5:23pm: Texas is also willing to listen to offers on young righty Keone Kela, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).
Kela, 24, opened the year on optional assignment after running afoul of teammates. That also cost him the opportunity to reach three full years of service, thus delaying his ultimate free agency, though Kela will still qualify for arbitration next year as a Super Two.
He has been quite good since returning to the majors, throwing 32 1/3 innings of 2.51 ERA ball while maintaining 12.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. Shoulder soreness drove him to the DL for a stretch recently, so health is also a factor in his potential value.
4:20pm: The Rangers are shopping right-handed reliever Jeremy Jeffress, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (via Twitter). It’s unclear at this point just where interest may lie, but it’s certainly plausible to imagine a number of organizations taking a look at the veteran hurler.
Jeffress, the former Brewers closer, was traded to Texas alongside Jonathan Lucroy at last year’s non-waiver deadline. But he has struggled in his new environs — particularly in 2017.
The 29-year-old righty has followed up last year’s 2.33 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and 60.3 percent ground-ball rate with an unsightly 5.21 ERA through 38 frames. Jeffress’ strikeout rate remains nearly identical to his 2016 level, but his walk rate has spiked to 4.3 BB/9, his grounder rate is down to 54.9 percent, and his fastball velocity is down more than a mile per hour (though still at an average of 94.3 mph).
Jeffress was worked hard in April, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News recently noted, and then ultimately required a DL stay for a back injury in June. His health, then, appears to be at least partially in question, and interested teams will also need to weigh Jeffress’s DWI arrest last year.
There is, perhaps, both some near and long-term upside in the righty. If he can get back on his prior track, Jeffress might be of real use down the stretch. He’s earning only $2.1MM this year, so it won’t cost much in cash. And with two more years of arb control remaining, Jeffress has some potential future value as well.
Boston should add him to the back of the pen. Shouldn’t cost much and could be a quality set up man if he returns to form.
Please no. He’s had it. Any doubt and just watching his meatballs thrown in the 22-10 thrashing the marlins inflicted on Texas should give anyone a clue of how far Jeffress has fallen this year. He’s got no command.. Period and when falls behind (nearly every batter) takes several mph off his fa, then throws up a gopher..
This has been repeating itself all season during games have watched him throw in. The guy is toast.
Seems to me like he’s just not a big market pitcher. Maybe he needs to go back to Milwaukee
If not for the DWI, his 54.9 ground ball rate and a 94.3 mph velocity would be right up the Pirates alley. Maybe it still would.
Wait, cheap with two more years of club control? I can see them dusting off the Coonelly “people make mistakes” speech.
Watson for Jeffress?
Not a lot of upside for the rangers to do that though. A few months of Watson won’t help them very much
I think he’ll be a tough guy to market. If he gets back to form he is in the back of any bullpen in baseball for many years. But a rebuilding team won’t want to take that risk while giving up prospects, and contending teams won’t want him blowing meaningful games in a pennant race. They’re probably better off holding onto him and hoping he regains the value he had last year.
Brewers need to be all over this and build his value back up and ship him out for another haul of prospects lol
Trade them all JD
Like
Double like
St Louis needs to get him and dump Oh on anyone willing by to take him
He wouldn’t be an upgrade over Oh. Not worth adding
Id love for them to get Kela. He’s a stud and young. Plug him in as closer now!
how about a wily peralta jeffries swap and cash from the Brewers … both have team control and both could benefit from a change of scenery… Willy has a high ceiling it’s just not happening in Milwaukee.. and jeffries has twice shown success in milwaukee…
That’s because he had easier access to his beer up there
Alcoholism isn’t something to mock someone over, especially a DUI that could’ve ended way worse.
His issues were with using marijuana to treat his anxiety. He was caught driving while stoned; not drunk.
Ha!! That is defiantly a possibility.. and maybe Willy needs less beer clogs his mind to much… I still think Willy will be a good pitcher in this league… throws upper 90s with movement.. just needs a change under the right pitching coach he could be a gem…
Man what is wrong with keone kela? The rangers don’t like this guy at all, he should be closing games for them
We’ll take him in Arizona.
Jon loves to wait until the absolute bottom of the market to trade away players for prospects doesn’t he?
If they’re selling these guys, they’re selling Darvish.
Out of curiosity.. I wonder what the return on darvish would be.. he’s a rental (10-15 starts)…. and said team getting him cannot offer a qualifying offer as he has to be on your roster the whole year (correct me if I’m wrong)…. he’s still a great add even after his last start as long as teams are not concerned it’s injury related…. would a top 50 and a mid tear high upside prospect get the deal done?…
I don’t think it takes nearly that much.
Are you serious?! It would definitely take a top 50 prospect. You can’t just expect to get one of the top available pitchers for a box of crayons. Just remember that prospects are prospects and some of them can’t prove themselves in the majors…so yes, it will take a top 50 prospect
It would take lots more than that. If that’s all they could they’d keep him and offer a QO. They’d get about that much from compensation.
You underestimate value and desperation then
Your math is off… the supplemental pick is after competitive balance round b which is after 2nd round, at best it’s going to be around 70-80 overall, maybe lower. 70th overall pick is not equal to top 50 prospect in all of baseball…
I’d rather shop Matt Bush instead of Kela. An ex-closer that can throw 100
Send Lucroy, Cashner and Jeffress to Rockies for Riley Pint, Peter Lambert, Forrest Wall and a couple AA ballers