The Chicago Cubs made a depth move by acquiring catcher Martin Maldonado from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery. Maldonado is hitting .223/.287/.360 with six home runs, 17 runs batted in and 26 runs scored in 242 at-bats this season. He certainly is not known for his bat; rather, he is a glove-first catcher that has thrown out 1/3 of runners stealing and has performed well in most defensive metrics. The move is already turning out fruitful as the Cubs had to put Willson Contreras on the IL with a right foot issue.
For Montgomery, he will forever be remembered in Cubs lore as the man who pitched the last out of the 2016 World Series, the one that broke a 100-plus-year title drought. This season, Montgomery is 1-2 with a 5.67 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in 20 games.
In 27 innings, Montgomery has given up 35 hits, 17 earned runs, six home runs, and 18 strikeouts. He will possibly get an opportunity to start for the rebuilding Royals, assuming he isn’t flipped before the trade deadline.
San Francisco In Tough Situation
No one said that it was easy to be an MLB general manager. No one knows that better than the San Francisco Giants’ Farhan Zaidi. After playing most of the season dreadfully, his team has fallen 15 games back in the NL West. The rub, though, is the fact that they have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games and have won six in a row. That hot streak has now put them just 2.5 games back of the second Wild Card position.
Despite the recent success, it appears that the general manager is still staying the course and is planning on looking to trade away pieces. If they do, you could see names like Madison Bumgarner (5-7, 3.86 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), Will Smith (3-0, 2.75 ERA, 24 saves), Sam Dyson (3-1, 2.74 ERA), and Tony Watson (2-0, 3.03 ERA) all on the block. The next couple weeks could determine a lot, but as of right now, it still looks like the Giants might be in sell mode.
Arizona Looking To Move Jones
Like the Giants, the Diamondbacks find themselves in a tough situation. On the one hand, they are a whopping 14 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. On the other hand, they are just 1.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot. With so much competition surrounding them, though, the Diamondbacks continue to examine the possibility of selling as opposed to buying.
One player that they could look to move if they go that direction is veteran outfielder Adam Jones. On the season, Jones is hitting .268/.318/.440 with 13 home runs, 44 runs batted in and 47 runs scored. Signed for just this year, Jones could be a low-cost outfield option for a contending team. Still, he hasn’t exactly lit up the offensive metrics, and it may be more of a salary dump than anything.
Other veterans that Arizona could look to move include David Peralta and Robbie Ray. For Peralta, he is hitting .289/.352/.476 with nine home runs, 44 runs batted in and 39 runs scored. It is a far cry from his bust-out season last year, but like Jones, he could be a serviceable veteran.
A larger return would come in exchange for Ray, who could be controlled beyond just this year. On the season, Ray is 8-6 in 21 starts with a 3.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and opponents are hitting .221 against him. In 117 innings, he has allowed 95 hits, 51 earned runs, 19 home runs and has 152 strikeouts versus 57 walks.
The Diamondbacks would also love to move Zack Greinke, but his massive contract and no-trade list make that a little more complicated. On the season, Greinke is 10-4 in 20 starts with a 2.95 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and opponents are hitting .225 against him. In 128 innings, he has allowed 105 hits, 42 earned runs, 13 home runs and has struck out 114 versus just 16 walks.
Rangers Contemplating A “Minor” Move
One last team on that frustrating bubble of whether to buy or sell is the Texas Rangers. At 10 games back in the division and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card, the Rangers need to make a push quickly to give them hope of the postseason, especially with the trade deadline looming.
If they do decide to sell, one player that could be on many teams’ wish list could be Mike Minor. On the season, Minor is 8-4 with a 2.73 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and opponents are hitting .224 against him. In 122 innings, he has allowed 98 hits, 37 earned runs, 13 home runs and has 121 strikeouts versus 44 walks. While he may not be a bona fide ace, he certainly would fit well as a solid 2 or 3 in a contender’s playoff rotation.
Yankees Acquire Gore
In a pretty low-key move, the New York Yankees announced that they acquired outfielder Terrance Gore from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations. Gore will start in the minor leagues, but he could be one of those smart moves that could pay dividends down the road. While he is not going to light up the offensive stat charts (he is hitting .275/.362/.353 with no home runs, just one run batted in, and 13 runs in 51 at-bats), he does have value.
Gore can fly, with 13 steals in just 37 games. Come the postseason, the Yankees could utilize Gore as a pinch-runner and defensive specialist. He likely wouldn’t start, but he could definitely help finish games for the Yankees in October.
