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Reds “Picking Up The Pace” On Jay Bruce Trade Talks; Mariners Interested

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JULY 27: The Mariners are among the teams that have reached out the Reds to inquire about Bruce, Crasnick reports today (Twitter link). Seattle’s offseason addition of Nori Aoki has yet to pay dividends, causing the Mariners to rely more heavily on Franklin Gutierrez and Nelson Cruz in the outfield than the team initially expected.

JULY 26: The Reds have “picked up the pace” on trade talks surrounding slugging right fielder Jay Bruce and are talking to “at least” four teams, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Cincinnati is seeking a top prospect in exchange for Bruce, who is in the midst of an outstanding rebound campaign at the plate.

Bruce, 29, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery early in the 2014 season and never looked like himself upon his return that year or in 2015. Over those two seasons, Bruce batted a paltry .222/.288/.406 with a combined 44 home runs, submarining a great deal of his trade value in the process (though Cincinnati still nearly moved him to Toronto in Spring Training). The 2016 season, however, has yielded a revitalized version of Bruce that is slashing an excellent .272/.326/.564 with 23 homers, 22 doubles and six triples. His 20.6 percent strikeout rate is the second-lowest of his career, and 20.9 percent homer-to-flyball ratio and 37.5 percent hard-contact rate are the best single-season marks he’s ever posted.

Where Bruce has seemingly struggled, though, is on the outfield grass. Despite sporting a park- and league-adjusted batting line that is 29 percent above league average, per wRC+, and 32 percent above league average, per OPS+, defensive metrics feel that Bruce has mitigated the majority of the value provided by his bat. Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved both peg Bruce as 12 runs below the league average right fielder, dinging him for both his range and his arm. Bruce graded out as a serviceable, if not above-average fielder last season, though, and he rated among the game’s top defenders in right field back in 2013 as well (prior to his knee surgery). Scouts, of course, will have their own take on Bruce’s glovework, and it’s certainly possible that there are evaluators out there that find such metrics to overstate Bruce’s statistical deficiencies this season. And, even if on is to believe that Bruce’s defensive game has dramatically deteriorated, his resurgent bat makes plenty of sense for an American League club that can give him significant time in the DH slot.

Bruce is earning $12.5MM this season — of which about $4.71MM remains — and has what now looks to be a reasonably priced $13MM club option on his contract as well. Bruce’s six-year, $51MM extension provides him with the ability to block trades to eight clubs, but he’s reportedly willing to waive his no-trade protection in order to play for a contending club. He’s been connected to the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Nationals, Rangers and Indians in the past week, and Toronto has been mentioned multiple times as a potential fit. More recent reports, though, have indicated that Cleveland isn’t in the mix for Bruce at this time. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, acquired Melvin Upton Jr. earlier today.

Blue Jays, Mariners Swap Drew Storen, Joaquin Benoit

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10:48pm: The cash considerations going to Seattle in the deal are simply to offset the difference between Storen’s $8.35MM salary and Benoit’s $8MM salary, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (on Twitter).

10:09pm: The Mariners announced tonight that they have acquired right-hander Drew Storen and cash considerations from the Blue Jays in exchange for right-hander Joaquin Benoit. Storen was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays over the weekend.

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The trade represents a swap of struggling veteran setup men, as each has posted an ERA north of 5.00 this season. Storen’s struggles have been more pronounced, as the former Nationals closer has posted a 6.00 ERA in 33 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays this season after opening the year as the top setup man to sophomore closer Roberto Osuna. Storen has posted a very solid 32-to-10 K/BB ratio in that time and delivered a strong 47.2 percent ground-ball rate, but he’s also experienced a significant dip in his fastball velocity. After averaging 94 mph on his heater last season, Storen has checked in at 91.9 mph in 2016. He’s thrown his four-seamer less often, swapping it out for an increased reliance on his sinker — hence a nearly nine percent increase in his ground-ball rate — but home runs have plagued Storen this year. Over the life of his career, he’s posted an 8.2 percent homer-to-flyball ratio, but that number has more than doubled to a whopping 17.6 percent this season. The shift to the American League East and, more specifically, the homer-happy Rogers Centre, has perhaps contributed to some of the increase, but a rate that high is almost always due for some regression. Abandoning the current launching pad in which he pitches his home games should do Storen some good, especially when considering that he’ll move into the spacious confines of Seattle’s Safeco Field.

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Benoit, meanwhile, has pitched to a 5.18 ERA across 24 1/3 innings in that decidedly more pitcher-friendly environment. Unlike Storen, his velocity is holding strong at age 39 (today is his birthday), but Benoit has seen a significant increase in his walk rate. Benoit experienced some control problems earlier in his career, but he averaged just 2.6 walks per nine innings from 2010-15 as he established himself as one of the game’s more reliable late-inning relievers. In 2016, however, he’s walked 15 batters (one intentional) in 24 1/3 innings and also hit a batter. Those 15 walks are just eight fewer than the 23 total walks he issued in 65 1/3 innings last year, and they’re actually greater than the 14 free passes handed out by Benoit in an excellent 2014 season that saw him throw 54 1/3 innings with the Padres. Benoit, too, has had some uncharacteristic struggles with the long ball, but the control and an inability to strand runners have been his biggest flaws.

From a contractual standpoint, each player is a free agent at season’s end. Benoit is earning $8MM to Storen’s $8.35MM this season, so the cash considerations that are exchanging hands in this deal are fairly minimal.

[Related: Updated Blue Jays and Mariners Depth Charts]

In some respects, this trade is reminiscent of a swap that Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto made in his days as GM of the Angels, sending struggling closer Ernesto Frieri to the Pirates in exchange for their own underperforming ninth-inning arm: Jason Grilli. Essentially, the trade boils down to a swap of comparably priced assets that had faltered in a similar role despite lengthy track records of success — albeit with other organizations. Both Storen and Benoit were in the first season with their respective, now-former teams, having each been acquired in an offseason trade. Toronto sent Ben Revere to the Nationals in order to acquire Storen, who had spent his entire career to date in Washington. The Mariners picked up Benoit in a trade that sent minor leaguers Enyel De Los Santos and Nelson Ward to the Padres.

Entering this season, Storen had a career 3.02 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 334 innings with the Nationals, who selected him 10th overall out of Stanford back in 2009. Benoit, on the other hand, reinvented himself with the 2010 Rays after shoulder surgery caused him to miss the entire 2009 season. From 2010-15, he pitched to a brilliant 2.35 ERA with 10.0 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 379 innings for the Rays, Tigers and Padres.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jerry Dipoto Discusses Mariners’ Deadline Approach

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Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto says that he’s not interested in acting as a seller at the deadline, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News-Tribune reports. Though the GM intends to “look into everything, that doesn’t mean he’ll consider parting with any major pieces from the major league roster.

“We’re not going to rip this thing down,” said Dipoto in a statement that would seem to take some of the more drastic possibilities off of the table. We haven’t heard any real chatter involving Seattle’s biggest names, but teams have at least asked about young pitchers James Paxton and Taijuan Walker. Certainly, parting with either of those potentially foundational arms would go beyond the organization’s apparent appetite for change.

That being said, Dipoto didn’t rule out some limited sales. He explained further:

“I’m not a big believer in moving the short-term player just because he’s a short-term player, but if there’s a way for us to get better — whether its in the present or the near future — we’ll do it. You’re not going to see us making trades for rookie-ball players and starting a full-scale rebuild. We are in a position to be very competitive. We feel like if we have one nice hot streak at the right time, we could be there.”

There are certainly some assets who could fit the bill for a change of scenery, with the M’s perhaps having a chance to recoup some value while parting with a piece that wasn’t of critical importance to the present season. Struggling veterans Adam Lind and Joaquin Benoit are examples cited by Dutton; both are pending free agents who are in the process of being replaced by younger options (Dan Vogelbach and Edwin Diaz, respectively).

Lefty Wade Miley comes with further control, but the Mariners may be ready to move on from some of his contract. One rival evaluator tells Dutton that he could imagine a late market coming together on the southpaw. If Seattle goes a step further, it could consider parting with players such as Seth Smith and Steve Cishek, but both are solid contributors who can be kept for another year.

Truth be told, with the organization still well within striking distance of both the AL West and the Wild Card race, there’s not much cause to break up the core, or even the non-core regulars assembled around it. As Dutton notes, there’s a real opportunity with the schedule set to ease up and some injured players filtering back from the DL. With a still-new front office and ownership group in command, there’s plenty of reason not to pack it in on the 2016 season at this juncture.

If anything, Dutton hints, the Mariners could consider looking to add if they’re able to tighten things up yet further over the next few days. There’s an argument to add arms, but the prospective returns of Walker to the rotation and Nick Vincent to the pen may obviate that need. Shortstop looks to be one area of concern, with Ketel Marte struggling even before being diagnosed with mononucleosis.

Rotation Rumors: Sale, Urias, Marlins, Nova, Miley, Shelby

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The Dodgers would be willing to include top prospect Julio Urias in a trade for White Sox ace Chris Sale, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. That’s a major concession, as Urias is arguably the very best pitching prospect in baseball. Los Angeles has declined to make him available in the past, and now that he has reached the majors, he would certainly represent a legitimate centerpiece in a deal for the even-more-valuable Sale. Depth isn’t a major concern for Los Angeles, Sherman explains; instead, they are trying to see if they can strike a deal for a major talent like Sale, teammate Jose Quintana, or Chris Archer of the Rays.

  • Rival executives say that the Marlins have been extremely aggressive in trying to add a starter, says Sherman, but they also don’t see anything intriguing in the club’s farm system. Trading from the big league roster would obviously be difficult to do for Miami, but Sherman offers the intriguing (but, as he says, totally speculative) idea that the club could dangle injured reliever Carter Capps.
  • The Marlins have shown some interest in Yankees righties Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova, among many other names with whom they have been connected, also per Sherman. And that would seem to align with New York’s own approach, as the club is moving its focus to finding a taker for Nova, according to a report from Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. The Yanks are dangling him at a relatively high asking price, per the report — at least for the time being.
  • Mariners lefty Wade Miley is another pitcher the Marlins are at least considering, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Miley is controllable through 2018, but his results have been so poor this year that he shouldn’t command a significant price. Given that the Fish have previously had interest in the southpaw, per Spencer, perhaps they could look to buy low and get a sturdy arm without giving up what little young talent they have on offer.
  • Amidst reports that the Diamondbacks have made struggling righty Shelby Miller available in trades, GM Dave Stewart tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter link) that he won’t be given away for nothing. “We have been asked about Miller,” he said. “Teams think we’ve given up on him, we haven’t.” It remains to be seen what kind of interest Arizona will field in Miller, but there’s no particular reason for him to be moved at the trade deadline. His value, after all, lies in the hope that he can return to being the solid starter he once was, rather than in his potential contributions for the rest of the 2016 season.

Passan’s Latest: Davis, Miller, Sale, Quintana, Miley, Upton

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Yahoo’s Jeff Passan has another edition of his 10 Degrees column posted, which focuses heavily on a number of potentially available names. A few highlights from within, though the entire column is worth a look…

  • When determining what they should ask in return for Wade Davis, should they make him available, the Royals internally discussed Nationals righty Lucas Giolito, per Passan. That would be a fairly staggering price to pay, as Giolito is, by many accounts, the top pitching prospect in all of baseball. Davis is earning $8MM this season (about $3.06MM of that remains) and has a $10MM option for the 2017 season on his contract as well, so there’s certainly value, but that price would almost certainly strike the Nats as exorbitant. However, as Passan notes, the Yankees plucked Gleyber Torres and three other pieces from the Cubs for a rental of Aroldis Chapman, so the Royals’ lofty asking price is understandable.
  • The D-backs are prepared to offer struggling right-hander Shelby Miller to other clubs in trades and are largely open for business overall, though a complete tear-down won’t happen. The D-backs are holding onto Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb, A.J. Pollock, Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin and Robbie Ray — a nice core, as Passan notes — but are willing to listen virtually anywhere else. Miller’s acquisition has been one of the most talked-about stories in the game since he was acquired for Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and Aaron Blair this offseason, and his 7.14 ERA through 69 1/3 innings and subsequent demotion to Triple-A Reno have only intensified the scrutiny.
  • Chris Sale’s trade value hasn’t been hurt by his suspension for inappropriate conduct in this weekend’s bizarre jersey-cutting controversy. Any club wishing to acquire him would need to part with an MLB-ready, elite prospect, writes Passan, who lists Andrew Benintendi or Yoan Moncada of the Red Sox, Nomar Mazara of the Rangers, Alex Bregman of the Astros and Julio Urias of the Dodgers as hypothetical starting points — the White Sox would require another three to four valuable pieces beyond those names — if any of those teams want to make a legitimate run at Sale. I think the White Sox would be well within reason to start by asking for both Benintendi and Moncada from the Red Sox or Nomar Mazara and Joey Gallo from the Rangers before moving onto the secondary pieces in each deal. Sale is owed $3.5MM through the end of the current season and can be controlled through 2019, his age-30 season, for a total of $41.5MM. The surplus value there is astonishing, and the dearth of pitching talent on the trade market/upcoming free agent market only adds to Sale’s allure.
  • The White Sox are valuing lefty Jose Quintana quite similarly, Passan adds, noting that one executive tells him Chicago is valuing Quintana like a true No. 1 starter. That’s not quite an accurate representation of Quintana’s abilities, but he’s pitched closely enough to that level that it makes sense to ask. Quintana has a 3.32 ERA with 7.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 43.9 percent ground-ball rate in 737 innings dating back to 2013. Like Sale, he’s a flat-out bargain for the South Siders, as he’s owed just $39.92MM through the 2020 season.
  • Wade Miley has been quietly shopped by the Mariners in recent weeks, per Passan. While Seattle isn’t necessarily selling despite their trade of Mike Montgomery and their shopping of Miley, it appears that they’re open to dealing from the big league roster in the right scenario. The Montgomery trade brought an MLB-ready talent back to the Mariners in Dan Vogelbach, and Seattle probably has the pitching depth to move Miley without subtracting much in the way of big league value from the current iteration of the club. Miley has just a 5.23 ERA in 105 innings for Seattle this season, though his strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates are all respectable (6.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 45.9 percent). He’s guaranteed about $11.55MM through the end of the 2017 season, though $500K of that is in the form of a buyout on a $12MM club option for the 2018 season, so he could be controlled longer if he rebounds.
  • The “safe money” is on Melvin Upton Jr. going to the Orioles to play as a corner outfielder/insurance policy for Adam Jones in center field, Passan writes. The O’s and Padres have reportedly discussed a swap of Upton and Ubaldo Jimenez, though the Orioles would need to send some prospect value back to San Diego in that trade. The contracts of Upton ($22.36MM through 2017) and Jimenez ($18.47MM) are similar, and Upton, unlike Jimenez, is providing present-day value. It’s still tough for me to envision the Padres getting much in the way of a prospect back — especially if they do indeed absorb Jimenez’s contract — and the Orioles don’t exactly have a deep farm from which to deal.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Mariners, Tigers

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Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel is recovering well from July 11 left knee surgery and, in a best-case scenario, could return in the first few days of August, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. On the other hand, fellow late-game option Koji Uehara isn’t a lock to pitch again in 2016. The 41-year-old hit the disabled list with a pectoral strain Wednesday and received a platelet-rich plasma injection Thursday, and manager John Farrell said Saturday that the Red Sox are “hopeful” he’ll return this season. Uehara won’t throw again for an undetermined amount of time. It stands to reason that his absence could galvanize the Red Sox to address their bullpen even further around the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. They already picked up Brad Ziegler in a deal with Arizona earlier this month.

More from Boston and two other AL cities:

  • Regardless of what happens with their bullpen, the Red Sox continue to hunt for starting pitchers, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. They’ve already checked in on White Sox ace Chris Sale and the Rays’ Chris Archer, though it was merely due diligence in the case of the latter, a source told Drellich. With David Price, Steven Wright, Rick Porcello and the recently acquired Drew Pomeranz in the fold, at least 80 percent of Boston’s rotation appears set, and the Wild Card-leading club has gotten back-to-back strong performances from 23-year-old southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez.
  • Injuries have beset Mariners left-handed pitching prospect Danny Hultzen in recent years and will likely force him to retire at 26, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Hultzen, who peaked entering 2012 as a top 25 prospect by the standards of both MLB.com (16th) and Baseball America (21st), hasn’t pitched regularly since 2013 because of shoulder issues that continue to persist. Hultzen could next find an off-the-field role with the Mariners, according to Dutton.
  • The Tigers haven’t discussed a contract extension with manager Brad Ausmus, GM Al Avila revealed Saturday. Despite that, Avila said, “I think he’s done a good job this year” (Twitter links). Ausmus’ Tigers are 51-46, 2 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot, and 215-205 since he took the reins in 2014. Detroit has a 2017 option for Ausmus, so the team’s not at risk of losing the 47-year-old this offseason if it wants to retain him.

Mariners Place Ketel Marte On 15-Day DL With Mononucleosis

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The Mariners have placed Ketel Marte on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 20) after the shortstop was diagnosed with mononucleosis yesterday, the club announced.  Left-handed David Rollins was called up in a corresponding move.  Luis Sardinas was already called up yesterday to provide infield depth, taking the roster spot left by the traded Mike Montgomery.

[Related: updated Mariners depth chart at Roster Resource]

Marte has been sidelined for much of the week with the illness, leaving utilityman Shawn O’Malley making regular starts at short, and he’ll split time with Sardinas until Marte is healthy.  A return date, however, is unknown given the unpredictable status of the illness.  Manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Gavin Day of the Seattle Times) that Marte had already lost six or seven pounds, so clearly once Marte is recovered, he’ll still need time to get his strength back.

The sickness is the latest setback within a tough season for the 22-year-old Marte, who entered the year as the Mariners’ starting shortstop and looking to build on a strong 2015 rookie year.  Instead, Marte has already had one DL stint due to a sprained thumb and he has hit just .273/.299/.358 over 300 PA with subpar defensive metrics.  As per Fangraphs’ WAR calculation, Marte has been worth exactly 0.0 wins, making him nothing more than a replacement-level player.

These struggles made the Mariners one of the few teams who could be looking for shortstop help at the deadline, even before Marte came down with mono.  Zack Cozart, Eduardo Nunez or Jed Lowrie are a few of the everyday options the M’s could pursue, though I’d argue that Lowrie is an unlikely target due to his recent lack of shortstop action and his big price tag.  Seattle entered today’s action with a 49-47 record, 5.5 games behind Texas in the AL West and 4.5 games behind Toronto for the last wild card slot.

Trade Market Notes: Teheran, Bruce, Reddick, Giants, Rangers, White Sox

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Braves righty Julio Teheran exited tonight’s start with what is being described as right lat tightness, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. Teheran had been throwing well, once again, before the issue arose. We’ve already seen plenty of cold water thrown on the idea that he’ll be traded, and this injury — even if it’s minor — could help seal the deal (or, rather, the lack thereof).

Here are some more notes as the trade market continues to take shape:

  • It has largely been taken for granted that the Reds will trade Jay Bruce this summer. But ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets that some rival executives are finding it difficult to gain any traction in talks with the Cincinnati front office. Others, though, still see a deal as likely.
  • Some of the same teams pursuing Bruce are in on Athletics outfielder Josh Reddick, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi notes on Twitter. That’s not surprising — both are left-handed-hitting corner outfielders, albeit rather different ones — and it’s certainly possible to imagine the interplay between their respective markets having an impact on how trade talks progress. The Cubs, Dodgers, and Indians all have some level of interest in both players, per the report.
  • As for the Athletics and Reddick, there are other teams in the mix, too. Per John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group, the Royals and Giants are also taking a look. Of course, we also heard today (subsequent to Hickey’s report) that Kansas City may instead head in a different direction.
  • We’ve heard plenty of chatter on Melvin Upton tonight, after Olney suggested earlier today that he could be a fit for the Giants. Whether or not Upton is the target — or, as just noted, Reddick — it seems that San Francisco is once again leaning toward adding another outfielder. Hunter Pence’s return hasn’t been quite as smooth as might’ve been hoped, and the remaining primary mix — Angel Pagan, Denard Span, and Gregor Blanco — hasn’t been terribly productive, though Pagan has had a solid bounceback campaign. On the other hand, both Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson have hit at better than league-average rates when they’ve been up, so the club isn’t exactly hurting for options.
  • Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News provides a useful round-up of the Rangers’ efforts to bolster a scuffling rotation. In addition to opening talks with the Rays and White Sox, as has been covered extensively, the team is looking at a variety of other possibilities. Andrew Cashner of the Padres is one player that the Rangers have discussed, as are Mariners lefties James Paxton and Wade Miley. It seems that all variety of options continue to be on the table, as all of the pitchers covered in the report constitute quite different assets. GM Jon Daniels suggests that, while he’d prefer to move quickly toward a deal, the odds are that it’ll come down to the deadline.
  • As the White Sox weigh what (if any) players to sell, the club won’t have two short-term assets on the shelf. As Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports, both center fielder Austin Jackson and catcher Alex Avila — each of whom was signed to a one-year deal over the winter — are still a ways away from returning from their respective injuries.

Marlins Seeking Left-Handed Reliever

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The Marlins have long been known to be in the market for a starter to round out the back of their rotation, but MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets that they’re also looking for left-handed bullpen help. Miami, in fact, was in on Mike Montgomery before the Mariners traded him to the Cubs in a four-player deal on Wednesday.

Miami currently has just one left-handed reliever, Mike Dunn, in its bullpen, and he spent the first two months of the season on the disabled list due to a strained left forearm. Dunn has a 3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings since returning, but he’s also seen significant declines in his strikeout rate and ground-ball rate this season in that small sample. (Then again, his velocity has been steadily ticking upward since his activation, so perhaps more effective days are on the horizon.)

Whatever the remainder of the season holds for Dunn, a second lefty would be a nice addition to provide first-year Marlins manager Don Mattingly with greater flexibility to play matchups late in the game. Miami has cycled through some options already this season, as it recently released veteran southpaw Craig Breslow and has fellow veterans Chris Narveson, Cory Luebke and Jo-Jo Reyes pitching in Triple-A. Cody Ege and Raudel Lazo represent healthy left-handed options that are currently pitching in the minors but are already on the 40-man roster.

The Marlins’ farm system is weak, but the club has already landed a right-handed setup option for closer A.J. Ramos by picking up Fernando Rodney in a deal with the Padres, and there figure to be plenty of left-handed relievers that could make a difference as well. Setting aside top-tier names like Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, pitchers such as Fernando Abad, Boone Logan, Will Smith, Zach Duke, Ian Krol and Tony Cingrani stand out as lefty relief options on losing clubs that could potentially make sense to be dealt.

Heyman’s Latest: Archer, Gray, Shoemaker, Teheran, Vizcaino, Cubs, Mariners

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After breaking down the dismal state of the starting pitching supply on this summer’s trade market, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag goes on to provide news and notes on all thirty teams. Among those of chief relevance to the trade deadline:

  • At least one unnamed executive thinks that Rays righty Chris Archer is a good bet to be traded, as ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. But an anoynymous general manager tells Heyman that he’s getting quite a different feel. “There’s no belief Chris Archer will be traded,” the GM reportedly said. It’s always tough to know how to interpret the signals on high-level, controllable players, but suffice to say that Archer remains a player to watch — but not one who should be assumed to be on the move.
  • The Athletics are “not engaging” competitors in talks on Sonny Gray, which obviously supports the idea that there’s no real interest in exploring a deal while his value is down. Neither are the Angels inclined to chat on Matt Shoemaker, albeit for somewhat different reasons.
  • Likewise, the Braves are putting out the vibe that they won’t trade Julio Teheran. But that’s not necessarily the case with regarded to reliever Arodys Vizcaino. Though he’s on the DL with an injured oblique — which is certainly not an easy injury to gauge a timeline from — Atlanta is still getting trade hits and may yet look to move him, per the report. Personally, I have a hard time seeing a sufficient offer developing given the uncertainty.
  • Though the Braves would love to find a taker for struggling shortstop Erick Aybar, Heyman says there’s no real interest in the veteran. Atlanta has mostly been engaged in discussions on its part-time role players, and doesn’t seem particularly likely to be involved in any major swaps — though it’s wise never to rule out a creative surprise. After all, who saw last summer’s 13-player trade coming together?
  • The Cubs remain on the periphery of the starting pitching market but are suggesting to other organizations that they don’t expect to land a starter. Certainly, it seems, Chicago won’t burn up too much prospect capital just for a back-end hurler. That’s not surprise, as the Cubs have a perfectly sturdy starting five as well as some depth options.
  • That’s not to say that the Cubs aren’t still poking around, with Heyman noting that the team spoke to the Mariners about James Paxton and Taijuan Walker. Other organizations have as well, including the Rangers. A Seattle source tells Heyman that a trade of either young starter remains unlikely, though the team isn’t taking anything off the table at this point. From where I sit, it’s tough to imagine either player changing hands; Seattle will surely want to see whether Paxton can harness his improving stuff, while Walker isn’t at full health.
  • It’s not clear how the Tigers will be able to upgrade their starting staff, but the report suggests they’d like to. Detroit doesn’t want to deal any of its significant prospects and doesn’t have a lot of room to add salary, per Heyman. That doesn’t really leave much of a realistic path to improvement, though perhaps the team can find some supplemental assets with a little creativity.
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