The Marlins actually wanted both Gleyber Torres and Oswald Peraza for Pablo Lopez and Miguel Rojas, but ultimately, the Yankees didn’t want to give up Peraza in that deal. The belief is the Yankees would have surrendered Torres and maybe a lesser prospect. Anyway, Torres’ value has fallen further since those talks.
The Reds told the Yankees they just weren’t going to be able to top the deal they got from the Mariners for Luis Castillo, as they liked Noelvi Marte that much. Originally, they’d asked the Yankees for Anthony Volpe and Peraza, though once they got the Mariners’ offer, even that may not have done it. The Yankees see Volpe as their shortstop of the future.
Marte will have to move to third base, a scout said. Even so, he should be a big-time hitter. The Reds did well. But obviously, so did the Mariners, as Castillo is proving to be a prime-time player.
It’s no surprise the Marlins intend to look to trade from their starting pitching excess to find some offense. Joel Sherman recommended a deal with the Diamondbacks, who have a lot of good position prospects. (They did this before, when Miami sent Zac Gallen to Arizona for Jazz Chisholm.)
The Mets made prospect offers for Josh Bell, but in the end, the Nationals preferred to combine him with Juan Soto to get the biggest package of high-end prospects possible. The Mets didn’t want to trade from their coveted top-five prospects, and those are the very ones teams wanted.
Of the Mets many free agents, it’s hardest to see Edwin Diaz leaving. No one seems happier than him after he completely turned around his Mets career. How can he go, especially now that Timmy Trumpet is a committed Mets fan?
Harrison Bader is feeling much better and is hoping to be back on the diamond Sept. 15. (information obtained when Bader stopped by my regular seat at Blank Street Coffee, 71st and Lexington).
Player of the Week: Mookie Betts, Dodgers OF; Runner-up: Salvador Perez, Royals C.