January 11, 2017

Rumor Roundup

Dozier Dead, Bruce Bets, and Atlanta Aces

by Emma Baccellieri

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Mets’ outfield remains a little too full

The Mets still have more corner outfielders than they need, and it’s reportedly holding them back from making other moves. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the club is under a mandate not to go after more relief pitching until they can unload some payroll—presumably in the form of trading away the contract of Jay Bruce or, if not him, Curtis Granderson.

Though Bruce has reportedly been on the trading block all winter, there haven’t been many suitors rumored to have a particularly strong interest in him and the $13 million that he’s owed in 2017. But per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, it’s a “good bet” that a trade could happen “soon.” He notes that the Blue Jays, the Phillies, and the post-Seth Smith Mariners are all possible partners. But that’s seemingly based on fit more than front office gossip, and with little in the way of concrete updates here the Mets could still be left waiting a while longer.

Dozier talks at impasse, Dodgers look to move on

After an offseason’s worth of “will they or won’t they?” it looks as if the Dodgers and Twins have apparently decided that they won’t. Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, a Brian Dozier trade between the two teams isn’t likely to happen at this point. With talks “at an impasse, with no momentum toward a deal” the Dodgers are now forced to explore other options for second base. (Though they’ve apparently decided that Micah Johnson isn’t the answer, as they designated the infielder for assignment yesterday in order to make space for Kenley Jansen on the 40-man roster.)

The current free agent market is fairly thin at the keystone, though it holds some possibilities—Luis Valbuena, Stephen Drew, Dustin Ackley or a reunion with Chase Utley. But all of the above bat left-handed, Rosenthal notes, and a righty would be a better fit for the Dodgers’ lineup. This means the candidates potentially available via trade are more promising. Before pursuing Dozier, the team had reportedly considered a deal for Logan Forsythe or Ian Kinsler, and both should still be on the table for the right return.

Braves could still be looking to add to rotation

The Braves shook up their rotation earlier this winter, adding veteran depth in the form of Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, and John Danks. But they might not be done just yet and they could instead be after someone who would prove a bit more impactful. Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Atlanta could still be chasing a deal for either Chris Archer or Jose Quintana.

The Braves were first linked to Quintana after they briefly popped up in the conversation for Chris Sale last month, and the interest is reportedly still there. The White Sox’s asking price for the lefty is reportedly high—“at least three elite prospects,” as Jack Curry of YES reported earlier this week, which would be quite a lot to ask for a Braves team still working on its rebuild. Per a Tampa Bay Times report from last month, the Rays could be looking for a similarly hefty package in return for Archer. But with relatively long-term team control for each pitcher (four years for Quintana, five for Archer), investing could potentially make sense for the future-focused Braves.

Emma Baccellieri is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @EmmaBaccellieri
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