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Cafardo’s Latest: RPs, Bautista, Teheran, Shields, Ausmus

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This summer’s trade market will favor relief pitchers, not starters, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. While the pool of starters who are expected to be available looks shallow and largely unappealing, the opposite is true in regards to bullpen options. Cafardo points to Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Arodys Vizcaino, Jeremy Jeffress, Jeanmar Gomez, Sean Doolittle and Will Smith, among many others, as relievers who could be on the move in the next couple months.

Here’s more from Cafardo:

  • The 30-27 Blue Jays are in the thick of the playoff race, but if they fall out of it, right fielder Jose Bautista and first baseman/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (both pending free agents) are prime trade candidates. The Cardinals, Cubs and Hunter Pence-less Giants would all have interest in Bautista, according to Cafardo.
  • The Red Sox and Braves would match up well in a potential trade involving right-hander Julio Teheran, per Cafardo, who notes that Boston’s package would have to be headlined by outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi, infield prospect Yoan Moncada, third baseman Travis Shaw or catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart. Of that group, the Red Sox would prefer to give up Swihart, though Cafardo doubts he alone would be enough of a return for Teheran.
  • Before the Padres traded righty James Shields to the White Sox on Saturday, the Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Dodgers expressed interest in acquiring the 34-year-old. Shields’ final start with the Padres – in which he allowed 10 earned runs, eight hits and four walks in 2 2/3 innings on Tuesday – served as a deterrent to some clubs, though, reports Cafardo.
  • The 27-28 Tigers aren’t considering replacing third-year manager Brad Ausmus as of now, relays Cafardo. However, given that he’s in a contract year, Ausmus could be managing for his job.

Looking For A Match In A Julio Teheran Trade

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The Braves entered the season amid a full rebuild, so it’s hardly a surprise that they’ve shown a willingness to ship away veterans during their National League-worst 16-37 start. Two months into the season, Atlanta has already moved a pair of right-handers, starter Jhoulys Chacin and reliever Jason Grilli, for younger players. The club is understandably less eager to trade its premier major league asset, fellow righty Julio Teheran, as general manager John Coppolella has stated multiple times since last weekend.

On the possibility of dealing the 25-year-old Teheran, Coppolella told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, “The days of us trading players like Teheran for prospects are over. We need to get better at the major league level. We would have to be overwhelmed to move Teheran.”

Coppollela then informed Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball that he expects Teheran to remain with the Braves for “a long time.”

Teheran is indeed slated to stay in Atlanta for the foreseeable future, having agreed to a pact in 2014 that could keep him there through the 2020 season. That team-friendly contract is undoubtedly a significant part of Teheran’s allure to the Braves and the rest of the league. Teheran’s run prevention (3.37 ERA in 701 2/3 innings) and durability (three straight 30-start seasons) only add to his appeal. Skeptics would point to his less shiny ERA estimators (3.88 FIP, 3.94 xFIP and 3.86 SIERA), mediocre 2015 campaign, this year’s velocity drop and the fact that he has been prone to hard contact as reasons for concern, however.

Julio Teheran

From a contractual standpoint, Teheran is currently on a relatively meager $3.3MM salary and has a chance to rake in another $37.3MM, including a $12MM club option, over the final four years of his deal. Teheran, therefore, doesn’t need to be particularly dominant to live up to the contract. Thanks to his strong start this season (68 1/3 innings with a 2.77 ERA, 8.17 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9), FanGraphs already values Teheran’s 2016 contributions at $8.4MM. And thanks to both Teheran’s first two months and the weak-looking class of upcoming free agent starters, now might be an opportune time for the Braves to at least consider moving him.

In order for the Braves to actually sell Teheran, Coppolella told Rosenthal he would need a major league hitter of comparable age and quality in return. The problem, if you want to call it that, is such a trade could be a pipe dream for Atlanta. For one, pitchers are more susceptible to injuries than position players, so teams might not be willing to take the risk. Secondly, contending clubs with their eyes on Teheran would be creating a hole just to patch another if they were to swap a hitter for him.

The Red Sox, Dodgers, Tigers and Marlins are among playoff hopefuls who could explore the summer market for starters, and their similar-to-Teheran position players include third baseman Travis Shaw, outfielder Yasiel Puig, third bagger Nick Castellanos and center fielder Marcell Ozuna. It’s doubtful, however, that any of them will be on the move.

Shaw has done nothing but produce since debuting in the majors last season, and he appears primed to man the hot corner in Boston until at least the beginning of the distant Rafael Devers era. Puig has unexpectedly performed like merely an average player since last season, but the Dodgers still seem to need him more than they need another starter. Castellanos has been one of the majors’ top hitters this year, and the Tigers don’t have a replacement for him at the big league level – nor do they have imminent help coming from their farm system. Ozuna has not only been the Marlins’ most valuable outfielder this year (no small feat with Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich alongside him), but he’s also their best defensive option in center.

The Red Sox were willing to move 24-year-old catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart for a No. 2-type starter as of last month, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported, but Swihart alone isn’t definitively worth Teheran. The Braves were at least enamored of Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler in the past, Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote in October, though Chicago subsequently added John Lackey in free agency. With Lackey complementing Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel, the Cubs have arguably the most well-rounded rotation in the league from one to five (though they’re still reportedly seeking depth). Further, they probably aren’t keen on the idea of parting with outfield depth in the wake of Kyle Schwarber’s season-ending injury. There’s also the fact that Soler has underwhelmed since bursting on the scene in 2014 with a fantastic 24-game showing.

With no clear fit mentioned above, it’s fair to wonder what the prospect cutoff is for the John Hart- and Coppolella-led Braves. Would the team really scoff at sending Teheran to, say, the pitching-needy Rangers in a package for one of their excellent 22-year-old prospects, power-hitting, cannon-armed third baseman Joey Gallo or outfielder Lewis Brinson? The Pirates also have rotation issues — granted, they have in-house reinforcements on the way in Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow and perhaps Chad Kuhl — and their stellar outfield trio of Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco looks primed to block the big league path of 21-year-old Austin Meadows. Even if the Braves were receptive to sending away Teheran in a package for any of those players, there’s obviously no guarantee the youngsters’ current organizations would be open to it. All three entered the season among Baseball America’s top 25 prospects, after all (Gallo 10th, Brinson 16th and Meadows 22nd), to cite one reputable outlet’s list.

If it truly takes an overwhelming haul for Atlanta to deal Teheran, then it’s fair to expect he won’t follow Shelby Miller out of town. The Diamondbacks drew almost universal criticism from the moment they traded Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair for Miller during the winter, and that deal has so far blown up in Arizona’s face. The Braves are highly unlikely to net a comparable package for Teheran – nor will it be easy to land an accomplished, in-his-prime big league hitter in return – so he’s a good bet to continue in Atlanta if Coppolella’s public statements are how he actually feels. Of course, given Teheran’s age, performance and contract, the Braves’ backs aren’t against the wall in this case. Barring injury, simply keeping him wouldn’t qualify as a disastrous decision, and Coppolella appears content to do just that.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL Notes: Turner, Giants OF, Mets 3B, Peralta, Wong, Jenkins

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Nationals infielder Trea Turner had an impressive season debut today, but the plan is for him to return to Triple-A once Ryan Zimmerman is back from paternity leave, manager Dusty Baker told reporters including MLB.com’s Jamal Collier (Twitter link). That’s not to say that he won’t play a more significant role later in the year, of course. Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew have been solid defensively but have combined for an anemic 65 wRC+ on the year.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • With the news that Hunter Pence will miss two months or more, the Giants are facing some uncertainty in the corner outfield. While the organization sees some “attractive options externally,” GM Bobby Evans tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter), it has no intentions of plunking down a high price for a temporary fill-in (let alone a long-term piece).
  • The Mets’ plans at third base appear to be somewhat up in the air with David Wright out of action. Per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, via Twitter, the club will “explore” the market for trade candidates, but is also glad to give Wilmer Flores the majority of the time at present. New York could find some options via trade, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained earlier today, but it’s fair to wonder whether any of the presently-available players would represent an upgrade over Flores.
  • Cadinals GM John Mozeliak says that Jhonny Peralta will take over primary duties at third base when he returns in the coming days, Luke Schnake of 101ESPN reports. The club will keep breakout rookie Aledmys Diaz at short while shifting veteran Matt Carpenter to second. That raises yet more questions about the struggling Kolten Wong. While Mozeliak wouldn’t say whether he could be optioned to Triple-A, he did note that “overall this game is about performance” while adding that “everything has to be on the table when considering how to improve.”
  • Braves right-handed pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins will move to the bullpen at Triple-A Gwinnett, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Manager Brian Snitker says the decision was made to “get him a different look,” not out of any displeasure with his work in the rotation. Jenkins, who came to Atlanta along with Shelby Miller in exchange for Jason Heyward and Jordan Walden, has worked to a 2.97 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over 57 2/3 innings on the year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/3/16

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Here are the most notable minor transactions from the past day…

  • Southpaw Andy Oliver has opted out of his contract with the Orioles, as Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com tweets. The 28-year-old has received seven major league starts, all coming in 2010-11 with the Tigers. Over 34 2/3 frames at Triple-A Norfolk this year, Oliver had worked to a 2.08 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9. That represents a big step forward for the former top prospect, who has issued 5.7 free passes per nine innings over his seven seasons in the minors.
  • The Braves have acquired left-hander Jed Bradley from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the Brewers announced. Bradley, soon to turn 26, was the 15th overall pick in the 2011 draft but has never seen his career take off in the minors. He posted a 5.83 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015 and has struggled to a 6.20 ERA in 24 2/3 innings of work at the Double-A level this season. The Georgia Tech product was one of the game’s top 100 prospects heading into the 2012 season (per Baseball America and MLB.com), but it’s been quite some time since he’s been held in high regard as a prospect.
  • The Twins inked outfielder Logan Schafer to a minor league contract, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (on Twitter). Schafer, not to be confused with former Twins outfielder Jordan Schafer (no relation), has spent his entire career prior to this season in the Brewers organization. He’s a lifetime .281/.338/.431 hitter in 277 games at the Triple-A level, but he’s struggled to a .212/.286/.319 batting line in 646 big league plate appearances. The 29-year-old recently took to the independent circuit after being cut loose by the Nationals in Spring Training and enjoyed a successful 17-game stint with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster BarnStormers. He’s already reported to Triple-A Rochester and will provide Minnesota with some organizational depth in the outfield, where he can play all three positions.
  • Right-hander Deolis Guerra was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake by the Angels after clearing waivers, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (on Twitter).  The 27-year-old Guerra yielded four runs in 5 1/3 innings of relief for the Halos before being designated for assignment. Guerra doesn’t have much of a track record in the Majors, but he’s been dominant at the Triple-A level from 2015-16 between the Halos and Pirates, pitching to a 1.08 ERA in 41 2/3 innings of relief.
  • Veteran left-hander Brian Duensing’s contract was selected by the Orioles yesterday, and he made his Baltimore debut last night, though the two runs he surrendered in an inning of work probably weren’t how he’d hoped to make his first impression. Duensing, 33, posted a 3.84 ERA in 190 innings of relief from 2013-15 with the Twins upon being moved to the bullpen on a full-time basis, but his strikeout rate fell off a cliff in his final season with Minnesota. He signed a minor league deal with Kansas City this winter but opted out of the deal after a strong showing with their Triple-A affiliate and quickly signed with Baltimore. With Brian Matusz out of the picture, Duensing could have a chance to lock down a spot as a lefty specialist in the Baltimore ’pen.
  • The Phillies have released southpaw Bobby LaFromboise, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The 29-year-old had been pitching for Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate but limped to a 5.94 ERA in 16 2/3 innings of work there. That’s a noted departure from LaFromboise’s typically excellent work at the Triple-A level, and it’s worth noting that he’s pitched well in limited Major League action over the past two seasons with the Pirates, yielding just two runs on eight hits and a walk with a dozen strikeouts in a combined 11 2/3 innings of work.

Heyman’s Latest: Harper/Machado, Braves, Shields, Odor

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Bryce Harper of the Nationals and Manny Machado of the Orioles are young, controlled superstars who look like highly appealing extension targets. Of course, that also makes them incredibly expensive potential candidates for their respective teams, as Jon Heyman explains at todaysknuckleball.com. According to Heyman, there’s some suggestion that it could take more than $500MM over an unprecedented term to keep Harper from heading to the open market after the 2018 season. “We have not to this point had any substantive negotiations about a long-term deal,” Nats GM Mike Rizzo said with regard to Harper. Rizzo did suggest that the team has serious interest in doing so, however. “They know what our intentions are,” he said. “My intention is always to get him on a long-term deal that will make him a National for life. At a very young age he performed admirably, not only admirably, but the year he had was historic. It’s going to be a unique deal. We have a very unique player.” 

As for Machado, he might not be far behind in value if the O’s hope to reach a deal. Intriguingly, the report suggests that Baltimore very nearly agreed to a seven-year contract with its best player at some point in recent years. That would have certainly proved a bargain given Machado’s increasingly outstanding performance, though the terms of the prospective pact are not known. (Neither is it clear what caused negotiations to fall apart.)

Here’s more from Heyman:

  • “A few teams” have checked in with the Braves on Nick Markakis, Heyman writes, but his recent skid at the plate hasn’t helped out his trade value much. Kelly Johnson, too, could become available, though Heyman adds that GM John Coppolella said of Julio Teheran that he expects the right-hander “to be on the team a long time.” From my vantage point, Markakis doesn’t have much value at $11MM per season and with apparently evaporated power. Even if the Braves were to pay down half of his remaining salary through the 2018 season, he hasn’t been productive enough to bring in a meaningful prospect return.
  • The Orioles talked to the Padres about James Shields in Spring Training but weren’t willing to cover even half of the salary owed to Shields at the time. Shields has two years and $44MM remaining on his contract following the 2016 season (if he doesn’t opt out), and he’s earning $21MM this season as well. Shields has grabbed headlines recently, having been prominently featured in trade rumors over the weekend and then suffering a 10-run meltdown earlier this week, which the team’s executive chairman publicly referred to as “an embarrassment.”
  • The Red Sox, too, have considered Shields but are waiting to see how Eduardo Rodriguez performs upon returning from the disabled list (so far, so good). The White Sox, meanwhile, would want the Padres to pay down a significant portion of the $57MM that remains on Shields’ contract (again, barring an opt out). Heyman writes that a source indicated that shortstop prospect Tim Anderson wouldn’t be involved in talks, though that doesn’t strike me as a surprising revelation; even with half of his contract paid down, that would seem like an overpay on Chicago’s behalf. On a somewhat similar vein, Heyman adds that the Padres approached the Tigers about Shields, but Detroit had no interest in parting with any of Michael Fulmer, Daniel Norris or Matt Boyd in a potential deal.
  • Shortly after the Rockies acquired Jose Reyes, the Yankees were willing to part with shortstop prospect Jorge Mateo and pay half of the $22MM that is owed to Reyes annually through the 2017 season, Heyman hears.
  • The jobs of Tigers manager Brad Ausmus and Twins manager Paul Molitor are safe, Heyman writes, though he adds that Detroit GM Al Avila has privately told Ausmus to stop discussing his job security (or lack thereof) with the media, as the situation doesn’t need any extra fuel.
  • Greg Holland could take the mound in August, per Heyman, and he may wait until that point before deciding on a team. Both the Royals and Braves have shown interest to this point, he adds.
  • The Athletics “may be a favorite” for Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez, writes Heyman, who also notes that incumbent second baseman Jed Lowrie could help a number of clubs on the trade market. The Padres, too, are said to be considering Fernandez, he adds.
  • Rougned Odor’s agent and Rangers GM Jon Daniels recently rekindled extension talks, and Heyman notes that the team heaped praise onto Odor during his appeal hearing during which his suspension for punching Jose Bautista was dropped from eight games to seven games. His suspension has also given Jurickson Profar a chance to play, and Heyman writes that the former top prospect could be a trade candidate now that he’s healthy. Sticking with the Rangers, Heyman adds that the Phillies lobbied hard for Texas to include Nomar Mazara in last year’s Cole Hamels blockbuster, but Daniels refused to give him up.
  • The Nationals talked with the D-backs in the offseason about Gio Gonzalez, but Arizona wouldn’t part with Ender Inciarte or David Peralta in the prospective trade. Heyman writes that the Nats spoke to a few teams about Gonzalez, including the Marlins. However, Miami wasn’t keen on surrendering Christian Yelich.

Blue Jays Acquire Jason Grilli

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5:47pm: The Blue Jays and Braves have both announced the trade.

4:02pm: The Blue Jays and Braves have agreed to a deal that will send right-hander Jason Grilli from Atlanta to Toronto in exchange for right-hander Sean Ratcliffe, reports Baseball Essential’s Robert Murray (links to Murray on Twitter). Additionally, he tweets that the Jays will pay Grilli the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for the remainder of the season, with the Braves paying the rest of his salary. Grilli has a base salary of $3.5MM, meaning Atlanta will still pay him $2.37MM, while the Jays are now on the hook for $344K plus a $250K buyout on his $3MM club option for the 2017 season.

Jason Grilli

Grilli, 39, is off to a rough start to his 2016 campaign but gives Toronto an experienced arm to add to the back of its bullpen. In 17 innings this year, he’s posted a 5.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 13 walks (one intentional). That control (or lack thereof) has been Grilli’s primary undoing, but he enjoyed plenty of success in the Atlanta bullpen as recently as last year, when he logged a 2.94 ERA and 24 saves in 33 2/3 innings before an Achilles injury prematurely ended his season. Grilli’s club option for the 2017 season is for $3MM, so if he’s able to right the ship with the Jays as he nears his 40th birthday, he’ll be an affordable piece for next season.

While he’s struggled for much of the 2016 season, Grilli worked to a strong 3.07 ERA with 11.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 72 saves from 2011-15 with the Pirates, Angels and Braves, so there’s some reason to believe that he could rebound with a change of scenery. Then again, his velocity is down more than two miles per hour from last season, and his ground-ball rate is at an all-time-low 18.9 percent this year — a bad trend to exhibit for any player, let alone one that is moving to the homer-friendly Rogers Centre in Toronto. The prospect price, though, isn’t exactly steep in this deal, and the Jays are taking on a just a small portion of Grilli’s salary, so the risk they’re assuming is rather minimal.

The 21-year-old Ratcliffe has yet to climb higher than Low-A ball in his career. Toronto selected him in the 18th round of the 2013 draft, and he’s posted a 4.91 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9 in 62 1/3 professional innings. Baseball America’s Vince Lara-Cinisomo writes that Ratcliffe has a fastball that will touch 93 mph and a “decent” slider with plenty of room for projection as a converted catcher with a 6’4″, 200-pound frame.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/30/16

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • Infielder Reid Brignac has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Braves after clearing waivers, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on Twitter. The 30-year-old has seen only scattered action in recent seasons, but appeared in over 200 games over 2010 and 2011 with the Rays. All told, Brignac owns a .219/.264/.309 slash line in 951 plate appearances over parts of nine seasons in the big leagues.
  • The Diamondbacks optioned slugging outfield prospect Peter O’Brien back to Triple-A, the club announced.  Left-hander Edwin Escobar will be called up to start today’s game.  O’Brien’s latest stint with the D’Backs ended up lasting just a few days and consisted of a single pinch-hit appearance on Friday.  Ranked as the No. 7 prospect in Arizona’s system, O’Brien has put up big numbers at Triple-A Reno over the last two seasons, and he already has 12 homers in 182 Triple-A plate appearance this year.  Escobar was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox last month and will be making his first Major League start.  His previous experience in the bigs consists of two relief innings with Boston in 2014.
  • The Giants released southpaw Mike Kickham, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Kickham was originally drafted by San Francisco in 2010 and appeared in 14 games with the Giants in 2013-14, which were thus far his only tastes of the major leagues.  The lefty spent 2015 bouncing between the Cubs, Mariners and Rangers organizations before signing a minor league deal with the Giants this past winter.  Kickham has a 4.17 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 1.83 K/BB over 561 1/3 innings in the minors, with 100 of his 117 career games coming as a starting pitcher.
  • Earlier this week, the Tigers released outfielder Nate Schierholtz.  The veteran signed a minor league contract with Detroit last winter.  Schierholtz has a .253/.302/.405 slash line over 2275 career PA with the Giants, Phillies, Cubs and Nationals from 2007-14.  He spent the 2015 season playing in Japan, an experience Schierholtz discussed with MLBTR’s Zach Links during Spring Training.

NL East Notes: Howard, Joseph, Francoeur, Castillo

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Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told reporters (including MLB.com’s Cody Stavenhagen) that he will give first baseman Tommy Joseph more starts against right-handed pitching.  “We brought Joseph up here for a reason, to get a look at him, and I can’t let him stagnate on the bench…so he’s going to face some right-handed pitchers to keep his timing,” Mackanin said.  Of course, this would cut into the playing time for veteran Ryan Howard, who said he hadn’t been consulted about sitting against righties.  Joseph has hit well in his first taste of the majors while Howard has struggled mightily (a .564 OPS in 151 PA).  The first base situation has been the subject of much debate in Philadelphia, as while logic would dictate that the younger and better-performing Joseph would get more starts, Howard is a franchise legend likely in his final year as a Phillie.
  • Jeff Francoeur was considering retirement if he didn’t land a Major League contract last winter, though after signing a minors deal to rejoin the Braves, the outfielder tells David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s looking forward to playing several more years in a reserve role.  Francoeur admits it took some time for him to fully accept being a part-timer, though he sees the benefits in extending his career as a platooner and mentor to younger players.  With an .866 OPS in 61 PA against southpaws this season, “Frenchy” is helping the rebuilding Braves both on the field and in the clubhouse, and he hopes to continue playing in Atlanta.
  • Marlins pitching prospect Luis Castillo is turning some heads in high-A ball, Baseball America’s Walter Villa writes.  The 23-year-old righty was acquired by the Fish as part of the December 2014 trade that sent Casey McGehee to the Giants, and Castillo has since transitioned from reliever to starter with strong results.  Castillo has a 2.13 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and a 6.00 K/BB rate over 50 2/3 innings this season, with a fastball that has topped the 100-mph mark and averages in the 96-97mph range.
  • In NL East news from earlier today, the Braves inked veteran righty Dale Thayer to a minor league deal.

Braves Sign Dale Thayer

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The Braves signed righty Dale Thayer to a minor league deal, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  The 35-year-old was outrighted off the Padres’ roster last summer and chose free agency, signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers during the offseason but then opting out of that deal earlier this month.  Thayer is represented by O’Connell Sports Management.

Thayer is coming off a bit of a down year in 2015, though he posted a 3.19 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.05 K/BB over 225 2/3 relief innings with the Padres over the last four seasons.  He has been effective against hitters on both sides of the plate over his career, limiting right-handed batters to a .666 OPS and left-handed bats to a .720 OPS.  Thayer should have an opportunity to pitch his way into the Braves’ bullpen, given that Atlanta relievers have a combined 4.51 ERA this season, the fifth-worst such mark in the majors.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Machado, Teheran, Hill, Pomeranz

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Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper might not be the only $400MM free agent if he reaches the open market in 2018, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link), who reports that Orioles third baseman/shortstop Manny Machado could also exceed that total. Machado is a more valuable defender at third than Harper is in right, argues Rosenthal, and is just three months older than Harper (both will be 26 in 2018). Machado, who has slashed a videogamelike .323/.397/.634 with 13 home runs in 209 plate appearances this year, has outhit Harper (.243/.423/.537, 12 homers in 201 PAs) and leads all major leaguers in fWAR (3.4).

Here’s more inside info from Rosenthal:

  • The Braves will only trade right-hander Julio Teheran if they can get a major league hitter of similar quality and age in return, general manager John Coppolella told Rosenthal. “The days of us trading players like Teheran for prospects are over. We need to get better at the major league level. We would have to be overwhelmed to move Teheran,” Coppolella said. Teheran, 25, is off to a strong start this year (2.57 ERA, 8.43 K/9, 2.43 BB/9 in 63 innings) and is signed to a reasonable contract through 2020.
  • Although left-hander Rich Hill looks like an attractive trade candidate, the Athletics could elect to keep the 36-year-old and extend him a qualifying offer at season’s end if nobody makes a satisfactory offer for him. The A’s would then either retain Hill for at least another season at $15.8MM – a significant increase from his current salary of $6MM – or lose him in free agency and receive a first-round pick as compensation.
  • Teams are contacting the Padres about southpaw Drew Pomeranz, per Rosenthal, who adds that GM A.J. Preller “remains open-minded” to the idea of moving any of his players. Acquired from the A’s for a pittance during the offseason, Pomeranz has somewhat quietly been terrific this season. With a stingy 1.70 ERA, the 27-year-old is behind only Clayton Kershaw and he ranks 12th among qualified starters in strikeouts per nine innings (10.19), though his lofty 4.25 BB/9 is 10th from the bottom. Pomeranz is currently on a cheap salary of $1.35MM and has two arbitration-eligible years remaining.
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