Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Tigers Rumors

Quick Hits: Orioles, White Sox, Dodgers

By | at

The Orioles have lost 17 of their last 24 games, but they're just half a game out of the Wild Card race, so their top baseball executive says the team’s future is now. Dan Duquette told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Orioles are "going to try to do everything [possible] to get into the playoffs this year.” Here are today’s links…

  • The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican corner outfielder Hanlet Otano, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 16-year-old Otano has raw power from the right side, according to Badler.
  • Austin Jackson, Mark Trumbo and Jason Kipnis make appearances in Dave Cameron's latest pieces about the MLB players with the greatest trade value.
  • The Tigers, Red Sox and Dodgers figure to be among the most aggressive teams in summer trade talks, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The Tigers are pursuing starting pitching, Olney reported this morning.
  • Dodgers chairman Mark Walter told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that the Dodgers won't pass up ways of improving their team this summer, even if it means boosting payroll. "I'm not trying to save a dollar," Walter said. "I'd rather say we have a great team and maybe spend a little too much."

Bowden On Padres, Tigers, Indians, Royals, Pirates

By | at

Here's the latest from around the league, courtesy of ESPN's Jim Bowden…

  • The Padres have fielded offers for both Huston Street and Carlos Quentin, but they've yet to seriously debate any of them internally.
  • The Tigers are seeking a second base upgrade and would like to acquire Darwin Barney from the Cubs for a mid-level prospect.
  • The Indians are looking all over to acquire an outfield bat, but they are unable to take back a significant contract and are unwilling to move their best prospects.
  • Meanwhile, the Royals are trying to convince the Indians or Reds to take Jeff Francoeur so they can promote Wil Myers from Triple-A.
  • The Pirates are aggressively trying to land a middle of the order bat while the Orioles are seeking starting pitching and a third base upgrade.
  • There have been rumors of a Mike Morse for B.J. Upton trade, according to Bowden. The Nationals are also looking to add a starter with Stephen Strasburg's innings limit approaching.
  • The Giants have no plans of making a deal similar to the one they made last year, when they traded Zack Wheeler for a rental (Carlos Beltran). They are looking for a bat or two, however.

Competitive Balance Lottery Results

By | at

Baseball’s first Competitive Balance Lottery took place in New York City today. The lottery, which allocates additional draft picks to small-market and low-revenue teams, provides teams with draft choices they can choose to use or trade. The Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers and Cardinals were eligible to obtain draft picks. The Tigers were also eligible, though only for the group of selections that takes place after the second round. Here are the results, via MLB.com:

Selections Between First & Second Rounds (Round A)

  1. Royals
  2. Pirates
  3. Diamondbacks
  4. Orioles
  5. Reds
  6. Marlins

Selections After Second Round (Round B)

  1. Padres
  2. Indians
  3. Rockies
  4. Athletics
  5. Brewers
  6. Tigers

The Rays and Cardinals did not receive a pick in either of the Competitive Balance Lottery Rounds.

Tigers, White Sox, Orioles Asked About Richard

By | at

The Tigers, White Sox and Orioles checked in on Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). All three American League teams are known to be seeking starting pitching depth.

Richard, 28, has a 3.83 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in an NL-best 127 innings this year. He earns $2.7MM in 2012 and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014. He has a career ERA of 4.12 with 6.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in five seasons with the White Sox and Padres.

Padres GM Josh Byrnes figures to get calls on players such as Richard, Edinson Volquez and Chase Headley, but all three players are under team control past 2012. One team said the Padres' asking price for Headley is the highest market price, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported on Twitter today.

Red Sox, Marlins Discussed Crawford, Hanley, Bell

By | at

1:10pm: There's no current discussion involving Crawford, Ramirez and Bell, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The idea surfaced briefly as a concept and immediately died.

12:57pm: The Red Sox and Marlins are discussing a trade that would send Carl Crawford to Miami for Hanley Ramirez and Heath Bell, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The Marlins approached the Red Sox about the possible blockbuster, Nightengale reports.

The biggest impediment to the deal is the Marlins' indecision about their course for the rest of the 2012 season. Miami VP Dan Jennings is in Boston scouting Crawford, according to Nightengale. The potential trade would be the second-biggest contract swap in history, trailing only the 2004 trade involving Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano, Nightengale writes.

The Marlins are also discussing trades involving Josh Johnson and Anibal Sanchez, plus a deal that would send Omar Infante back to Detroit, Nightengale reports.

Ken Rosenthal reported earlier today that the Red Sox are determining trade interest in Crawford. However, GM Ben Cherington says there's "nothing going on" with the left fielder, who is in the second year of a seven-year, $142MM contract he signed following the 2010 season.

Competitive Balance Lottery Takes Place Today

By | at

Baseball’s first Competitive Balance Lottery takes place today, when small-market and low-revenue teams will have the chance to win extra selections in next year’s amateur draft. The ten smallest-market teams and ten lowest-revenue teams will have the chance to win extra selections in 2013, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. 

There’s overlap between small-market teams and low-revenue teams, so there are 13 clubs involved in the first-round lottery: the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Royals, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Rays, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Brewers and Cardinals. The first six selections will be made between the first and second rounds of next year’s draft. A second group of six picks will be available to the teams from the first group that didn’t get an early pick, plus the Tigers. The second group of selections will be made after the second round of the draft. 

MLB teams can trade the draft picks they obtain in the Competitive Balance Lottery. The picks, which can only be traded once, cannot be sold or traded during the offseason. In theory, the draft picks could be involved in some of this summer’s deadline deals. 

The lottery takes place today at 12:30pm CDT/1:30pm EDT in New York and the winners will be announced 75 minutes later. A team’s chances of winning depend on its winning percentage from the previous season.

Nightengale On Cubs, Upton, Mariners

By | at

Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he expects a “lightning round” of trades during the 48-hour period leading up to the July 31st trade deadline. “That's when things really are going to pick up," Towers predicts. Until then, here are Nightengale’s latest rumors:

Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday

By | at

The Cubs are working hard to move Ryan Dempster and they could trade him by the end of the week. The Dodgers, Tigers, Braves, Red Sox and Nationals have all expressed interest in the right-hander, who can veto any trade. The Dodgers would top Dempster's list of potential destinations, followed by the Braves, Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday. There are only a few teams to which the right-hander wouldn't accept a trade. 

Dempster, 35, has a 1.86 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 92 innings for the Cubs this year. He earns $14MM in 2012 — more than $6MM between now and the end of the season — but the Cubs are said to be willing to absorb salary to facilitate a deal. Here are the latest rumors surrounding Dempster, with the most recent developments up top:

  • Interest from the Nationals and Yankees isn’t as strong as some reports indicate, Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. While the Dodgers had been considered the favorite to land Dempster, teams such as the Tigers, Red Sox and Braves could still acquire him.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both hear the Dodgers are considered the favorites to acquire Dempster.
  • The Dodgers are viewed as the favorites for Dempster with the Tigers seen as “strong pursuers” and the Red Sox considered long shots, Joel Sherman reported today.

Tigers Actively Seek Pitching

By | at

The Tigers are actively pursuing starting pitching with less than two weeks remaining before the July 31st trade deadline, MLB executives tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Top pitching prospect Jacob Turner allowed seven earned runs in two innings to the Angels last night, so Detroit's need for pitching now seems more acute than ever.

The Tigers appear to have some level of interest in Ryan Dempster (details here), Matt Garza (details here) and Wandy Rodriguez (details here). They're expected to make top third base/outfield prospect Nick Castellanos unavailable in trade discussions, but they are probably willing to part with Rob Brantly, and Turner, Casey Crosby or Bruce Rondon could also be available.

The White Sox are also said to be prioritizing starting pitching in trade talks. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out that all three AL Central contenders — the Tigers, White Sox and Indians — could use rotation upgrades. Another AL Central team, the Twins, has one of the most intriguing trade candidates in baseball: Francisco Liriano.

Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello round out the rest of Detroit's rotation. Rookie left-hander Drew Smyly is on the disabled list with a strained rib cage muscle.

Morosi On Braves, Tigers, Cardinals, Greinke

By | at

The Braves are looking at possible bullpen upgrades in addition to starting pitching options, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Here are more news items from Morosi with precisely two weeks to go before this year’s trade deadline…

  • The Tigers would like to add a left-handed starter, but are wary of taking on all of Wandy Rodriguez’s contract, Morosi reports (on Twitter). Rodriguez earns $10MM this year and $13MM next year. His contract includes a $13MM option for 2014 that becomes a player option if the Astros trade Rodriguez. 
  • Jason Vargas is a similar pitcher to Rodriguez on a more affordable contract who could appeal to the Tigers, in my opinion. Alternatively, Houston could absorb salary to facilitate a trade.
  • The Cardinals continue to monitor the market for starters and relievers, Morosi and Ken Rosenthal write. The Mariners recently scouted Cardinals pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins, but it’s not known if the teams are actively discussing a trade for Vargas or anyone else.
  • Morosi gets the sense that Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke will stay put in Milwaukee this year (video link).
  • Morosi explains that he believes Cole Hamels is a better fit for the Rangers than the Angels (video link).
Show all

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

hide arrows scroll to top