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Dodgers Rumors

Andre Ethier Announces Retirement

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2018 at 6:07pm CDT

Longtime Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has decided to call it a career after 12 Major League seasons, as per a Dodgers media release.  The club will honor Ethier prior to their game on August 3.

“I look forward to coming back to Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium, places I’m so lucky to have called home for the last 12 years,” Ethier said.  “There’s nothing like stepping out on the field at Dodger Stadium and looking up and seeing the faithful Dodger Blue supporting you, and I’m grateful for the reception and support I received in all my years playing there.”

Andre Ethier

Originally a second-round pick for the A’s in the 2003 draft, Ethier was dealt to L.A. during the 2005-06 offseason as the return on the trade that sent Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez to Oakland.  Ethier wound up spending all 1455 games and 5425 plate appearances of his Major League career as a Dodger, and was a solidly above-average performer (122 OPS+ and wRC+) at the plate.  Ethier hit .285/.359/.463 with 162 homers, ranking within the Dodgers’ all-time top ten list in such major categories as homers, RBI, games played, hits, extra-base hits, and doubles.

Ethier was a two-time NL All-Star, and his list of hardware also included a Gold Glove in 2011, and a Silver Slugger Award and sixth-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2009, which arguably his finest season (.272/.361/.508 with 31 home runs).

The last few years of Ethier’s career were marred by injuries, most notably a broken leg and a herniated disk in his back that sidelined him for almost all of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.  He had gradually shifted into part-time duty over the previous few years thanks to a crowded Dodgers outfield, despite signing a five-year, $85MM extension in June 2012 and seemingly becoming a franchise building block.

Ethier’s long career saw him span the troubled era of Frank McCourt ownership in Los Angeles to the high payrolls and greater stability of the Guggenheim Baseball Management/Magic Johnson/Andrew Friedman era.  Throughout it all, however, the Dodgers have been successful on the field, and Ethier thus compiled a lengthy postseason resume.  He posted a .776 OPS over 145 career plate appearances in the playoffs, and his final at-bat will go down as a successful one, an RBI single as a pinch-hitter in Game Seven of last year’s World Series.

The MLB Trade Rumors staff congratulates Ethier on his excellent career, and we wish him all the best in his post-playing days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Andre Ethier Retirement

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Tom Koehler Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

By Steve Adams | July 24, 2018 at 5:15pm CDT

The Dodgers announced to reporters this afternoon that right-hander Tom Koehler has undergone season-ending shoulder surgery (Twitter link via SportsNet L.A.’s Alanna Rizzo).

Los Angeles signed Koehler, a longtime starter for the Marlins, to a one-year, $2MM deal this winter in the hopes of converting him into a bullpen piece. The 32-year-old had made just one relief appearance from 2014-17 when the Blue Jays picked him up and shifted him to the ’pen last season. That experiment apparently piqued the interest of the Dodgers, who’d hoped Koehler could be a low-cost replacement for Brandon Morrow, who departed via free agency over the winter.

That, of course, has not been how things have panned out. Koehler was diagnosed with an anterior capsule strain early in Spring Training and had a setback in his recovery in June. The hope at the time of that setback was that he’d be able to join the Dodgers in August, but he’ll now miss the entire season and could quite likely see his Dodgers tenure end altogether without throwing so much as a single pitch in a game setting.

The Dodgers will have the option of retaining Koehler via arbitration, as he’ll finish out the season with five years, 152 days of Major League service time. Koehler wouldn’t earn a raise in arbitration after missing the entire season, but he’d likely command a salary identical to this season’s $2MM mark. Even the deep-pocketed Dodgers seem likely to non-tender him given that fact, though they could certainly bring him back to the organization on a minor league contract.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Tom Koehler

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Dodgers Place Justin Turner On DL, Recall Alex Verdugo

By Jeff Todd | July 23, 2018 at 8:44pm CDT

The Dodgers announced today that third baseman Justin Turner has been placed on the 10-day DL with a “right groin strain.” Top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo was recalled to take the open roster spot.

There’s no real indication at this point of the seriousness of the injury, but Turner had been nursing some problems in that region already and the organization will surely want to make sure the strain doesn’t get any worse. Skipper Dave Roberts indicated he’s not yet sure whether the veteran may be able to return after the minimum required absence. Obviously, Turner’s progress will in large part dictate the duration.

It’s a bit of a disappointing turn of events for the Dodgers, who just installed Manny Machado into an imposing infield alignment. Of course, the trade also boosted the team’s depth. Machado will slide over from short to the hot corner temporarily, with the pre-trade slate of options still available to handle the remaining open positions.

If there’s a real concern here for the Dodgers, it’s probably the toll of multiple injuries on Turner. He opened the year on the DL with a broken wrist and hasn’t been operating at peak capacity since returning. He’s still delivering outstanding plate discipline and carrying a 110 wRC+, but has seen a significant power drop-off. Plus, Turner is drawing below-average grades in the field and on the bases.

As for Verdugo, the ballyhooed 22-year-old has not produced much at the plate in brief MLB action to this point in his career. But he’s hitting the ball quite well at Triple-A, where he owns a .349/.396/.506 batting line with eight home runs over 283 plate appearances. Verdugo likely would have received a longer look by this point with quite a few other organizations, but he’s still largely blocked in L.A. and may still not be in line for a significant amount of playing time or a lengthy stay in the majors.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Alex Verdugo Justin Turner

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Latest On The Market For Zach Britton

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2018 at 8:17pm CDT

8:17pm: The Yankees are not only involved but have “serious interest,” Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets. He adds that the O’s are trying to get something done in short order, which is perhaps not surprising given that Britton is throwing well now but goes represent an injury risk.

12:39am: The list of teams being linked to Zach Britton continues to grow, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweeting this morning that the Diamondbacks are also showing interest in the lefty. The D-backs join the likes of the Astros, Cubs, Rockies, Brewers, Red Sox and Braves as clubs holding some level of interest in acquiring Britton.

Of course, it stands to reason that virtually every contending club will want to familiarize itself with the asking price on Britton. It’s not known exactly how aggressively all of the teams that have been tied to Britton are actually pursuing him. That said, Rosenthal adds that, similarly to colleague Jim Bowden, he hears the Astros’ interest is “heavy.” The Yankees, who weren’t among the teams prominently linked to Britton over the weekend but are “still trying” to pry him away from the Orioles, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported today that the Dodgers could be a tough fit for Britton given the team’s ongoing quest to remain underneath the $197MM luxury tax threshold. Passan cites a league source in noting that a Britton acquisition would put the Dodgers over that threshold.

Certainly, the Dodgers could remedy that scenario by trading away a veteran player, but that didn’t pan out in the Manny Machado talks. Rumors surrounding the Dodgers and Machado at one point indicated that Logan Forsythe could be sent back to Baltimore as a means of offsetting some of the money the Dodgers would take on, but Forsythe ultimately remained in Los Angeles. Perhaps the two sides could come to an alternative solution when discussing Britton, but (speculatively speaking) the fact that no money changed hands in the Machado trade could be a reflection on the Orioles’ feelings on subsidizing a theoretical Britton trade.

On the flip side, it’s possible that the Orioles’ previous talks for Machado with other clubs who also hold interest in Britton could prove beneficial. Rosenthal tweets that the Brewers are indeed among the many clubs pursuing Britton, and their Machado negotiations already give them a good idea of how Baltimore values many of their prospects.

Britton has now snapped off eight consecutive scoreless appearances to drop his ERA to 3.45. Alternatives like FIP (4.43), xFIP (4.02) and SIERA (4.37) still aren’t exactly bullish on his overall body of work, but there’s little denying that he’s been an improved pitcher of late. Britton’s sinker has averaged 95.2 mph over that scoreless streak — up from the 93.8 mph it averaged through his first eight appearances. His ground-ball rate, too, is on the rise and is now sitting at 72.2 percent over his past eight outings.

If there’s a knock on Britton — beyond the $4.45MM he’s owed through season’s end — it’s that his control still doesn’t seem to be as sharp as it once was. He’s walked four hitters and thrown two wild pitches while falling behind nearly two-thirds of the batters he’s faced over his scoreless stretch (35.7 percent first-pitch strike rate). But, with his stuff clearly ticking upward and contending clubs universally seeking to deepen their bullpens, the market for Britton should continue to be robust right up until the moment he’s inevitably moved.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Baltimore Orioles Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees Zach Britton

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Trade Rumblings & Reactions: Twins, O’s, Fulmer, Mets, Familia, Machado

By Mark Polishuk | July 22, 2018 at 10:41pm CDT

Among the many trade proposals being tossed around behind the scenes, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links) hears that the Twins have been approached about dealing Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar in the same trade, while teams interested in Zach Britton have also asked the Orioles about a larger deal involving Dylan Bundy or Kevin Gausman.  Rosenthal is doubtful either scenario takes place, as Baltimore may not be looking to deal from its rotation and, more generally, teams usually prefer to deal players individually rather than package together several trade chips in a single blockbuster move.  In regards to the Twins, Rosenthal speculates that the Brewers could have been the team who asked about the multi-player deal — Milwaukee has the most glaring need of any contender for middle infield help, and the Brew Crew has been connected to both Dozier and Escobar in reports.

Here’s more on some completed, and perhaps potential, trades as we approach the deadline…

  • Though an oblique strain sent Michael Fulmer to the DL on Friday, at least one team still has some trade interest in the Tigers right-hander, a rival scout for the mystery team told The Athletic’s Emily Waldon (Twitter link).  Much depends, obviously, on how quickly Fulmer is able to return from the injury, as he wouldn’t be able to pitch in the postseason for any club that acquired him after August 31.  I’d think that unless Fulmer makes an unusually speedy recovery, the Tigers would prefer to wait until the offseason so they could gain full value for what might be their best trade asset.  The Athletics can probably be ruled out as the team still in on Fulmer, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) notes that the A’s had “some interest,” though that was prior to the injury news.
  • Mets assistant GM John Ricco discussed his team’s trade of closer Jeurys Familia to the A’s while speaking with reporters (including the New York Post’s Zach Braziller) today, saying that the Mets felt they would’ve received a worse return for a rental player like Familia had they waited longer for a deal.  The fact that Oakland was willing to take on the remainder of Familia’s contract wasn’t a major factor, as Ricco said the Mets are willing and able to take on salary in other trades.  “We made the judgment the talent level for eating money wasn’t going to be there, so we decided to do the [Familia] deal where we moved the money,” Ricco said.
  • Ricco’s explanation notwithstanding, the Familia trade has drawn criticism for the relatively small return (two minor prospects and $1MM in international bonus money) the Mets received, particularly with so many teams looking for bullpen help.  Sources from rival teams interested in Familia told The Athletic’s Jim Bowden (subscription required) that they didn’t know why the Mets didn’t approach them one final time to give them a chance to top Oakland’s offer.
  • More favorable reviews were given to the Manny Machado deal between the Orioles and Dodgers, from front office executives and scouts surveyed by Baseball America.  Speaking anonymously, the evaluators spoke positively about the five-prospect package Baltimore received for Machado, particularly since [which could also go to the Mets’ logic on dealing Familia when they did] rental players have become harder to move in the modern trading climate.  “For a rental these days, getting [Yusniel] Diaz and [Dean] Kremer was good in my opinion. In general I don’t see teams sacrificing top talent for two-plus months (of a big league player),” one American League front office official said.
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Athletics Baltimore Orioles Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Mets Brian Dozier Dylan Bundy Eduardo Escobar Jeurys Familia Kevin Gausman Manny Machado Michael Fulmer Zach Britton

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At Least Six Teams Pursuing Zach Britton

By Connor Byrne | July 22, 2018 at 8:01pm CDT

SUNDAY, 8:01pm: Last year’s failed Britton trade talks between the Astros and Orioles won’t play any factor in this year’s negotiations, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden tweets.  A source tells Bowden that Houston is “all in” on acquiring Britton.

3:48pm: The Rockies and Brewers are also in the mix, Heyman tweets.

1:38pm: There are indeed teams ahead of the Dodgers in Britton talks, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, who lists the Astros, Cubs and Red Sox as being “more active” than LA.

8:06am: It doesn’t appear the Dodgers or Braves are “quite as engaged” on Britton as other teams are, Crasnick relays. LA’s wary of the luxury tax, as mentioned below, while the Braves aren’t keen on giving up prospects for short-term help, Crasnick suggests.

SATURDAY, 8:44pm: It’s “at least” a six-team race for Britton, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets.

8:14pm: The Orioles are seeking a return equal to or better than the one the Royals received for reliever Kelvin Herrera in a trade last month, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. Washington acquired Herrera for three prospects, though none ranked among the Nationals’ absolute best farmhands at the time.

7:39pm: Both the Cubs and the Astros “are trying to match up prospects with the Orioles,” Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets. The Dodgers are also among those who would like to acquire Britton, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports, though Rosenthal notes that it may be difficult because of LA’s desire to stay under the luxury-tax threshold. No matter where Britton goes, the O’s hope to make a deal happen within the next few days, Crasnick adds.

6:38pm: With Brad Hand and Jeurys Familia now off the market, Orioles left-hander Zach Britton may be the best soon-to-be traded reliever in baseball. The 30-year-old has drawn widespread interest in recent weeks, too, with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reporting “virtually every top contender” is in on him (video link). The NL Central-leading Cubs are among that group, and they “remain deeply involved” in the Britton discussions, sources tell Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required).

In at least the near term, Britton would likely serve as a replacement for Cubs closer Brandon Morrow, who went on the disabled list this week on account of right biceps inflammation. Britton has also endured injuries, most recently a ruptured Achilles that shelved him from the start of the season until mid-June. The two-time All-Star got off to a less-than-dominant start in his first action of the season as he returned from that injury, though he has been better of late as the deadline approaches.

Not only has Britton gone eight straight appearances (eight innings) without yielding an earned run, but he has seen his velocity climb closer to its past levels in the process. Of course, Britton has also walked a batter in three straight outings and has issued an unpalatable 10 free passes against 13 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this year. To Britton’s credit, though, he has posted a 3.45 ERA and a terrific groundball rate (64.1 percent).

While the Cubs are high on Britton, Mooney wonders if they have a good enough farm system to win a bidding war for the pending free agent. Chicago has Baseball America’s 28th-ranked prospect pool, which seemingly places it behind the 8-ball, and Rosenthal notes Britton is likely to yield a “strong” return with so many championship hopefuls chasing him.

Given the competition for his services, Britton to the Cubs may be a long shot. However, if acquired, Britton would further strengthen a bullpen that ranks fifth in the majors in ERA and just added ex-Ranger Jesse Chavez via trade this week.

The Cubs’ relief corps has received great results from Morrow, Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop, Justin Wilson, Carl Edwards Jr., the unit’s top five innings leaders. Although, only one of those hurlers (Wilson) is a lefty, and fellow southpaws Brian Duensing and Randy Rosario are difficult to trust. Duensing has endured a brutal year, having logged a 7.31 ERA with more walks (23) than strikeouts (18) across 28 1/3 innings. Rosario, on the other hand, has done well preventing runs over 27 2/3 innings (1.95 ERA), but with 5.2 K/9, 4.23 BB/9, a sky-high 94.2 percent strand rate and a .238 batting average on balls in play against, he’s an obvious regression candidate. It’s likely Britton would be an upgrade over those two, and if his track record is any indication, he’d join Wilson in giving the Cubs a second formidable lefty reliever.

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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Colorado Rockies Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Zach Britton

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Injury Updates: Turner, Suter, Cespedes, Frazier

By Mark Polishuk | July 22, 2018 at 6:13pm CDT

A right adductor strain had kept Justin Turner out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup since July 11, though his return to his regular third base spot today didn’t last long.  Turner had to leave today’s 11-2 win over the Brewers in the middle of the third inning due to right groin tightness.  Talking to media (including the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett) after the game, Turner said that his injury “definitely didn’t get worse but wasn’t as good as I’d hoped.”  A DL stint could potentially be in the cards, though Turner will first receive further examination from the team’s medical staff.

Turner already missed the first six weeks of the season due to a fractured wrist, and it’s fair to say that his performance has suffered due to these injuries.  He is still delivering above-average (110 wRC+) production, though his .259/.354/.398 slash line is below his usual standards, particularly in the power department.  If he does hit the DL, Los Angeles likely already has enough infield depth that they wouldn’t look for any more help at the deadline, especially since the Dodgers already made a big infield addition in Manny Machado.  It might be interesting to monitor if Machado gets any time at the hot corner if Turner if out, though it’s more likely that Machado will simply remain at shortstop.

Some more injury updates from around baseball…

  • That same Dodgers/Brewers game also saw Milwaukee southpaw Brent Suter leave after three innings due to a forearm strain.  Manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt and other reporters that Suter would undergo an MRI, though Suter is expected to land on the disabled list.  Suter had a brief DL stint earlier this month with tightness in that same forearm, so it isn’t surprising that the team would be cautious with such an injury even if the MRI doesn’t reveal anything serious.  Milwaukee was already rumored to be looking for pitching at the deadline, and that search is likely to intensify with Suter out of action.  Suter was rocked for six runs today to boost his season ERA to 4.80, though Suter has just a 1.64 BB/9 to go along with a 7.46 K/9 rate, and ERA predictors (such as a 4.04 xFIP) are generally more favorable about his performance.
  • Yoenis Cespedes’ recent comments about considering surgery to fix calcification in his heels caught the Mets by surprise, assistant GM John Ricco told the New York Times’ James Wagner (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Still, Ricco stressed that surgery would be Cespedes’ “last resort” to solve his ongoing leg problems, and that Cespedes’ comments could have been made out of simple frustration.  The outfielder will visit doctors tomorrow, though Ricco said that an examination of Cespedes’ feet in June indicated that the injury could be managed without immediate need for surgery.
  • Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier was placed on the seven-day concussion DL this weekend while playing at Triple-A, though his status has been changed to a 10-day stint on the Major League disabled list.  (NJ.com’s Brendan Kuty was among those who had the news.)  Beyond the specifics of his placement, Frazier’s injury could also impact his immediate future in the organization, as the prospect has often been cited as a popular trade chip for the Yankees at the deadline.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers New York Mets New York Yankees Brent Suter Clint Frazier Justin Turner Yoenis Cespedes

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Trade Rumors: Abreu, Brewers, BoSox, Twins, Royals, Dodgers, Brach, Treinen

By Connor Byrne | July 22, 2018 at 10:15am CDT

As an established veteran on a cellar-dwelling team, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu has come up often as a speculative trade candidate, but the club’s “strongly inclined” to retain him, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The 31-year-old hasn’t exactly boosted his trade value this season, having hit a career-worst .250/.312/.435 (101 wRC+, compared to 139 from 2014-17) and accounted for a replacement-level WAR across 407 plate appearances. Regardless of whether the White Sox keep Abreu, he’s slated to go through arbitration once more over the winter. In the meantime, he’s on a $13MM salary this season.

More trade-related items as the countdown to the July 31 deadline continues…

  • The Brewers’ interest in Royals second baseman/outfielder Whit Merrifield has been known for a while, and Robert Murray of The Athletic (subscription required) explores the possibility of Milwaukee acquiring him. The Brewers haven’t pursued Merrifield as aggressively as they did during the winter, according to Murray, who hears he’d be rather expensive to pry out of Kansas City. Landing Merrifield would require “three higher-end prospects, at least,” an executive told Murray. Milwaukee happens to have a quality farm system, though it’s unlikely to trade its best prospect – second baseman Keston Hiura – suggests Murray, who goes on to run down farmhands the team could deal for Merrifield. The 29-year-old Merrifield has upped his stock during a terrific season in which he has hit .305/.375/.429 with five home runs and 17 steals through 412 PAs. Adding to his appeal, Merrifield’s on a near-minimum salary this season and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 campaign.
  • The Red Sox sent a high-level executive, senior vice president of baseball operations Frank Wren, to scout the Royals–Twins game on Friday, per Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. It’s unclear which players Wren focused on, though it’s worth pointing out that Boston has shown reported interest in both Merrifield and Royals teammate Mike Moustakas. And with the Twins likely to sell at the deadline, Buster Olney of ESPN doesn’t rule out the Red Sox pursuing second baseman Brian Dozier.
  • Along with Baltimore’s closer, Zach Britton, the reliever-needy Dodgers are interested in Orioles setup man Brad Brach, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers have also scouted the Marlins and Rays and “monitored” Athletics closer Blake Treinen, Shaikin adds, though it seems improbable he’ll go anywhere with the A’s making a major push for a playoff spot. Conversely, as a pending free agent on a rebuilding team, the 32-year-old Brach is a good bet to end up in another uniform in the coming weeks. The problem for Baltimore is that Brach is in the midst of his least effective season in a while, with a 4.34 ERA/3.61 FIP and a 4.34 BB/9 in 37 1/3 innings. On the positive side, Brach has struck out upward of nine hitters per nine and generated swinging strikes at a solid clip (13.2 percent).
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Athletics Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Tampa Bay Rays Blake Treinen Brad Brach Brian Dozier Jose Abreu Keston Hiura Whit Merrifield

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Trade News & Rumors: Trade Value Rankings, Dozier, Andujar, Britton

By Kyle Downing | July 21, 2018 at 9:51am CDT

Fangraphs recently released its annual rankings of the top 50 most valuable contracts in baseball, or the players who would have the highest value in a trade. High atop the list sits a pair of Indians infielders (Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor), while Aaron Judge, Mike Trout and Carlos Correa round out the top five. The rankings take into account the amount of money each player is owed and the length of his contract in relation to his expected future performance. While the list is top-heavy with young stars (as one might expect), there are a few surprising names later down in the rankings, and a few top prospects even make the list.

Speaking of trades…

  • Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has drawn trade interest from the Brewers, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. That comes as little surprise considering the tight NL Central pennant race and the fact that Milwaukee’s second basemen have combined for the third-worst production in baseball to date. However, Wolfson also reports that another (unnamed team) has been “showing stronger interest”. For their part, the Twins (who now sit 8.5 games out of first place in the division) are open to moving Dozier.
  • The Yankees tried to acquire left-hander Brad Hand (who recently went to the Indians), but balked when they were asked to include young third baseman Miguel Andujar in the return, reports Andy Martino of SNY. That’s just one name the club had been targeting in a search for pitcher, but the prices for some of the available names (Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ, for instance), remain “insane” according to Martino.
  • The trade interest in Orioles lefty Zach Britton is “intensifying”, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko says that he expects Britton to be the “next Oriole out the door.” The Braves have thrown their hat into the ring recently, while the Cubs, Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants have also been “in the mix”. As Kubatko aptly points out, the removal of Hand from the pool of available names should turn a lot of attention towards Britton.
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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cleveland Guardians Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Aaron Judge Brad Hand Brian Dozier Carlos Correa Cole Hamels Francisco Lindor J.A. Happ Jose Ramirez Miguel Andujar Mike Trout Zach Britton

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Trade Rumblings: Hand, Dodgers, Dozier, Heaney, Skaggs

By Kyle Downing | July 18, 2018 at 11:00pm CDT

Though the Phillies lost out to the Dodgers in the Manny Machado sweepstakes, they’re far from done looking for upgrades to their ballclub. Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets that the club is interested in Padres reliever Brad Hand. As Lin notes, there are certainly many other clubs in competition for the lefty’s services; he’s easily one of the most talented bullpen arms in the game. As one might expect, however, San Diego’s asking price for Hand remains very high, as he can be controlled through the 2021 season at a very reasonable cost. The Yankees, Indians and Cubs are among the other teams who’ve been connected to Hand, who owns a 3.03 ERA and 13.20 K/9 on the season.

More rumors and rumblings from around the league…

  • The Dodgers aren’t done yet, either, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reports, as they’ll now pursue a reliever to help closer Kenley Jansen at the back end of their bullpen. It’s worth noting that Los Angeles will sit just a few million dollars below the luxury tax threshold following the acquisition of Machado, so any bullpen additions will likely come cheap, or send a player (such as Logan Forsythe) back to a trade partner in order to offset some of financial burden involved. In addition to Hand, Jeurys Familia, Zach Britton, Kirby Yates, Craig Stammen and Raisel Iglesias are just a few names who could be available.
  • Also in the aftermath of the Machado sweepstakes, the Brewers are left looking to acquire an infield upgrade. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that they’re expected to explore trading for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. With Minnesota all but out of the the AL Central race already and Dozier set to become a free agent at season’s end, he makes plenty of sense as a potential trade target for the Brewers, despite a down season so far. The Brewers are also expected to explore pitching upgrades, Rosenthal adds.
  • Also from Rosenthal, the Angels aren’t likely to trade young starters Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs, despite previous reports that the club might consider doing so. The Angels see the two young southpaws as key components during a 2019 season in which they hope to contend. Rather, Rosenthal notes, the club is more interested in trading some of their relievers (he lists Jose Alvarez, Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian and Justin Anderson), though they’d want a good enough return to justify giving up controllable players.
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Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres Andrew Heaney Blake Parker Brad Hand Brian Dozier Cam Bedrosian Craig Stammen Jeurys Familia Justin Anderson Kenley Jansen Kirby Yates Logan Forsythe Manny Machado Raisel Iglesias Relievers Tyler Skaggs Zach Britton

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    Padres To Sign Marco Gonzales To Minor League Deal

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