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Justin Wilson

Cubs “Close” To Acquiring Justin Wilson

By Jeff Todd | July 30, 2017 at 9:26pm CDT

9:51pm: The Cubs are “close” to striking a deal with the Tigers that would deliver Wilson to Chicago, according to Heyman (via Twitter).

Candelario would indeed headline the package, per Nightengale (Twitter link), with the Cubs also landing Avila, per Rosenthal (via Twitter). Infield prospect Isaac Paredes would also be in the package, per Bruce Levine of 670theScore.com (Twitter link).

9:25pm: The Cubs, Dodgers, Astros, and Nationals are the four teams still vying to acquire Wilson, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

Those four teams have been connected to Wilson at various points in the recent past, so it’s not surprising to see that they are now the apparent finalists. It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that the Nats already have quite a few lefties, including the recently acquired Sean Doolittle. And Houston is said to be somewhat more intrigued by Britton, as Sherman affirmed today on Twitter.

The Indians could yet be a “dark horse” on Wilson, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets, though it’s unclear as yet whether the AL Central rivals have engaged in earnest.

7:58pm: There’s active bidding between the Cubs and Dodgers, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).

Candelario is in play in a deal that could send both Wilson and catcher Alex Avila to Chicago, Feinsand adds on Twitter. Avila has long been seen as a target for the Cubs.

7:47pm: There’s some buzz that the Cubs may be the favorite to land Wilson. MLB.com’s Phil Rogers noted Chicago’s ongoing interest on Twitter, Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network said the Cubs were “working hard” to land Wilson (via Twitter), and now Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Cubbies are “closing in” on a deal for Wilson.

Notably, top Chicago prospect Jeimer Candelario is out of the lineup tonight, per Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (via Twitter), with Sherman suggesting Detroit has keen interest in him.

7:29pm: The Tigers are expected to make a trade involving lefty Justin Wilson this evening, sources tell MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). Just where the southpaw might be headed isn’t yet clear, however.

Wilson, 29, has drawn interest from numerous contending teams. With the Tigers having already traded away star outfielder J.D. Martinez, there’s little question that the club is willing to move its best reliever.

With a favorable contract situation, it’s unsurprising that as many as five teams are still pursuing Wilson at this point, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The offers have increased steadily, so much as that it’s now certain that Wilson will be moved before the non-waiver trade deadline tomorrow.

It’s important to note, too, that Wilson is one of three premium lefties on the market, with Brad Hand of the Padres and Zach Britton of the Orioles also seemingly available for the right price. The interplay between those three, who are drawing many of the same suitors, will be an important storyline to watch unfold tonight and early tomorrow.

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Cleveland Guardians Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Washington Nationals Alex Avila Justin Wilson

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Red Sox, Mets Discussing Addison Reed Trade

By Steve Adams | July 30, 2017 at 5:33pm CDT

5:32pm: Boston has also “kicked the tires” on Twins righty Brandon Kintzler, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). The interest in Kintzler was noted recently, though it’s notable that the sides are evidently still in touch to some degree with the deadline drawing near. Still, it seems he and others are not the top priority for the Sox.

2:47pm: There’s one other team that is also a “serious suitor” for Reed at this time, tweets Newsday’s Marc Carig. Still, though, nothing is close at present, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford notes on Twitter.

2:01pm: Earlier this morning, MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Mets closer Addison Reed was a “focus” for the Red Sox, and there’s increasing talk about Reed potentially heading to Boston in a deal. Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports that talks between the two sides have begun to heat up, though a deal isn’t yet close to finalization. ESPN’s Buster Olney adds that there are “about five” teams left in the running for Reed, though the Red Sox are the only one he specifies by name.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, meanwhile, reports that the Sox are focused solely on late-inning relief help at this point. According to Speier, Reed is “at or near the top” of Boston’s wishlist, while deals for left-handers Justin Wilson (Tigers) and Brad Hand (Padres) are unlikely.

The 28-year-old Reed has dominated opposing hitters since donning a Mets jersey in 2015, working to a pristine 2.09 ERA with 9.9 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9 in 142 innings. He’s spent much of the season closing for the Mets with Jeurys Familia unavailable (first due to a suspension, then an injury), but he’d shift into a setup role for Craig Kimbrel were the Sox and Mets to complete a deal. Reed would be complemented by righties Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly (who is nearing a return from the disabled list) as well as left-handers Fernando Abad and Robby Scott. A free agent at season’s end, Reed is earning $7.75MM in 2017 and is still owed roughly $2.7MM of that sum through the end of the regular season.

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Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers Minnesota Twins New York Mets San Diego Padres Addison Reed Brad Hand Brandon Kintzler Justin Wilson

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Deadline Chatter: Marlins, Rockies, Dodgers, Jays, Rangers, Angels

By Connor Byrne | July 29, 2017 at 7:05pm CDT

The Marlins “are extremely open to discussing” a Dee Gordon trade, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (Twitter link). Gordon has been on teams’ radars in recent weeks, but now there’s “not much traffic” regarding the second baseman, per Crasnick. With roughly $41MM coming his way through 2021, the 29-year-old isn’t cheap, nor has he regained the effectiveness he showed from 2014-15. Gordon missed half of 2016 thanks to a performance-enhancing drug suspension and has slashed a meek .282/.323/.347 in 783 plate appearances dating back to last season. He has stolen 67 bases over that time, though, including 30 this year, and drawn plus marks in the field from defensive runs saved (eight) and Ultimate Zone Rating (8.1).

While a Gordon trade before Monday’s deadline may not be in the offing, it seems Marlins reserve catcher A.J. Ellis will switch uniforms. Along with the previously reported Cubs, the Rockies are in on the 36-year-old, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. With a .233/.314/.411 batting line, Rockies catchers have posted the worst wRC+ (45) in the majors this season. They’re looking for help behind the plate as a result, but Ellis hasn’t been a whole lot better than their choices with the bat (.232/.300/.341 in 91 PAs). Defensively, Ellis has had a rough pitch-framing season, per StatCorner, though he has outdone Rockies starter Tony Wolters in that regard. It seems the right-handed-hitting Ellis and the lefty-swinging Wolters would form a platoon.

More as the deadline nears:

  • While the Dodgers have come up as a potential landing spot for Yu Darvish, Sonny Gray or Justin Verlander, it appears for now that they’re likelier to acquire an impact reliever than a high-end starter, relays Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). On the subject of the Tigers’ Verlander, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports (on Twitter) that Los Angeles has focused less on him than reliever Justin Wilson in trade talks with Detroit. That isn’t surprising, as Verlander is on an onerous contract and unlikely to move before Monday.
  • The Blue Jays were reportedly “highly unlikely” to trade left-hander J.A. Happ as of two weeks ago, but now they’re open to offers, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag. The Jays aren’t aggressively shopping the 34-year-old, however, as he’s in the midst of another fine season and under control next season for a reasonable $13MM salary.
  • This season has been a struggle for Rangers first baseman/designated hitter Mike Napoli, but he’s garnering interest nonetheless, per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, who tweets that “teams love him in the clubhouse.” The powerful Napoli has slugged 22 home runs and put up an excellent .258 ISO, though his .208/.287/.466 line through 336 PAs isn’t pretty. But the 35-year-old has gotten hot at the right time, having slashed .260/.329/.658 in 82 PAs this month. Napoli’s on a $6MM salary this year and has an $11MM club option (or a $2.5MM buyout) for 2018.
  • Calls have come in on the Angels’ resurgent relief trio of Bud Norris, David Hernandez and Yusmeiro Petit, and the Halos are willing to deal all of them, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd broke down their 2017 performances Friday in a piece focusing on available righty relievers.
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Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays A.J. Ellis Bud Norris David Hernandez Dee Gordon J.A. Happ Justin Verlander Justin Wilson Mike Napoli Yusmeiro Petit

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Nationals Focused On Britton, Wilson, Hand

By charliewilmoth | July 29, 2017 at 4:24pm CDT

The Nationals remain open to upgrading their rotation, but their main priority now is the bullpen, and they’re especially interested in lefties Zach Britton, Justin Wilson and Brad Hand, FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes. Of the three, Britton might be the highest priority, Heyman writes. There appears to be considerable interest from other clubs, however (the Astros and Dodgers have both been closely connected to Britton), and it’s unclear whether the Orioles would trade Britton to a local rival.

We noted the Nationals’ strong interest in Wilson earlier today. The Tigers lefty has attracted plenty of interest from other clubs as well in a season in which he’s posted a 2.75 ERA, 12.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 while throwing his fastball at a career-high average of 96.1 MPH.

The Padres have said that they might hold onto Hand, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season, and Heyman added in a tweet this afternoon that the Padres haven’t been overly impressed with the offers they’ve received and could consider keeping Hand. He’s in the midst of a second straight dominant season, however, with a 2.00 ERA, 11.7 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 54 innings, and his value might never be higher.

The Nationals have already bolstered their bullpen with the additions of Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, and have at least one big hole in their rotation due to injuries to Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross. (The team recently promoted Erick Fedde, who might be able to capably fill one of those vacancies, but they still have Edwin Jackson in the other.) It appears they could be counting on a relatively quick return from Strasburg. As Heyman notes, they don’t want to trade top prospects Juan Soto or Victor Robles. Focusing on bullpen rather than rotation help, then, might be a way of limiting somewhat the prospect price they’ll have to pay for upgrades — while, of course, increasing the chance of avoiding some of the high-profile late-inning troubles they’ve had in recent playoff runs.

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Baltimore Orioles Detroit Tigers San Diego Padres Washington Nationals Brad Hand Justin Wilson Zach Britton

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East Notes: Nationals, Wilson, Tulowitzki, Straily

By charliewilmoth | July 29, 2017 at 10:21am CDT

The Nationals are keenly interested in Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. The rumors surrounding Wilson have been hot and heavy, with 11 teams connected to him yesterday alone, and Rosenthal notes that no team is close to completing a deal for Wilson and that there are around eight clubs still involved in the bidding. In Washington, Wilson would join an already lefty-heavy bullpen that currently features Enny Romero, Oliver Perez, Matt Grace, Sammy Solis and the newly acquired Sean Doolittle. Of course, he would be used in a late-inning role where handedness isn’t crucial. Wilson has a 2.75 ERA, 12.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 39 1/3 innings so far this season. Here are more quick notes from the NL.

  • The Blue Jays have placed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 10-day disabled list and recalled the newly acquired Rob Refsnyder, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets. The oft-injured Tulowitzki suffered an ankle injury yesterday and will have an MRI. With Tulowitzki on the shelf, some combination of Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney will likely handle shortstop duty, with Refsnyder perhaps playing a bit of second base. Tulowitzki is batting .249/.300/.378 in 260 plate appearances this season.
  • The Brewers, Royals, Rockies and Yankees all have interest in Marlins starter Dan Straily, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes (Twitter links). Yesterday, a report indicated that the Marlins had “taken [Straily] off the market,” although, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted, it would have been surprising if Straily truly were completely unavailable when the Marlins were reportedly recently initiating contact with other teams about him. At last check, the Marlins were hoping to land a terrific trade package for Straily, who’s in his second straight year as a productive starter, with a 3.84 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 117 1/3 innings. He also has three years of control remaining after this one, potentially making him an interesting addition for a team like the Brewers or Yankees that has an eye on the future as well as the present.
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Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Kansas City Royals Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Dan Straily Justin Wilson Troy Tulowitzki

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Justin Wilson Trade Rumors: Thursday

By Steve Adams | July 27, 2017 at 5:38pm CDT

Justin Wilson has been among the most talked-about assets on the trade market, and the sheer volume of updates on the expansive market for his services is enough to warrant its own dedicated post with the deadline looming. Here’s the latest on the Tigers southpaw, who currently boasts a 2.75 ERA with 12.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 36.1 percent ground-ball rate…

  • It seems the list of possible suitors isn’t getting any shorter just yet. To the contrary, the Indians have also asked about Wilson’s price tag, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Cleveland is down a lefty after losing Boone Logan.

Earlier Updates

  • The Yankees have joined the pursuit of Tigers lefty Justin Wilson, reports Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. It was New York that traded Wilson to the Tigers in the first place (for righties Chad Green and Luis Cessa), and while the Yanks have already beefed up their ’pen with the additions of David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, they appear further interested in adding a shutdown lefty. The Tigers, though, are aiming extremely high in talks for Wilson, with Fenech suggesting that they’re seeking an Aroldis Chapman -esque return for Wilson. While the 29-year-old Wilson is earning a bargain $2.7MM salary and can be controlled through 2018 via arbitration, that’s still a sky-high ask. The Cubs sent Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Adam Warren and Rashad Crawford to New York in exchange for Chapman last summer.
  • The Astros could be the most focused team on Tigers southpaw Justin Wilson, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Wilson has leapfrogged Orioles closer Zach Britton on the Astros’ list of targets, though all indications are that the ask on Wilson is extremely high. Houston is hardly alone in its pursuit of Wilson and has yet to definitively separate itself from the pack, however, per Crasnick (Twitter links). There are at least six teams still in on Wilson, with the Nationals “strongly” in the mix. Lastly, Crasnick tweets that the odds of a package deal sending Wilson and Justin Verlander to a team “are not good” due to the complex nature of such negotiations.
  • FanRag’s Jon Heyman writes that the Brewers, Astros and Red Sox were recently considered to be the leaders in the Wilson sweepstakes, though others are in on him as well. Heyman lists the Cubs, Rockies, D-backs, Dodgers and Nationals as other potential landing spots in a trade.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers New York Yankees Washington Nationals Aroldis Chapman Justin Verlander Justin Wilson Zach Britton

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Tigers Exploring Package Trade Scenarios

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2017 at 9:31pm CDT

The Tigers have several players known to be available, and ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter) that the team is currently exploring trade scenarios involving multiple players as a means of clearing some salary off the books. That would mesh with a recent report from Olney’s colleague, Jerry Crasnick, in which Crasnick reported that Detroit has tried to attach second baseman Ian Kinsler to Justin Wilson in trade talks with the Brewers. (Not to say that Kinsler is a pure salary dump, of course, as he too carries value to other clubs.)

[Related: Taking Inventory — Detroit Tigers | Detroit Tigers depth chart | Detroit Tigers payroll outlook]

In addition to Wilson and Kinsler, the Tigers are expected to move catcher Alex Avila and are reported to have shopped Justin Verlander around the league. Detroit could also conceivably move right-hander Anibal Sanchez, who has been much improved in six starts since returning from the minors. The team’s enormous commitment to righty Jordan Zimmermann looks largely immovable right now thanks to Zimmermann’s struggles and full no-trade clause, and while Justin Upton has absolutely raked over the past calendar year, he’s owed $88.5MM from 2018-21 and has the right to opt out of his contract at season’s end as well.

Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press adds some more context to the Tigers’ stance on Verlander, reporting that Detroit has shown a willingness to pay off the remainder of Verlander’s $28MM salary in 2017 — a sum of about $10.4MM — but they’re not interested in picking up any of the $56MM he’s owed from 2018-19. That hasn’t been enough to generate any serious talks surrounding Verlander to date.

Michael Fulmer is the most intriguing name to pop up in trade talks this summer, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that it’s been difficult to gauge exactly what the Tigers’ plans are for the reigning Rookie of the Year. Sherman writes that some execs have been told that Fulmer is firmly off limits, while others say the Tigers have briefly floated his name before turning talks to Justin Verlander. Perhaps most interestingly, Sherman writes that one exec said the Tigers pitched a scenario in which Fulmer would be packaged with the remaining money on the contracts of Zimmermann ($80.7MM through 2020) or Upton ($96.7MM through 2021).

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi tweets that the Brewers and Tigers remain engaged in ongoing talks pertaining to Kinsler and Wilson, though he also cautions that no deal is close. Earlier tonight, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reported that the Rockies are interested in both Avila and Wilson, which would create another package scenario, though not one that would give the Rox much of an opportunity to shed salary, as both are highly affordable. The Cubs have been frequently connected to both Verlander and Avila as well, with Morosi tweeting a couple of hours ago that Chicago has maintained some level of interest in Verlander but is reluctant to pick up his whole contract in a trade (as are the rest of the teams in MLB). Fenech notes in his above-linked column that the Cubs have had scouts at each of Verlander’s past three starts.

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Chicago Cubs Detroit Tigers Milwaukee Brewers Ian Kinsler Justin Verlander Justin Wilson Michael Fulmer

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Rockies Seeking Catching Upgrades, Bullpen Arms

By Steve Adams | July 25, 2017 at 8:08pm CDT

The Rockies are looking to upgrade behind the dish and are interested in Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, reports T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Sullivan’s colleague, Thomas Harding, reports that the Rox also have some interest in Braves backstop Kurt Suzuki and Tigers catcher Alex Avila.

All three of the options listed are set to hit free agency upon completion of the 2017 campaign, and none of the bunch is earning at a substantial rate. Lucroy’s $5.75MM salary is the heftiest of the bunch, while Avila is earning $2MM in 2017 and Suzuki is owed only the balance of a $1.5MM base salary (plus some modest incentives).

The 31-year-old entered the season as one of the consensus top free agents on the 2017-18 market, but he’s seen both his bat and his glove take steps backward in his first full season with Texas. After being acquired just prior to last year’s non-waiver deadline, Lucroy raked at an exceptional .276/.345/.539 pace with 11 homers in 168 plate appearances down the stretch. However, he’s batting just .240/.293/.339 through 294 plate appearances this season and has begun to cede some playing time to Robinson Chirinos.

Lucroy has caught 30 percent of those that have attempted to steal against him, but he’s also seen his once-vaunted framing numbers deteriorate to the point that Baseball Prospectus ranks him as one of the league’s worst pitch framers.

It’s the opposite story for the 30-year-old Avila, who has broken out in a substantial way in 2017. A well-above-average catcher with the Tigers in 2011-12, Avila’s career was mired in a downward spiral before a return to the Motor City sparked a renaissance. He’s hitting .280/.402/.488 with 11 homers through just 256 plate appearances and has slashed his strikeout rate from 37.3 percent in 2016 to a more passable (but still too high) 29.7 percent this year.

While many have questioned Avila’s ability to sustain this pace, there isn’t a player in baseball (min. 250 PAs) that has a higher hard-contact rate than Avila’s 50 percent. His 92 mph average exit velocity is also among the top 10 in the league, trailing only Aaron Judge, Miguel Sano, Khris Davis, Joey Gallo, Manny Machado and Nelson Cruz. He’s sporting a 31 percent caught-stealing rate but, like Lucroy, has received below-average marks in framing this year (albeit to a lesser extent than Lucroy).

Suzuki, meanwhile, is hitting .255/.340/.468 through 163 plate appearances in his first season with Atlanta. While SunTrust Park has a homer-friendly reputation, six of Suzuki’s eight big flies have come on the road this season. He’s caught a much-improved 26 percent of potential base thieves with the Braves and has demonstrated some improved but still shaky framing skills, per B-Pro.

The reason for the Rockies’ interest in catching upgrades isn’t difficult to see. Tony Wolters has shouldered the bulk of the time behind the dish this season, but he’s posted a meager .255/.351/.306 batting line, with much of that OBP boost coming from batting in front of Rockies pitchers. On the whole, Rockies backstops have posted a dismal .234/.313/.310 batting line — an especially unsightly level of output when considering their hitter-friendly home park.

Harding further reports that the Rox have “extensively” scouted Tigers left-hander Justin Wilson, adding names like Brad Brach, Zach Britton and AJ Ramos as other names the Rox have at least kept an eye on.

It’s not hard to connect some dots and expect that the Rox could have interest in a combo deal that would net them both Avila and Wilson from Detroit, though the asking price on that affordable and excellent pairing would figure to be high. Similarly, I’d imagine there’ve at least been internal discussions about the possibility of pairing one of the Baltimore relievers with Orioles catcher Welington Castillo, though his bat has cooled considerably since suffering a groin injury earlier this summer. That last connection is merely my own speculation, but if the Orioles do indeed listen on their relievers, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them gauge interest in Castillo as well.

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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Texas Rangers Alex Avila Brad Brach Jonathan Lucroy Justin Wilson Kurt Suzuki Zach Britton

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NL Central Rumors: Kinsler, Cardinals, McCutchen, Herrera

By Steve Adams | July 24, 2017 at 9:17am CDT

The Brewers were connected to Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler over the weekend, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick adds some more context. Per Crasnick, while the two sides have discussed Kinsler, those talks were more about Detroit trying to package Kinsler with left-hander Justin Wilson in a deal. The Brewers “would love to have Kinsler,” Crasnick writes, but their primary focus at this point is on improving the rotation and/or bullpen. Milwaukee is actively exploring trades for help in both areas, according to Crasnick.

  • Stephen Piscotty’s groin injury, originally hoped to require only a minimal 10-day stay on the disabled list, will now keep the outfielder sidelined for a longer period of time, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals will reevaluate Piscotty on their upcoming homestand in search of a new timetable for his return to the field. It’s been a disappointing season for Piscotty, who has slashed just .236/.348/.371 in the first season of a six-year, $33.5MM contract extension.
  • Goold also notes that Cardinals righty Lance Lynn has been the “topic of ongoing discussions with other teams” and points out that both Lynn and minor league right-hander Luke Weaver are lined up to start on Tuesday of this week. While there have been no indications that a deal involving Lynn is especially close to fruition, Weaver would be able to step into his spot on usual rest if the Cards do line up a Lynn trade in short order.
  • The Pirates are leaning against trading Andrew McCutchen, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, but they’ve also yet to give him a definite indication that they plan to pick up his $14.5MM club option. That seems like all but a formality at this juncture, given McCutchen’s resurgence at the plate over the past couple of months. The 30-year-old’s .292/.384/.507 batting line places him among the game’s most productive center fielders, even if his glovework in the outfield is still drawing poor marks from defensive metrics.
  • The Reds may not get a look at Dilson Herrera in 2017, as Triple-A manager Delino DeShields recently told Redleg Nation’s Jason Linden, “from what I’ve been told, he’s probably done for the year” due to a shoulder injury. Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that no one in the Cincinnati front office has offered such a definitive take just yet, though he reports that team doctors are set to evaluate Herrera in Cincinnati this week. Acquired in last year’s Jay Bruce trade, the 23-year-old Herrera hit .264/.312/.397 in 265 Triple-A plate appearances this season. Herrera also battled shoulder issues in 2016 and spent most of this past Spring Training as a DH due to his shoulder.
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Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Milwaukee Brewers Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals Andrew McCutchen Dilson Herrera Ian Kinsler Justin Wilson Lance Lynn Stephen Piscotty

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Tigers Notes: Verlander, Avila, Wilson

By Mark Polishuk | July 21, 2017 at 1:45pm CDT

Some trade rumblings out of the Motor City…

  • The Tigers are reportedly willing to pay the rest of Justin Verlander’s remaining 2017 salary in order to facilitate a deal, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.  This works out to roughly $10.89MM.  Reports earlier this week indicated that Detroit was open to including some money as part of a Verlander deal, though according to rival executives who have spoken with Fenech, the Tigers would need to bump that figure up to $25MM-$30MM if the club hopes to receive a good prospect return for Verlander.  The former Cy Young Award winner’s future salary obligations ($28MM in each of the next two seasons, and a $22MM vesting option for 2020) and his struggles in 2017 have greatly limited his trade value, though Fenech notes that teams like the Cubs and Dodgers still had scouts at Verlander’s most recent outing.
  • The Cubs have expressed the most interest in catcher Alex Avila, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter links), and Nightengale feels Avila will be the next notable Tiger to leave Detroit now that J.D. Martinez has been traded.  Nightengale figures the Tigers would “ideally” receive a mid-level prospect in exchange for Avila, who is enjoying a career year just before hitting free agency this winter.  Detroit is reportedly getting a lot of interest in Avila, though the Cubs and Blue Jays are the only teams specifically linked to the catcher (and Toronto has since acquired Miguel Montero).
  • Also from Nightengale, he reports that the Brewers “have been aggressive” in their pursuit of Tigers closer Justin Wilson.  The Astros, Nationals, Rays and Red Sox are among the other teams known to be checking in on Wilson, who has only elevated his stock since taking over the ninth inning for Detroit.  Milwaukee has been linked to any number of relievers and controllable starters, with Wilson joining such names as Brad Hand, Addison Reed and Sonny Gray.
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Chicago Cubs Detroit Tigers Milwaukee Brewers Alex Avila Justin Verlander Justin Wilson

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    Max Muncy Expects To Miss Around Six Weeks With Bone Bruise

    Mets To Sign Zach Pop To Major League Contract

    Dodgers Claim CJ Alexander, Designate Steward Berroa For Assignment

    Colten Brewer Opts Out Of Yankees Deal

    Royals Sign Michael Fulmer To Minor League Deal

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