By Mark Halpern

This morning most of anyone who watches baseball will be checking in to see if their teams have done anything to upgrade their team as the 4 pm deadline approaches. As of Yesterday, the big trades revolved around the Dodgers and Yankees. The Mainers, Tampa Rays, and the Boston Red Sox all made trades to bolster their club. The Nationals and Cubs were the biggest sellers as the Nationals traded Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber. The Cubs have parted with Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrell and possibly moving Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, and Zach Davies. The Teams that have been the quietest to much surprise are the Padres and Mets, as both were to be heavy buyers come the trade deadline. (written @ 9am)This morning saw a bold Trade by the Toronto Blue Jays acquiring star pitcher Jose Berrios but giving up Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, the club’s number 2 and 4 prospects. This was out of left-field as Toronto was an underdog in getting him, but apparently, their offer was much better. The Cubs Stayed in Limelight by trading Pitcher Craig Kimball to the cross-town rival White Sox for 2b Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer. Getting a second baseman means what I hope it means, and Baez is on the move to the Mets “written at 1:45 pm.”

Ten min ago at 3 pm est, two sources confirmed that Javy Baez is coming to the Mets pending a physical. This is huge for the Mets cause Baez has stated he wants to play in New York with Lindor. This now gives the Mets an infield of Davis, Baez, McNeil, and Alonso. When Lindor returns, Baez will shift to second base and McNeil to third, giving the infield look like McNeil, Lindor, Baez, and Alonso. Also, in this Trade, the Mets will get Starting Pitcher Trevor Williams and send Pete Crow Armstrong to the Cubs. Armstrong was ranked as one of the Mets top prospects but had to have season-ending surgery on his arm. This doesn’t mean the Mets are done as there is little under an hour left and still big names still out there to be picked. Trevor Williams will help the depleted Mets Starting Rotation.

The Atlanta Braves are finalizing two deals that bring Adam Duvall from The Marlins and Eddie Rosario from the Cleveland Indians to help with their outfield since Ronald Acuna was lost for the season.Some late rumors that Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton are being shopped. Donaldson has had a resurgence year hitting .250 with 16HR. I don’t see Buxton moving, but Donaldson could help a few ball clubs out.The NL East is at it again but, this time, it’s the Phillies who are abuzz. A few sources have said the two are working on a deal that would send pitchers Ian Kennedy and Kyle Gibson from the texas rangers. We will see if that comes to fruition. Also, the Nationals are back at it with finalizing a deal sending catcher Yan Gomes and second Baseman Josh Harrison to Oakland. With Strasburg needing that season-ending surgery, I think the Nats have thrown their hands up this season and will start rebuilding.

The Milwaukee Brewers will send Daniel Norris to the Detroit Tigers Reese Olsen, and in other small news, the Rays acquired Shawn Armstrong for cash Considerations from Baltimore. Also, the Padres have made a trade with none other than the Nationals for RHP Daniel Hudson, and the Nationals will receive RHP Mason Thompson and ShortStop Jordan Barley.With about 23 minutes left in this year’s trade deadline, The St Louis Cardinals have made a trade for Pitcher J.A Happ and cash considerations for pitchers John Grant and Evan Sisk. I can see many small deals happen, but there is still time for another significant splash or two.

With less than 1 min left in the trade deadline and the Yankees have made a deal with the Angels for pitcher Andrew Heany for Jason Junk and Elvis Peguero, “Elvis has left the building.” Houston Astros acquired RHP Phil Maton for outfielder Myles Straw.I got a considerable Trade notification from Danny Boy Reginald that Kris Bryant was traded not to New York Like I was hoping but to the San Francisco Giants. This is a big shock to me. San Francisco had not mentioned being interested in him, nor were there any rumors.

The Padres have traded for outfielder Jake Marisnick from none other than the Cubs, and the Phillies acquire shortstop Freddy Galvis from the Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals are staying in selling mode as they have traded Starting pitcher Jon Lester to the Cardinals. I wonder who is left to pitch for the Nats with Strassburg lost for the season, Scherzer on his way to Los Angeles, and Lester on his way to St Louis. There are many opportunities for young pitchers to make their name in this organization for next year’s club invites. The Giants received pitcher Tony Watson from Angels, the Braves made a last-minute trade to acquire Royals outfielder Jorge Soler, and The Red Sox made a quick last-minute move in trading for Hansel Robles.

It is now 4 pm on the east coast, and the Trade Deadline has come to an end. I don’t think there has been a more exciting trade deadline in recent years. A lot of big deals were made across baseball. The Dodgers, in my opinion, were the big winners throughout the week, with the Yankees coming in second. The Mets, Giants, Braves, Blue Jays, and Phillies deserve honorable mentions as they all added pieces to their respective teams to make runs at the playoffs.

As for the Mets, I feel they gave up the one piece that was farthest away in the farm system: Armstrong, a top 100 prospect. They got an incredible talent in Baez and will help fill in the missing hole left by Lindor’s injury. Once Lindor is back, the Mets will have to make some decisions on a few things. Baez will move to second base and thus have McNeil over at third. This will Leave J.D Davis, Jonathan Villar, and Luis Guilliorme wondering about their futures with the club. McNeil also has experience playing in the outfield, which would help fill in some other area problems. After it is all said and done, the Mets did what they needed to do and got the suitable replacements for the injury-depleted team, and that is how the old man sees it.

I hope you all enjoyed this 4-part piece on the trade deadline.

By Mark Halpern

For those of you who don’t know, I am a die-hard NY Mets, Dallas Cowboys, NY Knicks, and yeah, a NY Rangers fan. Throughout the years, I have collected jerseys and hats from all of my favorite teams. I have had many jerseys over the years but, the style I loved the most was my black Mets Jerseys. In 1998 the Mets organization introduced a black alternate home jersey. It became the favorite of New York Mets fans around the country. I remember I bought Rey Ordonez and Edgardo Alfonzo right away. I added Mike Piazza to the collection as soon as I could find one. However, all good things never last, and they were retired (to the dismay of Mets fans) in 2011.

Since the black jerseys went away, we have seen many different jerseys, from old-style 1962 pinstripes to the current dark blue jerseys worn today. Image is everything when it comes to sports. What you wear conveys to not only the fans but the sponsors as well, and if you display an image that is not accepted, then the fan base and those sponsor dollars go away.Mets fans for years have lobbied to get the black jerseys back for quite a while now. Former owners of the Wilpons went more traditional and didn’t listen to the fan base. The Wilpons were hated by Mets fans on how they ran the organization from not going all out and getting the right players and not making the right moves via trades etc. Well, that changed this year when Billionaire Steve Cohen came in and bought the Mets. Everything changed from that first day as he has been listening to what the fans want. Today July 30th, 2021, when the Mets play the Cincinnati Reds, they will dawn the Black Jerseys.

To me, this is a game-changer not only for the fans but the players themselves. To wear Jersey that your fans want to see you in and hear the fans roar when you run out of the dugout, Citi Field is going to shake. I expect the fans to be dawning the new jerseys except our loyal seven-line army group in right-center, who will be in their traditional orange jerseys. The Mets are on some tear in the standings right now, winning series after series. I can’t wait to see the confidence boost they will get when they hear that stadium go crazy, and that is how the old man sees it.

By Mark Halpern

Wednesday, we saw one big team and two small teams make trades. The New York Yankees land slugger Joey Gallo. Gallo was on the Texas Rangers and is a fan favorite there. The ball explodes on his bat, with a Yankee short porch in the right and left field. He could be a piece of the puzzle the Yankees are missing. However, The Texas Rangers received a very young crop of Prospects, Including Josh Smith, one of the Yankee top 2 prospects. Did the Yankees get a Gold Digger, or did the Texas Rangers rob the cradle? I see this as a significant win for the Rangers. Gallo, who is a power hitter, fits perfectly for the dimension at Yankee Stadium. His defense is exemplary and should help a Yankee team make it to the Wild card. But He hits a career batting average of .221 and strikes out plenty. With a Yankee team needing a bat, they got whether he could hit it, we don’t know.

     The Florida Marlins and the Oakland Athletics made a trade last night. The Florida Marlins traded Star outfielder Starling Marte who has been the only star on that team to have a great season. The Athletics, in a surprising move, traded Jesus Luzardo (He was considered as a top prospect for Oakland), who is having a disaster year but, he comes with a few years of team control. Marte is batting .288 currently, and Luzardo is 2-4 with a 6.87 era. Luzardo is better than what he is throwing this year. A change of League might be the change that’s needed. Marte is a star who can hit for average he is a good defender and drives in runs. In this case, both sides win because the marlins have a star prospect and a few years of team control, and the Athletics got one hell of a ballplayer. I can’t see what these two do here in the second half.

     The Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers made a trade last night. Infielder Eduardo Escobar will be heading to Arizona, and two AAA prospects, Cooper Hummel and Alberto Ciprian. With Marte a free agent at the end of this season, this is a rental as I don’t see him take an extension out there.

    Today, Thursday, July 29th/2021, is going to be wild. The Big names have been rumored all over the country as team Owners, and General Managers run up their Verizon bill as they will be on the phones all day. The Mets, Yankees, Tampa Rays, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox. The San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs seem to be the big teams ready to make a trade, and many teams are willing to sell off big pieces because they believe it’s time to clean house and prepare for next season. So, it’s 10:10 in the morning right now, and there hasn’t been any talk or movement yet, but I smell smoke in the air, and I see things just starting to heat up. 

     Early this afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired Nationals Relief Pitcher Brad Hand for top 20 prospect Riley Adams. This is a good addition for the Blue Jays as their bullpen is sluggish.

   More teams this afternoon seem to be inquiring about Berrios. The Mariners and Angels have phoned in. It’s likely if Berrios is traded, it will be in the form of a package deal. Also, we know the Yankees have been heavy on Trevor Story but, the Mets have now inquired about Story and Pitcher Fohn Grey. With the loss of Lindor and deGrom, this would help significantly; however, as a Mets fan, I see no need for this trade to happen. The Mets have also been in contact with the Cubs about Javy Baez. The burners are starting to heat up.

 Today the Chicago White traded with Cleveland for second baseman Cesar Hernandez. The White Sox will send minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington. This is a small move but impactful. Hernandez has an excellent glove to go along with his bat, which has some pop. Pilkington is not a #1 prospect but is a good pitcher in the minors. 

     Not much movement over the last 3 hours, and The Yankees are now dangling the likes of Luke Voit to try and make offers for Kyle Schwarber and are still pressing on Trevor Story. I will keep eyeing everything.

      As of 6:30 pm, many rumors have been flying through the air. The Mets Owner Steve Cohen has told GM Sandy Alderson to shoot for the moon without dealing with the top four prospects being Vientos, Baty, Alverez, and Mauricio.

     The Yankees name is being thrown around still with Colorado and a possible trade to bring in Trevor Story. I believe the Rockies asking price will be too high, considering what they gave away prospect-wise for Gallo; I can’t see them doing much.

     The Padres are favored to make a deal with the Nationals on a deal for Max Scherzer. Not much information, but a few sources have confirmed a deal is close. However, that may be the Red Sox are also in contention to make a deal regarding Scherzer, so we will see what we will see.

     Other rumors still surround some big names, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. They were both not starting today but were available off the bench. It seems like the Cubs are just cleaning the house and will be watching this whole ordeal up till midnight. 

    In a significant move, the Yankees appear to have a deal for Cubs Anthony Rizzo. One day after picking up slugger Joey Gallo, they get another slugger in Rizzo. However, nothing is 100% yet as the Red Sox have also expressed significant interest. Suppose this is true; it will be exciting to see what the Yankees had to give up for this with the number of prospects they gave up for Gallo. At 9 pm est, The Yankees acquired Rizzo from the Cubs for Alcantara. The Yankees still have a chance at a wild card spot/.

     The Seattle Mariners have acquired Tampa Bay Rays Closer Diego Castillo. Seattle, who needed pitching, has done well over this deadline, adding much-needed bullpen pieces.

The Dodgers have traded for Starting Pitcher Daniel Duffy of the Royals. Duffy Considered as a significant move as the Dodgers don’t know how long ace Kershaw will be out. 

  At 9 pm est, the Dodgers look like they are about to make a massive trade with the Nationals for Scherzer and Trea Turner. Currently, Max Scherzer was dealing with an injury, and I believe it will be pending a physical if dealt. Both teams have been at it for a while, and as soon as this happens, I will have details. The Mets are also now in the same boat as they try to push for Kris Bryant and Zach Davies from the Chicago Cubs. From what I understand, it has to do with specific prospects that the Mets are currently not ready for trade. Also, Javy Baez has explicitly said we want to play on the Mets with Lindor, and the Mets can get all three and still keep the big 4?

Looking at the rumors and tweets from the top analysts in the sports world, the Dodgers, once the ink is put on paper, are the winners of the trade deadline, with the Yankees in second. One of the more prominent names such as Trevor Story has quieted down. I believe teams that are interested in him will now wait, and a bidding war will commence. On a more personal note, I want the Mets to complete a deal filling two big holes. I like J.D. Davis but Bryant is such a significant upgrade. He can play right field and can platoon with Conforto and then keep Davis in the lineup now, and then I would think that the Cubs would want a third baseman for the rest of the season. Davis would be just one piece they would send in return.

   So a few minutes ago, I saw several reports that the Dodgers have acquired Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. I did not think Turner would be traded this season. This trade is a bold move for the Dodgers organization, getting them both. With Corey Seager and Mookie Betts on IL, Turner will see everyday playtime considering where he can play on the diamond. The Nationals will get Kiber Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Gerardo Carillo, and Donavan Casey. Ruiz and Gray were the Dodgers top 2 prospects.

   In a strange turn of events, the RedSox are going to acquire Kyle Schwarber from the Nationals. No word on what prospects and other considerations are as of yet. What happened with the Padres? They were big on multiple trades and have done nothing at all. They could also make some trades, but most of the big fish have been reeled in. 

    It has been an exciting day of Trades and Trade rumors. Teams have until 4:00 pm tomorrow to make those last trades. With how today has shaped up, I can say it will be more exciting than what today has handed us, and that is how the old man sees it.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for the 4th installment of the trade deadline. “Down to the Wire” will wrap up this year’s Trade Deadline.

By Mark Halpern

So in part one of this series, I talked a lot about certain players rumored to be traded. Those rumors heated up a little today for the likes of Max Scherzer and Kris Bryant as the Tampa Rays have now shown interest. This comes as no surprise that Tampa would try and trade for them as their organization has done well when it comes to wheeling and dealing. Craig Kimbrell has become a name to watch as Boston and Pittsburgh have begun to show some interest. Pittsburgh has also been dealing with the Phillies for Tyler Anderson but is held up as one of the prospects to go to the Phillies has a medical issue. The Houston Astros upgraded their bullpen today by trading with the Mariners. Houston gets Kendell Graveman and Rafael Montero for infielder Abraham Toro and Joe Smith. Looking around the league and the only new rumor is a quote from the Nationals GM “Everyone is available except for Juan Soto, so don’t even inquire about Soto.” Today is only Tuesday, and I expect late tomorrow or early Thursday, we will see plenty of more speculation and possible changes in rumors.

       In part one of my free agency talks, I mentioned the games elite, but they are not the only ones who will possibly move to a new team.  Pitching is a massive category for free agents at the end of the season. Names like Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Lance Lynn, Kelly Jansen, and Archie Bradly will be seeking new contracts. Syndergaard, who is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery, probably will be staying with the Mets on a 1-year deal to show that he is healthy to pitch and get a more significant contract. Stroman has done ok in New York and will be seeking a new 3–4-year deal. I think there will be several teams in on him, especially the cross-town rivals, the Yankees. Lance Lynn is an interesting one. He is having a fantastic year at 10-3 with a 1.91 era. He has been a solid pitcher for his career, and extensive market teams won’t shy away from offering him a big contract. I see the Mets, Nationals, Yankees, Boston, and Atlanta to be in on him unless the White Sox make him an offer he can’t refuse.

     In the outfield, some big names are Michael Conforto, Tommy Pham, Jackie Bradly Jr, and Nick Castellanos. This is just a sample of some of the available outfielders. Conforto has said he wants an eight-year deal in the range of 250-300 million dollars. He won’t see this unless he starts hitting again. His fielding is impeccable, but he won’t get that even from the Mets if he is hitting at .230 with few home runs and rbis. Tommy Pham, I have always liked. He is a speedster and a good fielder. He won’t warrant a 7–8-year deal, but a solid four-year deal from a club like Boston, Toronto, or even Oakland wouldn’t surprise me. As for Bradley, Jr and Castellanos have had a decent year and could play anywhere in the league. They are in no way big contracts but will be a great addition to whoever decides to sign them, and that is how the old man sees it.

     Check-in for the final part of this series as the trade market heats up and more on available free agents and where Old Ops Guy thinks they will end up.

By Mark Halpern

So with the trade deadline quickly approaching, we hear the rumors of big-name players who will be free agents at the end of this year. When it comes to teams making a trade for this type of player, I call it a rental and can be very costly to teams. The big names being discussed are Kris Bryant, Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios, Trevor Story, and Anthony Rizzo. With this Free Agency there are just a handful of players, and if any of them are to be traded, they will cost teams big-time prospects and starters, all for a few months on the team. We have seen some small moves by the Mets, Padres, and of course, the Tampa Rays. More will happen in the next week.

     Now let’s jump to the end of the season and after the World Series to free Agency. When you look at the players that will either resign or join a new team is a who’s who of stars. However, the average age of these free agents is 34 years old, and the average amount per year they will be seeking is just about $17 million. Some of these big names are Kris Bryant, Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Freddie Freeman, J.D Martinez and Nolan Arenado. This, yet again, is just a sample of the free agents that will be available. The question is, where will they sign?

    J.D Martinez, I believe if Boston wins the series, finishes his career out there but, if not, I think he will stay in the American League, most likely as a DH and possibly with the Angels. Kris Bryant will most likely be leaving the Cubs as they are selling off the players as they are trying to shed payroll. Kris Bryant has been rumored to trade rumors to the Padres and the Mets and both teams who want him to sign an extension if traded. If he stays with the Cubs, I believe he will be a NY Met next season. Max Scherzer is one of the top Pitchers in Baseball and will command a big contract wherever he ends up. Unfortunately, I am not sure any team is going to give him what he wants. I think he will stay in the National League East but not with the Nationals.

I think Atlanta or Philly will make a run at him. Clayton Kershaw is coming to the end of his career and a long-term contract he won’t get. I think he will finish his career in LA. Trevor Story’s time will be the most coveted of all the free agents. The New York Yankees will be the most aggressive with him and can offer him whatever but, I think he could end up with Oakland or Seattle. Zack Greinke is 38 years old and at the end of his career. He might get a 1-year deal to be a back-of-the-end starter and nowhere near the $35 Million he is getting. Freddie Freeman, I see staying in Atlanta and finishing his career there, and that is how the old man sees it. Check in the next blog, where I will be reviewing more players this week.

By Mark Halpern

In today’s baseball game, many teams rely on more players who can hit the long ball than just getting on base and moving runners around to score. The game of baseball has changed so much over the last 100 years.
Teams, when baseball started, didn’t have teams filled with power hitters who could hit 30-40 home runs in a season. Teams relied on singles and doubles and pitching to win games. Homeruns were a rare thing in the beginning. Babe Ruth was the one exception to that rule. He hit more home runs in a season than some team’s entire roster. Small ball was the way baseball was played. Base hits and stolen bases were how the game went. Yes, teams could afford to pay a little more to have a team, but no player was getting $20 million a season to play. Teams weren’t paying their players to hit home runs; they were paying for runs scored.

When baseball became integrated in 1947, the game began to evolve to a game of mixed small ball and players who could hit for power like Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg, and Lou Gehrig. In the 1950’s Mantle, Mays, Matthews, and Aaron, to name a few. Hitting just for singles and doubles had diminished somewhat, and the age of the homerun became vital. However, the need for a small ball was still there. Small teams that couldn’t compete with large ball markets strived by playing small ball but, not for long.
Baseball between the 1960s and 1990s graduated to players who hit for power. Now is the home run a bad thing? Hell, no, it’s not. I love watching a ball go 448 feet in the air and score 3-4 runs in an instant. It’s exciting but, if you have three home runs in a game and another team has 14 hits and moves runners around and score more, you win. The successes of the Athletics, Reds, Mets, Yankees, and Pirates, to name a few, relied on both styles to win the World series.

Let’s fast forward to today. Most teams have players that have 4-5 players who are capable of hitting 25 plus home runs a season. The styles of the small ball don’t exist much anymore. Name me a team that has players all hitting at .275 and above. As we saw in this year’s all-star game (besides Vlad Jr’s Blast), the American League won by minor base hits. That style of the game needs to exist more than it does. Again, I enjoy watching Homeruns fly, but I like seeing hit after hit and seeing stolen bases and runs scored on singles and doubles. The game can’t evolve more than it has now, but we shall see what will happen in the next 10-20 years, and that is how the old man sees it.