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Orioles, Brewers, Discussing Jonathan Schoop

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2:54pm: Talks between the O’s and Brewers are “very serious,” per ESPN’s Buster Olney. Rosenthal tweets that the two sides are close to a deal.

2:40pm: In addition to an agreed-upon trade sending Gausman to the Braves, the Orioles are discussing Schoop with the Brewers, tweets Rosenthal.

2:16pm: The Braves have been in contact with the Orioles regarding Gausman, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Heyman tweets that Atlanta has been “working hard” to add a controllable starter.

1:49pm: Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are discussing a trade of second baseman Jonathan Schoop and, potentially, Gausman (Twitter link).

1:40pm: Dan Connolly of The Athletic tweets that the Orioles and the other team involved in the deal are reviewing medical reports. Jones is not being traded in the deal, he adds.

1:28pm: Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that teams are “getting serious” with their offers on Gausman. He lists the Rockies, Braves and Brewers as teams in the mix. Crasnick tweets, meanwhile, that the Pirates are “out” on Gausman.

1:10pm: The Orioles are “closing in” on yet another deal with just under two hours until the non-waiver trade deadline, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.

It’s not clear from the report who’ll be changing hands, though the O’s have already moved their biggest rental chips in the form of Manny Machado, Zach Britton and Brad Brach. Adam Jones reportedly isn’t interested in waiving his 10-and-5 rights to approve a deal, which makes it tough to envision that he’s changing hands here.

Meanwhile, previous reports have suggested that the Orioles have not yet had their asking prices met on more controllable pieces like Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy or Mychal Givens. Speculating a bit, though, veteran infielder/outfielder Danny Valencia would be one rental piece that the O’s could conceivably deal to a contender in need of a righty bat off the bench.

Brad Ziegler Rumors: Tuesday

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Though an MLB.com report of a near agreement on a Brad Ziegler trade between the Cubs and Marlins was ultimately retracted, there’s still plenty of chatter on the veteran submariner, who looks quite likely to change hands today. Ziegler is owed about $2.95MM of his $9MM salary through the end of the season and has pitched to a brilliant 0.93 ERA with 22 strikeouts, 11 walks and a superlative 80.3 percent ground-ball rate in 29 innings over the past two months. Here’s the latest chatter…

  • The Marlins are moving closer to a trade involving Ziegler, but the Cubs are not in the mix anymore, tweets Frisaro. The field, it seems, is down to only a couple of teams.
  • Meanwhile, both Mish and Nightengale have tweeted that Ziegler has been traded, though multiple reports have stated otherwise. Neither Mish nor Nightengale has been able to glean exactly where Ziegler is headed. It seems fairly obvious that Ziegler will be moved, but things appear to be fluid as the Marlins try to hammer out a final deal.
  • Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal, meanwhile, tweets that the Red Sox aren’t likely as they’re prioritizing power arms.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees have been in touch with the Marlins about both Cameron Maybin and Ziegler, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (Twitter links). New York has reportedly been eyeing an extra outfielder with Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier on the DL, and Maybin would fit that bill, while Ziegler would further deepen an already solid ’pen by giving them a strong weapon against right-handed opponents.
  • The Cubs do not have an agreement in place with the Marlins, but they remain the front-runner to land his services, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. However, other teams remain in the mix to acquire him, per Frisaro, who notes that the Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers and Astros have all scouted Ziegler in recent weeks.
  • USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that the Cubs are indeed expected to land a reliever today and are engaged with the Marlins in trade talks surrounding Ziegler (Twitter link).
  • SiriusXM’s Craig Mish tweets that the Indians are still in the picture for Ziegler as well. Mish also suggested last night that the Marlins are aiming to move Ziegler to a team that can absorb the remaining money on his contract (roughly $2.95MM, as previously noted above) and also has international bonus pool money to spare. Miami was connected last week to top international prospect Victor Victor Mesa (per MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr, on Twitter), so it’d be reasonable to see the Fish try to boost their pool as teams await Mesa to be cleared for free agency by MLB.

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Andrew McCutchen Drawing Trade Interest

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11:07am: Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweets that the Yankees’ interest in McCutchen is “soft.” They’re expected to add an outfielder today, he adds, but it doesn’t appear that McCutchen is high on the list of targets at this time.

Meanwhile, Bob Nightengale tweets that the Giants do not expect to move McCutchen at all today.

8:22am: The Yankees, Phillies and Indians are all showing “varying levels of interest” in Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, who writes that San Francisco is more open to moving potential free agents than it was earlier this summer. On the other hand, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic tweets that while the Giants may indeed consider a move involving McCutchen, he doesn’t believe the team would seriously consider doing so until next month in a potential waiver deal. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle strikes a similar tone, tweeting that Giants are actually still looking at adding to their outfield or rotation in an effort to improve the team’s 2018 chances.

The Giants, of course, have slipped in the NL West standings this month, though they’re still just five and a half games back of the division lead. The reported possibility of surgery for right-hander Johnny Cueto doesn’t do any favors for the team’s hopes of climbing back up the standings, but GM Bobby Evans and president Brian Sabean have never been overly inclined to send their team into “sell” mode in the past.

It’s not hard to see why any of the teams listed by Morosi would at least have interest in McCutchen, though the Yankees’ need may be too short-term in nature for a player like McCutchen. New York has reportedly been seeking an extra outfield bat with Aaron Judge and Clint Frazier on the shelf, but McCutchen would be a costly addition (financially speaking) and crowd the team’s outfield mix in fairly notable fashion if and when Judge is ready to return next month.

Cleveland and Philadelphia, meanwhile, both showed some interest in Adam Jones but have come to learn that he’s unlikely to waive his 10-and-5 no-trade protection. As such, both have been tied to other bats on the market in recent days. The Indians, in particular, are said to be focusing on an upgrade in center field, though McCutchen is clearly better-suited for corner outfield work at this stage of his career.

McCutchen, 31, is earning $14.75MM this year in his final season before reaching free agency for the first time in his career. He’s enjoyed a solid season at the plate, though his offensive output hasn’t been anywhere near his peak levels, when he was the 2013 NL MVP and widely considered to be among the game’s best all-around players. In 454 plate appearances with San Francisco, McCutchen is hitting .258/.352/.407 with 10 homers, 24 doubles and a pair of triples — still above the league average (especially considering his cavernous home park) but no longer at elite levels.

For the Giants, there’d be some financial incentive in moving McCutchen, as shedding the remainder of his salary (roughly $4.84MM) would help to ensure that they remain south of the $197MM luxury tax threshold. But, doing so would also thin their outfield mix and serve as a gut-punch in the clubhouse. Ultimately, it doesn’t seem likely that the Giants will opt to deal McCutchen prior to the non-waiver deadline, though the interest in him and the potential for a move down the line are of at least some note.

Brian Dozier Market Heating Up

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The market for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier is heating up, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.  ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick agrees, noting increased chances of a deal before today’s 3pm central time trade deadline.

Dozier, an impending free agent, is struggling mightily with the bat this season after posting four consecutive years of above-average offensive performance.  Dozier was a star from 2016-17, with his 11.2 wins above replacement trailing only Jose Altuve among second basemen.  Though potential suitors like the Red Sox, Brewers, Phillies, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks have acquired other infielders, the Giants and Indians were linked to Dozier by Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Saturday.

The Twins’ pursuit of a possible trade suggests a reluctance to make a qualifying offer to Dozier after the season (possibly in the $18MM range), or at least a sense that they feel they can acquire players superior to the potential draft pick they could receive as compensation.  That draft pick could be after Competitive Balance Round B, if Dozier signs elsewhere for less than $50MM.  Such a draft pick could be in the range of #75 overall.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals Willing To Discuss Gio Gonzalez, Jeremy Hellickson

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The Brewers are “pursuing” veteran Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). While the Nats have pulled back their relief arms, they are willing to consider scenarios involving Gonzalez or Jeremy Hellickson, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).

It’s an interesting situation for both ballclubs. The Milwaukee outfit is obviously turning over all stones to get a rotation upgrade, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. And the Nationals still appear to be dangling some veterans even after deciding not to move Bryce Harper.

It’s not immediately clear why the D.C. organization is willing to listen on those two hurlers. The team doesn’t seem to have replacement rotation pieces lined up. While Gonzalez is expensive ($12MM salary), Hellickson is quite affordable ($2MM base salary with up to $4MM in incentives), so they aren’t quite on equal footing as rental pieces. Perhaps it’s conceivable that the club is angling to add a different starter, though we’ve seen no particular recent rumors to that effect.

Red Sox Deadline Day Bullpen Rumors

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Having added Nate Eovaldi and Ian Kinsler in the last week, the Red Sox could still acquire a reliever in advance of this afternoon’s trade deadline.  Expect an active day of reliever trades, even after a flurry yesterday that saw Keone Kela, Adam Warren, Zach Duke, and Roberto Osuna change teams.  The latest Red Sox bullpen rumors:

  • The Red Sox asked the Giants about lefties Tony Watson and Will Smith, tweets Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com, but San Francisco is unsure about selling off those controllable assets.  Though the Giants’ playoff chances appear remote, they are five games out in the Wild Card chase, close enough to stand pat.  Watson, 33, inked a two-year, $9MM free agent deal with the Giants in February, which also includes a player option for 2020.  He’s in the midst of his finest season in several years.  Smith, 29, has emerged as the Giants’ closer and has been dominant since returning from March 2017 Tommy John surgery.  He’ll be arbitration eligible one last time for the 2019 season before reaching free agency.
  • Boston has also been linked to Marlins sidearmer Brad Ziegler, most recently by Jon Heyman of Fancred this morning.  Ziegler seems likely to be dealt today; catch up on his rumor mill here.

Mike Rizzo Says Nationals Will Not Trade Bryce Harper

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Nationals president of baseball operations and GM Mike Rizzo has issued a strong statement about his intentions amid speculation that the club has considered trading star Bryce Harper. As Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports on Twitter, Rizzo says: “Bryce is not going anywhere. I believe in this team.”

It’s hardly surprising to see the Nationals land on this stance. After all, for all its struggles this year, the club remains within reasonable striking distance in both the NL East and the Wild Card races. While the club has several high-end players, moreover, Harper remains the most visible member of the organization.

On the other hand, the 25-year-old Harper is heading to free agency at season’s end. If the Nats aren’t going anywhere, they’d surely love to recoup some value for Harper, who’s also still playing on a hefty $21,625,000 salary this year. A qualifying offer seems sure to bring back some draft compensation, unless Harper elects to return to D.C., but that surely won’t be as useful as the potential prospect return in a trade.

To be sure, though, Harper’s value as a rental asset isn’t as great as his name recognition. He has not looked himself for much of the season, with mortal (but still good) offensive numbers and putrid grades for his glovework in the outfield. His salary is a factor, too. Surely, the potential return for Harper weighed into the Nationals’ decisionmaking, though it’s unclear whether that was the major driving force.

While this news seems to take away any realistic possibility of a surprising deal coming together today on Harper, it doesn’t necessarily strip the Nationals of trade deadline intrigue. Notably, however, the Nationals organization is sending signals that it will not move its high-priced relief arms, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). But the organization employs several other expensive pending free agents as well, including one veteran starter who just popped up in a rumor.

Of course, there’s also still at least some potential for the club to consider repositioning or even buy-side moves, particularly if it would mean adding a controllable player who’d make an impact now and in the future. If the team ends up moving a starter, in fact it could conceivably do so in order to facilitate the addition of a different arm. As things stand, there still seem to be loads of possibilities.

Bryce Harper Trade Deadline Rumors

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There was a rising sense yesterday evening that the Nationals may increasingly be willing to consider trade scenarios involving long-time franchise superstar Bryce Harper. The team is said to be weighing multiple paths even as the non-waiver trade deadline sits just hours away. We’ll track any developments on Harper’s situation in this post.

The latest:

  • As Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes on Twitter, the Nationals could conceivably move Harper (and other rental assets) while not fully giving up on the present season. That’d be particularly true, she notes, if a Harper swap not only cleared the way for top prospect Victor Robles but also helped the club line up with the Marlins on star catcher J.T. Realmuto. Perhaps there’s potential for the Nats to do something generally similar to what the Red Sox did in 2014, when they shipped core veteran Jon Lester to the A’s for Yoenis Cespedes.
  • The WaPo’s Jorge Castillo provides rather an interesting nugget of information, tweeting that a rival organization has been left with the impression that Nationals “ownership pulled the plug late last night” on potential trades — including one of Harper. While the phrasing suggests this ought to be taken with a grain of salt, it’s fascinating to contemplate. If true, it would indicate that the Nationals have moved rather far down the line on striking a swap. Of course, it also suggests that a deal may not come together — or, at least, that one potential avenue was shut down for the time being.

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