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MLB Trade Rumors: Latest on Paul Goldschmidt, Edwin Diaz, More
November 26, 2018
After a quiet weekend both in free agency and on the trade market as a result of the holiday, things might finally be ready to take off in the week to come.
The Arizona Diamondbacks remain one of the more compelling stories of the offseason, as they continue to mull a full-scale rebuild. The Seattle Mariners have already been busy trade partners, and the Cleveland Indians could be ready to move some big names as well.
Ahead is a closer look at the latest notable trade rumors from around the majors.
Twins Had 'Preliminary Talks' About Paul Goldschmidt
After a disappointing step backward in 2018 and with money to spend, the Minnesota Twins are expected to be busy this offseason.
The retirement of Joe Mauer has left a clear hole to fill at first base, and they've already begun kicking the tires on Paul Goldschmidt as a result.
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi#Twins and #DBacks have had preliminary talks about a Paul Goldschmidt trade, source confirms, though the dialogue has not advanced in recent days. Minnesota had 5th-lowest OPS at first base of any @MLB team in 2018; Arizona had the best . . . because of Goldschmidt. @MLBNetwork
As Morosi noted, the first base position produced a middling .711 OPS for the Twins last season.
Meanwhile, Goldschmidt was his usual MVP-caliber self with a .922 OPS that ranked fourth in the NL and included 35 doubles and 33 home runs.
So what will it cost to acquire the D-backs slugger?
Buster Olney of ESPN offered up the following insight into that question:
"One evaluator estimated the Diamondbacks' return for Goldschmidt would be more than what the Pirates got for Andrew McCutchen last winter from the Giants—outfielder Bryan Reynolds, pitcher Kyle Crick and international slot bonus dollars—but less than what the Orioles got for Manny Machado in Baltimore's midseason deal with the Dodgers last summer. Baltimore received five minor leaguers from L.A., the most notable being outfield prospect Yusniel Diaz."
If that's the case, the Twins wouldn't need to include Royce Lewis or Alex Kirilloff in the trade. Both prospects are more highly regarded than the aforementioned Diaz, who was the centerpiece of the Machado deal.
That said, with a number of teams interested, it would still take a significant prospect package to get a deal done.
Phillies, Braves Interested in Edwin Diaz
There are a number of experienced closers available on the free-agent market, including active saves leader and seven-time All-Star Craig Kimbrel.
However, the best stopper available this winter might be Edwin Diaz.
The 24-year-old led the majors with 57 saves this past season, backing that gaudy total with a 1.96 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and an eye-popping 15.2 strikeouts per nine innings in 73 appearances to finish eighth in AL Cy Young voting.
It remains to be seen if the Mariners will seriously consider moving him, but after trading James Paxton and Mike Zunino, it's not far-fetched to assume he might be available.
As such, teams have already begun showing interest, including a pair of NL East contenders in search of late-inning help.
The Braves got solid seasons from Arodys Vizcaino (16/18 SV, 2.11 ERA, 9.4 K/9) and A.J. Minter (15/17 SV, 3.23 ERA, 10.1 K/9) in the closer's role, but the bullpen would benefit from those two moving into setup roles ahead of a more proven ninth-inning option.
As for the Phillies, rookie Seranthony Dominguez (16/20 SV, 2.95 ERA, 11.5 K/9) emerged as the surprise closer and pitched well for most of the season before he was shelled to the tune of a 7.45 ERA in August and replaced by veterans Tommy Hunter and Pat Neshek.
Diaz won't be arbitration-eligible for the first time until next offseason and under team control through 2022, so he won't come cheap.
Mets Interested in Yan Gomes
It appears Yan Gomes has emerged as a potential answer to the New York Mets catching question.
"The Mets and Indians have discussed a trade for catcher Yan Gomes, and there is a decent chance for a fit, according to major league sources," wrote Andy Martino of SNY.tv.
Gomes, 31, enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2018 as he posted a 103 OPS+ with 26 doubles, 16 home runs, 48 RBI and 2.6 WAR.
He's set to earn a reasonable $7.083 million in 2019, with club options of $9 million in 2020 and $11 million in 2021 to follow.
Mets catchers hit a dismal .208/.297/.355 last year with Kevin Plawecki and free agent Devin Mesoraco getting the bulk of the playing time, so it shouldn't be difficult to find an upgrade of some sort before the offseason is over.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.