It`s 92 Degrees and Sonny In The Bronx.

[Greenbacks]

Odds to win the National League <tbody> </tbody>
2021	Arizona Diamondbacks		+1000
2022	Atlanta Braves		+6600
2023	Chicago Cubs		+300
2024	Cincinnati Reds		+25000
2025	Colorado Rockies		+1400
2026	Los Angeles Dodgers		+135
2027	Miami Marlins		+15000
2028	Milwaukee Brewers		+2500
2029	New York Mets		+5000
2030	Philadelphia Phillies		+150000
2031	Pittsburgh Pirates		+4000
2032	San Diego Padres		+150000
2033	San Francisco Giants		+50000
2034	St. Louis Cardinals		+2800
2035	Washington Nationals		+325

<tbody>
</tbody>

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Mobdeeper7239]

Nats can hit the hell out of the ball.....Max and Stephen are a solid 1,2 punch.

Agree. Nats are scary good. I think daniel Murphy is the best 2 strike hitter in baseball. And bryce is the best player in baseball, period.

But something tells me they will keep falling short. And Bryce will be a Yankee before we know it.

 

[Greenbacks]

Agree. Nats are scary good. I think daniel Murphy is the best 2 strike hitter in baseball. And bryce is the best player in baseball, period.

But something tells me they will keep falling short. And Bryce will be a Yankee before we know it.

On paper the Nats have a solid line up....I hear ya Mob.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Rangers net 3 prospects for Darvish.

Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish was traded to the Dodgers on Monday for three prospects.
Second baseman/outfielder Willie Calhoun, who is the Dodgers' No. 4-ranked prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, right-hander A.J. Alexy (No. 17) and infielder Brendon Davis (No. 27) were sent to Texas.
Darvish is a four-time All-Star who is eligible for free agency after this season. He is 6-9 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.17 WHIP this year. The son of an Iranian father and Japanese mother, Darvish became Japan's best pitcher in a seven-year career there before signing with the Rangers in 2012, and the following season, he was a runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award. The Dodgers scouted him when he was still in high school.
Another unique aspect of this trade is how rare it is for these two teams to make a deal. In fact, these two clubs did not make any trades between 1990 and 2014, and have not made a deal of any significance since the Rangers acquired Dave Stewart and Ricky Wright from the Dodgers for Rick Honeycutt on Aug. 19, 1983.
Among players considered to be on the trade market this month, none of them was affected by the new qualifying rules as much as Darvish, who is set to hit free agency this winter. In the past, when a team lost a player who rejected a qualifying offer, it received a first-round pick as compensation. Under the new QO rules set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that was ratified over the winter, only teams that receive revenue sharing can receive a first-round compensation pick when a free agent rejects a QO to sign elsewhere. According to Morosi, the Rangers are not on the list of 16 clubs that will receive revenue sharing, which isn't surprising given the size of their market.
As a result, the best the Rangers could have done in terms of Draft-pick compensation if Darvish rejected a qualifying offer and left at the end of the season was a comp pick before the third round (likely in the 70s). In other words, the incentive was there for the Rangers to make a trade as the package of Calhoun, Alexy and Davis is far more valuable than a pick in that range.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Astros acquire veteran lefty Liriano from Blue Jays.

HOUSTON -- The Astros added a veteran pitcher prior to the Trade Deadline, although not one of the big names they had been linked to in recent weeks.
Houston acquired left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for outfielders Norichika Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. Liriano, who will join the team Tuesday, will pitch out of the bullpen, manager A.J. Hinch said.
Liriano, 33, was 6-5 in 18 starts for the Blue Jays in 2017 with a 5.88 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings. He has held left-handed hitters to a .226 average this season, allowing just one homer. In 11 Major League seasons, Liriano has posted a 102-97 record in 303 appearances (274 starts) with a 4.15 ERA.
Liriano also has postseason experience, posting a 2-0 mark in six appearances (three starts) with a 3.97 ERA. He started and won the Pirates 2013 National League Wild Card Game victory over the Reds, allowing one run over seven innings.
"Francisco is a versatile left-handed pitcher that has had a great deal of success throughout his career," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "He is a veteran with postseason experience that will help us down the stretch."
Hernandez, the Astros' ninth-ranked prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is no stranger to Astros fans. He appeared in 41 games last year, hitting a homer in his Major League debut in Toronto. Hernandez was called up this April when Jake Marisnick went on the disabled list, and he suffered a lower leg bruise in his first game in a collision with Jose Altuve in Cleveland. He went on the disabled list and had been with Triple-A Fresno, where he was hitting .279 with 12 homers, 44 RBIs and 12 steals.
Aoki, 35, was claimed off waivers in November and is owed nearly $2 million of his $5.5 million salary. He appeared in 71 games for the Astros this year, hitting .272 with a .323 on-base percentage. The trade paves the way for rookie outfielder Derek Fisher, who also bats left-handed, to remain on the roster for the rest of the season.
While Liriano and Aoki will stay on waivers in all mixed leagues, Fisher could be the biggest beneficiary of this deal. The No. 4 prospect in the Astros organization, according to MLB Pipeline, Fisher should get an extended opportunity to show his skills in the coming weeks. And as part of the highest-scoring lineup in baseball, the 23-year-old -- who hit .318 with 21 homers and 16 steals across 384 plate appearances in Triple-A this season -- could dent some shallow-league rosters down the stretch.

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[Greenbacks]

Rox land 2-time All-Star Lucroy from Rangers.

WASHINGTON -- Looking for an experienced catcher to help a young staff, the Rockies acquired two-time All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the Rangers for a player to be named, the teams announced on Sunday night.
Lucroy, 31, had struggled offensively this year, hitting .242 with four home runs and 27 RBIs in 77 games. But offense is secondary for a Rockies staff that, at least currently, fields four rookies and a second-year man in the starting rotation, and even when all are healthy doesn't have a starter older than 28.
"Getting Jonathan gives us a guy with some veteran presence behind the plate, as does Ryan Hanigan [currently backup to second-year man Tony Wolters] as our starters go into uncharted territory the next two months," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "His track record's pretty good. The guy's an All-Star. He's had success in the Major Leagues both offensively and defensively. We should feel good about this one."
This is the second year Lucroy, who is in the final year of a six-year, $15.5 million contract, has been dealt near the deadline. Last year, Lucroy used his no-trade provision to nix a deal from the Brewers to the Indians before accepting a trade to the Rangers.
The deal occurs on the eve of Monday's 2 p.m. MT non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Rockies on Wednesday dealt with the Phillies for righty relief pitcher Pat Neshek. Word around the Majors is the Rockies still seek a strong late-innings reliever, preferably one whose contract they control next season.
The front office's aggression at the deadline went over well in the clubhouse, according to s tar third baseman Nolan Arenado, who shared Uber rides with Lucroy when the two played [along with Neshek and lefty reliever Jake McGee] on Team USA's World Baseball Classic championship team.
In his fifth season, the biggest deal Arenado could remember was shortstop Troy Tulowitzki going to a Blue Jays' club that two years ago was gearing for the postseason the way the Rockies are now.
"It seems like the front office understands that we're for real, we're in this, and they're trying to make the moves to get better," Arenado said. "We appreciate that.
"I guess it gets you a little more pumped up to come to the ballpark every day. With Neshek and Lucroy, it shows that there's a little something to this. It's a little different. The only deadline I remember is when we traded Tulo."
Leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon said, "I don't know how that's going to shake out, but he's a good player. I know adding good players to your team is always helpful. We've already seen Neshek pitch well, help us win a game."
The deal sends Lucroy back to the National League, where he played with the Brewers from 2010-16, and hit .284 with 79 homers and 387 RBIs. Lucroy also established himself as one of the better pitch-framers in the game, and was a key reason for the pitching staff's success when the Brewers advanced to the National League Championship Series in 2011.
Wolters, 25, is was hitting .251 through June 17 but has dropped to .248 while carrying a starter's load -- 66 games. Hanigan, 36, is hitting .259, in 24 games as Wolters' backup. With Hanigan as a classic backup, the addition of Lucroy as the everyday catcher could allow a breather for Wolters at Triple-A Albuquerque until rosters expand in September.
Righty starting pitcher Jon Gray, who is trying to make the climb from talented second-year pitcher to ace-type, said he doesn't know much about Lucroy but has faith in the team's process.
"From what I've seen so far, I love everything we're doing, the guys we've brought in," Gray said. "I'm not an expert on all the trade stuff, but I completely trust what they're doing."

 

[Greenbacks]

Melky returns to KC in swap with White Sox.

BOSTON -- The Royals on Sunday beefed up their offense, acquiring outfielder Melky Cabrera and cash from the White Sox for Minor League pitchers A.J. Puckett and Andre Davis. Cabrera, 32, played for the Royals in 2011, and he remains popular among the present Royals.
"It's the perfect fit for us," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said by phone from Cooperstown, N.Y., where he watched John Schuerholz's Hall of Fame induction. "He knows our guys. He will lengthen our lineup."
Cabrera, a switch-hitter, likely will be part of a left-field-right-field-DH rotation with Alex Gordon, Jorge Bonifacio and Brandon Moss. But manager Ned Yost said Cabrera likely will start out playing mostly right field.
"I will go there try to help the team win games," Cabrera told reporters through an interpreter. "They acquired me for a reason. I hope to help them."
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Royals designated for assignment right-handed Minor Leaguer Andrew Edwards. And after Sunday's 5-3 win over the Red Sox, the club optioned Terrance Gore to Triple-A Omaha to make room for Cabrera on the active roster.
Cabrera is hitting .288 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. He also has nine outfield assists, tied for the Major League lead.
Cabrera is still owed about $5.16 million of his $15 million deal for 2017. The Royals will have to pay about $2.5 million of that, per an MLB.com source.
Royals players learned of the trade just a few minutes before game time on Sunday. There were still buzzing about the deal after the game. Cabrera is expected to join the team in Baltimore on Monday.
"It's a good pickup," shortstop Alcides Escobar said. "Everyone knows he can hit. Good guy in the clubhouse, and he wants to play for us."
In 2011 with the Royals, Cabrera set career highs in doubles (44), home runs (18), RBIs (87) and stolen bases (20).
"He's going to help our team a lot," left fielder Alex Gordon said. "He's having a great year. We all know his personality -- smiling, happy-go-lucky guy. Brings a lot of energy to the clubhouse. He's going to be comfortable in this situation. We know what he can do.
"Nothing ever bothers him. With a game like this, it can get you down. But he's always having a good time. Even with the White Sox, you could see him always goofing around. That's what we're about -- having fun."
Puckett, a right-hander who was a second-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, is 9-7 with a 3.90 ERA at Class A Advanced Wilmington this season. Davis, a left-hander, was an eighth-round pick in '15, and he is 5-4 with a 4.83 ERA at Class A Lexington.
"There were other teams interested [in Cabrera] so we had to step up and be aggressive," Moore said. "You have to be prepared to give up players that will hurt a little, too."
It was the second major deal that Moore pulled off this week: Earlier, the club acquired right-handers Brandon Maurer and Trevor Cahill, and left-hander Ryan Buchter, from the Padres.
"It just shows you how much [owner] Mr. [David] Glass and Dayton are committed to giving us everything that we need," Yost said. "Not only us, but the city. Giving us all everything that we can use to try to win."

 

[Greenbacks]

Red Sox boost 'pen, acquire Reed from Mets.

BOSTON -- The Red Sox added the impact bullpen arm they've been searching for, completing a trade with the Mets on Monday for righty Addison Reed in exchange for three pitching prospects. The deal was finalized less than an hour before the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline.
The move comes on the heels of Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski getting a right-handed bat with plenty of defensive versatility last week in Eduardo Nunez, who has made an instant impact with Boston.
Reed has served as the Mets' closer for most of the season, filling in for the injured Jeurys Familia. For Boston, he will become the primary setup man in front of stud closer Craig Kimbrel. The reliever will be added to the roster in time for Tuesday night's game against the Indians.
"We like him a lot," Dombrowski said. "We think he can come in and be a premium setup guy for us. He makes us deeper in our bullpen, pushes other guys back to pitch earlier in the game."
Long the topic of discussions with multiple teams, Reed is heading to Boston in exchange for three right-handed pitchers: Stephen Nogosek, Jamie Callahan and Gerson Bautista, the Red Sox's 18th-, 23rd- and 28th-ranked prospects by MLBPipeline.com.
Though there was some chatter even after the deal for Nunez about the Red Sox adding a bat to an offense that has performed below expectations since the All-Star break, Dombrowski didn't see a fit on the market. Top prospect Rafael Devers has added a boost in recent days and the Red Sox now need some of their regulars to start hitting at their expected levels.
"We didn't feel there were any other real impact bats out there that made us significantly better," Dombrowski said. "And I know [manager] John [Farrell] talked about the same thing, we've talked about it -- sometimes your own club has to step up at times. We know that some of the guys are better than what they've been playing. They're good players, and we look for them to step up."
With the Red Sox entering Monday's game against the Indians a half-game behind the first-place Yankees in the American League East and Reed (a free agent after the season) expendable for a Mets team out of the postseason race, both teams were highly motivated to make this deal a reality.
The Yankees, who acquired third baseman Todd Frazier and setup man David Robertson a couple of weeks ago, snagged righty starter Sonny Gray from Oakland on Monday.
"Yeah, I think the Golden State Warriors have significantly made some moves. I expected it," Dombrowski quipped. "I would have been surprised if they didn't. But I think [Yankees general manager] Brian [Cashman] probably has made them the Golden State Warriors and we're the significant underdogs, when I'm listening to the MLB Network."
At the Winter Meetings, Cashman called the Red Sox the Golden State Warriors of baseball after they acquired Chris Sale, Tyler Thornburg and Mitch Moreland on the same day.
"So it kind of switched," said Dombrowski. "I would anticipate, like he said earlier in the year that he didn't know how the Red Sox would lose a game, I think it'll be the same. I don't know how they'll lose a game right now. They made some good moves. They made their club significantly better. It didn't surprise me at all. It was out there for an extended period that they were looking to do those things."
The Red Sox focused on what they could do to get better. Dombrowski went on an exhaustive search for a righty setup man, inquiring about no fewer than 20 of them before securing the deal with one of his top targets in Reed.
Reed has turned into one of the finest relievers in the game after joining the Mets in a waiver trade in August 2015, notching a 2.09 ERA over 145 games. In 48 appearances this season, the 28-year-old has a 2.57 ERA with 19 saves in 21 opportunities.
Reed's closing experience is invaluable, as the Red Sox will now be in a better position to get Kimbrel rest when needed.
"The fact that we've been able to strike a deal, get Addison in here, days in which Craig might not be available, Addison certainly is that closer B so to speak. His addition is a welcome one," said Farrell.
Reed joins Matt Barnes and Heath Hembree as Farrell's top setup options. Joe Kelly will again be prominent in that mix when he returns from a left hamstring strain that forced him to the disabled list earlier on July 15. The Red Sox are also hoping to get sidewinder Carson Smith back in the near future. The righty hasn't pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2016, but he did throw off the Fenway mound Monday.
To get the reliever they coveted, the Red Sox came up with three quality arms for the Mets, who were in need of replenishing their pitching depth on the farm.
"I talked to [Mets general manager] Sandy [Alderson] quite often over the last couple of days and finally said, 'OK, this is what's going to get it done. Let's go ahead and get it done.' I've dealt with Sandy -- I hate to say this -- for about 30 years," said Dombrowski. "So we've dealt with each other for a long time, and I know when he tells me something from an honest perspective, he means it. So we went out and got the deal done."
Reed (2.57 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) should provide helpful ratios for AL-only owners out of a setup role, but he is unlikely to receive the necessary save chances down the stretch to stay on mixed-league rosters. Back in New York, AJ Ramos (92 saves, 2.88 ERA since the outset of 2015) should hold the ninth-inning gig and a spot in shallow-league lineups until Familia returns from the disabled list in August. Reed owners who do not have access to Ramos can check waivers for a replacement such as Brad Ziegler, Shane Greene or Sean Doolittle.

 

[Greenbacks]

Scurbs add LHP Wilson, C Avila from Tigers.

CHICAGO -- The Cubs' bid to repeat as World Series champions got a boost on Monday. Their strong start in the second half prompted the front office to make a move, acquiring left-handed reliever Justin Wilson and backup catcher Alex Avila from the Tigers. The Cubs dipped into their farm system once again, sending top prospect Jeimer Candelario, Class A shortstop Isaac Paredes and a player to be named later or cash to the Tigers in exchange for Wilson and Avila.
At the All-Star break, the Cubs were 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs got a jump on their rivals by acquiring left-hander Jose Quintana from the White Sox on July 13, well before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. Since then, the Cubs are 13-3 and have opened a 2 1/2-game lead over the Brewers.
"I definitely feel we're a stronger team now than before we got Quintana in the middle of the month," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said Monday. "We've added three pieces to our team who can really help us. We're going to try to win this division and hopefully beyond that."
Wilson, 29, was 3-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 42 games this season, and holding right-handers to a .131 batting average while lefties were hitting .220 against him. He gives the Cubs another late-inning setup pitcher, something manager Joe Maddon can always use.
"I think [the addition of Wilson] takes a little bit of a burden off a bunch of different guys, which is helpful for Joe," Hoyer said. "Bullpens can get tired in August and September, especially the high-leverage relievers if you're playing well. I think Wilson helps that."
The Cubs did look to acquire more pitching depth, similar to the acquisition one year ago of lefty Mike Montgomery, who can either start or pitch in relief. Hoyer said none of those deals came to fruition.
Wilson, who has 13 saves in 15 chances, is making $2.7 million this year and has one more year of arbitration left on his contract before he becomes a free agent. His addition gives the Cubs three lefty relievers, as he joins Montgomery and Brian Duensing. The Cubs' bullpen ranks second in the National League with a 3.37 ERA.
"I was looking at [Wilson's] game logs, he looks like he's in pretty good shape," Maddon said during a break at his charity golf outing on Monday. "He hasn't been overworked to this point, and that would be the purpose of the program going forward, is to be able to fit him in and not utilize him too often."
Maddon was also happy to get Avila before he teed off.
"This guy's not a backup," Maddon said. "You look at what he's done this year and look at his numbers and his history, and he's young enough to play more often. He's a great complement, an outstanding complement to Willson [Contreras]."
The Cubs have been looking for an experienced catcher to back up Contreras since parting ways with Miguel Montero in late June. The Cubs did promote rookie Victor Caratini, who hit his first Major League home run on Sunday in a 4-2 win over the Brewers. Avila, 30, was batting .271 in 76 games with the Tigers. He will be a free agent after this season.
"Willson plays like the energizer bunny -- we all know that," Hoyer said. "But everyone has their limits and we have to be very careful not to wear him down to make sure he's fresh during the pennant race. We risk him playing too much without going out and making a move like this."
As in the Quintana deal, the Cubs did not have to trade any of the players on their 25-man roster.
"Our focus all along has been to keep this core of players together," Hoyer said. "We believe in them, they've won together, and that was a nice thing for us at the Deadline to keep this group together naturally. I'm glad we could do that."
Candelario, 23, was batting .266 with 12 home runs and 27 doubles in 81 games at Triple-A Iowa. He took over the No. 1 spot on MLB.com's list of Top 30 Cubs prospects when the team dealt Eloy Jimenez for Quintana. Paredes, 18, was ranked No. 10 on MLB.com's list of Cubs prospects.
Wilson (2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) should provide helpful ratios for NL-only owners out of a setup role, but he is unlikely to receive the necessary save chances down the stretch to stay on mixed-league rosters. Similarly, Avila can fall to waivers in mixed formats now that he is set for a reserve role behind the hot-hitting Contreras (1.019 OPS in July). Meanwhile in Detroit, Shane Greene (2.74 ERA) should join mixed-league rosters as the likely ninth-inning replacement for Wilson. Although Greene has struggled with his control this season (4.9 BB/9 rate), he has been arguably the most reliable reliever in a Tigers bullpen that ranks last in baseball with a 5.29 ERA.

 

[Greenbacks]

O's land Beckham, hang on to Brach, Britton.

BALTIMORE -- In the end, the Orioles didn't trade coveted relievers Zach Britton or Brad Brach. They didn't deal away Welington Castillo or Seth Smith. Instead, Baltimore -- rumored to have at least half a dozen of its current players on the trade market -- added both pitcher Jeremy Hellickson and shortstop Tim Beckham in advance of Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline.
"There was various interest in a lot of our players," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said. "But I still like this team. I like this team for this year and I like this team for next year."
Duquette had previously publicly voiced that he believes this Baltimore team, which entered Monday 5 1/2 games out of the American League Wild Card, still has a chance. He reiterated that to the large group of reporters prior to the O's series opener with the Royals.
"You do one or two things right and you get on a roll, there's still hope. There's still hope," he said. "That second Wild Card keeps hope alive for a lot of teams. Frankly, I'm glad we are adding. I'd much rather be adding this time of year than subtracting."
There was certainly thought to subtracting, considering the discussions surrounding Britton with pretty much all of the contending teams leading up to the Deadline. Brach also drove a fair amount of interest as did late-inning reliever Mychal Givens.
"We have a strength in our team in that bullpen and I'm glad they are playing for us," Duquette said. "To me, Britton is one of the top relievers in the American League. And there was a steep price paid for the relievers that were traded last year and that really wasn't the market this year."
Instead of selling low on Britton, who teams were wary of coming off of a forearm injury, the O's will roll the dice on a group that will largely have to be dismantled after the 2018 season.
While Hellickson is a rental and will be a free agent at the end of the year, Beckham is under team control through 2020 and should help an Orioles infield without J.J. Hardy and Ryan Flaherty immediately.
Duquette cited Beckham's pedigree as a former No. 1 Draft pick (in 2008) and his upside as key in the deal, which sent Minor League pitcher Tobias Myers to Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old Beckham batted .259/.314/.407 (82-for-317) with five doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 31 runs, and 36 RBIs in 87 games with the Rays this season.
"Beckham should help us," Duquette said. He's got a good bat, excellent power numbers for a middle infielder. He's proven to be solid defensively at second and short. And I think he's just starting to come into his own as a ballplayer."
The Orioles were also very excited about acquiring Hellickson.
"What we like about Hellickson is he's been a top performer in the league since he came into the league as a rookie. He's an outstanding competitor, he knows how to win in the American League East having pitched in Tampa and he's a very dependable, solid starting pitcher, which is something we've been looking to solidify this year," Duquette said.
The O's also made another 40-man move, adding right-hander Yefry Ramirez from the Yankees in exchange for international signing bonus pool money. Ramirez, 23, is 10-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 starts for Double-A Trenton this season and adds pitching depth. He will report to Double-A Bowie.
"I think we have the people in there, some additions people think are small could be big. Some things could happen tomorrow and the next day and next day," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the O's decision to keep Britton and Brach. "I look more at making what we have be better in some areas. See if we can get into the fight a little bit more."

 

[powerz]

Agree. Nats are scary good. I think daniel Murphy is the best 2 strike hitter in baseball. And bryce is the best player in baseball, period.

But something tells me they will keep falling short. And Bryce will be a Yankee before we know it.

Could that someting be Dusty

 

[Greenbacks]

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
S Gray	6.0	4	4	2	3	6	0	98-54	3.41

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