Official MLB Trade Deadline Thread (Rumors and Ideas Welcome)

[rockycola]

Two nothing deals was worth 28 pages lol?

Why not

[Sibelius Hindemith]

Two nothing deals was worth 28 pages lol?

Why not

Never mind, I had this thread mixed up with the other 9-page thread.

[AT Fresno]

Two nothing deals was worth 28 pages lol?

Why not

Two deals....Would have liked three deals or maybe even four deals...... it's the two that is a trifle underwhelming, not the deals themselves which appear to be both significant and stalelizing themselves. With Ward, with now have a full right hand outfield against both left and right hand starting pitching with Ward and Donovan in the top three of the lineup.. Ward brings us a top third of the order pitch count wrecker and an on base machine.Not sure whether Young remains lead off or moves down, but these three could remain in the top three.... regardless, our lineup just got longer with the dead zone maybe only Raleigh and Emerson ..... both of which are rebounding hopefully as we speak.

The second deal brings us the equilivant of a good Bazardo ....in the form of Seranthony...We needed our bullpen to be a little stronger so all are rested.... We are back to five starters and eight relievers with Cade Anderson and Carlos Vargas first along the way to arrive.That's helpful, everyone knows their roles....starters and relievers, no piggy backs, no six man rotation, no bullshit...everyone just has to do their jobs...
The two deals were just two deals, not three or four.... but two deals, imo, that were essential, prudent, and give us some hope over the next two months...no more anxiety, we have eight talented guys ion offense everynight now, a quality starter every night now, and eight relievers everynight.... it's now overwhelming, it's not an offensive "big red machine", but it is something with strength, potential....and that's very good for stability. Let's go! Mariners
This line up looks pretty good to me:
1. Taylor Ward 117 wRC+
2. Cole Young 116 wRC+
3. Brendan Donovan 146 wRC+
4. Julio Rodriguez 110 wRC+
5. Dom Canzone 141 wRC+
6. Randy Arozarena 144 wRC++
7. Josh Naylor 101 wRC+
8. Cal Raleigh 71 wRC+
9. Colt Emerson SS 76 wRC

[AT Fresno]

An interesting name to take a look at for the 400th time could be...

Bryan Reynolds.

The Pirates have fallen way out and half of their roster is injured.

Reynolds has an .855 OPS vs lefties and .820 vs righties. He's on pace for his first 5.0 WAR season since 2021.

He's owed $15M the next 4 years through his age 35 season.

Bryan Reynolds is always worth looking at.... keep this in the file for the off season trade and winter meetings...Pittsburg might be enticed by a couple of prospects come the Spring Thaw....

[bpj]

I see people talking about Taylor Ward, and it's exactly the kind of trap Dipoto's dumbass would walk into.

"He hits lefties!"

And then he gets here and Dipoto plays him only against lefties while they're currently ~25% of his plate appearances and then he'll wonder why Ward stops hitting when he's only facing lefties.

Currently has 477 plate appearances. Only 128 of them against LHP.

Without the steady playing time, he dies like every other player Dipoto tries to drop in a platoon.

This post was from July 26, pre trade.

Dipoto's stupidity is almost too predictable.

[D-train]

I see people talking about Taylor Ward, and it's exactly the kind of trap Dipoto's dumbass would walk into.

"He hits lefties!"

And then he gets here and Dipoto plays him only against lefties while they're currently ~25% of his plate appearances and then he'll wonder why Ward stops hitting when he's only facing lefties.

Currently has 477 plate appearances. Only 128 of them against LHP.

Without the steady playing time, he dies like every other player Dipoto tries to drop in a platoon.

This post was from July 26, pre trade.

Dipoto's stupidity is almost too predictable.

Did you see Ward Jerry's last 1st round pick with the Angels in 2015? lol

[D-train]

Ward actually played every day until they called up Laz.

My theory was that pitchers would finally figure that walking this noodle bat fool was idiotic and they would start throwing him strikes. The result: ONE x base hit in 98 PAs.

[Donn Beach]

Ward actually played every day until they called up Laz.

My theory was that pitchers would finally figure that walking this noodle bat fool was idiotic and they would start throwing him strikes. The result: ONE x base hit in 98 PAs.

Which kinda ignores his career. He did hit 36 HRs last season

[D-train]

Ward actually played every day until they called up Laz.

My theory was that pitchers would finally figure that walking this noodle bat fool was idiotic and they would start throwing him strikes. The result: ONE x base hit in 98 PAs.

Which kinda ignores his career. He did hit 36 HRs last season

Then decided to be a noodle bat Base on Balls artist. He should sue whoever gave him that advice. Well at least he now gets to enjoy early retirement. Has a guy with 36 HR power ever decided that giving up power for walks was the way to go. I would not be surprised if he came out as a woman this off season...

[Donn Beach]

Yeah, he became selective to the point of taking it to an elite level. I've never heard of a guy making that kind of an adjustment before. In any event he went off the cliff with the mariners

Key Elements of the Approach

Passive Selectivity: Ward's overall swing rate dropped to around 31%, and his chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone fell to roughly 12%—one of the lowest figures in the pitch-tracking era.

Flattened Swing: He adjusted his attack angle from 9° down to 6°, dropping his flyball rate in favor of a higher line-drive rate and more contact up the middle rather than selling out for pull-side power.

Surging Walk Rate: His extreme choosiness led to a walk rate approaching 20%, driving a high on-base percentage (OBP) despite a major drop in his isolated power and home run numbers.

Why He Adapted
Opposing Pitcher Strategies: After his strong prior seasons (including 36 home runs in 2025 with the Angels), opposing pitchers began pitching around him differently, forcing him to adapt by refusing to chase pitches outside the zone.

Maximizing On-Base Value: By laying off bad balls and waiting strictly for his pitch in the zone—where he posted high contact efficiency—he aimed to maximize his value through walks and consistent line drives.