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Details On Failed Darvish Talks Between Rangers, Astros

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The trade that would have sent Zach Britton from the Orioles to the Astros included third baseman Colin Moran, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, but medical issues ultimately sank the deal. Moran was already on the disabled list after having suffered a concussion and a facial fracture when he fouled a ball off his face in mid-July, per Heyman, but there were also medical issues with one of the prospects that would have gone to Baltimore. That issue was found as the O’s sifted through medical paperwork, and though Houston tried to resurrect the deal in the final hours leading up to the non-waiver deadline, the two sides were ultimately unable to find a common ground. None of Kyle Tucker, Derek Fisher, Francis Martes, Forrest Whitley or Yordan Alvarez were offered in either iteration of the deal, he adds.

[SOURCE LINK]

  • Prior to trading Yu Darvish to the Dodgers, the Rangers “made clear” that they were “completely willing” to trade Darvish to the Astros. The Rangers, according to Heyman, asked for top-tier prospects from their division rivals, however, before ultimately landing on a package comprised largely of high-ceiling players in A-ball. Houston offered currently suspended (PEDs) top prospect David Paulino in a deal, and the two sides apparently never got especially close to reaching an agreement.

Latest On Justin Verlander

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With the August trade period soon coming to a close, there has been a surge of interest in Tigers righty Justin Verlander, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Verlander is one of many veteran players to have cleared revocable waivers, though he also enjoys full no-trade protection.

Speculation has long focused on the Astros as a viable landing spot. While there have been indications that the sides have engaged in talks, though, none seem to have occurred  of late — so far as is publicly known.

Interestingly, though, Morosi says another organization “has emerged as [a] possible suitor.” The new team with interest isn’t yet known, but surely it must be an organization with reasonable present expectations of pushing for a postseason berth.

That is an intriguing development, to be sure, but doesn’t necessarily suggest Verlander is likely to be on the move. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag suggested yesterday that the Tigers haven’t recently engaged in earnest with other organizations. Plus, there’s the matter of Verlander’s full no-trade protection. Though he has indicated he would at least strongly consider a move to a non-contender, he could also seek some compensation.

Most importantly, perhaps, Detroit has long been said to desire a fairly significant prospect return that arguably outstrips the value of the star righty’s contract. Verlander is owed $56MM for the following two seasons, which is a fairly hefty rate for a 34-year-old pitcher. He got off to a slow start this year, too, though he has posted a strong 3.34 ERA with 109 strikeouts and 37 walks over his last 105 innings (17 starts).

Astros Fly To Dallas, To Announce Upcoming Plans

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In light of the damage wrought by Tropical Storm Harvey, the Astros have released a statement about their plans for the coming week. The team, after playing the Angels in California this weekend, is currently scheduled to host the Rangers in Houston on Tuesday. However, the team now plans to fly to Dallas, and will provide an update on their schedule on Monday. It seems reasonable to speculate that the upcoming series will be moved to Arlington. “At this point, our focus is on the safety of our fans, our players and their families and our front office staff and their families,” says Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan. “As we continue to monitor the conditions, we have been in communication with Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers and will provide an update on Monday.” Obviously, these potential changes to the baseball calendar pale in importance to the continued dangers Harvey poses, and we at MLBTR send our thoughts to any readers currently dealing with the devastation of the storm.

Astros Make Front Office Changes

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  • The Astros announced a series of front office changes on Friday, as Brian McTaggart of MLB.com details in full. The mutual parting between the team and assistant director of player personnel Quinton McCracken was among those moves. McCracken, who had been in the Astros’ front office since 2012 and even drew interest from Boston when it was looking for a GM in 2015, talked about his exit with Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle. “(With) the recent reconfiguration of the front office staff, we mutually agreed it was best for me to pursue other opportunities in the baseball community,” McCracken said. “It was a mutual agreement. My contract was due at the end of this cycle, and we decided that it just wasn’t a proper fit moving forward.” McCracken’s departure comes on the heels of the Astros firing eight scouts earlier this month.

Correa, McCullers Among Astros Set For Rehab Assignments

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Both Carlos Correa and Lance McCullers are headed out on minor league rehab assignments this week. Correa told reporters that he’s going to Triple-A Fresno tomorrow to begin his rehab assignment (Twitter link, with video, from FOX 26’s Mark Berman). Yesterday, Correa said he expected that he’d need 20 to 30 at-bats to get back up to speed, which would suggest that he could return to the Astros in about a week’s time. As for McCullers, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle tweets that he’s slated to make a rehab start with Fresno on Friday. Berman also tweets that in addition to that pair of key players, righty Will Harris, lefty Tony Sipp and righty Michael Feliz are all headed to Triple-A Fresno for rehab work. Beyond that, Brian McCann is ready to be activated tomorrow.

Correa Rehab Assignment Will Likely Last A Week

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  • Carlos Correa told reporters today that while he’s not yet certain exactly when he’ll embark on a minor league rehab assignment, he thinks he’ll need about a week’s worth of at-bats in the minors before he’s ready to return (Twitter link via Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle). Correa cited a target of 20 to 30 at-bats before he’d be back up to speed. It’s been just under five weeks since the Astros announced that Correa would miss six to eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament.

Latest On Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers

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Astros superstar shortstop Carlos Correa is progressing toward a return from the torn left thumb ligament he suffered July 18. Correa will take batting practice on the field Tuesday for the first time since succumbing to the injury, and he could then embark on a rehab assignment, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, including Ben DuBose of MLB.com. Teammate Lance McCullers, who has been on the shelf for three weeks with back discomfort, threw a three-inning simulated game Sunday, but there’s no timetable for the right-hander’s return. Hinch informed Mark Berman of FOX 26 (via Twitter) and other reporters that McCullers will need to make multiple rehab appearances before coming back.

Dodgers Claim Jordan Jankowski From Astros

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The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Jordan Jankowski off waivers from the Astros, per an announcement from Los Angeles. The hurler had been in limbo since the Astros designated him for assignment this past Monday.

[Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]

A 34th-round pick of the Astros in 2012, Jankowski made his major league debut earlier this year and fared poorly across 4 1/3 innings, surrendering six earned runs on seven hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. Jankowski hasn’t produced great results in 40 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, either, with a 5.13 ERA, 5.13 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent ground-ball rate. The 28-year-old has averaged nearly 12 strikeouts per nine at that level this season, however, adding to his impressive bat-missing history in the minors. In 174 1/3 lifetime Triple-A innings, Jankowski has fanned exactly 12 hitters per nine, against 4.5 BB/9, and posted a 3.87 ERA.

Jankowski, who has three minor league options remaining, will report to the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Astros Notes: Verlander, Hernandez

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There remains an outside chance that Houston will trade for Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander this month, as the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo hears from major league sources that the Astros haven’t closed the door on acquiring the fireballer. There have been a slew of reports since last month on the possibility of Verlander going to the Astros, including one from FanRag’s Jon Heyman earlier this week. A source told Heyman that negotiations between the two teams had been “put to bed.” For his part, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t expect to make a big acquisition before the month’s out. To land Verlander, who’s still due around $7MM this season and another $56MM from 2018-19, the Luhnow-led Astros would need to take on the majority of his contract and “give up a few prospects,” Cafardo writes. Not all prospects are created equally, of course, and the Tigers want legitimate young talent in return for the longtime ace and franchise icon, per various reports.

Astros Fire Eight Scouts

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  • The Astros recently fired at least eight scouts, as Peter Gammons tweeted yesterday. These firings are a bit surprising coming from an organization whose big-league team is currently thriving thanks to the contributions of a number of young, homegrown players. GM Jeff Luhnow, though, says the team’s scouting division will remain about the same size going forward, and that the area is being realigned, as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes. “This is not a cutback in scouting,” says Luhnow. “We are reconfiguring within and across the three scouting departments – international, domestic and pro.” Luhnow added that he expects the team will make new scouting hires.
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