Trade Rumors: Luhnow, Dombrowski, Red Sox, Mets
Some trade talk from around baseball…
- The Astros are essentially a lock for the postseason thanks to their big lead in the AL West, which allows the team to take a somewhat more measured approach to the deadline, GM Jeff Luhnow tells Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi. They’re even looking ahead to individualized needs against potential playoff opponents; as Luhnow said, “you really can start focusing on what does this team need to look like to face the Cleveland Indians in a seven-game series, to face the Boston Red Sox in a seven-game series, do we match up well.” While Houston is prepared to deal from its minor league depth to add at the deadline, Luhnow also sees no reason to abandon the franchise’s long-built plan for sustained success. “We want to win now, for sure, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win now,” Luhnow said. “But at the same time, we’ve been building up all this currency, all these players in the pipeline so that we could be good for a long time….I certainly want it to be more than a three- or four-year run.”
- Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford) that “We’re not looking for starting pitching at this point. I’ll stop at that.” Injuries and some subpar results from Rick Porcello has led to some instability within Boston’s rotation, though with Eduardo Rodriguez almost back from the DL, the Sox will soon be able to deploy their first-choice starting five of Chris Sale, David Price, Porcello, Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz. I would guess the Red Sox might check in on some low-cost starting depth at the deadline, though a major acquisition seems quite unlikely (barring a notable injury). Dombrowski also raised the possibility that the Red Sox could stand pat entirely at the deadline, which would be the more surprising move given that the club could use some help in the bullpen and at third base.
- Speaking of the hot corner, despite the recent fine play from Tzu-Wei Lin and Deven Marrero, both CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich and ESPN’s Scott Lauber think the Red Sox should and will still be looking to add a third baseman at the deadline. The two youngsters were pressed into regular duty at third base thanks to Boston’s many infield injuries, though Marrero has delivered excellent defense and Lin has surprisingly hit .313/.436/.438 over his first 40 career PA in the big leagues. There’s no guarantee that this performance will continue, however, and a more established third baseman would provide a clearer upgrade for the Sox lineup.
- The Mets will sell at the deadline with an eye towards reloading for 2018, though Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the team should be open to the idea of a larger rebuild. The club will be facing some significant position player losses and a still-shaky rotation next year, so in theory, the Mets could consider moving Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard to totally upgrade the farm system. Overall, however, Sherman feels the Mets should still look to contend, both because their 2017 may be an injury-riddled aberration, and because if the team’s window does indeed seem closed, they can still sell their top pitchers at next year’s deadline.
Marlins Notes: Trade Targets, Volquez, Sale Progress
Here’s the latest out of Miami:
- With the team set to be sold at some point in the near future, the Marlins appear to be lining up for some significant moves at the deadline. As Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports, the Fish appear to be targeting a few organizations in particular as they look to shop their biggest contracts. Marlins scouts are taking a hard look at the systems of the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, Rockies, and Cubs, per the report. Whether that’s based upon demand coming from those organizations or instead Miami’s own interest in certain prospects isn’t entirely clear; obviously, plenty of other teams will likely end up engaging with the Marlins in what is shaping up to be an interesting deadline period.
- Miami is not concerned about righty Edinson Volquez, Spencer also notes. Though he experienced left-knee discomfort in his most recent start, skipper Don Mattingly suggested the veteran will be ready to go after the All-Star break. He could well be one of the players dangled in trade talks over the next few weeks.
- The less-than-straightforward Marlins sale process remains in flux as the organization prepares to host the All-Star Game. Bidding groups led by Tagg Romney, on the one hand, and Derek Jeter, on the other, have each run into issues, according to a report from Claire Atinson, Ken Davidoff, and Josh Kosman of the New York Post. In fact, the Romney group may even have pulled out of the process altogether, per the report. Jeter’s group, meanwhile, no longer has the backing of one key investor. That could place a third bidder, Jorge Mas, in position to make a deal. But it’s also possible that Jeter could try to “convince MLB to push back a decision date … possibly to the end of the season in October,” sources tell the Post.
- Mas has attempted to get the Marlins to agree to an exclusive negotiating window, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, but that has yet to occur. Still, the report suggests, the process could be only weeks away from completion. While Mas is said to be in the driver’s seat, Heyman hears that the Romney-led group may still be involved.
Injury Notes: Heyward, Sabathia, Warren, Shoemaker, E-Rod, Dahl
The latest on some DL situations around the league…
- The Cubs have activated Jason Heyward from the 10-day DL. Infielder Jeimer Candelario and righty Felix Pena were optioned to Triple-A, while left-hander Jack Leathersich was called up in corresponding moves. Heyward has missed two weeks due to a left hand abrasion, his second DL stint of the season after missing time due to a sprained finger in May. The injuries haven’t helped Heyward’s goal of regaining his former offensive consistency, as the outfielder has a .258/.315/.399 slash line over 217 PA this season. [Updated Cubs depth chart at Roster Resource]
- The Yankees have activated C.C. Sabathia and Adam Warren from the disabled list, and optioned right-handers Domingo German and Bryan Mitchell to Triple-A in corresponding moves. Sabathia will start today’s game against the Blue Jays, his first outing since hitting the DL with a Grade 2 hamstring strain in mid-June. The veteran southpaw is looking to continue a strong campaign that has seen him post a 3.46 ERA over 75 1/3 innings. Warren was also enjoying a very good season (2.23 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.33 K/BB rate) in 32 1/3 IP out of New York’s bullpen before being sidelined with shoulder inflammation for the last three weeks.
- Matt Shoemaker is scheduled for a minor league rehab start today, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The righty will need at least one more rehab game after today before returning to the Angels roster. Shoemaker went on the DL with forearm tightness in mid-June, though that ominous-sounding injury was related to his extensor muscle, and an MRI revealed no structural damage. Shoemaker has a 4.52 ERA, 2.46 K/BB rate and 8.0 K/9 over 77 2/3 IP for the Angels this year and he has had trouble keeping the ball in the park, with 15 home runs allowed.
- The Red Sox will won’t bring Eduardo Rodriguez back to the rotation before the All-Star break, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets. Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since June 1 due to a partial right kneecap dislocation, the latest in a series of knee injuries the left-handed has dealt with in his young career. The Sox could give Rodriguez another rehab start in the minors or activate him from the DL for use as a reliever next weekend, Britton writes.
- David Dahl has been pain-free for over a month, the Rockies outfielder tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post as Dahl continues to recover from a stress fracture in his ribcage. There isn’t yet a timetable for a rehab assignment or Dahl’s return to Colorado’s roster, and it is likely both he and the team want to be as certain as possible given the lingering nature of the injury, which has plagued Dahl since very early in Spring Training.
Red Sox Acquire International Bonus Money In Trades With Reds, Cardinals
5:48pm: The Reds sent $2.75MM in spending room to the Red Sox, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
10:33am: The Red Sox have acquired international bonus pool space from the Reds in exchange for minor league first baseman Nick Longhi, as per a Sox press release. In a separate deal, Boston also acquired more pool space from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league infielders Imeldo Diaz and Stanley Espinal. Specific financial terms weren’t announced for either trade.
The Sox made a big splash as the 2017-18 international signing period opened this morning, agreeing to deals with highly-touted prospects Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz and Antoni Flores for a combined $6.1MM in bonuses. Since the Red Sox had only $4.75MM available to spend in their draft pool, some trading was necessary to bring in the extra funds for these youngsters, as well as any other less-splashy international signings the Sox may make. Teams are allowed to acquire as much as 75 percent of their original draft pool, which works out to $3,562,500 in Boston’s case.
Longhi was rated as Boston’s 14th-best minor leaguer by the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook, which described Longhi as “one of the best pure hitters in the Red Sox system” despite a lack of power. Longhi has six of his 16 career homers as a professional this season at Double-A, with a .262/.306/.401 overall batting line in 252 PA. The 21-year-old was originally a 30th-round pick for the Sox in the 2013 amateur draft.
Both Espinal and Diaz have appeared in just seven games each this season, all for Boston’s low A-ball affiliate in Lowell. Espinal, a 20-year-old third baseman out of the Dominican Republic, has a .682 OPS over 577 pro plate appearances. The 19-year-old Diaz also hasn’t shown much at the plate in his brief career, hitting .222/.279/.258 over 522 PA.
The Cardinals had $5.75MM and the Reds $5.25MM in available pool money for this July 2 class, though both teams are under the $300K limit since both exceeded their bonus pools in the 2016-17 signing period. It stands to reason that St. Louis and Cincinnati felt comfortable dealing their pool money since they didn’t plan on using all of it given their limited signing capabilities. It wouldn’t be a surprise if other teams facing the $300K penalty (the Astros, A’s, Cubs, Padres, Royals, Braves, Giants, Dodgers and Nationals) also deal some from their bonus pool funds in the coming weeks and months.
Red Sox To Sign Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz, Antoni Flores
The Red Sox have reached agreement with 16-year-old Venezuelan prospects Daniel Flores, Danny Diaz and Antoni Flores, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Daniel Flores, a catcher, will receive a bonus worth $3.1MM. Diaz and Antoni Flores, both shortstops, will respectively get bonuses worth $1.6MM and $1.4MM, as per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (all Twitter links).
The flurry of signings marks Boston’s return to prominence in the international signing market, as the Sox were restricted to signings of $300K or less in the last two July 2 classes as punishment for exceeding their bonus pool limit in the 2014-15 class (which saw them splurge on the likes of Yoan Moncada and Anderson Espinoza). The Flores/Diaz/Flores signings put the Red Sox in excess of their $4.75MM pool for this year’s international class, and since the new collective bargaining agreement strictly forbids teams from spending beyond their pool limit, the Sox have already made some minor trades to acquire more pool space. Teams are allowed to acquire as much as 75 percent of their original draft pool, so the Red Sox could have slightly more than $8.25MM to spend if they traded for the maximum amount of additional pool money.
Daniel Flores is the centerpiece of Boston’s signings, and possibly of the entire 2017-18 class, as most scouts consider Flores or Wander Samuel Franco (who agreed to sign with the Rays) as the top names within this international signing period. Both MLB.com and Baseball America rated Flores as the second-best prospect of this year’s class.
Flores has drawn raves for his defense, and he is described many scouts as perhaps the best defensive catcher they’ve seen for a 16-year-old player. Between his strong work behind the plate and an outstanding throwing arm, MLB.com and Baseball America both use the phrase “elite defender” as Flores’ potential ceiling as a big league catcher. He is still something of a work in progress at the plate, showing some raw power as a switch-hitter who performs better as a right-handed bat. BA’s scouting report (subscription required) noted that Flores received mixed reviews for his work against live pitching, though in game action last summer Flores displayed “a sound approach and a high contact rate.”
Diaz was rated 7th by Baseball America and 13th by MLB.com, while Antoni Flores checked in at 20th on MLB.com’s list and 35th on BA’s list. Diaz has a strong bat with a lot of power potential, as Baseball America feels Diaz should eventually merit a 60 in power on the 20-80 scouting scale. On defense, Diaz will likely move off shortstop to third base or possibly even first as he keeps growing; interestingly, MLB.com lists Diaz as 6’1″ and 170 pounds, while BA pegs him at 6’3″ and 200 pounds. Flores is said to possess good defensive tools at shortstop though a position change could be possible in the future; MLB.com’s scouting report says some scouts feel Flores could be “the next Alcides Escobar.”
Rosenthal’s Latest: Stanton, Astros, BoSox, Bucs, Mets
Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton‘s mammoth contract isn’t as immovable as it appears, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). Stanton has a full no-trade clause, but he’ll likely waive it if the up-for-sale Marlins begin tearing things down, which Rosenthal expects to happen. Further, Stanton would even “talk about his 2020 opt-out,” according to Rosenthal, who points out that the Marlins could facilitate a deal by eating some of the $295MM left on his accord or taking back an expensive contract from a potential trading partner. Rosenthal adds that Stanton’s annual $25MM luxury tax number won’t seem nearly as burdensome as it currently does when soon-to-be free agents such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sign more expensive deals.
More pre-deadline rumblings from Rosenthal:
- The Astros’ two most untouchable prospects are outfielder Kyle Tucker and right-hander Forrest Whitley, sources told Rosenthal. Houston was unwilling to trade a package including Tucker to the White Sox for Jose Quintana over the winter, and the 20-year-old has since hit .272/.317/.544 in his first 124 plate appearances at the Double-A level. Tucker ranks as Baseball America’s 15th-best prospect, while Whitley, 19, isn’t on the list. The 6-foot-7 Whitley’s only a year removed from going 17th in the draft, though, and he has held his own in Single-A this season with a 2.91 ERA, 13.01 K/9 and 4.08 BB/9 in 46 1/3 innings.
- With the Red Sox in desperate need of a third baseman, it would make sense for them to pursue Pirates utilityman Josh Harrison, posits Rosenthal. Harrison, controllable at affordable rates through 2020, has recovered from an injury-hampered 2016 to slash .289/.369/.449 with nine homers and 10 steals across 338 PAs this season. If the Red Sox were to acquire Harrison, he’d presumably hold down third for the rest of the year, but it’s unclear what would happen after that. Boston has top third base prospect Rafael Devers on the way, after all, while Harrison’s other positions (second base and the corner outfield) belong to Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi.
- While the Mets are indeed “open for business” as the deadline nears, some of their top trade chips might not bring back much if the team is unwilling to eat money, notes Rosenthal. Outfielders Curtis Granderson (around $5MM remaining on his contract) and Jay Bruce ($4.3MM), first baseman Lucas Duda ($2.5MM) and infielder Asdrubal Cabrera ($3MM or $5MM, depending on what happens with his $2MM buyout) come with enough money left on their deals to hamper their trade value.
Red Sox Release Allen Craig
The Red Sox have released veteran first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig, according to a club announcement (h/t Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal, via Twitter).
Craig, 32, will hit the open market after an ill-fated stint in the Sox organization. He was acquired back in 2014 along with righty Joe Kelly in the surprising trade that sent John Lackey to the Cardinals.
At the time, Craig was viewed as a possible bounce-back piece. Though he was carrying only a .237/.291/.346 batting line at the time of the deal, Boston obviously saw upside in the remainder of Craig’s contract extension. After all, prior to 2014, he owns an excellent career .306/.358/.492 batting line.
Unfortunately, the rebound never occurred. Craig only appeared in 65 MLB games with the Red Sox, posting a .432 OPS. And he has never shown much life while banished to Triple-A. Though Craig continues to reach base at a solid clip, he has hit just one home run and carries a .316 slugging percentage this year at Pawtucket.
Boston has long since written off his salary as an investment that won’t deliver any return, but it’s still a notable sum. Craig will still be entitled to the remainder of his $11MM guarantee this year, and will also take home a $1MM buyout on a $13MM option for 2018.
Deadline Notes: Red Sox, Giants, Relievers, Torres, Verlander, Cozart, Cabrera
The Red Sox do not need to stay under the luxury tax line in making their deadline moves, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in an appearance today on WEEI (h/t to Rob Bradford, on Twitter). Recent estimates put Boston about $9MM shy of the threshold, which has added implications under the new CBA since the tax escalates when it is owed in consecutive seasons. While the Sox will no doubt weigh that factor in assessing possible trades, it’s notable that the organization doesn’t feel compelled to stay within those limits. Boston is likely to be involved in the market for third basemen — I looked at possible targets recently — and could also add pitching.
Here’s more …
- The Giants are clearly in position to deal a few veterans, but it’s not yet known just how significant the moves will be. Signs are, though, that San Francisco is willing to listen to offers on just about any player, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi writes. The Giants are not interested in moving Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford, per the report. That could leave some other interesting names available, with Morosi even suggesting that first baseman Brandon Belt could be available. He calls the Angels a potentially “intriguing fit” — though it’s not clear whether there’s any firm interest from Los Angeles — while noting that several other buyers will be looking at a variety of left-handed-hitting first basemen on what seems still to be a wide-open market.
- Unsurprisingly, interest in relief pitching will be robust at this year’s deadline, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes. Executives suggest that there’ll be a premium on pen arms, as usual, though the expectation remains that none will fetch the kind of immense returns that Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller commanded last year.
- The Padres have inquired with the Yankees about elite shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. That said, there’s no indication the Yanks have any interest in parting with the talented youngster — even though he is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That injury doesn’t really change his long-term value, of course, and it’s not altogether clear what Padres players the Yankees might target that could command that kind of trade value. Lefty Brad Hand and former New York infielder Yangervis Solarte may well be of interest, as Heyman notes, but it’s tough to imagine the Yankees parting with such an elite prospect for either or both of them.
- Heyman also weighs in on veteran Tigers hurler Justin Verlander, who has seen his name begin to come up in trade rumors. At this point, a deal seems less than likely, a source tells Heyman, but there is a real possibility that the righty (and his contract — which promises $56MM over 2018 and 2019) could end up on the move. Three or four teams are said to have participated in exploratory talks on Verlander, per the report, though any deal would require Verlander to waive his no-trade protection.
- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, a clear trade candidate with his strong play and expiring contract, tells Heyman that his preference would be to remain in Cincinnati. While he says he understands and accepts that a deal “is more than likely to happen,” Cozart noted that he has informed the front office that he’d be amenable to exploring a long-term contract instead. It’s not terribly surprising, particularly given their internal options, that the Reds haven’t yet made an offer to the 31-year-old.
- Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera is walking back his recent call to be traded after being moved from short to second, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes. Cabrera explains: “In that moment when I said that, I wasn’t saying I want to get traded. I was just saying it didn’t seem like they had a plan for me. … If they’ve got a plan, they should tell me.” He went on to say that he is “fine with playing second base,” saying that his complaint related more to a lack of communication. In any event, it remains unclear just how much demand there’ll be for the veteran, and also how inclined the Mets are to bring him back next year at a $8.5MM price tag (versus a $2MM buyout).
Trade Rumblings: A’s, Prado, Marlins, Verlander, Hand
Here’s the latest trade chatter from around the league:
- The Athletics do not feel a need to wait until the deadline to begin moving veterans, sources tell MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. That may be true even (or especially) in the case of Sonny Gray. While he’s controllable, and doesn’t have to be traded, a rival exec says he thinks Oakland will be interested in dealing him early to avoid a month of injury risk. Possible rentals Yonder Alonso and Jed Lowrie are both said to be on the block as well, unsurprisingly.
- Other teams beginning to explore sell-side moves, per Feinsand, are the Braves, Marlins, Mets, and Reds. Those clubs are all obvious suspects given their placement in the standings. Atlanta could be an interesting team, though, since the organization seems to be prioritizing improvement in the on-field results and doesn’t have a lot of clearly valuable trade pieces.
- The Yankees and Red Sox are both looking over the Marlins roster and have asked about a few players, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Both New York and Boston have inquired on veteran third baseman Martin Prado, who is not terribly cheap and has spent a good chunk of the year on the DL. The Yanks are also expressing some interest in Miami first baseman Justin Bour, per the report; he’d offer a quality left-handed bat, though his affordable control will likely come with a fairly high asking price. The Fish are also said to have indicated an openness to dealing “anyone with a multi-year contract,” Nightengale adds. That would obviously free up quite a few intriguing potential trade candidates, including the club’s three quality young outfielders.
- Rival executives feel that the Tigers will market veteran righty Justin Verlander, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes, though Detroit’s intentions (and asking price) remain unclear. He’d be an easy product to pitch were this 2016, when Verlander was in vintage form. But he hasn’t followed that up with any degree of consistency thus far in 2017. Still, the $56MM he’s owed in 2018 and 2019 seems fairly reasonable, and it’s hard to ignore the top-line upside that still seems to reside in Verlander’s powerful right arm.
- The Padres, meanwhile, are apparently setting their sights high in talks involving southpaw Brad Hand, with one source telling Passan that GM AJ Preller hopes to achieve a return commensurate with that achieved last year by the Yankees for Aroldis Chapman. As Passan notes, that does seem steep — despite the fact that Hand does come with two more years of cheap arb control — but it likely won’t hurt to aim big at this stage of the proceedings.
- There, are, of course, some other talented relievers available. Two Marlins hurlers are also drawing interest from “multiple teams,” per Passan. AJ Ramos and David Phelps appear to be solid (albeit hardly perfect) late-inning pen options for contenders; indeed, MLBTR ranked them in a tie for 11th in the most recent list of the top fifty trade targets leaguewide. Both hurlers are reasonably expensive ($6.55MM and $4.6MM, respectively), so the salary-conscious Fish may see an opportunity to avoid some obligations. They each also can be controlled for an additional season via arbitration.
Trade Rumblings: Braves, Archer, Quintana, Gray, Red Sox
The Braves are once again in the market for controllable starters, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta was linked to names like Chris Archer, Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray last season and throughout the winter, and the Braves still have interest in that group of pitchers, according to O’Brien. While they’ve scouted Gray’s recent outings for the Athletics, it’s Archer and Quintana that sit atop Atlanta’s wish list, O’Brien continues. The White Sox, of course, are known to be open to moving Quintana, but there’s no guarantee that the Rays would even consider moving Archer. To the contrary, Tampa Bay is two games above .500 and currently sits just one game back of an American League Wild Card spot and three games back in the AL East. Archer currently holds a 3.88 ERA with 10.9 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 42.5 percent ground-ball rate through 104 1/3 innings, and he’s controllable through the 2021 season with just $33.7MM remaining on his contract following the 2017 campaign. It would presumably take a staggering package to even get the Rays to consider moving Archer, given the current state of their team.
A bit more on the trade market…
- Atlanta is far from the only team to scout Gray’s most recent starts. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that in addition to the Braves, the Cubs, Blue Jays and Mariners all had multiple scouts/execs on hand for Sunday’s start, and the Red Sox had a scout there as well. Slusser notes that some clubs have been scouting infielder Jed Lowrie as well, adding that it’s “all but certain” that the Athletics trade Lowrie before the non-waiver deadline. Boston is one team that’s likely to have interest in Lowrie, she adds.
- Yahoo’s Jeff Passan spoke to one source that said the Red Sox are “keen” for Gray, though they’re also considering aiming for a power-hitting third baseman and acquiring another reliever rather than bolstering the rotation. Stacking another arm alongside Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel at the back of the ‘pen could give Boston a trio similar to the three-headed monster similar to the 2014 Royals (Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, Greg Holland) or the 2016 Yankees (Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman). That was the idea in acquiring Tyler Thornburg this past offseason, but Thornburg will mis the entire year due to thoracic outlet surgery. The Sox, could, however, get righty Carson Smith back, though it’s difficult to know exactly what to expect from him after losing a season and a half to Tommy John surgery.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn spoke to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post about lefty Jose Quintana, acknowledging that he’s been involved in “various conversations” with other clubs and that the ChiSox are “very open-minded” about dealing him. It’s been reported previously that Quintana’s rough start may not have much of an adverse impact on his trade value, and that’s how Hahn is approaching talks. “For the guys with extended track records, I think that’s probably the most important factor in terms of determining their value as well as the contractual control and obligations going forward,” said Hahn. “…He’s the same guy. The same guy in terms of how he goes about his business.” Rough start aside, Quintana entered tonight’s game with a pristine 2.25 ERA and 24-to-8 K/BB ratio through 24 June innings, and he’s held the Yankees scoreless through six innings tonight as of this writing. Davidoff notes that the Yankees could very well look into rotation upgrades, speculating that Quintana and Gray will be among the names they explore.