The 2022 MLB trade deadline is 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday (Aug. 2), so teams now have less than 24 hours to make adjustments and update their rosters for the stretch run. We’ve already seen a few big names made and of course more trades are on the way.
Now, here’s Monday’s gossip.
Angels to keep Ohtani despite ‘serious’ offers
The Yankees, Padres, and White Sox were among the teams to inquire about Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani in recent days, but the Angels decided not to move him past the deadline Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman. To see also : Macau casinos reopen with uncertain business outlook amid travel restrictions. Heyman says these teams have made “serious” offers for the reigning AL MVP.
Heyman notes that Angels owner Arte Moreno does not want Ohtani to be traded, even though he can compete in free agency after next season. CBS Sports explained on Sunday why Moreno is the biggest potential obstacle to the Ohtani trade, writing the following:
It is easy to understand why Moreno would push back. He spent a lot of money on the Angels over the years without getting much in return. The Angels changed players, managers, and general managers without much success. Moreno has been a constant presence. At some point, being the steadfast face of failure must destroy one’s pride. To trade Ohtani would be to admit that he and his brain trust could never figure out how to build a winner despite being given two generational talents.
The Yankees then made a different move, re-signing Scott Effross from the Cubs in exchange for a potential raise.
Guardians, Athletics have discussed Murphy
The Rangers entered Monday with a 52-49 record, putting them 1 1/2 games back of the final American League wild card spot. They had a discussion about improving the plate, asking about Athletics catcher Sean Murphy. This may interest you : Minister: Every 1% of food price inflation adds £ 33 to the average annual bill. Those talks have not progressed, however, according to The Athletic’s Zack Meisel.
CBS Sports ranked Murphy as one of the best players available this summer, noting:
Murphy is under team control through the 2025 season, but the A’s have another reason to move him sooner than needed. For one, they have Shea Langeliers ready and waiting in Triple-A; For one, if you’re going to eliminate your lot to reduce costs, you might as well go all-in. Whenever the A’s are serious about moving Murphy, he will be a sought after item. He’s been an above-average hitter for more than 1,000 big-league plate appearances, and there seems to be more power in his bat than he’s seen in the game: earlier this season, he recorded a 114 mph outing, a feature. that puts him in the neighborhood of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. The catch is that Murphy doesn’t need to hit as much as he has to be a significant player; A skilled defender who passes well in all key areas, including creating, throwing, and handling personnel. He provides any kind of offensive value, let alone good offensive value to the backstop, which makes him a big-time asset.
Per Meisel, Oakland said the team is in no rush to move Murphy because of his years of continued dominance with the team. It is seen when their condition softens as the end time approaches.
Brewers listening on Narváez?
The Brewers traded All-Star closer Josh Hader as part of a deal that gave them late-inning reliever Taylor Rogers and righty Dinelson Lamet. On the same subject : The Cowboys ’Prescott has a new body, which faces a lot of pressure in 2022. They may not be made to move pieces on a big league team, either, as teams have been eyeing catcher Omar Narváez, according to Robert Murray.
Narváez, 30, is a free agent after the season. He was an All-Star last year and is considered a good producer behind the plate.
If the Brewers move Narváez, the versatile Victor Caratini would take over as the regular catcher with Pedro Severino as the backup. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Brewers add a catcher to the organization the way they turned out of the rescue in the Hader deal.
Astros are out to upgrade
The Astros have one of the safest division leads in baseball. That doesn’t stop them from following up on the initial promotion and catch-up. Interestingly, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Sunday that Houston has expressed interest in Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi and outfielder Christian Vázquez, who the Astros acquired from the Red Sox Monday night.
Choi, a free agent after the 2023 season, posted a .257/.355/.415 (125 OPS+) slash line in 75 games. It’s unclear how big the Rays would be about moving him, given that they’re currently the AL’s second wild card team and could use an offense.
Vázquez, a free agent at the end of the season, hit .282/.327/.432 (108 OPS+) in his first 84 games this season. He’s been known as an above-average keeper as well, though Statcast’s metrics are a hair below this season, for what it’s worth.
The Astros are also known to be interested in Nationals first baseman Josh Bell and Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, among others.
Chafin garnering interest
Could left fielder Andrew Chafin be on his way to a third season? He went from the Diamondbacks to the Cubs in 2020, the Cubs to the A’s in 2021 and now several teams are showing interest in acquiring him from the Tigers, says Ken Rosenthal.
Chafin, 32, is signed through next season, but has an opt-out after this season. Through 37 outings, he has a 2.53 ERA, 2.21 FIP, 1.06 WHIP and 39 strikeouts against 10 walks in 32 innings. He held opponents to a .207/.275/.267 line and stranded 17 of the 18 runners he inherited. Even better, his splits don’t suggest he should be a lefty specialist – in fact, this season has been particularly difficult for right-handed hitters.
Rosenthal names the White Sox and Mets as Chafin’s competitors, but says there are other teams involved as well.
Mariners add depth
The Mariners have claimed outfielder Travis Janikowski on waivers from the Mets, the team announced. They also signed shortstop Jonathan Villar to a minor-league deal, according to The Seattle Times.
D-Backs, Royals make trade
The Royals have acquired right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver from the Diamondbacks, according to the Associated Press. In return, the D-Backs received third baseman Emmanuel Rivera.
Weaver, a former first baseman, was part of the 2018 trade that sent Paul Goldschmidt from the D-Backs to the Cardinals. He hasn’t been able to pitch well for a long time in Arizona’s rotation, so maybe the change in position will help.
Rivera, 26, is hitting .237/.284/.399 (91 OPS+) in 211 plate appearances this season.
