Headlines

  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim
  • Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon
  • Brandon Woodruff To Start For Brewers On Sunday
  • Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds
  • Rangers Option Josh Jung
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rich Hill

Dodgers Acquire Josh Reddick, Rich Hill

By Jeff Todd | August 1, 2016 at 1:06pm CDT

The Dodges and A’s have officially struck a deal that will deliver Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to Los Angeles. In return, per reports, Oakland will pick up an appealing trio of young righties: Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes, and Jharel Cotton.

With the move, the Dodgers have filled two evident needs even as they seek to overtake the Giants in a tightly-contested NL West. With Andre Ethier a question mark and Clayton Kershaw still facing his own uncertainties, now was the time to strike. The move may also help free the team to deal away talented but struggling outfielder Yasiel Puig, who has increasingly seen his name churn through the rumor mill.

"Jul

[Related: Updated Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics Depth Charts]

Los Angeles chose to fill its desire for a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder and an added starter in a single stroke, and did it without paying for future years of control. Both Reddick and Hill are set to reach the open market after the season — which they’ll now do without any threat of a qualifying offer hanging over their heads. Neither is an expensive piece, but the Dodgers will presumably take over the rest of the contracts; Reddick is playing on a $6.575MM deal, while Hill’s free agent contract promises him $6MM for the season, leaving just over $4.3MM combined on the tab.

There’s an argument to be made that the Dodgers pulled in the two best pure rental pieces on the market. Reddick, 29, has improved upon already-strong results in the prior two seasons, running out a .296/.368/.449 slash over 272 plate appearances on the year. Though he doesn’t generally deliver huge counting stats, Reddick is usually good for double-digit home run and (occasionally) steal tallies, and is playing at that kind of pace again this year.

Reddick did miss time earlier in the year with a broken thumb, though that was suffered on a hit-by-pitch and he seems fully recovered. It should be noted that, while Reddick comes with a solid pedigree with the glove, defensive metrics aren’t as enamored of his work in right as they once were.

"<strong

As for Hill, the injury concerns are slightly more present. He recovered from a groin strain, but is currently on the disabled list after a finger blister failed to recover as hoped. It is believed to be a minor issue, but Hill isn’t immediately available for the Dodgers — which possibly leaves added space for the team to chase another arm.

There were indications late yesterday that the A’s could be looking into a late-breaking extension with Hill to avoid trading him at a reduced rate. Instead, the team managed to create a package arrangement to maximize his value. In addition to the minor injury questions at present, Hill has dealt with durability issues in the past. And most notably, he hadn’t been a useful pitcher for quite some time before his sudden breakout at the tail end of 2015 with the Red Sox.

Oakland clearly made out well on the calculated gamble to sign Hill over the winter. Over his 76 frames on the year, he carries a 2.25 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 to go with a 50% groundball rate. Hill has allowed just 55 hits and two home runs in that span. He has obviously been quite difficult to square up despite relying most heavily on just two pitches — a four-seam fastball and curve, with a slider and change also mixed in.

That duo didn’t come cheaply, of course. Montas, Holmes, and Cotton have all been considered quality young hurlers for quite some time. While it’s not entirely clear that any or all will stick as starters in the majors, they possess quality arms and gobs of control that should serve Oakland for many years to come.

As things stand at present, Holmes probably rates at the top of the group at present. A first-round pick from the 2014 draft, Holmes has shown some swing and miss stuff and currently owns a 4.02 ERA with 8.5 K/9 vs. 3.7 BB/9 over 105 1/3 frames at the High-A level. He sits within the recent mid-season top-100 prospect rankings of Baseball America (#60) and MLB.com (#82).

Montas may well be rated even higher — BA has him at 82nd — but he has been limited by a rib problem for much of the season. He came over in the three-team Todd Frazier deal over the winter after briefly reaching the majors last year, and was impressive in his 16 frames on the year, but remains a bit of an injury question.

As for Cotton, it had seemed he was knocking on the door after streaking up the ranks of the Dodgers’ farm last year. But he has put up only a 4.90 ERA in his first full run at Triple-A. Still, he has racked up 11.0 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 while allowing only 80 hits. Trouble is, 17 of those have gone for homers in the hitter-friendly PCL, but there’s good reason to believe that Cotton will be a major league contributor.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the swap via Twitter. Rosenthal (Twitter links) and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (in a tweet) detailed the prospect package.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Share 251 Retweet 2 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Transactions Josh Reddick Rich Hill

119 comments

Athletics Likely To Trade Rich Hill, Won’t Reach Extension

By Steve Adams | August 1, 2016 at 11:46am CDT

TODAY: Hill won’t reach a deal with the A’s on a new contract, Rosenthal tweets, making him likely to be dealt today.

YESTERDAY: The A’s are discussing an extension with left-hander Rich Hill while also discussing trade scenarios with other teams, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Hill has been one of the most talked-about names on the trade market all season long but has scarcely been able to pitch since late May due to a groin strain and, more recently, a blister on his left middle finger. The latter of those two maladies landed him on the disabled list yesterday, and while the stint is expected to be minimal, it does cast a shadow on the club’s ability to trade Hill. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle characterized a Hill trade as a “long shot” today due to his placement on the disabled list, but she noted that the Blue Jays, Tigers, Dodgers and Orioles have all scouted Hill extensively (though Baltimore has reportedly struck a deal with the Mariners to acquire Wade Miley). The club would be happy to hang onto Hill even after tomorrow’s deadline she writes, adding that the club would consider a qualifying offer for Hill at season’s end. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal added the Astros, Rangers and Pirates to the list of clubs with interest in Hill (Twitter link).

That, of course, would represent a massive offer to a player that, prior to 2016, had never earned more than $1MM in a given MLB season. But, Hill has upped his game dating back to last September and pitched brilliantly thanks to an increased use of his curveball, pitching to a sterling 2.06 ERA with 10.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a near-50 percent ground-ball rate. Durability is a factor both in trade talks and extension talks, to be sure, but Hill’s recent results are difficult to ignore. Hill’s age figures to limit the length of any contract — more than two years would be a major surprise — but the fact that he hasn’t earned much in his career (relative to most of his peers) might actually play into Oakland’s favor, as any type of significant contract offer would figure to carry quite a bit of weight for Hill.

Share 15 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Rich Hill

19 comments

Trade Rumors: CarGo, Beltran, Pirates, Angels, Tigers, Athletics

By Steve Adams | July 31, 2016 at 12:30pm CDT

The Rockies aren’t planning on moving Carlos Gonzalez or Charlie Blackmon, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. While CarGo is a perennial trade candidate, the Rockies’ excellent play since the All-Star break has the team back at .500 and within a stone’s throw of a Wild Card playoff berth. Whether the Rockies will actually remain in the hunt remains to be seen, especially as other clubs in the race move to fortify their rosters, but Colorado has looked impressive as of late and could always extract value in trades of Gonzalez and/or Blackmon in the offseason if the club falls shy this season and wishes to add more pitching to its minor league ranks over the winter.

Some more trade rumors from around the league with the non-waiver deadline just over 24 hours away…

  • The Yankees are listening to offers on right fielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. However, executives from other clubs tell Olney that they consider the asking price on Beltran to be “beyond their reach.” As a free agent at season’s end, Beltran represents a logical trade candidate for the Yankees, who are walking a tightrope and trying to balance a desire to remain competitive in 2016 with a desire to build their farm system for the long haul. The Yankees have already traded both Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, but they’ve also added righties Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren in an effort to keep the bullpen fairly stable. Beltran is hitting .301/.342/.538 with 21 homers on the season and is earning $15MM in the final season of a three-year, $45MM contract. He’s still owed about $5.34MM of that sum, and while his defense may cause some NL clubs to shy away, American League teams that can give him some occasional time at DH undoubtedly would be intrigued by adding the 39-year-old’s still-productive bat to their lineups.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington said after yesterday’s trade of Mark Melancon that he’s still looking to add talent before the non-waiver deadline (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam Berry). Berry noted that the Bucs scouted the Rays and Yankees last night in a matchup of Drew Smyly vs. Nathan Eovaldi. Meanwhile, the Post-Gazette’s Bill Brink tweets that the Pirates asked the Braves about Julio Teheran but were told the right-hander isn’t moving.
  • The Angels have received the most trade interest in right-hander Cam Bedrosian, tweets MLB Network’s Peter Gammons. However, Gammons implies that a Bedrosian trade isn’t likely, suggesting that the Halos view him as a future closer. The 24-year-old is in the midst of an incredible season, having pitched to a 0.92 ERA with a 48-to-11 K/BB ratio and a 50.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s controllable through the 2021 season, so it’s understandable that the Angels would strongly prefer to hang onto him. Then again, elite relief arms are commanding strong results, and while Bedrosian doesn’t have the track record that Ken Giles brought into the offseason, it’s possible that the Halos could get some meaningful pitching talent to add to their system if they did market him.
  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the Tigers have been checking in on fourth/fifth starter types, including Jeremy Hellickson of the Phillies, Wade Miley of the Mariners, Edinson Volquez of the Royals, Hector Santiago of the Angels and Erasmo Ramirez of the Rays. Detroit is looking to bolster its rotation and doesn’t seem keen on dealing away any potential long-term options in the rotation, as Crasnick’s colleague Jayson Stark tweets that clubs who have spoken to the Tigers say they’ve repeatedly turned away offers including Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. (Notably, Stark mentioned the refusal to include Boyd and Norris in connection to some speculation on Jonathan Lucroy, but Detroit’s reluctance to part with either left-hander is worth mentioning all the same.)
  • MLB Network’s Peter Gammons reported earlier this week that the Dodgers have asked the Athletics about a package including both Rich Hill and Josh Reddick, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Blue Jays have done the same. Toronto did acquire Melvin Upton Jr. earlier this week, potentially lessening the need for an outfield upgrade. But, Reddick would help to balance out a very right-handed lineup, and adding Hill to the mix would give the team a top-tier arm (if he can get healthy) to replace Aaron Sanchez if he is ultimately moved to the bullpen.
  • The Indians held some interest in Athletics lefty Marc Rzepczynski as of last night, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Of course, Slusser’s report was prior to the Indians’ blockbuster acquisition of Andrew Miller, so it’s not entirely certain that they’ll be in the market for another lefty. However, they’ve regularly trotted out an entirely right-handed relief corps this season, so adding a more situational lefty like Rzepczynski to complement Miller, who dominates everyone and needn’t be limited to specialized matchups, makes some sense.
Share 34 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Cam Bedrosian Carlos Beltran Carlos Gonzalez Charlie Blackmon Daniel Norris Edinson Volquez Erasmo Ramirez Hector Santiago Jeremy Hellickson Josh Reddick Marc Rzepczynski Matt Boyd Rich Hill Wade Miley

26 comments

Rotation Rumors: Pirates, Quintana, Gray, Hill, Twins

By Jeff Todd | July 30, 2016 at 3:13pm CDT

After dealing Mark Melancon, the Pirates may not be done with their deadline moves, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The team isn’t necessarily looking to act as a seller, though; instead, Pittsburgh is targeting a starter. The Melancon swap, after all, doesn’t represent full-blown capitulation, as it brought back a quality, major league level reliever in Felipe Rivero. Pittsburgh is said to be talking with the Rays, among other teams, and one can’t help but wonder whether the Bucs see an opportunity to achieve some value on an underperforming arm with a favorable contract situation.

Here are some more notes on major pitchers whose names are in discussions as the deadline approaches:

  • The Rangers have spoken with the White Sox about Jose Quintana as well as Chris Sale, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets, but there’s no more reason to believe the sides are closer on the former than there is to think they’ll line up on the latter. At this point, there’s a difference of opinion between the teams on those southpaws’ values, per Rosenthal.
  • There’s no chance that the Athletics will deal righty Sonny Gray at the deadline, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. It is hard to call that a surprising revelation, given that we’ve heard no signals out of Oakland that he’d be made available. The A’s are obviously uninterested in selling low on a 26-year-old pitcher who had pitched like an ace heading into this season, but who has struggled badly in 2016. Gray’s strikeout rate has held steady, and he isn’t giving up many more walks than is typical, but he carries a 5.43 ERA over 107 2/3 innings and missed time with a trap strain. The 2016 downturn will at least tamp down Gray’s arbitration salary, and with three more years of control, it certainly behooves the Athletics to hold onto him at least until he can rebuild some value.
  • Meanwhile, word is the Athletics could still deal southpaw Rich Hill even though he won’t return to the mound before the deadline and just hit the 15-day DL. Heyman tweets that there’s still “significant interest” in the veteran despite his lingering blister issues. Though he carries a risky profile given his recent and prior injury issues and lack of a productive big league track record prior to his out-of-nowhere breakout late in 2015, Hill has been aces when healthy in 2016. Over 76 frames, he owns a stellar 2.25 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
  • While none of these names are of the level of the pitchers discussed above, the Twins are said to be shopping Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone, and Fernando Abad, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Nolasco and Milone could both conceivably be looked at by teams in need of some rotation depth, while Abad remains a useful LOOGY option for organizations that hope to bolster their pen. None, of course, seem particularly likely to draw major returns; if anything, Nolasco would likely be moved for a bit of salary relief.
Share 17 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox Minnesota Twins Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Chris Sale Fernando Abad Jose Quintana Rich Hill Ricky Nolasco Sonny Gray Tommy Milone

22 comments

Rich Hill Won’t Make Scheduled Start

By Jeff Todd | July 29, 2016 at 2:58pm CDT

Athletics lefty Rich Hill will not make his scheduled start on Sunday, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). That means he won’t have a chance to prove to potential trade suitors that he’s at full health; to the contrary, it seems, he isn’t quite ready to return to the bump with a blister on his finger still causing problem.

It’s certainly still possible that Hill could be traded on or before Monday’s deadline, but it’ll take some creativity. Teams will surely be willing to roll the dice on his reasonably-priced contract, so an August trade could be tough since he’d likely be claimed off waivers. To get things done before then, Oakland may need to take a reduced return or try to work out some sort of conditional arrangement in which the final price depends upon how many starts Hill is ultimately able to make.

A’s GM David Forst has suggested previously that the club’s improved performance won’t really change its deadline stance, as Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com reports. He also suggested that Hill’s injury wasn’t of the kind that would make a deal difficult to pull off without a pre-deadline start. In his comments today, Forst said there has been lots of interest and reiterated that a trade is still possible, as Slusser reports (links to Twitter). He declined to guess at the odds, though, and suggested the team could hold onto the surprising 36-year-old. A qualifying offer still seems a possibility; indeed, if Hill is kept and returns to the form he has shown since his re-emergence late last season, it might be an easy offer to make.

Though Hill’s last full appearance came on July 7th, he has been able to keep his arm in shape while protecting the blister — even if he hasn’t been able to utilize all his pitches. And he was able to build up to sixty long-toss throws today before the area in question felt “hot,” Slusser tweets, which is apparently just part of the process of building up a callus. A DL stint seems likely at this point, particularly since it can be backdated. Teams will presumably be able to assess the situation and adjust their offers accordingly, but there’s no question that the lack of immediate availability and increased risk will weigh in the balance — particularly since Hill is such an unusual, late-emerging pitcher to begin with.

Share 18 Retweet 1 Send via email0

Oakland Athletics Rich Hill

23 comments

Pitching Rumors: Sale, Rangers, Dodgers-A’s, Walker, Santana, Jays, Rays, Niese

By Jeff Todd | July 29, 2016 at 1:36pm CDT

The Rangers are still pushing hardest for White Sox ace Chris Sale, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter links). Chicago is holding out with a high asking price, per the report, demanding Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo as headliners. Presumably, the club is looking for more to go with that pair, though the full demands from the Sox remain unknown. Texas will obviously be hesitant to part with Mazara, in particular, since he’s not only an important future piece but has played a notable role on this year’s roster. On the other hand, he seems like a perfectly reasonable request; there simply aren’t very many pitchers out there that combine Sale’s track record and contract situation.

Here’s more on the market for starters:

  • The Athletics and Dodgers have discussed trade scenarios involving both lefty Rich Hill and outfielder Josh Reddick, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. It seems that the sides have batted around concepts involving both players in a single swap, as well as scenarios involving each player separately. It’s not hard to see the interest here from a Los Angeles organization that not only desires to add a starter and a left-handed-hitting outfielder, but has exhibited more injury risk tolerance in acquiring starting pitching than any team in baseball.
  • Other teams may be looking at Mariners righty Taijuan Walker, but Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto says that he’s not interested in offers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. “We’re not currently discussing Taijuan with anybody,” said Dipoto. “He’ll stay right where he is.” Dipoto says that the same holds with regard to lefty James Paxton, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.
  • At this point, the Twins would need to be “overwhelmed” to deal away righty Ervin Santana, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Minnesota is still said to be open to dealing relief assets, but apparently is rather committed to keeping the veteran righty in its rotation over the final two years of his contract.
  • While the Blue Jays’ tough call on whether to keep Aaron Sanchez in the rotation, or instead to move him to the pen to limit his innings, has long been building as an important decision. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark takes a look at the subject with the trade deadline seemingly forcing the issue. While GM Ross Atkins says the club won’t let Sanchez’s status impact its plans, and stresses that the organization is looking at far more than a simple innings tally, Stark reports that rival executives see Toronto as an aggressive pursuer of starters. He suggests that Jeremy Hellickson could make a nice target as a back-of-the-staff rental that shouldn’t cost too much.
  • Before striking a deal this morning for two starters, the Marlins tried to work something out with the pitching-rich Rays, according to multiple reports. Per Stark (Twitter links), the sides weren’t seeing eye to eye on Miami’s interest in Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore. One source suggests that Tampa Bay wanted Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto — which would obviously be a non-starter — while another suggests it never got that specific, with Tampa Bay simply not interested in the Marlins’ farm.
  • Moore seems now to be the Rays starter who is most likely to be traded, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Always regarded as a highly-talented pitcher, Moore has looked more like his pre-Tommy John self of late. His last poor outing came on June 24th, leaving him with a 5.04 ERA to that point on the year. Since that time, over seven starts, Moore has allowed just nine earned runs in 40 2/3 innings. He only has a 25: 14 K/BB ratio in that span, which isn’t all that exciting, and doesn’t have a velocity bump  or increasing whiff rate to support the improved results,
  • The Mets have chatted with the Pirates about a possible Jon Niese return, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. New York has previously been suggested to have some interest in the lefty, who was dealt from New York to Pittsburgh over the winter. As before, though, the Mets don’t appear to be prioritizing starting pitching, given that the club has reasonable back-of-the-rotation options at hand with Zack Wheeler still working toward a return
Share 65 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Chicago White Sox Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Minnesota Twins New York Mets Oakland Athletics Pittsburgh Pirates Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Aaron Sanchez Chris Sale Christian Yelich Ervin Santana J.T. Realmuto Jake Odorizzi James Paxton Jeremy Hellickson Joey Gallo Jon Niese Josh Reddick Matt Moore Nomar Mazara Rich Hill Taijuan Walker

66 comments

Pitching Rumors: Chapman, Ervin, Hill, Hellickson, Ubaldo, Blue Jays

By Steve Adams | July 26, 2016 at 8:45pm CDT

Joel Sherman of the New York Post walks readers through the winding process the Cubs took to reach an agreement on an Aroldis Chapman trade with the Yankees. Per Sherman, the Cubs never wanted to pursue a rental pitcher but weren’t able to convince the Yankees to back down from their demand of Kyle Schwarber. Chicago then turned to the Royals, only to find the asking price on Wade Davis to be even higher than the asking price on Miller. The Cubs weren’t willing to deal from their big league roster to upgrade the ’pen but were willing to deal from their infield depth, parting with Class-A shortstop Gleyber Torres largely because of the presence of both Addison Russell and Javier Baez on the Major League roster. (Notably, Chicago also dealt from its first base depth in moving Dan Vogelbach for another left-handed reliever: Seattle’s Mike Montgomery.) Sherman adds that owner Hal Steinbrenner still wants to win in 2016 despite approving the Chapman swap, which calls into question whether the club would entertain even an overwhelming offer for Miller.

A few notes on the pitching market…

  • Twins interim GM Rob Antony has expressed an openness to moving Ervin Santana if approached with a strong offer, but he tells Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he’s not shopping the right-hander (Twitter link). “I’ll be honest,” said Antony, “I’m not calling anybody trying to move him.” As Antony explained yesterday in a Q&A with MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, his feeling is that he couldn’t sign a pitcher of Santana’s effectiveness to a two-year, $27MM contract with a third-year club option (the remaining commitment on Santana’s deal after 2016) on the free agent market this winter and, as such, believes there to be enough value that he needn’t shop Santana to other clubs. Antony again stated that he’s not under any type of ownership mandate to trim payroll, suggesting that shedding Santana’s salary may not be all that appealing.
  • Pitching is the Twins’ biggest priority on the trade market this summer, according to Antony (Twitter link via Bollinger). While the club is clearly open to trading veteran pieces to acquire young pitching help, Antony said he’s also talked to other teams that are considered to be sellers about acquiring big league pitching — presumably MLB arms that are controllable well beyond the 2016 season.
  • Athletics southpaw Rich Hill believes he’ll be able to pitch on Sunday after throwing 50 pitches with protective covering over his blistered left hand and another 20 without the cover, tweets John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group. Hill has scarcely been able to pitch since late May due to a groin strain and this newfound blister issue, but he remains a highly intriguing rental option thanks to a 2.25 ERA with 10.7 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 50 percent ground-ball rate through 76 innings out of the Oakland rotation this season. That would obviously give rival scouts just one more opportunity to look at Hill before Monday’s non-waiver deadline, but that could prove crucial given his limited recent exposure.
  • Both the Rangers and Orioles were in attendance for Jeremy Hellickson’s scoreless six innings for the Phillies against the Marlins last night, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. (The Marlins — Hellickson’s opponents — also obviously had evaluators on hand and have long been linked to Hellickson.) There’s no clear frontrunner for Hellickson’s services, Crasnick notes, but it’s a “virtual lock” that he’ll change teams on or before next Monday.
  • The Padres asked the Orioles to include minor league left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and minor legaue righty Jhon Peluffo in the trade that would’ve sent Ubaldo Jimenez to San Diego in exchange for Melvin Upton Jr., according to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko (on Twitter). However, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the talks broke down over finances, and Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller adds (also via Twitter) that owner Peter Angelos had a late change of heart and altered the nearly agreed-upon deal — specifically the amount of money that would have changed hands. The Padres ultimately shifted course and sent Upton to the Blue Jays.
  • Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins says he’s not done making moves after swooping in and acquiring Upton earlier this morning, via Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (links to Nicholson–Smith on Twitter). Atkins’ comments seemingly focused on pitching upgrades, with the GM indicating that the market for relief help is more robust than the market for starters at present. Atkins says he’s talked with all 29 other clubs on multiple occasions and is now focused on a smaller group of teams that could potentially upgrade his pitching staff. Asked specifically about the Padres — the Jays have been linked multiple times to Andrew Cashner, who tossed a quality start against them tonight — Atkins replied, “They have interesting pitching as well.”
Share 16 Retweet 18 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Kansas City Royals Miami Marlins Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Andrew Miller Aroldis Chapman Ervin Santana Garrett Cleavinger Jeremy Hellickson Jhon Peluffo Melvin Upton Rich Hill Ubaldo Jimenez Wade Davis

31 comments

West Notes: Hill, Reddick, Dodgers, Giants, Gurriel

By Jeff Todd | July 21, 2016 at 10:36pm CDT

Athletics lefty Rich Hill still isn’t ready to throw from a mound due to a blister on his pitching hand, manager Bob Melvin told reporters including Comcast’s Joe Stiglich (via Twitter). Though he is keeping his arm in shape by throwing with the blister area covered, the overall progress doesn’t seem quite as advanced as might be hoped. At this point, Oakland just has to hope that Hill can fully recover in time to make one more start before the trade deadline and show that he’s past the issue.

Here’s more from Oakland and elsewhere out west:

  • Outfielder Josh Reddick expressed frustration with the fact that he and the Athletics haven’t engaged in recent extension talks, Stiglich also tweets. Reddick called the situation “kind of disheartening,” presumably referring to the fact that he’s likely to be traded with no new deal in place. Player and team have long been said to be engaging in dialogue over a new deal, but it now seems that the time has passed for an agreement.
  • The Dodgers are still weighing the addition of a power bat even as they consider starters, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. That very likely won’t be the Brewers’ Ryan Braun, per the report, as Los Angeles has not shown any inclination to go after him. Jay Bruce of the Reds may be the most realistic target, he suggests, though Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies could also be pursued. (For what it’s worth, I’d wager that Colorado will be quite reticent to move CarGo within the division, if it’s willing to do so at all.)
  • Giants executive VP of baseball ops Brian Sabean tells Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com that his club isn’t just looking to build out the depth in its relief corps. “It’s not just going to be the average Joe coming in,” he said. “You’re thinking it’s going to be a meaningful piece, but the competition on the premium people is going to be real stiff and it already is.” Sabean explained that the preference is for a high-strikeout arm who “could really get through an inning and not have much flak in getting through the inning” — rather than what he described as “contact relievers.”
  • Astros manager A.J. Hinch said appearance yesterday on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he expects just-signed third baseman Yulieski Gurriel to be ready for the majors in relatively short order. “We want his bat in the line-up, we want him to get acclimated as much as possible,” said Hinch. “That’s probably 2 or 3 weeks.” In the meantime, outfielder Preston Tucker has been called back to the big league club to take the place of the optioned A.J. Reed.
Share 13 Retweet 12 Send via email0

Houston Astros Los Angeles Dodgers Oakland Athletics San Francisco Giants A.J. Reed Carlos Gonzalez Jay Bruce Josh Reddick Rich Hill Ryan Braun

79 comments

Rich Hill Doubtful To Make Next Start

By Jeff Todd | July 20, 2016 at 2:42pm CDT

Athletics lefty Rich Hill is doubtful to make a start on Sunday, the next open day in Oakland’s rotation, manager Bob Melvin told reporters including MLB.com’s Jane Lee (Twitter link). Hill left his most recent start after only five pitches when a blister on his left middle finger popped.

It seems that the ill-timed blister is still not responding well enough to get Hill back on the bump. Oakland now has a razor-thin margin for error in getting the southpaw back in action before the trade deadline. While it’s theoretically possible that he could be traded without making another start, there’s little question that it would seriously hamper his value — particularly given the 36-year-old’s lack of a big league track record.

Hill is already a highly unconventional trade candidate, having resuscitated his career late last season. He has been nothing short of masterful, though, since signing with the A’s over the winter, and carries a 2.25 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 76 frames on the year.

Oakland surely felt it had dodged a bullet when Hill made it back from an earlier groin issue without any ill effects. In his first two starts of this month, he delivered 12 innings over which he permitted just three earned runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out 16 along the way. Excepting that most recent, truncated outing, however, he has now gone two weeks without pitching.

MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently examined the potential market for Hill’s services, discussing the impact of the blister — which now seems only to be rising in relevance. As the list of potentially available starters shows, there’s a significant dearth of pure rental rotation additions out there for the taking. But at this point, Hill won’t be able to log two more starts unless he’s able to make an appearance early next week. Odds are, it seems, the A’s will be banking quite a bit on a single remaining outing before accepting final bids on the unique lefty.

Share 1 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Oakland Athletics Trade Candidate Rich Hill

12 comments

Looking For A Match In A Rich Hill Trade

By Mark Polishuk | July 18, 2016 at 11:45pm CDT

Something as small as a blister could have a huge impact on this year’s trade deadline.  Rich Hill was forced to leave Sunday’s start against the Blue Jays after just five pitches due to a popped blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, disappointing the many scouts in attendance and bringing into question the status of perhaps the most hotly-pursued starter heading into August 1.

Injury may have been the only thing that could’ve lowered Hill’s trade value at this point.  The 36-year-old lefty already missed a month recovering from a groin strain, though he looked good in his first two outings back from the DL.  This blister issue already caused Hill’s first post-break start to be pushed back two days, and now Hill believes it will at least a few days before the blister heals well enough for him to throw again.  It could be a full week before Hill takes the mound again, leaving him time for perhaps two starts before the trade deadline.

Needless to say, this isn’t a welcome development for an A’s team that was looking to cash in on Hill’s unexpected dominance.  Between his four-start emergence for the Red Sox in 2015 and his continued terrific work in 2016, Hill has posted a 2.06 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 3.82 K/BB over his past 105 innings.  Hill is a free agent this winter and is owed around $2.3MM for the remainder of the season, making him an easily affordable rental for teams in both large and small markets.

"<strong

Affordable in salary, that is — not necessarily affordable in terms of the return it will take to pry him out of Oakland.  Hill has pitched so well that the A’s could justify issuing him a qualifying offer in order to recoup a first-round compensation draft pick back if Hill signed elsewhere.  (Though it’s an interesting question if Hill would accept the QO to lock in a one-year deal in the $16MM range, which would certainly impact the A’s decision to issue the offer.)  That means the Athletics’ absolute minimum asking price will be a prospect graded as equal to the value of that comp pick, and the asking price to this point has been much higher; the A’s reportedly initially wanted Anderson Espinoza when the Red Sox inquired about Hill.

The blister and groin strain underline the great unknown that is Hill’s durability, as the 76 innings he’s thrown this year is already the third-highest innings total of his 12-year career.  This being said, in a very thin summer market for starting pitching, Hill may still emerge as the top arm available if he is able to recover from his blister and deliver at least one more quality start before the deadline.  There’s been so much interest in Hill that the A’s should still be able to find a trade partner, even if their hopes of landing a top-tier prospect may not be realized.

Billy Beane, David Forst and company will probably take the usual route of looking for the best talent available when shopping Hill, Josh Reddick, Danny Valencia or other trade chips before Aug. 1.  If the A’s do prioritize a need, Baseball America’s Jim Shonerd (BA subscription required) recently noted that the A’s are thin on minor league outfield talent.  That could be a particular area of focus in trade talks, especially if Reddick is also dealt.  It’s also not out of the question that Oakland looks to add a Major League player, given that the Athletics have been loath to fully rebuild in the Beane era.  While the A’s have struggled over the last two seasons, recent history suggests that they have their eye on rebounding in 2017.

Over a third of the league has been scouting Hill or has been otherwise connected to him in trade rumors, and you can make a case that a few other postseason contenders could also be a fit for the 36-year-old lefty.  Let’s try to figure out who might be best-positioned to trade for Hill, beginning with the 11 teams who have already shown interest…

Read more

If Hill’s blister impacts Oakland’s price tag, that bodes well for the six clubs (the Blue Jays, Royals, Tigers, Marlins, Orioles and Yankees) who don’t have as much minor league depth as other interested parties.  These clubs would probably have lost a pure bidding war for prospects, though if the A’s now look to acquire perhaps just one player they particularly like, that opens up the field.  These six are also in relative win-now mode (with the possible exception of the Yankees), which could influence their thinking for a big push for Hill.

The Blue Jays, for instance, have many big names (i.e. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Saunders, R.A. Dickey) scheduled for free agency, so if this is the Jays’ last run at contention with this core group, counting on Drew Hutchison or a stretched-out Jesse Chavez to replace Aaron Sanchez seems especially risky.  Sanchez has a team-high 2.5 fWAR in his breakout season, so if the Jays stick to their plan of shifting the young righty to the bullpen to limit his innings, it leaves a big hole in the rotation that Hutchison and Chavez are unlikely to fill.

The Jays dealt so many top prospects in their 2015 deadline moves that the cupboard is a little bare, plus it was former GM Alex Anthopoulos who made those moves, not the current front office led by Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins.  That being said, it’s not uncommon for new management to deal prospects drafted by an old regime; Shapiro/Atkins may have a lower opinion of some Toronto minor leaguers than Anthopoulos did, so those youngsters could be shopped.  Likewise, the four free agents I mentioned earlier could all be issued qualifying offers, so while the Jays could lose some current prospects now to land Hill, they could reload with at least a couple of compensation picks in the 2017 draft.

The Royals will face a potential free agent exodus of similar proportions after the 2017 season, when the likes of Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis and Mike Moustakas can all hit the open market.  So K.C. has, realistically, a two-year window of contention with its current group, and to even further capitalize on this terrific chapter in club history, the Royals could look to replicate last year’s big deadline moves for Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist.  This is just my speculation, but since the Royals have also been linked to Reddick, a blockbuster that brings both Hill and Reddick to Kansas City at the cost of multiple top prospects could be worth exploring for both the Royals and A’s.  A mid-market team like the Royals can hardly afford to be cavalier with its prospects, of course, so it really comes down to whether or not the club is prepared to more or less rebuild after 2017 in the name of chasing another pennant or World Series this year and next.

The Tigers know a few things about mortgaging the future in search of immediate contention, and years of dealing prospects has left their farm system in unimpressive shape — neither Baseball America or MLB.com has any Detroit players in their rankings of the game’s top 100 minor leaguers.  It’s hard to totally count the Tigers out on Hill given their history of veteran additions but it’s possible their system may now simply be too depleted to outbid anyone.  Obviously, Detroit isn’t going to part with a young player like Michael Fulmer who is already making a huge contribution at the MLB level.

The Marlins are only “all-in” in the sense that Jeffrey Loria is rather unpredictable, and he may be particularly keen to make a deadline push now that his team finally looks to be back in contention.  Miami’s young core is (on paper) impressive enough to keep the Fish in the NL East race for years, so dealing one or two of their few highly-touted minor leaguers for Hill in a 2016 run might not make sense, and that’s assuming that the Marlins have enough trade bait to get Oakland’s attention.

The Orioles don’t have the short window of the Jays or Royals, though Mark Trumbo and Matt Wieters are free agents this offseason.  Like Toronto, the O’s could let at least one of their free agents walk to gain a compensation pick, thus perhaps freeing them up to deal one of their few top-tier prospects now for Hill.

Baltimore’s powerful lineup has put it atop the AL East even with one of the game’s worst rotations, so adding Hill (who also provides some balance within the all-righty O’s staff) could give them just enough starting help to slug their way into World Series contention.  Dan Duquette hasn’t shied away from adding rental players (Gerardo Parra, Andrew Miller, Francisco Rodriguez, Scott Feldman) at the deadline over the last few seasons.  That said, Hill’s health issues are surely red flags for a franchise that has been so infamously picky about pitchers’ injury histories.

The biggest question facing the Yankees, of course, isn’t whether or not they’ll pursue Hill, but rather if they’ll be deadline buyers whatsoever.  It may be at least another week before New York decides if it is selling or buying on Aug. 1, though if they did decide to go for it, Hill — who briefly pitched for the Yankees in 2014 — would greatly boost a rotation that has shown a lot of inconsistency behind Masahiro Tanaka.  At this point, I’m leaning towards the Yankees selling, so let’s move onto the teams with more significant prospect depth.

The Cubs and A’s have collaborated on four trades since Theo Epstein came to Wrigleyville, including one summer blockbuster.  Between the two clubs’ familiarity and all of the prospects the Cubs can offer, Chicago would seem like the favorite for Hill….except for the fact that starting depth isn’t exactly a priority.  Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel comprise one of the game’s best rotations, plus Adam Warren is on hand as a swingman.  Durability isn’t an issue, as the top five have made all but one start in the first half.  The Cubs’ scouting of Hill could be a case of due diligence rather than a distinct need, unless they want to have as much starting depth as possible on hand as they pursue a championship.

The Dodgers’ interest in Hill could also be somewhat exploratory since L.A. has several starting options on hand once everyone gets healthy.  Clayton Kershaw’s return from the DL will be the biggest boost of all, and Alex Wood and Brett Anderson are also scheduled to be back in August.  Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy are already back pitching after lengthy absences, so if anything, the Dodgers could have a bit of a rotation logjam.

The Rangers and Athletics have had a rather healthy trade history in recent years, which is unusual for division rivals.  None of those deals involved swapping top prospects for an established player, however, so Texas could certainly have some misgivings about seeing one of their minor league stars in a green-and-yellow jersey, haunting them for years to come.  Since the Rangers are looking at virtually every available pitcher leading up to the deadline, they could prefer a pitcher who is controlled beyond 2016 (like, for instance, Jake Odorizzi or Matt Moore) rather than a rental like Hill.

The Pirates are in the strange position of trying to both add and trade starting pitchers at the same time.  Jeff Locke and Jon Niese are being shopped, as the Bucs are hopeful that young arms like Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow, Steven Brault and Chad Kuhl can beef up the back of the rotation.  Of course, the front of the rotation isn’t exactly in solid shape either thanks to injuries (particularly to Gerrit Cole) and Francisco Liriano’s struggles.  Hill would add some much-needed stability to what has been a disappointing Pirates staff.  Pittsburgh is another smaller-market team that would think hard before dealing a notable prospect for a deadline rental, and Locke/Niese would have limited trade appeal for the A’s as part of a package for Hill.  Taillon and Glasnow aren’t going anywhere, though perhaps lesser-regarded minor leaguers like Brault or Kuhl could be involved.

Though the Red Sox addressed their pitching woes by acquiring Drew Pomeranz from the Padres for Espinoza, it’s still possible Boston could seek out a reunion with Hill by dealing from deeper within their stockpile of quality prospects.  Installing Hill and Pomeranz as the fourth and fifth starters would allow the Sox to give Eduardo Rodriguez more minor league seasoning, or use him in the bullpen along with other relief-relegated starters Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly.

Looking at the teams who aren’t known to have interest in Hill, the Cardinals and Indians can very probably be eliminated from contention since their rotations are already set.  The Nationals can also likely be added to this group, provided that Joe Ross makes his expected return from the DL before the end of the month.  The White Sox could use Hill with Carlos Rodon out of action, though Chicago doesn’t have much in minor league trade chips.  If the White Sox do pursue a deadline upgrade, it is perhaps more likely to be a bat than an arm.

The Mets are said to be more focused on bullpen additions than rotation help at the deadline, plus they could be another team hesitant about dealing minor league pieces for a rental player.  That said, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are both dealing with bone spurs in their elbows, and if either of those situations worsen, the Mets might suddenly look at adding a starter (especially with Matt Harvey already out for the season).

The inter-division trade hesitation I mentioned earlier in regards to the Rangers could also apply to the Mariners and Astros, though Seattle may not have the prospect depth to land Hill and Houston may not have the need.  The M’s have Felix Hernandez and (Seattle hopes) Taijuan Walker both soon returning from the DL to help their ailing rotation, so the Mariners could pursue a reliever or a hitter rather than Hill, if they end up being buyers at all.  The Astros’ rotation has been more sturdy than impressive this season, though they have enough starting options on hand that they probably won’t bid on Hill.

That leaves the Giants, and there’s probably a better chance of the A’s dealing Hill within the AL West than there is of dealing him within the Bay Area.  Oakland and San Francisco are very infrequent trade partners, which could explain why we haven’t heard about a link between Hill and the Giants despite their search for starting pitching.  (The ongoing territorial rights dispute about the Athletics’ attempted move to San Jose surely doesn’t help relations.)

If the two local rivals did decide to collaborate, the Giants would be a good fit as a trade partner.  The Giants have enough interesting prospects that they could afford to move one as the headliner of a Hill trade package, plus they have a rotation hole since Matt Cain is far from a sure thing at this point in his career.  Reddick is already getting some attention for the Giants’ outfield, so who knows, maybe there’s a chance of a mega-deal between the two clubs if the A’s can stomach the idea of watching another #EvenYear celebration.

With two weeks until the deadline, pretty much every scenario is still in play at this point.  Hill could end up being dealt for a surprisingly large return, or it’s just as possible that injuries scuttle his market and the A’s will have to shop him in the August waiver period.  Since everything about Hill’s career over the last 11 months has been so unpredictable, it’s perhaps only fitting that his trade value is still totally up in the air.

Photo courtesy of Kenny Karst/USA Today Sports Images

Share 5 Retweet 8 Send via email0

Looking For A Match In A Trade MLBTR Originals Oakland Athletics Rich Hill

117 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
Show all
    Top Stories

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Brandon Woodruff To Start For Brewers On Sunday

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Braves Designate Alex Verdugo For Assignment

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Griffin Canning Believed To Have Suffered Achilles Injury

    Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

    Recent

    Rangers Designate Billy McKinney For Assignment

    Blue Jays Select Lazaro Estrada, Transfer Anthony Santander To 60-Day IL

    White Sox Recall Colson Montgomery For MLB Debut, DFA Vinny Capra

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Yankees Place Clarke Schmidt On 15-Day IL With Forearm Tightness

    Cubs Place Jameson Taillon On 15-Day IL With Calf Strain

    Nationals Place Trevor Williams On Injured List With Elbow Sprain

    Front Office Subscriber Chat With Darragh McDonald: TODAY At 2:00pm Central

    The Opener: Trade Candidates, Schmidt, Montgomery

    Padres Seeking Upgrades At Catcher

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version