MLB Rumors: Would the White Sox trade Luis Robert Jr., Dylan Cease?
The short answer to that question is a simple no. The Chicago White Sox, despite suffering another losing season with what's supposed to be a talented core of players, still believe in the likes of Robert, Dylan Cease, Andrew Vaughn and Eloy Jimenez, just to name a few.
That does not mean the front office is blind, though. Chicago will part ways with several players in contract years leading up to the trade deadline. Per Jon Heyman, expect the White Sox to be very active come late July.
"Free-agents-to-be Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Keynan Middleton are the most likely to go in trade, with Giolito, who will bring the most, expected to draw interest from the Reds, Rangers and others…Sources did not say talented youngsters Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech are in that same close-to-untouchable category, which is interesting."
Chicago wants to protect what it perceives as its core four in Robert, Cease, Vaughn and Jimenez. Robert, for one, is having the best season of his career and is signed to a relatively team-friendly contract. The White Sox would be rather crass to get rid of him now, barring an insurmountable trade offer which makes the decision a little easier.
One player not mentioned yet is Tim Anderson, who is on the other side of the count to Robert. Anderson is having the worst season of his career, and has the worst OPS in baseball per qualified players by a country mile. Still, his name recognition alone means some team will take a chance on the shortstop if made available.
MLB Rumors: Did the Twins made a mistake signing Carlos Correa?
After signing with three teams in one offseason, Carlos Correa is rightly a little exhausted. For those unfamiliar, a years-old ankle injury scared away both the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, which signed Correa to an above-$300 million contract to play for their franchises. The medicals just wouldn't check out, but that didn't scare away with the Minnesota Twins, which were familiar with Correa's work.
All seemed well in Correa's world, but thus far is hasn't translated onto the baseball diamond. Halfway through the season, Correa is slashing .225/.299/.401, 92 OPS+, which are all career worsts for the star shortstop. As one of the faces of this Minnesota franchise, one has to wonder if Correa is feeling the heat.
Prior to the break, Josh Hill of Puckett's Pond wrote a scathing review of Correa's Twins season thus far:
"Most notably, Carlos Correa is nowhere to be found in any All-Star conversation. That's not surprising given the year he's had, but it's a tremendous disappointment after the contract he signed in the offseason…All of this combines for horrible optics when it comes to his $200 million contract. There's still plenty of time for Correa to iron things out over the course of the deal, but it's impossible to argue that the initial portion of his deal has been anything other than a total disaster."
To Correa's credit, he improved slightly before the break. He'll need to keep that hot streak going well into the second half to quell the concerns of Minnesota fans, who are stuck with him for years to come, for better or worse.
MLB Rumors: Could the Braves trade for an old friend?
As we speak, it's tough to see the Boston Red Sox trading away an asset the quality of Kenley Jansen unless they can receive something of value in return. In a season with seemingly so many contenders — or teams without a clear role as buyers or sellers — the 2023 MLB trade deadline is sure to be a strange one.
Boston is in last place in the AL East, just one game behind the Yankees. But at 48-43, plus 8-2 in their last ten games, they are well within striking distance of the AL Wild Card should they keep up this hot stretch. Jansen, for one, has been instrumental in the Sox bullpen, and really enjoys playing in Boston.
"I hope it doesn't happen. I love the city. I love the team. I love everything about it. I want to win there," Jansen told Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Still, some in the industry think the Red Sox will come back down to earth, and thus to their senses. If Boston were to trade Jansen, a team like the Atlanta Braves could be a viable suitor. Atlanta's bullpen needs more depth in the back-end, and Jansen as a former Brave himself is quite familiar with the squad Alex Anthopoulos assembled. Jansen still has one more year left on his contract, and given the state of the pitching market, trading for Kenley won't come cheap.
There really aren't many upgrades the Braves need to make at the deadline. They are the best team in baseball this year for a reason. However, acquiring one of their old friends in Boston makes a lot of sense, whether it be Jansen or even Adam Duvall to sure up the outfield.