltimore’s Hanser Alberto is possibly the most under-the-radar trade candidate in baseball. He leads *all* qualifying @MLB hitters with a .404 average against LHP. He’d have value in the NL playoffs, given the left-handed pitching expected there. @MLBNetwork@Orioles
It does help to know that the Cubs and Orioles have already been talking, because a squashed deal today is just the foundation for a completed one tomorrow.
Yesterday, Trevor Bauer literally threw the ball over the center-field fence at Kauffman Stadium from the mound out of anger/frustration, as manager Terry Francona walked out to remove him from the game. And given that he’s a high-profile trade candidate this season, people have begun speculating on the impact of that little outburst:
Lots and lots of industry speculation about how much this incident affects Bauer’s trade value. Ugly.
I get where Olney is coming from, but also … really? If you didn’t already know this who Trevor Bauer is, you didn’t want to know. Yeah, the move was ugly and childish. But that’s not new for him. He’s just one of those players, who, if you want the good on-field stuff, you have to take the bad off-field stuff. Maybe this will ultimately change the Indians’ leverage these next two days, but it really shouldn’t. This isn’t shocking stuff.
Indeed, others believe this might’ve increased the likelihood that he’s gone:
Notes one rival executive, Trevor Bauer’s antics yesterday was a big favor to Indians. Gives cover to trade him, which they need to do before Opening Day anyway.
People are LOL’ing at the Mets for hurting their own market – which, hey, it’s always great to laugh at the Mets – but this is obviously just a poke at the Mets from the Padres for something they weren’t going to do anyway:
As #Mets and #Padres continue discussing Noah Syndergaard, source says it’s clear San Diego will not include MacKenzie Gore in the trade — especially after the Stroman deal did not include a top 100 prospect per @MLBPipeline. @MLBNetwork@MLB
At USA Today, Bob Nightengale discusses the six teams with the most urgency to get a deal done before the deadline, and the Cubs are among the six. Nightengale reiterates that they already made a play for Whit Merrifield and Eric Sogard without any luck, but adds that they “are willing to part with players on their major-league roster” to get another power bat or even more pitching.
But for however aggressive Nightengale expects the Cubs to be, Gordon Wittenmyer explains why they may not. In short, Theo Epstein has already explained that the Cubs have used up most (if not all) of their available in-season dollars – and that was before they knew for sure Ben Zobrist was coming back. And the fact that they added Derek Holland for effectively nothing soon after he was DFA’d by the Giants supports that reality. The Cubs could still get creative, but I just don’t know *how* creative they’ll truly be.
The Mets traded for one of the hottest young closers in baseball this winter, Edwin Diaz, but it hasn’t quite worked out for him in New York (his peripherals are far better than his fairly ugly results, but still), and now he might soon be on his way to another team:
Any Red Sox offer for Edwin Diaz would presumably include minor-league slugger Bobby Dalbec, who is blocked at 3b by the younger Rafael Devers, or 2018 No. 1 pick Triston Casas, in case Mets view him as 3b option. Red Sox confident they will make impact bullpen move.
Speaking of closers, Ken Rosenthal reports that “all of the contenders” are in on Blue Jays closer Ken Giles – and many are pursuing Daniel Hudson, as well. Both guys have been attached to the Cubs this month, so I’d say they’re still probably involved, but with so much interest … yeesh. The cost may be too high.
Rosenthal also warns us not to be surprised if the Cardinals get very active over the next 48 hours, as they search for a controllable starting pitcher and left-handed reliever. However, Rosenthal also reports that their top TWO prospects (#31 and #52 to MLB Pipeline) are both off-limits, which could prevent them making too big of a splash.
Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL.
In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy.
You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami
Even with tonight's rainout, the Chicago Cubs are still making some roster moves. When Patrick Wisdom was removed (perfectly healthy) from the I-Cubs game in the 4th inning on Wednesday, we had an idea of what was coming next. When...
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for Jameson Taillon's season debut, and tonight's Cubs-Marlins tilt has been postponed. The game will instead be part of a split-doubleheader this Saturday, with the first game at 1:20pm CT and the second at...
If you're into tracking young pitchers with star potential like I am—as I watch Jack Leiter's debut while typing this column—then you're probably itching to see Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes make his way to Pittsburgh sooner than later. While...
Cubs vs Marlins — Whew! The Cubs got through their first West Coast road trip of the year, and did so with a winning record (5-4) against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They definitely let a couple games slip out...
As the father of a toddler who was sick for an entire week — the same week Brett was out from his back surgery and the Cubs were playing almost exclusively late-night ballgames on the West Coast — I was...
Kevin Alcántara hit his first home run of the season for the Tennessee Smokies last night, and Owen Caissie hit his first Triple-A home run for the Iowa Cubs as Iowa and Tennessee secured victories. The same can't be said...
Given the way the offseason played out for super agent Scott Boras's top available clients - Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery - you wouldn't be shocked to see some unhappiness behind the scenes. Did Boras overplay...
Hayden Wesneski was the hero of yesterday's finale and series-win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, coming in to clean up Jordan Wicks' (little) mess in the 5th ... and then tossing 4 shutout innings to save an over-used bullpen and help...
Hand up, I really wanted the Cubs to sign reliever Robert Stephenson this offseason. I felt like they could use one more impact arm (accurate), and I felt like Stephenson was one of the best available (about that ... )....
Rays closer Pete Fairbanks has been an extremely effective reliever the last four years, posting a 2.66 ERA from 2020 through 2023, with a 34.8% K rate and worth 4.1 WAR. But things have started out much more rough for...
The Blackhawks put the worst regular season of more than 70 games in the history of the franchise to bed on Thursday night in a manner that sums up the season fairly well. Connor Murphy was banged up and Nikita...
It's a first-round matchup with a history of fireworks! The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers lock horns once again in the NBA Playoffs. This year marks the third time in five years these two teams meet in the opening...
The NBA Playoffs are here, and the Eastern Conference first-round ignites with a clash of styles. The Indiana Pacers, boasting the league's top-scoring offense, bring their high-octane attack to Milwaukee to face the experienced Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo's status adds further...
On Friday at 6:40 PM ET, Bryan Reynolds and the Pittsburgh Pirates (11-8) take on Jarren Duran and the Boston Red Sox (10-10) at PNC Park.Find out how to watch the Pittsburgh-Boston matchup below.When is Pirates vs. Red Sox and...
Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (11-10) host George Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays (10-9) at 9:40 PM ET on Friday.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for TV and streaming options for the San...
Blake Snell will take the ball for the San Francisco Giants (8-11) when they host starter Jordan Montgomery and the Arizona Diamondbacks (9-10) on Friday, with first pitch at 10:15 PM ET.If you're planning on watching this game, keep reading...
In a series opener on Friday, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (12-9) face Pete Alonso and the New York Mets (10-8), with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium.Keep reading to find out how to...
On Friday, April 19 at 8:10 PM ET, a three-game series featuring the Minnesota Twins and the visiting Detroit Tigers will begin.Twins vs. Tigers Series Info Tigers @ Twins Time: Friday, April 19 at 8:10 PM ET Twins Starting Pitcher:...
A three-game series featuring the St. Louis Cardinals and the visiting Milwaukee Brewers will begin on Friday, April 19 at 8:15 PM ET.Cardinals vs. Brewers Series Info Brewers @ Cardinals Time: Friday, April 19 at 8:15 PM ET Cardinals Starting...
The Baltimore Orioles will be on the road, opening a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, April 19 at 7:40 PM ET.Royals vs. Orioles Series Info Orioles @ Royals Time: Friday, April 19 at 7:40 PM ET...
NEWSLETTER
