NL East Notes: Howard, Colon, Mets

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 10:27pm CDT]

Ryne Sandberg’s handling of Ryan Howard is becoming a key to the early portion of Sandberg’s tenure with the Phillies, Matt Gelb of the Inquirer writes. “I do think it’s important to have players who fit my type of players,” Sandberg said last week. “That’s important going forward. I think getting younger will be a step going forward.” It’s becoming clear that Howard, who Sandberg has repeatedly (and arguably with ample justification) benched, is not Sandberg’s type of player. Gelb notes that Sandberg’s years managing in the minor leagues impacted him, meaning that he would rather play a youngster than an unproductive veteran. GM Ruben Amaro, meanwhile, recently said that he was planning on Howard playing first base for the Phillies next year. A report last week indicated that the Phillies were considering releasing Howard, although Amaro has denied that’s the case. Here are more notes on the NL East.

  • Two NL East starters who could be traded, A.J. Burnett and Bartolo Colon, will face off Monday, Tim Healey of MLB.com writes. Colon says that he’s ignoring the possibility that the Mets might deal him. “I don’t know anything about that,” he says through an interpreter. “Those are decisions for the upper management, and you can’t control that stuff.”
  • The Mets are not likely to be buyers or sellers in the traditional sense, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. That doesn’t mean they won’t be on the market, however — they will likely approach it with the goal of improving in 2015. GM Sandy Alderson says he isn’t likely to deal prospects for rentals. At the same time, they do not seem to be chomping at the bit to trade Daniel Murphy, although trading Colon could be a possibility.
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Minor Moves: Chris Leroux, Zach Jackson

By Edward Creech [July 27, 2014 at 10:04pm CDT]

Here are Sunday’s minor moves from around MLB:

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Bruce Billings | Koyie Hill | New York Yankees | Philadelphia Phillies | Transactions | Washington Nationals | Zach Jackson

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 9:15pm CDT]

The trade of Jake Peavy might just be the tip of the iceberg for the Red Sox. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal lists ten more players the Sox could potentially deal at this week’s deadline. Among them are four relievers (Burke Badenhop, Craig Breslow, Andrew Miller and Koji Uehara), plus starter/reliever Felix Doubront. MacPherson notes that Doubront, like 1B/OF Mike Carp (who recently asked for a trade), is eager to get out of Boston.

Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com explains that Doubront sees himself as a starter and wants the Red Sox to put him in the rotation if they’re going to keep him. “I just want to be a starter and stay there,” Doubront says. “If I stay (with the Red Sox), they have to know I have to be a starter. If I go, the other team is going to give me this chance to be a starter.” The addition of player discontent to a disappointing roster full of highly tradeable players could make the deadline a very eventful one in Boston. Here’s more from the AL East.

  • The Blue Jays have a number of needs to balance at the deadline, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. “I think we have enough resources to do what we want to do,” GM Alex Anthopoulos has said, although Chisholm notes that the Jays probably don’t have a lot of money to spend and doesn’t have a ton of nearly-ready young talent to trade, particularly given that the team is unlikely to deal Marcus Stroman or Aaron Sanchez.
  • The Orioles probably won’t acquire a top starting pitcher, but they might acquire depth in that area, writes MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli. They could look for a lefty relief pitcher, as well as a catcher (they’ve recently been linked to Kurt Suzuki) or second baseman. Orioles executive Dan Duquette seems disinclined to trade top young pitchers, including Kevin Gausman.
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NL Central Notes: Brewers, Reds, Pirates

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 8:09pm CDT]

The Brewers have been active at the trade deadline in recent seasons, but GM Doug Melvin is downplaying the impact a deadline acquisition might have, writes MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. “We’re out there, we’re going to have our ears open,” says Melvin. “But we still have to play well as a team and not to think that one acquisition makes a difference. Not many times does that acquisition make the difference without the team still continuing to play well.” Melvin’s acquisition of C.C. Sabathia in early July 2008 was exactly the sort of high-impact move GMs hope for when they make summer deals, although Melvin is obviously correct that one player can’t carry a team all by himself. McCalvy suggests that the Brewers could be in the market for right-handed relief help this summer. Here are more notes on the NL Central.

  • The Reds have struggled recently, and it’s unclear what they’ll do at the trade deadline, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. If they end up buying, they’d like a hitter who can play more than one position. Injuries have hurt the Reds this season, and a number of bulky salaries in 2015 could impede their ability to upgrade. If they do decide to sell (although there does not appear to be much evidence that’s likely), they could make available a number of desirable pieces, including Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, Mat Latos and Mike Leake.
  • Pirates manager Clint Hurdle agrees with general manager Neal Huntington that the Bucs need to be careful trading top prospects for short-term upgrades, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. “You start talking about moving three or four prospects in your top 10, 15? That can get a little dicey,” Hurdle says. “What can help now versus hamstring you later?” Hurdle also notes, however, that the Pirates have made late-summer moves to improve their club in each of the last three seasons, getting players like Derrek Lee, Ryan Ludwick, Wandy Rodriguez, Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau. The Pirates’ biggest need this year is probably in the bullpen, and upgrading there shouldn’t necessarily cost top prospects.
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MLBTR Originals

By Edward Creech [July 27, 2014 at 7:43pm CDT]

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR the last seven days:

  • Tim Dierkes updated MLBTR’s 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings and Max Scherzer has retaken the top spot with Jon Lester moving up to second and Hanley Ramirez, last month’s top ranked free agent, falling to third. Also, two players have cracked the top ten for the first time: Yasmani Tomas and Melky Cabrera.
  • Tim was the first to report teams with the ten worst records will have their first round draft choice protected, even if compensation picks are slotted within the first ten selections.
  • MLBTR completed its look at the 2014 trade market with Steve Adams’ review of rotation reinforcements and Jeff Todd’s break down of bullpen buys (right-handed, left-handed).
  • Tigers President/CEO/General Manager Dave Dombrowski told Zach Links he is still working all trade possibilities after acquiring Joakim Soria from the Rangers, even a left-handed reliever. “Our bullpen has struggled at times and we want to have people that put up zeroes out there. We’ve tried a lot of guys at that and we remain open-minded if something makes sense to make us better before the trade deadline.“
  • Steve hosted this week’s chat.
  • Zach compiled the latest edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
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Red Sox Considering Lester For Kemp Trade

By Edward Creech [July 27, 2014 at 6:52pm CDT]

6:51pm: A source from the Dodgers indicates there are no significant discussions between the Dodgers and Red Sox involving Kemp or Lester, the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo tweets.

4:00pm: The Red Sox are considering a trade with the Dodgers involving Matt Kemp and Jon Lester as the principals, a club source tells Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The Dodgers’ interest in Lester was reported yesterday by Edes.

Kemp’s name is being floated since the Dodgers are unwilling to part with top outfield prospect Joc Pederson, according to Edes. Centering a deal around Kemp, however, is problematic from the Red Sox’s perspective because of the $107MM remaining on his contract. For the deal to make any sense for Boston, Edes reports the Dodgers would have to be willing to eat a considerable amount of money, but they might be willing to do so for a pitcher of Lester’s caliber despite him being no more than a two-month rental. The Red Sox preference, however, is a package centered around Pederson.

Earlier today, it was reported Kemp is a backup plan for the Mariners while the Yankees are not currently in on the Dodgers outfielder. Kemp has been linked to the Indians and Rangers, as well.

Edes also notes Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels is not available and the Red Sox have not inquired about Cliff Lee. For more on the 2014 trade market, check out MLBTR’s position-by-position breakdown.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Boston Red Sox | Cliff Lee | Cole Hamels | Joc Pederson | Jon Lester | Los Angeles Dodgers | Matt Kemp | Newsstand | Philadelphia Phillies

Latest On Yankees’ Pursuit Of Starting Pitching

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 6:46pm CDT]

Here’s the latest on the Yankees’ search for starting pitchers, via CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. Heyman covers a long list of potential options, so be sure to click over to his article.

  • John Danks of the White Sox appears to be among the Yankees’ top possibilities, Heyman writes. Heyman reported last week that the Yankees and White Sox were discussing a possible Danks deal. Danks, 29, has a 4.40 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 131 innings for Chicago this season. His contract, which will pay him $14.25MM in both 2015 and 2016, shouldn’t be a huge obstacle, although Heyman notes that Danks’ declining velocity (with a drop in his average fastball from 91.6 MPH in 2011 to 88.2 MPH this season) might be a concern.
  • The Yankees do not seem to be discussing an Ian Kennedy deal with the Padres.
  • New York isn’t currently thinking hard about acquiring Cliff Lee from the Phillies, since he’s currently working his way back from injury and should be able to clear waivers in August. The Yankees may not have the prospects necessary to acquire Cole Hamels, and he’s “barely available” anyway. The Yankees are not believed to want A.J. Burnett to return.
  • The Yankees are more likely to consider signing Jon Lester in the offseason than to trade for him.
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Latest On Jon Lester

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 5:48pm CDT]

Here’s the latest on Jon Lester and the Red Sox:

  • Lester says he would not be inclined to consider a contract extension if a team traded for him, WEEI.com’s Alex Speier writes. “[M]y ultimate goal would be to come back here. That would be, like I said the other day, I know that’s hard to do,” Lester says. “Money doesn’t buy you happiness.” Speier notes that if Lester would be willing to agree to a deal with his new team as a condition of a trade, that might be a way for the Red Sox to get additional value from the deal.
  • Speier also writes that there has been “no meaningful dialogue” on a possible trade of Lester to the Dodgers.
  • The Red Sox want a “huge” return if they’re going to trade Lester, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Dodgers have a good group of outfielders with which to do a Lester trade, including Joc Pederson and Matt Kemp, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes. (A recent report from Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston indicated the Dodgers and Red Sox were considering a Lester/Kemp deal.)
  • Any Lester/Kemp trade would need to include other pieces and/or money, Rosenthal tweets. He quotes another team’s GM who says, “He doesn’t add much value to any deal for us even at half his salary.” Kemp is owed $107MM from 2015 through 2019. Rosenthal also adds that trading Pederson for Lester would not make sense for the Dodgers unless they received other young talent in return.
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Alex Rios Drawing Interest From At Least Four Teams

By Charlie Wilmoth [July 27, 2014 at 5:29pm CDT]

At least four teams have asked about Rangers outfielder Alex Rios, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports report (all Twitter links). Those teams include the Mariners, Giants, Reds and Yankees. Rosenthal also notes the Blue Jays’ interest was only temporary, and that the Yankees might not be the best match as a trade partner for Rios, since they are one of six teams on his no-trade list.

It is not surprising that the Mariners or Giants would have interest in Rios. The Mariners have been seeking right-handed power and might want more even after their trade for Kendrys Morales. They’ve recently been connected to outfielders like Matt Kemp and Drew Stubbs. The Giants have been connected to a variety of players at different positions, including righty corner outfielder Dayan Viciedo. (They have, however, gotten good work out of regular corner outfielders Michael Morse and Hunter Pence.) The Reds, meanwhile, reportedly want a hitter they can control beyond 2014, and could be buyers even though they’ve fallen to six games back in the NL Central. Rios has a reasonable club option for 2015.

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West Notes: Tulo, Kemp, Kennedy, Qualls, Appel

By Jeff Todd [July 27, 2014 at 2:22pm CDT]

Troy Tulowitzki, one day after his name was misspelled on a Rockies’ T-shirt giveaway, was at Yankee Stadium watching New York play Toronto. Tulowitzki flew to Philadelphia yesterday for a second opinion on his left hip flexor strain, which landed him on the disabled list, reports MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. The doctor’s visit (Harding tweets it’s for a dry needling procedure to promote healing) is in of itself routine, but Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports notes Tulowitzki being at Yankees Stadium is no accident after the spelling snafu adding the Rockies cannot be happy he is attending another team’s game while on the DL and this sort of thing can lead to an eventual trade (Twitter links). Last Sunday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post theorized a trade would only be possible if Tulowitzki was willing to wear the label of a disloyal, bad guy. The All-Star shortstop defended his decision to go to the Yankees’ game telling the Denver Post, “I’m with my family. I wanted to see (Derek) Jeter play one more time.“ 

Here’s the latest out of the game’s western divisions:

  • Though he constitutes a “backup plan” for the club, the Mariners have real interest in Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, tweets Passan. Seattle envisions shifting Kemp to the DH role eventually.
  • The Yankees, meanwhile, are currently “not in” on Kemp, tweets Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. We heard earlier today the club is seeking a bat, including several potential options that profile similarly to Kemp (right-handed, power bats). Of course, those players do not come with Kemp’s $107MM in future commitments.
  • The Padres have announced right-hander Ian Kennedy, a popular name on the MLBTR pages of late, will not make his start tomorrow because of left oblique soreness, but will throw a side session either Tuesday or Wednesday, per the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Dennis Lin.
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow reiterated he is not going to trade closer Chad Qualls, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM. But, Luhnow said the team would consider dealing a starter from its MLB or Triple-A roster.
  • Last year’s number one overall draft pick, Mark Appel of the Astros, has been moved up to Double-A, reports Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. The righty struggled mightily at the High-A level, throwing in a notoriously hitter-friendly environment, but had perhaps his best outing on Thursday. “All along the plan has been to get him to Corpus Christi and have him pitch there this summer,” said Luhnow. “And we wanted to build off of some positive momentum to make that happen. We have a lot of pitchers at High-A that are deserving of opportunities higher up. I think there were things that we wanted him to accomplish at Lancaster.”
  • Appel’s promotion, as well as being rewarded with a bullpen session earlier today at Minute Maid Park, has been met with displeasure within the Astros‘ clubhouse. Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle tweets players have approached several reporters to vent and the comments have been laced with expletives (Twitter links).
  • Astros manager Bo Porter addressed the Appel uproar by telling reporters, including Ortiz, “Any time something affects your clubhouse, I think as the manager you have to handle it. I will handle it internally. It’s unfortunate that they have been put in that position.“
  • Ortiz opines, via Twitter, Appel’s promotion and bullpen session add fuel to the clubhouse perception the 23-year-old is being babied. Baseball America’s Ben Badler agrees the Astros are sending the wrong message to their players, but their discontent should be over the promotion to Double-A, not the bullpen session (Twitter links).
  • The Pirates are believed to have interest in Rockies closer LaTroy Hawkins, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Chad Qualls | Colorado Rockies | Houston Astros | Ian Kennedy | LaTroy Hawkins | Los Angeles Dodgers | Mark Appel | Matt Kemp | New York Yankees | Pittsburgh Pirates | San Diego Padres | Seattle Mariners | Troy Tulowitzki

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peralta, Abreu, O’s, A’s

By Zach Links [July 27, 2014 at 12:31pm CDT]

On this date in 1998, Sammy Sosa hit his first career grand slam, establishing the mark for most career homers before hitting a grand slam.  Sosa belted 246 career home runs before notching his first grand slam.  Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..

Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

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Red Sox Shopping Andrew Miller; Pirates, Braves Interested

By Jeff Todd [July 27, 2014 at 11:37am CDT]

The Red Sox are willing to move southpaw reliever Andrew Miller in a trade, according to multiple reports. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) says that Boston is shopping the lefty, adding that the Pirates have been scouting the club for weeks and have interest in Miller. Likewise, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears (Twitter link) that Miller is available and reiterates that the Braves are still on him, with Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reporting that Miller is Atlanta’s “prime bullpen target.”

Miller, 29, could well be the most impactful late-inning lefty available, as I noted yesterday in a breakdown of the left-handed relief market. He owns stellar peripherals (14.5 K/9 vs. 2.8 BB/9, 51.9% groundball rate) to go along with excellent results (2.31 ERA). Unsurprisingly, ERA estimators are also a fan: Miller sports a 1.77 FIP, 1.82 xFIP, and 1.47 SIERA.

This is undoubtedly Miller’s finest season, as he has only once sported an ERA of below three earned per nine (last year) and struggled earlier in his career, when he was use a starter. But his results have steadily improved since he shifted to the pen, and Miller has plenty of value to a contending team that does not want to take on long-term commitments. He is earning just $1.9MM this year and will hit the open market following the end of the season.

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Rusney Castillo Impresses In Showcase

By Jeff Todd [July 27, 2014 at 10:53am CDT]

Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo put on a showcase yesterday that was ultimately said to be watched by scouts from 28 of the league’s 30 clubs, according to Walter Villa of Baseball America, who provides a robust account of the day.

While scouts offered slightly differing takes, as might be expected, the workout did little to dampen the growing hype surrounding Castillo. At the dish, Castillo showed surprising power and swung well against live pitching from Nate Carter (a D-II closer). His speed rated as anywhere from very good to outstanding and he showed an average big league arm from the outfield (“his weakest tool,” according to one scout). Though Castillo looked promising enough at short, Villa says that his future still seems to lie in the outfield, where he may be capable of manning center.

All in all, Castillo seems to have left the impression that he is a major league talent. It remains to be seen how his market will develop, but Ken Davidoff of the New York Post notes that the Yankees had four sets of eyes in the stands, with the Red Sox sending five. Agent Brodie Van Wagenen said that he believes “a lot of teams may view [Castillo] as a trade-deadline-type acquisition, and that he could be playing in a pennant race in September.”

Given the 27-year-old’s wide potential market, and the fact that he might be a contributor for a contender, the bidding will be fascinating to watch. One scout tells Davidoff that he thinks Castillo will land between $25MM and $35MM, while another said that he could reach Yasiel Puig territory ($42MM), even if he is not viewed as that level of talent.

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Yankees Looking At Josh Willingham, Other Bats

By Jeff Todd [July 27, 2014 at 10:31am CDT]

The Yankees are “looking at” Twins outfielder Josh Willingham, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The club is also eyeing several other possible additions that would bolster the lineup.

GM Brian Cashman said recently that the team sees adding offense as the first priority. Heyman explains that, while the rotation is an obvious need, the club never intended for Ichiro Suzuki to play everyday and may be looking for depth given Carlos Beltran‘s struggles with injury.

Willingham may hold more appeal to New York than other corner outfield bats like Marlon Byrd of the Phillies and Alex Rios of the Rangers, says Heyman, because he is cheaper now and does not come with future commitments. The latter two players, however, have not been ruled out by New York as targets.

Of course, the 35-year-old Twin also figures to be available for a lesser prospect return. Coming off a tough 2013, he was out early with a fractured wrist. He has, however, been productive upon his return. While is batting average is just .215, he has slugged .420 (with ten home runs) and reached base at a .357 clip through 227 plate appearances.

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Full Story | Comments | Categories: Alex Rios | Josh Willingham | Marlon Byrd | Minnesota Twins | New York Yankees | Newsstand | Philadelphia Phillies | Texas Rangers

Blue Jays Designate Esmil Rogers For Assignment

By Jeff Todd [July 27, 2014 at 10:10am CDT]

The Blue Jays have designated reliever Esmil Rogers for assignment, reports John Lott of the National Post (via Twitter). In a corresponding move, the team has activated Nolan Reimold from the DL.

This is now the second time this year that Rogers has found himself in DFA limbo; the last time he was outrighted to Triple-A. Since being added back to the roster on Tuesday, Rogers did not make an appearance, leaving his major league ERA at its previous 6.97 mark. He had been more successful in the upper minors, throwing to a 3.14 ERA in 48 2/3 Triple-A innings (including seven starts).

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