East News & Rumors: Yanks, Machado, Mets, Wheeler, Phillies, Eflin
It appears the Yankees are falling out of contention for the Orioles’ Manny Machado. The Yanks aren’t willing to part with any of their 10 best prospects to acquire the superstar infielder, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Impressive rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar are among that group, as are Estevan Florial, Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu and Tyler Wade, according to King. While New York’s not totally out on Machado yet, it’s unsurprisingly more focused on improving its rotation than upgrading its infield, King writes.
More from the East Coast…
- Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler has drawn trade interest of late, though the club’s not dead set on moving him prior to the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Rather, the team’s “on the fence” about whether it will deal Wheeler, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. The 28-year-old has seen his stock rise, Puma notes, during a season in which he has pitched to a 4.44 ERA/3.73 FIP and amassed 107 1/3 innings – his most since 2014. Wheeler’s slated to go through arbitration for the final time next winter.
- Emergent Phillies righty Zach Eflin has come up in Machado trade rumors, but the hurler’s now on the 10-day disabled list. The Phillies sent Eflin to the shelf Saturday with a blister on his right middle finger, per Max Goodman of MLB.com. Eflin indicated it’s not a serious problem, and with the All-Star break set to take up most of the upcoming week, it doesn’t seem he’ll miss much action. The 24-year-old excelled in the first half of the season with a 3.15 ERA/3.02 FIP, 8.78 K/9 and 1.83 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings.
- Sticking with the Phillies, president Andy MacPhail discussed the first-place team’s fast start with Goodman and other reporters Saturday, saying the club has exceeded his expectations after missing the playoffs from 2012-17. “We’re in a different situation that we anticipated, and I think we have to react accordingly,” MacPhail said. “We’re in a position where we need to augment our current group to try to preserve our place in the standings for as long as we can.” The Phillies could “augment” their club by acquiring Machado, of course. On the subject of potentially dealing for a star rental player such as Machado, MacPhail noted, “You have to have some belief that you have a chance at advancing, and those are the things you’re going to measure against the cost “
Latest On Manny Machado
As a whirlwind of rumors continues to surround Manny Machado, suitors for the All-Star seem to fall in and out of the mix by the day, and frontrunners seem to emerge and recede like horses at the racetrack. Last we heard earlier today, the Orioles were beginning to narrow their search, with the Phillies and Brewers among the finalists. But a flurry of whispers have given the situation a slightly different outlook over the past hour. Here’s what we’ve heard…
- Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that the Dodgers remain in the mix for Machado, while the Brewers and Phillies continue to be in “consistent contact” with the Orioles. The Yankees, however, reportedly seem “less involved”. Rosenthal notes that the situation is hardly predictable considering the politics of Baltimore’s front office at present. Last we heard, the Orioles were targeting Dustin May and Gavin Lux in talks with the Dodgers, neither of whom figured to be available.
- Correspondingly, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports tweets that rival executives believe that the Dodgers will acquire Machado, though the wording of his tweet is somewhat confusing and leaves room for interpretation.
- In talks with the Phillies, the Orioles showed some interest in recently-promoted starter Enyel De Los Santos, Jon Heyman of Fancred hears. Unsurprisingly, Philadelphia prefers not to include him (probably in part because he’s now contributing in the majors). Heyman quotes Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports as listing Adonis Medina, Jhailyn Ortiz, Ranger Suarez, Arquimedes Gamboa and Franklyn Kilome as other names of interest to the Orioles.
- In a video for FOX Sports, Rosenthal says the Orioles would prefer to separate Machado and reliever Zach Britton in trade discussions, believing they can maximize their return by moving them in separate deals. That could be in part because the Astros (who are not likely suitors for Machado) have interest in Britton.
AL East Notes: Jones, Jays, Garcia, Red Sox
Given his status as a pending free agent, center fielder Adam Jones is an obvious trade candidate for an Orioles team with no hope of competing this season. However, as a 10-and-5 player (10 years of MLB service time, five in a row with the same team), Jones would be able to block a trade anywhere. The 32-year-old spoke about his future Friday, saying (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) that “it’s my family’s decision.” Jones noted that back when he signed his $85.5MM extension with Baltimore in 2012, he was able to make the decision himself. But now that Jones has a family, they’ll have a major hand in how his career plays out going forward. Whether the Jones family will have to make a key choice on the player’s future in the next couple weeks will depend on if the Orioles find a taker for him via trade. So far, the O’s haven’t approached Jones about his 10-and-5 status, Kubatko reports.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Red Sox southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez left his start Saturday against Toronto after 5 1/3 scoreless innings with an apparent right knee injury, per Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com. That’s the same knee Rodriguez had surgery on last October, McAdam points out, making this a potentially worrisome situation for first-place Boston. So far this season, Rodriguez has helped form an excellent 1-2-3 atop the Red Sox’s rotation with Chris Sale and Rick Porcello, having logged a 3.44 ERA/3.56 FIP with 9.46 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9 in 104 2/3 innings. [Update: It’s a right ankle sprain, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets. X-rays came back negative, but the Red Sox are continuing to evaluate Rodriguez.]
- In further unfortunate news for the Red Sox‘s staff, knuckleballer Steven Wright‘s recovery from left knee inflammation is “taking longer than expected,” manager Alex Cora said Saturday (via Christopher Smith of MassLive.com). Wright, who went on the DL on June 26, is continuing to deal with soreness in that knee – which he had surgically repaired in May 2017. As a result, the Red Sox will have to continue awaiting his return. When healthy earlier this season, Wright notched 40 innings of 3.38 ERA ball and a 53.2 percent groundball rate, though he also posted underwhelming strikeout and walk rates (6.98 K/9, 4.5 BB/9).
- Blue Jays lefty Jaime Garcia, out since June 23 with shoulder tenderness, is nearing activation from the DL, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com writes. He’ll work out of the bullpen upon his return, though, Chisholm adds. The demotion continues a disappointing 2018 for Garcia, whom the Jays signed to a one-year, $10MM contract over the winter. Long a solid back-end starter, the 32-year-old has put up a 6.16 ERA in 61 1/3 innings this season.
- Back to Boston, which promoted veteran infielder Brandon Phillips from Low-A to Triple-A on Saturday, the Red Sox‘s top affiliate in Pawtucket announced (h/t: Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). The 37-year-old Phillips, who signed a minors deal on June 27, collected 26 PAs at the Low-A level. He’ll continue trying to work his way back to the majors and serve as a helpful second/third base piece for the Sox.
Indians Interested In Mychal Givens
The Indians have shown interest in Orioles position players Manny Machado and Adam Jones leading up to this month’s non-waiver trade deadline. Orioles reliever Mychal Givens has also landed on the Indians’ radar, as Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that the two teams “have discussed” the right-hander.
With Cleveland a near-lock to win the AL Central, it’s likely going to have to upgrade its bullpen in order to make some noise in the playoffs. While the Indians have been successful on the whole, their relievers rank last in the majors in ERA (5.39) and second last in fWAR (minus-1.2). Moreover, with both injured setup man Andrew Miller and closer Cody Allen set to hit free agency after the season, the Indians’ bullpen may be a major point of emphasis over the winter.
Acquiring Givens could give the Indians an immediate upgrade and a long-term solution in one fell swoop. The 28-year-old has been an effective reliever since debuting in 2015, and he’s controllable via arbitration through 2021. However, Givens – like the Indians’ relievers – has had difficulty preventing runs this year, having run up a 4.40 ERA in 47 innings after combining for a 2.75 mark in 183 1/3 frames from 2015-17. He’s also walking a career-worst 4.4 batters per nine, up from 3.29 over the previous three years, and has never generated many ground balls (38.7 percent).
To the hard-throwing Givens’ credit, he has collected 10.53 strikeouts per nine this year (close to his 10.82 career figure) and logged a 2.73 FIP. Givens has also encountered some poor fortune in 2018, it seems, as his batting average on balls in play (.347) is well above the .279 mark hitters posted against him from 2015-17. That bloated BABIP has hardly come as a result of hitters scorching the ball against Givens. To the contrary, he ranks 18th in the majors in average exit velocity against (85.6 mph) and has put up a .286 xwOBA against, beating out the .301 real wOBA hitters have recorded when facing him.
Not only does Givens continue to look like a quality reliever, then, but with the O’s way out of contention, he’s a logical trade candidate. However, it’s far from certain Givens will leave Baltimore in the coming weeks. In fact, the Orioles are “extremely reluctant” to trade Givens, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
Trade Notes: Machado, Braves, Shark, Yanks, Andujar, Rangers, Cards
The Braves have reportedly made an offer for Orioles superstar Manny Machado, but it doesn’t appear the shortstop will end up in Atlanta prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Braves “are strictly on the fringes” of the Machado sweepstakes, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, who adds that they’re more concerned about upgrading their rotation.
More on the trade front…
- The Giants are willing to part with right-hander Jeff Samardzija, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, adding that they specifically informed the Yankees he’s available. However, the Yankees aren’t sure if he’s the right fit for their stadium, per Nightengale. Sending Samardzija anywhere would be a tall task for San Francisco, as he’s due $19.8MM per year through 2020 and is in the midst of a rough season. The longtime workhorse, 33, has missed time with pectoral and shoulder problems, and when Samardzija has taken the mound, he has only managed a 6.42 ERA/5.47 FIP over 40 2/3 innings.
- More on the Yankees, whose starting third baseman, Miguel Andujar, has been in the rumor mill of late. The Rangers and “several” other teams have made more than one inquiry regarding Andujar in the past, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. And “multiple executives” informed Sherman that the Yankees are now trying to drive up Andujar’s value so they can sell high on the 23-year-old. General manager Brian Cashman shot that down, though, saying: “That is completely false. I think [Andujar] is a hell of a player. We have said ‘no’ to him [in trade talks] not just this year but from Double-A on up. I have not included him any deals and that should say how I feel about him.” Cashman goes on to defend Andujar’s questionable defense in Sherman’s piece and adds, “Where he was and where he is now, I feel vindicated not moving him.”
- With the Cardinals sitting at a mediocre 47-45, 6 1/2 games out in the NL Central, they’re not in position to make any bold rental pickups. Rather, any acquisition(s) would likely have to be capable of helping the Redbirds beyond this season, president John Mozeliak suggested to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com and other reporters Friday. “Ultimately we want to do what’s best for this organization, not just in the sense of a Band-Aid [but] long term,” Mozeliak said. “If we thought there was sort of that one magic bullet to change the trajectory of the season, we might chase that. If not, I think looking at it in a broad sense might make the most sense. The ebb and flow of the season, the ebb and flow of the next few weeks always [dictates] the types of deals you make.”
Orioles Sign Sean Gilmartin
The Orioles have signed lefty Sean Gilmartin, David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot reports on Twitter. He is joining the club’s top affiliate tonight.
Gilmartin last saw the majors early last year with the Mets, struggling in two outings after a rough 2016 effort. Of course, Gilmartin had a strong rookie campaign in 2015, when he threw 57 1/3 innings of 2.67 ERA ball as a Rule 5 pick.
After landing with the Cardinals, Gilmartin lost his 40-man spot. He had spent the current season at Triple-A Memphis before recently being released. In 46 1/3 innings over 24 outings, including six starts, he worked to a 4.66 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
Trade Chatter: Britton, Merrifield, Mets, Beltre, Braves
Zach Britton‘s most recent outing was an encouraging one for scouts, writes Jon Heyman of Fancred in his latest notes column. One scout tells Heyman that the Orioles‘ closer was finally beginning to look like himself in a recent save against the Yankees. Heyman notes that Britton was throwing 96-98 mph, although data from both Fangraphs and Brooks Baseball isn’t quite as bullish as that scout’s radar gun was. Certainly, though, Britton’s past few outings have been encouraging. In five scoreless frames, he’s averaged a slightly improved 95 mph on his heater and posted a strong 66.7 percent grounder rate with four strikeouts against one walk. Britton has thrown a first-pitch strike to just 41 percent of the hitters he’s faced in that time, and his ground-ball rate, velocity and swinging-strike rate are all still shy of his peak levels. Nonetheless, he’s certainly trending in the right direction — a welcome sight for the Orioles. Heyman notes that the Astros are believed to once again have interest in Britton after the Orioles backed out of a trade involving him last season, which would’ve sent Colin Moran and a Double-A outfielder to Baltimore.
Some more Thursday night trade rumblings…
- Heyman also notes that he’s heard the Red Sox mentioned in connection with Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield. The 29-year-old has reportedly drawn interest from the Phillies and from the Brewers already, and the Sox would be a logical addition to that market, depending on the status of Dustin Pedroia. As Heyman notes, Merrifield is particularly enticing for the Sox given his minimal salary and their proximity to the top tier of luxury tax penalization. He’s shown, too, that he can play a number of positions, which would make him ideal for a utility role if the Sox get everyone healthy. That said, there’s no characterization of particularly strong interest in the report, the Sox have a thin farm system, and the Royals are under no urgency to trade Merrifield, who is controlled through 2022. Bullpen help has been rumored to be Boston’s primary focus on the trade market so far.
- One more from Heyman, who notes that the Mets aren’t especially anxious to listen to offers on lefty Steven Matz. New York will certainly entertain offers on its entire roster, as they’re at least listening on Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but it sounds like Matz is closer to that pair than to the more available Zack Wheeler. The report also indicates that offers for Asdrubal Cabrera, to this point, have been underwhelming and that the Mets have actually received some inquiries about Jose Bautista, who was hitting .230/.389/.425 in 144 PAs for the Mets before homering in tonight’s contest.
- Sticking with the Mets, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the team actually hasn’t received much in the way of inquiries on eiher deGrom or Syndergaard as of late (Twitter link). The general sense that the asking price would be overwhelming could be a factor; as Puma terms it, some teams may have sticker shock “without even seeing the sticker.” Puma also tweets, though, that the Mets are “confident” they’ll find a trade partner for Cabrera. That, he adds, would open a spot for 26-year-old Jeff McNeil — a potentially late-blooming prospect who has batted a combined .346/.417/.634 with 18 homers in 336 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the situation in which the Rangers find themselves with Adrian Beltre. The third baseman has full no-trade rights and has not yet given indication about whether he’d prefer to play out the season with a contender, though he has said he wants to play with the Rangers again in 2019. “His value to the organization is above how we would normally consider trade acquisitions,” GM Jo Daniels tells Grant. “For us to consider anything, it’s got to be mutually beneficial, good for all parties involved.” Beltre, 39, hasn’t shown much pop but is hitting .288/.349/.401 on the season. He’s been DHing more of late in an effort to keep his legs healthy.
- Though the Braves have a number of wants on the trade market — specifically upgrades to the pitching staff — they’re reluctant to trade any prospects of note for a rental piece, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic within his latest notes column (subscription required). Rosenthal also notes that a right-handed-hitting center field option to pair with Ender Inciarte would be appealing, though Inciarte’s glovework is so good that it lessens the blow of his 2018 struggles against lefties.
Manny Machado Trade Rumors: Thursday
The number of rumors surrounding Manny Machado seems to increase by the day, with the Yankees now not only joining a previously reported field of seven teams, but moving toward the forefront of the teams most prominently linked to Machado. The Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Braves, Indians, Cubs and Red Sox have all been at the very least linked to Machado — though Boston’s interest has been heavily downplayed, and the same is largely true of the Cubs. We’ll track today’s Machado chatter here until more significant developments arise…
- The Dodgers, Brewers and Yankees have “separated themselves from the pack” with their current offers to the Orioles, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, though he notes that there’s no clear favorite among those three just yet. That’s largely a continuation, then, of previous rumblings surrounding Machado. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this weekend that the Dodgers and Brewers were the two most aggressive clubs in pursuit, and Fancred’s Jon Heyman reported last night that the Yankees had emerged with a “strong” offer — though Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com added the important context that New York had yet to offer up pitching prospect Justus Sheffield.
- Not only has Sheffield not been included in an offer to date, he’s been effectively made off limits entirely, per Jim Bowden of The Athletic and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). The Orioles, Bowden hears, “have been told [Sheffield] will not be included in any potential deal” for Machado. Milwaukee, Los Angeles and Philadelphia all remain in the mix for Machado, he adds, noting that offers are continually improving.
- Meanwhile, Heyman writes in his latest notes column that the D-backs are definitely interested in Machado, but there’s a belief that they may ultimately end up prioritizing pitching upgrades. Unlike the top three teams linked to Machado, the Diamondbacks have a fairly thin farm system, so perhaps there’s some concern that there’ll be difficulty in adding both Machado and a meaningful upgrade to the pitching staff — though that’s just my own speculation.
- Buster Olney and Keith Law of ESPN talk extensively about the Machado rumor mill on today’s Baseball Tonight podcast (audio link, with Machado talk beginning around 15:20). Both suggest Sheffield to be too steep a price to pay, with Law stating that he’d be “floored” to see Sheffield moved in nearly any trade — let alone for a rental — given his proximity to the Majors and the potential to develop into a viable No. 2 starter. Olney questions how strongly the Yankees are pursuing Machado, noting that it only helps the Orioles for those rumors to circulate and put pressure on other clubs. Ultimately, both feel it to be likelier that Machado lands with an NL club — with both the Dodgers and Brewers standing out as plausible destinations.
Phillies Among Teams With Interest In Zach Britton
The Phillies have joined a growing list of clubs with interest in Orioles lefty Zach Britton, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. It does not appear, however, that there’s any particular momentum toward a deal.
Quite a few organizations surely see Britton as a potential deadline target. We’ve heard recently that the Red Sox and Yankees are among them. There has also been quite a lot of chatter surrounding the possibility that he’ll be included in a deal involving Orioles star Manny Machado, another player that the Phillies have interest in.
There’s no reasonable way to handicap the chase for Britton at this point. After all, most contenders need relief pitching and the southpaw has a history of high-leverage excellence. He’s a rental player earning a hefty $12MM salary, which certainly limits his value but hardly means a trade can’t be sorted out.
The real question in the pursuit of Britton is how teams will truly evaluate his present ability level. He dealt with injuries for much of last year and only recently returned from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, meaning the recent track record is relatively thin.
Through 13 appearances this season for Britton, there have been some worrying indications. He’s handing out about five free passes per nine innings while recording a pedestrian 7.8 K/9 and has allowed six earned runs through 12 2/3 frames. The O’s have only asked Britton to work back to back days on two occasions, and only once went to him for more than three outs, so they are handling him with some care.
On the other hand, he’s surely still getting his feet back under him. All of the earned runs have come in just two appearances, with three of his seven walks attributed to his first time taking the hill this year. Britton’s sinker is still drawing grounders, though he’s “only” getting them at a 60.6% rate — a figure that’s well above league average but isn’t quite to par for a hurler who generated worm burners on more than three of every four balls in play for the preceding four seasons. His swinging-strike rate is up to 12.9%. Most intriguingly, Britton’s velocity has trended upward over his month of MLB action this year.
Notably, the market is not exactly loaded with alternatives. There are some high-end lefty relievers with future control rights that might be had, but only at huge prices. The best alternative rental pieces are pitchers like Zach Duke of the Twins, Jake Diekman of the Rangers, and Jerry Blevins of the Mets, none of whom has an established ceiling nearly so lofty as Britton’s.
Yankees Reportedly Make “Strong” Offer For Machado; Other Clubs Still In Play
10:00pm: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also hears that the Yankees’ interest in Machado is “serious,” though he describes the interest of both the Dodgers and Brewers the same way (Twitter link). The Diamondbacks and Phillies, he adds, are still “keeping in touch” regarding Machado but don’t appear to be as aggressive as the others.
6:07pm: Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that Sheffield is not in the Yankees’ current offer for Machado (Twitter link).
5:53pm: The Yankees have made a “strong” offer for Manny Machado to the Orioles, tweets Fancred’s Jon Heyman. While he notes that he’s yet to receive indication that the Yankees are the favorites to land Machado, they very much look to be a serious player in the vast field of teams vying to acquire his services.
It’s not clear just what the Yankees have put forth, though earlier today, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Orioles would be willing to send Machado to the Bronx if the Yankees would be willing to part with top left-handed pitching prospect Justus Sheffield.
Exactly where Machado would line up with the Yankees isn’t clear at the moment. The left side of the infield has been a strength in the Bronx, with Miguel Andujar stepping up as a respectable contributor at the hot corner while Didi Gregorius enjoys a solid overall season himself (even if he’s slumped since a torrid April showing). Morosi has previously speculated that Andujar could be utilized as a piece in attempting to acquire a controllable arm for the rotation, though to this point there’s no indication that that sort of multi-layered scenario is at play. It also seems unlikely that the Yankees would send Andujar to the Orioles as part of a trade to acquire a few months of Machado.
That said, New York has slipped to 3.5 games back of the division lead in the AL East as the Red Sox have ridden an eight-game winning streak to one of their most comfortable leads in recent memory. With the Red Sox pulling away while also scouring the trade market for a significant boost to their bullpen, the Yankees could, in theory, feel that a proactive strike to upgrade the roster is prudent — even if the upgrade in question doesn’t serve to fill a glaring area of need.
Furthermore, it stands to reason that the Yankees are unlikely to be the only club to make a formal offer to the Orioles at this point. Machado has been widely known to be available for weeks, and trade talks surrounding him reportedly began to accelerate last week. As such, it’s likely that the Yankees’ offer is one of multiple packages being mulled over by the Baltimore front office at present.