The 2022 MLB trade deadline is Tuesday (Aug. 2) at 6 p.m. ET, so teams now have less than 36 hours to fill their needs and improve their rosters for the stretch run. We’ve already seen some big names dealt and there are surely more trades to come.
Here are Monday’s trade deadline rumors.
The Guardians entered Monday with a 52-49 record, putting them 1 1/2 games back of the final American League wild-card spot. They have at least discussed upgrading the plate, Athletics catcher Sean Murphy inquired. However, those talks did not go much further, According to Zach Maisel of The Athletic.
CBS Sports called Murphy one of the best players potentially available this summer, noting:
Murphy is under team control through the 2025 season, but the A’s have reason to move him sooner than necessary. For one, they have Shea Langeliers ready and waiting in Triple-A. For another, if you’re going to cut your roster to cut costs, you might as well go all out. Whenever the A’s get serious about moving Murphy, he becomes a desirable commodity. He’s an above-average hitter with more than 1,000 big league plate appearances, and seems to have more raw power in his bat than he’s ever felt in the game: Earlier this season, he Recorded an exit speed of 114 mph, which is a statistic. Which puts him in the neighborhood of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. The kicker is that Murphy doesn’t need to hit as much as he has to be a valuable player. He is a formidable defender who ranks well in all the most important categories, including framing, throwing, and personnel handling. He offers little to no offensive value, let alone good offensive value for a backstop, making him a big-time asset.
Per Maisel, Oakland has claimed the team is in no rush to move Murphy because of his years of team control remaining. It remains to be seen if their stance softens as the deadline approaches.
Astros interested in Choi, Vázquez.
The Astros have one of the most secure division leads in baseball. That’s not stopping them from upgrading at first base and catcher. with wisdom, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday. That Houston has expressed interest in both Rays first baseman Jimin Choi and Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez.
Choi, a free agent after the 2023 season, has posted a .257/.355/.415 (125 OPS+) slash line in 75 games. It’s unclear how serious the Rays would be about moving him, given that they’re currently the AL’s second wild-card team and could use that offense.
Vázquez, a free agent at the end of the season, has batted .282/.327/.432 (108 OPS+) in his first 84 games this season. He’s also traditionally regarded as an above-average defender, though Statcast’s framing metrics have him a hair below that this season, for whatever that’s worth.
The Astros are also known to be interested in Nationals first baseman Josh Bell and Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras.
