If I were running an MLB organization these past few weeks, I’d have been on the phone with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s agent in a fairly constant way, discussing long term contracts while I backchannel with the Blue Jays about his price tag on the trade market. It’s probably good that I’m not in that position. In dynasty leagues, I have a tendency to pay what it costs to make the move and figure out the rest in the aftermath. Major league teams do not agree with that approach, considering the lack of prospect firepower that changed organizations on deadline day. Baseball America ran a piece that said zero top 100 prospects were traded this time around. While we might be able to pick at the specifics a bit, the premise feels fair enough: this year brought us a strange few days of trades without many Named Guys making headlines.
Plenty of excellent prospects were in play, however. As a plus defensive catcher with big offensive upside, Miami C Agustin Ramirez is an easy top 100 prospect by most measures. I have long wondered if draft-focused publications nudge incoming classes up their lists after dedicating much of the baseball calendar to sorting the players, so perhaps Ramirez has been pushed off BA’s list by the new draft class, but as a plus defensive catcher with power and athleticism, Ramirez is a premium prospect who was dealt for the best player traded this month in Jazz Chisholm. Pretty good get for a Miami team that desperately needs to shake things up. I like the other guys they got as well: SS Abrahan Ramirez and 2B Jared Serna. Incredible work by the Yankees, of course, who now have Chisholm through 2026. Not everyday you see a 30/30 talent traded with 2.3 years of team control remaining. Jazz added more fantasy value than anyone this week. Going from Miami’s dying lineup to New York’s party pad should even improve his approach. He’ll have more guys taking pitches all around him and more guys on base. He’s already hit four homers in two games for the Yankees, and I feel fairly confident that’s just the beginning.
Marlins 2B Connor Norby is also a top-100-type prospect. Sure, he’s near the back as a high-strikeout guy who’s stuck at second base, but he’s also a .300 hitter showing power and speed in Triple-A. It’s not ideal that he landed in Miami, but it’s still better than riding the option bus in Baltimore. Have to imagine this represents a significant arrow up for new Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers. Simply put, there’s no better place for a lefty to pitch in 2024 than Camden Yards. The 26-year-old has just two wins in his 21 starts this season. His strikeout rate has plummeted from his rookie season mark of 28.5 percent all the way down to 18 percent this season. Mission one with his new team will be finding a way to reverse that trend. They probably have a pretty good plan for that or wouldn’t have bothered sending Norby and OF Kyle Stowers to South Beach. Neither of these guys was likely to matter much to the O’s, but they’ve got a new lease on life in Florida, even if I’m not particularly interested in either.
Marlins LHP Andrew Nardi should compete with RHP Anthony Bender for closing duties in Miami. Both have been good for the past couple months.
With Josh Bell sent to Arizona, the club could take a long look at newly acquired 1B Deyvison De Los Santos, though 27-year-old 1B Troy Johnston might be first in line.
Nationals 3B Jose Tena has made a top 100 list for Keith Law, but he’s been nudged down the defensive spectrum since then. He’s still a no-doubt infielder but is probably a little stretched at shortstop, which doesn’t matter in Washington, where he’ll vie for a spot alongside CJ Abrams. I loved this trade for the Nationals, who got Tena, LHP Alex Clemmey and SS Rafael Ramirez in exchange for OF Lane Thomas, a fine player who does not hit well against right handed pitching. On the Cleveland side, Thomas might push Jhonkensy Noel to the bench, which is not cool.
The Nationals also acquired 3B Andres Chaparro for a bag of balls. He couldn’t get a look with the Yankees or Diamondbacks, but this feels like a fit. I’ll be adding him where I can.
A switch-hitting catcher with patience and power, Tigers C Thayron Liranzo was a top 100 prospect a few months ago and got traded for RHP Jack Flaherty along with SS Trey Sweeney, also a once-upon-a-time top 100 type. It’s not a real great landing spot for either prospect.
The Cubs moved Christopher Morel, RHP Hunter Bigge, and RHP Ty Johnson for 3B Isaac Paredes. This one’s pretty straightforward. Arrows up for Morel and Bigge. Arrow down for Paredes.
White Sox RHP Davis Martin stands to inherit the spot vacated by RHP Erick Fedde. He topped out at 96.8 mph and looked pretty solid in general in his first time back in the majors after Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2023 season. He’s nobody’s ace, but I added him in the Razz 30 in the hope that he’d get a look, so I’m invested now.
One reason big named prospects weren’t moved is that the White Sox chose 2B OF Miguel Vargas in their return for Fedde and RHP Michael Kopech. The fantasy community has been waiting to see a healthy Vargas in action for a while and will get that chance in Chicago. I’m expecting Kopech to thrive in Los Angeles. He’s a potential option in the ninth inning today given the struggles of that bullpen.
Blue Jays OF Steward Berroa has swiped three bags in two days of playing time. Kevin Kiermaier is in Los Angeles. Toronto will probably go with Joey Loperfido over Berroa when he gets to town, but Berroa could still be useful in deep leagues as a part-timer picking up innings across the outfield. Loperfido looks like one of the big winners here after Houston couldn’t find much time for him. He’s going to swing and miss, but he needs reps to find his way through the contact issues and access the double-plus power. His was the only trade universally panned as an overpay for LHP Yusei Kikuchi. RHP Jake Bloss and 3B Will Wagner (Billy’s son in case you want to feel the passing of time) were part of that same trade and could both see some major league paychecks down the stretch.
The Orioles added Eloy Jimenez in a buzzer beater and recalled 2B Jackson Holliday. The Eloy piece is not great news for Heston Kjerstad, Ryan O’Hearn, Coby Mayo, but they could just as easily move on from Jimenez if they can’t keep him healthy. They’ve got club options each of the next two seasons at 16.5 and 18.5 million. My guess is they get to work with him on whatever their team is seeing. He’s still hitting the ball hard. Maybe he misses a few games, maybe he never figures it out, but there’s a chance he comes back something close to the hitter he was in 2022 or 2020 or 2019. I think it’s hard to measure the human impact of living on a rudderless ship for days on end.
Thanks for reading!
