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

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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.

Rangers Interested In Rays’ Starters, Andrew Cashner, Andrew Miller

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12:10pm: Texas would like the Yankees to take on a portion of Miller’s salary in the event of a trade, writes Wilson. Miller is under contract through 2018 at $9MM per year.

11:30am: The Rangers are also in talks with the Padres regarding righty Andrew Cashner, per Sullivan (Twitter link).

11:24am: In addition to Moore, the Rangers and Rays are also discussing Odorizzi and Drew Smyly, but not Chris Archer, tweets TR Sullivan of MLB.com. As for the bullpen, the Rangers are eyeing Yankees relief ace Andrew Miller, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).

9:04am: Looking to upgrade their rotation and bullpen prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the scuffling Rangers are engaged in trade talks with the Rays, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter links). The clubs have discussed left-handed starter Matt Moore, to whom the Rangers have been connected previously, as well as relievers. Texas was also reportedly interested in Rays right-handed starter Jake Odorizzi as recently as July 5.

While the 54-38 Rangers hold a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL West, they and the second-place Astros have been going in opposite directions lately. Texas has dropped 11 of its last 14, and its rotation is missing righty Colby Lewis and southpaw Derek Holland – both of whom are on the 60-day DL – and has gone without ace Yu Darvish for most of the season. Darvish made his second return of the year Saturday, but the Rangers can’t necessarily count on him to be at full strength.

Even if Darvish and Cole Hamels stay healthy and effective, there are questions about the rest of the Rangers’ starters. A.J. Griffin hasn’t lasted longer than five innings in a start since May 2; Martin Perez has yielded 12 earned runs in 9 2/3 frames over his previous two outings, and his ugly 1.0 K-BB percentage this year ranks second to last among qualified starters; and Kyle Lohse has only made one start in Texas, a five-inning, six-earned run showing on July 9, since signing a minor league deal in May. It’s worth noting that Lohse was woeful as a Brewer last year, logging a 5.85 ERA in 152 1/3 innings.

On paper, Moore would be an upgrade over each of Griffin, Perez and Lohse. Considering the 27-year-old is under control through 2019 via reasonably priced club options, he’d also fit into president and general manager Jon Daniels’ plan to acquire pitching capable of helping the Rangers beyond this season. Moore isn’t without his flaws, though, as the previous Tommy John recipient has recorded somewhat pedestrian numbers this year (4.33 ERA, 7.58 K/9, 2.63 BB/9, 36.9 percent ground-ball rate) through 116 1/3 innings. His velocity is at its highest point since 2013, however, and he’s throwing more strikes and going deeper in games, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan wrote earlier this month.

In addition to potentially acquiring Moore, the Rangers would also like to bolster their bullpen, which has both the second-worst ERA (5.03) and K-BB percentage (8.9) in the majors – bettering only the Reds’ dreadful group in each category. Among their innings leaders, Sam Dyson, Jake Diekman (who’s on the DL with a finger laceration), Anthony Barnette, Matt Bush and Alex Claudio have fared well this season. Shawn Tolleson and Cesar Ramos have endured miserable years, on the other hand. Rays right-handed swingman Erasmo Ramirez has come up in trade rumors throughout the season, but he hasn’t performed well and it’s unclear if Texas is interested in him.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Braves

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Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a pair of videos on FOX Sports.

  • The Yankees will be willing to deal pending free agents Aroldis Chapman and Carlos Beltran if they’re not in serious contention for a playoff spot by the August 1 deadline, Rosenthal says. They do not want to trade Andrew Miller right now, however. It’s also possible they could deal starting pitchers like CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Pineda, but they are not in active discussions to sell right now and they could wait to deal members of that trio this offseason, since all are under control in 2017.
  • The Marlins would deal Adeiny Hechavarria and replace him at shortstop with Miguel Rojas if they could get a top starter like Chris Archer of the Rays in return, Rosenthal says. From this vantage point, that sounds like a lot to ask for a shortstop who has hit .238/.274/.336 this season (although Hechavarria is a stellar defender), and one would think Hechavarria would have limited value in a deal for an ace, even as part of a package. Rosenthal unsurprisingly notes that the Rays aren’t interested in trading Archer for a package that has Hechavarria as its centerpiece. The Marlins are also very interested in Archer’s fellow Rays starters Jake Odorizzi and Matt Moore, although their weak minor league system poses difficulties in lining up a trade.
  • The Rockies don’t seem overly motivated to trade Carlos Gonzalez and have passed on opportunities to do so, Rosenthal says. Gonzalez’s contract runs through 2017, coinciding with the end of GM Jeff Bridich’s deal, and Rosenthal implies it might be in Bridich’s best interest to keep Gonzalez around to increase the Rockies’ chances of being competitive until then.
  • The Tigers aren’t likely to make big moves before the deadline, with a large payroll that will limit their flexibility and a number of tough-to-move contracts on the books. They could, however, become a seller if they do especially poorly in the next two weeks, potentially dealing Francisco Rodriguez and/or other relievers.
  • Braves GM John Coppolella continues to insist his team will not deal Julio Teheran, Rosenthal says. Coppolella believes Teheran (who is under team control through 2020) can be a key player on the next contending Braves team, although he acknowledges that won’t happen this season.

AL East Notes: Jays, Smoak, Colabello, Rays, Longoria

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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke Saturday on how division-rival Boston’s recent acquisition of left-hander Drew Pomeranz could affect the trade deadline, telling Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, “I’m not so sure it’s going to increase the market drastically. There’s just more buyers than there are sellers at that position. The market was already set very high based on the alternatives.” Atkins added that, given the lack of sellers, it was no surprise the Red Sox had to surrender top-flight prospect Anderson Espinoza to make a deal happen. As for his own team’s plans as the Aug. 1 deadline nears, the Blue Jays aren’t focusing solely on acquiring rentals or controllable players, Atkins stated. “Typically you pay for control, so that would mean probably giving up more prospect-level. Everything’s a balance.”

More from Toronto and one of its AL East rivals:

  • The Rays don’t seem interested in trading third baseman Evan Longoria this year, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. However, Longoria will get 10-and-5 rights in April 2018, relays Topkin, and will then have the opportunity to veto any trade. That could be a date to watch, then, should the Rays eventually have a change of heart on Longoria. The 30-year-old, who’s amid yet another terrific season, is controllable through 2023.
  • The two-year extension the Blue Jays awarded first baseman Justin Smoak on Saturday is a safe play for the club, opines Davidi. If Edwin Encarnacion leaves in free agency, the Jays at least have an in-house fallback option. On the other hand, Davidi argues that the $4.125MM that Smoak will make in 2017 is $4.125MM less for the team to give Encarnacion, Jose Bautista or Michael Saunders. Extension discussions between Smoak and the team moved quickly, according to Davidi, with the two sides beginning negotiations Monday and taking less than a week to reach an agreement. “We love Toronto, me and my family, we wanted to stay here for as long as we can, and I’m just happy to get something done,” Smoak said.
  • The Blue Jays aren’t sure how they’ll handle first baseman/outfielder Chris Colabello’s forthcoming return from the 80-game suspension he received in April for performance-enhancing drugs. “It’s complicated by what the alternatives will be, how he is performing, the fact that he had so much down time, then, secondarily, what that means going forward for someone who is not going to be a part of our playoff roster,” Atkins commented. Colabello – who’s on a rehab assignment at Class-A Dunedin – is on track to join Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, reports Davidi. The 32-year-old is eligible to return July 23, though he does have minor league options remaining and, as Atkins mentioned, won’t be eligible to participate in the postseason if the Jays make it.

Rumors: Mets, Marlins, Dodgers, Archer, Rangers

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Although the Mets’ bullpen entered Saturday ranked sixth in the majors in ERA (3.20) and seventh in K-BB percentage (16.4), the team is in the market for right-handed relief help, according to Marc Carig of Newsday. An addition might not necessarily come by the Aug. 1 trade deadline, per Carig, who reports that the Mets nearly signed righty Kevin Jepsen before he inked a free agent deal with Tampa Bay earlier this week. Further, the Mets are skeptical of paying a significant price for a reliever via trade, which could rule out someone like the Brewers’ Jeremy Jeffress, notes Carig. As of now, the Mets have three quality late-game right-handers in closer Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed and Hansel Robles.

More of the latest rumors:

  • While the Marlins are aiming to upgrade their rotation in advance of the deadline, they’re reluctant to trade anyone from their roster for a starter, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier Saturday that the Fish would move shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria for a top starter like the Rays’ Chris Archer, but that might be unrealistic, as Frisaro suggests.
  • Speaking of Archer, the Dodgers were among the clubs scouting his start Friday against Baltimore, relays Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Archer has a connection to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was formerly the Rays’ GM and acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Cubs in 2011. Archer has disappointed this year, but given his track record of excellence from 2013-15, age (27) and extremely team-friendly contract through 2021, he’d likely command a hefty return.
  • In the weeks leading up to the deadline, various reports have linked the Rangers to several starting pitchers and Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy. Rangers president and GM Jon Daniels spoke about that Friday and declared that he’s looking to improve his club’s rotation more than its catcher situation. “We’re a lot more focused on the pitching side,” Daniels told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Rodger Mallison, who writes that the Rangers’ goal is to acquire a starter who’s under control beyond this season.

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

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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.

East Notes: Yankees, Hellickson, Rays

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Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently spoke to MLB Network Radio (audio link; some transcribed quotes are also available via Chad Jennings at the Journal News) about his team’s strategy heading toward the non-waiver trade deadline. The Yankees are currently 44-45 and 5 1/2 games back in the Wild Card race. Cashman notes that the team’s ultimate approach could be dictated in part by how the team performs in the next few series. For now, the Yankees are “having both conversations,” meaning that they’re considering both buying and selling. He lists the starting rotation and the front end of the bullpen as areas he’s already tried to improve, although offensive upgrades appear unlikely. Here are more notes from the East divisions.

  • The Phillies have Jeremy Hellickson’s turns in the rotation lined up with those of prospect Jake Thompson’s starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, as CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury notes. That’s potentially significant in that Thompson could slide into the big-league rotation if the Phillies deal Hellickson in the next couple weeks. Thompson, one of the prospects the Phillies acquired in last year’s Cole Hamels deal, has posted a 2.42 ERA and 2.6 BB/9, albeit with just 6.2 K/9, in 111 2/3 innings with Lehigh Valley this year. Hellickson, for his part, says he isn’t focused on the trade rumors surrounding him. “I’d love to be here the rest of the year, but obviously I’ve been through it before and know that side of the game,” he says. “But, yeah, my focus is on here and my next start right now.”
  • The Rays are attracting plenty of interest in their starting pitchers, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets — the Cubs, Rangers, Dodgers, Pirates, Yankees, Astros, Blue Jays, Orioles and Tigers have all inquired. Representatives from the Pirates and Dodgers, along with the Nationals, Red Sox and Marlins, were all on hand yesterday to watch Chris Archer’s start against the Orioles, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin (Twitter links). (It is perhaps worth noting that those teams might have been scouting the game for other reasons, not purely to watch Archer.) Archer seems perhaps less likely to be dealt than fellow Rays starters Matt Moore or Jake Odorizzi. Various recent reports have indicated that the Rays aren’t currently interested in trading Archer, who has struggled a bit this year and is under control for the next several seasons.

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

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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.

Rays, Kevin Jepsen Agree To Major League Deal

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The Rays and right-hander Kevin Jepsen, who was released by the Twins recently following a DFA, have agreed to a Major League deal, reports SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (links to Twitter). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported shortly before that news that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter) and had first mentioned the Rays’ interest in a reunion with Jepsen last week, while Cotillo tweeted yesterday that the Rays were one of many teams to whom Jepsen and his agents at the Beverly Hills Sports Council had spoken.

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With this agreement, Jepsen now returns to the very club that traded him to Minnesota roughly one year ago (in exchange for minor league right-handers Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia). The soon-to-be 32-year-old was brilliant for Minnesota down the stretch last season and stepped into the Twins’ closer role following an injury to Glen Perkins, logging a pristine 1.61 ERA with 8.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, a 40.8 percent ground-ball rate and 10 saves. That stellar performance led to a $5.3MM salary in arbitration this offseason, but Jepsen looked like a completely different pitcher with the 2016 Twins than he did with the 2015 version of the team.

In 30 2/3 innings with Minnesota this season, Jepsen posted a dismal 6.16 ERA and saw a significant decline in nearly every rate stat. He averaged just 6.5 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 with a 30.2 percent ground-ball rate. Per Fangraphs, Jepsen yielded 29.6 percent hard contact in 2015 but saw that number soar to 38.4 percent in 2016, thanks largely to an 8.5 percent increase in his line-drive rate (19.8 percent to 28.3 percent). He’s also seen drops in the chase rate and swinging-strike rate of his opponents, and opposing batters have greatly upped their contact rate against him.

Suffice it to say, the 2016 season hasn’t gone as planned for Jepsen (or for the last-place Twins). However, the Rays have had success with reclamation projects of this nature in the past, and Jepsen comes at a very affordable rate. The Twins are on the hook for the remainder of that $5.3MM salary (minus the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, which means he’ll cost the Rays about $222K through season’s end.

[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

Jepsen will join a Rays bullpen that currently features Alex Colome as the closer. Brad Boxberger had been tabbed for that role after leading the AL in saves in 2015, but he underwent hernia surgery in Spring Training and suffered an oblique strain in his first appearance back on the mound in late May when he returned from that first injury. Tampa Bay’s relief corps also features right-handers Erasmo Ramirez, Matt Andriese and Tyler Sturdevant at the moment. That group is probably safe, but Jepsen could take over the spot of struggling relievers Enny Romero or Ryan Garton. A 40-man roster move will also need to be made to accommodate Jespen’s return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Manfred On Athletics, MLB Diversity, Minor League Wages, Schedule, Kang

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had a wide-ranging conversation with reporters today in San Diego. Here’s a little of what he had to say, via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8), Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller (1 2 3), David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (1) and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

  • Manfred lists the number of African-American players (currently 8%, although he says 20% of recent first-round draft picks have been African-American) as a significant concern. “This is an economic imperative for us,” he says, noting that, as the US becomes increasingly diverse, MLB must strive for diversity as well. On a somewhat related note, Manfred also said that the lack of a Latino manager in the game right now was “glaring.”
  • MLB will not consider expanding until the Rays and Athletics get their stadium issues resolved, Manfred says. Manfred sounds determined to keep a team in Oakland, however. “I am committed to Oakland as a major league site,” he says. If the A’s were to depart, “we would be looking backwards and saying we made a mistake.” He adds that he thinks the Oakland market will be increasingly appealing going forward. “I think the growth in that area, the way the growth has moved up into San Francisco, I think Oakland is more likely than not to be a better market five years from now than it is today,” he says.
  • Perhaps unsurprisingly, Manfred said he was confident that labor talks this offseason would not result in a strike or lockout.
  • Of the current clamor to raise wages for minor league players (which has included a class-action lawsuit brought by former minor leaguers), Manfred says, “Excessive regulation could have a really dramatic impact on the size of minor league baseball,” seemingly suggesting that increased wages might result in the folding of some minor league teams.
  • It sounds like Manfred expects some form of draft pick compensation for free agents to continue into the next Collective Bargaining Agreement — he says owners would be making a “major concession” if draft-pick compensation were to be dropped.
  • It sounds like Manfred did not come out in support of an international draft today quite as strongly as he has in the past, but he did say MLB needs “a more transparent operating system in the international player acquisition process.”
  • Manfred admits that the current 162-game schedule is tough on players, and says players and owners are currently discussing ways to reduce the difficulty of the season by optimizing game times and improving teams’ travel schedules. Of the possibility of reducing the number of games, however, he says, “You want to work less, generally you get paid less.”
  • The league has not received enough information from law enforcement to decide whether Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang, who has been accused of sexual assault, should be placed on administrative leave.
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