MLB Rumors: The Early-Season News and Buzz Around Every Team

It's still only April, but it's never too early to survey the MLB landscape for the latest rumors, buzz and news.

In some cases, it's the big-ticket free agents—left-handed starter Dallas Keuchel and right-handed closer Craig Kimbrel—who somehow remain unsigned and which teams might snap them up.

In others, it's way-early trade speculation ahead of the July 31 deadline, news about a fast-rising prospect and the impending June amateur draft or simply the hottest storyline simmering with each squad.

In December, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the Arizona Diamondbacks believed they were likely to get better trade offers for right-hander Zack Greinke at the trade deadline as opposed to during the offseason.

That strategy might pay off.

Greinke has fanned 32 batters in 29.1 innings and is 3-1 through five starts. The D-backs will probably have to eat a portion of the $104.5 million remaining on his contract, but he should interest any number of pitching-hungry contenders.

The San Francisco Giants are "willing to talk about some of their veteran relievers right now," according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. And, Rosenthal added, closer Will Smith and ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner could be available by July 31.

The Atlanta Braves bullpen ranks 17th with a 4.71 ERA, and the starting rotation lacks a postseason-tested ace.

The Braves also have a deep farm system, and Bumgarner has Southern roots. This feels like a blockbuster multiplayer trade match made in heaven.

The Baltimore Orioles have the top pick in the draft by virtue (if that's the right word) of the 115-loss record they posted last season.

The O's are mostly deciding between Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman and prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., per Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports.

Rutschman is obviously the more polished player and has a plus hit tool, strong arm and emerging defensive skills. Witt is loaded with potential, as he possesses elite speed, the arm and defensive instincts to stick at shortstop and the ability to add more power.

Either would be an exciting addition for a squad that could register another 100-loss campaign.

After winning the 2018 World Series, the Boston Red Sox are off to a 9-14 start. To hear left-hander David Price tell it, if they don't right the ship, they might soon be sending superstars overboard.

"[If] we don’t play better, Mookie Betts will be traded, J.D. Martinez will be traded," Price told reporters April 17. "It will be tough for a while here."

Perhaps he was simply trying to motivate his teammates. The chances Boston would deal either of its two best hitters in the near-term are slim to none.

But if Boston's dive continues, it's conceivable it could dangle Betts this offseason or next summer as he enters his contract year.

The Chicago Cubs bullpen ranks 26th in baseball with a 5.08 ERA. The team was hoping the return of closer Brandon Morrow would add some stability.

Instead, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com, Morrow was shut down in his recovery from a right elbow injury. Not great news for anyone, let alone a 34-year-old.

Whatever happens with Morrow, the Cubbies will surely test the trade market to buttress an obvious weakness. The Giants, as mentioned previously, could be a trade partner for clubs seeking bullpen relief. But president of baseball operations Theo Epstein will undoubtedly cast a wide net.

The Chicago White Sox are in the midst of a rebuild. Veteran slugger Jose Abreu is in his contract year and looked like an obvious trade chip.

Abreu, however, had a disappointing 2018 and is off to a slow start in 2019. If a contender comes calling, the ChiSox should pick up the phone, but they shouldn't deal him for peanuts.

Partly that's because he's mentoring fellow Cuban Yoan Moncada, who's hitting .314 with a .959 OPS and seems to be realizing his enormous potential after a bumpy start to his career on the South Side.

"He's doing things we all knew he could do," Abreu said via an interpreter, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "Now he has a chance to display what he can do. Amazing, and I'm just trying to guide him."

The Cincinnati Reds are in last place in the National League Central. Their bold offseason plan to go for it in a crowded division doesn't appear to be panning out.

It's early, but they should already be thinking about trading pieces at or before the deadline.

One option is outfielder Yasiel Puig, who is in his contract year. The problem? Puig's value might be at its lowest point. Through 19 games, he's hitting .164 with a .186 on-base percentage.

There's time for the 28-year-old to get it going and propel the Reds into contention or serve as a trade chip. Right now, he's doing neither.

The Cleveland Indians cut ties with Hanley Ramirez 16 games into his short-lived career with the Tribe.

Speaking of careers, Hanley's might be over.

The Indians designated Ramirez for assignment Saturday to clear a roster spot for shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was activated from the disabled list. In his brief stint with Cleveland, Ramirez slashed an anemic .184/.298/.327. He's limited to first base or designated hitter duties and turned 35 in December.

There's a slim chance a club will take a flier based on his track record, but odds are he's played his last MLB game.

On Monday, Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland landed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Friday with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Freeland thinks he'll miss only one start, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, but blister issues can linger.

If this one does, or even if it doesn't, the Rox could target Keuchel. The ace lefty is open to signing a one-year deal and then "resetting," per MLB Network's Jon Heyman. And his ground-ball tendencies would play well in the mile-high confines of Coors Field.

Surely Coors wouldn't be Keuchel's first choice if he's looking to boost his value heading into 2020, but Colorado is a contender, and he could join a solid young starting rotation headlined by German Marquez, Jon Gray and, once he returns, Freeland.

The No. 1 overall pick in last season's draft, Casey Mize has posted a 0.50 ERA with 21 strikeouts and one walk in 18 innings for the Detroit Tigers' High-A affiliate.

That's...let's crunch the numbers...impressive.

The 21-year-old won't be in the Motor City soon, but a promotion to Double-A should soon be forthcoming, and a September call-up is within his grasp.

As Jorge Cordova, Mize's pitching coach, summed it up, per MiLB.com's Chris Bumbaca, "Obviously, with that stuff, it's going to play in the big leagues."

They say you can't go home again. Keuchel could challenge that notion.

The Houston Astros don't need him with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole atop the rotation. But a reunion between Keuchel and the only MLB franchise he's ever known is possible.

The 'Stros were one of the teams name-dropped by Heyman. Again, if he's willing to take a short-term contract, the mutual familiarity and chance to help Houston win another title could be irresistible for both sides.

The Kansas City Royals may have struck gold with the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Through his first three starts at High-A, Jackson Kowar has posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 18 in 15 innings. The 22-year-old University of Florida product has the repertoire or a front-line starter, including a high-90s fastball and plus changeup.

Expect him to rise quickly through the Royals system. A call-up this year is unlikely, but K.C. shouldn't be shy about fast-tracking him as it enters a protracted rebuild.

Are you sensing a theme? Any number of teams could use Keuchel's services; his unsigned status is absurd. Rinse and repeat.

Toss in the Los Angeles Angels, who are trying to build a winner around recently crowned "Angel for life" Mike Trout.

The Halos rotation is suspect to say the least with a collective 5.95 ERA (29th in MLB) and lacks an ace. Keuchel is familiar with the American League West.

Plus, as MLB.com's Mark Feinsand noted, "Keuchel's agent, Scott Boras, could enjoy watching his client from his dugout suite seats behind the plate."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won six straight NL West titles and two consecutive NL pennants, thanks in no small part to ace Clayton Kershaw and closer Kenley Jansen.

Neither has fallen off a cliff this season, but both have had struggles. And both have diminished stuff, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times outlined.

There's no reason to panic. The Dodgers have a deep pitching staff and the resources to make signings or swing trades as needed. But the days of Kershaw and Jansen dominating on a regular basis may be over.

As Kershaw put it, per McCullough, "Some days, it's not going to look pretty."

The rebuilding Miami Marlins hope Lewis Brinson is a part of their future, but they're apparently running out of patience.

The 24-year-old outfielder was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the Christian Yelich trade prior to last season and arrived with lofty expectations.

As Yelich won NL MVP honors, Brinson hit .199 in 109 games. So far this season, he's hitting .179.

According to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro: "Unless things turn around soon, a minor league stint is certainly possible. That could be soon."

The Milwaukee Brewers could use help in the starting rotation and the bullpen as they mount their NL Central title defense and try to get back to the National League Championship Series and beyond.

Their pitching staff ranks 27th with a 5.37 ERA. That's...not great.

Hence word, via Heyman, that the Brew Crew could be in on both Keuchel and Kimbrel. That would be uncharacteristically big spending for mid-market Milwaukee, but the Brewers have a chance to make another run.

Especially if both pitchers are willing to ink short-term deals, these could be the seismic splashes that put the Brewers over the top.

The Minnesota Twins sit atop the AL Central and have a shot at the postseason. The return of slugger Miguel Sano would improve their chances.

Sano, who is working his way back from an Achilles injury, began a modified spring training last week with the goal of beginning a rehab assignment in early May, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press.

Sano hit .199 in 71 games last season. On the other hand, he was an All-Star who smacked 28 home runs and posted an .859 OPS in 2017 and is only 25 years old.

The New York Yankees parted ways with Gio Gonzalez, who was released Monday.

Now, the question is: Who will scoop up the 33-year-old left-hander, who tossed 201 innings with a 2.96 ERA as recently as 2017?

The Brewers, who acquired Gonzalez from the Washington Nationals last season, could be in the mix. The New York Mets are in as well, according to Andy Martino of SNY.

Gonzalez, Martino notes, "is seen internally as a more likely addition than" Keuchel for the Queens contingent.

In addition to severing ties with Gonzalez, the Yankees signed infielder Brad Miller to a minor league deal.

Miller, who was released by the Cleveland Indians, is a career .240 hitter yet did swat 30 home runs in 2016.

Is he the cavalry?

The Yanks have a raft of injuries to key players. In the infield alone, Greg Bird, Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar and Troy Tulowitzki are on the disabled list.

The question now is if New York intends to merely tinker with small moves like this one and hope its core returns to health or whether it'll be motivated (or forced) to make a more aggressive play.

As the Oakland Athletics try to replicate last season's surprise postseason run, they anxiously await the return of first baseman Matt Olson.

Olson hit 29 home runs last season, won a Gold Glove at first base and was a major part of Oakland's core.

The 25-year-old has been out since March with a fractured hamate bone, suffered during the Athletics' two-game series against the Seattle Mariners in Tokyo.

The good news for the East Bay faithful? He could be back by mid-May, per manager Bob Melvin (via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle).

Come on, we know you wanted to see that beard again.

The Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation ranks 19th in baseball with a 4.72 ERA. Keuchel is a free-agent starting pitcher you may have heard of, including repeatedly in this article.

Add the Phils to the list of clubs mentioned by Heyman, and for good reason. They play in a tough division. They pushed their chips in by signing Bryce Harper.

This could be the next logical move.

Gregory Polanco has been missing in action for the Pittsburgh Pirates since he underwent shoulder surgery last season. There was no telling when he'd return.

We found out Monday, when the Bucs activated Polanco. He rewarded them by going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs (though they lost to the D-backs, 12-4).

Polanco's healthy return was great news for a lineup that's missing Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson and Lonnie Chisenhall because of injuries and ranks 25th with a .674 OPS.

The San Diego Padres aren't shy about promoting prospects, as they proved by eschewing service-time shenanigans and putting Fernando Tatis Jr. on the Opening Day roster.

That said, you can only give youngsters so much rope.

Second baseman Luis Urias, a top prospect who debuted in August, began the season with just two hits in 29 plate appearances and was sent down to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

"You can see in his at-bats that he wasn't quite who we know he is," Padres manager Andy Green said, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "... It's just right for him to continue to go find it and work a little bit."

As previously noted, the Giants are reportedly open for business on some of their relievers and could be ready to move Bumgarner by the trade deadline.

That's no surprise, as they're under .500 and look like long-shot contenders at best in the NL West.

President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi surely won't give his trade chips away, but experienced lefty bullpen arms like Smith and Tony Watson could bring back a nice haul of prospects. And, given MadBum's legendary October resume, any number of contenders would likely surrender a blue chip or two for a couple of months of his services.

In many ways, Daniel Vogelbach embodies the 2019 Seattle Mariners. Both he and the M's entered the season with low expectations...and both are exceeding them by a mile.

The Mariners sold during the offseason. Vogelbach hit .207 in 37 games in 2018 (the most he'd ever played in the big leagues) and looked like a classic Quadruple-A player.

Now, Seattle is in first place in the AL West, and Vogelbach is helping lead its potent offensive attack with eight homers and a 1.309 OPS.

Small-sample caveats apply, but this hot start feels like more than a flash in the pan.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez is progressing in his shoulder rehab. On Friday, he told reporters he felt "great" after throwing from up to 70 feet, per Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

That's good news for a Cardinals pitching staff that owns a ho-hum 4.34 ERA.

Martinez posted a 3.11 ERA in 118.2 innings last season and has extensive experience out of the bullpen and the rotation.

"I'm just trying to be healthy and safe and smart," he said, per Durando. "Whatever the manager's decision, I'm going to be ready for whatever." 

The Tampa Bay Rays might be the coolest team in baseball. They're certainly the quirkiest.

But as they battle to remain atop the AL East, they'll be without one of their best young hitters for a while.

Outfielder Austin Meadows, whom they acquired last summer in the trade that sent right-hander Chris Archer to the Pirates, will be out for at least a few weeks with a sprained thumb, general manager Erik Neader told 95.3 WDAE (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).

Neander also used the word "hopefully" before he said a few weeks, which isn't a great sign.

Prior to the injury, Meadows was hitting .351 with a 1.097 OPS. The Rays will sorely miss him while he's sidelined.

Like Seattle, the Texas Rangers are off to a surprisingly good start and are in the mix in the AL West.

Will it last? Maybe not.

One thing that could last: the emergence of the new and improved Joey Gallo.

Gallo has always had impressive power, but he's been the complete package this season with a .273 average and .388 on-base percentage to go along with his eight home runs and a 1.100 OPS.

One possible explanation for the 25-year-old's leap forward? A tweak in his swing that involves keeping his hands closer to his body to handle inside pitches, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Whatever the explanation, it's working for both Gallo and the Rangers.

Toronto Blue Jays fans, the wait is almost over. The son of Vlad is nigh.

The Jays could call up top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at any time, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, though manager Charlie Montoyo was a bit more cagey. 

"It could be any day," he said, per Chisholm. "It could be a month."

Let's get real: It won't be a month. Guerrero is raking at Triple-A to the tune of a .381 average and a 1.173 OPS. He has nothing left to prove.

He'll be a Blue Jay soon.

Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon is hitting .371 with a 1.223 OPS in his contract year. Can the Nats extend him?

There have been conflicting rumors regarding the status of extension talks, but general manager Mike Rizzo recently indicated there's a chance.

Here's what Rizzo told 106.7 The Fan's Sports Junkies: "We're trying to get it done. We're trying to see if there's a way to bridge gaps. It takes two to tango, and hopefully both sides want to get something done and we can get a deal done with one of my favorite guys that I've ever drafted in Anthony."

Sounds like a definite maybe.

All statistics current entering play Tuesday and courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.