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Dodgers “In Hot Pursuit” Of Eduardo Rodriguez; Padres Interested

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With less than seven hours to go until the trade deadline, the Tigers hold a pair of key starting pitcher cards in southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez and righty Michael Lorenzen.  Yesterday morning, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale said the pair would “definitely” be traded, and this morning MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand said the Tigers are “expected to trade” both.

Asking prices appear to be high, according to Feinsand, though we rarely hear asking prices described any other way.  Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says the same, after talking to rival executives.

The Dodgers “are in hot pursuit” of Rodriguez, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.  Jack Harris of the L.A. Times spoke to “multiple people with knowledge of the team’s thinking unauthorized to speak publicly,” and then wrote yesterday that the club’s Plan B after Justin Verlander “could be” a pursuit of Rodriguez.  Harris said the Dodgers “had maintained interest” in E-Rod as of Monday afternoon.  The Dodgers added Lance Lynn to their embattled rotation in a trade with the White Sox a few days ago.

Never a team to sit on the sidelines with good players available – even five games out of the wild card – the Padres are “said to be high” on Rodriguez and “could make a push” for him, reports Feinsand.  The Padres seem to have some level of interest in Verlander as well, according to Heyman.

Rodriguez, 30, owns a 2.95 ERA on the season with a 25.9 K%, 6.0 BB%, and 40.5% groundball rate.  He missed all of June with a left index finger pulley rupture.  He’s pitched to an unpleasant 5.66 ERA in four starts since returning from the injury, but his peripheral stats were in line with his season marks and two of the four starts were solid.  Though Rodriguez is scheduled to take on the Pirates tomorrow at PNC Park, he may have already made his last start in a Tigers uniform.

Rodriguez is owed about $4.67MM this year and $49MM from 2024-26, but he’s generally viewed as a rental given the likelihood he opts out of those final three years after the season.  While all opt-out clauses represent downside risk for an acquiring team, things would have to go quite badly for E-Rod in the next two months for him to forgo the clause.

The Orioles, who traded Rodriguez to the Red Sox in a significant deadline deal for Andrew Miller nine years ago, are a potential suitor for both Tigers starters.  Last week, Feinsand named a slew of teams that had been scouting Rodriguez.  Some have since acquired a starting pitcher, but others included the Reds, Phillies, and Diamondbacks.  On the topic of the Reds, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic wrote of “whispers Monday” about Cincinnati “being a suitable destination for Rodriguez.”

Lorenzen, 31, is a pure rental with about $2.8MM left on his contract, plus possible $250K performance bonuses for innings benchmarks.  Lorenzen represented the Tigers in the All-Star game, though he’s never been a strikeout pitcher.  He has seemingly turned a corner with some of the best control of his career, though his peripheral stats generally don’t support a 3.58 ERA.  Lorenzen has a 3.96 mark over his last nine starts, and something in that range would likely match a buyer’s expectations.  The Marlins, Orioles, Astros, and Rays have been linked to Lorenzen, but the Rays have since added Aaron Civale.

Giants Less Likely To Trade From Rotation After DeSclafani Injury

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Within the past week, multiple reports have emerged about the Giants receiving interest on their starting pitchers. There was some thought that San Francisco could deal a back-end starter for help elsewhere on the roster.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi downplayed that possibility when meeting with the SF beat last night (link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Area). Pointing to the recent placement of Anthony DeSclafani on the 15-day injured list (plus an injury to Triple-A righty Keaton Winn), Zaidi said the front office is “kind of in a different position than we were even a week ago” with regards to the pitching. As a result, he stated “it’s less likely we explore something there. It kind of feels like we have just enough pitching to be comfortable and to have some options, but we’ll see what happens over the next day.”

At the same time, it doesn’t seem the Giants are anxious to add rotation depth either. Asked about that possibility, Zaidi noted the club’s success when deploying openers and/or bullpen games. He’s also spoken previously about his comfort with the likes of Alex Wood, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling and Jakob Junis behind staff ace Logan Webb. At the beginning of July, the baseball operations leader said the Giants were likely only to get involved for potential top-of-the-rotation arms — which are generally lacking in supply this deadline season anyhow.

Still, the loss of DeSclafani deals something of a hit to the group. The righty hasn’t had a great season, carrying a 4.88 ERA with a below-average 18.9% strikeout rate. He trails only Webb and Cobb on the team in innings pitched, though. DeSclafani is battling a flexor strain in his throwing elbow. The team announced last night the righty was headed for a second opinion (relayed by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). There’s a possibility the injury will end his season, though the results of further imaging will obviously determine that.

While the Giants might be quiet on the pitching front, they’ll surely continue working the phones over the next six-plus hours. San Francisco has been searching for middle infield help for some time. Thairo Estrada is headed out on a minor league rehab stint, perhaps reducing the urgency to add there, but there’s still room for an acquisition given Estrada’s and Brandon Crawford’s recent health concerns.

Guardians Could Look To Add Another Starter

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The Guardians traded their most established healthy starter to the Rays yesterday, sending righty Aaron Civale to Tampa Bay in exchange for top first base prospect Kyle Manzardo. However, while many imagined that to be something of a white flag on their 2023 season, the team views things differently. President of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said following the trade last night that the Guardians could now replace Civale’s innings with an acquisition from outside the organization (link via Mandy Bell of MLB.com).

“We do believe we will be able to address that void both through our internal options and potentially maybe even with some external acquisitions … [that] might transpire between now and the end of the day tomorrow,” said Antonetti.

That may sound perplexing to some onlookers, but it’s a sensible enough approach to take. The Guardians have long been in the market for controllable offensive talent, and Manzardo is among the best pure hitting prospects in the game. He’s currently mending from a shoulder injury, but his plate discipline, at least average power and excellent bat-to-ball skills fit the Guardians’ mold. The Civale trade largely amounted to capitalizing on a thin market for controllable pitching, adding six-plus years of a young hitter who’ll help in the long run at the expense of some already shaky 2023 playoff hopes and two additional years of control over Civale.

Adding a lower-cost starter, perhaps a rental arm, to backfill the rotation could offset some of the present-day value lost by trading Civale. The Guardians are hopeful of getting Cal Quantrill back before too long and could have Shane Bieber return at some point in the season’s final month. They’ve already added one veteran, Noah Syndergaard, to help take some of the pressure off young arms like Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen. A similar acquisition could replace some of Civale’s innings — and that might be all the Guardians need to stay afloat in an awful AL Central division. Neither Minnesota nor Cleveland has stepped up and run away with the division, despite the fact that three of baseball’s six worst records are floundering below them in the standings.

While a good bit of the starting pitching expected to change hands this summer has already done so, there are still some veteran options available. Pirates lefty Rich Hill is playing on an affordable one-year deal. Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty and Tigers righty Michael Lorenzen are perhaps the two highest-profile pure rentals left on the market. The Mets would surely move old friend Carlos Carrasco as well, though he’s struggling quite a bit in 2023. Teammate Jose Quintana, signed through 2024 at $13MM per year, has also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate. The Giants have reportedly garnered interest in their pitching depth, and someone like Alex Wood could make sense to help fill out Cleveland’s rotation.

Mets Getting Interest In Tommy Pham, Brooks Raley

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The Mets have plenty of interest in outfielder Tommy Pham and left-handed reliever Brooks Raley, reports Andy Martino of SNY. A Pham trade could come together soon, per the report, but the Mets are weighing whether to trade Raley at all or hang onto him and the $6.5MM option they hold over his 2024 season. That option comes with a $1.25MM buyout, so it’s effectively a net $5.25MM decision, which seems more than reasonable for Raley.

Pham, 35, is all but certain to be traded today. He’s still owed $2MM of this season’s $6MM salary and will be a free agent at season’s end. The veteran right-handed hitter has turned in a strong .268/.348/.472 batting line in 2023, adding in 10 home runs, 15 doubles, a triple and 11 stolen bases (in 12 tries). He’s walked at a stout 11% clip and is striking out at a 21.2% rate. Pham’s once strong defensive ratings have dipped to below average as he’s aged into his mid-30s, but the Mets have felt comfortable enough to play him for 45 innings in center this season in addition to 395 frames in his more customary left field slot.

There are plenty of teams looking for outfield help — the Twins, Phillies, Padres and perhaps Yankees among them. Both Philadelphia and Minnesota are said to be eyeing right-handed bats, in particular. The Mets have already shown a willingness to trade within the division, sending closer David Robertson to the Marlins, so it stands to reason they’d have minimal qualms about sending Pham to the NL East-rival Phillies if Philadelphia president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski winds up making the best offer.

Raley, meanwhile, isn’t necessarily the lock to be moved that Pham seems to be. Also 35, the left-hander has had an excellent season out of Buck Showalter’s bullpen, pitching to a 2.37 ERA with a 26.2% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate, 38.5% grounder rate and just 0.71 HR/9. It’s the second straight season with a sub-3.00 ERA and strikeout rate north of 26% for Raley, who’s actually been more effective against right-handed opponents than lefties. Virtually every contending club is interest in upgrading its bullpen, and while Raley isn’t the type of power arm teams gravitate toward — he’s averaging just 90.2 mph on his sinker — the bottom-line results are nevertheless appealing. Martino describes interest in Raley as “significant.”

It figures to be an active day for the Mets, who have not only Pham and Raley to peddle but also future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The Mets are also surely open to offers on catcher Omar Narvaez and righty Adam Ottavino, both of whom have player options for the 2024 season. Narvaez’s struggles this year will make it extremely difficult to trade him, as he looks quite likely to exercise next year’s $8MM player option. Ottavino is pitching well, however, and with a strong finish to the season would be likely to turn down his own $6.5MM player option in search of a larger deal on the open market.

Orioles, Mets Have Discussed Justin Verlander

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Despite possessing the American League’s best record, the Orioles have had a quiet deadline. They rolled the dice on Shintaro Fujinami’s recent improvements and triple-digit heater, hoping to deepen an already strong bullpen, but the rotation — arguably their top need — has gone unaddressed. The O’s were linked to multiple starters who have since been traded elsewhere, but other targets (e.g. Michael Lorenzen, Rich Hill) remain available. And, Baltimore clearly hasn’t ruled out a much higher-profile addition. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the O’s are “on the periphery” of the Justin Verlander market, and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets that the O’s are among the teams with whom the Mets are actively discussing Verlander. Morosi adds that the Orioles and Tigers are also talking — presumably about Lorenzen and/or Eduardo Rodriguez.

At least on paper, it’s hard to find a better fit for Verlander than the Orioles. Baltimore has the American League’s best record, is as deep in young talent as virtually any team in the game, and has a blank slate when it comes to long-term payroll. Perhaps no contending club could more easily accommodate the remaining $14.444MM on Verlander’s 2023 salary and the $43.333MM he’s owed in 2024. His contract also contains a conditional $35MM player option for the 2025 season that would vest if Verlander throws 140 innings next year. That’s been an understandable hurdle in talks with multiple clubs; Verlander will pitch the 2025 season at age 42.

The only guaranteed contract on Baltimore’s books in 2024 is backup catcher James McCann, and the Mets are picking up all but $2.5MM of next year’s salary as part of the trade that sent him to the Orioles. Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, John Means, Tyler Wells, Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle are among the many notable members of the Orioles’ arbitration class, but it’s nonetheless as close to a pristine payroll outlook as you’ll find for a contending club.

Meanwhile, starting pitching has long been reported to be the Orioles’ top need. It’s easy enough to understand why. Good as the team’s overall record is, their rotation’s 4.48 ERA ranks 16th in the Majors. With the exception of veteran innings eater Kyle Gibson, the bulk of the Baltimore staff is approaching or has already exceeded 2023’s innings total. Dean Kremer is just 15 innings shy of last year’s total. Kyle Bradish is 36 innings shy of his own 2023 total. Wells and Grayson Rodriguez have already topped last season’s workloads.

The Mets traded one high-priced, future Hall of Famer over the weekend when they sent Max Scherzer to the Rangers, paid down all but $22.5MM of the salary he was still owed, and acquired top prospect Luisangel Acuna in return. They’re reported to hold Verlander in even higher regard, setting both a higher prospect asking price and showing less willingness to pay down significant money.

The Verlander market is generally thought to be accelerating, and there’s a real chance he’s traded today. SNY’s Andy Martino reports that the Mets’ Verlander talks “picked up steam” late last night with multiple clubs. The Astros, according to Martino, have made a formal offer. At least one other team has done the same, and there are two to three more clubs also involved. Jon Heyman of the New York Post dusted off a time-honored trade deadline favorite this morning, tweeting that there’s at least one “mystery team” beyond the previously reported Astros and Dodgers.

That, of course, could be the Orioles, but given Verlander’s status and the league-wide need for starting pitching, it’s only natural to assume others are involved. The Reds, Angels and D-backs have all been rumored to be in the market for varying levels of rotation help as well, and virtually no major name hits the trade market without the Padres throwing their hat into the ring as well. None of those teams has been directly connected to Verlander, to be clear, but the day is young.

The Opener: Verlander, Tigers’ Arms, Flaherty, Mariners, Padres, Yankees

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The trade deadline is upon is! Teams have until 5pm CT today to complete trades. This is the fifth year of the one true trade deadline — it’s been a half decade since MLB officially did away with revocable August trade waivers and capped all trades of Major League players (i.e. anyone presently on a 40-man roster or who has, at some point, previously been on a 40-man roster at any point in the current season). With so much possible activity, today’s Opener will be asked to cover more than one inning, so to speak. Here are six things we’ll be watching most keenly today…

1. Will Verlander be on the move?

The Mets already traded Max Scherzer to the Rangers, David Robertson to the Marlins and Mark Canha to the Brewers. Major League Baseball’s largest-ever payroll has begun to be whittled down as a wildly disappointing Mets roster is picked apart and sold off at the trade deadline. There’s no bigger name on the Mets — and perhaps no bigger name in the sport — on the trade market right than Justin Verlander now. Mets general manager Billy Eppler has spoken to his counterparts with the Astros, Dodgers and others about a potential deal involving Verlander. The three-time Cy Young winner is still owed about $14.444MM of this year’s salary, plus $43.333MM for the 2024 campaign — his age-41 season. And, if Verlander reaches 140 innings in 2024, he’ll trigger a $35MM player option for the 2025 season. Verlander has a full no-trade clause that only further complicates a potential deal.

The Mets will also be active elsewhere. Outfielder Tommy Pham is a free agent at season’s end and a veritable lock to be traded. Lefty Brooks Raley is controlled through 2024 via club option but could easily be dealt. Catcher Omar Narvaez and righty Adam Ottavino both have player options for the 2024 season (though the former has struggled badly and seems likely to exercise his).

2.  The Tigers’ inevitable trade(s)

There aren’t many likelier players to be traded today than Tigers righty Michael Lorenzen. The team’s lone All-Star representative is playing on a one-year, $8.5MM deal and has delivered a solid 3.58 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 42.2% grounder rate in 105 2/3 innings for a selling Tigers club. He’s drawn interest from the Orioles, Marlins and Astros, among others.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez isn’t as straightforward a trade candidate, given the three years and $49MM remaining on his contract after the current season. He can opt out of that remaining sum at season’s end, however, which creates ample risk for any acquiring team; Rodriguez would only forgo that opt-out if he pitched poorly enough and/or suffered a notable injury following a trade to warrant it. Effectively, if he pitches well, he’s a rental.  If he flames out or gets hurt, the new team is on the hook for this year’s remaining salary plus another three years and $49MM. E-Rod has still pitched well enough to merit widespread interest, though he’s struggled in two of four starts since returning from a six-week absence due to a tendon injury in his finger.

3. All eyes on Flaherty, Carlson, DeJong in St. Louis

The Cardinals’ widely expected sell-off has already seen Jordan Montgomery, Chris Stratton and Jordan Hicks shipped out — and by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s own admission, it’s likely not over. Right-hander Jack Flaherty is right up there alongside the aforementioned Lorenzen when talking about the likeliest players to be traded today. The 27-year-old righty is a free agent at season’s end who has posted a decent (if unspectacular) 4.43 ERA in 109 2/3 innings. Flaherty’s fastball, strikeout rate and walk rate have all gone the wrong direction since his 2018-21 peak, but the demand for pitching is strong and the Cardinals will likely find a deal.

Shortstop Paul DeJong’s glove and ability to hit lefties should lead to him being moved, too, and the Cardinals have ostensibly been shopping outfielder Dylan Carlson after pushing him to a bench role.

4. What’s next for the Mariners?

The Mariners won more games than any team in baseball in July. They also traded closer Paul Sewald to the D-backs yesterday, shipped struggling veteran AJ Pollock to the Giants, and have reportedly at least listened on Teoscar Hernandez, Ty France and some members of their outstanding young rotation. The Mariners are only 3.5 games out of the AL Wild Card spot. Many will assume they’re straight sellers after the Sewald trade and the rumors of listening on several veterans, but Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto added Major League-ready help in the Sewald talent and could very well end up blurring the line between “buyer” and “seller,” as he’s done multiple times in the past. As usual, the Mariners are one of the most interesting teams to watch as the deadline looms.

5. How will the Padres approach the deadline?

The Padres swept the AL West-leading Rangers over the weekend and have pulled themselves to within three games of the .500 mark. In a largely underwhelming season, they’ve begun to turn the tide and now sit just five games back in the NL Wild Card hunt. Owner Peter Seidler pushed back on the notion of “reversing course” and selling players earlier this month, and San Diego is reportedly on the lookout for bullpen help and upgrades to the offense. There’d been talk of potential trades involving free-agents-to-be Blake Snell and/or Josh Hader, but the team’s recent play and Seidler’s commitment to the 2023 season set the stage for president of baseball operations AJ Preller to once again add to the roster.

6. Will the Yankees sell?

The Yankees don’t have much to sell, but they’re said to be open to offers on impending free agents. That opens the door for possible deals of center fielder Harrison Bader, southpaw reliever Wandy Peralta and/or utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa; the rest of the Yankees’ rental players (Josh Donaldson, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas) haven’t been healthy enough and/or productive enough to carry much in the way of trade value. If the Yankees were willing to take it a step further and sell off players controlled/signed through the 2024 season, that’d be far more interesting. Gleyber Torres and Clay Holmes, in particular, would be intriguing trade candidates in that scenario.

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There are, of course, plenty of other storylines to watch throughout the day. The White Sox could continue to sell. The Brewers want another bat. Neither the Reds nor the Orioles have added the pitching they’ve reportedly sought. The Twins have been looking for bullpen help and a right-handed bat. Do the Angels or Rangers have another move up their sleeve? The Phillies have been looking at right-handed bats. Will the Braves get the bullpen arm they’re seeking? And the possibility of a last-minute, unexpected entrant joining the trade market always looms on deadline day.

As always, we’ll be covering all of the day’s action here at MLBTR. Follow us on Twitter, download our free iOS and Android app (and set up notifications for your favorite teams and/or trade targets of interest), and or just go the traditional route and mash the refresh button throughout the day! If you like the coverage we provide, consider an ad-free subscription to support our efforts.

Padres Exploring Market For Offense, Bullpen Help

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The Padres remain one of the league’s most interesting edge cases going into deadline day. After tonight’s loss to the Rockies, San Diego sits five games out in the Wild Card picture.

Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted Monday afternoon the Friars are evaluating the market for help in the outfield/designated hitter mix and the bullpen. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of the New York Post relayed (on Twitter) the Padres’ asking price in talks on Josh Hader is so high that other clubs believe they’re likely to hold him past the deadline.

San Diego brass has been clear they preferred to add for a playoff push rather than tear things down after another aggressive offseason. It seems that remains the case, with last weekend’s sweep of the AL West-leading Rangers perhaps giving the front office the ammunition to buy.

In that case, adding position player depth is a sensible target. The Friars have gotten excellent seasons from Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim, while Manny Machado has been on a tear since a slow start. The bottom half of the lineup has struggled, however. Catcher was a major question mark for a while, although Gary Sánchez has provided a strong power threat there since San Diego nabbed him off waivers.

Jake Cronenworth has had a poor season at first base, while the veteran collection of Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz and Rougned Odor off the bench didn’t work. Cruz and Odor have already been released; Carpenter is hitting .166/.296/.302 over 207 trips to the plate.

The bullpen has been solid, even though tonight’s loss dropped them to a staggering 0-10 in extra-inning contests. San Diego relievers entered play Monday ranked ninth in ERA (3.78) and fourth in ground-ball percentage (48.1%). They’re 21st in strikeout rate (23.2%) and 19th in swinging strikes (11.4%), though, so adding some swing-and-miss could be welcome. Getting Robert Suarez back after he missed the first half of the season helps. He and Hader would form an excellent high-leverage duo — assuming the Friars indeed hold onto the latter — but Steven Wilson is the only other San Diego reliever with 10+ innings who’s striking out over a quarter of opponents.

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