Kuzul

Chris Young provided great value as a platoon outfielder for the New York Yankees in 2015, and the free agent is already generating interest across the league.  

Continue for updates.

Report: Red Sox, Others Interested in Young

Tuesday, Nov. 10

Young resurrected his career this past season in the Bronx after poor stints with the New York Mets and the Oakland Athletics, and teams in need of outfield help have taken notice.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Boston Red Sox and additional unnamed teams plan to pursue the 32-year-old veteran.

Per A.J. Herrmann of YesNetwork.com, Young became a free agent Nov. 6 when the Yankees decided against extending him a qualifying offer.

Young was a regular starter for the Yanks against left-handed pitching, and he finished the 2015 campaign with a .252 batting average, 14 home runs and 42 RBI. The majority of that damage was done against lefties, as he hit .327 with seven long balls and 24 RBI.

While Young is no longer the all-around stud he was when he clubbed 27 home runs, stole 28 bases and made the All-Star team for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, he was quite pleased with what he brought to the table as a Yankee in 2015.

According to Dan Martin and George A. King III of the New York Post, Young said, “I didn’t know what was going to happen this year or what opportunities I would have. I think I did a good job of taking advantage of the chances I got. I’ve made some good adjustments since coming here toward the end of last year and did the things I need to do to become productive.”

Young created a great deal of value for himself since he is a versatile player who has proved capable of being a quality, middle-of-the-order bat against lefties.

He also has some speed and can play all three outfield positions, which should make him quite the under-the-radar commodity in a free-agent class that has no shortage of star power.

Signing Young isn’t likely to be heralded across the league, but based on what he is able to provide for what should be a reasonable price, he has a chance to be among the offseason’s biggest steals.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly mutually agreed to part ways Thursday, according to the club’s official Twitter account. Now, the search for a new manager is underway.  

Continue for updates.

Gabe Kapler Being Considered For Position

Friday, Oct. 23

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported “numerous people” in the industry would be shocked if Gabe Kapler was not named Dodgers manager in the next 24 hours. Rosenthal noted Kepler’s relationship with team president Andrew Friedman would be “paramount” in the search. 

Both Buster Olney of ESPN.com and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Dodgers were beginning the process of hiring a new manager, with Gabe Kapler as one of the team’s candidates. Olney described Kapler as a “serious frontrunner” for the gig.

Kapler, 40, is the Dodgers minor league director and, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times noted, has more managerial experience than Mattingly did when he took the job. He spent one season as a Class A manager and is also a former player who spent 12 seasons in the major leagues.

Kapler certainly won’t be the only candidate, however. Shaikin speculated Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black, Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach and Dodgers third base coach Ron Roenicke would also be considered for the gig.

The job will certainly be a premier one for potential managers. The Dodgers have a talented cast of players already in place, led by starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. While the gig does present its challenges—dealing with the pressure of having one of baseball’s biggest payrolls and the expectations that follow, or getting the best out of outfielder Yasiel Puig—no current managerial openings come with a roster loaded with so much talent.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

On the heels of a career season that could land him the National League Cy Young Award, Los Angeles Dodgers ace Zack Greinke has a decision to make regarding free agency.  

Continue for updates.

Heyman: Sources Expect Greinke to Opt Out of Contract

Friday, Oct. 16

Greinke still has three years and $71 million remaining on his contract, but according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the 31-year-old righty will reportedly attempt to cash in even more by opting out of his deal.

The potential move doesn’t come as a big surprise since Greinke went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA, a ridiculous 0.84 WHIP and 200 strikeouts in 222.2 innings. The expectation prior to the season was that Greinke would opt out, and that hasn’t changed now that he has an opportunity to land a contract in the neighborhood of $150 million over five years, per Heyman.

The 12-year veteran took the loss in the Dodgers’ 3-2 Game 5 NLDS defeat at the hands of the New York Mets on Thursday as he allowed three runs in 6.2 innings.

Following LA’s ouster from the playoffs, Greinke was predictably asked about his future with the Dodgers. According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, he didn’t offer much with regard to his desire to wear blue and white in 2016 and beyond: “That would be nice. I guess that is my whole response.”

There is no mystery when it comes to the way Greinke’s teammates feel about him, though. Per Shaikin, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez made it very clear that he doesn’t want the three-time All-Star and former AL Cy Young Award winner to go anywhere: “He’s been incredible the whole time he’s been here. We love him. We hope he opts to stay.”

Greinke formed a remarkable one-two punch with Clayton Kershaw atop the Dodgers’ rotation in 2015, and he has been spectacular throughout his entire tenure with the organization.

Though he enjoyed success in stops with the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Angels, Greinke has truly hit his stride with the Dodgers as he is 51-15 with a 2.30 ERA since signing with them in 2013.

While it hasn’t quite worked out yet, the Dodgers have been and will continue to be top contenders in the NL for as long as they have Greinke and Kershaw in the fold.

If they are going to make that happen, though, they’ll have to open up the checkbook, which is something they certainly haven’t hesitated to do, being that they have the highest payroll in Major League Baseball.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Diego Padres were one of the biggest disappointments during the 2015 season, and their underwhelming play cost manager Bud Black his job. After also letting interim manager Pat Murphy go at the end of the year, the Padres are beginning to set their sights on a handful of potential permanent replacements.  

Continue for updates.

Padres Begin Interview Process with Candidates

Tuesday, Oct. 13

Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported San Diego is showing interest in former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, but he’s far from the only person the front office is looking at.

The Padres are apparently casting a wide net in terms of resumes. Whereas Gardenhire spent 13 years in charge of the Twins, general manager A.J. Preller is also considering former infielder Alex Cora, per CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, and Phil Nevin, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale.

Neither Cora nor Nevin can boast any previous managerial experience in MLB, but Nevin has at least coached in the minors since 2009. He’s one of the hotter candidates across the league, with Nightengale adding the Washington Nationals, the Miami Marlins and the Seattle Mariners all have him on their radars.

While Gardenhire, Cora and Nevin all have their respective strengths, the Twins lost 90-plus games in Gardenhire’s final four years, and Matt Williams is proof positive hiring first-time managers like Cora or Nevin is a risky proposition, especially for teams that want to win immediately.

Preller is undoubtedly in a difficult situation. The Padres will be paying big money to Matt Kemp, Craig Kimbrel and James Shields next year. Plus, Preller traded a number of the organization’s best prospects, so it’s not as if a lot of talent will be coming through the pipeline in the next season or two.

Fans might expect the team to contend in 2016, heaping even more pressure on the general manager to get this decision correct.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After just two seasons as the manager of the Seattle Mariners, both without a playoff appearance, Lloyd McClendon is without a job.

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times first reported McClendon would be relieved of his duties due largely to a change in the balance of power in Seattle’s front office. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal confirmed the firing.

Greg Johns of MLB.com noted bench coach Trent Jewett, third base coach Rich Donnelly, outfield coach Andy Van Slyke and bullpen coach Mike Rojas were also let go.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported former Angels front office man Tim Bogar is the lead candidate to take over the helm.

The Mariners fired longtime general manager Jack Zduriencik in August, and he has since been replaced by former Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. New executives often look to bring in their own guys, and Dipoto has done precisely that.

The Mariners went 163-161 in McClendon’s two seasons at the helm. While they missed the playoffs by just one game in 2014 with a 87-75 mark, they regressed to the tune of a 76-86 record this year despite high expectations.

McClendon previously spent five seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates manager from 2001 to 2005, and he went just 336-446. He has just one winning season on his resume and has never reached the postseason.

The 48-year-old Bogar is a former major league infielder who served as an interim manager for the Texas Rangers last season and was a special assistant to Dipoto in the Angels front office in 2015.

Seattle has a talented team, headlined by starting pitcher Felix Hernandez, second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Nelson Cruz, but McClendon wasn’t quite able to put all of the pieces together, which ultimately led to his demise.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Washington Nationals fired manager Matt Williams on Monday, according to a team release, after a tumultuous 83-79 season that saw the squad miss the postseason and severely underachieve after being preseason contenders for a World Series title. Thus began the search for the club’s next manager.  

Continue for updates.

Nationals Reportedly Considering Cal Ripken Jr. For Vacancy 

Monday, Oct. 5

Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported Ripken was being considered for the gig, a connection that was first noted by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports in late September. He mentioned that general manager Mike Rizzo and principal owner Mark Lerner are “fond” of the Hall of Famer.

Per Rosenthal, Ripken “recently confirmed to ESPN 980 Radio in Washington that he had ‘serious discussions’ with the Nationals about managing before they hired Williams during the 2013-14 offseason, adding, ‘it never really got down to the point of choice.'”

Ripken, 55, was one of the finest players of his generation and set baseball’s record for consecutive games played (2,632). He was widely respected for his work ethic and intelligence alongside his talent. He was the 1982 AL Rookie of the Year, a two-time AL MVP, a two-time Gold Glove winner and a 19-time All-Star selection. 

Ripken has worked as a baseball analyst for TBS Sports since retiring, though he has no managerial experience. That fact should be a major concern for the Nats, however, according to Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports:

The single biggest argument in favor of Matt Williams when he was hired was that he was a top player in his day, wasn’t too far removed from his playing career and could be a good clubhouse guy who understood what made major leaguers tick. His lack of experience was brushed off. All of which would be the same thing for Ripken, except he doesn’t even have the coaching experience Williams had and is even farther removed from his playing days.

Rizzo already has expressed his desire to have an experienced manager, saying on a conference call with reporters Monday that “we certainly would lean toward someone who had some managerial experience, particularly at the major league level,” per Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post.

At this point, Ripken seems like a long shot, even if he was considered previously and has been considered for the job this time around. If Rizzo hires a second inexperienced manager and Ripken doesn’t pan out, the general manager would likely be the next man on the chopping block, so the Nationals may ultimately choose to go the more conservative route and bring in a manager with big league experience. 

Ripken may be a popular choice with the fans initially given his pedigree, but those fans would quickly sour on the experience if he couldn’t improve upon the team’s disastrous 2015 campaign.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Houston Astros All-Star pitcher Dallas Keuchel has expressed his desire to remain with the club and is already engaging in talks for a new multiyear contract.  

Continue for updates.

Keuchel, Astros Working on New Deal

Monday, August 24

Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle provides an extensive report about Keuchel’s future. The southpaw emphasizes the importance of winning in describing his optimism about the team before getting into the specifics of the contract negotiations:

There have been some talks, but nothing major, and the feeling is mutual between my party and the team. So that’s nice. It’s always a nice feeling when the team wants you to be here longer than just the base and that’s what we’re going on right now. Hopefully something will get done. I know at the end of the day I can sleep well because I love the city of Houston, I love the Astros.

Keuchel will be eligible for arbitration for the next three seasons after giving three full years of service to Houston. He can take his salary demands to an arbitrator if his side cannot strike an agreement with the front office, but all indications are Keuchel would rather avoid any controversy and work something out.

The Houston Chronicle‘s Reid Laymance weighed in on Keuchel’s contract situation:

Keuchel has been instrumental to the Astros’ stunning success in 2015. The 27-year-old ace has posted a 14-6 record with a 2.37 ERA and 1.02 WHIP and has a career-best strikeout rate of 7.86 Ks per nine innings.

An exceptional sinker and biting slider allow Keuchel to stymie the opposition and yield very few home runs. His ground-ball percentage of 63.1 is second in all of baseball, per FanGraphs.

The Astros have a promising young nucleus that has Keuchel rightly excited about what’s in store in the coming years. Although he isn’t trying to “break the bank,” to use his own words from Monday’s news, Keuchel has earned the right to make gaudier demands with his play over the past two seasons.

What often determines success in the postseason is the quality of starting pitching. Keuchel has been a class act and doesn’t appear keen on demanding a paycheck. If he can maintain that mindset and his current level of play, Houston ought to invest what it can to keep him around for the long haul.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Dave Dombrowski’s long run of success as a general manager, especially with the Detroit Tigers from 2002 until leaving the team on August 4, meant he wouldn’t need to wait long before Major League Baseball teams came calling.   

Continue for updates. 

Blue Jays Contact Dombrowski

Thursday, August 13

According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the Toronto Blue Jays ownership group from Rogers Communications contacted Dombrowski about the team presidency. 

Elliott did note there are other teams interested in the 59-year-old, citing the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox as having openings in the front office. 

The Blue Jays tried to find a long-term option for the job last offseason, but as Israel Fehr of Yahoo Sports noted last January, they struck out on most of their choices—Baltimore general manager Dan Duquette, Chicago White Sox vice president of baseball operations Kenny Williams, among others—for various reasons.

As a result of the failed process last year, Paul Beeston signed a one-year deal to return as Blue Jays team president for 2015. 

Dombrowski would certainly fill the role capably, based on his history as a general manager. He helped build the Tigers into one of the American League’s best teams, making four straight playoff appearances and capturing two American League titles. He also won a World Series as general manager of the Florida Marlins in 1997.

Toronto is on the rise, surging to the top of the American League East standings, so the franchise will certainly have appeal to a top-tier front-office executive like Dombrowski. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There are a lot of teams that consider themselves playoff contenders going into the second half of the MLB season, which could lead to a lot of aggressive moves before the trade deadline.  

For the sellers hoping to unload talent during a lost season, this could be a great opportunity to bring back some top prospects after a bidding war.

While there will only be so many players to go around on the trade market, these teams are likely to be extremely aggressive in the coming weeks as they try to better themselves for the final months of the season.

Houston Astros

Even with All-Star Game starter Dallas Keuchel, the Houston Astros rotation needs help. Injuries and other factors have left a lot of question marks about who will even fill the roles, let alone provide quality innings.

Manager A.J. Hinch recently explained the necessity to add starting pitchers, per Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle:

You always feel like an extra pitcher or two would be ideal, and some of that is out of just strengthening a strength, and some of it is not really knowing what’s in store moving forward on a couple different spots on our team. We’ve leaned on our bullpen a lot, we’ve got a couple young starters, we’ve got (Scott) Feldman coming back from injury, we’ve alternated a lot of different guys out of the fourth and fifth spot. So I think it’s important for us to always maintain having a strong starting pitcher when you get into these last 70 games. Everyone’s always connected us to a lot of starting pitchers, but obviously, July can be tricky.

The good news is his prayers could be answered in the form of one of the best pitchers on the market.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports explained: “The Astros have keen trade interest in Reds starter Johnny Cueto, and it appears he may even be their top target, if as expected Cueto hits trade market soon, people familiar with their thinking say.”

Cueto—who finished second in the Cy Young Award voting last season—has been the victim of poor run support this year with the struggling Cincinnati Reds. Still, his 2.73 ERA and 0.902 WHIP prove he is still among the league’s best.

Putting him on a team that can score runs like the Astros could lead to a lot of wins for the rest of the regular season and possibly postseason.

Of course, completing a deal for Cueto won’t be easy. As Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted, Houston is just one of a few teams trying hard to acquire the 29-year-old pitcher:

The Astros will have to be willing to part with some of their prized prospects, but it might be worth it to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins were one of the biggest surprises in the first half of the season, coming out of the All-Star break with a 49-40 record. However, they will not be able to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot unless they find a way to upgrade a big weakness in the bullpen.

Glen Perkins has been outstanding with 28 saves and a 1.21 ERA, but even with these stats, the club only ranks 18th in the majors with a 3.71 bullpen ERA. Meanwhile, Blaine Boyer and Aaron Thompson have been overworked all season long.

As a result, the team is looking for external help to potentially ease some of the stress from the back of the bullpen.

“The Twins’ primary concern is their bullpen, and they’re doing their due diligence in exploring possible upgrades, sources say. Among their potential targets: The Padres’ [Joaquin] Benoit,” wrote Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Even though he’s 37 years old, Benoit has valuable closer experience and is seemingly only getting better as his career progresses. Over the past year-and-a-half with the San Diego Padres, he has 10 wins and a 1.86 ERA.

On the other end of the spectrum, a struggling player such as Steve Cishek could represent a high-upside option who shouldn’t cost too much. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe noted, the Twins are one of the teams interested in the former closer:

The Falmouth native had been sent to Double A to work out a mechanical issue, which he did, according to manager Dan Jennings, even though he didn’t have a good outing against Boston last week. Yet Cishek, who has been a successful closer, is drawing interest. The Twins, Tigers, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and others have been watching Cishek of late.

The current 5.14 ERA is concerning, but he might be worth the risk after totaling 73 saves in the past two seasons.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Josh Harrison was a big part of the lineup both physically and emotionally, so losing him for about seven weeks could be devastating for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, the organization has taken a look at some potential additions to the lineup to make up for Harrison’s absence:

As Biertempfel noted, finding a new leadoff hitter should be a top priority for the Pirates, and Ben Revere is as solid of an option as you can find. He is currently hitting .297 with a .337 on-base percentage and 21 stolen bases.

He has a knack for getting himself on base and into scoring range for the teammates behind him to bring him home.

Meanwhile, Jeff Francoeur could represent a quality platoon option opposite Gregory Polanco, who has just a .152 batting average and zero extra-base hits against left-handed pitchers this season. It also likely won’t take much to acquire a struggling player like Francoeur from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Neither of these players would be able to directly replace a versatile producer like Harrison, but each could represent a quality upgrade to the current squad for a reasonable price on the trade market.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After surviving two of the dullest days on the sports calendar, Major League Baseball returns Friday to save sports fans from a dearth of news and excitement, at least stateside.  

With MLB the only one of the Big Four American sports leagues in season in July—but on a small break after the All-Star Game—sports talk is difficult to come by on these long summer days. Sure, the NBA Summer League is in session, and the British Open began Thursday in Scotland, but other than that, there’s little to speak of at this juncture.

Even the ever-churning baseball rumor mill has turned quiet, but expect teams to have used the break to reassess, recalibrate and find out where they stand in anticipation of the looming trade deadline July 31.

Here’s a quick look at the latest chatter from around the league.

Mariners Reportedly In the Market for a Catcher

This one has been in the wind for a couple of days now, but the Seattle Mariners are reportedly looking to trade for a catcher, as Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi noted Wednesday via Twitter:

Morosi used the word “close” and even brought up a potential deal involving A.J. Pierzynski, who, at 38 years old, is having a resurgent year with the Atlanta Braves. Morosi did note, however, that the potential Pierzynski deal wasn’t related to the catcher rumor. 

However, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times wasn’t getting quite the same vibe from his sources and said as much Wednesday, just hours after Morosi‘s report:

The M’s are 41-48 on the year, fourth in the AL West and 7.5 games back of the division-leading Los Angeles Angels. Starting catcher Mike Zunino has been an absolute travesty at the plate this year, batting well below the Mendoza line at .160 with a .292 slugging percentage and 100 strikeouts in 81 games.

Jesus Sucre has also seen time at catcher, but he has been a complete non-entity at the plate. The Mariners are an AL team, but in terms of production, their lineup looks like it has a pitcher’s spot—and it’s worse in some cases, per the Outside Corner’s Liam McGuire (via FoxSports.com): “Just how bad have Mariners backstops been? The club’s collective catchers are batting .150. The Mets (.176), Reds(.174), Giants (.165) and Nationals (.160) pitching staffs (> 100+ plate appearances) all have better averages at the plate. That’s horrendous.”

McGuire also noted that Seattle traded away the one person who might’ve been able to save the position:

Now the team finally got some help when they traded a decent reliever in Yoervis Medina to the Chicago Cubs for veteran Welington Castillo. Castillo had regular experience as a decent starting catcher with the Cubs and was thought to provide some stability for the Mariners behind the plate.

His tenure with Seattle last six games as the Mariners traded him to the Diamondbacks in theMark Trumbo deal.

The kicker is Castillo has been dynamite for the Diamondbacks. In 25 games, he’s hit five home runs (three more than Trumbo) with 15 RBIs while batting .286 with a .368 OBP. The Mariners could sure use that kind of production.

Pierzynski may be old, but his offense is light-years beyond what the Mariners are currently getting from their backstop crop. Neither Zunino nor Sucre can claim to have hit with much consistency in their brief MLB careers—although Zunino did slug 22 home runs last year—so there cannot be much expectation of a second-half surge from this position.

With the team also suffering from poor seasons from the likes of Mark Trumbo, Logan Morrison and Robinson Cano, one has to wonder if the Mariners should even try to play buyer at the trade deadline.

The best thing for this team may be to wait to see if the rest of the squad picks up after the deadline and try to salvage the catcher position through a waiver-wire deal, or it could punt on the season and try to find a viable hitting catcher in the winter meetings.

Rangers Willing to Make a Deal 

Perhaps the Texas Rangers can save the Mariners, per MLBlogs.com’s T.R. Sullivan: “Clubs are looking for catching. The Rangers are open to moving Carlos Corporan and bringing up Tomas Telis.”

But it’s hard to find good help at catcher, as Carlos Corporan is also suffering through a very poor offensive season at 31 years old. 

Corporan is a career .218 hitter, so it’s doubtful the Mariners would be inquiring about his availability. It’s easy to see why the Rangers would like to clear up a roster spot for Tomas Telis. The 24-year-old catcher is hitting .291 with five home runs and 25 RBI in 70 games at Triple-A Round Rock this year, although his production at the plate has slowed in recent months, hitting just .242 in June and .273 thus far in July, per MiLB.com.

Corporan might be a suitable backup for a team looking to add depth at catcher, but he’s no answer to the Mariners’ woes. He’s also apparently not the only player the Rangers are shopping around, per Sullivan: “The Rangers have found there is some interest in left-handed pitcher Wandy Rodriguez, who starts on Monday against Colorado. Clubs have told the Rangers that Rodriguez could be a fallback option if they are unable to land a bigger name starting pitcher in a trade.”

Wandy Rodriguez, 36, has been solid if unspectacular this season, sporting a 6-4 record with a 4.07 ERA and a 4.14 fielding-independent pitching mark (FIP), per Baseball-Reference.com. There is always demand for a southpaw with even a halfway-decent resume. 

Rodriguez could end up going to a team that fails in the possible Cole Hamels sweepstakes. Hamels, also a lefty, has been the subject of rumor and speculation for some time now as a talented member of the moribund Philadelphia Phillies. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers could certainly use a player like Rodriguez. The Blue Crew has been without the services of lefty Hyun-jin Ryu all season due to an injury, and they should be willing to do anything and everything to maintain their control over the NL West.

Rodriguez doesn’t quite eat innings—84 innings pitched in 15 starts this year—but he would be a nice fix for a first-place team that has had to resort to “staff days,” throwing relievers out to start games. For a team with an already taxed bullpen and World Series aspirations, this isn’t a good sign. Rodriguez would likely be a Plan C for the Dodgers but an improvement over their current situation nonetheless.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com