Justin Upton

Rosenthal’s Latest: Herrera, Upton, Verlander

By Mark Polishuk | September 3, 2017 at 7:25pm CDT

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal shares some hot stove items in his latest Full Count video…

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Royals dealt Kelvin Herrera this winter, as the closer is in line for a big salary bump in his last year of arbitration eligibility. Rosenthal estimates Herrera will earn something in the $7.5-$8MM range in 2018, up from the $5.325MM Herrera earned this season. Brandon Maurer or Ryan Buchter could take over as Kansas City’s closer if Herrera is dealt. Herrera drew some trade buzz earlier this season as one of the many bullpen options the Nationals were exploring, and surely he would garner interest this offseason, even if Herrera hasn’t quite been as dominant this season as in recent years. This all assumes, of course, that Herrera’s current forearm issue doesn’t prove to be anything serious. With Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer all potential leaving K.C. in free agency this winter, a Herrera trade could further portend the start of a rebuild for the Royals.
The Angels were one of Justin Upton’s targets when he was a free agent two winters ago, and he has a home in Arizona, which could facilitate remaining on the west coast if he doesn’t opt out of his contract. Ultimately, Upton’s September performance will decide whether or not he chooses to stick with the Angels or opt out of the four years and $88.5MM remaining on his deal. In an MLBTR poll from Thursday, just under 56% of respondents feel Upton will indeed opt out and look for a bigger deal this winter.
Reports have suggested that Justin Verlander was initially hesitant to waive his no-trade clause and join the Astros, as he would’ve preferred to instead be dealt to the Cubs or Dodgers. As Rosenthal notes, “there’s no guarantee” either Chicago or L.A. would have looked to acquire Verlander in the offseason, so the former Cy Young Award winner decided to join a contender now rather than stay with the rebuilding Tigers. Rosenthal also points out the interesting fact that Minute Maid Park has been the most depressed run-scoring environment of any ballpark in the league since the start of the 2016 season, belying its hitter-friendly reputation.

AL Notes: Upton, Angels, Tigers, Yankees

By Connor Byrne | September 2, 2017 at 7:33pm CDT

Speaking with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports on Saturday, newly minted Angels left fielder Justin Upton noted that the free agent market has changed since January 2016, when he signed a six-year, $132.75MM contract with the Tigers, adding that “teams are looking for different things” (Twitter link). While the market shift could impact whether the 29-year-old opts out of the remaining $88.5MM on his contract after the season, it seems he’s considering vacating what’s left of the pact. “If you play well enough, there’s a job for you,” said Upton, who has slashed .279/.362/.541 with 28 home runs in 528 plate appearances in 2017. Thanks to his outstanding performance this year, the majority of those who voted in MLBTR’s latest poll on Friday expect Upton to test free agency again in the offseason.

More on the Halos and two other AL clubs:

Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will serve a six-game suspension stemming from his role in a brawl with the Yankees on Aug. 24, while reliever Alex Wilson will sit three games and manager Brad Ausmus will be barred from one, per an announcement from Detroit. Major League Baseball originally handed down seven-, four- and one-game bans to Cabrera, Wilson and Ausmus, respectively, before the appeals process. Their suspensions began Saturday against Cleveland, with bench coach Gene Lamont stepping in for Ausmus.
As of Friday, settlement discussions between MLB and the players’ union regarding suspensions for Yankees catchers Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine were still ongoing, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. A decision is unlikely to come before Monday, per Rosenthal, who adds that the two backstops won’t serve their penalties simultaneously. Before Sanchez and Romine appealed, the former received the larger ban (four games to two).
Angels right-hander J.C. Ramirez will miss the rest of the season because of an elbow strain, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter link). The Halos placed Ramirez on the 60-day disabled list on Friday, which didn’t come as a surprise given that he received a platelet-rich plasma injection earlier this week and looked unlikely to return at the time. Fortunately for both team and player, general manager Billy Eppler announced that the Angels haven’t found any new structural damage in Ramirez’s elbow. The 29-year-old turned in a respectable season before the injury, tossing 147 1/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball and recording 6.41 K/9 against 2.99 BB/9, to go with a 51.4 percent groundball rate.

MLBTR Poll: Will Justin Upton Opt Out?

By Jeff Todd | August 31, 2017 at 5:49pm CDT

Angels outfielder Justin Upton — if that sounds odd, you might want to click this link — faces an interesting decision after the end of the season. He already has the right to $88.5MM in guaranteed salary for the next four seasons, but can choose instead to opt out of the contract and take his talents onto the open market once again.

Entering the season, the latter course seemed less than likely. After all, Upton managed only a .246/.310/.465 batting line in 2016, his worst-ever full-season batting line. Though he did swat 31 home runs, matching a personal best, Upton was at or near career-worst levels in strikeouts (28.6%) and walks (8.0%). As the second consecutive year in which his output with the bat had declined, there was cause for some concern.

Needless to say, though, Upton has turned things around thus far in 2017. He’s currently slashing .279/.362/.542 and has already knocked 28 balls out of the yard through 520 trips to the plate. Though his strikeouts haven’t dipped, he’s now walking at an 11.0% clip that’s better than his career average, all while sporting a personal-high 44.1% hard-hit rate. And Upton has rated as a quality performer with the glove out in left field.

That’s not where Upton’s case for opting out ends, however. While he is now in his 11th season in the majors — which seems hard to believe — the slugger only just turned 30 a few days ago. And since he has previously received a qualifying offer (and also now has been traded mid-season), he won’t be eligible to receive a QO — meaning there’s no risk of his market being dragged down by draft compensation.

There are plenty of comps that suggest Upton could well out-earn what he already has in hand. On the high side, we have seen several somewhat older outfielders take down nine-figure guarantees: Yoenis Cespedes (four years, $110MM entering age-31 season), Shin-Soo Choo (seven years, $130MM entering age-31 season), and Josh Hamilton (five years, $125MM entering age-32 season) all come to mind. On the lower side, there’s plenty of reason to think that Upton can beat Dexter Fowler’s five-year, $82.5MM deal or the $88MM over four years that Hanley Ramirez received. Of course, Upton himself secured a $132.75MM guarantee before the 2016 season; though he was two years younger, he also was coming off of a less-impressive campaign.

That said, there’s no denying that there’s risk in casting himself back into free agency. Upton may not find it worth his while if he and his agents do not anticipate offers that are all that much more significant. It’s somewhat difficult to forecast the market for power hitters given the recent surge in offense (and home runs, in particular). Last year, several big bats came in somewhat under expectations; this fall, there’ll be competition (especially former teammate J.D. Martinez, but also potentially including older players and possible trade targets).

There’s another month left on the year, and that could matter, too. Upton will have to stay healthy and remain at least mostly productive to have the best potential free-agent case. He might also conceivably just end up deciding he feels comfortable in his new digs. But it’s a good time for a prediction: do you think Upton will opt out? (Link for app users.)

Angels Acquire Justin Upton

By Steve Adams | August 31, 2017 at 2:46pm CDT

In a stunning development, the Angels and Tigers have agreed to a deal sending outfielder Justin Upton to Anaheim in exchange for minor league right-hander Grayson Long and a player to be named later or cash, per an announcement from the Tigers. The Angels are reportedly responsible for the four years and $88.5MM on Upton’s contract beyond the current season (if he does not exercise an opt-out clause) as well as most of his remaining 2017 salary. (Detroit is said to be paying less than $1MM of the approximately $3.5MM left of Upton’s $22.125MM annual salary for this season.)

The trade represents a massive boon to an Angels lineup that is firmly in the mix for an American League Wild Card spot. While Upton’s first couple of months as a Tiger made his six-year deal look like a regrettable misstep, he’s been nothing short of one of the best hitters on the planet for the past 14 months. Dating back to July 1 of last year, Upton has raked at a .273/.351/.551 pace with 51 homers in 831 plate appearances. That line includes an even more magnificent .282/.368/.578 slash over the past calendar year. Over his past 631 plate appearances, Upton has clubbed 41 home runs.

Upton has performed so well, in fact, that his contractual opt-out clause following the 2017 season went from looking like like an easy call to remain in Detroit to a distinct possibility of being exercised. Upton has four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract following the season, but he’d need only to match the money Boston guaranteed to Hanley Ramirez to eclipse that total. One direct comparable, Yoenis Cespedes, received a four-year, $110MM contract last winter in free agency when he was a year older than Upton will be this winter.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports (on Twitter) that Upton had decided that he was likely to opt out of his contract following the season due to the Tigers’ rebuild. When he informed the team of that plan, trade talks quickly picked up. As noted below, the Tigers would’ve stood to lose Upton for nothing (outside of tremendous salary relief, which they’ve achieved anyway), as he cannot receive a second qualifying offer under the new collective bargaining agreement. ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets that Upton gave the Angels no assurances one way or the other about whether he’ll opt out of the contract at season’s end.

Angels left fielders, on the whole, have been among the least productive groups at their position in all of 2017. Anaheim left fielders are batting a woeful .244/.315/.341 thanks to underwhelming contributions from both Cameron Maybin, who has reportedly been traded to the Astros to facilitate the acquisition of Upton, and Ben Revere, who has been hot as of late but has posted generally underwhelming numbers since the onset of the 2016 season with the Nationals.

Long, 23, was the Angels’ third-round pick in 2015 and rates as the No. 9 prospect in Anaheim’s thin farm system, per Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. He spent the beginning of the 2017 season pitching for Class-A Advanced but quickly progressed to Double-A, where he’s pitched quite well in 23 starts. In 133 2/3 innings combined between those two levels, Long has a 2.69 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. He’s more of a fly-ball pitcher, as evidenced by his 33.1 percent grounder rate in Double-A. Callis and Mayo suggest that the 6’5″, 230-pound Long has the ceiling of a “solid” big league starter. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen tweets that Long has exceeded expectations in 2017 and projects as a possible back-of-the-rotation arm.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that the agreement was in place, while ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported that the agreement was still pending medical review (Twitter link). Crasnick also reported Long’s inclusion in the trade (Twitter link). Sherman tweeted that a PTBNL was also in the deal, while USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted the financial details of the swap. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweeted the Tigers’ salary contribution.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: Leake, Lynn, Harper, Upton, Humphreys

By Jeff Todd | August 30, 2017 at 2:28pm CDT

In the wake of today’s Mike Leake trade, some have wondered whether the Cardinals might be more inclined to bring back fellow right-hander Lance Lynn, who’s set to reach free agency this fall. But Lynn himself suggested that, at a minimum, that’s hardly an inevitability. As Chris Lee of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the veteran hurler says there has “been zero communication” between his camp and the Cards’ front office about a new contract. You’ll want to read all of his comments for yourself, but it certainly did not sound as if the 30-year-old is entirely sanguine about the chances of a reunion.

It’s worth noting, too, that Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has emphasized a desire to rely on the team’s younger arms in explaining the Leake swap, as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. That would seem to suggest that Luke Weaver and others factor prominently in the club’s plans for 2018 (and, of course, beyond). Mozeliak covered a few of the up-and-coming hurlers in his comments today, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers in his story on the trade.
Nationals star Bryce Harper does not seem to be making much headway in his effort to return from his recent knee injury, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Harper says he suffered not only a bone bruise but also a strained calf, while indicating some concern with the fact that there’s not much time left in the regular season. Skipper Dusty Baker acknowledged that Harper is still “a long way of running,” adding that the club will give Jayson Werth some time in right field in case Harper isn’t ready for the postseason.
The Giants have at least some level of interest in Tigers outfielder Justin Upton, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (links to Twitter). Trouble is, San Francisco (quite understandably) would only want to deal for Upton if it can be assured that he won’t exercise his opt-out clause and head out onto the open market this fall. Upton will be deciding between another foray into free agency and the $88.5MM over four years still left on his contract. It seems unlikely that he’ll be inclined to tip his hand on that call, let alone pre-commit, so it’s hard to imagine how a deal could come together. The Giants, after all, won’t want to sacrifice value to rent Upton in a lost season. And the Tigers would surely rather deal him in the offseason or offer him a qualifying offer (if he opts out) than give him away for nothing. Of course, San Francisco could still pursue Upton in trade or free agency after the season if he ends up remaining with Detroit through the end of the season.
Another Mets pitcher has suffered a significant injury, though he is not a major leaguer. Prospect Jordan Humphreys has undergone Tommy John surgery, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 21-year-old landed with the Mets as an 18th-round pick, but impressed this year at the Class A level, throwing 69 2/3 innings of 1.55 ERA ball with 10.3 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9. He had just been promoted to High-A before hitting the shelf. MLB.com recently rated Humphreys the organization’s 15th-best prospect.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Stanton, Marlins, J. Upton, Nats

By Connor Byrne | August 26, 2017 at 5:50pm CDT

Thanks to an improbable late-season rally, the Marlins entered Saturday a game over .500 and 4.5 games behind Colorado for the National League’s last wild-card spot. They’re not going to attempt to sell veterans such as 49-home run right fielder Giancarlo Stanton or reliever Brad Ziegler anytime soon, then, Rosenthal suggests (video links). Dealing Stanton during the season looked extremely unlikely even before the Marlins’ recent run, given his enormous contract (10 years, $295MM left after this season), the opt-out in the deal after the 2020 campaign and his full no-trade clause – not to mention the team’s impending ownership change. Nevertheless, the Marlins have been getting calls on the surging 27-year-old, according to Rosenthal, who reports that teams have been offering packages consisting of prospects, salary relief and major leaguers for Stanton. Miami has not seriously considered any offers to this stage, but if Stanton’s incredible performance keeps up, proposals from other clubs should only get more appealing, Rosenthal posits.

Ziegler, meanwhile, could have interested contenders looking for bullpen help. The 37-year-old has posted some mediocre-at-best numbers this season (4.73 ERA, 4.73 K/9, 3.15 BB/9 over 40 innings), but the ground-ball machine (66.6 percent) has worked 11 straight scoreless appearances and is under control in 2018 for a fairly reasonable $9MM. He and Stanton have each reportedly cleared trade waivers this month, freeing them up for August moves, though it looks like a moot point in both cases.

More from Rosenthal on the Marlins and two other clubs:

Whether Tigers left fielder Justin Upton continues his torrid pace through September and whether he’s willing to stick with a rebuilding team will help determine his opt-out decision after the season, Rosenthal says. Upton, who has been one of the majors’ most valuable outfielders this season, will have a chance to walk away from the four years and $88.5MM left on his deal in hopes of landing a similar or better pact elsewhere. If he chooses to exit Detroit, facing less competition on the market than he did when he was a free agent in 2015 and not being eligible for a qualifying offer would aid him in his search for another big payday, Rosenthal notes. As a free agent a couple winters ago, Upton inked a six-year, $132.75MM pact with the Tigers despite being part of a class of available players that included other star-caliber outfielders in Jason Heyward, Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Gordon.
On account of their unexpected success, the Marlins seem to be on the lookout for rotation help, though president of baseball operations Michael Hill told Rosenthal that the starters who have cleared waivers in August are “not inspiring at all.” Stuck with the likes of Vance Worley and Justin Nicolino in their rotation, the Marlins could promote minor league left-hander Dillon Peters, per Rosenthal. The 24-year-old Peters has posted impressive numbers across 45 2/3 Double-A innings this season, with a 1.97 ERA, 7.88 K/9 against 2.17 BB/9 and a 46 percent grounder rate, and MLB.com ranks him as the Marlins’ fourth-best prospect.
The Nationals would like to retain contract-year manager Dusty Baker past this season, GM Mike Rizzo informed Rosenthal. The Baker-led Nats have gone 171-117 since he took over in advance of the 2016 campaign and are coasting to a second straight NL East title. Baker has said on multiple occasions that he wants to remain with the Nationals, but he’s also aiming for a pay raise.

Quick Hits: Colon, Upton, D’Backs, Piscotty, Blue Jays, Anderson

By Mark Polishuk | August 20, 2017 at 10:38pm CDT

Bartolo Colon was the winning pitcher in the Twins’ 12-5 win over the Diamondbacks today, giving the 44-year-old another distinction in the record books. Colon became the 18th pitcher in baseball history to record at least one win against all 30 big league teams. The veteran righty was 0-2 in four previous career starts against the D’Backs, but he finally notched that elusive win in his 20th MLB season. While expansion doesn’t appear to be in the league’s immediate plans, we also probably shouldn’t entirely rule out the ageless Colon’s chances of eventually defeating a 31st team.

Here’s some more from around the American League…

Justin Upton tells MLB.com’s Jason Beck and other reporters that he hasn’t “really even thought about” whether or not to opt out of his Tigers contract. Upton is focused on finishing the season, and will then take some downtime before discussing the opt-out with his agent and his family “probably a week or two beforehand” when a decision will need to be made. One factor will be whether or not the Tigers will look to contend or rebuild in 2018, and Upton intends to speak to GM Al Avila, who the outfielder feels has “been pretty up front with all the veteran guys here with his plans” to date. Recent reports suggested that Upton wasn’t planning on opting out of the four years and $88MM remaining on his Tigers deal, though given that Upton is enjoying an outstanding season, he could potentially top that guarantee if he re-entered the open market. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently ranked Upton as having the sixth-highest earning power of any potential free agent of the 2017-18 offseason.
Barring injury, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen doubts the team will make any significant August waiver trades, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. “We’re still watching the waiver market through the month of August but I’m not anticipating that there’s going to be major changes outside of what’s in this organization,” Hazen said.
The Cardinals recalled Stephen Piscotty from Triple-A as their 26th man for their special Little League Classic matchup with the Pirates, though Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told MLB.com’s Jennifer Langosch and other reporters that Piscotty may stick with the club beyond just today’s action. Piscotty has battled injuries and struggled to the tune of a .232/.340/.362 slash line over 291 PA, which led to his demotion earlier this month. It remains to be see how St. Louis would juggle right field playing time between Piscotty, fellow underachiever Randal Grichuk and promising rookie Jose Martinez.
The Blue Jays started Josh Donaldson at shortstop and Jose Bautista at third base today, and while the lack of a DH for their interleague series at Wrigley Field played a role in the unusual lineup, manager John Gibbons told MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and other media that “you may see them out there together again.” Bautista has some past experience at the hot corner, while Donaldson’s first three career games at short all came during this three-game series with the Cubs. This lineup shuffle, if more regularly made, would allow Nori Aoki or Ezequiel Carrera (or a September outfield callup) to see more time in Bautista’s usual spot in right field, and the Jays could then bench one of the light-hitting middle infield duo of Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney.
Brett Anderson is again going through the process of joining a new team and recovering from another injury, though the veteran southpaw tells Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that he is still hopeful of becoming a healthy and productive member of a rotation. “It’s a gift and curse that I like baseball enough to keep doing this,” the 29-year-old Anderson said. “I’m not super old by any stretch, but I’ve been around for a while, and hopefully I’ve pushed a button and I age in reverse, got all that stuff out of the way before I’m 30, and have some healthy years going forward.” Davidi’s piece also notes that the Blue Jays have long been intrigued by the lefty’s potential, nearly acquiring Anderson as part of a three-team deal with the A’s and Rangers in the 2013-14 offseason, though issues with Anderson’s physical scuttled Toronto’s interest.

AL News & Rumors: Astros, Tigers, ChiSox, Jays

By Connor Byrne | August 19, 2017 at 8:09pm CDT

There remains an outside chance that Houston will trade for Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander this month, as the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo hears from major league sources that the Astros haven’t closed the door on acquiring the fireballer. There have been a slew of reports since last month on the possibility of Verlander going to the Astros, including one from FanRag’s Jon Heyman earlier this week. A source told Heyman that negotiations between the two teams had been “put to bed.” For his part, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t expect to make a big acquisition before the month’s out. To land Verlander, who’s still due around $7MM this season and another $56MM from 2018-19, the Luhnow-led Astros would need to take on the majority of his contract and “give up a few prospects,” Cafardo writes. Not all prospects are created equally, of course, and the Tigers want legitimate young talent in return for the longtime ace and franchise icon, per various reports.

10 Veterans Clear Revocable Waivers

By Connor Byrne | August 6, 2017 at 2:41pm CDT

A slew of household names cleared revocable waivers recently, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag in a pair of articles. The list consists of Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Reds first baseman Joey Votto, Tigers left fielder Justin Upton, Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and four Mets – outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, second baseman Neil Walker and reliever AJ Ramos. All of these players are now eligible for August trades.

It’s obvious that Harper, one of the game’s preeminent superstars, isn’t going anywhere. As Heyman notes, no team bothered to claim Harper because they realized putting the 24-year-old through waivers was merely a procedural maneuver by first-place Washington.

Votto, 33, won’t be on the move, either, as he’s a Cincinnati institution who has a full no-trade clause and a guaranteed $171MM coming his way through 2024.

Hernandez also enjoys full no-trade rights, though he hasn’t aged nearly as well as Votto. The former ace’s performance has declined drastically over the past couple years, making his contract a burden to the Mariners. The 31-year-old is on a $26MM salary this season and next, and he’s due another $27MM in 2019. Further hampering his trade value, King Felix is on the disabled list with right biceps tendinitis.

Davis, meanwhile, has a partial no-trade clause, and it’s difficult to imagine any team showing interest in the once-elite offensive force. The 31-year-old is amid his second straight mediocre season since re-signing in Baltimore on a seven-year, $161MM contract.

Upton, 29, is having an outstanding season, but he comes with a pricey salary ($22.13MM through 2021), and both his 20-team no-trade rights and opt-out clause complicate matters. Upton could vacate the remaining four years and $88MM-plus left on his deal after this season, but there’s a strong likelihood he’ll ride out the remainder of the contract, Heyman suggests. Regardless, there hasn’t been any real trade interest in Upton to this point, according to Heyman.

With his $8MM salary this season, Crawford is eminently affordable now, but he’s due $60MM from 2018-21 and is having a dreadful year offensively. While Crawford remains a great defender, teams might be leery of taking on a highly paid 30-year-old (31 in January) whose offensive production has suddenly cratered. He’s another member of the full no-trade clause club, too, further decreasing the chances of a deal.

As for the Mets, we now know of six of their veterans who have passed through waivers, with outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson having done so earlier this week. The best of the bunch is Cespedes, whom the Mets re-signed to a four-year, $110MM contract in the offseason. Even if the Mets wanted to deal Cespedes, the 31-year-old has a full NTC that would enable him to block any move.

Walker has also dealt with hamstring issues – a partial tear that sidelined the 31-year-old from mid-June until last week. The soon-to-be free agent has gone just 3 of 26 at the plate since his return, but he still comes with a quality track record and is on pace for another decent offensive season (.254/.332/.431 in 281 plate appearances). It’s unclear, though, whether there will be any teams clamoring for the switch-hitting Walker, who’s has roughly $6MM of his $17.2MM salary remaining through season’s end, given a lack of demand for second basemen.

Cabrera, 31, drew pre-trade deadline interest from the Red Sox and Indians, but they’ve patched up their infield situations since then. Moreover, the Mets are reportedly giving strong consideration to going forward with Cabrera next year, when he’s owed either a reasonable salary ($8.5MM) or a $2MM buyout.

Ramos just joined the Mets last week in a trade with the National League East rival Marlins. Several teams were interested in acquiring the 32-year-old leading up to July 31, though some of those clubs went on to make other deals for relievers after he went to the Mets. Plus, the Mets may favor keeping Ramos in hopes of contending in 2018. He’s owed around $2MM through the end of this season and has one more year of arbitration eligibility.

Players That Have Cleared Revocable Waivers

By Jeff Todd | August 5, 2017 at 4:20pm CDT

We’ll use this post to keep track of players that have reportedly cleared revocable waivers. Before diving into the names, a few items bear repeating. The majority of Major League players will be placed on trade waivers this month, with most instances going unreported. There are undoubtedly players (quite a few of them, most likely) who have already cleared waivers but have not been reported to have done so. Players can be traded into September, as well, but only those traded on or before Aug. 31 will be eligible for the postseason with their new teams, so there’s some urgency for contending clubs to complete deals by month’s end. And, of course, for those who aren’t familiar with the inner-workings of waiver trades, MLBTR published a full explanation of how August trades work earlier this month.

Here’s the current list (last updated Aug. 29):

Jeff Samardzija, SP, Giants (link): While he hasn’t produced great results this year and is owed another $54MM over the following three seasons, Samardzija has put up compelling peripherals and has long been a scout’s favorite. Still, the Giants may not be all that inclined to move him and Samardzija has broad no-trade protection, so a deal seems unlikely.
Nicholas Castellanos, 3B, Tigers (link): The 25-year-old hasn’t produced at the plate this year after a quality 2016 season. But he is still hitting the ball hard and could be an interesting bounceback target for other organizations — with an offseason deal seeming more likely than a late-August swap. Castellanos is playing this year on a $3MM salary and can be controlled for two more campaigns via arbitration.
R.A. Dickey, RHP, Braves (link): Dickey has been just what Atlanta thought it was getting: a solid innings eater with plenty of durability but limited upside. He could fill in the fifth slot in a contender’s rotation, but teams might be reluctant to force one of their catchers to learn to catch a knuckleball this late in the year. He’s averaging six innings per start, and Atlanta may just keep him around in 2018.
Brad Ziegler, RHP, Marlins (link): Ziegler has been stellar since returning from the disabled list and could certainly help a contending club’s bullpen. However, he’s owed $9MM in 2018, and the Marlins now find themselves back in Wild Card contention — both of which make a trade before the end of August unlikely. He could be an offseason trade candidate.
Miguel Gonzalez, RHP, White Sox (link): Gonzalez is earning $5.9MM in 2017 and has been a serviceable, if unspectacular source of innings for the ChiSox. He won’t be a part of a contending club’s playoff rotation, but a team with a big division lead that is looking to rest its rotation (or allow some of its injured rotation members to mend) could turn to Gonzalez for some stability. The asking price won’t be much.
Derek Holland, LHP, White Sox (link): Like Gonzalez, Holland could be a rotation stabilizer for a team with a comfortable division lead. He’s also shut down opposing lefties (.216/.279/.333) in 2017, so perhaps a club would look at him as a potential relief specialist with expanded September rosters on the horizon.
James Shields, RHP, White Sox (link): The Sox still owe Shields the balance of a $10MM commitment this season (the Padres are on the hook for the rest), plus $12MM in 2018. Given his enormous struggles over the past two seasons, he’s not going anywhere unless the ChiSox simply cut bait and release him.
Victor Martinez, DH, Tigers (link): Martinez has been a decidedly below-average contributor at the plate in 2017 and is owed the balance of this year’s $18MM salary plus an identical $18MM salary in 2018. The Tigers won’t find any takers here.
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers (link): Cabrera is 34 years old and has been a roughly league-average hitter in 2017. He’s owed a ridiculous $192MM from 2018-23 and has full no-trade protection as well. That last point is largely moot, though, as his enormous contract makes him all but impossible to move anyhow.
Jordan Zimmermann, RHP, Tigers (link): With a 5.29 ERA in his nearly two seasons as a Tiger and $74MM owed to him from 2018-20, Zimmermann is effectively an immovable asset for the Tigers.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Marlins (link): Stanton is owed $295MM over the next decade, so an attempt at acquiring him wouldn’t exactly make for a casual undertaking. He has more than made up for a relatively disappointing 2016 season thus far with a monster 2017, boosting his value, but structuring a deal would be complicated by a variety of factors — including the Miami organization’s still-pending sale.
Brandon Phillips, 2B, Braves (link): The 36-year-old isn’t the exciting option he once was, but Phillips still brings acceptable and affordable production to the table. Combining those factors with his impending free agency, Phillips seems like someone the Braves could realistically trade this month.
Brandon Crawford, SS, Giants (link): Crawford emerged as a two-way star over the previous couple seasons, pairing good offense with otherworldly defense. His glovework remains strong, but the 30-year-old’s production at the plate has fallen off dramatically this season. The Giants reportedly still have little interest in dealing him, and doing so would be difficult in any event. Crawford, who’s making $8MM this year, will rake in $15MM each season from 2018-21. He also has a full no-trade clause.
Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners (link): Unfortunately, King Felix’s days as an ace appear long gone, which is all the more troubling for the Mariners when taking his contract into consideration. Hernandez, 31, is collecting a $26MM salary this year and will make $53MM more from 2018-19. He also has a full no-trade clause, making him even less movable.
Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Mets (link): Unlike fellow Mets outfielders Bruce and Granderson, Cespedes doesn’t seem like a logical trade candidate. Cespedes is in the first season of a four-year, $110MM deal, and the Mets gave the franchise cornerstone a full no-trade clause when they re-signed him.
Asdrubal Cabrera, INF, Mets (link): Cabrera, who’s making $8.25MM this season and has either an $8.5MM club option or a $2MM buyout for 2018, drew trade interest in July. However, recent indications are that the Mets are leaning toward keeping him in the fold for next year.
AJ Ramos, RP, Mets (link): Ramos was a popular name in trade rumors before the Mets acquired him from the Marlins in late July. Plenty of teams showed interest in Ramos, so perhaps the Mets would be able to find a taker for the longtime closer. However, New York acquired Ramos knowing it wasn’t in contention this season, so keeping him into 2018 – his final season of arbitration eligibility – looks more likely.
Bryce Harper, RF, Nationals (link): Harper isn’t going anywhere. Putting the superstar through waivers was purely a procedural move by the Nationals.
Chris Davis, 1B, Orioles (link): Davis, 31, no longer resembles the force of nature he was at the plate before the Orioles handed him a seven-year, $161MM contract leading up to the 2016 campaign. They included a partial no-trade clause in the accord, but the contract itself has essentially become a full NTC thanks to Davis’ decline. Realistically, Baltimore’s stuck with him.
Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (link): The Reds haven’t shown any interest in moving Votto, nor has he expressed a willingness to leave Cincinnati. Considering those factors, the remaining money on Votto’s enormous contract (a guaranteed $171MM through 2024) and his full no-trade clause, the hitting savant will stay where he is.
Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers (link): With plenty of cash still owed this year and $56MM more promised through 2019, Verlander is not a guy who’ll casually be acquired. Things are complicated by Detroit’s inclination to try to achieve real value for a cornerstone player, not to mention Verlander’s full no-trade rights — though he seems willing to entertain a move. While a deal still seems less than likely, Verlander could be a fascinating player to watch if he throws well and one or more contenders see a need for his services.
Justin Upton, LF, Tigers (link): As is the case with Verlander, moving Upton would be a major challenge for Detroit. Not only does Upton have a 20-team no-trade clause, but his contract includes an opt-out clause for after the season, when he’ll have to decide whether to play out his deal or leave four years and roughly $88MM on the table. The tricky financial situation has apparently overshadowed the great season Upton’s having, as nobody has shown real interest in acquiring him.

Additionally, Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Neil Walker cleared waivers before their respective trades to the Dodgers, Indians and the Brewers.

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