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Free-agent starting pitcher Edinson Volquez and the Miami Marlins reportedly agreed to terms on a contract on Monday.

The Miami Herald‘s Clark Spencer first reported the news, while Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed the news and added the deal is for two years and $22 million pending a physical. 

In his second season with the Kansas City Royals, Volquez compiled a 10-11 record with a 5.37 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. He gave up more than a hit per inning and allowed a career-worst 23 home runs. FanGraphs‘ WAR formula measured his performance as being 1.1 wins worse than he was in 2015, when he was an integral part of the staff that led Kansas City to the World Series.

“I think I was kind of struggling all year,” Volquez said, according to the Associated Press (h/t the Washington Times). “It was one of those years. Everything doesn’t go your way.”

While far from his best year, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the Royals take a chance on Volquez in 2017. The $11 million price tag isn’t all that exorbitant for a reliable arm. The Royals will likely wind up paying as much, if not more, to replace him with another veteran.

And even though Volquez wasn’t at his best, he wasn’t all that bad once you dig a little deeper. His ERA was nearly a full run worse than his FIP, his home run-to-fly ball ratio leaped nearly 5 percent from 2015 and opponents raised their average on balls in play by 29 points, per FanGraphs. A 1.5 WAR wasn’t what the Royals expected, but that’s still roughly in line with what an $11 million arm will produce nowadays.

If anything, Volquez got a little unlucky in 2016.

Now he heads to a Marlins rotation in desperate need of some help after staff ace Jose Fernandez died in a boating accident in September. The Marlins staff is shaping up to include Volquez alongside Adam Conley, Tom Koehler and Wei-Yin Chen.

The Marlins staff compiled a 4.05 ERA last season, good enough for sixth in the National League.

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Although Edinson Volquez is coming off an underwhelming 2016 campaign, that didn’t stop the Miami Marlins from reportedly signing the free-agent starting pitcher.

The Miami Herald‘s Clark Spencer first reported Monday night that the Marlins agreed to terms with Volquez. According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, Volquez will earn $22 million over two years, pending a physical.

The terms of the deal would justify Volquez‘s decision to turn down his $10 million mutual option with the Kansas City Royals for 2017. Given his struggles last year, the move looked risky, but the 33-year-old appears to have benefited in the long run.

A few years ago, Volquez would have been a significant upgrade for the Marlins rotation.

However, he finished 10-11 with a 5.37 ERA in 34 starts for the Royals in 2016. According to FanGraphs, he had the second-highest ERA among qualified starters. His 4.57 FIP was more flattering but still the 14th-worst mark in the majors.

Marlins Park ranked 27th in runs (0.834) and 26th in home runs (0.793) in ESPN.com’s park factor database, which is good news for Volquez. His numbers should improve in his first year with the Marlins.

Paying $11 million per year to Volquez is a gamble for Miami, but it’s a testament to how difficult finding value on the free-agent market is this offseason.

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MLB‘s August 1 non-waiver trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the rumor mill is churning. 

The first blockbuster move of the season was officially completed Monday with the Chicago Cubs’ announcement that they had acquired New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in exchange for prospects.

Monday’s move may start a chain reaction of other deals, especially in the National League, as teams look to keep pace with the Cubs.

Here’s a look around the league at some of the latest rumors and reports.

Chris Sale, White Sox

Despite his team-imposed suspension for a clubhouse outburst, Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale remains the hottest name on the trade market.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports broke down the market for Sale on Monday, naming Boston Red Sox prospects Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi as well as Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Julio Urias as potential young stars who could help pry Sale from Chicago. 

Many teams will likely view the asking price as exorbitant, but Sale’s value is sky-high thanks to his team-friendly contract, which goes through the 2019 season. According to Spotrac, Sale is set to earn $39.5 million from 2017 through 2019, a bargain rate for a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. 

Wade Davis, Royals

The defending champion Kansas City Royals, who are struggling to stay above .500, are reportedly willing to listen to offers for closer Wade Davis. However, the asking price will be steep, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark:

Passan added that the Royals are specifically interested in Washington Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito, one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. 

Davis is under contract through the 2017 season, so it’s reasonable to expect a more enticing package than the New York Yankees received for Aroldis Chapman, who will be a free agent after the 2016 campaign. 

However, the Royals may have a hard time drumming up enough interest in Davis to drive the asking price that high.

One of the teams interested in obtaining Chapman was the Cleveland Indians, but the Royals are unlikely to entertain the idea of shipping Davis within the division. That may leave the Nationals as one of the only viable trade partners, decreasing their incentive to offer a top-flight prospect. 

Edinson Volquez, Royals

Another potential casualty of the Royals’ disappointing season is Edinson Volquez, who is under contract through the 2017 season.

According to Spotrac, Volquez‘s contract has a $3 million buyout option at the end of the 2016 season, so a team could view him as a rental if it’s willing to buy him out at the season’s end. 

ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney reported that the market for Volquez has at least one suitor:

Volquez originally broke into the big leagues with the Texas Rangers in 2005 before being shipped to the Cincinnati Reds in the deal that brought Josh Hamilton to Texas. 

After a rough start to the season, Volquez has shown signs of settling down in recent weeks. Over his past five starts, he’s posted a 2.84 ERA.

Hector Santiago, Angels

On Monday, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported that the Los Angeles Angels are listening to offers for lefty starter Hector Santiago.

Santiago, who was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2015, is in the midst of a disappointing season with a career-worst 4.38 ERA but has been regaining his All-Star form in recent weeks. 

In his past seven starts, Santiago is 5-0 with a 2.28 ERA.

Due to his recent hot streak and track record of success, the asking price for Santiago could be steep. 

Santiago is earning just $5 million this season, according to Spotrac, and will likely see only a marginal bump in salary in 2017, his final season of arbitration before he hits the free-agent market for the first time in 2018.

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Trade season is officially upon us, and with less than a week to go until baseball’s August 1 non-waiver trade deadline arrives, things are sure to pick up.

We’ve already seen one big trade go down this week, with the Chicago Cubs acquiring closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees for a package that included the team’s top prospect, shortstop Gleyber Torres.

If you’re receiving MLB trade rumor notifications on B/R’s Team Stream app, then you’ve already heard the news from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the San Diego Padres have agreed to send outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a Single-A prospect. If you’re not, well, what are you waiting for?

What follows are trade ideas based on the latest chatter from the rumor mill. Some of these we touched upon briefly on Monday, while others haven’t yet been explored. 

Keep in mind that these proposed deals are pure speculation. Unless otherwise noted, there’s no indication that any of them have actually been discussed.

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Eight games out in the American League Central and six games back in the wild-card race, the Kansas City Royals may shop starting pitcher Edinson Volquez ahead of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. 

Continue for updates.

Rangers Looking at Volquez as Trade Target

Monday, July 25

According to ESPN The Magazine‘s Buster Olney, the Texas Rangers are showing interest in acquiring the right-hander.

The Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant reported Sunday that members of the Rangers front office were in attendance for Volquez’s start against Texas. He went six innings, allowing one earned run and seven hits in a 2-1 defeat.

Kansas City doesn’t need to have a full-scale fire sale, but being a seller at the deadline is the team’s best move.

Volquez is a natural trade candidate. He’s technically signed through the 2017 season, but he has a mutual option for next year, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In all likelihood, Volquez will decline the option and become a free agent.

Rany Jazayerli of The Ringer wonders, though, if the Royals should consider holding on to the 33-year-old through the deadline:

Volquez is unlikely to bring a massive return, too. He’s on the wrong side of 30, and his performance on the mound has left a little to be desired. Through 21 starts, he’s 8-8 with a 4.56 ERA and a 4.11 FIP, per FanGraphs.

For the right price, dealing Volquez makes sense. Depending on what the Rangers or others are offering, keeping him for the rest of the year wouldn’t be a bad idea for Kansas City, though.

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Kansas City Royals pitcher Edinson Volquez reportedly took the mound for Game 1 of the World Series shortly after his father died.

According to Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital, Volquez’s father, Daniel Volquez, died Tuesday in the Dominican Republic from heart disease. He was 63. A source confirmed the news to ESPNDeportes.com’s Enrique Rojas, per ESPN Deportes’ Marly Rivera. 

At the request of Volquez’s wife, the Royals did not tell the pitcher of his father’s death before he took the mound Tuesday night, according to the Kansas City Star‘s Jeff Rosen. 

Fox Sports passed along an update once Volquez’s outing against the New York Mets came to a close: 

After the game, teammate Eric Hosmer said the team hadn’t been informed of Volquez’s father’s passing prior to the game, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. 

Volquez has been an integral component of the Royals’ pitching staff and finished the regular season tied for the team lead with 13 wins. He allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts over six innings in Game 1.

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On Monday, the Kansas City Royals announced their pitching rotation for the World Series, which begins Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium against the New York Mets. 

Playing against a Mets team stacked with young power pitching, Kansas City will counter with veteran Edinson Volquez for Game 1, according to Mike Axisa of CBSSports.com. He’ll be matching up against New York’s Matt Harvey.    

Volquez went 13-9 this season with a 3.55 ERA in his first year with the Royals. This postseason, though, he hasn’t quite been on his game, going 1-2 with an ERA of 4.32.

The Royals will be hoping he can repeat his performance from Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, where he shut out the Toronto Blue Jays over six innings, allowing two hits and striking out five. 

Now that Royals manager Ned Yost released his rotation, here is a look at the probable pitching matchups for the World Series:

It was better late than never for Yost to release his rotation. He even called himself a “punk” on Sunday for not disclosing his arms for the Fall Classic, per David Brown of CBSSports.com. 

Giving Volquez the start for Game 1 gives Johnny Cueto two possible starts at home, one in Game 2 and another in Game 6 if necessary. Cueto’s last start on the road was in Toronto during Game 3 of the ALCS, where he allowed eight runs in just two innings before being pulled. 

The Royals’ back end of the rotation features a 24-year-old Yordano Ventura, who burst onto the national scene during last year’s postseason, and Chris Young, a 36-year-old veteran who is on his third team in four years. They’ll have to step up their performances if they want to outduel a New York Mets team that has a 2.81 ERA this postseason. 

If they can’t keep up with New York’s arms, the Royals are going to be in trouble this World Series. 

Stats courtesy of ESPN.com.

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With a sighing exhale of relief, the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals have survived.

Both teams’ American League Division Series were pushed to fifth and deciding games. At times in each series, the Blue Jays and Royals both looked left for dead before their incredible resurrections shoved them into this American League Championship Series, ripe with the league’s two best regular-season records.

The Blue Jays were the team that surged in the second half, spurred by key trades for David Price, Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins along with a boiling-hot offense and a revived R.A. Dickey. They eventually also got the services of Marcus Stroman, who ended up with a couple of quality starts in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.

The Royals were the club that almost went wire-to-wire and ended with the best record in the Junior Circuit. They did it with the same core of budding stars they won the pennant with last season, helped this time around by Ben Zobrist and Johnny Cueto, trade-deadline acquisitions who, at times, were significant contributors to their run to and through the ALDS against the Houston Astros.

Now, with improbable series wins behind them, the Blue Jays and Royals face off in the ALCS with Game 1 kicking it off Friday in Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates have one chance to get it right if they want to advance to the National League Division Series.

As reported by ESPN, the team announced Monday that Edinson Volquez will start the Wild Card game Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants in front of what’s sure to be a raucous crowd at PNC Park. But is that the right choice?

As with any situation, there are two sides to every story.

Some fans see Volquez as the man who had the highest earned-run average of any starter in Major League Baseball last year. He posted a 5.71 ERA while pitching most of his games for the San Diego Padres in Petco Park, a cavernous stadium known to favor pitchers.

They also see a man who, in his only previous playoff start, allowed four runs in 1.2 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 National League Division Series.

Those old stats are history, although history does have a way of repeating itself.

Fans would be a lot more concerned if Volquez, who signed for $5 million before this season, didn’t put together a spectacular year for the Pirates in 2014.

He leads the team in wins (13), earned run average (3.04) and innings pitched (192.2). That’s not to mention Volquez is currently engaged in a career-best scoreless-innings streak that is up to 18 innings.

That scoreless-innings streak has gone a long way in helping him record a 1.08 ERA in September, a number that is the second-lowest in the National League in September.

Volquez is the third starter on the team behind Francisco Liriano, who won last year’s National League Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Reds, and Gerrit Cole.

However, Cole pitched on Sunday when the National League Central was still up for grabs, and Liriano pitched the day before, giving up three earned runs in five innings.

That means Volquez is the only viable option left who has the traditional five days of rest.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not concern.

Charlie Wilmoth of Bucs Dugout made the case that Volquez’ secondary numbers aren’t nearly as good as his ERA suggests.

That’s not to mention Volquez is walking 3.3 batters per nine innings to go along with his league-high 15 wild pitches and 14 hit-batters.

Wilmoth is of the opinion that the Pirates should have held Cole out of the game Sunday and saved him for Wednesday.

The take here is that starting Cole was the right choice, as the team still had a chance to tie the St. Louis Cardinals for the division title. Things didn’t work out that way, and it’s always easy to second-guess in hindsight.

Tom Singer of MLB.com also agrees with the team’s decision to give the ball to Volquez, given his stellar performance in the second half of the season.

Keeping the ball in the park is one element that makes Volquez the Pirates’ hottest pitcher, and a logical choice for the first postseason assignment,” Singer said. “He has fashioned a 1.78 ERA across his last 12 starts, and has not lost since his first outing following the All-Star Game.

Volquez is the right call, if only for the fact that he’s rested and has pitched brilliantly as of late.

Let’s just hope his brilliant September carries over in to October.

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In starting pitcher Edinson Volquez‘s first four games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2014, the righty went 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA.  

Suddenly, it looked like the Pirates made a great decision in signing him to a one-year deal during the offseason.  

In his next five, however, he took the loss in four of those games while surrendering 22 earned runs in 18.2 innings.  

He then won two straight decisions in his next three starts, putting him one game under .500 with a 3-4 record.  

After a loss on June 7 to the Milwaukee Brewers, Volquez bounced back and pitched brilliantly in his next start, shutting out the Chicago Cubs over 7.0 innings pitched.  

What happened in his very next start, however, had many critics raising the same question: In the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which one is the true Volquez?

He pitched horribly in his next start, lasting just 2.1 innings while surrendering eight earned runs to the Cincinnati Reds.  

On Saturday, Volquez held the Philadelphia Phillies to just one run over 7.0 innings of work, and the victory was his third straight decision with a win.  

With the win, he climbed over .500 for the first time since he started the season 1-0. However, the same case still remains.  

He looked shaky in the top of the first inning Saturday, allowing three batters to reach base safely. 

However, with what seemed like the click of a switch, Volquez instantly settled down to escape the inning unharmed. From there, he was dominant.  

So, it remains uncertain what kind of pitcher he really is at this point in his career. He has shown flashes of greatness at times while looking lost on the mound at others.  

One thing is for sure, however: With a potential National League Central Division title on the line in the second half of the season, Volquez will have to prove his true identity.  

The Pirates have been dealt heavy blows throughout the season to their starting rotation, with Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole both spending time on the disabled list.  

Volquez is the veteran with the most experience in Pittsburgh’s rotation, and now is the time for him to continue pitching well into the second half of the season and potentially even the postseason.  

So, while the question remains unanswered, you decide: Who is the real Volquez, and what do you predict his final statistics will be at the end of the regular season?

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference

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