MLB rumors: Dodgers back in Ohtani talks, Cardinals ready to cash in, Stroman destination, more

In the latest MLB trade rumors, the Dodgers are engaged on Ohtani, the Cardinals could cash in, and the Mariners are undecided on their path forward.

It’s Friday, July 21st as of this writing. We are 11 days away from the pure chaos of the MLB Trade Deadline.

Here’s the latest on what to know in regard to MLB trade rumors today.

The Mariners seem entirely undecided on direction

Not long ago, reports indicated the Seattle Mariners, despite already sending a pitcher out this year, were going to switch things up and be buyers at the trade deadline. The latest reports indicate they’re leaning back toward being sellers.

At exactly .500 as of this writing, it makes sense for the Mariners to be on the fence about direction. They’re a young team who might not want to mortgage the future by adding win-now assets if it costs them prospects, especially considering the intensity of their division.

Here’s what Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said on a recent radio appearance:  

“We are always one foot in the camp of buyer and one foot in the camp of seller, believing that the best way to approach any trade deadline is with the mindset of ’how do we make the Mariners better?’”

The Rangers are in the lead in the AL West, and the Astros could easily make a leap forward with a few moves. The Angels could go either direction depending on Ohtani.

Seattle’s decisions at the trade deadline are anyone’s guess. It sounds like that’s true even for those in the Mariners organization.

The Rays are targeting pitchers

The Tampa Bay Rays have a need for starting pitching. Remember, Drew Rasmussen is out for the season with a UCL issue, and won’t return until midway through 2024.

They’re looking into two Midwest pitchers, one of them being Marcus Stroman of the Chicago Cubs, the other being Michael Lorenzen of the Detroit Tigers.

Jon Morosi reported on Lorenzen, and MLB Trade Rumors reminded us of the Rays’ reported interest in Stroman.

Stroman is, surely, the bigger name and will command the heftier price tag. He’s been a lock-down starting pitcher for Chicago this year in what will likely wind up being a contract season (player option for the final year of his deal in 2024). Stroman has been vocal about wanting to secure an extension to stay at Wrigley Field, but reports have suggested the Cubs won’t work with him on an extension in-season.

He’s a true Cy Young candidate with a 3.09 ERA and 1.144 WHIP. His 15 quality starts leads MLB, and every time he’s on the mound he gives his team a solid opportunity to walk away with a win.

Meanwhile, Lorenzen has a 3.49 ERA and a 1.093 WHIP. At 5-6, his win/loss record has been somewhat muted thanks to the poor play from the Tigers in general.

Lorenzen’s four-seam fastball is one of the 25 best pitches in MLB this season if you look at run value from Statcast. Stroman’s best pitch doesn’t come in until 81 overall, which makes sense considering Stroman mixes his arsenal significantly to secure ground balls rather than relying on any one lead pitch. Stroman leads the league in ground ball outs with 168.