Ok, i'll agree to disagree I think we would be better off with a strong LF and a guy like Yandy at 1B, and that would increase our potential to win it all quite a bit Hopefully we get healthy, but Tucker doesn't look like he is coming back anytime soon. Gonna need Chas to play everyday and get going or the bottom half of our lineup is gonna continue to suck
The Mariners have traded away assets at the deadline - even when contending the last few years. The Mariners got a whole lot less than they expected this deadline - but overall, compared to what was available, they did okay. They got Arozarena and will hope Justin Turner finds the fountain of youth....
Years? They just went 20+ seasons between playoff appearances and are still desperate to sniff a WS (or even ALCS again). I would hope with that pitching staff and whatever is left of their lineup their GM would go all out. While Brown didn't have a great deadline... they did fill a much needed hole with one of the better SP's available. I would have loved to have upgrades in the bullpen and at 1B as well, but the price didn't match. The rest of this team's roster is pretty fixed (same applies for next year as well, minus Breggy). Paredes remains the one player that I think universally would have made everybody happy here... and he ends up going to a team that wasn't even trying to buy, indicating the Rays probably helped orchestrate that just as much as the Cubs sought him out.
The Astros wanted to get a bat badly - in hindsight my guess is they would go hard for Randy if they knew literally no one else above average with the stick would be dealt. The Astros, Yankees and Pirates all were VERY motivated to trade for Diaz and it did not happen. That tells me that there is more to the story. While it is disappointing - only one real bat was dealt, so it was bad for everyone. I have asked why the Astros did not get Diaz and was told the Rays wanted literally the Astros or Pirates 5 best prospects. Would you trade Matthews, Melton, Baez and Blaubaugh and Ullola for Diaz? The Rays dealt Paredes for less than that or about that.... that is just too much.
Curious as to how MLB would have a role in that? Force teams out of contention to sell? Force teams in contention to overpay? While trading is fun (in all sports), we've seen the NFL and NBA heavily influence teams to be able to keep their homegrown stars and provide consistency (and parity) for fan bases. Even though the NFL deadline has seen some increased activity in years past, its still the most boring of all of them... and yet that league still has a vice grip on the sports viewing world.
The Rays wanted Morel. They valued him far higher than anyone else does/did. Playing monday morning QB - the only real difference Brown could have done over the last week, is offer a lot for Randy A .... but that is even hard to do, because none of the pitchers left had teams wanting to move them that early. It was just a very crappy trade deadline.
They would have to do something like give more draft considerations for teams that are at the top of the draft.
encouraging them to sell or retain? Again, I think MLB wants homegrown players to get called up earlier and sign earlier extensions or ultimately stay with their teams and not have more Marlins' like franchises decide to just hit re-set every 3-5 years. The Royals have actually been one of the few teams that won as a small market, signed some (not all) of their key guys, had to re-tool/reload... and now are back in contention again. They do have a sound fan base so that helps. Parity has improved over the last 20 years... and this very regional game still is improving in overall attendance and keeping middling fan bases engaged through the summer.
The whole trade deadline 2024 was absurd. Only two above average hitters were traded. The Rays wanted Hunter Brown for Paredes.... Then the Astros had to trade 3 of their top 20 prospects for a pitcher with a 4 era and he was like the 3rd best starter on the market. The Orioles traded away their last two second rounders, a very popular and toolsy outfielder with major upside and a top 5 prospect on their team for a pitcher the Rays wanted to trade to cut payroll in 2025 and a pitcher the Marlins almost released earlier this year. The Astros, Mets, Yankees and Dodgers all went to the literal trash heap tp get relievers. The Dodgers traded a top 50 prospect, that is in the lower minors - for a rental pitcher that is having a good year but has fallen apart in the second half the last few years. This was the most expensive and crappy trade deadline I have ever seen.
I don't think I've been this annoyed at the front office since the Tim Purpura days. This feels like when we traded for Miguel Tejeda then exactly one day later he was named in the Mitchell Report (although that was an Ed Wade move).
Annoyed at this front office? Look around the league - every team paid a heavy price - it isn't the front office, it is this trade deadline.... it isn't like everyone else was getting great players while Brown had his thumb up his ass.
The lesson to learn for the Astros - Orioles, Braves and Yankees is that the trade deadline should no longer be viewed as a second Winter meetings... when your team needs players or positions filled that you know about, do it in the winter in deals and free agency. The Astros, Braves, Orioles and Yankees all went into the season with known needs and thought they would just deal some B/C level prospects to fill their holes.
What a dud of a deadline. Hope Astros survive until JV, Tucker, and Garcia comes back....if they ever.
