With the trade deadline drawing nearer, FanRag’s Jon Heyman lists 70 players who could end up on the block over the next two months. Heyman ranks the players in order of name value and includes the likes of Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Josh Donaldson and Ryan Braun near the top of the list. Check out the full piece for an in-depth look at which stars and role players might switch uniforms this summer.
Now the latest from Heyman’s American League and National League notes columns:
- Prior to the season, Royals impending free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer shot down a report that he was seeking a 10-year deal. But there’s still a belief within the organization that he will request something close to a decadelong pact in the coming months, per Heyman, who adds that Hosmer is the soon-to-be free agent the Royals most want to keep. However, Kansas City hasn’t made a serious offer to Hosmer on account of what could be a lofty asking price, and the team expects the 27-year-old to reach free agency. Fellow longtime Royals Mike Moustakas (third base), Lorenzo Cain (center field) and Alcides Escobar (shortstop) are also likely to hit the market in the offseason. Moustakas is the Royals’ biggest priority after Hosmer, suggests Heyman, while they seem resigned to the idea that Cain will find a larger payday elsewhere. Escobar, the weakest player of the four, could re-sign if the price is right. At one point, he was seeking $10MM per year, but his cost has come down thanks to his dreadful offensive start (.174/.203/.228 in 196 plate appearances). Meanwhile, right-hander Ian Kennedy probably won’t opt out of the remaining three years and $49MM left on his contract, Heyman writes.
- Alex Rodriguez could still factor into the Marlins’ next ownership group if the faction including Tagg Romney, Tom Glavine and Dave Stewart lands the franchise. Given A-Rod’s controversial past, the Romney team is keeping him “at arm’s length” for now; even if they weren’t, Rodriguez isn’t allowed to be part of an ownership group as long as he’s still collecting a salary from the Yankees. The 41-year-old’s contract with the Bombers expires at season’s end. His former teammate Derek Jeter, who’s vying with Jeb Bush and against Romney & Co. to purchase the Marlins, isn’t planning to invest much money, says Heyman. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Saturday that Bush and Jeter are leading the race to acquire the franchise.
- Heyman reported in April that the Indians would look to extend first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, but discussions between the two sides still haven’t taken place. They might not occur, either, as Heyman relays that Santana is likely to hit free agency at season’s end. At .219/.321/.390 in 215 PAs, the 31-year-old hasn’t carried his typically above-average production into this season so far, but he continues to exhibit quality plate discipline with 27 walks against 31 strikeouts. Santana’s walk rate has dropped in each season since 2014, however, and is now at a career-low 12.6 percent.
- When the offseason rolls around, odds are that Tigers left fielder Justin Upton will not opt out of the remaining four years and $88MM left on his deal, reports Heyman. “Not happening,” one rival general manager said of a potential opt-out. Upton hasn’t lived up to his lucrative contract in his year-plus in Detroit, putting him on track to take the bird-in-the-hand approach.
- It appears first baseman Lucas Duda is in his final season with the Mets, as Heyman implies that he’s primed to sign elsewhere over the winter. The 31-year-old power hitter has been among the Mets’ top players this season, having slashed .267/.406/.570 with six home runs in 106 PAs, but they do have a well-regarded youngster behind him in Dominic Smith. Baseball America sees Smith, 21, as the game’s 65th-best prospect.
- Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is making $557,900 this year, according to Heyman, who reported in March that the backstop had agreed to a salary worth more than the minimum of $535K.
- Add the Astros to the list of teams interested in Cuban shortstop prospect Jose Israel Garcia, who recently became a free agent. The Astros have already exceeded their pool allotment for the 2016-17 international free agent class, which could indicate that they’re looking to sign the 19-year-old Garcia before the period ends June 15.
I’d like to see Santana extended and stick around with the Tribe a few more years.
I saw some predictions that the yankees would sign him
No don’t need him!
And shave that beard? No way!
He appears to be way less patient at the plate this season than in the past. And of course Chewy puts him back in the 4-hole. Ugh.
Just until Encarnacion heats up, once he does Santana will see more balls.
Greinke is not getting traded
Die hard Tigers fan here and I hope the Tigers start the rebuild sooner rather then later. Upton opting out would be wonderful, but he probably won’t.
trying to trade miggy and verlander would be tough
Kins and JDM probably gone at the trade deadline.
I wouldn’t mind seeing the angels make a run at J.D Martinez
I bet you would. Why would they entertain that? They already have no farm.
JD Martinez should fetch a pretty penny if he is to be traded.
1M%
Miggy moreso right now he looks very average.
Even if Miggy was playing at a high level, no one is taking that obscene 6 years / $184 million he is still owed after this year. Die hard Tiger fan here and that contract extension was one of the worst I’ve seen in MLB. Going to hurt us for a long time.
Its not going to matter when the Tigers start to rebuild. The Tigers might be able to trade Justin Verlander but, its unlikely. However, they are are stuck with Miguel Cabrera and Justin Upton. By the time their respective contracts are up, they’ll both be just too fat and much fatter. The Tigers will be in the toilette for the next 10 years.
Its shameful the way owners treated players before free agency. But, it doesn’t justify the way these players and their agents have taken advantage of a generous old gentleman in his latter years.
Since A-Rod isn’t allowed to own a team while still collecting a salary. does that mean Bobby Bonilla is forever banned from owning a team as well?
If you can’t collect a salary and be an owner then yes it looks like Bonilla will never get to own a team
Bobby Bonilla already owns the mets trust me
Well done haha
Who would take on greinke’s salary
I hope for the royals sake that hosmer ends up somewhere else.
If does get traded or finds a new team in the off-season, they need to bring up O’hearn. He was actually hitting pretty well in the minors. I’m sure he can provide more offense than Hosmer and I say this as a die-hard royals fan.
Duda one of the Mets best players this season? You have to be on the field to be even a decent player
I wish the Mets would trade Duda and the others whose contracts run out this year as I doubt they will resign any. In the past, difficult trades (Dickey, Beltran) netted them good prospects (Syndergaard, d’Arnaud, Wheeler). Call this season done and start thinking about 2018
Difference is that Beltran and dickey were good lol.
That last bullet point seems odd. It says to add the astros to the list of teams interested in the player, and then links a list of previous teams interested, which already included the Astros… So no news there?
A ten-year deal for Hosmer sounds like the worst idea possible. Hes not a star. He’s Wally Joyner.
From a laypersons perspective that’s a very nice comp