Someone will be playing shortstop for the Tigers in tonight’s game against the Red Sox, but they just don’t know who yet. The club posted their lineup for tonight’s game and simply put “????????????” at shortstop in the ninth spot in the lineup.
Via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:
#Tigers‘ lineup. Note SS. Suarez taking grounders now. pic.twitter.com/AKadteBE2h
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 7, 2014
No word on if the Tigers have acquired Matthew Lesko.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Yankees and Mariners are both expressing interest in Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.
Happ is posting a 3.48 ERA and a 94/25 K/BB ratio in 82.2 innings across 14 starts and has been stingy with the hits as well. Between that, the Blue Jays’ lack of contention and the fact that Happ is in the walk year of his three-year, $36 million deal, all signs point to the Jays trading them.
In normal circumstances you might not expect the Jays to make a trade with the Yankees, but at this point it sort of doesn’t matter, does it? It’s not like Happ in New York on a couple month rental will impact the 2018 Jays too much. And, given his pending free agency, it’s not extraordinarily likely that he’d haunt the Jays from the Bronx long term either.
There’s not a ton of elite pitching currently available, but as the trade deadline approaches — a little over a month to go on that score — the talk about Happ, Cole Hamels, Francisco Liriano and others will heat up. Figure the Yankees will be linked with any and all available starters.
