The Rangers are actively seeking rotation upgrades, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, who points out that GM Jon Daniels said in a radio appearance this morning that he’s had the opportunity to make trades but has yet to find the right fit. The problem for the Rangers, according to Grant, is that teams speaking to Texas have persistently asked for either Joey Gallo or Jurickson Profar in exchange for available starting pitchers, either of which appears to be a deal-breaker for the time being.
Texas has heavily scouted the Rays and does have interest in right-hander Jake Odorizzi and lefty Matt Moore — senior director of player personnel Josh Boyd watched each pitch last week, per Grant — but Texas doesn’t seem keen on parting with either Profar or Gallo in a trade for Moore or Odorizzi. The Rangers would prefer Lewis Brinson to headline a deal for either pitcher, per Grant. They’d also like the Rays to be more willing to talk about Chris Archer, who is in the midst of a down season but was one of the American League’s most dominant starters last season and has maintained an elite strikeout rate.
Archer has been plagued by home runs this season but is still averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and is on one of the game’s more team-friendly deals (assuming some degree of a rebound), as he’s earning $2.75MM in 2016 and is owed a combined $20.25MM through 2019. That $20.25MM figure includes the $1.75MM buyout on a 2020 option worth $9MM, and Archer’s contract also comes with a 2021 option for $11MM. All told, he can be controlled for five seasons beyond the 2016 campaign at a total of $38.5MM. It’s understandable, then, why teams are so enamored of the 27-year-old Archer despite his downturn in production this year.
If the Rangers aren’t able to persuade the Rays to surrender one of their arms for a price with which Daniels and his staff are comfortable, Texas may turn to the Yankees. According to Grant, they’ve been looking Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova and even CC Sabathia despite his significant contract. None of the three figures to come with an exorbitant asking price. Nova is a free agent at season’s end and is a fourth or fifth starter, while Sabathia is owed an enormous $25MM this season plus $25MM more in 2017 via a vesting option that will trigger so long as Sabathia doesn’t incur a significant shoulder injury in the season’s final two months. As such, one can imagine that the asking price on Sabathia would be negligible, though I can’t imagine Texas seriously considering a deal without the Yankees adding some degree of financial compensation.
Eovaldi, meanwhile, is earning $5.6MM this year and is controllable through 2017 but has wilted after a strong start to the year. The hard-throwing 26-year-old had a solid 3.71 ERA as recently as Memorial Day but has been shelled since June 1, pitching to a 9.20 ERA across six starts. That dismal slump saw Eovaldi banished to the bullpen, though he’s slated to return to the Yankees’ rotation tonight after pitching 7 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. His 2016 struggles and relatively brief amount of remaining club control could make Eovaldi attainable for second- or third-tier prospects, though it’s not clear if the Yankees will ultimately sell off pieces that are controllable beyond the current season. If they do, Grant notes that the Rangers can be added to the extremely long list of teams with interest in lefty Andrew Miller, though unlike the other Yankees mentioned here, the asking price on Miller would be astronomical.
While Rangers fans undoubtedly would prefer to see action sooner rather than later, Grant writes that Daniels is taking a patient approach and is waiting to see if any additional clubs enter the seller’s market in the 13 days between now and the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
I wonder if this will be another comment section filled with braves fans making ridiculous trade proposals….
Not from me you won’t. I think the Braves should keep Teheran. He is cost controlled, and effective. No one else will be stupid enough to overpay like the Diamondbacks did for Miller last year.
As long as there is are Ranger fans who have ridiculous expectations of their prospects the way Boston fans did than ya, I imagine those tired old arguments can be rehashed.
The Braves don’t really want to trade any of there guys unless they get a stupid return like the Shelby Miller trade don’t see them making any deals in the near future if that is what they are expecting for Teheran etc.. They can keep them.
Yes. I am sure it is just every other team’s fanbase with crazy expectations and not the one common team in the crazy scenarios.
Teheran and Markakais for Profar, Brinston, Mazaza and Gallo.
Lol yes
Lol I think you left out something… Gotta love it
Try again.
No! Not Mazaza!
Take Cole Hamels too.
The Braves fans want to make up for that Teixeira trade heh
I wonder if this will another comments sections with one Cubs fan making idiotic comments about Braves fans. Yep, guess so.
What about Jose Quintana?
Probably worth as much as Archer. His contract is sensational.
Quintana is much better than archer this year, he would have a big price tag attached to him
CC for Prince
Here’s a Yankee Ranger trade to give serious consideration to.
Texas needs starting pitching, lefty relief pitchers, and a catcher.
Yanks need just about everything including bullpen depth ironically.
Yanks trade Nova or Eovaldi, CC, McCann, and Chapman with salary relief for CC and McCann for Gallo and one of there top ten prospects.
If Texas thinks they have enough this is honestly a decent trade for them.
Lmao
Gallo is so overrated
If Gallo is so overrated, why are teams basically demanding him or a 2B/SS that hasn’t played in 2 years?
Who is demanding Gallo? I saw the article about teams seriously after Profar , but I never seen one about teams “demanding” Gallo. Maybe it’s just the media and the fans.
Maybe you’re thinking about your question the wrong way. The proper way to answer it might be more along the lines of Gallo is so overrated that teams value him as much as a 2B/SS that hasn’t played in 2 years.
I think you have things backward. History shows that it’s multiple prospects for fewer established players, not 2 questionable prospects for 4 established players. And before you object to the term “questionable”, I am simply pointing out that ALL prospects are risky. There have not been too many Von Hayes (7 for 1) deals, and even then it was more prospect for prospects.
As a Braves fan I can honestly say I’m glad we aren’t trading Teheran. Makes more sense for us to keep him for now until some of these prospect arms truly cement themselves in the lineup.
That being said I am one who was always asking a very high price for him in any sort of trade proposal. The reason though wasn’t necessarily because I felt he was an ACE starter. It was more because he is a good/great pitcher (depending on what stars you choose to emphasize) who has an incredibly team friendly deal. Basically we are in a position of power. Makes no sense to settle for anything less than stellar.
I think that is a very good assesment of Julio Teheran he is on an extremely favorable contract and that is what is so valuable about him. He is not a one and probably not a two he is a solid three on a contender. That is very valuable obviously. I am glad that the Red Sox didn’t overpay for him with what the Braves seem to want.
Well stated bbritton, because the Braves have the upper hand, it is easy for fans to hope. Do we (most logical Braves) expect it to happen, no. That is why the bar is set so high though. Funny thing, Miller was an afterthought in STL before we got him, a lot of fans in STL area were even shocked he drifted off.
This is what I have been saying the whole time. I’m starting to get annoyed at some Braves fans for making us look bad…
Ah gobraves, each fan base has their fair share. Right now it is just the Braves because we have a solid 2 and a crap field to choose from in the market. Plus their are the commenters that just like to bait it.
cc isnt worth his contract, a team would be crazy or desperate or both to take him
I wonder if this will be another article where a loser in the comments section says, “time for all the ridiculous braves trade proposals” and doing so starts all the ridiculous braves trade talks. Teheran isn’t going anywhere and vizcaino is injured. Cmon guys, move on!
Good thing no losers (s)troll through here.
I haven’t watch much of him, but Gallo seems a bit over hyped.. I know he has ridiculous power but his k rate is close to 35% in the minors and 50% in limited MLB action.. He is Mark Reynolds 2.0.. Is he good defensively?
More like Adam Dunn 2.0. What has everyone interested is that he has legitimate 40 HR power. He has actually increased his walk rate a ton this year wich is also encouraging. Glove is not good at third although his arm is quite good. It’s hard to get a defensive read on a guy who is obviously going to be changing positions, I think he moves to the OF full time or 1B where his glove should be fine. Still the power is his selling point, as Clayton Kershaw learned last year when he had a slider turned around 446 feet.
Well I would def. take Dunn over Reynolds! Lol.. Has he shifted to OF or 1B yet?? I believe Moreland is a FA at the end of the year, I would think he is gone and you slide Gallo there..
Which is exactly what happens next year if he’s not traded. People who say things like “no he’s not good defensively” don’t follow Rangers stuff closely. There isn’t a Rangers fan in America who thinks Gallo will play third base for us. Gallo will not be a full time DH during his prime I don’t think. If you watch him play you realize that he is actually really athletic, he’s not a softball player.
No, he’s not very good defensively.
yet Mark Reynolds keeps getting work while averaging 24 bombs per season during his 10 yrs in the bigs ………. chicks aren’t the only ones who dig the long ball
How does Pineda and Chapman for Brinson and a lottery ticket sound? Pineda has another year of control and has great peripherals and Chapman is the lockdown lefty to go with Bush & Co.
I wonder why there haven’t been more Miller to the Dodgers rumors. They have plenty of prospects to make a deal happen and if any GM (president of baseball ops, whatever) is on the hot seat I would think it would be Friedman. Theo is not gonna do something stupid because the Cubs will be contenders again next year and they can just sign Chapman in the off season. Imo if Miller goes anywhere it will be to the Dodgers.
The Dodgers should have never voided the trade they had with Cincinnati
From what I can tell, the Yanks have a massive price tag on Miller. As well they should, if they do actually “retool” instead of rebuild than those years of Miller can make a bullpen.
Amen! They politically-corrected themselves into a big mistake.
Teheran for Gallo, Ortiz/Tate, and two B specs
There’s your proposal bubba
Nice play.
Not a fan of Gallo. If I were the braves, I’d be looking for something along the lines of:
Profar, Brinson and Mendez and one lower tier arm for
Teheran, Vizcaino and Ruiz. (And yes I know Viz is on the DL).
I’m not going to pretend that is perfect or fair but that is a start that I’d be happy with.
Profar and Brinson for Archer and Guyer
The Rays are never going to sell low on Archer bud. Think Hamels style package with 4-5 solid prospects instead of one or two top minors guys. Even then I think they keep him. Any trade this year and you run the risk of him rebounding and you could have gotten more.
If I’m Tampa Bay I wouldn’t trade Archer Unless someone blows you away …… Archer and Tehran seem like the same pitcher to me except Archer playing in the AL East
Profar and Brinson isn’t really selling low. Let’s not pretend Archer is Strasburg.
Agreed but Brinson is struggling this year. The Rangers would like teams to focus trades on him and not Gallo/Profar. I still think they could get 4 good prospects instead of two great ones. The Phillies got a really nice package for Cole, it’s just hard to see because those guys are still young. Archer is a stud on a down year… keep him.
Actually I think the same applies to Gray with Oakland. Even though I hate his guts for being so good.
not to mention archer is controllable through 2022 for $38.5 mil all in…which makes him QUITE valuable…profar & brinson won’t get it done…You would have to blow the Rays away to pry Arch from them.
Correct. Archer has a very friendly contract at <$40m for 5yr compared to Strasburg's $175m for 7yr. Archer is having a down year, which is why they sit on him. There are fringe #4/#5 starters making $8-10m+.
Teheran to the RANGERS for Andrus, Brinson, Brett Martin & Matuella…… Braves bridge the gap to Swanson with Elvis, (Aybar? seriously?) and quantity makes up for the rest…….. RANGERS open door for Profar/Odor middle for years to come. ……………. or, or, Chapman (rental), McCann, & CC for Gallo, Fielder & some steak knives …..
The gap isnt 5 years. Andrus contract is unmovable without adding considerable amount of money or talent.
Texas really doesnt have a leg to stand on, because teams know they cannot compete without adding starting pitching.
Phils offer Hellickson, P-Zack Eflin, Jeanmar Gomez, Cameron Rupp and Andres Blanco
for Profar, OF Jairo Beras and Holland (DL).
I don’t think the Phillies would move Eflin. But the rest of those guys should go at the deadline. I don’t see them moving any controllable arms.
Why would the phils move Eflin
I’m sure the Phils would prefer to hold on to Eflin. But from a Texas standpoint, giving up Profar probably requires a stronger starting pitching return than just Hellickson. The Phils desperately need another above average bat and the drop-off from Hellickson and Eflin to Thompson and Lively is manageable. I don’t see how they acquire Profar and Beras pain-free. From a Ranger standpoint, they go all in on improving pitching and catching while avoiding a lack-of-depth situation in the infield.
Trade Brinson and Martin to the Rays for Moore and Cedeno. Both are lefties who will play well against their division and pennant rivals, bolstering their rotation and pen. Rays get an all around top 30 OF’er and lefty prospect arm for their future.
Rangers are pretending if they think they can win with the team they have.