NO TIME TO CRUZ
After Rays nab Nelson, Yanks and Mets out to find deadline difference-makers
The ever-canny and resourceful Tampa Bay Rays fired the first shot at the baseball trade deadline Thursday night and it was a big one. Nelson (Have Bat Will Travel) Cruz, the premier DH in the American League, made the Rays his sixth team when he was swapped by the Twins for two Triple-A right-handers, Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, who project as middle-of-the-rotation starters for next year.
In that respect it was a great trade for the Twins, reaping two young starting pitchers for a 41-year-old rental player with the Rays also taking on all of the remaining $5 million-plus on Cruz’s contract. But as we know, the thrift-conscious Rays almost never take on money and thus the deal became a springboard for them helping to fill the Mets’ desperate need for starting pitching depth by sending lefty Rich Hill, an even-more-traveled 41-year-old who has about $800,000 left on his contract, to Citi Field for veteran reliever Tommy Hunter and minor league catcher Matt Dyer. But Cruz, hitting .294 with 19 homers and a .907 OPS, was highly coveted for both his bat and his clubhouse leadership presence, particularly from the Padres, and the Rays, whose own designated hitters had a collective .702 OPS, 13th in the AL, felt they had to move aggressively.
For sure the Rays have laid down the gauntlet in acquiring the one guy who can be a difference-maker the second half of the season and beyond: Since 2018, Cruz, who homered in his first at-bat as a Ray Friday night, has hit a beastly .294 with 19 homers, 50 RBI in 85 games against the White Sox, .306 with four homers and 10 RBI in 29 games versus the Red Sox, and four homers and 10 RBI in 16 games versus the Astros.
This is the question the Yankees and the Mets have to ask themselves: Are there any players out there on the trade market who can be difference-makers in their seasons? There is one for sure. Their recent slump, I’m told, has prompted the Nationals to switch gears from deadline buyers to deadline sellers, with everyone on their team, with the exception of Juan Soto, available for the right price. And that would include Max Scherzer, for whom there is already a bidding war forming from multiple teams including the Mets, Padres, Giants, Phillies, Astros and … those sneaky
Rays, who may have the most prospect assets of all of them.
While the Yankees could certainly use Scherzer, they have limited financial flexibility and bigger needs in center field and the bullpen. They have been talking to the Rockies about Trevor Story, and according to one source, with the idea of playing him in center field to better gauge whether to try and re-sign him. From their part, the Rockies have to decide what has more value — a proven major league player such as Clint Frazier plus a prospect or a No. 35-36 supplemental draft choice should they decide to hold on to Story and make him a qualifying offer.
Brian Cashman has also talked to the Rangers about Joey Gallo. Like Story, Gallo’s a big swingand-miss guy, but he’s left-handed, making only $6.2M and can’t be a free agent until 2023. Just the same, neither one of them figures to be a difference-maker for the Yankees this year.
In the Mets’ case, much as Steve Cohen would probably love to make a big splash at the trade deadline, Hill notwithstanding, their primary need continues to be starting pitching depth. But it’s highly doubtful the Nationals would trade Scherzer to a division rival. The Mets are also looking to upgrade at third base and have recently engaged the Twins about Josh Donaldson, who has two years and over $50 million left on his contract, and they have long been enamored with Kris Bryant. Again, however, they need to save their assets for pitching, although in the case of Bryant, a rental who has only one home run and seven RBI in the month of July, the Cubs can’t expect to get a whole lot back at this point.
In truth, other than the Phillies, the entire National League East has apparently given up, which is good news for the Mets. Word is, however, Phillies managing partner John Middleton has given GM Dave Dombrowski the OK to exceed the competitive balance tax if necessary to secure the pitching they need so badly. Dombrowski is talking to the Rangers about their closer Ian Kennedy and the Cubs about both Zach Davies and especially the comebacking Craig Kimbrel who’s having a career closing season as a pending free agent. Unlike with Bryant, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer has multiple bidders for Kimbrel, most notably the Dodgers. e will see how the trade deadline pans out from here but the team to watch is the Rays where, with the NFL Bucs and NHL Lightning already hoisting world championship banners, and with the National League looking very vulnerable with the Dodgers having an off season, Tampa Bay owner Stu Sternberg is under a lot of pressure to make it a Tampa Bay trifecta.
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