Jacob Turner Rumors
Tigers Acquire Omar Infante, Anibal Sanchez
4:59pm: The teams also swap the picks they obtained in last week's competitive balance lottery, Peter Gammons of MLB Network tweets. The Marlins obtain prospects Rob Brantly and Brian Flynn along with Turner, Gammons tweets. The Tigers will now have the last pick in compensation round A (after the first round), while the Marlins will have the final pick in compensation round B (after the second round).
4:41pm: The Tigers have addressed their two most pressing needs with one trade, acquiring Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez from the Marlins in a deal that will send top pitching prospect Jacob Turner to Miami. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported the trade, which suggests the Marlins are willing to look to 2013 and beyond following a disappointing 44-51 start to the season (on Twitter).
The Marlins are extremely disappointed by their team's performance and are prepared to make a series of trades, Ken Rosenthal and Morosi report (on Twitter). Josh Johnson, Randy Choate and Carlos Lee are among the team's possible trade chips.
Infante, who played for the Tigers from 2002-07, should provide Detroit with an offensive boost at second base. Tigers second basemen -- mainly Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn -- have combined for an MLB-worst .201/.286/.276 batting line. Infante, who's in the first year of a two-year, $8MM contract, has a .287/.312/.442 batting line in 347 plate appearances this year.
Meanwhile, Sanchez will provide Detroit with an established starter to go along with Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Doug Fister. Drew Smyly, now on the disabled list, provides the team with an additional option. Sanchez, 28, has a 3.94 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 121 innings for Miami this year. He's earning $8MM this year and is on track to hit free agency after the season. The Tigers won't be able to obtain compensatory draft picks for Sanchez, since he was acquired midseason.
Turner, the ninth overall selection in 2009, entered the season as the 22nd-best prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America. He started for the Tigers yesterday, helping Detroit beat the White Sox 6-4. The 21-year-old has spent most of the season in the minor leagues, where he has a 2.77 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 84 1/3 innings so far in 2012.
Flynn, 22, has a 3.95 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 107 innings as a starter at Class A and Double-A this year. The 6'8" left-hander was a seventh round selection in 2011. Brantly, 23, is a catcher who has spent the 2012 season in the upper minors. He has a .287/.332/.387 batting line in 334 plate appearances so far this year.
MLB.com's Joe Frisaro first reported Turner's inclusion in the deal (on Twitter).
Tigers Notes: Martinez, Porcello, Turner, Castellanos
The 34-35 Tigers trail the AL Central-leading Indians by 2.5 games, but owner Mike Ilitch remains confident in the people running his team, Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press reports. “I know we’ve got the right foundation,” Ilitch said, “the right people in place.” Here are more notes on the Tigers from Sharp...
- Ilitch expects the Tigers to enjoy a boost in offense and leadership if Victor Martinez returns this season. “He was really our leader, and he’s starting to come around again,” Ilitch said.
- Sharp wonders if the Tigers would consider trading Rick Porcello for a veteran starter or a right-handed bat with power. GM Dave Dombrowski could make Porcello available now or in the offseason if Jacob Turner is ready for a full-time starting role in 2013. Porcello, 23, has a 4.95 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 80 innings this year and will remain under team control through 2014.
- Turner, Nick Castellanos and Avisail Garcia are as close to untouchable as minor league prospects get, Sharp writes.
AL Central Notes: Turner, Doumit, Royals
The Tigers are calling on Missouri native Jacob Turner to make his season debut against the Cardinals this afternoon. Turner, who started three games for Detroit last year, had a 3.43 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 42 innings at Triple-A before getting called up. Here are today's AL Central links...
- If Turner stays in the Major Leagues from this point on, he'll have two years and 134 days of service time after the 2014 season. There's a good chance it'd be enough for Super Two status, but it won't be enough to accelerate Turner's free agency. However, the Tigers' primary focus is no doubt winning games this year.
- Ryan Doumit, who signed a one-year, $3MM contract with the Twins last offseason, has enjoyed playing in Minnesota and has interest in returning next season, Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com reports. No extension talks have taken place, and there’s a sense the Twins will wait until after the trade deadline before determining how Doumit fits into their long-term plans, Mackey writes.
- The Royals won’t necessarily be sellers this summer, scouts tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The Royals are in fourth place in the AL Central, 4.5 games behind the division-leading Indians.
AL Central Notes: Lannan, Pauley, Dotel, Floyd
Here's a look at some items on the Tigers and White Sox..
- The Tigers are keeping an eye on Nats pitcher John Lannan but have yet to have detailed talks involving him, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- In the end, Monday’s release of David Pauley had the feeling of a mercy move, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. By releasing him now, the Tigers give the 28-year-old a better chance to hook on somewhere before pitching staffs are set.
- Octavio Dotel is set to pitch for his 13th club in 13 big league seasons, making him the ultimate nomad, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Mike Morgan, Ron Villone, and Matt Stairs were all close, having played for a dozen teams.
- There has been concern with Jacob Turner's drop in velocity this spring, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) spoke with execs with other clubs who say that scouts spotted this in late 2011 as well. The Tigers have said that they are not looking to trade the right-hander but he can reportedly be had in the right deal.
- Rival executives say that the price tag for White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd was huge over the winter, tweets Olney.
Tigers Notes: Damon, Cespedes, Turner
The Tigers announced this week that Victor Martinez is likely to miss the 2012 season with a torn ACL and though GM Dave Dombrowski said the team won’t act rashly, the Tigers figure to be on the lookout for a bat. Here’s the latest on the defending AL Central Champions...
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland said on MLB Network Radio that the Tigers probably aren’t going to find someone as good as Martinez. “So if you say it’s not gonna hurt us, you’re lying,” he added. Hat tip to Jason Beck of MLB.com, who has a partial transcript of Leyland's comments.
- Leyland said Johnny Damon’s name will likely come up since he can contribute to a club, even if he's not a "prototype DH."
- Leyland knows there are a lot of options remaining for teams in search of hitters. “How good they produce anymore, I don’t know,” he said. “And I always ultimately leave that up to Dave. We’ve already had some discussions, I won’t say who they are, of some guys internally.”
- John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press suggests Vladimir Guerrero and Raul Ibanez could be fits for the Tigers and notes that it remains to be seen whether Martinez's injury will affect the Tigers' pursuit of Yoenis Cespedes.
- Right-hander Jacob Turner, third baseman Nick Castellanos, left-hander Drew Smyly and left-hander Casey Crosby top Baseball America's list of the Tigers' best prospects entering the season.
- Leyland said the Tigers could round out their rotation with a trade or a free agent acquisition, James Schmehl of MLive.com writes. Turner and others would compete for the team's final rotation spot if Dombrowski doesn't add a starter.
- Right-hander Max Scherzer is an extension candidate and I previewed a possible deal last night.
Epstein Talks Matt Garza
There’s been lots of trade buzz surrounding right-hander Matt Garza this offseason, but Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says more has happened in the media than has happened in reality, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. However, that doesn’t mean the Cubs are saying Garza’s untouchable in trade talks.
“I think very highly of Matt Garza,” Epstein said. “I think he’s a top-of-the-rotation type of guy and I’m looking forward to him being on the mound for us this season. We’re just being transparent about the fact that, ‘Hey, we’re in this for the long haul,' and sometimes it makes sense to weigh your options and see if you can put yourself in a better position for the long haul.”
In an interview yesterday, GM Jed Hoyer downplayed the idea that Garza will be dealt now that Paul Maholm has been signed. The Cubs are content to enter Spring Training with Garza, Maholm, Travis Wood, Chris Volstad, Randy Wells and Ryan Dempster in their projected rotation, Hoyer said.
Earlier this week the Tigers were said to be pursuing Garza aggressively. However, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Lynn Henning of the Detroit News that "nothing has changed" since last week, when he said that he wouldn't part with Jacob Turner in a trade. It's possible that the Tigers continue to talk about Garza with the Cubs, but a deal involving Turner seems unlikely, Henning writes.
Rosenthal On Garza, Turner, Madson, Lee
The Cubs have traded Sean Marshall, Carlos Zambrano and Andrew Cashner in recent weeks. Could Matt Garza be next? Ken Rosenthal of FOX breaks down the market for Garza and offers more rumors from around the league:
- Cubs execs Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are alarmed by the lack of minor league talent in their own system, so trading Garza might appeal to them. The Yankees, one possible suitor for the right-hander, have had concerns about Garza’s ability to handle New York in the past, Rosenthal reports.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has said he’s not looking to trade Jacob Turner, but Rosenthal hears the young right-hander is available in the right deal.
- A contender like the Cardinals could make a surprise play for Ryan Madson, but the market for the free agent closer currently looks thin. Agent Scott Boras may wait until Spring Training to find a deal, as he has done in the past.
- Free agent first baseman Derrek Lee expects to land a full-time job, Rosenthal reports. I examined the first base market yesterday.
- The Mariners, who added Hisashi Iwakuma yesterday, are open to signing a veteran at the right price, Rosenthal tweets.
Tigers Not Looking To Trade Jacob Turner
The Tigers are not looking to trade top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, GM Dave Dombrowski told Lynn Henning of the Detroit News. Dombrowski said he did not offer Turner for Matt Garza. The GM admitted to actively pursuing Gio Gonzalez, but added, "I don't think there is another call we've made in pursuing another starting pitcher." There are no ongoing trade talks for starting pitching, Dombrowski told MLB.com's Jason Beck. Instead, the Tigers are open to adding a swingman type of pitcher.
Four days ago, Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that the Tigers "have quietly pursued starting pitchers throughout the offseason" and were involved on Garza. The following day, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the Tigers "have made it known to other teams that they are willing to trade Jacob Turner in a deal for the right pitcher." Dombrowski told Henning, "There's been a lot of things written in recent weeks that have been totally incorrect," speculating that rumors came "probably from a strategic point of bargaining."
Tigers Willing To Deal Jacob Turner
The Tigers have made it known to other teams that they are willing to trade Jacob Turner in a deal for the right pitcher, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The Tigers have seemed willing to deal the right-hander in the past but this is the first indication that they are actively advertising Turner's availability.
Turner, 20, had a big fan in A's GM Billy Beane and was discussed as the centerpice for a deal that would have brought Gio Gonzalez to Detroit. Ultimately, Gonzalez was shipped to the Nationals as the Tigers were unwilling to part with prospects Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly in addition to Turner.
It's hard to say who the "right pitcher" for Detroit might be, but the Tigers are one of the clubs who are in the mix for Cubs right-hander Matt Garza. Last season, Turner spent the bulk of the year with Double-A Erie where he turned in a 3.48 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 17 starts.
The Latest On Gio Gonzalez
The Tigers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Rangers are among the teams pursuing Athletics left-hander Gio Gonzalez, reports Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The bidding figures to heat up a bit once the posting period for Yu Darvish ends at 4pm CT tomorrow. Here's the latest on Gonzalez, courtesy of Knobler...
- The Athletics did indeed ask the Marlins for Mike Stanton in a trade, though the talks understandably went nowhere.
- A's GM Billy Beane in enamored with Tigers' top pitching prospect Jacob Turner, and Detroit is willing to move him for Gonzalez. They balked at Beane's request for prospects Nick Castellanos and Drew Smyly in addition to Turner, though.
- If the Tigers don't swing a trade for Gonzalez, Knobler says that they'll likely find a Brad Penny-type to be their fifth starter (Twitter links). They also want to find an upgrade at second or third base.
- The Red Sox have shown just as much interest in Gio as they have closer Andrew Bailey.
- The Phillies also inquired about Gonzalez, but the Athletics didn't like what they had to offer.
|
|
