Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tigers Rumors

Tigers, Cubs, Orioles Discussed Three-Way Deal

By | at

The Tigers and Cubs are discussing a potential three-way trade that would send Rick Porcello to Chicago with the Orioles as the third party, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The Tigers want Baltimore involved because they want shortstop J.J. Hardy and they don't feel that the Cubs have the necessary components to make it a two-team trade.

For the O's to part ways with Hardy in a deal, the Cubs would have to send pitching to the Orioles.  However, Kubatko thinks that the O's will have to be overwhelmed by an offer in order to part with Hardy.  Dan Duquette & Co. are happy with the left side of their infield and they don't intend on moving Manny Machado to shortstop this year.

The Orioles are also one of the teams that are interested in Porcello and it's logical to think that they could just hammer out a two-team swap with the Tigers instead.  The Padres, Mariners, and Pirates have also expressed interest in the right-hander recently.  The 24-year-old posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate last season and is under team control through 2015.

Rosenthal On Padres, Orioles, Rockies, Phillies

By | at

The Orioles showed serious interest in Justin Upton before talks with the Diamondbacks sputtered, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night. Here are some more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • Rosenthal hears from one executive who expects the Padres to make another significant move. However, the Padres like their group of young starting pitchers and aren’t inclined to make a strong play for one of the remaining free agent starters. San Diego could still trade for a pitcher such as Rick Porcello, Luke Hochevar or Aaron Harang.
  • Talks about a deal involving Upton and Chase Headley didn’t progress, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Orioles continue seeking starting pitching and Joe Saunders remains a target. The Orioles also checked in on Porcello, according to Rosenthal.
  • Though the Orioles spoke with Lance Berkman before he signed with the Rangers, they weren’t interested in spending big for the switch-hitting DH.
  • Jeff Karstens, Derek Lowe, Aaron Cook and Jair Jurrjens are among the possibilities the Rockies are considering. The Rockies wouldn’t offer all of those pitchers Major League deals, however.
  • Rosenthal suggests free agent reliever Rafael Soriano could be a longshot for the Rockies. Colorado would have to surrender its second round draft pick to sign the Scott Boras client.
  • The Phillies continue seeking a right-handed hitting outfielder, Rosenthal reports. They’re still considering free agent Scott Hairston and trade candidates Alfonso Soriano and Vernon Wells. It’s possible the Phillies will go with platoons in both corner outfield positions.

AL Central Notes: Verlander, Tigers, Twins, Indians

By | at

Last month, we heard that a number of teams were inquiring on Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello.  Detroit turned clubs away at the time because they were unsure if they would be able to retain Anibal Sanchez.  Now that they have Sanchez in the fold, however, Detroit could conceivably pull the trigger on a deal.  Could they also have a significant free agent pickup on the horizon?  More on that and other items out of the American League Central..

  • The Tigers have a history of making waves in January, but it looks like their biggest improvements will come from within this year, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com.  Even though the club has refused to comment on it, now would be the time for them to sign Justin Verlander to a contract extension as he has two years left on his current deal.  Detroit may also pick up a right-handed hitter to play left field in a mix with Andy Dirks, but it’s not expected to be a glamorous signing.
  • MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger writes that the Twins are also thinking in-house when it comes to their center field vacancy.  Minnesota has a hole to fill after moving both Denard Span and Ben Revere, but they plan to have Darin Mastroianni and prospects Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson compete for the spot.  At the same time, General Manager Terry Ryan won’t completely rule out signing a center fielder.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti is happy to have gotten a second chance to keep Russ Canzler, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.  Cleveland claimed the infielder earlier today from the Blue Jays just weeks after DFA-ing him.

Quick Hits: Saunders, Reds, Yankees, Hamilton

By | at

Congratulations to our own Ben Nicholson-Smith on being named one of the 100 most influential Canadians in baseball by Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun for the second year in a row.  In addition to BN-S, fellow MLBTR writers Luke Adams (also of HoopsRumors) and Mark Polishuk earned honorable mention for their stellar work.  Here’s tonight’s look around baseball..

  • Even though many seem to feel getting a hitter is the bigger priority for the Orioles right now, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com would like to see the O’s continue their pursuit of Joe Saunders and get involved with Shaun Marcum.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) looked at the biggest risks taken by MLB teams this offseason.  The Reds made the list for their decision to put the newly-acquired Shin-Soo Choo in center field and so did the Yankees for letting Russell Martin and Nick Swisher go elsewhere while signing Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis who are well past their primes.  Bowden also suggests that the Tigers should get a closer with experience like Brian Wilson to support rookie Bruce Rondon.
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com looks at ten questions facing the Angels in 2013, including the issue of whether Josh Hamilton is worth the $125MM contract he received this winter.  It’ll take longer than one year to fully answer that question, but in the short-term the Halos would like to see the slugger stay healthy.
  • The Dodgers are full of promise in 2013 but an awful lot happened in the last year and change to put them in that position, notes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.  The ball started rolling in November of 2011 when Frank McCourt finally agreed to sell the team.

Padres Notes: Myers, Porcello, Headley, Cabrera

By | at

Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune is back with his regular chat with fans about the Padres, and here are some of the relevant hot stove items…

  • The Padres have been talking to right-hander Brett Myers, according to Myers' agent.  San Diego would use Myers as a starting pitcher, which is Myers' preferred role after spending 2012 coming out of the bullpen for the Astros and White Sox.
  • The Tigers are reconsidering trading Rick Porcello, who has drawn attention from the Padres and several other clubs since Detroit re-signed Anibal Sanchez.  If Porcello is available, Center feels it would take more than a rumored trade package of Luke Gregerson and Jesus Guzman for the Padres to acquire the right-hander.
  • It's a "gamble on both sides" for Chase Headley and the Padres that there are apparently no extension talks taking place between the club and the third baseman.  Headley is under team control for two more years, but a repeat of his 2012 numbers could make him too expensive for the Padres to lock up.
  • Everth Cabrera has drawn trade interest but most clubs (including the Padres) aren't sure if he is capable of being an everyday shortstop.  Center notes that San Diego has been shopping "several" of its middle infielders this winter.
  • The Padres are "actively seeking" starting pitching but aren't going to be forced into making a bad signing just for the sake of adding an arm to the rotation. 
  • Between Porcello, Shaun Marcum and Joe Saunders, Center lists Marcum as the most likely of the trio to be a Padre in 2013, followed by Saunders and Porcello in that order. 
  • The Padres won't be adding another outfielder as they already have several options on the roster.
  • Center doesn't expect the Padres to have a $100MM payroll within the next few years, even adding an "if ever" to the idea.
  • The Padres want to bring back Dustin Moseley and Tim Stauffer on minor league contracts.  The two pitchers elected to become free agents in October following injury-plagued 2012 seasons.
  • Center hasn't heard of the Padres having any interest in Carlos Zambrano.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Miller, Beato, Nunez, Pearce

By | at

The latest outright assignments from around MLB…

  • The Astros outrighted infielder Brandon Laird and outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin to Triple-A after the players cleared waivers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees announced that they outrighted right-hander Jim Miller to Triple-A. They had designated him for assignment two days ago to create 40-man roster space for Ichiro Suzuki.
  • The Red Sox outrighted Pedro Beato to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports (on Twitter). The Red Sox designated the right-hander for assignment two days ago to create roster space for Ryan Dempster. 
  • The Diamondbacks outrighted shortstop Gustavo Nunez to Detroit's Triple-A affiliate, the Tigers announced. Nunez, a 2011 Rule 5 Draft selection, spent the 2012 season on the Pirates' disabled list recovering from right ankle surgery. The Diamondbacks claimed him off of waivers from Pittsburgh on October 26th before returning him to Detroit today. 
  • The Orioles announced that they outrighted outfielder Steve Pearce to Triple-A. The club now has one open 40-man roster spot.
  • The Cubs announced that they outrighted Gerardo Concepcion to Class A Kane County after the left-hander cleared waivers. Chicago's 40-man roster now includes 39 players.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted right-hander Mickey Storey to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had claimed Storey off of waivers earlier in the week.

Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Marlins, Ethier

By | at

Now that we’re midway through the 2012-13 offseason, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com checks in with executives, statistical analysts and oddsmakers to take a look at the teams that have improved themselves the most this winter. Not surprisingly, the Blue Jays are a popular choice for most improved team. Here are some more links from around MLB…

Rick Porcello Drawing Trade Interest

By | at

THURSDAY: The Orioles and Mariners are among the teams involved in talks about Porcello, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

FRIDAY: The Pirates and Padres are interested in Porcello, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).

TUESDAY: Quite a few National League teams asked about Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello at last week’s Winter Meetings, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. However, the Tigers need Porcello at this point, so he’s not available.

If the Tigers re-sign Anibal Sanchez, they’d have an abundance of starters and could move Porcello. Detroit’s front office executives hope to sign Sanchez, but they were told that their early offers weren’t close to being enough, according to Knobler. It appears that the free agent right-hander seeks more money than the Tigers are willing to offer. The Tigers pursued a trade for James Shields, but they haven’t pursued free agent starters other than Sanchez, Knobler writes.

Porcello, 23, posted a 4.59 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 53.2% ground ball rate in 176 1/3 innings this past season. He earned $3.1MM in 2012 and has a projected salary of $4.7MM for 2013. He’s under team control through 2015 and could be a fit for the Rockies, Padres or Pirates in my view.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Mariners, Morales, Smoak

By | at

What would a contract extension for Mike Trout look like? Though the Angels aren’t currently discussing a long-term deal with their 21-year-old star, it’s a topic that will come up eventually. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports examines the question with the help of MLB agents, executives and players, and hears estimates from $60-250MM, with most suggested deals falling in the $100-150MM range. Check out Passan’s entire piece for a thorough exploration of what it would mean to lock Trout up.

Now for some more links as Wednesday turns into Thursday…

  • Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News hears the Mariners and Rangers both prefer power over speed as they look to add offense (Twitter link). Seattle acquired Kendrys Morales on Wednesday.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times that talks about Morales started after texting Angels GM Jerry Dipoto to congratulate him on the Josh Hamilton signing.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney speculates (on Twitter) that Justin Smoak could be a fit for the Orioles. Some folks with Baltimore like his swing, and Smoak could be expendable following the Morales pickup.
  • Free agent right-hander Brett Myers wants to start again and remains an interesting free agent option in the view of FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).
  • The Rockies are looking to add another reliever, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). Colorado had interest in Mike Adams before the right-hander signed with the Phillies.
  • The Pirates are interested in Rick Porcello, but the Tigers don't want to trade the 23-year-old right-hander straight up for reliever Joel Hanrahan, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter).

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Tigers Sell Adam Wilk, Outright Matt Hoffman

By | at

The Tigers announced that they released left-hander Adam Wilk after selling his contract to a team in the Korean Baseball League. The team also announced that left-hander Matt Hoffman has been outrighted to Triple-A.

Wilk started three games for the Tigers this past season, posting an 8.18 ERA in 11 innings. The 25-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.77 ERA with 7.7 K/9 in 149 2/3 innings over the course of 24 starts. Hoffman also spent the 2012 season at Triple-A Toledo. The 24-year-old posted a 3.69 ERA with 6.2 K/9 in 46 1/3 innings of relief work.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top