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Blue Jays Rumors

Yankees Acquire J.A. Happ For Brandon Drury, Billy McKinney

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | July 26, 2018 at 3:10pm CDT

The Yankees have completed their second intra-division swap of the week, officially acquiring left-hander J.A. Happ from the Blue Jays in exchange for infielder Brandon Drury and outfield prospect Billy McKinney. Both teams have announced the swap.

J.A. Happ | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Happ, 35, is in the final season of a three-year, $36MM contract and is still owed $4.75MM of that sum through the end of the season. He’ll step into a Yankees rotation that currently features Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia and Sonny Gray. Since losing sophomore lefty Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery, the Yankees have tried Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa in that fifth spot, but Happ will now provide a more experienced arm to step into that void.

While he struggled badly in a pair of early July starts (one against the Yankees) that inflated his season-long numbers, Happ has enjoyed a strong season overall. Through 114 1/3 frames, he’s registered a 4.18 ERA with more impressive marks in FIP (3.84), xFIP (3.63) and SIERA (3.51). Happ has averaged a career-high 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched against just 2.8 walks per nine, and he’s kept the ball on the ground at a 44.6 percent clip. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the year, making him the Yankees’ second short-term addition of the week after landing Zach Britton in yet another intra-division trade.

The Blue Jays are surely thrilled to be able to pick up a controllable MLB asset in the form of Drury in exchange for a player who was set to depart via free agency at the end of the year anyhow. Drury was the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman, but he quickly became an odd man out in the Bronx after both Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres emerged in the Majors while Drury was on the DL due to severe migraines and blurred vision.

Brandon Drury | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

While Drury, 25, has batted just .176/.263/.275 in 57 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2018, he’d previously established himself as a solid producer with the Diamondbacks from 2016-17. In that time, Drury batted a combined .273/.323/.453 with 29 homers, 68 doubles and three triples over the life of 979 PAs. He’s capable of handling both second base and third base, so with Josh Donaldson set to hit free agency this winter plus Devon Travis’ perennial injury troubles, Drury is all the more appealing to the Toronto organization. The Jays can control Drury through the 2021 season.

The inclusion of McKinney in the deal will somewhat incredibly mark the third trade since being selected in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2013 draft. The A’s selected McKinney out Plano West Senior High School and traded him just over a year later in the deal that sent Addison Russell to the Cubs in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. McKinney was moved once again in 2016 when the Cubs included him as part of the four-player package that netted them Aroldis Chapman (with the aforementioned Torres as the deal’s headliner).

McKinney, 23, made his MLB debut earlier this season and went 1-for-4 before being sent back down to the minors after appearing in two games. He’s hit for plenty of power in Triple-A this season (.273 ISO), but he’s also struggled to get on base. Through 228 PAs, he’s slashing .230/.294/.502 with 13 homers, eight doubles and five triples. McKinney isn’t regarded as the top-tier prospect he once was, but he entered the season ranked as the Yankees’ No. 20 prospect by Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, receiving average grades for his power, speed and glove. He played center early on in his career but has been utilized more in the outfield corners recently.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that an agreement was in place (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links) and Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter link) had previously indicated that a deal was nearing its completion. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that both Drury and McKinney were in the deal (Twitter link), and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the swap had become official shortly before the clubs announced the deal.

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New York Yankees Newsstand Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Billy McKinney Brandon Drury J.A. Happ

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Yankees Nearing Deal For J.A. Happ

By Jeff Todd | July 26, 2018 at 12:02pm CDT

There was quite a lot of chatter yesterday surrounding Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ, with a run of rumors that certainly suggests negotiations are building toward a conclusion. The Toronto organization has seemingly decided it’d rather move Happ now than let him take the ball this weekend, and Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that the team is sending that message to interested rivals.

We’ll use this post to track today’s developments on the veteran southpaw, a pure rental player who’s earning $13MM this year:

  • The Yankees appear to be zeroing in on Happ. The club is said by Sherman (Twitter links) to be “getting closer” to a deal structured around Drury. Jon Heyman of Fancred has it even closer to the finish line, tweeting that the Yanks and Jays are working to finalize a swap.

Earlier Updates

  • As of this morning, it seems there are still multiple organizations in the mix. Largely reflecting the state of play last night, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggests on Twitter that the Brewers and Yankees are still the two likeliest landing spots, with the Cubs also still “in the mix.”
  • Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets that, as Sherman also previously suggested, infielder Brandon Drury has arisen in talks between the division-rival Jays and Yanks. That “could lead to [an] expanded deal,” Rosenthal notes, with the Yankees perhaps also eyeing some catching depth. New York GM Brian Cashman said yesterday that he’s open to bolstering his group of receivers with Gary Sanchez on the shelf. The phrasing of the report doesn’t really appear to suggest that high-priced veteran (and former Yankee) Russell Martin is a target. The more obvious candidate seems to be reserve Luke Maile, who has been a solid performer this year in Toronto, though there’s no direct reporting to establish any particular connection.
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Rockies Acquire Seunghwan Oh

By Mark Polishuk | July 26, 2018 at 9:01am CDT

TODAY: The deal is now official. Former first-round pick Forrest Wall is also headed to Toronto, as Jon Heyman of Fancred tweeted just before the announcement. Bouchard is not in the pact, at least directly. In addition to Wall and Spanberger, the package includes a player to be named later, though it’s not known presently whether Bouchard is among the possibilities.

YESTERDAY, 8:02PM: Another first base prospect, Sean Bouchard, is also heading to Toronto in the deal, as per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.

7:54PM: Minor league first baseman Chad Spanberger is expected to be heading to the Blue Jays as part of the trade, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports (Twitter link).  A sixth-round pick for Colorado in the 2017 draft, Spanberger is ranked 24th on MLB.com’s list of the top 30 Rockies prospects, with the scouting report noting Spanberger’s big power potential but also quite a few strikeouts.

7:22PM: The Rockies and Blue Jays have agreed to a trade that will see right-hander Seunghwan Oh join the Colorado bullpen, with The Athletic’s Robert Murray tweeting that the trade is “a done deal.”  Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM reported earlier today that an Oh trade was close to happening, with MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi later adding the news that Colorado was the team involved in the deal.

Oh’s stock was down in the offseason, following a somewhat rough 2017 campaign that saw him lose his closer’s job with the Cardinals and struggle with the long ball to the tune of a 1.5 HR/9 rate.  This led to Oh signing a low-cost one-year deal with the Blue Jays worth $1.75MM in guaranteed salary and a $2MM club option ($250K buyout) for the 2019 season.

"<strongThat signing ended up being a nice bargain for the Jays, culminating in this flip of the 36-year-old for some prospect capital.  Oh has posted a 2.68 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 5.50 K/BB rate over 47 innings for Toronto, looking far more like his “Final Boss” form from the 2016 season (his first year in Major League Baseball) than his less-impressive 2017 edition.  The advanced metrics have been pretty sold on Oh’s performance, as his .266 wOBA is nearly identical to his .264 xwOBA, and ERA predictors (3.03 FIP, 3.77 xFIP, 2.91 SIERA) mostly back up that impressive 2.66 real-world ERA.

He has also largely gotten over his home run issues, with only an 0.96 HR/9 and 8.2% homer rate this season.  This will be particularly important for Oh as he shifts to Coors Field, though he has managed to success in another hitter-friendly ballpark (Rogers Centre) despite just a 29.8% grounder rate.

While Oh should help the Rockies’ relief corps, the fact that the bullpen was such a pressing trade deadline need represents a misfire for the team.  Colorado spent $106MM total in three-year free agent pacts for Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw, and Jake McGee, only to see all three fail to live up to expectations.  Shaw and McGee have particularly struggled, leading for the Rox to seek out another arm to bridge the gap to Davis in the ninth inning.  Oh will join Adam Ottavino (the pen’s one bright spot) as the Rockies’ chief setup options.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Blue Jays “Appear Close” To Striking J.A. Happ Swap

By Jeff Todd | July 25, 2018 at 9:18pm CDT

10:18PM: “The industry belief” is that the Yankees and Brewers are the front-runners for Happ, Sherman writes.  The Cubs still “might be in play,” though Chicago also asked the Jays about Marcus Stroman.  In another tweet, Sherman mentions that the Blue Jays like Yankees infielder Brandon Drury.

9:33PM: The Yankees still look like the favorite for Happ right now, with Feinsand calling them “the leader” of the teams in pursuit, and SNYTV’s Andy Martino saying the Bombers are “in strong position.”  A trade may not be imminent, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that a deal is “unlikely” to take place tonight.  (All links to Twitter.)  Both Feinsand and Martino list the Cubs and Brewers still being involved, with Martino adding the Rockies as a new team to the Happ rumor mill.  Feinsand feels the number of teams in on Happ will result in a nice trade return for the Blue Jays.

9:10PM: There are conflicting reports about the Yankees’ involvement in the trade, as Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM tweets that the Jays are “focusing on finalizing” the Happ deal with New York.  Fancred’s Jon Heyman, however, reports that other teams are still in the running, and the Yankees “seem unaware they are getting [Happ], as of this moment.”

3:46PM: The Yankees are “heavy in the mix” for Happ, Feinsand tweets, with other teams (such as the Brewers) still possibly being in play.  The Cubs are one of the other teams involved, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

3:39PM: As the Blue Jays and Twins began action at 3:07pm CT today, Happ hadn’t heard about a trade, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets.  Happ is in Toronto’s dugout, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and others have reported.

2:54PM: The Blue Jays “appear close” to striking a deal to send lefty J.A. Happ to a contender, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Particulars of the potential match are entirely unknown, though certainly a variety of contenders make sense generally as destinations for the veteran starter.

Happ has mostly been a quality performer for the past several seasons. He currently sits at a 4.18 ERA on the present season, with peripherals suggesting he has been even more effective than the results would suggest. Though Happ endured a few rough outings recently, he racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just one earned run over five innings in his last start.

As a pending free agent on a struggling Toronto team, it has long seemed clear he’d be dealt this summer. Happ ranked sixth among trade deadline candidates on MLBTR’s recent list.

Last we heard, the Jays were said to be lowering their asking price on Happ as the deadline draws near. The Yankees, Phillies, and Cubs have been linked to him in recent weeks, though it’s not at all clear whether any of those teams is pressing to land the southpaw today.

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New York Notes: Yankees, Mets, Hamels, Happ, deGrom, Asdrubal

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2018 at 8:25pm CDT

The latest buzz on the two teams from the Big Apple…

  • Though Cole Hamels has been hit hard over his last five starts, there is still trade interest in the veteran southpaw, with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writing that “the Yankees could be the Rangers’ best chance of moving Hamels” before the deadline.  New York has continued to scout Hamels and has the prospect depth to offer Texas a better minor leaguer in exchange for the Rangers eating the large majority of Hamels’ remaining salary (thus helping the Yankees stay under the luxury tax threshold).  Of course, it remains to be seen how Hamels’ recent struggles will impact his price tag, plus there’s the potential obstacle of the Yankees being one of 20 teams on Hamels’ no-trade list.
  • As you might expect, the Blue Jays put a high initial asking price on J.A. Happ, asking the Yankees for either Clint Frazier or Justus Sheffield, Fancred Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets.  The Jays have reportedly since reduced their demands, which may be why the team seems to be closing in on a trade involving the veteran southpaw.  The Yankees are still involved in talks for Happ, though several other clubs have shown interest.
  • With Gary Sanchez on the DL until late August, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that the team is “comfortable” using Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka behind the plate until Sanchez returns.  The Yankees will “certainly look” for possible catching additions, though “I already recognize it’s a very thin position,” Cashman said.
  • The Padres have checked in with the Mets about Jacob deGrom, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports.  San Diego is known to be looking at controllable frontline pitchers (i.e. Chris Archer, Michael Fulmer, Noah Syndergaard), so it stands to reason that deGrom would also be one of the club’s targets.  Sherman notes that since the Padres see themselves contending by 2020, they have more interest in Syndergaard than deGrom, as the latter is only controlled through 2020 while Syndergaard is controlled through 2021.  While the Mets’ two aces have drawn a lot of attention, however, there still isn’t much evidence that the Mets are actually considering moving either deGrom or Syndergaard.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera’s recent slump has hurt his already limited trade value within a crowded infield market, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News writes.  “Cabrera is a guy that you can pick up at the deadline if he is hot,” an executive from another team said.  “He’s not somebody that’s going to bring back much in terms of prospects. He’s a guy you could see go at the deadline or even pass through waivers in August.”  MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams ranked Cabrera fifth in MLBTR’s list of the top 75 trade candidates prior to the All-Star Game, though it’s important to note that trade likelihood plays just as large a role as trade value in our rankings.  With Cabrera not producing, the Mets may have to end up moving him simply in a salary dump.
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New York Mets New York Yankees San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Asdrubal Cabrera Clint Frazier Cole Hamels J.A. Happ Jacob deGrom Justus Sheffield Noah Syndergaard

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Rockies Close To Trade For Seunghwan Oh

By Mark Polishuk | July 25, 2018 at 5:46pm CDT

6:17PM: The Rockies are the team closing in on the Oh trade, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reports.

5:46PM: The Blue Jays are closing in on a trade involving right-hander Seunghwan Oh, according to Steve Phillips of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link).  The deal could be completed as soon as today.  An Oh deal could make a very busy day for the Jays on the transaction front, as the club is also reportedly close to an even bigger trade of southpaw J.A. Happ.

Oh has been outstanding in his first year in Toronto, with a 2.68 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 5.5 K/BB rate over 47 innings out of the Jays’ bullpen.  It has been a thoroughly strong rebound season for the 36-year-old, as home run problems led to Oh posting a 4.10 ERA for the Cardinals in 2017.  This year, however, Oh’s homer rate has settled back down to a much more manageable 8.2%.

Virtually every contender is looking for bullpen help, so any number of teams could be checking in on Oh.  The veteran is owed only around $500K for the remainder of the season, and he is controllable in 2019 via a very affordable $2MM club option ($250K buyout).

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Blue Jays Rumors: Happ, Clippard, Axford, Estrada, Solarte, Stroman

By Steve Adams | July 24, 2018 at 10:15pm CDT

While one AL East seller has begun to unload some of its most marketable inventory, the Blue Jays have yet to come to an agreement on any trades. However, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Jays are ramping up their efforts to trade impending free agents J.A. Happ, Tyler Clippard and John Axford, so as not to be left with too many pieces to move at the eleventh hour as the non-waiver deadline approaches.

Similarly, SNY’s Andy Martino tweets that the Jays have dropped their asking price on Happ recently. While the Toronto front office was at one point asking other clubs for players considered to be among those organizations’ top three or so prospects, they’re being a bit more “realistic” with the deadline approaching, Martino hears. Exactly what the lower asking price entails remains unclear, and it certainly doesn’t seem they’re intent on rushing a trade just yet. For instance, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Yankees still believe the asking price on Happ to be too high.

Beyond the trio of Happ, Clippard and Axford, however, the Jays appear to have other pieces they’d either like to move or, at least, are willing to move. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand writes that Toronto is also shopping both right-hander Marco Estrada and, a bit more surprisingly, infielder Yangervis Solarte. One exec from another club tells Feinsand that the Jays’ prices on their movable assets remains “extremely high,” however.

While much has been made of Happ’s availability, the other players listed in tonight’s reports haven’t been covered at such great length. Both Clippard and Axford are playing on supremely affordable $1.5MM base salaries after earning roster spots as minor league invitees to Spring Training. Both veteran relievers have improved their control (dramatically so, in Axford’s case) while largely maintaining their strikeout rates. Clippard’s bottom-line ERA (3.61) tops that of Axford (4.24), but fielding-independent metrics favor Axford fairly substantially. Either reliever, though, could help to bolster a contending club’s middle-relief contingent.

As for Estrada, he hasn’t pitched since July 3, owing to a left glute strain. He’d been out on a rehab assignment, but Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets that he was forced to exit today’s start due to a blister on his middle finger. That significantly clouds the chances of Estrada returning before the July 31 deadline, but considering the fact that he’ll still be owed $4.26MM of this year’s $13MM salary come Aug. 1, he could certainly clear waivers and be marketed in August. Estrada hasn’t been at his best this season anyhow, though, struggling to a 4.72 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 with 1.51 HR/9 through 89 2/3 innings of work.

The inclusion of Solarte on Feinsand’s list is a bit more surprising, given that the Jays can control him through the 2020 season at affordable rates, should they choose. The 31-year-old Solarte hasn’t performed that well in 2018, hitting just .240/.294/.424 in 418 plate appearances. But, Solarte’s walk and strikeout rates remain solid, and he’s making hard contact at the same clip he did in 2017. Despite maintaining a knack for squaring up the ball, Solarte’s .244 BABIP sits well south of his career mark of .272. Given his ability to handle second base or third base (plus some shortstop in a pinch), plus a pair of club options for the 2019 ($5.5MM) and 2020 ($8MM) seasons, Solarte should draw fairly widespread interest.

One player who the Jays don’t appear keen on dealing, however, is righty Marcus Stroman. Heyman tweets that several teams have checked in on Stroman, but there’s a “strong belief” throughout the industry that Toronto will hang onto him. Stroman has another two seasons of club control remaining beyond the 2018 season, and the Blue Jays would be selling low on him in some regards.

While clubs are increasingly willing to look past ugly ERA marks in favor of other more telling metrics, it still seems likely that Stroman’s 5.42 ERA and certainly his increased walk rate would weigh down his trade value. Stroman, though, has maintained similar strikeout, swinging-strike, home-run and ground-ball rates in 2018; his unsightly ERA is tied somewhat to his worsened control but also to a fluky low 61.6 percent strand rate. Certainly, other clubs see plenty to like when looking at Stroman in spite of sub-par traditional stats.

None of that even touches on perhaps the team’s most enigmatic trade piece — third baseman Josh Donaldson. At this point, it’s not clear that Donaldson will return before the non-waiver deadline. The remainder of his $23MM salary will assuredly clear waivers next month, meaning he’ll have a bit of time to prove he can return to form and showcase himself for contending clubs before the Aug. 31 deadline for postseason eligibility. With Donaldson and Estrada both likely to clear waivers, the Jays could well remain active on the trade front even if they move their top rental commodities in the next week.

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Rangers Claim Chris Rowley From Blue Jays

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2018 at 1:12pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that right-hander Chris Rowley has been claimed off waivers by the Rangers. Rowley had his contract selected from Triple-A Buffalo last week, and the Jays apparently tried to pass him through waivers in order to create some flexibility on the 40-man roster.

The Jays, of course, will have that roster flexibility now, though it’ll come at the cost of Rowley, who has had some success in Triple-A this season. The 27-year-old has a 3.30 ERA through 101 innings and 17 starts, though the rest of his numbers aren’t as pretty. Rowley has averaged just 5.6 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 with a 35 percent ground-ball rate in the Buffalo rotation this season. ERA alternatives like FIP (4.89) and xFIP (5.06) suggest that his current level of output isn’t sustainable.

Texas announced that Rowley has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. The Rangers already had an open spot on the roster, so a corresponding move wasn’t necessary. Rowley will add some depth to a Rangers organization that has an extremely thin mix of starters that only figures to become further depleted in the coming eight days as the Rangers sell off pieces in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Rowley could also give them a long option out of the bullpen to replace the already-traded Jesse Chavez, who’d previously been filling that role.

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Phillies Showing Interest In Curtis Granderson

By Steve Adams | July 23, 2018 at 9:45am CDT

The Phillies are discussing a potential Curtis Granderson swap with the Blue Jays, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). Rosenthal notes that the Phils are looking to upgrade their bench after demoting struggling outfielder Aaron Altherr to Triple-A last night. Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets that improving the offensive depth of the roster is the Phillies priority in the eight days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline.

The 37-year-old Granderson is hitting .230/.337/.417 with nine homers, 15 doubles, a triple and a pair of stolen bases over the course of 274 plate appearances in a part-time role with Toronto this season. He’s only been allowed to face a left-handed pitcher 23 times, hitting just .111/.273/.167 in that small sample. In 251 PAs against right-handers, Granderson is hitting .240/.343/.438 with all nine of his homers and 14 of his 15 doubles.

Granderson is earning $5MM in 2018, with about $1.85MM of that sum still owed to him through season’s end. He’s not a perfect fit for the Phils’ roster, as he’d give the club an almost entirely left-handed-hitting outfield mix, with Rhys Hoskins serving as the main exception. Beyond that, the Phillies have been one of the worst teams in the game against left-handed pitching, making Granderson seem an even tougher fit. Collectively, Philadelphia hitters have posted a meager .229/.320/.356 slash against southpaws. Adding a bat that has been almost entirely shielded from facing lefties to the bench certainly wouldn’t do the team any favors in improving that clear deficiency.

That said, Granderson is an affordable and still reasonably productive veteran who’d deepen the team’s bench and bring postseason experience and a renowned clubhouse presence to a young Phillies roster. The cost of acquisition for the rental of a part-time outfielder would be minimal, as well, and the Phils could still stand to bring in another option to help bolster the bench and provide a boost against left-handed pitching.

The Phillies have also recently been linked to Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, which would align with their goal of deepening the lineup, and Rosenthal echoes previous suggestions that the club could also pursue Twins infielder Eduardo Escobar for a more regular role. Rosenthal also suggests the Marlins utilityman Derek Dietrich could fit the Phillies’ needs as a potential bench piece that could fill in at multiple positions (though Dietrich, like Granderson, wouldn’t be much help against lefties).

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Cafardo’s Latest: Yanks, Drury, Gray, O’s, Jays, Donaldson, Hamels, Marlins, Straily

By Connor Byrne | July 22, 2018 at 8:17am CDT

Third baseman Brandon Drury was in the package the Yankees offered the Orioles for shortstop Manny Machado, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. The Yankees’ proposal didn’t suffice for the Orioles, who sent Machado to the Dodgers for a five-player return on Wednesday. Drury has also been part of a 2018 trade, an offseason deal in which he went from the Diamondbacks to the Yankees, but he hasn’t been able to find steady playing time in New York. After entering the season as the Yankees’ starting third baseman, the 25-year-old Drury headed to the disabled list with migraines in early April, paving the way for rookie Miguel Andujar’s emergence at the hot corner. While Drury also offers a fair amount of experience at second base and in the corner outfield, the Yankees have set starters in those spots.

Thanks largely to the presences of Andujar, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardner, Drury has amassed just 54 plate appearances with the Yankees and spent most of the season in the minors. Drury hasn’t done much in his limited work with New York, as his .184/.259/.286 batting line demonstrates, but he has posted a .294/.403/.447 slash in 233 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s also not far removed from a decent showing with Arizona, where he batted .275/.323/.453 with 29 HRs in 979 PAs from 2016-17, and comes with a cheap salary ($621,900) and three years of arbitration eligibility. Perhaps the Yankees will find a taker for Drury in the near future, then, though they’re surely not in a hurry to give away any depth.

  • Sticking with the Yankees, Cafardo relays that teams are scouting right-hander Sonny Gray, and some clubs are under the impression New York wants to trade him. The Yankees paid a high price to the A’s for Gray at last year’s trade deadline, but the move hasn’t worked out as hoped for the Bombers. Gray has taken sizable steps backward this season, with a 5.34 ERA/4.42 FIP in 96 innings, and may not be worthy of trusting in a playoff series should the Yankees get to that point. The 28-year-old’s making $6.5MM in 2018 and is only controllable via arbitration for one more season.
  • The Blue Jays “hope” to trade pending free-agent third baseman Josh Donaldson this summer, according to Cafardo. A superstar with Oakland and Toronto from 2013-16, Donaldson’s amid his second straight injury-plagued year and has only appeared in 36 games this season. Not only has Donaldson been on the DL twice (including since May 29 because of calf tightness), but he hasn’t offered his usual excellent production when healthy. The 32-year-old has hit a middling .234/.333/.423 in 159 plate appearances, helping to hurt his value on the trade market and hamper his future earning power. In the event Donaldson returns in the coming weeks, he could wind up as an August trade piece, though his injury problems, decline in production and lofty salary ($23MM) would make it difficult for Toronto to get much back in a deal.
  • It’s “likely” the Rangers will find a trade partner for left-hander Cole Hamels, writes Cafardo, who adds that the Phillies, Yankees and Braves undoubtedly have interest. The Red Sox may also be among teams with Hamels on their radar, per Cafardo. Phillies general manager Matt Klentak doesn’t seem keen on dipping into the trade market for starters, though, and it’s no lock Hamels would even be part of the solution for them or any other team. The 34-year-old’s struggles this season are well known, and his $22.5MM salary for 2018 and $6MM buyout for 2019 don’t help matters.
  • Marlins righty Dan Straily is drawing interest, per Cafardo. The 29-year-old’s not having a particularly good season (4.02 ERA/5.27 FIP with 7.24 K/9, 4.25 BB/9 and a 33.5 percent groundball rate over 78 1/3 innings), but he’s affordable and controllable. Straily’s on a $3.37MM salary this season and has another two years of arbitration eligibility remaining.
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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Miami Marlins New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Brandon Drury Cole Hamels Dan Straily Josh Donaldson Sonny Gray

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