In the past day and a half, with the trade deadline coming up on Monday at 4 p.m. EST., teams have begun dealing as their weekend series continue. The big one came late Saturday night, as the most talked about trade target, Jonathan Lucroy, was reportedly close to being sent to the Indians from the Brewers. The deal was not finalized yet because the 30-year-old had to approve the move.
Lucroy's contract with the Brewers gives him a limited no-trade clause, which allows him to block trades to eight teams, including the Indians. And he did just that, vetoing the trade Sunday afternoon, keeping him with the Brewers....for now.
The two-time All-Star is batting an even .300 this season with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. If he is traded, sources say the Brewers could receive up to four minor league prospects. Lucroy was held out of Saturday's win over the Pirates due to the trade possibilities. The likes of the Mets and Rangers have both expressed interest in the catcher as well.
Lucroy was drafted third overall by Milwaukee in 2007, spending his entire career with the franchise. He did not make his major league debut until 2010.
While the Indians waited on that decision, they kept on working into Sunday morning, acquiring reliever Andrew Miller from the Yankees for two minor league players. Those two players include outfielder Clint Frazier and pitcher Justus Sheffield.
Miller was reported to be on the trade market with the Yankees struggling to stay in the race. When they dealt Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, many believed Miller would stay in New York. Sources called the price for the left-hander "steep" following the Chapman deal.
The 31-year-old appeared in 44 games for the Yankees, going 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA and nine saves. He may take the role as the Indians' closer, a role that belonged to Chapman for most of the season with the Yankees.
Another team that got much-needed bullpen help is the Washington Nationals, who acquired All-Star close Mark Melancon from the Pirates on Saturday. The Nats sent reliever Felipe Rivero and a pitching prospect Pittsburgh's way.
Melancon is expected to join Washington for Sunday's series finale with the Giants. He will most probably act as Jonathan Papelbon's replacement in the closer role due to Papelbon's recent struggles.
The 31-year-old is 30 of 33 in saves this season with a 1.51 ERA. He will now be joining his fifth team in eight seasons, and is eligible for free agency after this year. The right-hander lead the league with 51 saves in 2015, and also had a 33-save year in 2014.
The San Diego Padres are well out of the playoff race, so they have been shipping out their stars, and added to that list on Saturday. The team sent outfielder Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves for third baseman Hector Olivera. San Diego had already dealt pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Colin Rea, as well as outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. in previous deals.
Olivera has had off-the-field issues as of late, and because of that, many expect the Padres to designate him for assignment on Tuesday. The troubled player is serving an 82-game suspension for violating the league's domestic violence policy. The suspension is retroactive to April 30th and stems from an April 13th arrest for an incident at a hotel.
Kemp signed a big eight-year deal with the Padres before the 2012 campaign, and still has $21.5 million owed to him each of the next three seasons. The 31-year-old was traded from the Dodgers in December of 2014, but the deal took longer to complete while he was attempting to get medically cleared. Arthritis in both hips slowed down that process.
Since joining San Diego, he has hit .264 with 46 home runs and 169 RBIs in 254 games. His batting average was 28 points lower than it was in nine years with the Dodgers, and the outfielder also struck out 247 times. Kemp is expected to make his Braves debut on Tuesday when they play host to the Pirates.
One player that may not get traded is Athletics pitcher Rich Hill, who was placed on the DL with a blister on Saturday. Recent reports state that the A's had been in trade talks with the Dodgers regarding the lefty. He was ruled out of his Sunday start against the Indians, as Sonny Gray will start in his spot.
Hill left his last start on July 17th after just five pitches due to the injury. His 9-3 record with a 2.25 ERA made him many team's top target. He also has 90 strikeouts and 28 walks, and will now most likely spend the rest of his season in Oakland.
With over 24 hours to go until the trade deadline, it'll be interesting to see how many more deals get completed. Many of the big names have been moved in the past week, but nothing gets as exciting as deadline day, where any trade can happen.
Lucroy's contract with the Brewers gives him a limited no-trade clause, which allows him to block trades to eight teams, including the Indians. And he did just that, vetoing the trade Sunday afternoon, keeping him with the Brewers....for now.
The two-time All-Star is batting an even .300 this season with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs. If he is traded, sources say the Brewers could receive up to four minor league prospects. Lucroy was held out of Saturday's win over the Pirates due to the trade possibilities. The likes of the Mets and Rangers have both expressed interest in the catcher as well.
Lucroy was drafted third overall by Milwaukee in 2007, spending his entire career with the franchise. He did not make his major league debut until 2010.
While the Indians waited on that decision, they kept on working into Sunday morning, acquiring reliever Andrew Miller from the Yankees for two minor league players. Those two players include outfielder Clint Frazier and pitcher Justus Sheffield.
Miller was reported to be on the trade market with the Yankees struggling to stay in the race. When they dealt Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, many believed Miller would stay in New York. Sources called the price for the left-hander "steep" following the Chapman deal.
The 31-year-old appeared in 44 games for the Yankees, going 6-1 with a 1.39 ERA and nine saves. He may take the role as the Indians' closer, a role that belonged to Chapman for most of the season with the Yankees.
Another team that got much-needed bullpen help is the Washington Nationals, who acquired All-Star close Mark Melancon from the Pirates on Saturday. The Nats sent reliever Felipe Rivero and a pitching prospect Pittsburgh's way.
Melancon is expected to join Washington for Sunday's series finale with the Giants. He will most probably act as Jonathan Papelbon's replacement in the closer role due to Papelbon's recent struggles.
The 31-year-old is 30 of 33 in saves this season with a 1.51 ERA. He will now be joining his fifth team in eight seasons, and is eligible for free agency after this year. The right-hander lead the league with 51 saves in 2015, and also had a 33-save year in 2014.
The San Diego Padres are well out of the playoff race, so they have been shipping out their stars, and added to that list on Saturday. The team sent outfielder Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves for third baseman Hector Olivera. San Diego had already dealt pitchers Drew Pomeranz and Colin Rea, as well as outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. in previous deals.
Olivera has had off-the-field issues as of late, and because of that, many expect the Padres to designate him for assignment on Tuesday. The troubled player is serving an 82-game suspension for violating the league's domestic violence policy. The suspension is retroactive to April 30th and stems from an April 13th arrest for an incident at a hotel.
Kemp signed a big eight-year deal with the Padres before the 2012 campaign, and still has $21.5 million owed to him each of the next three seasons. The 31-year-old was traded from the Dodgers in December of 2014, but the deal took longer to complete while he was attempting to get medically cleared. Arthritis in both hips slowed down that process.
Since joining San Diego, he has hit .264 with 46 home runs and 169 RBIs in 254 games. His batting average was 28 points lower than it was in nine years with the Dodgers, and the outfielder also struck out 247 times. Kemp is expected to make his Braves debut on Tuesday when they play host to the Pirates.
One player that may not get traded is Athletics pitcher Rich Hill, who was placed on the DL with a blister on Saturday. Recent reports state that the A's had been in trade talks with the Dodgers regarding the lefty. He was ruled out of his Sunday start against the Indians, as Sonny Gray will start in his spot.
Hill left his last start on July 17th after just five pitches due to the injury. His 9-3 record with a 2.25 ERA made him many team's top target. He also has 90 strikeouts and 28 walks, and will now most likely spend the rest of his season in Oakland.
With over 24 hours to go until the trade deadline, it'll be interesting to see how many more deals get completed. Many of the big names have been moved in the past week, but nothing gets as exciting as deadline day, where any trade can happen.
