The Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres are discussing a potential blockbuster trade on Friday, according to reports.
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports that the teams are forming a trade that would send outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to Baltimore in exchange for starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The trade, according to Rosenthal, is not yet close. The Padres, who would save money in the trade by dumping Upton's contract, also want a prospect from Baltimore. It appears that things still have to be ironed out before a deal gets completed. The 31-year-old Upton is enjoying a bounce-back year in San Diego. He is hitting .260/.309/.448 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI in 365 plate appearances, posting a 1.6 fWAR, making him a valuable option in Baltimore's outfield if he ultimately gets traded. For the Padres, trading Upton would result in huge payroll savings, as he's signed through 2017 and is expected to make $16.45 million next season. At the moment, the Orioles need some help in left field, where Julio Borbon is currently positioned. He has a career 76 wRC+. As for Jimenez, the 32-year-old has had a tough year. He's 5-9 with a 7.38 ERA and a 72 to 50 strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.89 FIP) in 81 2/3 innings pitched (18 games; 17 starts). Jimenez, an All-Star when he was with the Rockies in 2010, is signed through 2017 and will make $13.5 million next year. It seems possible that the Padres could get cash relief to help pay for Jimenez's contract to further the savings that they will create in this trade. Stay tuned as the story develops. --Devan Fink
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The Chicago Cubs have acquired left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners in a four-player trade on Wednesday, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported.
Other moving parts in the deal include Jordan Pries, who heads to the Cubs. Dan Vogelbach and Paul Blackburn were also in the trade, both going to Seattle. The 27-year-old Montgomery was a 1st round (36th overall) pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2008, but he did not break into the Major Leagues until he pitched with the Mariners last season. He was used exclusively as a starter in 2015, pitching to subpar results, posting a 4.60 ERA in 90 innings pitched. This season, however, Montgomery has pitched a lot more out of the bullpen for Seattle and has found some success there. Like many flameout starters (Wade Davis), Montgomery has been very good out this year, seeing his strikeout rate tick up and his walk rate go down. This has led to better results. In 32 games (two starts), Montgomery has posted a 2.34 ERA, a 3.20 FIP and a 3.54 xFIP. In all, he has been worth 0.9 fWAR and has generated more swinging strikes, while seeing his velocity increase across the board. The addition of Montgomery is big for the Cubs, who have been in need of bullpen help. While he's not a flashy addition, Cubs' relievers have combined to post a 0.9 fWAR this season, 23rd in the Major Leagues. But they have a 3.82 ERA, right in the middle of the pack. Montgomery will help out at the back-end of the bullpen in Chicago, where he has done so thus far in Seattle. The Cubs also received Triple-A right-hander Jordan Pries in the trade. This season, Pries has a 3.65 ERA and a 21 to 7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 2/3 innings pitched there, coming over seven appearances (three starts). For the Mariners, the trade of Montgomery is an interesting one. The team was expected to contend this season and did open up the year playing well, but they have found themselves in a tailspin over the past few weeks, falling in the American League West standings. At 48-47, the Mariners are seven games out of the division race and are five-and-a-half games out of the Wild Card. While trading Montgomery does not represent a complete sell-off in Seattle, it's hard to expect them being major buyers at the trade deadline even still. Vogelbach is an interesting addition for Seattle, though, and he could help out at the Major League level this year. The 23-year-old defensive liability has been hitting to the tune of a fantastic .318/.425/.548 line this season with 16 home runs and 64 RBI in 365 plate appearances this year. He could be a good designated hitter candidate in the American League. As for Blackburn, 22, he was the Cubs' 1st round pick in the 2012 draft (56 overall). He has thrown 102 1/3 innings pitched this season and has a 3.17 ERA as well as a 72 to 26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Double-A. --Devan Fink
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce was thought to have been a huge trade chip last season as a left-handed, power hitting outfielder that came with a year-and-a-half of team control.
Aug. 1 came and Jay Bruce was still a Red. But this season, Bruce has an even higher chance to be traded. The Reds are 34-58, sitting in last in the NL Central and are in full rebuild-mode. Bruce is a free agent at the end of the season, finishing off of a six-year, $51 million contract. And teams need him. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, six teams have already checked in on Bruce. These are the Indians, Rangers, Nationals, Orioles, Giants and Dodgers. The Blue Jays have also reportedly shown interest in Bruce. In addition, all six of these teams have been in the markets for other outfielders such as Ryan Braun, Josh Reddick and perhaps even Carlos Gonzalez. The 29-year-old Bruce was picked by the Reds in the 1st round (12th overall) in the 2005 MLB Draft and has been a staple in their lineup ever since coming up to the Major Leagues. The three-time All-Star (including 2016) is a defensive liability, however, many teams value offensive contributions, especially on the left-handed side of the plate. This season, Bruce is hitting .265/.317/.532 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI over 353 plate appearances in 86 games. Though according to FanGraphs, Bruce has only been worth 0.1 Wins Above Replacement. This is because of his defense. Bruce has an awful -20.6 ultimate zone rating per 150 games (UZR/150), meaning that he would be almost 21 runs worse than the average right fielder in terms of range and making defensive plays. Over his career, Bruce has always been an offense-first player, carrying a .249/.319/.467 line with 226 home runs and 644 RBI in parts of nine seasons. His career wRC+ of 107 suggests that he has been seven percent better offensively than the league-average hitter. This year, his wRC+ is 118. As the Aug. 1 trade deadline quickly approaches, it's more than likely Jay Bruce will find himself in a new home. --Devan Fink
The Minnesota Twins have fired general manager Terry Ryan on Monday, they announced in a statement.
Ryan, 62, has been serving as the general manager of the team since 1994, though was not part of the team from 2007 to 2011 after resigning and returning to his former post. He led the team to four postseason appearances. The Twins are currently 33-58 and have the worst record in the American League. This came as a bit of a surprise to many, as the team looked to be on the rise after a successful 2015 season which saw the team go 83-79 and almost make the playoffs. Ryan has built the Twins' farm system over the years, using the draft and international systems to his advantage. Players such as Ben Revere, Wilson Ramos and Miguel Sano have been more of the recent young player developments that Ryan has been apart of. In the future, this could expand out to Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Jose Berrios, though they are all still early in their respective careers. Regardless, the firing of Ryan comes at an interesting time. The Major League trade deadline is in just a few weeks on Aug. 1 and the Twins will be without a permanent general manager. This is especially true considering that the Twins told Ryan last month that he would not be back next year, according to Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Ryan, according to Mackey, ultimately decided that he would prefer to be fired in-season. The Twins are interested in bringing Ryan back in some capacity, according to Mackey. Twins Assistant General Manager Rob Antony will take over as interim GM while the team searches for a permanent solution. --Devan Fink
The Houston Astros have signed Cuban infielder Yulieski Gourriel to a five-year, $47.5 million contract, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Gourriel, 32, defected from Cuba in February and has been in search of a Major League contract ever since. He is expected to be Major League ready this season and can fill in at third base, shortstop and at second, though third was his primary position in Cuba. He played for Cuba's 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams. The Astros currently have Luis Valbuena at third base, and the left-handed hitter could use a compliment on the other side of the plate, which is where Gourriel hits. Houston also has top prospect and former 1st round draft pick Alex Bregman waiting in the wings, and many have speculated that he will be called up soon. Valbuena has been serviceable out at third, hitting for a .269 batting average and a .838 OPS in 297 plate appearances. As previously mentioned, however, Valbuena does not hit left-handed pitching all that well, making just 19 starts against southpaws this season. He has a career .669 OPS against lefties. That's where Gourriel should come in. Though it does not compare to the Major Leagues, Gourriel hit for an absurdly great .500/.589/.874 slash line in his last season in Cuba. In 224 plate appearances, he hit 15 home runs, drove in 51 RBI and posted a 38 to 3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. No matter what league one plays in, those are some impressive numbers, even considering Gourriel was playing in the Cuban National Series, Cuba's professional baseball league. He will need some at bats in the minor leagues before coming to the Astros. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, Gourriel will make $3.5 million this season, $14 million in 2017, $12 million in 2018, $10 million in 2019 and $8 million in 2020. The Mets, Dodgers and Royals were among the teams also interested in Gourriel. --Devan Fink |
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