MLB Trade Deadline 2019: Latest Rumors on Noah Syndergaard, Edwin Diaz, More
Trade activity has started to pick up across Major League Baseball, but all 30 teams are still waiting for the big domino to drop before the July 31 deadline.
One reason this trade season has been slow is because a lot of clubs have playoff aspirations. As of Sunday, there were 19 teams within 5.5 games of a postseason spot. It's hard to justify selling when one good week can elevate you into a prime position.
Looking at the current trade rumors, here is what to expect leading up to Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.
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Mets Ready to Deal Syndergaard
One of the great activities in all of sports is trying to figure out what the New York Mets are up to at any given moment.
On Sunday, MLB.com's Jon Morosi reported they agreed to acquire Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays.
That move leaves the fate of Noah Syndergaard up in the air, but Bob Klapisch of the New York Times made it clear what the Mets intend to do:
Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, one scenario that was being considered by the Mets involved Syndergaard going to the San Diego Padres as part of a bigger plan to acquire Stroman from the Blue Jays:
That exact scenario is out the window, but the Padres would still be able to help the Mets if they really want Syndergaard.
Morosi reported Saturday that one rival executive believes San Diego is in the best position to acquire Syndergaard.
San Diego started this season with the top-ranked farm system in MLB. The graduations of shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and pitcher Chris Paddack were significant, but the team still has seven of MLB.com's top 100 prospects.
Syndergaard isn't having a great year by his standards, with a 4.33 ERA in 126.2 innings, but he still has tremendous value by virtue of being under team control for two more seasons.
The Mets could ask for two of San Diego's top prospects without being laughed out of the room.
New York does have quality pieces to build around, including Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto. The rest of the roster leaves a lot to be desired. Robinson Cano is hitting like a 36-year-old (.689 OPS). Yoenis Cespedes hasn't been healthy in two years. Edwin Diaz has been a mess as closer after being an All-Star last year with the Seattle Mariners.
Based on the current state of the Mets' roster, dealing Syndergaard to help expedite a rebuild makes sense. The best thing they could do is convince San Diego to give up a pair of top prospects for Thor and hope a rotation led by deGrom and Stroman carries them to playoff contention in 2020.
Edwin Diaz Attracting Attention
Since the Mets appear to be the center of the MLB trade world right now, Diaz could find himself on the move before Wednesday.
Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are all in on New York's closer.
The Jays seem like a long shot based on their current position in the standings, but Puma noted they could use Diaz to flip him to the Braves for future assets.
Potentially trading Diaz at a point when his value is so low would seem odd, though there are logical reasons to consider it. On the surface, a closer having a 4.81 ERA with 44 hits and seven homers allowed in 39.1 innings leaves a lot to be desired.
Let's consider the upside for a moment: Diaz is 25 years old, one season removed from being arguably the most dominant reliever in MLB and is under team control through 2022. His raw stuff remains intact with an average fastball velocity of 97.2 mph and a hard slider at 89.1 mph, per FanGraphs.
A team like the Dodgers, whose only major issue is bridging the gap from their starters to Kenley Jansen, would make perfect sense for Diaz.
The Mets' asking price for Diaz will ultimately be the determining factor if he gets moved or not. Since they seem to be operating as buyers and sellers, a deal would seem unlikely.
Brewers Seeking Pitching Help
Locked in a tense battle with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs atop the NL Central and the Washington Nationals in the wild-card race, the Milwaukee Brewers are focused on boosting their pitching staff to get back to the postseason.
Per Rosenthal, one scenario the Brewers are exploring is making their potential free agents—specifically Yasmani Grandal and Mike Moustakas—available for a starting pitcher.
Milwaukee's rotation is a mess right now with Brandon Woodruff, Jimmy Nelson and Jhoulys Chacin on the injured list. Gio Gonzalez left Friday's start against the Cubs with shoulder tightness, but manager Craig Counsell told reporters the southpaw is currently day-to-day.
Rosenthal didn't specify which starters the Brewers could be in on, though he did note Baseball America ranked their farm system as the worst in MLB.
Per MLB.com, shortstop Brice Turang is Milwaukee's only top 100 prospect (No. 81 overall).
Unlike the NBA, where the value of expiring contracts can help facilitate deals, it's unusual for playoff contenders in MLB to deal prospective free agents with the goal of getting anyone of significant value in return.
Given Milwaukee's limited assets in the minors, its best path could be to stand pat and hope to remain in close proximity to a playoff spot waiting for Woodruff and Chacin to return.
The bad news is Woodruff is expected to miss six weeks with an oblique injury, putting him on track to return at the start of September.
It's a significant risk to take, especially with Christian Yelich once again having an MVP-caliber season, but the Brewers' hands could be tied based on their current prospect group.
