The Burlingame Blue Ducks continue to hold a high asking price on shortstop Xander Bogaerts (3/$31) who stands out as the best remaining expiring deal in the RDBL before Sunday's RDBL Trade Deadline.
The club had reportedly been in contact with the Alamo Short Stacks on a deal centered around Francisco Lindor before he was moved to the Lunatic Fringe. GM Ryan Walsh has now honed in on the Cloverdale Clovers as a landing spot for Bogaerts according to sources.
Walsh appears focused on 2021 1st Round Pick Edward Cabrera who the Clovers haven't budged on. The Clovers instead appear open to move highly regarded pitching prospect Spencer Howard or Daniel Lynch according to one source close to the club.
Without a deal to the Clovers, the options appear to be short for the Ducks. The Las Vegas Aristocrats could certainly add on after acquiring Max Scherzer Wednesday night while the Lake Merced Goutfish could view the buyer's market as another chance to upgrade their already stacked lineup. With two shortstop only players (Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Tim Anderson) already on their roster, a potential Bogaerts acquisition would be purely for their utility slot.
The Asti Grape Stompers also remain a quiet contender, yet to make a deal to add to a roster that currently leads the East Bay Division. Pitching prospects Shane Baz and Hunter Greene have seen their stock rise as much as any player in the Minor League and appear to join Bobby Witt, Jr. and Jordan Lawlar as untouchables in the Grapes Farm System. One name that could match up well though is right-hander Luis Severino who continues to close in on his return from Tommy John Surgery and could provide a nice value return in 2022 as a 2FA/$5.
Around the RDBL
- The Spokane Fightin' Fish and Idaho Taters reportedly reached a deal for top of the rotation starter Aaron Nola (1/$43) but there was a snag. The Fish agreed to send a 1st Round Pick in 2022 to the Taters but the deal was denied by the Commissioner's Office. The Fish had already sent their 1st Round Pick to the Taters on Draft Night for Trevor Story which left the clubs without a deal.
- The Maltese Falcons have cut into the lead for the final Wild Card spot with another monster night Wednesday and sit just 94.5 points out of the Playoffs. As of Thursday morning, GM Gary Falzon and Assistant GM Erik Nielsen had no plans to add but they could change their mind in the coming days. One area of need this week would be in the rotation as the club has just two starts remaining for the period.
- The Mt. Diablo Devils reportedly had other offers with more "upside" according to sources, but the ETA of the prospects offered led GM Jason Watson to side with the package offered by the Las Vegas Aristocrats. The Devils have a young star in Bo Bichette while Wander Franco looks set for an Opening Day activation in 2022. Add in Alec Bohm and a stable of rotation options in Yusei Kikuchi (251.0 points, 3.91 ERA) Luis Garcia (259.0 points, 3.19 ERA) and James Kaprielian (187.0 points, 3.23 ERA), and you can see the makings of a strong roster for Watson.
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