On the eve of the MLB trade deadline, the rumour mill continues to swirl around the Toronto Blue Jays starting rotation.
J.A. Happ is the latest name to appear, after Francisco Liriano and Marco Estrada were linked to trade talks over the past couple of weeks.
The Blue Jays are willing to listen to offers on their 34-year-old southpaw, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
Coming off a career year, Happ has made just 14 starts after spending some time on the disabled list with inflammation in his elbow. He owns a 4.15 ERA and has surrendered 15 home runs in 78 innings this season.
Heyman also says the Blue Jays don’t appear to be shopping him hard, and any deal they make is with an eye on 2018. Happ is owed $13 million in the final year of his contract next season.
Blue Jays scouting Cardinals
Starters aren’t the only type of Blue Jays arms up for sale. Currently on a one-year contract, Joe Smith is a logical trade candidate and the solid season he’s had makes him an intriguing landing spot for several teams.
Add the St. Louis Cardinals to that list.
The team the Blue Jays are watching, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is the Memphis Firebirds — the Cardinals’ triple-A affiliate.
Smith, 33, has posted a 3.28 ERA to go with 51 strikeouts and 10 walks over 35.2 innings. The right-hander split last season between the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs.
Yankees moving in on Gray
Even after acquiring Jaime Garcia from the Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees are still the leading candidate to land Oakland Athletics starter Sonny Gray, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Gray is enjoying a bounce-back season after a trying 2016 in which he posted a 5.69 ERA and 1.49 WHIP.
The 27-year-old is controllable until the 2020 season and the A’s are surely going to be targeting one of the Yankees’ prized prospects (and more) in a deal.
The Yankees lost starter Michael Pineda to Tommy John surgery and have a rotation that includes Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia, Luis Severino, Jordan Montgomery and the newly acquired Garcia.
Red Sox Reeding the bullpen market
The Boston Red Sox are looking to get Craig Kimbrel help in the bullpen and now have their sights set on Addison Reed, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The New York Mets are in sell mode and after sending Lucas Duda to the Tampa Bay Rays, Reed could be the next to go. The 28-year-old right-hander is in the second and final year of his contract with the Mets and would provide immediate bullpen help wherever he winds up.
Reed has 19 saves and a 2.57 ERA this season and comes with experience in closing and set-up roles.
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