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Pirates Pursuing Joakim Soria Trade

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The Pirates and Tigers are nearing a trade that would send Joakim Soria to Pittsburgh, reports MLive.com’s James Schmehl (via Twitter). Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had recently reported (also via Twitter) that the Bucs had interest in acquiring Soria.

The Pirates have been known to be interested in bullpen help since last week and swung a minor deal to add Joe Blanton to the mix last night, but Soria would represent a much higher-profile addition to the Pittsburgh ’pen. A free agent at season’s end, the 31-year-old Soria is earning $7MM this season. He began the year as the Tigers’ primary setup option, but Joe Nathan blew out his arm in the early stages of the season, and Soria has seamlessly returned to a ninth-inning role with which he is quite familiar.

Soria has worked to a strong 2.85 ERA in 41 innings this season, although he’s also been uncharacteristically homer-prone, yielding what is already a career-high eight long balls on the season (1.76 HR/9). Home run rate can have quite a bit of randomness to it, so perhaps the Pirates are unconcerned (they’ve done well with other previously homer-prone arms such as A.J. Burnett and Mark Melancon). Both Soria’s walk rate (2.4 BB/9) and strikeout rate (7.9 K/9) are also down from an excellent 2014 season, but his bottom-line results remain strong.

It seems unlikely that Soria would supplant Melancon as the team’s closer, so the more likely scenario, if a trade is indeed completed, would be for Soria to share setup duties with left-hander Tony Watson, who is enjoying a strong season in his own right. The Pirates have received strong production from their relief corps as a whole, although it’s been somewhat of a top-heavy unit, and a rental of Soria would deepen the group and help take some pressure off the rotation in the season’s final months.

This post was originally published on July 30, 2015 at 4:48pm CT.

Podcast: Tulo, Toronto, & Trade Deadline With Ben Nicholson-Smith

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Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith joins host Jeff Todd to process the trade deadline activity, with a particular focus on the Blue Jays. Ben helps make sense of the bold deal to acquire Troy Tulowitzki (and what it might mean going forward), talks about the club’s plans to add pitching over the next two days, and offers his thoughts on several other open trade deadline storylines.

Click here to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, and please leave a review! The podcast is also available via Stitcher at this link.

The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast runs weekly on Thursday afternoons.

Cardinals Agree To $1 Billion Television Contract

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The Cardinals have agreed to a new, 15-year contract that will continue to give FOX Sports Midwest exclusive rights to broadcast their games, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The rights alone will guarantee the Cardinals more than $1 billion, according to Goold, who adds that the Cardinals will also receive a minority stake in the network that will add further revenue on top of that sum.

The new contract will span the 2018-33 seasons, according to Goold, so it won’t kick in for another few years just yet. However, the Cardinals will, on average, receive more than double the annual amount they’re earning on their current deal over the life of the new contract. As Goold reports, the Cardinals will profit $35MM from their current TV deal in its final season (2017), but the rights fees alone will provide the team with $55MM in revenue in 2018 (to say nothing of the equity stake). That sum will continue to escalate in each year of the contract, he continues. Goold spoke to Cardinals CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. about the agreement, who confirmed the deal but did not cite specifics.

“This does give us a great deal of stability over the next 15 years and does so in a market that has been shifting,” said DeWitt. “It has a nice increase in rights fees as well as the equity component and as a whole it will allow us to remain as competitive as we have been with our payroll, with our spending in the international markets, with our activity in amateur markets and other ways we have invested in development. We have certainty going forward.”

The Cardinals haven’t exactly been a team with limited spending capacity in recent seasons anyhow — they’ve averaged a $114.19MM Opening Day payroll over the past five seasons, per Cot’s Contracts — but the new television contract will allow them greater spending capacity on their roster and international signings if the team wishes. Goold writes that the deal gives them room to stretch the payroll for “the addition of at least one core player” and could make contract extensions for rising stars Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal more feasible. (I’d add Kolten Wong’s name to that mix as well.)

The Cardinals become the second mid-market franchise to sign a contract worth $1 billion or more this season, as the Diamondbacks inked a $1.5 billion deal back in February. Of course, the Phoenix market is notably larger than the St. Louis market, and Goold notes the discrepancy, pointing out that the D-Backs play in the 11th-largest market in baseball, while the Cardinals are in the 21st-largest.

Suffice it to say, while the Cardinals could augment their short-term roster in the coming 48 hours, a 15-year television contract that will immediately increase yearly revenue by as much as $20MM beginning in 2018 is far more impactful news for the team’s future. An official announcement of the deal is expected to come this morning, according to Goold.

Blue Jays Deal For David Price “Imminent”

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11:28am: A deal sending Price to Toronto is “imminent,” Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.

It’s unconfirmed, but rival execs expect Daniel Norris and Anthony Alford to be in the deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links).

11:17am: As Toronto emerges, other suitors seem to be falling back in the discussion. The Yankees “have tried” to join the discussion, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but it’s not clear they’re willing to include as much in the way of top prospects. The Giants are “pessimistic” of getting something done, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have no plans of including Alex Wood — if they acquire him — in deals to any other teams, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets.

11:05am: The Jays are “closing in” on a deal for Price, Heyman tweets.

10:58am: Toronto has emerged as a “strong favorite,” Heyman reports. A deal could come together quickly, he adds.

10:48am: The Blue Jays are making a “major push” to acquire star lefty David Price, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Toronto has long been said to be pursuing one or more arms to bolster its staff, and the ace lefty would certainly do that and more.

While the presence of the Jays on the market for Price is not exactly unexpected, it’s notable that the team intends to be a serious contender for his services. Toronto already used several significant trade pieces to acquire star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, and has been rumored to be discussing a range of options in that regard.

The Dodgers have frequently been mentioned as the most likely club to land Price, as Los Angeles still seemingly wants to add a top-quality arm after missing on Cole Hamels. But the Dodgers are still working to complete a complicated deal with the Braves and Marlins that would have major implications for the pursuit of Price. Other teams, too, remain potential challengers for the service of Price, one of the game’s most durable, highest-quality starters.

All said, Toronto’s participation in the market ought to drive up the ask on the veteran southpaw. The Jays still have several highly appealing young pieces, including young starters such as Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez, that could theoretically be dangled, though it remains unclear what kind of package Toronto will offer — let alone what Detroit is looking to accomplish in a trade.

Medical Concerns Derailed Carlos Gomez-Mets Deal; Brewers Still Plan To Trade Him

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11:45pm: Agent Scott Boras adamantly denied that anything is wrong with Gomez from a health standpoint. Via Rosenthal (Twitter links): “Carlos Gomez has never seen a hip doctor and has never had a hip issue in his playing career. Anyone who suggests that is inaccurate and baldly misrepresenting the truth of the player’s condition.”

11:17pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that it was actually the Mets who backed out of the deal due to concerns over Gomez’s hip. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News also hears that Wheeler’s elbow was not the issue (Twitter links).

11:13pm: Tonight’s near-trade of Carlos Gomez to the Mets in exchange for Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores has fallen through, and Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Milwaukee’s concerns regarding Wheeler’s medicals caused the deal to collapse. The Brewers, though, are still planning to trade Gomez by Friday’s trade deadline, Nightengale adds.

Wheeler, of course, had Tommy John surgery this spring, so it stands to reason that the Brewers weren’t comfortable with his progress (or perhaps the lack thereof) since the operation in March. By multiple media accounts, the names in the trades were agreed upon, though there was no official announcement of the deal from either club.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson said following tonight’s game that a trade “will not transpire,” so it seems that if Gomez is to be traded, it will be to a team other than the Mets — the organization that originally signed him back in 2002.

Gomez should still hold widespread appeal around the league, as he’s earning $8MM in 2015 and has a more-than-reasonable $9MM salary for the 2016 season. Among contending clubs, the Orioles, Astros, Pirates and Giants have all been linked to outfield upgrades over the past few weeks. The Angels, too, have been in the market for an outfield upgrade, though they’ve added three new players this week (Shane Victorino, David Murphy and David DeJesus), so they’re likely out of the mix for outfielders at this time.

And, while the trade ultimately won’t be pushed across the finish line, it does speak to the Mets’ willingness to deal from their current big league roster in order to upgrade the offense. Flores has been a regular contributor to the team in 2015, though they do have internal replacements including Ruben Tejada, Dilson Herrera and Matt Reynolds. A report from Yahoo’s Jeff Passan earlier in the night also mentioned that Juan Lagares’ name had come up as a potential piece for the Brewers t acquire, further demonstrating a willingness on Alderson’s behalf  get creative in order to augment his offense. The Mets have also been prominently connected to names such as Justin Upton, Jay Bruce and Gomez’s Milwaukee teammate, Gerardo Parra.

Pirates Acquire Joe Blanton

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The Pirates announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Joe Blanton from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations. Blanton had been designated for assignment by the Royals earlier this week despite generally solid numbers, and he’ll join the Pirates’ roster tomorrow.

Blanton made a nice comeback to the Majors this season after spending the 2014 season away from the game. He’s pitched quite well overall for the Royals, working to a 3.89 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent ground-ball rate in 41 2/3 innings split between the rotation and the bullpen. Blanton’s 90.8 mph average fastball is the fastest of his career, though one can imagine that’s partly attributable to the fact that 11 of his 15 appearances have come in a relief role.

The veteran Blanton seems likely to be asked to help the Pirates in a relief capacity, but he could also emerge as an option at the back end of their rotation eventually. Gerrit Cole, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Liriano have all turned in excellent seasons thus far, but each of Jeff Locke, Vance Worley and Charlie Morton has posted an ERA above 4.00.

Astros Designate Roberto Hernandez

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The Astros designated righty Roberto Hernandez for assignment to open a roster spot for Jed Lowrie, tweets Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.  Lowrie will start tomorrow for the Astros at third base, after recovering from May thumb surgery.

The Astros signed Hernandez to a minor league deal in February, and he made the team out of spring training.  His contract was worth $2.65MM.  Hernandez, 35 in August, posted a 4.36 ERA, 4.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 0.96 HR/9, and 51.9% groundball rate in 84 2/3 innings, including 11 starts.

Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros Show Initial Interest In David Price

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David Price has generated significant early interest since the Tigers declared themselves open to offers earlier today. Several teams have already emerged as early leaders to get the ace lefty.

Per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays, and Yankees are all in contact with Detroit and make up the “four main teams” in the mix. Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, who was first to note that the Blue Jays had made contact on Price, adds the Astros as a team that is in discussions (Twitter link).

Especially with Johnny Cueto and Cole Hamels now off the market, Price is undoubtedly the best pitching trade piece remaining. He was dealt at the last minute in 2014 for an interesting package in a three-team deal, and now seems destined again to be one of the most-watched names in the final two days leading up to the deadline.

Astros, Padres “Gaining Steam” In Trade Talks; Houston Focused On Ross

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7:30pm: The Astros are more interested in Ross than they are in Cashner, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

6:01pm: The Astros and Padres appear to be making some headway when it comes to a trade involving some of San Diego’s pitching, reports Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. One source told Drellich that things are “gaining steam,” though multiple people close to the situation told him that there’s nothing “in the red zone” just yet.

Drellich lists Craig Kimbrel, Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner as possible fits for the Astros, and it should also be noted that the Padres have reportedly been pushing to unload the remaining three and a half years on James Shields’ backloaded four-year, $75MM contract. ESPN’s Jayson Stark recently reported that rival teams expect the Padres to pull off some form of “huge” trade, though there’s nothing yet to indicate the magnitude of a potential swap between Houston and San Diego.

Houston is still interested in Cole Hamels, Drellich hears, but they don’t expect to acquire him. The Rangers are regarded as the favorite, Drellich writes, and all of these moving pieces could align to give us an indication as to what’s to come in the next two days. Not even an hour ago, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that talks between the Padres and Rangers regarding Cashner and Ross had cooled off. As Stark tweets, that may serve as another sign that Texas is the favorite for Hamels. It would make sense, then, to hear that the Rangers’ talks for Cashner and Ross have slowed just as the Astros’ talks with the Padres — perhaps for one of those two pitchers — are beginning to gain traction.

Tigers Preparing To “Reboot,” Listening On Price, Cespedes

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The Tigers are lining up for a sale, as Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the team is telling rivals that they are “rebooting.” GM Dave Dombrowski confirms that he’s ready to listen on all of the team’s pending free agents, as Jason Beck of MLB.com tweets.

That means that Detroit is willing to sell David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, and other pieces. “We’re only going to make a trade if we think it makes sense for us,” said Dombrowski (via Beck, on Twitter). “But we think [the reboot] gives us a chance to restock our club.”

Needless to say, adding Detroit’s expiring veteran assets will have a significant trickle-down effect. Price will land atop the market for starters, possibly impacting the Phillies’ efforts to move Cole Hamels as well as the value of other arms. Clubs interested in corner outfielders can now look to Cespedes as well as Justin Upton and Carlos Gonzalez (among other options).

Those two aren’t the only veteran Tigers that should draw interest. Closer Joakim Soria becomes one of the more appealing rental relief arms, while Rajai Davis could be a nice piece (especially in high-leverage situations down the stretch and in the post-season) for a team that has a need in center field. Catcher Alex Avila can also be had, and Alfredo Simon may make for a useful swingman piece.

Price’s market, of course, is where most of the immediate interest will go. As Stark writes, teams like the Cubs, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Yankees have been waiting on other pitching moves to see whether Price would be available. Now that he is, expect his market to heat up quickly.

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