Quick Hits: Tulowitzki, McKenry, Athletics

Three-team trades aren't easy to dream up, let alone to achieve, but ESPN's David Schoenfield has five of them to entertain you in what's been a quiet day at the hot stove. One idea has the Rockies shipping Troy Tulowitzki to the Pirates and Dexter Fowler to the Marlins and receiving top Pirates prospects Gregory Polanco and Alen Hanson, along with Marlins closer Steve Cishek and prospects Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino. The Marlins would also receive Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer in the deal. It's a fun idea, although, as Schoenfield suggests, it's questionable whether the cost-conscious Pirates would be willing to take on Tulowitzki's enormous contract. Here's more from around baseball.

• The Pirates have to decide whether to tender a contract to catcher Michael McKenry, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. McKenry's season ended in July after a knee injury, and he was in the midst of a weak season, hitting .217/.262/.348 with poor defense. The Pirates replaced him with prospect Tony Sanchez, who played credibly both at Triple-A and in the big leagues in 2013. McKenry only projects to make $900K in arbitration, though, and he has an option left, so the Pirates could tender him as an insurance policy if either Sanchez or Russell Martin get hurt. Other Pirates non-tender candidates include 1B/OF Garrett Jones, who was designated for assignment last week, and outfielder Travis Snider.
• In addition to Daric Barton (whose case we wrote about earlier tonight), the Athletics have a number of potential non-tenders, Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com writes. One is outfielder Seth Smith, who MLBTR projects will make $4.3MM if taken to arbitration. Another could be reliever Jerry Blevins, since the A's recently acquired fellow lefty Fernando Abad. Blevins was at least somewhat effective last season, however, and should be fairly cheap, with a projected salary of $1.5MM, so the A's could well keep him. Another is reliever Fernando Rodriguez, who missed 2013 after having Tommy John surgery, but Rodriguez figures to be so cheap in arbitration that there would be little downside to the A's tendering him a contract.