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MLB Rumors: Trade Buzz on Josh Hader, Kevin Gausman and More
August 27, 2020
In a 60-game sprint to the playoffs, every little bit can help.
With that in mind, Major League Baseball teams have until Monday at 4 p.m. ET to add to their teams via trade prior to this year's deadline. There may not be as many sellers since 16 teams will make the playoffs this season, but that hasn't stopped the rumors from coming out prior to the deadline.
With that in mind, here is some of the latest buzz from around the league.
Brewers "Listening" to Josh Hader Offers
There are few more dominant relievers in all of baseball than Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers, and the National League Central team may at least entertain offers for the southpaw.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, they "are listening on left-handed closer Josh Hader, just as they did at the Winter Meetings. No trade is likely, however. One rival executive says Hader is available, but only at a 'bananas price.'"
Bottom line, the Brewers should be looking for a massive return if they moved Hader.
They are in third place in the NL Central but just four games behind the Chicago Cubs and two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. They need to finish in just second place to clinch a playoff spot, and there are also two wild-card slots available for those who do not finish in first or second place in their division.
In addition to an easier time making the playoffs, Hader is under team control for the Brewers through the 2023 season.
The fireballer, who has never finished with an ERA above 2.62, was an All-Star the last two seasons and is yet to allow a single hit or run through 9.1 innings this year. He is tied with Kenley Jansen for the National League lead in saves with seven.
Hader is just 26 years old, a dominant force on the mound and under team control for multiple seasons. It should come as no surprise the Brewers will only part with him for a head-turning return.
Yankees Searching for Pitching
Few contenders could use as much pitching help as the New York Yankees.
Domingo German and Luis Severino are already out for the season. Zack Britton, Luis Avilan and James Paxton are on the injured list. They are 2.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East and attempting to hold off the Toronto Blue Jays for second place.
With that in mind, Andy Martino of SNY reported "the Yankees have called the San Francisco Giants to inquire about right-hander Kevin Gausman."
Gausman is under contract through just this season, but a rental player who could help them stay afloat with so many injuries fits the bill of something the Yankees need.
While Gausman is not somebody who is going to sit atop the rotation, he is a veteran who can eat innings and either start or come out of the bullpen. In six appearances and five starts this year, he has a 4.65 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 31.0 innings.
The numbers aren't excellent, but the right-hander would give New York some much-needed depth heading into the stretch run.
Pirates in Rebuild Mode
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 7-19 and not realistically competing for the playoffs even with more spots available.
It shouldn't be much of a surprise, then, that a National League executive told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that Pirates general manager Ben Cherington is "trying to sell everything" in a rebuilding effort.
This is Cherington's first season as the GM, and looking toward the future seems like the logical move.
However, he shut down the notion the team will just give away Major League talent, saying, "'Trying to sell everything' is inaccurate. Our job is to listen and learn to determine if there is opportunity to match up with another team in a way that we see benefit. We'll continue to do that."
Feinsand listed closer Keone Kela and right fielder Gregory Polanco as possible trade candidates.
Kela posted a sub-3.00 ERA the last two seasons and three of the last four, although he exited Friday's game with a forearm injury. Polanco hit 23 home runs in 2018 but dealt with injuries on his way to 42 games last year and is off to a slow start in 2020.