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White Sox, Yankees Among Teams With Interest In Jose Quintana

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The White Sox and Yankees are among the clubs expressing interest in Pirates starter José Quintana, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The veteran southpaw is almost certain to change teams as a fairly productive impending free agent on the fourth-place Bucs.

Chicago is plenty familiar with Quintana, of course. The Colombian-born hurler began his big league career with the South Siders and spent essentially all of his prime seasons there. One of the sport’s best pitchers at his peak, Quintana worked 200+ innings with an ERA of 3.51 or lower each season from 2013-16. The Sox flipped him across town in a 2017 blockbuster that netted them Dylan Cease and Eloy Jiménez from the Cubs.

Since leaving the White Sox, Quintana has posted more up-and-down production. He’s generally looked like a competent but unexciting back-of-the-rotation arm, excepting last season when he spent a good chunk of the year in the bullpen. Quintana has returned to the rotation full-time since signing with Pittsburgh, taking 19 turns and working 97 1/3 innings. At just a bit more than five frames per start, the 33-year-old has had a relatively sheltered workload. The Pirates have allowed him to face a batter for the third time in an outing on just 68 occasions all season.

While Quintana hasn’t been counted on as a prototypical innings eater, he’s been generally effective on a rate basis. He owns a 3.70 ERA, his lowest mark since his final full season with the White Sox. Quintana has a modest 20.7% strikeout rate, but he’s induced swinging strikes on a slightly above-average 11.1% of his pitches. After an uncharacteristic spike in walks last season, he’s again demonstrating his more typical strong control (7.1% walk percentage).

Quintana won’t be the most exciting player on the move this summer, but there’s value for contenders in stability at the back of the rotation. The White Sox have gotten ace-level production from Cease, and minor league signee Johnny Cueto has provided an invaluable 2.72 ERA through 12 starts. However, the Sox have gotten underwhelming work from Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn. Hard-throwing righty Michael Kopech has shown well in moving from the bullpen to the rotation, but his 83 innings are already past last year’s 69 1/3 frames. Pitching coach Ethan Katz pushed back against the idea that Kopech will be on any sort of innings limit this evening (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). Nevertheless, there’s room for another arm capable of reducing some of the pressure on Kopech, particularly with Vince Velasquez on the injured list due to blister trouble.

The Yankees are also familiar with Quintana, although he’s never suited up for them in the major leagues. He spent three years in their minor league system before making his MLB debut, departing as a minor league free agent after the 2011 campaign. Of course, the far more relevant concern for general manager Brian Cashman and his staff would be to fortify the depth of a rotation that recently lost Luis Severino to a lat strain. The Yankees rotation has been very good overall but middle-of-the-pack over the past month, with Jameson Taillon particularly struggling of late. As with the White Sox, New York probably wouldn’t look to Quintana to supplant anyone in their top five, but rather as a swing option who can add some stability behind that group.

Quintana should have a fairly broad range of appeal to pitching-needy clubs, as he’s affordable. He’s playing this season on just a $2MM base salary, around $800K of which remains owed. That’s a marginal sum, no doubt intriguing with the White Sox and Yankees each looking to bolster rosters that are already running franchise-record payrolls.

Draft Signings: Padres, A’s, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks

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A few more high draft picks have agreed to terms within the past day. We’ll round up today’s news here:

  • The Padres are in agreement with #15 overall pick Dylan Lesko, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). The right-hander will receive a $3.9MM signing bonus that checks in a bit shy of the selection’s $4.09MM slot value. Lesko, a 6’3″ hurler from a Georgia high school, was rated by Baseball America as the #13 prospect in the class. Widely regarded as the draft’s top pitcher for much of the spring, Lesko required Tommy John surgery in April. That perhaps cost him an opportunity to go in the top ten, but he still went midway through the first round and received a strong bonus to bypass a commitment to Vanderbilt. Aside from the injury and the inherent risk associated with any high school hurler, there’s little in Lesko’s profile to nitpick. Before the surgery, he’d run his fastball into the mid-90s with a changeup that BA calls “one of the best the industry has seen from a high school pitcher,” along with a high-spin curveball. He adds a high-upside arm to the lower levels of the San Diego system, although it remains to be seen how much he’ll be able to pitch before the end of next season.
  • The A’s are in agreement with #19 selection Daniel Susac, Callis reports (on Twitter). The former University of Arizona catcher receives a $3.5312MM bonus that matches the slot value. The righty-hitting backstop, ranked the #11 player in the class by Baseball America, is coming off a massive .366/.430/.582 showing through 312 plate appearances during his second season with the Wildcats. He’s regarded as a bat-first backstop with good pull-side power, but both BA and Callis suggest he’s a good enough receiver to stick behind the plate, where his plus arm strength will be an asset. Susac’s older brother Andrew Susac spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the Giants, Brewers, Orioles and Pirates.
  • The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with first-round pick Brandon Barriera, reports Callis (Twitter link). The left-hander out of a Florida high school receives a $3.5975MM bonus that checks in a fair bit north of the $3.08MM slot value associated with the #23 pick. Barriera, who is also foregoing a Vanderbilt commitment, is a 5’11” hurler who can run his fastball into the mid-90s. He was ranked by Baseball America as the #17 player in the class, and both BA and Callis credit him with a possible plus slider and note he was among the top southpaws available.
  • The Diamondbacks have come to terms with right-hander Landon Sims, Callis reports (Twitter link). It’s a $2.34705MM bonus for the Mississippi State product, right around the slot value for the #34 overall pick. Sims was a lights-out closer for the Bulldogs in 2021, tossing 56 1/3 innings of 1.44 ERA ball with an otherworldly 46.9% strikeout rate to help MSU to a national title. The team attempted to transition him to the rotation this spring, but Sims blew out just three starts in and required Tommy John surgery. The injury has kept Sims from establishing any sort of track record as a starter, but both Callis and BA praise his mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider. He was the #35 prospect in the class, according to Baseball America.
  • In addition to Lesko, the Padres are in agreement with their second-highest selection. Callis reports (on Twitter) that #39 pick Robby Snelling has agreed to terms on a $3MM bonus that shatters the $2MM slot value. Snelling was generally seen as a mid-late first round talent, and his bonus is commensurate with that view. A left-handed pitcher from a Nevada high school, he was rated by BA as the #21 prospect in the class. Both Callis and BA credit Snelling with one of the better curveballs in the draft, and the latter outlet suggests he has a chance to develop plus control. Snelling had been committed to LSU.

Diamondbacks Select Chris Devenski

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The Diamondbacks selected reliever Chris Devenski onto the major league roster shortly before tonight’s game against the Giants. Keynan Middleton was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right ankle strain. Arizona already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster.

If he gets into a game, it’ll be the first big league action of the year for the right-hander. Devesnki has spent much of the season on the minor league injured list recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent last June, but he’s returned lately to make six appearances for Triple-A Reno. He’s allowed six runs in 7 1/3 frames, largely thanks to a trio of longballs surrendered, but he’s punched out nine against just two walks.

Devenski made eight appearances with the Snakes before suffering the elbow injury. Before last season, the Cal State Fullerton product had spent his entire MLB career with the Astros. He debuted as an excellent multi-inning weapon, working 189 innings of 2.38 ERA ball through his first two seasons. The past few years have been a struggle, however, as he has a 5.09 mark across 127 1/3 frames going back to the start of the 2018 campaign.

Marlins Open To Trade Offers On Pablo Lopez, Looking To Upgrade Offense

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The Marlins have stumbled out of the All-Star Break, dropping three of their first five contests against below-.500 teams in the Rangers, Pirates and Reds. Paired with a three-game sweep at the hands of the division-rival Phillies to close out the season’s unofficial first half, Miami has dropped six of eight before tonight’s contest with Cincinnati.

Sitting 45-51 and 5 1/2 games out of the National League’s final Wild Card spot, the Marlins look increasingly unlikely to compete for a postseason berth. That’s particularly true with the news that the club’s best position player, Jazz Chisholm Jr., won’t return until September at the earliest due to a stress fracture in his back. In the face of those mounting odds, general manager Kim Ng and her staff are apparently willing to consider dealing notable players from the major league roster.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweeted this afternoon that the Fish are willing to listen to offers on everyone other than ace Sandy Alcantara. It’s hard to imagine Miami trading Chisholm since he’s controllable through 2026 and currently on the injured list, but it seems the bulk of the team could be available. Aside from Alcantara and Chisholm, perhaps no one else on the roster would draw more interest than starter Pablo López. While Miami hasn’t previously shown much appetite for dealing López, Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald report that the Marlins are now willing to hear offers on the 26-year-old righty. According to Jackson and Mish, the Fish aren’t actively shopping López, but they’re “no longer dismissing calls” from interested teams.

Assuming Ng and her staff are willing to seriously consider offers on López, he’d be one of the top options available for rotation-needy clubs. After missing most of the second half of last season due to a shoulder injury, he’s stayed healthy this year to take 20 starts. López owns a 3.03 ERA with an above-average 25.5% strikeout rate, a stingy 7.6% walk percentage and a solid 47.4% ground-ball rate. It’s the continuation of a few excellent years for the Venezuelan-born hurler, who has posted a sub-4.00 ERA with better than average strikeout and walk rates in each of the past three seasons.

López is only in his first season of arbitration-eligibility. He’s making an affordable $2.45MM salary, around $974K of which is still to be paid before the end of the season. That’s affordable enough for every club, and López comes with an additional two seasons of control before he can hit free agency after the 2024 campaign. He’s both cheaper and under a longer window of control than any of Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle or Frankie Montas — the three hurlers who have generally been viewed as the top rotation trade candidates on the market.

There’s no need for Ng and her front office to force a deal given that extended window of club control, but they could view this as an opportunity to move him at the peak of his trade value. The Herald writes that the Marlins have not engaged López’s representatives at Excel Sports Management about a possible extension. Miami also has a fair bit of rotation depth and is looking for opportunities to invigorate an offense that carried a meager .238/.302/.376 line into play tonight.

Jackson and Mish write that the Marlins would like to add a left-handed power hitter for the 2023 lineup. Whether that’d come directly in a López deal is unclear — it’s rare for contenders to trade off their big league roster to address another area — but an openness to dealing away one of their top arms while searching for ways to add a controllable hitter suggests Ng and her staff aren’t approaching the deadline as a strict “buyer” or “seller.” Rather, it seems they’ll be one of a handful of teams — the Red Sox, Rangers, Angels and Orioles could be others — approaching the deadline more flexibly, recognizing that competing in 2022 is a longshot while still searching for ways to preemptively add to next year’s roster.

Of course, the rotation depth that could make the Marlins more amenable to parting with López has also been hit hard by injuries. Former top prospect Sixto Sánchez hasn’t thrown a major league pitch in two years. Jesús Luzardo and Edward Cabrera have been on the injured list for months, and rookie Max Meyer joined them over the weekend after leaving the second start of his MLB career with elbow discomfort.

In a worrisome development, Jackson and Mish report that Tommy John surgery could be on the table for Meyer. The team is still awaiting the results of a recent MRI before determining whether surgery will be required, but a UCL reconstruction would likely cost him all of the 2023 season. Miami is certainly hoping the electric 23-year-old will be able to avoid that fate; the club figures to provide an update on the righty’s status in the coming days.

Whether Meyer eventually goes under the knife or not, the injury serves as a reminder that even teams with a seeming surplus of starting pitching can see that depth thinned out rather quickly. Indeed, Miami’s rotation has largely been propelled by excellent seasons from Alcantara and López. 2021 breakout southpaw Trevor Rogers has had a disappointing follow-up campaign, and the back of the rotation has been hit by the aforementioned injuries along with a woeful showing from Elieser Hernández, who found himself demoted to the bullpen.

If Miami follows through on dealing some veterans, López wouldn’t be the only player on the roster to attract interest. MLBTR examined a few of the club’s other possible trade candidates last week. First baseman/designated hitter Garrett Cooper has a season and a half of remaining control and is hitting .279/.347/.426 on the year. He landed on the 10-day injured list due to a right wrist contusion this afternoon, but he indicated he expects to return when first eligible on August 3 (link via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). He won’t play again before next Tuesday’s trade deadline, but injured players are able to be dealt, and it stands to reason other clubs will look past the injury if Cooper’s likely to return next week.

Brian Anderson and Jon Berti each looked like potential trade candidates, but they’re on the IL themselves. Anderson suffered a shoulder injury over the weekend, while Berti has yet to begin a rehab assignment after hurting his groin a little less than two weeks ago. They seem less likely than Cooper to be dealt given their longer-term recovery timelines.

Miami also has a handful of veteran relievers who could change hands. Right-hander Anthony Bass is controllable next season via $3MM club option, but he should draw interest with a 1.51 ERA through 41 2/3 innings on the year. Southpaws Steven Okert and Tanner Scott have missed plenty of bats and are controllable for multiple seasons beyond 2022, although each has struggled with his control. Richard Bleier is a more stable ground-ball specialist from the left side, while Dylan Floro is a righty with a broadly similar profile as Bleier.

Padres Notes: Gore, Tatis, Pomeranz, Suarez

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The Padres placed left-hander MacKenzie Gore on the 15-day injured list this afternoon, announcing he’s dealing with elbow inflammation. Righty Dinelson Lamet has been recalled from Triple-A El Paso to take his spot on the active roster.

San Diego received a scare when Gore departed last night’s outing due to elbow soreness. The prized young hurler told reporters today he feels alright, but the club won’t know much about his long-term status until he heads for further testing (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). In any event, at least a brief IL stint seemed an inevitability after yesterday’s premature exit, even if just as a precaution.

Gore made his major league debut earlier in the year and has had a generally impressive rookie season. The 23-year-old posted a 4.27 ERA through 13 starts, but he’s kicked to the bullpen recently as the club keeps an eye on his innings. He’ll now miss at least the next two weeks, opening up a spot for Lamet. The right-hander has been tagged for 13 runs in 10 2/3 innings of relief this season, bouncing between San Diego and El Paso on options and recalls. The Friars sought a trade partner for Lamet — who’s making $4.775MM — earlier in the year, and it stands to reason the front office will continue trying to move him before next Tuesday’s deadline.

While the Gore news is certainly worrisome for the Friars, they have gotten positive updates on a few other players. The most notable is that star shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. progressed to taking live batting practice this afternoon (video provided by Dennis Lin of the Athletic). It’s the latest notable step in the recovery for Tatís, who has missed the entire season due to a fracture in his wrist. The timetable for his return to major league action is still uncertain, but he’s on track to impact the club’s hopeful playoff push at some point down the stretch.

That’s also true of a pair of potential high-leverage relievers. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who has been out for almost a full calendar year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon, has been throwing to hitters of late. Manager Bob Melvin indicated he could soon head out on a minor league rehab assignment (as relayed by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Meanwhile, offseason signee Robert Suarez is embarking on a rehab stint of his own today, per Acee. The hard-throwing righty has been on the shelf since June 7 due to a right knee issue, but it seems he’s on track to return around when first eligible early next month.

Giants Designate Angel Rondon For Assignment

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The Giants have designated right-hander Angel Rondón for assignment, Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic was among those to relay. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for infielder Tommy La Stella, who is back after a stint on the COVID-19 injured list.

San Francisco nabbed Rondón off waivers from the Cardinals two weeks ago, and he’s made just two Triple-A appearances since that point. He’ll now lose his roster spot and perhaps never appear in a big league game with the Giants, as he’ll either be traded or waived within the next week.

Rondón, a 24-year-old righty, has three big league appearances under his belt. He tossed two frames over two outings last season, and he’s made one five-inning relief appearance with St. Louis this year. He’s spent the majority of the year in Triple-A, working as a swing option for the Cardinals top affiliate in Memphis. Rondón threw 49 innings in 18 appearances (five starts) there, posting a 4.04 ERA with a decent 24.2% strikeout percentage but an elevated 15.3% walk rate.

This is the second of three minor league option years for Rondón, so any team that acquires him could stash him in Triple-A as a depth arm for the next season and a half. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he’d remain with the Giants top affiliate in Sacramento as a non-roster player.

Astros Exploring Catching Market, Have Discussed Willson Contreras With Cubs

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The Astros have been linked to Josh Bell a few times in recent days, but the Nationals first baseman isn’t the only rental bat on Houston’s radar. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Astros have been in contact with the Cubs about catcher Willson Contreras.

More broadly, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote this morning that Houston is looking into ways to add to the catching corps before next Tuesday’s trade deadline. The Astros have been without veteran backup Jason Castro for nearly a month, and manager Dusty Baker indicated over the weekend that Castro wasn’t progressing as hoped (via team field reporter Julia Morales). That has left the club relying on rookie Korey Lee to back up Martín Maldonado. Lee is one of the better prospects in the Houston farm system, but he’s struggled this year in his first extended crack at Triple-A.

Of course, there are myriad ways in which the Houston front office could address the catching group. If they’re committed to keeping Maldonado as the primary backstop, then a veteran depth option in the Tucker Barnhart mold could suffice. The Tigers would certainly be open to moving the impending free agent for a minimal prospect return.

Contreras, on the other hand, would require sending significant talent back to Chicago. He’s a virtual lock to change uniforms within the next week. Because MLB and the Players Association didn’t agree to an international draft, the qualifying offer system for free agents is set to remain in place. The Cubs could theoretically hold Contreras and recoup a draft pick once he signs elsewhere next winter, but they’re far likelier to land a more valuable return via trade.

Maldonado, who has started 70 of Houston’s 97 games behind the plate, is beloved in the clubhouse for his management of the pitching staff. He’s never been a good hitter, though, and his .237 on-base percentage is the fifth-lowest mark among 260 hitters with 200+ plate appearances on the season. Maldonado has also rated as a below-average pitch framer and overall defender in the eyes of public metrics this season. The Astros clearly believe he brings immense intangible value, but there’s room on paper for an upgrade.

Of course, if the Astros want to keep Maldonado behind the plate, they could make room for Contreras’ bat at other positions. The Cubs backstop has long been regarded as a bat-first catcher. He’s made strides from a pitch framing perspective in recent seasons, improving from one of the league’s worst-rated framers to roughly average in that regard. Passan notes, however, that some contenders have expressed concern about Contreras’ ability to manage a new pitching staff quickly — not an uncommon refrain for catchers who are dealt midseason. Contreras is talented enough a hitter than an acquiring team could plug him in more frequently at first base and/or designated hitter than at catcher for the season’s final few months while still upgrading their offense.

Houston has Yordan Álvarez at DH, although he’s seen sporadic time in left field as well. The clearer path for an offensive upgrade is at first base, where Yuli Gurriel has a disappointing .234/.287/.384 season line. Bell would be a more obvious direct replacement for Gurriel, but it’s not out of the question teams could eye Contreras — owner of a career-best .258/.373/.470 slash — as an option to rotate between DH, first base and catcher rather than as a full-time backstop.

The Astros aren’t the only team in contact with the Cubs about Contreras, of course. The Mets have been tied to him for a few weeks, and both Passan and Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated suggest today he remains a viable target for New York. Ragazzo reports that New York and the Cubs have discussed trade frameworks involving Contreras and Cubs closer David Robertson in a package deal that would send multiple prospects back to Chicago. Ragazzo adds that Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty — the top two prospects in the system in Baseball America’s most recent Top 100 — would be off the table. The only other Mets farmhand to make BA’s top 100 is outfielder Alex Ramirez, but players like Matt Allan, Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos have been in the recent Top 100 mix for various prospect outlets.

Tigers Open To Trade Offers On Tarik Skubal

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The Tigers have informed rival teams they’re willing to consider trade offers on breakout starter Tarik Skubal, report Ken Rosenthal and Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic. The 25-year-old southpaw marks a fascinating new entrant into the summer trade market with the deadline exactly one week away.

Detroit being willing to listen to offers on Skubal certainly doesn’t mean he’s destined to change teams. Rather, it seems the Tigers are generally taking a wide-open approach to the deadline as they weather another non-competitive season. One rival executive tells the Athletic the Detroit front office has signaled “that just about everyone is available.” It seems likely general manager Al Avila and his front office are fielding offers on virtually the entire roster more as a matter of due diligence than in an effort to earnestly ship out possible long-term core pieces like Skubal.

Even if a trade coming together over the next week remains a longshot, it’s noteworthy the Detroit front office seemingly won’t dismiss offers on Skubal out of hand. There’s certainly no urgency for the Tigers to deal him. Skubal remains controllable through the end of the 2026 season, and he won’t even qualify for arbitration until the end of next year. Avila and his staff would have to be overwhelmed with an offer to pull the trigger. Even with all hopes of competing this season dashed, the Tigers anticipate getting back into the playoff mix during Skubal’s window of club control — perhaps as soon as next year.

The Tigers have been rebuilding for essentially the entirety of Avila’s tenure atop the front office. Their last playoff berth came in 2014, and they’re on their way to a sixth straight losing record. They expected to be more competitive this season, but they’ve been hit with a laundry list of absences on the pitching side and a virtually unanimous underperformance from the lineup.

Skubal has been one of the lone bright spots, as he’s looked like a possible top-of-the-rotation starter at his best. The Seattle University product has posted a 3.88 ERA across 106 2/3 innings. He’s punched out an above-average 25.5% of opponents, limited walks to a stingy 6.2% clip and induced grounders on a solid 47.8% of batted balls. Skubal has averaged north of 94 MPH on his fastball and induced swinging strikes on 12% of his offerings, the 14th-best rate among 52 starters with 100+ innings. Those numbers alone are strong, but the 6’3″ hurler looked like a bona fide ace through the season’s first two months. He carried a 2.44 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout percentage through the end of May before scuffling in June.

Even if Skubal is more of a mid-rotation type than the #1-caliber arm he resembled earlier in the year, he’s still a plenty valuable player. The Tigers have envisioned coming out of their rebuild with a star-studded rotation anchored around Skubal, former top ten picks Casey Mize and Matt Manning, free agent signee Eduardo Rodríguez,and Spencer Turnbull. Each of Mize and Manning has had their 2022 season more or less wiped out by injury to this point, and the former underwent Tommy John surgery and is likely to miss most of next year as a result. Rodríguez has been out for a while attending to a personal matter. Turnbull was always expected to be out for the bulk of the year after undergoing his own TJS last summer. That’s left Skubal as the sole healthy, reliable member of the rotation for much of the year, and the Tigers could build around him for 2023 and beyond.

At the same time, there’s little harm for the front office in at least evaluating all options. Skubal’s control window and affordability means virtually every team could eye him as a possible trade target. Clubs don’t have to be in the mix for the playoffs this year to look into his availability, since he’d still be controllable for an additional four seasons.

Teams like the Orioles and Rangers, for instance, are unlikely to reach the postseason this year (although Baltimore has hung around the Wild Card race), but have been mentioned as teams that could simultaneously look to move players on shorter-term deals while trying to acquire pitchers controllable beyond this season. In a separate piece, Rosenthal wrote this morning that Texas is continuing to seek a controllable starter before the deadline. Skubal fits the bill, and while there’s been no indication Texas has yet contacted the Detroit front office about the young hurler, it wouldn’t be a surprise if that were the case.

While the Tigers may be open to offers on Skubal and other players with extended control windows, Avila and his staff figure to be much more motivated to part with some shorter-term veterans. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored this month, relievers like Andrew Chafin, Joe Jiménez, Michael Fulmer and Gregory Soto should draw plenty of calls from contenders. Robbie Grossman and Tucker Barnhart are impending free agents and would surely be available, although neither veteran is having a good season. That’s also true of third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who is controllable through next year via arbitration.

Tigers Sign Daniel Norris, Jacob Barnes To Minor League Deals

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The Tigers announced agreement with relievers Daniel Norris and Jacob Barnes on minor league contracts. Detroit also confirmed the signing of righty Chi Chi González to a non-roster deal, which was first reported over the weekend. Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reported (Twitter links) both of today’s signings before the club announcement.

Norris and Barnes have each previously been members of the organization. The former spent six seasons in Detroit. Acquired from the Blue Jays as the centerpiece of the David Price deadline deal in 2015, Norris spent his first few years in the rotation. His tenure was up-and-down, and the Tigers kicked him to the bullpen starting with the shortened 2020 campaign. The left-hander posted a 3.25 ERA through 27 2/3 frames as a multi-inning type that year. Norris struggled to keep runs off the board in the first half of the following season, but he had impressive enough strikeout and ground-ball numbers the Brewers acquired him for pitching prospect Reese Olson last summer.

That deal didn’t pan out for Milwaukee, as Norris’ ERA never bounced back. He qualified for free agency and signed a $1.75MM guarantee with the Cubs this spring. The 29-year-old tossed 30 innings for the North Siders but allowed nearly seven earned runs per nine. He struck out an excellent 32.1% of opponents, but a lofty 15.7% walk percentage and marked home run issues led Chicago to release him last week. The Tigers would only owe Norris the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum salary if he makes it back to the majors.

Barnes was a Tiger as recently as last month. The right-hander broke camp with Detroit and made 22 appearances, managing only a 6.10 ERA across 20 2/3 frames. Typically a high-strikeout arm, Barnes generated swinging strikes on a meager 7.7% of his offerings this season. The Tigers cut him loose last month. The 32-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Mariners, briefly reached the majors but didn’t make an appearance, and was then outrighted off Seattle’s roster. He elected free agency and now returns to his first organization of the season in hopes of getting back to the big leagues.

González has already suited up for two MLB teams this year. He began the season on a non-roster pact with the division-rival Twins, making a pair of starts. The Brewers claimed him off waivers and deployed him four times before outrighting him off the roster. The 30-year-old has a 6.87 ERA in 18 1/3 big league innings this season, although he posted a much more palatable 3.44 mark in Triple-A. Unlike Morris and Barnes, González can serve as rotation depth.

The additions to the pitching depth come at a time when the Tigers are widely expected to move multiple hurlers off the big league staff. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored, veteran relievers Andrew Chafin, Michael Fulmer and Joe Jiménez are among the league’s more obvious candidates to change teams before next Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Red Sox Reportedly Listening To Offers For J.D. Martinez

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As the Red Sox continue to flounder through the month of July, there are increasing levels of speculation that Boston could sell off some short-term veterans — even if they continue to opportunistically look to add longer-term pieces who’ll help in 2023 and beyond. To that end, ESPN’s Buster Olney said on today’s Baseball Tonight podcast that designated hitter J.D. Martinez “is out in the trade market.” Boston was recently swept by the division-rival Blue Jays, dropping them to 17 games back in the AL East and three back in the Wild Card chase.

The 34-year-old Martinez (35 next month) would immediately become one of the best bets on the market if the Sox indeed do intend to trade him within the next week. Fresh off his fifth career All-Star appearance, Martinez remains a standout bat, hitting .302/.368/.481 with nine homers on the season. He may not be the 45-homer threat he was at his 2017-18 peak, but Martinez’s 8.7% walk rate and 23.6% strikeout rate are both right in line with his career levels, and he’s been 36% better than league-average at the plate by measure of wRC+.

Martinez is in the final season of a frontloaded five-year, $110MM contract that calls for a $19.375MM salary for the current season. He’s still owed about $7.55MM of that salary between now and season’s end, as of this writing, but for a hitter of his caliber it’s a generally reasonable rate of pay.

The extent to which the Red Sox are attempting to move Martinez isn’t yet known. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom typically takes an open-minded approach to the trade deadline and offseason alike, so it’s certainly feasible that he’s simply entertaining offers from other clubs. At the same time, if the Sox have determined that they don’t want to make a qualifying offer to Martinez at what will likely be a comparable rate to his current salary, they could more aggressively contact other clubs and try to initiate negotiations themselves.

Making Martinez available would obviously bring about further questions regarding the Sox’ roster. If they’re willing to move Martinez, it stands to reason that other clubs would inquire about the team’s other slate of pending free agents, at the very least. Nathan Eovaldi would quickly become the top name on the rental market for starting pitchers, and the Sox also have catcher Christian Vazquez, starters Michael Wacha and Rich Hill, utilityman Enrique Hernandez and reliever Matt Strahm set to reach free agency this winter.

Wacha, Hill, Strahm and Hernandez are all on the injured list at the moment, but all four are progressing toward returns (Twitter link via MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo). Hill is slated for a rehab assignment beginning tomorrow, while Wacha recently threw a simulated game. Strahm is only on the IL due to a wrist contusion (the All-Star break likely contributed to the factor to place him on the IL at all). Hernandez will be swinging a bat by the end of the week.

Of course, those players may not be considered quite as “easy” to replace as Martinez. While there’s no Martinez-level bat readily available to take his place, the Sox do have top prospect Triston Casas in Triple-A. Bobby Dalbec is playing third base right now with Rafael Devers on the injured list but could get a look at DH — or the Sox could simply use the designated hitter slot as a means of rotation their regulars and keeping them fresh down the stretch.

While a brief rental of a designated hitter might not generally be expected to produce a significant return, it at least bears mentioning that the Twins were able to pry minor league right-handers Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman from the Rays in last summer’s Nelson Cruz trade. Ryan, then an upper-level starter who’d recently pitched for Team USA in the Olympics, quickly found his way to the big leagues and has been Minnesota’s best starter since last September’s debut. That’ll likely be seen as the gold standard for rental trades of this nature for some time, however, and it’s not necessarily reasonable to expect the Red Sox — or any team — to pull off a return of that quality in exchange for a rental bat.

Obviously any talk of the Red Sox trading rental players will bring about speculation regarding shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who can and almost certainly will opt out of the final three years and $60MM remaining on his contract at season’s end. Bogaerts, however, has full no-trade protection under that contract. Paired with the opt-out provision on the deal, that makes a trade involving him a difficult (albeit not impossible) one to envision. ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted this morning that other teams expect Bogaerts to remain put even if Boston sells off other short-term pieces.

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