The GM Trade Game!: Let’s Trade For Julio Teheran

Welcome to our second BP Trade Game of 2016, in which a BP staffer is granted one major-league baseballer and fields offers from plausibly interested GMs. Our cast today:

• John Coppollela (ATL) – Ben Carsley
• Braves Prospect Consultant – Craig Goldstein
• Mike Hazen (BOS) – Daniel Rathman
• Dan Duquette (BAL) – J.P. Breen
• Ross Atkins (TOR) – Jarrett Seidler
• Chris Antonetti (CLE) – Bryan Grosnick
• Jon Daniels (TEX) – George Bissell
• Sandy Alderson (NYM) – Derek Florko
• Jed Hoyer (CHC) – Erich Rothmann
• John Mozeliak (STL) – Matt Pullman
• Bobby Evans (SF) – Russell Carleton
• Farhan Zaidi (LAD) – Matt Trueblood

I only had two rules going into this; I was gonna ask every GM for more no matter what they offered me, and I was gonna tell every GM they were in the running. John Coppollela might be a good person, but I’m not.

1. Baltimore Orioles

From: Dan Duquette

This is Dan Duquette with the Orioles. We're interested in acquiring Jul–dude, stop giggling–Julio Teheran. Our organization may lack higher-end prospects; however, we're motivated to mortgage the farm to bolster our starting rotation on a non-rental. It's gonna be quantity over quality, but it does contain some creative upside, since you have the freedom to be patient with your roster building.

We're willing to send Chance Sisco, who's a potential everyday starting catcher and is hitting north of .300 with a .410 OBP in Double-A, to headline the package. We'll supplement it with Cody Sedlock, our first-round pick this year who has been getting a lot of positive buzz this summer, and Mychal Givens, who's a controllable late-inning reliever who can replace Arodys Vizcaino (assuming he's also traded). We'll round it out with Hunter Harvey. He just underwent Tommy John surgery and has barely pitched since 2014, but when he's on the mound, he's one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. If you're willing to gamble, he may wind up being the best arm available this summer. He may also completely wash out due to injury, but, hey, that's why we're open to moving him at this point. Such an offer lacks a true headline piece. It does, however, offer four potential league-average (or better, in some cases) big leaguers. It's unorthodox, but this has the potential to work quite well for both sides. – The Duke

From: The Braves

Thanks for the offer and congrats on your success this year. I have no idea how you're pulling that off with Vance Worley in your rotation. It's … it's inspiring.

I see where you're coming from with this offer, especially given how good Sisco has been this year. But he's the best piece in this deal, and he'd be the third-best in plenty of other offers I'm fielding right now. We do like him, but he can't be the headliner. How about this; you swap out Harvey for Dylan Bundy (we don't feel like waiting on Harvey's TJ timeline), swap out Sedlock for Jomar Reyes (we like him) and we'll keep you in the running. To replace Givens, we'll let you reunite with Jim Johnson too, if that's something you're into.

It's a steeper price than what you floated, yeah, but Teheran is pretty much exactly what you need. And to be frank, we're getting interest from a few of your division rivals up North … – John

From: Dan Duquette

I hear what you're saying. I don't have a problem swapping out Sedlock for Jomar Reyes, but I can't put Bundy in the deal. As you said, we're finding success despite having Vance Worley in the rotation. The goal is to stop doing that. We'd effectively be swapping Bundy for Teheran—that is, of course, an upgrade, but it would still leave us with Vance Worley in the rotation.

So, yeah, I can go Reyes. I'm going to hold to Harvey as the final piece, though. No need to add Jim Johnson. I know you'll understand that latter part. Hope to hear from you soon. – The Duke

FINAL OFFER: Harvey, Sisco, Reyes and Givens for Teheran

From: The Braves

I get it. I do. But I can’t let the headliner for Teheran be a dude with the durability of a MacBook charger. Givens is a reliever. Reyes isn’t having a good year. We like Sisco, but at the end of the day, this package is (puts on sunglasses) wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Sorry Dan.

***

2. St. Louis Cardinals

From: John Mozeliak

Coppy, we're interested in Teheran, and we have the pieces to make it happen. If you're looking for young, controllable MLB talent, we can offer one of Randal Grichuk, Kolten Wong, or Tommy Pham. If you're looking strictly for prospects, we can talk about Harrison Bader, Carson Kelly, and Magneuris Sierra. On top, we're willing to include two of our better prospect arms: Jack Flaherty, Luke Weaver, Sandy Alcantara, Junior Fernandez, and Austin Gomber.

I'll make an official offer of Wong, Flaherty, Alcantara, and Corey Littrell for Teheran, though I'd be willing to substitute a piece here or there to get a deal done. We're flexible, so let me know what you're thinking.

P.S. In case you were wondering, Alex Reyes would be on the table if you're willing to move Freddie. – Mo

From: The Braves

Mo, thanks for your interest. We like a few of the guys listed here, but we've got some pretty compelling offers on the table. We're going to need you to build a package around Alex Reyes if you want to compete with other offers. Maybe Reyes, Wong, Flaherty and Kelly? It's a lot steeper than what you offered at first, but remember that with #CardinalsDevilMagic Teheran will turn into a bona fide ace. Bottom line, you include Reyes and we’ll be happy to keep you in the running.

From: John Mozeliak

Appreciate the response, but for that price I think I'll shoot Rick and Kenny an email and see if we can cut a deal for Sale.

FINAL OFFER: Wong, Flaherty, Alcantara and Litrell for Teheran

From: The Braves

They say the best trades are painful for both sides. Would this be painful for you, John? Would it? It doesn’t seem so. Keep your Wong and your B-grade prospects. Teheran is going elsewhere.

***

3. Texas Rangers

From: Jon Daniels

Coppy, I can’t help but think back to our conversation at the Winter Meetings this offseason. I remember telling you there was no way Dave (Stewart) was crazy enough to give you Dansby Swanson (plus Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair) for Shelby Miller. I mean, we gave up arguably less talent with Ruben (Amaro) and got Cole Hamels five months earlier. I was wrong. The market for young, impact major-league starters with years of team control remaining has clearly increased exponentially. The Rangers are prepared to offer a substantial prospect package that will not only meet the rapidly increasing demand for an asset like Julio Teheran, but they are all close enough to the major leagues to generate some excitement at brand-new SunTrust Park next season.

Despite Hamels' presence and a healthy (finally, we hope) Yu Darvish at the front of our rotation, I can’t imagine Banny actually handing the ball to A.J. Griffin or Martin Perez in a playoff series. Teheran would shore up the front end of our rotation and make a greater impact than trying to make a slew of smaller deals, which is why we feel compelled to deal our top position prospect in Joey Gallo. Not only does he have close to six years of team control remaining, but also he’s posted a .331 TAv in 295 Triple-A plate appearances and slashed his strikeout rate to 30 percent this season.

I would offer you Jurickson Profar, but he only has about three years of team control left and is headed for arbitration very soon. I know that doesn’t work for you guys in Atlanta. In addition to Gallo, Texas is willing to include southpaw Yohander Mendez (I know our scouts love him and yours will too) along with Ariel Jurado and Dillon Tate. Looking forward to your response. Thanks, -Jon Daniels

P.S. Throw in reliever Chris Withrow for me too…He’s posted a 0.66 ERA in 17 appearances since June 12 and our bullpen is shaky pizza outside of Sam Dyson…

From: The Braves

I can't lie, I was hoping you'd email. We've been scouting some of your guys recently and I think we have a potential fit here. Let's start by talking about who we want to keep in this deal — Gallo and Tate. That's a solid first half of an offer for a guy as good, young and affordable as Teheran. Cool cool.

We need a little more, though. We're getting some really enticing offers and this package won't quite get it done. We like Mendez well enough, but think he's more of a back-end guy. Jurado is fine as a lottery ticket but he doesn't move the needle for us very much. Tell ya what—replace Mendez with Lewis Brinson and keep Jurado and we'll keep you in the running for Teheran. We'll stay away from Profar and Mazara and Odor and all the guys who are making an impact for you right now. You do this for us, you can have Withrow, too. What do you say? – John

From: Jon Daniels

Hey Coppy, I'm sure you heard the news on Prince Fielder (yea it's…uh…not good…) since I send you our initial offer. I hate to do this to you, but I've gotta take Gallo off the table. Obviously with Fielder no longer in the picture and Mitch Moreland hitting free agency this offseason, Gallo's no longer expendable.

What I can do is offer you Lewis Brinson (at the very least he's a strong defensive center fielder) along with Donovan Tate and Ariel Jurado. I'll also give you the option to pick between Yohander Mendez and Luis Ortiz as the final piece.-Jon

FINAL OFFER: Brinson, Tate, Jurado and one of Mendez/Ortiz for Teheran and Withrow

From: The Braves

This is pretty tempting, Jon. Adding Brinson to a package with Gallo would’ve made you the clear-cut winner, but I’ll admit, you’re in the final three. I’ll get back to you shortly. Try not to trade anyone else I’m interested in in the interim.

***

4. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

From: Farhan Zaidi

Johnny C! Glad we've been able to develop such a good working relationship during our respective tenures; I think we're a good match again this month. We need to bolster our starting rotation. Now and for the medium term. I know you all have had some reticence to part with Julio Teheran, but I think we can make an offer that will be worth your while. Understanding the differences in our competitive timelines, and given that we each have top-shelf farm systems that promise bright futures, I see an opportunity.

We want to offer you Jose De Leon, Grant Holmes, and Alex Verdugo in exchange for Teheran. We think that's a handsome offer, a real cushion against the loss of Teheran himself, plus more arms to add to your list of really interesting ones and a buffer against the inevitable attrition there. And Verdugo should help bring you up to speed positionally, as you close in on contending again over the next two years. Obviously, this offer is *completely* contingent upon Julio's health; we'd want to know the lat was not going to be even a short-term problem before pulling the trigger. Still, I hope this will grab your interest. Thanks – FZ

From: The Braves

Mr. Zaidi, thanks for reaching out, and thanks for starting with what I will readily admit is a very solid offer. We like De Leon a lot and think Holmes and Verdugo are perfectly acceptable secondary pieces. We also respect that Urias isn't in this deal, though we’re mighty tempted to ask for him.

But you should see some of the offers we're getting. Huge. Offers like you wouldn't believe. So we're going to ask for a little bit more here—we're also going to ask for Yadier Alvarez. I know including another of your top-10 prospects might be tough, but you know how we feel about arms. Also, remember when we took Hector Olivera off your hands? You owe us. Let us know if you're willing to go in on Alvarez too. If you are, we'll keep you in the running! – John

From: Farhan Zaidi

This is how you got Stew to give up Swanson, isn't it? Sorry, John. Alvarez is a bit much. I can offer Josh Sborz, because we are just that pitching-rich, but that's as far as we can go. Best of luck with this process, with or without us the rest of the way. – FZ

FINAL OFFER: De Leon, Verdugo, Holmes and Sborz for Teheran

From: The Braves

Can’t blame a guy for asking, right? Thanks for throwing in Sborz. It doesn’t really sway us, but I’ll admit that your offer was fairly enticing to begin with. You’re in the final three, Farhan, though Alvarez probably would’ve sealed the deal for you. It must be nice.

***

5. San Francisco Giants

From: Bobby Evans

Coppy, It's always nice to talk to you. I hope the kids are doing well. If I remember right, I still owe you lunch. We'll have to do that some time. By the way, can I have Julio Teheran?

It's not like I've got oodles of prospects to really dangle in front of you, so let's get creative. In the past, you've shown a certain flair for swapping bad contracts as currency. You basically got Touki Toussaint for being willing to take on Bronson Arroyo's contract. Part of trading away Craig Kimbrel to the Padres was taking Melvin Upton's millions. Even last year, you basically re-structured your debts by sending Chris Johnson, who was signed through 2017 for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, who were only signed through 2016. Since 2016 was going to be a dead year anyway, why not take the salary hit all at once and clear out salary room for 2017?

Send me Julio Teheran and Hector Olivera (and more to the point, Hector Olivera's contract). Why should you do it? Well, time horizon for one. It's not gonna happen for the Braves this year. It probably isn't gonna happen next year either. By 2018, maybe all of these kids that you've been stockpiling start to make some noise. So, we're talking about two or three years (maybe 2018, 2019, 2020) in which Teheran is part of a potential playoff team. Why bother paying him (and Olivera) for 2017 and 2018 when it probably won't make much difference? Instead, you can pocket that money and go shopping in the 2018 free agent market when your #1 rated farm system will be coming into its own.

Then again, at that point, Teheran will be 27… the guy you sign to replace him will probably be older than that. You'd probably still rather have Teheran. I'm gonna have to sweeten this deal. We've only got one prospect (Christian Arroyo) who's really gotten any love from any of those top 100 lists (and a back-ender at that), and you guys already have that Dansby Swanson guy. Ray Black? Lots of K's! Just ignore that he's 26.

*Sigh* Perhaps I should just make you the most realistic Julio Teheran trade offer that I can… So, does Jim Johnson have any strong feelings about the West Coast? – Bobby Evans

FINAL OFFER: Cash considerations (in the literal sense) for Jim Johnson

From: The Braves

You can *literally* just have Jim Johnson. He’s … he’s Jim Johnson.

***

6. Toronto Blue Jays

From: Ross Atkins

Coppy, Teheran's available? Not gonna beat around the bush too much here, we've got to get out of the kiddie pool and start making moves.

We'd be willing to move Marcus Stroman to get Teheran back, and if it'll tilt things in our favor, we'll also give you Sean Reid-Foley for your stable of minor-league arms. Did you see BA put him at 84 in their midseason 100? If you guys get enough top 100 arms, you'll eventually find the new Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz! HMU, Ross

From: The Braves

Ross, thanks for shooting this over. I have to say, it's probably the most interesting offer I've received thus far. Obviously we love Stroman's heart and his stuff. But I think he's a bigger downgrade from Teheran than you’d have me believe. They're the same age, Stroman doesn't have a very strong track record and he's likely to be more expensive than Teheran within a few seasons, too—seriously, we locked Teheran down at a *great* price.

So here's what we'll do. If you add Max Pentecost to your Stroman/Reid-Foley package, we'll keep you in the running. We don't have a lot of young catching talent, and we've gambled on so many young arms that we'd like to roll the dice on a young position player instead. Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen if you trade away a young, promising pitching prospect and a well-regarded catching prospect for an NL arm at the peak of his value? TTYL – John

From: Ross Atkins

Coppy, We are amenable to including Pentecost along with Stroman and Reid-Foley. We think including Max will seem quite defensible on the Sportsnet radio hour, if they ever stop talking about hockey. – Ross

FINAL OFFER: Stroman, Reid-Foley and Pentecost for Teheran

From: The Braves

I thought long and hard about this, Ross. I really did. It’s awfully tempting to think that we could fix Stroman, a la Shelby Miller, and then turn him into even more young talent, all the while banking Reid-Foley and Pentecost. But let me ask you this—why are you so willing to include Stroman? You need to add to your rotation, yet you dangle the man who entered the season as your no. 1 starter. *Extremely Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes voice* curious, no?

I don’t know much, Ross, but I know a red flag when I see one. This was a good offer. You tried your best. But, like bagged milk or ketchup-flavored chips, it just doesn’t feel right. You made it to the final four, but we’re only seriously entertaining the top three offers. Our apologies.

***

7. Boston Red Sox

From: Mike Hazen

John, Hope things are treating you well down in the ATL. Dave and I are still angling for upgrades to our pitching staff, and we'd be remiss not to participate in the bidding for Julio Teheran. We're prepared to offer a package of four exciting prospects and young players: Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Kopech, Mauricio Dubon, and Michael Chavis.

Rodriguez leads the offer as a high-upside arm who's already wet his feet in the majors and could be a featured piece of your rotation in the near future. In Kopech, you're getting a chance to mold a huge-ceiling pitcher, with the sort of fastball that's very difficult to find. In Dubon and Chavis, you get two highly intriguing future infielders, the former with the athleticism and soft hands to stick up the middle, the latter a Georgia kid with the upside to become a fan-favorite star. Together, the four players form a blend of ready-now talent and electric tools that we feel is commensurate with Teheran's value and controllability. We hope you'll strongly consider our proposal.- Mike Hazen

From: The Braves

Mike, we were hoping you'd call. We really like some of your prospects, including Kopech and Dubon, who you've listed here. The thing is, we've received some very, very enticing offers from other clubs. We're going to need you to dig a little bit deeper into your prospect stash if you want to prey Teheran from our cold, dead hands.

I was reading my favorite Red Sox blog the other day when I stumbled across this genius idea from noted BP Annual author Ben Carsley. He suggested a package of Rafael Devers, E-Rod, Henry Owens and Dubon for Teheran. We'd be willing to do that, and we hope that backing off of Kopech shows you we appreciate including Devers. We think Kopech could be a really Joe Kelly type, what with his stuff and all. Don't want to deprive you of that. Let me know if this is on the table. If so, we'll keep you in the running. – John

From: Mike Hazen

John, I appreciate the counter and am thrilled to discover that you, too, have been drawn into the local blogosphere. We would certainly like to remain in the Teheran race, but that counter is a tad rich for us. One way to loosen some of the young players that you are seeking would be to tack on a quality reliever to reinforce our bullpen, as we've been bitten by the injury bug of late. We would not, however, be willing to move Devers and Rodriguez in the same package. If you prefer Devers of the two, how about the following framework: Devers, Owens, Dubon and Josh Ockimey for Teheran and Dario Alvarez. Thanks, Mike

FINAL OFFER: Devers, Owens, Dubon and Ockimey for Teheran and Alvarez

From: The Braves

Again, I point you to the (should be) award-winning analysis in the baseball blogging post we sent over earlier. Some years this might be enough for a guy like Teheran. But it’s not right now. Good, young starting pitchers who are genuinely available via trade are unicorns. We love Devers, but Teheran represents something more real. The rest of your package is mostly just noise.

You had the pieces to get this done, Mike. You really did. But if you’re not even dangling Yoan Moncada or Andrew Benintendi and Rodriguez is a no-go, then this conversation is over. Here’s to hoping Steven Wright learns how to pitch when it’s hot. Thank goodness they don’t play baseball in the summer.

[Editor’s note: Yes, we know Alvarez was traded last night. It wouldn’t have mattered here.]

***

8. Chicago Cubs

From: Jed Hoyer

John, we believe an offer of Ian Happ, Dylan Cease, Jeimer Candelario, and Donnie Dewees is fair. You receive four of the top 15 prospects in our system, including our potential top overall prospect (Happ) and top pitching prospect (Cease). Candelario is only 22 and is ready to contribute at the major-league level. He should be able to stay at 3B long-term. Dewees' plus speed and advanced hit tool give him a high floor and he will become a regular if he can stick in center field. This trade makes sense for us because a pitcher as talented as Teheran should increase our chances of winning it all this season. We also like his team-friendly contract. That being said, his cFIP of 94 and DRA of 3.14 place him in a tier below Chris Sale. Let me know what you think. I might be willing to slightly tweak the offer. -Jed Hoyer

From: The Braves

Jed! Good to hear from you, buddy. This is an enticing package. We like Happ's bat and that he's close to the majors. Cease is just the type of young arm we love to gamble on. Dewees doesn't move the needle a ton, but he's a good final piece.

But we don't want Candelario as much as we want Eloy Jimenez. We've got plenty of decent prospects in our system. We want to shoot for the stars. If you make that swap, we'll keep you in the running. We might even declare you the front-runner. Let us know! – John

From: Jed Hoyer

John, replacing Candelario with Jimenez results in a cost that is a bit too steep for us, especially after just trading Torres to New York. However, what about Albert Almora? He is one of the best defensive center fielders in the minors and the adjustments he has made at the plate this season have allowed him to display more of his offensive upside in higher level games. – Jed

FINAL OFFER: Happ, Cease, Dewees and Almora or Candelario for Teheran

From: The Braves

THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TRADED TORRES FOR A RELIEVER. Fine, Jed. Don’t break a 104-year-old curse because you refuse to give up Eloy Jimenez. I’m sure that will play great in the press.

Also, you’re still in the final three. Congrats.

9. Cleveland Indians

From: Chris Antonetti

Hey there, John. Chris here. I'd like to say that I'm a little late getting this to you because things are rough as usual in Cleveland (lake on fire, sports futility, Drew Carey Show reruns, etc.) but things are actually pretty good here for a change. We're five and a half games up on the Tigers and the stats guys are finally seeing their work translate on to the field. We're all still running around with our shirts off like J.R. Smith after the NBA Finals. (Sorry about the Cavaliers/Hawks series by the way.)

Anyways, we hear you're making Julio Teheran available, and while he doesn't fill our biggest hole, we'd like to upgrade our rotation even further as a hedge against the future (and Josh Tomlin's HR rate). Fortunately, I think we have an offer that should be competitive, especially considering your past targets in other deals.

Clint Frazier, OF — The pride of Loganville, Georgia, I think Frazier will fit one of your team's big rebuilding needs: a power-hitting corner outfielder who can give you six years of productive team control. Think Jeff Francoeur 2.0, but redder.

Juan Hillman, RHP — A live-armed starting pitching prospect, Hillman has been mentored by Tom Gordon and owns a 1.89 ERA at Mahoning Valley so far this season. You guys can never have too much pitching, right?

Shawn Armstrong, RHP — Fresh off a Triple-A All-Star Game appearance, Armstrong has a big triple-digit-touching fastball and the ability to close games. That could have value, either as a cog in your bullpen or as a pump-and-dump option to get more talent in 2017.

Giovanny Urshela, 3B — He's the anti-Adonis Garcia, with a great glove at the hot corner. Perhaps you could use him as a stopgap and hope the power starts coming through. That's it. Our offer is high on quality, and should be competitive with the others out there. Best of luck in the new digs. – Chris

From: The Braves

Chris, good to hear from you and congrats on the success this year. You guys are fun to watch. We like starting with Frazier and Hillman. That's cool with us. And ok, Armstrong is a fine throw-in. But you need to upgrade Urshela, who we see as just a bench guy, if you want to compete with our other offers.

Instead of Urshela, we want Francisco Mejia. We have enough young arms to gamble on, and catching prospects never go out of style. If you're willing to meet that price, we'll keep you in the running. If not, good luck the rest of the way. I hope Carrasco and Salazar stay healthy for you. What could go wrong there? – John

From: Chris Antonetti

[No Response]

FINAL OFFER: Frazier, Hillman, Urshela and Armstrong for Teheran

From: The Braves

Be that way, then. It’s not like including Mejia would have saved you anyway.

10. New York Mets

From: Sandy Alderson

Goooood morning to you Mr. Coppollela. While our team as a group do not believe Teheran to be the best pitching option on the market, and we do have some concerns with his health going forward we are still willing to make what we believe to be a competitive offer for him.

Our offer will start with an MLB-ready OF in Brandon Nimmo, as well as minor-league SS Amed Rosario and our 2015 second round pick OF Desmond Lindsay. We feel like our offer provides a potential MLB-ready player, along with a future everyday SS and a flier in Lindsay. While there is some uncertainty in the assets coming your way, we feel it reflects some of our concern in the risk associated with Julio. – Sandy

From: The Braves

Sandy, I have to say I'm a bit surprised you're among the teams reaching out, but I suppose I can see the need. I see what you're doing here in terms of playing up Teheran's arm injuries. But you guys have to face Julio several times a year, and you know what we're talking about here. He's the real deal.

We like Rosario a lot and we're cool with him as the main piece in this deal. We'll accept Nimmo, too, but we think he's more of a second-division outfielder or decent OF4. We're going to need more to pull the trigger here–some of the other offers we've received are quite lucrative.

We also want Marcos Molina. You're not going to miss him with all the pitching talent you own (and would be adding to with Teheran) but we could always use another lottery ticket. Plus, we want to make you pay a bit of an in-division premium; facing Teheran every month will stink for us. Include Molina and we'll keep you in the running. – John

From: Sandy Alderson

We are willing to include Molina in the deal. – Sandy

FINAL OFFER: Rosario, Nimmo, Molina and Lindsay for Teheran

From: The Braves

Thanks, Sandy. This proves to us that you are a willing and eager participant in trade conversations whom we can turn to in the future. Including Molina does not, however, put you anywhere near the top of the class when it comes to the offers we’ve received. This isn’t a bad offer. It’s just not good enough. – John

THE DECISION

This is tough for us. We have three (really four—sorry, Toronto) very competitive offers for Teheran. The Cubs are promising us a guy who can help now in Almora and Candelario, a potential lineup mainstay in Happ and solid lottery tickets in Cease and Dewees. It’s a fair price. The Dodgers are offering us two top-50 prospect arms, a top-100 bat and a lottery ticket. That’s pretty swell, too.

But at the end of the day, we like what Texas is offering best. Brinson is a potential role-60 player who we can show off in our new ballpark next season. Tate’s star has fallen a bit since he was drafted, but if you haven’t caught on, our org has a thing for live arms. Jurado is arguably the best fourth piece we were offered all day. And we’ll choose Mendez over Ortiz for the final piece, going for probability over upside after taking on two higher-variance arms in Tate and Jurado.

Overall, I think we’ve learned two things today. It’s a good time to sell young pitching, and if someone tells you you’re in the running for something, never trust them again.