The Twins stepped up on Thursday, closing in on a trade for Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia, a potential free agent, when their preference was for a controllable starter.
Will the Brewers be the next rebuilding club to leave their comfort zone, knowing they are contending sooner than they expected, knowing that a trade for Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray would put them in even better position to win?
Neither the Twins nor Brewers planned to be buyers, but here?s the thing: Rebuilding clubs cannot always wait for their long-term plans to become fully formed. A team with a chance to win needs to seize the moment, for the opportunity might not come so quickly again.
The Indians have complicated matters for the Twins and Royals, keeping them in the AL Central race, preventing them from selling. The Twins? minus-61 run differential is the fourth-worst in the AL. Derek Falvey, their chief baseball officer, knows how good the Indians are after working for them the previous 10 years. But Falvey, with his team a half-game out of first place in the AL Central, cannot in good conscience tell his players, coaches and manager Paul Molitor, ?Sorry guys, we?re just not ready.?
The same goes for Brewers general manager David Stearns, though the acquisition cost for Gray will be far steeper than the acquisition cost for Garcia. What?s more, the winds in the NL Central already are shifting ? the defending World Series champion Cubs have won six straight games since the All-Star break, while the Brewers have lost their last five, including four straight to the surging Pirates.
The deadline is still 11 days away, but Stearns ? pursuing both starters and relievers ? might already have waited too long. The Cubs, who made their big move at the break, acquiring left-hander Jose Quintana from the White Sox, still intend to acquire a left-handed reliever and backup catcher. The Brewers? competition for Gray, meanwhile, might grow beyond obvious contenders such as the Yankees and Astros.
The Mariners seem virtually certain to at least touch base with the A?s on Gray; GM Jerry Dipoto, who traded for reliever David Phelps on Thursday, has said he will ?leave no stone unturned? in his quest for pitching, and the addition of a controllable starter is one of his stated goals.
The Seattle farm system is not particularly strong; a deal for Gray almost certainly would need to include an outfielder off the team?s major-league roster. But Dipoto is nothing if not a deal-maker, and Gray could be the piece that helps the Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.
What about the Pirates? Outfielder Austin Meadows, out since June 21 with a right hamstring injury, is the kind of prospect who surely would intrigue the A?s. Meadows, however, is also the long-term replacement for Andrew McCutchen. And the Pirates, according to sources, are more likely to flip players such as lefty reliever Tony Watson, righty reliever Juan Nicasio and third baseman David Freese, seeking another Felipe Rivero-type jackpot.
For Gray ? who is earning $3.575 million this season, with two years of arbitration to follow ? even a low-revenue, prospect-rich team such as the Padres might enter the mix, even if it?s only to flip the pitcher somewhere else (the Padres indeed have checked in on Gray, sources say).
Of course, none of those teams possesses the prospect power of the Astros and Yankees ? though the Astros might go in another direction, acquiring a top left-handed reliever such as Zach Britton, Justin Wilson or Brad Hand rather than Gray. Ditto for the Indians, another team that could use a starter, and might opt for a hitter instead.
The Yankees already have traded outfielder Blake Rutherford, their No. 3 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. GM Brian Cashman keeps saying they will be ?careful buyers.? But the team?s farm system is so loaded, the Yankees probably can acquire Gray without giving up any of their top prospects.
The Yanks have pitchers, infielders and outfielders stacked like poker chips at a casino. The A?s can take one of each and come away with quite a deal, even if players such as outfielder Clint Frazier, infielder Gleyber Torres and left-hander Justus Sheffield are off-limits.
The question for the Brewers, then, comes down to motivation: Are they ready to give up top youngsters for Gray at a time when it appears they are starting to fade? Like any club, the Crew can talk themselves out of the idea. Gray, 27, has been on the DL with arm trouble in each of the past two seasons. Some rival executives say that while Gray?s curveball is dynamic, he lacks a power pitch and does not throw enough quality strikes.
Well, Gray is the best remaining available, affordable starting pitcher, and some team is going to get him.
Why not the Brewers?
Owner Mark Attanasio authorized blockbusters for CC Sabathia in July 2008 and Zack Greinke in Dec. 2010. Brewers? pitching coach Derek Johnson was Gray?s pitching coach at Vanderbilt. The Athletics need a center fielder, and the Crew is deep in center-field prospects.
Oh, and another thing: The Cubs, Cardinals and Pirates are not simply going to roll over when the Brewers determine that their rebuilding plan is complete. If anything, those clubs might only grow stronger in the near future.
The Cubs? World Series hangover is what created this opportunity for the Brewers in the first place. The Cardinals are in the middle of a rare identity crisis. The Pirates lost outfielder Starling Marte to an 80-game suspension and third baseman Jung Ho Kang to a third DUI arrest that left him unable to leave South Korea. McCutchen slumped for the first two months, and right-hander Gerrit Cole on June 8 had a 4.83 ERA.
The Brewers still lead the NL Central, if only by one game; for all anyone knows, this might be their best chance for the next several years. Stearns and Co. can argue that Gray is flawed. They can back off in trade discussions, fearing further regression. They can decide, quite rationally, that their best play is to add a reliever or two at a modest acquisition cost, and live to fight another day.
OK, but at some point, the priorities must shift.
From selling to buying. From rebuilding to winning.
Will the Brewers be the next rebuilding club to leave their comfort zone, knowing they are contending sooner than they expected, knowing that a trade for Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray would put them in even better position to win?
Neither the Twins nor Brewers planned to be buyers, but here?s the thing: Rebuilding clubs cannot always wait for their long-term plans to become fully formed. A team with a chance to win needs to seize the moment, for the opportunity might not come so quickly again.
The Indians have complicated matters for the Twins and Royals, keeping them in the AL Central race, preventing them from selling. The Twins? minus-61 run differential is the fourth-worst in the AL. Derek Falvey, their chief baseball officer, knows how good the Indians are after working for them the previous 10 years. But Falvey, with his team a half-game out of first place in the AL Central, cannot in good conscience tell his players, coaches and manager Paul Molitor, ?Sorry guys, we?re just not ready.?
The same goes for Brewers general manager David Stearns, though the acquisition cost for Gray will be far steeper than the acquisition cost for Garcia. What?s more, the winds in the NL Central already are shifting ? the defending World Series champion Cubs have won six straight games since the All-Star break, while the Brewers have lost their last five, including four straight to the surging Pirates.
The deadline is still 11 days away, but Stearns ? pursuing both starters and relievers ? might already have waited too long. The Cubs, who made their big move at the break, acquiring left-hander Jose Quintana from the White Sox, still intend to acquire a left-handed reliever and backup catcher. The Brewers? competition for Gray, meanwhile, might grow beyond obvious contenders such as the Yankees and Astros.
The Mariners seem virtually certain to at least touch base with the A?s on Gray; GM Jerry Dipoto, who traded for reliever David Phelps on Thursday, has said he will ?leave no stone unturned? in his quest for pitching, and the addition of a controllable starter is one of his stated goals.
The Seattle farm system is not particularly strong; a deal for Gray almost certainly would need to include an outfielder off the team?s major-league roster. But Dipoto is nothing if not a deal-maker, and Gray could be the piece that helps the Mariners reach the postseason for the first time since 2001.
What about the Pirates? Outfielder Austin Meadows, out since June 21 with a right hamstring injury, is the kind of prospect who surely would intrigue the A?s. Meadows, however, is also the long-term replacement for Andrew McCutchen. And the Pirates, according to sources, are more likely to flip players such as lefty reliever Tony Watson, righty reliever Juan Nicasio and third baseman David Freese, seeking another Felipe Rivero-type jackpot.
For Gray ? who is earning $3.575 million this season, with two years of arbitration to follow ? even a low-revenue, prospect-rich team such as the Padres might enter the mix, even if it?s only to flip the pitcher somewhere else (the Padres indeed have checked in on Gray, sources say).
Of course, none of those teams possesses the prospect power of the Astros and Yankees ? though the Astros might go in another direction, acquiring a top left-handed reliever such as Zach Britton, Justin Wilson or Brad Hand rather than Gray. Ditto for the Indians, another team that could use a starter, and might opt for a hitter instead.
The Yankees already have traded outfielder Blake Rutherford, their No. 3 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com. GM Brian Cashman keeps saying they will be ?careful buyers.? But the team?s farm system is so loaded, the Yankees probably can acquire Gray without giving up any of their top prospects.
The Yanks have pitchers, infielders and outfielders stacked like poker chips at a casino. The A?s can take one of each and come away with quite a deal, even if players such as outfielder Clint Frazier, infielder Gleyber Torres and left-hander Justus Sheffield are off-limits.
The question for the Brewers, then, comes down to motivation: Are they ready to give up top youngsters for Gray at a time when it appears they are starting to fade? Like any club, the Crew can talk themselves out of the idea. Gray, 27, has been on the DL with arm trouble in each of the past two seasons. Some rival executives say that while Gray?s curveball is dynamic, he lacks a power pitch and does not throw enough quality strikes.
Well, Gray is the best remaining available, affordable starting pitcher, and some team is going to get him.
Why not the Brewers?
Owner Mark Attanasio authorized blockbusters for CC Sabathia in July 2008 and Zack Greinke in Dec. 2010. Brewers? pitching coach Derek Johnson was Gray?s pitching coach at Vanderbilt. The Athletics need a center fielder, and the Crew is deep in center-field prospects.
Oh, and another thing: The Cubs, Cardinals and Pirates are not simply going to roll over when the Brewers determine that their rebuilding plan is complete. If anything, those clubs might only grow stronger in the near future.
The Cubs? World Series hangover is what created this opportunity for the Brewers in the first place. The Cardinals are in the middle of a rare identity crisis. The Pirates lost outfielder Starling Marte to an 80-game suspension and third baseman Jung Ho Kang to a third DUI arrest that left him unable to leave South Korea. McCutchen slumped for the first two months, and right-hander Gerrit Cole on June 8 had a 4.83 ERA.
The Brewers still lead the NL Central, if only by one game; for all anyone knows, this might be their best chance for the next several years. Stearns and Co. can argue that Gray is flawed. They can back off in trade discussions, fearing further regression. They can decide, quite rationally, that their best play is to add a reliever or two at a modest acquisition cost, and live to fight another day.
OK, but at some point, the priorities must shift.
From selling to buying. From rebuilding to winning.
