Here are a few assorted bits and pieces that popped up today in my trade deadline reporting. I put one of these items on Twitter and then felt guilty, because SNY pays me and Twitter is a cesspool of hate and conspiracy. I’m not calling it X. Anyway, here’s a short article for sny.tv. All info courtesy of league sources.
— The Yankees are not only out there looking for bullpen and rotation help, but are actively seeking to upgrade third base, which has been a black hole for them.
— Speaking of bullpen help, which the Mets and Yankees are seeking, there was a sense among rivals that Miami’s return for reliever A.J. Puk was a little light. Puk is not a free agent until 2027, and Arizona only had to give up a pair of mid-level prospects for him, the most notable being infielder Deyvison De Los Santos.
Every organization values and evaluates prospects differently, which is part of why publicly available prospect lists aren’t particularly useful in judging trades. But teams looking at rental relievers like Tanner Scott must be pleased to see that the return for Puk wasn’t overly painful.
— I asked one rival general manager what he was hearing about the Mets, and he said, “They’re going for it.” Now, going for it could mean anything from adding two relievers -- the plan as of mid-week -- or becoming more aggressive. The rest of the Braves series could help determine that.
— If the Mets do lean further into buying, there will be interest in Brett Baty. Teams, including the current sellers in Tampa Bay, have liked Baty in the past. The Marlins were also once interested in Baty, but that was during a different front office regime in Miami. Because Mark Vientos is established at third base, the Mets could move a talented player in Baty without too much pain.