Sonny Gray

Trade Chatter: Gray, Fulmer, Cards, JDM, Marlins, Lowrie, Red Sox, Reed

By Steve Adams | July 17, 2017 at 7:06pm CDT

Athletics righty Sonny Gray is an obvious target for contenders, and he’s among the players touched upon in a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today (which also delves into some analysis and predictions). The Brewers “may be the most aggressive” suitor for the Oakland starter, per Nightengale, with the Royals even entering the picture to some extent. He guesses, though, that the Astros are most likely to land Gray. That’s not to say that it’s Houston’s first choice; Nightengale says that the team spoke with the Tigers on Michael Fulmer but “came up empty.”

We’ll see if the ’Stros continue to push for Fulmer, who’d surely require a major haul of prospects. Here are some more notes from Nightengale and others:

If Gray is the top starter who’s likely to be dealt, the best position player on the market is probably Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez. The Cardinals were said previously to have looked into the high-powered slugger, but Nightengale says they won’t spend big on a rental of his ilk. Rather, he says, the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks are the three clubs that have “shown the most interest” in Martinez. We’ve also heard of a few other organizations poking around on the righty slugger, so there seems to be no shortage of interest.
The Phillies aren’t in contention — far from it — but are still showing interest in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, Nightengale adds. Other organizations are also said to be looking into the speedy veteran, who is under contract for $38MM over the next three seasons. It’s a bit surprising to see this particular link, as the Phils already control Cesar Hernandez and have variety of interesting middle infield prospects moving toward the majors. CSNPhilly.com’s Corey Seidman argues as much, but notes that Gordon could conceivably be involved in some of the broader talks between the clubs.
As many as 10 teams are still in the mix for Marlins righty David Phelps, tweets Nightengale. Phelps is indeed an attractive trade chip, though it’s unlikely that all 10 of those clubs are expressing serious interest and making competitive bids to acquire him. Nightengale names the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, and Rangers as the chief pursuers of Phelps.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand provides a variety of market notes. Among them: the Marlins are shopping Brad Ziegler aggressively. The team is willing to hold onto a major portion of his salary to get a deal done, per the report. That’s no surprise, given that he struggled through 29 innings before hitting the DL with a back issue. With a discount on the free-agent deal, there ought to be some interest. After all, the crafty 37-year-old maintained a 2.05 ERA over 136 innings in the prior two campaigns.
It’s not surprising to hear that the Tigers are asking for quite a haul in exchange for Fulmer, given that he doesn’t need to be dealt. And the organization is perhaps well served to maintain a lofty ask on Martinez, allowing suitors to bid up his return. But dealing some of the organization’s other veterans may require more give and take. A pair of rival executives tell ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter) that Detroit may have trouble making deals at its current asking prices.
Jed Lowrie has been one of the most oft-speculated trade candidates of the summer, but MLB Network’s Peter Gammons tweets that, to this point, the Athletics haven’t received so much as a single inquiry into his availability. Lowrie is obviously available in trade — as is the case with most of the Oakland roster — and it is indeed somewhat surprising to hear that interest in him is so scant. The versatile, switch-hitting 33-year-old is batting .272/.339/.455 with 10 homers, 27 doubles and two triples this year. Even if a contending club doesn’t view Lowrie as a starter, his $6.5MM salary and $6MM club option aren’t exactly outlandish for a productive utility option.
The Red Sox are one team rumored to have some level of interest in Lowrie, though Boston has been most closely connected with Todd Frazier in its third base search. Odds are, a source tells ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber (Twitter link), the Sox won’t be parting with significant prospect assets to meet its needs at the hot corner and in the bullpen. That likely wouldn’t be necessary for Lowrie or Frazier; one wonders, though, whether the club will still at least look into more significant deadline additions.
We haven’t heard much detail as yet on Mets righty Addison Reed, who looks to be one of the best available relievers. But he’s generating “plenty of trade interest,” in the words of Newsday’s Marc Carig (via Twitter). That’s to be expected given the dominant form of the pending free agent. Over 43 2/3 innings this year, Reed owns a 2.47 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and just 1.0 BB/9.

Olney’s Latest: Gray, Alonso, Neshek, Tigers, Teheran, Twins, Hand, Angels

By Steve Adams | July 17, 2017 at 8:51am CDT

In his latest pair of columns, ESPN’s Buster Olney tackles a host of trade-related topics. Each is well worth a full read-through, but here are some highlights…

Olney lists Sonny Gray, Yonder Alonso, J.D. Martinez, Justin Wilson and Pat Neshek as five players that definitively will be traded prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. All of those players are known to be available, with the Athletics and Phillies at differing stages of a lengthy rebuilding process and the Tigers aiming to pare down payroll by moving short-term veterans. But, Olney’s strong characterization of the likelihood is nonetheless notable, especially since both Gray and Wilson are controllable beyond the 2017 campaign. The Brewers, Cubs, Astros, Yankees, Braves and Indians are among the teams in the mix for Gray, though likely not all to the same extent. Alonso, meanwhile, has reportedly had talks with the A’s about an extension, though Billy Beane’s rebuilding comments yesterday certainly lend credence to the notion that a trade could be the likelier outcome.
The Braves, meanwhile, are “very much open to offers for Julio Teheran,” Olney reports, citing execs with other clubs that have spoken to Atlanta about the righty. Olney’s report meshes with recent indications from David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as he writes that the Braves would like to move Teheran for a package of prospects but would first prefer to acquire a suitable rotation replacement for him. Teheran has struggled mightily at Atlanta’s new SunTrust Park this season (7.58 ERA, 13 HR in 46 1/3 home innings; 2.53 ERA, seven HR in 57 road innings), so perhaps the Atlanta front office thinks now more than ever that he’s best suited for a change of scenery.
The Twins have let other clubs know that while they plan to be buyers at the deadline, they’ll act in a measured sense and won’t gut the upper echelon of their farm system in order to land a significant name. Minnesota has previously been linked to bullpen and rotation help, and while GM Thad Levine has outwardly suggested that the team will at least consider pursuing controllable assets this July, Olney’s column casts some doubt on how strongly the Twins will be in the mix for the top names available (e.g. Gray).
The Padres seem intent on getting the best return possible on lefty Brad Hand at some point in the next two weeks rather than waiting for the offseason, Olney writes. While the 27-year-old is controlled through the 2019 season, there’s an argument to be made that his value is near its peak right now, especially with so many clubs seeking bullpen help. Olney notes that the Rays are one such team that is looking specifically for left-handed relief pitching.
Currently sitting at 46-49 and buried in the AL West but just 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, the Angels will determine their deadline course based largely on their play in the next week or so, per Olney. A strong week that puts them closer to a Wild Card spot could lead to a conservative buyers’ mentality (similar to the Twins), but if they struggle and fall further back, rental relievers like Bud Norris, David Hernandez and Yusmeiro Petit could all be marketed. The same goes for other impending free agents such as Cameron Maybin and Yunel Escobar.

NL News & Rumors: Braves, Brewers, Phillies, Rockies

By Connor Byrne | July 15, 2017 at 10:27pm CDT

The Braves, on the hunt for starting pitching, sent a top scout to Detroit this weekend to watch Tigers right-handers Justin Verlander and Michael Fulmer, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com (on Twitter). Neither Verlander nor Fulmer seems like a realistic trade candidate, however. The Tigers reportedly want a noteworthy haul for Verlander, even though he’s 34, in the throes of a down season and still owed nearly $70MM through 2019. Verlander also has a full no-trade clause, so he could veto a deal even if the Braves do present an offer to the Tigers’ liking. Unlike Verlander, the 24-year-old Fulmer is both cheap and in his prime. Detroit would justifiably demand a ransom in return, then, but there’s no indication it’s interested in parting with him.

Cafardo’s Latest: Gray, Brewers, Cards, Dodgers, Royals, Tigers, BoSox

By Connor Byrne | July 15, 2017 at 8:20pm CDT

Of the several teams eyeing Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Brewers have shown the most interest, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The unexpected playoff hopefuls began doing “background work” on both Gray and now-former White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana just over a week ago, but the latter went to the NL Central rival Cubs on Thursday in a blockbuster trade. Acquiring Gray would be a quite a counterpunch by Milwaukee, which has a 5.5-game lead over the Cubs, and Cafardo observes that the Brewers have the prospect capital to make it happen. But even after getting Quintana, the Cubs haven’t closed the door on adding Gray, too.

More pre-deadline info from Cafardo:

The Cardinals, Dodgers and Royals seem to be leading the chase for Tigers contract-year slugger J.D. Martinez, according to Cafardo. As AL Central rivals of the Tigers, the Royals are especially familiar with Martinez, who has slashed .298/.379/.602 with 14 home runs in 219 plate appearances this year. The $11.75MM right fielder would significantly boost a below-average Kansas City offense that has received awful production from longtime franchise cornerstone Alex Gordon in left field. Meanwhile, with Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk on the disabled list, the Cardinals are shorthanded in the outfield. Winners of 40 of their past 51 games, the 62-29 Dodgers seemingly aren’t lacking for quality players anywhere, but picking up Martinez would make them all the formidable as they vie for a World Series.
Along with the previously reported Astros and Nationals, the Red Sox are interested in Tigers closer Justin Wilson, writes Cafardo. The Red Sox have come up as potential suitors for other on-the-block relievers, including David Phelps and Pat Neshek, so the connection to Wilson isn’t exactly shocking. The 29-year-old left-hander has posted outstanding numbers over 34 1/3 innings (2.36 ERA, 12.84 K/9, 3.41 BB/9) and would immediately become Boston’s top southpaw reliever, though Fernando Abad has held his own this season and Robby Scott has fared well against lefty-swingers. Wilson is making a highly affordable $2.7MM this season and comes with another year of arbitration eligibility.
Continuing the Tigers theme, righty Michael Fulmer is the Detroit starter who’s garnering the most attention from pitcher-needy teams, per Cafardo. Considering Fulmer’s among the top young hurlers in the game and controllable for the foreeseable future, that’s not surprising. There’s no indication the Tigers will seriously consider moving Fulmer, who informed Evan Woodbery of MLive.com that he doesn’t expect to go anywhere. Nevertheless, one NL executive told Cafardo that GM Al Avila is at least entertaining the offers that come in for the 24-year-old. “I think Al is being forced to listen,” said the exec. “The Tigers could get a huge haul for Fulmer, but they’re trying to get their payroll down and get younger. Trading Fulmer is not necessarily the way to do it.”

Rosenthal’s Latest: Red Sox, Frazier, Yankees, Gray, Cubs

By charliewilmoth | July 15, 2017 at 4:31pm CDT

Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video on FOX Sports.

A Red Sox trade for White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier seems “almost inevitable,” according to Rosenthal. (Rosenthal’s choice of words is strikingly strong here.) The Red Sox need a short-term infusion of power at third, with top prospect Rafael Devers as their long-term answer at the position. Frazier, who is eligible for free agency next winter, fits the bill perfectly, in Rosenthal’s view. Frazier has batted a modest .210/.331/.438 in 326 plate appearances this season, but he has a solid history of hitting for power and has batted a robust .248/.377/.540 since June 4 after getting off to a slow start to the year.
The Yankees will be buyers at the deadline, but will be cautious, not wanting to sacrifice too much future value in exchange for immediate upgrades, says Rosenthal. One team that matches their needs well is the Athletics, who have help at first base (Yonder Alonso) and on the mound (Sonny Gray and a number of relievers).
Rosenthal characterizes Gray to the Cubs as unlikely — Gray would likely cost Ian Happ or another top young hitter, and Rosenthal guesses the Cubs would rather go forward with their current collection of rotation talent (which, of course, now includes Jose Quintana) and sign a free agent next winter. Rosenthal points out, though, that whatever the Cubs’ actual level of interest, both the Cubs and Athletics probably like the perception that the Cubs want Gray, since the extra name on the market increases pressure on the Brewers, who’ve also been connected to him.

Indians Interested In Sonny Gray

By charliewilmoth | July 15, 2017 at 4:10pm CDT

The Indians are “evaluating” Athletics starter Sonny Gray, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets. The extent of the Indians’ interest isn’t yet known.

Gray is in the midst of a strong season with Oakland, with a 3.69 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 over 84 2/3 innings. Unsurprisingly, a large number of teams have been connected to Gray lately, including the Astros, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Cubs and Brewers.

The Indians’ rotation boasts a strong one-two punch this season in the form of Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, and Mike Clevinger has fared reasonably well in 11 starts this year. The rest of its starting corps, though, has been uneven — Trevor Bauer’s results have lagged behind his peripherals, and both he and Josh Tomlin have ERAs over five. Danny Salazar, meanwhile, is on a rehab assignment after missing time due to a shoulder issue.

West Notes: Gray, Darvish, Torres

By charliewilmoth | July 15, 2017 at 12:28pm CDT

The Astros, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Blue Jays all had scouts on hand as Athletics starter Sonny Gray pitched six shutout innings against Cleveland Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. A report before the game had indicated Gray had been scratched, suggesting the possibility of an imminent trade, and Gray said he received 50 texts just before the game. That report, however, turned out to be false. Gray has also recently been connected to the Cubs and Brewers, although Brewers GM David Stearns suggested his club was merely doing “background work.” Here’s more from the West divisions.

The Rangers are not likely to trade or extend Yu Darvish, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. A recent report indicated the Rangers would listen to offers for Darvish and Cole Hamels, and Grant doesn’t dispute that possibility outright. But the Rangers, despite a 44-45 record, could still make a Wild Card run, and with plenty of starting pitching on the market, they aren’t likely to land a top prospect for Darvish, who would be a rental. The Rangers would also stand to receive compensation if Darvish rejected a qualifying offer and departed next winter. If they were to keep Darvish after the deadline, the Rangers could then attempt to sign him long-term, although, as Grant points out, long-term contracts for pitchers in their thirties are often risky propositions.
Padres lefty Jose Torres is receiving trade interest, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The 23-year-old Torres has a 4.46 ERA and eight home runs allowed in his first full year in the Padres’ bullpen, but with an impressive 9.1 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 95.1-MPH average fastball velocity. Those factors could make him an intriguing addition to the trade market, and one might think he could come up in various scenarios in discussions with teams also interested in fellow lefty Brad Hand. There would seem to be little pressing need for the Padres to move Torres, however, since he’s not eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 season at the earliest.

Cubs Remain Interested In Sonny Gray After Quintana Trade

By Steve Adams | July 14, 2017 at 11:45am CDT

The Cubs swung what might be the biggest deal of the summer yesterday by acquiring Jose Quintana for a prospect package headline by Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, but they’re still interested in A’s right-hander Sonny Gray, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and MLB Network tweets the same sentiment, that the Cubs are “pursuing” Gray despite having already added Quintana.

The Cubs’ acquisition of Quintana left them without two of their top prospects, though the Cubs still have a number of appealing young players. Infielder Jeimer Candelario ranks among the game’s Top 100 prospects over at MLB.com, and ESPN’s Keith Law recently noted that pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay and Oscar De La Cruz have seen their stock rise quite a bit this season.

Chicago also has a number of young position players already at the MLB level, though there’s been considerable doubt cast on their willingness to deal players that have already played their way into prominent roles on the Major League roster. If the team is to make a serious run at Gray, however, that may well be what is required of president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer.

It’s not necessarily clear that the Cubs are aggressively chasing Gray, who is controllable via arbitration through the 2019 campaign. Rosenthal tweets that it’s not yet known how hard they’ll push to bring Gray into the fold, though their openness to the notion is interesting all the same. Acquiring both Quintana and Gray would line the Cubs up for a rotation featuring that pair, Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks for at least the next three years, and while Gray’s price figures to rise, it should be more manageable than filling the spots of Jake Arrieta and John Lackey via free agency when that pair reaches the open market this offseason. That could be a key for the Cubs, who will see Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, Hendricks, Kyle Schwarber, Carl Edwards Jr. and others reach arbitration eligibility in the next two years.

Twins Showing Interest In Controllable Starters

By Jeff Todd | July 11, 2017 at 1:33pm CDT

The Twins are “checking in” on a few starting pitchers around the game, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Minnesota is seemingly limiting its interest to controllable arms at this point.

That’s not terribly surprising to hear. After all, the Twins are still treading water in the AL Central and AL Wild Card races. And GM Thad Levine said recently that the organization “would be very open to spending aggressively on assets that we could use to propel our team forward this year and for years to come.”

As noted in that above-linked post, the Twins have an obvious need — both now and in the near future — for reliable starting pitching. While there’s little reason to think that the team would part with significant future talent just for an immediate upgrade, it makes sense that the club would value the chance at contending this year while also considering arms that could bolster the roster for a few more seasons to come.

Rosenthal notes that Jose Quintana of the White Sox and Sonny Gray of the Athletics are two pitchers who’d likely appear on Minnesota’s list of possible targets, though it’s not clear whether the Twins have eyes for either in particular. He also suggests Dan Straily of the Marlins as an option, though again there’s still no indication that he’s specifically on the radar of Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey.

Of course, those sorts of pitchers — Quintana and Gray, in particular — figure to draw interest from many other organizations. Those two have done so for quite some time, in fact, with the continued demand perhaps also representing a big reason that their respective organizations have felt comfortable waiting to deal them.

At this stage, there’s still a lack of clarity as to how the market will develop. Quintana and Gray might spur bidding wars; certain contenders could pivot to more affordable rental pieces (or even relievers); and/or we could see other long-term rotation assets (such as Julio Teheran or Gerrit Cole, among many other possibilities) reach the market to meet the demand. The level of involvement of teams such as the Twins will very likely play a role in dictating those developments, though the question remains whether Minnesota will press to get a deal done for a new starter.

White Sox Maintain High Asking Price On Quintana

By Jeff Todd | July 10, 2017 at 5:37pm CDT

The White Sox remain undeterred in seeking to obtain a big haul for sturdy lefty Jose Quintana, according to a report from Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. With three years of affordable control remaining after the current season, the rebuilding organization probably doesn’t need to deal Quintana this summer.

To this point, the team has stood on that notable piece of leverage, continuing to ask for “two very top prospects” in its conversations with interested rivals. The South Siders have pressed the Astros for Francis Martes and Kyle Tucker, while asking the Yankees to headline a deal with either Gleyber Torres or Clint Frazier.

That strategy seemed in danger of backfiring earlier this year, as Quintana stumbled out of the gates. But the 28-year-old has righted the ship of late, perhaps restoring any lost shine.

Quintana has thrown only 104 1/3 frames over 18 starts, putting him shy of a 200-inning pace, though he has yet to exhibit any health issues. (More broadly, durability is one of the lefty’s chief attributes.) His 15.5% K%-BB% is a near-exact match for the numbers he carried over the prior three campaigns. A rise in home runs allowed (1.21 per nine) is perhaps the largest single factor differentiating Quintana’s current campaign from the five strong seasons that came before.

If teams buy into the improved form Quintana has shown since the start of June — 45 strikeouts and just 12 earned runs over forty frames — then perhaps they’ll be willing to meet the steep asking price. Then again, his less-than-dominant form over the course of the current season raises yet more questions about just how hard contenders should push to get him.

For the Astros, Heyman notes, Quintana may not really be as impactful an arm as the team would prefer to acquire. That makes sense: Houston is running off with the AL West and has many quality rotation options, but would love to add a true lock-down starter to the top of its staff.

In fact, the ’Stros have gone so far as to ask the Mets about star righty Jacob deGrom, per the report. (Tom Verducci of SI.com had previously reported some level of interest.) He’d likely be a more impactful addition, though there’s still no reason to think the Mets have any interest in even considering a deal.

As it stands, teams like the Astros and Yankees are continuing to “look around for alternatives,” per the report. But the lack of obviously available pitchers of comparable or better quality — with the exception, it seems, of Sonny Gray — represents another key element of the White Sox’ bargaining position. Just how things will turn out remains to be seen, but to this point the long standoff continues.

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