MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Nationals’ Interest In Mike Leake Cooling Off

By Jeff Todd | December 9, 2015 at 6:44pm CDT

6:44pm: The Nationals’ interest in Leake has cooled off, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Washington is now pursuing other pitchers, Rosenthal adds, and a deal with Leake is considered to be unlikely.

3:17pm: Rizzo confirmed that the club had made an offer to Leake, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports (Twitter links), though he said that was true of many other players and added that the club hasn’t been very active on the market for starters.

Of course, even as Rizzo spoke, Buster Olney of ESPN.com was reporting on Twitter that the Nats “have made progress” towards signing Leake.

1:16pm: Washington has extended Leake an offer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. He adds that the team is “pushing” to get a deal done, reflecting the earlier report and suggesting that there’s serious interest from the Nats.

10:11am: The Nationals are among several teams “making [a] push” for free agent righty Mike Leake, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. We’ve heard Leake tied to numerous other organizations in recent weeks, including teams such as the Giants and Cardinals.

MLBTR’s Steve Adams profiled Leake recently, explaining that his market appeal lies in a combination of age, health, the lack of a qualifying offer, and solid production. Both Adams and MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes have predicted five-year, $80MM contract for Leake, placing him among the 15 or so free agents with the greatest expected earning power.

Washington represents a surprising addition to the market for Leake. The team was a notable pursuer of Ben Zobrist and has been busy in the relief market, but hasn’t been connected with any starting pitchers despite losing Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister to free agency.

That’s because the Nats already have a solid rotation lined up for 2016. Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Gio Gonzalez would represent the clear top three, with Tanner Roark and Joe Ross looking like a solid 4-5 pairing and youngster like A.J. Cole and Lucas Giolito knocking on the door.

Of course, as I explained in the Nationals’ offseason outlook, there are numerous possibilities for creative action this winter for Rizzo and co. It’s certainly possible to imagine that a Leake signing could work in concert with some other move involving one of the team’s current starters. Or, bumping other arms into the bullpen could function to bolster a relief corps in need of depth.

Rockies Willing To Move CarGo, Blackmon, Dickerson

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 6:39pm CDT

6:39pm: Not only are the Rockies getting strong interest in Gonzalez, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link), they’re signaling to other clubs that they’re willing to move Corey Dickerson and/or Charlie Blackmon in trades as well.

Blackmon and Dickerson would add a pair of younger, more controllable outfield options to the trade market. The 29-year-old Blackmon is arbitration eligible for the first time this winter and coming off a strong pair of seasons in which he’s batted a combined .287/.341/.445 with 36 home runs and 71 stolen bases. He’s not considered a great defender in center field and does have significant home/road splits in addition to platoon splits, but Blackmon is still a very useful commodity for clubs seeking a left-handed bat that could see some time in center field or in the outfield corners.

Dickerson, 26, comes with four years of club control but missed a good deal of the 2015 season due to plantar fasciitis and a broken rib. However, when healthy, the former top prospect has established himself as a highly potent bat, slashing a combined .309/.354/.556 with 34 homers across his past 712 plate appearances in the Majors. Like Blackmon, the left-handed-hitting Dickerson does carry notable platoon splits and home/road splits over the life of his career. But, four years of a player with his offensive upside would certainly draw widespread interest, especially considering the high prices we’ve seen across the free-agent market thus far.

11:08am: With the outfield market beginning to heat up, the Rockies are receiving a “flurry” of hits on outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Gonzalez is owed $37MM over the next two seasons before he’ll qualify for free agency.

Gonzalez, who turned thirty in October, is particularly interesting because of the short (albeit not inexpensive) control rights he comes with. Some teams looking at the free agent market for a power outfield bat may prefer to avoid the longer-term risk that would be required to sign a free agent.

Then, there’s the fact that Gonzalez hits from the left side. That’s also true of Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon, but CarGo is a closer match in terms of power and age to Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes, both of whom are righties. Gonzalez has had injury issues of late and has struggled at times, but restored his value with a big second half.

Astros Close To Acquiring Ken Giles

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 6:19pm CDT

6:19pm: A source tells Salisbury that a trade sending Giles to Houston is “close” but not done yet (Twitter link).

5:15pm: Major League lefty Brett Oberholtzer, whom the Astros have reportedly been shopping, is also being discussed in talks, tweets Salisbury.

4:16pm: Stark reports that talks currently center around well-regarded right-hander Vincent Velasquez and two other prospects (Twitter link).

2:57pm: Salisbury tweets that the Phillies have pushed back their media session for the day, which could be in relation to talks centering around Giles. ESPN’s Jayson Stark tweets that Lance McCullers won’t be included in a deal for Giles, as the Astros are set on keeping him.

2:28pm: Trade talks between the Astros and Phillies centering around brilliant young closer Ken Giles are “heating up,” reports CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury (Twitter link). Houston has long been linked to top-flight relief arms, and Giles would not only give the club a dominant arm to slot into the ninth inning but also a controllable option for that role, as he’s not eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season.

Giles, who turned 25 in late September, took over as closer in Philadelphia following the trade of Jonathan Papelbon and continued to display the dominance he’s exhibited since breaking into the Majors upon being moved to a more prominent role. In 115 2/3 career innings, the former seventh-round pick has a masterful 1.56 ERA with 11.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 44.6 percent ground-ball rate. Giles’ fastball has averaged just a shade under 97 mph in the Majors (96.8), so he’d satisfy Houston GM previously stated interest in adding a hard-throwing arm that the back end of the Astros’ bullpen presently lacks.

The asking price on Giles, one would imagine, is exceptionally high. The Red Sox paid the substantial price of Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen for three years of Craig Kimbrel. While Giles doesn’t have Kimbrel’s lengthy track record of dominance in the Majors, he’s delivered comparable results and comes with two more years of control than did Kimbrel, two of which figure to be near the league-minimum in terms of salary. Giles should narrowly fall shy of Super Two status (he currently has one year, 113 days of Major League service time) and won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2017 season.

Follow MLBTR On Instagram

By Zachary Links | December 9, 2015 at 5:57pm CDT

Recently, MLB Trade Rumors launched a brand new official Instagram account: @TradeRumorsMLB. Each day, we’re sharing conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in baseball. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend.

This week, we’re giving fans an early look at traded players in their new jerseys. Here’s a glance at how Starlin Castro will look in pinstripes. And how about Ben Zobrist in his new Cubs uniform? Ditto for Shelby Miller who looks sharp in the D’Backs’ 2015 uni.

So, what are you waiting for? If you don’t have an Instagram account, this is the perfect excuse to sign up and get one. Follow us on Instagram today!

Tigers Acquire Justin Wilson

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 5:55pm CDT

The Tigers and Yankees have announced a trade that will send left-handed setup man Justin Wilson to Detroit in exchange for right-handed pitching prospects Luis Cessa and Chad Green.

In Wilson, the Tigers will receive the lefty setup man they’ve been seeking and do so at what should be an affordable rate. Wilson is controllable for three seasons via the arbitration process and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $1.3MM next season.

The Yankees acquired Wilson, now 28, from the Pirates last winter in the trade that sent catcher Francisco Cervelli to the Pirates. His first season in New York was largely successful, as he worked to a 3.10 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 43.8 percent ground-ball rate. Wilson was similarly effective against both right- and left-handed batters (.593 OPS and .621 OPS, respectively). It’s a bit odd to see Wilson struggle more against lefties than righties, but he had some control issues when facing same-handed hitters in 2015 (though he hasn’t previously struggled in that regard versus left-handers).

Wilson will join newly acquired closer Francisco Rodriguez and newly signed setup man mark Lowe in the back of a remade Tigers bullpen. He should be the top left-handed setup man for manager Brad Ausmus, while internal candidates like Kyle Ryan, Blaine Hardy and Kyle Lobstein represent options to add a second lefty into the mix.

For the Yankees, the trade means that lefties Chasen Shreve and Jacob Lindgren will be relied upon as the primary lefties in manager Joe Girardi’s bullpen (barring an outside acquisition, of course). New York will pick up the Tigers’ No. 6 and No. 19 prospects, respectively, in Cessa and Green, according to MLB.com’s end-of-season rankings.

If Cessa’s name sounds familiar, it’s because this is the second trade in which he’s been involved in the past six months, although the first was considerably more high profile. Cessa went to Detroit alongside fellow righty Michael Fulmer in July’s Yoenis Cespedes swap with the Mets. The 23-year-old Cessa struggled greatly in his first exposure to Triple-A this season, recording a 6.97 ERA in 64 innings of work. However, he also thrived at the Double-A level, where he logged a 2.91 ERA with a 61-to-17 K/BB ratio in 77 1/3 innings prior to his Triple-A promotion. MLB.com notes that Cessa has a fastball in the 93-95 mph range as well as a slurvy-but-improving breaking pitch and the “makings of a Major League changeup.” He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Green, 24, sits 90 to 94 with his own heater, which has heavy sink and which he commands well. However, MLB.com notes that he lacks plus secondary offerings, so he’s a bit of a project. Green spent the entirety of the 2015 season pitching in the rotation for Detroit’s Double-A affiliate, where he recorded a 3.93 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9. Both players picked up in the deal would seem to be on track to pitch in Triple-A early next year, meaning it wouldn’t be a surprise if either arm surfaced in the Majors at some point in 2016.

Jennifer Hammond of FOX Sports Detroit first reported the trade was in place (Twitter link) and added the specifics (link) on the return shortly thereafter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

White Sox, A’s “Hit Snag” In Brett Lawrie Trade Talks

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 5:23pm CDT

5:23pm: The ChiSox and A’s have “hit a snag” in trade talks surrounding Lawrie, reports Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area. While a deal could eventually be worked out, the team wasn’t able to agree on the prospect package that would return to Oakland.

WEDNESDAY, 10:18am: It seems that the White Sox aren’t yet ready to strike an agreement, Slusser tweets, but she adds that the sides are still working.

1:26am: The trade appears to be near to completion, and the Athletics seem likely to receive two minor leaguers, although the two teams have not yet agreed on which ones, Slusser writes.

TUESDAY: The White Sox and Athletics are having serious trade discussions focusing on infielder Brett Lawrie, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Slusser recently reported that Lawrie was likely to be traded following Oakland’s acquisition of Jed Lowrie from Houston, and the White Sox have needs at both second base and third base — each positions at which Lawrie has experience.

Lawrie, 26 in January, batted .260/.299/.407 with 16 homers and five steals in a career-high 602 plate appearances/149 games for the A’s last season after coming over from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson blockbuster. He’d most likely give the White Sox a much-needed everyday option at third base, where the upper levels of the minor leagues are thin after former top prospect Matt Davidson endured a dismal campaign for the second consecutive season (.203/.293/.375).

Chicago would be dealing for two years of Lawrie, who projects to make $3.9MM next year (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) in his second trip through the arbitration process as a Super Two player. From a defensive standpoint, Lawrie graded out excellently at third base early in his career but has seen metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating sour on his skills over the past three seasons. Then again, he’s also dealt with myriad injuries, missing significant time with a pair of oblique injuries, two broken fingers and an ankle sprain, among other, more minor maladies.

If completed, this would mark the second straight season in which A’s president Billy Beane and White Sox GM Rick Hahn have brokered a notable trade at the Winter Meetings, as the Jeff Samardzija trade that sent Marcus Semien and three others to Oakland was completed one year ago at this time.

Pirates, Mets Swap Neil Walker, Jon Niese

By Jeff Todd | December 9, 2015 at 5:18pm CDT

5:18pm: The Mets have formally announced the trade, which is indeed a one-for-one swap of the two veteran players.

3:31pm: The Mets have reached agreement on a deal for Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter. It is pending a review of medicals and “small other matters,” he adds. Lefty Jon Niese is heading to Pittsburgh in the deal, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets.

Both players have long been said to be available. The move allows the teams to swap similarly-priced assets to fill needs.

In Walker, the Mets will add a thirty-year-old switch-hitter who does much of what the team hoped to find in Ben Zobrist. Better still, Walker is much younger and will not require a commitment beyond the coming season. His 2016 salary is not yet determined, but MLBTR projects that he’ll earn $10.7MM via arbitration.

Though Walker did not quite live up to his fairly high standards last year, he was nevertheless quite productive at the plate. All said, he owns a .272/.338/.431 lifetime bating line, compiled in nearly 3,500 plate appearances, and has averaged about 16 long balls a year since he became a regular. He’s rarely strayed too far above or below that mark, which is quite productive for a middle infielder.

Walker profiles more as an average to below-average defender, but his bat has been good enough to make up the difference. In the aggregate, he’s something like a 2.5 to 3.5 WAR player, making him quite a useful piece. It is worth noting, however, that Walker’s traditionally poor performance against left-handed pitching got even worse last year, making him a candidate for part-time platoon support.

Niese, meanwhile, will presumably take up a rotation spot for the Bucs. He’s owed $9MM for the coming season and can be controlled via two options priced at $10MM and $11MM, each of which include $500K buyouts.

The 29-year-old southpaw was not at his best in 2015, as he worked to a 4.13 ERA in 176 2/3 innings. But he produced at quite a strong level for the three preceding seasons, with peripherals largely supporting his results. He produced a 3.49 ERA, with 6.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 to go with a 49.0% groundball rate, in 521 innings over 2012-14. ERA estimators saw a bit of luck baked in, but he still ended the span with a 3.69 FIP and xFIP to go with a 3.85 SIERA mark.

Pittsburgh has, of course, had plenty of success in getting excellent value out of veteran rotation pieces. It’s not fair to call Niese a bounce-back type of asset, since he was still plenty serviceable last year, but he represents a buy-low option after his sub-par 2015. It’s worth bearing in mind, too, that Pittsburgh will have the potential for some down-the-line upside, as Niese’s options could look like solid pick-ups if he can return to his prior form.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves To Sign Emilio Bonifacio

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 5:15pm CDT

The Braves have reached an agreement to sign fleet-footed utility man Emilio Bonifacio, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Bonifacio gets a one-year big league deal, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, who adds that Bonifacio will be guaranteed $1.25MM and can double that amount via incentives/bonuses.

Bonifacio struggled greatly with the White Sox in 2015, hitting just .167/.198/.192 in at plate appearances and missing time on the disabled list due to a left oblique strain. In August, he inked a minor league pact with the Cubs, bringing him back to the club with which he had the most recent success in his career. He did not see any big league time with the Cubs, but he did look sharp in his limited Triple-A time for the White Sox and Cubs affiliates.

Astros, Orioles Showing Interest In Yovani Gallardo

By Steve Adams | December 9, 2015 at 5:07pm CDT

The Astros and Orioles are among the clubs showing interest in free-agent right-hander Yovani Gallardo, according to a pair of reports from Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It’s not clear if there have been significant discussions between Houston and Gallardo’s camp, but Morosi indicates that Baltimore is talking with Gallardo’s agent, Bobby Witt of Octagon. Drellich, though, does point out that Jim Stevenson, the scout who originally signed Gallardo, is now with the Astros. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets that the Dodgers aren’t planning to enter the Gallardo market.

Gallardo, 30 in February, is coming off a solid season with the Rangers in which he totaled 184 1/3 innings of 3.42 ERA ball for his hometown club, averaging 5.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 to go along with a 49.3 percent ground-ball rate. While it looked like he might settle in as a potential front-line arm from 2009-12 when he averaged about 200 innings and better than a strikeout per frame each year, Gallardo has settled in as more of a mid-rotation arm. He’s seen his strikeout rate dip considerably over the past three seasons, and his 90.4 mph average fastball in 2015 was more than two miles per hour slower than his 92.7 mph peak.

Nonetheless, Gallardo has proven to be a highly durable arm, delivering 184 or more innings in each of the past seven seasons. He’s never hit the disabled list with an arm-related injury, either, so clubs can feel reasonably confident that he can supply 180 to 200 league-average innings. That skill set has proven valuable on the free-agent market in the past, as evidenced by contracts for players like Ricky Nolasco, Ervin Santana, Scott Feldman, Jason Vargas and more. Drellich notes that a four-year deal seems like a necessary requirement to secure Gallardo’s services, which is line with MLBTR’s expectations from early November, when we predicted a four-year, $52MM contract.

Bullpen Notes: Wilson, Melancon, Twins, Bastardo, Blanton

By Zachary Links | December 9, 2015 at 4:53pm CDT

The Tigers are interested in Yankees left-hander Justin Wilson and have, in fact, had trade talks with the Yankees about their lefty setup man, reports Marly Rivera of ESPN (via Twitter). It’s not clear how far talks between the two sides progressed, but the Tigers have a known need for a left-handed reliever, and the Yankees have been open-minded about dealing almost any player on their roster. Wilson, who has three years of club control remaining, is in his prime at 28 years of age and has a lifetime 3.03 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in 199 1/3 innings between the Pirates and Yankees.

A few more notes on the relief market…

The Nationals had dialogue with the Pirates about closer Mark Melancon, though nothing is serious at this time, Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets. Before Washington could even acquire Melancon, they’ll probably have to move at least one of Jonathan Papelbon or Drew Storen to free up some room.
Twins GM Terry Ryan says the team is unlikely to bring back relievers Brian Duensing and Blaine Boyer, as Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes. Minnesota is eyeing left-handed relief help in Nashville and is interested in both Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo, per Bollinger. The Twins also checked in on veteran Matt Thornton, but their preference is a more strikeout-oriented arm, says Bollinger, so Thornton may not be a fit.
Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press hears that teams have reached out to the Twins about All-Star closer Glen Pekrins in their search for left-handed relief, but talks didn’t get far (links to Twitter). Perkins is owed a reasonable $12.8MM over the next two seasons and has a $6.5MM club option for the 2018 campaign. That option becomes a player option if he’s traded.
The Cubs meeting with the agents for Bastardo, according to Robert Murray of Baseball Essential (on Twitter). The Cubs have been very active over the past 24 hours and are known to be seeking bullpen upgrades.
Shawn Kelley’s agent, Mike McCann, told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter) that his client has yet to pick a team. The Nationals are among “multiple clubs” in “active discussions” with McCann.
Right-hander Joe Blanton is drawing interest from a wide number of teams after a strong 2015 showing in the bullpen, tweets Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Blanton could be a candidate for a multi-year deal after his excellent bounceback campaign.
Multiple reporters, including J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. News Group, have tweeted that Todd Coffey is in Nashville hoping to latch on with a club as he eyes an MLB comeback. Coffey, 35, hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2012 but was excellent at Triple-A as recently as 2014.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect