In the latest Hot Corner video, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal gives his take on three of baseball's top aces…
- The likelihood of Zack Greinke being dealt "probably is growing," though the Brewers are still on the fringes on the NL Central race. Rosenthal doesn't think the Brewers will be able to afford re-signing Greinke this winter and their best-case scenario if they do trade him would be to bring back a big prospect, as the Mets did last summer when they acquired Zack Wheeler from the Giants in exchange for Carlos Beltran.
- Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay won't be back until after the All-Star break and Chase Utley just made his season debut, so Rosenthal says the Phillies might "wait until the last minute, perhaps" to decide whether they'll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino, both pending free agents, would be Philly's biggest trade chips if the team did decide to look ahead to 2013.
- There is "no urgency" for the Dodgers to pursue a longer contract extension with Clayton Kershaw. The two sides already agreed to a two-year, $19MM deal in February and Kershaw isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2014 campaign. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti said last month that the team wasn't going to negotiate a longer deal with Kershaw during the season. Rosenthal notes that while the Dodgers may re-open talks in the offseason, it can't hurt to exercise a bit more caution when locking up pitchers, noting that the Giants are probably thankful they didn't extend Tim Lincecum last winter given Lincecum's struggles.
