Padres Rumors

NL East Rumors: Mets, Braves, Phillies, Realmuto

By Steve Adams | July 19, 2018 at 1:43pm CDT

While the Mets have received substantial interest in both Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, a trade of either still seems unlikely to happen, per James Wagner of the New York Times (all links to Twitter). The Mets are seeking elite prospects and/or young MLB-ready talent for both pitchers, and it’s been tough to find a fit. Contending clubs, such as the Braves and Yankees, have that type of talent but are reluctant to include it in deals. Other contenders, like the Giants and Diamondbacks, don’t necessarily have the type of pieces the Mets are seeking in return. As Wagner notes, many of the best prospects in baseball are on non-contenders/rebuilding teams, such as the White Sox, Blue Jays and Padres — clubs that are spending more effort to trade pieces away at the moment. Wagner adds that he hears the Padres like Syndergaard, though, and hope to contend in the near future, so they could pursue him this offseason. For now, however, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jeurys Familia and Zack Wheeler are the likeliest Mets to be moved.

Indians Acquire Brad Hand, Adam Cimber For Francisco Mejia

By Steve Adams | July 19, 2018 at 10:47am CDT

In a sudden and abrupt development, the Indians and Padres announced a blockbuster trade Thursday that will send one of baseball’s best relievers, Brad Hand, and emerging setup man Adam Cimber from San Diego to Cleveland in exchange for catcher/outfielder Francisco Mejia — one of the top-regarded prospects in all of baseball.

The Indians’ desire to augment what has surprisingly been one of the worst bullpens in all of baseball has been no secret, and Hand, in particular, was reported by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick to be a target of theirs earlier this week. That said, there’d been little to no suggestion that Cleveland’s interest was anything more than preliminary in nature to this point.

Cleveland’s acquisition of Hand harkens back to the team’s 2016 pickup of fellow southpaw Andrew Miller. While Hand isn’t quite the ultra-dominant weapon that Miller was at the time, he’s nonetheless established himself as one of the top relievers in all of baseball over the past three seasons and, like Miller in 2016, is controllable for years beyond the current campaign. Hand signed a surprising three-year, $19.75MM extension with San Diego this offseason despite already being well into his arbitration years and being within striking distance of free agency.

Hand recently voiced a desire to remain with the Padres as the team pushes back toward contention but candidly acknowledged his cognizance of the fact that the extension also markedly upped his trade value. Today’s agreement underscores the veracity of those comments, as he’ll now head to Cleveland through at least the 2020 season. Hand is earning $3.5MM in 2018 and will be paid $6.5MM in 2019 and $7.5MM in 2020. The Indians will also have a $10MM club option on Hand for the 2021 season, which comes with a $1MM buyout.

Originally a waiver claim from the Marlins organization, Hand landed in San Diego with little fanfare. However, over the course of the past three seasons, he’s gone from long reliever to setup man to elite closer, as evidenced by his 2.66 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, 46.5 percent ground-ball rate in 213 innings dating back to Opening Day 2016. For an Indians club that has seen its collective bullpen struggle to a ghastly 5.28 ERA (second-worst in the Majors), Hand alone would represent a massive and much-needed upgrade.

Of course, Hand isn’t the only upgrade Cleveland is acquiring in this case — far from it. The 27-year-old Cimber represents an entirely different type of success story for the Padres. A former ninth-round pick, the sidearming Cimber wasn’t even in consideration to break camp with the Padres heading into Spring Training this season, but a dominant performance earned him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Though he was late to arrive on the Major League scene, Cimber quickly emerged as a reliever who looks like he may never have to return to the minors.

In 48 1/3 innings out of the Padres’ bullpen this season, Cimber has turned in a 3.17 earned run average, though secondary numbers paint an even more optimistic picture. Cimber has averaged 9.5 K/9 against just 1.9 BB/9 with a 52.3 percent ground-ball rate. ERA alternatives such as FIP (2.32), xFIP (2.79) and SIERA (2.68) all feel he’s outperformed an already strong ERA mark.

Cimber has allowed only two home runs on the season thus far and has rendered opposing right-handed hitters utterly useless; righties are slashing a comically bad .207/.221/.261 against Cimber through 123 plate appearances. He does come with some platoon concerns, as lefties have clobbered him for a .288/.391/.569 slash through 69 PAs, but he comes to the Indians organization with five and a half years of club control and won’t even be eligible for arbitration until the completion of the 2020 season.

It’s not clear exactly how the Indians will utilize their new pair of relievers. While Hand could surely be viewed as an upgrade over struggling incumbent closer Cody Allen, the Indians may also relish the idea of having both Hand and Miller available as high-leverage, multi-inning weapons to use during any game situation (once Miller is healthy, of course). Manager Terry Francona could also simply choose to utilize a variety of ninth-inning options depending on matchups, rather than deploying one true closer.

While the Padres surely found it difficult to part with a pair of quality relievers who could have affordably helped to anchor their bullpen for the next several seasons, they’re also assuredly thrilled to add yet another elite prospect to what was already regarded as one of the game’s top farm systems. Baseball America ranked Mejia as the game’s No. 24 overall prospect on yesterday’s updated Top 100 list, while ESPN’s Keith Law just this morning ranked Mejia as baseball’s No. 5 overall prospect.

In Mejia, the Padres are adding a 22-year-old switch-hitting catcher who also comes with experience at both third base and in the outfield corners. But Mejia’s future with the Padres is likely behind the plate, and he could even see significant time there this season. Mejia got off to a slow start but went on an otherworldly hot streak to open the month of June and hasn’t looked back since. The author of a historically excellent 50-game hitting streak in the minor leagues last season, Mejia hit .297/.346/.490 in Double-A in 2017 and is hitting .279/.328/.426 so far in Triple-A despite facing older competition. Since the start of June, he’s notched an obscene .391/.421/.594 slash with four homers and 15 doubles through 141 plate appearances.

The acquisition of Mejia clouds the future of once-vaunted catching prospect Austin Hedges in San Diego. While Hedges’ defense behind the plate has been every bit as strong as advertised, the questions about his hitting ability have proved valid. Though he’s hit for plenty of power in the Major Leagues (.250 ISO), Hedges’ overall batting line through 730 trips to the plate sits at .205/.253/.355. He’s a superior defensive option to Mejia, but his bat looks decidedly unlikely to ever stack up to that of today’s newly acquired backstop.

As such, Mejia and Hedges could form a strong catching tandem behind the plate. Mejia will bring a more offensive-minded focus, but the Padres will feel comfortable in knowing they have a plus defender to utilize behind the dish on days when Mejia isn’t there — either for a full day off or perhaps in an outfield corner or at third base. Mejia’s versatility would at least allow the Friars to consider rostering three catching options at a time, though most clubs prefer not to do so (the division-rival D-backs being one notable exception).

For the Indians, today’s trade isn’t so much about winning the American League Central as it is about strengthening a relief corps that was already widely expected to be pitching in October baseball. Cleveland, after all, holds a 7.5 game lead over the Twins in the division. The move is also one of long-term import, however, as bullpen anchors Allen and Miller are both slated to hit free agency at season’s end. With the possibility of both departing, the Indians have now added some long-term insurance while also creating a potentially dominant relief corps for the 2018 postseason, assuming Miller can fully heal and Allen can return to form.

As for the Padres, the addition of Mejia could well be one of the final pieces in an ongoing rebuild that has seen GM A.J. Preller and his staff compile one of the most impressive farms in recent memory. Mejia’s path to the Majors will largely coincide with that of top prospects Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Urias and others, giving the Padres a young core of position players on which they can dream — in addition to a deep reservoir of pitchers that has already begun to emerge at the big league level.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ken Rosenthal and Robert Murray of The Athletic were the first to report all of the notable components of this trade (all links to Twitter).

Trade Rumblings: Hand, Dodgers, Dozier, Heaney, Skaggs

By Kyle Downing | July 18, 2018 at 11:00pm CDT

Though the Phillies lost out to the Dodgers in the Manny Machado sweepstakes, they’re far from done looking for upgrades to their ballclub. Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets that the club is interested in Padres reliever Brad Hand. As Lin notes, there are certainly many other clubs in competition for the lefty’s services; he’s easily one of the most talented bullpen arms in the game. As one might expect, however, San Diego’s asking price for Hand remains very high, as he can be controlled through the 2021 season at a very reasonable cost. The Yankees, Indians and Cubs are among the other teams who’ve been connected to Hand, who owns a 3.03 ERA and 13.20 K/9 on the season.

More rumors and rumblings from around the league…

The Dodgers aren’t done yet, either, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reports, as they’ll now pursue a reliever to help closer Kenley Jansen at the back end of their bullpen. It’s worth noting that Los Angeles will sit just a few million dollars below the luxury tax threshold following the acquisition of Machado, so any bullpen additions will likely come cheap, or send a player (such as Logan Forsythe) back to a trade partner in order to offset some of financial burden involved. In addition to Hand, Jeurys Familia, Zach Britton, Kirby Yates, Craig Stammen and Raisel Iglesias are just a few names who could be available.
Also in the aftermath of the Machado sweepstakes, the Brewers are left looking to acquire an infield upgrade. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that they’re expected to explore trading for Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. With Minnesota all but out of the the AL Central race already and Dozier set to become a free agent at season’s end, he makes plenty of sense as a potential trade target for the Brewers, despite a down season so far. The Brewers are also expected to explore pitching upgrades, Rosenthal adds.
Also from Rosenthal, the Angels aren’t likely to trade young starters Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs, despite previous reports that the club might consider doing so. The Angels see the two young southpaws as key components during a 2019 season in which they hope to contend. Rather, Rosenthal notes, the club is more interested in trading some of their relievers (he lists Jose Alvarez, Blake Parker, Cam Bedrosian and Justin Anderson), though they’d want a good enough return to justify giving up controllable players.

Indians Interested In Brad Hand

By Steve Adams | July 17, 2018 at 4:44pm CDT

The Indians are among the clubs with interest in Padres closer Brad Hand, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The Yankees and Cubs are among the other teams that have been previously linked to Hand in recent days.

Cleveland’s interest in Hand comes as little surprise. The 28-year-old left-hander has established himself as one of the game’s premier relievers over the past couple of seasons, and he’s signed to an affordable deal that guarantees him $6.5MM in 2019, $7MM in 2020 and has a $10MM club option for the 2021 season. The Indians, meanwhile, have surprisingly had one of the game’s absolute worst bullpens in 2018 and typically operate on a fairly tight budget, making Hand’s contract all the more appealing.

Of course, that contract and Hand’s excellence dating back to 2016 — 2.66 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, 46.5 percent ground-ball rate in 213 innings — mean he’ll come with an especially steep price tag. The Indians have shown in the past that they’re willing to dip into their farm for significant upgrades at the deadline under the current front office structure, and a deal to bring Hand to Cleveland would bear similarity to the team’s 2016 acquisition of Andrew Miller from the Yankees (certainly in terms of significance and quite possibly in terms of price point). Cleveland sent vaunted prospects Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield to the Yankees as part of that exchange.

It’s fair to expect that if the Indians have inquired about Hand, they’ve also spoken to the Padres about righties Kirby Yates and Craig Stammen — each former members of the Indians organization themselves. San Diego figures to be actively listening on all three, after all, and at least in terms of bullpen targets, the Indians have been most prominently connected to relievers they can control beyond 2018 so far. Cleveland is reportedly interested in Baltimore righty Mychal Givens, and the Indians have also been tied to Marlins relievers such as Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider and Adam Conley.

That said, given the fact that Cleveland relievers have been clobbered for a 5.28 ERA that ranks 29th in the Majors this season, the Indians will surely be exploring myriad options as they look to fortify the bullpen with an eye toward October baseball.

Cubs Interested In Zach Britton, Brad Hand

By Mark Polishuk | July 15, 2018 at 9:14pm CDT

The Cubs have been in contact with the Orioles about closer Zach Britton, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports. Padres closer Brad Hand is also on the Cubs’ “wish list” for potential bullpen upgrades.

At first glance, the relief corps doesn’t stand out as a glaring need for Chicago, as the Cubs’ relievers have posted generally strong numbers overall (aside from ranking 29th amongst bullpens in BB/9). Brandon Morrow has quieted the critics by pitching very well as the Cubs’ closer, and he has also been generally healthy, spending only a 10-day minimum stint on the DL in June due to back spasms.

Still, even the most loaded of teams will still scan the market for an extra bullpen arm, and the Cubs have a particular need for ninth-inning depth given Morrow’s lengthy injury history. It’s worth noting that Chicago has yet to use Morrow on three consecutive days (though he has pitched three times in four days on multiple occasions), and only one of his 35 outings has been longer than an inning.

Morrow is signed through 2019 with a club option for the 2020 season, so adding Hand (signed through 2020 with a club option for 2021) would give the Cubs with a long-term back-of-the-bullpen tandem that would rival any in the game. Britton is only signed through the remainder of this season, and thus would come at a lower price tag in trade talks, though there is enough interest in his services that the Orioles can ask for a healthy prospect return.

Chicago is one of eight contending teams who have checked in on Britton, according to Levine. We already know the identity of some of these other teams, as past reports have linked the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians, Astros, and Phillies to Britton’s market. Hand has also drawn attention from other teams, with the Yankees also known to have interest in the left-hander.

Britton didn’t make his 2018 debut until June 12 due to offseason Achilles tendon surgery, though given his track record, he only had to show that he was both healthy and reasonably effective to earn himself a spot as one of the deadline’s most sought-after trade pieces. Through 14 2/3 innings, Britton has a 3.68 ERA, 7.98 K/9, and 62.2% grounder rate, with a hefty 25% homer rate and a 5.52 BB/9 standing out as red flags. He has thrown scoreless outings in 13 of his 15 appearances this season, with all of his six earned runs allowed coming over two rough outings (and 1 1/3 innings) against the Braves and Mariners.

It’s hard to really pass judgement based on such a small sample size, though Britton has at least looked solid, if obviously not at the level of his past dominance from 2014-16. His average fastball velocity of 94.3 mph is down from the last two years (when he cracked the 96mph threshold), though Britton has been increasingly throwing harder in recent outings, as one might expect as he shakes off the rust.

Hand, meanwhile, has been outstanding in his second year as the Padres’ closer. The lefty owns a 3.05 ERA, 13.2 K/9, and 4.33 K/BB rate over 44 1/3 innings, numbers that just earned him his second consecutive All-Star selection. Hand’s 13.8% swinging-strike rate and 93.8mph average fastball are both career highs.

Sherman’s Latest: Pitching, Ross, Yates, Yankees, Familia, Gibson

By Mark Polishuk | July 15, 2018 at 6:29pm CDT

There is some uncertainty within the trade market for starting pitching, as contenders could wait until closer to the July 31st deadline to make a move for an arm just in case new trade candidates become available, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Some executives and scouts who spoke to Sherman at the Futures Game cited such names as the Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez, and the Angels’ Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney as potential hurlers that could join the market in the next week or two. We’ve already heard of the Yankees’ potential interest in Skaggs and Heaney, and Martinez’s ability and years of control (potentially through 2023 via club options on his five-year, $51MM contract) would make him the most sought-after pitcher available if the Cards did indeed shop him. Dealing a long-term piece like Martinez, however, would be an awfully bold move for a St. Louis club that would seem to still have designs on competing in 2019, and may not have yet thrown in the towel on getting back into this year’s playoff race. The Cardinals are certainly a team to closely monitor to see if a turn-around is possible under their new manager, or, if they are deadline sellers, just how big a selloff could be in the offing.

Here’s some more trade buzz in another piece from Sherman…

The Yankees are one of the many teams who have checked in with the Padres about Tyson Ross, Brad Hand, and Kirby Yates. New York was already been linked to Hand in rumors, and it makes sense that the team would also inquire about another talented reliever in Yates, who would come at a lower asking price. Ross has posted solid numbers (4.32 ERA, 8.06 K/9, 2.26 K/BB rate over 108 1/3 IP) as he finally looks to be recovered from the shoulder issues and eventual thoracic outlet syndrome surgery that limited him to only 54 1/3 innings in 2016-17. Since Ross is only signed to a minor league deal, his modest salary makes him attractive to all suitors, particularly to a Yankees club that is trying to bolster its rotation without passing the luxury tax threshold.
Reports from earlier today listed the Giants and Phillies as two of the teams interested in Mets closer Jeurys Familia, and Sherman adds the Red Sox to that list. Boston is known to be looking for a significant bullpen addition, so it isn’t any surprise that the Sox have checked in on Familia as they explore the relief market. As Sherman notes, the Red Sox and Mets combined on a notable bullpen trade at last year’s deadline when Addison Reed was sent to Boston.
With the Twins open to talking about pretty much any veteran on their roster, Sherman adds Kyle Gibson to the list of potential trade chips. Gibson, the 22nd overall pick in the 2009 draft, seemingly enjoyed a breakout season in 2015 before scuffling the next two years, though he has rebounded for what looks like the best season of his six-year career. The right-hander has a 3.42 ERA, 8.9 K/9, 46.5% grounder rate, and 2.48 K/BB rate through 115 2/3 IP this season. Gibson could garner one of the largest returns of any Twins player in a deal, as he is controlled through the 2019 season via his final year of arbitration.

Trade Chatter: Marlins, Yates, Brewers, Twins, Rays

By Steve Adams | July 11, 2018 at 8:48pm CDT

The Marlins are drawing interest in relievers Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider, Adam Conley and Brad Ziegler, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill acknowledges that he’s placed a lofty price on the former three, each of whom has at least three years of control beyond 2018. “You’re talking about trading one-pluses and two-pluses [years of service time],” says Hill. “If I call and I’m trying to acquire a one-plus, or two-plus, I know it’s going to be costly. Our game is about maximizing value, and control of players.” Hill adds that despite the Marlins’ rebuild — or “build” as the organization is terming it — his goal is to win as often as possible. The Indians, Astros, Red Sox and Dodgers have all been previously linked to Miami’s bullpen.

Furthermore, Frisaro notes that while teams will inquire about catcher J.T. Realmuto in the coming weeks, the asking price remain extremely high. Realmuto may even be approached about a contract extension this offseason, per Frisaro, though that may be a tough sell after the Fish shipped out the Marlins’ entire core last offseason.

More trade rumblings from around the league…

Padres reliever Kirby Yates has emerged as a terrific setup option in San Diego, but ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to one scout who expressed doubts that the Padres would find someone willing to meet their asking price in a trade (Twitter link). “He’s been really good. But he’s not going to get the return they’re asking for, because he kind of came out of nowhere,” the scout said. “It’s hard to give up a pretty good prospect for a guy who’s had three good months.” Of course, it’s worth noting that Yates performed well for the Friars all through the 2017 season as well. However, he didn’t adopt the splitter that has become a wipeout pitch for him until the current season, which is likely the point to which that unnamed scout was alluding. Yates has a ridiculous 1.51 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 0.25 HR/9 and a 49.4 percent grounder rate in 35 2/3 innings this season. The 31-year-old can be controlled through 2020.
The Brewers have been in contact with the Twins about infielders Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com. There’s no indication that talks are serious or have extended beyond preliminary stages, though the Milwaukee middle infield has been a weak point in 2018. Brewers second basemen entered play hitting a combined .248/.299/.376, while their shortstops have batted just .202/.255/.300. Milwaukee has been heavily linked to Manny Machado, of course, but either Minnesota slugger would represent a less expensive option — both in terms of prospect capital and salary. Reports have suggested that the Twins are open to selling off pieces, but the Twins have also won six of their past seven and play in a weak division.
To that end, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN chatted with Minnesota GM Thad Levine about the team’s deadline strategy (Twitter link, with video). Levine acknowledges that the Twins have received interest on numerous players, which he says is to be expected given the number of expiring contracts on the club. However, he doesn’t definitively state that the Twins will be active sellers on the market. If anything, the Twins may move some short-term pieces while also looking to acquire some big league players controllable beyond the current campaign. Levine concedes that “there’ll be opportunities for [the Twins] to make some deals.” Levine also notes, though, that trading pending free agents only creates new holes to fill. “We have numerous times to try to address some of those holes,” he says. “It’s now at this deadline, and it’s this offseason and it’s next Spring Training. We may try to do some of that across all three platforms so we don’t have to do all of our heavy lifting this offseason.”
Though the Rays have surprised and as of Tuesday sit four games over .500, they’re still buried in the AL East, and Peter Gammons of the Athletic tweets that their goal this month is to extract as much as they can in trades for Wilson Ramos, Nathan Eovaldi and Adeiny Hechavarria. Gammons notes that the Rays have also been getting inquiries on right-hander Matt Andriese, though, as teams scour the market for relief help. Andriese, 28, is controlled through 2021 and has a 3.63 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9 and a 51 percent grounder rate. He’s capable of working both in the rotation and ’pen, as well, so teams likely have interest in him in a variety of roles.

Market Notes: Hand, Snell, Ziegler, Dietrich, Cubs, Mets

By Jeff Todd | July 10, 2018 at 10:45am CDT

In a piece in which he discusses several players whose All-Star participation will be colored by trade rumors, Bob Nightengale of USA Today holds a particularly interesting chat with Padres closer Brad Hand. The lefty has been through the rumor mill before, of course, so he knows what to expect. This time, though, he’s in the first season of a new deal he struck with the organization over the winter. That doesn’t mean that Hand is certain to remain in San Diego, however, and he gave a realistic appraisal of the implications of his extension from a broader perspective. “You can look at it from both sides,” Hand said. “It’s like you signed a long-term deal to stay in San Diego or you just increased your trade value by adding more years of control. Obviously, I have more value now, because instead of teams having control of me for one year, now it’s possibly for three years.” Though he expressed interest in remaining with the Friars, that’s ultimately not in Hand’s control, as his deal does not include trade protection.

Here’s more from the market:

With relatively few truly compelling rental starters available this summer, we’ve heard a variety of young hurlers mentioned as possible targets. Among them is emerging Rays lefty Blake Snell, who carries a sparkling 2.09 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 through 116 frames this year. It seems, though, that fans pining for Snell will need to adjust their expectations. A National League executive tells Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that there’s no reason whatsoever to think the southpaw is available. The unnamed front office member says his or her club was left with the impression that there’s “no chance” of making a deal for Snell, so much so that any suggestions put out about a possible deal are little more than “fictional garbage.” It always seemed it’d take a major haul to land Snell, who is just 25 years of age and won’t be a free agent until 2023, but this report indicates that even a bold effort may be fruitless to attempt. Frankly, that’s not terribly surprising: though the Rays have spun off many quality pitchers over the years, they have typically done so when those hurlers began to get expensive and close in on free agency.
The Dodgers have shown some interest in Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). As Heyman notes, Ziegler has turned things around of late; indeed, since the calendar flipped to June, he has allowed just two earned runs on ten hits while recording a 19:3 K/BB ratio over 21 innings. The wily 38-year-old is earning $9MM this year before hitting the open market, and had struggled previously in a Marlins uniform, so there are some obvious limits to his value. Still, he’s showing now that he can still be effective and could well end up on the move to a contender this summer. Whether it’ll be the Dodges that get him remains to be seen. The Los Angeles club seemingly has opened quite a few potential trade avenues of late, but will likely also be judicious in taking on salary with the luxury tax line representing an important ongoing consideration.
In other news from Miami, the Marlins are getting some hits on utilityman Derek Dietrich, Heyman also tweets. Soon to turn 29, and controllable for two more years via arbitration after earning $2.9MM this season, the left-handed-hitting Dietrich is another interesting asset for the Fish. He’s slashing a sturdy .287/.353/.452 and can play in the infield or corner outfield. Of course, his defensive flexibility doesn’t really come with a positive reputation for glovework. Among the teams that “could” have interest, per the report, are the Brewers and Cubs. Both of those organizations seem to have more pressing needs and better potential fits elsewhere, though it’s always possible they could make Dietrich a priority if they really believe in his bat.
Speaking of less-than-perfect fits for the Cubs, Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the organization is also considering some other potential outfielders. He cites Adam Jones of the Orioles and Curtis Granderson of the Blue Jays as players that have come up in internal discussions, at least, though neither really seems to be a priority. This report indicates that the driving force is less about roster need than adding a respected veteran, though the above-noted interest in Dietrich perhaps puts a slightly different spin on things. As The Athletic reporters note, bringing in a position player likely wouldn’t happen unless an existing asset is moved in a deal for a quality starter. Whether or not that takes place will surely be the primary factor in whether the Cubs do ultimately add another piece to the lineup.
In that same post, Rosenthal dedicates significant space to the Mets’ situation. He advises not to be distracted by reports suggesting shifting winds on the team’s stance regarding controllable aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. The organization, Rosenthal suggests, must be and is willing to consider offers on either hurler. Of course, there’s also no need to strike a deal and the Mets have little cause to discount hefty sticker prices on both pitchers. This assessment of the circumstances aligns with common sense. After all, if a rival organization dangles a truly compelling trade package, the Mets could certainly face some tough choices. But there’s no reason to forego the opportunity to make those determinations before they’re even presented.

NL Notes: Darvish, Bryant, Duensing, Bass, Hedges, Muncy

By Kyle Downing | July 8, 2018 at 6:00pm CDT

Yu Darvish has yet to resume throwing after getting a cortisone shot in his arm last week, but according to Cubs president Theo Epstein, that doesn’t mean the club is likely to go out and try to acquire a frontline starter prior to the July 31st trade deadline. Carrie Muskat of MLB.com compiled quotes from Epstein about the club’s deadline stance that leave little room for interpretation. “There’s no way we’re going to go out and acquire starters the caliber of a locked-in Kyle Hendricks or a locked-in Jose Quintana. The majority of our answers lie within, that’s for sure,” he said. Of course, he later added that the club is “still in the mode of assessing”; it’s not difficult to imagine that things could change quickly if the rotation doesn’t turn itself around. In regards to Darvish’s status, Epstein said the club doesn’t want to push him too hard in an effort to get him back on the field. ’It’s not about rushing. Just get back out there. Get back in your routine. Get back in your work. Then, as this plays, we’ll get you back out there. Of course, we want you back sooner rather than later, but if biology’s not going to permit it, it’s not going to permit it.” Beyond Darvish, the Cubs have gotten disappointing performances from Hendricks, Quintana and offseason signee Tyler Chatwood on the year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/8/18

By Connor Byrne | July 8, 2018 at 2:05pm CDT

Keeping track of Sunday’s minor moves…

Tigers infielder Dixon Machado has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, per an announcement from Detroit. Machado had the right to elect free agency instead, but he’ll remain with the Tigers, who designated him on July 4. Although the 26-year-old opened the season as the Tigers’ starting second baseman, he lost his grip on both that job and his roster spot after hitting just .206/.263/.290 in 233 plate appearances.
Padres outfielder Matt Szczur will also remain with his organization after clearing waivers, the team announced. The Padres designated Szczur last weekend, after the 28-year-old began 2018 with a .187/.265/.267 line in 84 trips to the plate.
The Cubs announced that they’ve selected right-hander James Norwood from Triple-A and placed reliever Anthony Bass on the disabled list (illness, retroactive to July 5). Norwood is in position to make his major league debut four years after the Cubs chose him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. The 24-year-old has spent most of this season at Double-A, where he has pitched to a sterling 2.48 ERA with 9.92 K/9 and 3.31 BB/9 over 32 2/3 innings.
The Royals have signed right-hander Dallas Beeler to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Double-A affiliate, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The 29-year-old Beeler comes with a bit of major league experience, having pitched 19 1/3 innings for the Cubs from 2014-15. Beeler has mostly worked at the Triple-A level as a professional, combining for a 3.73 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 243 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch for anyone last season, though, and then opened 2018 with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League.

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