Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper might not be the only $400MM free agent if he reaches the open market in 2018, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link), who reports that Orioles third baseman/shortstop Manny Machado could also exceed that total. Machado is a more valuable defender at third than Harper is in right, argues Rosenthal, and is just three months older than Harper (both will be 26 in 2018). Machado, who has slashed a videogamelike .323/.397/.634 with 13 home runs in 209 plate appearances this year, has outhit Harper (.243/.423/.537, 12 homers in 201 PAs) and leads all major leaguers in fWAR (3.4).
Here’s more inside info from Rosenthal:
- The Braves will only trade right-hander Julio Teheran if they can get a major league hitter of similar quality and age in return, general manager John Coppolella told Rosenthal. “The days of us trading players like Teheran for prospects are over. We need to get better at the major league level. We would have to be overwhelmed to move Teheran,” Coppolella said. Teheran, 25, is off to a strong start this year (2.57 ERA, 8.43 K/9, 2.43 BB/9 in 63 innings) and is signed to a reasonable contract through 2020.
- Although left-hander Rich Hill looks like an attractive trade candidate, the Athletics could elect to keep the 36-year-old and extend him a qualifying offer at season’s end if nobody makes a satisfactory offer for him. The A’s would then either retain Hill for at least another season at $15.8MM – a significant increase from his current salary of $6MM – or lose him in free agency and receive a first-round pick as compensation.
- Teams are contacting the Padres about southpaw Drew Pomeranz, per Rosenthal, who adds that GM A.J. Preller “remains open-minded” to the idea of moving any of his players. Acquired from the A’s for a pittance during the offseason, Pomeranz has somewhat quietly been terrific this season. With a stingy 1.70 ERA, the 27-year-old is behind only Clayton Kershaw and he ranks 12th among qualified starters in strikeouts per nine innings (10.19), though his lofty 4.25 BB/9 is 10th from the bottom. Pomeranz is currently on a cheap salary of $1.35MM and has two arbitration-eligible years remaining.
If I’m Rich Hill, I’m accepting that QO.
Not if you have a good year and are a top-3 pitcher on the market, which looks pretty likely for Rich. You’d be turning down at least $10m guaranteed.
Either way. He’s 36 and doesn’t have a long track record of this level of pitching. 15.8 might be he best offer he gets
I think more players will start accepting them. Or they should. 1 year playing at 15.8? That’s a dang good payday. Especially compared to what you get withthatdraft pick attached
bsteady powers i.e. Howie Kendrick
No chance, he can do a lot better than that that qualifying offer if he keeps it up.
“Machado is a more valuable defender at third than Harper is in right, argues Rosenthal, and is just three months younger than Harper”
The word “just” serves no purpose here and if anything muddles the point.
I thought the wording was very odd too. He made it sound as if Machado being three months younger than Harper was a bad thing.
He meant to say “just three months OLDER” than Harper which you can see if you click on the player links.
He meant to say “just three months OLDER.”
You’re right, everyone. Sorry I didn’t catch that error sooner, but thanks for the heads up. It’s fixed.
I don’t know Coppy with the Padres snatching up Anderson from the White Sox that may have just upped the snte for Teheran. Teams may come with a package he can’t turn down. Gonna be interesting to see what they can turn Markakis into as the deadline nears.
Unless he can get a package including Gary Sanchez from the Yankees I would just prefer to keep Julio. He seems to be developing into a solid #2 and with Wisler & Blair following behind him and Folty coming around I think with the guys in the minors we have we can make a move for a true #1 that can lead the staff.
Padres haven’t snatched up Anderson, and things don’t work linear in the trade market.
You again. You been trying to trade Tehren to the Yankees for Gary Sanchez and top prospects all year long. We don’t want Tehren, you are rebuilding, keep your back end starter because ultimately that is what he is and your not getting top prospects for him from the Yankees.
we don’t want Yankee prospects either- they’re bad.
FYI: Vizcaino was a NYY prospect — thanks for him.
Good call RunDMC
Have you ever watched Teheran pitch? He’s not a “back end starter”. Trust me we are very happy keeping him and not getting any of your prospects because lord knows we have enough of those
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
By 18 the O’s will have won it or never going too. So even if it’s a mediocre year sell him to the highest bidder and get a kings ransom in prospects. The Yankees will get him signed the year after anyways.
Exactly. Its so sad we won’t be able to keep him.
If this happens, the next game day will be one of the bleakest in Orioles history. That said, I still think the Orioles have a legitimate shot at keeping him. It’ll be tough, but structuring Davis’ contract the way they did leaves room. The only major guys they’ve got under contract beyond 2018 (right now) are Davis and O’Day.
We’ll see, but I do agree that if they don’t win it all by 2018, it’ll at least ten before they contend again.
Preller, the boy genius. Went to the baseball store and bought all the goodies, now he’s selling it all off. And the media couldn’t stop drooling over him.
Oh I was laughing so hard at the media and especially Plesac all but wanting to blow Preller. Where are they now? And some of those morons are like now pretending they were against those moves. Real fans knew he was and is an idiot who killed the Padres trying to build a fantasy baseball team
The A’s will NOT extend a 36 yr old an 15.8 m offer. They rarely pay anyone. Now is not the time to pay that guy, that much. Trade him for a good prospect or 2 now before he lessens his value any
They wouldn’t pay him 15.8 million considering Rich Hill would just turn it down.
If he accepts they can just trade him
Pomeranz is the guy I wish the Sox would trade for, not Shields.
Usually it’s kind of easy to figure out how much trade value a player has, Pomeranz and Hill are a bit different.
I’ll be that guy today I guess.
I don’t know if you use a speech to text thing like one person mentioned or what exactly you’re up to when you type, but if it’s possible for you to format your posts better, we’d all appreciate it as it’d make it easier for us to follow what you’re saying and then we could better discuss these stories with you. Sorry for sort of calling you out on this.
It seems like this would be a much more interesting post to read if the grammar was better and it was properly formatted.
Wait what?
I really don’t know who would be a fit for the Braves and meet Coppy’s criteria for Teheran… George Springer seems pretty on the money. similar age, similar WAR production value…etc I think it will be interesting what happens if Teheran keeps his ERA sub 3.00 around the deadline if someone might bite the bullet and give up a productive ,young MLB bat for him. Guess we will see.
The problem is, a players value is only decided by what the trading GM wants. Dave Stewart, while obviously overpaying, wanted a strong rotation. Grienke, Miller, and Corbin should have been a prominent 1, 2, 3. Obviously has not worked out yet, but it is not like Miller was a rental. I hope he can turn it around and still be a good pitcher (I still root for our players we trade).
Anyway, Teheran will hold as much value as receiving team needs. Same way Hart and Coppy thought Aybar would be a good stopgap until Swanson was ready. Will be interesting as you say, when we get closer to the deadline. I think Braves will make at least one impressive move.
It will be interesting to see what the Braves do at the deadline and this off season as they start building a roster for their new park. I think they’ve had a clear plan for awhile now and will only accept deals that meet their needs. I feel as though they made huge strides stocking the farm and are now in a position to build the “core” of the MLB team for the prospects coming up to complement.
Freeman is obviously staying but I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn down several trades for Teheran or vizcaino because the return doesn’t add to the MLB roster in a substantial enough way and revisit trade talks for each of them in the off season to get a more suitable deal.
To be honest, Teheran and Viz have great contracts, no reason to trade. But if the Buca, Astros, Yanks, or another club with a true top 1B prospect came calling for Freddie, would be fools not to accept. I love FF and hope he returns to what got him the contract, but would not feel bad shedding his $20M/year contract if another pre-arbitration 1B came back to us.
Nobody is going to give a George Springer type for a mid rotation starter
Boston seems like the most likely destination to me. They have a plethora of young good hitters, plenty of depth, and a mediocre rotation.
Travis Shaw lines up well and Bradley has been on the Braves radar for a looooong time.
Shaw and a pitching prospect for Teheran seems like it could really benefit both teams to me. If Price keeps up the good work, Price/Teheran/Wright/Porcello/Owens would be devastating. Braves would fill their massive hole at 3B and have a locked up infield with Albies/Swanson/Freeman.
Castellanos in Detriot makes some sense as well, as does Pederson in LA.
Punctuation?