2019 MLB Trade Deadline

[Stark]

I am notorious for not wanting Castellanos ,,, what is your rationale considering his numbers and also bearing in mind he has had two seasons of 20+ home runs ,,, and he is not a def option

1. Home runs are not everything, and even if they were, Castellanos plays in one of the stingiest HR home parks in baseball. He'd likely have hit 20+ in 2015 & 2016 and 30+ the past two seasons if he wasn't stuck at Comerica for half his games.
2. He's leading the league in doubles with 34 as of now. He's one of the best gap hitters in baseball.
3. He's got an .822 OPS this season, which would only trail Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor, Oscar Mercado, and Tyler Naquin on this year's team. Two stars, a young phenom, and a resurging Naquin.
4. He's got an insane 1.152 OPS against left handed pitching this season.

He's not perfect, but he wouldn't cost us any of our elite prospects and would be a legitimate bat in our lineup either at DH, 1B, or in RF. Getting him away from Comerica Park would make his counting numbers look a lot better too.

He's got a .720 OPS at Comerica this season, and a .922 OPS on the road.

I would LOVE to slot another .820+ OPS guy into our lineup, especially one who was putting up those kinds of numbers at Comerica Park.

 

[sportscoach]

@jack hammill I am with @Stark on this one. Comerica Park of the Tigers is really the opposite of Coors Field. It is much harder to hit the HRs there so if he was heavily in a smaller ball park, it would change his numbers. Now his defense isn't good, but his bat has always been solid.

 

[AZ_]

I am notorious for not wanting Castellanos ,,, what is your rationale considering his numbers and also bearing in mind he has had two seasons of 20+ home runs ,,, and he is not a def option

Two straight seasons of 20+, in a park that cripples players who have power to center-right.

In Cleveland, he becomes invaluably more attractive, IMO. His power to those alleys will play incredibly well at Progressive.

Perhaps that large outfield marginalizes some of his defensive metrics as well. Even then, he's an expiring contract who doesn't NEED to play the field that much anyway. As I mentioned yesterday, he could be a DH option with Bauers taking over more in LF.

Or he can play LF/RF, with Naquin manning the other corner.

 

[Urban]

Two straight seasons of 20+, in a park that cripples players who have power to center-right.

In Cleveland, he becomes invaluably more attractive, IMO. His power to those alleys will play incredibly well at Progressive.

Perhaps that large outfield marginalizes some of his defensive metrics as well. Even then, he's an expiring contract who doesn't NEED to play the field that much anyway. As I mentioned yesterday, he could be a DH option with Bauers taking over more in LF.

Or he can play LF/RF, with Naquin manning the other corner.

This.

In the 13 games that Bobby Bradley started, Bauers started in LF in 9 of those games. Freeman started 2 because Bauers had a sore ankle and Luplow started the other 2, which were both against lefty Daniel Norris.

Bauers in LF is something they appear to be comfortable with

 

[Juice is Loose]

Isn’t Castellanos arm pretty much jello? I remember Indians testing it all last series. Even Underwood and Manning made comments about it

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I'd love Castellanos for cheap. He'd be an ideal cheap DH pickup for us this season.

You stick Bauers everyday in LF, with the Naquin/Luplow platoon in RF.

I think Progressive Field has one of the shortest walls in that CF-RF alley, so it'd be nice to turn a bunch of those doubles and flyball outs into HR's.

 

[NorthCoastBias]

For those interested in Puig, here's a tidbit from Rosenthal's latest piece:

• The Reds were 4 1/2 games back in both the NL Central and wild-card races when their president of baseball operations, Dick Williams, told The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans over the All-Star break that the team planned to be buyers.

Since then, the Reds have gone 5-7, falling seven games back in the division and 6 1/2 back in the wild-card race. Their regression is setting them up as a potentially intriguing seller, and right fielder Yasiel Puig appears a particularly strong candidate to be moved.

Puig, a potential free agent, is batting .357 with 11 homers and a 1.106 OPS in his last 142 plate appearances. As always with the Reds, owner Bob Castellini would be a potential obstacle to any trade involving a player of Puig’s caliber.

 

[Derek]

Isn’t Castellanos arm pretty much jello? I remember Indians testing it all last series. Even Underwood and Manning made comments about it

Brantley's arm was jello, and he did fine in LF

 

[Kevalier]

Acquiring rental bats like Castellanos or Puig to plug in the middle of the order not only come at a relatively low cost, but another factor to consider is that it doesn’t block players like Daniel Johnson to potentially play regularly next season.

 

[NorthCoastBias]

This is from Jeff Passan of ESPN.com.:

The number of teams that have inquired about starting pitching this month is bountiful. There are those with clear, abundant needs (Milwaukee, Houston, Minnesota, New York Yankees, Atlanta, Philadelphia), others whose desire isn't quite as acute but is very real (Oakland, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Angels) and even those trying to buy and sell simultaneously (San Diego, Cleveland, Texas).

8. Trevor Bauer actually remains in Cleveland. The Indians' posture this July has left a number of executives in the industry confused. Some think they are primed to be aggressive and deal Bauer. Others believe they're simply not inclined to do much at all.

It would be unprecedented -- a potential playoff team selling its best pitcher at the deadline -- and certainly would need to return an enormous package of players, including at least one who can help chase the first-place Minnesota Twins.

The Indians do lead the AL wild-card race, a game ahead of second-place Oakland and three in front of the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, who are in a virtual tie. Despite conversations about selling, the Red Sox are increasingly unlikely to do so, according to sources. The Rays have considered adding to help stop their free fall. Oakland is on the hunt too.

Cleveland is almost a bizarro-world version of San Diego. The 47-53 Padres, teams said, have been assertive in talks -- and they'd like to buy a front-line starting pitcher the ilk of Bauer or Syndergaard. At the same time, they're talking with teams about dealing closer Kirby Yates and outfielder Franmil Reyes, among others. The Indians, meanwhile, are good -- 16 games above .500 with a positive run differential -- and still have considered, dating back to the winter, getting rid of a front-line-type starter.

Part of it is that next year Bauer will cost upward of $20 million in arbitration. For the Indians, that's a bug. Others teams see that as a distinct feature, the extra year of club control as alluring as Bauer's raw stuff.

 

[jack hammill]

Two straight seasons of 20+, in a park that cripples players who have power to center-right.

In Cleveland, he becomes invaluably more attractive, IMO. His power to those alleys will play incredibly well at Progressive.

Perhaps that large outfield marginalizes some of his defensive metrics as well. Even then, he's an expiring contract who doesn't NEED to play the field that much anyway. As I mentioned yesterday, he could be a DH option with Bauers taking over more in LF.

Or he can play LF/RF, with Naquin manning the other corner.

Two straight seasons of 20+, in a park that cripples players who have power to center-right.

In Cleveland, he becomes invaluably more attractive, IMO. His power to those alleys will play incredibly well at Progressive.

Perhaps that large outfield marginalizes some of his defensive metrics as well. Even then, he's an expiring contract who doesn't NEED to play the field that much anyway. As I mentioned yesterday, he could be a DH option with Bauers taking over more in LF.

Or he can play LF/RF, with Naquin manning the other corner.

Two straight seasons of 20+, in a park that cripples players who have power to center-right.

In Cleveland, he becomes invaluably more attractive, IMO. His power to those alleys will play incredibly well at Progressive.

Perhaps that large outfield marginalizes some of his defensive metrics as well. Even then, he's an expiring contract who doesn't NEED to play the field that much anyway. As I mentioned yesterday, he could be a DH option with Bauers taking over more in LF.

Or he can play LF/RF, with Naquin manning the other corner.

As much as I am finding him more acceptable ... he would hurt the defense in our outfield ..

 

[Urban]

As much as I am finding him more acceptable ... he would hurt the defense in our outfield ..

My man, how many times do we have to say we figure that he'd be seeing most of his time in Cleveland at DH?

 

[Derek]

As much as I am finding him more acceptable ... he would hurt the defense in our outfield ..

He would either DH or play LF instead of Bauers. Either way, it wouldn't hurt our defense.

 

[jack hammill]

My man, how many times do we have to say we figure that he'd be seeing most of his time in Cleveland at DH?

The response was more in connection to whoever it was that said he could play the outfield as needed

I said it would hurt the outfield d ... even said I was beginning to accept the thought ... excuse me for not being a lemming

 

[Derek]

He would either DH or play LF instead of Bauers. Either way, it wouldn't hurt our defense.

@jack hammill why does this make you sad?

Bauers is not a good outfielder. Could easily rotate them between LF/DH as needed to keep both fresh, and to keep either of them from getting rusty.