We are exactly one week away from the trade deadline and there really hasn't been a flurry of activity yet. Instead, a big majority of the league remains within a hot streak of contention and the worry that there won't be enough sellers to make for a big trade deadline remains a legitimate concern. There are also more than enough teams that are close enough to a losing streak and could become sellers. A red-hot trade deadline remains possible. As such, let's round up the latest rumors.
Phillies have discussed Bauer swap
The Indians are in playoff position right now, so a big sell off isn't coming, but tweaking around the edges wouldn't be a surprise and we know Trevor Bauer has been open about how, once he hits free agency, he wants to sign a bunch of one-year deals. He hits free agency after next season, but that information surely sits high in the minds of Indians brass. To that point, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports that the Phillies and Indians have discussed a Bauer deal.
Bauer, 28, has a 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 179 strikeouts in an MLB-best 152 1/3 innings this season. He had a career year last season but has fallen back a bit this year. He's still highly productive with a 136 ERA+, but he leads the majors in walks and hit-by-pitches.
Regardless, Bauer would be an upgrade over anyone aside from Aaron Nola in the Phillies' rotation.
Greinke to Phillies talks not 'serious'
Further, multiple reports indicate the Phillies and Diamondbacks have had discussions on Zack Greinke. But Morosi reports the two sides "aren't having serious talks."
Greinke, 35, would be the Phillies' ace. He's gotten to the point, for some reason, of being pretty under-appreciated. He's 10-4 with a 2.93 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 123 strikeouts in 135 innings so far this season and regularly finishes with a well-above-average ERA in over 200 innings per season.
The rub with Greinke is his age combined with having two years and $70 million left on his deal after this season. The Diamondbacks aren't likely to eat much money in a deal, so any team looking to acquire Greinke would have to be willing to pay prospects plus most or all of his remaining salary. It's worth mention here that the Phillies are one of the few teams likely OK with picking up this kind of money, so while the talks aren't serious, they are worth discussion in case they get serious in the coming days.
Stroman to Braves?
The Braves are an "obvious suitor" for Blue Jays' righty Marcus Stroman, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic in an extended rumors column. Of note here is Braves' GM Alex Anthopoulos was with the Blue Jays when Stroman came up, so there's a familiarity here.
Stroman, 28, has pitched to a 3.06 ERA (146 ERA+) and 1.25 WHIP in 117 2/3 innings this season. He's arguably the best starting pitcher on the market right now and has had some success in the playoffs. Stroman won't hit free agency until after 2020, so any deal would come with an extra year of team control.
The Braves have already added Dallas Keuchel in-season to the rotation, but with Mike Foltynewicz's issues, they could certainly stand for another upgrade. The current rotation is Mike Soroka, Keuchel, Julio Teheran, Max Fried and Kevin Gausman.
Jeff Passan of ESPN.com mentions the Braves along with the Brewers, Astros, Twins, Yankees and Phillies as the most interested teams in Stroman while saying the A's, Rays, Angels, Padres, Indians and Rangers are also options.
Tigers will deal Castellanos; probably Greene; possibly Boyd
Confirming everything we've heard all season, Morosi reports that the Tigers will "almost certainly" deal Nicholas Castellanos, who mashes lefties, and will "probably" trade All-Star closer Shane Greene. The uncertainty revolves around the most attractive piece here, which is starting pitcher Matthew Boyd. On this, Morosi reports the following:
In discussions with various teams, the Tigers have proposed the possibility of pairing Boyd and Castellanos -- or Boyd and Greene -- in the same trade, as a way to access the highest tier of available prospects. It's not necessarily the case that the Tigers will insist on position player prospects in trades, even though their system is stronger among pitchers.
Castellanos is a free agent after this season and is hitting .285/.342/.483 (115 OPS+). Greene is a free agent after 2020 and has a 1.22 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 37 innings this year.
Boyd is a 28-year-old left-handed starter who is under team control through 2022. He has a 4.07 ERA (117 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 126 innings.