Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has posted his latest edition of Full Count. Let's dive in..
- As of this morning, the GMs of the Orioles and Brewers have not spoken about a trade involving Zack Greinke. But the O's, despite sending three starters to the minors this week, continue to indicate that they are buyers. Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was previously in Baltimore and O's right-hander Jake Arrieta was originally a Brewers draft pick in 2005 and could be of interest as part of a package for Greinke. However, the Orioles may not want to pay a steep price for a potential free agent when they might only be playing for a wild card.
- Rival teams covet Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt and the Phillies would likely target him in any talks for Cole Hamels, but the odds of Philly landing him are slim. Texas would view Hamels as a rental and are looking at Olt at first base and right field, in addition to third. His bat will be needed next season if they lose Hamilton or Mike Napoli to free agency.
- The Red Sox face ongoing luxury tax concerns and are over the threshold by $10MM, according to a source. That could make holding on to Jacoby Ellsbury difficult after 2013 and trading him might make sense at the end of this season. Unfortunately, the free agent market will be flooded with outfielders including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino. That will obviously hurt the market for the 28-year-old.
- Victorino could be a fit for the Pirates or Indians as they aggressively pursue hitters. The Pirates like Carlos Quentin but his asking price is steep. The Tribe has inquired on Corey Hart, but he is unavailable. Victorino would be a solid fit for Cleveland as he is a switch-hitter (who would join a predominantly left-handed lineup) and can play either left or center field.
