Futures Game a showcase of potential Machado trade chips
WASHINGTON — Touki Toussaint was about to settle down for his pregame nap when Atlanta Braves director of player development Dom Chiti called.
“When I saw his name pop up, I did kind of get nervous,” Toussaint said. “You see that name pop up, you’re like, ‘Oh, snap.’”
Chiti was calling earlier this weekend to ask the highly touted pitching prospect if he’d like to play in the All-Star Futures Game. But this time of year, Toussaint and minor leaguers all over baseball are right to wonder when the phone rings.
Before Manny Machado arrived for the All-Star Game, the Futures Game on Sunday was a who’s who of prospects bandied about in trade talks for the Baltimore Orioles shortstop and others expected to be moved before the July 31 nonwaiver deadline. New York Mets prospect Peter Alonso hit one of eight home runs in the game as the United States beat the World 10-6, a three-hour respite from the rumors.
“There’s definitely a lot of talk going around with trades and all that,” said Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura, who has been mentioned as possible trade chip for Machado. “There’s always questions of who’s getting moved and all that . ... Whatever happens talking wise or behind the scenes, that’s out of our control.”
FUTURES,
going to trade young players in the minors who are going to help you here. You’re not going to take away from the big league club. We are going to continue to watch and evaluate. We are very active in talks with teams. We don’t know where it leads to yet, but we are certainly going to try to improve the team.”
What’s the difference in how talks go this time of the year, in comparison to the offseason?: “This time of the year, everyone is checking in with each other. You check in with the other 29 teams. You want to touch base and see where everyone is. You’ll ask if there’s anyone the team is willing to move, and if they have depth in a specific area they’re ready to move. Guys with more control that are under contract are harder to get because teams don’t go as urgently with those players. Those talks end up getting tabled until the offseason.
“Most of the focus is on upcoming free agents. The teams who are out of it or just aren’t buyers, they’ll want to save salary on guys who are going to walk away in two or three months and hopefully get an asset.”
How do you balance trading for rentals?: “We prefer not to get a guy who’s only going to be here for two or three months. However, there are a couple of scenarios that provide an exception. If you feel that one bat or arm is the one piece you need to contend for a World Series, then you make it happen. The other scenario will be if you feel that the player might be someone you would pursue in free agency, there is value in getting him in your clubhouse early and getting him familiar with how your team operates. Other than that, you’re heavily weighing the fact of trading long-term pieces for a guy who is only here for a short time. That’s always a challenge.”
What do you hear about the pitching depth developing in the minors?: “All the guys are improving and progressing. A lot of the guys have good years. Our development staff is doing a great job.”
What have you learned about yourself since taking the helm?: “You learn how to work smarter. You learn how to prioritize areas. As much as I’d like to focus on the international side or the draft right now, the calendar says it’s time to focus on the trade deadline. You learn to manage time better. We aren’t going to do everything in one day. Most importantly, you never lose sight that the big league team is the engine that drives the bus. We still have to maintain and focus on the foundation, but we always remember that the success of the big league team drives everything.”