The New York Yankees are tied for the AL East lead while the Detroit Tigers sit three games behind the Kansas City Royals for first place in the AL Central. Both clubs could be looking to make a big move at the trade deadline to propel them over the rest.
On Sunday afternoon FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reported that the Yankees and Tigers "each had a scout at Johnny Cueto's start in Chicago over the weekend." He also mentioned the Boston Red Sox had a scout at the right-hander's outing, but considering they now have the second-worst record in the American League it's not very likely they'll be big buyers at the deadline.
Cueto is 4-4 with a 2.85 ERA, 0.949 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 12 starts (85 1/3 innings).
New York was said to have scouted fellow Cincinnati Reds' starter Mike Leake as well, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
"The Yankees sent scout Jeff Datz to Wrigley Field Friday and Saturday to watch Reds right-handers Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. Each will be a free agent at the end of the season and the Reds are expected to seriously listen to offers before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline," King wrote.
"The Reds have scouted the Yankees' system and players such as outfielders Ramon Flores and Mason Williams and pitcher Bryan Mitchell might be attractive as part of a package."
Yankees' top prospects Luis Severino and Aaron Judge likely interest the Reds, but those two are probably untouchable because general manager Brian Cashman has made it clear the organization is focused on rebuilding their farm system.
As for Detroit, they could be focusing on a win-now mentality because they have a number of players (David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, Alfredo Simon, Rajai Davis, Alex Avila and Joba Chamberlain) slated to hit free agency after the season. Additionally, they just demoted starter Shane Greene to Triple-A after the right-hander had an 8.60 ERA in his last 10 starts.
Detroit just got Justin Verlander back, but they could still use an upgrade in the rotation because it's unknown how youngster Kyle Ryan will fare for the rest of the season. Cueto, who is owed $10 million this season and will hit free agency when the year ends, may no longer demand an excessive return in a trade because he dealt with elbow inflammation just a couple of weeks ago, which has many interested suitors concerned.
Jason Beck of MLB.com reported that the Reds sent a scout to the Tigers' Double-A affilitate (Erie) last week, which could mean Cincinnati is ready to prepare themselves in the event they don't receive the trade offers they were initially expecting.
Detroit would perhaps be the better fit for Cueto simply because they have a need in their starting rotation and have some catching up to do in the division. The Yankees could very well be in position to land Cueto, but their rotation currently consists of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Adam Warren, and Ivan Nova is expected back soon after undergoing Tommy John surgery last season. Perhaps Cashman is preparing himself to make a deal in case the health of Tanaka, Pineda and Sabathia become an issue again or if Nova is unable to perform in his first season back from surgery.
Nonetheless, if the Reds keep falling further out of the playoff picture, look for Cueto to be dealt.
