MLB Rumors: Keynan Middleton gaining traction as a trade target ahead of the deadline
The White Sox have begun a complete makeover of their MLB roster and their farm system with a few trades already. They have added some top prospects while getting rid of five of their better major league players. Still, they have talent on their roster that could continue to garner attention ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline. The main trade piece on their roster is reliever Keynan Middleton, according to Jon Morosi.
Middleton has thrown in 38 games this year, recording two saves and pitching to a sub-4.0 ERA. He's striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings while holding a 1.30 WHIP. His addition could be an upgrade at the middle of nearly all contending team's bullpens. Every contending team needs bullpen help and the White Sox righty may not be very expensive as a rental.
A few teams like the Rays, Reds, Dodgers and Astros will likely be in the market for a reliever like Middleton. The Astros and Dodgers have already made deals with Chicago, so they may not be the most likely to acquire Middleton, as they could have just grouped him in their previous trade if they wanted to. But as each hour passes, be on the lookout for Keynan Middleton to be moved to a contender before the deadline.
MLB Rumors: Reds ink Manager David Bell to a three-year extension
The Cincinnati media began a quiet frenzy over the last few days when reports emerged that Reds VP and senior advisor, Buddy Bell, David Bell's father, quietly resigned a few weeks ago. This created rumors and speculation among Reds fans and the Cincinnati media, for obvious reasons. This could very easily be an ode to the Reds moving on from David Bell as their manager at the seasons end.
But those rumors were shut down quite quickly. The Reds announced Friday that they have signed Bell to a new three-year contract that makes him their manager through 2026. This is a huge step for the Reds, giving their players and coaching staff some much needed security.
While not all Reds fans are a huge fan of Bell, it's hard to not applaud what he's done this year. Cincinnati was projected to lose over 100 games again this season and was given a near zero percent chance at playing in October. Not only that, but they have seen significant injuries to much of their starting rotation as well as pesky injuries throughout the lineup.
Despite this, Bell has the Reds in the mix of a playoff and NL Central race. With the Reds pushing towards a division title, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Bell is named the NL Manager of the Year at seasons end. His extension is a huge deal for Cincinnati.
MLB Rumors: Brewers, Marlins showing interest in Eloy Jimenez
Weeks ago, the White Sox made their trade deadline plans quite clear. They were going to move most, if not all, of their expiring deals. Beyond that, they had their "core four" that remained untouchable, as they planned on these four being the future of their roster. These four building blocks were Dylan Cease, Andrew Vaughn, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert Jr. But recently, teams have been inquiring about a few of these players availability.
Dylan Cease has been asked about by multiple teams, but Chicago reportedly answers each question with "no."
But just recently, it's was reported by Bruce Levin of The Score that the Brewers and Marlins are showing serious interest in Eloy Jimenez, who's under contract for multiple seasons and was seen as untouchable weeks ago.
There's been no reports of any discussion regarding Jimenez, so this could all just be seen as the Brewers and Marlins making sure he is still off the table before moving on. All signs are pointing to the White Sox sticking to a shorter term rebuild based on them already moving Joe Kelly, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Kendall Graveman and Lance Lynn. Securing their core players makes sure this rebuild has a good base to it. Trading Jimenez remains quite unlikely.
