Compiled NL Central comments
Posted: July 27 26, 2:15 pm
These comments came from two different paywalled chats with MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams and Anthony Franco. They occurred on July 24 and 20, respectively.
Enjoy the read!!
The link to the full chats can be found here: (Franco) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/ ... al-17.html and (Adams) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/ ... ct-20.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Does Lars Nootbaar to Houston bring Xavier Neyens or Kevin Alvarez to the Cardinals’ farm system?
Anthony Franco
Yeah I think either of those guys is reasonable. I know they’re Houston’s top prospects in some order, and most teams aren’t going to do that for Noot, but Houston’s system is weak enough that those guys are on par with the 4-7 range in most other systems.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Any way the Pirates can help the back end of bullpen without giving up a frontline starter? There are just too many teams looking for the SAME guy. Either give up the farm or wait and hope something shakes out nearer the deadline?
Anthony Franco
They’re not giving up someone like Ashcraft for a reliever obviously. Mentioned last week that I think Chandler would make sense in a Mason Miller package but not for any other reliever.
But there’ll certainly be a lot of other options below that. We’ll see if they’re willing to take on the money for a Luke Weaver type, Mets could also pay him down to get Pittsburgh to move one of the young starting pitching prospects like Dotel or Barco.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Angels are looking for young catchers. Leo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks are both MLB ready and fringe Top 100 guys. Does a package built with them as the main pieces bring Detmers or Soriano to St. Louis? Cardinals twitter thinks this is the way.
Steve Adams
Cardinals Twitter is severely underestimating the value of Detmers or Soriano, then. I’m not saying Crooks or Bernal couldn’t be part of the return, but I don’t consider either a worthy headliner for one of those guys — Detmers especially (although Soriano is a real nice fit there with that middle infield defense). For 2+ years of Detmers, I’d be asking on Rainiel Rodriguez — not Jimmy Crooks. Something with Josh Baez and Crooks leading the way might work, too, and you could throw in a lesser bit of rotation depth (Dobbins?), but Detmers (and to a somewhat lesser extent Soriano) should require a ransom.
To be clear, this isn’t a knock on Crooks! I think he could be a decent low-OBP, decent-power, plus-glove catcher. That’s not headlining two-plus seasons of Detmers for me though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy the read!!
The link to the full chats can be found here: (Franco) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/ ... al-17.html and (Adams) https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/ ... ct-20.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Does Lars Nootbaar to Houston bring Xavier Neyens or Kevin Alvarez to the Cardinals’ farm system?
Anthony Franco
Yeah I think either of those guys is reasonable. I know they’re Houston’s top prospects in some order, and most teams aren’t going to do that for Noot, but Houston’s system is weak enough that those guys are on par with the 4-7 range in most other systems.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Any way the Pirates can help the back end of bullpen without giving up a frontline starter? There are just too many teams looking for the SAME guy. Either give up the farm or wait and hope something shakes out nearer the deadline?
Anthony Franco
They’re not giving up someone like Ashcraft for a reliever obviously. Mentioned last week that I think Chandler would make sense in a Mason Miller package but not for any other reliever.
But there’ll certainly be a lot of other options below that. We’ll see if they’re willing to take on the money for a Luke Weaver type, Mets could also pay him down to get Pittsburgh to move one of the young starting pitching prospects like Dotel or Barco.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Angels are looking for young catchers. Leo Bernal and Jimmy Crooks are both MLB ready and fringe Top 100 guys. Does a package built with them as the main pieces bring Detmers or Soriano to St. Louis? Cardinals twitter thinks this is the way.
Steve Adams
Cardinals Twitter is severely underestimating the value of Detmers or Soriano, then. I’m not saying Crooks or Bernal couldn’t be part of the return, but I don’t consider either a worthy headliner for one of those guys — Detmers especially (although Soriano is a real nice fit there with that middle infield defense). For 2+ years of Detmers, I’d be asking on Rainiel Rodriguez — not Jimmy Crooks. Something with Josh Baez and Crooks leading the way might work, too, and you could throw in a lesser bit of rotation depth (Dobbins?), but Detmers (and to a somewhat lesser extent Soriano) should require a ransom.
To be clear, this isn’t a knock on Crooks! I think he could be a decent low-OBP, decent-power, plus-glove catcher. That’s not headlining two-plus seasons of Detmers for me though.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
