MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

lol morosi
how this guy (still) has a job is beyond me
"throw enough shit, something's bound to stick"...
fucken idiot

• Manny Machado’s departure from the Baltimore Orioles is starting to feel more like a “when” rather than an “if.” Machado is in the final year of his contract with Baltimore, and most are expecting the lowly Orioles to swing a trade for the 25-year-old before the deadline to avoid losing him in free agency for nothing. While the Machado rumor mill has yet to really heat up, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi shed some light on the situation during an appearance Thursday on FOX Sports 1’s “MLB Whiparound.” “The two teams to watch for Machado I believe: the Cubs and the Indians,” Morosi said, per NJ.com’s Mike Rosenstein. Morosi’s report is interesting, as both teams currently boast strong pairings on the left side of the infield. That said, Chicago likely would be willing to move Addison Russell in order to bring in Machado, while Cleveland would be forced to make a decision on Jose Ramirez in order to pair Machado with Francisco Lindor. While Morosi only listed two teams in his recent report, it’s hard to imagine Machado doesn’t have a long list of suitors chomping at the bit to acquire him.

https://nesn.com...

 

Hot commodities in the relief pitching market
by Buster Olney | ESPN Senior Writer — 4 hours ago

CHICAGO -- Manny Machado will be the most discussed trade target of the summer in the media, because of his superstar pedigree and because of his impending free agency. But the Kansas City Royals’ Kelvin Herrera could turn out to be the most-talked about among teams, with the highest volume of suitors.

While Machado’s market will be more specialized, with just a handful of teams looking for help on the left side of the infield and even fewer willing to seriously consider the Baltimore Orioles’ high asking price. Machado is the Lamborghini of the summer swap talk; Herrera is the more reliable and more useful pickup truck.

Why? Because Herrera checks every box for interested contenders.

1. He’s a reliever, and even clubs with great bullpens will be looking to augment theirs. The New York Yankees, for example, are loaded with high-end relievers, but if general manager Brian Cashman doesn't find the type of starting pitcher he wants before July 31, he could opt to saturate his bullpen and target Herrera.

2. He has lots of experience as a closer, as well as a setup man. He’s got 53 saves, including 10 this year.

3. He’s throwing well. Herrera’s velocity is down a tick this year, but his average of 96.5 mph is still among the best in the big leagues. His swing-and-miss rate of 14.6 percent is the second-highest in his career, and Herrera ranks first in the AL in generating swings on pitches outside of the strike zone, at 43.7 percent.

4. He’s apparently healthy, with a relatively light early workload. Whether it’s because the Royals aren’t winning a lot of games or because they’re working to preserve a valued trade asset, there have been only four instances so far this season in which Herrera has worked on back-to-back days, and only one time when he pitched in three straight games.

5. He’s got loads of postseason experience, from the Royals’ championship runs of 2014-15, and in those high-pressure games, Herrera has 38 strikeouts in 28 ⅔ innings, with an ERA of 1.26.

6. He throws strikes. Lots and lots of strikes. Herrera had 20 appearances through Friday’s games, and he had issued a total of exactly zero walks.

7. He’s going to be pricey, given the number of teams that might ask about him, but he won’t be outrageously expensive, because he’s a free agent in the fall. Whoever buys him will pay for three-plus months of control (including October).

The Royals are rebuilding, and so they should trade him this summer, to recoup maximum value. Kansas City would also have the leverage to inform suitors, with all earnestness, that the Royals could keep Herrera and tender him a qualifying offer this fall, to set themselves up for draft-pick compensation.

But it’s much more likely that sometime in the next 65 days, some rival general manager will decide that Herrera can be a difference-making piece and will be willing to pay the Royals what they want -- just as the Royals paid the extra cost to land Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist during the 2015 season on their way to a World Series title.

Some other relievers who could be highly sought in the trade market:

• Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics: The 29-year-old right-hander has nasty stuff and is having the best season of his career, and Oakland has a long history of selling pitchers at the height of their value.

• Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles: He’s making progress in his rehabilitation from Achilles surgery in the winter, and if all goes well, he’ll be back to audition for interested teams well before the trade deadline.

• Richard Bleier, Orioles: The 31-year-old lefty has performed well, limiting the damage of both lefties and righties.

• Brad Hand, San Diego Padres: San Diego never really relented in its asking price for the lefty last year, and while Hand is not throwing quite as well in 2018 as he did in 2017, he could interest suitors. Hand has allowed 13 walks in 26 innings, but with 39 strikeouts. And remember how much he has dominated lefties this year: Left-handed hitters are 1-for-30 against Hand, with 16 strikeouts.

• Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds: He’s got a 2.08 ERA and eight saves this year, with 42 saves in his career.

• Seung Hwan Oh, Toronto Blue Jays: The right-hander has bounced back from some problems of last year, allowing only six walks and striking out 24 in 23 innings, with a 2.08 ERA.

 

haha, love the avatar

 

Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball right now.
Most of our players are heating up.
A new chip has come off the block and he looks like an Ace.
There are more chips coming.
Bargain hunting FO already paying off with Muncy.
And the usual trade deadline deal to upgrade the team is still to come.