July 31 is always the most distracting day for me at work. That all has to do with the invention of Twitter and the MLB Trade Deadline, which ends at 3 p.m. CT today. I figured I'd help out with a running post. If you don't want to wait for an update on the post (I do have work after all), you can check out this Twitter List for monitoring the latest news and rumors.
You can check out the news and rumors from July 30 here.
Obviously I'm going to write all this up, but I'm going to take a moment and let some of the details come in, then take a shower, then have a drink, before I get started.
3:55pm: The Greinke deal was finalized "a couple of seconds" before the deadline.
3:41pm: The Astros are assuming $53m of Greinke's remaining contract, which works out to be around $22m per year.
3:36pm: Updated World Series odds have the Astros at 2:1.
3:30pm: The Astros final haul from Toronto is Biagini, Sanchez, and Cal Stevenson.
3:24pm: Seth Beer and Josh Rojas are the others.
3:23pm: Corbin Martin and J.B. Bukauskas are two known names. Two other "high draft picks from recent years" involved.
3:16pm: Kyle Tucker is not one of those prospects.
3:15pm: Four prospects are headed to Arizona
3:13pm: The Astros have acquired Zack Greinke.
3:09pm: Toronto has apparently also traded Aaron Sanchez to Houston.
3:05pm: The Dodgers and Yankees did not get better.
3:02pm: Rosenthal's sources say Bumgarner and Wheeler are staying with their respective teams.
3:01pm: Wheeler is staying with the Mets...for now.
2:58pm: Yeah, the Angels traded for Stassi.
2:56pm: The Angels are trying to swing a deal for Max Stassi.
2:54pm: The Astros may have acquired [squints] Joe Biagini from Toronto?
2:44pm: The Mets' asking price for Zack Wheeler is "steep." A deal would be a surprise at this point.
2:42pm: Former Astros Great Mark Melancon is headed to Atlanta.
2:29pm: The Mets want to Sell AND Buy, and want to beef up their bullpen.
2:24pm: Jeff Passan says on ESPN that Wheeler is either going to the Astros or Rays.
2:21pm: The Yankees are out on Zack Wheeler
2:13pm: The Dodgers have traded for St. Louis' Jedd Gyorko.
2:11pm: The Tigers are close to sending closer Shane Greene to Atlanta.
2:08pm: Still the Astros, Rays, and Yankees in on Wheeler, but the Mets will hold on to him if they don't get the deal they want.
2:00pm: One hour until the Trade Deadline.
1:48pm: Madison Bumgarner remains available, and the Giants will be listening until the deadline.
1:45pm: The Rays have made an offer to the Mets for Wheeler, but both sides are "not close."
1:43pm: Astros, Rays, and Yankees are talking to the Mets about Wheeler. No word on romance level.
1:41pm: Buster Olney just said on ESPN that the feeling is Bumgarner will stay in San Francisco.
1:36pm: Astros and Rays are in on Zack Wheeler, activity is described as "hot and heavy."
1:34pm: The Nationals also got Hunter Strickland from Seattle - their 3rd bullpen addition of the day.
1:31pm: Arizona wanted Clint Frazier plus three prospects from New York for Robbie Ray.
1:25pm: Oakland has acquired pitcher Tanner Roark from Cincinnati.
1:25pm: Apparently it's Drew Pomeranz going to the Brewers from San Francisco.
1:23pm: The Giants and Brewers have agreed to a deal, but it does not include Madison Bumgarner.
1:20pm: The Rays are in on Zack Wheeler.
1:09pm: The Nationals have also acquired lefty reliever Roenis Elias from Seattle - their 2nd bullpen addition of the day.
1:01pm: Martin Maldonado seems to confirm the trade back to Houston.
12:56pm: With the Trade Deadline just over two hours away, a sense of urgency "has started to pick up."
12:54pm: Talks between the Yankees and Diamondbacks on Robbie Ray are now "dead."
12:52pm: The Nationals have traded for Toronto reliever Daniel Hudson.
12:51pm: The Yankees are "considering" Former Astros Great Ken Giles.
12:28pm: The belief now is that the Mets will hold on to closer Edwin Diaz.
12:18pm: Based on cost, it looks like Zach Wheeler is the Astros preferred option.
12:04pm: Astros pitchers loved throwing to Maldonado.
11:58am: Tony Kemp is going to the Cubs for Maldonado. Good for him!
11:55am: Astros acquire Martin Maldonado from Cubs! Check the County Mountie's write-up here.
11:51am: Both Yankees and Astros in on Bumgarner and Wheeler. My prediction is Yankees get Bumgarner. Astros get Wheeler. I doubt the Mets really want to deal with the Yankees. They're just using them as leverage against the Astros.
11:34am: Sounds like there's not much going on the Robbie Ray front.
10:59am: Astros and Yankees are inquiring on Ray from the Diamondbacks.
10:56am: Zack Wheeler market is heating up!
10:46am: Astros focused on Zach Wheeler and Robbie Ray.
10:43am: Astros are in discussions about reliever help. Ryan Pressley was put on the IL yesterday, retroactive to July 27.
10:32am: Justin Verlander is just like us! Hi Justin!
10:21am: "The Mets are fielding calls from 9 teams on Wheeler." I suspect the Astros are one of those teams.
9:16am: Some news on the Yankees, Giants, and Mets. Hoping this is a sign that reporters are heads down getting information on the next trade. Oh and other teams expect Wheeler to be dealt.
7:40am:
Astros are on Madison Bumgarner's "special" no-trade list. Rival execs
don't think that will be an issue as getting traded won't saddle him
with a qualifying offer. Similar to Justin Verlander a few years ago,
this might be a trade that goes down to the wire. If it actually
happens.
6:18am: Reds are keeping Bauer, not flipping him. That should make a lot of the Astros' faithful happy.
4:03am: GMs expect Zack Wheeler, Robbie Ray, and Mike Minor to be moved today.
Here are the details from the Tyler Bauer to Cincinnati, Yasiel Puig to Cleveland, and Taylor Trammel to San Diego three-team trade.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
