Rich Hill

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

Passan’s Latest: Yanks, Cubs, Hill, Gallo, Ziegler, Shoemaker, Reds

By Steve Adams | July 18, 2016 at 11:09am CDT

The latest 10 Degrees column from Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports is rife with trade talks as the non-waiver deadline now sits just two weeks away. Passan begins by dedicating further ink to the oft-discussed Kyle Schwarber, writing that no player in baseball is more appealing to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, but the Cubs remain steadfast in their desire to hold onto him. Passan writes that perhaps if the Yankees were willing to part with both Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, the Cubs could waver, but the commonly repeated refrain at this point seems to be that Chicago simply isn’t interested in moving Schwarber.

More highlights from Passan’s column, which is well worth a full look-through…

The Yankees “are going to trade Chapman” within the next two weeks, Passan definitively notes on more than one occasion. While New York won’t fully tear down the roster, rental players like Chapman and Carlos Beltran figure to draw plenty of attention. Beltran’s poor defense makes him a tough sell to an NL club, but an AL club with a need at DH and some occasional outfield at-bats would significantly boost its lineup by adding Beltran to the mix.
The Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles, Blue Jays and Dodgers are all expected to be in the bidding for Athletics ace Rich Hill, as are the Tigers, who have been calling around and asking about rotation upgrades, per Passan. The A’s, however, haven’t been willing to hold any meaningful talks about Sonny Gray, whose stock is at a low point right now in the wake of some highly uncharacteristic struggles. Passan also notes that Josh Reddick is “very unlikely” to reach an extension with Oakland at this juncture, though if the A’s were really only open to a three-year deal even as recently as July 9, I’d contend that it was never really a possibility in the first place.
A match between the Rangers and Rays centering around controllable pitching is readily apparent, and some sources have expressed to Passan that they believe the Rangers are willing to part with prized slugger Joey Gallo in order to land a long-term rotation piece. Gallo, of course, is arguably the most powerful prospect in all of Minor League Baseball but doesn’t have a clear long-term fit on the Rangers’ roster now that Adrian Beltre has been extended. He could theoretically be shifted across the diamond to first base or transition to the outfield, though, if the Rangers do hold onto him, so it’s not as though he has nowhere to play on the club in the near future.
Clubs that were pursuing Brad Ziegler were stunned by what the D-backs accepted in exchange for him, according to both Passan and Peter Gammons of the MLB Network (links to Twitter). Passan writes that the Indians, Blue Jays and Cubs all expressed interest in Ziegler and were all met with asking prices of Top 100-type or even Top 50-type prospects in return. Arizona, however, acquired a pair of prospects that weren’t nearly that well regarded in return. One NL GM who spoke to Gammons wondered if Dave Dombrowski’s close relationship with Tony La Russa impacted the negotiations.
Scouts have raved about Matt Shoemaker since his return from the minors, with one telling Passan that his splitter is the best he’s seen this season. The Angels don’t want to go into a full rebuild and are loath to move controllable pitching, but Shoemaker would draw strong interest.
The Reds don’t want to trade Anthony DeSclafani, but the dearth of quality arms on this summer’s trade market and on the upcoming free agent market gives Cincinnati a chance to cash in on what could potentially be a big chip. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd noted as much when examining the trade market for starting pitchers last week.
The Indians, Rangers, Nationals, Orioles, Giants and Dodgers have all at least checked in on Reds outfielder Jay Bruce. Passan writes that Cleveland could be the favorite, which seems curious in light of Tyler Naquin’s recent breakout and reports that Michael Brantley is making better progress than expected. If such reports about Brantley are more of a smokescreen from the Cleveland front office than a genuine representation of the star outfielder’s progress, the interest in Bruce would make more sense. If not, it’s tough to see where Bruce would fit in with Naquin, Brantley, Rajai Davis and Jose Ramirez all representing outfield options (to say nothing of Lonnie Chisenhall, who is hitting well but not exactly replicating last season’s eye-popping defensive metrics). Cleveland has been more heavily tied to bullpen help of late, and, from my vantage point, had a greater need behind the plate than in the outfield even before the weekend injury to Yan Gomes.

Deadline Notes: Hill, Nats, Dodgers, Rays, Braves, Yanks, O’s

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 11:07pm CDT

Injuries continue to be a problem for Athletics left-hander Rich Hill, who departed his start against Toronto on Sunday during the first at-bat of the game. Hill had to exit after the blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand popped, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. That blister pushed Hill’s start from Friday to Sunday. With the Aug. 1 deadline creeping up, scouts from several contenders were on hand to watch the 36-year-old trade candidate, as Slusser reported earlier Sunday. Durability is the big question with Hill, who hasn’t exceeded 100 innings in a season since 2007 and has already missed significant time this year with a groin injury. Hill has dominated while on the mound in 2016, though, with a 2.25 ERA, 10.66 K/9, 3.32 BB/9, 50 percent ground-ball rate and 14.5 percent infield fly ball mark in 76 innings.

More deadline-related news:

Scouts from the Nationals, Dodgers and Rangers were in attendance for the Rays’ Jake Odorizzi’s start Sunday against the Orioles, reports Bill Chastain of MLB.com (via Twitter). Odorizzi fired six innings of two-run ball and struck out seven against one walk in a 5-2 victory. The right-hander lowered his season ERA to 4.39 and improved his respective strikeout and walk rates per nine innings to 8.54 and 2.85. Interest in Odorizzi from the Rangers is no surprise, as they and the Rays are reportedly discussing him (and two of Tampa Bay’s other starters) leading up to the deadline.
Matt Moore, another of the Rays’ coveted starters, drew scouts from the Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, Pirates and Nationals for his Saturday start, per Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times. As is the case with Odorizzi, the Rangers are also engaging with the Rays about Moore, so Texas’ interest isn’t a revelation. Moore spun 7 1/3 two-run innings in a 2-1 loss and dropped his ERA to 4.33. The 27-year-old has also put up 7.58 K/9 against 2.63 BB/9 this season.
Despite hitting the disabled list Saturday with an oblique injury, 25-year-old Braves closer Arodys Vizcaino isn’t out of play for the deadline, tweets FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman. Although Vizcaino has struggled of late, his numbers this year – 3.00 ERA, 11.75 K/9, 5.5 BB/9 and 54.8 percent ground-ball rate in 36 innings – are mostly outstanding and he’s under control via arbitration eligibility through 2019. Those factors, not to mention his $897,500 salary this year, could combine to make Vizcaino rather appealing to reliever-needy teams.
The Yankees are scouting the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse, leading Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post to wonder (on Twitter) if a trade is in the works. The Nats are looking for bullpen help, per several reports in recent months, and Yankees lights-out relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller have been connected to Washington as a result.
The Orioles are interested in adding a left-handed reliever, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko lists the Braves’ Eric O’Flaherty, whom the O’s were previously interested in, and free agent Joe Beimel as possibilities outside the organization.

Starting Pitching Rumors: Archer, Hill, Espinoza, Buchholz, Weaver

By Mark Polishuk | July 17, 2016 at 7:45pm CDT

Here’s the latest on some starters who may or may not be on the move at the deadline…

The Rays have told teams that ace Chris Archer is unavailable in trade talks, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter link), barring an offer that “overwhelms them.” It would be hard to see such a huge offer in the making given Archer’s disappointing 4.68 ERA over 117 1/3 innings this season. ERA indicators (4.35 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 3.85 SIERA) hint that Archer has been a bit unlucky and could be primed to some improvement in the second half. The righty has had some batted-ball misfortune in the form of a .315 BABIP but the real outlier is Archer’s 17.4% home run rate, which is well north of his 11% career average. Archer has been scouted by the Dodgers and other teams as we approach the deadline, though it isn’t surprising that Tampa considers him virtually off-limits given that he is controlled through 2021 on a team-friendly contract.
The Athletics asked the Red Sox for Anderson Espinoza in exchange for Rich Hill, according to Olney (Twitter links). When the Sox rejected that proposal, the A’s countered with another offer that didn’t involve Espinoza. Of course, Boston ended up dealing Espinoza to the Padres for Drew Pomeranz. Boston had scouts watching Hill’s start today, though we heard yesterday that the Sox weren’t keen on meeting Oakland’s obviously high asking price for the veteran southpaw. Hill is almost nine years older than Pomeranz and a free agent after the season, so it isn’t a surprise that the Sox were more willing to surrender their top pitching prospect for the controllable younger arm.
If Eduardo Rodriguez is able to re-emerge as a legitimate rotation piece, it will impact not just the Red Sox pitching search but also possibly Clay Buchholz’s immediate future, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Cafardo believes the Sox could trade or even designate Buchholz for assignment, though that would leave Boston with one fewer starting option (despite Buchholz’s struggles) for the questionable back of its staff.
Jered Weaver has thrown consecutive quality starts and FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi suggests (Twitter links) that the Angels’ veteran could get some deadline attention as an innings-eater, if nothing else. Recent form aside, it’s been a tough season for Weaver, as today’s quality outing only bumped his season totals to a 5.02 ERA, 5.02 K/9 and 30.2% grounder rate over 107 2/3 innings. His fastball velocity has dropped to just 83.6 mph as Weaver has relied more on his changeup, curve and slider. Weaver is still owed roughly $7.2MM of salary in the last year of his contract, so even if a club was interested, the Halos would likely have to eat a big chunk of that money to facilitate a deal. There’s also the matter of Weaver’s full no-trade clause, as Morosi notes, though one would think he’d be willing to waive it to join a contender.

Latest On Athletics

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2016 at 8:27am CDT

Plenty of eyes will be on left-hander Rich Hill on Sunday as he makes what could be his final start with the Athletics, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Scouts from a handful of playoff-contending clubs – the Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles, Marlins and Tigers – will be in attendance to observe Hill’s home outing against the Blue Jays.

Hill, 36, has unexpectedly established himself as a hot commodity leading up to the Aug. 1 trade deadline since his torrid stretch as a member of the aforementioned BoSox last September. Dating back to that four-start run, the journeyman has performed like an ace over a 105-inning sample, having recorded a 2.06 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 2.83 BB/9, 49.6 percent ground-ball percentage and 17.9 percent infield fly rate. As a result, the A’s are hoping to land a haul similar to the one they received from Houston for southpaw Scott Kazmir last year (two prospects, right-hander Daniel Mengden and catcher Jacob Nottingham), according to Slusser, who notes that a Hill trade isn’t necessarily a sure bet.

If the A’s can’t find a deal to their liking for Hill, they could retain him through the season and then tender the free agent-to-be a qualifying offer, which will be worth in the $17MM neighborhood. Should Hill accept, that would give him roughly $23MM over two years with the A’s (including $6MM this season), which, considering his performance, wouldn’t be an unreasonable cost for his services. However, the A’s are much less likely to keep Hill and qualify him than they are right fielder Josh Reddick, per Slusser. Reddick – another pending free agent – is drawing pre-deadline interest around the league, as Slusser reported last weekend, and he and the A’s are far apart on contract extension talks.

In the event Oakland does shop one or both of Hill or Reddick, it won’t try to attach designated hitter Billy Butler and his contract to either, adds Slusser. The A’s are more worried about maximizing the return for their best trade assets than taking less just to throw Butler’s $15MM overboard. Since signing a three-year, $30MM deal with the A’s in November 2014, the ex-Royal has become an afterthought. In 163 plate appearances this season, the 30-year-old Butler has hit .253/.307/.380 with two home runs. His poor output could lead Oakland to eventually designate him for assignment, Slusser writes.

Interestingly, third baseman Danny Valencia is another designation candidate, reports Slusser, even though he has batted a fantastic .295/.348/.507 with 30 home runs in 659 PAs going back to last year. Despite that production and his cheap team control through next season, Valencia is not garnering interest, relays Slusser. With the out-of-contention A’s looking to evaluate their younger talent, the 31-year-old Valencia could end up designated – as he was with the Royals last season – if Oakland can’t find a taker for him. Whether Valencia is open to positions other than third and how he handles a decrease in playing time might keep the A’s from giving him his walking papers, however, according to Slusser.

AL Notes: Sox, Rays, Hill, Mariners, Indians

By Connor Byrne and Jeff Todd | July 16, 2016 at 6:22pm CDT

Given that they’re in the same division as the Red Sox, the Rays wanted no part of trading any of their controllable arms to Boston before the latter picked up Drew Pomeranz from San Diego earlier this week, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI. The Red Sox might have had interest in Tampa Bay’s young starters had it been open to a deal, Bradford writes. Meanwhile, both the Athletics’ asking price for 36-year-old southpaw Rich Hill and his status as a pending free agent prevented Boston from trying to reacquire him, according to Bradford.

More from Boston and a few other AL cities:

The White Sox, who are 4 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot, are looking to buy in advance of the Aug. 1 trade deadline, general manager Rick Hahn said Friday (via Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com). Hahn conceded that deals could be difficult to come by because, at least as of now, “it’s a strong seller’s market.” Chicago already made one trade earlier this season – acquiring right-hander James Shields from the Padres – signed first baseman Justin Morneau, and promoted shortstop prospect Tim Anderson and young righty Carson Fulmer. In regards to those changes (and future moves), Hahn stated, “Already this year, you’ve seen us change 40 percent of the rotation, change the shortstop, add various players to the bullpen, and we’re going to continue to operate in that manner.”
Thanks to his season-long struggles and the Pomeranz trade, Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is now in the bullpen and he realizes his lengthy tenure in Boston might end by the deadline. “They’re going to do everything they can if it’s going to make them better, and if that involves moving me somewhere, that’s what it is. I don’t have any control over that,” he told Ian Browne of MLB.com. “I think of myself as a starting pitcher, and that’s a crowded bunch right now,” continued Buchholz, who acknowledged that he has put himself in this situation by performing poorly. The 31-year-old, whom the Red Sox drafted in 2005, has logged a 5.91 ERA, 5.91 K/9 and 4.13 BB/9 through 80 2/3 innings this season. Buchholz is playing on a $13MM club option this year and has another, for $13.5MM, in 2017.
Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto discussed his team’s recent struggles with Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and voiced confidence that a healthy iteration of the club can compete for the postseason. As Divish notes, the Mariners are 17-26 over their past 43 games, but they’ve seen Felix Hernandez, Taijuan Walker, Wade Miley, Leonys Martin and Ketel Marte all spend time on the disabled list over the life of that stretch. Injuries in the rotation, in particular, have taxed the club’s bullpen. “Good teams find a way in struggles to persevere, to get through,” said Dipoto. “You are going to go into streaks and starts and stops and slumps, but you can’t turn it into a death spiral.”
With a dreadful .163/.198/.310 batting line, Yan Gomes has the worst wRC+ (29) among players with at least 250 plate appearances this season, but the Indians’ catcher isn’t in danger of losing his job, writes Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. The Indians value Gomes’ defense too much to demote him, per Hoynes. Plus, despite Gomes’ problems with the bat, the Tribe still entered Saturday an above-average fifth in the AL in runs scored. Defensively, Gomes’ framing has drawn minus grades in 2016, but he has thrown out a solid 11 of 30 attempted base stealers and – whether in part because of Gomes or in spite of him – the Indians have a premier pitching staff.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Archer, Chapman, CarGo, Rangers, Managers

By Steve Adams | July 15, 2016 at 11:55pm CDT

While the Rays are fielding some calls on righty Chris Archer, the kinds of offers coming through the line have been good only for “comedic value,” a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The report certainly suggests that Tampa Bay isn’t interested in the kind of buy-low offers it is apparently receiving. The young righty hasn’t quite been himself this year, but remains quite talented and controlled at a very cheap rate.

Here’s more from Rosenthal:

The Yankees are discussing the possibility of trying to extend closer Aroldis Chapman, according to Rosenthal. Talks to this point are just internal and haven’t been raised with Chapman’s representatives, but the club isn’t set on selling off big league assets over the next few weeks. Team president Randy Levine maintained to Rosenthal that the Yankees like their team and won’t make a call on trading away veterans until much closer to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
Carlos Gonzalez is perhaps the best player among current trade candidates, but the Rockies don’t feel the need to get out from underneath his contract in the same manner they did with Troy Tulowitzki, so he’s far from a lock to be moved. CarGo is batting an excellent .318/.367/.557 this season, and it’s interesting to note that over the past 365 days, he’s hitting .304/.354/.592 with a hefty 46 homers in 156 games played. His $17MM salary in 2016 and $20MM salary in 2017 are both reasonable sums for that level of production.
The Rangers were in on Drew Pomeranz before his trade to the Red Sox, and they’re in on Rich Hill now that Pomeranz is off the market. The Rangers could also use an upgrade behind the plate, writes Rosenthal, who notes that Jonathan Lucroy would be preferable to Derek Norris, but the latter of the two is available as well. The Rangers, though, “probably do not view” any of the available trade candidates as worthy players to surrender top-tier young talent like Jurickson Profar or Joey Gallo.
Some within the industry have told Rosenthal that Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale “could be in imminent danger” of losing his job, but D-backs sources denied the notion when asked, he continues. Rosenthal lists Bryan Price and Walt Weiss as skippers that are safe for now but may be seeking new employment come season’s end, and he notes that Robin Ventura, Brad Ausmus, John Farrell and Terry Collins could all be in the same boat if their clubs finish the season poorly.

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