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Mariners, Marlins Discussing Trade; Marcell Ozuna Involved

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12:10am: Frisaro tweets that while he hasn’t confirmed anything, he gets the sense that the Marlins covet Walker. However, he adds that the Marlins also aren’t going to give away Ozuna’s potential 30-homer bat in exchange for Elias, thus suggesting that if a trade is ultimately reached, it will be substantial in nature.

10:25pm: Walker “isn’t available,” tweets Crasnick, and Paxton’s health concerns might not great enough that the Marlins wouldn’t part with Ozuna, raising the question of whether or not Elias or Karns would entice Miami.

10:00pm: Frisaro now tweets that the Marlins and Mariners could be aiming to complete a larger deal than just Ozuna for a pitcher. Crasnick tweeted earlier today that many expect Dipoto to trade Mark Trumbo again this winter (he dealt Trumbo from Anaheim to Arizona when he was GM of the Angels), though Trumbo’s lofty arb projection ($9.1MM, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) and the presence of Justin Bour in Miami make Trumbo an imperfect fit for the Fish.

9:48pm: MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that the Marlins are “fielding a lot of calls” on Ozuna currently, adding that he’s not sure anything is imminent. MLB.com’s Greg Johns also adds (Twitter link) that it “doesn’t sound like anything is imminent.”

9:20pm: Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald cites multiple sources in reporting that the Marlins could be looking at Elias and/or Karns (Twitter link).

8:55pm: The Mariners and Marlins are working on a trade that would send outfielder Marcell Ozuna from Miami to Seattle, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). If consummated, the move would continue what has been an incredibly active offseason for new Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto.

The 25-year-old Ozuna has been an oft-speculated trade candidate after Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria soured him this season. Miami reportedly has hoped to acquire young pitching in any trade of Ozuna, and the Mariners have plenty of controllable arms that could attract the Marlins’ attention. Left-handers James Paxton and Roenis Elias both have substantial amounts of team control remaining, as does right-hander Taijuan Walker and even the recently acquired Nate Karns. Of course, each of those names is just a speculative fit and any could require additional pieces from either side to change hands. Walker and Paxton probably have the highest ceilings of the bunch, though each has a notable injury history at a young age.

Ozuna enjoyed an excellent 2014 campaign in which he batted .269/.317/.455 with 23 homers in his age-23 season despite his pitcher-friendly home park. However, he slumped out of the gates in 2015 and at one point went through a dismal 1-for-36 slump that earned him a trip to Triple-A. Ozuna hit well in the minors, and the length of his demotion led agent Scott Boras to question the Marlins’ motives, alleging that the team was keeping his client in Triple-A to lessen the likelihood of reaching Super Two status by suppressing his service time. Ozuna ultimately fell shy of Super Two designation by roughly one week of service time. Upon returning, Ozuna likened the demotion to a “jail sentence,” which unsurprisingly didn’t sit well with Loria. I profiled Ozuna as a trade candidate at length shortly after his recall, and it’s worth noting that Ozuna produced a robust .286/.329/.487 line from the time that piece was written through season’s end. He’s controllable for another four seasons and won’t be arb-eligible until next winter.

If the Mariners are to acquire Ozuna, he’d presumably become an option in right field, thereby shifting Nelson Cruz into a primarily designated hitter role. Leonys Martin’s glove probably makes him the preferred option in center field, while Dipoto has already expressed that he expects Franklin Gutierrez and Seth Smith to platoon in left field.

To call Dipoto “active” thus far would be an understatement. Since taking over as the top baseball operations decision-maker in Seattle, he’s acquired Karns from the Rays in a six-player trade, landed late-inning reliever Joaquin Benoit from the Padres in exchange for a pair of prospects, acquired Martin from the division-rival Rangers and picked up utilityman Luis Sardinas from the Brewers in exchange for a minor league outfielder. Dipoto has also re-signed Gutierrez and brought Chris Iannetta to Seattle on a one-year deal in addition to making a pair of waiver claims in the first month or so of the offseason.

Starting Pitching Notes: Lackey, Fernandez, Price, Chen

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The Giants are among the clubs that are showing interest in right-hander John Lackey, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). San Francisco, though, is exploring a wide swath of starting pitching options, per Rosenthal, so it only makes sense that Lackey would be among the pitchers to pique the team’s interest. The 37-year-old Lackey has been a popular name on the free-agent market thus far, having reportedly been connected to the Marlins, Cardinals, Cubs, D-Backs, Rangers, Red Sox and Dodgers thus far. Over the weekend, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo listed the Giants and Cubs as the two teams with the best shot to sign Lackey.

Here’s more on the market for rotation arms…

  • Executives from teams searching for high-end starting pitching tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Jose Fernandez isn’t available in trades at this time. Sherman spoke with Fernandez’s agent, Scott Boras, about the reported tension between him and the Marlins’ front office. Boras tells Sherman that he spoke with Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill the day after the initial negative reports surfaced, with Hill telling him that he looked forward to Fernandez fronting the team’s rotation in 2016.
  • In an appearance on TSN 1050 in Canada (audio link), ESPN’s Keith Law discusses David Price with hosts Derek Taylor and Kara Wagland, noting that there’s no reason to believe he would accept anything less than full market value to return to the Blue Jays. Law adds that he’s never felt a reunion between the two sides is likely, pointing out that the MLBPA encourages the top names on the market to take every dollar possible to drive up the price for the second tier of free agents and the following year’s class. The idea of Price returning to Toronto has seemed like a long shot, at best, since he was acquired, given the team’s mid-sized payroll and previous lack of lengthy commitments. Law’s colleague, Buster Olney, wrote recently in his ESPN Insider daily blog post that some evaluators involved in discussions with Price’s camp believe that Price is indicating to all clubs that he’d like to play for them.
  • FOX’s Jon Paul Morosi wonders if left-hander Wei-Yin Chen could potentially pull down an annual value of $20MM on his upcoming contract. While that number seems like a stretch, Morosi points out that agents will likely be citing Rick Porcello’s $20.625MM annual value in contract negotiations this winter. A team paying $20MM+ annually for Chen seems like a stretch to me, but Morosi’s general point about Porcello serving as a reference is interesting; we’ll find out this offseason whether that contract looks like an outlier or one that served to drive up the price for second-tier starting pitchers. Porcello’s name has come up in conversations I’ve had with industry contacts this winter, though only time will tell if his contract does indeed serve to advance the secondary pitching market.
  • In a piece for Sports On Earth, MLB.com’s A.J. Cassavell tries to peg Zack Greinke’s free-agent value based on historical comparisons. Cassavell looks at age-based comps in an attempt to gauge how long Greinke will remain effective and the length of contract he’ll ultimately command. Cassavell projects that Greinke can be realistically relied upon for three more high-quality seasons before beginning to regress to above-average (but no longer elite) results, ultimately coming to the conclusion of a six-year, $153MM contract prediction.

Quick Hits: Dombrowski, Fernandez, Harvey, Britton

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski discussed his team’s pitching search in an interview with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link here).  Dombrowski said that “any of” the top starters on both the trade and free agent markets “are under consideration for us” as the Sox are casting a wide net in looking for an ace.  “The [free agent] market is probably, as flush as it is…an area that we would pursue more, but I think that you’d feel comfortable that any names out there, you could say we have interest in them and hopefully somebody will have interest in us,” Dombrowski said.  When asked about Red Sox ownership’s recent reluctance to give long-term deals to pitchers, Dombrowski discussed the importance and necessity of keeping upper management informed about any major signing.  “I don’t think anyone really cherishes giving that long term of a contract to any pitcher in particular but it’s a situation [where]…if you’re going to participate, you’re most likely going to have to do that,” Dombrowski said.

Here’s some more from around baseball as we head into a new week…

  • “The lines of communication” between Jose Fernandez and the Marlins front office “have been good” as of late, sources tell ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required).  This could be why neither side seems to be looking for a trade, despite some reports of personality issues between Fernandez and some teammates.  As Olney notes, there has never been any doubt of Fernandez’s passion for baseball, and some of the behavioral drama could stem from a franchise-wide lack of discipline caused by the Marlins’ unsettled managerial situation.  With a veteran skipper like Don Mattingly on board, things should theoretically be more stable within Miami’s clubhouse.
  • If the Marlins did want to deal Fernandez, Olney notes, it might better suit them to wait until next winter when the pitching market is less crowded.  The Mets could also be planning this same strategy for exploring Matt Harvey trades in the 2016-17 offseason.
  • Unless the Orioles get a huge offer, it probably makes more sense for the club to keep Zach Britton rather than shop him in trades, CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff opines.  Dealing Britton would fetch some sorely-needed prospects for Baltimore, and also open some payroll space given Britton’s escalating price tag as he enters his arbitration years.  On the other hand, dealing the star closer would leave a big hole on a would-be contender, especially one that is already likely to lose a big bullpen arm in Darren O’Day.
  • Several young players have been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, and MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince gives an overview of the some of the talents who could be trade chips rather than cornerstones for their respective clubs.
  • On the flip side, MLB.com’s Dan O’Dowd identifies Lorenzo Cain, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, A.J. Pollock and Marcus Stroman as players who have become big pieces of their clubs’ present and future, and all could be targeted for extensions this winter.  MLBTR’s Jeff Todd examined Cole as an extension candidate last March, before Cole boosted his value with a superb season.

Details On Jay Bruce’s No-Trade Clause

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Last week, Reds outfielder Jay Bruce had an opportunity to update his limited no-trade clause by changing the list of eight teams that he can block deals to.  However, the 28-year-old decided to stand pat and keep the same clubs on his veto list, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes.  Bruce can block any proposed deal that would send him to the Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, A’s, or Twins.

That mix of small and large-market teams presumably shields Bruce from destinations he may prefer not to play in while affording him leverage if a big-spending AL East club were to come calling.  Of course, the Orioles are the one AL East club that is not on the block list and they have become the most recent team to be linked to the Cincinnati outfielder.  There isn’t any “momentum” toward a trade at this time, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, but it seems that the talks are at least active.

Bruce, 29 in April, will earn $12.5MM in 2016 and can be controlled for the following year with a $13MM option — or be bought out for $1MM.  The Reds are willing to listen on everybody and GM Walt Jocketty said that he would “probably” be open to moving Bruce and Aroldis Chapman, despite his previous reluctance to do so.  Bruce slashed .226/.294/.434 in 2015, numbers that were well below his best offensive work from 2010-2013.

Quick Hits: Fernandez, Marlins, Rizzo, Orioles

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The Astros haven’t been linked to David Price in free agent rumors, but that hasn’t stopped Dallas Keuchel from acting as a recruiter.  “The baseball fan in me definitely would like to see [a rotation] upgrade but that’s not in my control.  I know I’ve made pitches to David Price — it’s just the baseball fan in me at the end of the day,” Keuchel tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.  “I just play. … I think (the bosses) know that we’re in a good position.”  While Price may be a bit too expensive for the Astros, the team has certainly been connected to several other free agent arms as Houston looks to back up Keuchel with another first-rate starter.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Two Marlins sources say that Jose Fernandez’s attitude is becoming a problem, with teammates annoyed that Fernandez “has become more entitled and cocky” due to perceived favoritism from owner Jeffrey Loria.  Despite this issue, the team isn’t planning on trading Fernandez, though the Marlins know they’ll have a hard time retaining him once he hits free agency after the 2018 season.
  • Also from Jackson, he reports that the Marlins have reached out to John Lackey, Scott Kazmir and Tim Lincecum, among other available starting pitchers.  This is the first time we’ve heard of Miami’s interest in Lackey, though the veteran right-hander has been getting plenty of attention from several other clubs.
  • If the Marlins change course on Fernandez and decide that a trade is necessary, the Dodgers, Red Sox, Royals, Twins and Astros could all be particularly good fits to acquire the star righty, ESPN’s David Schoenfield writes.
  • Earlier this week, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters (including the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes) that he’ll be looking to add a left-handed hitter to help balance out the Nats’ lineup.  Starting pitching isn’t necessarily a big need, as Tanner Roark and Joe Ross look set to fill out the rotation behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, so while starting pitching isn’t necessarily a big need, Rizzo didn’t quite close the door on the subject.  “I’m happy sliding Tanner and Joe in the rotation.  With that said, you can never have enough good starting pitching,” Rizzo said.
  • The Orioles haven’t swung any blockbuster trades under Dan Duquette’s watch, and CSNMidAtlantic.com’s Rich Dubroff doesn’t expect that to change this winter.  Part of the issue this offseason is that the O’s don’t have much to offer in the way of prospects; Dubroff lists some of the notable minor league arms the Orioles have dealt in recent years, particularly three young starters traded within the last year just to address their right field hole (in the form of Travis Snider and then Gerardo Parra).  As I noted in my Orioles Offseason Outlook piece, Baltimore has so many departing free agents that Duquette will need to be more aggressive than usual with trades or signings in order to keep the team competitive.
  • The Yankees “fixate on high strikeout rates, low walk rates and high groundball percentages” for their starting pitchers, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes.  With this model in mind, Sherman looks at ten pitchers that could be targeted by the Yankees in trade talks, though some will be harder to acquire than others since New York isn’t intending to deal top prospects like Aaron Judge.

Cafardo’s Latest: Giants, Braves, Gordon, Chapman

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Here’s the latest from The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo…

  • The Braves are one of multiple teams who have asked the Giants about Joe Panik and Matt Duffy in trade talks but San Francisco isn’t interesting in dealing either young infielder.  Panik and Duffy may have come up in discussions with the Braves over pitching, as Cafardo reports the Giants have discussed Julio Teheran and Shelby Miller.
  • Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon is generating “a ton of interest” and Miami is at least listening.  It would take a controllable, front-of-the-rotation arm to really get the Marlins’ attention, however, and it “seems unlikely” that Gordon would go anywhere.  I have to agree that dealing Gordon would be a stunning move even for the Marlins; if anything, the club is far more likely to extend him, as has been noted in recent reports.
  • The Reds and Red Sox discussed a trade for Aroldis Chapman, but Cincinnati wanted more from Boston than the Sox eventually sent to the Padres to land Craig Kimbrel.  That would represent a stunningly high asking price for a closer who is only under contract through the 2016 season.  Kimbrel, by contrast, is owed $25MM through the 2017 season and Boston has a $13MM club option on his services for 2018.
  • Andrew Miller is “atop” the Astros’ list of closer targets and Mark Melancon is also under consideration.  We’d already heard about Houston’s interest in acquiring a top reliever earlier today, with Miller’s name included with the likes of Chapman, Brad Boxberger and Ken Giles.
  • Speaking of Melancon, the Pirates closer tells Cafardo that he’s keeping an open mind about trade speculation.  “I love the Pirates. I love our group of guys and would love to stay here, but I also understand the business of it.  Every organization has a different business plan, and if the Pirates feel they need to deal me, then I understand that. Our people haven’t said a word to me about the possibility, so until that changes, I’m assuming I’m starting the year with the Pirates.”
  • The Twins are another team looking for relief help and they’ve also received a lot of interest about third baseman Trevor Plouffe.  There has been speculation that Plouffe could be moved to make way for Miguel Sano at third base, especially if the Twins come to an agreement with Byung-Ho Park.
  • Though Brett Gardner’s name has surfaced in trade talks, it’s “not a slam dunk” that the Yankees would part with him since he’s a clubhouse leader.  As CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman did yesterday, Cafardo also downplays the idea of a Gardner-for-Starlin Castro trade, noting that the Yankees would only trade Gardner if they got a starting pitcher back.
  • Five general managers told Cafardo that they wouldn’t take Hanley Ramirez in a trade even if the Red Sox covered at least half of Ramirez’s remaining salary.  Ramirez is owed $66MM through 2018 and he has a $22MM vesting option for 2019, so even at a reduced rate, that’s still a hefty price for a player coming off such a rough season on and off the field.
  • Cafardo feels the Cubs and Giants have the best chance at signing John Lackey, who wants to remain in the National League.  The Cardinals have also “kept their toes in the water” for his services.  The Red Sox have checked in on Lackey but are more focused on landing an ace starter.
  • John Boggs, Trevor Cahill’s agent, said his client looks to be a starter again “but he would accept a bullpen spot if he doesn’t secure a starting job.”

Latest On Jose Fernandez

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Despite recent rumors swirling about the Marlins looking to trade ace Jose Fernandez or Fernandez asking to be dealt himself, both sides say they’re looking to continue their relationship in 2016.  At a recent charity event, Fernandez told reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro) that he’d heard about the trade speculation but “I’m not paying attention to it at all….I really don’t have no time to look into that stuff. It’s not important to me.”

“I’m looking forward to being with my teammates and winning some ballgames. Get ready to go to Spring Training healthy and have a nice long year with the boys. Hopefully we get the opportunity to win the World Series. That’s the main goal. That’s what the city deserves and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Sources within Marlins management saw a Fernandez trade as doubtful a few days ago, and Frisaro hears (Twitter link) that the righty will indeed be staying put.  In a recent appearance on the MLB Network, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman said that teams who contacted the Marlins about Fernandez were told that the ace isn’t available.

Any number of “unavailable” players have been dealt over the years, of course, so it’s possible the Marlins are simply trying to give themselves extra leverage in trade talks and thus drive what’s already sure to be a high asking price for Fernandez even higher.  If Miami really did want to trade Fernandez, this offseason may not be the best time for it — the righty was limited to just 64 2/3 innings in 2015, missing half the season recovering from Tommy John surgery and then another month with a bicep strain in his throwing arm.

This shortened workload will mean that Fernandez will pitch under an innings limit in 2016, and interestingly, the 23-year-old said that Scott Boras, his agent, will indeed play a role in how that limit will be determined.  Marlins president David Samson said last week that Boras wouldn’t have a say in Fernandez’s workload, though the right-hander himself said that Boras was already involved in such discussions last year and “it’s worked perfectly fine. We all agreed. We’re all on the same page.”

“I do not know what all this is all about, but Scott Boras will be there because he’s my agent, and I get to decide who is going to be on my phone calls on my conference. It’s that simple.”

Even an inning-capped version of Fernandez would still be attractive to virtually every team in baseball, should the Marlins decide to make him available.  On the flip side, Miami hopes to be contender itself in 2016 and dealing an ace wouldn’t help an already-questionable Marlins rotation.  The Fish could try to get Major League-ready pitching in return for Fernandez, though on paper, a team with such arms to spare wouldn’t necessarily be the best trade partner for Fernandez.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Friday

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Tonight at 8:00pm ET is the deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. In other words: there will be a significant amount of 40-man roster moves made over the course of the next 13 or so hours. Six clubs already made moves to protect prospects from the Rule 5 yesterday, and each of the remaining 24 clubs should make moves today as well.

In brief: players drafted/signed at 18 years of age or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Players drafted/signed at 19 or older must be added within four years. Those interested in all of the specifics can refer to articles from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Perhaps of greater interest is that Mayo lists all of the prospects from MLB.com’s Top 100 list and from their organizational Top 30 lists that much be protected in advance of tonight’s deadline, while Cooper provides brief write-ups on each player that has been protected (and will continue to do so as additions are made).

Here are today’s additions to the 40-man roster. You can check out Baseball America’s coverage to learn more about the individual players listed below …

Earlier Updates

Trade Notes: Giles, Cubs-Braves Talks, Ozuna, Lind

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While the Phillies are downplaying the possibility of trading Ken Giles this offseason, there’s an expectation among other teams that he’ll be dealt either this winter or in July, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark. Stark heard that the asking price on Giles is steep — at least two or three high-ceiling prospects — and that the Phillies are willing to hang onto him if their price isn’t met. My first thought upon seeing the Craig Kimbrel trade return was to wonder what type of haul the Phillies could receive in exchange for Giles. While Giles hasn’t established himself to the level that Kimbrel has, of course, he’s still earning just over $500K per season, won’t be arbitration-eligible for two more years and can be controlled through 2020. The Phillies are within their rights to seek a huge return.

Here’s more on the trade market:

  • The Cubs and Braves have had talks regarding Atlanta’s controllable, MLB-level pitching, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). That would appear to involve Julio Teheran and/or Shelby Miller, as it’s hard to imagine Chicago having interest in any other Braves starters for immediate MLB jobs. Rosenthal writes that the Cubs are “doing background work” on somewhere around a dozen rotation options, while colleague Jon Morosi has said that the team is in contact with nearly the same number of free agent starters. Meanwhile, the Braves are looking to get young position players back if they ship out arms, per Rosenthal.
  • As we’ve heard suggested previously, the Marlins are asking other clubs for young pitching in return for outfielder Marcell Ozuna, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (links to Twitter). It’s always seemed likely that Ozuna would be dealt, as MLBTR explained in its post on the club’s offseason outlook, and one of Crasnick’s sources confirmed that the sentiment is held around the league. “I’d be surprised if they keep him,” said an anonymous executive. “Loria clearly can’t stand the guy and everybody knows it.”
  • There’s “lots of activity” on Brewers first baseman (and prospective DH) Adam Lind, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. The righty-masher could end up being the next veteran asset shipped out of Milwaukee, says Rosenthal, and that certainly wouldn’t be surprising.

Latest On Ken Giles

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Here’s the latest chatter on Phillies’ closer Ken Giles, who has drawn plenty of attention as a possible trade chip after tossing over 100 innings of 1.56 ERA ball in his first two seasons in the majors:

  • “We’re trying to add players like Ken Giles, we’re not trying to subtract,” Phillies GM Matt Klentak said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio links). “That’s what every team wants,” he said, referring to Giles’ performance, control, and cost. Of course, as he went on to note, there’s a “caveat”: Klentak said that he is open to being “opportunistic” with any player and is listening to any and all proposals from other clubs. “The relief pitcher market this year has been a little different than it is in a lot of offseasons, maybe highlighted by the trade last week,” he noted (apparently referencing the Craig Kimbrel deal).
  • The Astros and Marlins are two of several teams that have checked in with Philly on Giles, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. It’s hard to put too much stock in that, of course. Houston has been said to be pursuing a wide variety of power relief arms. And Miami could stand to plug in another late-inning arm, particularly one that won’t occupy much payroll space in the near term. Then, there’s the fact that a number of other teams are (or will likely be) in the mix as well.
  • As Rosenthal notes, and as Klentak said himself directly, the club is hardly committed to dealing Giles away right now. Indeed, it would be surprising to learn of such an approach. Philadelphia was comfortable taking some additional risk by waiting to trade Cole Hamels, and that rationale holds weight here as well. Though the risk of an injury or a downturn is always there, and it would obviously behoove the team to see what it can get, that hardly means there’s a rush to cash in the 25-year-old.
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