While there have yet to be any firm indications that the Yankees will shop Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman this summer, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that some executives from other clubs are becoming more and more convinced that the Yankees will indeed hold a “two-tiered auction” on their imposing lefties. In Miller’s case, the belief is that the Yankees will name a specific price for interested organizations (e.g. Kyle Schwarber from the Cubs) and tell the teams to take it or leave it. Chapman’s status as a free agent at season’s end gives him a lower price tag, Olney notes. He goes on to list the Nationals, Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs and Red Sox as teams with potential interest in late-inning bullpen help, though I personally have a tough time envisioning the Sox and Yankees connecting for a trade of that magnitude.
More from the AL East…
- The Yankees received positive news on Carlos Beltran, who exited last night’s contest with a hamstring injury, writes ESPN New York’s Andrew Marchand. An MRI revealed no damage to the muscle, and the organization’s hope is that he’ll only miss a day or two. In the event of a setback, Marchand notes that the Yankees could hand right field to the combination of Aaron Hicks and Rob Refsnyder with Alex Rodriguez again receiving regular DH at-bats, or the team could elect to give Aaron Judge a long-awaited look in the Majors. GM Brian Cashman recently suggested that Judge had more work to do at the minor league level, however. The Yankees will hope to not have to even ponder such options, however; Beltran has been the club’s best hitter in 2016, batting .297/.336/.570 with 19 home runs. If the Yanks do end up selling veteran pieces, as Olney speculated above, Beltran’s bat would surely be in demand.
- Yankees prospect James Kaprielian, the team’s first-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been diagnosed with a strained right flexor tendon, reports Newsday’s Anthony Rieber. He’s headed to Los Angeles this week to meet with renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Kaprielian, a product of UCLA, has been limited to three games this season but has posted impressive numbers in his 29 innings since being drafted. The 22-year-old has a 1.55 ERA with a 36-to-5 K/BB ratio in that time.
- The Blue Jays also received some bad news on the injury front, as Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star writes that Gavin Floyd’s torn lat muscle will cost the right-hander eight to 12 weeks of action. While Floyd’s injury doesn’t require surgical repair, that timeline could sideline Floyd until anywhere from mid August to late September. The 33-year-old hasn’t been one of manager John Gibbons’ highest-leverage relievers, but Floyd has delivered 31 innings of 4.06 ERA ball with a 30-to-8 K/BB ratio. His loss further thins out a bullpen that currently has Brett Cecil on the disabled list and has seen struggles from Drew Storen all season long. (You can check out the Jays’ updated depth chart here.)
- Red Sox manager John Farrell tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that outfielder Chris Young underwent an MRI in Boston on Monday, and the test revealed “a little bit more injury” than Young’s initial tests did (Twitter link). What that means for Young’s return is not yet clear; the outfielder hit the disabled list with a hamstring strain on June 24. Boston has been using the inexperienced Bryce Brentz and Ryan LaMarre in left field since Young hit the disabled list.
- Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports that Red Sox prospect Christopher Acosta has been placed on the restricted list after he left the club’s extended Spring Training facility to travel to the Dominican Repbulic without permission. Since returning to the Dominican, Acosta hasn’t reported to the team’s academy there despite being asked to do so. Boston signed the now-18-year-old Acosta in July 2014 and gave the Dominican native a $1.5MM signing bonus, Speier notes. The reasons for his actions aren’t clear, though Speier adds that Acosta doesn’t intend to quit baseball.
Would Schwarber for Miller be a good move on the Cubs’ part? What is everyone’s opinion? I am no expert, but it would be hard for me to move a promising position player with MLB experience for a set-up RP.
Here the problem .. After what the Red sox and astros gave up for 2 reliever now teams who want miller and any all star type reliever need to overpay .. Schwarber is important for the cubs but he’s a DH or a 1B no a Left fielder .. he doesn’t have a position .. the yankees can ask for him but i don’t think will be one one trade .. i can see the yankees parting away with miller and someone else like refsnyder for schwarber and someone else ..if i’m the yankees i don’t do that trade .. yeah schwarber is powerful but i rather trade miller to the nats for pitching or the rangers .
The Cubs have the best record in baseball right now. They’ve started Willson Contreras, Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant in LF so far this year. Just last night, they used Travis Wood, Spencer Patton and Pedro Strop in LF. It’s more likely than not that the Cubs think LF is a pretty meaningless defensive position.
And none of this even mentions the fact that the DH is 100% coming to the NL within the next two years. Whether the new CBA calls for it to be implemented next year, or they provide a one-year buffer for teams to prepare for it, the DH is coming… The game needs a unified rule with interleague play. The players want it because it’ll raise salaries. And the owners will use it to leverage an extra couple years of the broken QO system from the players.
I may be old school, and I don’t doubt your wrong, but I hope that you are wrong on the DH coming to the NL. I like that there is something that makes the two leagues different.
Maybe yes, maybe no. However, it gives every AL side a development edge over every NL team.
The Rangers have the best record in baseball.
With all the interleague play that happens, and isn’t going away, it’s time for the two leagues to play by the same rules.
I’m an NL fan and don’t like the DH, but it’s unfair for AL teams to have it and not the NL teams with all the interleague games that are played.
Rangers have (had) the most wins… Cubs had the higher winning percentage. Depends how you look at it.
Where did you see the dh is coming?
Well said justinept! I agree 100%
Rangers do not have the best record and its not a matter of how you look at it. He record is defined as winning percentage
@ MB923 No they don’t you idiot. They HAD I say HAD the most wins by one, Not no more but even then the record goes by PCT. Losses are more important in the PCT ratio then wins. You know nothing about records I can see.
I wouldn’t really go out and say Boston over paid for Kimbrell. For a system that has little in the farm system to compare it to? Maybe, to Boston? Not really. They still had 4 really good kids, Margot was blocked (then), Guerra was REALLY blocked as a super slick, decent hitting SS, who had never played any other position.
They were dealing from a point of strength at the minor league level to fix a weakness at the MLB level and get one of the top 1-2 closers in the game and have him under control for 3 years.
He’s a DH and can’t field at all. Plus he now has a destroyed knee, so who’s knows what he’ll be. Once he comes back.
Sounds like Brian McCann without the overpay. What’s wrong with that?
McCann can catch.
So you are saying is an ideal Yankee…..?
Why not? It seems like if Schwarber won’t overcome defensive limitations and now working back from a knee injury — is there a better place to place for a natural hitter like Schwarb?
If I’m running a team im not trading him for a reliever. I say find a cheaper option and keep Schwarber unless u need to trade for a starter
That’s precisely the problem, Miller/Chapman are on another level, but Miller/Vizcaino are controllable though they’d cost a bit. CHC has the farm depth, need for RPs, and motivation (for WS title) to make a deal happen. NYY is very smart by setting the price at Schwarber for a team desperate at winning a title this year. Kudos to Cashman, if this is true.
Kyle Schwarber is not being traded for a relief pitcher not even one as good as Miller because to do so would be stupif and the Cubs FO is anything but that
If i were the cubs id seriously consider it. Miller is a top tier relief pitcher and Scharber is enigmatic. Hes got tremendous power as a hitter but as a catcher he has a average to slightly below average arm. Hes not great in left either. They have Rizzo locked into 1st and the NL has no DH. Id be very tempted especially since you dont know how schwarber will recover from his injury either.
No one in Chicago = including the Cubs front office – thinks Schwarber is enigmatic. His bat plays anywhere. And we’re talking about a front office that won multiple World Series with Manny Ramirez in left field. They do NOT care about LF defense.
No. Bad idea. Can get a RP of quality somewhere else and better deal.
Schwarber is going nowhere
The Schwarber to the Yankees thing is really starting to get old, its not going to happen. Just like a couple years ago when everyone was convinced the Cubs were going to send Starlin Castro to the Mets for Syndergaard. Let it go.
Then the Cubs won’t get any good relief pitchers. You can’t expect to get one of the best relief pitchers for nothing.
The Cubs have plenty of prospects that the yanks would want. Schwarber isn’t the only good player they have. Look at their system
Cubs have plenty of prospect the Braves would want!
Who would the Cubs be trying to get from the Braves? Vizzy? I am not trying to be sarcastic. It’s a legit question
Do they really? You also have to look at need. The Yankees need a young controllable bat to go with their “young hopefuls.” They don’t need Volg, they don’t need Torres, they don’t need even contreras. That’s the thing they essentially like Severino, Mateo, Bird, Judge, and Sanchez. If they are selling a dominant reliever get that one impact piece. The Yankees are in a weird spot were they have to fill in around their bad contracts in McCann and Ellsbury.
Viz and Julio T. Probably
Cubs have plenty of prospects any team would want. Prospects who rate outside the top 5-10 in the Cubs system are top 3 in most any other teams system, especially the Yankees
The Cubs do have some good prospects, but their system isn’t nearly as good as you think it is and the Yankees aren’t nearly as bad as you think. The Yankees #3 prospect is Sanchez and he is a top 50 prospect, so don’t fool yourself into believing the Cubs have anywhere near 5+ top 50 prospects. If you consider Contreras graduated, the Cubs are probably looking at 2 top 50 prospects currently..
If the Yankees asking price for a relief pitcher is Kyle Schwarber, then they won’t make a trade. It’s as simple as that. Schwarber for Miller would be an absurd request…. It’d be like asking the Red Sox for Jackie Bradley Jr; the Pirates for Gregory Polanco; the Dodgers for Corey Seager; the Mets for Steven Matz; the Astros for George Springer; the Rangers for Rougned Odor. You get the picture?
And this isn’t to say that Miller isn’t worth a lot. It’s just to say that he’s not worth a guy who put up an .850 OPS his rookie year, and who will legitimately only get better as he sees more big league pitches. A guy like Miller is worth top-level prospects, sure. But he’s not worth young players who have flashed long stretches of elite production at the big league level.
Why do you think most trades don’t get done that’s the whole point.
Because of unrealistic expectations? That’s the sign of a bad GM…
I guy like Miller can be the difference in winning a world series or not. Pitching and defense wins world series, and as loaded as the cubs are with talent they need that shut down reliever for the post season. Also they shouldn’t stop there they should try to package a deal for both chapmen and Miller if the Yankees really want those top tier prospects. The Royals and Giants have shown how important bull pens can be. So I don’t think it would hurt the cubs to send Schwarber and a couple prospects to make a Royal type super bull pen. The cubs just are so loaded with bats would they really miss the kid. And then Schwarber is out for the year with the bad knee injury what happens if he doesn’t recover and you missed out on a trade like that.
I would turn down Miller for JBJ in a heartbeat if I’m the Yankees. The guy is just way too inconsistent.
Ok Yanks well sorry you are not getting Schwarber so deal with it. That does not mean the Cubs are trying to get Miller for nothing. But if its Schwarber or no deal well then no deal. Keep him.
Instead they sent him for Adam Warren? So are you saying they should make the trade?
lol…thankfully the Mets’ front office wasn’t convinced about Castro for Syn, as that was wholly on the Cubs’ side wanting that “deal”.
It was media driven. There was never even any speculation that the two sides were talking about a deal. There was always just talk among media folks that the two sides lined up for a deal because they were both deficient in areas that the other team had a surplus.
Shouldn’t the Yankees main priority be starting pitching? Arod still needs the DH spot for another year unless hes paid to leave, Bird should be coming back, their best prospects are position players. Kaprelian may have injury concerns Pineda/Nova are nightmares, Severino was rocked. Strasburg signed an extension, they are looking at a free agent market of Cashner etc. Maybe they wont get MLB ready arms but at least think they would ask for close to MLB ready starting pitching.
Nobody is willing to trade good young starting pitching now. Look at what Shelby Miller cost. I’m sure that a package for Miller would include a young arm or two but not a guaranteed star. They just aren’t out there now.
Miller was a ridiculous not going to see again for a decade overpay, though your point is still valid…young starting pitching (#1, #2) is highly valued and requires a team to overpay for it.
Shouldn’t the yankees main priority be getting any young controllable good players. There team is old and lacks talent up and down the roster. And there minor league prospects aren’t exactly can’t miss types either. They need help everywhere
The Indians would seem to be a really good match but no idea how badly they want RP help or if they have more pressing needs, Aiken + Clevinger and a hitter that isn’t one of their top OF guys would seem like a nice deal.
How about no
Care to elaborate baldy? Indians/Broncos fan how does that even work bandwagon much?
Yea it could work but I doubt that would be the top offer on the table
Schwarber = Junk
The Yankees would / did not ask for or set the asking price at Schwarber. That is 1000% false!
Your brain = Junk.
Reading comprehension can be your friend. He used Schwarber as an example.
Junk? Do you watch baseball?
GMs love power, so Schwarber is going to keep them interested, despite his poor defense and injuries. Look at Chris Davis…dude had a <.200 year, then a good year, and then negotiated a HUGE contract to stay in B'more. His numbers (besides HR) are in the same range as Lucas Duda, a fine but not elite talent who is getting paid <1/10th of that contract.
The Cubs will sit on him because he has a value far past his current state. As someone else mentioned, trading an .850 bat (even w. suspect D) for a reliever isn't going to happen for short of Mariano Rivera in his prime. Chapman is awesome, but the walk year really bites into his value, despite a QO.
Nyy42 what planet are you on? With Arod on his way out, Beltran probably getting traded, Tex not producing who else would be a better fit to come to NY and be a better fit to DH for a Yankee team that depertly needs to re tool with young bats to get the Yankees back to being contenders again? Both teams, the cubs and the Yankees would be dumb not to move on this trade.
The Yankees need to trade both Miller and chapman and start over.. Seeing this series with the Rangers really shows just how weak this team is. Schwarber would be a bad move for the Yankees they need mlb ready talent they could plug in now to help make a difference. For the Cubs instead of Schwarber the yanks would or should start with Baez for Miller/Chapman, and a few good pitching prospects from whoever they would be dealing with.
This is not intended to take a shot at anyone, but I really feel that if Miller, under the same history, performance, and contract was playing for a different team, a small market team, people would have a drastically different opinion.
I truly believe that the Schwarber for Miller idea is being perpetuated by Yankee fans. To me, the only reason that any articles question the proposal’s validity and fairness is because so many Yankee fans have made that proposal and media outlets want to cover the most discussed topics.
It’s great click bait for olney. One of the best players on the Cubs in a proposal for one of the best relievers in the game. Two really popular teams in two major markets….
That said, the Cubs simply are not trading schwarber for any reliever.
Miller is every bit as valuable as Kimbrel. Maybe even more valuable given that his contract is more reasonable.. The Yankees have every right to demand an equivalent haul for him.
I did not compare the 2 pitchers. All I am saying is that asking for a young, MLB-ready position player with a huge premium on power and a very high ceiling is not equal to any reliever in baseball…
Kimball and Miller’s contracts are pretty close to the same. And Kayrall like I said in my earlier comment pitching and defense wins world series and when you have as much talent as the cubs and you know your bull pin is a potential weakness why wouldn’t you make this trade.
It’s Kimbrel.
You don’t make this trade because a reliver with a couple years of control DOES NOT EQUAL a young 30-40 homerun middle of the order bat.
Look at it this way: if Schwarber had not gotten injured, this trade proposal would have been laughed at and the media would have moved on. Even if he regressed a bit (to make up for any loss of value from the injury), it would still be a joke of a trade proposal that Steve and Jeff would skip in the weekly chats…..
One more counter-argument: The Dodgers should trade Seager to the Braves (Braves’ needs not being considered here) for Teheran. Does that sound at all sane to you?
I’m not sure I totally agree with you about market size having that much of an effect here. Last offseason, in addition to the large prospect packages that Kimbrel and Giles returned, we saw small market Tampa Bay turn 2 years of Jake McGee into 4 years of Corey Dickerson. Dickerson has a lot of similarities to Schwarber, especially if his knee injury takes catching off of the table and forces him into the role of full time LF.
Even though I don’t expect Chicago to trade Schwarber for a reliever, it appears teams are valuing elite and near elite RP much higher now than in the past.
If the Yankees want another bat they will just sign Cespedes asking for Schwarber makes no sense at all.
That’s true. The Yankees have never been shy when it comes to paying the big bucks
Then why didn’t they sign Zobrist to play 2nd base and instead trade one of their most valuable pitchers for an overpaid garbage 2nd baseman?
Maybe because Zobrist wanted to win?
He would want an extra 8 million dollars more though.
To say Castro is overpaid garbage is a ridiculous statement. He’s 26, has 1,000 career hits, has a reasonable contract and plays solid defense.
…not for his contract though. He is earning ~$8m this year and then $10m, $11m, $12m, and $16m in subsequent years. He has a career 96 OPS+ and is typically in the Top 5 for worst fielding SS/2B in the league. He’s fine as a contributor, but his “value” isn’t very good because of the $’s he is being allocated. He is in fact overpaid, is decent at the plate, and is not very good in the field. I’m not a huge fan of fielding metrics, but he struggles to pass the eye test too.
Some people have tunnel vision I would rather have Castro over Zobrist any day.
Then why didn’t the Yankees just sign Cespedes this past off-season? He was available…
Honesty, the Yankees plan is quite transparent. They’re trying to stay afloat until 2018 without committing any long-term money. At that point, all but Starling Castro will be off their books, and the free agency class will likely include:
Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw, AJ Pollock, Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez, Dallas Keuchel, David Price, Andrew McCutchen, Josh Donaldson, and Jason Heyward.
There’s simply no way the Yankees are going to commit long-term money to an aging player knowing what could be coming down the road. They’ll even sacrifice their WS chances these next few years for the flexibility to add multiple players off that list.
Now, if the Yankees can acquire impact prospects for players that likely don’t fit into their long-term plans (Chapman, Miller, and even Tanaka), then they’ll be all that much better for it heading into that free agency class.
I’d imagine because he had no place to play with Beltran and Tex still on the books. If Cespedes demands another quick opt out suffice to say Yankees would probably avoid him again even with an opening.
Ellsbury + McCann strongly goes against everything you are saying pretty sure both are on the books in 2018 too.
7 years 175 million was offered to Cano as well the Yankees sit out one off season and are suddenly penny pinching it is amazing. They spent 571 million from 2013-2014 that is the real reason they spent nothing in 2015 has nothing to do with 2018.
Did anyone see what cespedes did in the world series, that’s why they didn’t sign him.
All I know is if I was a Yankees fan I would want some type of splash. They are spending way too much for not much result. They are by no means the worst team out there, but their ROI is terrible.
Side note, I feel bad for Beltran. Normally a Yankee with his stats would be a sure bet to make the ASG.
The Cubs are either all in or they aren’t. I’m guessing they aren’t. IMO, the cubbies will troll the 2nd & 3rd tier relief pitchers available and scoop up two.. Although, continued bullpen failures or bullpen arm injuries could change their thinking. The Yanks control the elite reliever trade market. They should literally wait until the last minute to trade one or two of them to maximize value.
I don’t see Theo sacrificing future roster flexibility and depth for a relief pitcher, no matter how good they probably would be on the team. Relief pitchers are too variable over a 3yr span (or 2 and change for Miller).
Trying to remember the last team to win a WS thanks to ‘going all in’ by trading elite prospects for a relief pitcher… The ’03 Florida Marlins with Uugeth Urbina is the last team I can remember to win the WS after trading for a closer at the WS. And all that dominant 6.00 WS ERA cost them was Adrian Gonzalez…
The Royals traded Will Myers to get Wade Davis. That worked out last year.
Traded their #1 prospect for Zobrist too didnt they?
Guess he wasnt #1 but maybe top 3 at least.
Can just ignore that did not see the RP stipulation, all though Zobrist can probably be a RP too since he seems to do every thing.
Wade David was by no means the centerpiece in that trade. James Shields was. Davis was a failed starter in Tampa but became a lights out closer in KC (further showing the sporadic talent levels when it comes to bullpen guys)
If only the Cubs “went all in” that year and had a relief pitcher who could strikeout Castillo or Lowell or Rodriguez, or the other batters that ended yet another “run” at the WS.
I’d like to see the Yankees trade Miller, Chapman AND Beltran. Texiera too if someone would be willing to rent him. They are going nowhere this year.
I’m not sure about Schwarber. 1B is Bird’s job next year. He can’t play the outfield. Can he still catch with his knee and what to do with Sanchez? I’d want something other than a DH for Miller.
I’d want a player similar to the talent available for the draft pick I would get if Chapman walks. He will surely get a qualifying offer.
They’ll not get too much for Beltran. Hopefully some useful too to be young talent.
Miller and Chapman are going to be the 2 top relievers on the block, if the Yanks decide to sell. There is nothing wrong with the Yanks having a high asking price for them, but, the Cubs just aren’t going to pay that price for any reliever. They will trade for a Doolittle or an Abad instead. Both are still very effective in the pen and won’t cost as much. It’s no knock on the Yanks asking price it’s just what the Cubs will do
Just my opinion but I think Schwarber is overrated. He has no position and when he was called up he killed the ball for about a month and then slumped for the rest of the time up there. Now it could’ve definitely just been a slump like everyone goes through but I don’t think he’s proven enough to deserve all of this praise.
Not to many 23 year come up and shine from the jump. He batted a respectable 250 with a good obp and hit 16 bombs in under half a seasons time. Plus he was awesome in the playoffs too when it really matters. Not trying to be a Homer but I think the bat is legit. But as much as I like him I still think DH in the American league may be what he’s best suited for. Personally I would trade Schwarber if I’m getting a legit young starter back,but, hes just too valuable to consider trading for a reliever
Clearly, you didn’t watch the playoffs.
You’re right, clearly I didn’t watch him bat well over 300 with 5 homers in 9 games. He got shut down against the Mets just like every other cub batter. But he still managed 2 jacks off the Mets pitchers. Not to shabby for a 23 year old with under half his 1st pro season under his belt in his 1st taste of the playoffs. I’m not pretending hes the 2nd coming of Babe Ruth or anything but the bat will be legit. Hes still worth more then a relief pitcher
That reply was meant for the guy you replied to, my bad. Tough to comment from this phone.
Cubs prospects who would be starters on the Yankees-
1B Vogelbach
3B Candlaerio
OF Almora, McKinney, and a few others
C Contreras
Just off the top of my head. I’m sure I’m missing a few others
I can;t see the Cubs moving Almora,Happ or Contreras. However the Yankees would be foolish to turn down offers if the Cubs package included names like Soler, Vogelbacj,Candelario, McKinney, or any of the high upside arms like Hudson, Steele,Sands,Clifton,Stinnet or Tseng
Maybe the Cubs could package enough of these guys for Chapman, but no shot they could get Miller with them.
Cubsfan24 is correct. The Cubs will trade for relief pitching but are more likely to match up with Oakland.
Miller and Chapman are elite relievers. Chapman will require a lesser player because he is a “rental”. Miller will be traded for a high profile player because he has years left on his contract. The game has changed over the years where managers are trying to shorten the game by having a shut down pen. Last year the Royals had a incredible record when leading after the 7th and rode that formula to a World title. They in fact could have won it two years in a row but Bochy went to his pen one inning earlier than Yost and won game 7.
While I can understand the Yankees wanting to target Schwarber, I don’t expect the Cubs will make him available. In that case, I would turn to the Nationals for a potential Miller trade. I like their prospects better and would look for a package headlined by Robles and Lopez. While both of those players are still a couple of years out, I would look to round it out with a pair of AAA arms in Voth and Glover.