Calling Juan Soto anything short of a generational talent is egregious. If you could build an offensive player in a video game, you would try to build a Juan Soto archetype.

Although his .246 batting average this season isn’t very impressive — and a poor surrounding lineup this season hasn’t done him any favors –, he is a .291 hitter for his career.

In addition to his typically high average, Soto is one of the best players at getting on base as his .427 OBP since debuting in 2018 (among qualified players) is the second best in Major League Baseball behind only Mike Trout’s .429 clip.

Soto is also a great power hitter as his .538 SLG since debuting is the ninth best in MLB (among qualified players) and he has shown he’s easily capable of being a perennial 30+ homer guy year in and year out.

It doesn’t stop there. When Soto puts the ball in play, he hits the ball extremely well. Excluding his rookie campaign in 2018, Juan Soto’s xwOBA has not been lower than the 97th percentile, his average exit velocity has been in at least the 90th percentile in three out of four seasons (77th percentile this season), and his barrel% has never been lower than the 83rd percentile.

The best part of Soto’s game is his godly plate discipline. Soto’s chase rate has never been below the 93rd percentile, his K% has rapidly improved to be around the 90th percentile over the last three seasons, and his BB% has never been below the 98th percentile.

Despite a career year from Jurickson Profar, the Padres have received almost no offensive production from their outfielders this year. Profar’s 122 wRC+ is very good, but Nomar Mazara (98 wRC+), Trent Grisham (84 wRC+), Jose Azocar (71 wRC+), and Wil Myers (68 wRC+) have all been below-average offensive options. By adding Juan Soto to their outfield, the Padres have all of a sudden gone from one of the worst hitting outfields to among the best. The Padres are guaranteed to have Soto for their next three postseason runs and potentially more if they can sign him to what figures to be the most lucrative contract in MLB history.

The other big bat the Padres acquired is Josh Bell. Bell has been one of the best first basemen in Major League Baseball this season and is arguably having the best season of his career. Here’s how Bell’s 2022 season has compared to 2021 AL MVP runner-up Vladimir Guerro Jr.’s:

Bell is a switch hitter without much of a drop-off in production when he changes the batter’s box he steps in as his 132 wRC+ as a righty is only slightly worse than his 148 wRC+ as a lefty. Bell is an upgrade over both Eric Hosmer and Luke Voit who oddly enough both had extreme reverse splits and he should help a Padres team that has been slightly below average against righties and lefties improve drastically.

The new look Padres lineup with Soto, Bell, Brandon Drury, and a healthy Fernando Tatis Jr. looks like a pitcher’s worst nightmare:

In return for Soto and Bell, the Nationals received a haul.

The two high-level prospects that have already made their Major League debuts that are headed to Washington are C.J. Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

Abrams was the top prospect in the Padres farm system and was regarded as a top overall prospect in the game entering the 2022 season, but he has struggled in his first Major League action. Abrams’ offensive game was heavily BABIP dependent in the Minors which is a bit concerning considering his lack of power and unimpressive walk rates. If Abrams doesn’t have high success rates on balls in play, Abrams could really struggle at the Major League level. This has been apparent so far in his Major League stint as his BABIP is a low .276, his BB% is 2.9, his ISO is .088, and his wRC+ is 75. Abrams is clearly talented, but he still has a ways to go before becoming a solid player at the Major League level.

Ever since he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, MacKenzie Gore has been regarded among the elite prospects in baseball – even becoming a top-five overall prospect in 2019 and 2020. Gore made his Major League debut in 2022 and has so far pitched to a 4.50 ERA, 5.17 xERA, 4.11 FIP, 4.42 xFIP, and 4.43 SIERA. Gore has had some problems with his command as his 12.0 BB% is in the seventh percentile in addition to getting lit up on balls in play. The Padres had recently shut Gore down until September with an elbow injury, so that’s definitely something to monitor going forward.

The other prospects heading the Nationals’ way are Robert Hassell III, James Wood, and Jarlin Susana. Hassell slides in as the Nationals’ third best prospect, Wood fourth, and Susana 10th via FanGraphs. Additionally, Hassell and Wood are both regarded as top 100 prospects at 41st and 66th respectively. Hassell was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft and has performed well since. In 75 games with the Padres A+ affiliate, Hassell hit .299/.379/.467 (134 wRC+) with 20 stolen bases and an impressive 11.0 BB%. Wood was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft, but his rare combination of size, speed, and raw power has quickly moved his name up prospect rankings. The 6’7″ 240-pound outfielder has hit an impressive .337/.453/.601 (171 wRC+) with 15 stolen bases and an also impressive 15.7 BB% in 50 games with the Padres A affiliate. Susana made his professional debut this season and has flashed great potential. In 29.1 innings with the Padres CPX affiliate, Susana has a 2.45 ERA, a 39.6 K%, and 55.8 GB%, At just 18 years old, Susana could quickly rise up the ranks in the Nationals’ farm system.

The last player the Nationals acquired is Luke Voit. Voit hit .225/.317/.416 (109 wRC+) in 82 games with the Padres this season and is under team control through the 2024 season. Voit doesn’t appear to fit in with the Nationals’ timeline, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him traded in the offseason.

Grades:

Padres: A+ Nationals: C+

Effross, a 28-year-old rookie, has pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen this season to a 2.66 ERA, 2.21 xERA, 2.19 FIP, 2.95 xFIP, and 2.79 SIERA in 44.0 innings. Effross features a four-pitch mix with his slider, sinker, and four-seamer all having sub .200 batting averages and wOBA’s against. Effross doesn’t throw hard and his pitches don’t have crazy spin rates, but opposing batters have had almost no success against him this season as they have an 87.0 average exit velocity (81st percentile), a 3.4 barrel% (95th percentile), and a .234 xwOBA (97th percentile).

What makes Effross so good is his command. Although he doesn’t get many whiffs or swinging strikes, Effross’ 20.9 CStr% is in the 95th percentile among qualified relievers which has helped him strike out batters at a very respectful 28.1% clip (73rd percentile among qualified relievers). Additionally, Effross does a great job limiting free passes as his 6.2 BB% ranks in the 77th percentile among qualified relievers.

Once Michael King went down with a season-ending elbow injury, the Yankees immediately knew they had to somehow replace his production; acquiring Effross for this season as well as having him under team control through the 2027 season does that and more.

The biggest trade of the day was the Yankees acquiring Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino from the A’s in exchange for Ken Waldichuk, Luis Medina, JP Sears, and Cooper Bowman.

The headliner of this trade is Montas who was easily one of the best players on the market before being dealt. Since the start of the 2021 season, Montas has a 3.30 ERA, 3.88 xERA, 3.37 FIP, 3.49 xFIP, 3.66 SIERA, and 6.1 fWAR (17th best out 86 starting pitchers to pitch at least 200 innings) in 291.2 innings pitched.

Montas features a five-pitch mix with his splitter, slider, and cutter having the most success this year. Montas isn’t necessarily elite in any facets, but he does a lot of things well. Montas’ stuff generates a healthy amount of swings and misses as his 25.8 K% ranks in the 78th percentile among qualified starting pitchers this year, his 12.8 SwStr% is in the 81st percentile among qualified starting pitchers, and his 33.2 chase% is in the 88th percentile among all pitchers. Although he has the second lowest CStr% among qualified starters, Montas only walks 6.6% of batters which is well above average.

While Montas’ 46.1 GB% ranks in the 71st percentile among qualified starters this season, he is a bit susceptible to the home run ball as batters hit 1.03 HR/9. Additionally, Montas gets barreled often as his 8.4 barrel% is in the 24th percentile among qualified starters.

If the postseason started today, Montas would likely be the Yankees’ game two starter. The Yankees didn’t necessarily need to add a starting pitcher because of how good their staff has been, but Luis Severino was just transferred to the 60-day IL, Jameson Taillon has struggled recently, and Jordan Montgomery is more of a game four type starter than he is a game two starter. Adding Montas strengthens one of the already best starting rotations in baseball. Additionally, Montas has another year of team control for next season so he could be a vital piece of the next two potential World Series runs for the Yankees.

Although it looks like Lou Trivino is a throw-in in this trade, he could prove to be much more.

Trivino’s 6.47 ERA this season isn’t pretty, but there are many indications that this number is an inaccurate measure of his true skill set. Trevino’s career ERA is 4.04 and he had a sub 4 ERA in three of his first four MLB seasons. Additionally, Trivino’s peripheral stats indicate that positive regression should be coming as his 4.29 xERA, 3.84 FIP, 2.92 xFIP, and 2.89 SIERA are pretty impressive.

Part of the reason Trivino’s peripherals are so good is that he does a great job missing bats and keeping the ball on the ground. Trevino’s 28.7 K% ranks in the 84th percentile while his 53.2 GB% ranks in the 83rd percentile among relievers who have pitched at least 30 innings this season.

The main reason why Trivino’s ERA is so high this season is that he has been plagued by the long ball. Trivino is giving up 1.41 dingers per nine innings and his 20.8 HR/FB% is well above his career average (11.9%) and the 2022 MLB average (10.8%). Once this number starts to stabilize, Trivino’s ERA will likely skyrocket down.

It’s also important to note that Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake has done a fantastic job with relievers, most notably Clay Holmes. Holmes had a similarly high ERA with great strikeout and groundball rates when he arrived in the Bronx last summer and has since become one of the best relievers in baseball. If Blake is able to work his magic on Trivino, the Yankees could have a dangerous new setup man come October.

Since making his Major League debut in 2017, Hader’s 2.48 ERA (first), 2.70 FIP (second), 2.58 xFIP (second), 2.06 SIERA (first), 44.1 K% (first), 34.5 K-BB% (first), 33.7 CSW% (second), and 9.4 fWAR (tied for second) all rank top two among relievers with at least 250 innings pitched.

Although Hader has been so dominant since debuting and opening the 2022 season with 19 straight scoreless appearances, Hader’s ERA is up to 4.24. Most of the damage done against Hader was done in July as he had a 12.54 ERA in 9.1 innings pitched with most of the damage coming against the San Francisco Giants on July 15th when he surrendered six earned runs and three homers en route to a walk-off grand slam by Mike Yastrzemski.

Despite his high ERA, Hader’s peripherals have been very good with a 3.27 xERA, 3.47 FIP, 2.41 xFIP, 1.85 SIERA, and 33.4 CSW%.

Before the season, the Padres brought in Taylor Rogers to be their closer (more on him later), but ultimately decided they were going to start utilizing a closer by committee just a couple of days ago as Rogers struggled in June and July. By bringing in Hader, the Padres have restabilized their closer situation for the rest of this season and for at least one more season in 2023 by acquiring one of the best relievers of this generation. Additionally, it’s important to note that none of the assets the Padres gave up take them out of the running for Juan Soto or any other players they might be interested in.

Milwaukee Brewers

It’s difficult for any team to trade one of the best players on your team, especially when your team is in leading their division. Despite this, trading Hader made sense for the Brewers. Hader is making $11 million via arbitration, is set to make even more in 2023, and the Brewers have another outstanding reliever by the name of Devin Williams. Williams — who is arguably better than Hader — is set to reach arbitration for the first time after this season and has one more year of control than Hader. With Williams being on Hader’s level of dominance and being much more affordable, it makes sense why the Padres traded Hader for the package they received.

As mentioned earlier, Taylor Rogers was originally brought in by the Padres to be their closer for this season. If you just looked at his 2.35 FIP, 3.36 xFIP, 2.73 SIERA, 27.6 K%, and 5.2 BB% you’d probably be wondering why he was booted from the closer role and traded within two days. Despite having great swing and miss stuff, opposing players have had some success against Rogers with a .333 BABIP, 88.8 average exit velocity (43rd percentile), .309 xwOBA (47th percentile), and 7.3 barrel% (52nd percentile). With as good of a pitcher development system as the Brewers have, I’m very optimistic that Rogers’ ERA will crawl closer to what his peripherals indicate and he won’t be too much of a downgrade from Hader.

The other pitcher the Brewers acquired is Dinelson Lamet. Lamet’s best MLB season came in 2020 when he placed fourth in NL Cy Young voting after pitching 69.0 innings to a 2.04 ERA. Despite a fantastic campaign in 2020, Lamet wasn’t able to build on his success in 2021 due to two separate injuries that limited him to pitch 47.0 innings (with the majority of his appearances coming out of the bullpen). One of the injuries that Lamet dealt with last year was a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery in 2019, so there’s definitely injury concern with him. However, if (a very big if) Lamet is able to stay healthy, he can become a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen, a backend of the bullpen piece, a starter, or a combination of all three. Lamet has pitched only 12.1 MLB innings this season to a 9.49 ERA, but he has a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 AAA innings. There’s no reason the Brewers shouldn’t see what they have in Lamet because we’ve seen how good he can be.

Finally, the two prospects the Brewers acquired are Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz. Gasser was the 71st overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and was ranked the Padres’ seventh best prospect via MLB.com and 19th best prospect via FanGraphs. Gasser is set to join the Brewers’ AA affiliate after pitching 90.1 innings with the Padres’ A+ affiliate to a 4.18 ERA with an impressive 30.5 K%. Although Ruiz was a fringe top 30 prospect in the Padres’ system and he has struggled in his limited MLB action, he has shown great potential in the Minor Leagues this season. Between AA and AAA, Ruiz hit .333/.468/.560 with 60 (!!!) stolen bases in 77 games.

Grades:
Padres: A- Brewers: B+

New York Mets

The New York Mets have the sixth best wRC+ in baseball (110), but they have received almost no offensive production from their catchers as they have combined for an atrocious 52 wRC+ (second worst in MLB). Although they have prized prospect Francisco Alvarez in AAA, he’s probably not ready to make his MLB debut until 2023. Contreras almost seems like a perfect fit for the Mets because they desperately need to improve behind the plate between now and when Alvarez is ready to be called up. With Contreras on an expiring contract, the Mets won’t need to break the bank in order to acquire the All Star catcher.

Mock trade:

Mets receive: Wilson Contreras, David Robertson

Cubs receive: Mark Vientos, Dominic Hamel, Dominic Smith

Package details:

• Mark Vientos (1B/3B/OF) (5th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 8th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Dominic Hamel (RHP) (9th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, 15th best prospect in the organization by FanGraphs, 40 FV)
• Dominic Smith (1B/OF) (.246,.308/.424 (100 wRC+), -0.1 fWAR in 447 MLB games, controlled through 2024)

Houston Astros

The Houston Astros have the fourth best team wRC+ (120) and position player fWAR (18.8), but they’ve received negative value from their backstops. Astros catchers have combined for -0.9 fWAR (worst in MLB), 50 wRC+ (worst in MLB), and all three of their catchers have a negative DRS and FRM. Although the Astros love Martin Maldonado and he does a great job managing the team’s pitching staff, they could really use an upgrade. Veteran Jason Castro — who was having a horrible season — has a knee injury that might bring him into retirement and rookie Korey Lee has really struggled in his first big league stint. Moving Maldonado into a backup role while bringing in Contreras as the everyday catcher could make an already great Astros lineup even deeper.

Mock trade:

Astros receive: Willson Contreras 

Cubs receive: Colin Barber, Joe Perez, J.J. Matijevic

Package details:

• Colin Barber (OF) (5th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 2nd best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Joe Perez (3B/1B) (8th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 9th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)
• J.J. Matijevic (1B) (30th ranked prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 23rd ranked prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 35+ FV, .196/.255/.353 (75 wRC+) in 24 MLB games)

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians are only two games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central lead and are only 2.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot. Willson Contreras would be a perfect fit for the Guardians if they are serious about competing for a playoff spot. So far this season, the Guardians’ primary catchers have both been around replacement level as Luke Maile has a 0.2 fWAR and Austin Hedges has a 0.0 fWAR. Additionally, Franmil Reyes has been atrocious at the plate this season with a 70 wRC+, so the Guardians could opt to have Contreras DH if they prefer.

Mock trade:

Guardians acquire: Willson Contreras

Cubs acquire: Angel Martinez, Petey Halpin

Package details:

• Angel Martinez (10th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Petey Halpin (OF) (14th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 17th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 45 FV)

San Diego Padres

Jorge Alfaro has had a shockingly good season for the Padres hitting .277/.312/.446 (114 wRC+) with a 1.2 fWAR, but I’m not sure how sustainable his offensive production is. Alfaro’s .398 BABIP is the highest in Major League Baseball (minimum 200 ABs), his 34.8 K% is in the second percentile, and his 4.7 BB% is in the seventh percentile. Additionally, fellow backstop Austin Nola has a -0.2 fWAR, so the Padres would add a lot more stability by acquiring Contreras. With Fernando Tatis Jr. set to come back and by adding another big bat in Contreras, the Padres’ current below average offense would likely become well above average.

Mock trade:

Padres acquire: Willson Contreras

Cubs acquire: Samuel Zavala, Jarlin Susana, Eguy Rosario

Package details:

• Samuel Zavala (OF) (10th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 7th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 40+ FV)
• Jarlin Susana (RHP) (15th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 8th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)
• Eguy Rosario (2B/3B) (5th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 13th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 40 FV)

Since the start of the 2019 season, Luis Castillo has been one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball because of his combined high quality and quantity on the mound. Castillo’s 12.4 fWAR since 2019 is the 10th best among all starting pitchers and he is among the six pitchers to pitch at least 500 innings during this span with an ERA, FIP, and xFIP all 3.50 or lower alongside Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Shane Bieber, Zack Wheeler, and Max Fried. While Castillo has dominated since 2019, he’s in the midst of a career-best season. So far in 2022 Castillo has pitched 85.0 innings to a spectacular 2.86 ERA, 3.18 xERA, 3.20 FIP, 3.39 xFIP, and 3.56 SIERA.

What makes Castillo such a tough matchup for opposing teams is that he does almost everything really well. Castillo does a good job throwing strikes, generating whiffs, and striking batters out as his 27.7 CSW%, 26.6 Whiff%, and 25.8 K% are all above league average. When batters do put the ball in play, Castillo has done a very good job limiting quality contact as his 5.3 Barrel% is in the 91st percentile and his 47.1 GB% is in the 79th percentile (among starting pitchers with a minimum of 80 innings pitched). Lastly, Castillo has utilized a great three-pitch mix that has given batters fits all year. Castillo’s four-seamer (32% usage), changeup (25.8% usage), and slider (20.9% usage) all have a sub .200 batting average and sub .300 wOBA against with his four-seamer being his best in both categories as opposing players have an abysmal .124 batting average and .204 wOBA.

Castillo joins a Mariners rotation that includes reigning AL Cy Young Robbie Ray, rising star Logan Gilbert, promising rookie George Kirby, and veterans Marco Gonzalez and Chris Flexen. Seattle’s 3.68 rotation ERA is currently the seventh best in the Major Leagues but they have perhaps been a bit lucky as their 4.28 FIP, 4.16 xFIP, and 4.21 SIERA are all below average. However, acquiring Castillo should help eliminate any questions as to whether or not the Mariners’ rotation is legit as their new three-headed monster of Ray, Castillo, and Gilbert is among the best trios in Major League Baseball. With the Mariners looking to make noise in October, adding Castillo should help them tremendously as we’ve seen it’s necessary to have an elite pitching staff in order to win the World Series in each of the last three years.

Lastly, it’s extremely important to note that Castillo is still under team control for the 2023 season via arbitration. With a young roster that should continue improving heading into next year, having Castillo on their pitching staff for not only a potential postseason run this year but also next year could be a big reason why the Mariners break their infamous postseason drought and maybe win a World Series.

As for the Reds, they acquired an absolute haul headlined by Noelvi Marte. Marte, a 20-year-old shortstop, was ranked the best prospect in the Mariners’ farm system by MLB.com and FanGraphs and was rated as a top 20 overall prospect by both websites. Marte has been absolutely raking with the Mariners’ A+ affiliate hitting .270/.360/.460 (133 wRC+) and additionally stealing 12 stolen bases in 84 games. Marte is still probably at least a year away from making his Major League debut, but Reds fans will be patiently waiting as the team is in a rebuilding phase and there should be no reason to call up the soon to be 21 year old until he’s ready.

In addition to Marte, the Reds acquired Edwin Arroyo (SS), Levi Stoudt (RHP), and Andrew Moore (RHP). MLB.com had Arroyo ranked as the third-best prospect in the Mariners’ system and 93rd overall prospect, while FanGraphs had him as the Mariners’ eighth-best prospect and outside their top 100. Despite the discrepancy in opinion between the websites, there’s no debate that the Mariners’ second-round pick from 2021 has put on a show in A as he is hitting .316/.385/.514 (132 wRC+) with 21 stolen bases in 87 games. At just 18 (soon to be 19) years old, there’s a lot to like about Arroyo’s game. Stoudt was ranked as the Mariners’ fifth-best prospect by MLB.com but was ranked as their 15th-best prospect by FanGraphs. Stoudt — already 24 years old — has struggled in AA this year with a 5.28 ERA, but the Reds have become somewhat of a pitching factory over the last few years so maybe a few tweaks can unlock his potential. Finally, the last piece acquired by the Reds was Andrew Moore. Moore was not listed on either MLB.com of FanGraphs’s top Mariners prospects, was drafted in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and has pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 32.1 innings in A as a reliever this season.

With the Mariners looking to win immediately and the Reds looking to rebuild, this trade made way too much sense for both teams.

Grades:

Mariners: A Reds: A

Benintendi was named an All Star for the first time in his career as he hit .321/.389/.399 (127 wRC+) in 92 games as a Royal this season. Benintendi’s 2.1 fWAR is already the second best he has produced in a single season only trailing his 2018 campaign with the World Series champion Red Sox when he had an outstanding 5.0 fWAR. Despite a great 2018 campaign, Benintendi regressed in 2019 (but was still a solid player) and struggled on the field and with injuries in the pandemic shortened 2020 season leading the Red Sox to trade him to the Royals following that season.

Benintendi had a bounceback 2021 season, but he produced an identical fWAR total (1.8) to 2019 as opposed to returning back towards 2018 form. However, in 2022 Benintendi has completely changed his approach at the plate to prioritize getting on base and putting the ball in play rather than hitting for power. Benintendi’s .339 AVG, .389 OBP, 13.5 K%, and O-Swing% so far in 2022 are all career bests while his 10.1 BB% is slightly above his career average and ranks in the 70th percentile among all Major Leaguers this season. 

Benintendi’s new approach at the plate and left-handed bat fit in well to balance out the Yankees’ lineup. Besides DJ LeMahieu no Yankee has a BB% above 10% while also striking out less than 15% and Benintendi’s .389 OBP is now the second best on the team only behind Matt “Bonds” Carpenter’s .421 clip. Additionally, the Yankees will now have the option of starting four lefties with Anthony Rizzo, Aaron Hicks (switch), Carpenter, and Benintendi in the fold to split up the stacked right-handed bats of LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres.

The Yankees originally thought that they found the missing piece to their outfield at the trade deadline last year by acquiring Joey Gallo, but he just hasn’t worked out. Gallo is hitting an underwhelming .160/.296/.371 (89 wRC+) since joining the Bronx Bombers and has struck out in 38.4% of his at bats. With the acquisition of Benintendi, it’s safe to assume that Gallo will likely find himself in another uniform in a few days. The Yankees are essentially replacing Gallo with the exact opposite player of himself.

Although Benintendi’s average and on-base clips are spectacular, there is a bit of concern if he will be able to maintain his production. Benintendi has been BABIP dependent this year as his .366 BABAIP is easily the highest of his career and the seventh highest in the Majors while his barrel% and GB% are simultaneously the worst of his career. However, Benintendi could potentially see a big power increase as his home stadium moves from the spacious Kauffman Stadium to the short porch Yankee Stadium. Benintendi’s .079 ISO and .399 SLG are career worsts, so maybe the change of scenery as well as being placed into a much better lineup will help improve his power.

As for the Royals, they didn’t really have much of a choice but to trade Benintendi. With the team dwindling to a 39-59 record, Benintendi set to become a free agent following the season, and the market expecting to net seller generous trade packages; it made too much sense for the team to trade their All Star outfielder. The headliner deaded to Kansas City is T.J. Sikkema who has a 2.48 in 36.1 innings in A+, was ranked the Yankees’ 17th best prospect by FanGraphs and 19th best prospect by MLB.com, and was the 38th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Beck Way has also pitched well in A+ with a 3.73 ERA in 72.1 innings and was ranked the Yankees’ 21st best prospect by MLB.com and 28th best prospect by FanGraphs. The final pitcher the Royals acquired is Chandler Champlin. Champlin was the Yankees’ ninth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and has a 4.30 ERA with an outstanding 30.5 K% in 73.1 innings in A ball.

Grades:
Yankees A, Royals A-

St. Louis Cardinals

If the St. Louis Cardinals decide they want to trade for Juan Soto, he could easily be theirs. With a loaded farm system and numerous young big leaguers, they are probably the most equipped team to have an elite Major League team while retaining a good farm system. By adding Juan Soto to an already loaded lineup, the Cardinals would pose a huge threat to the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central crown and could solidify themselves as one of the favorites to win the World Series.

Mock trade:

Cardinals receive: Juan Soto, Patrick Corbin

Nationals receive: Dylan Carlson, Brendan Donovan, Jordan Walker, Gordon Graceffo

Package details:

• Dylan Carlson (OF) (Former top prospect in the organization, former top 15 overall prospect, 60 FV, .255/.328/.421 (107 wRC+) and 4.5 fWAR in first 262 MLB games, team controlled through 2026)
• Brendan Donovan (UTL) (7th best prospect in the organization entering 2022 via FanGraphs, 45 FV, .280/.393/.378 (128 wRC+) and 1.2 fWAR in 72 MLB games, team controlled through 2027)
• Jordan Walker (3B) (Best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 7th overall prospect via MLB.com, 8th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 60 FV)
• Gordon Graceffo (5th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 100th overall prospect via MLB.com, 98th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)

San Diego Padres

During his tenure as the Padres’ general manager, A.J. Preller has shown that he is one of the most active executives when it comes to wheeling and dealing players. Even though they’ve been without Fernando Tatis Jr. for the entire season, the Padres are currently settled into the second NL Wild Card spot. Once Tatis returns from injury and if they add Soto, the Padres could have the best lineup in the National League to go with their already brilliant starting rotation.

Mock trade:

Padres receive: Juan Soto

Nationals receive: Trent Grisham, MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Jackson Merrill

Package details:

• Trent Grisham (OF) (.229/.322/.401 (100 wRC+), 18 OAA, 5.8 fWAR, 2.6 fWAR/150 in 336 MLB games, team controlled through 2025)
• MacKenzie Gore (LHP) (4th best prospect in the organization entering 2022 via FanGraphs, 77th overall prospect entering 2022 via FanGraphs, 50 FV, 4.50 ERA/4.13 FIP/4.42 xFIP in 70.0 MLB innings)
• C.J. Abrams (SS) (best prospect in the organization entering 2022 via FanGraphs, 14th overall prospect entering 2022 via FanGraphs, 60 FV, .231/.280/.322 (74 wRC+), -0.1 fWAR in 43 MLB games)
• Robert Hassell III (OF) (best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 3rd best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 23rd overall prospect via MLB.com, 43rd overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• James Wood (OF) (3rd best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 4th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 90th overall prospect via MLB.com, 69th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• Jackson Merrill (SS) (4th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 6th best prospect in the organization, 45 FV)

New York Yankees

Up to this point in the season, the Yankees have been the best team in baseball. Their pitching staff has been absolutely fantastic and their lineup has been even better. DJ LeMahieu has returned to 2019-2020 form, Anthony Rizzo is having his best offensive season since 2019, Matt Carpenter has turned into Barry Bonds, and most importantly Aaron Judge is looking like he should be the AL MVP. Imagine adding Juan Soto to that already ridiculous lineup. The chase for 28 is already on, but adding Soto would cement the Yankees as the clear World Series favorites.

Mock trade:

Yankees receive: Juan Soto, Patrick Corbin

Nationals receive: Gleyber Torres, Nestor Cortes Jr., Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, Ken Waldichuk

Package details:

• Gleyber Torres (2B) (.268,.335/.460 (115 wRC+), 9.4 fWAR, 2.7 fWAR/150 in 521 MLB games, team controlled through 2024)
• Nestor Cortes Jr. (LHP) (2.68 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 3.90 xFIP, 3.8 fWAR in 194.2 innings since 2021, team controlled through 2025)
• Anthony Volpe (SS) (Best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 8th overall prospect via MLB.com, 27th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 55 FV)
• Jasson Dominguez (OF) (3rd best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 5th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 39th overall prospect via MLB.com, 70th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• Ken Waldichuk (LHP) (5th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 3rd best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 72nd overall prospect via MLB.com, 37th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Year in and year out, the Los Angeles Dodgers always seem to be a powerhouse. Through their great player development, (mostly) good trading, and being in a big market, the Dodgers have seemingly unlimited talent throughout their organization. Like the Cardinals, the Dodgers will have an elite Major League team while retaining a good farm system if they were to acquire Juan Soto. By trading for Soto, the Dodgers would better position themselves to win their second World Series in the last three years.

Mock trade:

Dodgers receive: Juan Soto, Patrick Corbin

Nationals receive: Gavin Lux, Dustin May, Bobby Miller, Andy Pages

Package details:

• Gavin Lux (UTL) (best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs entering 2020, 2nd overall prospect entering 2020 via FanGraphs, .298/.375/.425 (130 wRC+), 2.6 fWAR in 87 games this season)
• Dustin May (RHP) (2nd best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs entering 2020, 13th overall prospect entering 2020 via FanGraphs, 2.93 ERA/3.83 FIP/3.45 xFIP in 113.2 MLB innings)
• Bobby Miller (RHP) (2nd best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 26th overall prospect via MLB.com, 47th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• Andy Pages (OF) (4th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 47th overall prospect via MLB.com, 77th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)

Houston Astros

The Astros have arguably the best lineup in baseball, but they’ve received atrocious production from their first basemen. Yuli Gurriel has fallen off drastically from winning the battle title and gold glove last year as his wRC+ is down 42 points, his OAA is down 5 outs, and his fWAR is in the negatives. Additionally, the Astros have received a negative WAR value from rookie J.J. Matijevic and utility man Aledmys Diaz has been below average offensively. Adding Bell to an already loaded lineup would be a pitcher’s worst nightmare come October.

Mock trade:

Astros receive: Josh Bell

Nationals receive: Jose Siri, Freudis Nova

Package details:

• Jose Siri (OF) (27 years old, team controlled through 2027, .210/.265/.381 (81 wRC+), 3.2 BsR, 8 OAA, 1.2 fWAR in 69 MLB games)
• Freudis Nova (SS) (second best prospect in Astros system entering 2020 but has since become unranked due to poor performance and an ACL injury that held him out the majority of 2021 and all of 2022 so far)

New York Mets

The Mets already have a stud first basemen in Pete Alonso and recently acquired Daniel Vogelbach, but there are many rumors that they are in on Josh Bell. The Mets have been great at getting on base as their .323 OBP is the fifth best in MLB, but they have been a below-average power team as their .142 ISO is the 20th best and their 92 home runs are the 19th best. Adding Bell would surely help improve the Mets’ power numbers and deepen their already good lineup that much more.

Mock trade:

Mets acquire: Josh Bell

Nationals acquire: Eric Orze, Dominic Hamel

Package details:

• Eric Orze (RHP) (17th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, 10th best prospect in the organization by FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Dominic Hamel (RHP) (9th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, 15th best prospect in the organization by FanGraphs, 40 FV)

Cleveland Guardians

One of the most fascinating teams to watch over trade deadline season is the Cleveland Guardians. Currently, the team is only three games back of the AL Central lead and two games back of the third wild card spot. On the other hand, Cleveland has notoriously been known to sell, so who knows what they have planned. If they do decide to be buyers, Josh Bell would be a great addition. Cleveland has been a middle-of-the-pack team offensively with a 99 wRC+ this season, so adding Bell could do wonders towards improving their chances of making the postseason.

Mock trade:

Guardians acquire: Josh Bell

Nationals acquire: Xavion Curry, Carson Tucker

Package details:

• Xavion Curry (RHP) (20th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, 12th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Carson Tucker (2B/SS) (17th best prospect in the organization by MLB.com, 15th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs (from last year, for some reason not in FanGraphs’ top 54 for the Guardians), 2020 first round pick, 40+ FV)

Boston Red Sox

Like the Guardians, the Red Sox are an interesting team to look at as we head towards the trade deadline. The Red Sox currently sit at .500 after getting walloped by the Blue Jays this past weekend and only winning one of their last 10 games. Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez, Kiké Hernandez, and Nathan Eovaldi are all set to be free agents following the season while Rafael Devers has one more year of arbitration before he becomes a free agent. If the Red Sox want to run it back and try to make another deep run in October, they will need to improve their first base situation. The Red Sox have mostly relied on Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero at first base and the two have -0.3 fWAR and 0.0 fWAR respectively. Acquiring Josh Bell would be a huge boost over those two and could have a similar impact to the Red Sox’s lineup that Kyle Schwarber brought them last year.

Mock trade:

Red Sox acquire: Josh Bell

Nationals acquire: Gilberto Jimenez, Jay Groome

Package details:

• Gilberto Jimenez (OF) (17th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 13th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Jay Groome (LHP) (11th best prospect in the organization via MLB.com, 16th best prospect in the organization via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)

The hot stove is starting to heat up! The first trade of the “trade deadline season” was made last night when the Mets acquired 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach in exchange for rookie reliever Colin Holderman. Vogelbach, an All Star in 2019 with the Mariners, is a power-hitting lefty who specializes in crushing righties. Vogelbach is hitting .228/.338/.430 (118 wRC+) for the season, but is hitting an outstanding .260/.365/.532 (149 wRC+) against righties. Vogelbach has been good against righties for his entire career (123 wRC+), but his 149 wRC+ against them this season is a career-best, is the 16th best in all of Major League Baseball this season (min 130 PAs), and only two points lower than Shohei Ohtani’s. Although he is great against righties, Vogelbach is dreadful against southpaws. Vogelbach is hitting an awful .141/.267/.156 (33 wRC+) against lefties in 2022 and has a 42 wRC+ against them for his career. Vogelbach should provide a big boost to the Mets’ designated hitter situation that’s been very unimpressive this season. JD Davis (99 wRC+) and Dom Smith (66 wRC+) have occupied most of the DH at-bats so far this season leading the Mets’ designated hitters to have the league’s fifth-worst wRC+ (78) among the position. Vogelbach is best suited in a platoon role, so if the Mets can acquire a powerful righty that crushes lefties, that would optimize Vogelbach and the team’s designated hitter production.

In exchange for Vogelbach, the Pirates acquired RHP Colin Holderman. Holderman, a 26-year-old rookie, has been impressive in his first Major League action this season as he’s pitched 17.2 innings to a 2.04 ERA, 2.88 xERA, 2.27 FIP, 3.53 xFIP, 3.43 SIERA, and 29.5 CSW%. Holderman was drafted in the ninth round of the 2016 draft by the Mets and had a 3.82 ERA across four minor league seasons (missed all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery and there was no minor league season in 2020). If Holderman is able to sustain his production, this is a great trade for the Pirates because Holderman is under cheap team control through the 2027 season.

Grades:

Mets: B+ Pirates A

Brewers extend Aaron Ashby (LHP) to a five-year extension followed by two team options

Today the Brewers announced that they extended LHP Aaron Ashby to a five-year contract worth $20.5 million that also includes two team options and incentives that could make the deal worth $46 million over seven years. Ashby was the Brewers’ fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft but quickly rose to become the team’s best prospect and the 51st best in MLB before exceeding prospect status (via FanGraphs). Ashby has appeared in 31 games (16 starts) since debuting last season pitching 100.2 innings to a 4.56 ERA. Although Ashby’s ERA is high through his first 100+ MLB innings, there is plenty to like from his performance. Ashby’s 58.0 GB% is the third best among all pitchers (minimum 100 innings pitched) since 6/29/2021 (when Ashby made his Major League debut) and his 33.4 CSW% is the second best sandwiched between his teammate Corbin Burnes and the Rays’ phenomenal Shane McClanahan. Additionally, Ashby’s 5.1 barrel% ranks 12th and his 32.6 hard hit% ranks eighth (out of 137 pitchers, minimum 100 innings pitched, since 6/29/2021). Ashby’s biggest flaw is his command which has led to a poor 9.9 BB% (19th worst). I think it’s safe to say Ashby’s ERA going forward will probably be closer to his 3.31 xERA, 3.82 FIP, 3.22 xFIP, and 3.40 SIERA than his current 4.56 ERA – especially if he can improve his command.

Something else I found interesting is that Ashby’s teammate and reigning 2021 NL Cy Young Corbin Burnes similarly had a slowish start at the big league level. Despite great peripheral numbers (like Ashby), Burnes had an insanely high 6.10 ERA in his first 87.0 big league innings. Burnes was able to fully figure everything out starting in 2020 and in 345.1 innings since then, he has an outstanding 2.29 ERA. If Ashby is able to follow in Burnes’ footsteps – even if it’s only to some extent – this is a great value contract for the Brewers. Essentially, the team is paying Ashby more than what he would’ve made pre-arbitration in 2023 and 2024, settled his arbitration salaries for 2025-2027, and already bought his first two free agent years if they elect to keep him (team options for 2028 and 2029).

Grade: A+

New York Yankees

The Yankees have been the best team in Major League Baseball this season but with Aaron Judge set to hit free agency following the season and going ringless for over a decade, the Yankees will likely go all in at the trade deadline in pursuit of winning their 28th World Series. If the Yankees were to acquire Castillo, their already dominant starting rotation (their 3.20 ERA is the third best ERA in MLB) becomes even better. Assuming they do acquire Castillo, the Yankees would have one of the best potential October rotations with a ton of depth:

Mock trade:

Yankees acquire: Luis Castillo

Reds acquire: Oswald Peraza, Everson Periera, T.J. Sikkema, JP Sears

Package details:

• Oswald Peraza (SS) (2nd best prospect in the system via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 38th overall prospect via MLB.com, 50th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• Everson Periera (OF) (10th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 7th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 45+ FV)
• T.J. Sikkema (LHP) (19th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 16th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 40+ FV)
• JP Sears (LHP) (23rd best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 25th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 40 FV, 2.05 ERA/3.16 FIP/4.32 xFIP in 22.0 MLB innings this season)

Minnesota Twins

Backed by their brilliant offense, the Minnesota Twins have a narrow lead in the AL Central. While the Twins have no problem putting up runs, their pitching staff is alright at best. Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray are good pitchers, but neither should an “ace” on a team that is capable of making a deep run in October. By adding Castillio the Twins’ rotation becomes much scarier to face by giving them a true ace. Here’s how the Twins rotation could lineup in October:

Mock trade:

Twins acquire: Luis Castillo

Reds acquire: Jose Miranda, Jordan Balazovic, Spencer Steer

Package details:

• Jose Miranda (1B/3B) (3rd best prospect in the system via MLB.com and Fangraphs entering 2022, 93rd overall prospect entering 2022 by MLB.com, 95th overall prospect entering 2022 by FanGraphs, 50 FV, .251/.293/.444 (108 wRC+) in 57 MLB games this season)
• Jordan Balazovic (RHP) (3rd best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 7th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Spencer Steer (2B/3B) ( (7th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 6th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 45 FV)
• Misael Urbina (OF) (9th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 16th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)

Seattle Mariners

After an amazing run last year that left the team just short of the postseason, the expectation was (and still is) that the Mariners’ 20 year postseason drought would finally come to an end in 2022. Despite an up and down start to the season, the Mariners were on an absolute heater prior to the All Star break winning their last 14 games. The Mariners’ rotation definitely has some solid pieces in Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby, but adding a pitcher of Luis Castillo’s caliber would put their rotation over the top and in a great position to make some noise in October. If the M’s do acquire Castillo, here’s how they could stack up in October:

Mock trade

Mariners acquire: Luis Castillo

Reds acquire: Jarred Kelenic, Matt Brash, Lazaro Montes

Package details:

• Jarred Kelenic (OF) (best prospect in the system entering 2021 via MLB.com and Fangraphs, 4th best overall prospect via MLB.com entering 2021, 3rd best overall prospect via FanGraphs entering 2021, 60 FV, .173/.256/.338 (68 wRC+) in 123 MLB games)
• Matt Brash (RHP) (3rd best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 2nd best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 91st overall prospect via MLB.com, 53rd best overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV, 6.66 ERA/5.33 FIP/4.70 xFIP in 24.1 MLB innings this season)
• Lazaro Montes (OF) (12th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 6th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)

Los Angeles Dodgers

Just as they have for the last decade, the Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated in 2022. Fresh off a 106 win season, but falling short of making the World Series in 2021, the Dodgers are once again in a great position to contend in October. One of the team’s biggest downfalls in the NLCS last season was their lack of starters going deep into games and heavy bullpen usage as two bullpen games/openers were used and no starting pitcher pitched more than five innings in a game. If the Dodgers want to ensure this doesn’t repeat in 2022, acquiring Castillo would give them a loaded rotation with many great depth options.

Mock trade:

Dodgers acquire: Luis Castillo

Reds acquire: Bobby Miller (RHP), Jose Ramos (OF), Mitch White (RHP), Wilman Diaz (SS)

• Bobby Miller (RHP) (2nd best prospect in the system via MLB.com and FanGraphs, 26th overall prospect via MLB.com, 47th overall prospect via FanGraphs, 50 FV)
• Jose Ramos (OF) (14th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 7th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 45+ FV)
• Mitch White (RHP) (3.61 ERA, 3.99 FIP, 4.20 xFIP in 99.2 MLB innings since 2020, 27  years old, controlled through 2027)
• Wilman Diaz (SS) (10th best prospect in the system via MLB.com, 20th best prospect in the system via FanGraphs, 40+ FV)