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Giants Pursuing Rays’ Matt Moore, Making “Strong Push” For Jay Bruce

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11:36pm: With several notable names already gone from the relief market, the Giants are “making [a] late and strong push” to land outfielder Jay Bruce from the Reds, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). San Francisco has been variously rumored to be in and out on Bruce in recent days, but it seems that the club is a serious contender for his services at this late stage.

As with Moore, Bruce is reportedly in play for a number of other contenders, including the Dodgers. The power-hitting right fielder is controllable for 2017 by way of a $13MM club option, so he’d represent an asset for next season as well with the Giants set to lose Angel Pagan to free agency.

10:07pm: The Giants are pursuing a deal for Rays lefty Matt Moore, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It remains uncertain, he notes, whether San Francisco has the right prospect pieces to work out a deal for the controllable southpaw.

It’s long been unclear just where the Giants’ focus is with the trade deadline nearing. We’ve seen reports connecting the club to starters, relievers, outfielders, and infielders — with the last spot seemingly already covered by the recent acquisition of Eduardo Nunez.

Though the focus has been said to have shifted to the pen, with an eye also on picking up a slugging outfield piece, San Francisco has continued to look into a broad and fluid market for rotation pieces. Moore holds an interesting place in that picture, as he is one of many controllable arms that could be available, but need not be traded by their current teams.

Tampa Bay has been targeted by teams interested in starters because the team is out of the race and possesses a variety of pitchers with relatively lengthy and affordable control rights. While other organizations may be hesitant to deal their better arms, the Rays could do so without compromising their depth.

Still, the price tag won’t be low, and the Giants arguably lack the kind of premium prospect assets that would motivate the Rays. Indeed, the club is requesting a player that is currently on San Francisco’s active roster, per Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area (via Twitter). Infielders Joe Panik and Matt Duffy would be the most sensible fits, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle observes on Twitter, though it should be noted that he is making only an analytical point rather than suggesting either or both have been discussed.

Adding to the intrigue, the Rays are also said to be negotiating on pitching with the Dodgers, who are currently neck-and-neck with their heated rivals in the NL West. There are other contenders in the mix, too, and other pitchers reportedly on the table. Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer have been those most mentioned, though theoretically Drew Smyly could also be moved.

Moore, who recently turned 27, is perhaps the toughest player to value from that group. He has the talent and contract to be valued quite highly, but has posted uneven results since returning last year from Tommy John surgery. He has posted strong results over his last seven outings, permitting only nine earned runs over 40 2/3 innings in that span, though he registered only a 25:14 K/BB ratio along the way.

On the year, Moore owns a 4.08 ERA with 7.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 130 innings. That last statistic is notable, as he has previously struggled to limit the free passes, though ERA estimators aren’t as convinced (4.50 FIP, 4.67 xFIP, 4.41 SIERA in 2016) as the scouts may be that Moore has returned to being a frontline starter. While he isn’t throwing quite as hard as he did early in his career, Moore has restored most of his velocity with a 92.9 mph average on his four-seam fastball.

The early-career extension signed by Moore held out the promise of becoming one of the best contracts in baseball. It hasn’t quite turned out that way, as the cheapest years were marred by injury. But it still holds plenty of appeal: Moore is owed just $5MM for all of 2016, and can be controlled through 2019 through a series of club options that total to just $26MM.

Jay Bruce Rumors: Saturday

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Since it’s probably fair to assume we’re going to learn quite a bit of new information on Reds outfielder Jay Bruce today, we’ll go ahead and kick off the weekend’s deadline chatter with a post to house it. You can check back on last night’s whirlwind series of reports right here. Bottom line: there was talk of movement with the Dodgers, possibly involving Yasiel Puig and/or a third team, but nothing has come to fruition as of yet.

Here’s the latest on the veteran slugger, who is putting up career-best numbers at the plate and comes with another season of control via a $13MM club option:

  • Rosenthal tweets that the Mets and Reds continue to discuss a Bruce swap, but nothing is close at this time.
  • The Mets are “very involved” in the pursuit of Bruce, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter link). New York, of course, discussed Bruce with Cincinnati at last year’s trade deadline but ultimately secured Yoenis Cespedes instead.
  • Stark reports that the Reds aren’t asking for elite prospects for Bruce but want two or three good players from the next tier down (Twitter link).

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers have at least “checked in” on Bruce, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Texas could be a fit with Prince Fielder out for the year and Shin-Soo Choo dealing with ongoing back issues, though Crasnick notes that pitching remains the priority.
  • The Mariners were said yesterday to be both out and then in on Bruce, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (Twitter links) that there’s nothing happening on that front (though the teams are discussing shortstop Zack Cozart). Another team with questionable interest is the Giants, and Rosenthal suggests that they are still kicking around the idea of adding Bruce. The idea would be to slot his bat into the outfield mix now, and then use him as a replacement for free agent-to-be Angel Pagan in 2017.
  • Though the Dodgers are still involved on Bruce, last night’s chatter of a three-team swap is dead, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter). It was never entirely clear just what that scenario might have looked like, though it seemed that Puig was a piece of the picture.
  • Bruce’s market represents a “moving target,” Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. (Those of you who followed yesterday’s frenzy will surely understand this.) As things stand as the weekend begins, the Orioles are out, per Heyman. The Nationals are focused first on improving their bullpen, though seemingly remain involved. That leaves the Dodgers as the obvious suitor, with the Mets and Mariners among the other organizations that have at least some ongoing interest in Bruce.

Dodgers Among Teams In Talks On Jay Bruce; Yasiel Puig May Be Involved

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8:31pm: Morosi says the Rays are still a player; he tweets that the team could end up shipping out two starters, one to each of the two other teams.

It seems that the reason for the involvement of a third team is that Cinci prefers position-player prospects, per Heyman (via Twitter), while the Dodgers are somewhat more inclined to deal arms. Of course, an earlier report suggested that the Rays’ role could involve sending a pitcher to the Reds, so the entire situation still seems in flux at present.

8:08pm: Tampa Bay is actually not involved in any Dodgers-Reds scenarios, Stark tweets.

7:36pm: The Rays appear to be the potential third team, per a Morosi tweet. Tampa Bay has been chatting with Los Angeles about scenarios that “could link up” with the talks between the Reds and Dodgers.

7:23pm: Talks between the Reds and Dodgers involving Bruce and Puig “didn’t materialize,” according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). He adds, though, that there are other trade scenarios still being tossed around between the clubs.

6:59pm: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig could be in play in the talks regarding Bruce, Stark tweets. He’d presumably be pushed out of a regular role if a significant corner outfielder is added, and Stark says that L.A. has been trying to move him in proposals with other teams.

6:24pm: The Reds and Dodgers could be putting together another three-team arrangement after joining up for such a deal over the winter, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets. Details — including the would-be facilitator — remain unclear, but Bruce would end up in Los Angeles if it comes to fruition.

5:46pm: The Dodgers remain in the hunt for Bruce, with MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweeting that there’s dialogue between the clubs and Jon Heyman of Fan Rag adding (via Twitter) that he has heard the same. Los Angeles isn’t keen on the idea of giving up much in the way of prospects to make a deal, though, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

Heyman also lists the Nationals, Orioles, Mariners, and Mets as teams with ongoing interest — many of whom have been tied to Bruce in recent days (if not for longer). Despite the report below suggesting that Seattle had left the Bruce market, Heyman’s report adds to another suggesting that he’s still in play. And while the Giants were also said to be out on Bruce, Nightengale tweets that they are still holding talks — even with Hunter Pence now set to return from the DL.

5:28pm: Two new entrants in the market have ratcheted up the bidding on Bruce, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The pair of mystery teams has been “aggressive,” per the report.

It remains somewhat difficult to guess where exactly the most focused interest could come from. Bruce, after all, would be a flexible addition for most AL contenders and could also fit with an NL team that is looking to add pop and has favorable scouting reports on his glove in right. With an added year of team control through an affordable-enough option, there’s also some future value — and the possibility of an offseason deal to return something different if Bruce isn’t needed past the present season in his new home.

2:16pm: The Mets are among the clubs that have spoken with the Reds about outfielder Jay Bruce, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). Among the other teams in dialogue with Cincinnati are the Dodgers, Nationals, and Orioles, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick adds on Twitter.

New York’s level of interest isn’t too great at the moment, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link). And Crasnick adds that the Nats and O’s appear to have their sights set on other areas at present. Likewise, we’ve heard that the Dodgers have engaged on a number of other possibilities, including Josh Reddick.

Two other potential suitors — the Giants and Mariners — “appear to be out,” according to Crasnick. With Seattle and San Francisco apparently no longer in pursuit, and none of the teams listed above appearing to represent aggressive pursuers, it’s not hard to see why Cincinnati president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty expressed frustration yesterday over the response that Bruce has drawn on the market.

Bruce has put up quite a nice season after two straight duds. And he comes with control rights for 2017; though his $13MM option isn’t cheap, it looks more appealing than committing a similar annual amount for a longer term to an alternative on the free agent market this winter.

It has seemed at various times that Bruce’s big power numbers, added year of control, and eminent availability would make him a desirable and quite likely trade candidate. But Jocketty suggested a deal isn’t inevitable for a player that the Reds value quite highly.

Mariners Have Asked Reds About Zack Cozart

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The Mariners have inquired with the Reds about the availability of shortstop Zack Cozart, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter). Seattle does expect Ketel Marte back from the DL somewhat sooner than had initially been feared, he notes, so it doesn’t appear as if Seattle’s need is all that great.

Of course, it’s certainly arguable that the M’s would be wise to pursue an improvement over Marte regardless, as he hasn’t been terribly productive. Though the youngster remains an important future piece, the veteran Cozart has been swinging a better stick and is a top-notch defender.

It’s still unclear whether the Mariners will be willing to part with prospects in order to upgrade in 2016. The team is just two games over .500, and while it doesn’t seem inclined to sell, it may also not go too far in the other direction.

Cozart is controllable for another year, though, so he’d at least have future function — though that’ll also increase the asking price. Stark also suggests that the Mariners are still interested in Jay Bruce, another player with an added season of control, which is contrary to other recent reports.

Reds Notes: Bruce, Cozart, DeSclafani, Straily, Pen, Bailey

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Reds president of baseball operations told reporters, including Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer  and MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, that interest in Jay Bruce has been surprisingly tepid to this point in the summer. While a number of clubs have reached out to him on Bruce, Jocketty contends that the offers have been shockingly weak to this point, telling Buchanan, “You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff,” in reference to the packages offered by interested parties. While the immediate assumption might be that the Reds are asking too much, Jocketty sounds fairly grounded in his expectations, telling Buchanan: “We want a legitimate prospect. The guy’s a valuable player.”

  • It would seem, then, that the Reds would be content to move Bruce for a package centering around one quality prospect — a seemingly reasonable expectation for a player that is slashing .271/.323/.572 with 25 homers on the season. Jocketty suggested that he expects added action over the weekend, but added that “basically the same clubs” have been sniffing around on the veteran with no teams being “really aggressive” to this point. Defensive metrics do peg Bruce as one of the worst defenders in all of baseball this season, though Buchanan notes that he’s spoken to evaluators with other clubs who don’t believe Bruce’s glovework to be nearly as poor as Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating would otherwise depict.
  • Jocketty says there hasn’t been any action on shortstop Zack Cozart, who is playing a quality shortstop. The trouble there seems to be that there just isn’t a clear need on a contender. With another season of affordable control to go, he is probably more likely to be dealt in the winter.
  • In terms of the team’s pitching, Jocketty suggested there’s no real likelihood of righties Anthony DeSclafani and Dan Straily changing uniforms. “I don’t think we’d consider anything,” Jocketty said of the former. “Clubs inquire about certain players, but never want to trade you anything, so what’s the point?” As for Straily, Buchanan suggests there’s “no thought” of a deal since he’s a functional and affordable arm that would not draw a notable trade return.
  • Buchanan also notes that relievers such as Ross Ohlendorf, Blake Wood, and Tony Cingrani could conceivably be dealt if there’s interest, as all will rise in price next year. None have been particularly impressive, with Wood and Cingrani posting solid earned run averages without the peripherals to match. Ohlendorf is striking out better than a batter per nine and will be a free agent after the season; his mid-nineties fastball and old-time charm could make him a depth option.
  • Meanwhile, the Reds announced today that long-injured righty Homer Bailey has been activated for a start on Sunday. The 30-year-old last appeared early in 2015 and is on the comeback trail from Tommy John surgery. After originally charting an aggressive schedule, the team slowed him down after a few hiccups along the way. Cinci extended Bailey just before the 2014 campaign, which was his last before qualifying for free agency, agreeing to a six-year, $105MM pact. Over 2012-13, Bailey put up 417 innings of 3.58 ERA pitching, leading to the investment, but he wasn’t quite as good in the first year of his new deal before succumbing to arm troubles. Needless to say, his ability to return to form will be an important storyline for a Reds club that still has a good amount of money invested in several aging players.

Reds “Picking Up The Pace” On Jay Bruce Trade Talks; Mariners Interested

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JULY 27: The Mariners are among the teams that have reached out the Reds to inquire about Bruce, Crasnick reports today (Twitter link). Seattle’s offseason addition of Nori Aoki has yet to pay dividends, causing the Mariners to rely more heavily on Franklin Gutierrez and Nelson Cruz in the outfield than the team initially expected.

JULY 26: The Reds have “picked up the pace” on trade talks surrounding slugging right fielder Jay Bruce and are talking to “at least” four teams, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Cincinnati is seeking a top prospect in exchange for Bruce, who is in the midst of an outstanding rebound campaign at the plate.

Bruce, 29, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery early in the 2014 season and never looked like himself upon his return that year or in 2015. Over those two seasons, Bruce batted a paltry .222/.288/.406 with a combined 44 home runs, submarining a great deal of his trade value in the process (though Cincinnati still nearly moved him to Toronto in Spring Training). The 2016 season, however, has yielded a revitalized version of Bruce that is slashing an excellent .272/.326/.564 with 23 homers, 22 doubles and six triples. His 20.6 percent strikeout rate is the second-lowest of his career, and 20.9 percent homer-to-flyball ratio and 37.5 percent hard-contact rate are the best single-season marks he’s ever posted.

Where Bruce has seemingly struggled, though, is on the outfield grass. Despite sporting a park- and league-adjusted batting line that is 29 percent above league average, per wRC+, and 32 percent above league average, per OPS+, defensive metrics feel that Bruce has mitigated the majority of the value provided by his bat. Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved both peg Bruce as 12 runs below the league average right fielder, dinging him for both his range and his arm. Bruce graded out as a serviceable, if not above-average fielder last season, though, and he rated among the game’s top defenders in right field back in 2013 as well (prior to his knee surgery). Scouts, of course, will have their own take on Bruce’s glovework, and it’s certainly possible that there are evaluators out there that find such metrics to overstate Bruce’s statistical deficiencies this season. And, even if on is to believe that Bruce’s defensive game has dramatically deteriorated, his resurgent bat makes plenty of sense for an American League club that can give him significant time in the DH slot.

Bruce is earning $12.5MM this season — of which about $4.71MM remains — and has what now looks to be a reasonably priced $13MM club option on his contract as well. Bruce’s six-year, $51MM extension provides him with the ability to block trades to eight clubs, but he’s reportedly willing to waive his no-trade protection in order to play for a contending club. He’s been connected to the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Nationals, Rangers and Indians in the past week, and Toronto has been mentioned multiple times as a potential fit. More recent reports, though, have indicated that Cleveland isn’t in the mix for Bruce at this time. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, acquired Melvin Upton Jr. earlier today.

Five Teams Interested In Cuban Third Baseman Yanio Perez

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  • Cuban third baseman Yanio Perez has drawn interest from the Astros, Padres, Rangers, Reds and Rockies, as per a report from MLB Pipeline (Twitter link).  The 20-year-old was ranked by Pipeline as the 10th-best player available in this year’s July 2 international market, and he is known to have impressive raw power, makeup and above-average speed.  Perez is subject to international bonus pool guidelines.

Grant: Reds, Rangers Have Not Had Substantive Trade Talks

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  • The Rangers are exploring many trade options and have been linked to multiple teams, though they don’t appear to have had any “substantive talks” with the Reds, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.  Texas has been linked to Jay Bruce, and the right fielder could be a fit with Shin-Soo Choo constantly battling injuries and Prince Fielder gone for the season, though Grant seems to imply that the Rangers’ interest in Bruce didn’t get too far.  Anthony DeSclafani would certainly the attract the Rangers and other pitching-needy teams if Cincinnati made him available, though DeSclafani’s breakout year may have also made him into a building block for the rebuilding Reds.

Reds Could Listen On Anthony DeSclafani

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  • The thinness of the pitching market means it would make sense for the rebuilding Reds to listen to offers for righty Anthony DeSclafani, according to Rosenthal, who adds that the timing might not be right for Cincinnati to deal him. Given that DeSclafani is under club control through the end of the 2020 season, the Reds could build around him or keep him for now and hope his trade value continues increasing. The 26-year-old has been stellar this season, notching a 2.50 ERA, 7.15 K/9 and 1.61 BB/9 in 50 1/3 innings.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Jay Bruce Drawing Wide Interest, But Will He Be Dealt?

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  • It has largely been taken for granted that the Reds will trade Jay Bruce this summer. But ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets that some rival executives are finding it difficult to gain any traction in talks with the Cincinnati front office. Others, though, still see a deal as likely.
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