Central Notes: Votto, Kinsler, Twins Pitching Targets
Just in case there was any doubt, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes in response to a fan inquiry that there’s no indication whatsoever that Reds first baseman Joey Votto will end up being moved this winter. The polished batsman, who very nearly took home National League MVP honors for the 2017 season, has given every indication that “he doesn’t want to leave the Reds,” says Sheldon, and can control his own fate through a full no-trade clause.
- Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler does not enjoy quite so much control over his own fate, but does have a ten-team no-trade list that was drawn up at the end of the 2017 campaign.* Katie Strang of The Athletic (subscription link) has the latest on his interesting trade candidacy, including a look at the feasibility of a move to third for the veteran — which some teams have reportedly considered as they weigh an offer to acquire him. At present, it is not publicly known which teams have contemplated that possibility or — yet more importantly — which are among those that cannot acquire Kinsler without his consent. The Detroit organization would obviously need to work with Kinsler and his representatives if it were to find a match with one of the ten protected rivals, but Strang reports that, at least as of last week, that subject has not yet been broached. As we discussed in examining his potential market yesterday, there are perhaps only a few very clear trade matches on paper at this point, though certainly a fair number of others could be imagined depending upon a variety of factors. Kinsler’s no-trade rights may not come into play at all, but might also afford him an opportunity to nix a move if it is not to his liking.
- While the Twins are said to be taking a look at a variety of controllable starters, there’s “no indication” at this point that they have engaged with the Rays on Chris Archer or the Marlins on Dan Straily, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). It stands to reason, though, that both would at least draw internal consideration. The former is quite a lofty target for any team, as he’d draw huge interest if he’s made available in trade talks. The latter is a useful hurler in his own right after turning in solid results for two consecutive years. Straily’s affordable control would surely hold some appeal to Minnesota, though for the same reason the Marlins will likely set forth a relatively steep asking price for a starter who is noted more for his steadiness and contract than anything approaching dominant peripherals.
- The Twins will need to chase down some relief arms, too. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports on his podcast (audio link) that the club has engaged the Padres on Brad Hand and the Rays on Alex Colome. Minnesota was previously reported to have chatted with the Reds about Raisel Iglesias, and these new names fit the same general profile as established late-inning arms with affordable remaining control. All will come with appropriately lofty price tags. Berardino also tweets that Cubs lefty Justin Wilson might represent a target for the Twins. Having struggled last year upon landing in Chicago, Wilson could conceivably become available, though that’s far from certain. Minnesota eyed the power southpaw in the past, says Berardino, though that occurred before the current front office leadership came into office.
*An earlier version of this post wrongly suggested that Kinsler had not yet compiled his current no-trade list and mistakenly attributed that notion to Strang’s report. The error was ours and we apologize for any confusion.
Cubs Acquire Justin Wilson, Alex Avila
TODAY: The deal is official, with both clubs announcing it. For Detroit, catcher John Hicks and righty Joe Jimenez will come up to fill the roster openings.
YESTERDAY, 11:45pm: The sides have completed the medical review, though an announcement is still forthcoming, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
10:55pm: The Cubs are finalizing a deal to acquire two more pieces for the stretch run. If the swap is finalized, both southpaw reliever Justin Wilson and catcher Alex Avila will reportedly head from the Tigers to Chicago in exchange for infielder Jeimer Candelario and young shortstop Isaac Paredes, along with cash or a player to be named later.
[RELATED: Updated Cubs & Tigers Depth Charts]
Of course, the Chicago (N.L.) farm has been raided of late, with numerous talented players streaming onto the MLB roster as well as to other organizations. The Cubbies are pushing the pedal to the floor once again, hoping to capitalize on a wave of momentum coming out of the All-Star break that has swept the defending World Series champs back into the NL Central lead.
Though Wilson has perhaps elevated his profile this year, owing to a move into the ninth inning for the Tigers, he hasn’t really changed his baseline performance level. He still works off of a mid-to-upper-nineties heater and is generally slightly more successful against right-handed hitters than lefties. And ERA estimators still value him as a low-to-mid-3’s performer.
That said, there are some notable changes. Through 40 1/3 innings this year, Wilson carries a career-high 14.3% swinging-strike rate and has averaged 12.3 K/9 — well over any prior full-season mark. He’s also allowing more walks (3.6 BB/9) and home runs (1.12 per nine) than usual, with less grounders (38.4%) than ever before. A general shift northward with his pitch location seems to explain the differences, though it’s hard to say it has made him a materially better pitcher.
Regardless of whether one prefers the Wilson of old or the current iteration, he looks to be a high-quality reliever at a bargain rate. He’ll step into a setup role alongside righties Carl Edwards, Koji Uehara, Pedro Strop, and Hector Rondon. Chicago currently features two other southpaws, Brian Duensing and Mike Montgomery, with the former likely continuing to function as a lefty specialist and the latter as a long reliever. That said, Wilson makes for a ninth reliever when right-handed Justin Grimm is counted, so it seems someone will need to depart the active roster. Edwards and Grimm are both optionable, but the latter is likeliest to go given his struggles this year; his 40-man spot could also be in jeopardy.
Wilson will take home just $2.7MM this year and comes with another season of arb control. Though he’ll surely command a healthy raise, particularly given that he has picked up a few saves in Detroit, Wilson will promise to deliver surplus value over his salary in 2018 as well.
Not to be lost in the shuffle is Avila, who is putting on his best season since 2011 at thirty years of age. He’ll represent a quality option to share time with young stalwart Willson Contreras for the remainder of the year while Victor Caratini goes back down to finish his development at Triple-A. Over 263 plate appearances thus far in 2017, Avila owns a .271/.392/.472 batting line. While he has benefited from a .375 BABIP, Avila has traditionally carried lofty batting averages on balls in play. And he has finally returned to the power he showed as a younger player (11 home runs, .202 isolated slugging) while continuing to carry an outstanding walk rate.
Avila delivered plenty of value to the Tigers for the one-year, $2MM contract he signed over the winter after dealing with health problems in recent campaigns. That deal, of course, was agreed to with his father — Tigers GM Al Avila, who also engineered this swap. Whether the elder Avila can pull off any further trades before tomorrow’s deadline remains unclear, but this is another meaningful deal for an organization that hopes to get younger and trim some salary before the start of the 2018 season.
The aim in Detroit, of course, is to field a contender in the relatively near term without requiring the kind of budget-busting expenditures that had become commonplace in recent seasons. Finding affordable, controllable asset is the key to such an undertaking, and Avila will hope he can accmplish that here.
Candelario currently sits just inside the top 100 prospects leaguewide, according to MLB.com, which calls him a serviceable defender at third who can be a quality offensive threat. He’s also ready to contribute in the majors right now, having briefly cracked the bigs in each of the past two seasons. The 23-year-old owns a .266/.361/.507 slash through 330 Triple-A plate appearances this year.
While Candelario may be seen by some as the headliner, Baseball America recently tabbed the 18-year-old Paredes as the better prospect among the two, reflecting that outlet’s lower grade on the former and higher grade on the latter. A well-regarded defensive shortstop from Mexico, Paredes has slashed .261/.341/.399 with seven home runs this year through 380 plate appearances at the Class A level.
This transaction puts down a notable market marker with several other top lefties still available via trade. Zach Britton of the Orioles is more expensive and comes with equivalent control rights to Wilson, though perhaps Baltimore will hold out for a greater return given Britton’s sheer excellence over the prior two seasons. And the Padres are said to be placing a big asking price on Brad Hand, who comes with an additional season of control and has emerged as a top-quality reliever.
Jon Heyman of Fan Rag first said a deal was close (via Twitter), after Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the Cubs were “closing in” on Wilson and that Candelario may be involved, with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link) confirming Candelario’s inclusion. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted Avila’s involvement on Twitter, with Ken Rosenthal saying he would indeed go to Chicago (via Twitter). Bruce Levine of 670theScore.com reported the inclusion of Paredes on Twitter. Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press tweeted the cash/PTBNL detail to complete the prospective swap, with Heyman tweeting its finalization.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cubs “Close” To Acquiring Justin Wilson
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.
Red Sox, Mets Discussing Addison Reed Trade
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.
Deadline Chatter: Marlins, Rockies, Dodgers, Jays, Rangers, Angels
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.
Nationals Focused On Britton, Wilson, Hand
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.
East Notes: Nationals, Wilson, Tulowitzki, Straily
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.
Justin Wilson Trade Rumors: Thursday
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.
Tigers Exploring Package Trade Scenarios
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.
Rockies Seeking Catching Upgrades, Bullpen Arms
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.