The Brewers were connected to Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler over the weekend, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick adds some more context. Per Crasnick, while the two sides have discussed Kinsler, those talks were more about Detroit trying to package Kinsler with left-hander Justin Wilson in a deal. The Brewers “would love to have Kinsler,” Crasnick writes, but their primary focus at this point is on improving the rotation and/or bullpen. Milwaukee is actively exploring trades for help in both areas, according to Crasnick.
- Stephen Piscotty’s groin injury, originally hoped to require only a minimal 10-day stay on the disabled list, will now keep the outfielder sidelined for a longer period of time, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals will reevaluate Piscotty on their upcoming homestand in search of a new timetable for his return to the field. It’s been a disappointing season for Piscotty, who has slashed just .236/.348/.371 in the first season of a six-year, $33.5MM contract extension.
- Goold also notes that Cardinals righty Lance Lynn has been the “topic of ongoing discussions with other teams” and points out that both Lynn and minor league right-hander Luke Weaver are lined up to start on Tuesday of this week. While there have been no indications that a deal involving Lynn is especially close to fruition, Weaver would be able to step into his spot on usual rest if the Cards do line up a Lynn trade in short order.
- The Pirates are leaning against trading Andrew McCutchen, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, but they’ve also yet to give him a definite indication that they plan to pick up his $14.5MM club option. That seems like all but a formality at this juncture, given McCutchen’s resurgence at the plate over the past couple of months. The 30-year-old’s .292/.384/.507 batting line places him among the game’s most productive center fielders, even if his glovework in the outfield is still drawing poor marks from defensive metrics.
- The Reds may not get a look at Dilson Herrera in 2017, as Triple-A manager Delino DeShields recently told Redleg Nation’s Jason Linden, “from what I’ve been told, he’s probably done for the year” due to a shoulder injury. Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that no one in the Cincinnati front office has offered such a definitive take just yet, though he reports that team doctors are set to evaluate Herrera in Cincinnati this week. Acquired in last year’s Jay Bruce trade, the 23-year-old Herrera hit .264/.312/.397 in 265 Triple-A plate appearances this season. Herrera also battled shoulder issues in 2016 and spent most of this past Spring Training as a DH due to his shoulder.
Just like the Brewers were “very fond” of Travis D’arnaud last year when trading Lucroy. Fake news.
I can just picture the Brewers front office laughing in a room hysterically when they hear these things posted online and believed by others.
As Crasnick wrote, including Kinsler in the deal for Wilson would lessen the blow of prospects the Brewers would have to give up to make the deal. Kinsler would be more of a salary dump for Detroit. So in that case I’m sure the Brewers would love to have Kinsler if it means giving up less
Kinsler’s contract is team friendly, I don’t know why people think it would be a salary dump. If anything, it would increase the prospect price.
I think the argument is that he’s 35 and declining.
That’s a terrible argument ascending or descending 35 or not. He was a gold glove 6 war player the last 2 years and 2 war so far this year. With the qualifying offer at $18MM a player like Kinsler at $10 MM next year is a real bargain.
Couldn’t have said it better!
Crasnick is high
The Brewers rejected a trade of d’Arnaud for Lucroy and were never reported to be “very fond” of d’Arnaud anywhere that I saw.
And even if they don’t trade for Kinsler, that’s hardly an indication that they don’t have some level of interest in doing so.
Check twitter timelines from around that trade. It was the banter going back and forth when the Brewers were said to be negotiating with Mets and Rangers about Lucroy. Its the game that’s played. Mets were said to be offering D”arnaud and the actual quote from a beat writer said that the Brewers were said to be “very fond” of him.
I’d rather have Jed Lowrie than Kinsler. Less money and Lowrie is putting up better stats. Package Lowrie with Sonny Gray or Sean Manaea and it solves 2 holes,
And costs the brewers even more prospects in return. They have stood pretty firm that they aren’t clearing out the farm to contend this year so unless Beane is accepting a deal that significantly favors the Brewers, it doesn’t make much sense from Milwaukee’s perspective.
Brewers have great depth in the minors, at some point you need to turn several into MLB assets or lose them to the rule 5 draft. A deal like that would not clear out a very deep farm system.
You’re correct on the rule 5 part, however, none of their top prospects are eligible for rule 5 (or have not been added to the roster for protection). You don’t make trades just to make trades. The Brewers also have a handful of prospects that can play 2B so they might be just as interested in seeing what they have before they deplete their best prospects on a blockbuster deal unless they feel like Lowrie and Gray will get them to the WS. I guess we’ll find out, but I would be surprised to see them get Gray alone, let alone Gray + Lowrie
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He’s not a salary dump at all, even in a somewhat down season he’s still been a 2 war player on an 11mil contract.
Crasnick just basically said he was. Read what he said.
Crasnick is wrong plain and simple.
He also said that Jaime Garcia was a twin…guess what? He’s not.
In fairness, almost everyone said Jaime Garcia was a Twin.
That deal was actually agreed upon and then something fell through on the medicals of the prospect so the deal fell through. Same as Gomez to the Mets a few years back, both teams agreed on the trade, medicals fell through. Do you need help understanding how all this works?
Everyone should know by now, deals are not COMPLETED until all the players involved have passed their respective physicals..
Not to mention, since some of the fiascos from recent trades, teams are undoubtedly putting even more emphasis on the players’ physicals they are attempting to acquire…
The real problem comes from “reporters” trying to be the first ones to break news on acquisitions…They are in such a hurry to be first, that they will go ahead and describe something as a done deal, when no such deal has even been COMPLETELY finalized…In my opinion, that’s becoming the real problem.
Now, I have no problem with reporters or analysts speculating on probable deals..Shoot, that’s what makes this time of the year so fun..Personally, I can’t wait to see what rumors the Braves are involved in, and I check this site habitually for that sole purpose..
However, there is a big difference in rumors and done deals, and the problem stems from people reporting deals as being finalized when there are still steps to take to complete the process…
They literally say all the time that the deal is done pending a physical. Maybe you don’t understand what that last part means
No mention by Crasnick of anyone being a salary dump. He mentions that Kinsler wasn’t the primary focus, Wilson was. If Detroit was trying to get more from the Brewers, it makes sense that they would offer a player that would fit their needs at 2B.
Man you are lost. Crasnick specifically says the Brewers would take Kinsler along with Wilson to soften the blow of prospects they would have to give up. Meaning Brewers would have to give less value in prospects if they take Kinsler and his contract as well. That is exactly what a salary dump is. I’m starting to think you’re just messing with me cause no way you just can’t understand this.
The Pirates should use the potential of a deadline trade to offer Cutch another team friendly extension.
I’d offer to replace the club option with a 4 year, $60 million deal and be willing to go up to as much as $70 million. Front load the first two years, if that helps.
Personally, I dont think that will be enough to keep Cutch around. I think he will be looking for something greater than what Fowler got with the Cards. Hes taken the team friendly deal once, I wouldnt be surprised if he doesnt want to do it again.
And technically his wife is more of a PA girl than Pittsburgh girl with DuBois being 2 hours northeast of the city, lol.
Cutch wants to stay in Pittsburgh. He’s not about the money.
Yeah its 2 hours north.. but it is still firmly Pittsburgh territory. I’m from that general area and now live about 2 hours north of Dubois.. Still pretty firmly Pittsburgh Territory even football.. have to keep driving north another 20 miles or so until you start seeing Bills Blue and Yankee pinstripes.. though they really don’t seem to like the Penguins up here lol.
If the Team had buses come up this far to take people to the stadium for pirates games.. they would have no problem filling their seats. Pittsburgh might be small market city.. but we’re wide spread 🙂
I’m not sure about her personally, but yeah DuBois might as well be Pittsburgh.
I just do not know if they want to keep him for 4 or 5 more years given his age and he is already showing a few cracks. His game is built on speed. I do not see him getting traded this trade deadline as they are still in the Central race. I do see him getting traded this off season when teams will be looking to retool for next season and his value will never be higher. I love Cutch but only see him declining maybe not next season but the season after. If they do not get a quality offer, they will exercise the option and look to move him after that.
I was ready to trade Cutch in the winter for Joe Ross and Reynaldo Lopez, so…I definitely thought he was declining physically, as well.
But, if that were true, it’s likely he wouldn’t be able to rebound as he did this year, a year older. So, I believe he (finally after being stubborn for a year) made a swing change and can be good for a few more years.
Basically, I thought he was Carl Crawford and now, I’m thinking he can be Torii Hunter.
Plus, it’s not just baseball…attendance down 24% and TV ratings down bigger than that…if they trade Cutch….that’s all the fat blowhard and the vulture media would need to bury the team in minds of most fans.
If they don’t get the next cable deal right (up in 2019), they will go back to the AAAA team of 1994-2011.
It will all depend on what they get offered for Cutch. If they get offered next to nothing, they will try to extend. It will ultimately come down to what Cutch wants to do. If he wants to stay, he knows he will have to take less than market value. I believe there is a chance he will get extended but with the season he is having, they Bucs may well get offered ransom for him and I can see him going and the large man’s opinion will not matter.. The Local blowhards on the air will try to bury the team no matter what they do. They can find a negative no matter what happens. Just like Liriano. You hear crickets about that deal now because he is stinking just as bad in Toronto as he was in Pgh. Kind of hard to say it would have been better to keep in on the books with the way he is pitching.
Lol all these pirates fans that thought cutch was declining after 1/2 bad season due to minor nagging injuries… ‘ohhh he’s on the wrong side of 30’- funniest comments to see… cutch isn’t going anywhere by the trade deadline but he prob will after the season… moved him out of CF at beginning of season was a big mistake (especially for a dude caught using roids)… that’s pirates baseball for u
I agree 100% with keeping cutch as long as it doesn’t break the bank.. no 10 year 200 Million dollar deals or anything.. Your numbers seem to be in line with about what i think but that would be at the very top end.
I’d be more like a 4 year, 17M/15M/14M/12M and tie in incentives more for the back end of the deal for things that are fairly easily achieved if he is playing above average. I would also attach some sort of option for the following year(s) should he decide to continue playing.and is doing so in a not bad way… in an effort to allow him to play his full career in the black and gold.
IMO: Cutch goes right in there with names like Ben, Sid… When you think Pittsburgh sports he is one of the current players that comes to mind.
Interesting. I really wonder what the Cardinals would get in a return for Lynn
mo/girsh would get nnyl
Probably 2 to 3 mid level prospects similar to the JD Martinez trade, I’m sure the Cardinals will wait till near the end of the deadline and see what the best offers are
I keep thinking yankees and cardinals are great trade partners. Lynn by himself would probably not get mateo, but i wonder if cards could do something like lynn plus diaz to get mateo.
Haha Kinsler doesn’t have negative value. He’s not a salary dump!!! He’s a borderline Hall of Famer on a reasonable contract with an elite mix of gold glove defense, base running, and a power bat.
It’s starting to get hilarious listening to tigers fans be in complete denial over the value of Kinsler. Unless Crasnick is completely lying, he just said in the article he’s a salary dump.
Haha Crasnick isn’t lying he’s just not that smart…
What did he say? I stopped reading after ‘borderline hall of famer’.
Dilson Herrera is out of options next year
Should the Reds sign Cozart to an extension? If Herrera is not a major leaguer – and that’s conceivable, given his health and history- then sign Cozart as a steady bridge to all the very young middle infielders from Cuba and elsewhere arrive. (I’m not sure I even believe this argument yet, so I’m curious to hear what others think of Herrera, etc.)
I think Dilson Herrera has been the “second baseman of the future” for three teams now and that he’s not much closer to fulfilling that role than he was when the Pirates traded him for Marlon Byrd.
Four years ago.
Exactly! I remember a lot of MLBN analysts criticizing the Mets last year for putting him in the Bruce deal, which confused me bc I never believed the hype with him.
Red Sox should look at trading for Wilson and Kinsler to play third.
That would make most sense if Devers shows he’s not ready. Wilson is a lefty bullpen arm they need. I hope they don’t make that trade but I have feeling they will.
Darvish will stay with Texas as they are on nice winning streak and want way too much for a rental starter.
Sonny Gray will be dealt.
But to who is big??????
I think Yanks will stick with Headley at first who is hitting much better from left side and Bird supposedly will be back in September.
Yanks may tweak rotation but I think the fanbase rather see a Chance Adams or Caleb Smith then a Jaimie Garcia type!
I happen think Smith will be a good lefty starter in that rotation going forward. Throws strokes with four avg to somewhat above avg pitches. Great control.
It could be Wilson and Iglesias for third.
Iglesias at SS to take advantage of his glove and move X to 3rd would make more sense.
Either way. I just remember Iggy played there for Boston. I don’t know much about X on defense or his attitude about a position switch.
Kinsler would be a good pickup for Brewers have him bat #1 or #5 …….. The Brewers should of went in for Quintana ………. But according to a lot of ppl he’s just a #3
Kinsler is ABSOLUTELY a borderline Hall Of Famer.
He has a 54.9 Career WAR.
For Comparison, Jim Rice (about as borderline as you can get… got in on his 15th try) has a 47.4 Career WAR.
* Baseball Reference version.
Just because mediocre players were inducted into the HoF does not mean that every one should be.
Kinsler has a lot of career left. If he gets to about 65 career WAR and wins a title, he is likely in. 10 more is doable.
By definition, right now, Kinsler is a borderline Hall of Famer. Period.
If he played for Boston or NYY, that statement would not cause an uproar. Just because he plays for a “flyover country” team, does not mean he is not a borderline Hall of Famer.
I definitely agree with that last point, though, about if he played for New York or Boston.
That dreaded east coast bias..lol
Just like Porcello last year.
It is true. Kinsler and Jeter were pretty much interchangeable at the same age. LOL.
Well said Kayrall
Bad argument. Rice is clearly not a hall of famer. The worst players in the Hall shouldn’t be used as the basis for putting other unqualified players in the Hall. Then it’s just a race to the bottom
Would the Rockies trade Ryan McMahon for Lance Lynn?
Doubt it
In many ways the Pirates recent turnaround has placed Huntington in a position he hadn’t anticipated. He can’t sell, and not only is moving McCutchen not an option now, his club option looms much larger than ever. When it comes to making that decision, better him than me.
The brewers brass will continue to be silent. If any deals get done it will involve no name guys Stearns is hoping he can turn into decent bullpen pitchers.
Brewers could get Brandon Phillips, Julio Teheran and Arodys Vizcaino from the Braves for the right package of prospects.
I’ve always liked DatdudeBP..but come on,really.
That might not be a horrible target. Including Phillips would help reduce the cost in prospects. But the last time I checked, the Braves were looking for a package similar to what the A’s want for Gray. That makes it a tough sell
At what point does Peraza or Dilson Herrera become expendable? The Reds love Gennett and they obviously love Cozart to even talk about an extension. The middle infield is becoming clogged and you’ve got Gennett, Alcantara and Suarez who can play multiple positions in the infield.