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MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Trevor Rosenthal, Mike Clevinger and More
August 24, 2020
The 2020 Major League Baseball season is essentially a sprint to the playoffs. The season is barely a month old, and we're already closing in on the August 31 trade deadline.
The problem with this year's trade deadline is that with so few games in the books, only a handful of teams truly feel out of playoff contention. We may not see the series of fire sales that often accompany the end of the trading period.
This doesn't mean that teams won't be trying to buy, however. Kansas City Royals reliever Trevor Rosenthal, for example, is a hot commodity, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:
Rosenthal is having a career resurgence with the Royals this season after struggling mightily in 2019. He currently has six saves in just over 11 innings pitched and has a career-low ERA of just 1.59. According to Rosenthal, his success has been a product of getting back to what has worked in the past.
"I tried to change some mechanical stuff that led to the majority of my struggles last year," he said, per Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "...Once the season was over, I pretty much went back to what I had done in the past. I started to get comfortable."
Whatever Rosenthal did in the offseason has worked, and he should be a prime trade target for teams that believe they have a shot at a title. At 11-17, the Royals probably don't fall into that category.
Are the Indians Open to Dealing Mike Clevinger?
The Cleveland Indians currently sit at 17-11 and are in a good position to push for the playoffs. However, this doesn't mean that Cleveland won't be willing to deal at the deadline.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, executives around the league believe that starting pitcher Mike Clevinger can be had.
"Rival executives say the low-revenue Indians are more open to trading Clevinger, whose original $4.1 million salary for 2020 only will increase in his final two years of arbitration," Rosenthal wrote.
As Rosenthal pointed out, Clevinger and pitcher Zach Plesac are at Cleveland's alternate team site after the two broke curfew and COVID-19 safety protocols. Whether teammates are ready to accept the two back into the fold could have a big impact on their futures in Cleveland or elsewhere.
"That’s a healing process the team is going through right now," acting manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said, per Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal. “The organization is dealing with that internally.
Expect the Indians to weight this situation heavily, as they do have a legitimate chance of pushing for a title in 2020.
Marlins Looking to Add Relievers
Sitting at 11-11, the Miami Marlins are currently in a position to make the playoffs. While they're not in a strong position to push for a championship this season, they could reach the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2003.
With the playoffs a clear goal, Miami is looking to be a buyer at the deadline. According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Marlins are specifically eying bullpen help.
Morosi mentions the Royals' stable of relievers as a target for Miami. In addition to Rosenthal, they could have interest in veterans Ian Kennedy and Greg Holland.
It will be interesting to see just how aggressive the Marlins are once the deadline actually arrives. A slump between now and then could cause them to ramp down their trade pursuits. It's worth noting that Miami recently lost catcher Francisco Cervelli to a concussion. He has appeared in 16 of their 22 games this season.