Guardians Farm Report: Valera, Rocchio And Noel Combine To Hit Four Home Runs In Akron Win
Here is a recap of what happened with the Guardians minor league teams last night
TODD PAQUETTE21 HOURS AGO
All seven of the Cleveland Guardians minor league teams were in action on Saturday.

Triple-A Columbus Clippers
Columbus 9 Toledo 4
There was no live video stream from Toledo for the second straight game. No video highlights.

Mud Hens pitchers were no match for the Clippers potent offense on Saturday as Columbus would post nine runs on 14 hits including three home runs.

The Columbus offensive attack was led by second baseman Tyler Freeman who reached base four times going 3-for-5 with a walk including his fifth home run of the season. The three hits for Freeman on the night extended his current hitting streak to seven straight games in which he is 12-for-30 hitting .400 during.


Will Benson would drive in three runs in the game on a couple of hits including a 2-run home run his 17th on the season. Benson extended his own hitting streak to six straight games. He currently leads the International League in OBP at .423 and is third in OPS at .937 on the season.

First baseman Bobby Bradley would also homer in the contest for his sixth long ball of the season. The solo home run would be Bradley's only hit but he did score three runs after also reaching base on a walk and hit by pitch.

Cleveland Guardians 24-year-old RHP prospect Hunter Gaddis would make his Triple-A debut having just been promoted from Akron. Gaddis would throw four scoreless innings allowing just one hit while striking out six Mud Hens batters in the start. He would be pulled after just 68 pitches after enduring a lengthy fourth inning that would include three walks.

The victory for Columbus improves the teams record to 53-38 on the season.

Top Performers:
Freeman 3-5 R HR 2RBI BB
Benson 2-6 R HR 3RBI
Bradley 1-3 3R HR RBI BB
Brennan 3-4 2B RBI
Palacios 2-4 RBI BB SB
Naylor 2-5 2R 2(3B)
Gaddis 4.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 3BB 6SO
Double-A Akron RubberDucks
Akron 7 Erie 6
Some of the Guardians top young offensive talents flexed their muscle in Akron on Saturday as the Ducks would narrowly defeat the SeaWolves belting four home runs in the contest.

Erie took and early 3-to-0 lead in the top of the first inning off Akron starter Tanner Burns. RubberDucks George Valera would answer in the bottom half of the inning cutting the Seawolves lead to one at 3-to-2 with a two-run home run his 14th of the season.


Now tied at 3-to-3 in the third inning the Ducks would take their first lead of the game on a titanic 441-foot two-run blast off the bat of Jhonkensy Noel. For Noel it was his seventh home run since joining Akron and 26 overall on the season.


Erie would score three runs in the fourth inning to give themselves a 6-to-5 lead knocking Akron's starter Burns out of the game. Burns would be charged with all six runs the SeaWolves would score in the contest in his roughest outing of the season.

Fortunately for the Ducks and Burns the offensive would pick up the two more runs on two solo home runs in the fifth inning.

First Brayan Rocchio would launch his 11th home run over the right field fence to tie the game at six runs apiece. The home run for Rocchio was his third in his last five games.


The second home run of the inning would come off the bat of Noel who would give Akron the lead on his second long ball of the game. The home run would eventually prove to be the game winning hit making it a 7-to-6 game.


For Noel it was his 27th home run on the season which now leads all minor league baseball. Incredibly he has hit 17 home runs over his last 36 combined games between Lake County and Akron.

Akron improves to 47-30 on the year taking the first two games of the weekend series against Erie.

Top Performers:
Jhonkensy Noel 2-4 2R 2HR 3RBI
Brayan Rocchio 1-2 2R HR RBI 2BB
George Valera 1-4 R HR 2RBI
Daniel Schneemann 2-3 RBI
Micah Pries 1-4 R 2B
Randy Labaut 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO
High-A Lake County Captains
Lansing 7 Lake County 1
The Captains six game winning streak would come to an end Saturday as the Lugnuts would shut down the team's red-hot offense holding them to just one run.

Petey Halpin would collect two of Lake County's seven hits in the game and score the teams only run in the second inning after hitting his 12th double of the season.


Halpin has now reached base safely in 17 straight games in which he is hitting .387 while posting an outrageous .493 OBP during the stretch.

The loss drops Lake County to 47-40 on the season.

Top Performers:
Petey Halpin 2-4 R 2B
Gabreil Rodriguez 1-3 RBI BB
Korey Holland 1-4 2B
Milan Tolentino 1-4
Mason Hickman 2.0(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO
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Low-A Lynchburg Hillcats
Salem 3 Lynchburg 2
Salem jumped out to an early 3-to-1 lead in the first two innings of play off Hillcats starter Juan Zapata. Lynchburg would shut down the Red Sox offense over the final seven innings of play.

Unfortunately for Lynchburg and Zapata the offense would only muster one more run coming in the sixth inning when Dayan Frias would cross home plate on a wild pitch after hitting his second triple of the season.


The loss drops the Hillcats record back to a game under .500 at 44-45 on the season.

Top Performers:
Dayan Frias 1-3 R 3B BB
Jordan Brown 1-2 R BB
Yordys Valdes 1-4 RBI
Wuilfredo Antunez 0-1 3BB
Jake Fox 1-5 2B
Juan Zapata 5.2(IP) 7H 3R 3ER 1BB 5SO
Arizona Complex League Guardians
ACL Guardians 10 ACL Reds 6
The ACL Guardians improve to an impressive 22-11 on the season scoring double digits runs for a second straight game.

The offense was led by Maick Collado who would extend his hitting streak to 10 straight games with three hits including a pair of doubles and RBI's. Collado is now hitting .400 on the season with a .500 OBP through 18 games played.


Top Performers:
Maick Collado 3-5 R 2(2B) 2RBI
Lexer Saduy 2-5 2R 3B 2RBI
Wilmer Hernandez 1-3 R 2RBI 2BB
Jose Pastrano 2-4 R RBI BB
Angel Mendoza 1-3 2R 2B 2BB
Angel Genao 2-4 R BB
Luis Almonte 1.0(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO
Dominican Summer League Guardians (Blue)
DSL Guardians (Blue) 6 DSL Astros (Blue) 3
The DSL Guardians (Blue) squad improved to 19-16 on the year getting a dominate performance in relief out of 21-year-old RHP Frederic Garcia. Garcia who came on to pitch in the fifth inning would strike out a career high 11 batters over four and a third scoreless innings allowing just one hit picking up his first win of the season.


17-year-old shortstop prospect Alberto Mendez remained red-hot reaching base three more times on two hits and a walk including a double. Mendez now has four straight multi-hit games.

Top Performers:
Alberto Mendez 2-4 2R 2B BB
Erickson Sarita 1-2 2RBI 2BB
Nomar Velasquez 1-3 2R 2BB
Oscar Cedeno 1-1 2RBI
Luis Aparicio 1-3 R 2BB
Frederic Garcia 4.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 11SO (W)
Dominican Summer League Guardians (Red)
DSL D-Backs (Black) 9 DSL Guardians (Red) 6
The DSL Guardians (Red) team trailed 9-to-0 before putting up six runs in the seventh inning against the D-Backs. The big inning would not be enough as the team dug themselves to deep of a hole early on. They fall to a dismal 10-25 record on the season.

The Guardians did get a strong start out of 19-year-old RHP Pedro Almanzar who lowered his season ERA to 3.09 after throwing four scoreless innings while striking out three Arizona batters.

Top Performers:
Brayan Guedez 3-5 R 2B 2RBI SB
Kevin Rivas 1-3 R BB SB
Richard Polanco 1-3 R 2BB
Emerson Purroy 1-5 3B 2RBI
Yanki Jean-Baptiste 1-4 R RBI
Pedro Almanzar 4.0(IP) 4H 0R 0ER 1BB 3SO

very young for High A, got off to a very slow start but coming along well
Halpin has now reached base safely in 17 straight games in which he is hitting .387 while posting an outrageous .493 OBP during the stretch.

I was personally assessing the 6-1 Clevinger deal and although I still am happy with the whole deal it's not really all that lopsided in our favor.
Of course that depends on whether Clevinger can finally stay healthy. If so he can well be the Padres' Ace.

Our side of the deal:

Arias keeps plummeting in prospect ratings, he's striking out an alarming rate and hitting below 200 in AAA. With a surplus of infielders he may not stay around into 2023.
Hedges is a nice catcher who can't hit and in '23 will be either Bo Naylor's backup or gone,
Miller has a nice swing and is a master of the sacrifice fly but can't get his OPS out of the 600s and isn't much of a defender.
Joey Cantillo is looking very good in AA but still a year away from his first test in the majors.
Quantrill is a middle to back of the rotation starter. Not at Clevinger's talent level but seems likely to have a long solid reliable career
Josh Naylor is proving his offensive talent and his enthusiasm is a nice addition; was defensively challenged before his major injury and is more so now. Good shot he winds up as a DH

So if we get a good hitting DH and a 4th starter and a backup catcher that's a reasonable return. Getting 6 stars for 1 was never a realistic expectation.

Great post civ. Arias still way to early to call.

But for sure Naylor and Quantrill are a very good haul alone for Clevinger.

Remember you have to also consider the contract status as well. Clevinger is a veteran who makes veteran money. And an often injured guy at that.

Cleveland Guardians 2022 trade deadline manifesto: Which way will they go?


CHICAGO — You know the meme, the one in which Charlie Day’s character from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” cigarette in hand and piercing eyes begging for rest, has a bulletin board filled with papers featuring zany connections that have cost him sleep.

Replace Charlie with team president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff. They never look as haggard or unhinged as the pursuer of the mysterious Pepe Silvia. But the MLB Draft just ended, the Guardians are vying for the American League Central crown and the Aug. 2 trade deadline is almost here.

The bulletin board in Antonetti’s office at 2401 Ontario St. is likely filled with plans and contingency plans and wild ideas that would make Charlie proud.

There are numerous directions the Guardians could go if they buy at the deadline. They could also stand pat or do some light selling. They could do a little of everything.

As is often the case with this organization, the trite “buyer or seller” label doesn’t really fit. One adjective that has been frequently thrown around by those surveying Cleveland’s trade plans: “open-minded.” Even if the Guardians held a five-game lead in the division, that stance wouldn’t change. They’re prioritizing the long-term view ahead of the short term, though those in the front office recognize the vulnerability of their contending AL Central counterparts.

Welcome to the annual trade deadline manifesto. Let’s assess the team’s standing, eight days out from deadline day.

The guys who have a murky future
Amed Rosario: He’s not Cleveland’s shortstop of the future, but then what, exactly, is he? Dippin’ Dots claimed to be the “ice cream of the future” for decades. Who knows? Maybe Rosario will still be Cleveland’s shortstop in 2040. Rosario is a clubhouse leader, without question. One of the lineup’s more dependable hitters, for sure. But he’s under team control through only next season, and the organization has several middle-infield prospects biding their time in the minors until an opportunity arises at the big-league level. Should the Guardians cash in on his trade value now? Is he worth more to another team than he is to Cleveland? What could the Guardians even obtain for Rosario that would help them? This is one of, if not the, toughest decisions facing the front office this week. The top third of the lineup has fueled the Guardians recently. What sort of message would it send the clubhouse if they deal him to another contender?

Franmil Reyes: If he’s crushing 30-plus home runs and striking out at only a slightly uncomfortable rate instead of an obscene, NC-17 rate, then he’s a valuable, biceps-flexing slugger in a lineup full of contact hitters. That threat of power is especially treasured when the club isn’t stringing hits together. But Reyes has failed to locate that confident swing, resulting in grotesque numbers at the plate, and next season he’ll be due no less than the $4.55 million salary he’s earning via arbitration this year. Would the Guardians be better served to rotate Josh Naylor, José Ramírez, Nolan Jones and Oscar Gonzalez through the designated hitter spot? Or would it be a mistake to sell low on a guy with a pretty consistent track record? The key here is whether there’s a contender that’s willing to look past his 2022 struggles and fork over something useful.

Shane Bieber: Really, any member of the rotation could be mentioned here, sans Triston McKenzie. If the Guardians want to sell high on a starter — we’ve mentioned Zach Plesac’s name in this space throughout the year — this might be the trade market to do so. As for Bieber, he’s the first one of the group eligible for free agency (after the 2024 season). He hasn’t resembled the overbearing, unanimous Cy Young Award-winning type of hurler, but an effective starting pitcher with 2 1/2 years of control could still fetch a haul. Obviously, moving him would probably sink Cleveland’s chances to win the division; the rotation has been rather pedestrian as it is. Daniel Espino and Gavin Williams, the most likely candidates to join or replace Bieber at the top of the team’s pitching staff, might not be ready for another year or so and might not realize their potential for at least a few years. So how does the front office craft a championship-caliber rotation in the meantime? They probably need Bieber and/or another top-end starting pitcher to do that. This is a storyline worth revisiting this winter. Bieber and the Guardians have discussed an extension in the past — those talks didn’t go anywhere — but the parameters of a deal have almost certainly changed.

You want to talk Juan Soto, don’t you?
We covered the Soto situation in detail here, but the gist is this: There are, perhaps surprisingly to some, elements to this that make a lot of sense … but there are other teams pursuing Soto who check more boxes. The Guardians have assembled enough young talent in the upper levels of the minors and in the majors to meet whatever the Nationals’ asking price is. (Although if it includes absorbing the $70 million or so remaining on Patrick Corbin’s deal, that’s probably a nonstarter.) In Cleveland’s case, the marriage would last no longer than the 2024 season, and then Soto would sign his megadeal elsewhere. There will be other teams involved that think they can extend Soto for another four presidential terms.

The always-present 40-man puzzle
This is why you keep seeing guys like Kirk McCarty and Tanner Tully (and even Oscar Mercado every other week). They’re designated for assignment after the fact, and sometimes clear waivers and return to Triple A. The Guardians need some flexibility on the 40-man roster; it can’t always be fully staffed because it’s full of minor leaguers who aren’t ready for the big leagues (Jhonkensy Noel, Brayan Rocchio, Bryan Lavastida, Carlos Vargas, Jose Tena, George Valera). Aaron Civale, Anthony Gose and Oscar Gonzalez, all on the injured list, are occupying spots, too. There’s just no wiggle room.

What does this mean ahead of the trade deadline? The same thing it meant last offseason: At some point, this team needs to consolidate some prospects. So, trading Bieber or Rosario for a handful of players at Double A or Triple A wouldn’t really make sense. And trading for low-level prospects who aren’t close to 40-man eligibility wouldn’t fit with the club’s contention timeline.

Buy, buy, buy: The trades to consider
The trade: Obtaining a short-term fix at catcher
The hurdle: Is a substantial acquisition worthwhile if the team isn’t a legitimate contender?
The example: Willson Contreras, Cubs

A good-hitting catcher is a scarce commodity, and there are teams with more urgency to win immediately that can meet Chicago’s demands. Contreras would provide the most significant upgrade at a position in dire need of one, but forking over a couple of well-regarded prospects for a rental doesn’t match Cleveland’s M.O. Maybe Boston’s Christian Vázquez would suffice, if the reeling Red Sox opt to sell.


If a deal for Willson Contreras doesn’t make sense for Cleveland, what about Sean Murphy? (Stan Szeto / USA Today)
The trade: Obtaining a long-term catching solution
The hurdle: Is it a prudent use of resources when Bo Naylor could be ready next spring?
The example: Sean Murphy, A’s

Should Naylor’s massive developmental leap this year prevent the club from upgrading at catcher? That question has been kicked around internally. For an organization hell-bent on employing catchers who can handle a pitching staff, frame well and control the running game, that seems like a lot to place on a rookie next season. The rebuilding A’s, who acquired a well-regarded catching prospect in the Matt Olson deal, have little need to keep Murphy, who won a Gold Glove Award last year and owns a .726 OPS this season. Murphy, a native of Centerville, Ohio, is under team control through 2025. Regardless of whether the Guardians address the position this week, it seems plausible they’ll acquire a veteran catcher to pair with Naylor before next season.

The trade: Obtaining an outfielder
The hurdle: What if Jones or Gonzalez is the missing outfield piece?
The example: Ian Happ, Cubs

If the Guardians can land a substantial, long-term boost to the lineup at a reasonable cost, they shouldn’t hesitate. There’s enough versatility on the roster to make the pieces fit next year. In sticking with their mantra from March, though, the team doesn’t want to block players such as Jones or Gonzalez to accommodate some 34-year-old rental. Jones and Gonzalez seem like worthwhile players to learn more about. That might have to come at the expense of Reyes, since Josh Naylor has cemented himself as an everyday player.

Oakland’s Ramón Laureano is controllable through 2025, but he’s more valuable if he’s playing center field, so he’s a bit redundant with Myles Straw on the roster.

Cincinnati’s Brandon Drury is moderately interesting because he can play the infield. He’s enjoying a career year and has crushed left-handed pitching. He’d be an upgrade over Ernie Clement on days Ramírez serves as the designated hitter, or could start in the outfield if manager Terry Francona wants to shield Jones or Steven Kwan from a lefty.

Happ made his first All-Star team and is under team control through next season. He’d make more sense than Baltimore’s Anthony Santander (a former Cleveland prospect) or Trey Mancini (a rental) or Arizona’s David Peralta (a left-handed-hitting rental). But, still, it would become a game of musical chairs. If Happ plays a corner outfield spot, that would cut into the playing time for Jones and Gonzalez (and probably Reyes). There would probably need to be a corresponding trade.

The trade: Obtaining a front-line starting pitcher
The hurdle: Is anyone available who has several years of team control remaining?
The example: Luis Castillo, Reds

This team could use another front-line starter. With Civale sidelined (and largely ineffective this season when healthy), the rotation could be a sensible area to target, even if they sell high on one of their own pitchers. Castillo and Oakland’s Frankie Montas seem to be the top starters most likely to be moved and should spark bidding wars. Is 1 1/2 years of service time enough to satisfy Cleveland’s front office? Miami’s Pablo López, with 2 1/2 years of control remaining, could make sense. Tyler Mahle, Martín Perez and José Quintana – the latter two are rentals – could be available, as well.

Cleveland has a surplus of well-regarded pitching prospects, but their best arms — Espino and Williams — are still at least a year away.

The trade: Obtaining a useful reliever
The hurdle: A lot of teams want to acquire a useful reliever.
The example: Mychal Givens, Cubs

There isn’t a team above .500 that would say, “Nah, we don’t want another helpful reliever.” Everyone needs bullpen help. That includes the Guardians, who attempted to secure a doubleheader sweep of the White Sox on Saturday by … deploying Bryan Shaw for a second inning against the meat of Chicago’s order. Yeah, they need another dependable arm to help out Emmanuel Clase and Trevor Stephan.

Pittsburgh’s David Bednar would be the crown jewel of the relief market if the Pirates made him available. He can’t hit the free-agent market until after the 2026 season.

There are plenty of rentals who could be shopped, including Colorado’s Daniel Bard, Detroit’s Michael Fulmer, Texas’ Matt Moore and Cubs relievers David Robertson (who helped Gose revitalize his career last year at the Olympics) and Givens. Miami’s Anthony Bass, who sports a 1.33 ERA (with strong metrics), has a $3 million club option for 2023.

Orioles closer Jorge López has enjoyed a career renaissance; should the Orioles capitalize on his trade value, or should they keep him now that the franchise can see the light at the end of a painfully long rebuilding tunnel? The same thought exercise applies to Dillon Tate.

Kent State product Andrew Chafin has a $6.5 million player option for 2023. The Tigers also could dangle Joe Jiménez, who owns a 3.22 ERA and a 2.15 FIP this season and has one more year of arbitration eligibility. They could get a haul if they made All-Star closer Gregory Soto available, too.

Interesting analysis; I suppose my guess is they don't do much, but they have surprised us many times with some really major deals.
Adding to uncertainty about the outfield is that suddenly we have a whole lot of guys who may just turn out to be good; beyond Jones and Gonzalez there's Brennan and Benson and Valera. We could have a decent OF internally
I would be OK upgrading from Bryan Shaw in the "one veteran in the bullpen to add stability" role he has filled.
And the other young guys are either burning out or being figured out.

civ ollilavad wrote:Interesting analysis; I suppose my guess is they don't do much, but they have surprised us many times with some really major deals.
Adding to uncertainty about the outfield is that suddenly we have a whole lot of guys who may just turn out to be good; beyond Jones and Gonzalez there's Brennan and Benson and Valera. We could have a decent OF internally
I would be OK upgrading from Bryan Shaw in the "one veteran in the bullpen to add stability" role he has filled.
And the other young guys are either burning out or being figured out.

civ - I have to disagree that this year they just might surprise us with a deal for a significant veteran.

You know better than most the 40 man issues we have. At the end of this season that just gets worse - and they will certainly lose prospects they definitely don't want to lose.

We have developed some really good prospects and those 2 trades with San Diego brought in many more. Even the Lindor trade brought Gimenez who NOW will make the glut of middle infielders all the more essential to be dealt. ain't none of those guys displacing Gimenez whereas before it was open to question.

The only answer is to package some for a veteran player. And that's what I expect.

Totally logical suggestion. It actually makes sense to trade 4 for 1 just to clear 3 spaces for Cantillo and Brennan and Benson and Battenfield and Espino and Naylor; wait that would take a 7 for 1 deal! and they have more to add, too.
Of course, we can clear roster space pretty well in the offseason too by dumping Call and Maile, and Shaw, and McCarty for starters. But that's only the start.

Exactly civ. They are ridiculously overloaded there and the only real good option is trading some out. Here is a good example of a deal that would really be beneficial:

Athletics’ Sean Murphy Drawing Trade Interest
By Steve Adams | July 25, 2022 at 10:28pm CDT

The rebuilding A’s are getting plenty of interest in catcher Sean Murphy, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes in his latest notes column. A deal isn’t necessarily likely, given the 27-year-old’s three remaining seasons of club control beyond the current campaign, but Oakland does have a pair of highly touted catchers progressing through the minors in Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom. Langeliers, acquired from the Braves in the offseason Matt Olson trade, is particularly close to the big leagues, having slashed .267/.356/.503 with 17 homers, 14 doubles, a pair of triples and five steals (in five tries) through 77 Triple-A games this season.

Because of that remaining club control, Murphy would make sense for contenders and non-contenders alike (as recently explored by MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald). Postseason hopefuls like the Mets, Rays and Guardians (among others) have received poor production from their backstops this season and, speculatively speaking, would be candidates to improve behind the plate. At the same time, current non-contenders with holes or underwhelming production behind the plate could look to Murphy as a potential key contributor for 2023 and beyond. For instance, the Marlins’ efforts to land their catcher of the future have yet to bear fruit, as Jacob Stallings has struggled mightily in his first season with the Fish. Over in Colorado, the three-year extension given to Elias Diaz looks like a misstep, given his .237/.294/.378 batting line and deteriorated defensive ratings.

Murphy is only arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, so his payroll shouldn’t be much of a consideration for any team looking to acquire him. His exact salary won’t be known until the offseason, but Murphy’s pre-arbitration resume won’t be as decorated as that of fellow trade candidate Willson Contreras, who earned $4.5MM in his first trip through the process. In terms of counting stats, Murphy currently compares favorably to Mitch Garver’s pre-arb platform — Garver earned $1.875MM — but he still has the remainder of the season to add to those totals. Murphy’s 2021 Gold Glove Award will deservedly work in his favor, likely pushing him a ways past that Garver point, but generally speaking, he’s not going to break the bank in terms of salary just yet.

While few teams are going to dramatically alter their valuation based on a couple weeks of playing time, a well-timed hot streak like the one Murphy is currently enjoying can’t hurt the A’s and could give them a slight bit more leverage when negotiating secondary pieces in a potential trade. Murphy has been on fire in July, hitting .333/.395/.515 with a pair of homers and six doubles in 72 trips to the plate. Dating back to June 1, he’s at .291/.354/.454. It’s an arbitrary cutoff, but Murphy’s strong summer reminds that he’s one of the more well-rounded catchers in the game.

Defensively, Murphy is a 2021 Gold Glover who currently boasts a 34% caught-stealing rate and a pair of pickoffs this season. He’s tallied 12 Defensive Runs Saved over the past three seasons, posting perennially strong framing marks along the way. He’s yielded only two passed balls since Opening Day 2021 despite ranking fifth among all Major Leaguers with 1553 innings caught in that time.

It bears repeating that there’s little urgency for Oakland to move Murphy, who’ll be affordable again next season and should command a significant return whether he’s moved in the next week, this offseason, next summer or even in the 2023-24 offseason.

We know the team likes defense in a catcher. Well Murphy is a Gold Glover. And he can actually hit some.

Doesn't make a crazy amount of money and he is young. Prospects alone would get him.

I'm sure we aren't the only team looking for a catcher that can hit.

Has inflation hit the trade market?

Going shopping has to cost more these days.

seagull wrote:I'm sure we aren't the only team looking for a catcher that can hit.

Has inflation hit the trade market?

Going shopping has to cost more these days.

Agree seagull but we are one of the few with a loaded system and guys we HAVE to deal from the 40 man or lose prospects we don't want to lose when the next Rule V draft comes.

I could see the dians and A's making a 7 prospects for 2 or 3 A's players trade.

If not for Boras i could see the dians surprise us and get involved with Soto.

They often do make some pretty big deals at deadline:

Sabathia for LaPorta and Brantley added later
The Andrew Miller deal I forget who we traded! I remember trades from the 60's better
The half the farm system for Matthew Lucroy that thankfully he vetoed
Who the heck did we trade F. Mejia for?
then of course Bauer for a bunch of Padres
and Clevinger for a lot more Padres
I'm sure I'm forgetting some others of the century too.