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As Monday’s MLB trade deadline approaches, a frantic hot stove led to some transactions while setting up intense action during the final hours.

The Washington Nationals started the weekend by announcing the acquisition of closer Mark Melancon, who has notched a 1.80 ERA since joining the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. Days after the Chicago Cubs paid a premium for Aroldis Chapman, Washington snagged an All-Star reliever at a far more reasonable price.

Later in the day, a team 25 games behind in the National League East standings oddly acquired an expensive veteran. Made official late Saturday night, the Atlanta Braves will receive Matt Kemp from the San Diego Padres for Hector Olivera.

Plenty of players—including one attached to another NL East competitor—continue to frequent the rumor mill. With less than 48 hours remaining to strike a deal, let’s take a look at the latest trade chatter.

Jay Bruce

Like Kemp, Jay Bruce is drawing interest for his power bat in spite of poor defense and a career-low 6.8 walk percentage. Yet the Cincinnati Reds slugger has already belted 25 homers with a .559 slugging percentage, and whoever obtains him can exercise a $13 million club option for 2017.

On Friday, ESPN’s Jayson Stark floated the possibility of a three-team deal sending Bruce to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who rank in the bottom 10 of team slugging percentage. While Stark later squashed the three-team blockbuster, he and Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi both kept the door open for Bruce joining the Dodgers:

The market has intensified after the 29-year-old homered in five straight games, increasing the chances of the Reds receiving a satisfactory offer. On Thursday, per the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Zach Buchanan, general manager Walt Jocketty said he won’t move Bruce just to look busy. 

“If the value isn’t there for a player, it just doesn’t make sense to trade a guy for the purpose of trading him,” Jocketty said. “Financially, we can hold on to him.”

Per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, the New York Mets have also emerged as a serious candidate:

At this time last year, the Mets nearly landed Bruce for starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who has yet to return from Tommy John surgery. They instead acquired Yoenis Cespedes, who has since hit 39 homers in 149 games, but they don’t have as much minor league depth to leverage this year. Down 7.5 games in the NL East, they’re also likely fighting for a wild-card spot at best.

Further complicating matters, Bruce is an odd fit on a Mets roster already featuring two left-handed corner outfielders (Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson) and no true center fielder. He makes much more sense for a Dodgers outfield ravaged by injuries, and they have plenty of young talent to spare.

One of the most commonly discussed trade candidates isn‘t a lock to leave Cincinnati, but now is the perfect time for the Reds to convert Bruce into a premium prospect or two.

Derek Norris

The Padres, who have already flipped Kemp, Melvin Upton Jr., Fernando Rodney, Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Cashner, now have their sights set on shipping Derek Norris out of San Diego.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the starting catcher should start packing his bags:

In his second season with the Padres, the 27-year-old is hitting .193/.253/.360 with an atrocious 63 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), which grades an average offensive contributor at 100. As Norris dives deeper into an offensive tailspin, Austin Hedges is annihilating Triple-A pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Norris’ once-double-digit walk rate has mysteriously vanished, and his strikeout rate has soared to an unflattering 29.6 percent. Yet despite his struggles, Norris’ glove makes him a desirable target for the Texas Rangers and other clubs who miss out on Jonathan Lucroy.

The backstop will also spend the next two years in arbitration, a process that typically doesn‘t properly compensate defense, so he’s an intriguing buy-low candidate. Although the Padres have Hedges waiting and backup Christian Bethancourt as another alternative, the Padres shouldn’t give a young, cheap catcher away for cheap.

Sonny Gray

As the Oakland Athletics fight for fourth place in the American League West, they look poised to sell more aggressively than anyone at the deadline. Yet aside from officially shipping speedy outfielder Billy Burns to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, they have not yet leveraged their trading chips into a fresh start.

Josh Reddick, Danny Valencia, Rich Hill and Ryan Madson remain top names to watch until Monday afternoon. Oakland could still move those veterans, but starter Sonny Gray is “going nowhere,” according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

A year removed from posting a 2.73 ERA, the 26-year-old righty has nearly doubled that mark at 5.43. While he continues to spawn strikeouts and ground balls at similar levels, he has already matched last year’s 17 home runs allowed in nearly 100 fewer innings. 

His hard-hit rate has fattened from 25.1 to a career-worst 34.1 percent, and he’s missing fewer bats with a subpar 8.0 swinging-strike percentage. This version of Gray is far from a franchise ace, and that’s precisely why Oakland won’t entertain any low-ball offers.

The San Francisco Chronicle‘s Susan Slusser also claimed that there’s no merit to any speculation of a blockbuster leading up to the deadline:

If the Athletics were ever to trade Gray, they should have entertained the thought when his value peaked last year. Behind his stellar ERA lurked a less-outstanding 7.31 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.45 fielding independent pitching (FIP).

He probably won’t factor prominently in another Cy Young Award race, but Gray remains too valuable of a young, cost-controlled starter to abandon during his first rough patch.

All advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. Salary information obtained from Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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High-profile targets abound as MLB inches toward the Monday trade deadline. 

The Aroldis Chapman deal was a fun way to start. The San Diego Padres shipping away Andrew Cashner, Colin Rea and Tayron Guerrero to the Miami Marlins for prospects Josh Naylor and Luis Castillo, among others, provided additional fireworks, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

In hindsight, those deals might pale in comparison to what could come. The rumors flying around fall into the “possible” category, sure, but if they come to fruition, it’s going to change the hierarchy of the league right away, if not for a long time.

With such a theme in mind and the main course likely still ahead, here’s the latest off the rumor mill.

Yasiel Puig on the Block?

The Los Angeles Dodgers might have had enough of Yasiel Puig.

Puig’s name has been all over the place as of late, in large part thanks to alleged talks between the Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds surrounding Jay Bruce. 

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports provided the context:

That doesn’t mean the deal is dead in the water, and it especially doesn’t mean fans can expect to stop hearing Puig’s name.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, Puig’s name coming up in talks isn’t anything new:

What’s with the potential change of heart?

The outfielder is 25 years old now and has a slash line of .254/.315/.375 with seven homers and 32 RBI. Each number is the worst of his career, so the front office might want to unload him while his value remains somewhat high. If the Dodgers believe it’s all downhill from here, he’s liable to end up in a deal soon.

Puig still has plenty of value for teams in need, so long as his body can hold up. He’s dealing with hamstring issues for the second season in a row, and by the sounds of the rumblings, the Dodgers might be tired of waiting to see if he can stay on the field.

Mets in on Jonathan Lucroy

The Jonathan Lucroy sweepstakes continues to heat up.

He has plenty of value, so it makes sense the selling Milwaukee Brewers (45-56) want to capitalize and get a nice return with the future in mind.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets have offered catcher Travis d’Arnaud as bait in a potential deal for Lucroy. He explained why the Mets are so hot after the streaking catcher:

The Mets baseball operations department continues to believe the club will hit better with runners in scoring position, which has been the main plague to the offense this year. The .204 mark going into Friday would be the third worst in history. But the front office feels they just can’t operate on that belief and have to try to upgrade the offense if possible.

Lucroy would provide a welcome boost in that regard. He’s batting .300/.360/.484 with 13 homers and 50 RBI this year—a huge improvement from his 2015 totals of .264/.326/.391, seven homers and 43 RBI.

As Sherman mentions, though, it’s hard to know if the Brewers want prospects in return or d’Arnaud. The 27-year-old catcher has a .238 average this year with two homers and 10 RBI. The real issue is his ability to stay on the field, as he’s appeared in more than 67 games just once in his four-year career.

By the sound of it, the Mets are willing to meet whatever price the Brewers want for Lucroy. Which, of course, is exactly what a struggling team wants to hear when it needs as many assets as possible to build for the future.

Rangers “All Over” Vince Velasquez

Hanging onto a four-game advantage over the Houston Astros in the American League West, the Texas Rangers want to make a move to improve the pitching staff at the deadline.

As a result, the Rangers have targeted 24-year-old Vince Velasquez of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was first on the scene for this one:

Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly followed with further context, revealing talks had progressed after Velasquez took the mound Friday:

A major league source told CSNPhilly.com that the Phillies and Texas Rangers are “pretty deep” in trade discussions involving Velasquez. The Rangers, the source said, also have some interest in Jeremy Hellickson, who pitches for the Phillies on Saturday night, but he appears to be a secondary target 

Any interest in Velasquez shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Not only is he young, but he’s in just his second season in the majors and has shown a marked improvement over his campaign with the Astros last year.

Over 18 games, Velasquez boasts a 3.32 ERA with 108 strikeouts and an 8-3 record. Those are decent numbers for a youngster who is on a team that is 15 games out of first place in the National League East.

One way or another, it sounds like the Rangers will poach someone from the Phillies staff. Who remains the question, though Texas hopes it is Velasquez.

The Rangers had better act fast, because it’s hard to imagine other teams won’t have an interest in testing the waters now that Velasquez’s name is out there.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

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It’s all about the pitching on the MLB trade rumors market.

The Chicago Cubs kicked off the festivities with the addition of Aroldis Chapman. It was a surefire sign the march to the deadline would be a wild one with major names headed to new places.

The rumors that are making the rounds now confirm this idea, with big teams such as the New York Yankees and big names such as James Shields getting involved in the buzz.

And that’s a brief sampling. Here’s everything to know about the rumors market with the Aug. 1 deadline on the horizon.

Notable Hurlers Available

Chapman was one of the biggest names available, but he’s far from the last.

Try Shields. Although he’s in the middle of an iffy season overall with the Chicago White Sox, he’s on fire at just the right time if the team hopes to move him for assets.

With the way he’s playing, it’s going to be hard for contenders to say no. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi revealed the White Sox have put him on the block:

ESPN Stats & Info provided even more info about Shields’ epic tear:

Granted, Shields is 34 years old and has a 5-12 record with a 4.68 ERA. There are some weird contractual things going on as well, with the San Diego Padres handling some of his cash this year.

Still, if contenders want to nab a red-hot pitcher, Shields looks like the right guy.

So does Edinson Volquez.

The Miami Marlins have an interest in the Kansas City Royals pitcher alongside two other names (Matt Shoemaker and Julio Teheran), according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Volquez is the focus here, as the 33-year-old hurler might be the most affordable and potent of the trio. His 8-8 mark with a 4.56 ERA doesn’t look amazing, but a better situation could do him wonders.

It’s unclear if Kansas City would deal Volquez. Call it part of the fun—and reinforcement of the idea that endless rental options exist on the market for hungry buyers.

Yankees Still Selling?

If a team wants to rip Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees, it will have to do so fast.

According to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, New York will pick up the phone but probably take its time with the process.

The Yankees are taking offers on Miller and this will probably play out in the same way the Chapman talks did: If some team makes a suitable offer, general manager Brian Cashman will take the proposal to the Yankees’ ownership, which will say yea or nay. 

Translation: A buyer had better get the best possible offer in fast and hope the plodding Yankees travel through the proper channels before the deadline passes.

Miller hasn’t done potential buyers any favors, having already converted both of his two save attempts with Chapman out of the picture. This means he has nine on the season alongside a 1.39 ERA with 77 strikeouts.

Before New York dealt Chapman, Olney’s colleague, Jerry Crasnick, reported the San Francisco Giants had an interest in both names. With the Yankees now leaning on Miller, though, chances are the price has gone up.

It’s a race against the clock for any team that is willing to meet what the Yankees want.

Jonathan Lucroy Back on Rumor Mill

Jonathan Lucroy returns to the market as things begin to wind down.

It’s not much of a surprise for anyone familiar with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s always seemed like a strong trade candidate, and his value has skyrocketed back up after a pedestrian 2015 campaign.

This year, Lucroy has a .300/.361/.486 slash line with 13 homers and 50 RBI through 93 games. Each number is an improvement on his 2015 totals despite playing in 103 games.

The sky seems the limit for Lucroy this year, and Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal heard the New York Mets have entered the frame again:

The Mets still fancy themselves a threat at third place in the National League East at 53-48, 6.5 games off the lead.

Catcher seems a weak point in New York too, with Travis d’Arnaud batting .246 over 37 appearances and Rene Rivera .234 over 30.

With the Brewers sitting on a 44-56 record and 16.5 games back in the National League Central, it’s going to take quality farm prospects and maybe a little more to pry Lucroy away from the team.

Call it the perfect way to figure out how much the Mets consider their roster with the addition of Lucroy to be a contender in the National League.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

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Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mark Melancon is reportedly generating interest from “multiple teams” ahead of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. 

Continue for updates.

Pirates Looking for Big Haul on Melancon

Saturday, July 30

The Pirates would consider trading Melancon “if they can get [Aroldis] Chapman type deal,” reported Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

Multiple Teams Interested in Melancon

Friday, July 29

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Friday the Washington Nationals were among the organizations considering a deal for Melancon in the coming days.

Rosenthal added the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants are also in the mix with the Pirates wanting a “seventh-inning type” reliever as part of the return.

Melancon Enjoying Strong ’16 Season 

Melancon has emerged as one of the league’s most reliable bullpen weapons since the Pirates acquired him ahead of the 2013 campaign. He has posted a 1.80 ERA and an 0.93 WHIP across 267 appearances for the Pirates, tallying 130 saves and 41 holds in the process.

Pittsburgh is one of several teams that are facing a tough decision about whether to buy or sell leading up to the deadline, though. It sits just two games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League, but it’s a crowded race with six teams battling for a pair of postseason berths.

The uncertainty could make the 31-year-old reliever available because he’s also in the final year of his contract, which is paying him $9.65 million this season, according to Spotrac.

Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald passed along comments Melancon made at the All-Star Game about understanding how quickly the outlook can change:

Nobody updates me because nobody really knows. [Pirates general manager] Neal Huntington probably knows and I don’t even know if he knows every second of every day. Like I said, wild card dependency, need dependency and then injuries and all that stuff, those things can happen so quickly. [Craig] Kimbrel obviously and [Brad] Ziegler, that happened really fast.

If the Pirates do decide to trade Melancon, the Nationals are a logical fit based on the recent struggles of Jonathan Papelbon.

The Nats’ current closer has allowed seven earned runs over his last three outings, totaling just a single inning. It’s caused his ERA to rise from 2.56 to 4.41 and left the NL East leaders with a lot of uneasiness about who’s going to get the final three outs.

Few pitchers in baseball have done that better than Melancon in recent years. The key questions over the next few days will be how much teams are willing to give up for a possible rental acquisition and how desperate the Pirates are to move him with free agency looming.

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The MLB trade deadline is on Monday, Aug. 1—a day later than usual since the typical date of July 31 falls on a Sunday this year.

One star in Aroldis Chapman was already traded from the New York Yankees to the Chicago Cubs well in advance of the ultimatum on deals. Whether that’s a precursor to multiple big moves to come or proves to be the most noteworthy swap to go down remains to be seen.

By examining the latest buzz on those who are reportedly on the block, perhaps better inferences can be made as to what might happen as Aug. 1 approaches.

Dodgers Would Include Top Pitching Prospect in Chris Sale Offer

Imagine a future in which the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to trot out southpaw superstars Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale on back-to-back nights. What a terrifying ordeal that would be for opposing hitters.

The New York Post‘s Joel Sherman mentioned in his recent report that L.A. doesn’t get the sense Sale will be moved. If the Chicago White Sox change their mind about Sale, though, according to Sherman, the Dodgers will sweeten their offer by featuring Julio Urias.

At only 19 years of age, Urias has already gotten the call up to the big leagues this season. Although he’s struggled to a 4.69 ERA and a 1-2 record in nine starts and was optioned back to Triple-A in early July, his upside is obvious, creating a difficult dilemma for Los Angeles to deal with.

But the trade could well be worth it to land someone like Sale. He’s only 27 years old and has a contract that contains club options in 2018 and 2019, per Spotrac. The Dodgers would only be on the hook for a $12 million Sale salary in 2017, too.

The only possible hangup is Sale’s bizarre clubhouse behavior that got him suspended recently when he reportedly cut up the White Sox’s throwback jerseys. He commented on the issue thereafter, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin:

[The ’76 uniforms] are uncomfortable and unorthodox. I didn’t want to go out there and not be at the top of my game in every aspect that I need to be in. Not only that, but I didn’t want anything to alter my mechanics. …There’s a lot of different things that went into it. Looking bad had absolutely zero to do with it. Nothing.

Given how relatively unproven Urias is and the fact Kershaw is currently on the disabled list with a back injury, the push for Sale would make a lot of sense.

Sale is the type of talent who’d provide insurance for Kershaw in the short term, form a magnificent one-two punch down the road and give L.A. an even better chance of catching the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

In addition to Urias, though, the Dodgers could also be sacrificing much more. Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman reported Chicago is asking for “five top prospects” for Sale. Even if Urias‘ presence in a package might knock the demand down, that’s a lot for L.A. to weigh.

Wade Davis, Andrew Miller Likely Will Remain with Current Teams

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that rival general managers believe Wade Davis and Andrew Miller won’t be going anywhere. However, per Nightengale, both their current clubs are still listening to offers.

Davis has been dynamic out of the Kansas City Royals bullpen in recent years, while Miller has thrived as both a closer and lights-out reliever for the New York Yankees over the past two seasons.

The numbers for Davis and Miller are absurd. The former has a 1.60 ERA this season and 21 saves, while the latter has a 1.39 ERA and 77 strikeouts in only 45.1 innings and had 36 saves in 38 chances last season.

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported the Washington Nationals are prioritizing bullpen help and are honing in on the likes of both Davis and Miller after missing out on Chapman. Stark added the caveat that Davis and Miller might be too pricey for Washington to swing a trade, yet the possibility is there.

The situation in Kansas City is particularly intriguing. Coming off back-to-back World Series trips, including a triumph this past year, the Royals’ 2016 playoff hopes are remote at best. Davis is also relatively inexpensive in 2017, due for a $10 million club option, per Spotrac.

If K.C. sells high on Davis now, it can probably get a lot in return for him and address other areas of the roster. Should the Royals struggle again next season, though, the situation becomes more complicated if other teams know Davis could just walk in free agency.

Still under contract at $9 million per year over the next two seasons, Miller is a less logical trade piece for the Yankees to play with, especially after dealing away Chapman.

Jay Bruce Sweepstakes Involve ‘At Least 4 Clubs’

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported on the rampant interest in the Cincinnati Reds outfielder, indicating Cincinnati has “picked up the pace” on trade discussions.

Crasnick speculated, but didn’t report, that the Cleveland Indians, Giants and Dodgers are looking for more offensive firepower and could be among those talking to the Reds. Crasnick did report Wednesday the Seattle Mariners have reached out to Cincinnati.

On track to log the second-best batting average and his personal-best slugging percentage this season, Jay Bruce has been one of the few positive subplots to a woeful Reds season. He may well be the best power hitter to have his name surfaced ahead of the deadline.

Bruce has the top slugging percentage (.572), the second-most home runs (25) and the most RBI (79) among all outfielders. He bolstered to those totals with a solo blast against the Giants on Wednesday, marking the fifth straight contest logging a homer.

Fox Sports Ohio highlighted how Bruce ascended to rarefied air in tying his teammate Adam Duvall with 25 dingers on the season:

Given how much rebuilding Cincinnati has to do, it comes as little surprise that the Reds are seeking a top prospect in exchange for Bruce, per Crasnick.

Bruce has only this season guaranteed to remain on his contract. Per Spotrac, he has a $13 million club option for next season that includes a $1 million buyout. Even if his prospective new team doesn’t get what it desires out of him, it’d be a rather inexpensive mistake if only one prospect were involved.

Also of note is how Bruce has a limited no-trade clause, permitting him to block trades to eight teams, none of which are mentioned in the Crasnick rumors.

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The Chicago Cubs made the big splash everyone waits for each year, but the MLB trade rumors market is far from shuttered. 

Call the Cubs wrangling Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, more of an appetizer than anything.

Why? The rumors market hasn’t slowed, and in an environment where the Cubs act as buyers and the Yankees sellers, anything seems possible. With the majority of the league angling for improvement now or in the long run, it makes for a juicy stew.

Here’s a taste of what might come next based on the latest rumblings out of the rumors department.

Jay Bruce

The Cincinnati Reds are obvious sellers. The team with a mismanaged shot at competing now looks to salvage assets from its notable talent.

Cincinnati sits at 39-61, a good 20.5 games out of first place in the National League Central, a division dominated the right way by those Cubs. One of the first major selling points out of the Queen City seems obvious—Jay Bruce.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick revealed the Reds are well on the way to shipping him away:

A high-profile prospect is the only way for the Reds to go. The team isn’t competing anytime soon, so boosting the system and thinking of the future makes sense, especially with Cincinnati likely being unable to keep Bruce around once he hits free agency next offseason.

His heading to free agency makes the asking price tricky, though. Now 29 years old, Bruce would usually require a ton of assets. He’s refurbished his career a tad this season, averaging .271 at the plate with 24 homers and 78 RBI. He averaged .226 or worse in each of the past two seasons.

A contender won’t mind giving up what it takes to get a slugger like Bruce right now, though the contender that believes it can keep him around a long time will offer even more. It’s hard to imagine the potential bidding war remains limited to four teams.

Dodgers’ Pursuit of Chris Sale

How badly do the Los Angeles Dodgers want to acquire the Chicago White Sox’s Chris Sale?

The desperation is bad enough to float coveted prospect Julio Urias out there.

Los Angeles whiffed last year, refusing to give up whatever it took to land Cole Hamels. Fine, but when you add in the loss of Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw looks pretty lonely when healthy.

This year the Dodgers seem ready to learn from their mistakes. They’re apparently willing to go all the way to land Sale, should he become available, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

“But I have heard if that changes, the Dodgers would be more aggressive with Sale than they were with Hamels, up to including top prospect, lefty Julio Urias, to front a strong package. The Dodgers would not include Urias for Hamels last July,” Sherman wrote.

Sale is worth the steep cost. He’s under team control through 2019 and all of 27 years old, boasting a 3.18 ERA with 129 strikeouts and a 14-3 record. Urias doesn’t compare stat-wise (4.69 ERA over nine appearances), but he’s 19 years old with tremendous upside.

There are layers to this willingness by the Dodgers. Kershaw remains on the shelf with a back issue and isn’t a sure thing after 2018 thanks to contractual options. Maybe the Dodgers land Sale but Kershaw doesn’t return this year—that’s disappointing, but next season would looks great.

This hinges on Chicago’s willingness to cut Sale loose. With how serious the Dodgers seem about not striking out two deadlines in a row, the likelihood of this coming to fruition seems a little better.

Yankees Still Selling?

It’s an odd world when the Yankees act as sellers, but so it goes for a 52-48 team that sits fourth in the American League East, 6.5 games off the pace.

With Chapman gone, it sounds like the brass in New York mean to move Ivan Nova, who the team has “been pushing” in conversations for a while now, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News spoke with a source about the Yankees’ plan: “They’re focused on him. They’re looking at the guys with expiring contracts first—though not Beltran right now.”

Perhaps most interesting, though, is the revelation the Yankees seem to want a lot in return for the 29-year-old starter.

“They’re shooting high, but it’s early,” the source said, per Feinsand. “They know what the pitching market looks like right now and they’re trying to capitalize on that.”

It’s true the market for starters is quite rough. Is it enough to mitigate Nova’s issues? It’s tough to say. He’s sitting on a 4.65 ERA, 72 strikeouts and a 7-5 record. A team in need of a back-end rotational guy might come calling, but New York’s high asking price makes for a sticky situation.

If the Yankees and a buyer can find common ground, the latter would get a low-risk player who hits free agency in the offseason. If Nova strengthens a lineup, it’s hard to complain.

Kudos to the Yankees for seeing a market, admitting their flaws this year and going after it.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

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The 2016 MLB trade deadline is Aug. 1, which leaves a bit of time for trade chatter to circulate before the biggest deals go down.

At the center of the current buzz are several pitchers with varying roles. New York Yankees flamethrower closer Aroldis Chapman is in the process of changing teams. Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale is also being mentioned in rumors.

With the San Diego Padres wallowing outside of the playoff picture, they’re reportedly shopping starter Andrew Cashner. Read on to find out the specifics on this trio of talented pitchers. 

Yankees May Trade Andrew Miller Despite Chapman’s Reported Departure

The Yankees appear to have finally moved Chapman on. FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman and ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported Monday the Chicago Cubs will send prospects Billy McKinney and Gleyber Torres along with Adam Warren and an unnamed player to the Big Apple.

Rian Watt of Vice Sports reported Sunday night the Cubs were already discussing an extension for Chapman, who is set to be a free agent at the end of the year:

Chapman’s fastball soars into the triple digits, making him a marketable weapon for contenders to pounce on.

The southpaw was suspended 30 games to start the 2016 campaign under MLB’s domestic violence policy. He has since returned to convert 20 of 21 save opportunities with a 2.01 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.

Thanks to the presence of Andrew Miller in the bullpen, New York is in the unique position to trade Chapman and gain some assets in return. Miller has a 1.45 ERA this season and was the Yankees’ closer in 2015, converting 36 of 38 save chances.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that New York isn’t necessarily married to keeping Miller on the roster, though:

If the Yankees want to explore their options with Miller, they may well have two standby destinations to send him to.

Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported on Sunday that the Cleveland Indians had the “best names” in a proposed offer for Chapman and that the Washington Nationals were being “very aggressive” in their pursuit of him.

With Chapman off the board, the Indians and Nationals can still go after Miller, who has proved he can thrive as a regular reliever or surefire closer. He’s elite in his own right and isn’t a mere Chapman consolation prize.

Cleveland has one of the better starting staffs in baseball, which has helped the Indians rise to the top of the American League Central. Having someone like Miller to slam the door would be invaluable. The same goes for the Nationals, who rank second in baseball with 62 quality starts.

White Sox Stuck with Sale?

Heyman reported the White Sox are asking for five prospects in exchange for Sale.

But Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to “numerous executives” about Sale’s trade value. They said his market may be better in the offseason.

Complicating Sale’s trade value is the fact that he was just suspended Sunday for five days due to a clubhouse incident. Sale missed his start Saturday for cutting up the White Sox’s throwback jerseys that he didn’t want to wear, per Stokke.

Rosenthal stated in his report that the interest in Sale hasn’t waned despite his strange episode of insubordination.

Between that bizarre behavior and the fact that Sale makes only $12 million in 2017 and has club options on the subsequent two years of his contract, Chicago has little motivation to trade him now.

Due to the nature of Sale’s deal, it will take an offer that blows away the White Sox for them to give him up. It’s not as if the 27-year-old is having a bad season, either, what with a 14-3 record and 3.18 ERA.

Numerous Suitors Emerge for Cashner

Heyman reported Sunday that Cashner‘s market is improving due to his strong performances in two consecutive starts. Heyman also indicated the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins have joined the party.

Other clubs named in the report are the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants, and Heyman said others are interested too.

With Sale’s viability as a trade chip being in question due to the factors outlined in the previous analysis, superior bargain deals are more realistic. Such is the case with Cashner, who could be just the type of player to round out a playoff rotation.

On the surface, Cashner hasn’t fared too well over the past season-and-a-half or so, having gone 10-23 since 2015. However, starting pitching is of paramount importance in the postseason.

Cashner‘s 4.79 ERA this year is actually deceiving. He yielded five earned runs in his first start of the season and got rocked for eight on July 8. Both of those games were against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In each of the 13 other starts he’s made, though, Cashner has yielded no more than three earned runs. In his past two contests, he’s gone 11.2 innings, giving up only seven hits and two runs with 17 strikeouts to zero walks.

Perhaps Cashner senses the opportunity to flee to greener pastures. Otherwise, it’s the best instance of happenstance that he’s pitching at such a high level of late, because he could be positioning himself for a spot on a championship contender.

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Chicago Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler has surfaced as a potential name on the move heading toward the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.   

Continue for updates.

Soler Not Part of Potential Chapman Trade

Monday, July 25

Soler reportedly drew the interest of the New York Yankees, per Julie DiCaro of 670 The Score on Sunday, though it appears he won’t be headed to New York.  

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi and the New York Post‘s Joel Sherman reported on Monday morning that Soler is not part of the potential package the Cubs are expected to send to New York for relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman. 

DiCaro reported the Soler news after Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball noted the Cubs were “working” on a possible trade for Chapman that included prospect Gleyber Torres. 

Soler Must Stay Healthy to Meet Expectations

Soler is working his way back from a stint on the disabled list for a hamstring strain and hasn’t played at the major league level since June 6. He was one of the left field replacements for the North Siders when slugger Kyle Schwarber went down with a torn ACL and LCL early in the season.

Through 50 games this year, Soler slashed .223/.322/.377 with five home runs and 13 RBI. He dealt with injuries in 2015 as well and appeared in only 101 games and slashed .262/.324/.399 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI.

While the overall numbers aren’t particularly impressive, Soler did hit .455 in a small sample size in June before suffering the injury. What’s more, he was an overwhelming force for the Cubs in their run to last year’s National League Championship Series with a .474 batting average, a 1.705 OPS and three home runs in seven postseason games, per ESPN.com.

He provided a glimpse of his potential if he can ever stay fully healthy and didn’t shy away from the moment on the October stage.

Soler is also only 24 years old and under team control through the 2020 campaign, per Spotrac. 

As for the Cubs, they would still have plenty of firepower in their lineup if they decided to deal Soler, with the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Dexter Fowler and Addison Russell currently on their roster and Schwarber set to return next season. But losing the outfielder would be a blow.

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The San Diego Padres are not realistic contenders as the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline approaches, and they are reportedly looking to trade catcher Derek Norris as part of a selling effort, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

Continue for updates.    

Padres ‘Pushing Hard’ on Norris

Sunday, July 24

In addition to the Norris news, Passan noted San Diego is also attempting to move pitcher Andrew Cashner.

Norris was a 2014 All-Star who played for the Oakland Athletics from 2012 to 2014 before joining the Padres. While he is struggling some at the dish in 2016 after hitting .250 in 2015 and a career-best .270 in 2014, he has reached double-digit home run totals in each of the last three years and brings some pop to the lineup from the catching position:

That type of long-ball potential from a catcher is likely attractive to teams looking to add some firepower, but Norris is arguably most valuable in the field when he is managing pitching staffs and nailing runners on the basepaths.

He led the major leagues with 44 runners caught stealing in 2015 and is responsible for a career-high eight total defensive runs saved above average this season with more than two months remaining on the schedule, per FanGraphs.

From San Diego’s perspective, trading Norris could open the door for another contributor. Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors noted “Norris has been rumored as a trade candidate for months, thanks to the Padres’ rebuilding plans and the club’s desire to permanently promote top prospect Austin Hedges (who has crushed Triple-A pitching over the last two seasons).”

According to MiLB.com, Hedges is hitting .367 with 17 home runs and 61 RBI through 47 games at Triple-A this season.

While the Padres will likely be set at catcher with Hedges, any team that lands Norris will receive a former All-Star who is only 27 years old with a contract that is controllable through the 2018 season, per Spotrac. That formula could help a contender chase playoff spots for the next couple of years.

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As the Atlanta Braves continue their long-term rebuild, Erick Aybar is among a few veterans the team may move before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

Continue for updates.

Braves Making Aybar Available

Sunday, July 24

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to an MLB executive who said Sunday the Braves are “aggressively shopping” Aybar, along with Jeff Francoeur and their left-handed relievers.

Moving Aybar won’t be an easy task. He’s mired in the worst offensive season of his MLB career. He’s batting .208 with one home run and 17 RBI in 288 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, his .262 slugging percentage is the second-worst in the league among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances.

Aybar’s contract situation makes trading him a little bit harder for Atlanta as well. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the year, and few teams will bite for a half-season rental whose numbers are as bad as Aybar’s are.

In March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien reported that Braves general manager John Coppolella “made it clear” the team wasn’t going to settle for a small return in the event it dealt Aybar.

Atlanta likely banked on the 32-year-old rebounding following the 2015 season and then cashing in at the deadline. Instead, his decline has become even more pronounced, severely diminishing his trade value.

Offloading Aybar is clearly in the Braves’ best long-term interests, but Coppolella will either have to get creative or accept little back in order to get any deal done.

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