MLB trade deadline open thread and rumor round-up

We are eight hours away from the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline (as of 8:00 a.m. ET), and the excitement might only be beginning. A flurry of trades went down on Monday evening, including one involving our old friends Ian Kinsler and Dave Dombrowski, and Tuesday might give us even more action. The Washington Nationals have reportedly put Bryce Harper on the trade block, and I have a hunch that Tampa’s Chris Archer might also be on the move.

Since our Detroit Tigers seem to be taking a back seat to all of this movement — we haven’t heard a peep about Mike Fiers, Francisco Liriano, or even Michael Fulmer — let’s sit back and enjoy the madness. Feel free to stop in before or during your work day and chat about all the rumors, trades, and ramifications of the deals going down on what promises to be one of the more hectic trade deadlines in recent memory.

We’ll try to update this thread throughout the day with the trades and rumors that have been reported.

Trades

• The Boston Red Sox acquired old friend Ian Kinsler in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night. Kinsler endured a rough start to the season offensively, but has been hitting better lately and provides a huge upgrade defensively for the Sox. Heading back to Los Angeles are Triple-A relievers Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez.
• The Texas Rangers traded closer Keone Kela to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a pair of prospects. Left-handed pitcher Taylor Hearn, the No. 7 prospect in the Pirates system (per MLB Pipeline) seems to be the prize of the deal, with a second player to be named later. Kela represents a modest bullpen upgrade for the Bucs, who are just 3 ¹⁄₂ games out of a Wild Card spot.
• The Houston Astros drew the ire of the baseball world on Monday when they acquired Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, who is currently serving a 75-game suspension following his arrest on domestic assault charges in May. Heading back to Toronto are former Astros closer Ken Giles, former Tigers prospect David Paulino, and right-handed pitcher Hector Perez.
• The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Adam Duvall from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for three players. Tigers fans may remember Aaron Blair, who shut them down in their last-ditch attempt to make the 2016 playoffs. Blair, Lucas Sims, and outfielder Preston Tucker will all head to Cincinnati. Tucker will likely join the Reds in Detroit this week.
• The New York Yankees picked up righthander Lance Lynn from the Minnesota Twins in what our friends at Pinstripe Alley called “the most lateral move imaginable.” They sent righthander Adam Warren to the Seattle Mariners earlier Monday, but were able to pick up a bit more international slot bonus money in the two moves.
• The Mariners also grabbed lefthander Zach Duke, causing Lookout Landing’s collective head to explode.

Rumors

• The Nationals are reportedly open to moving Bryce Harper, but only “if someone wants to go crazy,” according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. I think it’s an interesting move for them, and one that could bolster depth of a pretty solid core even without Harper.
• Everyone connected to the Rays seems to think that Chris Archer will be moved this summer. Jon Morosi reported that six teams are interested in the 29-year-old righthander, who is cost-controlled through the 2021 season.
• The Chicago Cubs are working on a deal to bring veteran reliever Brad Ziegler into the fold.
• The Red Sox might also go after Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, who previously played in Boston in 2010.
• The Yankees and Phillies are both interested in former Tiger (and Yankee) Curtis Granderson. Multiple teams are also interested in another former Tiger: outfielder Cameron Maybin, and the Yankees might also go after Andrew McCutchen. Jose Bautista was also mentioned as an option for some reason, but the Yankees are smart and don’t want him.
• The Indians reportedly want a center fielder, which could maybe (hopefully!) mean Leonys Martin.