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Royals Designate Foster Griffin For Assignment

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The Royals announced Monday that lefty Foster Griffin has been designated for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to lefty Daniel Lynch, who has been reinstated from the injured list. Griffin’s spot on the 40-man roster will go to newly acquired outfield prospect Drew Waters, as the Royals announced that Waters has been selected to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City has also recalled lefty Angel Zerpa from Double-A Northwest Arkansas and appointed him as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader. Minor league right-hander Andrew Hoffmann and third baseman CJ Alexander, also acquired from the Braves in the Waters trade, were assigned to Double-A as well.

Griffin, 26, was the No. 28 selection of the 2014 draft but has only appeared in two big league seasons with the Royals with a total of six MLB frames pitched. For years, Griffin was generally ranked among the Royals’ more promising farmhands, although his year-to-year rankings fluctuated greatly. At his best, he looked the part of a potential third or fourth starter, staying healthy and soaking up innings in the upper minors even as his performance endured some wild swings from one season to the next.

However, Griffin suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow early in the 2020 season, and the subsequent Tommy John surgery wiped out the remainder of that season and all of the 2021 campaign. The Royals removed him from the 40-man roster at one point but re-signed him to a minor league deal and selected him to the MLB roster earlier this season.

Now working exclusively as a reliever, Griffin has been excellent in Triple-A, where he sports a 1.93 ERA and a 32-to-6 K/BB. Griffin has punched out 29.4% of his Triple-A opponents against just a 5.5% walk rate — all while showing off a huge 55.9% ground-ball rate. Between his first-round pedigree, the impressive bullpen showing in Triple-A and the fact that Griffin has all three minor league option years remaining, it’s possible that another team will have interest — be it via waivers or a small trade. There’s no sugarcoating the seven runs (six earned) Griffin yielded in just 4 1/3 MLB innings this season, but he’s averaging 93.9 mph on his heater, and teams are always on the lookout for left-handed bullpen help.

The Royals will have a week to trade Griffin, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him.

Braves Select Robinson Cano, Designate Phil Gosselin

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The Braves announced that they’ve selected the contract of veteran second baseman Robinson Cano, just hours after acquiring him from the Padres in exchange for cash. Fellow infield veteran Phil Gosselin was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man and 26-man rosters. Atlanta also reinstated Adam Duvall from the paternity list and optioned first baseman Mike Ford to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Cano, 39, was suspended for the entire 2021 season after the second positive PED test of his 17-year Major League career. Once a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate who looked like a surefire Hall of Famer (prior to the multiple PED bans), Cano is in the penultimate season of a ten-year, $240MM contract signed with the Mariners prior to the 2014 season. He’s been released by both the Mets and the Padres this season thanks to an awful .149/.182/.189 batting line through 77 trips to the plate, but Cano did post a strong .333/.375/.479 slash in 104 Triple-A plate appearances for the Padres’ top affiliate this year.

Now back in the NL East, Cano will help his former division rival try to overtake his former club in a potential revenge series this weekend. For the time being, he’ll give Atlanta a platoon partner at second base for the righty-swinging Orlando Arcia — though it stands to reason that if Cano’s form resembles his output with the Padres and Mets from earlier in the year, the leash will be quite short. The Braves are biding their time until Ozzie Albies can return from a fractured foot, but he’s likely still more than a month out.

Gosselin, 33, had a nice run in Triple-A Gwinnett this season but hasn’t hit much in a tiny sample of 24 big league plate appearances (.261/.292/.261). He’s spent parts of ten seasons in the Majors, so teams generally know what they’re getting with him at this point. Gosselin will generally hit for a passable batting average but doesn’t walk or hit for power. He’s capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond and is a solid defender at multiple infield positions, making him a nice veteran to have on hand as a depth option. The Braves will have a week to trade Gosselin, release him or try to pass him through outright waivers. Even if he goes unclaimed on waivers, he can reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Pirates Have Rejected Recent Offers For Reynolds, Bednar

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The trade market hasn’t gotten rolling in full just yet, with many teams focused on the draft and some borderline clubs waiting to see how the current roster performs for a bit longer before adding or subtracting from the mix. At 14 games under .500 with a -129 run differential and a 10-game deficit even in the Wild Card hunt, the Pirates aren’t going to be under any delusions about contending in the current season. That doesn’t mean they’ll tear the entire roster down, however, and Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports that Pittsburgh has already rejected “tempting” offers for both center fielder Bryan Reynolds and closer David Bednar.

Reynolds and Bednar are the team’s highest-profile players (and thus likely to be the most frequently speculated-upon by fans and pundits over the next three weeks), but it’s long seemed unlikely that either would be moved. Reynolds is on a two-year deal covering the 2022-23 seasons and is then arbitration-eligible for another year before he’ll become a free agent after the 2025 season. The Pirates have turned away interest in him for more than a year now. Bednar, meanwhile, has a whopping four seasons of club control remaining beyond the current year — and being a Pittsburgh native certainly makes him a bit more marketable to the fan base. Although Reynolds and Bednar have already been the focus of some talks with other clubs, Biertempfel suggests that a deal involving either player remains unlikely. (USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported over the weekend that the Bucs have told teams that Bednar, in particular, will not be traded this year.)

Both players have performed well in 2022, and both could be key pieces when the Pirates take more aggressive strides to emerge from this rebuilding effort. The 27-year-old Reynolds had a dismal start to the season, slashing an uncharacteristic .202/.301/.345 in 136 plate appearances through May 16. In 208 plate appearances since that time, he’s hitting .299/.370/.543 with 11 homers, eight doubles and a pair of triples — right in line with the production you’d expect based on his output from 2019-21. A potential injury further diminishes the chances that Reynolds could be moved, though the team has yet to formally provide an update on his status today.

Bednar, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the NL’s best relievers since coming over from the Padres in the Joe Musgrove trade. In 101 2/3 innings with the Bucs since Opening Day 2021, the 27-year-old has a 2.39 ERA with a 33% strikeout rate, a 7.8% walk rate, 18 saves and 17 holds. His 15.7% swinging-strike rate in that time is tied for 11th among 146 qualified relievers in that time.

Various reports over the past year have illustrated just how high Pittsburgh’s asking price on Reynolds has been. The Miami Herald reported in March that the Pirates asked the Marlins for a package headlined by recent first-rounders Kahlil Watson and Max Meyer over the winter (in addition to other piece). The Seattle Times reported last October that the Pirates’ asking price from the Mariners last July began with Julio Rodriguez.

Requests of that nature are the reason that Reynolds and Bednar occupied the final two spots on MLBTR’s Top 50 trade candidate rankings last week, as opposed to more prominent listing that would be commensurate with their talent and potential impact. It’s always possible that a team absolutely overwhelms the Pittsburgh front office, but the far likelier outcome is that the Bucs move some veterans with minimal team control remaining (e.g. Jose Quintana, Ben Gamel).

Braves Acquire Robinson Cano

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July 11: The New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Braves are planning to add Cano to the roster today in advance off their series against Cano’s former Mets teammates.

July 10: The Braves have acquired infielder Robinson Cano from the Padres for cash considerations, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link).

After being released by the Mets in May, Cano signed a big league deal with the Padres soon thereafter, but was then released again after he turned down the team’s request to go to Triple-A.  Cano’s veteran status gave him the right to opt into free agency, but after checking his options on the open market, he re-signed with San Diego on a minor league deal.

Since reporting to Triple-A El Paso, Cano has hit well, posting a .333/.375/.479 slash line over 104 plate appearances.  While obviously the minor league setting (and hitter-friendly environment) have to be taken into account, Cano’s performance does give some hint that he still has something left in the tank at age 39, and after missing the entire 2021 season due to a PED suspension.  Cano batted only .149/.182/.189 over 77 combined PA with the Padres and Mets at the MLB level this season.

The Braves obviously saw something they liked, and will now bring Cano back to the NL East to see if he can revive his career.  Atlanta has developed a knack for striking gold on struggling veterans, and it was only a year ago that the club picked up several such players (i.e. Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall) who ended up fueling their run to the World Series title.  As poor as Cano looked earlier this season in New York, Mets fans must have some trepidation over Cano suddenly catching fire and helping Atlanta overtake the Mets in the NL East.

Atlanta is thin on left-handed hitting, and there is a vacancy at second base since Ozzie Albies will be out until at least mid-August while recovering from foot surgery.  On paper, Cano is an interesting platoon fit alongside the right-handed hitting Orlando Arcia at second base, and another righty swinger in Marcell Ozuna at designated hitter.

It wasn’t long ago that Cano was still among the game’s most feared bats, as he posted an .896 OPS over 182 PA for the Mets during the shortened 2020 season.  While his positive PED test inevitably casts some doubt upon those numbers, there isn’t much risk for Atlanta in picking up Cano to see what he can contribute.  Of the $24MM owed to Cano for the 2022 season, the Braves will have to cover just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary once Cano hits the active roster, as the Mariners ($3.75MM) and Mets are covering the rest.

East Notes: Castillo, Jays, Orioles, Marte, Kiermaier, Nationals

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Luis Castillo was a Blue Jays trade target last winter, and unsurprisingly, Toronto continues to have interest in Castillo’s services, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.  Though Castillo missed the first month of the season due to shoulder soreness, he has been in strong form with a 2.92 ERA over 71 innings, even if his Statcast numbers aren’t quite as reflective of top-notch performance.  Castillo’s walk rate and hard-contact numbers are only okay, though his strikeout rate (25.3%) is well above league average and he still has elite fastball velocity.

The Reds right-hander is one of the very best players (let alone pitchers) expected to be available as the deadline approaches, making him a natural fit for a Toronto club in sore need of pitching upgrades.  Between Hyun Jin Ryu’s Tommy John surgery and underwhelming performances from Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, the faulty rotation has been the chief reason for the Jays’ struggles in the last month, which is why Nightengale writes that the Blue Jays “are expected to be the most aggressive team pursuing starting pitching help.”  Last summer’s trade for Berrios is an example of how the Toronto front office hasn’t been hesitant to pay a big price for a player they want and need, though the Blue Jays will face plenty of competition for Castillo’s services.

More from both the AL East and NL East…

  • Also from Nightengale, the Orioles’ surprisingly strong play seemingly hasn’t changed the club’s long-term plans, as Baltimore is “expected to unload” several notable veterans.  The list of names includes both impending free agents like Trey Mancini, Rougned Odor, and Jordan Lyles, plus more controllable players like Anthony Santander and All-Star closer Jorge Lopez.  It’s safe to assume that the price tag will be a lot higher for Lopez and Santander than the others, but regardless, the O’s likely aren’t going to change course and start thinking about a playoff push.
  • Starling Marte left Saturday’s game due to a groin injury, and Marte wasn’t in the Mets lineup on Sunday.  However, Marte is only day-to-day, as manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that an MRI revealed only minor inflammation and no serious damage.  Marte has been a big contributor in his first year in New York, and his first-half performance earned him a slot on the NL All-Star team earlier today.  With this groin injury lingering, however, Marte might opt to skip the game to rest up over the break.
  • Kevin Kiermaier was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier today, marking the second time this month that a nagging hip injury has put the Rays outfielder on the shelf.  Kiermaier told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that he received a cortisone shot during his first IL stint, but now that the issue has returned, he’ll be visiting a specialist to further explore the injury.  “There’s just a lot of unknowns right now with what’s to come….I don’t really know what the future holds, to be quite honest,” Kiermaier said, noting that surgery was a possibility.  A major procedure could quite possibly end Kiermaier’s season, and thus maybe his tenure with the Rays altogether, as 2022 is the final guaranteed year of his contract.  Kiermaier has spent all 13 of his pro seasons in the Tampa organization, though that tenure has involved several injury absences.
  • There hasn’t been much public information revealed about the Nationals’ possible sale, but billionaire Michael B. Kim is the first name linked to the list of potential buyers, according to Barry Svrluga and Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post.  Kim and another bidding group have met in person with team officials already, and a third group is also slated for in-person meetings later in July.  Though there seems to be an increasing feeling that the Lerner family will indeed sell the Nationals, it is still early in the process, since “as many as five or six individuals or groups are expected to meet with club officials.”

Reds Outright Robert Dugger

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10:17PM: Dugger accepted the assignment to Triple-A, Bobby Nightengale reports (Twitter link).

TODAY, 3:21PM: Dugger cleared waivers and has been outrighted to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic (Twitter link).  It isn’t yet known if Dugger will accept the assignment or opt for free agency.

JULY 8: The Reds have designated reliever Robert Dugger for assignment, tweets Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The move clears an active roster spot for closer Alexis Diaz, who has been activated from the 15-day injured list.

This DFA is the latest step in what has become a fairly predictable pattern for the right-hander. This is the fourth time he has been designated for assignment in just over two months, each time after a fairly short stay in the big leagues. He started the year by signing a minor league deal with the Rays. He had his contract selected on May 1 and threw 5 1/3 innings of mop-up duty. After his first DFA of the year, he was claimed off waivers by the Reds. They, too, gave him a mop-up assignment, with Dugger getting to pitch for another three innings before his second DFA. He cleared waivers, was outrighted and then re-selected to the big league team, but got his third DFA without making an appearance. Selected yet again yesterday, Dugger tossed another 3 2/3 innings before this fourth DFA.

In total, he’s now thrown 12 MLB innings thus far this season, faring well in that small sample. He has a 4.50 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate and 37.5% ground ball rate. Despite those decent results, Dugger hasn’t been granted anything beyond a very brief stay on a big league roster. Since he is out of options, the only way to replace him with a fresh arm is to send him back out into DFA limbo each time. His numbers in the minors this year aren’t quite as impressive, as he has a 5.06 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate through 48 Triple-A frames.

The Reds will have a week to trade him, pass him through outright waivers or release him. He will have the right to reject an outright assignment due to the fact that he has previously been outrighted in his career. But based on precedent, it’s possible that he clears waivers and accepts another outright assignment like he’s already done a couple of times this year.

Royals To Promote Maikel Garcia

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The Royals are preparing to promote shortstop Maikel Garcia from Double-A to the majors, El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes reports (Twitter link).  Garcia was added to the 40-man roster last year, but a corresponding move will need to be made to fit Garcia into the active roster, unless he is joining Kansas City as the extra 27th man for Monday’s doubleheader against the Tigers.

The timing of Garcia’s addition could be related to Whit Merrifield’s early exit from today’s game, as the infielder had discomfort in his right toe.  Kansas City manager Mike Matheny told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that the club was awaiting MRI results on Merrifield, though initial x-rays were negative.  At the very least, it doesn’t seem like Merrifield will be available for tomorrow’s doubleheader, so Garcia can provide some extra infield depth.

With the All-Star break coming up, the Royals could be considering placing Merrifield on the 10-day injured list for at least precautionary reasons, so Merrifield can return fresh for the second half (and perhaps be dangled as a trade candidate in advance of the August 2 deadline).  If Merrifield does require an IL stint, Garcia might get more time to show what he can do in his first taste of MLB action.

An international signing out of Venezuela in 2016, Garcia has some family ties to the K.C. organization, as his cousin is longtime former Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar.  Baseball America ranks Garcia as the 15th-best prospect in the Royals farm system, while MLB Pipeline has him 18th.  The 22-year-old had never even played Double-A ball prior to this season, though he has hit .283/.362/.395 over 348 plate appearances.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Garcia has shown some ability to hit for average and get on base, which is critical considering his lack of power.  Baseball America’s scouting report noted that Garcia has added more pop in the form of doubles power this year in Double-A, and he profiles as a line-drive hitter who makes a lot of solid contact.  Garcia’s baserunning is also a plus, as he has 27 steals in 30 chances this year, and is 110-for-137 over his five pro seasons.

Defensively, pundits feel his glove is more than ready for the big leagues, and Garcia’s plus fielding might be his best tool.  Bobby Witt has the shortstop position locked up for the foreseeable future in Kansas City, but Garcia has played some second base, and would probably be able to make a pretty smooth transition to the keystone or possibly third base, since he has a good throwing arm.  If Merrifield does have to miss time, the Royals could use Garcia in the second base/third base mix with Nicky Lopez and Emmanuel Rivera.

Pirates Notes: Reynolds, Bednar, Trades

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Bryan Reynolds was replaced for a pinch-hitter prior to his at-bat in the seventh inning of the Pirates’ 8-6 win over the Brewers today.  The Pirates later announced that Reynolds was day-to-day after experiencing discomfort in his right side.

While more testing will eventually reveal the severity of the injury, the worst-case scenario would be an oblique strain.  Even a lower-level oblique issue would require a trip to the injured list for Reynolds, and a higher-grade strain could put the outfielder’s season in jeopardy.

It took Reynolds about six weeks to really get going this season, but he has recovered from that slow start to become one of baseball’s hotter hitters.  Entering today’s action, Reynolds had hit .306/.373/.567 with 10 home runs in his last 177 plate appearances, a stretch that has brought his overall slash line a lot closer to his breakout numbers from 2021.

The Pirates aren’t in the postseason race, and will again be looking to move pieces at the trade deadline as the club continues its rebuild.  While the Bucs were never planning to contend this year, banking a few more victories and making a little progress in the win-loss column would’ve provided a bit more evidence that the team is indeed heading in the right direction.  Losing Reynolds for an extended period of time, however, would certainly put an end to that hope.

An injury would also likely end any chance that Reynolds himself would be dealt before the deadline.  There hasn’t been much expectation that Pittsburgh would actually move Reynolds elsewhere before August 2, since while Reynolds has been a fixture in trade rumors for over a year now, the Bucs are known to have a gigantic asking price in any deal.  Between Reynolds’ ability and his team control (arbitration-eligible through the 2025 season), it isn’t surprising that the Pirates would need a ton to deal away a player who might still a factor once the Bucs start to focus on winning.

David Bednar is another Pirates star often mentioned as a trade candidate in theory, even if the team has resisted overtures.  In fact, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that “the Pirates are emphatically telling teams” that Bednar isn’t available.  While a blow-away offer would probably change Pittsburgh’s mind, just like with Reynolds, it would take such a huge offer to facilitate a trade.  Bednar was named to his first All-Star team earlier today, on the heels of his 2.63 ERA, 15 saves, and outstanding secondary numbers over 41 innings as the Bucs’ closer.

Yankees Interested In Andrew Benintendi, David Peralta

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5:18PM: The Yankees have also been scouting Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes, with Nightengale describing Peralta as a “fallback option” if Benintendi isn’t acquired.  Peralta is also a free agent after the season, and is hitting .245/.312/.460 with 11 home runs through 263 PA.

9:13AM: The Yankees and Royals have recently held talks around a trade that would send outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the Bronx, according to a report from Jon Heyman and Dan Martin of the New York Post. They add that the Yanks are simultaneously trying to work out a separate trade that would send outfielder Joey Gallo out of town.

Benintendi is one of the more obvious trade candidates, and this isn’t the first time his name has popped up in rumors. Since he’s having a good year on a noncompetitive team and is set to reach free agency at season’s end, everything seems to be lining up for a deal between now and the August 2 deadline. As such, MLBTR recently placed him #2 on our list of trade candidates. Back in June, it was reported that the Royals were actively seeking a buyer for the outfielder, with the Blue Jays reportedly showing interest.

The Yankees have been the best team in baseball this year and are therefore the most obvious of deadline buyers. As a team with a 61-24 record, they don’t have many holes, but one area they seem to be interesting in improving is the outfield, by swapping in Benintendi or some other deadline acquisition for Gallo. Reports from earlier this month indicated the Yankees were looking to upgrade on Gallo in some way.

The fact that Gallo has been a disappointment in the Bronx is well-known to Yankee fans, as his production has cratered since coming over from the Rangers in a deal last year. Prior to the deal, Gallo was well-established as one of baseball’s most fearsome sluggers. In the four full season from 2017 to 2021, Gallo put up 38 home runs or more in three of them. In 2019, he was limited to 70 games but still hit 22 long balls. His wRC+ was between 108 and 144 in each of those four seasons, indicating he was between 8% and 44% better than league average. 2020 was a disappointing campaign but under the strange circumstances of the pandemic season, and he seemed to bounce right back in 2021. In his time with the Rangers last year, he hit 25 home runs in 95 games and was slashing .233/.379/.490 for a wRC+ of 139. After the deal, though, he hit just .160/.303/.404, 95 wRC+. That’s carried over into this season, as he’s hitting .166/.288/.341 on the year, producing a wRC+ of just 84. After almost a year of subpar production, it seems the Yanks are willing to move on. MLBTR placed Gallo at #39 on the aforementioned list of trade candidates.

Benintendi is having a much better season than Gallo, though in a very different style. In contrast to Gallo’s high-powered, high-strikeout approach, Benintendi would bring a more contact-oriented profile. His 14.2% strikeout rate is well below the 22.2% league average and far lower than the 38.3% rate Gallo has on the year. However, he’s hit just three homers on the season, compared to Gallo’s ten. All told, Benintendi is slashing .317/.387/.402 for a wRC+ of 128, a significant upgrade on Gallo’s 84.

Salary wise, swapping in Benintendi for Gallo wouldn’t make a huge difference for the Yanks. Both players are impending free agents, with Benintendi making $8.5MM and Gallo $10.275MM. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource calculates the Yankees’ CBT number to be $262MM at the moment, placing them beyond the $250MM second threshold but shy of the $270MM third threshold.

The Royals will have no interest in Gallo, of course. As a rebuilding team currently sporting a 31-52 record, they will be looking for long-term assets, either prospects or perhaps players recently reaching the majors. That leaves the Yankees to figure out who wants to take a shot on Gallo and hope for a bounceback. If a team wanted to convince themselves that Gallo was due for a turnaround, they could perhaps look at his HR/FB rate. It’s 17.5% this year, well below his career rate of 27% and his single-season career high of 37.3% in 2019. However, his Statcast page is a real mixed bag, with Gallo still capable of hitting the ball very hard, though not with enough frequency. His max exit velocity is in the 90th percentile, but his average exit velocity is just in the 40th. Any team acquiring him would have to hope for a bit more consistency, with that average exit velocity ticking up from this year’s 88.6 mph towards the 93-95 mph range of his better seasons.

The report from Heyman and Martin suggests the Yankees’ best bet would be teams run by his former bosses in Texas. There’s the Rangers themselves, who are within four games of a playoff spot and could consider doing some buying. Seeing them go after a rental like Gallo would be surprising, though, as this is the first year of what the club hopes to be a multi-year competitive window. Players with a bit more control would be more obvious fits, though perhaps the Yankees are motivated enough to move on from Gallo that they package him with someone else or eat part of his salary. In the short-term, there’s certainly room for Gallo, given the club’s roster. The Rangers have been featuring an outfield mix of Adolis Garcia, Kole Calhoun, Brad Miller and Leody Taveras in recent days. Miller is having an even worse year than Gallo, slashing .210/.261/.347 for a wRC+ of 73. The club has also been featuring Mitch Garver at designated hitter most of the time, but he’s going to undergo season-ending surgery tomorrow.

There’s also the Padres, whose president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was in the Rangers’ front office when Gallo was drafted. They have been looking for outfield help for a while and have been snakebit by injuries to Wil Myers and Jurickson Profar. Nomar Mazara has stepped up and filled one spot admirably, but they’re still getting subpar production from Trent Grisham and Jose Azocar. Myers is nearing a return but was having a dismal campaign before landing on the injured list, meaning there’s no guarantee he’ll fix things once healthy. Despite those outfield struggles, the club is 49-37 and currently in possession of an NL Wild Card spot, making them clear deadline buyers.

There’s also the financial situation to consider with the Padres, as they are right up against the luxury tax and seem loath to cross it for a second straight year. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource calculates their CBT number to be $228.9, just shy of the $230MM first threshold. They have been trying to trade Myers and Eric Hosmer to get rid of some salary for quite some time, though without success thus far. They have also reportedly been considering trading a starting pitcher for the same reasons, with Blake Snell standing out as perhaps the most viable option. MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a detailed look at the situation. It would be a surprise for the Padres to create that breathing room and then use it on a dice roll like Gallo as opposed to someone currently having success. Though Preller has shown a tendency towards acquiring former Rangers like Profar, Mazara and Yu Darvish, meaning it can’t be completely discounted.

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