Major League Baseball's Aug. 3 trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and there's much to be done when it comes to sorting out buyers and sellers. Even so, teams are already making at least tentative plans for that important date on the MLB calendar. That means trade rumors continue to trickle in, especially now that we're well into the back half of July. Tuesday is no exception, and you can find the latest dose of trade talk just below.
Tigers keeping Skubal?
The biggest question leading up to the deadline remains whether the Tigers will trade or hang on to ace and back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. Skubal is slated for free agency this coming offseason, and the Tigers are below .500. On the other hand, they're trending upward -- Detroit's 10-4 in July and 25-15 since the start of June -- and at present find themselves just 4 ½ games out of playoff position in the lackluster American League with more than two months of regular season remaining. When it comes to Skubal's deadline fate, that recent trajectory may be holding sway. ESPN reports that the Tigers are right now leaning toward keeping Skubal through the deadline, according to "[t]he growing sentiment among rival executives."
Those plans, however, are not etched in granite, as a downturn over the next week-plus could push the Tigers into seller territory. For now, though, it seems the Tigers may be inclined to keep their pending free-agent ace and make a push for a third straight trip to the postseason.
Jeffers likeliest catcher to be dealt
The Yankees badly need an upgrade at the catcher position, which means that figures to be their top deadline priority. As for possible targets, one is emerging as the most realistic. The Athletic reports that Hunter Goodman of the Rockies, Shea Langeliers of the A's, and Adley Rutschman of the Orioles may not be on the move by Aug. 3, but that Ryan Jeffers of the Twins may be a more realistic target for the Yankees or any other team looking for help behind the plate.
The 29-year-old Jeffers, who has a career OPS+ of 110, is a pending free agent, which is why the Twins might be willing to move him -- likely in exchange for bullpen help -- despite being in the mix for a playoff spot. He'd certainly be a fit for the Yankees, who of course have more than enough resources to sign Jeffers to an extension should a trade happen and should both parties have interest in a mutual commitment.
Yankees' top two prospects off-limits
Everything's a negotiation, of course, but it's that time of year when buyer clubs leak to the press which prospects they'd prefer you not to even ask about, thanks much. Speaking of the Yankees, MLB.com reports on this very matter insofar as New York's deadline swaps to come are concerned. Specifically, infielder George Lombard Jr. and right-hander Carlos Lagrange are not up for discussion, and in related matters, they're the Yankees' two most highly regarded prospects. The system is a solid one though, and the Yankees do have some down-ballot names in their system with which a compelling enough package could be built.
