Archives for July 2017

Beltway Notes: Buy Or Sell, Britton, MASN, Solis

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2017 at 12:12pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the broader beltway region:

Some in the Orioles front office apparently see the merit in weighing at least a partial sell-off if the club’s fortunes don’t change before the trade deadline, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes. But that will still require the sign-off of owner Peter Angelos, who Heyman notes may not be inclined to give up on the current season. Though the O’s are still within sight of the Wild Card chase, there’s no indication at present that the team’s starting pitching woes will really improve. Then again, the organization has managed to surprise quite a bit in the recent past.
Even if the O’s do begin marketing some pieces, Heyman says there’s no indication they’ll be willing to part with their core position players. But relievers could be fair game, he suggests, with late-inning arms Zach Britton, Brad Brach, and Mychal Givens all generating phone traffic from rival organizations. The Dodgers are one team with interest in Britton, Heyman writes, as Los Angeles looks into the possibility of adding a big-time lefty to the pen. It seems the Nationals may also be at least looking into Britton, though obviously relations between the Nats and O’s aren’t exactly sunny.
Indeed, the long-broiling MASN television rights fees dispute between the Orioles and Nationals is still ongoing. But it did reach an important point today, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes on Twitter. A New York appellate court ruled that the proper arbitral forum for the dispute is MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee — the same body that gave the Nats an award for past years’ rights fees that spurred the current legal battle. That ruling itself can still be appealed, of course, and even then it seems the sides could still need to go through another arbitration process (barring settlement but also possibly subject to its own appeal). While that appears to be a nice win for the Nationals, then, it’s not as if the team will suddenly gain access to the money it has long sought from the Orioles, who control the jointly owned television network.
Meanwhile, as the Nats weigh all manner of bullpen possibilities, the team has officially announced that lefty Sammy Solis was optioned to Triple-A. He had only just been activated from a lengthy DL stint, but was hammered in four outings since his return. Presumably, the Nats will hope to work out the kinks for the power lefty over the next few weeks, but his struggles could feature prominently in the team’s thinking at the deadline.

Cubs Acquire Jose Quintana

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2017 at 10:27am CDT

In a stunning development, the Cubs have acquired lefty Jose Quintana from the crosstown rival White Sox, per club announcements. Top prospects Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease are going in return, with first baseman Matt Rose and infielder Bryant Flete also included in the package.

On its face, the deal is rather a straightforward one: The defending champion Cubs needed starting pitching, with a controllable arm making obvious sense. And the White Sox have marketed Quintana since last fall, holding out for a big prospect return.

But that hardly accounts for the true drama inherent in this transaction. There has been chatter of late as to whether the two Chicago stalwarts would do business with each other; clearly, any such questions have been answered.

The scuffling Cubs have said the main focus is on internal improvements, but have now acted forcefully in advance of the deadline. As for the White Sox, they now possess a bevy of elite prospects after swinging yet another significant trade. And those wondering about Quintana’s trade value now have their answer as well.

This time last year, the Cubs were lining up another deal that sent out an elite prospect (Gleyber Torres, in the Aroldis Chapman deal) in hopes of spurring a World Series run. This time, though, the piece coming back isn’t a rental. Quintana is just 28 years old and will remain under the Cubs’ control through 2020. His extension includes a $8.85MM guarantee for 2018 and successive options ($10.5MM and $11MM, respectively) for the ensuing two years. In addition to bolstering the Cubs’ staff now, Quintana will also help cover the organization as starters Jake Arrieta, John Lackey, and Brett Anderson reach free agency after the season.

Quintana has not been quite at his best in 2017, with a 4.49 ERA over 104 1/3 innings thus far. But most indicators suggest he has mostly been his usual self, and his recent good form helps support that view. Quintana owns a 15.5% K%-BB% mark on the year, just as he has in recent years while consistently posting low-3 ERAs. And he has racked up 45 strikeouts with a 2.70 ERA over his last forty innings.

The deeper history is yet more promising, of course. Since landing with the South Siders as an utterly unheralded free agent, he has done nothing but produce results. Quintana carried a 3.41 lifetime ERA entering the 2017 season and has not missed a start over the past five seasons. With the contract control baked in, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs just ranked Quintana the 42nd most valuable trade asset in the game.

Understandably, then, the Cubs paid a hefty price to draw the southpaw up town. Jimenez, clearly, is the headliner. A consensus top-ten prospect leaguewide, the twenty-year-old corner outfielder is viewed as a future middle-of-the-order bat. He has impressed thus far in his first attempt at the High-A level, posting a .271/.351/.490 batting line with eight home runs over 174 plate appearances.

The package doesn’t end there, though. Cease is also generally valued as one of the game’s hundred best pre-MLB players, making him arguably the Cubs’ second-best overall prospect and most promising young hurler. While he’s seen as something of a risky asset, given his injury history and relative lack of polish, Cease is tabbed with top-line upside. He carries a 2.79 ERA with 12.9 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 at the Class A level.

Rose and Flete aren’t without their interest, either, though neither registers as a significant prospect at this stage. The former is a corner infielder who has slashed .227/.281/.481 with 14 long balls through 254 plate appearances this year as a teammate of Jimenez at Myrtle Beach. The 24-year-old Flete has also played there, putting up the best season (.305/.355/.425) thus far in his minors career while playing all over the diamond (including at shortstop).

The move leaves quite a few other teams still looking for controllable starters, with one key asset now off the market. Sonny Gray of the Athletics is perhaps the clearest alternative trade candidate, while quality arms such as Gerrit Cole, Michael Fulmer, and Chris Archer do not appear to be as readily available. Organizations such as the Yankees, Brewers, Twins, and Astros will be looking hard at those and other possibilities over the next two-and-a-half weeks. Today’s big intra-city swap sets an important market marker for those talks.

Phillies Interested In Christian Yelich; Marlins Waiting To Market Core Players

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2017 at 9:30am CDT

The Phillies have strong interest in Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich and would be glad to take some of Miami’s underperforming contracts to facilitate his addition, according to a report from veteran journalist Ken Rosenthal. (With FOXsports.com evidently morphing into a vlog, Rosenthal is writing from his Facebook page during what is sure to be a short-lived foray into free agency.)

From the Phils’ perspective, that would preferably mean taking on some lower-priced contracts that are clogging the Marlins’ books in the near-term. While the Phillies have at least weighed internally the idea of taking on Giancarlo Stanton’s massive contract as part of some swap, Rosenthal makes clear that the team has not expressed interest in doing so and that discussion of that concept never “got started.”

Other organizations, though, have reached out to Miami regarding Stanton. And as Rosenthal suggests, it seems reasonable to expect that there’d be a taker for him at some price point, though the prospect of taking all of his contract remains daunting. That explains all the chatter about possibly packaging Stanton with another player, though Rosenthal says he doesn’t expect that to occur.

While the creative possibilities are endless, it seems the Marlins will be taking a cautious approach at the deadline with regard to its most notable players. Despite an inclination in the baseball operations department to embark upon a rebuild, says Rosenthal, the organization is not willing to deal core players while still orchestrating the sale of the team itself.

That stance also seemingly means that Yelich is off-limits for the Phillies at the moment. There’s little rush to add to the MLB roster in Philadelphia, of course, but the interest (along with the possible trade concepts discussed above) strongly suggests that the team is looking into ways to install pieces for 2018 and beyond. That could conceivably result in any number of interesting scenarios this summer and over the winter to come.

Nate Jones Out For Remainder Of Season After Surgery

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2017 at 8:00am CDT

White Sox reliever Nate Jones has undergone nerve repositioning surgery in his balky right elbow, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports (Twitter links). Recovery from the procedure will drag into the offseason, so he will not return to the mound this year.

Notably, the 31-year-old does not have any damage to his replacement ulnar collateral ligament, per the report. But with nerve issues continuing to linger well after he had been expected to return, Jones did require another significant surgery. (He underwent a Tommy John procedure in 2014.)

It had already seemed certain that Jones wouldn’t be marketed this summer by the rebuilding South Siders, given the injury uncertainty. Now, it seems, he won’t become a trade option for quite some time. And Jones also won’t be an option to step into the closer’s role if incumbent David Robertson is traded. (Tommy Kahnle appears to be next in line at this point.)

The news also has a direct effect on Jones’s contract situation. He is guaranteed $3.95MM next year regardless. But his 2019-21 options will now give the team an opportunity to retain him for less than it could have if Jones had stayed off the surgeon’s table for his elbow. He can now be controlled for the league minimum (2019), $3.75MM (2020), and $4.25MM (2021), with a $1.25MM buyout applying to any of those three years.

That complicated extension — similar in concept to those signed by fellow relievers Sean Doolittle and Adam Ottavino — had made (and still makes) Jones an interesting asset for the Sox. After all, he has largely been outstanding when healthy. Those are tantalizing salary numbers for a pitcher who carries a 2.49 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 over his last 101 1/3 innings. If Jones can make it back to full health, there’s reason to hope that his huge sinker and often-devastating slider will again make him a premium relief arm.

National League Injury Situations That May Impact The Trade Deadline

By Steve Adams | July 13, 2017 at 12:24am CDT

Earlier today, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd ran down a number of currently murky injury situations in the American League that could impact teams’ thinking as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. The National League, of course, offers a similarly unsettled number of injury issues which, depending on the progress of the players in questions, could spur teams to seek a replacement or stand pat and hold out for internal reinforcements. We’re not looking at definitive holes that stem from players known to be out for the season (e.g. Adam Eaton’s ACL tear), but rather at ongoing injury issues that could have either positive developments or setbacks/a lack of forward movement in the next two and a half weeks, thus directly impacting a team’s strategy.

Arodys Vizcaino, Braves: Teams in need of relief help would no doubt like to consider the high-powered Vizcaino, potentially giving Atlanta an interesting chip. But he’s now shelved with a finger issue that will keep him out for an indeterminate length of time. It remains to be seen whether the righty will be able to show he’s back to health before the month is out. If not, his cheap price tag makes it unlikely that he’ll clear waivers in August, further casting doubt on the possibility of a trade.

Trea Turner, Jayson Werth & Michael Taylor, Nationals: While the Nats feel comfortable with their position in the standings, and don’t really need to prioritize performance down the home stretch so much as in the postseason, they’ll remain mindful of the health problems impacting a notable portion of the roster. While the bullpen obviously remains the focus (and has a few open injury issues of its own), there are some significant dings and dents on the position-player side. Turner’s injury is the most concerning, though the club likely won’t learn much before the deadline and isn’t likely to add an impact shortstop regardless. Werth and Taylor, though, will need to be watched closely to see how they are progressing. It’s a bit difficult to see the Nats going after a major bat, though perhaps that can’t be ruled out entirely. More likely, the team could consider pursuing a bench player who’d help cover for these injuries while also improving the reserve unit once the team is back to full health (so much as is possible with Adam Eaton not expected to return this year).

Neil Walker, Mets: While the Mets are anxiously awaiting the returns of starters such as Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, neither is likely to be dealt anyhow. And, regardless of how quickly some of those names make it back to the active roster, the Mets’ deadline course seems largely plotted; over the next couple of weeks (and into August), New York figures to sell off some short-term veterans like Walker, who is a free agent at season’s end. He has only just begun moving towards a rehab assignment, so a return in time for a deadline deal seems unlikely. But Walker would still be an obvious August trade candidate given his hefty salary.

Cesar Hernandez & Howie Kendrick, Phillies: The question here is just when Hernandez and Kendrick can rejoin the team. Kendrick is a virtual lock to be traded. He’s a free agent at season’s end that has already turned down a qualifying offer once, thus making him ineligible to receive one in 2017 (and the Phils likely wouldn’t offer one anyhow). Hernandez certainly doesn’t need to be moved, as he’s controlled for three seasons beyond the current campaign. However, he’s a quietly productive player, and if a team expressed interest in picking up some controllable infield help, the Phils surely wouldn’t hesitate to bring in some more minor league talent while also paving a path for top prospect Scott Kingery to make his MLB debut.

Edinson Volquez & Brad Ziegler, Marlins: Volquez is likely to be back before the deadline, and given the paucity of starters on the market, he could be appealing to a team in need of rotation stability. His overall numbers are hardly dominant, but he’s turned in a 3.66 ERA in his past nine starts. Ziegler’s status is much cloudier, and his lack of results makes his two-year, $18MM pact a tough one to move anyhow.

Chase Anderson, Brewers: Milwaukee seems likely to be in the market for rotation help even if Anderson progresses at a faster-than-expected pace. But, on the flip side, if he appears to slow to progress from his oblique strain, the Brewers’ rotation search would only be hastened and, speculatively speaking, could expand to include multiple arms.

Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey & Brett Anderson, Cubs: The Cubs figure to explore the market for rotation help regardless of this trio’s progress, given the steps back that each member of their rotation has taken following last year’s deep postseason run. Hendricks has already been sent out on a minor league rehab assignment and could return from the disabled list as soon as this weekend, per Gordon Wittenymyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, but he’s already been on the shelf longer than anticipated after having his target date pushed back.

Zach Duke & Kevin Siegrist, Cardinals: Duke hasn’t pitched in the Majors this year, as he’s spent the entire 2017 campaign rehabbing from surgery last October. Siegrist, meanwhile, has an ominous-sounding spinal sprain but is also out on a minor league rehab assignment at the moment. Getting one or both back healthy would be a boost to the Cardinals’ relief corps, but a lack of progress or any setbacks would give the team another potential area of focus in trades.

Yangervis Solarte, Padres: It’s pretty straightforward. Solarte could be a nice infield utility type for a contender, particularly one looking for help at third base. But he’s currently out with an oblique injury. If he’s healthy, he’ll be a plausible chip; if not, the Pads will hold onto his affordable control rights and reconsider after the season.

Eduardo Nunez, Giants: Among the most obvious trade pieces in all of baseball, Nunez is nearing a return from a hamstring strain. Assuming all goes well, the Giants will have little reason not to get something back for a player they targeted last summer.

Rubby De La Rosa & J.J. Hoover, Diamondbacks: While Arizona may not be able to keep pace in the NL West, and may not really be inclined to spend big to prop up its chances in 2017, it’ll surely at least look into some upgrades. Like many teams, the bullpen could stand to add a few pieces, which could make all the difference in a short series (the Wild Card play-in or NLDS). But just how great is the need? If these two hurlers are at full speed, perhaps the D-Backs can hang onto their prospect capital or deploy it elsewhere. (Honorable mention: Yasmany Tomas.)

Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers: This situation is a bit tricky and is utterly speculative, but the respected veteran has been rather forthcoming about his present limitations. While the Dodgers increasingly look to be a force, no team is perfect, and this one may have some interesting opportunities to add offense — in addition to looking into pitching, as expected — depending upon A-Gon’s status. Rookie extraordinaire Cody Bellinger could bump to the outfield in favor of a new first baseman, or the team could pursue a more flexible piece that would allow it yet more options to mix and match, if it seems that Gonzalez won’t be occupying a spot down the stretch and (in particular) into the postseason.

Brian Sabean Discusses Giants’ Deadline Plans

By Jeff Todd | July 12, 2017 at 11:10pm CDT

With the Giants enduring their roughest season in recent memory, executive VP of baseball operations Brian Sabean discussed the team’s deadline plans in an interview with Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group. Though a rebuild isn’t being contemplated, Sabean did acknowledge a need to “be lot more open minded to [possibly trading] more names than we have been in the past.”

To be sure, San Francisco will keep its inner core players. Sabean said it’s reasonable to presume, as has been suggested, that the team won’t be interested in entertaining offers for Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford. (“Those three animals are divine,” he said.)

Otherwise, though, the veteran executive suggested that the club will at least consider moves involving the remainder of the roster. “I think needless to say, we’re open for business,” said Sabean, who also said that it’s “embarrassing” for the team to be performing so poorly while carrying such a large payroll.

While salary considerations will obviously play a role, it doesn’t seem as if the Giants are looking to pare down their future commitments above all else. Baggarly explains that the sense is the organization will prioritize the acquisition of near-MLB talent over far-off youngsters; “unless they get those kinds of players in return,” he writes, “they are not eager to pay down money just to get rid of core pieces” — a reference not to the holy trinity cited above, but to the club’s other veteran regulars.

That stance certainly could complicate matters. After all, as the club’s record would suggest, not many of the team’s expensive veterans are really playing up to their salaries. And, as ever, legitimate prospects who are ready to contribute at the major league level are generally harder to come by than those who are a few years off.

All said, the organization remains in a tricky spot with the deadline closing in. Among the costly veterans that aren’t considered untouchable, perhaps only Brandon Belt clearly brings surplus value when weighing his future salary guarantees. Second baseman Joe Panik would surely be of interest to rivals, but he’s also just the sort of sturdy, affordable option the Giants need to retain.

Those sorts of difficult tradeoffs are just as present in the pitching staff. Bumgarner is set to return, which will finally bump struggling veteran Matt Cain out of the rotation, as a report from NBC Sports Bay Area indicates. But the latter has not thrown well enough to be of real interest at the deadline. Plenty of teams would take a shot on Matt Moore, but would likely only do so for pennies on the conceptual dollar the Giants gave to get him last summer. While Jeff Samardzija has sparkling peripherals, his ERA remains inflated and the Giants no doubt envision him on their staff next year. Indeed, Sabean even says that he’d like to see Johnny Cueto pitching for San Francisco next year; his trade status is clouded by a pending opt-out clause.

More broadly, Sabean said “there’s a lot of soul searching going on” — particularly given that the team’s struggles stretch back into the second half of the 2016 season. Charting a path forward will obviously involve the upper reaches of the organization. While GM Bobby Evans has control of the day to day baseball ops decisionmaking process, Sabean indicated that he remains “responsible for the quality control throughout the organization” and will still “be involved in how we map this out.”

Taking Inventory: Toronto Blue Jays

By Steve Adams | July 12, 2017 at 8:24pm CDT

This is the 13th entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory Series.

The non-waiver trade deadline is just 19 days away, and over the coming weeks there will be several teams that at one point looked to be fringe contenders but are now gravitating toward marketing certain veteran assets. One such club is the Blue Jays, who are reportedly open to offers on their short-term veterans. There’s an important distinction to make between that and operating as a full-on seller; there’s yet to be any serious indication that the Jays are interested in a lengthy rebuild. In fact, Toronto has reported interest in acquiring Dee Gordon and has reportedly scouted Jose Quintana.

It’s easy to get caught up in the dichotomy of “buyers” versus “sellers,” but the lines are nowhere near so black and white for most clubs. The Jays could look to move some expensive assets right now — the veterans they’re reportedly open to moving are relatively well compensated and have been injured and/or haven’t performed up to standard — while also adding some longer-term pieces for a reloaded run in 2018 and beyond. That said, here’s a look at what they have to offer, both in terms of short-term pieces and higher-impact, long-term pieces (if a larger tear-down is eventually settled upon).

[Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart | Toronto Blue Jays Payroll Outlook]

Rentals

Marco Estrada, RHP (starter) | Salary: $14MM (approx. $6.27MM remaining)

The most interesting name among the Blue Jays’ rentals, Estrada was in the midst of a brilliant season before an awful month of June and a clunker in early July torpedoed his ERA. That said, the righty still has intriguing peripherals, with 9.8 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 and a fastball that’s noticeably harder than it was in 2016 (though still sits at an average of just 90.1 mph). Estrada’s chase rate and swinging-strike rate are both the second-best of his career as well. Estrada has a history of back issues, but if a team believes him to be fully healthy and thinks June was largely an aberration, he could be a significant upgrade to a big league rotation for two months or so.

Francisco Liriano, LHP (starter) | $13MM ($5.83MM)

Consistency was always an issue for Liriano before he signed with the Pirates, but his previous control issues came back to haunt him in Pittsburgh last year, prompting a trade to Toronto. He was sensational down the stretch in 2016, but the Jays have had the bad version of Liriano for much of the current season. The 33-year-old’s strikeout and walk rates have both raced in the opposite direction of last year’s excellent post-trade marks, and his 44.9 percent grounder rate is his worst since 2012. It’s cliche to call Liriano “mercurial” or “enigmatic” at this point, but the labels fit. If a pitching-needy team feels like it can solve Liriano, the cost of acquisition won’t be too high.

Jose Bautista, OF/DH | $18.5MM ($8.57MM)

After a terrible April, the “Joey Bats” of old emerged in May — a month during which Bautista was one of the very best hitters on the planet. He followed that up with another terrible month in June, though things have started to even out a bit more recently. It’s been a roller coaster ride for Bautista in 2017, but the strikeouts are up and the power is down; the result to this point is a .234/.349/.400 slash that wRC+ and OPS+ grade as roughly league average. Considering his lack of defensive value, that line won’t cut it. The Jays could market him this summer, but it’ll be tough to get much in return, even if they eat some salary.

Joe Smith, RHP (reliever) | $3MM ($1.34MM)

Smith hasn’t pitched since June 14 due to shoulder inflammation, but he’s most of the way through a minor league rehab stint and has been good when healthy. He’s sporting a 3.41 ERA with considerably better peripherals (13.4 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 46.5 percent ground-ball rate) through 31 2/3 frames. Assuming he gets healthy, Smith could be an affordable bullpen piece that’ll draw plenty of interest.

J.P. Howell, LHP (reliever) | $3MM ($1.34MM)

Howell (shoulder soreness) is also on the disabled list and partway through a minor league rehab stint, though his season has been much different than that of Smith. The 34-year-old has been limited to just 8 2/3 innings this year because of said shoulder troubles, during which he’s posted an 8.31 ERA and walked more batters (seven) than he’s struck out (five). A healthy Howell is a nice bullpen piece, but teams aren’t going to give up much to get him given this year’s injuries.

Darwin Barney, 2B/SS | $2.8875MM ($1.29MM)

The 31-year-old Barney can play both middle infield positions and has a strong defensive reputation, but his bat has been nonexistent in 2017. Through 168 PAs, he’s hitting .231/.277/.295. He was a valuable bench piece in Toronto as recently as 2016, though, so a team could speculatively pick him up on the cheap and hope for a bit more with the bat.

Controlled Through 2018

Josh Donaldson, 3B | $11.65MM in 2017, $17MM in 2018

To be as clear and up-front as possible, there’s been no serious suggestion that the Jays are willing to even entertain offers on the 2015 American League MVP. Donaldson missed about six weeks of the season due to a calf injury (which played a huge role in the team’s poor first half) but has been productive, albeit not quite his dominant self when healthy. Through 193 PAs, he’s slashing .261/.383/.484 with nine homers and nine doubles. The Blue Jays won’t move Donaldson unless they’re seriously considering at least a medium-scale rebuild, as moving him would almost immediately signal a white flag of sorts for the 2018 season. If Donaldson is made available (a big “if”), he’d require an enormous package of talent featuring multiple top prospects and/or MLB-ready commodities.

J.A. Happ, LHP (starter) | $13MM in 2017, $13MM in 2018

Moving Happ wouldn’t quite be the 2018 concession that a Donaldson trade would represent, but he’d still require a notable package of young talent to acquire. After reinventing himself following a trade from Seattle to Pittsburgh in 2015, Happ has maintained much of that newfound excellent in his second go-around with the Jays. Elbow inflammation cost him a couple of months of the 2017 season, but he’s been strong since returning from the disabled list. Dating back to Opening Day 2016, Happ boasts a 3.27 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 256 innings. He’s a solid and fairly priced mid-rotation arm, meaning he won’t come cheaply in a trade.

Steve Pearce, 1B/OF/2B | $6.25MM in 2017, $6.25MM in 2018

Pearce hasn’t hit nearly as well as he did with the Orioles in 2014 or the Rays in 2016. His .259/.320/.430 slash is solid enough, and he’s still a power threat against lefties that can play multiple positions on the field. But he, too, has spent time on the DL this season, and his salary isn’t necessarily cheap if he can’t rediscover some of his 2014 or 2016 form at the dish.

Aaron Loup, LHP (reliever) | $1.125MM in 2017, arb-eligible through 2018

Loup can miss bats and keep the ball on the ground, but his walk rate has soared in 2017 while lefties have clobbered him. I doubt he’s going to be anyone’s Plan A or B, but he could still change hands on deadline day even if the Jays aren’t punting on the 2018 season. He’s a non-tender candidate after the year but has a decent track record against lefty batters.

Longer-Term Assets

Justin Smoak, 1B | $4.125MM in 2017, $4.125MM in 2018 (plus $6MM club option/$250K buyout for 2019)

The Yonder Alonso of the East, Smoak has gone from busted prospect to All-Star in short order thanks to a revamped swing plane and, as he tells it, some offseason work with a sports psychologist. The contract is so affordable that even if he takes a bit of a step back, he now looks like a bargain. This time last year, most were curious as to why the Jays offered him a two-year extension. Now, any team looking for help at first base or DH — and there admittedly aren’t many — would love to buy into his new approach. The lack of a market and his highly affordable contract make a deal seem unlikely, though.

Jeff Beliveau, LHP (reliever) | Not arbitration-eligible until 2018-19 offseason

Beliveau has proven to be a nice find on a minor league deal for the Jays, having tossed 32 innings with a 3.09 ERA, 12.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in Triple-A prior to a big league promotion. It’s been more of the same through his first 14 1/3 innings back in the Majors; he’s worked to a 3.14 ERA with a 15-to-4 K/BB ratio. The sample of work is pretty small, and Beliveau was out of the Majors for most of two seasons due to 2015 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The value here isn’t huge, but a team looking for some left-handed relief help might kick the tires.

Marcus Stroman, RHP (starter) | $3.4MM in 2017, arb-eligible through 2020 (Super Two)

Speaking of unlikely, a Stroman trade would only happen if the Jays elected to completely tear things down. I don’t expect that to happen, but as a pitcher who has already reached arbitration and is going to make a nice raise on an already decent salary in arbitration, Stroman would be the one long-term rotation piece I could see moving in that scenario. Again, though, it’s not likely.

Large Contracts

Kendrys Morales, 1B/DH | $10MM in 2017, $11MM in 2018, $12MM in 2019
Troy Tulowitzki, SS | $20MM annually 2017-19, $14MM in 2020 (plus $15MM club option/$4MM buyout for 2021)
Russell Martin, C | $20MM annually 2017-19

Morales and Tulowitzki aren’t hitting well enough for anyone to really consider taking on either of those deals in a trade, though the Jays wouldn’t mind shedding the cash. Martin’s offense is down somewhat in 2017, but he’s still been a valuable backstop, even if he’s slightly overpaid. That said, he’ll turn 35 this winter with $40MM on the books beyond the current campaign, and there aren’t too many clubs lining up to acquire a catcher in the first place.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Jason Martinez | July 12, 2017 at 6:28pm CDT

Click here to read the transcript for MLBTR Chat With Jason Martinez: July 12, 2017

AL Notes: Blue Jays, Panda, Verlander, Tigers, Smoak

By Steve Adams | July 12, 2017 at 5:11pm CDT

The Blue Jays have let teams around the league know that they’re open to offers on rental players like Marco Estrada, Francisco Liriano, Joe Smith and J.P. Howell, according to Robert Murray of FanRag Sports. The Jays are less open but not entirely closed off to the idea of moving lefty J.A. Happ and first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce, each of whom is affordably signed through the 2018 season, he adds. Toronto president Mark Shapiro recently suggested that the Jays still have enough pure talent to contend, though he also acknowledged that the club’s poor first half would require them to be open-minded. Certainly, it doesn’t seem as though the Jays are looking to tear things down entirely, and given their recent links to players like Dee Gordon, it’s possible that Toronto is even open to shedding short-term salary but still amassing some long-term assets to help beyond 2017. The 33-year-old Liriano, after all, has struggled all season, while Estrada limped into the All-Star break and the two relievers mentioned are presently on the disabled list.

Trade Chatter: Rangers, Rockies, Ramos, Mariners, Alonso, Cards

By Steve Adams | July 12, 2017 at 2:17pm CDT

With 19 days until the non-waiver trade deadline, the Rangers are telling other clubs that they plan to hold, at the very least, and may yet act as buyers on the trade market, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The Rangers, of course, are all but finished in the American League West as the Astros run away with the division. However, despite a 43-45 record, Texas is just three games back in the American League Wild Card race. Morosi notes that the defending AL West champs open the season’s second half with a 10-game road trip that will likely prove pivotal in the Rangers’ determination of a course of action prior to the deadline.

More trade talk from around the game…

The Rockies are eyeing relief help as the deadline approaches, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes in his latest mailbag column. One name that Saunders has heard connected to the Rox is Marlins closer AJ Ramos. The Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer reported recently that the Fish are scouting a number of rival farm systems in preparation to trade some veteran assets before the deadline, specifically naming the Rockies as a system of interest. It seems unlikely that Ramos would usurp Greg Holland as manager Bud Black’s closer, but he’d give the Rox an arm with huge strikeout potential that can be controlled through next season. And, with Holland all but certain to turn down his player option (barring an injury), Ramos would give the Rockies an option in the ninth inning in 2018. Ramos is earning $6.55MM this year and is controllable for one more season via arbitration.
Morosi also reports that the Mariners would like to add some pitching at this year’s trade deadline, but they’re not keen on adding any rentals (Twitter links). Seattle finished the first half poorly, and the notion of sacrificing prospects for a two-month rental and a chance at a one-game playoff is off-putting to the majority of teams around the league. Even if the Mariners’ slide continues, Morosi adds that the team has no plans to move slugger Nelson Cruz, who even at 37 years of age continues to be among the game’s most productive bats. Cruz is hitting .292/.372/.520 and is earning $14.25MM this year and next — the final two seasons of a four-year, $57MM pact inked prior to the 2015 campaign.
The Athletics have made it known to other teams that first baseman Yonder Alonso is available in trades “right now,” writes ESPN’s Buster Olney. Alonso’s availability isn’t exactly a new development, as he’s been among the most oft-speculated and reported trade candidates for most of the season’s first half. However, the A’s and Alonso’s camp were also said to be exploring talk of a possible extension. While Olney doesn’t mention the extension possibility one way or another, his newest report certainly doesn’t do much to inspire confidence that the two sides will agree to a deal. In addition to the oft-suggested Yankees fit, Olney speculatively lists the Royals as a possibility.
The Cardinals are still looking into adding a middle-of-the-order bat and will continue to do so up through the deadline, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in a recent chat with readers. The Cards expect that type of pursuit to perhaps run right up to the deadline, however. Goold notes that he’s been told recently that St. Louis isn’t keen on adding rental bats (e.g. J.D. Martinez) but could rethink that mentality and take a late shot at a rental if their pursuits of longer-term assets don’t prove fruitful over the next couple of weeks.

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