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Astros, Rays Showing Interest In Michael Lorenzen

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Michael Lorenzen is one of the top rental starting pitchers who could move between now and the August 1 trade deadline. The Rays and Astros are among the contending clubs that have shown interest in the Tigers’ righty, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link).

It stands to reason Tampa Bay and Houston are just two of a number of teams monitoring the market for the Detroit hurler. Lorenzen is having a strong season, working to a 3.49 ERA through 17 starts. He tossed seven scoreless innings to earn a win over the Royals this afternoon and hasn’t allowed a run in any of his past three appearances.

Lorenzen began the season on the injured list after straining his groin in Spring Training. Since returning in the middle of April, he’s been a quality starter for Detroit. He has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 17 outings. While his 19.1% strikeout rate is a couple points below league average, he has kept his walks to a modest 6.5% clip. Lorenzen has negligible platoon splits and mixes four pitches with regularity.

While it’s not the most overpowering profile, the first-time All-Star looks a solid mid-rotation arm for contenders. Tampa Bay and Houston have both made clear they’re surveying the rotation market. The Rays have limited depth behind the front four of Shane McClanahan, Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin and rookie Taj Bradley. They’ve lost Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs for the season and been without southpaw Josh Fleming for an extended stretch.

Tampa Bay has been tied to a number of rental starters. Lance Lynn, Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Marcus Stroman (the latter of whom has a $21MM player option for next season) are all reportedly on Tampa Bay’s radar.  The Rays seem to be casting a wide net as they look to solidify their final rotation spot in their battle for the AL East title.

It’s a similar story in Houston. Luis Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery, while Lance McCullers Jr. will miss the whole season after recurring forearm issues. José Urquidy has been out since the end of April with shoulder discomfort, though he’s on a rehab stint and expected back soon.

As with the Rays, the Astros have a quality top of the rotation. Framber Valdez headlines a group that also includes Cristian Javier and rookie Hunter Brown. Javier has scuffled of late, which the team has attributed to some fatigue, while Brown is already at 99 1/3 innings after tossing 130 frames last year between the regular season and playoffs. J.P. France and Ronel Blanco have held down the last two spots. Houston general manager Dana Brown has publicly discussed his desire for another arm. The Astros have also been tied to Stroman.

Lorenzen could fit on virtually any contender. He’s playing this season on an $8.5MM salary. Around $2.79MM will remain to be paid out from the deadline onward. Lorenzen tacked on an extra $250K in incentives by passing the 100-inning mark today and would earn a matching amount at 125, 150, 175, 195 and 205 frames.

If he stays healthy, he’s likely to at least get to the 150-175 inning range. Still, the tab for an acquiring team would only be around $3MM. That’s a reasonable figure for mid-rotation production for the stretch run and into the playoffs.

While that all makes Lorenzen a sensible trade target, it’s not a foregone conclusion Detroit sells. Despite being eight games under .500 with a -77 run differential, the Tigers are only five games back of the division-leading Twins in the AL Central.

It’s tough to see this Detroit club making a playoff push — only Oakland and Kansas City have scored fewer runs on the season — but the bleakness of the division leaves the door slightly ajar. President of baseball operations Scott Harris implied last week the team could play well enough to avoid a deadline sell-off, although they could strike a middle ground by dealing Lorenzen while holding onto players who are controllable beyond 2023.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: All Eyes on the Angels, Cardinals Trade Options and Buyers or Sellers

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Do you feel that the Yankees should be sellers? (17:25)
  • If the Rangers were to acquire Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, would that make them the favorite in American League? (21:30)
  • What are the Blue Jays going to target at the deadline? (24:00)

Check out our past episodes!

Tigers Agree To Terms With First-Rounder Max Clark

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The Tigers announced that they have agreed to terms with first-round pick Max Clark. The club did not announce the signing bonus, but Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reports that it’s $7.7MM, a bit below the $8.34MM slot value for the third overall pick.

Clark, 18, is a left-handed hitting outfielder who was selected out of Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Indiana. He was a consensus top five player in the draft class, with each of Baseball America, ESPN, FanGraphs, MLB.com and Keith Law of The Athletic ranking him either fourth or fifth. In each case, the top three slots were split between Dylan Crews, Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford, with Clark and Walker Jenkins either #4 or #5.

The Tigers selected third and saw the Pirates take Skenes first and the Nationals grab Crews second. Instead of taking the other consensus top three guy in Langford, they went for Clark, who was generally considered to be a tier below that group. But the $7.7MM bonus he received is basically equivalent to the slot value of the fourth overall pick, perhaps allowing the Tigers to use some of those savings to sign some of the other players they drafted.

The reports on Clark all consider him a well-rounded player with the potential to contribute in all facets of the game. His speed and defense get universal praise, with Clark considered to be capable of playing above-average center field defense but also having a strong enough arm to play any outfield position. His power hitting might be his biggest question mark but he’s thought to be an excellent “pure” hitter with good plate discipline and the ability to hit the balls to all fields.

Harris: Tigers Open To Changing Trade Deadline Plans

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The Tigers are currently ten games under .500 with a 40-50 record. Despite that reality, the club is in third place in an exceptionally weak AL Central division, just five games back of the division-leading Twins. The club has managed to look competitive at various points this season, with a 16-11 record in May and, more recently, a 14-13 record since snapping a nine-game skid on June 12th.  Detroit has also begun to get healthy in recent weeks, with outfielder Riley Greene, right-hander Matt Manning, and lefties Eduardo Rodriguez and Tarik Skubal each coming off the injured list in recent weeks after an extended absence.

With the club approaching full strength, the division within reach, and stretches of success in the first half, it seems that president of baseball operations Scott Harris isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel on the 2023 campaign. In conversation with 97.1 The Ticket, Harris noted that he remains open to the possibility of avoiding a mid-season sell-off  if the team gets hot in the final two weeks ahead of the trade deadline on August 1.

“If we get hot out of the break, it’s going to change our approach to the trade deadline.” Harris said Thursday, “We are going to be responsive to the way the team is playing heading into the deadline and we’re going to try to make the best decisions we can for the organization.”

While that’s hardly a strong declaration of intent, the fact that the Tigers are even considering not selling at the deadline leaves the door open for a major shakeup to the market this trade season. With an unusually small number of clear sellers, the Tigers have found a handful of their players at the center of trade buzz all throughout the season. Indeed, MLBTR’s list of the Top 50 Deadline Trade Candidates featured each of Michael Lorenzen (#9), Rodriguez (#12), Jose Cisnero (#28), and Alex Lange (#43).

Should Detroit decide to hold onto that group of coveted arms, that could drive up demand for the arms available on other expected sellers, such as Lucas Giolito of the White Sox and Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals. It’s also possible that a dearth of proper sellers could encourage trades of established major league players between contenders to address needs on both teams. While such deals are typically rare, they still happen on occasion; the Harrison Bader for Jordan Montgomery one-for-one swap between St. Louis and the New York one year ago is perhaps the most recent example.

Even if the Tigers decide not to sell at the deadline, it seems unlikely that they would spend significant prospect capital to add a rental bat like Tommy Pham or Cody Bellinger to address the club’s offense, which ranks bottom three in the majors with a wRC+ of just 86. That being said, if Harris and the rest of the front office feel they’re close enough to contention to consider holding onto short-term assets, they could look to improve the club’s offense by pursuing players with club control remaining after the 2023 campaign. Speculatively speaking, Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill or Arizona infielder Josh Rojas could be the sort of multi-year acquisition that could make sense for the club to look into if they decide to pursue a division title in the second half.

Tigers Release Jonathan Schoop

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July 14: The Tigers announced that Schoop has now cleared waivers and been granted his release.

July 12: The Tigers have released Jonathan Schoop, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. Once he clears release waivers, he’ll be a free agent.

This was the expected outcome when Detroit designated the veteran infielder for assignment on Friday night. Schoop’s offensive struggles — he’s a .204/.248/.311 hitter going back to the start of 2022 — meant he was never likely to attract trade interest. He’s making $7.5MM this season (a little more than $3MM of which is still to be paid out), which no club is going to assume via waiver claim.

After hitting the market, the 31-year-old should be able to find some interest around the league. He’s a former All-Star who rated as a Gold Glove caliber defensive second baseman a season ago. Schoop’s offense has evaporated the past couple years, but he’s a career .254/.293/.428 hitter through parts of 11 big league campaigns.

Given his struggles at the plate, Schoop might be limited to minor league opportunities for now. If he cracks another team’s MLB roster this season, that club would pay him the prorated amount of the $720K league minimum salary for however long he’s in the majors. Detroit will remain on the hook for the rest of the contract.

Dodgers To Sign Jake Marisnick To Major League Deal

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The Dodgers are signing outfielder Jake Marisnick to a major league deal, reports Kenny Van Doren of Bally Sports Midwest. The Tigers announced earlier today that Marisnick had cleared waivers and elected free agency after being designated for assignment a few days ago, which has quickly led to a new deal. The Dodgers have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make room for Marisnick.

Marisnick, 32, has spent many years in the big leagues, generally providing speed and excellent outfield defense but hitting at a subpar rate. He spent many years with the Astros in this capacity but has become a journeyman in recent seasons, bouncing to the Mets, Cubs, Padres, Pirates, White Sox and Tigers since the start of the 2020 campaign, with the Dodgers now added to that list.

This winter, he signed a minor league deal with the White Sox and was added to that club’s roster in early May. He spent just over a week with them before being designated for assignment and accepting an outright. The Sox traded him to the Tigers, who also carried him on the big league roster for a while, that stint lasting a bit more than a month before he got the DFA treatment yet again.

Between those two clubs, he hit .225/.263/.408 in 77 plate appearances for a wRC+ of 82. Those numbers are fairly close to his career output, which has resulted in a batting line of .228/.281/.385 and a wRC+ of 81. He stole two more bases, bringing his career tally to 81, and received positive grades for his defense. For his career, he’s tallied 81 Defensive Runs Saved, 53 Outs Above Average and a score of 24.5 from Ultimate Zone Rating.

The Dodgers have been juggling pieces in their middle infield this year, with Gavin Lux likely to miss the whole year after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee during Spring Training. Miguel Vargas has struggled to such a degree that the club optioned him to the minors going into the All-Star break. With utility player Chris Taylor on the injured list, the club has moved Mookie Betts in from right field to play a lot of second base next to shortstop Miguel Rojas.

With Betts moving to the dirt, the outfield has generally consisted of James Outman, David Peralta and Jason Heyward most days. Trayce Thompson would have been in that mix were he not on the injured list as well. Marisnick will likely slot into the club’s bench behind that group, alongside Jonny Deluca, likely to be deployed as a pinch runner or defensive replacement.

Tigers Designate Jake Marisnick For Assignment

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The Tigers announced that outfielder Jake Marisnick has been designated for assignment.  The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Trey Wingenter, who was activated off the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A.

Detriot acquired Marisnick from the White Sox in cash transaction at the end of May, just when Riley Greene suffered a stress reaction in his left fibula.  Greene just returned from the 15-day IL this weekend, and even though the Tigers will somewhat ease him back into action via DH duty and some more frequent off-days, the team felt comfortable enough to move on from Marisnick.

Over 33 games and 75 plate appearances in a Tigers uniform, Marisnick hit .232/.270/.420 with two home runs, though the 11-year veteran has never been known for his bat.  Marisnick has generally been an excellent defender throughout his career, and the public defensive metrics (+4 Outs Above Average, +15.5 UZR/150, +4 Defensive Runs Saved) have loved his work over 206 innings as a center fielder in 2023.  It’s a bit of a bounce-back for Marisnick after some slightly more inconsistent defensive numbers in recent years, though it’s worth noting the small sample-size factor, as Marisnick has been a part-time player for most of the last four seasons.

If Marisnick clears waivers, he’ll have the right to decline an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, since he has previously been outrighted in his career.  The 32-year-old might opt to remain in Detroit’s farm system as depth, or perhaps choose free agency in search of yet another team in need of defensive outfield help at the big league level.  Marisnick has played for eight MLB teams over his 11 seasons, though he is best remembered for his six-year run with the Astros that included a World Series ring in 2017.

AL Central Notes: Tigers, Polanco, Benintendi

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Tigers right-hander Matt Manning through 6 2/3 hitless innings yesterday, combining with Jason Foley and Alex Lange to throw the ninth no-hitter in franchise history. While the decision to pull a starter in the midst of a no-hitter is always a controversial one, manager A.J. Hinch shed additional light on the decision following yesterday’s game, noting to reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that Manning had been struggling through the outing and was evaluated by team trainers between each inning. Manning expanded on Hinch’s comments, noting that he tweaked his side during the second inning. Fortunately, it appears Manning avoided a more serious injury, and the 25-year-old hurler will have the opportunity to rest during the All Star break ahead of the second half.

The Tigers also offered an update regarding left-hander Tyler Alexander today. Alexander was placed on the 60-day injured list with a left lat/shoulder strain last week, a move that seemingly indicated the lefty’s season could be in jeopardy. Following an MRI, the club has more clarity regarding Alexander’s timeline for return. Per McCosky, Alexander will avoid surgery but be shut down for three months. He’ll resume a throwing program in October that should leave him able to return in time for Spring Training in 2024. Alexander had posted a 4.50 ERA and 4.13 FIP in 44 innings of work across 25 appearances this season.

More from around the AL Central…

  • Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press) that second baseman Jorge Polanco is expected to start a rehab assignment in the near future as he recovers from a hamstring strain he suffered early last month. Polanco has been limited to just 30 games this season and has slashed .250/.291/.450 when healthy enough to play. While Polanco has been out, youngster Edouard Julien has filled in at the keystone very well with an impressive .264/.345/.273 slash line in 149 plate appearances this season.
  • White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi has been dealing with a right wrist issue recently, which Scott Merkin of MLB.com says has been “addressed” according to manager Pedro Grifol. Benintendi hasn’t played since Friday, but is expected to return to action after the All Star break in Atlanta. Benintendi hasn’t been as impactful this season as the White Sox were surely hoping when they signed him to a five-year deal this past offseason, slashing .280/.347/.369 with just one home run in 314 plate appearances, good for a roughly league average wRC+ of 99. The Sox entered play today with a record of just 38-53 this season, but are surely hoping an extended rest for Benintendi ahead of the midsummer classic will allow him to return healthy and more impactful in the second half.

Tigers Activate Riley Greene, Beau Brieske

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The Tigers announced a quartet of roster moves in advance of this afternoon’s game with the Blue Jays.  Outfielder Riley Greene was activated from the 15-day injured list and right-hander Beau Brieske was activated from the 60-day IL, while Jonathan Schoop was designated for assignment (as reported yesterday) and Alex Faedo was optioned to Triple-A.

Greene suffered a stress reaction in his left fibula in late May, interrupting what had been a breakout season for the 22-year-old.  Greene was hitting .296/.362/.443 with five home runs and six stolen bases (in six chances) over his first 224 plate appearances.  While his 28.6% strikeout rate is still high, Greene’s 9.4% walk rate is above the league average, and he is making a lot of hard contact.  A huge .410 BABIP does hint that some regression is inevitable, yet Greene’s combination of solid contact and excellent speed makes him a candidate for better batted-ball results anyway.

Selected fifth overall in the 2019 draft, Greene is a key figure of the Tigers’ rebuild, especially given how the team is hurting so badly for any offensive production.  If Greene can pick up where he left off, Detroit might be able to get a bit closer to contention before the trade deadline, and the Tigers might be able to avoid another deadline selloff.  Despite the club’s 38-49 record, the relative weakness of the AL Central has kept Detroit on the fringes of the playoff race, as the Tigers are only six games back of the first-place Twins.

Brieske’s return will also help a pitching staff that has been hit hard by injuries for the second consecutive season.  Due to a right ulnar nerve entrapment that arose during Spring Training, Brieske has yet to pitch in 2023.  The righty posted a respectable 4.19 ERA over 81 2/3 innings in his 2022 rookie season, though he didn’t pitch after July 12 due to a forearm strain.  Brieske worked as a starter last year, but he has been used only as a reliever in the minors this season, perhaps as a way to slowly rebuild his arm strength after the long layoff.

Detroit might prefer Brieske as a multi-inning relief weapon if enough healthy options can be otherwise found for the starting five, but otherwise, it seems likely that Brieske will get some starts at some point.  An opening in the rotation might already be available with Faedo optioned, and Detroit’s staff could look quite different if the team does trade away some notable veterans (i.e. Eduardo Rodriguez or Michael Lorenzen) at the deadline.

Tigers Designate Jonathan Schoop For Assignment

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TODAY: The Tigers officially announced that Schoop has been DFA’ed.

JULY 7: The Tigers are designating veteran infielder Jonathan Schoop for assignment, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press. The club has yet to announce the move.

Once official, it’ll close the book on a nearly four-season tenure in the Motor City. The Tigers first signed the former All-Star second baseman to a $6.1MM pact heading into 2020. Schoop put up a quality .278/.324/.475 line over 44 games during the abbreviated season. Detroit brought him back on a $4.5MM guarantee the next winter, and the right-handed hitter put together another strong season.

Schoop played in 156 games and hit .278/.320/.435 with 22 home runs. As an impending free agent on a rebuilding Detroit club, he looked a logical deadline trade candidate. Instead, Detroit held him past the deadline and extended him on a two-year, $15MM deal in August. That contract contained matching $7.5MM salaries for 2022-23 and allowed Schoop to opt out after the first season.

The third contract did not pan out. Schoop’s offense has cratered. He hit .202/.239/.322 across 510 trips to the plate last year. He made the obvious call to return to Detroit rather than testing the open market. Hopes of a rebound campaign have been dashed by a nightmarish first half. Schoop hasn’t connected on a single home run and carries a .213/.278/.272 batting line over 55 contests.

Between the two seasons, he’s a .204/.248/.311 hitter. Among the 203 hitters with 600+ plate appearances since the start of last season, Schoop ranks last in on-base percentage and third from the bottom (above Nicky Lopez and Myles Straw) in slugging. Detroit has pushed him from everyday second base work into more of a platoon capacity, giving most of the recent second/third base reps to Andy Ibañez and Zach McKinstry.

Schoop is due a little less than $3.5MM from now through season’s end. No team is going to take on that money given his offensive struggles. He’s likely to be released within the next few days. Once he clears waivers, the Tigers would remain on the hook for the bulk of that sum. Any team that adds Schoop would owe him just the prorated portion of the $720K minimum for whatever time he spends on their MLB roster.

While he might be limited to minor league offers at that point, he should be of interest to clubs seeking infield depth. Schoop is still just 31 and was a career .262/.301/.448 hitter through the end of 2021. He can cover either second or third base and remains an excellent defensive option at the keystone, in particular.

Statcast credited Schoop as a staggering 21 runs above average with the glove last season. Defensive Runs Saved wasn’t quite so bullish but still rated him among the league’s best at +8 runs. He’s not likely to repeat quite so exceptional a defensive season, but both DRS and Statcast have pegged him a few runs above par in 160 2/3 second base innings this year as well.

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