Sox foes loading up ahead of trade deadline
Jul. 30—The trade deadline is less than 24 hours away and Boston's biggest competitors in the American League have been plenty busy. Here's where things stand heading into today's 4 p.m. deadline.
Yankees: Gallo, Rizzo bring big bats to Bronx
You didn't really think the Yankees would be sellers, did you? Yes, the Yankees are well out of the AL East hunt as of now, but New York is still right in the thick of the Wild Card race and this week's moves show the Yankees don't intend to go quietly.
Joey Gallo was one of the biggest names on the trading block and the Yankees got him while only giving up four prospects who, while good players, aren't necessarily considered the jewels of New York's farm system.
Gallo is currently tied for sixth in baseball with 25 home runs, leads baseball with 74 walks and is a better defensive outfielder than he's usually given credit for. The knock on Gallo is that he struggles to make contact — his .223 batting average and 125 strikeouts aren't pretty — but he's a formidable presence who will make the Yankees much better.
And if that wasn't enough, the Yankees went out and got Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo too.
Rizzo, a three-time all-star and former Red Sox draft pick, isn't hitting like he did during the 2016 World Series run but has still been productive at .248 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. He's also an elite defensive first baseman, and between him and Gallo the Yankees will now have two new lefties to shake up what had been a righty-heavy lineup. The Yankees gave up prospects Kevin Alcantara and Alexander Vizciano in exchange for Rizzo.
New York has also revamped its bullpen, bringing in righty Clay Holmes from the Pirates for prospects while shipping off righty Luis Cessa and lefty Justin Wilson for a player to be named later.
Rays: Cruz adds thunder to lineup
Move over Tom Brady, there's another ageless 40-something wonder coming to Tampa. Even at age 41, veteran slugger Nelson Cruz has been one of the most impactful hitters in baseball, and since his acquisition last week he's already homered twice for the Rays, giving him 21 home runs on the year.
He'll give Tampa Bay an intimidating bat to fortify the middle of the lineup, and all it cost was a couple of mid-tier pitching prospects.
The Rays haven't completely abandoned their "Moneyball" brand, however. Tampa Bay also acquired injured reliever Tommy Hunter and catching prospect Matt Dyer from the Mets in exchange for 41-year-old starting pitcher Rich Hill, and Thursday night the Rays shipped reliever Diego Castillo to the Mariners for reliever JT Chargois and third-base prospect Austin Shenton.
Astros: Graveman, Garcia transform bullpen
The Houston Astros needed bullpen help, and they got it by poaching closers Kendall Graveman from the Mariners and Yimi Garcia from the Marlins. Graveman comes to Houston with a 0.82 ERA over 33.0 innings, and Garcia has a 3.47 ERA in 36.1 innings this season. The Astros also got righty Rafael Montero from the Mariners and gave up four players in the two deals.
The Graveman trade in particular was a devastating coup, given that Seattle is only one game out of the second Wild Card spot and that Houston is a division rival. News of the trade reportedly enraged the Seattle clubhouse, though the Mariners have since traded for a pair of relievers to keep their bullpen afloat.
Athletics: Marte, Chafin bolster Wild Card hopes
If the Red Sox wind up falling behind the Rays in the AL East, they'll have to contend with an Oakland Athletics team that seems dead set on playing in October. This week the A's acquired outfielder Starling Marte from the Marlins for 23-year-old lefty Jesus Luzardo and subsequently got lefty Andrew Chafin from the Cubs for two prospects. Marte is batting .306 with seven home runs, 25 RBI and 22 stolen bases this year, while Chafin has a 2.06 ERA over 39.1 innings.
Scherzer: Nationals ace headed west
The big catch of the trade deadline, Washington Nationals ace and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, is reportedly going to the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the two teams were finalizing a blockbuster trade that would send Scherzer and star shortstop Trea Turner west in exchange for a lucrative package of prospects, including catcher Keibert Ruiz, righty Josiah Gray and others.
The news came after earlier reports that the Nationals were on the verge of a deal with the San Diego Padres, and the Dodgers' late push will have massive implications in the already fierce NL West playoff race. Scherzer is currently 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 111.0 innings pitched, including six innings for the win in what was likely his final start with Washington on Thursday.
Email: mcerullo@northofboston.com. Twitter: @MacCerullo.
