Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Shane Greene

Rays Rumors: Trade Deadline, Jimenez

By | at

After dropping a pair of games against the Yankees to open their four-game series this past weekend, the Rays rallied to win a pair of one-run games and avoid falling further back in the division than the 6.5 games they trailed as of last Thursday. That pair of wins could prove to be pivotal, as Tampa Bay general manager Erik Neander recently acknowledged that his team’s level of aggression at the trade deadline will directly correlate with their proximity to the division lead.

“I think we’re likely to be the most aggressive the more that the division is in play,” Neander told Juan Toribio of MLB.com. “…Our standing within the division will probably dictate how aggressive we’ll look to be.”

The Rays come out of the break with four games against the Orioles in a three-day span. Over that same stretch, the Yankees will play three games in Toronto. Following that opening series for both teams, an even more critical four-game series between the Rays and Yankees will take place in the Bronx. At the conclusion of that series, fewer than two weeks will remain until the July 31 trad deadline.

As for the Rays’ current direction, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote this weekend that he anticipates a measured approach rather than aggressive pursuits of high-end assets like Giants closer Will Smith or Padres closer Kirby Yates. The Rays, for instance, are currently more interested in Tigers setup man Joe Jimenez than they are closer Shane Greene, per Topkin. One could argue that Jimenez is the more appealing of the two given that he’s controlled through the 2023 season — Greene is controlled only through 2020 — but Jimenez is still a work in progress. Greene, meanwhile, is a first-time All-Star in the midst of a career season.

There’s ample reason for Tampa Bay to be interested in Jimenez, it should be noted. The 24-year-old was not long ago considered to be the Tigers’ future closer, thanks largely to a heater that averages 95.5 mph and a slider that drew plus grades on scouting reports. Jimenez has a pedestrian 4.48 ERA dating back to Opening Day 2018, but he also sports a 3.52 FIP with 12.1 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 in 96 1/3 innings. This year’s 4.81 ERA is particularly underwhelming, but Jimenez has held opponents to three runs on six hits and two walks with 14 punchouts in 8 1/3 innings over the past month.

Neander emphasized to Toribio that the Rays never approach the deadline with the mentality that they “have to” make a trade (or multiple trades) but also spoke of a continued “opportunistic” mentality as July 31 looms. The Rays would be “OK” were the deadline to pass without a transaction taking place, per Neander, although recent history should signify such an outcome is unlikely. Tampa Bay has made at least one notable deal in four of the past five July trading seasons; David Price, Chris Archer, Tommy Pham, Kevin Jepsen, Steve Cishek, David DeJesus and Sergio Romo are among the recognizable veterans who’ve been involved in Rays swaps over the past half decade (more of them leaving Tampa Bay than arriving).

The Rays have been previously reported to have interest in adding multiple bullpen arms as well as a right-handed bat.

Tigers Rumors: Boyd, Castellanos, Jimenez, Greene

By | at

The Tigers’ asking price on lefty Matthew Boyd continues to be an impediment for interested teams, Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reported this week on the Big Time Baseball podcast. Heyman notes that multiple GMs from other clubs used the phrase “over the top” when describing Detroit’s ask on Boyd, who whiffed 13 hitters in yesterday’s win but also continued his recent struggles with keeping the ball in the park by allowing a pair of homers. Boyd has fanned a ridiculous 32 percent of the hitters he’s faced in 2019 and walked just 4.5 percent of them; that K-BB% of 27.5 trails only Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Chris Sale, so he’s in some elite company with regard to his combined ability to miss bats and avoid walks. However, Boyd also allowed only seven homers through his first 12 starts (72 2/3 innings) but has now served up 12 long balls in 34 1/3 innings dating back to June 2.

Boyd is still just 28 with three and a half seasons of control remaining to go along with his elite K/BB skills (and a $2.6MM salary). His penchant for serving up the long ball also has to be a source of trepidation as teams weigh a pursuit of the lefty, though.

More chatter on the rebuilding Tigers…

  • Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press provides an excellent look at a number of trade chips for the Tigers, listing potential suitors and, in some instances, pulling back the curtain a bit on previous trade talks. For instance, Fenech writes that the Tigers and Astros discussed a trade involving Nicholas Castellanos last summer, with Houston offering outfielder Derek Fisher in return. Castellanos’ stock has dipped since last year and he’s now a rental, but Fisher’s stock hasn’t exactly risen itself since last July. That still seems like a lofty ask for the Tigers to make for only two months of Castellanos, but the prior interest is nevertheless noteworthy now that Castellanos appears a near-surefire bet to be traded.
  • In addition to closer Shane Greene, who is as obviously available as any player in baseball, right-hander Joe Jimenez is also available in trade talks, per Fenech. Multiple clubs, including the Mets and Rays, have inquired on Jimenez — a 24-year-old once heralded as Detroit’s future close. Jimenez averages better than 95 mph on his heater and has no issue missing bats (12 K/9 since 2017), but his control has long been shaky and he’s averaged 1.93 HR/9 in 2019. He’s also controlled through the 2023 season, so the Tigers have zero urgency to move him. Fenech adds that the Dodgers have inquired on Greene, though if anything it’d be more surprising if the bullpen-needy L.A. club hadn’t done so by now.

How Many Trade Chips Do The Tigers Actually Have?

By | at

In case you haven’t noticed, the Tigers are rebuilding. General manager Al Avila has spoken often in the past about the need to build toward a better tomorrow, and he was frank during Spring Training about Nicholas Castellanos’ trade candidacy. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi wrote today that the Tigers are willing to listen on veteran players, but that’s already a well-known fact — not exactly a new revelation.

The greater question is: just how many appealing pieces do the Tigers even possess? Morosi lists the usual suspects, citing Castellanos, Matthew Boyd and Shane Greene as potentially movable assets. Beyond that trio, appeal in Detroit veterans will be limited.

Most of the one-year signees the Tigers added over the winter have minimal value because they’re on the injured list and/or performing poorly. Josh Harrison underwent hamstring surgery this month and didn’t hit when healthy. His double-play partner, Jordy Mercer, is on the IL for the second time and has turned in the worst offensive rates of his career in the 19 games he’s managed to play. Tyson Ross is out indefinitely. Matt Moore looked great for two starts… before he had season-ending knee surgery. Jordan Zimmermann’s contract has looked impossible to move since 2016, and now he has a UCL injury (though he’s trying to pitch through it). Miguel Cabrera? No one was touching that contract even before the Tigers announced the “chronic changes” to his knee that will impact the rest of Cabrera’s career. Aside from Greene, the bullpen’s numbers aren’t especially impressive.

Detroit does have a pair of somewhat interesting, relatively young options it could market in addition to Boyd, Greene and Castellanos, although neither is anywhere near free agency.

Super-utilityman Niko Goodrum has played all four infield positions and all three outfield slots since the Tigers picked him up as a minor league free agent in the 2017-18 offseason. In 740 plate appearances as a Tiger, Goodrum has batted .241/.315/.419 with 22 homers and 16 steals. This season, his average exit velocity (89.3 mph) is in the 77th percentile, while his average sprint speed is in the 93rd percentile of MLB players, per Statcast. In some respects, he’s like Detroit’s version of Marwin Gonzalez — albeit with a lesser overall track record. He’s controlled for four years beyond 2019, so there’s no urgency to move him, but teams looking for a versatile upgrade on the bench could look at Goodrum as an intriguing possibility.

In the outfield, Detroit has seen JaCoby Jones explode at the plate recently. On May 4, the 27-year-old Jones’ OPS sat at a lowly .413. In 127 plate appearances since that time, he’s mashed to the tune of a .315/.389/.595 slash with 16 extra-base hits (eight doubles, a triple, seven homers) and a perfect 5-for-5 in the stolen base column. He’s had his share of BABIP luck, but Jones’ K/BB numbers have improved over that stretch as well. Contact seems like it’ll always be an issue, but there’s a fairly interesting blend of power and speed with Jones. Stastcast puts him in elite company (93rd percentile) both in hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. He’s in the 81st percentile in terms of sprint speed.

Defensively, Jones was excellent in 2018 (10 DRS, +6.1 UZR, 7 Outs Above Average), but those same metrics have soured on his center field glovework in 2019 (-7, -6.4 and 0, respectively). Like Goodrum, he’s controllable through 2023. I don’t know that teams are going to line up to acquire Jones based on what amounts to five weeks of strong offensive output, but he’s at least worth monitoring over the next several weeks. There aren’t going to be too many appealing center fielders on the trade market, after all.

As for the three most logical chips — Boyd, Greene and Castellanos — they’ll face varying levels of interest. Boyd is appealing to any club within a stone’s throw of contending, as he’s in the midst of what looks to be a legitimate breakout season. The 28-year-old is controlled through 2022 and has thus far pitched to a 3.08 ERA with 11.2 K/9 against 1.6 BB/9. Fielding-independent metrics are buying him as a breakout star (2.91 FIP, 3.20 SIERA), and only five qualified pitchers have a better K-BB% than Boyd’s 26.2 percent mark. The cost to acquire him should be enormous, given the time he’s still controlled.

Greene won’t carry as high a price tag, given that he’s controlled through 2020. But he’s sitting on a 1.00 ERA with career-best marks in strikeout percentage (27.4 percent), walk percentage (6.6 percent) and ground-ball rate (52.2 percent). He’s unequivocally elevated his stock in 2019, making the Tigers’ decision not to move him at last year’s deadline look wise. Like Boyd, Greene is appealing to any contender.

Castellanos, meanwhile, faces a less robust market. Defensive metrics suggest he’s improved in right field but is still below average there. More concerning is the fact that Castellanos hasn’t hit that much in 2019. His 21 doubles lead the AL, but his overall .263/.315/.454 slash is roughly league average, per OPS+ and wRC+, and he’s on pace for fewer home runs than last year’s 23. Casteallnos has seen his line-drive rate dip by more than seven percent, and his hard-hit rate has fallen off a bit as well. Corner bat rentals never yield all that great a return these days — as the Tigers learned in trading J.D. Martinez two years ago — and Castellanos’ downturn in production won’t help the team’s cause. There’s certainly time for a rebound, but it’s tough to see Castellanos fetching a sizable return even if his bat wakes up in the next few weeks.

The general expectation is that the Tigers will continue their tear-down this summer, but the pieces they have to market, in the end, aren’t that plentiful. Greene seems like a lock to be moved for a decent haul, and because Castellanos isn’t playing like a qualifying offer candidate, it’s probably best to move him even if the return is modest. But the Tigers’ best asset, Boyd, is controlled for three more years and the only other somewhat interesting pieces are controlled even longer. If the team doesn’t move Boyd between now and July 31, the summer market might not boost the Tigers’ farm as much as fans would hope.

Report: Tigers Willing To Listen To Offers For Matthew Boyd, Others

By | at

With the July 31 trade deadline on the way and the Tigers well out of contention, they’re “open to moving virtually” all of their veteran players, Jon Morosi of MLB.com writes. Morosi names left-hander Matthew Boyd, closer Shane Greene and right fielder Nicholas Castellanos among potential trade pieces for the rebuilding Tigers.

Not only is Boyd the most appealing member of the above trio, but there is little question he’s Detroit’s MVP. After back-to-back seasons of roughly average production, the 28-year-old has performed like one of the majors’ premier starters in 2019. He owns a 3.08 ERA/2.91 FIP with a stunning 11.16 K/9 against 1.59 BB/9 through 14 starts and 84 2/3 innings. Adding to Boyd’s allure, he’s inexpensive right now ($2.6MM) and controllable for a while. Boyd’s in his first of four potential arbitration years.

While it would be difficult for the Tigers to move their fledgling ace, doing so would go a long way toward boosting a mediocre farm system. In a summer trade market that could also include the likes of Madison Bumgarner, Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, Boyd’s performance and affordable team control would make him the most desirable arm on the block. As you’d expect, though, Morosi notes it would take a Godfather offer for the Tigers to part with Boyd.

Unlike Boyd, Castellanos wouldn’t return any kind of haul. The 27-year-old is due for free agency after the season, for one, and isn’t cheap ($9.95MM). He’s also a defensively limited corner outfielder – something most executives frown on these days – and hasn’t gotten off to a compelling start at the plate this year. While Castellanos was a well above-average offensive player from 2016-18, he’s batting a so-so .263/.315/.454 (102 wRC+) with seven home runs in 273 trips to the plate this season. Even if Castellanos’ .325 weighted on-base average starts moving toward his .342 expected wOBA, it still wouldn’t do much for his trade value.

As with Castellanos, Greene’s a soon-to-be free agent who seems quite likely to leave Detroit in the coming weeks. As a $4MM hurler with plenty of late-game experience, the Tigers are sure to find a taker for the 30-year-old Greene. There’s added value with one more season of arbitration control, though Greene’s performance thus far may also cause his arb price tag to shoot up. In theory, Greene has upped his trade value as well with a tremendous 1.00 ERA, 9.67 K/9, 2.33 BB/9 and 19 saves on 20 tries in 27 innings. However, potential buyers are likely wary regression is around the corner.

Hitters have only posted a .182 batting average on balls in play against Greene, down 124 points from his career mark of .306; his 79.8 percent strand rate sits 11 percent above his lifetime figure; and there’s a sizable gap between his wOBA against (.212) and xwOBA (.280). Greene also comes with an inconsistent track record, having mustered an unspectacular 4.30 ERA/3.88 FIP in 178 innings out of the Tigers’ bullpen from 2016-18.

After Boyd, Castellanos and Greene, it’s not as easy to identify potentially on-the-block veteran Tigers. The team signed a pair of infielders, Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer, as well as two starters in Tyson Ross and Matt Moore to one-year deals last offseason. At the time, the Tigers were no doubt hoping those four would build their value leading up to the deadline. Instead, they’ve been either bad or injured (or both in some cases). Righty Michael Fulmer underwent Tommy John surgery before the season, further destroying his once-high trade value, while designated hitter Miguel Cabrera and injured righty Jordan Zimmermann remain immovable because of their declining performances and albatross contracts.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: American League

By ,,, and | at

The deadline for players and teams to exchange arbitration figures passed at 1pm ET yesterday, meaning over the next few hours, there will be a landslide of settlements on one-year deals to avoid an arbitration hearing. We’ll track today’s minor settlements from the American League in this post. Once all of the day’s settlements have filtered in, I’ll organize them by division to make them a bit easier to parse.

It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of teams have adopted a “file and trial” approach to arbitration, meaning that once arbitration figures are exchanged with a player, negotiations on a one-year deal will cease. The two parties may still discuss a multi-year deal after that point, but the majority of players who exchange figures with their team today will head to an arbitration hearing.

As always, all salary projections referenced within this post are courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, and we’ll also be updating our 2019 Arbitration Tracker throughout the day…

Today’s Updates

  • Yankees 1B Greg Bird will make $1.2 MM next season, per Bob Nightengale on Twitter.
  • The controversial Roberto Osuna will make $6.5MM next season, per Feinsand. Teammate Jake Marisnick, who again scuffled in ’18 after a promising 2017, will make $2.2125MM.
  • Per Mark Feinsand on Twitter, A’s lefty Sean Manaea $3.15MM in what’s sure to be an injury-marred 2019.
  • Hard-throwing reliever Mychal Givens will make $2.15MM, per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), with additional incentives for making the All-Star team or placing in the Top-3 for the Rivera/Hoffman Reliever of the Year Awards, added MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
  • The Mariners agreed on a $1.95MM deal with outfielder Domingo Santana, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). Santana is the second and last of the Mariners’ arbitration-eligible players.
  • The Angels agreed to contracts with a pair of players yesterday, per Maria Torres of the LA Times (via Twitter). Reliever Hansel Robles signed for $1.4MM. Robles threw 36 1/3 innings of 2.97 ERA baseball after the Angels claimed him off waivers from the Mets in June. Luis Garcia, acquired via trade from the Phillies this winter, signed for $1.675MM.
  • The Tigers and reliever Shane Greene settled on $4MM, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter).
  • The Yankees reached an agreement with Sonny Gray for $7.5MM, per Nightengale. Gray, of course, has been involved trade rumors most of the winter, but for the time being, he stands to play a role in the Yankee pen while providing insurance for the rotation.
  • Didi Gregorius has also come to an agreement with the Yankees on a one-year, $11.75MM deal in his final season before free agency, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter links).
  • New Yankee James Paxton signed for $8.575, per Nightengale (via Twitter). Paxton is under contract for the 2020 season as well.
  • The Houston Astros came to an agreement with Collin McHugh for $5.8MM, per Nightengale (via Twitter). McHugh could be moving back into the rotation after a stellar season in the pen, either way this will be his final season of arb eligibility before hitting the open market.
  • Jonathan Villar comes away with $4.825MM for what will be his first full season in Baltimore, per Nightengale (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates

Read more

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Thursday

By and | at

The deadline for teams and players to exchange arbitration figures is tomorrow afternoon at 1pm ET. With the vast majority of teams now adopting a “file-and-trial” approach to arbitration — that is, halting negotiations on one-year contracts once figures have been exchanged and simply going to a hearing at that point — there will be a deluge of arbitration agreements in the next 24 hours. It’s a minor deadline day in terms of newsworthiness — outside of the largest cases, at least — as few arbitration cases will have a significant impact on their team’s overall payroll picture. From a broader perspective, though, the exchange of arb figures is perhaps more notable. With most or all of their arbitration cases out of the way, teams can focus more heavily on the trade and free-agent markets.

As always, it’s interesting to refer back to MLBTR’s annual arbitration projections. Here are the day’s deals:

  • The Tigers will pay Shane Greene $4MM for the coming campaign, Murray tweets. Entering his second year of eligibility, the 30-year-old had projected at $4.8MM, owing largely to his strong tally of 32 saves. Despite appealing K/BB numbers, though, Greene finished the season with an unsightly 5.12 ERA.
  • Righty Nick Tropeano settled with the Angels at $1.075MM. (That’s also via Murray, on Twitter.) That falls well shy of his $1.6MM projection. The first-year arb-eligible hurler was not terribly effective in his 14 starts last year and has just over two hundred career frames in the big leagues, due in no small part to a long rehab owing to Tommy John surgery.

Earlier Updates

  • Newly acquired outfielder Domingo Santana will earn $1.95MM in his first season with the Mariners, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports on Twitter. That’s just a touch below the $2.0MM that MLBTR & Matt Swartz had projected. The 26-year-old Santana swatted thirty long balls and had a productive overall 2017 season, but only received 235 plate appearances in the ensuing campaign — over which he hit five home runs and carried a .265/.328/.412 slash — before being dealt to Seattle.
  • The Angels are on the hook for $1,901,000 to rehabbing righty J.C. Ramirez, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets. Ramirez will receive a nominal raise on his 2018 salary after requiring Tommy John surgery after just two starts.
  • Phillies righty Hector Neris has settled at $1.8MM, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter links). He had projected at $2.0MM but will settle for a bit less in his first season of arb eligibility. Right-handed starter Jerad Eickhoff, meanwhile, is slated to receive $975K. His projected first-year salary was much higher, at $1.7MM, but Eickhoff presented a tough case since he missed virtually all of his platform season with arm troubles.
  • Southpaw Ryan Buchter has agreed with the Athletics on a $1.4MM deal, Nightengale of reports on Twitter. That lands just a smidge over his $1.3MM projection. Soon to turn 32, Buchter worked to a sub-3.00 for the third-straight season in 2018, but only threw 39 1/3 innings while working as a lefty specialist.
  • Red Sox reliever Heath Hembree will receive a $1,312,500 salary next year, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Starter Steven Wright checks in just a shade higher, at $1.375MM, per Nightengale (via Twitter). Both players had projected in this range, with Swartz pegging $1.2MM for the former and $1.4MM for the latter. It’s Hembree’s first time through the process and Wright’s second.
  • First-time arb-eligible righty Scott Oberg settled with the Rockies for $1.3MM, according to Nightengale (via Twitter). It’s $100K over the projected rate for the 28-year-old hurler, who turned in far and away his most productive MLB season in 2018.
  • The Yankees have a $1.2MM deal in place with first baseman Greg Bird, Nightengale was first to tweet. Though he had projected a bit higher, at $1.5MM, Bird’s relatively robust number of home runs (31 total in 659 career plate appearances) were threatened to be overshadowed in a hypothetical hearing by his rough overall stats over the past two seasons. He’ll need to earn his way back into a larger share of playing time in 2019.
  • Infielder Travis Jankowski will earn $1.165MM with the Padres, per Murray (via Twitter). He projected at a heftier $1.4MM, but the Super Two qualifier will still earn a nice raise after his best season in the big leagues. Jankowski will be looking to crack 400 plate appearances for the first time in the season to come.
  • The Nationals have agreed to a $1MM contract with righty Joe Ross, Murray also tweets. Though Ross projected at $1.5MM for his first season of eligibility, that was based largely upon the innings he accumulated over the prior three seasons. Ross made it back from Tommy John surgery in time for only three outings in 2018.
  • A pair of backstops have also put pen to paper on new salaries. Curt Casali will earn $950K with the Reds, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). John Ryan Murphy has a $900K agreement with the Diamondbacks, the elder Nightengale tweets. Casali, a Super Two, had projected for a $1.3MM salary, while Murphy projected at $1.1MM in his first arb year.

Cafardo’s Latest: Tribe, Cubs, Dodgers, Bucs

By | at

Blue Jays outfielder Curtis Granderson, Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton and Marlins utilityman Derek Dietrich are on the Indians’ “radar”, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Either Granderson or Hamilton would add a much-needed upgrade to Cleveland’s outfield, which lost Tyler Naquin to the disabled list Saturday, while Dietrich may be able to help both at the keystone and in the outfield. Dietrich has spent the majority of his career at second base, but the 29-year-old – who happens to be a Cleveland native – has amassed 84 appearances in left field this season. Dietrich’s amid his best offensive season, having hit .283/.348/.454 with 13 home runs in 388 plate appearances.

More from Cafardo…

  • The Cubs and Rangers have already made a pair of trades in recent weeks, as Chicago acquired both Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels from Texas. That may not be the end of the two teams’ dealings, though, with Cafardo writing that the Cubs are “looking at” Rangers relievers Jake Diekman and Keone Kela.
  • Along with the previously reported Brad Brach, the Dodgers have been scouting Tigers reliever Shane Greene, according to Cafardo. The 29-year-old Greene has pitched to a 4.19 ERA/3.98 ERA with 9.63 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 43.5 percent groundball rate in 43 innings this season. He’s on a meager salary this year ($1.95MM) and scheduled to go through arbitration one more time.
  • The resurgent Pirates seem intent on addressing their bullpen, as they’ve targeted both Kela (previously reported) and Brach to bolster their relief corps, per Cafardo. Brach, a 32-year-old who will be a free agent at season’s end, has logged a 4.85 ERA/4.01 FIP with 8.77 K/9, 4.38 BB/9 and a 46.5 percent groundball rate in 39 innings.

Trade Buzz: Wheeler, Harper, Liriano, Greene, Castellanos, Braves

By | at

Scouts from at least a dozen teams watched Zack Wheeler’s start on Tuesday, SNY.tv’s Andy Martino reports.  There’s enough interest in Wheeler that the feeling is “he should net a top 10 prospect and more” for the Mets, and he “could move any minute,” as Martino puts it.  Beyond the Yankees and Reds, who were already known to be looking at Wheeler, the list of interested parties also included such clubs as the Rangers, Mariners, and Red Sox.  It isn’t any surprise that contenders like Seattle and Boston are checking in, though the Sox may have already addressed their rotation need with their acquisition of Nathan Eovaldi earlier today.  Texas is an interesting name, as the Rangers could’ve been doing their due diligence or (since Wheeler is under control through 2019) considering making an early move to upgrade next year’s pitching staff, which will be a clear offseason need for the club.

Here are more rumblings from around baseball as we’re less than a week away from the trade deadline…

  • “Something extreme would have to happen for us to consider moving [Bryce Harper],” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  While short of an outright denial, it doesn’t seem like a Harper trade is even a longshot possibility for the Nats.  If anything, Rizzo said the team is still looking to add (in the form of starting pitching and a catcher), though Sherman notes that the general manager didn’t rule out the possibility of eventually selling some impending free agents if Washington can’t get back into the pennant race.  Such moves would be lower-level veterans and not Harper, as Sherman runs through the rather limited and difficult market the Nationals would face if they did make him available.
  • Dodgers scouts have been watching Tigers closer Shane Greene both before and after Greene’s recent DL stint, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.  Greene only missed 12 days due to some minor shoulder inflammation, and has since pitched in five games.  He has posted solid numbers (4.19 ERA, 9.63 K/9, 2.3 BB/9) despite some issues with allowing home runs (1.5 HR/9).  Kenley Jansen obviously isn’t going anywhere as the Dodgers’ ninth inning arm, so Greene would bolster the Los Angeles setup corps.
  • Also from Fenech’s piece, he reports that a Red Sox executive was recently in attendance to see Francisco Liriano in action, and notes that Liriano could be a fit as a left-hander out of Boston’s bullpen.  The Sox are currently going with eight right-handed relievers, with southpaws Bobby Poyner, Robby Scott, and Williams Jerez down at Triple-A, all of whom are far less experienced than a veteran arm like Liriano.  While Liriano has struggled overall as a starting pitcher for the Tigers this year, he has dominated left-handed hitters and would fit as a LOOGY in a return to relief work.
  • The Braves have a lot of trade options to consider, chiefly in adding starting and/or relief pitching, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman explores in an overview of the team’s deadline plans.  If Atlanta does look for hitting, there is some speculation that Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos could be a target, as Detroit has had scouts looking at the Braves farm system (though the Braves’ past interest in Michael Fulmer surely also played a role in those evaluations).  Castellanos may be available, if not outright shopped, in trade talks, though the Tigers have put a high asking price on the slugger.
  • Kyle Gibson could emerge as part of the talks between the Twins and Brewers, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi tweets, should the two teams expand their negotiations beyond just infielders.  Milwaukee was in need of pitching even before recent bad injury news about Brent Suter and Zach Davies, and adding a controllable (through 2019) pitcher in the midst of a strong season like Gibson would be a major boost to the Brew Crew’s rotation.  Adding Gibson to the mix might help Minnesota get a better return in a trade, as Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar are only rental players.

AL Notes: Yankees, Bumgarner, Rays, Eovaldi, Tigers

By | at

It’s well known that the Yankees are looking to bolster their rotation, though the cost to acquire a starter is “out of control right now,” a source close to the team informed Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Nevertheless, Feinsand goes on to list a few starters the Yankees could pursue, including Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. As you’d expect, though, Bumgarner’s not going anywhere. A Giants executive told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic that any trade speculation centering on Bumgarner is “California dreaming.”

More on New York and a pair of other AL teams:

  • With the Rays out of contention, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times runs down a bevy of potential trade pieces for the club. The list includes right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who’s expected to draw 10 interested teams to Citi Field to scout his start against the Mets on Sunday, Topkin reports. Eovaldi previously had several clubs on hand this past Monday when he turned in a quality start in Miami. After missing all of 2017 on account of August 2016 Tommy John surgery, the hard-throwing 28-year-old has encouraged this season with a 3.92 ERA, 7.62 K/9 against 1.31 BB/9 and a 49.6 percent groundball rate through 41 1/3 innings. Eovaldi’s also on a cheap salary ($2MM), which adds to his appeal, though he’s not under control past this season.
  • Back to the Yankees, who saw catcher Gary Sanchez hit the disabled list June 25 with a right groin strain. Now, Sanchez has progressed enough that he feels he’ll be able to return before the All-Star break. That’s not going to happen, however, as manager Aaron Boone told George A. King III of the New York Post and other reporters Saturday. The Yankees are taking a cautious approach with Sanchez and will continue to rely on reserve catchers Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka for the next week-plus.
  • The strained right shoulder that sent Tigers closer Shane Greene to the DL this past Monday isn’t a serious injury, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. Greene has inflammation and bursitis – no structural damage – and could return next weekend, Beck relays. The news regarding teammate Leonys Martin, who went on the DL when Greene did, isn’t as promising. The center fielder’s strained left hamstring will keep him out through the break. But should Martin return before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, he figures to draw trade interest. The same goes for Greene.

Tigers Place Shane Greene, Leonys Martin On Disabled List

By | at

10:00am: Beck tweets that Joe Jimenez will serve as the Tigers’ closer while Greene is out.

9:42am: The Tigers placed a pair of notable trade chips on the 10-day disabled list, per a club announcement. Closer Shane Greene is going on the shelf due to a strained right shoulder, while center fielder Leonys Martin is dealing with a strained left hamstring. In a pair of corresponding moves, Detroit has reinstated lefty Daniel Stumpf from the 10-day DL and recalled outfielder Mikie Mahtook from Triple-A Toledo.

It’s not immediately clear how long the 29-year-old Greene will be expected to miss. There’d been no previous word of a shoulder issue for Greene, making this morning’s announcement something of a surprise. If he proves to be out for anything longer than a month, that’d mostly eliminate the chances of Greene being moved this summer, as he’s unlikely to clear trade waivers next month given his affordable salary and remaining two years of club control.

Greene is in his first full season as the Tigers’ closer and has handled himself well for the most part, though he’d given up a total of three runs over his past three appearances (perhaps being negatively impacted by his shoulder along the way). Overall, he’s posted a 4.03 ERA with 10.0 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.66 HR/9 and a 43.4 percent ground-ball rate. While he’s clearly been too homer-prone so far in 2018, Greene’s 19.1 K-BB% is the best of his career, and his fastball velocity has held steady just a hair shy of 95 mph.

However, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets, manager Ron Gardenhire told the media today that Greene revealed yesterday that his shoulder has been bothering him for “awhile.” Gardenhire notes that Greene’s velocity dropped substantially Sunday — as does appear to be the case — prompting the DL placement. He’ll visit a doctor for further evaluation in the coming days.

As for Martin, word that he was DL-bound broke yesterday after he exited Sunday’s game early. As Beck writes, Martin has been playing through hamstring discomfort since a DL stint back in May. After exiting yesterday’s game in too much pain to continue playing, Martin essentially “asked us to put him on the DL,” manager Ron Gardenhire told Beck and other reporters. Martin says his hope is to return to the club in 10 days, though given the proximity of the All-Star break, perhaps the Tigers will hold him out a bit longer in order to afford him with a few days of extra rest.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top