MLB Rumors: Yankees partake in a frustrating trade deadline
The Yankees made some of the most confusing decisions at the trade deadline. Instead of choosing a side of buying or selling, they ended up uncomfortably in the middle, waiting for the action to come to them. Ultimately, that action never arrived and now they'll be forced to try to catch up with American League teams without adequate reinforcements.
The Yankees only made one move of note when they acquired Keynan Middleton, an expiring reliever from the White Sox. They had rumors connecting them to multiple starting pitchers and even the likes of Jeimer Candelario and Cody Bellinger. They missed out on every starter and every position player they were rumored to be interested in.
Now, because of these questionable decisions, they'll continue to struggle with infield and outfield depth. They won't have much of a catcher until Jose Trevino returns. Their starting pitching rotation is Gerrit Cole, followed by a couple of pitchers with ERAs in the 4's, 5's or 7's. It's just not a good spot to be in for New York.
If they weren't going to buy, they should have dealt some of their expiring contracts. They've put themselves in a tough situation to finish 2023.
MLB Rumors: Red Sox end up screwing over the Tigers with Eduardo Rodriguez
There are details surrounding the Tigers pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez that not many are even thinking about at this point in time. Rodriguez has remained in the headlines as a potential trade candidate during the days leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Ultimately, he ended up staying in Detroit after blocking a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rodriguez preferred to stay on the east coast, closer to family.
In 2021 the Boston Red Sox extended a qualifying offer to Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez ended up signing with Detroit during that offseason. This matters because that means Detroit won't be able to offer him a qualifying offer this offseason, meaning if he signs elsewhere, it leaves the Tigers with nothing in return for him. Not draft compensation or a trade return at the deadline.
This development makes it even more confusing as to why the Tigers didn't trade Eduardo Rodriguez before the trade deadline. More than likely, Rodriguez will be moving on from Detroit and getting a bigger contract this offseason. That means that Detroit wasn't able to get a deal done at the deadline to gain any prospect capital for him and they won't be able to add draft compensation by offering a qualifying offer. Obviously, it's a terrible turn of events for the Tigers.
MLB Rumors: Why the White Sox ended up holding on to Dylan Cease
For weeks, the White Sox were adamant that they wouldn't move Dylan Cease for anything. He was basically untouchable. Despite that, teams still tried to reach out to Chicago to acquire Cease. And for weeks, the White Sox would respond with one word: No. But as the deadline grew closer and days turned into hours, it became known that Chicago was fielding offers for Cease.
In the end, they ended up keeping him and they made the right decision with that. Cease should have remained untouchable and entertaining offers for him was likely just in hopes of a drastic overpay.
The 27-year-old currently has two more years of team control, which leaves him as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for the next two years as Chicago tries to put a productive team on the field. If they're unable to do so, they still have multiple years left where they could deal him.
Fielding offers is one thing, but considering these offers and negotiating a trade is something completely different. Chicago made the right choice to hold onto Dylan Cease and he'll continue to prove that they made the right choice over the next few years.
