MLB Rumors: Let's take a spin around Major League Baseball and look at some of the latest MLB rumors surrounding the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals.
MLB rumors: Boston Red Sox tried to trade Raimel Tapia
Prior to a series of roster moves that eventually led to the release of outfielder Raimel Tapia on Sunday, the Boston Red Sox reportedly tried to trade the 29-year-old outfielder to try to get something back for him before he hit the open market.
According to MassLive.com, despite the Red Sox wanting to find a trade partner, there wasn't a team that seemed interested enough to pull the deal, with Sean McAdam calling the interest "tepid" in an outfielder that slashed .264/.333/.368 in 97 plate appearances with the Red Sox and made the team's Opening Day roster.
Other things to note from McAdam's reporting included that the Red Sox were talking to two different teams about a trade before eventually releasing Tapia, and Boston "let other teams know they'd be willing to to pay down a portion of Tapia's remaining salary to facilitate a deal." However, Tapia was released and is now available for any team to sign.
Tapia has cycled through three different teams in the last three seasons (Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston) and has yet to find anywhere where he can truly make a lasting impact. His highest OPS+ is any season is 98, recorded with the Rockies in 2021.
MLB rumors: Phillies could be in trouble with the rotation
Philadelphia's attempt to get back to the World Series could be derailed by a number of issues, including the team finding a fifth starter to solidify the rotation.
Entering play on Tuesday, Philadelphia's starters are 21st among the 30 MLB teams with a 4.69 ERA, but seventh when it comes to FIP at 3.93. The numbers suggest that the rotation in Philly could be unlucky so far this season, but will the team's luck improve at the trade deadline when it comes to starting pitching?
It either doesn't seem likely or may come with a very high price tag, according to the thought pattern from Evan Macy of The Philly Voice. If Philadelphia is indeed looking for a fifth starter, Macy writes that there could be a shortage of pitchers available who could match that criteria for the Phillies with a number of teams either expected to chase a Wild Card berth or keep their pitchers in house and try to deal off position players instead.
Of course, the Phillies enter play on Tuesday with a 32-34 record and need to get back to their winning ways to secure exactly which trade deadline tactics the team will employ. If the team can get back over .500, can a fifth starter be something Philadelphia will chase and perhaps pay a hefty price to get? It's something worth watching as the days tick down to August 1.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Could Yadier Molina be a candidate for manager?
There is no doubt that the seat is hot for Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Could one of his former players be a potential replacement? That's the idea floated out by FanSided's Mark Powell in this article when discussing how former Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina could take over the team if management decided to part ways with Marmol.
In the article, Powell mentions the catcher's mindset as a plus for Molina, as well as his experience as the manager for Puerto Rico in the recent World Baseball Classic. He also throws out this nugget when considering if the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer would be a fit under the Gateway Arch, "Managing in the big leagues right away with St. Louis would be a major leap for a player who is just a year or two removed from the game. But, Molina isn't most players, and he knows this Cardinals team very well."
Any kind of transition in St. Louis would likely need someone who could come in and immediately know some of the team's tendencies. That would certainly be Molina, who retired from the game last season after spending 19 years with the club. Topping this list of the greatest catchers in Cardinals history, Molina was loved and respected within the clubhouse last season as the franchise bid him farewell. Would that carry over if the team brought him back in an effort to salvage their season?
