Deadline Day Transaction/Rumor Omnibus Post

At the winter meetings last year, there were so many concurrent trades that I literally couldn’t finish typing the news to one post before I had to start on the next, and finally, I just gave up and created an omnibus post for all the trade announcements at one time. Given that there are still a good number of potential deals on the table for today, I’m going to follow the same strategy today, but get a jump on things, putting the catch-all post up early, so we can use this to put up tidbits of deals as they come out. We’ll be continually updating this post, mostly with things from various Twitter feeds, throughout the day, and will be writing longer reactions to the trades after they happen.

Below, you’ll find a running list of “rumored deals.” Once they turn from rumor into deal, they will go to the bottom of the page, under “done deals.” The “rumored deals” will be updated with the most recent rumor moving to the top of the block. Got it? Good, keep it.

RUMORED DEALS

Dodgers Moving Alex Wood Already?

The Aroldis Chapman Market

Oh Boy — Or Not

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Craig Kimbrel’s Market

All the Nerdy Teams Want Tyson Ross or Carlos Carrasco

DONE DEALS

Mets Get Yoenis Cespedes, Not Jay Bruce

A’s Get Felix Doubront


Twins Get Kevin Jepsen

Blue Jays Get Ben Revere

Cubs Get Dan Haren

Blue Jays Get Mark Lowe

Cardinals Get Jonathan Broxton

Orioles Get Gerardo Parra





Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.

75 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
durn
11 years ago

Omnibus is such a badass word

Jerome Bettis
11 years ago
Reply to  durn

Anything with bus is a badass word.

Fed Fan
11 years ago
Reply to  Jerome Bettis

Andrew Jackson didn’t think it was so tough.

Jeannie Buss
11 years ago
Reply to  Fed Fan

Phil Jackson didn’t think running the Knicks from my bedroom would be so tough.

Rosa Parks
11 years ago
Reply to  Fed Fan

What do any of you know about buses or toughness?

Jim Buss
11 years ago
Reply to  Jerome Bettis

I agree.

Timothy Busfield
11 years ago
Reply to  Jerome Bettis

In addition to having a badass name, you might know me from the baseball classics Field of Dreams and Little Big League.

E Pluribus Anus
11 years ago
Reply to  Jerome Bettis

Phrases, too?

Roger
11 years ago
Reply to  durn

Third declension is the coolest declension

Sumner
11 years ago

nothing doing on the other CarGo that hasn’t moved yet?

Mark
11 years ago

Lol Arizona would trade for Chapman and try to extend him…why would Chapman agree to stay there?

Because obviously a rebuilding team needs a closer. Oh, Arizona.

Yosted
11 years ago
Reply to  Mark

DBacks have a ton of money starting soon, they want to lock up some marquee players. Not that signing a closer to a giant contract is ever a good idea

Mark
11 years ago
Reply to  Yosted

That’s what I meant, THEY want to sign him, but why would CHAPMAN agree to a deal with them? He can close for whoever he wants, and he’ll get paid by a contender.

Mark
11 years ago
Reply to  Mark

There’s a difference being 2 games back of a WC like the Jays were and 6.5 back like Arizona is. Chapman is certainly an elite guy but he doesn’t do nearly enough to help the Dbacks for this year. So they’d be giving up talent for 1.5 years of Chapman when he doesn’t make them good enough to make the playoffs this year.

Tulo also helps the Jays beyond the next season and a half, which is another factor.

Jim
11 years ago
Reply to  Yosted

Chapman is not any closer. He is a consistent 2.5-3 WAR a year player. As was discussed at length regarding the Jays adding Tulowitzki instead of a pitcher a 2.5-3 win improvement helps regardless of position. Also, the comments about AZ not being competitive in 2016 are ridiculous. They have been a .500 team all year. They probably have one of the best young core of position players under control, above average farm system and a new TV deal and only 35M under contract for next year. This team is close and they will be very aggressive in free agency next year. Depending what they give up I don’t think trading for Chapman next year is crazy at all.

nate
11 years ago
Reply to  Jim

1. i’d say the Cubs, cards, giants, pirates, braves(?), & marlins(?) all have a better core of young position players.

2. with the recent ascension of the cubs, mets, & pirates and the continued strength of the dodgers, giants, & cardinals, i just don’t see how even a 3+ WAR improvement gets the d’backs into even the 2nd WC discussion in the NL 2016-2018.

Valuearb
11 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Except that the rotation is a joke, outside of first the infield is a question mark, they have no catcher and they are behind the Dodgers/Giants.

Good luck with that contending

Aziz Al-Doory
11 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Welington Castillo has an .800 OPS and (barely) positive defensive marks.

He was a 3 WAR player in 2013 in 113 games. A 2.5 WAR player in 2014 in 110 games and is a 1.1 WAR player this year in only 66 games. He’s arb eligible for the first time next season so he shouldn’t be terribly expensive either. That’s a pretty good catcher, and certainly not “no catcher”.

Well-Beered Englishman
11 years ago
Reply to  Mark

When I heard that Arizona was interested in, and had made contact/offers on both Aroldis Chapman and Cole Hamels, I genuinely laughed out loud.

donaldkochMember since 2016
11 years ago

Seriously, is LaRussa just trolling us all? I guess I naive, but nobody who has been involved with baseball at its very highest levels could possibly think that AZ trading high-level cost-controlled prospects for even elite closer is a good idea, right?? Even if has fooled himself into believing the team can legitimately contend in 2016, this is probably a bad idea, isn’t it?

durn
11 years ago
Reply to  donaldkoch

LaRussa is the Phil Jackson of baseball.

Jon J
11 years ago
Reply to  durn

As a Knick fan, I hate to agree with that.
Phil just drinks less.

durn
11 years ago
Reply to  Jon J

drinks less for now

Jeannie Buss
11 years ago
Reply to  Jon J

Except Phil has more rings.

Not that he’d ever give ME one 🙁

Bobo PolaroidsMember since 2016
11 years ago
Reply to  durn

#goink

nate
11 years ago
Reply to  donaldkoch

unless the d’backs aren’t as high on their own prospects who were acquired by the old regime (as evidenced by the tooki deal) and figure flipping 2-3+ prospect they don’t love for ~1 yr of chapman, and then flipping chapman for 2-3 prospects they actually like, is worth it.

Poor Mans Rick ReedMember since 2016
11 years ago

Love it. Is the idea that the updates will continue rolling in and be added to the bottom of the article, like a timeline, or sprinkled into the established categories as things change?

ManBearPuig
11 years ago
Reply to  Dave Cameron

Thanks to everyone at Fangraphs for this.

Bobby
11 years ago

Been awfully quiet on the Cespedes trade front…

joser
11 years ago
Reply to  Bobby

Maybe… maybe a little too quiet.

David
11 years ago

Regarding the Diamondbacks, I like to laugh at them as much as the next guy. However, is it possible they want Chapman with an eye on stretching him out as a starter again if they can extend him? The Reds ran out of time with his contract, as he’d just be hitting the free agent market once he was working his way through innings limits, assuming success.

tct
11 years ago
Reply to  David

I agree. Just cause the Reds have been dumb in their usage of Chapman doesn’t mean other teams have to be. He’s got the secondary pitches to be a starter, without a doubt. The question is can he hold his velocity, can he be more efficient, how long would it take to stretch him out, and will he be be open to starting. If Arizona could sign him at the price of an elite closer,maybe a tad more than Kimbrel got, and then turn him into a starter, they could get a potential ace for a bargain.

But even if they don’t turn him into a starter, they could still get more value than the Reds have gotten. If you used him twice a week for 2-3 innings at a time, he would be over 100 innings by the end of the year. Imagine bringing in Chapman in the seventh of a tie game and letting him finish it. I don’t think Arizona would do this as it goes completely against “the closer rules” and as soon as their other closer blew a couple saves you would have people clamoring to put Chapman as the classic closer. But Chapman is such a unique talent and you have to find a way to at least get 100 innings a year out of him.

Valuearb
11 years ago
Reply to  tct

He hasn’t seen started in over 7 years. You want to spend a premier prospect to pay $12M+ next year for an elite closer, then gamble with his usage? That’s a huge price to pay if you injure him.

BillyMaysHayes
11 years ago

What do the Indians want for Carrasco? Isn’t a solid starter locked up at a huge discount through 2020 exactly what they need as a borderline contending, small market team? I guess they can always use more ammo (if and) when they eventually become buyers, but isn’t Carrasco the kind of guy they’d be looking to acquire?
It seems like the kind of move Beane could pull off, but one the Indians always seem to flub on.

tz
11 years ago
Reply to  BillyMaysHayes

I still don’t get it, unless they’re using him to make a Nick Swisher deal palatable.

mario mendoza
11 years ago

Yanks linked to Kimbrel, Chapman, and….. CAPPS! Very smart.

tz
11 years ago
Reply to  mario mendoza

I can see someone using Capps as their closer down the stretch, then flipping him to Arizona in the offseason as a “proven closer” for some good talent, just in time for MLB to ban the hop-skip-and-a-jump delivery.

francis
11 years ago
Reply to  mario mendoza

I wonder if in 20 years the game will evolve to where having the KC style 7-9th inning bullpen is the norm, and the outliers have 4 or 5 Chapman types.

I keep thinking that the 6 man rotation is going to be the next movement, but now it seems that the 3 closer bullpen will happen first or instead.

Matt
11 years ago

Troy Tulowitzky, David Price, AND Ben Revere? Now we’re just getting greedy.

Josh
11 years ago

Are the Dodgers rumors too speculative to be up here? I’ve seen them connected to at least Galladro, Carrasaco

chapper55
11 years ago

I almost feel sorry for Preller. The wolves may be entering the hen house.

TangoAlphaLima
11 years ago
Reply to  chapper55

The wolves have been living in Preller’s hen house since they slaughtered all the chickens in the offseason.

I once posted as Ruben Amaro.
11 years ago

Who else wants to see a Mets-Cardinals brawl just to see Colon and Broxton go at it?

I twice posted as Jeannie Buss in the last few minutes.
11 years ago

If Broxton has to run in from the pen he might not make it there before they clear it up.

I never thought I'd live to see "I twice posted as Jeannie Buss in the last few minutes." as a username on a baseball website
11 years ago

Lol.

francis
11 years ago

All I can think about is that time Carlos Zambrano ripped off his belt and brandished it as a weapon. Craziest MLB brawl moment I can remember. Well maybe Nolan Ryan …

Poor Mans Rick ReedMember since 2016
11 years ago

I’m excited to see how this “Oh Boy” category plays out…

tz
11 years ago

Dave should move the DBacks/Chapman updates there IMHO.

Kevin
11 years ago

I don’t get the Orioles here. Do they really think renting Parra is going to get them to the 2nd WC now that the Jays have brought in Tulo and Price? The last thing they should be doing is giving up viable, not great, but viable, AAA talent to acquire a guy who will help them miss the WC by a narrower margin.

Scott McKinney
11 years ago
Reply to  Kevin

Orioles are basically mailing it in. Low odds of getting a WC spot now with the upgrades Toronto and Houston have made.

Bill
11 years ago
Reply to  Kevin

Well, the O’s window is slamming shut this off season, so they have to do something. Unfortunately, their minor league system is such that this is all they can do. The WC is certainly within reach and Davies wouldn’t have amounted to anything had he stayed with the O’s horrible record of player development.

Kevin
11 years ago
Reply to  Bill

I get that this is likely it for this core group, but if you’re going to do anything you might as well try and get a guy like Upton or even Cespedes who might move the needle more. Davies might not have developed, but they likely gave him up for essentially nothing.

durn
11 years ago

Please let the Red Sox, Cubs, and Padres “blockbuster” be a real thing. Sox and Padres dump 1 billion dollars of salary on the cubs for the co-rights to their triple-A team.

Theo Epstein
11 years ago
Reply to  durn

Good joke.

%
11 years ago

If an omnibus had wheels, how many would it have

&
11 years ago
Reply to  %

I don’t know, but they would go round and round

!
11 years ago
Reply to  &

!

.
11 years ago
Reply to  !

`

BSC
11 years ago
Reply to  %

All of them.

Paul Kasiński
11 years ago

Some of the categories have newer posts at the bottom, and some at the top. If you’ve got time, maybe standardize that?

Paul SwydanMember since 2020
11 years ago
Reply to  Paul Kasiński

Will work on that now. Thanks.

Paul Kasiński
11 years ago
Reply to  Paul Swydan

Looks great, thanks!

Riflemen
11 years ago

Marlins looking for a controllable starting pitcher. Ozuna being dangled?

HappyFunBall
11 years ago

So the Mets are connected to just about every OF, but can’t seem to close. Anyone else get the feeling that since they made Wheeler available, everyone else is asking for him now?

Poor Mets fans 🙁

Stinky Pete
11 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

I would have much preferred they dealt Niese in a smaller deal for someone like Venable, but at least in making Wheeler available they’re aiming for a higher return than Victor Zambrano.

Roger
11 years ago
Reply to  Stinky Pete

Frankly, I’d prefer they held on to Wheeler at this point, given the potential bats on the table (and their years of control). I don’t see why the team needs a non-elite outfield bat for 2015 enough to give up a pitcher of his talent under control for that many years. The marginal upgrade from giving LF at-bats down the stretch to Conforto/Kelly Johnson/Nieuwenhuis/etc to giving them to Jay Bruce just isn’t anywhere near big enough to be worth Wheeler.

TR
11 years ago
Reply to  HappyFunBall

why would anybody believe that the Mets are actually going to do something?

francis
11 years ago
Reply to  TR

cuz they did ?

kevin
11 years ago

Cubs send Starlin Castro and Javier Baez to Padres, get Justin Upton and Brock Holt.
Red Sox send Henry Owens to Padres, Brock Holt to Cubs, get Tyson Ross
Padres send Ross to Sox, Upton to Cubs, get Henry Owens, Starlin Castro and Javier Baez

Lots of cash to Padres also to subsidize some of Shields/Kemp. Padres also get some young players. Cubs get some bats and the ability to move Castro. Red Sox get a new young SP. Who says no?

this is silly
11 years ago
Reply to  kevin

why would the red sox give up henry owens and brock holt for tyson ross? makes no sense

Kevin
11 years ago
Reply to  this is silly

Because Tyson Ross is 28 years old, has a career 8.34 k/9 and 55% gb rate, and is can’t be a free agent until after the 2018 season. That sounds like one of the most valuable commodities in baseball. The red Sox are paying Henry Owens comes anywhere near that level of production.

If anything I think the cubs package might be too light. I guess it depends on other teams’ view of Baez.

james wilson
11 years ago

No.

jj
11 years ago

Weirdest thing: “Marlins paying 500k in Haren deal.”

Comment From lunch
whats the weirdest thing that has a chance of happening in the next 38 minutes?

3:23
Dave Cameron: Marlins take on money?

Mario Mendoza
11 years ago

Yawn