It’s crunch time for MLB front offices. The 2022 trade deadline is approaching at 6 pm on Tuesday Aug. 2. It’s the last chance for contenders to bolster their playoff hopes and the last chance for also-rans to make moves to help their future prospects. In some cases, it’s a chance to decode the intentions of teams sitting on the fence.
For each major deal between now and Tuesday’s deadline, we’ll break down the pieces on the move and the logic behind the trades. As always, baseball is hard to predict, so what looks like a C+ trade now could easily turn into an A+ trade with a swing adjustment or a new pitch.
Mariners acquire starting pitcher Luis Castillo from Reds for 4 prospects, including SS Noelvi Marte
The first big deal of the season saw Castillo, perhaps the most impactful pitcher available, head to Seattle. He’ll slot in atop the Mariners rotation and try to pitch them into their first playoff appearance since 2001. It’s an all-in move from famously active Mariners executive Jerry Dipoto, but it could still pay off in 2023, as Castillo will remain under team control for one more season as the Mariners’ young core matures. Getting the best pitcher on the market is certainly a win, but it’s worth noting that the rotation — already fortified by an offseason signing of Robbie Ray — wasn’t Seattle’s greatest area of need. And it came at a significant cost.
As the Reds continue a (fairly cynical, seemingly hair-trigger) rebuild, this will go down as by far the biggest move to date. In return for Castillo, the Reds landed a premium prospect in shortstop Noelvi Marte, another young shortstop who may now be a top-100 talent in Edwin Arroyo and two pitchers — Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore — who their solid pitching development team can work with . Marte is the prize here, ranked as the No. 11 prospect right now by FanGraphs and No. 12 by Keith Law. He’s only 20 years old and looks like a solid infielder with a robust body who will hit for average and power, a star in the making even if he eventually moves to third base. Prospects as acclaimed as Marte simply don’t move very often these days. Extracting him for a very good but not Cy Young-winning pitcher is a win for the Reds.
Mariners: B
Reds: A
Yankees acquire OF Andrew Benintendi from Royals for 3 prospects
Sometimes pivots are very obvious. In this case, the Yankees are admitting defeat on their Joey Gallo acquisition and leaning into an outfielder who takes a diametrically opposed approach. Benintendi, the former Red Sox mainstay, makes consistent contact, hits doubles and plays solid defense. They will pop him into the top of the lineup and try to offload Gallo before the deadline. The issue with Benintendi is his refusal, thus far, to get vaccinated against COVID-19. If and when the Yankees play key games against the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada, Benintendi won’t be allowed to go unless he changes his mind.
In return, the Royals snagged three pitching prospects: Beck Way, TJ Sikkema and Chandler Champlain. If you’re going to take on any organization’s young pitchers, the Yankees are one of the best choices. The Royals gave up very little to get Benintendi a few years ago, so while FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen says none of these pitchers projects as more than a No. 4 starter (Sikkema), the Royals did well in the exchange.
It just remains to be seen whether Kansas City’s player development team can help them keep progressing. Their recent track record does not inspire confidence.
Yankees: B+
Royals: B
Mets acquire DH Daniel Vogelbach from Pirates for relief pitcher Colin Holderman
The Mets needed another home run threat to add to Pete Alonso, preferably a left-handed one. Vogelbach does check those boxes, and gets on base to boot. New York’s lineup has plenty of contact ability, so Vogelbach’s three-true-outcomes approach isn’t really a problem here. He probably shouldn’t be their only lineup upgrade, but he’s a good start.
Holderman had emerged quickly as a quality bullpen arm capable of working more than one inning. It’s possible the Pirates see some greater potential as either a back-end reliever or as someone who is a tweak or two away from starting.
Mets: B+
Pirates: B