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Latest On Blue Jays’ Interest In Marlins Starters

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10:48am: Toronto has no interest in Latos but might consider Dan Haren, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter links). He notes that the club is very aware of maintaining a healthy “clubhouse mix” in making any additions.

10:14am: Latos is little more than a back-up solution for the Jays, a team source tells Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (via Twitter). The team has yet even to discuss any prospect names with Miami, says Griffin, indicating that talks have not progressed very far.

9:32am: While Toronto is “tracking” Latos, he’s not among the team’s “top targets,” Morosi clarifies on Twitter.

8:46am: The Blue Jays are one of multiple teams with current interest in Marlins starter Mat Latos, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun reported earlier in the month that Toronto was taking a look at Latos as a possible acquisition target.

Certainly, the more recent results have been impressive. As many others have noted, Latos has featured increased velocity and improved production since dealing with knee issues early in the year. He’s been particularly impressive in his last two outings, allowing five hits, three walks, and one earned run combined over 14 frames while racking up 23 groundball outs and 14 strikeouts.

Latos, of course, comes with some questions. Though he’s pretty much always produced positive outcomes when healthy, Latos also missed half of last year. And he isn’t cheap, playing on a $9.4MM salary, though the fact that he’s a pure rental eliminates any long-term injury risk. Obviously, an acquiring team would not be eligible to make Latos a qualifying offer.

Toronto has long been said to be pursuing one or more arms, with reports suggesting that the team is exploring a wide variety of possibilities. Latos is not as exciting as some of the top names that could be available, but he is relatively affordable from a salary perspective (compared, at least, to players like David Price and Cole Hamels) and likely won’t cost as much in terms of prospects as names like Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. That’s especially important for a Toronto club that reportedly has little payroll space available and is reluctant to part with young pitching (especially given that many of those arms factor into the present big league roster equation).

Brewers Declined Extension Overtures From Jonathan Lucroy

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Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy indicated today that he was rebuffed by the team when his representatives raised the possibility of a second extension last offseason, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. The 29-year-old first mentioned that “a little bit of talk earlier in Spring Training … really didn’t go anywhere” in an appearance on 105.7 The Fan (audio link).

Expanding upon those comments in a chat with McCalvy, Lucroy said that he came to the team with “a proposal that would have kept me here for the rest of my career, most likely.” After submitting the offer in January, said the veteran backstop, he was informed that the team was not “interested in doing anything at this point in time.” Lucroy is represented by Sports One Athlete Management.

Lucroy agreed previously to a five-year, $11MM extension that has turned into one of the game’s more valuable contractual assets for Milwaukee. Since putting pen to paper before the 2012 campaign, Lucroy has compiled a .291/.353/.455 slash with 46 home runs while contributing outstanding work behind the dish. Though he has been off to a slow start this season after missing time early on, he’s begun hitting again over the month of July.

Under the deal, which was struck when Lucroy was more a solid youngster than the outstanding player he’s become, Milwaukee can control its franchise backstop for two more seasons (through his age-31 campaign) for just $9.25MM. The last year of that contract, 2017, consists of a $5.25MM club option.

While many teams have doubled down on cheap early extensions to grab more control at attractive rates, it seems that the Brewers were pleased with their existing commitment. There are many possible reasons for that, of course, including Lucroy’s age and unknown contractual demands as well as the amount of time remaining to discuss another agreement.

Certainly, it would not be fair to assume that Milwaukee’s apparent lack of interest in another extension indicates any particular inclination towards dealing Lucroy. We’ve heard numerous reports suggesting that Milwaukee is not looking to move him despite its place in the standings, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweeted today that “multiple top prospects” would need to be offered for the team to even consider such a move.

Troy Tulowitzki: No Interest In Being Traded

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Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki says that he has no interest in being traded, as MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby reports. While the franchise star does not have the ability to block a deal, prior reports have indicated that his preferences (particularly if stated publicly) would have a highly significant influence on the willingness of owner Dick Monfort to permit a deal.

Tulowitzki has not played up to his usual standards this season, though he still cracked the All-Star roster and has been one of the most productive shortstops in baseball this year. The downturn (especially in defensive metrics) might not be as concerning had Tulowitzki not missed the second half of 2014 recovering from hip surgery. As things stand, though, his value is somewhat diminished, though teams would still line up for a chance to add him.

The biggest issue with Tulowitzki’s trade value, of course, is the combination of his notable injury history, age (nearly 31), and big contract. He’s set to earn $20MM annually not only this year but from 2016-2019, and will be promised at least $17MM thereafter for his 2020 guarantee and the buyout of a 2021 option.

Tulowitzki did couch his comments somewhat, but certainly did nothing to suggest that he’s going to campaign for a deal — far from it, in fact. “I didn’t sign my contract because I wanted to be somewhere else,” Tulowitzki said. “I signed my contract because I want to be with the Rockies.” He added that any trade speculation has “just been a lot of rumors,” so far as he is concerned.

While he obviously does not have the final say on the question whether he is dealt, it certainly does not sound as if Tulowitzki has had any conversations with the organization regarding a move. He expressed confidence in the team’s young talent — which includes at least two possible future replacements at shortstop in Trevor Story and Brendan Rodgers — an indicated that he has every hope of playing for a contender again in Colorado. “We have the makings of a team that can win,” he said. “To win here would be very satisfying.”

More generally, Rockies GM Jeff Bridich has played his cards close to the vest in the run-up to the deadline, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Saunders reiterates that he has heard no indication of a trade of Tulowitzki, though he notes that a move involving Carlos Gonzalez could make some sense. There are other theoretical candidates as well, of course — closer John Axford, outfielder Charlie Blackmon, and catcher/first baseman Wilin Rosario among them — but there have been few reports indicating which if any the Rockies are interested in parting with.

Blue Jays To Sign Joba Chamberlain To Minors Deal

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The Blue Jays have agreed to a minor league deal with reliever Joba Chamberlain, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter. The 29-year-old was released recently by the Tigers.

Chamberlain owns a 4.09 ERA in 22 innings on the year, but there were some suggestions that he may have been a bit unlucky in Detroit. Opposing hitters own a .360 BABIP against him, as well as a 21.7% HR/FB rate. While solid contact could explain those marks, Chamberlain’s fastball velocity is in line with his career numbers and he’s struck out 6.1 batters per nine while walked just 2.0.

Toronto has long been looking for ways to bolster its bullpen, and will at the very least pick up some depth in Chamberlain. It’s far from clear that the signing will keep the team out of the market for relief arms, but perhaps it reduces the need for the club to deal for a serviceable veteran in addition to whatever else it might get done.

Astros, Padres Have Discussed Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner

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The Astros and Padres have had “at least a preliminary conversation” regarding starters Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston is continuing to evaluate an array of options, though — including talks with the Phillies on Cole Hamels that appear to have some traction — so nothing appears close.

Houston GM Jeff Luhnow said earlier today that the club is prepared to deal from among its best prospects “if that’s what is required and that was our best option to improve this team.” Of course, the club’s best-regarded young players are now a part of the 25-man roster.

Adding a young, controllable arm such as Ross or Cashner would obviously require the Astros to give up some serious value in return. The former is probably the more valuable piece at this point, given his added year of control and superior overall performance over the last two years. But both are highly desirable assets, and Houston would undoubtedly face competition if they are marketed.

The issue with Hamels, of course, is his no-trade clause, which reports have suggested he’d be disinclined to waive for the Astros. But discussions between the teams have not reached the point where that question has been addressed between Houston and Hamels, per the report, so it’s not certain whether he could be an achievable target.

Luhnow continues to emphasize that starting pitching is his highest priority, though he’s also cited an increasing need for a bat. As MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported earlier today, Luhnow says that his club has “opened up a lot more conversations regarding position players” and was also talking with teams about pen arms.

Rangers Listening On Yovani Gallardo

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The Rangers are listening to trade inquiries on starter Yovani Gallardo, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The possibility of Gallardo being available was note earlier today in a report from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

Despite the possibility of a move involving the free-agent-to-be Gallardo, Texas is still participating in talks on Cole Hamels. That indicates that the club could be interesting in multiple moves that keep it competitive this year and set things up for near-term contention.

Gallardo, 29, has provided the Rangers with 117 1/3 quality innings since coming over in a winter deal from the Brewers. He owns a 2.91 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 on the year. But per Heyman’s report, Gallardo has given no indication of interest in an extension, making him an expiring asset for a club that has faded of late.

Despite his solid work, Gallardo’s value may not quite match his results. His track record is more that of a mid-rotation innings eater than a top-of-the-rotation arm, and ERA estimators take a somewhat dim view of his work this year (particularly a 4.32 SIERA mark).

While Gallardo will hardly be a top trade target, we’ve seen pitchers of his ilk draw solid deadline returns in recent years. The Cubs, in particular, have cleaned up by selling off mid-rotation arms: the Matt Garza deal brought back young talent in C.J. Edwards, Mike Olt, and Neil Ramirez, while Scott Feldman returned Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop.

Rangers, Astros, Dodgers In Mix For Cole Hamels

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Though Cole Hamels hasn’t performed well over his past two starts, trade interest in him doesn’t appear to be dying down. Despite previous comments that put a damper on the Hamels-to-Rangers rumors for awhile, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Rangers are “very much involved” in trade talks for Hamels, and they appear to be bidding about the Astros. That’s not the only Rangers/Hamels connection, either; Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the Dodgers are the name he hears linked to Hamels most frequently, but the Rangers closely follow them.

Grant writes that while the Rangers do want to bolster their 2015 chances, a Hamels acquisition would be made with an eye toward pairing him atop their rotation with Yu Darsish in 2016-17. The Rangers have been said to dislike the notion of paying Hamels $23.5MM annually, so it seems likely that they’d ask for some kind of financial compensation, especially if they’re to part with top prospects in the deal. Joey Gallo wouldn’t exchange hands in a Hamels deal, Grant notes, listing outfielder Nomar Mazara and the injured-but-still-vaunted catching prospect Jorge Alfaro as likelier options. (Chi Chi Gonzalez’s name has also come up in speculative rumors in the past.)

Grant doesn’t get any indication of what the Astros might be willing to offer, but GM Jeff Luhnow has been vocal about acquiring a pitcher that could pitch in the first game or two of a playoff series. Hamels would fit that bill. Houston’s reportedly more comfortable parting with right-hander Mark Appel than with top outfield prospect Brett Phillips, and the team is said to be highly resistant to the idea of trading right-hander Lance McCullers. Even beyond McCullers, Phillips and the of-course-off-limits Carlos Correa, however, the Astros have a deep farm system that got even deeper with what most praised as a highly successful draft. While the players selected in this year’s draft are, of course, ineligible to be traded, the influx of talent might make Houston a bit more comfortable moving some of its preexisting young talent.

The Dodgers/Hamels connection has been persistent over the past few months. Los Angeles clearly has the financial wherewithal to absorb Hamels’ contract in its entirety, if the Phillies wish to go that route, though doing so would lessen the return that Philadelphia received in terms of prospects. To this point, it’s been reported that neither Corey Seager or Julio Urias is available in trades, and Peter Gammons reported yesterday that the Dodgers are also loath to part with promising young catcher Austin Barnes or right-hander Jose De Leon, whose stock continues to rapidly rise (both ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America ranked him among the game’s Top 25 prospects on their midseason updates.)

Royals Option Yordano Ventura

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The Royals have optioned young righty Yordano Ventura, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports on Twitter.

Ventura, 24, established himself as one of the game’s more interesting young arms last year. He threw 183 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, with 7.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 and a 47.6% groundball rate. Ventura then contributed another 25 1/3 frames, with an identical earned run average, to the team’s World Series run.

That excellent campaign led Kansas City to lock him up for the foreseeable future in early April. Ventura received a five-year, $23MM guarantee while also giving the Royals two option years at $12MM apiece.

It’s been something of a different story this year, at least in terms of results. Ventura has permitted 5.19 earned per nine over the 76 1/3 innings he’s worked thus far.

His average fastball velocity is down by a decent bit, but that does not seem to explain things. The peripherals all look the same: Ventura has struck out 7.7 and walked 2.9 batters per nine while inducing grounders at a 52.0% clip, all the same or better than last year.

Indeed, Ventura’s FIP (3.69), xFIP (3.68), and SIERA (3.71) all suggest that there has been something else at play. He has allowed a .321 BABIP while carrying a 64.8% strand rate, both of which suggest a fair dose of bad luck.

Regardless, the Royals obviously felt it was time for a break from the big leagues, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggested was possible this morning on Twitter. Things certainly have taken a turn for the worse of late, as Ventura has not lasted more than five innings in a start since the end of May (while also missing time with a hand injury). He’s permitted one earned run per inning pitched over that stretch. The return of lefty Jason Vargas created the need for a rotation spot, and Ventura will head down to Triple-A to work out whatever issues the team has identified.

Pirates Showing Interest In Zobrist, Barmes, Pennington

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With both Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer out for six to seven weeks, the suddenly injury-plagued Pirates have reached out to the Athletics, Padres and Diamondbacks to express respective interest in Ben Zobrist, Clint Barmes and Cliff Pennington, reports Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Of the names in question, Zobrist is clearly the most high-profile addition. The switch-hitting 34-year-old missed a little more than a month earlier this year after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, but he’s shown little in terms of ill effects at the plate. Since his activation from the DL on May 26, Zobrist is hitting a very solid .264/.358/.429 in 190 plate appearances.

In addition to a strong offensive track record, Zobrist is coveted by many clubs due to his defensive versatility. It should be noted that defensive metrics are down on his work in 2015, but we’re looking at a small sample of work there, and it’s certainly possible that the knee operation has had some lingering effects on his range at this year’s primary positions — second base and left field. (Zobrist has also made three errors in left, which is perhaps to be expected as he adjusts after serving far more time in right field during his Rays tenure.)

At $7.5MM in 2015, Zobrist’s contract is hardly prohibitive from a financial standpoint, but because of the sheer demand for his services and the affordable nature of that salary, an acquiring club would likely have to pay a relatively steep prospect price for a player that is a pure rental; Zobrist will hit free agency for the first time following the season.

Both Pennington and Barmes are strict rentals as well, though the price on either would be markedly lower than with Zobrist. Pennington has spent the past three seasons serving as a utility man for the D-Backs. He’s getting on base but showing little power this year, hitting .245/.322/.292. (Much of those on-base skills are likely attributable to the fact that 40 percent of his plate appearances have come in the eighth slot, in front of the pitcher.)

Pennington is known as a solid defensive player at shortstop, third base and second base, so he could provide the Pirates with some versatility even as their roster mends. He’s earning $3.275MM in 2015, and about $1.38MM of that sum remains.

Pirates executives, coaches, players and fans alike are all familiar with Barmes, who spent the 2012-14 seasons in a Pirates uniform. Known primarily as a defensive specialist at shortstop, Barmes is actually enjoying quite a strong season at the plate in his first year with the Padres after signing a one-year, $1.3MM contract this winter. In 144 plate appearances, he’s hitting .284/.324/.440 with three homers. Of course, he’s been allowed to see nearly half of his at-bats against left-handed pitching and slashed .317/.388/.500 in such situations, and he may not have that same platoon luxury in a return to Pittsburgh.

Should the Bucs elect to bring Barmes back to PNC Park, he’d likely play shortstop, with Jung Ho Kang remaining the club’s primary third baseman as both Harrison and Mercer heal. A return for Barmes would no doubt be well received by a large portion of the Pirates fan base, who greeted Barmes with a warm ovation in his return to PNC Park as a member of the Padres while the team honored him by playing his old walk-up music (video link).

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