NEW YORK — Fresh Faces in New Places! MLB’s August 1st Trade Deadline continues to make headlines hour-by-hour as constant trades come in with several front offices viewing themselves as a legitimate postseason contender. So, who will step through that door next and get dealt?
Provided below are four enticing trades that were already officialized — each move is one that can move the needle in putting a team over the hump during their chase to October baseball.
Right-hander Aaron Civale acquired by Tampa Bay Rays
Last month, the Tampa Bay Rays witnessed their AL East division lead get ‘swooped’ away by the Baltimore Orioles, and throughout the process, viewed their starting pitching rotation, which has been decimated by injuries, as the main priority with the August 1st Trade Deadline looming.
Aaron Civale – Image Credit: Cleveland Guardians/MLB
With that in mind, the Rays front office attempted to fill-in the need this past Monday afternoon by acquiring RHP Aaron Civale from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for 23-year-old first-baseman Kyle Manzardo — a left-handed slugger, who was ranked the No. 81 prospect in MLB this past January and is now ranked third-overall in the Guardians minor league system.
Civale, 28, is 5-2 this year in 13 games (77 IP) with 58 strikeouts, a 2.34 ERA, and a WHIP of 1.04. Tampa Bay’s starting rotation finished the month of July with six wins and nine losses on a combined-ERA of 4.42 — the Rays went 8-16 in that span.
Aaron Civale's 8th & 9th Ks thru 7. pic.twitter.com/aFVYQzo4AZ
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 8, 2023
Ultimately, Civale should fit the mold quite well, and add a spark to the rotation as Tampa Bay enters their home stretch of the season — in the AL East standings, the Rays (65-44) are currently 1.5 games back from the first-place leading Baltimore O’s.
The Flamethrower Jordan Hicks heading to Toronto
As I previously mentioned in ‘Potential Candidates in MLB Trade Deadline’ on Latino Sports, a longtime baseball scout led me to believing that a legitimate contender will make a move for the flamethrower Jordan Hicks. And Toronto came in for the taking within one day of their closer Jordan Romano hitting the 15-day injury list due to back inflammation.
Jordan Hicks, newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays – Getty Images
On a similar scale of Aroldis Chapman’s impact in Texas as the Rangers’ go-to reliever/closer, Hicks can lay down his framework in Toronto — the 12th-best bullpen in all of baseball in strikeouts (406) and third-best in saves (36). Perhaps, adding Hicks will be the Blue Jays’ hidden gem in the strikeout department as we creep towards September and October. At the end of the day, strikeouts and stabilized bullpens secure victories in the postseason…
Jordan Hicks, Wicked 102.5mph Sinker. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/KFXbMpYa3i
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 25, 2023
For Hicks, the Blue Jays traded away a pair of right-handed pitchers that are now ranked within the top-30 of St. Louis’ farm system: Sem Robberse (sixth-ranked prospect) and Adam Kloffenstein (23rd-ranked prospect).
Toronto (59-48) currently holds a 2.5-game lead for the final American League Wild Card spot.
Wild Weekend in Texas: Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton are Rangers
Over the course of the ‘Wild Weekend in Texas,’ which featured future Cooperstown Hall of Famer Max Scherzer getting dealt to the Rangers from the Mets along with money considerations — GM Chris Young ‘doubled down on his chess moves,’ — acquiring LHP Jordan Montgomery and right-handed reliever Chris Stratton from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Max Scherzer – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
In the span of 48 hours paired with their Aroldis Chapman trade recently, the Rangers got what they needed in potentially making a successful October run — reinforcements in the starting rotation and bullpen.
On the other hand, the package in exchange for the three-time Cy Young award winner Scherzer was highly coveted minor league prospect, Luisangel Acuña, who is 21-years-old, and the younger brother of Ronald Acuña Jr.
Ain't life grand?
No. 3 @Rangers prospect Luisangel Acuña certainly thinks so after his bases-clearing clout for @RidersBaseball. pic.twitter.com/1L2xZYp9DD
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 21, 2023
The Caracas, Venezuela native Acuña, currently ranks second-overall in the Mets farm system, and contains the star-studded versatility of potentially becoming a five-tool player down-the-line — similar to his brother, Ronald, who is on his way to joining the immaculate 40-40 club (40 HR and 40 SB in a given season).
Ronald Acuña Jr. and his brother Luisangel Acuña could potentially face off as early as summer of 2024 based on how he develops in the Mets farm system. Braves vs. Mets with the Acuña brothers! – Image Credit: MLB
Nevertheless, for Montgomery and Stratton, the Cardinals received Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese, and John King, a 28-year-old reliever, who began his career with Texas in 2020. Roby is a 21-year-old RHP, ranked fourth-overall in St. Louis’ farm system, while Seggase is a 21-year-old infielder, slotting in at eighth-overall.
If all goes well in Texas, we should see a playoff rotation that revolves around Nathan Eovaldi, Scherzer, Montgomery, Jon Gray and in the backend, or alternating to the bullpen — Martín Pérez, Dane Dunning, and Andrew Heaney.
Jordan Montgomery – Image Credit: Emma Sharon/Latino Sports
Whichever way you might slate it, the Rangers have the pitching weapons to align what they like most.
Mets and Marlins make a deal for David Robertson
Last Thursday night, the New York Mets traded right-handed reliever David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, their NL East division rival, and in return, received two rookie league teenage prospects: Marco Vargas (Chihuahua, CHIH, Mexico), an 18-year-old middle infielder and Ronald Hernandez (Caracas, Venezuela), who is a 19-year-old switch-hitting catcher. As it goes for prospect rankings: Vargas is now ranked seventh-overall in the Mets farm system and for Hernandez, he is ranked 18th.
David Robertson – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The 38-year-old MLB veteran Robertson posted a 2.05 ERA in 40 appearances with the Mets this season while recording 14 saves in 17 opportunities. Since the trade became officialized, Robertson has appeared in one game with Miami, recording a save through a scoreless frame of work.
Miami, who also acquired Jorge López prior to the Robertson deal, enters today 57-50 (tied for the final NL Wild Card spot), and has a bullpen with the following MLB ranks: 14th in ERA (4.10), ninth in most HR allowed (47) and 11th in most hits allowed (368). Additionally, the Marlins are 23-9 in one-run games this year…
Newest Marlin David Robertson seals the deal with a strikeout, and Miami comes from behind to beat Detroit 🔥 pic.twitter.com/V33sMOelfJ
— Bally Sports Florida: Marlins (@BallyMarlins) July 30, 2023
As he has done so already, Robertson will contribute in late-game situations for Miami as the franchise seeks their first postseason appearance since 2020.
Only time will tell if these trade-moves were worth it or not for each respective team — but, hey that’s baseball!
Robert Rizzo is a journalist and co-editor of Latino Sports – Email: RobertRiz994@gmail.com
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