2017 Trade Deadline Rumors/Speculation/Discussion

[Squire]

Zolecki says Hellickson to Oriole's being finalized

[andyb]

A couple of weeks ago an O's site was discussing it:

The O’s should look hard at PHI’s Hellickson

[Squire]

Their system is just awful. Maybe Hanifee?

[andyb]

The rest of the O's international slots? I don't think they have signed a player yet.

Of course tomorrow I want to hear we added another significant $300K+ international guy. Remember players with birthdays in July and August can't sign till their birthday. No more unattached top 50 players out there, but hopefully there is somebody worth it.

[Squire]

Salinas still out there unsigned. Just saying

[bkeich]

Honestly anything for Hellickson is at least an ok trade. His only value is eating innings, and we can pick up a AAAA pitcher to do that

[julio]

Heyman's now on the Hellickson deal:

Jon Heyman (JonHeyman)

[zambonir]

If Klentak still manages to trade Nava in August he will pretty much look like a genius. Six signings, one injury, one bust, four trades. That'd be a very high batting average.

Of course it would be even better if, having done all the obvious work, he springs a surprise this weekend.

[Austinfan]

Notice they added international money in both deals.
Hmm. I thought they were too cheap to pull off four different deals to add money for LA signings, collectively, this sounds like $1+M, may be as much as $2M.
Wonder who they're signing?

So Klentak drafts college pitchers 2nd and 3rd, and adds 4 more A ball level guys in trades, while they sign their usual quota of skinny LA pitchers to be locked into stalls and grain fed for three years.

[andyb]

Klentak appears to have learned from his international mistake last year. The complaint was never that they were cheap. Just stupid to not trade for allocations last year. None of these deals this year are great (the Kendrick deal was the best one), but at least Klentak is learning how to get things done.

Benoit is the last rental with some value, almost certainly more than Nava. And they also should be shopping Neris, Garcia, Rupp, and Galvis if they know what they are doing.

[Austinfan]

Why would they shop Rupp? Alfaro obviously isn't ready to start in the majors, he's a year or two away. Do you think Knapp is that good?
Same with Galvis, unless someone makes a "Godfather offer" why screw up a good thing? This team is looking respectable with a young lineup, why take a step backward merely to field a younger lineup?

Garcia is worth more to the Phillies than what anyone will offer, he has closer upside but no one will give anything close to that value.
If someone makes a real offer for Neris, take it, because I don't think he has the cojones to close.

[andyb]

Because Alfaro will be in the majors next year and the club thinks he will be the better catcher in the long run.

[Austinfan]

No, YOU THINK he'll be a better catcher in the long run.
We won't know what klentak thinks until the dust settles.
Rupp is a 28 year old catcher who has steadily improved who flashes plus power in the majors.
Aflaro is a 24 year old catcher who has flatlined this year in AAA ball who flashes plus power in AAA ball.

Minor league players are projections, you don't know who will falter when promoted.
ML players have track records against ML competition.
It's alway easier to fantasy about an AAA player putting up great numbers, say Hoskins, but an AAA player putting up mediocre numbers?

[andyb]

Actually no. The league thinks that.

[bkox]

Why would they shop Rupp? Alfaro obviously isn't ready to start in the majors, he's a year or two away.

Alfaro is out of options. So he either has to be in the majors or lost when we put him on waivers. I cant see the Phillies letting him be lost to waivers (and someone would definitely claim him)... so 1 of the 3 of Knapp, Rupp or Alfaro have to be traded, Well I guess Knapp could be sent back to AAA but that would be silly since I think he might be the best of the 3

[zambonir]

Someone probably does have to go, but it could go all the way into spring training, even.

[Squire]

Kudos to Klentak for getting deals done.

[Philsmania]

I owe Rosenthal an apology but dang, the Hellickson deal makes no sense for the O's. In a couple of years, the Orioles are going to make their fans wistful for that '88 0-21 team.

[Austinfan]

Actually, nobody has to go.
Alfaro has played 1B in the minors.
Knapp has played 1B and RF.
So they could carry 3 catchers.

Again, the key to this offseason is Klentak doesn't HAVE to do anything.
Makes it much easier when negotiating when the other party knows you can walk.

[allentown]

Carrying 3 catchers risks choking off the development of 3 catchers. We don't need a catcher to play 1B, we have both Joseph (who really should be traded) and Hoskins, with other 1B coming up. Other teams know this. I don't think we want a catcher in RF.