Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2016

Pirates News & Rumors: Happ, Huntington, McCutchen

By | at

Here’s the latest from the Steel City…

  • While J.A. Happ is enjoying a strong season with the Blue Jays, Pirates GM Neal Huntington (via Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) didn’t express too much regret over not re-signing the southpaw after his turnaround performance in Pittsburgh.  “We wanted to re-sign J.A.  We weren’t able to meet the financial asks, or chose not to.  Toronto was aggressive and came and got him,” Huntington said.  While noting that “hindsight always gives you the opportunity to wish you had done something differently,” Huntington also mentioned that Happ is still not even a full season through the first year of the three-year deal, so it could be too early to judge the signing.
  • Huntington also told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam Berry) that the Pirates are actively scouring the waiver wire for possible additions, though he cited the inherent difficulties of landing players through the unpredictable August waivers process.  Some of the salary saved in the Francisco Liriano trade could help the Bucs make claims on pricier players, Huntington said, whether it’s to actually obtain the players themselves or simply block them from going to rival teams.
  • If the Pirates were willing to sell low on Liriano just to get his contract off the books, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wonder if the club would consider the same with Andrew McCutchen this winter.  The former NL MVP is owed $14MM in 2017, and the Bucs have a $14.5MM club option ($1MM buyout) on his services for 2018.  McCutchen’s contract has long considered one of the game’s most team-friendly deals given how the outfielder emerged as a superstar after signing the extension, so while it seems wild to now consider it a financial burden, McCutchen is suffering through the worst season of his career, hitting just .241/.314/.404 with 15 homers through 443 PA.  Despite these struggles, you would figure that the modest contractual commitment, McCutchen’s relative youth (he’s 29) and excellent track record would still figure to make him a sought-after trade chip if Pittsburgh indeed made him available.  Highly-touted prospect Austin Meadows is also waiting in the wings for the Pirates as a possible outfield replacement.

AL Central News & Rumors: Ventura, Napoli, Tribe, Royals

By | at

Here’s the latest from around the AL Central…

  • During an appearance on WSCR Radio’s “Inside The Clubhouse” show (hat tip to CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine), White Sox GM Rick Hahn said that discussions with manager Robin Ventura and the coaching staff about their futures with the team will wait until the end of the season.  While the Sox have had another underachieving season, the lack of talk isn’t necessarily a sign that Ventura and company could be in trouble, as “we had the same conversations a couple of years back, when he was in the last year of his deal that time,” Hahn said.  “Even as a player, [Ventura] played out the last year of his contract, and focused on the end of that particular season. He let the contractual stuff go until the end of the season, and that is our plan at this point.”  Ventura quietly signed a two-year extension during the 2013-14 offseason, prior to his last season under his previous contract as Chicago’s skipper.
  • Could the qualifying offer keep Mike Napoli in an Indians uniform?  Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer floats the idea that the Tribe could extend the one-year QO (rumored to be worth $16.7MM) to Napoli as an attempt at keeping the slugger in the fold without making too lengthy a commitment to a player with a checkered injury history and who is entering his age-35 season.  Napoli has enjoyed an outstanding season (.253/.339/.515 with 28 homers in 442 PA) and could certainly be in line for a multi-year deal this winter.  If Napoli feels the draft pick compensation attached to the qualifying offer could dampen his market, however, he could also accept the QO and remain on a contender he enjoys playing for, while still taking home a nice payday.  It’s certainly one of the more interesting possible QO scenarios in play this winter, assuming of course that the qualifying offer still exists in its current form if the new collective bargaining agreement is finalized before the offseason begins.
  • The Royals have disappointed this season, and rival executives tell Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star that the Royals could face a tough time reloading for another quick return to prominence.  A lack of quality pitching in the system is one issue, not to mention rule changes to the draft and international spending that have made it harder for smaller-market teams like K.C. to stockpile talent.  Dodd’s piece is well worth a full read for a look at what plagued the Royals this season and the challenges they’ll face in the future.

Jonathan Lucroy Explains Veto Of Indians Trade

By | at

There’s been a great deal written about the reasons behind Jonathan Lucroy’s decision to invoke his no-trade clause in order to veto a trade to the Indians, and Lucroy himself has elected to set the record straight, as told to ESPN.com’s Robert Sanchez. The entire explanation is well worth a look for any fan, but Cleveland fans feeling jilted by Lucroy will especially want to take a look to read his own take.

When first informed by Brewers GM David Stearns that he’d been traded, Lucroy said he wasn’t informed which team had struck a deal to acquire him, as medical information needed to be examined before anything could be finalized. He assumed, however, that he’d been dealt to a club that didn’t appear on his no-trade list, as he wasn’t asked about waiving the clause at the time. When Lucroy’s agent, Doug Rogalski, learned it was Cleveland who had the agreement, he called Lucroy to inform him. As Lucroy says…

“I was surprised, but I wanted to keep an open mind. Great team. Competitive team. There’s a real chance to win. Doug called Chris Antonetti, the Indians’ president. There was one thing we wanted to know: What was my future with the Indians? We knew Cleveland already had a good catcher, Yan Gomes, who’s injured right now. He’s getting paid more than me, and he’s younger than me. We knew they’d probably want him catching almost every day next year. Heck, if I were the general manager in Cleveland, I’d want Gomes catching every day.

We were right. Antonetti told Doug that the Indians couldn’t make any promises on me catching next season. There was no way they’d drop the team option, either, because I’m pretty inexpensive in 2017. I don’t blame them. I would have been mostly at first base and designated hitter.”

Lucroy stresses that the decision was not because of any negative feelings he harbors toward the city of Cleveland, Indians fans or the Indians organization. He, in fact, was sure to state that he actually respects the organization even more now due to Antonetti’s honesty: “He could have lied to my agent and said I’d play catcher every day next season. … He told the truth. I’m thankful for that.”

Lucroy calls the decision to reject the trade purely economic, believing that teams wouldn’t place as high of a value on him as a free agent if it had been more than a calendar year since he’d regularly been catching games. He also expressed a basic love for the position of catcher — his regular spot on the diamond since he was 12 years old — and spoke about the difficulty he had when thinking of not manning the spot on a near-daily basis in 2017. Lucroy goes on to discuss the uneasiness of waiting to find out if he’d be traded, the impact that the talks had on his wife and young daughter, the emotion he felt in his final at-bat as a member of the Brewers and the relief he felt not only from being traded to a contending club but one that is close to his offseason home in Louisiana. “I know I had nothing to do with the Rangers getting to where they are now, but I want to have a lot to do with finishing the job,” he closes.

Again, readers are strongly encouraged to check out Lucroy’s full statements, as they provide a behind-the-curtain look at the thoughts, emotion and stress that fans and the media alike will often take for granted when discussing trades.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/7/16

By | at

Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Athletics selected the contract of righty Chris Smith from Triple-A Nashville, the team announced.  Catcher Josh Phegley was transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL to create a 40-man roster spot, while a spot on Oakland’s 25-man roster opened up thanks to Sonny Gray’s DL stint.  Smith pitched in relief for the A’s today, which marked his first appearance in a Major League game since 2010.  Smith posted a 5.19 ERA over 67 2/3 innings with the Red Sox and Brewers from 2008-10, and has since pitched in independent ball and also spent time in the Mariners’ and Padres’ minor league systems.
  • The Dodgers purchased the contract of outfielder Rob Segedin today, optioning Chris Taylor to Triple-A and shifting Trayce Thompson to the 60-day DL in corresponding moves to create roster space.  Segedin was a third-round pick of the Yankees in the 2010 draft, and he spent his entire career in New York’s system before joining the Dodgers organization this season, slashing .280/.357/.442 over 2331 minor league PA.  Segedin has made an immediate impact in his big league debut tonight, already with two hits and four RBI against Red Sox ace David Price.

NL East News & Rumors: Ichiro, Prado, Walker, Phillies

By | at

Ichiro Suzuki joined the 3000-hit club today, as the Marlins outfielder collected his milestone hit in the form of a seventh-inning triple during Miami’s 10-7 win over the Rockies.  Suzuki became the 30th player in MLB history to collect 3000 hits, though of course, Ichiro is now up to 4278 career hits counting his storied career in Japan.  At age 42, Ichiro has shown no inclination to retire, so he should be able to climb several more steps up the all-time hit leaderboard before he finally hangs up the cleats.  Congratulations to one of baseball’s legends as we check out some notes from around the NL East…

  • The Marlins have yet to make Martin Prado a contract offer but they’re expected to do so after the season, a team source tells Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  The 32-year-old has hit well in his walk year, carrying a .318/.372/.422 slash line over 452 plate appearances into today’s action.  Prado has long been regarded as a clubhouse leader in Miami and he has also won the respect of Don Mattingly in the skipper’s first season running the Marlins.  If Prado leaves in free agency, the Marlins do have a ready-made internal replacement for third base in Derek Dietrich.
  • The Mets have yet to approach Neil Walker about a new contract, the free agent second baseman tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, though Walker is quite open to remaining with the team.  “When I say I am excited about the future here, I don’t just mean what I think we can still do this season,” Walker said.  “I like the players we have here, I like what I think we are building for this season and for years to come.  I’d like to be a part of it, yeah.”  A team source tells Ackert that the Mets will “make a good run” at re-signing Walker, and GM Sandy Alderson said earlier this week that the club would talk to Walker, especially given how Dilson Herrera’s trade shakes up the Mets’ middle infield plans.  Ackert, for her part, believes re-signing Walker would bring some much-needed stability to a Mets infield that has big injury question marks in David Wright and Lucas Duda.
  • Hector Neris and Edubray Ramos will see a lot of action over the last two months of the season and the relievers could be trade chips for the Phillies this winter, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.  The Phils scored one major trade haul for Ken Giles last winter, and if Neris and/or Ramos both continue their impressive performance, they could also bring back a solid return.  As Phillies GM Matt Klentak noted about the trade deadline, “the industry is shifting.  They’re paying a lot for elite bullpen arms.  We learned that a little bit last offseason ourselves, and I think that’s been reinforced through some of the trades this year.”

Red Sox Release Casey Janssen

By | at

The Red Sox have released veteran reliever Casey Janssen, as per the International League’s official transactions page.  Today was the day that Janssen could opt out of his minor league deal with the Sox, Brendan McGair of the Pawtucket Times reported (Twitter links), and the righty elected to look for an opportunity with another team.

Janssen has signed minor league contracts with Boston and San Diego in 2016 but has yet to appear in the majors this season.  He posted solid numbers at the Triple-A and low-A levels for the Sox, delivering a 2.87 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.00 K/BB rate over a combined 15 2/3 innings at both levels.

Best known as a longtime fixture in the Blue Jays bullpen, Janssen served as Toronto’s closer from 2012-14 before losing the job after struggling in the latter half of the 2014 season (due in part to an illness picked up during an All-Star break vacation).  He posted a 4.95 ERA over 40 IP out of the Nationals bullpen in 2015 as his fastball velocity and ground ball rate declined for the second straight season.

Rangers Release Craig Breslow

By | at

The Rangers have released southpaw Craig Breslow, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports (Twitter link).  The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with Texas two weeks ago that contained an opt-out clause (for next week), though as Bradford notes, the two sides agreed to end their relationship now rather than wait Breslow to officially opt out.

Breslow posted a 4.50 ERA, 4.5 K/9 and 1.75 K/BB rate over 14 innings with Miami this season before the Marlins released him in May.  He had only a brief stint with the Rangers’ Triple-A club (allowing three runs in two innings over three games), and apparently wasn’t close to receiving a promotion to the majors.  The Texas bullpen has struggled as a whole, though the Rangers did acquire Jeremy Jeffress at the trade deadline and Jake Diekman and Alex Claudio are already in the fold as left-handed options, leaving little room for Breslow.

Breslow, who turns 36 on Monday, has been his effectiveness diminish over the last two seasons, thanks in large part to a spike in his home run rate.  He was also hit hard by both left-handed and right-handed batters in 2014-15, after spending the majority of his career posting solid splits against hitters on both sides of the plate.  Given that Breslow has a solid track record of effective relief pitching, however, he’ll likely get looks from several clubs in need of relief depth.

Reactions To A-Rod’s Forthcoming Release

By | at

With Alex Rodriguez’s playing time all but nonexistent lately and unlikely to increase, Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner met with the designated hitter on Wednesday night to gently break him the news that it was time to move on, details FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who adds that the two probably talked on a few occasions before Rodriguez made a decision. A-Rod could have remained a member of the team, although he would’ve continued to garner few at-bats. The 41-year-old instead chose to make a more graceful exit, announcing Sunday that he’ll play his last game with the Yankees on Friday before taking on an advisory role with the club next season. He’ll also receive the nearly $27MM remaining on the contract he signed with the Yankees in 2007.

More reactions to the end of A-Rod’s career as a Yankee:

  • In a report similar to Heyman’s, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that Steinbrenner and Rodriguez had two face-to-face meetings, and the owner didn’t give the player an ultimatum to retire or else. Rodriguez, in a face-saving move that will give him a chance to find post-playing opportunities in baseball, took the best deal for himself by agreeing to an amicable release, opines Sherman, who questions the importance of the 22-year veteran’s coaching role. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson has held a similar position with the Yankees for several years, but Sherman points out that his job is mostly ceremonial. That doesn’t mean A-Rod’s will be, however.
  • The Yankees’ decision to part ways with Rodriguez came as a surprise to him, he told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. “I’m obviously disappointed but I’m also at peace with their decision,” said Rodriguez, who admitted that his relegation to the bench made him “very uncomfortable.” Rodriguez understood it, however, pointing to the organization’s youth movement. In addition to A-Rod, the Yankees have said goodbye to fellow veterans Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman, Carlos Beltran and Ivan Nova since last weekend, and first baseman Mark Teixeira will retire at season’s end. On his new position with the franchise, Rodriguez stated, “The great news is, I’m going to be in a role I think I’m going to enjoy. I’m also going to learn a lot. The fact that Hal asked me to do this is something that I’ll treasure.”
  • Regarding Rodriguez’s torrid 2009 postseason, one in which he hit .365/.500/.808 and guided the Yankees to a World Series championship, general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday, “That doesn’t happen without Alex’s significant contribution.” Not only that, Steve Politi of NJ.com argues that Cashman wouldn’t be the Yankees’ GM right now if for not that Rodriguez-fueled title. Since then, the Cashman-run franchise has lost three of five playoff series and a Wild Card game, and it’s likely to miss the postseason for the third time since 2013. But that 2009 triumph has helped keep Cashman in the fold and made it easier for ownership to swallow the club’s current retooling status, Politi contends.
  • Rodriguez will technically collect more money going forward from his previous team, the Rangers, than the Yankees, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Texas agreed to pay $67MM of Rodriguez’s contract upon trading him to the Yankees in 2004 (a figure that changed after he opted out of the deal in 2007) and still owed him $26MM in deferred money when it went through bankruptcy in 2010. That sum has since grown to $40MM and will continue to increase via an investment account, a source told Grant. Importantly, the money A-Rod has coming to him from the Rangers – who have since changed owners – doesn’t come from their operating budget or impact their payroll. Rodriguez will receive the rest of the payout between this year and 2025.

Brian McCann Clears Waivers

By | at

Yankees catcher Brian McCann has cleared waivers and is now eligible for an August trade, reports FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who notes that there’s no word a potential deal is in the works. However, he also points out that the Braves – McCann’s previous employer – engaged in talks with the Yankees before this past Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline and like the idea of the 32-year-old returning to Atlanta to help guide a young team.

In addition to the Braves, the Rangers also showed pre-deadline interest in McCann, according to Heyman. Of course, they ultimately solved their backstop issues by acquiring Jonathan Lucroy from the Brewers. Notably, McCann has a full no-trade clause, so he has the right to veto any potential deal. For their part, the Yankees aren’t inclined to give away McCann and the $34MM remaining on the five-year, $85MM deal they signed him to before the 2014 season.

New York still regards McCann as one of the game’s most productive catchers, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, though his offensive prowess from Atlanta hasn’t quite transferred to the Bronx. Since he first donned a Yankees uniform, McCann has hit .233/.310/.421 – good for a league-average wRC+ of 100 – while slugging 64 home runs in 1,414 plate appearances. Defensively, McCann has mostly earned strong pitch-framing grades from StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus.

As a full-time member of the Braves from 2006-13, McCann piled up seven All-Star nods, slashed .277/.350/.477 with 171 homers in 4,150 PAs, and was worth 27.7 fWAR. If the Braves don’t reacquire McCann or add another starting-caliber backstop between now and next season, they could once again hand the reins to veteran Tyler Flowers. The 30-year-old acquitted himself well over the season’s first few months before suffering a broken hand in July. He’s owed just $3MM next season and his contract includes a $4MM club option for 2018.

Cafardo’s Latest: Hill, O’s, BoSox, Beltran, Reddick, Dodgers

By | at

Here’s are this week’s rumblings from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • Left-hander Rich Hill, whom the Dodgers acquired from Oakland on Monday, would’ve preferred to go to either the Orioles or Red Sox at the non-waiver trade deadline, reports Cafardo. Those are two of the journeyman’s many former major league employers, and the 36-year-old Massachusetts native revived his career with Boston in 2015. The Orioles were in on Hill prior to the deadline and are likely to target him this winter if he hits free agency as arguably the premier starter in a weak market.
  • Right fielder Josh Reddick, who joined Hill in going from the Athletics to the Dodgers at the deadline, is a fit in Los Angeles’ clubhouse and could sign a long-term deal to stay there, per Cafardo. Reddick – 30 next February – figures to be one of the top free agents on the market if he makes it there and might be in line for a four- or five-year deal, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes wrote earlier this week. Yasiel Puig’s future as a Dodger is up in the air, and they’ve gotten underwhelming production from the rest of their outfielders (Joc Pederson aside), so it would seemingly make sense for the club to retain the steady Reddick. That’s assuming he performs well in LA, of course, which hasn’t been the case so far. In a minuscule sample size of 16 post-deadline at-bats, Reddick has collected only one hit.
  • Before the Red Sox picked up reliever Brad Ziegler from Arizona on July 9, they were looking at White Sox closer David Robertson as a possible trade target, Cafardo writes. For now, Robertson remains in Chicago. The 31-year-old still has $28.5MM remaining on his contract and hasn’t been as effective this season as he was previously, having compiled a 3.97 ERA, 10.13 K/9 and 4.57 BB/9 in 45 1/3 innings.
  • The Red Sox aggressively tried to acquire right fielder and designated hitter Carlos Beltran before the archrival Yankees traded him to the Rangers, according to Cafardo, who adds that a deal was close enough that Boston expected it to happen. Of course, after failing to land Beltran, the Sox promoted elite left field prospect Andrew Benintendi to the majors.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top