MLB Rumors

The Chicago Cubs are looking for a new manager after parting ways with Joe Maddon, and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported Tuesday the franchise has surfaced three internal candidates: David Ross, Mark Loretta and Will Venable. 

Ross, a 15-year MLB veteran who played for the Cubs from 2015 to 2016, currently works as a color commentator for ESPN MLB broadcasts. The 42-year-old was also the Cubs' special assistant to baseball operations in 2017.

Loretta, another 15-year MLB vet with Cubs ties, was Chicago's bench coach this season. The two-time All-Star also coached the Israeli national baseball team in 2012.

Venable has been the Cubs' first base coach for two seasons. He was a special assistant to Cubs president Theo Epstein for two-and-a-half months beforehand. The 36-year-old played from 2008 to 2016 with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune also speculated on a few other names who could be in line for the Cubs' gig, including ex-New York Yankees skipper Joe Girardi, former Boston Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis and nine-time All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran.

However, Ross seems like an early favorite for the gig, a sentiment made more obvious given statements both he and Epstein have made recently.

"Rossy is a very attractive candidate, and he’s going to be evaluated on the merits," Epstein told reporters on Monday, "for what he can bring to the table as a major-league manager, given his skills, given his experiences, given his worldview, given what he knows about winning, just like every other managerial candidate.

"We’re looking forward, we’re not looking backwards."

As noted by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, Ross campaigned for the gig during a recent Baseball Tonight broadcast.

"I think it’s one of the best jobs in baseball. I’ve got a lot of close ties with those guys. I think the interest would be there. I think my heart is drawn to that dugout a little bit."

Whoever takes over must figure out how to stop the downward spiral the Cubs have experienced since winning the 2016 World Series.

Chicago lost in the National League Championship Series in 2017 before falling in the NL Wild Card Game in 2018. The Cubs then missed the 2019 postseason entirely with an 84-78 record capped by a 2-10 finish.

Chicago opens the 2020 season on March 26 at the Milwaukee Brewers.

Former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon may not have to wait long for his next job.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Los Angeles Angels are interested in Maddon for the now-vacant manager position after they announced Brad Ausmus wouldn't return following just one season on Monday.

This comes after Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and Maddon announced they were parting ways Sunday.

The Angels were just 72-90 in Ausmus' only season with the team and haven't made the playoffs since 2014, but Maddon proved he can lead an immediate turnaround with the Cubs.

Chicago was coming off six straight playoffless seasons when he took the helm in 2015. The club proceeded to reach the National League Championship Series in his first year, win the World Series in his second year, reach the NLCS again in his third year and make the playoffs in his fourth year. The 65-year-old left the Cubs after an 84-78 record in his fifth season.

Maddon helped snap a championship drought that dated back to 1908 and made the typically downtrodden franchise into an annual contender.

That is exactly what the Angels are looking for, and there is already a familiarity in place when it comes to Maddon and the franchise. Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times noted he was a coach and interim manager for the Angels for 31 years prior to taking the manager position with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2006.

Los Angeles is looking for just its second championship since its inaugural year in 1961, and it is apparently eyeing someone who is quite familiar with bringing glory to a team in a title slump.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly "aiming for the biggest names" if they are going to hire an outsider to replace former president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who was fired in early September.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Thursday the other option is promoting from within. Assistant general manager Eddie Romero is the leading internal candidate.

Dombrowski was dismissed less than a year after helping construct the roster that won the 2018 World Series title.

Ben Cherington, the team's general manager from 2011 through 2015, stepped down after Dombrowski was hired above him in the organizational pecking order less than two years after he built the club that captured the 2013 championship.

Rosenthal asked Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, a Massachusetts native who served as Red Sox GM for the 2016 season, whether the club's tendency to make quick changes hurts its chances of landing a top-flight executive.

"The optics (from the outside) are certainly difficult to wrap your arms around, I guess. It's a very tough job," he told The Athletic. "It's a meat grinder, from all angles. But the history of that place, and walking into Fenway Park every day as your office...I really don't know how to explain it."

Hazen signed an extension with the D-backs shortly after Dombrowski was let go to silence speculation about a potential return to Boston. He said:

"You can't go anywhere because everybody in that city knows who works in baseball operations, from the head of baseball operations down to the interns. It makes for a pretty special environment. It's very challenging. Every move is scrutinized, ad nauseam. I think it's a very difficult task for the head of baseball operations. But there are people out there who are 100 percent up to the task of doing it."

Rosenthal noted other issues in securing an outside candidate include "esteem for Cherington" among his colleagues around MLB (he's vice president of baseball operations for the Toronto Blue Jays), job titles and how to handle a Red Sox roster after a disappointing 2019.

"One rival executive made a radical suggestion for the Red Sox, saying they should reboot not only by trading right fielder Mookie Betts but also shortstop Xander Bogaerts and left fielder Andrew Benintendi," Rosenthal wrote.

It's hard to imagine that type of massive overhaul while that offensive foundation is in the midst of its prime. The Red Sox (83-75) should be focused on smaller moves to get back into championship contention in 2020 and signing Betts to a long-term extension, not a complete rebuild.

In addition, hiring a new president of baseball operations under the idea of being immediately thrust into trade talks involving the team's elite players would make the job an even tougher sell.

Executives around Major League Baseball expect "monster names to be in trade talks" this offseason, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Passan mentioned Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor as high-profile stars whose names could come up during the hot-stove season. Rival executives reportedly believe those clubs will be "willing to at very least listen" to inquiries about their respective stars.

Of note, Betts is only under contract for one more season, while both Bryant and Lindor have two years of club control remaining.

After winning his first American League MVP award last year, Betts has put together another solid performance. He is hitting .282/.386/.497 with 21 home runs, 38 doubles, five triples and 67 RBI. Those numbers helped earn him his fourth consecutive All-Star selection.

The Red Sox offered Betts a reported eight-year, $200 million extension last year, but that offer was rejected. The 26-year-old let it be known in March that he does not expect to sign a long-term deal until he reaches free agency following the 2020 season.

Bryant has bounced back nicely following an injury-plagued 2018 season. He is hitting .281/.379/.521 with 26 home runs, 64 RBI and a .900 OPS this season.

Like Betts, Bryant has been approached by the Cubs about an extension, but no agreement has ever been reached. David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 reported last October that the 27-year-old had turned down an offer "well north of $200 million." A source told later The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma that the report was "simply not true."

Both Betts and Bryant have an MVP award and a World Series title on their respective resumes. While Lindor does not have either, he has been in the conversation as one of baseball's best players nearly every season. The four-time All-Star is hitting .297/.351/.522 with 23 home runs and 57 RBI this season.

Lindor, who turns 26 in November, told Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com in February that he would consider signing a long-term deal with his current club "if the Indians come up with the right numbers." Unfortunately for Cleveland, that could be a bad sign.

The small-market Indians do not have pockets as deep as the Red Sox or the Cubs. The biggest contract that club has ever handed out was a three-year, $60 million deal to Edwin Encarnacion following the 2016 season.

The Boston Red Sox received good news Monday, as pitcher Chris Sale will not require Tommy John surgery to fix his current elbow injury, team president Dave Dombrowski announced in a press release.

"Sale was evaluated by Dr. James Andrews this morning in Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Andrews confirmed that Sale has inflammation in his left elbow and treated it with a platelet-rich plasma injection. Dr. Andrews also recommended a period of shutdown from throwing. Sale will be re-evaluated in six weeks by Dr. Andrews."

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the news. 

Sale was placed on the injured list Saturday due to elbow inflammation after an MRI couldn't determine the extent of the damage to his elbow. 

The 30-year-old struck out 12 batters in his latest start on Aug. 13, although he struggled as the game wore on and eventually allowed five runs (three earned) in 6.2 innings.

Sale has allowed at least five earned runs in five of his last nine starts. However, he can still be dominant, as he demonstrated with his eight innings of shutout ball against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 8. He totaled 13 strikeouts and no walks in that gem.

Unfortunately, inconsistency has remained an issue for a player who is usually as reliable as they come.

Sale's current 4.40 ERA is more than double his mark from last season, when he finished 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA. He landed in the top six of Cy Young voting for the seventh year in a row.

Although he might not need Tommy John surgery, something was clearly off with the veteran pitcher lately.

Considering he is signed through at least 2024 at more than $27 million each year, the Red Sox will hope he can get healthy and back on track.

Meanwhile, Boston has major question marks in its rotation with David Price also on the injured list. The Red Sox have already used 11 different starters, and they could need even more to hold things down until Sale can return.

Theo Epstein has denied that Joe Maddon's recent comments about his contract reportedly made the Chicago Cubs unhappy.

Per Dan Bernstein of 670 The Score (h/t Evan Altman of Cubs Insider), the Cubs are "pissed" at Maddon because he didn't "honor the handshake … agreement" they had not to discuss his status in public.

"They are not happy with Joe Maddon saying what he said where he said and when he said it, and this is a power move by Joe," Bernstein said.

Epstein later issued a statement, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, calling the report "totally baseless," adding "we had no problems with Joe's comments."

Speaking to reporters prior to Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds, Maddon was asked about his optimism level about remaining with the Cubs after this season. 

"It's very high, yeah," he said. "Very high. Very, very high. I'm operating in that I believe we'll be together for a couple more years at least."

Maddon is in the final season of the original five-year deal he signed in November 2014.

His contract status has been an ongoing discussion topic since The Athletic's Patrick Mooney reported last November that Cubs president Theo Epstein said the team wouldn't discuss an extension during the offseason and would re-evaluate it later in 2019. 

Maddon, 65, has been one of the most successful managers in Cubs history, leading them to the 2016 World Series title. His .589 winning percentage ranks third, behind Frank Chance and Al Spalding, and he recently passed Joe McCarthy for fifth-most wins (451). 

MLB's hot stove has burned intensely prior to Wednesday afternoon's trade deadline. The actual transaction log, meanwhile, stayed calm until Tuesday evening.

Even though teams no longer have the option to trade through waivers in August, they have not all displayed extra urgency. Strangely enough, the New York Mets made the first significant addition in Marcus Stroman. Another fourth-place squad struck next.

First reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Cincinnati Reds landed Trevor Bauer in a surprising three-team swap. The Cleveland Indians didn't sacrifice their contention hopes, as they bolstered their squad by attaining Yasiel Puig, Franmil Reyes and Logan Allen. The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, added star outfielder prospect Taylor Trammell.

Up until this massive deal, reporters kept fans entertained with a bevy of trade tidbits. Perhaps more exciting exchanges will come to fruition once reality sets in for buyers and sellers before Wednesday's hard deadline.

Let's take a look at some of the latest buzz as MLB's trading window prepares to shut down for the season.

      

Astros Seeking Top Starting Pitchers

Despite brandishing two leading AL Cy Young Award candidates in Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, the Houston Astros are aggressively exploring the market for an impact starting pitcher.

Reports have attached them to essentially every significant arm potentially available. Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown tied them to an experienced ace who may no longer be on the market.

Joel Sherman on the New York Post expanded on their search:

Source says Giants and Astros "engaged" on Bumgarner. Amount of traction unclear.

— Tim Brown (@ByTimBrown) July 30, 2019

Hear similar, mainly that #Astros badly want to leave deadline with MadBum, Wheeler or Bauer. That is their primary target list. https://t.co/7eRUOuSmiz

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2019

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, it remains "doubtful" the streaking San Francisco Giants move Madison Bumgarner, who anchored three championships during his decade with the franchise. At 54-53, they're only 2.5 games removed from a wild-card spot.

Then again, the same story seemed to apply to Bauer, as Cleveland controls the AL's first wild-card bid after winning 17 of 23 games this month. Although he would have made a questionable clubhouse fit in Houston, the Astros nevertheless reached out about him, per MLB Network's Jon Morosi.

Even before removing Bauer from the equation, Zack Wheeler made more sense. Unless the Mets delude themselves into thinking they can make a 2019 run with Stroman, they remain likely to trade the upcoming free agent.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Houston stands out as a strong landing spot: 

The Houston #Astros will come away with one more starter by Wednesday, and two GMs predict it will be Zack Wheeler from the #Mets

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 29, 2019

No qualified starting pitcher has a less favorable gap between his ERA and FIP than Wheeler, who posted a 1.68 ERA after the All-Star break last year. Given their past success, the Astros are the perfect team to once again uncover his true potential.

He could make a lethal No. 3 who won't cost Houston any front-line prospects because of his rental status and 4.71 ERA.

    

Justin Smoak on Hot Stove

The rumor mill has largely focused on a handful of premium pitchers. In all likelihood, Wednesday will instead consist of more role players on expiring contracts changing places.

One such example is Justin Smoak, whose Toronto Blue Jays have already dealt Eric Sogard to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, the first baseman could follow his teammate to the AL East competitor:

Sounds like interest in Justin Smoak is picking up

Multiple contenders checking on him per sources. @JonHeyman mentioned CLE. Told Rays also intrigued

#BlueJays like Smoak, consistent defender w OPS+ above 110 for three straight years, but listening on pending free agents

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) July 30, 2019

At first glance, Smoak may not seem like the biggest deadline acquisition. He's hitting an anemic .215, and 18 home runs doesn't stand out too much during a power-soaked 2019.

Yet he also sports a career-high .357 on-base percentage with help from a 16.7 percent walk rate. His strikeout rate is down to a personal-best 19.8, so the profile supports far better results. Even if he doesn't find another gear in line with 2017's 38-homer breakout, his 112 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) is still above league-average.

Last summer, the Rays pulled off one of the deadline's biggest heists when obtaining Tommy Pham from the St. Louis Cardinals. With Pham nursing a hand injury and both Kevin Kiermaier and Yandy Diaz on the injured list, they appear motivated to strike again.

They had previously expressed interest in Reyes and Hunter Renfroe, per the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, but the Padres now presumably have no reason to move Renfroe.

Smoak isn't as ideal a fit, as left-handed hitters Nate Lowe and Ji-Man Choi are already handling first base and designated-hitter duties. However, the slumping 32-year-old might be cheap enough to bet on a late-season surge anyway.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman also mentioned the Philadelphia Phillies as another team of interest. With Rhys Hoskins locking down first base, the NL squad would likely just deploy him as a big bopper off the bench. 

      

Several Contenders Interested in Robbie Ray

The Astros are also among the many teams tied to Robbie Ray, according to Nightengale:

The Atlanta #Braves have joined the #Yankees, #Astros, #Twins, #Phillies and #Brewers in expressing strong interest for #Dbacks for starter Robbie Ray. The #Dbacks also have a slew of teams pursuing left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2019

With Stroman and Bauer traded and the true availability of Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard in question, Ray has emerged as a desirable commodity. While his 3.91 ERA and 1.30 WHIP won't propel him to anchor a postseason rotation, the 27-year-old southpaw trails only five qualified starters in strikeout percentage.

Perhaps the real drawing point, he's arbitration-eligible next season.

He has also relinquished a 5.16 ERA and .555 slugging percentage when working the third time through the batting order. As a result, Ray is best served going to a team willing to hand the game over to a strong bullpen after five frames.

That makes the New York Yankees intriguing. They just suffered the franchise's worst rotation turn in 74 years, so Ray would represent an upgrade despite fans likely hoping for more. Their dominant relief unit would allow him to flourish in shorter starts, particularly in the playoffs.

The Athletic's Peter Gammons said the Yankees could send the Arizona Diamondbacks a significant return for Ray or reliever Archie Bradley.

Clint Frazier hit .283/.330/.513 in the majors this season, but defensive issues and a crowded depth chart led to his demotion. He would give Arizona an instant contributor under team control far longer than Ray, who is a free agent after the 2020 campaign.

          

Note: All advanced stats are courtesy of FanGraphs unless stated otherwise.

This year's trade deadline is different than years past, as Major League Baseball adopted a singular deadline on the last day of July as opposed to the "non-waiver deadline" that has been used before.

So, the July 31 deadline at 4 p.m. ET will rid teams of their safety net and force them to make deals now. They can no longer wait to see how their team's playing in August to make a decision to add another player.

General managers aren't too pleased with this new system:

There is a growing sentiment among GMs to push the #MLB trade deadline back to Aug. 15 to give teams more time to determine whether they are buyers or sellers in light of slow activity. They will discuss at the GM meetings in November in Phoenix.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 29, 2019

Despite that, this season is locked in and teams are deciding to either buy, sell or stay put. Even with the terms of the Trade Deadline, the MLB hasn't seen too many major trades. The biggest came on Sunday when Toronto's Marcus Stroman was traded to the Mets for two pitching prospects.

While New York is fourth in the National League West with a 50-55 record as of Tuesday, many of the trade rumors that have the potential to happen over the next day and a half involve its pitching staff.

Here's a look at the latest rumors on a few big names.

    

Edwin Diaz

There has been a lot of talk surrounding Edwin Diaz due to teams' need for relief pitching. While the Red Sox had looked like the top contender to land Diaz, it seems that is now unlikely, per MLB Network's Mark Feinsand:

Source: Red Sox unlikely to land Edwin Diaz, Shane Greene or Raisel Iglesias. Team focused on lesser bullpen names. @alexspeier first reported Diaz unlikely for Sox

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2019

While the reliever has a 4.95 ERA—allowing 22 earned runs this year—13 of them came in three disastrous outings. If you take those three out of the equation, over 39 innings in 41 games his ERA is 2.08.

Despite the Red Sox pulling out of the Diaz trade, the reliever remains a hot commodity on the market with teams such as the Dodgers, Rays, Braves and Padres, according to MLB Network's Ken Rosenthal.

Most notably, the Dodgers' desire to upgrade their bullpen has made them a top contender for many relievers in the market, including Diaz, according to SNY's Andy Martino:

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1155891720992755717

MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported the Mets are currently evaluating some of the Braves' top prospects, as Diaz seems to be an option for them, along with teammate Zack Wheeler—who would cost Atlanta less than Diaz:

The Mets are continuing to evaluate the Braves’ top prospects. Edwin Diaz appears to be a more likely target than Syndergaard. Wheeler is also in play at a lesser cost. Our @mike_petriello analyzed Diaz in this story yesterday https://t.co/ztAYmoLaz3

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 30, 2019

Diaz was acquired by the Mets in an offseason trade with the Mariners in the hopes that he would be a longtime closer for them. However, that has changed after his performance this season. He has struggled more so than he did with Seattle last season, especially in terms of his legendary slider.

However, he is not beyond fixing, which is what makes him a contender for other teams in trade talks.

     

Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler represents another piece of the Mets' pitching staff who has been involved in trade rumors as teams are looking to add another arm to their rotation. 

Right now, Wheeler's name is most closely linked to the Houston Astros—who were also in discussion with the Mets about Noah Syndergaard. However, their reluctance to give up their No. 1 prospect for Syndergaard has taken him off the table, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale: 

The Houston #Astros will come away with one more starter by Wednesday, and two GMs predict it will be Zack Wheeler from the #Mets

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 29, 2019

Wheeler was able to increase his trade value with his start on Friday against the Pirates after coming off the injured list—where he had been since his last outing on July 7. The righty missed three weeks with right shoulder fatigue.

His "trade deadline audition" proved to be successful and showed teams that he has recovered from his stint on the IL. He allowed three runs and struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings.  He still averaged a high-90s four-seam fastball, showing his speed hasn't taken a hit from his injury and he's throwing as hard as ever.

https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1155150973544935425

   

Felipe Vazquez

Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez is one of the most sought-after relievers in baseball right now. He has a 1.87 ERA over 50 games this season and has struck out 68 while only walking 11. He also boasts a WHIP of 1.062.

Vazquez is a coveted pitcher for any team's bullpen. However, according to Rosenthal, Pittsburgh has given "zero indication" that it's willing to part ways with the southpaw. MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi added that it would take a massive offer for the Pirates to even think about giving up Vazquez.

If Vazquez is to be traded, it seems that the Dodgers are first in line. The Pirates have spoken to the Dodgers more than with any other teams about their star closer.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the talks between the two teams are being affected by Pittsburgh's asking price—No. 1 prospect Gavin Lux. But, Los Angeles is hesitant about giving him up:

The Pirates-Dodgers talks about Felipe Vazquez currently bogged down in part because Pirates want No.1 prospect Gavin Lux and the Dodgers want to keep him.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 29, 2019

However, the Dodgers are also looking into Diaz as another potential closer if they can't secure a deal for Vazquez. 

The New York Mets may be targeting a Boston Red Sox outfielder, either Andrew Benintendi or Jackie Bradley Jr., in a trade for closer Edwin Diaz, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

Olney revealed on ESPN's Get Up! on Tuesday (h/t NBC Sports' Darren Hartwell) that New York's "asking price" appears to be Benintendi: "I think the Red Sox, knowing the Mets are looking to add players who can help them in 2020, they may have to make a decision: Do we give up Andrew Benintendi, who is a true center fielder, in a deal for Edwin Diaz? It'd be fascinating to see if the Mets were to get Benintendi and if the Red Sox can get Diaz."

When asked if Boston would part with Benintendi for Diaz, Olney did not have a definitive answer.

"I don't know if they would, but I think that's what the Mets' asking price is going to be," Olney said.

Benintendi is enjoying another strong season, one that has seen him hit .280/.357/.454 with 10 home runs, 28 doubles, four triples and 51 RBI in 92 games. This comes two years after he finished runner-up for the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Award.

The 25-year-old is under club control through 2022.

Olney added that trade talks have also involved Bradley being included instead of Benintendi. Bradley has struggled with consistency at the plate in recent seasons. The 29-year-old is hitting .231 with 11 home runs, 21 doubles and 41 RBI in 97 games. He was named an AL All-Star in 2016.

Bradley is scheduled to be a free agent following the 2020 season.

One year after earning his first career All-Star selection, Diaz has gone 1-6 with a 4.95 ERA in 44 appearances in his first season in New York. The right-hander has four saves in 27 opportunities while allowing eight homers in 40 innings.

Given the 25-year-old Diaz is under club control through 2022, New York does not have to trade him unless its asking price is met. The team parted ways with highly touted prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn in order to acquire Diaz, so the Mets would likely not deal the reliever less than a year later for a dramatically lower price.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported the Red Sox are "unlikely" to land Diaz, while Mark Feinsand of MLB.com said the team does not appear to be a landing spot for any of the top relievers on the market:

Source: Red Sox unlikely to land Edwin Diaz, Shane Greene or Raisel Iglesias. Team focused on lesser bullpen names. @alexspeier first reported Diaz unlikely for Sox

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2019

Boston's bullpen ranks 19th in the majors with a 4.54 ERA, according to ESPN.com. The unit has recorded 18 blown saves in 39 opportunities, a mark that is tied for the seventh-most in baseball.

A highly regarded prospect is reportedly the focus of "bogged down" trade conversations between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. 

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, Los Angeles' push to land left-handed relief pitcher Felipe Vazquez in a trade is in flux because the Pirates want top prospect Gavin Lux. However, the Dodgers prefer to keep the middle infielder and deal from elsewhere on the roster and farm system.

Vazquez was named an All-Star in each of the past two seasons and has a sparkling 1.87 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 43.1 innings this year. He posted a 2.70 ERA in 2018 and 1.67 ERA in 2017, underscoring his consistency.

He would give manager Dave Roberts a southpaw for critical late-game matchups against left-handed sluggers. His presence would also help the Dodgers shorten playoff games to come with a one-two punch of Vazquez and Kenley Jansen at the backend of the bullpen.

Pittsburgh is in last place in the National League Central, but Vazquez is under team control until 2024. The contract situation means this is not a non-contender simply trading away an impact player before he potentially leaves in free agency during the upcoming offseason, so it comes as no surprise the Pirates are asking for someone of Lux’s caliber.

Lux is slashing .357/.425/.629 with 21 home runs and 64 RBI in 87 games in the minor leagues this season and has the potential to anchor a lineup for years to come.

Parting with him would be a hefty price to pay, but securing Vazquez and a lockdown bullpen in the immediate future would further boost the Dodgers’ hopes of winning their first championship since the 1988 campaign.