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AL East Notes: Austin, Beliveau, Rays, Sox

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The Yankees announced that they’ve reinstated first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Austin, who suffered a foot fracture in Spring Training, has been limited to just 13 games on a rehab assignment thus far in 2017. He’s hit quite well in that time and comes with a very solid track record of performance in Triple-A. Given the terrible performance the Yankees have received their first basemen this season — they’re hitting a collective .150/.265/.278 this season — Austin could factor into the Major League mix for playing time if he continues to hit well in Triple-A.

More from the AL East…

  • The Blue Jays appear set to add left-hander Jeff Beliveau to their roster, per Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. The 32-year-old has 45 innings of big league experience but hasn’t been in the Majors since 2015 due partly to the fact that he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum that year. Beliveau has a 4.00 ERA in his time as a Major Leaguer and turned in a 2.54 mark in the Orioles’ minor league system last year. He’s punched out 43 hitters in 32 innings this season with Triple-A Buffalo en route to a 3.09 ERA. Beliveau isn’t on the 40-man roster, but the Jays do have an open 40-man spot.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that he expects the Rays to dip into their minor league depth this week and summon a young arm such as Jacob Faria or Jose De Leon in an effort to rest what looks, at present, to be an overtaxed rotation. Calling up a promising young arm for a spot start on Wednesday would allow the Rays to get an extra day of rest for Alex Cobb, Jake Odorizzi and Erasmo Ramitez, Topkin notes. Both De Leon and Faria stand out as potential long-term pieces for a Tampa Bay rotation that is set to lose Cobb to free agency following this season and is oft-rumored to be entertaining offers on its more established arms.
  • Red Sox president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski feels it’s too early to determine the team’s greatest needs for this year’s trade deadline, writes MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey. Dombrowski calls this stage of the season an “information-gathering time period” and notes that there are still too many questions to pinpoint one specific need. The Sox have a number of players that are currently injured or will soon return from injuries, and the recovery and performance of players such as Pablo Sandoval, Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt (among others) could certainly impact the team’s trade strategies.

Rays To Promote Jose De Leon

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The Rays are bringing up highly touted right-hander Jose De Leon prior to tonight’s game, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that De Leon “appeared” to be on his way to the Majors (Twitter link). Per Topkin, De Leon won’t immediately be placed into the rotation, as Erasmo Ramirez is still lined up to make tonight’s start even after pitching the final inning of yesterday’s 15-inning game with the Twins.

Acquired from the Dodgers in a straight-up swap for Logan Forsythe this offseason, De Leon has frequented top prospect rankings for the better part of the past three years. He entered the 2017 campaign rated No. 29 on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list and rated 33rd, 38th and 73rd on the respective lists of MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN’s Keith Law. A flexor injury has limited De Leon to just 8 1/3 innings in 2017, but he turned in a brilliant 2.61 ERA with 11.6 K/9 with 2.1 BB/9 in 86 Triple-A innings last year. De Leon also made four starts for the Dodgers in 2016, though he limped to a 6.35 ERA in 17 frames.

It could prove to be a short stay for De Leon this time around, as his promotion appears to be somewhat out of necessity. (Topkin notes that in addition to Ramirez starting one day after recording a save, the Rays also had three relievers throw more than 30 pitches yesterday.) The Rays, after all, don’t have a lot of room in the rotation thanks to strong starts to the season from Chris Archer, Alex Cobb, Jake Odorizzi, Ramirez and Matt Andriese — each of whom carries an ERA of 3.67 or better.

That said, it may not be long before a spot for De Leon materializes. Even with a 27-26 record, the Rays are still often suggested as a candidate to field offers their starting pitchers this summer. That, of course, wouldn’t necessarily be akin to waving a white flag on the 2017 season; rather, the Rays have the pitching depth to be able to deal from their big league rotation in order to acquire controllable help in other areas without necessarily hampering their chances in 2017. In addition to De Leon, the Rays have Jacob Faria and Ryan Yarbrough pitching well in the Triple-A rotation, while lefty Blake Snell has struck out 21 batters in 11 2/3 innings since being optioned earlier this month. Cobb, in particular, is an oft-mentioned trade candidate, given his status as an impending free agent.

AL East Notes: HanRam, Sandoval/Holt, Ramos, De Leon

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Red Sox slugger Hanley Ramirez departed tonight’s contest with what the team is calling a “right trap muscle spasm,” Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. There’s no real reason to expect it’s a significant problem, though Boston will surely wish to make sure that Ramirez doesn’t rush back and end up shelved.

Here are a few more notes from the AL East:

  • While the Red Sox have been walking a fine line at third base, the team may soon have a fuller set of options, as Mastrodonato also recently reported. Pablo Sandoval is nearing a minor-league assignment now that his knee is improving. And Brock Holt is moving even faster with his symptoms of vertigo finally clearing. It’s still not exactly clear how the playing time will sort out once those two are back, but presumably they’ll join Josh Rutledge in some kind of platoon situation at the hot corner, with both Rutledge and (especially) Holt also representing options elsewhere around the diamond.
  • Rays catcher Wilson Ramos is making strides in his rehab from ACL surgery, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay  Times reports. Ramos says he is “very excited” about how his surgically repaired knee is progressing, with hopes that he can begin a rehab stint before the end of May. Ramos is not only running and hitting but will soon be allowed to ramp up his work with the mask on. Tampa Bay will no doubt look forward to seeing whether Ramos can follow up on his big 2016 season, as current regular Derek Norris has struggled to a .202/.263/.303 batting line to open the year.
  • The Rays will soon get a look at another important offseason acquisition, too. As Topkin tweets, righty Jose De Leon is preparing for his first start of the year at the High-A level. He’ll presumably move up to Triple-A as his rehab from flexor mass issues continues to progress. While De Leon did reach the majors last year, the timing of his return to the bigs is currently unclear. In addition to completing his development and ensuring his health, the Rays will also be looking for the best way to boost De Leon’s workload. He still has yet to throw more than 114 1/3 innings in a given season.

East Notes: Lugo, Price, Cabrera, De Leon, Rays

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While Mets righty Seth Lugo doesn’t believe he’ll ultimately require surgery for his partially torn UCL, GM Sandy Alderson is calling it “a possibility,” as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports. The veteran executive also notes that there’s optimism from the medical experts that Lugo can avoid going under the knife, but it does seem notable that the potential for a procedure is being publicly acknowledged. New York will hope for the best — Lugo could resume throwing in as few as two weeks — but will need to account for the possibility of a more significant absence. The club will at least keep an eye out for some starting pitching depth after learning of the partial UCL tear suffered by righty Seth Lugo, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter).

Here’s more from the game’s eastern divisions:

  • Red Sox lefty David Price is back on the mound, though it doesn’t seem he’s back to pitching yet, as Evan Drellich of CSNNE.com reports. After a long-toss session, he took the hill to throw to a standing catcher, which represents the latest step forward. “The most encouraging thing is each throwing session he goes through, he comes out feeling good physically,” says Farrell, who added that the team will continue to push Price forward incrementally.
  • Braves righty Mauricio Cabrera has been cleared to begin throwing, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. The high-octane youngster has been dealing with arm fatigue, relegating him to the DL to open the year. It’s still unclear how long it’ll take to get him back to the majors, but it seems there’s continued optimism that the layoff isn’t anything to worry about in the long run. Still, the Braves will likely continue to take a cautious course before adding Cabrera back to the late-inning mix.
  • The Rays have placed righty Jose De Leon on the minor-league DL, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Flexor mass discomfort is to blame, though the club says the issue has already been resolved. Still, with De Leon set to face an innings limit in his first season with his new organization, he’ll ramp up slowly before heading on assignment to Triple-A.
  • St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman laid out the city’s plan for the Rays to build a new ballpark on the existing site of Tropicana Field, as Charlie Frago and Mark Puente of the Tampa Bay Times report. As the story notes, “financial details” remain unknown, though Kriseman suggested that the money side can be managed. The plan set forth is based upon the premise that broader development of the Trop site, in conjunction with a new park, could open avenues for revenue for the club, the municipality, and local businesses.

Trade/Free Agent Rumors: Blevins, Jays, Alvarez, Breslow, Dozier

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The Mets are open to a back-loaded two-year contract with Jerry Blevins, according to Ken Davidoff and Mike Puma of the New York Post. The Mets have long been reported to hold interest in a reunion with Blevins, but the team’s inability to find a taker for Jay Bruce’s $13MM salary has been a deterrent to their ability to re-sign the southpaw reliever. Blevins, according to the Post duo, has been seeking a contract in line with Mike Dunn’s three-year, $19MM contract with the Rockies, though it’s not clear if any such offer will materialize. Recently, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Blevins’ agents have signaled to interested teams that they expect to be able to secure at least a two-year, $12MM deal. If Blevins is to land that type of commitment from the Mets, most of the salary would be allocated to the 2018 season, when the Mets will have considerably more financial flexibility. Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Addison Reed, Neil Walker, Rene Rivera and Lucas Duda are all set to come off the books after 2017.

Here’s more on the free agent and trade markets…

  • After agreeing to a one-year deal with lefty reliever J.P. Howell earlier today, the Jays are still on the hunt for a right-handed arm, reports Rosenthal (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are hoping to add a righty for a similar commitment to the $3MM that Howell commanded on his one-year deal with Toronto. Notably, Rosenthal quells some of the buzz that has built up regarding the Jays and White Sox closer David Robertson. Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported that the two sides had been in touch earlier this winter, and while many have used that as a launching point for further speculation, Rosenthal reports that there’s been no recent talk between the Jays and the White Sox.
  • Agent Scott Boras is trying to engage the Rangers in talks about slugger Pedro Alvarez, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Texas has been tied to a different first base/DH option, Mike Napoli, for the better part of a month. There’s somewhat of a disconnect between Napoli and the Rangers, though, as Napoli has reportedly been seeking a multi-year deal while the Rangers only want to make a one-year commitment. Alvarez would represent an alternative with comparable power but a worse glove at first base. Texas could theoretically mix Alvarez into a first base/designated hitter carousel that also features some combination of Jurickson Profar, Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua, though Crasnick’s report doesn’t specify if the Rangers have any genuine interest in Alvarez.
  • MLB Network’s Jon Morosi adds the Diamondbacks to the list of teams with interest in southpaw Craig Breslow (Twitter link). As Morosi notes, Arizona execs Mike Hazen and Jared Porter were both with the Red Sox when Breslow pitched for Boston from 2012-15 (as was D-backs exec Amiel Sawdaye). Breslow’s name has become more prevalent on the rumor circuit since a showcase at which he demonstrated a new arm angle for about half the teams in the league. The 36-year-old spent most of the 2016 campaign in the Marlins organization, tossing 14 innings of 4.50 ERA ball in the Majors. Breslow logged a 2.82 ERA in 402 Major League innings from 2005-13, but he’s pitched to a 4.93 ERA in 133 2/3 innings since that time.
  • Morosi also tweets a late addition to the Brian Dozier saga, noting that at one point the Twins sought Jose De Leon, Yadier Alvarez and Willie Calhoun from the Dodgers in exchange for the second baseman. Certainly, that’s an aggressive ask, though it strikes me as likely that said package was presented early in talks. Most recent rumors pertaining to the talks between the Twins and Dodgers suggested that the Dodgers were set on sending only De Leon to Minnesota (as the eventually did in order to acquire Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay), while the Twins sought at least one additional piece to the deal. Obviously, the two sides were never able to agree on a price, prompting the Dodgers to shift their focus to Forsythe.

Dodgers Notes: Hill, Zaidi, Forsythe

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Here’s the latest from Chavez Ravine…

  • Rich Hill’s life and incredible career turn-around is profiled by Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times, detailing how the journeyman southpaw went from just trying to eke out a major league job to posting some of the best numbers of any pitcher in the sport over the last two seasons.
  • The Dodgers’ acquisition of Logan Forsythe from the Rays for Jose De Leon is something of an overpay for L.A., Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron opines.  Cameron feels there’s risk involved in the trade given De Leon’s potential, the fact that Dodgers themselves could’ve used De Leon’s arm in the bullpen or as rotation depth, and that the Dodgers could’ve given up a bit more prospect capital to acquire Brian Dozier, a player Cameron argues is markedly better than Forsythe.  Still, the deal makes sense if the Dodgers are in win-now mode and are already looking ahead to another potential playoff matchup with the Cubs in October.
  • Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi also discussed the Forsythe deal in an interview with Jim Memolo and Kevin Kennedy on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link), noting that Forsythe was “on a very short list of targets” for the club’s second base vacancy.  Zaidi described the Dodgers’ search for a second baseman as “pretty drawn-out and “unfortunately, probably more of it got out into the public than we would’ve liked.”

Quick Hits: Howard, Marlins, Rockies, Rays, Wieters

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Ryan Howard tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that a productive second half in 2016 — Howard batted .262/.324/.608 in his last 140 plate appearances — convinced him that he still has “a lot left in the tank.” Howard is working out and waiting in hopes of receiving an offer for the upcoming season, Rosenthal writes. The longtime Phillies cornerstone is open to signing in the American League and serving as a designated hitter, and he’s realistic and understanding of the fact that he isn’t likely to be given an everyday role. Howard is one of many left-handed sluggers on the free-agent market — Brandon Moss, Pedro Alvarez, Adam Lind and Justin Morneau are all also available, for instance — but a strong finish and 24 home runs against right-handed pitching (in 327 plate appearances) could get him a look as a part-time DH or a bench bat in 2017.

Here are a few more late-night notes from around the game…

  • The Marlins’ acquisition of right-hander Severino Gonzalez filled the team’s 40-man roster, making further guaranteed contracts unrealistic, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. The Marlins could still add some players on minor league deals, but with a full 40-man roster and a payroll that is at its limit (roughly $110MM), additional spending is a long shot. Miami was recently connected to both Chris Carter and Mark Reynolds, but Frisaro calls the chances of signing either “extremely remote.” The Fish do have interest in Jeff Francoeur, but he’d have to be willing to sign a minor league contract in order to return to Miami. That could ultimately happen, but Francoeur does have interest elsewhere, as the Braves are said to be in on him as well.
  • Sticking with the Marlins, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears that it was the agents for Carter and Reynolds who reached out to the Marlins recently, and not vice versa. That would certainly make sense, as Miami could look like an appealing landing spot, on paper, for either slugger. Jackson writes that the Marlins are considering a 13-man pitching staff and a four-man bench, making the addition of even a modestly priced right-handed bat like Carter or Reynolds unlikely. There’s still some interest in Francoeur and Chris Johnson, he notes.
  • Fangraphs’ David Laurila spoke with Rockies GM Jeff Bridich about a number of topics, interestingly touching on what lessons that Major League front offices can learn from the front offices of teams in other sports. Laurila notes that Bridich is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, and the two discussed Green Bay’s ability to build through the draft as well as the Atlanta Falcons’ turnaround from a sub-.500 club to a Super Bowl participant. Bridich also spoke about the Rockies’ focus on youth and athleticism as well as their growing analytics department. “We’ve worked in leaps and bounds to do that, but it’s probably unfair to say we’ve brought our analytics process up to par with our scouting process,” said Bridich. “…in terms of the human capital, in terms of the financial capital, and the time spent in the growth of the analytics over the last year, year and a half… it’s real. We’re starting to really see some movement there.”
  • Rays general manager Erik Neander tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that newly acquired right-hander Jose De Leon is very close to making a “significant impact” on the team, though Topkin writes that De Leon could open the year in Triple-A. De Leon’s shoulder has been a source of concern for some, but the right-hander denies that there’s any cause for concern and said his arm is healthy. “I’m on a mission,” De Leon tells Topkin. “I was a low draft pick, nobody knew about me, nobody believed in me, so I’m on a mission to fulfill my dreams. Getting to the big leagues is just the beginning.”
  • Topkin also notes at the end of that column that the Rays are “possibly” considering free-agent catcher Matt Wieters in their search for a bat. While that may seem like a curious fit at first glance, offseason signee Wilson Ramos will be out early in the season as he recovers from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Even when Ramos is healthy enough to take the field, it’s all but certain that the Rays will want to be cautious at first once he’s activated. Wieters could catch regularly for a good portion of the season and eventually be part of a catcher/DH timeshare with Ramos, in theory.

Dodgers Acquire Logan Forsythe From Rays

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The Dodgers have finally found their next second baseman after a rumor-filled offseason, officially striking a deal with the Rays to acquire Logan Forsythe. Prized young righty Jose De Leon is heading to Tampa Bay in return in the 1-for-1 swap.

Logan Forsythe

Los Angeles had, of course, long been said to be dangling De Leon as a headliner in talks with the Twins on Brian Dozier, with Minnesota holding out for more. The lack of progress in L.A.’s pursuit of Dozier seems to have spurred a renewed effort to look at alternatives. It has long been clear that the Dodgers wished to acquire a right-handed-hitting veteran to man second base, and it now seems that they’ve found their man.

Forsythe, who just turned 30, took off in the 2015 season and largely followed that up with a quality effort last year. All told, he owns a .273/.347/.444 batting line with 37 home runs in 1,182 plate appearances over the past two campaigns. Forsythe has typically rated as a solid fielder and baserunner, though Defensive Runs Saved was particularly fond (+8 runs) of his glovework in 2015. There’s added appeal in the fact that Forsythe can also play third, the corner outfield, and even shortstop in a pinch.

Those numbers dwarf Forsythe’s output over the prior four campaigns, though he did enjoy a productive 2012. In particular, his power surge has added a new element to his game. So long as he can keep that up, he figures to remain a solid regular over the final two years of his deal.

That contract, which the Rays wisely signed with Forsythe after his breakout 2015 season, promises him just $5.75MM for 2017. It also comes with an affordable option for 2018. The option price started at $8.5MM, but has already risen to $9MM based on escalators. It can moved another $1.5MM northward if Forsythe accumulates enough plate appearances. There’s a $1MM buyout, though that seems unlikely to be required.

[RELATED: Updated Dodgers & Rays Depth Charts]

For the Rays, this certainly looks to be a situation where the team saw an opportunity it couldn’t pass up. The organization has signed several veteran free agents this winter and obviously intends to compete. With Forsythe departing, players such as Nick Franklin, Tim Beckham, and perhaps Brad Miller appear to represent the top options at second for Tampa Bay, which certainly could look for an outside addition.

That the Rays believe in De Leon is further reflected in the fact that the organization already dealt away from its rotation depth in two notable recent trades (parting with Matt Moore and Drew Smyly). It’s certainly conceivable that De Leon or another starter could be moved in another swap, or the organization can enjoy a healthy rotation mix full of controllable, affordable arms.

The 24-year-old De Leon does indeed seem to have a bright future ahead of him. After ranking as a top-thirty prospect leaguewide entering the 2016 season, he battled through some injuries to earn his major league debut. Though he wasn’t terribly impressive in four MLB outings, De Leon laid waste to Triple-A hitters with 86 1/3 innings of 2.61 ERA ball with 11.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.

There is some debate as to just how high a ceiling De Leon possesses, and his health and durability are still open questions, though there’s little doubt he’s expected to provide significant value in the near and long term. Parting with six years of control over the promising hurler no doubt represents a heavy price to pay, but Los Angeles clearly feels confident in the quality of its other young arms.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported that a deal was agreed to pending medical review (via Twitter). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported that the deal was done and that De Leon would be the return (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Market Notes: Jays, Bruce, A’s, Plouffe, Dozier, Bautista, Trumbo, Lefty Relievers, Lewis

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that the Blue Jays may have misread the market for power bats this winter. In the case of Toronto, he suggests, the team ought to have been more patient with Edwin Encarnacion. By moving quickly to give a three-year deal to Kendrys Morales after Encarnacion declined to take the team’s early-offseason offer, the Jays may have spent much more than necessary to land a player of Morales’s quality while also tying their hands on Encarnacion, who ended up signing for one year and $20MM less than Toronto had reportedly offered.

  • The Mets, too, might have erred in their approach on Jay Bruce. He now seems a superfluous piece after the re-signing of Yoenis Cespedes, and Rosenthal says that he expects New York will need to pay down part of Bruce’s $13MM salary to deal him. The team picked up that option in large part to insure against the loss of Cespedes; a team source notes that insurance “doesn’t come for free,” and Rosenthal notes that the decision may have improved their bargaining position with their star free agent. But perhaps a greater recognition of the flood of sluggers would have led the team to choose an alternate path to protecting itself in the event of a departure of Cespedes.
  • As they continue to look to bolster their lineup, the Athletics are showing interest in free-agent third baseman Trevor Plouffe, per Rosenthal. He’d presumably be a value-focused addition to the overall mix at third and first base. Of course, Oakland is also said to be looking at Mark Trumbo, so it seems the organization is still casting a fairly wide net.
  • While there has been a suggestion that the Dodgers won’t form a package around Jose De Leon to pry Brian Dozier from the Twins, preferring instead to pursue a one-for-one deal, Rosenthal writes that Los Angeles is “willing to include other prospects” to get something done. Of course, it could well be that the issue isn’t so much the inclusion of some other pre-MLB players — surely, the Dodgers could find some expendable pieces to part with — so much as the question whether any are seen by Minnesota as adding significant value.
  • Jon Heyman of Fan Rag provides a lengthy list of the winners and losers in the open-market action to date, though that can still change with a lot of free agents left and perhaps some trades still to be swung. As for some of those still-unsigned open-market players, Heyman provides a few notes. Jose Bautista’s representatives “circled back” to the Orioles to gauge interest, but it still seems that Baltimore isn’t interested. And the Blue Jays “do not seem anxious” to strike a deal with the veteran. Meanwhile, the O’s remain involved on Trumbo.
  • Heyman further notes that there remains robust demand for left-handed relievers. He lists the Mets, Yankees, Indians, and Blue Jays as teams still looking at southpaws. Jerry Blevins, Boone Logan, Travis Wood, and J.P. Howell are among the established left-handed options that remain available.
  • It’s unlikely that the Rangers will bring back veteran righty Colby Lewis, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Though “the door’s open,” per GM Jon Daniels, he adds that he doesn’t “foresee anything happening at this point” with Lewis. Texas would be interested only in a minor-league arrangement, it seems, due in part to questions over Lewis’s health outlook.

Twins Reportedly Asking Teams For Final Offers On Brian Dozier

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Brian Dozier’s name has been a focal point of the rumor mill for the better part of a month, but his prolonged saga may be drawing to a close, as La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins have asked interested teams to make their best offers for Dozier in the coming days. According to Neal, Minnesota doesn’t want the scenario to drag on too much longer and will prepare to open the 2017 season with Dozier as the second baseman if no palatable offer surfaces.

Neal suggests that the sticking point between the Twins and the Dodgers, who have long been the clear primary suitor for Dozier, has been that Los Angeles is seeking a straight up, one-for-one swap of Dozier and top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. The Twins, meanwhile, have understandably been insistent on the inclusion of at least one more well-regarded prospect. The Dodgers “haven’t blinked,” however, according to Neal. That lines up with this week’s report from FanRag’s Jon Heyman that the Dodgers aren’t willing to include any of Cody Bellinger, Yadier Alvarez or Walker Buehler alongside De Leon in a trade to acquire Dozier.

Other teams to express interest in Dozier at some point this winter include the Giants, Cardinals, Nationals and Braves, per Neal. However, there’s been very little chatter surrounding the Giants’ interest in recent weeks, while reports out of St. Louis and out of D.C. have suggested that interest from those teams may be somewhat overstated. ESPN’s Mark Saxon reported earlier this week that while the Cardinals may have some interest, they’re not actively pursuing Dozier. More recently, he tweeted that the Cardinals’ reported interest was part of the Twins’ effort “to extract max value from the Dodgers.” Meanwhile, Chelsea Janes from the Washington Post reported this week that any inquiries made on the Nationals’ behalf haven’t been serious in nature.

Atlanta hasn’t been mentioned too often as a potential landing spot for Dozier, though there’s certainly a reasonable fit there. Jace Peterson projects as the everyday second baseman at the moment, but Dozier’s bat would represent a marked upgrade. Adding Dozier would run somewhat counter to many of the Braves’ recent maneuverings on the trade market, which have generally taken a more long-term focus, though Atlanta did send three mid-level prospects to the Cardinals to acquire Jaime Garcia. Of course, Dozier would require top-tier young talent, and there’s been no indication that the Braves are willing to deal that type of talent for shorter-term gains.

While it’s certainly possible that one of these teams steps up and makes an offer to rival the Dodgers, or that another surprise suitor emerges from the woodwork, it seems that the likeliest scenario for a Dozier trade would simply be for the Twins and Dodgers to find a common ground. Neal notes that if the Twins were going to pull the trigger on a one-for-one swap, Dozier would’ve been dealt by now, which indicates that a trade would probably require L.A. to improve its current offer.

Considering the fact that Dozier is controlled for another two seasons at a total of $15MM, the Twins don’t need to simply take the best offer that someone puts on the table. While many point to Dozier’s prodigious second half in 2016, he’s somewhat quietly been a very good player for Minnesota over the past four seasons, averaging 4.1 fWAR and 4.5 rWAR per year in that time. The Twins could well hold onto Dozier until the trade deadline, when a larger market for his services — due to injuries to and/or underperformance from second basemen around the league –could emerge. Of course, in doing so, they run the risk that Dozier has another poor start to the season, as he did in 2016, or that he incurs an injury himself.

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