Trade Deadline 2020

I must admit that I've paid very little attention to baseball in 2020. Not only are there more dire and important things going on in this country - a still-raging global pandemic, an ever-increasing number of police brutality cases, which our governments are unable/unwilling to address, white supremacy-motivated violence in the streets, incited by the president, and the upcoming battle for the future of our nation's democracy in November. And while all those things are still at the forefront of my mind (and probably those of most Americans), I still can't help but be fascinated by the MLB trade deadline. Sure, it's happening a month later than usual, which happens to be just less than two-thirds of the way through the 60-game 2020 season. But player movement gives us a chance to check in on which teams are surging, which teams are struggling, and who is primed to make the most impact in the most unique MLB playoff push in history.

Here's a position-by-position lineup of the top players who changed teams at or near this year's deadline, evaluated by my favorite fantasy point system. They're also listed with some fun color-coded information, including offseason acquired status (first name highlighted in Yellow, to go with the Cyan that indicates a midseason acquisition), and my personal favorite bit of triviality: each player's astrological sign.

After making his MLB debut last year, Austin Nola emerged as Seattle's top catcher when Tom Murphy went down with a foot injury. The Capricorn Nola was acquired by the Padres, moments after they also picked up lefty-swinging Jason Castro (120 points, 6.7 points-per-game) from the Angels, solidifying their backstop platoon. When you consider that the Friars sent Luis Torrens to the Mariners as part of the return for Nola, and also traded Austin Hedges to Cleveland in a blockbuster trade, San Diego was involved in four of the five catchers to change teams during the 2020 deadline. (The only outlier was Robinson Chirinos, who went from the Rangers to the Mets.)

Speaking of San Diego, they also scored the top overall fantasy point-scoring trade deadline acquisition in Mitch Moreland. After years of languishing in the bowels of the Virgo depth chart behind the likes of Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, and Freddie Freeman, the 34-year-old Moreland finally found his power stroke during his fourth year playing for the Red Sox. Again, he's only had about 80 plate appearances this year, but Moreland's career-high marks in batting average, on-base, and slugging percentages earned him a trade to a contender out west.

The next two infielders on the lineup also qualified at first base, but they'll be occupying second and third base, respectively, for the purposes of this project. In addition to positional eligibility, another thing that Tommy La Stella and Todd Frazier have in common is that they're both Aquarians, which has historically been the worst performing fantasy sign of the baseball zodiac (at least over the last 30 years, which is as far back as my comprehensive astrology baseball database stretches). Rounding out the infield is Jonathan Villar, who was traded from one surprise contender (the Marlins) to another (the Blue Jays). Miami's plan to play the Taurean infielder in center field this year didn't exactly pan out, but perhaps he'll become a backup outfielder in Toronto Buffalo after he's done filling in for the injured Bo Bichette at shortstop.

Libra has had a crazy strong outfield alignment for the last ten years, from Andrew McCutchen, Jose Bautista, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Kemp from the early 2010s, to Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper, and Starling Marte of today. Marte's time in the desert was brief, having been acquired by the D-Backs during the offseason, and now he should solidify Miami's outfield as they unexpectedly push for a playoff berth. The other two outfielders also have center field eligibility dating back to 2019, but both Kevin Pillar and Brian Goodwin have spent their 2020 seasons in the corners flanking some pretty high-level defenders: Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mike Trout, respectively. Rounding out the starting nine, infielder Ty France is neck-and-neck with outfielder Jose Martinez (186 / 7.8) for the DH spot, the universal adoption of which is one of the only positive developments I can see coming out of the debacle that is the 2020 MLB season.

In terms of 2020 stats, Taijuan Walker is the top performing starting pitcher to change teams at the deadline. The Leo starter, who was drafted and developed by Seattle, returned to his original team in the offseason after three years in Arizona, before the Mariners shipped him off to the Blue Jays. But the top pitcher moved in terms of star power is Mike Clevinger, who went to the ever-active Padres from the Indians. The Sagittarius starter known as "Sunshine" made headlines (and missed time) earlier in the season for violating the team's COVID protocols, but I guess he was given a clean bill of health prior to his trade to sunny California. Clevinger's Sagittarius teammate Ross Stripling joins him on this All-Acquired team, after the Dodgers were finally able to deal him. (Remember, they tried and failed to send "Chicken Strip" to the Angels as part of the first iteration of the Mookie Betts deal.)

Neither of the two lefties that round out the rotation have had very impressive 2020 seasons, although  to be fair, Mike Minor has a recent track record of excellence, and Tommy Milone's allowed less than 4 runs per 9 innings with the Orioles until his disastrous first start with the Braves (7 runs allowed in 2 1/3 innings) pushed his ERA to 5.68. In the opposite circumstance, Minor's last start with Texas, before he joined the Athletics, was a masterpiece against the Dodgers... although he still failed to pick up his first win of the season (0-5, 5.60 ERA). I feel like I should mention Cal Quantrill in this section, since he served as a starter in his debut year of 2019, but he has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen with the Padres, before going to Cleveland as part of the return for Clevinger.

Trevor Rosenthal finally gets to star in the big comeback story that he has been trying to author since 2017, his last season as the closer for the Cardinals. The Gemini known as Big T is yet another player heading to the Padres, and he'll be joined by Cancer cusper Taylor Williams, who emerged as the Mariners' closer, after being picked off waivers from the Brewers during the offseason. The next two relievers on this list are both Leo closers: Archie Bradley, who went from Arizona to Cincinnati, and Brandon Workman, who joined the Phillies from Boston. Speaking of the Phillies, they also acquired David Phelps (185 / 15.4) from Milwaukee, and also Heath Hembree (110 / 6.9) in the same deal as Workman. Other honorable mentions are a pair of relievers traded from the Orioles: Miguel Castro (187 / 11.7) to the Mets, and Mychal Givens (152 / 12.7) to the Rockies.

Those are the lineups: now a few words about some further Astrology implications. Of the 66 players traded at the deadline, 47 of them have appeared in the majors in 2020. Of those 47, the relative majority (8) were Leos. However, curiously, five other signs had exactly 5 players represented: Gemini, Libra, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. One of these, Pisces, is one of only two signs to not have a player in my "starting lineup" pictured above. The other is Aries, which had only one player traded this deadline season (outfielder Cameron Maybin (88 / 6.3) who went from Detroit to the Cubs). This is also particularly curious because Aries has been the top scoring sign of the last several years - when taking into account a similar "starting lineup" configuration (although with just three relievers). I'll be going into some more big picture detail later, but until then, stay safe, practice social distancing, and hope that your favorite team doesn't get any(more) positive COVID tests.

 

MLB 2019-20 Free Agents by Astrology Sign

One week ago today, MLB Trade Rumors posted their list of the top 50 free agents, complete with predictions of where they would end up for next season. Because I'm a compulsive list maker, I quickly organized a hypothetical roster out of the highest fantasy-scoring players on that list. That roster is presented below (along with MLBTR's rankings and predictions at the left), and after that, I present a look at some of the more high-profile names on this list through the lens of my unique baseball perspective, Fantasy Astrology!

Number 1 ranked MLB Trade Rumors free agent Gerrit Cole has also been the number 1 fantasy point scoring starting pitcher for Virgo over the past two seasons, both of which he spent with Houston. But he's been in the Maidens starting five for 4 of the past 5 years, dating back to his time with Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Pirates, Cole is actually their leading All-Decade starter, finishing ahead of his former Astros teammate Charlie Morton (a Scorpio) by just three games. VIR doesn't have another ranked FA until number 18, where Mike Moustakas puts his newly earned second base eligibility to use, as there are actually a couple of pretty decent third basemen ahead of him on the depth chart. Moose made the Virgo starting team at 3B 2 of the last 5 years, but was a regular feature at the hot corner with the Royals, with 885 all-decade games.

Will Harris, Cole's teammate and Astros playoff goat (not the same as the acronym G.O.A.T.), checks in next at 22. His first of three years making the Virgo bullpen (in which I keep track of up to 6 dedicated relief pitchers) was the same as Cole and Moustakas's, and he also leads Houston in all-decade appearances at 309. Ten spots later is center field-eligible Brett Gardner, who has the most fantasy astrology starting experience of Virgo free agents, with five seasons as a starter, although they came over a span of 10 years - the same span as my All-Decade project. Speaking of which, Gardy also has the most all-decade experience among VIR FA's, as he racked up 953 games in left field, plus another 422 in center, for the Yankees.

The most coveted position player on the free agent market should be world champion third baseman Anthony Rendon, a stalwart on the Gemini fantasy astrology team for 5 of the last 6 seasons. But who remembers that he actually broke into the league in 2013 as primarily a second baseman? Injuries and a position change across the diamond for franchise player (and Libra) Ryan Zimmerman cemented Rendon at the hot corner, where he has blossomed into one of the game's top players with the glove as well as the bat. But it's fascinating to imagine the prospect of him returning to his old defensive stomping ground to facilitate a signing with a team that already has an even better defensive third baseman. (Matt Chapman just won his second Platinum Glove in a row, I'm just sayin'...) The only other member of the astrology Twins on my list is sometime Cubs closer Steve Cishek, since I did the rankings by fantasy points rather than MLBTR rankings; which is also the reason why #4 ranked SP Zack Wheeler (1,635 points / 52.7 points-per-game) isn't up there, as he finished just behind Aries Jake Odorizzi in both categories.

The Cancer Crabs fantasy astrology team has been consistently pitching-poor since as far back as I've been able to measure (which is at this point the late 1990's), but for 7 of the past 8 years they've had a bona fide ace in Stephen Strasburg. I was frankly surprised that the Nationals' leading All-Decade starter (239 games) decided to opt out of the remaining $100 on his contract, given his low key nature and the unpredictable (almost collusively so) free agent market, but there's little doubt he'll beat his previous guarantee based on his absolutely incredible platform season. Teams will be wary of overpaying given his resume, but the adage that "past performance doesn't guarantee future results" cuts both ways with Stras, as it applies not only to his checkered injury history, but also to his World Series MVP-winning 2019 performance. The top relief pitcher on the market, lefty Will Smith, led the Cancer bullpen this year, and his role will be even more important given Blake Treinen's nosedive and Felipe Vazquez's criminal proclivities. Not listed is Strasburg's teammate and fellow playoff hero Howie Kendrick (he was ranked #30 with 1,398 points and 11.5 PPG), who I in all seriousness would like to see sign with the green and gold next year to replace Pisces Jurickson Profar at the keystone.

So far I've profiled signs from the Earth, Air, and Water elemental "divisions," and I'll close by looking at one player from each of the three Fire teams. NL ERA leader and first time All-Star Hyun-Jin Ryu led the Aries rotation after playing second (or more accurately sixth or seventh) fiddle behind Rams legends like Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, and Felix Hernandez since 2013. Speaking of second fiddle, Madison Bumgarner had been number 2 in the Leo rotation from 2013 thru 2016 (he led Lions starters in 2011 and '12, but settled in at number 4 in 2019, after a two-year gap), and each time he finished behind Max Scherzer. Although he's the DH in this lineup, Josh Donaldson is known almost as much for his glovework at third base as his potent bat, where he took over as the heir apparent of David Wright on the Sagittarius team - although he has twice been frozen out by other Archers such as Matt Carpenter and Justin Turner since he took the reins in 2013.

2019 National League All-Acquired Roster

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18:

All three of the changes to this lineup were reported last week, but only just became official as of the MLB.com transaction page. The addition of Andrew McCutchen (1,756 fantasy points / 11.3 points per game) to the Philadelphia outfield pushes Johnny Field into the center field platoon picture, even though he only technically qualified as a corner outfielder in 2018. Tanner Roark (1,163 / 37.5) hasn't been a top of the rotation pitcher since 2016, but at this early point in the offseason, he's got a good shot to stick in this rotation. And Jeurys Familia (1,329 / 19.0) will return to his original team in New York, but he won't reprise the closer's role he had for them since 2015, but rather will continue in the setup capacity for which he pitched in Oakland after his mid-2018 trade.


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As I set up in my last post highlighting the American League All-Acquired Roster, the cutoff point for inclusion in this particular update of the 2019 All-Acquired rosters was prior to the week beginning 12/10/18, which will allow us to focus entirely on pre-Winter Meetings action. I don't think I mentioned that I'm using only transactions that have been reported on MLB.com's Transaction page, so let me just clear that up now. With all that said, let's check out the top players having been acquired by National League teams this offseason!


STARTING PITCHER

Image from Arizona Sports

Like its AL counterpart, the NL All-Acquired squad boasts a top of the rotation lefty, although the senior circuit's version came via free agent signing rather than blockbuster trade. The consensus top starting pitcher on the free agent market, Patrick Corbin (2,213 fantasy points / 67.1 points per game) turned in a stellar season with the Diamondbacks, which he parlayed into a six-year, $140 million contract with the Nationals. We'll see whether this financial outlay from the Lerner family prevents homegrown superstar outfielder Bryce Harper from returning to Washington (which would keep him out of the All-Acquired landscape altogether), but at least the Nats have a loaded rotation, even after trading away Tanner Roark in a swap that occurred after the cutoff point.

Unlike its AL counterpart, the NL All-Acquired player pool doesn't even include enough healthy starting pitchers to staff a full rotation, even including the above-mentioned Roark. Going by 2018 fantasy points, the next pitcher on the list is Garrett Richards (696 / 43.5), who the Padres signed to a two-year deal typical for hurlers recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he likely won't be a factor until 2020 at the earliest. Former potential ace in the making Luke Weaver (683 / 22.8) went from the Cardinals to the Diamondbacks in a huge trade that we'll talk about later on. But after those two we have another TJ victim Artie Lewicki (120 / 9.2 with the Tigers, before going to Arizona via waiver claim) and Triple-A starter Mike Hauschild (60 / 30.0 in one start and one relief appearance for the Blue Jays - he signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals).


RELIEF PITCHER

Image from New York Post

In addition to an ace starter, the NL also acquired a star closer in Edwin Diaz (2,672 / 36.6), the top-scoring reliever in all of baseball in 2018. Arguably the key piece in a Mariners/Mets blockbuster that went down right after the start of Hanukkah, Diaz will give New York NL just one year of cheap production before his ludicrous save totals drive his price up in arbitration. In the very first trade of the offseason (or rather of the "post-2018 season," since the playoffs were still going on), the Marlins sent power reliever Kyle Barraclough (625 / 10.2) to the Nationals, in a prelude of pitching acquisitions to come. I'm listing Barraclough above lefty Jose Alvarez (717 / 9.4), who went from the Angels to the Phillies in a curious one-for-one swap, not just due to the slight points-per-game advantage, but also because left-handed specialists with unimpressive peripheral stats just aren't that exciting. Speaking of which, lefty James Pazos (520 / 8.7) went from the Mariners to the Phillies in yet another blockbuster, alongside bounceback candidate Juan Nicasio (189 / 4.1).

Although he doesn't appear on my new truncated database, having missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery of his own, it's worth mentioning that Washington signed former St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal. And looking ahead to deals announced after the start of the Winter Meetings, this already-impressive bullpen will be filled out further by the likes of Jeurys Familia (back to the Mets), Joe Kelly (Dodgers), and Alex Claudio (Brewers).


CATCHER

Sticking with the Nats, they're responsible for both of the top two NL All-Acquired backstops. First, they signed late-blooming Kurt Suzuki (1,015 / 9.7) for his second stint with the team, after he was granted free agency from the Braves, and then they traded for defensive specialist Yan Gomes (1,053 / 9.4) from the Indians. While they both hit right-handed, and thus aren't well suited for a traditional platoon role, the differing skillsets each of them brings to the table should complement each other well. Elsewhere in the NL East, Atlanta reunited with a familiar face in Brian McCann (408 / 6.5) after he had his 2019 option year declined by the Astros.


FIRST BASE

Remember that D-Backs/Cardinals trade I mentioned earlier? The one with Luke Weaver? Well, he was the primary piece going to Arizona in exchange for Paul Goldschmidt (2,196 / 13.9), one of the top first baseman, not just in the last year, but in the last DECADE. Goldy does it all, averaging 31 homers, 105 RBI, and 18 steals per season over his eight-year career, with a .930 OPS (45 percent above league average), six consecutive All-Star appearances, four Silver Slugger awards, and three Gold Gloves. Sure he'll be a free agent after next season, so he's unlikely to make a huge impact to the St. Louis franchise, but adding that type of production to an already-solid lineup makes the Cards a force in an already-crowded NL Central division in 2019.


SECOND BASE

Image from WFAN Radio

Remember when I said that Edwin Diaz was "arguably" the key piece in that Mariners/Mets blockbuster? The main argument against him is Robinson Cano (1,033 / 12.9), who returns to a familiar city, having started his career with the Yankees. Cano has some red flags, as he's playing out the decline years of a megadeal (which was negotiated by Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen back when he was still Cano's agent at CAA), and he's fresh off an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. But as his solid per-game numbers indicate, he still has plenty left in his bat, and his defense isn't as bad as people give him credit for, as he's only posted a negative dWAR (according to Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement) once in the last 10 seasons.


SHORTSTOP

Sticking with middle infielders shipped out by Seattle, the new shortstop in Philadelphia will be Jean Segura (1,749 / 12.1). Why would Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto trade away a 2018 All-Star just one year after signing him to a five-year extension? You mean, beyond Dipoto's compulsion with making any and every trade proposed by an opposing GM? Maybe it has to do with reports of some bad clubhouse chemistry on Segura's part, which would fit with Philly's pursuit of admitted non-hustler Manny Machado. Or maybe it's just a full commitment to the rebuild on the part of the Seattle front office. Either way, Segura is a clear upgrade at SS over incumbent All-Acquired utility infielders Greg Garcia (332 / 2.9) and Erik Gonzalez (331 / 4.1).


THIRD BASE

Image from Meridian Star

If there was ever a candidate for a one-year "pillow" contract it was former AL MVP Josh Donaldson (603 / 11.6), who suffered through an injury-plagued last couple of years with the Blue Jays (and briefly the Indians). With third base prospect Austin Riley waiting in the wings in Atlanta, Braves GM Alex Anthopolous did a good job picking up a near term upgrade at the hot corner while not blocking the path of a youngster who could become a core piece sooner rather than later. Although he only racked up fewer than twice as many points as former Orioles DH/sometimes third baseman Pedro Alvarez (331 / 7.4), the superior talent level on both sides of the ball is clear. As things stand, however, Alvarez is the leading non-catcher candidate to serve as DH if this team were to play in an AL ballpark.


CENTER FIELD

It's a good thing this team has such a star-studded infield mix, because there's nothing much doing at all in the NL outfield market (at least up to my cutoff point). There is the makings of a low-impact platoon situation in center field with two players signed to minor league pacts. Switch-hitting Abraham Almonte (219 / 4.4) signed on with the Diamondbacks following an early trip to free agency (he was released by the Royals during the 2018 season). Meanwhile, Ryan LaMarre (348 / 4.6) was picked up by the Braves after splitting last year between the Twins and the White Sox.


CORNER OUTFIELD

As of the start of the Winter Meetings, the most accomplished MLB outfielder to be acquired by an NL team was Lonnie Chisenhall (255 / 8.8) formerly of the Indians. He'll serve as a stopgap in Pittsburgh until injured regular right fielder Gregory Polanco is ready to return. The best bet to see time on the opposite side of the grass is Johnny Field (507 / 6.1), who split his debut 2018 season between Tampa Bay and Minnesota, before joining up with the Cubs. Of course, looking forward to deals that were announced up to yesterday, the Phillies helped out the cause by signing Andrew McCutchen, who will get a chance to help out the in-state rival of his former team.


That's it for the NL roster! Return to the 2018-19 All-Acquired Hub page to see the starting lineup/rotation represented in graphical form and to link to the American League roster!

2019 American League All-Acquired Roster

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18

We'll see how long these weekly updates continue, but as of now, this project is still fresh in my mind, and there are some new developments, especially on the AL side, so I want to go over the new developments. As always, you can return to the All-Acquired Rosters Hub page for a visual representation of both lineups (with new additions highlighted in yellow in the "Movement" column at the far left), but here's the analysis:

First things first, the rotation is starting to come into focus after the previously reported deals for Ivan Nova (traded from the Pirates to the White Sox) and Tyson Ross (signed as a free agent with the Tigers) have been officially announced. While these two pitchers had similar fantasy point production last season, they have decidedly different outlooks for 2019: Nova (who checked in at 1,113 points and 38.3 points per game) profiles as a solid innings-eater type, while Ross (who finished with 1,056 and 34.1, split between the rotation and the bullpen of San Diego and St. Louis, respectively) has considerably more upside if he can harness his electric stuff and stay on the field.

Speaking of the Tigers, on the offensive side, Jordy Mercer (894 / 7.6) solidifies the middle infield, allowing Aledmys Diaz to shift over to third base. But the real story here is at DH, where Edwin Encarnacion (1,800 / 13.1) will essentially swap places with Carlos Santana in Seattle, as Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto continues his crazy dealing. Luckily, since Santana was dealt within the league, he can remain on the same All-Acquired team in a 1B/DH rotation with his former teammate. The other player heading to Cleveland in this three-team trade, Jake Bauers (930 / 9.7) is a first baseman by trade, but given the presence of two outstanding defenders in the outfield in Mallex Smith and Billy Hamilton (1,251 / 8.2, whose contract with the Royals was also reported last week), it's OK to sacrifice some defense at one spot in favor of a little more pop... at least until some bigger moves come along.

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As of the first week of December (my somewhat arbitrary cutoff point), AL teams have been significantly more active in the transactional space than their NL counterparts, by a score of 63 to 43. Although, as we'll see, that doesn't necessarily correlate to the amount of high impact players acquired. I thought about going chronologically, so we could watch these lineups unfold in real time, but if you want to follow along with the calendar, you can check out MLB.com's Transactions page. With that in mind, here's a position by position look at the AL All-Acquired Team!

STARTING PITCHER

Image from The Ringer

The biggest pitching acquisition for the AL came when the Mariners traded lefty starter James Paxton (1,719 fantasy points / 61.4 points per game) to the Yankees for a package centered on twice-traded prospect Justus Sheffield (-25 / -8.3 in his limited debut season), who would also likely make this early-December rotation given the lack of options. In fact, the only other starting option with more than 200 fantasy points was Jefry Rodriguez (212 / 15.4), who started eight of his first 14 MLB games in 2018 with the Nationals, before being sent to the Indians as one of two players in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes.

Digging deeper, just to get to a full starting five, the Tigers signed Matt Moore (143 / 3.7) after his abysmal season with the Rangers led to a move to the bullpen and a subsequent declining of his contract option for 2019. Parker Bridwell (-71 / -14.2) had a decent season for the Angels in 2017, but was (effectively) non-tendered last month and picked up by the Yankees on a minor league deal. And Dillon Peters (31 / 4.4) looked to have a shot in the Marlins rotation last year, but ended the season in the minors and was shipped to the Angels in a minor trade. It's also worth noting that Drew Smyly, who will miss the start of 2019 recovering from the Tommy John surgery that took his entire 2018 season, went from the Cubs to the Rangers in a cost-saving move, and he could be a factor by mid-season.

However, this will be the last time we hear about many of the pitchers in the above paragraph, since some fairly notable rotation moves have come to light after my cutoff point for this post, which happened to be the start of the Winter Meetings (12/10). Suffice it to say, names like Tyson Ross, Ivan Nova, and maybe even Charlie Morton and Lance Lynn will be showing up in my next update.


RELIEF PITCHER

Remember when Jesse Chavez (1,201 / 19.4) hinted that he would retire if the Cubs didn't want him back in 2019 after he pitched like a lights-out relief ace there following a trade from the Rangers? Well, they didn't end up re-signing him, but he did return to the club that made his opportunity in Chicago possible, agreeing to a two-year deal to go back to Texas. While Chavez had a heck of a season, if you'd rather headline your bullpen with someone who has more closing experience, look no further than Alex Colome (1,101 / 15.7), who spent most of 2018 as a setup-pitcher in Seattle, after coming over from Tampa Bay midseason, but now finds himself on the White Sox thanks to Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto's wheeling and dealing.

Speaking of Dipoto, veteran middle reliever Anthony Swarzak (188 / 6.5) came TO Seattle as a means of offsetting some salary in a different blockbuster deal (see the upcoming NL section for more info on that one). In a head-scratcher of a move, the Angels acquired hard-throwing-but-struggling righty Luis Garcia (303 / 5.1) from the Phillies in exchange for a quality lefty (Jose Alvarez). And Oliver Drake (258 / 5.9), who set a major league record by pitching for five (5!) different teams in 2018, has already been claimed twice off waivers during the offseason: once by the Rays (from the Twins) and then again by the Blue Jays. If I were a gambler, I'd say the odds are infinitesimal that he remains in Toronto to start the 2019 season.


CATCHER

The first two AL All-Acquired catching options, chronologically speaking, came courtesy of (you guessed it) Jerry Dipoto. First, he shipped out previous starter Mike Zunino (794 / 7.0) to the Rays in one of his lesser blockbusters, then he picked up Omar Narvaez (736 / 7.6) from Chicago AL in the above-mentioned Alex Colome trade. However, both of those two were eclipsed (offensively speaking) by Robinson Chirinos (1,055 / 9.5) who was picked up by the Astros after surprisingly being non-tendered by their cross-state rival Rangers.


FIRST BASE

Image from MarinersBlog

In yet another Dipoto-centered acquisition, the Mariners picked up Carlos Santana (1,820 / 11.3) from the Phillies, although his inclusion was mostly to offset salary and free up first base for Philadelphia rather than any desire for a switch-hitting power hitter on Seattle's part. In fact, it's rumored that Jerry DEAL-poto might be looking to flip Santana for prospects in a continuation of this epic roster tear-down. "Slamtana" unseats C.J. Cron (1,537 / 11.0), who the Twins claimed off waivers from the Rays, although he will keep a spot in the starting lineup as the DH (his primary "position" in 2018).


SECOND BASE

Sticking with the Twins, they are the unexpected beneficiaries of some poor planning on the part of the Brewers last year. Milwaukee acquired Jonathan Schoop (1,179 / 9.0) at the trade deadline, even after making the decision to shift starting third baseman Travis Shaw to the keystone to make room for Mike Moustakas (another midseason acquisition). But the former Orioles second baseman never panned out for the Brew Crew, and GM David Stearns decided to non-tender Schoop rather than pay him an estimated $10mm+ in arbitration. That's when Minnesota swept in and picked up the Curacao native for $2.5mm less than his projected arb salary, in hopes that Schoop will return to his 2017 form that landed him on the AL East Divisional All-Star squad.


SHORTSTOP

Continuing around the horn (rather than going numerically), the top shortstop acquired by an AL team is Aledmys Diaz (1,211 / 9.3). After breaking out with an All-Star season for the Cardinals in 2016, he lost some of his luster the following year, and was then shipped to Toronto prior to 2018. While north of the border, he filled in for both the injured Troy Tulowitzki and the injured Josh Donaldson, so he's got eligibility in both left-infield spots. Despite having big time talents at both of those positions, the Astros acquired Diaz in a minor swap, where he figures to fill a utility infield role next season.


THIRD BASE

The third base situation is the most volatile for the AL All-Acquired team as it stands right now, with several imperfect options looking at some kind of timeshare. The only one who technically qualified at third base was Tommy La Stella (385 / 3.1), who was recently shipped from the Cubs to the Angels after Chicago NL acquired Ronald Torreyes (183 / 4.5)... who was subsequently non-tendered and picked up by the Twins. While still billed as a shortstop prospect, J.P. Crawford (305 / 6.2) played a handful of games at third base for the Phillies, and it's unclear where he'll play after coming over to Seattle along with Santana. Then further down into straight-up utility territory, we have Chris Owings (569 / 5.4), who was primarily an outfielder last year, but does have experience at 2B and 3B as well.


CENTER FIELD

Image from MarinersBlog

Remember that first Jerry Dipoto blockbuster I mentioned? The one that sent Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay? Well, the return going back to Seattle was headlined by Mallex Smith (1,545 / 11.0), a speed-and-defense center fielder who was once briefly a member of the Mariners, when he stopped through on his way to the Rays in what was essentially a three-team deal. While there's no one who approaches Smith's level of production in the pre-cutoff talent pool, Billy Hamilton's deal with the Royals just went through yesterday, so there is at least some depth, beyond honorable mentions Tim Locastro and Jake Smolinski.


CORNER OUTFIELD

Carlos Santana was not the only veteran bopper to make his way to Seattle for monetary reasons: Jay Bruce (735 / 7.8) came over from the Mets as a way to offset some salary due to the most accomplished player in that particular blockbuster (tune in next post to find out who that is!), but he instantly steps in as the top AL acquired corner outfield option. Playing opposite Bruce is someone who was sent away from Seattle in the Mallex Smith trade, the defensively gifted Guillermo Heredia (561 / 4.5) who figures to fill the same role as Smith did last year in Tampa Bay. The only other outfielder in this pool with more than 100 fantasy points last year is Jordan Luplow (227 / 6.1) who went from the Pirates to the Indians in a swap of low-level, future-minded pieces.


That's it for the AL roster! Return to the 2018-19 All-Acquired Hub page to see the starting lineup/rotation represented in graphical form and to link to the National League roster!

2019 All-Acquired Rosters HUB

UPDATE #2, as of 12/25/18 (MERRY CHRISTMAS!)
 
2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/25/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster


^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/25/18

===

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18:

2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/16/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/16/18

===

This past weekend, I experienced some technical difficulties that led to a profound sense of loss for me: the Excel spreadsheet that I had been using to keep track of updated MLB rosters for the past five years or so somehow became corrupt and stopped functioning. I encountered the same problems with all the various backup versions I tried, so I'm assuming the issue happened many months ago - possibly due to passing the document across different computers using Dropbox, or too much copy-pasting of cells with too many different formats, or maybe it just fell victim to the general bad luck that seems to befall every electronic device I come into contact with. In any event, while it was frustrating to lose the past 2+ months worth of work I did to keep it up to date since the end of last season, I now get the chance to step back, take stock of the situation, and decide what's really important for me and my database needs.

But unfortunately, the hot stove season won't wait for my soul searching, and the transactions are piling up. Luckily, after the 2018 season, I uploaded a truncated version of my database to Google Drive, where it still lives in all its color-coordinated glory. I haven't decided whether to use that document as a starting point for 2019, or if I want to start completely from scratch (possibly using the player pool from the next MLB: The Show video game as a baseline, since my workbook was getting rather crowded with obscure free agents and inactive players who I couldn't bring myself to delete). But for now, I'm going to use this Google Drive version to bring back a feature that I like to do every year (sometimes twice!): All-Acquired Teams!

Obviously, with the offseason still in the rather early stages, these lineups won't pack a whole lot of punch, but the benefit to starting this early is that we can see a representation of how the transaction market develops. As with previous offseason versions of this feature (as opposed to the trade deadline versions), I'm going to make separate rosters for the AL and NL, and as with my 2018 Fantasy Astrology Recaps, I'm going to use this post as a hub with links to both rosters and also some charts taken from my database. Enjoy!

2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquire Roster, as of 12/09/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired Roster, as of 12/09/18

All-Acquired 2018 Pitchers - Christmas Update

Well, the gifts have been exchanged, the traditional Christmas hams / lasagnas / Chinese takeouts have been consumed, and the Scrooge-like world of business is preparing to start up again.  So what better time to continue my dive into baseball's All-Acquired landscape and examine the top pitchers who have landed with new teams so far this offseason.

* STARTING PITCHER #1

- AL: Shohei Ohtani (Angels, posted from Japan, minor league deal)
The market for starting pitchers has been notably slow this year, due in no small part to the time it took for the Shohei Ohtani situation to develop.  The particularities of the rules governing both how players from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball can transition to the Major Leagues and the signing of international amateurs ensured that pretty much all 30 MLB clubs were on fairly equal financial footing when it came to signing this two way superstar.  After narrowing the field down to seven (mostly west coast) teams, Ohtani ultimately decided to sign with the Angels, because of Anaheim's relative proximity to his home country and for the chance to play on the same team as (arguably) the best player in the world, Mike Trout.

All the hype surrounding Ohtani doesn't mean that he's without question marks.  An ankle injury limited him to just five starts on the mound and just over 200 at bats in NPB last year, although he played well in limited duty, posting a 3.20 ERA and a .942 OPS (which translates to 55.4 fantasy points per game as a pitcher and 10.6 PPG as a batter).  It was also revealed (i.e. leaked) that the 23-year-old (24 in July) has a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow, but apparently this information was known to teams during the negotiating process and hasn't impacted his value.  It'll be interesting to see if Ohtani gets the opening day start for the Angels over a more established option such as Garret Richards, or if they instead choose to utilize him as the DH in his first MLB appearance.

- NL: Jhoulys Chacin (Brewers, 2-year deal)
Earlier in the offseason, MLB Trade Rumors published a piece suggesting that the Brewers were in a good position to make a play for some of the top pitching talent on the free agent market, but to this point, the biggest action they've been involved in was this relatively modest mid-rotation pickup.  After bouncing around the league over the last three seasons, Chacin rebuilt his value in the pitcher's haven of San Diego last year, earning himself a deal worth twice the length and nearly nine times the dollar amount than the one he signed with the Padres last year.  Even though Chacin pitched notably worse outside pitcher friendly PetCo Park in 2017, let's not forget that he had good success in the first half of his career pitching for the Rockies.


* STARTING PITCHER #2

- AL: Mike Minor (Rangers, 3-year deal)
Mike Minor broke into the big leagues as a starting pitcher with the Braves, and had a couple of really solid years, culminating in a Divisional All-Star appearance in 2013.  But then shoulder problems derailed his career, until he resurfaced in 2017 with the Royals as a shutdown reliever, even taking over as the team's closer late in the year.  Given the fact that the market for relief pitching has been robust this offseason, Minor might have been able to maximize his earnings had he chosen to sign in that role, but he apparently preferred the opportunity to compete for a rotation spot.

- NL: Tyler Chatwood (Cubs, 3-year deal)
With the addition of Chatwood, it appears that the Cubs now have a full rotation (if you count swingman Mike Montgomery, who also reportedly prefers to start), but I wouldn't say that has necessarily taken them out of the running for the winter's top free agent starters.  Quite the contrary, in fact, since Chatwood also spent some time pitching out of the bullpen in 2017 and could return to that role next year in a worst case scenario situation.


* STARTING PITCHER #3

- AL: Mike Fiers (Tigers, 1-year deal)
Fiers struggled through the worst full season of his career in 2017 pitching for the World Champion Houston Astros, and then was not tendered an arbitration contract after being left off the playoff roster.  The rebuilding Tigers took a shot at the hard thrower, undoubtedly with the hope that he'll improve his performance enough that he'll draw the attention of a contender and fetch back some useful prospects at the trade deadline.

- NL: Brandon McCarthy (Braves, trade with Dodgers)
McCarthy represented the main return for the Braves when they shipped Matt Kemp to the Dodgers in a piece of luxury tax payroll manipulation.  The lanky mid-rotation arm with a silver tongue on Twitter is also controllable through the 2019 season via on option on the deal he signed with Los Angeles back in 2015.




* STARTING PITCHER #4

- AL: Matt Moore (Rangers, trade with Giants)
In acquiring Moore, Texas was able to buy low on a promising rotation option while also helping San Francisco clear some payroll from their books for more acquisitions of their own.  The lefty's disappointing 2017 season was still enough for the Giants to exercise their $9mm club option over Moore, and if he performs well, he will be controllable through 2019 through yet another club option left over from the 2012 extension he signed with his original team the Rays.

- NL: Yovani Gallardo (Brewers, 1-year deal)
Based on the incentives built into Gallardo's contract, it's not clear whether Milwaukee will use him as a starter or as a reliever next year.  (For what it's worth, Roster Resource has the homegrown Brewer in the fourth spot of their projected 2018 rotation as of this writing.)  It's all but certain that Gallardo won't approach the heights he reached during his first stint with the Brewers, but the club is in need of rotation depth, as they'll be without staff ace Jimmy Nelson for the early part of next season due to injury.


* STARTING PITCHER #5

- AL: Doug Fister (Rangers, 1-year deal w/club option)
In yet another move by the Texas Rangers, Fister was the first notable free agent to be signed during the 2017-18 offseason, inking his deal two days before the close of November.  Fister hasn't put up good numbers since a brilliant 2014 campaign with the Nationals and his velocity has been steadily declining for years, but you could definitely do worse as a flier on a low-risk, back of the rotation option.
Honorable Mention: Asher Wojciechowski (Orioles, minor league deal)

- NL: Albert Suarez (Diamondbacks, Rule 5 Draft from Giants)
Suarez served as an unremarkable rookie swingman for San Francisco in 2016, starting 12 of 22 games and racking up 84 innings.  But after posting an ERA over 5.00 in 18 relief appearances last year, the Giants non-tendered him and re-signed him to a minor league deal, only to see him get plucked by Arizona in the Rule 5 Draft.  It's far more likely that the Diamondbacks will use Suarez out of the bullpen than as a starter, but like I said, the market for starting pitching has been extremely thin this year.
Honorable Mention: Jacob Turner (Marlins, unspecified deal, unconfirmed)


* CLOSER

- AL: Fernando Rodney (Twins, 1-year deal w/club option)
The arrow-shooting veteran reliever surprised many when he emerged as a solid ninth inning option for the playoff bound Diamondbacks last year, but even at the age of 40, Rodney shows no signs of slowing down.  The three-time representative for the Dominic Rebublic in the World Baseball Classic will now head to another 2017 Wild Card team in hopes of anchoring the bullpen of a Minnesota team that has aspirations on becoming a perennial contender.

- NL: Yoshihisa Hirano (Diamondbacks, 2-year deal)
I don't know if Hirano will begin his MLB career by closing games for Arizona, but the 33-year-old has occupied that role for the NPB's Orix Buffaloes for the last six years.  While he's a distant second in the hype department as far as players coming over from Japan this offseason, Hirano actually had a superior season to Shohei Ohtani in 2017, posting a 2.67 ERA over 57.1 relief innings and racking up 29 saves in the process.


* RELIEF PITCHER #1

- AL: Yusmeiro Petit (Athletics, 2-year deal w/ club option)
Even as multi-inning bullpen weapons are becoming more popular than ever, Petit garnered precious little attention while leading all relief pitchers with 90.1 innings over just 60 appearances in 2017 (which includes one start).  The Venezuelan long man was one of the first relievers to come off the board, signing just one day after Fister, and one can't help but wonder if he could have earned a larger payday by waiting until the veritable run on relief pitchers that took place during the Winter Meetings in December.

- NL: Anthony Swarzak (Mets, 2-year deal)
After signing what could only be described as one of last offseason's most successful minor league deals (for team AND player), former Twins swingman Anthony Swarzak not only netted the White Sox a decent prospect from Milwaukee at the 2017 trade deadline, but he also earned himself a pretty good free agent contract in the process.  Mets ownership has taken some flak recently for not communicating a clear offseason plan to their front office, but bringing Swarzy into the fold seems like a pretty strong way to start this offseason.


* RELIEF PITCHER #2

- AL: Jim Johnson (Angels, trade with Braves)
Given his history as a closer, the sinkerballing Johnson won't come close to filling the multi-inning hole left in Anaheim by Yusmeiro Petit's departure, but he should definitely... throw some innings for the Angels in 2018.  Interestingly enough, it was also Johnson's part time role as Atlanta's ninth inning man last year that placed him so high on this list, since I've arranged it by 2017 fantasy points, and we all know how much saves tend to pad point totals.

- NL: Pat Neshek (Phillies, 2-year deal w/ club option)
This offseason marks the second consecutive year that Neshek has been acquired by Philadelphia, only last year it was via a trade with the Astros.  He qualifies for the All-Acquired team once again because the sidearmer was traded to Colorado at the 2017 deadline, where he pitched excellently and appeared in the NL Wild Card game before hitting the open market.  With a couple of other win-now acquisitions to Philly's name so far this offseason, it's distinctly possible that Neshek could be a part of Philadelphia's next contending roster.

* RELIEF PITCHER #3

- AL: Juan Nicasio (Mariners, 2-year deal)
Juan Nicasio has the rare distinction of signing a contract worth fewer years than the number of teams he played for in his platform year.  In his first successful season as a full time reliever, Nicasio was curiously shipped from the Pirates to the Phillies, since Pittsburgh ownership reportedly didn't want to see him help a fellow NL Central playoff contender, but he nevertheless was flipped to the Cardinals, despite the fact that it was too late for him to be eligible for the playoffs.  Nicasio likely won't challenge the electric Edwin Diaz for Seattle's closer position, but his live arm definitely makes for a plus bullpen piece.

- NL: Brandon Morrow (Cubs, 2-year deal w/ vesting option)
After the way Morrow was abused in the 2017 playoffs by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, I'm surprised any team was willing to offer him anything longer than a one-year, make-good, let's-see-if-your-arm-doesn't-fall-off contract.  But the former reliever turned swingman turned starter turned back to reliever will have another chance to pitch near the top of a playoff contender's bullen in 2018 on the north side of Chicago.


* RELIEF PITCHER #4

- AL: Joe Smith (Astros, 2-year deal)
After performing very well for both the Blue Jays and the Indians in 2017 - completing a two-year stretch where he pitched for four different teams - the sidearming Smith has latched on with the defending champs to help bolster a bullpen that lost such supporting pieces as Luke Gregerson, Tyler Clippard, and Francisco Liriano.

- NL: Bryan Shaw (Rockies, 3-year deal w/ vesting option)
Shaw is one of those pitchers whose great stuff for some reason doesn't translate well to fantasy points.  From 2014 thru '16, he averaged 1.4 rWAR per season (Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference), yet he averaged just 8.8 fantasy points per year during that span.  Either way, his real world talents were recognized by the Rockies, and rewarded by the longest contract bestowed upon a relief pitcher so far during this offseason.


* RELIEF PITCHER HONORABLE MENTIONS

- AL
Hector Rondon (Astros, 2-year deal)
Emilio Pagan (Athletics, trade with Mariners)

Zack Duke (Twins, 1-year deal)
Jhan Marinez (Orioles, minor league deal)
Josh Edgin (Orioles, minor league deal)


- NL
Tommy Hunter (Phillies, 2-year deal, unconfirmed)
Steve Cishek (Cubs, 2-year deal)
Chase Whitley (Braves, waiver claim from Rays)
Luke Gregerson (Cardinals, 2-year deal w/ vesting option)

Jared Hughes (Reds, 2-year deal w/ option)
Brad Boxberger (Diamondbacks, trade with Rays)

All-Acquired 2018 Batters - Christmas Update

For many people, the holiday season is an opportunity to enjoy some time off from work, reconnect with rarely-seen relatives, and indulge in a little shameless capitalism.  But for the baseball fan in the midst of a tedious offseason, it's the perfect time to fire up the Hot Stove and take stock of which players have changed teams so far.  So as Santa Claus hitches up his reindeer to deliver gifts to Baby Jesus, or something, here's the first preliminary version of the All-Acquired Rosters for 2018.

* CATCHER

- AL: Welington Castillo (White Sox, 2-year deal w/ club option)
The man known as "Beef" played well enough with the Orioles in 2017 to opt against exercising his player option to stick around with the club for a second year.  Castillo's next trip to the open market netted him a two year deal with an option from the rebuilding White Sox, which could possibly provide a glimpse into their projected window of contention.
Honorable Mention: Derek Norris (Tigers, minors deal, suspended)



- NL: Chris Iannetta (Rockies, 2-year deal w/ vesting/club option)
When the Rockies brought back a catcher who played the first half of his career in Colorado, they quite possibly took themselves out of the running for a reunion with the offseason's top free agent backstop Jonathan Lucroy.  Iannetta should welcome his insertion into a rather unsettled situation behind the plate at Coors Field after being a member of a three-part timeshare in Arizona.
Honorable Mention: Jose Lobaton (Mets, minors deal)


* FIRST BASE

- AL: Yonder Alonso (Indians, 2-year deal w/ vesting/club option)
After watching their longtime first baseman sign with the Phillies (see below), the Indians struck a deal with the breakout former top prospect who embraced the fly ball revolution and more than tripled his career high home run total in 2017, even while playing at a pair of spacious home parks.  Alonso's production did tail off significantly during the second half (right after he made his first All-Star team), and he does have a significant platoon split, but Cleveland is in the unique position of having an All-World DH who can play first against left handed starters.
Honorable Mention: Ryon Healy (Mariners, trade with Athletics, see below)

Image from NBC Sports

- NL: Carlos Santana (Phillies, 3-year deal w/ club option)
The Phillies, like the White Sox, are another club in the midst of a rebuild who nevertheless embarked on a fairly sizeable free agent outlay.  Santana got one more year on his contract than Castillo got in Chicago, but he's also a much more significant force in the lineup, given his power bat, excellent plate discipline, and prized defense, and should serve as a clear sign that Philadelphia has plans to be relevant again in the near future.  "Slamtana's" acquisition is also a clear sign that 2017 rookie phenom Rhys Hoskins's future is as an outfielder rather than a first baseman.
Honorable Mention: Matt Adams (Nationals, 1-year deal)


* SECOND BASE

- AL: Ian Kinsler (Angels, trade with Tigers)
Here we have the first All-Acquried player to change teams via trade rather than free agent signing.  The acquisition of Kinsler fills a gaping hole in Anaheim's keystone position, and was one of four big ticket moves the Angels made to try and put themselves in a position to chase down the Astros in the AL West, three of which we'll cover here. (The first move, chronologically speaking, was to re-sign oufielder Justin Upton, who was acquired during the 2017 season.)
Honorable Mention: Andrew Romine (Mariners, waiver claim, also from Tigers)


- NL: Starlin Castro (Marlins, trade with Yankees)
While Castro went to Miami largely as a way to offset some of the salary changing hands in the massive Giancarlo Stanton blockbuster (see below), he also fills a need for the Marlins after they shipped out their incumbent second baseman Dee Gordon in a separate trade (see a different section below).  It's unclear whether the powerful Castro will ever suit up for Miami or if he'll be flipped to try and shed more payroll, but unless he goes to an AL club, it's likely that he'll maintain his position on this list.
Honorable Mention: Alen Hanson (Giants, minors deal, unconfirmed, see a third section below)


* THIRD BASE

- AL: Ryon Healy (Mariners, trade from Athletics)
When Seattle acquired the power hitting Healy from the A's in what proved to be the offseason's first major transaction, they brought him in to play first base, despite the fact that he spent almost as much time at the hot corner (34 games) as he did at first (39 games) in 2017.  Of course, he's not a great defender in either spot, as evidenced by his 78 games at DH in 2017, but for this All-Acquired thought experiment, it simply makes the most sense to put him here, iron glove be damned.

Honorable Mention 1: Ryan Schimpf (Rays, trade with Padres)
Honorable Mention 2: Christian Arroyo (Rays, trade with Giants, the main return for...)

Image from MLB Trade Rumors

- NL: Evan Longoria (Giants, trade with Rays)
One of the big storylines heading into the 2017-18 offseason was whether the Rays would try to add to their roster and push for contention or sell off some of their highly desirable controllable players and embark on a rebuild.  I'd say that trading the longtime face of their franchise Evan Longoria (who remains under contract until at least 2022) is a pretty clear sign of their intentions.  Whether this leads to trades of coveted starters Chris Archer and/or Jake Odorizzi, we can only guess, but for now, it's safe to say that San Francisco has a better option at the hot corner than hoping for a career resurgence from Pablo Sandoval...

Rather than bury him in an "Honorable Mention" tag, I'd like to point out that Chase Headley would be first in line to serve as the NL All-Acquired team's DH, in the event that the Senior Circuit ever decides to adopt the 20th century way of playing baseball.  I was a little surprised when the Yankees shipped Headley back to the Padres, his original team, since it created yet another hole in New York's infield, but it also saves Brian Cashman's team roughly $13mm in their all important quest to stay under the luxury tax threshold.


* SHORTSTOP

- AL: Zack Cozart (Angels, 3-year deal)
It was often speculated that Cozart, the brilliant defensive shortstop who also broke out with the bat last year, would have to consider a position change in order to maximize his earnings in free agency.  And that's exactly what happened, since there's no way that the Angels will even consider moving Andrelton Simmons, who is arguably the game's best defender.  Instead, Cozart will slot in at third base, where, even if his offense regresses, he should still provide surplus value with his glove.  However, given the players acquired by the AL so far, it makes sense to keep him at his natural position for our purposes.
Honorable Mention: Aledmys Diaz (Blue Jays, trade with Cardinals)

- NL: Freddy Galvis (Padres, trade with Phillies)
It's no secret that Galvis is meant solely as a placeholder to keep the shortstop position warm in San Diego until highly touted 18-year-old prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. is ready to step in full time.  And considering Philadelphia has its own MLB-ready shortstop prospect (J.P. Crawford) waiting in the wings, this trade made tremendous sense for everyone involved.  It's unlikely that Galvis will approach the power numbers he put up over the last two years now that he's moving to spacious PetCo Park, but he should at least provide passable defense at a fairly reasonable salary.
Honorable Mention: Charlie Culberson (Braves, trade with Dodgers)


* OUTFIELD (CORNER)

Image from CBS New York

- AL1: Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees, trade with Marlins)
- AL2: Denard Span (Rays, trade with Giants)

Without a doubt, the biggest move of this offseason so far has been the trade of NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, and his record-setting contract, in a blatant cost-cutting move by the new Marlins ownership, continuing a tried and true tradition of fan-enraging fire sales in South Florida.  Seriously, if you have any doubts about how fans in Miami feel about how their team has been run, you need to listen to this interview (hat tip Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors).  But back to the baseball side of things, this trade puts two of the top three fantasy point scorers in the same lineup for 2018: #1 overall batter Charlie Blackmon (2,859) barely beat out Stanton (2,833), who finished just above his new teammate (and AL Rookie of the Year) Aaron Judge (2,765).  It's no question the Yankees are going to be a force to be reckoned with next year.

In a similar situation to Starlin Castro in Miami, Denard Span went to Tampa Bay mainly as a means of offsetting some of Evan Longoria's salary.  But if the Rays continue to sell, Span could be a useful roster piece, despite the fact that he really shouldn't play center field anymore, or Tampa could try to flip him to try to get some of his salary off the books.  Looking ahead to my Honorable Mentions, Stephen Piscotty had a pretty disappointing season with St. Louis last year, but if you're looking for more of a long term building block than a declining veteran, he could be a good corner option.
Honorable Mention 1: Stephen Piscotty (Athletics, trade with Cardinals)
Honorable Mention 2: Jabari Blash (Yankees, trade with Padres)

- NL1: Marcell Ozuna (Cardinals, trade with Marlins)
- NL2: Matt Kemp (Dodgers, trade with Braves)

Given their "everything must go" attitude, it's no surprise that the Marlins have provided each league with their top-scoring All-Acquired player so far.  Marcell Ozuna fulfills the Cardinal's search for an impact bat, while also allowing them to deal away some of their outfield surplus for prospects (see above).  It's unclear whether "The Big Bear" will be able to maintain his 150-point increase in OPS from last year, but he's got two more years of control through arbitration, which should help put St. Louis right back into the fight for the NL Central.

Matt Kemp is yet another player whose acquisition was strictly financially based, as the extremely complicated five-player swap between Los Angeles and Atlanta was engineered purely to help get the Dodgers under the luxury tax threshold.  But until LA is able to flip Kemp elsewhere (which should include a pretty big "if"), he places here in a weak all-acquired outfield market.
Honorable Mention: Shane Peterson (Padres, minors deal, unconfirmed)


* CENTER FIELD

- AL: Dee Gordon (Mariners, trade with Marlins)
While Gordon has spent his entire career to date as a middle infielder, he wasn't about to bump superstar Robinson Cano off the keystone position upon his acquisition by Seattle, so a position change was going to be in the cards.  I'm not personally a fan of the inconsistency in terms of established/projected new positions in this All-Acquired list (given that I've placed Zack Cozart at shortstop rather than third base), but sometimes you need to do some clever maneuvering in order to maximize potential production.

Honorable Mention 1: Leonys Martin (Tigers, 1-year deal)
Honorable Mention 2: Jaycob Brugman (Orioles, trade with Athletics)

- NL: Magneuris Sierra (Marlins, trade with Cardinals)
The center field market in the NL has been virtually nonexistent - Sierra patrolled center for just seven games of his 22-game cup of coffee in 2017 (which was also his MLB debut), but has spent the majority of his minor league career there.  The next best option is former Yankees farmhand Mason Williams, who reportedly joined the Reds on a minor league deal, but he has just 25 MLB games on his resume, spread out over the last three years.  Another interesting option is to move slugger Marcell Ozuna back to center, where he has spent the majority of his MLB games, and was a regular as recently as 2016, which would open up the second corner outfield spot to utility option Alen Hanson, who played a just-enough-to-qualify 20 games in right field, split between the PIrates and the White Sox.  Hanson's deal with the Giants has not technically been confirmed (I'm not counting the post on his instagram), but I find that MLB TR is rarely wrong about these things.


* DESIGNATED HITTER

- AL: Shohei Ohtani (Angels, posted from Japan, minors deal)
Outside of the Giancarlo Stanton trade saga (or maybe even said trade saga included), the pursuit of Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani was the biggest story of this offseason.  The implications of whether he'll be allowed to develop as both a hitter and a pitcher are fascinating, but what's perhaps even more so is Ohtani's willingness to sacrifice a possibly historic payday by choosing to make the jump to MLB now, rather than waiting a few short years to qualify for international free agency.  While he has the chance to log some significant playing time at DH for the Angels in addition to serving as their ace pitcher (which would throw my baseball database into complete disarray), I'll cover his story more completely in my next post, dealing with All-Acquired pitchers.