NEWS/RUMORS/AROUND MLB Thread

Yeah the unknown suspension probably played a role too.

 

Suspend your best player is not well done. Might as well just trade him now

 

Keep him away from SF or Chicago is reason enough

 

Can't let anyone, even your best player, destroy team property like that. And it wasn't his first run in with team management.

Anything less than a suspension would have been weak.

 

Not a great day for Timmeh.

https://twitter.com/pedromoura/status/757289818283843584

 

Yeah, and Sale was one of the idiots who got all bent out of shape when the FO stopped letting LaRouche spoiled son run rampant in the clubhouse. Yes, cause he was a team leader.

You can let a lot go, and it seems like they have let a hell of a lot go with this guy. He just became as spoiled as LaRouche's kid.

But you don't destroy team property. This was a promotional event planned months ago before Spring Training. Everyone was fitted for the uniforms so they would be comfortable.

Sales just went off the deep end when it turned out the event would happen on his starting day. That's when he cut up all the uniforms. Had it been another day, Sales and all his talk about promotions over winning would have been radio silent.

He likes money just like the rest of us, and I'm sure he won't mind that promotional money coming his way when he's up for his new contract.

 

Not defending Sale, but those throwbacks looked like shit. So did the ones they wore yesterday.

 

Their #3 starter is pitching like #2.

 

They all look like shit. Padres are the worst.

 

Cards and Dodgers looked pretty good yesterday.

 

Samardzija's last 10 have been a clusterfuck of awful. A good game against an awful Rays team and a solid start at home against the D'Backs... Otherwise, he's been REALLY bad

 

The AL East really should be giggling at the NL West at this point.
And I hate that.

 

Top 50 Trade Candidates
By Jeff Todd | July 24, 2016 at 1:53pm CDT

1. Aroldis Chapman, RP, Yankees —Though the Yanks are still in reasonable range for contention, word is that they’re readying to deal Chapman. The Cuban Missile promises to be a powerful weapon for whoever acquires him, with many of the best teams in baseball lining up for that chance — reportedly including the Indians, Cubs, Nationals, Dodgers, and Giants.

2. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Brewers — The Indians are said to have opened talkson Lucroy after losing Yan Gomes and receiving bad news on Michael Brantley’s health, and the Rangers are also seemingly kicking around the idea of a move. Though it’s not certain he’ll be dealt, Lucroy still has the best blend of trade likelihood and value — he’s a top player at a premium defensive position who is playing on a super-cheap deal with control remaining.

3. Josh Reddick, OF, Athletics — Extension talks seem to be going nowhere, so it’s probably time for the veteran to be shipped out of Oakland. Having resumed his solid form at the plate since returning from the DL, he’s the best all-around rental outfielder available. The Cubs are among the teams said to be looking at Reddick.

4. Jay Bruce, OF, Reds — Bruce’s previous placement at the top of this list was driven largely by the fact that he was so obviously available. With the picture now more clear in other areas, and Bruce cooling off of late, he’s sliding a bit.

5. Andrew Cashner, SP, Padres — It seems all but certain that Cashner will be traded; indeed, there was buzz that he’d be gone before his last start. After turning in two quality outings, rivals organizations might be more willing to take a chance on the up-and-down righty.

6. Rich Hill, SP, Athletics — It’s hard to place Hill, who has been unbelievable all year but has dealt with two seemingly minor but nagging injuries. The most recent one is a blister that hasn’t healed enough to allow him to get back in the rotation. Hill can still be traded even if he isn’t able to make it back before the deadline, but that possibility only makes his already hard-to-gauge value all the more uncertain.

7. Carlos Beltran, OF, Yankees — Beltran is another Yankee who’s tough to place, albeit for slightly different reasons. We haven’t heard a ton of chatter on the veteran, who is hitting at near-peak rates at 39 years of age. He’s a pure rental who is eligible for free agency this winter.

8. Steve Pearce, IF/OF, Rays — Pearce is matching his 2014 breakout with a .322/.393/.552 slash. He has also been hurt, which has been an issue in the past, but with a meager $4.75MM salary for the season he’d be quite an affordable addition. He isn’t a great defender, but Pearce has proven capable of playing first, second, and the corner outfield, so he could provide plenty of plate appearances to the right organization.

9. Jake Odorizzi, SP, Rays — Odorizzi has been far from dominant — he owns a 4.39 ERA in 110 2/3 innings — but he’s steady, young, cheap, and controlled for three more seasons. He still seems the most likely Rays pitcher to change hands.

10. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Phillies — It has been a very strong campaign for the 29-year-old, who carries a 3.84 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 over 119 2/3 frames. It’s exactly what the Phils were hoping for when they added him over the winter, as he has been a nice stabilizing force and now looks like a solid trade piece in a market that doesn’t feature many useful rental starters.

11. Ervin Santana, SP, Twins — Teams prioritizing steadiness and durability will likely zero in on Santana, who’s a good bet to provide some reliable innings down the stretch and over the rest of his contract.

12. Matt Moore, SP, Rays — If, instead, you’d rather roll the dice on upside, then perhaps Moore is your guy. His contract is no longer quite as enticing as it once was, particularly since he can’t seem to turn the corner on the hill, but if he can find his form he’d once again be a premium asset.

13. Yunel Escobar, INF, Angels — It’s hard to discount the run he’s been on the last two years too much, but clubs will surely be wary of the fact that he’s doing it with a .350-ish BABIP. Without much pop in the bat, and a middling glove, there are limits to his value.

14. Danny Valencia, INF, Athletics — Valencia has fallen back at the plate and recently was moved off his regular third base gig. That seems to suggest that he’s not a major part of Oakland’s plans for 2017, but it also doesn’t necessarily do much for his trade value.

15. Melvin Upton Jr., OF, Padres — Trade chatter is picking up quite a bit on the resurgent Padres outfielder. His big contract will factor heavily in the market, as the Ubaldo Jimenez rumors would suggest, but he looks to be quite a useful addition for a contender in need of a fill-in starter or oft-used fourth outfielder.

16. Peter Bourjos, OF, Phillies — This feels a bit high for a player who is hitting quite well now, but hasn’t ever been a consistently useful offensive player. But that’s not the real reason for it. Instead, with Bourjos showing some life at the plate, he looks like an obvious player to change hands. His speed and defense make him a nice bench piece down the stretch, and with free agency coming, the Phils don’t have much reason not to cash him in.

17-19. Outfielders Ryan Braun (Brewers), Carlos Gonzalez & Charlie Blackmon (Rockies) — This trio is tough to gauge. You could argue that the Brewers ought to sell Braun now, but is the market really willing? And is Rockies owner Dick Monfort ready to pack in not only on 2016, but also ding the team’s near-future outlook by dealing away a high-quality outfielder?

20-21. Shortstops Eduardo Nunez (Twins) & Zack Cozart (Reds) — These are the two best middle infielders on the market — Cozart is an outstanding true shortstop, while Nunez has experience all over — but we’re still not seeing clear demand crystallize.

22-23. Relievers Jeremy Jeffress & Will Smith, Brewers — Milwaukee’s quality and controllable relievers could be traded or not, but odds are at least one will change hands as teams that miss out on bigger targets go looking for a backup plan.

24-26. Starters Jorge De La Rosa (Rockies), Ivan Nova (Yankees) & Jon Niese (Pirates) — There’s always demand for innings on the trade market, and these three starters bring that along with at least some hope for more.

Keep reading for the rest of the list and other names that were considered …


27-28. Catchers Derek Norris (Padres) & Stephen Vogt (Athletics) — Norris has long been considered a trade candidate with Austin Hedges in need of a big league opportunity. We haven’t heard the same regarding Vogt, but everything is on the table right now for Oakland.

29-32. Lefty relievers Boone Logan & Jake McGee (Rockies), Fernando Abad (Twins), Zach Duke (White Sox) — Teams looking for an extra lefty down the stretch and into the post-season will have some interesting options to choose from, with the pure rental Logan perhaps representing the easiest trade asset. Abad, too, ought to be available, though Minnesota may hold onto him with a cheap year of arb control available.

33-37. Righty relievers Joe Smith & Huston Street (Angels), Jeanmar Gomez (Phillies), Daniel Hudson & Tyler Clippard (Diamondbacks) — As with the southpaws, each of these names has a little different blend of recent vs. broader track record and a slightly varied contract situation. But all are controlled for one more year or less, and all are eminently available for teams looking to bolster their bullpen depth.

38. Matt Kemp, OF, Padres — Yes, the contract is enormous and the OBP and glovework are terrifying. But Kemp has been much better over the last several months, and now has swatted six home runs in his last six games.

39-42. Starters Chris Archer (Rays), Julio Teheran (Braves), Anthony DeSclafani (Reds) & Matt Shoemaker (Angels) — There’s really been nothing to suggest that any of these pitchers are available, but we’ve also seen new possibilities arise as the market reacts to an imbalance between supply and demand in starting pitching. If the right offer materialized, it’s theoretically possible that any of these four hurlers could be dealt, though the odds still seem low.

43-46. Relievers Andrew Miller (Yankees), David Robertson (White Sox), Wade Davis (Royals) & Steve Cishek (Mariners) — Likewise, it’s still far from clear that any of these four arms will be made available. All come with future control, and none of their respective teams seem fully committed to selling. Miller and Davis, in particular, would require massive returns, with Robertson not far behind. Cishek is not really a premium asset, but the M’s would likely need something intriguing to motivate them to deal. (For what it’s worth, I originally had Miller ranked much higher, but dropped him with the latest reports suggesting he’ll stay if Chapman is dealt.)

47-50. 1B Chris Carter (Brewers), OF Melky Cabrera (White Sox), DHKendrys Morales (Royals), 1B Adam Lind (Mariners) — Teams in search of veteran bats with some pop will be looking at this class of defensively-limited players, though none is certain to be dealt. Carter and Cabrera are hitting well this year, but the Brewers could keep the former given his affordable arb control and the White Sox may not want to part with their added year of control over the latter (even at a $15MM price tag) unless they make other, more dramatic moves. Morales and Lind are pure rentals, with the former also coming with an unlikely-to-be-exercised mutual option, but neither is performing all that well.

Injured:

Tyson Ross & Jon Jay (Padres), Sean Doolittle (Athletics), Trevor Plouffe (Twins), Arodys Vizcaino (Braves), Austin Jackson & Alex Avila(White Sox)

 

It was apparently a comfort thing because they are made out of wool and it was hotter than hell outside

 

Can't fuck up this Gnat meltdown. Would love to get to 3 back. A solid trade deadline move would be icing on the cake.

 

Anyone can blurt out that a team is interested or in the mix, it means squat. Additionally when you are a contender and you have an obvious weakness on your team you are connected with just about every reliever. It comes down to what the other team wants from you obviously. That FO is still run by humans they CAN make mistakes. Just saying.

 

You're underestimating this team.

They're fully capable of fucking it up.