Believe it or not, the hot stove is heating up. Here’s what we’ve gathered regarding the top rumors in baseball:
- Billy Hamilton has been drawing lots of interest from teams, according to sources. His ability to game change on defense in centerfield is certainly a highly-valued asset to have on the bench. He is a career .242/.297/.326 hitter with a career WAR of 8.4. He played the bulk of his career on the Reds and then spent some time with the Royals and Braves. The deal would presumably be a non-guaranteed minors deal with a spring training invite once finalized.
- The Reds are shopping Nick Senzel but aiming for an elite-caliber player in trades, such as Francisco Lindor, Nolan Arenado, or Trevor Story. In addition to Senzel, they have also considered moving Aristides Aquino as they are skeptical of his longevity. They could eye pitching help in return and lots of teams could use him.
Reds are considering trading Nick Senzel. Have heard his name is out there on market.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 27, 2020
- The Mets aren’t expected to target Senzel and aren’t expected make a real big push for Arenado, although that hasn’t been ruled out yet.
- The Marlins have received calls on Garrett Cooper but is unclear if they are motivated to move him
- Multiple sources say they expect Mookie Betts to be traded by opening day. The current report of a deal involving Wil Myers along with Manuel Margot or Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill or Joey Lucchesi is accurate. They have also discussed prospects including, but not limited to, Luis Patino, Luis Campusano, and C.J. Abrams.
- The Mets are still looking at potential backup catcher options but there is no word on who; Russell Martin would make sense.
- The Cardinals and Rangers have kept dialogue with the Rockies on Arenado. The Rangers have also discussed acquiring Miguel Andujar and are expected to make another offensive addition.