5:15pm: The Giants and Mariners have definitely discussed League, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). It's still not clear where League will be traded, though, according to Morosi.
4:06pm: The Mariners were discussing League with multiple teams as of this afternoon, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
3:03pm: There's some scuttlebutt in high circles that the Giants are the team getting League, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). But it's not a sure thing.
2:52pm: The Braves and Rangers aren't in the mix for League, Crasnick tweets.
2:46pm: The Angels and Mariners are in talks for League, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. The Mariners could be close to trading League to the Giants or the Angels, Gonzalez writes.
2:24pm: The White Sox have been talking to the Mariners about League and the Angels continue seeking relief help, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links).
2:05pm: The Mariners are close to trading Brandon League to an unknown team, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The Giants, Angels and Mets are known to have some interest in the right-hander.
League is earning $5MM this year and will hit free agency this offseason. The 29-year-old has a 3.05 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 46.4% ground ball rate in 42 1/3 innings for Seattle. He lost the closer's job in May, but has pitched to a 1.96 ERA with twice as many strikeouts as walks since the beginning of June. His fastball averages 95.2 mph, according to FanGraphs.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Mystery team!
Detroit please, we have a recent trade history with the M’s! Papa potato had a great year last year, but his time has passed, we need to upgrade there too!
Valverde is still good and League is in no way an upgrade.
Mystery team = “You better call us back with the offer we purposed to said team”
cardinals?
My guess is the Redbirds as well
every time there’s mystery team, somehow it always turns out to be the Angels.
Not true. Prince Fielder signed with Detroit.
Don’t forget Philly signing Cliff Lee
Now a fan from every team that needs relievers will comment on how its hopefully their team.
Of Course!
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Kenny WIlliams and the Chicago White Sox. KW always pulls deals out of thin air that you rarely see coming.
They just landed Brett Myers and Francisco Liriano, why would they trade for League?
Dan Knobler (via Twitter): “White Sox have been talking to Mariners about Brandon League.”
And the reason they might trade for him is that clearly, Kenny Williams has lost his mind.
You sir have not met the Kenslinger
Can’t ever have too many electric arms for the pen. I hope it’s the whitesox. As long as jones and Reed are not involved in 100% for getting league.
I would agree. I could see League being the closer, Reed and Myers for the 8th with Thornton from the left side. I think you would have to lose Jones if this is going to happen
if you have to lose jones i dont want them to do the deal, he is a beast and a little more coaching he could be a legit lock down reliever, could fight with reed for the closers role
I also have 1908 reasons why the cubs fans should let the big boys discuss what a contender needs
I’m not sure if you’re really trying to underplay the Cubs as an organization, but coming from me, a Seattle Mariners fan, the White Sox are far from a “successful” club.
Wanna compare rings? Oh forgot lack of al pennants makes you a dull boy, stick to coffee and software
Congratulations. Your team has won three, that’s 3, World Series since baseball started. While, yes, my team has won 0, I don’t go about boasting. We were a few games behind the Rangers last year. I didn’t think they were great. I kind of figured they’d suck. And they did.
This is Chicago, if you dont understand the Northside Southside thing just backoff, he said why would they, and I answered, and you came w/ the mariners, thats like coming to a dragrace w/ a prius
1st place in the division for a majority of the season and in the last 22 years they have only had 6 sub .500 seasons throw in a couple al central titles and a world series, how is that a bad franchise
I love the whole coming from a Mariners Fan, that is like talking about the NBA coming from a Sonics fan….
Don’t forget about Youkilis.
The Sox have been winning with a largely inexperienced bullpen. True, they have landed Myers and Liriano, but Williams loves pitching, and yhe Sox have traditionally had a strong bullpen under his reign.
Because they’re pen still has 4 rookies in it. At one point I believe they had a total of 8 in their active pitching roster. Not exactly a confidence builder late in the season.
Its probally to the Giants for Nate
I agree. He seems like the semi-broken reliever type the Giants target.
I hope so!
Good trade for both sides. It also opens up a spot in the OF for Giants to make another trade. If we don’t add either Pence, Choo, Cuddyer, Hart, Willingham…we won’t go far in the playoffs.
If that is the case then the M’s should just hold onto him. I’m sure they are asking about Belt. That would be an overpay for the Giants, but it makes way more sense.
Seems trading League for Belt wouldn’t necessarily be an overpay for SF. It seems to me as if Belt is pretty much like Justin Smoak v.2.0… There is value there, but maybe not as much as some think.
Belt has posted a league average wRC+ as a 24 year old with inconsistent playing time. He walks a ton and mashes lefties. Justin Smoak has posted the second lowest wRC+ out of any player in the league and has almost no redeeming qualities.
Chiba Lotte Marines?
Yankees? lol
Braves? or Giants
I see the Giants gettin him.
Texas. Calling it now.
Damn.
Gotta be going to the White Sox. I get the sense Liriano is getting flipped, or Floyd is being traded as part of a bigger deal.
why flip liriano for league?
Giants!!
Any fan of a team that lands League should think of him as a Set up guy and very very limited Closer. Unless your team has a super pitchers park , its not going to be pretty. An AL would be okay but an NL team would be a better fit for League.
Blue Jays need a catcher and relievers badly. Possible they would be interested in Olivo and League. MAybe Snider in return, but more likely Lind, Thames, or David Cooper.
League got destroyed in the AL East… that makes no sense.
In six seasons in Toronto, Brandon League posted an ERA of 4.09 in 202.1 innings, while opposing hitters posted a .258/.334/.392/.726 line.
I wouldn’t want that in my bulpen.
I wouldn’t want the current Toronto bullpen’s season ERA of 4.33, either. The cumulative ERA for American League relievers this season is 4.39; Oakland is the only team with a bullpen ERA under 4.00.
What I meant is: We have enough mediocre relievers… we don’t need another one. You are also lumping League’s good seasons with his bad ones.
And his bad ones were REALLY bad.
He’s getting traded for Brandon Morrow people! Book it!
lol
Angels or Giants it looks like right now……….
Braves and Rangers not in the mix
Dodgers now appear to be in the mix!
Why do I fell that it could be belt for league and another player.
This is what I believe we’re looking at.
Brandon Belt for Brandon League, Kevin Millwood, Chone Figgins and enough cash to cover Figgins’ contract?
That would create roster problems for the Giants.
That would also create a riot.
Revolving Brandons. Morrow – League – Belt
Epic overpay on the Giants part if this were the case. Sabean would be wise to make this deal from a plane headed for another country.
Rumor out there that the Angels would trade Bourjos or Morales in a multi-player deal for League……
Source?
Man I wish the Braves would have been in on League.
If it’s the Angels can they take back Figgins, too?
Thats just what we need is another wimpy hitter. ie Izturis, Aybar, Callaspo
Why he would be free of charge.
I’d bet it’s to the Angels for Travis Witherspoon.
Kudos on mixing in scuttlebutt!
I wish the Indians would trade Chris Perez and some prospects for Bumgarner and Belt.
The Giants aren’t giving up Bumgarner, he’s a future ace who already pitches as good as any #2 starter in the league. The Giants would more likely trade the rest of the roster then Bumgarner.
The Giants just extended Bumgarner. Where is your mind?
No way the Giants would trade Bumgarner for Perez and prospects lol. That is pure wishful thinking.
Scuttlebutt in high circles? Lol
The last Brandon for Brandon trade didn’t work out for the M’s. Not sure this one will either.
League just pitched in today’s game so I doubt there’s anything imminent. Whatever the deal could be, I hope it’s creative. Getting really tired of these salary dump deals. If they’re after Belt, that would put a lot of credence that they are just about giving up on Smoak.
Way to build that trade value league, lol .1 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER
I don’t see how Sabean would trade Belt for a rental reliever. Mariners would have to give up more then just League in my opinion.
This is bogus. The M’s don’t leak information. “They’ll trade him soon, but I don’t know where.”
Let me guess, more minor leaguers and cash considerations?