According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres “are aggressively looking for help, but are telling teams that prized catching prospect Ethan Salas is untouchable.” Assuming that’s true, there's a contradiction here: you can’t be aggressive if you don’t have much to be aggressive with. Let’s take a look at what Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller has to trade from his farm if Salas is excluded:   Leodalis De Vries Trade value:...

After a hot start where they looked like the best team in baseball, the Yankees have come crashing down to Earth, playing sub-.500 ball (18-21) since June 1. Along the way, several flaws have been exposed. Now, facing the deadline, they need help if they want to stop the skid. They could use another bullpen arm, and at least one (probably two) more bats, preferably ones who can play the infield.  They’ve gotten precious little production from Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMaheiu, and...

The Blue Jays finally appear to be at the point where they’ve thrown in the towel on the season – reportedly, they’re now open to trading veteran players on expiring contracts. But not Vlad or Bo. Why is that? Let’s explore what might be going on there, both from the Blue Jays’ point of view and that of the market.   Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. Projected trade deadline values: AFV: $41.3M Salary: $36.4M Surplus: $4.9M   It’s complicated – more...

We’re running a series of articles this summer on trade candidates on teams who look to be sellers at the deadline. Now up: the Los Angeles Angels.   Another MLB season brings another Angels disappointment, as the club’s quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 2014 once again looks hopeless. The departure of Shohei Ohtani, another prolonged injury absence from Mike Trout, and an overall lack of quality talent at the major-league level have all added up to give...

Miami Marlins’ new President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix didn’t take long to shake things up in his first year at the helm of his new club. In May, Bendix struck a deal with AJ Preller and the Padres, sending Luis Arraez to San Diego for a four-prospect package.  It wasn’t entirely clear at the time of his hiring what direction Bendix would take the team in his new position, but it sure is now. The Marlins were a surprise playoff team last year under former...

The Oakland (soon to be Sacramento) Athletics are one of the most clear-cut sellers for this upcoming deadline. That makes them ripe for the picking for contenders, as the A’s are likely to be open to parting with any and everyone not named Zack Gelof. There are a select few pieces from the A’s that contenders may find particularly interesting (one, J.D. Davis, has already been traded to the Yankees).   All surplus-value numbers below are in $ millions.   The Big...

We’re running a series of articles this summer on trade candidates on teams who look to be sellers at the deadline. First up: the Washington Nationals.   With an exciting young core and a bevy of highly-touted prospects, the future is bright in Washington. However, the Nats are still likely to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, as they look up at the Braves and Phillies in the National League East standings. President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo isn’t...

Back in 2022, John Bitzer wrote an article about former top prospects who now look like busts. It’s time for a refresh.  In that piece, John posited that, based on the actions of front offices around the league, prospects have about a two-year window, on average, to prove their worth before their club -- or the league as a whole -- moves on. The amount of time or number of chances a team is willing to give varies from player to player, but the point remains: players need to prove...

Billy Beane once famously referenced Branch Rickey when he said, “It’s better to make a trade a year too early than a year too late.” The notion is that, if you wait too long, you’ll miss the ideal window for trading a veteran MLB player for prospects that are good enough to restock your farm. One example of a team that failed to heed this advice was the Phillies, circa 2011. And their story may have implications for a team in a similar boat today – like the...

BTV fans, the time has come to change the way we operate. Beginning in early May, access to our Trade Simulator, Trade Boards, and Comments sections will no longer be free, as in the past (see below for details on why). Instead, we will be introducing a new subscription tier, called Pro, which will enable full access to these site features. You’ll now have three choices of subscription tiers: Pro, which provides access to our Trade Simulator, Trade Boards, and Comments, as well as...