MLB Rumors: Eduardo Rodriguez return huge for Tigers trade deadline plans
The Detroit Tigers appear to be one of the likely sellers at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, particularly with the bevy of pitching options that they could offer up in a market that is expected to be hungry for both bullpen arms and, even more so, starters.
Michael Lorenzen, Alex Lange, and several others could be on the move from the Motor City Bengals, but if the Tigers want to get the biggest trade haul possible, then their best option would be moving former Red Sox southpaw and current staff ace Eduardo Rodriguez. And good news, the market should now be heating back up for E-Rod.
Rodriguez, who suffered a finger injury at the end of May, was activated off the IL this week and made his first start back on July 5. After posting a 2.13 ERA through his first 11 starts, though, his return was less than stellar, giving up six hits and five earned runs over 4.0 innings against Oakland in that Wednesday trip to the bump.
Even still, E-Rod's performance this season combined with the possibility of three more years being left on his contract — he has a $14.5 million player option in each of the next three years — make him an enticing trade commodity.
Detroit has continued to struggle in recent years, sitting in third place in the AL Central but 10 games below .500 for this season, and the goal appears to be building up assets for the future. Trading Rodriguez represents the chance for the biggest haul possible at the deadline and, now that he's healthy, they can start working the phones more.
They just hope that E-Rod can get back to his pre-injury form soon so that he can retain his value.
MLB Rumors: Yankees could help replace Aaron Judge with Cody Bellinger trade
The Aaron Judge injury has plagued the New York Yankees in a truly devastating manner. Since his exit from the lineup, the offense has been impotent overall and Aaron Boone hasn't been able to come up with any answers… but maybe Brian Cashman can by replacing the reigning MVP with a former MVP at the trade deadline.
That trade target, of course, would be Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, who won the NL MVP at 23 years old in 2019 with the Dodgers. However, his performance fell off a cliff thereafter, leading to his departure for Los Angeles and signing a short-term prove-it deal with Chicago. That gamble has paid off huge for the Cubs.
Bellinger has posted a .298/.352/.486 slash line this season with 22 extra-base hits and 28 RBI on the season over 55 games played. He's been the goods, without question. But with him at the end of a one-year contract with only a mutual option for 2024, it could behoove the Cubs to move him for future assets at the deadline. And it could also behoove the Yankees to make the call.
Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reported that, per an MLB scout, there is a belief that Bellinger could fit the Yankees well with defensive versatility in the outfield while also providing an offensive boom.
New York needs more consistent lefty power, which is what Bellinger provides. Moreover, the Yankees have a bevy of young assets in their system that could be dealt to appease the Cubs in making this trade.
Now the question is if Cashman and the Yankees front office will bite. But it does certainly seem that they should.
MLB Rumors: Cardinals and Mariners have talked trade, but George Kirby causing a snag
All signs point to the St. Louis Cardinals not, in fact, turning this season around and, instead, becoming one of the most contacted sellers at the trade deadline. They are well out of the division and wild card races and nothing is going right. So it stands to reason that they would look to set themselves up better for the future.
For the Cardinals, that almost certainly means targeting controllable starting pitching, something they have precious little of, at least in terms of proven big-league arms. While Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery could be dealt, they also have position players who should draw heavy interest.
And apparently, the Seattle Mariners have already started to try and get a trade brewing with the Cards. There is a problem, however.
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi on Threads, the Cardinals and Mariners have had early trade discussions but haven't come to terms on anything. And the big reason as to why is that Seattle has made 25-year-old starter George Kirby "untouchable" in any trade talks.
It's understandable why the Cardinals would want Kirby, a young pitcher who won't even hit arbitration until 2026 and who has a 3.21 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this season. Given that, though, it's also reasonable why the Mariners aren't going to move him for a short-term fix, even if it would help the team's plight.
Perhaps the bigger story still, though, is that the Mariners are already sniffing around St. Louis for offensive help to insert themselves into the thick of the AL West race after a middling start to the year. One thing we seem to know for sure, though, is that they won't be using Kirby to make a leap up into contention.
