Red Sox Rumors

Red Sox, Mets Discussing Addison Reed Trade

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2017 at 5:33pm CDT

5:32pm: Boston has also “kicked the tires” on Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). The interest in Kintzler was noted recently, though it’s notable that the sides are evidently still in touch to some degree with the deadline drawing near. Still, it seems he and others are not the top priority for the Sox.

2:47pm: There’s one other team that is also a “serious suitor” for Reed at this time, tweets Newsday’s Marc Carig. Still, though, nothing is close at present, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford notes on Twitter.

2:01pm: Earlier this morning, MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Mets closer Addison Reed was a “focus” for the Red Sox, and there’s increasing talk about Reed potentially heading to Boston in a deal. Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports that talks between the two sides have begun to heat up, though a deal isn’t yet close to finalization. ESPN’s Buster Olney adds that there are “about five” teams left in the running for Reed, though the Red Sox are the only one he specifies by name.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, meanwhile, reports that the Sox are focused solely on late-inning relief help at this point. According to Speier, Reed is “at or near the top” of Boston’s wishlist, while deals for left-handers Justin Wilson (Tigers) and Brad Hand (Padres) are unlikely.

The 28-year-old Reed has dominated opposing hitters since donning a Mets jersey in 2015, working to a pristine 2.09 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9 in 142 innings. He’s spent much of the season closing for the Mets with Jeurys Familia unavailable (first due to a suspension, then an injury), but he’d shift into a setup role for Craig Kimbrel were the Sox and Mets to complete a deal. Reed would be complemented by righties Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly (who is nearing a return from the disabled list) as well as left-handers Fernando Abad and Robby Scott. A free agent at season’s end, Reed is earning $7.75MM in 2017 and is still owed roughly $2.7MM of that sum through the end of the regular season.

Bullpen Rumors: Hand, Reed, Wilson, Britton, Givens, Kintzler

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2017 at 11:33am CDT

The Padres’ asking price for lefty Brad Hand remain a key factor to watch over the next 24 hours. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links) had suggested the ask was dropping, but later cited executives from other teams that indicated San Diego has not moved. Regardless of what the Friars are seeking, Crasnick says that most of the offers received thus far have included players with “limited ceilings” — prospects ranked in the 15 to 20 range within their respective organizations. The Padres’ front office hasn’t deemed any of those offers worth considering, and Crasnick notes that chairman Ron Fowler’s comments about being willing to hold onto Hand into the offseason weren’t posturing.

Dodgers Acquire Luis Ysla From Red Sox

By Connor Byrne | July 29, 2017 at 7:08pm CDT

The Dodgers have acquired left-hander Luis Ysla from the Red Sox for cash considerations, per announcements from both teams. Ysla will report to Double-A Tulsa.

The 25-year-old Ysla’s time with the Red Sox all but ended when they acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez from the Giants on Wednesday. The Red Sox subsequently designated Ysla for assignment to open up a spot for Nunez, leading to their trade with the Dodgers. Ysla pitched himself out of the Boston organization’s plans by logging a 5.05 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings with its Double-A affiliate this season.

The Dodgers created 40-man roster room for Ysla by moving first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to June 12, with a lumbar disc herniation. Thanks to his ailing back, the 35-year-old Gonzalez has appeared in just 49 games this season and hit an uncharacteristically weak .255/.304/.339 in 182 plate appearances.

Padres’ Anderson Espinoza To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By Steve Adams | July 28, 2017 at 7:30pm CDT

7:30pm: The Padres have now announced that Espinoza will undergo Tommy John surgery.

7:20pm: Padres prospect Anderson Espinoza has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, reports Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The right-hander was acquired in a straight-up swap for left-hander Drew Pomeranz last summer — a trade that spawned its share of controversy after the Red Sox were reportedly unhappy with the state of Pomeranz’s health and a lack of medical information disclosure from the Padres.

The 19-year-old Espinoza was one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball at the time of the swap and entered the 2017 season ranked as a consensus top 25 prospect in baseball. Though he posted just a 4.49 ERA in a combined 108 1/3 innings of Class-A ball in 2016, Espinoza was also one of the youngest players in that league and managed an impressive 100-to-35 K/BB ratio in that time.

However, Espinoza hasn’t pitched at all in 2017 after experiencing forearm tightness back in early April (as Lin reported earlier this month). He progressed to a throwing program recently, according to Lin, but didn’t feel right after his most recent bullpen session, thus prompting further examination.

It’s a tough blow for the Padres’ farm system, as Espinoza now won’t throw a competitive inning at all in 2017 and figures to miss the majority of the 2018 campaign. Certainly, he’s young enough that there’s plenty of time for him to reach his potential as a front-line starter, but beyond the disappointment of pushing back his timeline to the Majors, the injury will also cost Espinoza two or more years of development time .

Red Sox Place David Price On DL, Aren’t Currently Planning To Pursue Starters

By Jeff Todd | July 28, 2017 at 3:30pm CDT

3:30pm: President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the Boston media today and definitively stated that he’s not in the market for rotation help (Twitter link via the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier). “We’re not going to go out and make a big trade for a starting pitcher,” said Dombrowski, adding that Doug Fister is slated to step back into the Boston rotation.

Evan Drellich of CSN New England tweets that Dombrowski was confident that Price will return this season, though he was again non-specific about the nature of Price’s injury. Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal adds that the injury was described as inflammation in Price’s elbow, not his forearm. His timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain.

11:18am: At present, Boston doesn’t intend to enter the market for starters, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter).

10:04am: Price will go on the DL, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter).

9:13am: It has been an eventful season for Red Sox lefty David Price, who opened the year on the DL and has since become embroiled in a running spat with the Boston media. Now, with the trade deadline just days away, Price is again dealing with elbow issues, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

The full severity of the problem isn’t yet apparent, but Price underwent an MRI yesterday, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). Notably, it’s the “same forearm issue” that the southpaw dealt with earlier this year, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), and it’s likely that he’ll be scratched from his scheduled start this evening.

It’s too soon to guess at the implications of this news. But it’s obviously troubling to hear of new elbow questions for a Red Sox club that was hoping to count on Price as a key member of the staff down the stretch and into the postseason. And that’s all before considering the massive future obligations still owed under the contract that drew Price to Boston before the 2016 season.

If the Red Sox feel there’s enough concern to warrant a look at the trade market, they’ll find a long list of possible targets. But the few impact hurlers that may be available figure to draw high prices. Unless there’s a clear indication that Price could be looking at an extended absence, then, the club may prefer to simply go with what it has and hope for the best. It’s important to remember that the August revocable waiver period could also offer some possible solutions.

Pitching Market Notes: Kintzler, Santana, Astros, Dodgers, Cubs, Verlander, Reed, Lynn

By Steve Adams | July 27, 2017 at 7:09pm CDT

Here’s the latest chatter on the trade market for pitching …

The Red Sox and Diamondbacks are among the teams with interest in Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). Kintzler, 32, represents an interesting potential addition to the trade market as Minnesota ponders a change in plans. The sinkerballer owns a 2.84 ERA with 27 saves on the year. As regards the interest from Boston, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Red Sox had looked into Pat Neshek before he was dealt to the Rockies, due in part to their desire to add a “different look” to their setup mix. With the side-armer now off the market, Boston isn’t a lock to move onto other targets such as the Mets’ Addison Reed or the Marlins’ AJ Ramos, Crasnick notes.
While the Astros continue their search for arms, the club has done some “background work” on Twins righty Ervin Santana, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (Twitter links). Santana’s velocity has wavered a bit, though perhaps that’s not the real issue in assessing his value. The veteran righty has produced a strong 3.37 ERA over 136 1/3 innings, following up on last year’s near-identical 3.38 mark, but he’s managing just 6.9 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 and has benefited from a .227 BABIP and 82.9% strand rate.
The Dodgers are also looking at starters, of course, and Morosi hears they are (Twitter links) increasingly confident in landing a big name. Currently, Los Angeles is focused more on Rangers star Yu Darvish than either Sonny Gray of the Athletics or Justin Verlander of the Tigers, he notes. Of course, at this point it’s still unclear whether Darvish will be marketed at all, and it’s not really known how keen the Dodgers’ interest is in the other two starters.
The Cubs are the most interested team in Verlander, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, but suggests that the Tigers star’s contract may simply be too great an obstacle to overcome. CBS Chicago’s Bruce Levine hears similarly, tweeting that there’s “no traction” between the Cubs and Tigers at this point, though he notes that talks aren’t completely dead. As Nightengale suggests, Verlander would be easier to move in the offseason when teams have greater payroll flexibility.
Given the lack of interest they’re receiving in many of their trade assets, the Mets could look to package closer Addison Reed with another piece, reports Newsday’s Marc Carig. Lucas Duda may have been one possibility for such an approach, though he was just dealt alone. Infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielders Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, and catcher Rene Rivera are among New York’s other potential chips that could be paired with Reed in trades to various teams, which could allow the Mets to enhance the return they’d receive, relative to what they’d net in separate deals, Carig continues.
Adam Wainwright’s recent injury won’t have any bearing on whether the Cardinals decide to trade Lance Lynn, nor will their recently improved play, per MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal (all links to Twitter). The Cardinals are open to moving Lynn if they’re presented with an offer they find appealing, as they’re not likely to make Lynn a qualifying offer and risk paying him $18.1MM or so in light of the diminished draft-pick compensation for players that reject a qualifying offer. The Cards are trying to balance winning now with staying competitive in the future, per Rosenthal, who notes that they’d like to strengthen their 2017 bullpen. Reading between the lines, perhaps they’d be amenable to moving Lynn for some MLB-ready relief help, though that’s just speculation at this point.

Justin Wilson Trade Rumors: Thursday

By Steve Adams | July 27, 2017 at 5:38pm CDT

Justin Wilson has been among the most talked-about assets on the trade market, and the sheer volume of updates on the expansive market for his services is enough to warrant its own dedicated post with the deadline looming. Here’s the latest on the Tigers southpaw, who currently boasts a 2.75 ERA with 12.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 36.1 percent ground-ball rate…

It seems the list of possible suitors isn’t getting any shorter just yet. To the contrary, the Indians have also asked about Wilson’s price tag, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Cleveland is down a lefty after losing Boone Logan.

Earlier Updates

The Yankees have joined the pursuit of Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, reports Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was New York that traded Wilson to the Tigers in the first place (for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa), and while the Yanks have already beefed up their ’pen with the additions of David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, they appear further interested in adding a shutdown lefty. The Tigers, though, are aiming extremely high in talks for Wilson, with Fenech suggesting that they’re seeking an Aroldis Chapman -esque return for Wilson. While the 29-year-old Wilson is earning a bargain $2.7MM salary and can be controlled through 2018 via arbitration, that’s still a sky-high ask. The Cubs sent Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford to New York in exchange for Chapman last summer.
The Astros could be the most focused team on Tigers southpaw Justin Wilson, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Wilson has leapfrogged Orioles closer Zach Britton on the Astros’ list of targets, though all indications are that the ask on Wilson is extremely high. Houston is hardly alone in its pursuit of Wilson and has yet to definitively separate itself from the pack, however, per Crasnick (Twitter links). There are at least six teams still in on Wilson, with the Nationals “strongly” in the mix. Lastly, Crasnick tweets that the odds of a package deal sending Wilson and Justin Verlander to a team “are not good” due to the complex nature of such negotiations.
FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes that the Brewers, Astros and Red Sox were recently considered to be the leaders in the Wilson sweepstakes, though others are in on him as well. Heyman lists the Cubs, Rockies, D-backs, Dodgers and Nationals as other potential landing spots in a trade.

Trade Chatter: Gray, Blue Jays, Twins, Red Sox, Reed

By Steve Adams | July 26, 2017 at 9:31pm CDT

There’s a belief among teams that most clubs have let the Athletics know which piece or pieces they’re comfortable parting with as headliners in a potential Sonny Gray trade, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Interested parties feel that one club will eventually separate itself before Gray’s scheduled start on Sunday, Sherman continues, adding that the current belief is that the Yankees have offered the best package thus far. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported yesterday that the Yankees were “making progress” in negotiations with the Athletics and added that New York has also discussed Yonder Alonso in those talks.

Some more rumblings with Monday’s 4pm ET non-waiver deadline looming…

Also from Sherman, the Blue Jays are still only interested in dealing their impending free agents and haven’t changed their unwillingness to move players like Josh Donaldson, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez or Roberto Osuna. Toronto plans to try to move Marco Estrada, Francisco Liriano, Joe Smith and Jose Bautista, and, as Sherman notes, could find success in dealing Bautista in August if a match doesn’t surface this month. (I’d add that like Bautista, Liriano is also highly likely to clear revocable trade waivers next month.) Despite struggling through his worst season since breaking out with the Blue Jays seven years ago, Bautista has generated a bit of interest from other clubs, according to Sherman.
MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the Twins are at least open to the idea of moving Ervin Santana and Jaime Garcia if their recent struggles don’t turn around before the non-waiver deadline. Minnesota dropped below .500 for the first time since April after a pair of losses to the Dodgers, and the Royals are surging toward the top of the division as well. Santana has struggled over the past month and a half but would still figure to draw interest as a fairly reasonably priced rotation stabilizer, even if his ERA has never been supported by peripheral metrics. And while some may raise an eyebrow at the notion of moving Garcia, I’d point out that since the Twins took on all of the money owed to Garcia, they could offer to flip him, still pay his contract, and potentially receive a better prospect than the Huascar Ynoa, whom they traded to Atlanta to get Garcia in the first place.
The Red Sox may not add another bat to the mix after acquiring Eduardo Nunez, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter links). Boston has seen Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland each struggle of late, but the team believes that when that group emerges from its slump, the offense won’t be much of an issue. Rather, the BoSox are currently focusing on adding another arm to the bullpen.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that he spoke to a scout whose team has interest in Mets closer Addison Reed that expressed some concern that Reed has been overworked by manager Terry Collins. Only 10 relievers in baseball have more appearances than Reed’s 47, and five of them are situational relievers whose innings count is considerably lower than Reed’s total of 48. By my count, Reed has worked more than an inning on six occasions this year, and he’s also worked on three consecutive days four different times.

Jeff Samardzija Unlikely To Waive No-Trade Clause

By Steve Adams | July 26, 2017 at 7:55pm CDT

Jeff Samardzija’s name has come up frequently in recent trade rumors, but the 32-year-old right-hander’s five-year, $90MM contract allows him to block trades to all but eight teams. Moreover, Samardzija tells Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that if approached by the Giants about a trade to one of the teams over which he has veto power, he wouldn’t be interested in waiving the clause.

“I love being here,” said Samardzija shortly after praising the Giants’ core players and suggesting that the team fully believes it can turn the tide next season. Samardzija smiled yesterday when telling Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that he “[doesn’t] remember” the eight teams to which he can be traded without his approval (Twitter link), but Baggarly now reports the full list in a separate column.

According to Baggarly, Samardzija can be traded to the Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, Athletics and Nationals without his consent. All other teams — including the Astros, who have been the team most frequently connected to Samardzija on the rumor circuit — require Samardzija’s consent, and it doesn’t sound like he’s interested in green-lighting any proposals.

Samardzija is owed $18MM annually and has struggled in the estimation of traditional metrics this season. He’s sporting a 5-11 record with a 4.85 ERA, but most other statistical means of evaluation are rather bullish on the righty. He’s averaging 9.7 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9, both of which would be the best marks of his career, and leading the Majors in K/BB ratio. His 43.3 percent ground-ball rate is only a tick below average, and he’s inducing more swings at pitches out of the strike zone than he ever has before. Samardzija’s fastball velocity has also held strong at an average of just over 94 mph, and he’s averaging nearly 6 2/3 innings per start. Metrics like FIP (3.49), xFIP (3.13) and SIERA (3.28 prior to today’s strong outing) all view him much more favorably than earned run average.

Samardzija has struggled with men on base, in part due to the fact that he’s one of many pitchers throughout the league that has seen his HR/9 rate and HR/FB ratio spike as balls are leaving the yard at a higher rate than ever before in MLB history. And while his durability and K/BB numbers are impressive, some teams will no doubt express some skepticism that Samardzija would be able to better keep the ball in the yard by vacating the spacious AT&T Park as his home stadium. The remaining money on his contract also figures to be a concern to come clubs, as he represents a fairly sizable commitment to those that are near the luxury tax threshold.

All of that sounds to be mostly a moot point anyhow. Among the teams to which Samardzija can be moved, the Red Sox don’t seem likely to pursue a starter, while the Mets and A’s aren’t contending. The Angels are a fringe contender at best and have luxury tax concerns, while the Nationals are said to be more focused on relievers and may shy away from the money remaining on his deal. It’s at least possible that one of the other teams listed shows some interest, but the Yankees are presently focused on Sonny Gray, while the Cubs have already added Jose Quintana and the Dodgers have been most heavily linked to Yu Darvish (to say nothing of the longstanding Dodgers/Giants division rivalry).

Red Sox To Designate Luis Ysla

By Jeff Todd | July 26, 2017 at 7:43am CDT

The Red Sox will designate lefty Luis Ysla for assignment, Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com tweets. His 40-man spot will go to just-acquired infielder Eduardo Nunez.

Boston will also make two other adjoining moves. Righty Ben Taylor is headed to the disabled list, while fellow reliever Blaine Boyer will return from his own time on the DL.

Ysla had been added to the 40-man roster last fall, in advance of the Rule 5 draft. But the 25-year-old has yet to advance to the majors. Instead, Ysla has stalled out this year at Double-A, working to a 5.05 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 over 46 1/3 innings.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Red Sox Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect