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Yankees Inquired On Ervin Santana Before J.A. Happ Trade

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The Braves are known to be in the market for rotation upgrades, and Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports that GM Alex Anthopoulos has reached out to his old team, the Blue Jays, to discuss a potential Marcus Stroman trade. However, Morosi also adds that there’s “no evidence of progress in those negotiations.” Anthopoulos has suggested recently that he’s not interested in surrendering significant talent to acquire a rental, so it’s not surprising to see Atlanta exploring the possibility of adding a pitcher who is controlled through the 2020 season. The Jays, of course, have been active on the trade market in the past 24 hours, dealing Seunghwan Oh to the Rockies and J.A. Happ to the Yankees. But GM Ross Atkins downplayed the possibility of moving players controlled beyond the 2018 season earlier today, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). “We’re not aggressively having those discussions,” Atkins replied when asked about moving some of his more controllable assets.

  • Prior to the their acquisition of J.A. Happ, the Yankees also spoke to the Twins about Ervin Santana “and others,” per Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). Both Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson are controlled through the 2019 season and could theoretically emerge as trade candidates, while Lance Lynn is a free agent at season’s end and is quite likely already available (though he has not fared well at all in 2018). It seems likely, though, that New York’s pickup of Happ will end their looks at the Twins’ available starters.

Yankees Acquire J.A. Happ For Brandon Drury, Billy McKinney

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The Yankees have completed their second intra-division swap of the week, officially acquiring left-hander J.A. Happ from the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder Brandon Drury and outfield prospect Billy McKinney. Both teams have announced the swap.

J.A. Happ | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Happ, 35, is in the final season of a three-year, $36MM contract and is still owed $4.75MM of that sum through the end of the season. He’ll step into a Yankees rotation that currently features Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray. Since losing sophomore lefty Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery, the Yankees have tried Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa in that fifth spot, but Happ will now provide a more experienced arm to step into that void.

While he struggled badly in a pair of early July starts (one against the Yankees) that inflated his season-long numbers, Happ has enjoyed a strong season overall. Through 114 1/3 frames, he’s registered a 4.18 ERA with more impressive marks in FIP (3.84), xFIP (3.63) and SIERA (3.51). Happ has averaged a career-high 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched against just 2.8 walks per nine, and he’s kept the ball on the ground at a 44.6 percent clip. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year, making him the Yankees’ second short-term addition of the week after landing Zach Britton in yet another intra-division trade.

The Blue Jays are surely thrilled to be able to pick up a controllable MLB asset in the form of Drury in exchange for a player who was set to depart via free agency at the end of the year anyhow. Drury was the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman, but he quickly became an odd man out in the Bronx after both Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres emerged in the Majors while Drury was on the DL due to severe migraines and blurred vision.

Brandon Drury | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

While Drury, 25, has batted just .176/.263/.275 in 57 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2018, he’d previously established himself as a solid producer with the Diamondbacks from 2016-17. In that time, Drury batted a combined .273/.323/.453 with 29 homers, 68 doubles and three triples over the life of 979 PAs. He’s capable of handling both second base and third base, so with Josh Donaldson set to hit free agency this winter plus Devon Travis’ perennial injury troubles, Drury is all the more appealing to the Toronto organization. The Jays can control Drury through the 2021 season.

The inclusion of McKinney in the deal will somewhat incredibly mark the third trade since being selected in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2013 draft. The A’s selected McKinney out Plano West Senior High School and traded him just over a year later in the deal that sent Addison Russell to the Cubs in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. McKinney was moved once again in 2016 when the Cubs included him as part of the four-player package that netted them Aroldis Chapman (with the aforementioned Torres as the deal’s headliner).

McKinney, 23, made his MLB debut earlier this season and went 1-for-4 before being sent back down to the minors after appearing in two games. He’s hit for plenty of power in Triple-A this season (.273 ISO), but he’s also struggled to get on base. Through 228 PAs, he’s slashing .230/.294/.502 with 13 homers, eight doubles and five triples. McKinney isn’t regarded as the top-tier prospect he once was, but he entered the season ranked as the Yankees’ No. 20 prospect by Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, receiving average grades for his power, speed and glove. He played center early on in his career but has been utilized more in the outfield corners recently.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that an agreement was in place (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links) and Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link) had previously indicated that a deal was nearing its completion. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that both Drury and McKinney were in the deal (Twitter link), and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the swap had become official shortly before the clubs announced the deal.

Yankees Nearing Deal For J.A. Happ

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There was quite a lot of chatter yesterday surrounding Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ, with a run of rumors that certainly suggests negotiations are building toward a conclusion. The Toronto organization has seemingly decided it’d rather move Happ now than let him take the ball this weekend, and Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that the team is sending that message to interested rivals.

We’ll use this post to track today’s developments on the veteran southpaw, a pure rental player who’s earning $13MM this year:

  • The Yankees appear to be zeroing in on Happ. The club is said by Sherman (Twitter links) to be “getting closer” to a deal structured around Drury. Jon Heyman of Fancred has it even closer to the finish line, tweeting that the Yanks and Jays are working to finalize a swap.

Earlier Updates

  • As of this morning, it seems there are still multiple organizations in the mix. Largely reflecting the state of play last night, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggests on Twitter that the Brewers and Yankees are still the two likeliest landing spots, with the Cubs also still “in the mix.”
  • Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that, as Sherman also previously suggested, infielder Brandon Drury has arisen in talks between the division-rival Jays and Yanks. That “could lead to [an] expanded deal,” Rosenthal notes, with the Yankees perhaps also eyeing some catching depth. New York GM Brian Cashman said yesterday that he’s open to bolstering his group of receivers with Gary Sanchez on the shelf. The phrasing of the report doesn’t really appear to suggest that high-priced veteran (and former Yankee) Russell Martin is a target. The more obvious candidate seems to be reserve Luke Maile, who has been a solid performer this year in Toronto, though there’s no direct reporting to establish any particular connection.

Blue Jays “Appear Close” To Striking J.A. Happ Swap

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10:18PM: “The industry belief” is that the Yankees and Brewers are the front-runners for Happ, Sherman writes.  The Cubs still “might be in play,” though Chicago also asked the Jays about Marcus Stroman.  In another tweet, Sherman mentions that the Blue Jays like Yankees infielder Brandon Drury.

9:33PM: The Yankees still look like the favorite for Happ right now, with Feinsand calling them “the leader” of the teams in pursuit, and SNYTV’s Andy Martino saying the Bombers are “in strong position.”  A trade may not be imminent, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that a deal is “unlikely” to take place tonight.  (All links to Twitter.)  Both Feinsand and Martino list the Cubs and Brewers still being involved, with Martino adding the Rockies as a new team to the Happ rumor mill.  Feinsand feels the number of teams in on Happ will result in a nice trade return for the Blue Jays.

9:10PM: There are conflicting reports about the Yankees’ involvement in the trade, as Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM tweets that the Jays are “focusing on finalizing” the Happ deal with New York.  Fancred’s Jon Heyman, however, reports that other teams are still in the running, and the Yankees “seem unaware they are getting [Happ], as of this moment.”

3:46PM: The Yankees are “heavy in the mix” for Happ, Feinsand tweets, with other teams (such as the Brewers) still possibly being in play.  The Cubs are one of the other teams involved, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

3:39PM: As the Blue Jays and Twins began action at 3:07pm CT today, Happ hadn’t heard about a trade, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets.  Happ is in Toronto’s dugout, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and others have reported.

2:54PM: The Blue Jays “appear close” to striking a deal to send lefty J.A. Happ to a contender, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Particulars of the potential match are entirely unknown, though certainly a variety of contenders make sense generally as destinations for the veteran starter.

Happ has mostly been a quality performer for the past several seasons. He currently sits at a 4.18 ERA on the present season, with peripherals suggesting he has been even more effective than the results would suggest. Though Happ endured a few rough outings recently, he racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over five innings in his last start.

As a pending free agent on a struggling Toronto team, it has long seemed clear he’d be dealt this summer. Happ ranked sixth among trade deadline candidates on MLBTR’s recent list.

Last we heard, the Jays were said to be lowering their asking price on Happ as the deadline draws near. The Yankees, Phillies, and Cubs have been linked to him in recent weeks, though it’s not at all clear whether any of those teams is pressing to land the southpaw today.

New York Notes: Yankees, Mets, Hamels, Happ, deGrom, Asdrubal

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The latest buzz on the two teams from the Big Apple…

  • Though Cole Hamels has been hit hard over his last five starts, there is still trade interest in the veteran southpaw, with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writing that “the Yankees could be the Rangers’ best chance of moving Hamels” before the deadline.  New York has continued to scout Hamels and has the prospect depth to offer Texas a better minor leaguer in exchange for the Rangers eating the large majority of Hamels’ remaining salary (thus helping the Yankees stay under the luxury tax threshold).  Of course, it remains to be seen how Hamels’ recent struggles will impact his price tag, plus there’s the potential obstacle of the Yankees being one of 20 teams on Hamels’ no-trade list.
  • As you might expect, the Blue Jays put a high initial asking price on J.A. Happ, asking the Yankees for either Clint Frazier or Justus Sheffield, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.  The Jays have reportedly since reduced their demands, which may be why the team seems to be closing in on a trade involving the veteran southpaw.  The Yankees are still involved in talks for Happ, though several other clubs have shown interest.
  • With Gary Sanchez on the DL until late August, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that the team is “comfortable” using Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka behind the plate until Sanchez returns.  The Yankees will “certainly look” for possible catching additions, though “I already recognize it’s a very thin position,” Cashman said.
  • The Padres have checked in with the Mets about Jacob deGrom, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports.  San Diego is known to be looking at controllable frontline pitchers (i.e. Chris Archer, Michael Fulmer, Noah Syndergaard), so it stands to reason that deGrom would also be one of the club’s targets.  Sherman notes that since the Padres see themselves contending by 2020, they have more interest in Syndergaard than deGrom, as the latter is only controlled through 2020 while Syndergaard is controlled through 2021.  While the Mets’ two aces have drawn a lot of attention, however, there still isn’t much evidence that the Mets are actually considering moving either deGrom or Syndergaard.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera’s recent slump has hurt his already limited trade value within a crowded infield market, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes.  “Cabrera is a guy that you can pick up at the deadline if he is hot,” an executive from another team said.  “He’s not somebody that’s going to bring back much in terms of prospects. He’s a guy you could see go at the deadline or even pass through waivers in August.”  MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams ranked Cabrera fifth in MLBTR’s list of the top 75 trade candidates prior to the All-Star Game, though it’s important to note that trade likelihood plays just as large a role as trade value in our rankings.  With Cabrera not producing, the Mets may have to end up moving him simply in a salary dump.

Yankees Acquire Zach Britton

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10:45pm: The Orioles and Yankees have formally announced the trade. Baltimore assigned Tate to Double-A Bowie. Rogers and Carroll have been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

8:01pm: The Zach Britton bidding war looks to have come to an end, as the Yankees have reportedly reached an agreement to acquire the left-hander from the Orioles in exchange for minor league pitchers Dillon Tate, Cody Carroll and Josh Rogers. The reported agreement has yet to be announced by either club and is said to still be pending medical reviews — a major final hurdle to clear, especially when considering Baltimore’s previous history of nixing or delaying deals over medical concerns.

Zach Britton | Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images

If the trade is ultimately finalized and announced, the addition of Britton would boost an already overpowering Yankees relief corps that features the likes of Aroldis Chapman, David Robertson, Dellin Betances, Chad Green and Jonathan Holder. Each of those relievers has thrown at least 40 innings in 2018, and each has an ERA of 3.05 or better. All but Holder (7.9 K/9) have averaged 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings or better.

While he doesn’t quite look to be back in peak form after this offseason’s surgery on his Achilles tendon, Britton has made significant strides over his past eight outings in terms of both velocity and ground-ball rate. His control isn’t quite back up to its peak levels, but Britton is missing bats and racking up ground-balls at a 72.2 percent clip over eight straight scoreless appearances.

If healthy, Britton will give the Yankees a potentially dominant second lefty to pair with Chapman and the Yankees’ slew of top-notch right-handed arms. That’s been a missing piece for New York all season, as Chasen Shreve has been solid at times but largely inconsistent.

A free agent at season’s end, Britton is earning $12MM this season and is still owed about $4.38MM of that sum. That money would count against the Yankees’ luxury tax ledger, though the they’re currently a bit more than $15MM south of the $197MM barrier, so Britton won’t push them over the edge. His addition will inch them closer to that mark, which will need to be a consideration in further trades, but for the time being, they’re still well clear of penalization.

Because Britton will be changing hands in a midseason deal, he won’t be eligible to receive a qualifying offer at season’s end, meaning the Yankees won’t be able to recoup any draft-pick compensation if he departs and signs elsewhere as a free agent.

That’s barely a consideration for the Yankees, though, as they find themselves six games back from the Red Sox in the American League East. While the Yankees are hardly out of contention for a division title, it looks considerably likelier right now that they’ll find themselves in an American League Wild Card showdown against the Mariners or the Athletics. Adding another potential shutdown reliever to an already formidable bullpen will aid rookie manager Aaron Boone’s efforts to shorten the contest and provide the Yankees insurance in the event of an unexpectedly short start, such as the one they received from Luis Severino in last year’s Wild Card game against the Twins.

Furthermore, it’s become increasingly common for clubs to stack their bullpens with potent relievers as a means of shutting down opposing lineups in postseason series. The Astros, Cubs, Royals, Indians and Dodgers are among the teams that have enjoyed deep playoff runs in recent seasons with stacked relief units that can be relied upon more heavily in the postseason than during the regular season thanks to the built-in off days during the playoff schedule. Britton only furthers the Yankees’ ability to employ that tactic, should they ultimately return to the ALDS for a second consecutive season.

Turning to the Orioles, they’ll bid adieu to fan favorite in Britton — a longtime top prospect who floundered as a starter but emerged as one of the best (if not the best) reliever in baseball at his peak with the club. Britton anchored the Orioles’ bullpen in both 2014 and 2016, helping the team to the postseason in each of those two campaigns — even if he’ll be more remembered for manager Buck Showalter’s stunning decision not to use him in the 2016 Wild Card tilt against the Blue Jays. He’s the second star the O’s have shipped out in recent days, joining Manny Machado as Baltimore looks to restock a decrepit farm system that has long ranked among the worst in the game.

The top piece joining Baltimore’s minor league ranks is the 24-year-old Tate — the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft. While Tate was originally selected by the Rangers, they subsequently traded him to New York a year later as the main piece in the Carlos Beltran swap. Tate was struggling at the time of that deal and had seen his prospect star dim a bit, but he’s rebuilt much of his stock with the Yankees and is currently in the midst of a quality season for the Yankees’ affiliate in Trenton. Through 82 2/3 innings, he’s worked to a 3.38 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.76 HR/9 and a 48.1 percent ground-ball rate.

Baseball America recently ranked Tate as the Yankees’ sixth-best prospect on its updated Top 10 rankings for the organization, praising his “high-end stuff” and crediting him with the potential for three plus pitches (fastball, slider changeup). He still needs to be more consistent with his secondary offerings, per BA’s report, but Tate will give the Orioles a much-needed potential mid-rotation starter on which they can dream.

Carroll, 25, ranks 15th among Yankees farmhands per Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, though they’ve yet to publish their midseason update of the team’s rankings. That said, Carroll hasn’t done anything to lower his status in 2018. To the contrary, he’s been nothing short of brilliant out of the Yankees’ bullpen in Triple-A. Over the life of 41 2/3 innings, Carroll has logged a superlative 2.38 ERA with 11.9 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 32.6 percent grounder rate. He’s been fortunate in that he’s yet to surrender a home run this season, so his ERA should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but Callis and Mayo slapped a 75-grade on his heater (on the 20-80 scale) in their free scouting report, and Carroll’s slider also draws plus ratings.

The 24-year-old Rogers, meanwhile, doesn’t rank among the Yankees’ top tier of prospects, but he’s worked to a 3.95 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, 1.07 HR/9 and a 40.1 percent ground-ball rate in 109 innings (19 starts) for the team’s top affiliate in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre so far in 2018. Given his age and relative success in the upper minors, it’s conceivable that he could help the Orioles as soon as the second half of the 2018 season. If not, it’s likely he’ll be viewed as an option to join the staff in 2019.

As for the Yankees, they’re still quite likely to be in the market for a starting pitcher. The fact that Tate is the headliner of the return for Britton subtracts one of their better chips, but the Yankees nonetheless possess a deep farm system that should allow them to pursue virtually any starter on the market — be it a major upgrade with multiple years of control remaining or a short-term rental with a decidedly lower cost of acquisition. The Britton trade, then, will likely be the first of many for the Yankees in the coming week (to say nothing of August) as they gear up for yet another postseason appearance.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported (via Twitter) that the Yankees had emerged as the front-runner for Britton and that Tate had been scratched from his start. SNY’s Andy Martino tweeted that the two sides had reached the medical review stage of talks. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweeted that the Yankees would send three prospects back to the Orioles. Fancred’s Jon Heyman reported that the two sides had agreed on all of the players to be involved, pending medicals (Twitter links). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that Rogers and Carroll were in the deal (Twitter links).

Yankees To Place Gary Sanchez On 10-Day DL

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The Yankees will place catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list, per Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). He had only recently returned from a groin strain.

Sanchez was in the news yesterday, of course, after he turned in an uninspiring performance in last night’s game that helped seal a Yankees loss. He seemingly failed to hustle on two plays that had a direct bearing on the outcome, leading to quite a lot of angst.

This morning, though, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweeted that there was some indication Sanchez may have been injured early in the contest. Olney confirms in his tweet that an MRI revealed an injury.

On the one hand, perhaps the news offers at least a partial explanation for Sanchez’s lackluster effort. On the other, it means that the Yanks are again going to lose one of their best hitters for an as-yet-unknown stretch.

Presumably, Kyle Higashioka will end up returning to play alongside Austin Romine while Sanchez is out. That is hardly an optimal situation for a team that now has six games to make up in the AL East.

Zach Britton Rumors: 7/24/18

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With the Orioles’ marketing efforts building toward a crescendo, lefty Zach Britton came up quite a bit in the rumor mill yesterday and also over the weekend. It appears that’ll again be the case today. With no comparable rental southpaws available on this year’s trade market, contenders that want a live-armed lefty are pushing for Britton, whose once-incomparable power sinker has regained some of its former luster.

The latest:

  • It seems there’s a good reason that we’re seeing a surge in the chatter on Britton. Andy Martino of SNY.tv suggested last night on Twitter that the Orioles are anxious to wrap things up, while Jim Bowden of The Athletic indicates on Twitter this morning that talks indeed appear to be entering their final stages. While there’s no specific timetable, it’s possible to imagine a deal coming together at any time. Britton appeared last night for the first time since the All-Star break and made it through unscathed, but there’s really not much reason for the club to take any risks.
  • The offers will likely drive the decisionmaking from the Orioles’ perspective, though, even if the preference is to make a near-term call. Multiple teams evidently remain involved in talks, so trade packages could yet change. Bowden characterizes the Astros and Yankees as being “in the lead” to get Britton. Of course, it only takes one call for a rival to leap across the track and cross the line first, and the O’s could always decide to extend the race.
  • Indeed, the Red Sox, Brewers, and Diamondbacks are also still in the mix, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (Twitter links), who also notes that trade talks on Britton remain “fluid.” Both teams have been connected previously to the lefty, but it’s notable that they’re still hanging around the picture. The Boston organization has been rumored to be looking for a major bullpen addition; the need for a lefty and possibility of some notable American League rivals landing Britton instead will surely also increase the motivation. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee club surely has greater needs in other areas but no doubt would love to further improve its relief mix at the right price. As for the D-Backs, there are already three lefties in the current bullpen, but Britton would make for a significant upgrade over the struggling Jorge De La Rosa while freeing the other southpaws (Andrew Chafin and former teammate T.J. McFarland) for earlier-inning matchup work.
  • As yesterday’s roundup shows, there’s no shortage of possible suitors even beyond those. Indeed, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets that the Cubs are another organization considered a serious pursuer. Just two days ago, they seemed an emerging possibility. Rosenthal suggests (Twitter link), though, that the Cubbies may be chatting as much about Baltimore’s top two starting pitchers (Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman) as its best reliever. Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Cubs are one of four teams that seem likeliest to land Britton, joining the aforementioned Astros, Red Sox, and Yankees.

Latest On The Market For Zach Britton

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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.

Latest On Cole Hamels

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7:27pm: Then again, a source tells Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (Twitter link) that it’s “not accurate” to say the sides have discussed Hamels.

Of course, the Nats do have someone on hand to watch Hamels in action tonight, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. The Braves, Cubs, Phillies, Yankees, and Diamondbacks do as well.

Of course, there are other players on view as well. The Atlanta organization may be looking at lefty reliever Jake Diekman, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman suggests on Twitter.

As for the Nationals, Janes tweets that noted D.C. executive Dan Jennings is the rep in Arlington, though she suggests his appearance is “more due diligence.”

7:15pm: The Nationals are the latest team with some level of interest in Rangers lefty Cole Hamels, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Those two organizations are said to have engaged in “trade discussions,” though there’s no indication that a deal is particularly close.

It’s not surprising to see the Nats angling to deepen their rotation and Hamels is certainly a pitcher with whom the organization is familiar. Of course, it’s also a bit interesting to hear of this particular connection given a rather notable run-in between Hamels and the D.C. ballclub, though that was some years ago.

After a strong outing on June 19th, Hamels owned a 3.41 ERA. After four sub-optimal times out, though, he’s all the way up to a 4.36 mark that arguably better reflects his true talent level at this stage of an outstanding career.

On the one hand, Hamels is back to generating a strikeout per nine after a big fall-off in 2017. On the other, he’s giving up home runs on 20.2% of the flyballs put in play against him. ERA estimators mostly view Hamels as a solid hurler — he’s at a 5.06 FIP, 4.11 xFIP, and 4.06 SIERA this year — but there’s not much reason to believe that Hamels is the top-line starter he once was.

Perhaps there’s some added appeal in the fact that Hamels has a long history of good work in the postseason, even if his most recent appearance — a 2016 dud for the Rangers — did not go as hoped. All told, he has thrown 98 1/3 innings of 3.48 ERA ball over 16 playoff starts. Hamels was also named the MVP of the 2008 World Series.

Contract will play a major role in the market for Hamels. He’s earning $22.5MM this year, a hefty rate for a sub-elite starter. He’s also due a $6MM buyout on a $20MM club option for 2019. Increasingly, it seems likely he’ll end up receiving the break-up fee.

Hamels can block trades to twenty teams, but the Nats are not among them. Neither are the division-rival Braves. The Atlanta organization has been linked loosely to Hamels in the recent past. Morosi suggests the Braves are indeed at least taking a look, though it’s not clear if there’s serious interest.

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