The 2019 Baseball Trading Deadline – The “Shark Week” Comparison

Thanks to the Discovery Channel, Shark Week has become a phenomenon. Also, thanks to the Discovery Channel for moving Shark Week back to the end of July so we didn’t have to go through a lot of gymnastics to keep doing our annual salute to giant predatory fish and how they compare to the shark-tank that is the baseball trading deadline.

As we come to the end of another Shark Week, we also come to the complete end of the trading season; this year there will be no “waiver wire” deals in August.  Now that most of the players to be named later have been so named, it’s time once again for Dubsism to break down who were the big eaters and who got eaten.  The bottom line is trading in baseball is a shark-eat-shark world; that’s where the comparisons lie.

Why? Because no matter what, one thing is certain.  Where there is trading, there is bleeding, and nothing draws the sharks like blood in the water.

BONUS: You can also have some fun comparing what these teams actually did versus the “buy/sell” rankings our 1970s TV Sports Anchor gave them.

Whale Shark:

Tampa Rays

• Got: RHP Peter Fairbanks, RHP Ian Gibaut (from Texas Rangers), OF Ruben Cardenas (from Cleveland Indians), UT Eric Sogard, International Bonus Pool Cash (from Toronto Blue Jays), 1B Jesus Aguilar (from Milwaukee Brewers), OF Niko Hulsizer, C Rocky Gale, RHP Nathan Witt (from Los Angeles Dodgers), LHP Jacob Lopez (from San Francisco Giants), RHP Nick Anderson, RHP Trevor Richards (from Miami Marlins), Cash (from Los Angeles Angels), Future Considerations (from Cleveland Indians)
• Gave Up: 2B Nick Solak, RHP Jacob Faria, OF Joe McCarthy, RHP Ryne Stanek, OF Jesus Sanchez, C Rocky Gale, C Anthony Benboom, 3B Andrew Velasquez, Future Considerations, Two Players To Be Named Later, Cash

How fitting is it that one filter feeder represents another? The Rays exemplified this; they were the team that floated through the trade season, gobbling up every little creature in the sea while nobody realized the staggering tonnage they actually consumed. Adding this much depth to the pitching ranks regardless of the level in the organization is never a bad thing, and when you add a 35-homer bat in that midst, the Rays future fan base in Montrèal peut certainement voir un avenir prometteur!

Great White Shark:

Houston Astros

• Got: RHP Andre Scrubb (from Los Angeles Dodgers), RHP Zack Grienke (from Arizona Diamondbacks), C Martin Maldonado (from Chicago Cubs), OF Rainier Rivas, OF Raidel Uceta (from Los Angeles Angels), RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP Joe Biagini, OF Cal Stevenson (from Toronto Blue Jays)
• Gave Up: 1B Tyler White, OF Tony Kemp, C Max Stassi

Carcharodon carcharias, a.k.a the Great White Shark, is the “star” of Shark Week, and this distinction goes to the team which gave us the “razor-teeth-sawing-through-the-seal” style carnage we expect.  There’s really no denying the Astros did just that in landing yet another legitimate front-of-the-rotation guy , a solid back-of the rotation guy, and restocked their bullpen.

Tiger Shark:

Cleveland Indians

• Got: INF Christian Arroyo, RHP Hunter Wood, 3B Andrew Velasquez (from Tampa Rays), OF Yasiel Puig, RHP Scott Ross (from Cincinnati Reds), OF Franmil Reyes, LHP Logan Allen, IF Victor Nova, RHP Phil Maton (from San Diego Padres)
• Gave Up: OF Ruben Cardenas, RHP Trevor Bauer, OF Taylor Trammell, Cash

Tiger sharks are known to eat just about anything, and that seems to be the approach the Tribe took.  It doesn’t take long looking at lists like this to understand that pitching is what moves the most at the deadline, and while the Indians grabbed some arms, they also got a bit of everything else. But they are also the only contender who traded away a big-time starting pitcher.  That doesn’t make a lot of sense, but neither does a tiger shark eating license plates…but that’s what they do.

Bull Shark: 

Milwaukee Brewers

• Got: RHP Jordan Lyles (from Pittsburgh Pirates), Cash (from Minnesota Twins), LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP  Ray Black (from San Francisco Giants), RHP Jacob Faria (from Tampa Rays)
• Gave Up: RHP Cody Ponce, RHP Marcos Diplan. SS Mauricio Dubon, 1B Jesus Aguilar

Minnesota Twins

• Got: RHP Sergio Romo, RHP Chris Vallimont, Player To Be Named Later (from Miami Marlins), RHP Jeremy Bleich (From Boston Red Sox), RHP Marcos Diplan (from Milwaukee Brewers), RHP Sam Dyson (from San Francisco Giants), Cash (from Seattle Mariners), RHP Mike Morin (from Philadelphia Phillies)
• Gave Up: 1B Lewin Diaz, OF Jaylin Davis, RHP Prelander Berroa, RHP Kai-Wei Teng, RHP Matt Magill, Cash

Bull sharks are underappreciated for the fact they actually account for the most attacks on humans.  While what the Brewers and the Twins doesn’t have the “seal carnage” of the moves made by the Astros, make no mistake…both of these teams are dangerous.

Mako Shark:

Atlanta Braves

• Got: RHP Chris Martin (from Texas Rangers), RHP Mark Melancon (from San Francisco Giants), C John Ryan Murphy (from Arizona Diamondbacks), RHP Shane Greene (from Detroit Tigers)
• Gave Up: LHP Kolby Allard, RHP Dan Winkler, RHP Tristan Beck, RHP Joey Wentz, 2B Travis Demerite, RHP Shane Carle, Cash

Washington Nationals

• Got: LHP Roenis Elias, RHP Hunter Strickland (from Seattle Mariners), RHP Daniel Hudson (from Toronto Blue Jays)
• Gave Up: UT Elvis Alvarado, LHP Taylor Guilbeau, LHP Aaron Fletcher, RHP Kyle Johnston

Look at that fucking thing. If you had that on your hook, you’d pre-shit your pants the first time you saw it breach the surface. Then when you got it into the boat, you would finish the job. On top of that, the Mako is the fastest shark in the sea, and both the Nats and the Braves look to get the quickest bounce from these moves.  For Washington; the bullpen was their Achilles’ Heel, and they just made a major upgrade.  Likewise, the Braves added some much needed depth, which means the race for the NL East promises to be one the highlights of the remainder of this season.

Hammerhead Shark:

Oakland Athletics

• Got: LHP Jake Diekman, RHP Homer Bailey (from Kansas City Royals), RHP Tanner Roark (from Cincinnati Reds)
• Gave Up: OF Dairon Blanco, RHP Ismael Aquino, OF Jameson Hannah

The hammerhead scans the bottom feeding on crabs and other creatures found on the sea floor.   That may not seem like much, but hammerheads reach 15 feet in length and can be seriously fearsome.  There is almost no better description of the A’s, who plundered the rosters of last place teams to score three solid middle-of-the rotation pitchers. Granted, Oakland is behind the Astros, Yankees, and the Twins in the AL food chain, but they are certainly not bottom-feeders and are here to stay in the race for October.

Blacktip Reef Shark:

Cincinnati Reds:

• Got: RHP Trevor Bauer (from Cleveland Indians), OF Jameson Hannah (from Oakland Athletics), RHP Justin Grimm, Cash (from San Francisco Giants),
• Gave Up: OF Yasiel Puig, OF Taylor Trammell, RHP Scott Ross, RHP Tanner Roark, 2B Scooter Gennett

Philadelphia Phillies

• Got: RHP Jason Vargas (from New York Mets), RF Jay Bruce (from Seattle Mariners), 2B Jose Pirela (from San Diego Padres), OF Corey Dickerson (from Pittsburgh Pirates), RHP Dan Straily (from Baltimore Orioles)
• Gave Up: C Austin Bossart, 3B Jake Scheiner, RHP Mike Morin, Cash, International Bonus Pool Cash, Player To Be Named Later

Reef sharks don’t get a lot of time during Shark Week, but they serve a necessary purpose. In other words, the deals the Phillies made may not mean much as I don’t think they have the sharks to swim with the Braves or the Nationals (yet); the same goes for the Reds and the Cardinals, Brewers, and to a lesser extent the Cubs.  Nevertheless, I love the deals both teams made because they both continue to head in the right direction.

Remora:

Colorado Rockies

• Got: OF Jimmy Herron (from Chicago Cubs), RHP Joe Harvey (from New York Yankees)
• Gave Up: LHP Alfredo Garcia, International Bonus Pool Cash

Detroit Tigers

• Got: RHP Joey Wentz, 2B Travis Demerite (from Atlanta Braves), RHP Paul Richan, RHP Alex Lange (from Chicago Cubs)
• Gave Up: RHP Shane Greene, OF Nick Castellanos

Kansas City Royals

• Got: OF Dairon Blanco, RHP Ismael Aquino, SS Kevin Merrell (from Oakland Athletics), LHP Mike Montgomery (from Chicago Cubs), Cash (from New York Yankees)
• Gave Up: LHP Jake Diekman, C Martin Maldonado, OF Terrance Gore, RHP Homer Bailey

Seattle Mariners

• Got: RHP Juan Then (from New York Yankees), 3B Jake Scheiner, 2B Daniel Castro (from Los Angeles Dodgers), Cash (from Philadelphia Phillies), UT Elvis Alvarado, LHP Taylor Guilbeau, LHP Aaron Fletcher (from Washington Nationals), SS Jose Caballero (from Arizona Diamondbacks), RHP Matt Magill (from Minnesota Twins), RHP Matt Wisler (from San Diego Padres)
• Gave Up: 1B Edwin Encarnacion, OF Jay Bruce, OF, Kris Negron, LHP Roenis Elias, RHP Hunter Strickland, RHP Mike Leake, Cash

Toronto Blue Jays

• Got: RHP Anthony Kay, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP Wilmer Font (from New York Mets), RHP Thomas Hatch (from Chicago Cubs), Two Players To Be Named Later (from Tampa Rays), RHP Kyle Johnston (from Washington Nationals), OF Derek Fisher, (from Houston Astros)
• Gave Up: RHP Marcus Stroman, RHP David Phelps, RHP Daniel Hudson, RHP Aaron Sanchez, RHP Joe Biagini, OF Cal Stevenson

This fish gets it name from the Latin term “remora” meaning “delay, hindrance, passive resistance.”  The naming stems from the fact these fish attach themselves to larger sharks and live off the remnants of the larger fish’s feedings. For purposes of this discussion, our remoras for 2019 are teams clearly in re-building mode.

Bathtub Toy Shark:

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Got: RHP Corbin Martin, RHP J.R. Bukauskas, OF Seth Beer, UT Josh Rojas (from Houston Astros), RHP Mike Leake (from Seattle Mariners), Cash (from Atlanta Braves), RHP Zac Gallen (from Miami Marlins)
• Gave Up: RHP Zack Grienke, C John Ryan Murphy, SS Jose Caballero, SS Jazz Chisholm

New York Mets

• Got: C Austin Bossart (from Philadelphia Phillies), RHP Marcus Stroman, Cash (from Toronto Blue Jays)
• Gave Up: RHP Jason Vargas, RHP Anthony Kay, RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP Wilmer Font

San Diego Padres

• Got: OF Taylor Trammell (from Cincinnati Reds), Cash (from Philadelphia Phillies), RHP Carl Edwards, Jr. (from Chicago Cubs). Cash (from Seattle Mariners), RHP Franklin Van Gurp (from San Francisco Giants)
• Gave Up: OF Franmil Reyes, LHP Logan Allen, IF Victor Nova, 2B Jose Pirela, LHP Brad Wieck, OF Alex Dickerson

The D-Backs, the Padres, the Mets, and the Rangers represent this year’s bathtub squeaky toy, these trades really didn’t help these teams, but they didn’t really hurt them either.  Realistically, squeezing the squeaky rubber shark toy is the only noise these teams will be making in 2019.

Texas Rangers

• Got: 2B Nick Solak, Future Considerations (from Tampa Rays), LHP Kolby Allard, RHP Shane Carle, Cash (from Atlanta Braves),  RHP Nate Jones (from Chicago White Sox)
• Gave Up: RHP Peter Fairbanks, RHP Chris Martin, RHP Ian Gibaut, RHP Joseph Jameski, RHP Ray Castro

Japanese Paper Lantern Shark:

Baltimore Orioles

• Got: OF Elio Prado, Cash (from Boston Red Sox), RHP Asher Wojciechowski (from Cleveland Indians), Future Considerations (from Philadelphia Phillies)
• Gave Up: RHP Andrew Cashner, SS Noelberth Romero, RHP Dan Straily

Los Angeles Angels

• Got: C Max Stassi (from Houston Astros), C Anthony Benboom (from Tampa Rays), C Josh Thole, LHP Adam McCreery (from Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Gave Up: OF Rainier Rivas, OF Raidel Uceta, Cash

The only way to be more insignificant than a bathtub toy shark is to be one that completely disintegrates the minute it touches water.  Sadly for them, the Orioles really don’t have much left to give, and the Angels seem to be stock-piling catchers for reasons only they know.

CPO Sharkey:

Boston Red Sox

• Got: RHP Andrew Cashner, SS Noelberth Romero (from Baltimore Orioles), Cash (from Minnesota Twins)
• Gave Up: OF Elio Prado, RHP Jeremy Bleich, Cash

New York Yankees

• Got: OF Terrance Gore (from Kansas City Royals), 1B Edwin Encarnacion (from Seattle Mariners), LHP Alfredo Garcia (from Colorado Rockies)
• Gave Up: RHP Juan Then, RHP Joe Harvey, Cash

San Francisco Giants

• Got: Cash (from Chicago Cubs), RHP Dan Winkler RHP Tristan Beck (from Atlanta Braves), OF Alex Dickerson (from San Diego Padres) SS Mauricio Dubon (from Milwaukee Brewers), OF Joe McCarthy (from Tampa Rays), 2B Scooter Gennett (from Cincinnati Reds)
• Gave Up: LHP Derek Holland, RHP Mark Melancon, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Ray Black, LHP Jacob Lopez, RHP Franklin Van Gurp, Cash

If you aren’t familiar, CPO Sharkey was a short-lived 1970’s sit-com featuring one of my comedic heroes, Don Rickles.  How could you have a show featuring the king of “insult” comedy surrounded by a cast of perfectly insult-able characters and it doesn’t work?  That’s the distinction for this category; teams which could have done so much more with what they had, and putted completely short of the cup.

In 2019, this is all about Madison Bumgarner and his “no-trade” clause.  He had eight teams on his “No Way Jose” list; two of them being the Red Sox and the Yankees.  Everybody involved in this had the wang to bust the “no trade”thing loose, but nobody took a swing. To be fair, that list also included most of the contenders in the race for October, but there were a few major exceptions.  Most notably, the Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians weren’t amongst the “no-go” zone, and all three of those team were quite active heading into the trade deadline.

You can’t tell me there wasn’t a lot of missed opportunity here.

The Chum Bucket:

Chicago White Sox

• Got: RHP Joseph Jameski, RHP Ray Castro (from Texas Rangers)
• Gave Up: RHP Nate Jones

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Got: 1B Tyler White (from Houston Astros), OF Kris Negron (from Seattle Mariners), 3B Jedd Gyorko, Cash, International Cap Space (from St. Louis Cardinals), LHP Adam Kolarek, Cash (from Tampa Rays), Cash (fCincinnati Reds), Cash (from Los Angeles Angels)
• Gave Up: RHP Andre Scrubb, 2B Daniel Castro, OF Niko Hulsizer, RHP Justin Grimm,  Future Considerations, Cash

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Got: RHP Cody Ponce (from Milwaukee Brewers), International Bonus Pool Cash, Player To Be Named Later (from Philadelphia Phillies)
• Gave Up: RHP Jordan Lyles, OF Corey Dickerson

This is a tale of one team who really didn’t need to do anything, and two who really need to decide what the future holds. You really don’t need the supercomputer at NASA to figure out why the Dodgers didn’t need to pull some earth-shattering deal; they are in cruise control with a roster that has been to two straight World Series.  The other side of the pancake brings us the Pirates and the White Sox, who both seem to be teetering between mediocrity and being downright awful; both have some talent which could either be built around or sold off for the future.  They just need to pick which it is going to be.  

The Sharknado:

Chicago Cubs 

• Got: LHP Derek Holland, Cash (from San Francisco Giants), C Martin Maldonado (from Kansas City Royals – later traded to Houston Astros), RHP David Phelps (from Toronto Blue Jays), OF Tony Kemp (from Houston Astros), LHP Brad Wieck (from San Diego Padres), International Bonus Pool Cash (from Colorado Rockies), OF Nick Castellanos (from Detroit Tigers)
• Gave Up: Cash, LHP Mike Montgomery, C Martin Maldonado, RHP Carl Edwards, Jr., OF Jimmy Herron

St. Louis Cardinals

Got: RHP Zac Rosscup, LHP Tony Cingrani, RHP Jeffry Abreu (from Los Angeles Dodgers)

Gave Up:  3B Jedd Gyorko, Cash, International Cap Space

As mentioned when this category was introduced la few years back, the “Sharknado” is a “wild-card” category.  The strength of those movies is in the cameo appearances; you never really know who is going to show up.  When it comes to baseball, teams end up here because we really have no idea how their deals are going to work.

That’s why the Chicago Cubs end up here so much.  I am starting to believe the Cubs really have no idea what the trade deadline is all about. Over the last five years, nobody has been more of a consistent contender with resources available to make moves than the Cubs, and they’ve come up short more often than not. This year looks like it could be more of the same, because the Cubs have three main flaws they only “sort of” addressed.  They can’t hit leftie pitching, they have some major holes defensively, and their bullpen flat-out sucks.

Adding Nick Castellanos was a great move; the guy straight-up crushes southpaws. But that raises the question of how to get him into the line-up.  That’s why the Cubs dropped the ball; the next move should have been to send Kyle Schwarber to an American League squad willing to give up some pitching for a 30-HR designated hitter.  That would have killed two birds with one stone; it would have opened an outfield spot for Castellanos, and eliminated one of the biggest defensive holes the Cubs have.  Let’s be honest; Kyle Schwarber is the worst outfielder I’ve ever seen, and I lived through Dave Kingman.

Dealing Schwarber could have been a “three-for,” considering how many AL squads parted with pitching.  Again, the Cubs did OK shoring up their bullpen; getting rid of Carl Edwards, Jr, and putting Pedro Strop on the injured list is classic “addition by subtraction,” but none of the guys they got really make me think “problem solved.” Schwarber could have fetch either a “yeah, that’s the guy” type, a slew of arms, prospects, or a bit of all three.

But on the other hand, it might just work.  That’s why we don’t know.

As for the Cards, their problem was a bit more complex.  It wasn’t about missing pieces, it was about misfiring pieces. We’ve said all along that now it the time for the guys St. Louis beleives in to produce, and once Paul Goldschmidt did exactly that, the Cardinals found them selves right back in the race. Since they didn’t know exactly what to trade for, they took the safe approach.  You can never go wrong adding pitching depth.

Those unknowns are why we call it the “Sharknado,” sports fans.

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