MLB Rumors: Wild trade between Astros, Yankees, White Sox, Orioles would help everyone
MLB insider Anthony Castrovins has a trade that will blow your mind and the league.
As the winter meetings approach, the MLB stove is heating up. Other free agents including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Cody Bellinger will also receive plenty of attention this offseason. But MLB’s hot stove also means trades. Sometimes blockbusters.
With several trades completed, the Atlanta Braves have reorganized their pitching staff. As rumors consume franchises across the league, it’s only natural for trade machines to break down and speculation to arise.
Castrovins was tasked with coming up with six trades that were logical and technically feasible, focusing mostly on trades between two teams. In his last game, he made a dizzying deal that involved four teams and eight players. This is also very important for everyone involved. Here are the details:
New York Yankees receive: 3rd basemen Alex Bregman, Jake Myers, LHP Jared Schuster.
Houston Astros receive: INF Jordan Westberg
Baltimore Orioles receive: RHP Dillon suspended.
Chicago White Sox receive: OF Jason Dominguez (Yankees’ No. 2 prospect), C/1B Samuel Vassallo (Orioles’ No. 5 prospect), RHP Spencer Arighetti (Astros’ No. 3 prospect)
MLB Insider suggests a four-team blockbuster that would fix the Yankees, Astros, Orioles and White Sox.
It’s difficult to make a trade with four teams and eight players to satisfy every fan base. We are definitely getting closer.
There will be members of the Astros fandom who would be reluctant to part ways with Bregman, but Castrovince points out the cruelty of the situation. Houston is facing an organizational crossover with free agents Bregman and Jose Altuve in 2024. There is only one place where a contract renewal is expected, and that is Rtuve. If the Astros were waiting to cut ties with Bregman until he was gone, now is the time. His next team will be in command and control for at least another year, which would give him the opportunity to negotiate an expensive extension that the Yankees and Hal Steinbrenner can afford. The Yankees also acquired a talented defensive center fielder in Jake Meyers and another reliever in Jared Shuster.
Back with the Astros, Jorden Westburg hit .260/.311/.404 with 17 doubles, three home runs, 23 RBIs and 16 walks in 228 at-bats (68 games) as a rookie. He could slide into Bregman’s spot at third base and is under team control through 2026 on a team contract. He costs less than Bregman and has the potential to be a key two-way contributor at the same position. You have to imagine Houston fans will get over the initial pain of losing Bregman.
For the Yankees, this is their ticket to more star power on offense. Too many times last season, Aaron Judge was the only threat in the Yankees lineup. New York needs a new running back. Bregman hit .262/.363/.441 with 25 home runs and 98 RBI last season. Adding a potential resurgence Giancarlo Stanton puts the Yankees lineup in a much better position. The Orioles and White Sox aren’t just garbage. Baltimore was the winning team in the American League last season, but its postseason dreams were dashed by inexperienced pitching. Dylan Cess leads MLB starts in 2023. He is 7-9 with the White Sox with a 4.58 ERA and 1.418 WHIP, but is a year away from finishing second in the Cy Young Award. He needs fewer walks and wild pitches, but Tostau has a hot 95.6 MPH and generally puffs (27.3 K% ranks in the 77th percentile in MLB). The Orioles can confidently expect a bounce back season as they have a good team around them. The Orioles will sacrifice a talented young outfielder, but the deepest farm system in MLB should address those issues quickly. MLB hitter Jackson Holiday is expected to turn pro in 2024. Reinforcements are coming.
The appeal of Chicago is simple. It’s about cleaning and rebuilding. The suspension leaves him with just two years left on his contract and he is set to have another poor season in 2024 to boost his boxing further. This is a legally fair four-team blockbuster trade. Transactions in this complex are rare, and it is extremely difficult to get four MLB general managers on the phone, or even in the same room, to negotiate complex terms. But… it’s a smart move for everyone involved. Perhaps we should look at it from the perspective of those in power.
