Mariners Acquire David Phelps
12:02pm: The trade is now official, as the Marlins and Mariners have announced the swap.
10:40am: The Mariners and Marlins have reportedly agreed to a trade that will send right-handed setup man David Phelps from Miami to Seattle in exchange for a package of four prospects. Center field prospect Brayan Hernandez is the headliner, while the other names in the deal reportedly include right-handers Brandon Miller, Pablo Lopez and Lukas Schiraldi.
Seattle has been playing well of late, getting back to the .500 mark and drawing within 1.5 games of an American League Wild Card spot. However, the Mariners are also 15.5 games back from the Astros in the AL West, which has reportedly led them to look for assets that can be controlled beyond the current season, as their best playoff hope in 2017 is a one-game playoff.
[Related: Updated Seattle Mariners and Miami Marlins depth charts]
The 30-year-old Phelps fits the bill, in that sense, as he’s controlled through the 2018 campaign via arbitration. He’s earning $4.6MM in 2017, with about $1.86MM of that sum yet owed to him through season’s end.
The former Yankee initially went to Miami alongside Martin Prado as part of the trade that sent Nathan Eovaldi to New York. After spending much of his career as a starter and long reliever, Phelps’ career took off with a 2016 move to a late-inning role. The righty’s velocity ticked from the low 90s to an average in the 93-94 mph range, and he’s dramatically upped his strikeout rate while pitching in a setup capacity.
Dating back to Opening Day 2016, Phelps has worked to a 2.69 ERA with 11.1 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate through 133 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate is “down” in 2017, but he’s still averaging 9.8 punchouts per nine innings pitched. His arm will be a boost to a Mariners relief corps that currently ranks 13th in baseball with a 4.05 ERA but carries more troubling marks in both FIP (4.44) and xFIP (4.45). Those ERA alternatives come in at 25th and 21st in baseball, respectively, indicating that the Mariners are perhaps fortunate to have gotten the results they have out of their bullpen to date. (Then again, Seattle boasts a superlative defense, particularly in the outfield, so perhaps it should be expected that their pitchers would outperform fielding-independent metrics.)
The Seattle ‘pen is currently anchored by sophomore closer Edwin Diaz, who has been inconsistent in 2017 but can overpower opposing lineups with a triple-digit fastball and one of baseball’s best strikeout rates. Nick Vincent has also been brilliant in Seattle, working to a 2.04 ERA in 39 2/3 innings, while southpaw James Pazos has averaged nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings en route to a 3.68 ERA. Former Mariners closer Steve Cishek represents another right-handed option, but health has been an issue for him in recent years as his numbers have declined.
Beyond that, Seattle has seen some of its anticipated setup men, particularly right-hander Dan Altavilla, take a step back in 2017. Phelps figures to pick up some of that slack and will join Diaz, Vincent, Pazos, Cishek, Tony Zych and Marc Rzepczynski in the Mariner bullpen.
Hernandez is the big get for the Marlins in the deal. The 19-year-old ranked as one of the 10 best international free agents in the 2014-15 crop and inked a $1.85MM bonus with Seattle at the time. Hernandez split the 2016 season between the Dominican Summer League and the Rookie-level Arizona League, hitting a combined .278/.325/.425, and he’s off to a .252/.306/.408 start with the Mariners’ short-season Class-A affiliate.
Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com rank Hernandez as Seattle’ No. 6 prospect, noting that he flashes all five tools but is still projection over performance at the moment. He received 60 grades on his speed and arm from Callis and Mayo with a 55 on his glove, and their report notes that his overall offensive development will determine if he can reach his ceiling as an everyday center fielder. Baseball America rated him 16th among Seattle farmhands this past winter, agreeing that the defensive tools are impressive and praising his “solid, consistent contact” but also questioning his ability to generate power now or in the future.
The 22-year-old Miller has spent the season with the Mariners’ Class-A affiliate in the Midwest League, working to a 3.65 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rat in 101 innings/18 starts at that level. Callis and Mayo list his heater at 90-93 mph with good command of the pitch and give him credit for a plus slider, though reports indicate that he lacks an average third offering and could be destined for a bullpen role. He ranked 16th among Mariners prospects, per MLB.com, while BA pegged him 25th among Seattle prospects this offseason. Both reports tout his fastball’s exceptional spin rate. If all breaks right, Miller could pan out as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Lopez is a 21-year-old starter that has spent the year in Class-A Advanced. While his 5.02 ERA through 100 innings doesn’t look appealing, he’s posted an excellent 89-to-13 K/BB ratio with a 49 percent ground-ball rate, creating some optimism that he’s been hit with some poor luck. (A .341 BABIP lends further credence to that notion.) MLB.com placed him 22nd in Seattle’s system and gave him three average offerings (fastball, curveball, changeup) but no plus pitch. He was 31st on BA’s offseason rankings, and their report notes that he has a 2014 Tommy John surgery in his history but is a “supreme strike-thrower” with impressive ground-ball tendencies.
Schiraldi comes from good baseball genes, as his father, Calvin, played in the Majors for parts of eight seasons with the Mets, Red Sox, Padres, Cubs and Rangers. The younger Schiraldi didn’t crack any Mariners top prospect rankings but has a gaudy 15.2 K/9 rate in 37 1/3 innings of work at Class-A Advanced. However, he’s also not particularly young for the level at 23 years of age, and he’s worked to a 4.58 ERA with a 6.5 BB/9 rate.
Ultimately, the Marlins will secure four players in exchange for a year and a half of a quality setup man while also saving a bit of cash for the remainder of the 2017 season. While it’s tempting to look at the sheer volume of players and wonder how this will impact the market for other relievers — especially those that are controlled beyond the 2017 season, such as Brad Hand and Zach Britton — it’s also worth emphasizing that Seattle’s farm system is generally regarded as weak. That bit of context should absolutely be considered when debating the value of other relief arms, and it seems unlikely that the volume of the Phelps deal “raises the bar” for other relievers throughout the league.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand first reported that the Mariners were in talks to acquire a reliever and that Phelps was the target. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi termed the deal “fairly close,” and Yahoo’s Jeff Passan pushed it further to “imminent.” FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweeted that the trade was indeed finalized, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that Seattle was sending multiple minor leaguers to Miami. Passan and Heyman added a bit more detail on the return (Twitter links), with Passan ultimately reporting Hernandez as the headliner. Sherman broke news of the other three players in the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
David Phelps Trade To Mariners Reportedly “Imminent”
9:52am: Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the trade is at the finish line, and a deal is “imminent.” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports that the Marlins are seeking a pair of quality prospects in exchange for Phelps (Twitter links). Fellow right-hander AJ Ramos is not a part of this trade and is being discussed with multiple other teams, Frisaro adds.
9:12am: MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the two sides are actually “fairly close” to completing a trade that would send Phelps to Seattle.
8:56am: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal also hears the two sides are talking but says there’s no match to this point, as the Marlins don’t love the Mariners’ minor league system (Twitter link).
8:48am: The two sides are indeed discussing a possible Phelps swap, Feinsand tweets. Nothing between the two sides is done just yet, as talks are apparently ongoing.
Phelps, 30, would give Seattle a setup arm that can be controlled through the 2018 season. He’s earning $4.6MM this season on the heels of a breakout 2016 campaign and has worked to an impressive 2.69 ERA with 11.1 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 through 133 2/3 innings dating back to Opening Day 2016. Phelps also has a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate in that time, which checks in a couple of percentage points above the league average, and he’s working with a career-best 94.4 mph average fastball velocity in 2017 as well.
July 20, 1:02am: Seattle “had been working on” a scenario involving David Phelps of the Marlins, Feinsand tweets, though it’s not yet clear if he’s the player that is currently nearing a uniform swap.
July 19, 12:37am: The Mariners are closing in on a trade to pick up a relief arm, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). It’s unclear at this point just who could be heading to Seattle, or even whether it’s a significant trade.
With a victory today, the M’s have pulled back to .500 and are firmly in the Wild Card hunt — though the AL West is still a one-horse race. While the club arguably is most in need of rotation upgrades, rare is the team that couldn’t improve by adding another piece to the bullpen.
In Seattle’s case, the current unit has produced middle-of-the pack overall results (4.07 collective ERA), though the metrics suggest that the true performance hasn’t been quite that good overall. Closer Edwin Diaz has had his peaks and valleys, though he has been firmly on the upswing during a dominant July. Indeed, that holds true of the entire relief corps.
The youthful Diaz could be bumped into a roving role if GM Jerry Dipoto aimed big. Setup man Nick Vincent has been the team’s best reliever, but perhaps could stand to be paired with another quality late-inning arm in front of Diaz. It’s conceivable that a big lefty would make sense. Southpaws James Pazos and Marc Rzepczynski have generated good results in the earned run department, but the former has been knocked around of late and the latter has increasingly shown worrying control issues.
Or, of course, the M’s could simply be bolstering their depth with a relatively insignificant addition. Given Dipoto’s sometimes frenzied trading history, it’s anyone’s guess just what this apparently pending transaction might represent.
AL Notes: Sanchez, Red Sox, Indians, Logan, Yankees
Blue Jays righty Aaron Sanchez left his start today after coming down with another blister, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm reports (Twitter links). While the 25-year-old says he is holding out hope of avoiding another DL stint, that may be optimistic. Sanchez had only just returned from a lengthy absence prompted by the same injury, though it does not appear to have occurred in precisely the same place. Ongoing uncertainty with such a key player doesn’t help the already murky outlook for Toronto, which fell to eight games under .500 with a loss today. It seems reasonable at this point to anticipate at least a minor sell-off of short-term veterans, though most of the players the team would be most willing to move have struggled in 2017.
Here’s more from the American League:
- The Red Sox now have Giants infielder Eduardo Nunez atop their list of possible third-base targets, a source tells MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). Indeed, the clubs have discussed Boston’s interest in both Nunez and reliever Hunter Strickland, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. It seems the Sox are also still engaged with the Marlins on third bagger Martin Prado (as well as reliever David Phelps) along with Pirates infielders David Freese and Josh Harrison. Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that Prado is on the DL, while the Bucs may be hesitant to deal given the team’s improved outlook. All told, it still seems to be a wide-open search.
- It’s not clear if talks have occurred between the Indians and Giants, but Cleveland is scouting Nunez as well, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). With the defending AL champs still battling for a postseason spot, they can’t just wait idly for second baseman Jason Kipnis to return from the DL. And a player such as Nunez would also improve the team’s bench once Kipnis is back.
- The Indians also got some bad news on the pitching front today, as lefty Boone Logan departed his appearance with an injury to his lat muscle, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets. Logan owns an ugly 4.95 ERA on the year, but he’s producing 12.2 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 with a 49.0% groundball rate, with a .360 BABIP helping to explain the disconnect. Ryan Merritt is on hand to give the team another southpaw matchup option to go with relief ace Andrew Miller, though it’s possible to imagine the Indians weighing alternatives if Logan’s injury turns out to be serious.
- With Todd Frazier now in pinstripes, the Yankees intend to work Chase Headley in at first base, manager Joe Girardi told reporters including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link). The switch-hitting Headley will pair with new addition Garrett Cooper for the time being, though that duo doesn’t promise to deliver the kind of offensive output that might be hoped for from the position. It remains to be seen whether the Yankees will continue to dabble in the market for first basemen.
Latest On Marlins’ Sale And Deadline Plans
As discussions on the possible sale of the Marlins continue to drag on, it’s beginning to seem questionable whether any resolution will be found before the deadline. New reports suggest ongoing uncertainty as to just who will end up buying the team, and cast new doubt as to whether the organization will make any major deadline moves with that situation still open.
Jorge Mas had emerged recently as the possible favorite to land the Fish. But that now seems in doubt. Charles Gasparino of FOX Business reported yesterday (Twitter link) that the league is concerned Mas may even drop out of the bidding. As Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald further explore, the team may be expecting just that result.
Mas is said to be frustrated by the unwillingness of current owner Jeffrey Loria to agree to an exclusive bargaining window. For his part, Loria seems to be holding open the possibility that further competition will boost the offers to his current price of $1.2B. But the constant stream of information, frequently pointing in different directions, seemingly poses its own risks to the club’s efforts.
With that backdrop, the Marlins are not presently interested in considering trade proposals for their three most interesting possible trade pieces, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Talks on outfielders Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna will need to wait for the offseason, per the report. MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro hears much the same, noting on Twitter that other controllable players such as J.T. Realmuto and Dan Straily remain off limits at present.
In some regards, that’s not a new development. Prior reports — see here and here — have said as much. But it has seemed at times that the stance could conceivably change in advance of the deadline, particularly if some of those assets could help the club free itself of some other contracts. Miami is said to be weighing offers on its relievers, with an apparent willingness to move infielders Martin Prado (who’s now on the DL) and Dee Gordon, so there’s still business to be done — and, perhaps, still time for the club to reconsider its stance on the players noted above.
Marlins Place Martin Prado On 10-Day DL
The Marlins have placed third baseman Martin Prado on the 10-day DL with a right knee sprain, per a team announcement. He’ll be replaced by infielder Miguel Rojas on the active roster.
That’s a new malady for Prado, who has hit the DL twice previously with hamstring problems. And it comes at a poor moment for Miami, which has reportedly been working on potential trade scenarios for the veteran.
Prado, 33, has struggled when healthy this year. Through 145 trips to the plate, he owns a .254/.283/.362 slash with a pair of home runs. And he’s hardly cheap, with an $11.5MM salary this year and $28.5MM still to go over the coming two seasons.
Still, it’s not surprising to see interest from organizations such as the Red Sox and Yankees. The respected veteran has long provided solid production, with a slightly above-average bat and quality glovework. He also has some defensive versatility, with plenty of time at second and left field in his past — though he has played third almost exclusively over the past several campaigns.
Prado is a clear August trade candidate given his contract. But teams hunting a third baseman will be motivated to explore all their options before the non-waiver deadline on July 31st. Whether Prado can return to the active roster before that date remains to be seen, though he’d only have a few potential games of action to show he’s back at full health.
The injury could help boost the market for the remaining third basemen that could be available. There are quite a few possibilities, though several may or may not be available. Pending free agents Todd Frazier and Eduardo Nunez both still appear to be the likeliest candidates to end up on the move.
Trade Chatter: Gray, Fulmer, Cards, JDM, Marlins, Lowrie, Red Sox, Reed
Athletics righty Sonny Gray is an obvious target for contenders, and he’s among the players touched upon in a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today (which also delves into some analysis and predictions). The Brewers “may be the most aggressive” suitor for the Oakland starter, per Nightengale, with the Royals even entering the picture to some extent. He guesses, though, that the Astros are most likely to land Gray. That’s not to say that it’s Houston’s first choice; Nightengale says that the team spoke with the Tigers on Michael Fulmer but “came up empty.”
We’ll see if the ‘Stros continue to push for Fulmer, who’d surely require a major haul of prospects. Here are some more notes from Nightengale and others:
- If Gray is the top starter who’s likely to be dealt, the best position player on the market is probably Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez. The Cardinals were said previously to have looked into the high-powered slugger, but Nightengale says they won’t spend big on a rental of his ilk. Rather, he says, the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks are the three clubs that have “shown the most interest” in Martinez. We’ve also heard of a few other organizations poking around on the righty slugger, so there seems to be no shortage of interest.
- The Phillies aren’t in contention — far from it — but are still showing interest in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, Nightengale adds. Other organizations are also said to be looking into the speedy veteran, who is under contract for $38MM over the next three seasons. It’s a bit surprising to see this particular link, as the Phils already control Cesar Hernandez and have variety of interesting middle infield prospects moving toward the majors. CSNPhilly.com’s Corey Seidman argues as much, but notes that Gordon could conceivably be involved in some of the broader talks between the clubs.
- As many as 10 teams are still in the mix for Marlins righty David Phelps, tweets Nightengale. Phelps is indeed an attractive trade chip, though it’s unlikely that all 10 of those clubs are expressing serious interest and making competitive bids to acquire him. Nightengale names the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, and Rangers as the chief pursuers of Phelps.
- MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand provides a variety of market notes. Among them: the Marlins are shopping Brad Ziegler aggressively. The team is willing to hold onto a major portion of his salary to get a deal done, per the report. That’s no surprise, given that he struggled through 29 innings before hitting the DL with a back issue. With a discount on the free-agent deal, there ought to be some interest. After all, the crafty 37-year-old maintained a 2.05 ERA over 136 innings in the prior two campaigns.
- It’s not surprising to hear that the Tigers are asking for quite a haul in exchange for Fulmer, given that he doesn’t need to be dealt. And the organization is perhaps well served to maintain a lofty ask on Martinez, allowing suitors to bid up his return. But dealing some of the organization’s other veterans may require more give and take. A pair of rival executives tell ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter) that Detroit may have trouble making deals at its current asking prices.
- Jed Lowrie has been one of the most oft-speculated trade candidates of the summer, but MLB Network’s Peter Gammons tweets that, to this point, the Athletics haven’t received so much as a single inquiry into his availability. Lowrie is obviously available in trade — as is the case with most of the Oakland roster — and it is indeed somewhat surprising to hear that interest in him is so scant. The versatile, switch-hitting 33-year-old is batting .272/.339/.455 with 10 homers, 27 doubles and two triples this year. Even if a contending club doesn’t view Lowrie as a starter, his $6.5MM salary and $6MM club option aren’t exactly outlandish for a productive utility option.
- The Red Sox are one team rumored to have some level of interest in Lowrie, though Boston has been most closely connected with Todd Frazier in its third base search. Odds are, a source tells ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber (Twitter link), the Sox won’t be parting with significant prospect assets to meet its needs at the hot corner and in the bullpen. That likely wouldn’t be necessary for Lowrie or Frazier; one wonders, though, whether the club will still at least look into more significant deadline additions.
- We haven’t heard much detail as yet on Mets righty Addison Reed, who looks to be one of the best available relievers. But he’s generating “plenty of trade interest,” in the words of Newsday’s Marc Carig (via Twitter). That’s to be expected given the dominant form of the pending free agent. Over 43 2/3 innings this year, Reed owns a 2.47 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and just 1.0 BB/9.
West Rumors: Athletics, Giants, Stanton, Dodgers, Padres
After Oakland traded relievers Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to Washington on Sunday, Athletics executive VP of baseball operations Billy Beane indicated that the franchise is ready to change course, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle in a quote-filled piece that’s worth a full read. Beane, who noted that the A’s have “never really committed to a full rebuild,” suggested that the team will do just that as it eyes a new stadium. He also expressed frustration with the fact that the A’s have had trouble re-signing their talent and added that “we need to change that narrative by creating a good team and ultimately committing to keeping them around, so that when people buy a ticket, they’ll know that the team is going to be there for a few years.” Continued Beane: “This is my 20th year on the job. There are only so many cycles that I can go through before I get as exasperated as everybody else. Finding players has never been an issue for us. Keeping them and ultimately keeping the faith and commitment from people who follow the team, that’s got to be done by keeping them around. Again, I’ve been assured by ownership that that’s what we’re going to do as it parallels with the stadium.”
More on Oakland and a few other West Coast teams:
- The A’s did get a major leaguer back in their trade with the Nationals in reliever Blake Treinen, but rebuilding means that acquiring big league-ready talent isn’t going to be a priority in upcoming deals, Beane revealed. Rather, the A’s have to “try and get the best players period,” said Beane, who preached patience. Given Treinen’s age (29), he might not be a long-term piece for the A’s, though Beane doesn’t have any interest in flipping him elsewhere right now. Two teams quickly approached the A’s about acquiring Treinen, but Beane rejected their advances.
- Craig Mish of Sirius XM tweeted Saturday that the Giants have shown more interest than anyone else in Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, leading Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area to assess whether a deal could happen. The California-born slugger’s enormous contract (he’ll collect $295MM through 2028 if he doesn’t opt out after the 2020 season) makes it highly unlikely he’ll end up in San Francisco, even if the Marlins were to eat around $95MM, observes Pavlovic. To take on that type of money – particularly for a player who has had difficulty staying healthy – would cripple the Giants’ budget for both the near term and the long haul, Pavlovic writes.
- At least one team would like to acquire Dodgers outfield prospect Alex Verdugo, but “it’s really hard to imagine a plausible scenario where it makes sense for us to move him,” general manager Farhan Zaidi told Bill Plunkett of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended). Zaidi offered effusive praise of Verdugo and opined that “he’s big league ready or close to being big league ready.” Verdugo, who has slashed .344/.414/.464 across 350 plate appearances in his first taste of Triple-A action, ranks as BA’s 35th-best prospect.
- “Almost all” of the Padres’ relievers have drawn trade interest, GM A.J. Preller informed AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “The relievers have all pitched well, and scouts take note of that,” stated Preller. “Teams have definite interest. And it’s not just a back-end guy or setup guys. We have some depth, and teams have hit us on that depth.” The Padres’ highest-profile reliever is southpaw Brad Hand, whom “there’s definitely a lot of interest” in, Preller acknowledged. At the same time, “there’s a lot of interest in keeping him here as well.” Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter, Kirby Yates, Craig Stammen and Jose Torres are other San Diego bullpen pieces who are reportedly on teams’ radars.
NL East Rumors: Braves, Mets, Nats, Marlins
Approximately a dozen teams have expressed interest in Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia, but the club isn’t ready to sell, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (on Twitter). Thanks in part to Garcia, who fired seven one-run innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday, the Braves (45-45) are at the .500 mark for the first time since April 17. Overall this season, the 31-year-old Garcia has logged a 4.33 ERA (4.25 FIP), 6.88 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 54.7 percent ground-ball rate through 106 innings. As an impending free agent, Garcia and his $12MM salary may well end up on the move in the coming weeks if the Braves don’t make up more ground in the National League playoff race. The team has a realistic chance to contend, though, as it’s a manageable 5.5 games out of a wild-card spot.
More from Atlanta’s division, the NL East:
- “A fair amount of inquiries” have come in on Mets closer Addison Reed, relays the New York Post’s Mike Puma, who adds that the team would like to keep fellow reliever Jerry Blevins (Twitter link). While Reed is the superior pitcher, the right-hander’s contract will expire at season’s end, making him an obvious trade candidate; conversely, the Mets will be able to maintain control over the left-handed Blevins by way of an affordable club option ($7MM) next year.
- Speaking of the Mets, they’re “close” to promoting their best prospect, Triple-A infielder Amed Rosario to the majors, a source familiar with management’s thinking told Bob Klapisch of The Record. One reason it hasn’t happened yet pertains to clubhouse chemistry, according to the source; specifically, the Mets have been reluctant to call up Rosario because they’re walking on eggshells around veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, who Klapisch writes has “quietly seethed” since they shifted him from shortstop to second base last month. At the time of the move, Cabrera did publicly complain and ask for a trade, but he quickly walked back those comments. Despite that, seeing Rosario at short wouldn’t sit well with Cabrera, suggests Klapisch. It’s worth noting that Cabrera wouldn’t do his Mets future any favors by pouting over a Rosario promotion. With an $8.5MM club option (or a $2MM buyout) for next year, his time with the club could be on the verge of ending.
- The division-rival Marlins and Nationals had “substantive talks” regarding Miami relievers AJ Ramos and David Phelps before Sunday, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. The Nationals might be out of the running for those two after acquiring Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle from the A’s, but Eddie Matz of ESPN.com could see the Nats further bolstering their bullpen before the trade deadline.
AL East Notes: Brach, Red Sox, Rays, Archer, Stroman
Orioles right-hander Brad Brach may be receiving more trade interest than closer Zach Britton, as there is “heavy traffic on” Brach’s services, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports. Brach would come at a lower prospect cost than Britton, hence the larger degree of interest. Both pitchers have one year of arbitration eligibility left, with Brach ($3.05MM this season) on pace for a much lower salary than Britton ($11.4MM) even though Brach has pitched very well as Baltimore’s interim closer while Britton has spent much of the year on the DL. Brach already drew a lot of looks in the offseason and may be even more popular now that teams know they can potentially use him as a closer as well as a setup man.
Here’s more from the AL East…
- The Red Sox have placed two relievers on the 10-day DL in as many days, with Joe Kelly sidelined with a left hamstring strain yesterday and veteran righty Blaine Boyer announced this morning as suffering from a right elbow strain. The hard-throwing Kelly has a 1.49 ERA over 36 1/3 relief innings for the Sox this season, with peripheral stats indicating some good fortune (.228 BABIP, 88.1% strand rate) to go along with Kelly’s 54.9% grounder rate. Boyer, meanwhile, has a 3.00 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 3.33 K/BB rate over 24 innings after signing a minor league deal with Boston in April. The Red Sox were already rumored to be looking for relief help at the deadline, and it’s likely that the search will intensify after losing two bullpen arms.
- The Rays asked the Marlins about relief pitching when the two sides were negotiating the Adeiny Hechavarria trade last month, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. With the Rays looking for bullpen help and Miami seemingly open to moving any veteran player, it seems that the two sides are likely to re-open talks as we approach the deadline.
- Also from Topkin, he reports that one team (not necessarily the Marlins) asked the Rays for both Brent Honeywell and Willy Adames in exploratory discussions about relievers. Needless to say, it would be a big surprise if either top prospect was actually dealt, though it gives an example of the high price tag that teams are placing on top-shelf relief pitching at the deadline.
- The Cubs checked in on Chris Archer and Marcus Stroman during their wide-ranging search for young and controllable pitching, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes. Archer has long been linked to Chicago in trade rumors, though the most recent talks unsurprisingly went nowhere since the Rays want to keep their ace to make a playoff run. As for Stroman, the Blue Jays informed the Cubs that the 26-year-old righty would cost Chicago a player from its big league roster. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently observed in his “Taking Inventory” analysis on the Jays, Stroman probably isn’t a likely trade candidate unless Toronto decides to embark on a total rebuild. The Cubs, of course, acquired Jose Quintana earlier this week and are reportedly still on the lookout to add another controllable arm to their rotation.
Marlins Notes: Jeter, Cruz, Gordon, Ziegler, Ichiro, Rojas, Riddle
Here are a handful of notes on the Marlins, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Marlins bidders Jorge Mas and Derek Jeter won’t be joining forces, Jackson writes. Mas, the Miami billionaire, contacted Jeter weeks ago and asked him to join Mas’ ownership group (as Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman also recently noted). Jeter refused, however, because he wants to control both the baseball and business sides of the team despite only contributing a relatively modest $25MM of his own money (as Heyman also previously noted). Jeter’s desire to control all parts of the team’s operations were also an issue when Jeter was previously part of a bidding group that included Jeb Bush.
- An earlier report indicated union executive (and former big-league outfielder) Jose Cruz Jr. would be part of the Mas group. Jackson indicates that no specific role has been outlined for Cruz, but that Mas and his group do favor him.
- The Marlins aren’t actively looking to trade Dee Gordon, but might deal him for the right return, Jackson suggests. A recent report from Heyman named the Royals, Angels and Blue Jays as potential bidders for Gordon, but indicated that the $41MM left on Gordon’s current deal might be a sticking point. Gordon is batting .291/.338/.353 in 380 plate appearances this season.
- Neither righty Brad Ziegler nor outfielder Ichiro Suzuki plan to retire after the season, Jackson writes. Ziegler considered retiring before signing with Miami last winter, Jackson indicates. It’s not surprising that those retirement plans are no more, however, since he’s signed for $9MM next season. The 37-year-old is, however, in the midst of a terrible year, with a 6.52 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 29 innings. Ichiro would play in 2018 at the age of 44 and has a .220/.267/.294 line this year; Jackson suggests that Ichiro is unlikely to return to the Marlins next season, despite his plans to play.
- Infielder Miguel Rojas is set to return soon from a thumb injury, and manager Don Mattingly says he’s open to having Rojas compete with rookie JT Riddle for the starting shortstop job. Mattingly indicates, though, that he liked using Rojas in a utility role instead. Rojas has played all four infield positions with the Marlins this season.