Tigers get:
Jorge Alfaro
Nationals get:
Brandon Phillips
Adam Morgan
Thomas Jones
Joe Ross
Stuart Turner
6m cash
Ok so this is the reworked deal. Turner gives the Nats a catcher they can rotate in and out with another I’m sure they’ll acquire. Morgan fills their relief need and they get youth in Jones and Ross who will be a cheap resign coming off injury. Also I’ve eaten more money in the deal which allow the Nats to maneuver better in FA
I’m puzzled by the Nationals persistence in throwing away a quality player for roster fodder. This trade is no better than the previous one that was vetoed. Trading quantity for quality is not a formula for success. Let’s look at the components of this “Reworked Trade” and see what it really entails.
SP Joe Ross will be a cheap “re-sign” because he is recovering from Tommy John surgery. He will miss most, if not all the 2018 season, and he doesn’t do anything other than take up a roster spot on the Nationals.
“Turner give the Nats a catcher they can rotate in and out with another I’m sure they’ll acquire.” Really? Does anyone really believe this? Stuart Turner is not even projected to make the Reds MLB roster. Tucker Barnhart is projected to take be the Reds’ C for most games with Devin Mesoraco as his backup. Granted Mesoraco has a history of injuries, but I would hardly consider Stuart Turner anything more than organizational depth. Turner hit a paltry .134 last year in MLB and has not EVER been productive during his MiLB career.
OF Thomas Jones is a 2016 Round 3 pick, but he hasn’t distinguished himself in MiLB. He has a .192 BA with 2 HRs and has 114 Ks in 87 games. He isn’t a viable prospect for any team, much less a team that is rebuilding. I doubt if anyone would even choose to keep him on their roster, much less view him as a valuable trade asset.
The Nationals are looking for RPs, and yes, RP Adam Morgan fills a Nationals need, but again, RPs are readily available throughout the season and a variety of RPs can be signed through free agency. RPs are probably one of the easiest positions to fill.
So we’re back to Phillips for Alfaro, which in spite of the increase in the Cash Exchange, does not really give the Nationals anything of value. He’s still a 36 year-old player in decline who is looking for a team to catch on with.
Making a deal to get competitive is admirable, but this is not a better deal than the last one. It doesn’t really give the Nationals much in return. The players the Nationals are getting will not be missed by the Tigers. Jorge Alfaro is worth more than all the players that are coming back to the Nationals. Alfaro is not a high-risk prospect, he’s going to be the Phillies starting C in 2018. So I ask, would anyone else in this league give up Alfaro for the players that the Nationals are getting?
I do not support this trade in the slightest.
