The NL bested the AL in the most exciting All-Star Game in years Tuesday night. The second half began Friday, and in only 12 days, the trade deadline will be upon us. Expect trade chatter and activity to pick up now that the amateur draft is in the rearview mirror and front offices can focus their attention on the deadline. Here are Saturday’s trade deadline rumblings.
Guardians listening on relievers
The Guardians are listening to offers for their relievers, including Emmanuel Clase and Cade Smith, reports the New York Post. The asking prices are high and it is not considered likely that either player will be moved. At 47-49, Cleveland is 4 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot. They have one of baseball’s easiest remaining schedules, per FanGraphs, and aren’t certain to sell.
Late-inning relievers are always in demand at the trade deadline and the Guardians would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t at least listen to offers for every player on their roster. Relievers are volatile, even the very best ones, and you never know when a team will blow you away with an offer. Smith is under team control through 2029. Clase’s contract can run through 2028.
Cardinals getting calls about Matz
Teams are showing interest in Cardinals lefty Steven Matz, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis is also likely to at least consider offers for righty relievers Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton. Helsley, Maton, and Matz will all be free agents after the season. The Cardinals are 51-47 and 2 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot, so they are in the postseason race.
Now 34, Matz has had a terrific season with St. Louis as a multi-inning reliever, thanks mainly to his ability to limit walks and hard contact in the air. He’s gotten at least four outs in 21 of his 28 appearances and at least five outs 16 times. This is the final season of Matz’s four-year, $44 million contract. He will still be owed $4 million or so after the trade deadline.
Mets interested in Coulombe
The Mets have an interest in Twins lefty Danny Coulombe, reports the New York Post. Lefty Brooks Raley returned from Tommy John surgery Friday and is the only matchup southpaw in New York’s bullpen now that a lat strain has ended A.J. Minter’s season. Coulombe, 35, has a 0.68 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 26 ⅔ innings this year. He is on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Bullpen help figures to be a priority for the Mets, who haven’t had the most reliable bridge to ace closer Edwin Díaz. Also, the path through the NL in October goes through lefty hitters Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, and Kyle Tucker and Pete Crow-Armstrong, among others. A second lefty reliever is a necessity more than a luxury.
Cubs bring in Turnbull
The Cubs are signing veteran righty Spencer Turnbull, according to the New York Post. The deal is not yet official and it is unclear if Turnbull will join Chicago’s major-league roster or report to Triple-A on a minor-league deal. Turnbull, 32, allowed five runs in 6 ⅓ innings spanning three appearances with the Blue Jays last month. They released him on June 27. The Cubs are without three starting pitchers (Javier Assad, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon), and, if nothing else, Turnbull can soak up innings as a long reliever.
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