Trades! Trades! Trades!

The trade deadline is still days away, and the market is already on the move. The dust has cleared on the first flurry of July moves, so here are some way-too-early judgments on the Marlins selling, the Pirates buying, and the rest of it all:

Tigers acquire Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez from the Marlins. Exactly the kind of bold trade the Tigers needed. It came at a high cost—top pitching prospect Jacob Turner along with two other minor leaguers to the Marlins*—but instantly filled Detroit’s biggest holes. Tigers second basemen have been the worst in baseball to this point, so Infante represents a massive upgrade at the position even if he slows down after a hot start. Sanchez gives the Tigers the third dependable starter they needed after Justin Verlander and Doug Fister, bumping Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello to roles where they won’t be counted on as much. Barring a similarly aggressive move by the White Sox, Detroit will likely take the AL Central now, knocking Chicago back into contention for a wild card spot. And the Marlins did well to acquire excellent prospects for players that no longer figured into their long-term plans.
Tigers Score: 9
Marlins Score: 8

*As an aside: this trade also featured the first swap of draft picks in baseball history, with the Tigers gaining the 37th pick in exchange for the 73rd.

Yankees acquire Ichiro Suzuki. Low impact, high shock value. Once a star, Ichiro has been nearly useless on offense for a year-and-a-half now and Seattle accepted two minor prospects and some salary relief to move on from him. Considering the low cost of the acquisition, New York is not expecting a return to form for Ichiro. Instead, he is essentially their Brett Gardner replacement, providing speed, defense, and a second leadoff hitter at the bottom of the order while keeping other veterans fresh. He takes at-bats away from DeWayne Wise and Laynce Nix and defensive innings away from Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones, which are all good things. The upside in the move lies in Ichiro’s potential to improve offensively by leaving Safeco Field for friendlier surroundings and sitting against tough lefties. The Yankees acquired a no-downside complimentary piece who happens to be a cultural icon and future Hall of Famer, while simultaneously bringing the Yankees a step closer to their ultimate goal of reuniting all the members of the 2005 All-Star Team on the same roster.
Yankees Score: 9
Mariners Score: 9

Pirates acquire Wandy Rodriguez. I understand why Pirates GM Neal Huntington made this deal, but I don’t necessarily like it. Sure, Rodriguez will be a solid mid-rotation starter for the next several years, and Houston is picking up some of his salary. But the cost in prospects was too high for a non-ace past his prime years. Pittsburgh surrendered lefty Rudy Owens, who could soon provide Rodriguez’s production in Houston at a fraction of the cost, as well as a talented outfielder in Robbie Grossman and former Texas high school pitcher Colton Cain. At the very least, Rodriguez isn’t a two-month rental and will be contributing for the next two seasons; otherwise, this would be unforgivable. New Astros GM Jeff Luhnow successfully dumped a veteran starter and half of his bloated contract for more promising young talent. Luhnow has been nothing short of brilliant in his retooling of the Astros’ once-barren farm system through savvy trades like this one.
Pirates Score: 5
Astros Score: 10

Dodgers acquire Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate from the Marlins. Miami was clearly ready to sell off its parts, and the Dodgers pounced. Choate is the lefty bullpen specialist they so desperately need, but the main prize was Hanley Ramirez, once the best shortstop in baseball and currently an under-achiever with a poor reputation as a teammate and hefty salary. The Dodgers are banking on the change-of-scenery doing wonders for their buy-low acquisition. Even if he doesn’t improve much, he’s still an upgrade over the Dodgers’ current (miserable) options on the left side of the infield. The cost wasn’t very high in terms of talent: just back-end starter Nathan Eovaldi and a minor league pitcher. The main downside is the $40+ million owed to Ramirez over the next two years, and the new Magic Johnson Dodgers can certainly afford that. A worthwhile gamble--if Hanley can keep his head on straight. And it’s hard to blame the Marlins for dumping Ramirez; he hasn’t exactly given the team any reason to think he’s a franchise player. Clearing the books of his salary, and getting back a solid major-league-ready arm in Eovaldi, was the best they could hope for.
Dodgers Score: 7
Marlins Score: 8