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Diamondbacks Interested In J.D. Martinez

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The Diamondbacks have interest in Tigers slugger J.D. Martinez, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweets. Talks between the two sides do not yet appear serious, however.

The Diamondbacks currently have a corner outfield vacancy with Yasmany Tomas on the DL with a groin injury, and Martinez would clearly be an upgrade even if everyone were healthy. Upon returning, Tomas would likely lose playing time if the Diamondbacks were to acquire Martinez, since fellow corner outfielder David Peralta is in the midst of a strong season and could move from right to left.

After starting the season late due to a foot issue, the 29-year-old Martinez has gotten off to a .298/.379/.602 start that’s terrific even by his lofty standards. He would complement a Diamondbacks offense that has rated seventh in the Majors in runs thanks in large part to contributions from corner infielders Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb. Martinez makes $11.75MM this season. He’s eligible for free agency next winter, so it seems likely the 39-49 Tigers will strongly consider moving him.

West Notes: Hand, Harris, Wilson, Melancon, Richards

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About half of the teams in the league have expressed some level of interest in Padres lefty Brad Hand, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Evidently, those discussions have yet to get truly serious, as Lin adds that the Friars aren’t believed to be closing in on any swaps. A significant portion of the rest of the pitching staff has received attention of some kind, too, Lin adds. There are a few other interesting pitching trade candidates on the San Diego roster — Trevor Cahill chief among them, perhaps — and it wouldn’t be surprising to see several deals go down before the deadline.

Here’s more from out west:

  • The Astros announced that reliever Will Harris is headed to the 10-day DL with right shoulder inflammation (h/t Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle, via Twitter). That’s somewhat troubling news at first glance, though Harris says he doesn’t anticipate a significant layoff (video via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, on Twitter). The 32-year-old has continued his stellar run in Houston, compiling 34 2/3 innings of 2.86 ERA ball on the year — with 10.1 K/9 against just 1.3 BB/9. Clearly, he’s a key member of the pen and a big part of the team’s planning the rest of the way. (Harris is also controlled through 2019 at very appealing rates.)
  • Meanwhile, the Astros are likely focused on adding a starter and a lefty reliever. As regards the latter, the team is said to have an eye on Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (via Twitter). The teams discussed Wilson over the winter, per Rosenthal, and the southpaw’s quality effort early over the first half surely hasn’t reduced the interest. Wilson currently carries a career-high 12.8 K/9 with 3.4 BB/9 along with a 2.36 ERA over his 34 1/3 innings.
  • Giants closer Mark Melancon seems unlikely to make it back before the trade deadline, likely removing him from consideration as a trade candidate, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. The veteran righty, shelved for the second time this year with a forearm issue, has been able to pick up a baseball. But skipper Bruce Bochy suggested the team plans to bring him along slowly. As Baggarly suggests, it never seemed particularly likely that Melancon would end up being dealt regardless. For what it’s worth, though, I would add that Melancon would represent a very plausible August trade candidate if that proved desirable.
  • Angels righty Garrett Richards still hasn’t been cleared to throw, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. The unfortunate hurler discussed the frustrations of his long-running effort to get healthy, telling Fletcher that he is at least encouraged that his current problem (with a biceps nerve) has improved somewhat — and that it doesn’t implicate his elbow, which he says still feels great. “Nobody knows anything about this injury,” said Richards, who says it isn’t clear when he’ll be deemed ready to begin throwing again. “I can’t worry about getting all caught up in playing right now,” he added. “I’ve got to worry about getting healthy first. When that happens, I’ll be ready.” Meanwhile, Fletcher notes that both Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs are continuing to progress while working off of a mound, which seems to hold out some real promise of bolstering the team’s injury-riddled rotation in the relatively near future.

Reactions To And Effects Of The Jose Quintana Trade

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After a nearly silent All-Star break on the rumor front, the Cubs and White Sox stunned the baseball world by announcing a blockbuster deal that sent left-hander Jose Quintana from Chicago’s American League club to its National League team in exchange for minor leaguers Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Matt Rose and Bryant Flete. Over the past 24 hours, both teams have addressed the media, pundits from around the media have weighed in on the swap, and others have reported details on alternative talks that each team had leading up to the blockbuster move. Here’s a before-and-after, if you will, of how what might be the summer’s biggest trade transpired…

  • The Yankees, Brewers and Astros were all involved in varying levels of trade talks regarding Quintana before the Cubs ultimately acquired him, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Braves, too, were in on Quintana “until the end,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets. Meanwhile, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that the Rockies were “never really in” on Quintana despite a potential need for some rotation upgrades with some of their younger arms sputtering lately.
  • The Cubs tried to engage the Tigers in trade talks on Michael Fulmer before acquiring Quintana, reports Nightengale in a full column. However, Detroit gave no indication that it was willing to listen unless the Cubs were willing to include both Javier Baez and Ian Happ in trade talks. They also inquired on Justin Verlander, per Morosi (also via Twitter), though he notes that, similarly, talks between the two sides “never gained momentum.”
  • While many were stunned to see the Sox and Cubs line up on a trade — their first since 2006 — White Sox GM Rick Hahn scoffed at the notion that their shared city would serve as an impediment to trade talks, writes Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. “This notion that we wouldn’t do business with them because they’re in town — or somehow we would actually take an inferior baseball deal for non-baseball reasons because of emotion or a rivalry or something totally unrelated to putting the best possible team on the field for the next several years — is laughable,” said Hahn. The South Side GM went on to laud Jimenez’s upside, calling him a potential middle-of-the-order bat with power potential and the ability to hit to all fields. Hahn adds that yesterday’s package was “far and away the best offer, the best possibility, that we’ve discussed with any club since we’ve started this process roughly a year or ago or so.”
  • The Cubs believed that they were out of the running to acquire Quintana after talking to Hahn in June, president of baseball operations told reporters (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times). Hahn, though, re-engaged with Epstein on Sunday night, and the two talked over the next few days, including a conversation that included Hahn ducking behind an exhibit at All-Star FanFest in Miami to avoid being seen (per ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers, on Twitter). Ultimately, it became clear that the Cubs would have to part with two of their very best prospects to get the deal done. “This deal had zero-percent chance of happening without both Eloy and Cease in it,” said Epstein. The Cubs president went on to say that they’ve been trying to acquire a pitcher like Quintana for “a long time” and added that his analytics and scouting teams “[dug] deep” to determine whether there were any changes that led to Quintana’s slow start t the season. “Our assessment on both fronts was that he is the same guy, and our staff felt that way with conviction,” Epstein said.
  • Also via Wittenmyer’s column, Epstein said that the team isn’t necessarily done yet, though their play in the next two weeks will dictate what other moves are or aren’t made. “We need to play well coming out of the gates here, and we’ll assess what we’re trying to do in large part based on how we play and where we are in the standings, and how realistic we think a World Series run is this year,” Epstein said. “Everything is still on the table for this year.”
  • ESPN’s Keith Law opines (Insider subscription required and recommended) that both clubs did well in the trade. The Cubs picked up a durable arm that has a near-ace-level track record over the past three years whose raw stuff “didn’t really waver” even through his struggles earlier this season. Quintana can help offset the loss of right-hander Jake Arrieta after the season, joining Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks in the rotation for the next several years. His contract is also affordable enough that the team can comfortably pursue rotation help on the free-agent market this winter. Law projects Jimenez as a middle-of-the-order bat and suggests that he alone could’ve been an acceptable return, though the inclusion of Cease sweetens the deal. Cease has questions about his command as well as his durability and may end up in the ’pen, though his velocity and pair of potentially above-average secondary offerings make him a nice upside play. Law notes that he’s been leapfrogged by a pair of pitching prospects on the Cubs’ organizational rankings, which might’ve made him easier to deal.
  • Both Nightengale and Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network opine that it’s ridiculous that this is just the second trade these two teams have made this decade and offer praise for Hahn and Epstein for their pragmatic approach to dealing with one another. Teams are making more rational and data-driven decisions than ever before, Rosenthal notes, ultimately surmising that that trend should also include a willingness to deal within the same city and within the same division.
  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan writes that Quintana’s contract was every bit as important to the Cubs as Quintana himself. With significant arbitration raises looming for players like Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Hendricks, Javier Baez, Carl Edwards Jr. and others looming in the next two years, the team’s enviable young core is going to rapidly become considerably more expensive. Shedding money from aging veterans like Arrieta, John Lackey and Ben Zobrist will obviously free up some cash, but Quintana’s contract meets an important nexus of future payroll flexibility, remaining under the luxury tax and improving the near- and long-term roster.

Trade Rumblings: Darvish, Marlins, Starters, Tigers, Astros, Iglesias, Hand

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There’s “increasing buzz” that the Rangers will listen to offers on top starters Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels if they don’t open the second half of the season with strong play, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. It’s been previously reported that the Rangers will hold onto Darvish even if they fall out of the race, so that’d represent something of a change of mindset for GM Jon Daniels & Co. Darvish is set to hit the open market at season’s end, so if the Rangers are out of the race and don’t trade him, they run the risk of losing him to free agency (though he’d obviously receive and reject a qualifying offer, affording Texas some draft compensation). Hamels, meanwhile, hasn’t been listed as a potential trade target to date. He’s earning $23.5MM this year and next, and he’s owed at least $6MM as the buyout on a $20MM club option for the 2019 campaign. That contract and a bizarrely low strikeout rate (4.9 K/9) could complicate Hamels’ market, though he’s shown recent improvement with 12 strikeouts in his past 14 1/3 innings of work.

More trade chatter from around the league…

  • The Marlins have told other clubs that they’re ready to sell off assets, a rival executive tells Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller. According to Miller, the Marlins have spoken to more than 10 teams about right-hander David Phelps, and there are two or three clubs that are showing “serious” interest in closer AJ Ramos. “They’re working on it and talking to clubs,” the exec tells Miller. “But the conversations always end with one caveat, that they don’t know that the owner won’t bail at the last minute.” Miller adds that Giancarlo Stanton isn’t likely to move until the Marlins accept that they won’t get someone to take his salary and give prospects back. The industry feeling is that it’d have to be almost a straight salary dump. (Stanton can also veto any deal via his no-trade clause.) Miller’s column features a look at all 30 teams and their possible deadline course as well.
  • Sonny Gray, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are available in trades, writes Jon Morosi of MLB.com, but the Athletics, Tigers and Pirates have each set a lofty asking price. Perhaps more interestingly, Morosi adds that the Braves have said right-hander Julio Teheran isn’t available, though he’s reportedly been drawing interest and others (including David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports) have said that Atlanta would at least consider offers. In addition to that overview of the market for pitchers, Morosi runs down a position-by-position preview of the market for bats.
  • Heyman reports that there’s little to no genuine interest in Justin Verlander at this time due to his huge contract and underwhelming numbers. Furthermore, he notes that due to Verlander’s status as a legend in Detroit, they can’t accept an underwhelming return and effectively signal to Tigers fans that his trade was a salary dump. There’s also very little interest in Ian Kinsler, according to Heyman, as the he’s struggled in 2017 and few teams are on the hunt for second base help. He adds that Alex Avila, J.D. Martinez and Justin Wilson are all drawing strong interest, however, so GM Al Avila should make some deals in the next 18 days.
  • In his weekly AL Notes column, Heyman reports that with few top starters left on the market, the Astros may instead pursue high-end bullpen help in an effort to shorten the game and load up the relief corps for the postseason. Unsurprisingly, their list of targets would include Zach Britton, if he’s available. (Most clubs in the league would perk up at the notion of acquiring a healthy Britton.)
  • Heyman also notes that Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia is one rental pitcher that interests the Royals. On the subject of Kansas City, he also notes that while the team does have interest in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, K.C. would want Miami to pay down some of the roughly $41MM remaining on Gordon’s contract, which the Fish aren’t willing to do. The same is true of the Angels and Blue Jays, he adds, both of whom like the player but not his current salary.
  • Meanwhile, in his NL Notes column, Heyman writes that the Reds are believed to be willing to listen to offers on closer Raisel Iglesias but would only move him for a package that would “blow them away.” The 27-year-old Iglesias has emerged as one of baseball’s best relievers and is controllable through the 2020 season. He’s affordable at the moment ($3.5MM in 2017), but his contract allows him to opt into arbitration once eligible, so his salary is going to balloon quite a bit between now and 2020. Heyman also notes that the Reds would be interested in a two- or possibly three-year deal with Zack Cozart but recognize that he can earn more than they’re willing to pay when he gets to free agency.
  • The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Angels and Mariners could all be in the mix for lefty Brad Hand, Heyman reports. Regarding the Dodgers, Heyman and Robert Murray report that San Diego asked Los Angeles for top prospect Alex Verdugo in return, though there’s “no likelihood” of L.A. meeting that price. The Padres are also getting calls on cheap starters Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin, each of whom inked a one-year deal worth $1.75MM this past offseason.

AL Notes: Blue Jays, Panda, Verlander, Tigers, Smoak

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The Blue Jays have let teams around the league know that they’re open to offers on rental players like Marco Estrada, Francisco Liriano, Joe Smith and J.P. Howell, according to Robert Murray of FanRag Sports. The Jays are less open but not entirely closed off to the idea of moving lefty J.A. Happ and first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce, each of whom is affordably signed through the 2018 season, he adds. Toronto president Mark Shapiro recently suggested that the Jays still have enough pure talent to contend, though he also acknowledged that the club’s poor first half would require them to be open-minded. Certainly, it doesn’t seem as though the Jays are looking to tear things down entirely, and given their recent links to players like Dee Gordon, it’s possible that Toronto is even open to shedding short-term salary but still amassing some long-term assets to help beyond 2017. The 33-year-old Liriano, after all, has struggled all season, while Estrada limped into the All-Star break and the two relievers mentioned are presently on the disabled list.

More from the American League…

  • There’s simply no place for Pablo Sandoval on the Red Sox’ roster, writes WEEI’s John Tomase. The team still has a few days to make a decision on Sandoval, as his rehab window from an eyebrow-raising DL placement due to an ear infection doesn’t expire until Monday. However, Tomase argues that the writing has been on the wall from the moment the Sox placed Sandoval on the DL this past time. Deven Marrero and Tzu-Wei Lin are sound defensively, and even if neither can hit all that much, they’re both likely to outproduce Sandoval until Rafael Devers is ready or until president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski enlists some outside help on the trade market. Tomase notes that for all of his struggles in Boston, Sandoval has put in the effort to try to make the arrangement work. But, Tomase surmises, the team simply cannot exhibit any more patience at this point after giving Sandoval multiple chances to turn his career around.
  • MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that the Tigers are not actively shopping right-hander Justin Verlander, though he adds that a source says the team could be “talked into moving him” before the non-waiver deadline. That’s not all that surprising to hear, as Verlander is in the midst of one of his worst seasons and is owed nearly $70MM between now and the conclusion of the 2019 season. He also has a full no-trade clause, further complicating matters. While Verlander has been popular on the rumor circuit due to his name value, he doesn’t stand out as a realistic trade candidate given that contract, no-trade protection, his results and the Tigers’ likely desire to receive quality prospects in return.
  • Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus is fully aware of the rumors surrounding his club but hopes that the front office doesn’t trade away any big league talent prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, writes Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Ausmus believes the Tigers’ roster is markedly better than its record and is optimistic of a second-half turnaround. “Offensively, I do think part of the story is — I know how it sounds and I hate to say it — we’ve hit a lot of balls hard, significantly more than anyone else, that ended up being outs,” said Ausmus. “That can change games if a potential big hit becomes an out. We haven’t hit the ball as poorly as our numbers say.” Per Woodbery, Ausmus made an appeal to owner Chris Ilitch, though the manager concedes that it’s possible that some players will be moved.
  • Blue Jays first baseman spoke to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi about his remarkable turnaround in 2017. Smoak tells Davidi that at the suggestion of GM Ross Atkins, he sat down with a sports psychologist for the first time this offseason and developed a revamped mental approach to the game to go along with modifications to his swing path that were made with hitting coach Brook Jacoby. Smoak adds that he’s actually cut down on his swing at the plate, which has led to more power. “When you would see me coil, or you’d see the whole number on the back of my jersey, it was because I’m trying to hit the ball 500 feet,” he explains. “I’m big enough and I’m strong enough that if I square it up it’s going to have a chance. You don’t have to hit it 400 feet every time, they can barely go out, too.” The more reserved approach at the dish has helped him to recognize breaking balls more effectively, which Davidi explains is readily apparent in his plate discipline metrics. I’d highly recommend checking out the column in full, as it’s a great look at the transformation that Smoak has undergone.

Tigers Outright Matt den Dekker To Triple-A

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TODAY: den Dekker has been outrighted to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Tigers have designated outfielder Matt den Dekker for assignment, per a club announcement. Alex Presley will take his roster spot after being activated from the concussion DL.

It ended up being a short stay in Detroit for den Dekker. The 29-year-old outfielder saw just four games of action, though that was enough to make this the fifth straight year in which he has cracked the majors. He has been hitting well at Triple-A on the season, with a .258/.331/.490 slash over 176 total plate appearances.

Detroit came into the year expecting to give Presley a shot, but he hit the DL after just 54 plate appearances. He’ll work into the outfield mix, most likely joining some kind of platoon with center fielder Mikie Mahtook.

It’s possible that some additional playing time could come available in just a few weeks, depending upon what the Tigers do at the trade deadline. Presley and den Dekker (if he clears waivers and decides to stay) are just two of the left-handed-hitting outfielders in the organization.

Jim Adduci was just optioned after being activated from his own DL stint, and the Triple-A Toledo roster also lists Tyler Collins and Jason Krizan as southpaw swingers who can play some center field. The Double-A outfield is made up entirely of lefty bats, with former top prospect Steven Moya joined by current top-ten prospects Christin Stewart and Michael Gerber.

Gammons On Cubs, Tigers, Verlander, Lowrie, Cole

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“This is the reality: there are a lot more sellers than buyers right now,” a club personnel director tells Peter Gammons in the writer’s latest piece for his Gammons Daily website.  Not only are some teams still wondering if they can get back into the postseason race, other teams further back in the standings are looking to rebound in 2018 and thus won’t engage in full-scale selloffs at the deadline.  It makes for a lot of speculation but little hard facts at this point in July.  As one GM jokes, “the whole countdown to deadline day has become akin to stores putting Christmas decorations in their showcase windows on Labor Day.”  Here are some hot stove items from Gammons…

  • “The Cubs have called almost every team” in search of starting pitching, including asking the Tigers about Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris.  It would take a blockbuster offer for Detroit to eve consider moving Fulmer, as he has already displayed frontline-starter capabilities over his year and a half as a major leaguer, and he has yet to even reach his arbitration seasons.  Norris would come at a lesser but still substantial price since he is controlled through 2022, though the southpaw has battled both injuries and inconsistency during his four years in the bigs.  The Cubs are known to be looking for controllable young arms, and may be willing to deal from their surplus of young position players to do so.
  • One Tigers pitcher that isn’t on the Cubs’ radar is Justin Verlander, as one Cubs official tells Gammons that “no one is going to pay $70MM for him, even though he may still be a very good pitcher.”  Chicago reportedly at least asked about Verlander at one point, though with Detroit apparently wanting to both get top prospects and get Verlander’s salary off the books, it isn’t surprising that the Cubs’ interest in Verlander was described yesterday as “more smoke than fire” by the Detroit Free Press’ Anthony Fenech.
  • Billy Beane told Gammons earlier this week that he hadn’t received any serious interest in Sonny Gray prior to last weekend, and the same goes for any serious calls about Jed Lowrie.  The veteran infielder is thought to be a good target for teams in need of middle infield help and the Athletics to find lineup space for prospect Franklin Barreto, though it appears that Lowrie’s market has yet to develop with over three weeks still to go until the deadline.  MLBTR’s Connor Byrne examined Lowrie, Gray and other Oakland trade candidates in a Taking Inventory piece earlier today.
  • Returning to Gammons’ original point about teams not wanting rebuild when they feel they have a chance in 2018, Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that his team isn’t likely to trade young right-hander Gerrit Cole.  “We haven’t had a real conversation about Gerrit, and I don’t see us doing so,” Huntington said.  “We think we can be serious contenders next year….Our goal is to maintain a level of competitiveness every year, and not to have to jump back and build all over again.”

Rosenthal’s Latest: Verlander, Cubs, D-backs, Orioles

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While the Tigers have reportedly set a lofty asking price for right-hander Justin Verlander, his performance this year is going to make finding a taker difficult, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). Across 104 2/3 innings, Verlander has seen his ERA (4.73), strikeout (8.43 K/9) and walk (4.39 BB/9) rates trend in the wrong direction, and ERA indicators such as FIP (4.28) and xFIP (4.99) also paint a somewhat bleak picture. Thanks in part to his struggles this season, teams view Verlander as a diminishing asset and aren’t going to surrender top prospects for him unless Detroit absorbs a significant portion of his contract, reports Rosenthal. Verlander is due roughly $70MM through 2019.

More from Rosenthal:

  • Because the reigning World Series champion Cubs have been mired in mediocrity all season, club officials have considered trading a young position player to jump-start the team, according to Rosenthal. Such a move would presumably land the Cubs a sorely needed controllable starting pitcher. The problem, Rosenthal points out, is that Chicago doesn’t have any obvious trade candidates among those position players. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and third baseman Kris Bryant obviously aren’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, catcher Willson Contreras and rookie outfielder/second baseman Ian Happ have also been key cogs, and, per Rosenthal, the Cubs remain bullish on struggling left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Turning to the middle infield, Major League Baseball is looking into a domestic violence allegation against shortstop Addison Russell, which doesn’t do his trade value any favors, and Rosenthal indicates that Javier Baez’s versatility makes him too important to deal.
  • With a wild-card spot in hand, the surprising Diamondbacks will take an “aggressive” approach leading up to the deadline, relays Rosenthal. Acquiring pitching depth and another bat (either in the form of a middle infielder or outfielder) are possibilities for Arizona. The Diamondbacks’ position player group has taken hits in recent weeks with shortstop Nick Ahmed’s fractured hand an outfielder Yasmany Tomas’ groin issues. Swinging impactful trades could be difficult for the D-backs because of their weak farm system, but Rosenthal notes that they do have some financial flexibility.
  • The scuffling Orioles are unsure how they’ll approach the deadline, general manager Dan Duquette informed Rosenthal. By selling, they’d gain access to much-needed young talent, Rosenthal observes. The O’s essentially punt on international spending, evidenced recently by multiple trades that have seen them relinquish international bonus slots for run-of-the-mill minor leaguers, and Rosenthal explains that they turned in an unimpressive performance in the draft this year. So, to help restock its young talent pool, Rosenthal contends that Baltimore should shop closer Zach Britton, arguing that certain championship hopefuls would eagerly pursue a healthy version of the left-hander. Britton hasn’t been the picture of health this year, though, having landed on the disabled list multiple times (including a 60-day stint) on account of forearm issues.

Tigers Rumors: JD Martinez, Wilson, Verlander, Avila, Kinsler

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“The Dodgers seem like an obvious fit” to acquire J.D. Martinez from the Tigers, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes.  The two clubs discussed Martinez last winter, plus the Tigers have an interest in L.A. outfield prospect Alex Verdugo, though it remains to be seen if the Dodgers would trade the highly-touted Verdugo for a midseason rental like Martinez.  Here’s a rundown of news about some of Detroit’s biggest trade chips, as per conversations between Fenech and several sources familiar with the thinking of both the Tigers and possible trade partners…

  • The Dodgers are also interested in closer Justin Wilson, who would add another big left-handed arm to the L.A. bullpen.  Wilson may be one of the most sought-after arms at the deadline, and given the premium on relief pitching, some believe the Tigers might get more for Wilson than they would for Martinez (Wilson is controlled through 2018, while Martinez is a free agent this winter).  The Nationals have also had a scout following the Tigers this week, and Wilson is known to be one of their top potential trade targets as Washington looks to fix its ailing bullpen.
  • Wilson has the subject of trade buzz since the offseason, and Fenech reports that the Astros came the closest to obtaining the southpaw over the winter.  The Tigers asked Houston for top outfield prospect Derek Fisher at the time, and one would think Detroit’s interest has only increased given how Fisher has performed this season.  Fisher has a superb .306/.370/.575 slash line and 19 homers over 336 Triple-A plate appearances, not to mention a .992 OPS during a 21-PA cup of coffee with the Astros in his big league debut.  This is just my speculation, but since Houston’s bullpen is already arguably the league’s best, I’m not sure they would deal a top prospect for another reliever.  On the other hand, if the Astros are unable to land starting pitching help, they could turn to the relief market in an attempt to form an ultra-bullpen, a la the 2015 Royals.  The Astros have also had scouts recently watching the Tigers.
  • The Cubs asked the Tigers about Justin Verlander and Alex Avila earlier this week, and Fenech reports that Chicago is indeed interested in having Avila fill the spot left behind the plate by Miguel Montero.  In regards to Verlander, however, “the Cubs’ interest is more smoke than fire.”
  • Verlander’s big contract limits his number of suitors, and Fenech lists just the Cubs, Dodgers and Astros as potential trade partners, though all have some drawbacks.  Los Angeles may look to address other needs than its rotation, while an Astros move for Verlander “would be out of their character.”  Still, Fenech figures Houston will at least check in with Detroit about the former Cy Young Award winner.
  • There hasn’t been any buzz about Ian Kinsler, whose market is complicated by below-average numbers this season, his no-trade clause, and the fact that most contenders are already set at second base.  Unless a contending team suffers an injury at the position, Fenech figures Kinsler will be an offseason trade candidate for the Tigers.

AL Notes: Trade Chatter, Richards, M’s, Rangers, Profar, Draft

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The trade deadline chatter hasn’t really picked up yet, perhaps in large part owing to the tightly packed American League. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag recently took his weekly spin around the A.L., providing a few items of note. While there has been a bit of buzz around Justin Verlander, the Tigers haven’t asked him to provide a list of teams to which he’d permit a trade. The Astros, meanwhile, seem to be hoping for a chance at adding a difference-making starter, but don’t know whether such an arm will end up being made available. And the White Sox, unsurprisingly, are ready and willing to get deals done.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • It’s still not clear when the Angels can expect righty Garrett Richards to return, but Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times provides an update (Twitter links). The biceps nerve irritation he has experienced isn’t completely relieved, but it has improved. Just when he’ll be cleared to  throw, though, has yet to be determined — and no doubt there’ll be a lengthy and cautious build-up once the medical staff gives a go-ahead.
  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto suggests that he still doesn’t perceive a need to shake things up too drastically at the deadline, despite a lull that has the M’s now sitting four games under .500. As MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports, Dipoto says that the team’s “roster plan has never really changed.” While buy and sell-side opportunities could arise at the deadline, it seems a major shift in either direction is unlikely. Starting pitching, clearly, is a prime need. “We’re not going to empty both barrels to try to go out and find the ace to perch atop the rotation to take us to the promised land, because that guy doesn’t exist,” said Dipoto. But he also noted that the trade deadline is but one of “two windows when you can access starting pitching” and promised at least to “stay in tune with” the market for starters.
  • There’s a similar sentiment in Texas, it seems. It would take “unique circumstances” for the Rangers to sell veteran players at the deadline, GM Jon Daniels tells Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. While Texas is likely only competing for a Wild Card at this point, neither is the organization facing any need to trim salary, per the report. With confidence within the organization seemingly still running high, it appears the likeliest scenario is that the team will mostly look to maintain its roster through the non-waiver trade period.
  • Meanwhile, it’s still unclear what will happen with Rangers infielder/outfielder Jurickson Profar, as Wilson writes. Presumably, the still youthful former top prospect could end up playing a significant role with Texas or be utilized as a trade chip over the summer. For the time being, he’s receiving only brief stints in the majors. Regardless of how things turn out, Profar says that he’s dealing with things by playing his hardest wherever that may be — mostly, this year, at Triple-A. He has hit well at Round Rock, slashing .303/.376/.444 in 223 plate appearances this year, and would still be an interesting trade candidate to dangle this summer.
  • The Rays failed to sign supplemental first-round draft pick Drew Rasmussen, as MLB.com’s Jim Callis first tweeted. It seems that Rasmussen will not be turned loose in free agency, as John Manuel of Baseball America writes; instead, he’ll likely head back to Oregon State for his senior year. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is still hoping the league will award it a compensatory pick in next year’s draft. (While the organization did not make a sufficient offer to do so, it feels that there were issues with Rasmussen’s pre-draft MRIs.) Meanwhile, Orioles fourth-rounder Jack Conlon will be granted unrestricted free agency after going unsigned, as BA’s Hudson Belinsky explains. That gives him the option of signing on with any MLB organization — without being capped by bonus pools — or instead heading to college. Angels fifth-rounder Joe Booker was the only other player from the first ten rounds of the draft to go unsigned, as Belinsky tweeted he’ll instead honor a commitment to South Alabama.
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