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Archives for July 2015

Dodgers Designate Preston Guilmet For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced today that they have designated right-hander Preston Guilmet for assignment in order to clear space on the 40-man roster for Carl Crawford, who has been reinstated from the 60-day disabled list. In order to clear room for Crawford on the active roster, the Dodgers optioned Brandon Beachy to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The well-traveled Guilmet didn’t spend much time with the Dodgers, who selected him off waivers from the Rays on July 10. Guilmet tossed three innings for the club’s Triple-A affiliate prior to today’s DFA, so his claim was likely just to serve as a depth piece should the need arise.

In the past calendar year, the Orioles have traded Guilmet to the Pirates (for cash considerations), who lost him on waivers to the Blue Jays. The Rays claimed him from the division-rival Blue Jays in May, and he was up and down between the Rays and their Triple-A affiliate in Durham prior to joining the Dodgers. Guilmet logged 5 1/3 innings with the Rays in 2015, yielding three runs with five strikeouts against two walks. He’s been very good at Triple-A this season, tallying a 1.95 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 32 1/3 innings between Buffalo, Durham and Oklahoma City.

Cardinals Designate Ty Kelly For Assignment

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The Cardinals announced that they have designated infielder Ty Kelly for assignment in order to clear space on the 40-man roster for top prospect Stephen Piscotty, whose previously reported promotion is now official. Additionally, outfielder Tommy Pham has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis in Piscotty’s place.

Originally a 13th-round pick of the Orioles back in 2009, Kelly was traded the Mariners in 2013 in exchange for Eric Thames and then traded to St. Louis in 2014 in exchange for Sam Gaviglio. The 27-year-old utility man is a career .261/.381/.379 hitter in parts of four seasons at Triple-A, but he’s slashing just .203/.317/.286 in 269 plate appearances there this season.

NL East Notes: C. Johnson, K. Johnson, Parra, deGrom, Prado

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The Braves have been determined to deal away Chris Johnson for some time, and the third baseman tells MLB.com’s Mark Bowman that he hopes to find a new home. “I’ve been called in the manager’s office,” said Johnson. “[Manager Fredi Gonzalez] has told me they are trying to move me. I want to be moved, and they want to move me. Hopefully, something gets done.”While saying he’s enjoyed his time in Atlanta, Johnson emphasized that he is interested in receiving a better opportunity for playing time elsewhere. Obviously, the Braves are looking to shave off as much of Johnson’s contract as possible. Under the extension he signed early in the 2014 campaign, he is due roughly $19.99MM (including $2.52MM for this season and the buyout of a 2018 option).

A bit more on the Braves and their division…

  • Kelly Johnson has parlayed a minor league deal into a critical role on the Braves, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Johnson credits first-year hitting coach Kevin Seitzer with helping him to shorten his swing and improve his overall approach at the plate. Of course, as a veteran on a one-year deal with a losing team, Johnson’s name may pop up over the next few days as a trade candidate; I listed him and three others Braves when looking at the trade market for third basemen earlier today.
  • The Mets continue to be intrigued by Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. They’re also looking at Justin Upton and Carlos Gomez, though multiple reporters (most recently Marc Carig of Newsday, who also reported interest in Parra late last week) have characterized that type of high profile acquisition as a long shot. Parra, Heyman notes, is drawing quite a bit of interest around the league.
  • Peter Gammons relays an anecdote from the 2012 trade deadline that could have vastly reshaped the current state of two franchises. When the Red Sox and Mets were discussing a trade for veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach, Boston initially asked about right-hander Jacob deGrom, who had recently undergone surgery. (deGrom was never projected to become the ace that he presently is, of course, and he had just undergone surgery.) However, after talking it over with his minor league evaluators, GM Sandy Alderson and the Mets passed. The two sides eventually lined up on a deal that sent right-hander Pedro Beato to Boston.
  • Marlins third baseman Martin Prado tells Zach Buchanan and Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic that he’s not concerned with the possibility that he could be traded for the third time in the past year. Prado says there’s no sense in thinking, “Oh my goodness, this is going to happen again,” and he’s instead focused on helping his teammates out. He’s candid when addressing the current state of the Marlins, however. “We’re in a pretty bad situation here,” says Prado. “I’m just trying to bring good energy for my teammates and my team. That’s all I can do right now.”

Twins Monitoring Market For Catchers

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The Twins are “closely monitoring” the market for catchers, including the likes of A.J. Pierzynski, Derek Norris, Jonathan Lucroy and Alex Avila, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

It’s not certain at this time how available each of those names might be, but Berardino writes that the Braves are open to trading Pierzynski, which comes as no surprise when considering that he’s a 38-year-old veteran playing on a one-year deal for a club that is seven games back in its division. One can imagine that the Tigers, who as of last night are reportedly planning to be sellers at the trade deadline, would be open to moving free-agent-to-be Avila.

Pierzynski has a $2MM base salary in 2015, of which roughly $841K remains. His contract also contains incentives based on games started behind the plate. To this point, he’s already earned $100K for reaching 60 starts, and he’ll earn an additional $50K for his 65th, 70th, 75th and 80th starts at catcher. He’ll earn $100K every fifth start from 80 through 100, allowing him to max out at $2.7MM. He’s hitting .280/.316/.432 with six homers this season, and it’s also worth noting (as Berardino points out) that the Twins reportedly made Pierzynski a two-year offer to return to Minnesota prior to the 2014 season. He instead chose to sign with Boston.

Minnesota’s plenty familiar with Avila, whom they’ve watched behind the plate for the Tigers dating back to 2009. However, he’s earning a not-insignificant $5.4MM this season and has played in only 34 games, hitting .192/.333/.293. Avila’s career behind the plate has been threatened by concussions, and as a club that is more than familiar with the ill effects of concussions (see: Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Corey Koskie), the Twins may desire more certainty.

Both Norris and Lucroy would represent long-term upgrades over incumbent Kurt Suzuki as opposed to mere rentals. Norris is under club control through 2018 and is eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, but he’s also struggled in his transition from Oakland to San Diego. Norris has followed up a .270/.361/.403 line in 2014 with a .231/.278./.401 line in 2015. He’s certainly hitting for more power — he has a 38 point increase in his ISO, and his 11 homers already top last year’s 10 — but his walk rate and average have plummeted. Norris’ line-drive rate is down from 18.7 percent to 12.9 percent, which, paired with an increased strikeout rate, helps to explain the dip in his average.

Lucroy could very well be the prize of the catching market. He’s a premium defender in terms of both controlling the running game and pitch framing, and he’s also produced a .291/.353/.455 batting line dating back to 2012. His production has been slowed this season, in part by a fractured toe sustained earlier in the year. However, he’s hitting .274/.335/.382 dating back to June 1, and two of his three homers this season have come in the past eight games. Lucroy’s contract, though, is perhaps the most appealing part about a potential acquisition; he’s earning $3MM in 2015 before a $4MM payday in 2016 and a $5.25MM club option for the 2017 season.

That Minnesota is seeking an upgrade behind the plate is reasonable, considering the difficulty that Suzuki has had at the plate since signing a two-year, $12MM extension on July 31 last year. Suzuki had an excellent first half in Minnesota, but it was largely BABIP driven, and he closed out the year hitting .248/.290/.366. This year’s been even worse for the former A’s/Nats backstop, as he’s hitting just .227/.283/.303, making him one of the least effective bats in baseball. He’s also caught just 19 percent of attempted base stealers — 13 percent below the league average. The Twins, though, value the comfort that the pitching staff has with Suzuki, his clubhouse presence and his durability.Those positive traits, of course, would still be in play were he to transition to a backup role, even if only for the remainder of the 2015 season.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Ramirez, Twins, Gomez

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The time has come for the Tigers to enter the sellers’ market, writes Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Names like David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Rajai Davis, among others, should be marketed over the coming 10 days in an attempt to avoid a lengthy rebuild in the Motor City. However, Morosi notes that there’s more to the likely trades of veteran players than just a one-year selling cycle. Rather, he writes this could very well represent the beginning of a new philosophy for the Tigers. Sources tell Morosi that Christopher Ilitch (son of owner Mike Ilitch) has taken a greater influence over the Tigers’ business operations than his father, whose focus has shifted to the construction of a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings. As such, the Tigers’ aggressively escalating payroll may take a step back in the coming years. However, the team can avoid a lengthy rebuild by acquiring strong packages for stars Price and Cespedes. Specifically, he wonders if the Dodgers would part with a combination of Grant Holmes, Jose De Leon and Cody Bellinger for Price, while speculating that names such as Brett Phillips and Vincent Velasquez could be in play if Houston makes a run at Cespedes.

Here’s more from the AL Central…

  • The Tigers have a brief window to change the front office’s mind on becoming a seller, writes MLive.com’s Chris Iott. Each of their next nine games will come against teams with negative run differentials, he points out. However, Iott also notes that if GM Dave Dombrowski is to extract maximum value for Price and/or Cespedes, he’ll need to begin laying groundwork for trades sooner than the final two days of the non-waiver trading period. The implication there, seemingly, is that it’s possible Dombrowski has already begun to do so, or will begin shortly, and could receive an offer he must take before Detroit has a chance to turn the tide.
  • Morosi tweets that Indians infielder Jose Ramirez could make for an intriguing trade candidate in the next 10 days. He has a strong defensive reputation in the minors, and Ramirez is also enjoying a strong season at the plate in Triple-A. However, he’s blocked by Francisco Lindor, who rated as one of the best prospects in all of baseball prior to his debut. Ramirez hit .265/.307/.353 in 280 plate appearances with Cleveland’s big league club from 2013-14, but he slumped to .176/.243/.235 in 173 PAs this season before Lindor took the reins at short. Ramirez has played more second base than short in the minors, and some scouts feel he’s better suited there than at shortstop, but one can imagine clubs with needs at either middle infield spot showing interest.
  • Twins top decision-makers got together on a conference call last night to discuss the club’s top need heading into the trade deadline, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. However, there’s somewhat of a divided camp among the Twins’ brass right now. That’s not particularly surprising, considering that despite their second place standing in the AL Central, the Twins could use upgrades in the bullpen, behind the plate and at shortstop.
  • Berardino does note (Twitter link), however, that despite some reports connecting the Twins to a reunion with Carlos Gomez, Minnesota isn’t particularly interested in reacquiring its former center fielder from the Brewers. The Twins do have nice outfield depth, with Byron Buxton nearing a return from the DL, Aaron Hicks hitting and fielding well in 2015 and the likes of Torii Hunter, Eddie Rosario and Oswaldo Arcia to fill out the rest of the outfield.

Trade Market For Third Basemen

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The Pirates have lost both Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer to injury, severely compromising their infield depth. It’d make sense to see Pittsburgh connected to a number of third basemen in the coming days. They’re not the only team with uncertainties at the hot corner either, as the Mets still don’t know when David Wright will return. Multiple teams would be open to adding a bench bat/utility option capable of handling third base. And, other clubs, such as the White Sox and Indians, may be interested in adding a controllable option to solidify the position in 2016. Here’s a look around the league at some names that could make sense as trade candidates.

Starting Options

Juan Uribe (Braves), Chris Johnson (Braves), Kelly Johnson (Braves), Aramis Ramirez (Brewers), Martin Prado (Marlins), Cody Asche (Phillies), Will Middlebrooks (Padres), Luis Valbuena (Astros), Brett Lawrie (Athletics)

  • The Braves possess a trio of veteran options that could fill a need for any club at third base, though trading Chris Johnson will be extremely difficult due to the remaining $19.99MM that he’s guaranteed through 2017. He’s looked overmatched as a starter more often than not, but Johnson does have a pair of nice seasons under his belt, mostly due to BABIP inflation. At the very least, Johnson handles left-handed pitching well. He could be flipped in a swap of bad contracts or have his contract absorbed by another club to entice Atlanta to part with greater talent in a trade.
  • Uribe and Kelly Johnson are both versatile veterans that have performed well with the Braves. Uribe’s hit .279/.346/.456 with seven homers and sound defense since coming over from the Dodgers. Johnson’s return to Atlanta has resulted in a .275/.323/.455 slash line. He can play anywhere on the diamond and hasn’t spent much time at third in 2015, but he does have 539 innings there over the past three seasons. Uribe has $2.73MM remaining on his contract, while Johnson’s remaining $631K is a manageable sum for any team.
  • Ramirez falls into the “expensive veteran” category and probably wouldn’t command a significant return due to his contract and early-season struggles. He’s still owed $5.89MM this season, but on the plus side, his bat has come to life over the past month. This is an admittedly arbitrary endpoint, but dating back to June 7, Ramirez is hitting .308/.357/.521 in 34 games. Perhaps that’s enough to pique another club’s interest.
  • The Marlins have shown zero interest in trading Prado, but the versatile veteran could slide into a number of teams’ rosters at a variety of positions. He spent a month on the disabled list recently but has looked fine since being activated, collecting five hits (two doubles) in 15 at-bats. A small sample, to be sure, but Prado’s hitting a respectable .275/.317/.375 on the season as a whole, and those numbers would trend upward away from Marlins Park, most likely. He’s controlled through 2016, however, so Miami likely wants to keep him around to take another shot at contending next year.
  • Once one of the Phillies’ top prospects, Asche has moved to left field to accommodate the emergent Maikel Franco. Asche was solid, if unspectacular at the plate in 2014, homering 10 times to go along with a .252/.309/.390 batting line (96 OPS+) in 434 plate appearances. However, the 25-year-old’s body of work as a whole in the Majors has produced just a .246/.298/.379 batting line. The Phillies need all the young talent they can get, but perhaps they could swap Asche with another struggling prospect and see if a change of scenery (and, in Asche’s case, a return to his natural position) helps both.
  • A change of scenery did little to benefit Middlebrooks, as it’s been more of the same for the 26-year-old in San Diego. He’s still showing some power, but he’s walking less than ever and has just a .213/.242/.362 batting line with the Padres. His strikeout rate is down, so perhaps if he can find the 40 or so points missing from his career BABIP mark, the offense would at least look passable.
  • Valbuena’s started at third base all year in Houston and has one of the most bizarre batting lines in baseball this season. At 29 years old, he’s exploded with the most power of his career (19 homers, .228 ISO), but he’s hitting just .207/.290/.435 overall. With Jed Lowrie on the mend, the Astros could conceivably afford to move Valbuena to a team in need of some pop at third base (or at second base).
  • Lawrie’s name hasn’t come up as a trade candidate to this point, but if Oakland ends up selling, there’s little reason to think that Billy Beane wouldn’t at least entertain the thought of moving Lawrie. After a slow start, Lawrie’s hitting .298/.331/.444. He’s controllable for two seasons beyond he current campaign, so he’d require a club to part with significant talent in order to land him.

Utility Players/Backups/Displaced Veterans

Alex Guerrero (Dodgers), Alberto Callaspo (Dodgers), Gordon Beckham (White Sox), Mike Aviles (Indians), Aaron Hill (Diamondbacks), Cliff Pennington (Diamondbacks), Yangervis Solarte (Padres), Marwin Gonzalez (Astros), Eduardo Escobar (Twins), Eduardo Nunez (Twins), Hernan Perez (Brewers), Joaquin Arias (Giants), Ehire Adrianza (Giants), Conor Gillaspie (White Sox), Casey McGehee (Marlins)

  • Guerrero’s been a utility player in L.A. this season and has played sparingly. He’s shown great power when in the lineup, however, homering 10 times in 166 plate appearances. There’s a clause in his contract that allows him to become a free agent at season’s end if traded, though at least one report has indicated that he’d waive that clause in order to receive everyday playing time. That seems like a lot of leverage to give up, so I’m skeptical, but he could benefit from a greater role elsewhere.
  • Callaspo, Beckham, Aviles, Hill and Pennington each have some money remaining on their deals (well — a ton of money in Hill’s case, as he’s owed $17MM through the end of next season). None of the group is hitting at all in 2015, though Aviles is performing the best at the plate. Aviles and Pennington both have the bonus of being able to play shortstop and second base. Hill, Beckham and Callaspo can all play second or third.
  • Solarte, Gonzalez, Escobar and Nunez can all play all over the infield, and both Nunez and Escobar have seen corner outfield time as well. Each of these four has been penciled in as something a bit more than a utility player recently, though no one from this group has showed sustained success at the plate. The Twins and Astros are both contending, so they’d likely need to receive Major League talent back to part with their utility options.
  • Perez, Adrianza and Arias are all capable of handling multiple positions as well, but each has posted dismal numbers at the plate this season.
  • Gillaspie, who saw the bulk of starts at third base for Chicago over the past few seasons, was recently designated for assignment. He’s not a great defender and doesn’t hit lefties, but he’s a competent bat against right-handed pitching and has shown enough power to hit double-digit homers. McGehee was released by the Giants and returned to Miami, where he resuscitated his career in 2014. However, he hasn’t hit much at either stop this season.

Currently in the Minors

Lonnie Chisenhall (Indians), Matt Davidson (White Sox), Mike Olt (Cubs), Erisbel Arruebarrena (Dodgers), Matt Dominguez (Brewers), Elian Herrera (Brewers), Kevin Frandsen (Giants), Ryan Roberts (A’s), Steve Lombardozzi (Pirates)

As I did in looking at second basemen, I kept the “currently in the minors” section to players who have some degree of big league experience already. Chisenhall was a starter as recently as last season, but he’s never strung together any consistent success, is a poor defender and has struggled against left-handed pitching. Davidson and Olt both graced Top 100 prospect lists a couple of years ago, but both have issues making contact. Arruebarena’s a defensive specialist at shortstop that is owed about $14.26MM through 2018. Dominguez hasn’t hit at Triple-A with the Brewers or Astros in 2015, though he’s still just 25 years old and has shown 20-homer pop in the Majors before. Herrera’s a utility option that is hitting well at Triple-A but hasn’t hit in 470 big league plate appearances. Frandsen, 33, and the 34-year-old Roberts are both veteran righty bats that can play multiple positions. Each is hitting well in the minors. Lombardozzi represents another versatile option that’s never hit much in the Majors.

AL East Deadline Notes: Jays, Sox, Yankees, Rays

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Blue Jays fans are watching the coming trade deadline with as much anticipation as any group of supporters, as GM Alex Anthopoulos has spoken quite a bit about the club’s intention to look hard at making impactful additions. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes, it’s worth considering the club’s summer trade history both to gain some insight into how the organization operates and to better appreciate the reasonable expectations. Toronto faces a “tricky time,” says Davidi, who provides a lengthy overview of past deals. Likewise, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal breaks down the recent deadline work of Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, who faces tough questions as his club has stumbled coming out of the All-Star break.

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman indicated that he does not expect to strike a major deal this summer, as Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports. “I would predict it more likely not doing anything than doing something significant,” Cashman said. “We’re making our phone calls, talking to all clubs involved. We’ve practically analyzed everything.” In addition to citing his belief in the club’s current options, Cashman said that the “the acquisition costs might be prohibitive or that unicorn might not exist.”
  • Going into further detail, Cashman indicated that the Yankees are unlikely to go get a big-time arm to add to their staff, as Feinsand further reports. “Are there available starters that are better? Yes, but the acquisitions cost are certain players that I have no intention of moving at this stage,” Cashman said. “I would say the smarter play would be to hold off on shooting any of those particular bullets.”
  • Neither do the Yankees seem likely to be aggressive in attempting to upgrade at second base. Cashman said that the infield market was particularly thin, noting that it was hard even to identify available options that could theoretically provide better production than incumbent Stephen Drew. Cashman also addressed the decision to send down young second baseman Rob Refsnyder, saying he preferred that approach to designating another player for assignment. “I can get Refsnyder back,” he said. “As we approach the trade deadline, I think it’s better to have all assets in play to give us as much flexibility as we can have.”
  • Rays owner Stuart Sternberg indicated that his club will also likely rely primarily on internal options rather than making a deadline splash, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. “People say, ’Buyer? Seller?’ It will be no different than we’ve done in years past,” said Sternberg. “I think we’re in almost precisely the same spot we’ve been in every year since ’08. Which is, we’re close, we feel we have a really good team. We’d like to see our team on the field all at once. And we’ll try to be opportunistic.” Though the team has obviously scuffled of late, and will be prepared to sell if it falls too far back, the Tampa Bay owner said he hopes to remain in contention and believes the current roster is good enough — especially with players returning from injury — to stay in the mix.

Injury Notes: Upton, Aoki, Lincecum, Stanton, Crawford, Morneau, Morrow

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Padres outfielder Justin Upton sat out today’s game with left oblique tightness, but remains hopeful that he’ll avoid a DL stint, MLB.com’s Corey Brock reports. Needless to say, it’s not a great time for the injury to crop up: the team is perhaps taking a final shot at re-entering the postseason hunt before the deadline. And if it can’t, the pending free agent may be one of the most important players marketed this summer. Assistant GM Josh Stein said that Upton will likely miss “a couple of days,” but any absence beyond that may be rather concerning.

Here are some more injury notes from around the league:

  • The Giants expect to welcome back outfielder Nori Aoki in relatively short order, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports. That’s certainly good news for San Francisco, as a successful return of Aoki (joining Hunter Pence in that regard) would reduce or even eliminate the team’s need to add an outfielder at the deadline.
  • Meanwhile, Giants starter Tim Lincecum has been out with an arm injury, but manager Bruce Bochy revealed today that he’s also received treatment for “degenerative” hip issues, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports. The problem, which is not considered to be a threat to his career, has existed since late last year. Lincecum received cortisone shots and is set to resume throwing in a few days, but as Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News wrote earlier today, it’s far from clear whether he’ll ever again impact the Giants staff.
  • Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton is preparing to resume swinging, though his timeframe remains unclear, as Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. While that’s great news for anyone who enjoys the game of baseball, Stanton obviously will not return in time to impact the team’s deadline plans.
  • Spencer provides several other updates on injured Marlins: Righty Jarred Cosart, who was acquired on deadline day last summer has again been diagnosed with vertigo. And fellow starter Henderson Alvarez has struggled quite a bit as he tries to work back from shoulder inflammation on a rehab stint.
  • The Dodgers will welcome back outfielder Carl Crawford from the 60-day DL, as Carlos Collazo writes for MLB.com. A right oblique injury has shelved him for quite some time, and it looks like he’ll be headed for a bench role upon his return. Fellow highly-paid corner outfielder Andre Ethier has played well this year, leaving Crawford without an obvious spot in the regular lineup. It remains to be seen whether the always-active Dodgers will look to move either player (or one of the team’s numerous other options) over the coming weeks.
  • Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau says that he still hopes to make it back to the team this year, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. The veteran has managed to resume baseball activities as he seeks to work back from a concussion and neck sprain, and says the latter is a larger concern than the former. Certainly, it’s good to hear that Morneau’s long battle with concussion issues is not the primary cause for his long absence, and he adds that he has no plans to retire at this point. Morneau once looked like a possible trade candidate, though that ship has probably sailed. It remains to be seen how things will progress on his contract, which includes a $9MM mutual option ($750K club buyout) for next season.
  • The Padres appear set to send righty Brandon Morrow out on a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, Beth Maiman of MLB.com reports. It will obviously be hard for San Diego to rely on much of a contribution from the 30-year-old in spite of that promising development, as he has dealt with various arm issues for much of his career. Morrow, who was added on a cheap, one-year deal, threw 33 innings of 2.73 ERA ball earlier in the season.

Tigers May Deal David Price, Yoenis Cespedes

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The Tigers are preparing for the possibility of dealing ace David Price and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes at the deadline, according to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

GM Dave Dombrowski tells Nightengale that the team has yet to reach a final decision. But other sources inside and outside the organization reportedly say that Detroit will market those free agents-to-be unless owner Mike Ilitch intervenes with a “veto.”

Dombrowski certainly left open the possibility of a sell-off in his comments to USA Today. “At this point, our focus is trying to win right now,” he said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to qualify for the playoffs. Things can turn dramatically over a 10-game period. But you have to play well, at some point, on a consistent basis. We’re at a point where we have to do what’s best in our heart for the franchise.”

The addition of Price and/or Cespedes to the trade market would certainly represent a dramatic alteration of the market. Both are 29 years of age and in the midst of highly productive campaigns.

Price is an undisputed ace, and would immediately join (and arguably displace) Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels at the top of the starting pitching market. He owns a 2.32 ERA over 132 innings, with 8.7 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. Those numbers are right in line with — or, in the case of his bottom-line results, even better than — his outstanding career numbers.

Cespedes, meanwhile, is in the midst of the best overall campaign of his career. His 120 wRC+ paces any batting line he’s carried over a full season since his debut year. And he has earned career-best defensive ratings for his work in left. All told, Cespedes has already racked up 3.1 fWAR on the year.

It is not clear whether the Tigers will consider moving other players whose control is up after the year, to say nothing of longer-term assets. Closer Joakim Soria, starter Alfredo Simon, catcher Alex Avila, and outfielder Rajai Davis are among the members of the current roster who are slated for free agency. Soria and Davis have both enjoyed quality seasons, while Simon and Avila have been less productive, but all of those players would figure to draw varying levels of interest.

If Detroit moves some of its key veterans, it appears that it will do so with the intention of getting near-term value from those expiring assets. “We’re not thinking of rebuilding,” said Dombrowski, “but if we have to, it would be a case of regrouping.” The long-time executive emphasized that he believes the organization has a better stock of “good young players than people think,” making clear that he sees plenty of cause for hope in 2016.

Prior to the All-Star break, Dombrowski maintained that the team was focused on the present. But having entered play today ten-and-a-half games back of the division-leading Royals, the Tigers seem less optimistic of their immediate outlook. The loss of Miguel Cabrera for much of the second half, obviously, also tells large in that assessment.

Angels Prioritizing Control In Search For Bat

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The AL West-leading Angels have long been said to be searching for a bat, and MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez provides additional details on the club’s thinking. Though the deadline is less than two weeks away, the team is still “casting a wide net.”

Los Angeles does prefer a left-handed bat that can slot in left field, but is even more concerned with obtaining a player that can be controlled past this season. With numerous big league positions set to open up in 2016, it seems that the team is interested in utilizing the deadline as an opportunity to find some answers for the present and the near future.

While the Angels will consider a rental acquisition, says Gonzalez, Justin Upton of the Padres is not among the players being considered. He could be the biggest bat dealt, and the Angels feel that San Diego has placed too high a price tag on the soon-to-be free agent.

The club’s preferred angle, per the report, would be to move starter C.J. Wilson as part of a deal. Though Wilson has been a fairly steady presence in the rotation, the organization would like to move some of his big salary in order to free space under the luxury tax line for the coming offseason.

With the club playing quite well of late, assistant GM Matt Klentak said that it will not be pressed into a move it doesn’t believe in just to get something done. “We will continue to survey the trade market for possible upgrades that we feel make sense, but we don’t feel pressure to make a move just for the sake of making a move,” said Klentak. “We believe in the group we have.”

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