Anthony Ranaudo Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Saturday

Yesterday we learned that the Tigers have strong interest in Rockies' ace Ubaldo Jimenez, showing a willingness to include top prospect Jacob Turner, who is being called up to start today but not as a showcase.  However, Detroit may be out for now and the chances of any Jimenez deal may have slipped below 50%.  The latest:

• Pomeranz and White will be in the deal if it happens, Renck tweets.
• Jimenez was scratched from his start tonight, Heyman tweets.
• The Yankees infuriated the Rockies by taking their  top prospects off of the table and offering Phil Hughes and others instead, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
• The Rockies are moving toward a deal with Cleveland, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
• White has been scratched from his one-inning rehab outing, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
• There are indications that Pomeranz and White could be available in a possible deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
• The Rockies asked for Pomeranz, Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
• The Rockies and Indians are in serious talks, Renck reports (on Twitter). He hears that a deal would center around Pomeranz, Alex White and Jason Kipnis.
• Renck gets the "strong sense" that Cleveland hasn't given up (Twitter link) and Morosi says Indians prospect Drew Pomeranz was scratched from his Double-A start today (Twitter link).
• The Red Sox, Reds and Indians are in on Jimenez, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees aren't talking actively with Colorado and won't include Nova, Betances, Banuelos or Montero in a deal for Jimenez (Twitter links).
• The Rockies haven't dropped their demands and are still asking for three players, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (on Twitter). The Yankees still won't part with Montero, Betances and Nova for Jimenez.
• Two teams have enhanced their offers, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
• Rival teams believe the Rockies match up best with the Indians, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
• The Rockies will have a scout watching Nova tonight at Yankee Stadium, tweets Sherman.
• The price on Jimenez has come down a tad, tweets Jon Heyman.  He says the Rockies are no longer asking for Banuelos from the Yankees; Betances, Nova, and Montero would work.  That's similar to what Joel Sherman wrote earlier today.  The two teams have not talked today, tweets Troy Renck.  Renck believes the Yankees currently will not put both Montero and Betances in the deal - just one.
• One executive who has been speaking with the Rockies and Reds believes the teams "have discussed an expanded version that could include someone like Seth Smith, because the Reds also have been targeting controllable bats," reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.   
• The Red Sox haven't been in contact with the Rockies about Jimenez since Thursday, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  And the Reds aren't currently discussing Jimenez with the Rockies, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
• The Yankees are all over Jimenez, a source tells ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
• The Yankees are hearing that the Rockies may lower the price on Jimenez today, tweets Ken Rosenthal, but still not to a point that they consider realistic.  Renck tweets that the Rockies' price hasn't changed during the process.
• The Indians, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds are still in on Jimenez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, and he's not counting out the Yankees.
• In addition to Turner and maybe Rick Porcello or Max Scherzer, the Rockies asked the Tigers for outfielder Brennan Boesch, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  Knobler notes that Turner is starting for the Tigers today.
• The Indians were willing to discuss southpaw pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Pomeranz is ranked anywhere from #14 to #35 among all teams by prospect experts.  Red Sox third base prospect Will Middlebrooks and righty Anthony Ranaudo are of interest to Colorado, adds Renck.
• The Rockies want Ivan Nova and two of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero from the Yankees, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman writes, "to say the Yankees and Rockies are not finding common ground on Jimenez’s value is an understatement."  The Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians remain involved, while the Reds are "less heated to make a deal."
• "Rival executives believe that if the Rockies lower their asking price at all today, it will signal clear intent to move the pitcher," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.

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Quick Hits: Nationals, Upton, Webb, Inge, Mariners

With nine days remaining before the trade deadline, the biggest trade chips in baseball are arguably Carlos Beltran (latest rumors) and Hunter Pence (latest rumors). Here are some other relevant links from around MLB...

• The Nationals are in greater need of outfield depth than infield help or a catcher, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
• The Rays pulled B.J. Upton and prospect Desmond Jennings from their respective games, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).  However, Upton says that he has not been traded, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
• Rangers pitcher Brandon Webb will undergo surgery on his right shoulder with the intent to pitch again in 2012, according to his agent Jonathan Maurer.  This will not be a full surgery of the rotator cuff but it will prevent him from throwing for four months.
• The Tigers would need to eat some salary to move Brandon Inge but teams still believe that the veteran has value, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
• The Reds scouted Jason Vargas and Doug Fister when the Mariners visited Toronto this week, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
• Indians team president Mark Shapiro said that he expects the club will make a move in the next ten days, tweets Nick Camino of WTAM 1100.
• Reds GM Walt Jocketty told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he’s looking for a bat to insert at the top of the order or in the middle of the lineup. However, the Reds are also open to acquiring pitching, either for the rotation or the bullpen. The Reds have lots of depth, but Jocketty says he “hates” trading prospects.
• Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago hears that Hall of Fame executive Pat Gillick is open to a role with the Cubs. Gillick said last week that he's open to taking on a full-time role as a team president at some point in the future.
• MLB talent evaluators tell Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the Red Sox have a number of players whose prospect status is starting to rise and who could become elite prospects within a year. Though the Adrian Gonzalez deal made a major dent in Boston’s farm system, Speier’s sources say the Red Sox still have secondary prospects who could be valuable trade bait this summer. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks and right-hander Anthony Ranaudo are among the organization’s top prospects.
• Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirms that the Red Sox have had exploratory conversations with the Royals about Jeff Francoeur.

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Carlos Beltran Rumors: Wednesday

Though he's well-compensated and has full no-trade protection, Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran is the best available hitter.  The latest:

• The Red Sox aren't willing to part with the prospects the Mets want, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The Mets are interested in Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish, Jose Iglesias, Anthony Ranaudo, Felix Doubront and Will Middlebrooks, according to Edes. Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald hears that the Red Sox are focusing on internal solutions, particularly Reddick.
• SI's Jon Heyman runs through ten Beltran suitors, naming the Phillies the "clear favorite."  The Mets' first target would be Domonic Brown, a concession Matt Gelb can't see happening.
• Boston's talks with the Mets about Beltran have not advanced beyond preliminary discussions, reports WEEI's Alex Speier.  Eight to ten teams are said to be in the mix, with the Red Sox among the top six.
• Some Mets officials feel a deal could get done well before the July 31st deadline, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman agrees with a previous Ken Rosenthal report that the Phillies and Red Sox are the most aggressive suitors.  Sherman says they're followed by the Braves, Giants, Indians, and Pirates.  He notes that the Mets "have been somewhat surprised by Detroit's disinterest."
• Yesterday the Mets provided Beltran with a short list of teams to consider, and the Phillies are believed to be on it, report Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo.  The writers add that the Mets have indicated a willingness to pay much or all of the $6MM owed to Beltran depending on the return.  They list the Red Sox, Giants, and Yankees as other suitors, and wonder if the East Coast teams have an edge since Beltran lives in New York.  Brown and Passan named the Brewers as a dark horse, but they don't have much in the way of top prospects.

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Quick Hits: Schieffer, Ranaudo, Cust

Lance Berkman's return to Houston is a popular topic today, with the best takes I've found coming from Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Astros senior director of digital media Alyson Footer.  On to today's links:

• Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times explains that new Dodgers trustee Tom Schieffer is "a hands-off-the-roster guy, famous for leaving the Rangers baseball folks alone during his tenure there, one of the main reasons he was chosen for this job."  GM Ned Colletti will only have to make a case to Schieffer if he wants to go over budget.
• We have to recalculate our expectations of position players in their late 30s in the post-PED era, writes SI's Tom Verducci.
• WEEI's Alex Speier discusses the timeline of top Red Sox pitching prospect Anthony Ranaudo.
• The cases of Phil Hughes and Philip Humber demonstrate "the fickle nature of pitching," writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
• Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wonders how much time the Mariners will give Jack Cust to start hitting.  So far he's at .171/.326/.186 in 86 plate appearances, which means he's outhitting Carlos Pena.
• Player's union head Michael Weiner told ESPN's Jayson Stark the players are open to adding more playoff teams, but no proposals have been made and "it's just too early in the bargaining process to predict or guess where it's going to land."  For much more on the topic, check out Stark's Rumblings and Grumblings column.

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Odds & Ends: Jocketty, Pirates, Indians

Links for Friday, before Cardinals host the Reds in a must-win series...

• Tyler Kepner of the New York Times profiles Reds GM Walt Jocketty. Former Padres GM Kevin Towers has some amusing observations about trading with his longtime rival.
• If you haven't done so already, visit our Reverse Standings page to see how the 2011 draft order is shaping up.
• Pirates president Frank Coonelly repeated to Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he is "extremely disappointed" in his team. Asked how safe GM Neal Huntington and manager John Russell are, Coonelly said he is “evaluating every aspect of [the team’s] operation in order to determine how [to] get the club moving in the right direction immediately.” 
• As Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports, the Red Sox want 2010 draft pick Anthony Ranaudo to get accustomed to pro ball, but they don't want him to pitch just yet.
• I previewed the Indians 2011 rotation last month; now Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer makes some predictions of his own right here.

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Red Sox To Sign Anthony Ranaudo

The Red Sox agreed to terms with supplementary first rounder Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (Twitter link). Ranaudo gets a $2.55MM bonus, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), but not a major league deal, according to Speier (on Twitter).

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Red Sox Rumors: Lowell, Ranaudo, Ortiz

Maybe the Tigers and Rangers want to re-think their respective stances on Mike Lowell. Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston reported yesterday that the two clubs were losing interest in the Red Sox infielder, but Lowell homered three times in a rehab game for the Pawtucket Red Sox tonight. The Rangers are in on Jorge Cantu and others, while the Tigers may not add a bat this week, but Lowell is doing all he can to restore his trade value and his hip to full health. Here are the rest of tonight's Red Sox rumors:

• The Red Sox have yet to begin negotiations with supplemental rounder Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Experts considered the righty one of the top arms in this year's draft, but his stock dropped due to forearm issues. Ranaudo proved his value with a standout performance in the Cape Cod League this summer, but he and agent Scott Boras have yet to begin negotiating with the Red Sox.
• David Ortiz told WEEI's Big Show that he wants to re-sign in Boston after the season, but not just on a one-year deal. Designated hitters Hideki Matsui and Vladimir Guerrero signed one-year deals last winter, but Ortiz doesn't believe they're great comps for him. Big Papi would prefer the security of a multi-year deal, but he won't have complete say in the matter; the Red Sox hold a $12.5MM option for his services in 2011.

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Odds & Ends: Tracy, Braves, Brewers, Phillies

Links for Friday, as the international signing period begins...

• Chad Tracy's agent told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that his client has interest in playing for Mike Rizzo's Nationals, since Rizzo, Arizona's former scouting director, drafted Tracy in 2001 (Twitter link).
• You can listen to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes talking trades on the YES Network's Off the Wall podcast right here.
• Earlier in the week we heard that the Braves weren't crazy about David DeJesus and that remains true, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Morosi says the Braves are not pursuing DeJesus or Jose Guillen.
• The Brewers would listen to offers for Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter).
• Assistant GM Scott Proefrock told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the current edition of the Phillies has to perform. Chase Utley will miss eight weeks or more and Placido Polanco will miss three to four weeks, so the Phillies’ depth will be tested if they don’t make a trade.
• As expected, the Yankees promoted Dustin Moseley, according to Conor Orr of the Star Ledger. Some teams called the Yankees to inquire about the righty's availability as his opt-out date drew nearer.
• One GM who just did an overview of the Royals' farm system told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he's impressed by the team's prospects.
• D'Backs president Derrick Hall says the team won't likely start searching for a permanent GM until the offseason, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
• Not surprisingly, the D'Backs have yet to ask the Dodgers for permission to interview assistant GM Logan White, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
• Red Sox supplemental rounder Anthony Ranaudo is looking to be paid like a top-ten pick, according to Amanda Comak of the Cape Cod Times. Check out the complete list of first rounders to sign right here.
• The Brewers released Triple A outfielder Trent Oeltjen, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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Red Sox Rumors: Cash, Ibarra, Ranaudo

The injuries keep coming for the Red Sox and so do the rumors. Here's the latest on Boston's options behind the plate, now and in the future:

• Alex Speier of WEEI.com notes that the Red Sox could have interest in Kevin Cash if Victor Martinez goes on the DL. Cash, now in Houston's system, has experience catching many Red Sox pitchers, including Tim Wakefield. He would probably be available for a small return.
• Cash could become Boston's immediate solution, but today they moved closer to adding a backstop who could help them in a couple years. Cuban catcher Adalberto Ibarra took his physical today according to the catcher's agency on Twitter. Speier notes that the deal should become official once the results of the physical are available. The Red Sox agreed to a $3MM deal with the 22-year-old in April.
• Red Sox 2010 draft pick Anthony Ranaudo is returning to form in the Cape Cod League, according to Jason A. Churchill of ESPN.com. Ranaudo's stock fell as the draft approached and elbow issues surfaced, but he has considerable upside, as MLBTR's Mike Axisa explains in this post.

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Odds & Ends: Mets, Orioles, Cliff Lee

Links for Wednesday, as the Pirates' Brad Lincoln hopes to capture just a small slice of Stephen Strasburg's success in his MLB debut...

• Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues is skeptical about today's rumors connecting the Yankees to Cliff Lee. Pawlikowski expects the Yanks to add complementary players this summer, rather than big names.
• Brewers catching prospect Angel Salome has requested a move to the outfield, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
• The Mets appear interested in Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, and Jake Westbrook, writes MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone. 
• Vladimir Guerrero, Troy Glaus, and Jon Garland head up Jon Heyman's list of the top free agent bargains for SI.com.
• 39th overall pick Anthony Ranaudo chatted with WEEI's Alex Speier, explaining that the plan is for him to pitch in the Cape Cod League and then begin negotiations with the Red Sox.
• Cliff Lee would prefer cooler temperatures than he'd find in Arlington if traded, reports ESPN's Richard Durrett, but the lefty knows it's out of his control.  Lee told Durrett he's not worrying about the trade deadline.
• White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was disappointed to see the team draft his son Ozney way down in the 22nd round, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
• Southpaw reliever George Sherrill would like to remain with the Dodgers beyond 2010, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  In my opinion, Sherrill will need to re-sign after being non-tendered for that to happen, much like Jonny Gomes did with the Reds.

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