MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

I think making a Gafford for Mathurin trade this deadline will be a good indicator that Dumont is willing to pay up.

I think they’ll still want to reduce their tax bill, but probably don’t feel the need to avoid it all together.

Just my .02

I think if you keep Mathurin, using Naji to reduce payroll, while getting an asset, would be ideal in the summer. Mathurin is the natural Naji replacement in this hypothetical, and Naji’s salary can be traded for air to a team with the MLE. Shedding his $9.4M, saves 10’s of millions.

That's a plan unless/until Mathurin costs you the combined salary of Gafford + Naji (or more). 

To me, a salary-reduction plan has to include a way to jettison 2-3 of Martin, Hardy, and Russell.