Author: Shawn Flynn

Royals Send “Moose” to Milwaukee It appears that there were still deals to be made Friday night. Mere minutes before the clock struck midnight in the Central Time Zone, another trade was executed. The Kansas City Royals have reportedly agreed to send All-Star third baseman Mike Moustakas to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor league prospects. Mike Moustakas, 29, has been with Kansas City since he was the number two overall pick in the 2007 MLB Draft. Since making his debut with the Royals in 2011, Moustakas has been a two-time All-Star (2015, 2017). “Moose” also won the AL Comeback…

Astros Add Hard-Throwing Right-Hander to Bullpen It looks as if Eduardo Escobar won’t be the only Twins player on the move tonight. Late on Friday, reports surfaced that relief pitcher Ryan Pressly would be traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for two minor league prospects. Ryan Pressly, 29, has far and away been one of the Twins best relievers this season. In 51 appearances, Pressly has a 3.40 ERA in 47.2 innings pitched with 69 strikeouts. Pressly was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2007 Draft. He was later taken by the Twins in December 2012…

Asdrubal Cabrera Joins First Place Philadelphia The NL East-leading Phillies have made an upgrade to their lineup. On Friday, reports surfaced that the Philadelphia Phillies are sending minor league right-hander Franklyn Kilome (Philadelphia’s number 10 prospect) to the New York Mets in exchange for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera. Asdrubal Cabrera, 32, will bring to the Phillies plenty of versatility. Cabrera is a switch-hitter who can play both middle infield positions as well as third base. This season, Cabrera is batting 0.277 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI, with an 0.817 OPS. Cabrera’s OPS is now the second-highest on the Phillies…

Rangers Send Left-Hander to Chicago Another veteran starting pitcher is on the move. On Friday, the Texas Rangers agreed to send Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs (in addition to cash considerations) in exchange for two minor league pitchers. The Rangers will also receive another player to be named later. Cole Hamels, 34, has a 5-9 record this season with a 4.72 ERA. Hamels’ numbers, however, are far better on the road. Getting away from the hitter-friendly park that is Glob Life Park, Hamels has a road ERA of 2.93. Hamels spent the bulk of his career with the Philadelphia…

Twins Infielder Heading West On Friday, it was reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired infielder Eduardo Escobar from the Minnesota Twins. The move comes just four days before the Trade Deadline. News broke Friday afternoon that the two teams had reached a deal. Arizona is set to receive Escobar in exchange for three minor league prospects. Those prospects include right-handed pitcher Jhoan Duran, outfielder Gabriel Maciel, and outfielder Ernie De La Trinidad. Eduardo Escobar, 29, is in the final year of his contract and is set to earn $4.85 million total this season. Escobar has been one of the lone…

Astros Add Catching Depth with Martin Maldonado Trade Houston joins the list of contenders adding veteran depth. On Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels traded catcher Martin Maldonado, 31, to the Houston Astros for a pitching prospect and $250,000 in international bonus pool money. Maldonado, a Gold Glove Award winner in 2017, will help provide some stability to the catching position for Houston. On July 3rd, starting catcher Brian McCann underwent surgery on his right knee, and is not expected to return until September. Max Stassi had been filling in for McCann to this point. The only other catcher on the…

Happ Heading to New York, Bolsters Yankee Rotation The Yankees have added yet another arm this week. Just two days after adding Orioles closer Zach Britton, the Yankees have added a starter. On Thursday, it was reported that the Toronto Blue Jays traded starting pitcher J.A. Happ to New York. Happ, 35, is 10-6 this season with a 4.18 ERA. In amassing 130 strikeouts in 114 innings pitched, Happ was selected to his first All-Star Game this year. Despite recent struggles, Happ’s career numbers were enough for the Yankees to pull the trigger on the trade. Happ has a 102-82…

Brewers Bullpen Gains Veteran Arm Another move has been made well before Tuesday’s 4 PM ET non-waiver Trade Deadline. On Thursday, the Brewers traded for veteran closer Joakim Soria, sending two pitching prospects to the Chicago White Sox in the process. Soria, the 34-year-old right-hander, was having a career year before being dealt. In 40 games, Soria has recorded 49 strikeouts in 38.2 innings pitched with a 2.56 ERA. Soria also has 16 saves this season – 220 in his career – making him a perfect late-game relief addition for the Brewers to pair with Josh Hader and Corey Knebel.…

Brad Hand to Bolster Struggling Indians Bullpen After the Manny Machado trade, it was only a matter of time before other players started moving. That’s what happened on Thursday when it was reported that the San Diego Padres traded All-Star closer Brad Hand to the Cleveland Indians. Hand spent the first five seasons of his career with the Marlins. Since joining the Padres in 2016, Hand has posted a 2.66 ERA while picking up 46 of his 47 career saves. This season, Hand has a 3.05 ERA with a career-high 24 saves. Hand, the left-hander, was sent to Cleveland packaged with…

Jones Not to Receive New Contract Before Season Late Wednesday night, reports surfaced that the Atlanta Falcons would not renegotiate the contract of All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones. According to the report, the Falcons informed Jones that “they have no plans to give him the raise” that he was apparently holding out for. Team officials also said that they hadn’t budgeted to give Jones an extension until next season. Jones signed a five-year, $71 million deal back in 2015, making him the highest-paid receiver in the league at the time. Since then, seven other receivers have acquired bigger deals. Despite…