The 2017 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[yisman]

Yay, they have 3 mediocre pitchers now instead of 2.

Seriously though, it is an upgrade.
What shit bum goes to the bullpen now.

obviously it's an upgrade

tonight's pitcher is Bartolo Colon!

[stevenash]

Great, not good, but GREAT deal for my beloved KC Royals.
They get Trevor Cahill for Travis Wood.
Love it

[Andy117]

I don't know, Yanks haven't been real big on buying HUGE priced free agents like they were back in the george days

There haven't been that many big free agents lately.

[Otters27]

Gausman hopefully gained some confidence. Guy was a few starts away from the bench

[Chi_archie]

There haven't been that many big free agents lately.

maybe

but it was also a paradigm shift the yanks talked about actively moving to in the post George days

[koz-man]

When asked on what team A's starter Sonny Gray will be on a week from today, an MLB executive said, "Not Oakland." Will he be in the Bronx? The A's continue to send top scouts to the Yankees' Double-A affiliate in Trenton.

The way the A's Billy Beane usually works is he tells teams who he is looking for as the central figure in a trade and then works his way down from there. Since there is not much pitching on the market, Beane is aiming high.

Gray has two years of control so he is expected to cost teams prime prospects. The Yankees are very deep at shortstop. At Double-A, Jorge Mateo has played very well recently.

[EmpireMaker]

6:16pm: Kansas City will pay for Wood both this year and next, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The buyout will be split in half if it is paid, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell adds on Twitter.
5:24pm: The Royals have announced an interesting trade with the Padres involving a whole host of pitchers, as Robert Murray of Fan Rag has first reported on Twitter. Kansas City will add starter Trevor Cahill, righty reliever Brandon Maurer, and southpaw Ryan Buchter. In exchange, the Pads will pick up southpaws Matt Strahm and Travis Wood along with infield prospect Esteury Ruiz.
For Kansas City, the move represents an effort to bolster the team’s pitching staff down the stretch — and confirms that the club isn’t planning on dealing away its pending free agents before the deadline. The Royals designated Al Alburquerque and Luke Farrell to open roster space, while lefty Brian Flynn was recalled to the active roster while the team awaits its new hurlers.

The rotation was clearly in need of improvement, and Cahill has tantalized this year with a career-high 12.8% swinging-strike rate while working exclusively from the rotation. While he has thrown just 61 innings over 11 starts, owing to a DL stint for a shoulder injury, Cahill owns a 3.69 ERA with 10.6 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 along with an excellent 56.8% groundball rate.
Whether Cahill can maintain that kind of production down the stretch is anyone’s guess. But with relatively few appealing rental starters available, there weren’t many other places to turn. And Cahill is making just $1.75MM on the year, so he’s as affordable as rental players come.
Both of the Royals’ new bullpen pieces are also affordable — and, in their cases, controllable. Maurer, 27, is earning $1.9MM this year with two more arb campaigns yet to go. While the results haven’t been there for him in some time, he is carrying impressive peripherals this year (8.7 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9) to go with his upper-nineties fastball.
Buchter is arguably the most valuable asset going to K.C. He is already thirty years old, but can be controlled all the way through 2021. The southpaw carries a 2.93 ERA since landing in San Diego, with 11.1 K/9 on the basis of a swinging-strike rate that’s up to 11.1% this year. While he issues too many walks (4.4 BB/9 overall) and has been a bit homer-prone (1.64 per nine) this year, Buchter looks to be a quality pen piece at a bargain price.
On the other side of the ledger, the Friars have evidently gotten an early start on their winter shopping by adding Wood. Like Cahill (along with current Padre southpaw Clayton Richard), Wood is a recent Cubs hurler who can work out of the rotation or the pen. The results haven’t been there this year — he carries a 6.91 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 — but there’s some obvious bounceback potential. While Wood’s contract ($4MM this year, $6.5MM next, and a $1MM buyout on a $8MM mutual option for the 2019 season) was under water, Kansas City will be picking up the tab through the end of 2018.
Clearly, then, the focus for San Diego was on the other two players added today. Strahm is out for the year after surgery for a torn patellar tendon and didn’t produce great results this year when healthy, but he was generally viewed as the Royals’ top prospect entering the season. The Padres have shown a willingness to take on injury risks in the past, and probably aren’t overly concerned with Strahm’s knee injury. He could open the 2018 season in the rotation or be utilized as a replacement for Buchter in the bullpen.
And then there’s the true wild card, the 18-year-old Ruiz, whose inclusion perhaps best explains this swap from the Padres’ perspective. As Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote earlier this year (subscription required and recommended), the middle infield has shown flashes of real potential of late, blossoming after his unheralded international signing. He has mashed in the Arizona League in 2017, slashing .419/.440/.779 (albeit with twenty strikeouts and just four walks) over 91 plate appearances.

[yisman]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/20152841/texas-rangers-ready-move-ace-yu-darvish-right-deal


The Texas Rangers are ready to move ace pitcher Yu Darvish. All it will take is someone to meet their asking price.
Sources told ESPN that Rangers general manager Jon Daniels began calling potential suitors Monday and telling them the team is open to trading Darvish for the "right deal." If no team offers a return package to the Rangers' liking, Daniels has informed clubs that Texas will hold on to Darvish and continue to make a push in the American League wild-card race.
The latest development appears to be the Rangers' most declarative statement yet on Darvish, who instantly becomes the prize catch of the trade deadline. After 4 p.m. ET next Monday, trades become considerably more challenging to complete because players must first clear waivers.

[stevenash]

Todd Frazier grounded into a bases loaded triple play.
Guy has zero luck.

[Cross]

Saw that, very unlucky.

[El Nino]

Bellinger with a monster HR last night to put the dagger in my Twins.

[yisman]

Eduardo Nunez was just traded during the Giants/Pirates game.

He was removed from the game and got his farewell hugs.

[EmpireMaker]

The Brewers and White Sox have reportedly agreed to a trade that will send right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak from Chicago to Milwaukee in exchange for 25-year-old infield/outfield prospect Ryan Cordell.

After signing a minor league deal with a $900K base salary this offseason, the 31-year-old Swarzak has broken out with the best season of his career. In 48 1/3 innings with the South Siders, he’s averaged 9.7 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with a 40.5 percent ground-ball rate en route to a 2.23 ERA.
The former second-round pick is averaging 94.5 mph on his heater this year and has posted a 14 percent swinging-strike rate that dwarfs his previous career-high of 10.6 percent. Swarzak’s 71.9 percent contact rate sits nearly six percentage points below the league average of 77.5 percent.
[Related: Updated White Sox depth chart and Brewers depth chart]
Swarzak figures to serve as a setup man to breakout closer Corey Knebel. He’ll be joined in the relief corps by the likes of Jacob Barnes, Jared Hughes and Josh Hader. Veteran Carlos Torres and midseason acquisition Oliver Drake have both logged significant innings out of the Milwaukee ’pen, though each righty has struggled recently.
Cordell, 25, has spent the season with Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .284/.349/.506 with 10 homers and nine steals in the hitter-friendly environment of Colorado Springs. He’ll ultimately spend less than a full season in the Brewers’ system, as he’d previously been acquired as the player to be named later in last summer’s Jonathan Lucroy/Jeremy Jeffress trade with the Rangers.
The versatile Cordell ranked 17th among Milwaukee farmhands on the updated top 30 list published by MLB.com today. A former 11th-round pick, Cordell has appeared at shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions in his career and could project as a super-utility option with some pop and speed in the Majors. While some scouts may project him as a fourth outfielder (as MLB.com’s report indicates and as Yahoo’s Jeff Passan suggests on Twitter), Cordell is essentially a very near-MLB-ready piece and should have a chance to convince the ChiSox that he’s capable of more in the very near future.
Swarzak becomes the latest domino to fall in the White Sox’ aggressive, ongoing rebuilding effort. Chicago GM Rick Hahn has moved Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle this summer, in addition to shipping out center fielder Adam Eaton and ace Chris Sale this past offseason. There could still be more pieces on the move in Chicago as well, with Melky Cabrera, Miguel Gonzalez and Derek Holland all set to hit free agency at season’s end. Outfielder Avisail Garcia, too, could see his name bandied about the rumor circuit over the next five to six days, as he’s only controlled through the 2019 campaign.

[Chi_archie]

Eduardo Nunez was just traded during the Giants/Pirates game.

He was removed from the game and got his farewell hugs.

t

those scenes are always so interesting to watch when I player gets traded in the middle of game or sometimes they show up in the middle of a a game. I remember Justin Morneau arriving to a Pirate game in the 7th inning or so a few years back and you saw the introductions and hellos happening in the dug out in between pitches

[koz-man]

If Texas GM Jon Daniels decides to engage with Houston's Jeff Luhnow on Yu Darvish, he'll want to take a significant bite out of the Astros' farm system.

Talks would likely focus on pitchers Franklin Perez and Forrest Whitley and outfielders Kyle Talker and Yordan Alvarez -- the four prospects that ESPN's Keith Law included in his midseason top 50.

Rookie pitcher Francis Martes and outfielder Derek Fisher are also highly-regarded young players.ESPN

[EmpireMaker]

Seven bold predictions for the 2017 MLB trade deadline

Will Darvish go? What will the Yankees do? What about the Brewers?

• 
• by Mike Axisa
• @mikeaxisa
• Jul 25, 2017 • 8 min read

The July 31 non-waiver trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and already we've seen a few significant trades. Last week the Yankees made a seven-player trade with the White Sox to bolster their bullpen, and earlier this week the red-hot Royals added three arms to their pitching staff in a six-player swap with the Padres. There are plenty more moves to come over the next few days.
So, with the 2017 trade deadline right around the corner, it's time for some predictions. I wouldn't classify these as bold predictions, but they are predictions, and chances are they're going to be wrong. That's usually how it works, right? Right. Here are seven predictions for the upcoming trade deadline.
Dodgers finally make a big move and nab Darvish


The Rangers aren't close enough to a postseason spot to keep Yu Darvish. USATSI The Dodgers over the last few years have been hesitant to go all-in and make that big move at the trade deadline to improve their chances of winning the World Series. The closest they've come to making a deal like that is last year's Rich Hill/Josh Reddick trade. Los Angeles has passed on the opportunity to acquire big names like David Price and Cole Hamels at the deadline in the not-too-distant past.
I expect that to change this season. The Dodgers come into Tuesday with baseball's best record at 69-31, and they look every bit as good as that record. It would be very easy to sit back and say this team is good enough as is, though that's the wrong way to look at it. The Cubs were far and away the best team in baseball last season, yet they still went out and added Aroldis Chapman. Remember what Cubs president Theo Epstein said about that trade? "If not now, when?" Now is the time for the Dodgers.


The Rangers, meanwhile, are 48-51 and barely hanging around the AL wild-card race. They're 3 1/2 games back of the second wild-card spot with six teams ahead of them, and they've yet to demonstrate they can go on the kind of extended run it will take to climb into a wild-card spot. The four-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles last week was very telling. That doesn't happen to contending teams.
Depending on who you ask, Texas has either made it clear to teams they're willing to trade staff ace Yu Darvish, or they've told teams they plan to keep him. My guess they're probably done both. They've likely indicated they're willing to talk about Darvish while saying they'll have to be blown away to move him. Darvish is an impending free agent and he would fetch a big return. The Rangers want to re-sign him long-term, no doubt, but the risk of losing him for nothing after the season is too great to pass up a trade.
The Dodgers, who should be in "If not now, when?" mode, make the most sense for Darvish, and I thought that was true even before Clayton Kershaw suffered a back injury over the weekend that will sideline him 4 to 6 weeks. Darvish gives the club another dominant pitcher and knocks Alex Wood and Hill back a notch on the depth chart. Simply put, Darvish would make a great team even greater. Los Angeles has prospects to trade and I think they'll finally trade them for a difference-maker.
Astros beef up rotation with Gray

It's not a question of if the Athletics will trade Sonny Gray, but of when and where. There's too much downside to keeping him based on his injury issues the last few years. Plenty of teams are in on Gray because he's both very good and under team control for another two seasons beyond 2017. He's not as good as Darvish, no, but he's also not a rental.


The Astros are in a very similar situation as the Dodgers. They have the best record in their league at 66-33 and they could justify sitting back and doing nothing. They're good enough to get to the postseason and contend for the World Series as is. That said, success in this game can be fleeting, and I think general manager Jeff Luhnow recognizes that. I expect him to put his best foot forward, get his club an impact pitcher in Gray, and make them even more dangerous.
Verlander stays put


There are too many obstacles to overcome for a Justin Verlander trade. USATSI It's inevitable the Tigers will trade Alex Avila and Justin Wilson at the deadline. Trading Justin Verlander is another matter. He was the AL Cy Young runner-up just last season -- he actually received more first-place votes than Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, remember -- though he's having a bit of a down year this year, throwing 124 innings with a 4.50 ERA (96 ERA+). There's also roughly $70 million left on his contract.
The money is the big obstacle here. I don't think another team will agree to take on that entire contract and give up top prospects, and I don't think the Tigers will agree to eat enough money to demand top prospects. They're kind of caught in the middle. The Tigers don't want to pay Verlander to pitch elsewhere and other teams are not going to want to assume a huge contract for a pitcher who very well might be in decline in his mid-30s.
Also, keep in mind Verlander is a franchise icon. The Tigers are going to retire his number one day and he has legitimate marquee value. Verlander's value to the franchise transcends his on-field performance. He helps sell tickets and merchandise. Dumping him as part of a bad contract for bad contract swap makes no sense, because whoever comes back in such a trade won't have that marquee value. I see too many obstacles here for a deal to get done at the deadline. Maybe in the offseason.


The Yankees stay busy, but keep top prospects

The Yankees have already made one big trade, getting David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from the White Sox to bolster the bullpen, as well as Todd Frazier to add another bat. I don't think they're done, either. New York is currently sitting in the top AL wild-card spot and I don't think you make a trade like that trade with the White Sox only to close up shop and call it a deadline. Not when you just lost Michael Pineda to Tommy John surgery and have a rotation opening.
Now, that said, the Yankees are very protective of their top prospects, and I don't see them trading any of them at the deadline. That takes them out of the running for Gray and Darvish. The Yankees still have enough prospect depth to add a rental fifth starter, however, plus pick up a new first baseman. Right now, the Yankees are the only contender that needs a first baseman or designated hitter. They're in position to let the market for Lucas Duda or Yonder Alonso come to them,
As for pitching help, the Yankees would love a young controllable starter, though that's not going to happen without trading top prospects. That makes a rental more likely. With Jaime Garcia and Trevor Cahill being dealt yesterday, the top remaining rentals are Cardinals righty Lance Lynn and Padres righty Jhoulys Chacin. Don't be surprised if the Yankees do something creative like add another reliever, then move Adam Warren or Chad Green back into the rotation. Point is, the Yankees are not done.
Padres overplay their Hand


Brad Hand is really good, but are the Padres asking too much? USATSI Forgive the pun. I couldn't resist.


Anyway, the Padres have a very desirable trade asset in lefty reliever Brad Hand, who has thrown 51 innings with a 2.12 ERA and 66 strikeouts this season. He also won't qualify for free agency until after the 2019 season, so Hand is not a rental.
Not surprisingly, San Diego has set the asking price quite high for Hand. They were reportedly seeking a return on par with last year's Andrew Miller trade, for example. There's always a little wiggle room there, though I think they've set the price so high that many contenders are looking elsewhere for bullpen help. The Yankees brought in Robertson and Kahnle. The Nationals went for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. The Royals turned to Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer (from the Padres!). The Mariners brought in David Phelps.
Contenders looking for bullpen help still have plenty of options as well. Phillies setup man Pat Neshek will be moved before the trade deadline. The Orioles have reportedly made Zach Britton and Brad Brach available. The Tigers are going to trade Wilson and the Marlins are going to trade A.J. Ramos. Hand is excellent. There are also so many other quality relievers out there that aren't attached to such a high asking price.
I think the Padres have already pushed too many teams away with their demands and are going to end up keeping Hand at the deadline. They'll hope he stays healthy so they can try to trade him again in the offseason.


Brewers stay the course, avoid splashy move

The Brewers went into the All-Star break with a 5½-game lead in the NL Central. That lead is already gone. They're only a half-game up on the Cubs. That's what happens when you go 3-7 in your last 10 games while the second place team goes 8-2.
Truth be told, the Brewers are ahead of schedule this year. They're in the middle of a rebuild and to see them contending for a division title in late July is a bit of a surprise. This recent 3-7 skid -- that makes things sound a little better than they actually are because the Brewers are 1-7 in their last eight games -- drives home the point that they're probably not good enough to outlast the Cubs the rest of the way, especially with Chicago kicking it into juggernaut mode since the All-Star break.
I think the Brewers front office recognizes this and will act accordingly. They won't trade their top prospects for a quick fix despite reported interest in Gray and Verlander. That doesn't mean Milwaukee will do nothing. I suppose they could still make a play for Gray with an eye on next year, though they won't do it with the same urgency as they would have, say, three weeks ago. The Brewers are a fun and exciting team, and I don't think general manager David Stearns will risk their fun and exciting future.

[BigSpoon]

Eduardo Nunez was just traded during the Giants/Pirates game.

He was removed from the game and got his farewell hugs.

Making room for Kung Fat Panda at 3B I see the Giants.

[yisman]

t

those scenes are always so interesting to watch when I player gets traded in the middle of game or sometimes they show up in the middle of a a game. I remember Justin Morneau arriving to a Pirate game in the 7th inning or so a few years back and you saw the introductions and hellos happening in the dug out in between pitches

That was interesting also because it was breaking news.

The media had no idea the deal happened. Nunez being lifted and saying his farewells while I was watching the game was the first indication he had been dealt.

Like 30 minutes or so after that, details started emerging and it was confirmed he was traded to Boston.

[stevenash]

Bellinger with a monster HR last night to put the dagger in my Twins.

Meanwhile my beloved Royals keep on rolling.

[stevenash]

That was interesting also because it was breaking news.

The media had no idea the deal happened. Nunez being lifted and saying his farewells while I was watching the game was the first indication he had been dealt.

Like 30 minutes or so after that, details started emerging and it was confirmed he was traded to Boston.

Sometimes the media isn't informed immediately.

[yisman]

Phillies sent Pat Neshek to Colorado for prospects

[mr. leisure]

Yu Darvish With 10 ER today .

[Cross]

Neshek gets it done w that funky delivery.

[El Nino]

Twins blow a 5-0 lead. 2 runs in the 7th, 1 in the 8th, walk off in the 9th. Dunzo...

[Chi_archie]

Yu Darvish With 10 ER today .

oh man crazy timing

[EmpireMaker]

The Rockies announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Pat Neshek from the Phillies in exchange for minor league infielder Jose Gomez and minor league right-handers J.D. Hammer and Alejandro Requena. Lefty Tyler Anderson has been moved to the 60-day DL to clear a roster spot.
[Related: Updated Colorado Rockies depth chart and Philadelphia Phillies depth chart]

Neshek, 37 in September, has proven to be a strong offseason pickup for the Phillies, who effectively acquired the side-armer and his $6.5MM contract in a salary dump. Through 40 1/3 innings out of the Philadelphia bullpen, Neshek has averaged 10.0 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 with a 37 percent ground-ball rate en route to a pristine 1.12 ERA. Neshek’s 13.6 percent swinging-strike rate is the best mark he’s posted since his rookie year with the Twins way back in 2006, and the paltry 24.5 percent hard-contact rate he’s allowed ranks as the 24th-best out of 163 qualified relievers.
In Neshek, the Rockies are adding a rental arm — Neshek is a free agent at season’s end — to a relief corps that has looked to show signs of fatigue in recent weeks. Colorado had a top-heavy bullpen that posted middle-of-the-pack results in April and May but has fallen off considerably since the calendar flipped to June. Over the past 30 days, Rockies relievers have posted a 4.74 ERA and a 4.92 FIP, each of which rank among the worst collective marks in baseball. Adam Ottavino and Jordan Lyles, in particular, have struggled as of late, but adding Neshek to the mix will give first-year manager Bud Black another quality arm to pair with the likes of Greg Holland and Jake McGee, taking some pressure off other arms further down the pecking order.
The 20-year-old Gomez ranked 21st in a deep Rockies farm system on the recently released midseason top 30 prospect list from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. He’s played all over the infield but profiles best at second base in the long run, per that report, though he’s a ways off from the Majors anyhow after spending the bulk of the season in Class-A. Gomez is hitting .324/.374/.437 with four homers, 20 doubles and a pair of triples thus far in 2017. He’s also swiped 18 bases, though he’s been caught on another 11 attempts, suggesting that he needs further refinement in that area if he’s to be much of a threat on the bases later in his pro career.
In addition to having an excellent name, the 23-year-old Hammer boasts an outstanding strikeout rate thus far through the first year-plus of his professional career. The Marshall University product was Colorado’s 24th-round pick in the 2016 draft and has pitched to a 3.15 ERA with 12.3 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 since joining the Rockies organization. Hammer, who has also posted a ground-ball rate north of 50 percent as a pro, has worked exclusively out of the bullpen, though he’s pitched in Class-A this season and is older than much of his competition. Fangraphs’ lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen tweets that Hammer possesses a plus fastball and average curveball but presently has below-average control.
Requena, 20, has worked as a starter at the Class-A level this season, totaling 117 innings across 19 starts with 7.5 K/9, 1.9 BB/9 and a 47.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s demonstrated very strong control throughout his professional career to date and is enjoying solid results in his first year of full-season ball despite being nearly two years younger than the average age of his competition.

[BigSpoon]

Yu Darvish With 10 ER today .

He clearly wants to stay with the Rangers.

[yisman]

Mark Feinsand @Feinsand
Source: Rays-Mets Lucas Duda deal is "about done." RHP Drew Smith - TB's No. 30 prospect per @MLBPipeline - going to Mets in the deal.

[koz-man]

Lucas Duda seemed a good fit for the Mariners, Red Sox or Yankees, but instead goes to the Rays for minor league reliever Drew Smith. With Corey Dickerson playing more in the outfield of late, Duda will slide into the DH role that has been occupied by the struggling Brad Miller. The Rays are third in the AL in home runs and now added another lefty masher. Good move.

[stevenash]

oh man crazy timing

Meanwhile Zach Godley and Chris O'Grady are tossing shutout gems.
Godley is not that surprising, what O'Grady is doing to Cincy is almost criminal.
He's got all those Red power bats off balanced and out in front.

Oh no..............
He's done after seven innings.
Here comes the Marlin bullpen.
Oh the humanity.

[stevenash]

Lucas Duda seemed a good fit for the Mariners, Red Sox or Yankees, but instead goes to the Rays for minor league reliever Drew Smith. With Corey Dickerson playing more in the outfield of late, Duda will slide into the DH role that has been occupied by the struggling Brad Miller. The Rays are third in the AL in home runs and now added another lefty masher. Good move.

And their front line pitching is solid.
Archer, Odorizzi and Cobb is good enough to make a deep October run.
It's not the Dodgers staff by any stretch, but good enough with all that hitting.
All three have solid WH/IP's and Cobb's only flaw is those 23 homers allowed.

[Cross]

Sox take another slap to the face from Cubs, nice.

[EmpireMaker]

• The Brewers have indicated some interest in veteran Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (Twitter link). At this point, though, the sides don’t seem to have made any real progress toward a deal. The left-handed-hitting Granderson would add a new dimension to the lineup, which features a variety of right-handed outfield options.
• As they continue to work on upgrading their roster, the Rays are willing to take trade offers for infielders Tim Beckham and Brad Miller, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). With the recent additions of Adeiny Hechavarria and now Lucas Duda, the Rays are perhaps a bit overstocked in infielders. Still, Tampa Bay is more interested in listening to potential offers than in shopping the pair around, Crasnick notes.
• The Nationals have scouted Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham along with reliever Trevor Rosenthal, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter). As ever, it’s hard to read too much into this sort of report, but it does seem notable that the Nats would be putting any thought into an outfielder at this point. While the team has dealt with injuries — highlighted by Adam Eaton but also including Jayson Werth, Michael Taylor, and others — indications of late have been that outfield additions wouldn’t be pursued in earnest.
• In other news on infielders, there’s some belief around the game that the Tigers could find a trade partner for shortstop Jose Iglesias, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). That’s a bit surprising to hear, given the lack of demand among contenders, though Iglesias is a controllable player who’d be of possible interest to a variety of organizations even if a run at the postseason this year isn’t likely.
• The White Sox have gotten “a little” interest in left fielder/designated hitter Melky Cabrera, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets, though he also notes that the ChiSox would clearly need to pay down some of the remaining $5.4MM on Cabrera’s $15MM salary. CSN Chicago’s Chuck Garfien tweeted earlier today that GM Rick Hahn is willing to do just that, however, so perhaps a modest market could develop for the veteran switch-hitter’s services. After this morning’s Dan Jennings trade, Cabrera is one of the few plausible trade assets that remaining on a gutted White Sox roster. Struggling pitchers James Shields, Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey, Miguel Gonzalez and Tyler Clippard all figure to be plenty available as well, though none carries much (if any) trade value.
• Though it’s been more than a month since Padres infielder Yangervis Solarte suited up for a game, Rosenthal tweets not to rule out a trade. Solarte is embarking on a minor league rehab assignment this weekend and has drawn interest from other clubs, per Rosenthal. Solarte, 30, was San Diego’s hottest hitter in mid-June (.337/.427/.589, seven homers in 26 games/110 PAs) before incurring an oblique strain from which he has not yet returned. The switch-hitting Solarte can handle both second base and third base, and may even spend some time at short during his rehab, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. That versatility at the plate and in the field both looked highly marketable prior to his injury — as did his contract. Solarte is earning just $2.625MM this season with a $4.125MM salary in 2018 plus a pair of club options for 2019 ($5.5MM) and 2020 ($8MM).
• Recent indications are that Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera will be dealt, and he’s still drawing interest from at least a trio of rivals, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). The odds that he’ll be targeted perhaps also increased with an injury suffered on Wednesday by Phillies infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes, Kendrick did not suffer a fracture when he was hit by a pitch on the hand. But it’s not yet known if he’ll miss time. Given that he has already missed two extended stretches with other health issues, Kendrick will perhaps need to reenter the lineup and show he’s at full speed to factor into the deadline shopping spree. (Even if he doesn’t, he’d be a candidate to move in August.)

[Chi_archie]

Sox take another slap to the face from Cubs, nice.

should be a good rivalry again in 2 years

[yisman]

David Price was scratched from today's start and will be placed on the DL.