Zachary Links | MLB Trade Rumors

Follow MLBTR On Instagram

By Zachary Links | February 21, 2016 at 12:19pm CDT

Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched a brand new official Instagram account: @TradeRumorsMLB. Each day, we’re sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in baseball. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend.

On Saturday, immediately after news of the Orioles’ agreement with Yovani Gallardo broke, MLBTR’s Instagram gave fans a sneak peek at what he will look like in his new jersey. Just before that, MLBTR asked readers to predict the landing spots for Yulieski Gurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. a.k.a. the Super Gurriel Bros. Another recent image asked readers to weigh in whether the Orioles would sign Pedro Alvarez or Dexter Fowler or instead trade for Jay Bruce.

So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one. Follow us on Instagram today!

Rangers Interested In Drew Stubbs

By Zachary Links | February 21, 2016 at 11:26am CDT

The Rangers have discussed Drew Stubbs as an outfield depth option, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets. However, Texas only wants to sign him to a minor league deal.

Texas signed Stubbs to a minor league deal back in August after he was cut loose by the Rockies. After slashing .216/.286/.431 across 51 games for the Rockies, Stubbs hit just .095/.269/.143 for Texas in a limited sample size of 26 plate appearances. For his career, Stubbs has hit .244/.313/.395 at the plate across seven years.

Stubbs provided the lefty-heavy Rangers with a useful option down the stretch last season and he could be called back to fill the same role in 2016. Still, the Rangers are not presently willing to give the 31-year-old a guaranteed spot on the varsity squad. We haven’t heard much about Stubbs’ free agency in recent weeks, so an incentive-laden minor league pact might be a good solution for both sides.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Braves, Pirates, Cardinals

By Zachary Links | February 21, 2016 at 9:40am CDT

Here’s our weekly look around the baseball blogosphere:

Atlanta Baseball Talk spoke with John Schuerholz and John Coppolella.
Pirates Breakdown discussed how Jung Ho Kang can affect the Bucs’ run production.
Redbird Rants made five bold predictions for the Cardinals.
Jays From The Couch sat down with Jonathan Harris.
Camden Depot ran the numbers on childhood memories.
Clubhouse Corner chatted with LaTroy Hawkins.
Blue Jay Hunter wonders if Toronto should re-sign Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion.
Big Three Sports reflected on Chris Archer’s 2015.
Inside The ’Zona delved into the D’Backs’ rotation.
Bronx Bomber Blogger ran down ten things for Yanks fans to look forward to.
Outside Pitch highlighted some Yankees storylines to watch.
The Score pondered Barry Bonds’ 2016 value.
Sports Heaven says Starlin Castro should change positions.
The Shark Tank talked Bucs NRIs.
Blue Jays Plus says Michael Saunders makes Toronto even better.
Chin Music Baseball says six teams are facing major pressure to win.
Chris Zantow wrote about former reliever Ken Sanders.
Philliedelphia debated the Wall of Fame.
BBA projected the top five save leaders in each league.
TPOP updated their Prospect Surplus Values for 2016.
Wayniac Nation wonders if the Angels should move Mike Trout.
Notes From The Sally previewed the 2016 Hickory Crawdads.
Motor City Bengals wonders if J.D. Martinez can get any better.
Baseball MTJAG discussed the big Cuban free agents.
Gardy Goes Yardy ran down the Bombers’ pitching options.
Now On Deck is thrilled that baseball is back.
Pinstriped Prospects looked at five Bombers prospects who could debut in ’16.
Jays Journal broke down Toronto’s left field battle.
Baseball Essential says Rob Refsnyder is undervalued.
Baseball Hot Corner interviewed Blue Jays top prospect Conner Greene.

Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com

Follow MLBTR On Instagram

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2016 at 2:59pm CDT

Shortly after the Diamondbacks signed Tyler Clippard to a two-year, $12.25MM contract, we gave fans an early look at how he’ll look in the club’s Throwback Thursday uniforms. Ditto for hurler Mat Latos as we put together a sneak peak of how he might look in a White Sox jersey. Speaking of the White Sox, we offered up a creative take on their interest in Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier.

So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one. Follow us on Instagram today!

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Almora, Bard

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2016 at 1:09pm CDT

Here’s a look at the NL Central:

Carrie Muskat of MLB.com ran down six Cubs prospects to keep an eye on this spring. Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, and Kyle Schwarber made their presence felt in 2015 and there are a handful of youngsters that could make an impact in 2016 for Chicago. That list includes outfielder Albert Almora, the Cubs’ first round selection in 2012. Almora has been held back by injuries, but the 21-year-old is now healthy and he’ll open the season at Triple-A Iowa.
Daniel Bard believes that he’ll get the fresh start that he needs with the Pirates, as Adam Berry of MLB.com writes. “What I like about being here is I don’t know anybody. Basically, I’m going to get what I deserve here,” Bard said. “What I do on the field is going to dictate who I’m pitching for and where I’m going, and I’m fine with that.” Bard, Boston’s first-round pick in the 2006 Draft, dominated from 2009 through 2011. However, he hasn’t been the same pitcher since. In that three year stretch, Bard posted a 2.88 ERA in a considerably more hitter-friendly era than today’s game even a few short years later. That 2.88 ERA, when adjusted for the league and Bard’s home of Fenway Park, resulted in a 154 ERA+, indicating that he was 54 percent better than a league-average pitcher. He averaged 9.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in that time to go along with a well-above-average ground-ball rate and a fastball that averaged better than 97 mph. Bard and the Bucs agreed to a minor league deal back in January.
Over the weekend, the A’s acquired outfielder Khris Davis from the Brewers in exchange for prospects Jacob Nottingham and Bubba Derby. Click here to check out some reactions to the deal and the impact it could have on Oakland and Milwaukee.

MLBTR Originals

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2016 at 11:50am CDT

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

On the latest edition of the MLBTR Podcast, host Jeff Todd and MLBTR’s Steve Adams broke down the latest chatter around the Orioles — in particular, the club’s reported interest in qualifying offer-bound free agents Yovani Gallardo and Dexter Fowler. Then, they talk through some of their most and least-liked, under-the-radar moves of the winter thus far. A new episode of the podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
John Baker, former Major League catcher for the Marlins, Padres, and Cubs, made his writing debut for MLBTR. John, a veteran of seven big league seasons, was hired by the Cubs in December in the role of baseball operations assistant. In his first piece for MLBTR, Baker wrote about the lead-up to Spring Training.
We’re in mid-February and there are still three qualifying offer free agents left on the board. Recently, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk asked readers to predict which of the three QO players will be the last to sign: Ian Desmond, Dexter Fowler, or Yovani Gallardo? More than half of you predicted that Desmond will be the last player to put pen-to-paper.
In the latest edition of the MLBTR Mailbag, Steve fielded your questions on the Gurriel brothers, the White Sox, the Orioles’ pitching depth, Pedro Alvarez, and much more.
On Tuesday, Steve hosted a chat for MLBTR readers and touched on topics such as Mat Latos’ deal, Josh Donaldson’s new two-year pact, Juan Uribe’s future, and more.
In Thursday’s chat, Jeff answered questions regarding J.P. Crawford’s eventual call-up, the remainder of the Dodgers’ offseason, and scary futuristic robot umpires.

Latest On Marlins, Jose Fernandez

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2016 at 10:33am CDT

The Marlins are “under the impression” that Jose Fernandez’s representation will be seeking $30MM per year when the pitcher hits the open market, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Marlins have no intention of meeting that number and, therefore, they have made peace with the fact that they will not retain him past 2018. Of course, the Marlins could also trade the young hurler before the 2018/19 offseason and get something in return rather than lose him for nothing.

Monetary problems aside, there are also some issues between Fernandez and team management. For starters, a friend of Fernandez tells Jackson that the pitcher was bothered by the team’s trades last summer. The Marlins made a number of deals in July, including trades that shipped out notables like Sam Dyson, Dan Haren, Mat Latos, Michael Morse, and Steve Cishek.

Fernandez was also bothered by the removal of pitching coach Chuck Hernandez, who has since been replaced by Juan Nieves, according to the friend. On the whole, the source close to Fernandez contends that ex-Marlins player Jeff Baker soured Fernandez – and other players – on the Marlins’ front office.

A Fernandez trade could bring back a significant haul of prospects for the Marlins, but the Wei-Yin Chen signing this winter would indicate that the Marlins are hoping to contend in the immediate future. Chen’s five-year, $80MM deal includes an opt-out after two seasons, giving the Marlins a strong rotation arm to pair with Fernandez for the next two years at least. Then again, a Fernandez trade could bring back a mix of prospects and MLB-ready talent, so the Marlins wouldn’t necessarily be signing up for a rebuild if they moved him.

Fernandez won NL Rookie of the Year in 2013 when he pitched to a 2.19 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 28 starts. Since then, Fernandez has made a combined 19 big league starts, pitching to a 2.71 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 between 2014 and 2015.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Blair, Blue Jays, Yankees

By Zachary Links | February 14, 2016 at 9:15am CDT

Here’s our weekly look around the baseball blogosphere:

Clubhouse Corner spoke with new Braves pitcher Aaron Blair.
Same Page Team went 25 Deep with the Blue Jays.
Pinstriped Prospects spoke with Yankees prospect Chance Adams.
M.C. Antil reflected on the life of Harry Caray.
MLB Reports advocates for marijuana in baseball.
Inside The ’Zona wonders what the D’Backs will do from here.
Redbird Rants wonders if Yadier Molina is HOF material.
Big Three Sports wonders what happened to Tim Lincecum.
Jays From The Couch says this is make-or-break for Steve Delabar.
L.A. Dodger Report is ready for a boring spring training.
Dynasty Digest says the Astros have the brightest future in MLB.
Chin Music Baseball says the Astros are proof that you must be committed in order to rebuild.
TPOP ran down arbitration percentages.
Camden Depot wonders what’s up with Yovani Gallardo’s slider/cutter.
Baseball Essential wonders what a Gallardo deal might look like.
Motor City Bengals says the Tigers need one more quality reliever.
Outside Pitch looked at the Yankees’ NRIs.
Gardy Goes Yardy is dreaming about Yulieski Gourriel in NY.
Notes From The Sally previewed the Hagerstown Suns.
BBA says the White Sox need either Dexter Fowler of Ian Desmond.
Wayniac Nation wonders if Carlos Beltran will go to Cooperstown.
Puckett’s Pond talked Jermaine Palacios.
Philliedelphia wonders what the Phillies’ starting five will look like.
The Runner Sports entered Bizarro world.
Blue Jays Plus says a new swing can help Kevin Pillar.
Brew Crew Ball talks ZiPS and the Brewers.
Baseball Hot Corner says everything is riding on Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval.
Jays Journal wrote about Toronto’s weak farm system.
About Sports discussed Boston’s bullpen.

Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Blue Jays, Pirates, Segura

By Zachary Links | February 7, 2016 at 8:15am CDT

Here’s our weekly look around the baseball blogosphere:

Jays From The Couch interviewed Tayler Saucedo.
TPOP determines the Pirates Trade Value rankings of assets in the organization.
Inside The ’Zona ran down Jean Segura’s pros and cons.
Philliesdelphia says catcher J.P. Arencibia could surprise in Spring Training.
Chin Music Baseball ran down the most questionable moves of the offseason.
Swingin A’s analyzed Fangraphs’ analysis of the A’s.
Camden Depot has a primer on Odrisamer Despaigne.
Yankees Unscripted wonders if Brett Gardner will remain a valuable commodity.
Big Three Sports discussed Curt Casali.
Pirates Breakdown talked Gerrit Cole’s slider.
Gardy Goes Yardy crunched the numbers on keeping Mark Teixeira.
Outside Pitch MLB feels Dansby Swanson could be this year’s Carlos Correa.
L.A. Dodger Report is now on board with the Howie Kendrick deal.
MLB Reports also feels the Kendrick signing was wise for the Dodgers.
Innings Eaters says keeping Jose Bautista could backfire on the Jays.
A’s Farm ran down it’s top 10 list for 2016.
Clubhouse Corner says Christian Arroyo is California Dreamin’ to MLB.
The Runner got an exclusive with Bugs Bunny.
The First Out At Third is confused by the Brewers’ trade.
Redbird Rants delved into Lazarito.
Think Blue PC noted the advancement of Jacob Rhame.
Baseball Hot Corner wonders if Troy Tulowitzki can win the AL MVP.
BBA ponders what the Yankees should do sans Greg Bird.
Dynasty Digest says Bryce Harper would look good in pinstripes.
Blue Jays Plus says Toronto can afford extensions for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
Notes From The Sally previewed the Greenville Drive.
Wayniac Nation wonders if Tim Lincecum is a good fit with the Yankees

Please send submissions to Zach Links at ZachBBWI@gmail.com

MLBTR Originals

By Zachary Links | January 31, 2016 at 2:47pm CDT

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

On this week’s edition of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast, host Jeff Todd spoke with Brewers GM David Stearns. Stearns covered an array of topics, including the team’s efforts to acquire controllable talent, the status of veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy, and what he’s hoping for out of the 2016 season. A new episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
This winter, we’ve seen three hitters sign nine-figure contracts. This week, Charlie Wilmoth asked readers to pick the best of the bunch between Jason Heyward’s (Cubs; $184MM), Chris Davis (Orioles; $161MM), and Justin Upton’s ($132.75MM; Tigers). Ultimately, MLBTR readers decided that Heyward (~44%) had the most sensible deal of the three, followed by Upton (~39%) and Davis (~17%).
As we head into February, outfielder Dexter Fowler remains available. Fowler is yet to turn 30, is capable of playing up the middle, and has consistently produced at the plate. Since the start of 2013, Fowler owns a 112 OPS+, and he swatted a career-best 17 long balls last year. Still, the presence of the qualifying offer has clearly hampered his market. Days ago, Jeff asked MLBTR readers to predict where Fowler will land. Click here to check out the results.
In his chat on Tuesday, MLBTR’s Steve Adams fielded questions on Tim Lincecum, Carlos Gonzalez, and much more.
In Thursday’s chat, Jeff answered your questions regarding the A’s, Brett Gardner, Austin Jackson, Doug Fister, and more.
Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched our official Instagram account: @TradeRumorsMLB. Each day, we’re sharing images about the hottest topics in baseball. We invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments, and even pass the link on to a friend. Follow us on Instagram today!

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