Hank Blalock Rumors

Gammons' Latest: Penny, Jenks, Salty

Let's take a look at Peter Gammons' Saturday blog post. Gammons indicates that Brad Penny is working hard this offseason, and teams such as the Cardinals, Red Sox, Rangers, and Blue Jays "appreciate" his past success. The Mets are apparently worried about Bobby Jenks' declining strikeout rate, a sentiment echoed by Joel Sherman. Sherman talked to a Mets official who said the chances of acquiring Jenks are "close to zero." The Rangers apparently wanted Clay Buchholz or two of Justin Masterson/Nick Hagadone/Michael Bowden for Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The Red Sox aren't biting. The Rangers would probably have to trade Hank Blalock...   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Exercise Option On Blalock

Another expected option decision - the Rangers picked up Hank Blalock's $6.2MM for '09. Blalock, 28, figures to DH and maybe play some first base for the Rangers next year, unless they trade him. Staying healthy has been the problem in recent years.   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Rumors: Blalock, Blake, Catchers

Next up we'll dig into the latest Rangers rumors, courtesy of Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The Rangers are expected to pick up their $6.2MM option on Hank Blalock today. It doesn't seem that Blalock will spend much time at third base if he's with the Rangers in 2009. Instead, he'd play first and DH. Of course, a trade is possible. The Rangers may look at outside options for third base, and they've been in touch with Casey Blake's agent. The Rangers have an eye on defense, which might rule out Garrett Atkins. Grant finds Joe Crede questionable,...   Continue Reading

---

Rangers To Shop Catchers, Blalock

According to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, Rangers GM Jon Daniels will open up discussions to acquire starting pitching at next week's GM meetings. Specifically, Daniels could deal from his catching surplus or trade Hank Blalock. The Rangers will first need to pick up Blalock's $6.2MM option for 2009. One thing to keep in mind about Blalock is that his ability to play third base regularly is in question. Sullivan names all kinds of potential targets and trading partners - the Mariners, Giants, Rays, Marlins, Reds, Red Sox, and many more. Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported this morning...   Continue Reading

---

Perrotto's Latest: Red Sox, Mets, Burnett, Blalock

John Perrotto over at Baseball Prospectus has his weekly column up... let's take a look at what he has to say: Couple of notes about the Red Sox: Perrotto expects Theo Epstein to re-sign Jason Varitek to a two-year deal in the $16MM range. This seems like drastically overpaying for what Varitek has become, in my opinion, but as Perrotto points out, there's very little on the free agent market. Epstein will then look to trade for a young catcher who can become the starter in 2010 or 2011. Additionally, he'll try to move Mike Lowell to open up a...   Continue Reading

---

Dallas Morning News: Jon Daniels Q&A

Mike Hindman of the Dallas Morning News recently conducted a Q&A with Rangers GM Jon Daniels. A few highlights: Daniels thought the Rangers had a great chance to sign Michael Inoa, as ownership made a budget exception to pursue him. Daniels doesn't seem inclined to trade his top pitching prospects for a young big league starter. He still has certain targets though. A contract extension for Josh Hamilton will probably be explored during the first three months of 2009. Daniels knows what he wants to do with Milton Bradley, but wouldn't reveal it. He expects to exercise Hank Blalock's $6.2MM...   Continue Reading

---

Heyman's Latest: K-Rod, Furcal, Blalock

Non-Manny notes from Jon Heyman's latest... The Angels and Mets "appear hesitant" to give Francisco Rodriguez five years. There's not an obvious suitor to overpay K-Rod, but the Mets are the closest. Heyman sees Brian Fuentes getting about $11MM per year. Ken Rosenthal recently suggested even more money. Doug Melvin could become a candidate for the Mariners job if the Brewers aren't able to extend him. Doesn't seem to make sense since Melvin is signed through 2009. Heyman believes Chris Antonetti in Cleveland is contractually guaranteed the GM job in the future. The Dodgers will try to re-sign Rafael Furcal,...   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Rumors: Blalock, Bradley

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News discusses the Rangers' offseason in a new article, focusing on areas other than pitching (which is top priority). We tackled the Rangers here. Grant says the Rangers will "almost certainly" exercise Hank Blalock's $6.2MM option for '09. However, the Rangers prefer Chris Davis at first base. That means Blalock will either DH or be traded. Milton Bradley could be re-signed as DH, but the Rangers still don't want to give him a multiyear deal given his health history. Bradley is dead set on multiple years. When Eddie Bajek last checked, Bradley was right...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Santos, Blalock, Lo Duca

Let's dig through today's rumor bin... The Jays claimed southpaw Reid Santos off waivers from the Indians. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says the Indians are clearing room on their 40-man roster in preparation for the winter. Dejan Kovacevic has yet to observe why new Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche is so highly regarded. Jamey Newberg feels Hank Blalock's $6.2MM option for '09 is an easy call to exercise. J.C. Bradbury sees a rift within the Braves organization. Craig Calcaterra dismisses the silly idea of Frank McCourt suing Andruw Jones. Paul Lo Duca would prefer a non-guaranteed deal next year if he...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Pettitte, Hampton, Tazawa, Blalock

Let's round 'em up... Chat today, 2pm CST. Andy Pettitte seems to want to play next year, but Peter Abraham believes he may have to take a pay cut. Gerry Fraley writes about the Rockies and Mike Hampton. It's safe to rule out a return to Colorado for Hampton, who is currently auditioning for his next team. The Royals dismissed their scouting director Deric Ladnier, offering him another position in the organization. Craig Brown reflects on Ladnier's tenure. More Royals linkage: Rany Jazayerli defends the Gil Meche signing and implores the team to lock up Zack Greinke this winter. Jazayerli...   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest: Hendry, Burnett, Laird

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has a new column up. Rosenthal fills us in on Jim Hendry's contract status: Hendry controls his own fate with an option for '09. If the new Cubs ownership doesn't want to extend him beyond that, he could elect free agency this winter. Click here to download a spreadsheet of Hendry's trade history. Teams with third basemen to trade this winter are at an advantage due to the weak free agent market. Names like Garrett Atkins, Melvin Mora, and Hank Blalock could generate interest. Blalock is a huge question mark though, and the Rangers still...   Continue Reading

---

Giants Like Adrian Beltre

According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle: The Giants like Adrian Beltre, believing he would thrive in the more fastball-oriented National League, but a source said they have not exchanged names with the Mariners. Schulman explains that Giants GM Brian Sabean is open to acquiring players who can help in 2009. Hank Blalock was also on the radar, but now he's back on the DL. The Rangers told a white lie to the public regarding Blalock's injury earlier this week. The Rangers had their eye on Jonathan Sanchez, but I doubt the Giants would've entertained a one-for-one swap...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Street, Zaun, Guardado, Blalock

Let's round up some odds and ends for a rumor-packed day. The Reds had a scout at a recent Rangers-A's game; they may have been eyeing a Texas catcher. Billy Beane is still fielding offers for Huston Street; Jon Heyman mentions the same teams we've heard in the past. Ed Wade told Miguel Tejada he's staying put. Gregg Zaun would welcome a trade. GM J.P. Ricciardi responded by saying "someone has to want you." The Marlins could make sense; their catcher hunt may hinge on Matt Treanor's decision whether to have surgery. John Maine has a mild rotator cuff strain....   Continue Reading

---

Stark's Latest: Teixeira, Padilla, Sheffield, Beltre

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings up. You may want to grab a glass of water or something, because this is a beast of a column. If the Braves have a bad weekend and decide to trade Mark Teixeira, a deal could come together quickly. Stark says the Braves have already touched base with the Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels and Yankees. Where Tex fits on the Rays, I'm not sure. Additionally, interest in Will Ohman is said to be "massive." A Jorge Posada move to first base could affect the Yankees' interest in Teixeira this winter....   Continue Reading

---

Molony's Latest: Francoeur, Bay, Blalock

MLB.com's Jim Molony has a new column up. The Braves will listen to offers for Jeff Francoeur and Will Ohman, and maybe Mark Teixeira if the Braves struggle in the next week. The Royals are said to be interested in Francoeur. Mike Gonzalez is unavailable. The Braves have scouted Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, in case they decide to become buyers. The Phillies had an exec scouting the Pirates recently. The Phils are looking for a lefty reliever. The Phillies also may be looking at relievers on the Jays and Orioles. Molony rattles off Freddy Garcia suitors: Astros, Cardinals, Phillies,...   Continue Reading

---

Heyman's Latest: Nady, Teixeira, Sherrill

Jon Heyman is cranking out a lot of rumorage. Here's his latest. The price has dropped a tad on Xavier Nady, as the Pirates have become more interested in moving him. The Braves still might trade Mark Teixeira right before the deadline, and Heyman thinks they can easily beat two draft choices. Many teams scouted George Sherrill recently: the Marlins, Dodgers, Cardinals, Phillies, and Brewers. Some execs "expressed annoyance" at the D'Backs underpaying for Jon Rauch. Heyman says the Yankees are looking for catching, though Peter Abraham doesn't agree. The Twins, Giants, and Dodgers have interest in Hank Blalock, who...   Continue Reading

---

Dodgers Sign Ozuna, Look To Stay Active

Ken Gurnick from MLB.com writes that the Dodgers signed veteran utility player Pablo Ozuna today. The White Sox designated Ozuna for assignment on July 8 to make room for Paul Konerko when he returned from the DL. He elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers. Ozuna had posted a mediocre line of .281/.313/.328 in 69 plate appearances for the White Sox this year. Luis Maza was designated for assignment to make room for Ozuna, Gurnick writes. Maza was called up as a quick shortstop fix earlier in the year, but had posted an abysmal .228/.278/.282 line through 79...   Continue Reading

---

Carroll's Latest: Burnett, Twins, Cardinals

Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll has plenty of rumors in his latest post. Pat Gillick "doesn't seem that interested" in going back to work for the Mariners. One team asked the Blue Jays to include players to be named later on both sides of an A.J. Burnett deal, to serve as a balance for the pitcher's uncertain tricky contract. The Jays passed on that idea. By the way, the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin thinks the Jays will keep Burnett unless offered a player who can improve the '08 team. Carroll wonders whether the Pirates would consider trading Ian Snell. Snell is...   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Bruce, Ensberg, Boone, Weaver

Plenty of links for today. Indians top prospect Adam Miller is pretty much done for the season. '09 free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera and manager Ozzie Guillen are not getting along. Peter Bendix explains the savings the Reds get by waiting to promote Jay Bruce. Morgan Ensberg is a DFA candidate, while LaTroy Hawkins may be getting there. Bret Boone's comeback attempt has ended. Jeff Weaver (6.69 ERA in Triple A) can ask for his release if not called up by June 15th. Hank Blalock may not be in the Rangers' long-term plans. The Indians designated Jorge Julio for assignment.   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest: Lidge, Daniel Cabrera, Bonds, Edmonds

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up. I put the Griffey info in a separate post; let's discuss the rest. Rosenthal suggests that Brad Lidge would be harder to replace than Pat Burrell, and for that reason the Phillies will make a bigger effort to re-sign him. I imagine Phillies fans would prefer that course of action. The problem? The Phillies have little chance of offering four years, according to Jayson Stark. The Rangers will face a delicate situation in coming years: moving Michael Young to a different position. The chain reaction could make Hank Blalock available. Blalock has a...   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Expected To Be Sellers

At 7-15, the Rangers have the worst record in the American League. Team president Nolan Ryan doesn't seem ready for a fire sale yet, but you have to figure the Rangers will be clear sellers come June. Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently suggested Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Hank Blalock, Frank Catalanotto, and Milton Bradley as trade candidates. As Sherman says, Millwood could be a hot commodity. He looks healthy and would certainly help a contender. Gerald Laird, Marlon Byrd, Jamey Wright, and Joaquin Benoit could also be dealt. The Rangers already have the fourth-best farm system in...   Continue Reading

---

Mailbag: Roberts, Teixeira, Johan, Nathan, And More

Time for this week's mailbag. You can hit it up at mlbtrmailbag@gmail.com to get in your question for next week. Do you see the Twins signing a big name middle of the order bopper or trading for one before the opening of the new stadium in 2010? - Jordan Funny you ask this. I recently asked LEN3 whether the Twins would have a $100MM payroll for the 2010 season, and he said, "I don't see it." So I'll go with his wisdom and say business as usual for the Twins despite the stadium. Why are the White Sox not aggressively..   Continue Reading

---

Odds and Ends: Giles, Chacon, Durbin

Here are today's random rumor tidbits. The Rox are interested in Marcus Giles for their second base opening. Giles was awful last year, they should just try something internal. Other Rockies notes: contracts with Kip Wells and Luis Vizcaino aren't quite finalized, and they may ink Victor Zambrano to a minor league deal. UPDATE: Wells, plus Mark Redman, are done deals. The Pirates still have their eye on Shawn Chacon and Chad Durbin. That''ll put butts in the seats. Also, Jake of Bucco Blog weighs in on a new Pirates hire. Speaking of Durbin, did he comment on this blog..   Continue Reading

---

Wise DFA'd, Brewers Look At Blalock

UPDATE, 12-11-07 at 1:56pm: It's official, Wise has been DFA'd. If the Brewers aren't able to trade him then he'll hook on somewhere as a free agent. FROM 12-10-07 at 10:20pm: Tom Haudricourt has some quality stuff tonight, aside from the aforementioned return of Salomon. 32 year-old reliever Matt Wise is looking like a non-tender candidate for Wednesday. Eric Gagne took his uniform number. Wise hasn't been too bad while eating up relief innings the past few years. He only made a million bucks in '07. The Brewers tended to use him in low-leverage situations in 2007. Some other non-tender..   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Rumors: Blalock, Lamb, Padilla

Evan Grant has the latest Rangers hot stove buzz. 27 year-old third baseman Hank Blalock is getting a lot of play. Grant names the Cardinals, Phillies, Twins, and Dodgers as teams that have inquired. Jon Daniels says no team has made an impressive offer and he's not inclined to trade Blalock. It would be a bit of a sell-low move. The Rangers met with Mike Lamb's agent yesterday afternoon; they're the frontrunners for him. They have a full-time first base job for Lamb, who came up in the organization. Teams are interested in Vicente Padilla, but everyone wants the Johan..   Continue Reading

---

Brewers Considering Crede, Blalock, Feliz, LaRoche, Tejada

What, you thought the Brewers were dead set on Scott Rolen? Not so, according to Tom Haudricourt. They're considering the following options at third base, mostly because the left field options are worse. Joe Crede - I can see this one happening, Doug Melvin and Kenny Williams get along. And Kenny really has nowhere to play Crede. Hank Blalock - Trading Blalock now is generally seen as selling low, so this seems unlikely. Pedro Feliz - I'm going to disagree with Haudricourt that Feliz is intriguing. Andy LaRoche - Now this one is intriguing, hitting the Dodgers up for LaRoche...   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest: Rolen, Blalock, Benson

Ken Rosenthal never sleeps, and he has a few new tidbits early Tuesday morning. The Cards are reluctant to trade Scott Rolen within the division to the Brewers. A lot of that going on lately - the Cubs like Josh Hamilton, the Jays like Erik Bedard. Hank Blalock is a popular name around the lobby. Despite the various squashed rumors Rosenthal says he would be a good fit for the Cardinals, Phillies, or Dodgers. The Phils plan on taking a look at Kris Benson when he throws for teams a couple of weeks from now   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Rumors: Bay, Gagne, Fukudome

T.R. Sullivan has the Rangers goods for us this evening. Wow, did MLB.com send 30+ reporters out to Nashville? The Rangers are still pursuing Eric Gagne to return as their closer (and then maybe they'd flip him again). The interest is mutual. The team is also considering LaTroy Hawkins, Shawn Chacon, Luis Vizcaino, Trever Miller, and Octavio Dotel. Basically, most of the relief market. Problem is, the Rangers don't want to give more than one year to any of these guys. The Rangers are moving toward filling center field internally after exploring options. Carlos Gomez, Felix Pie, and Carlos Gonzalez..   Continue Reading

---

Dodgers Interested In Blalock

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 9:37pm: Tony Jackson doesn't like this one either. He says the notion of the Dodgers and Rangers talking Blalock trade is false. FROM 12-3-07 at 1:11pm: Yahoo's Steve Henson says the Rangers are quietly shopping third baseman Hank Blalock, and they've spoken with the Dodgers. The Dodgers don't have faith in Nomar Garciaparra or Andy LaRoche as third base solutions. Blalock, 27, earns $5.95MM in 2008 and has a $6.2MM club option for 2009. Blalock missed a lot of time in '07 with shoulder surgery   Continue Reading

---

Rosenthal's Latest: Feliz, Nathan, Sexson

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 6:04pm: Update on Richie Sexson: no one wants him, not even the Giants. FROM 12-3-07 at 1:55pm: More Rosenthal, let's cut to the chase. The Cardinals could look at Pedro Feliz at third base if they trade Scott Rolen. Rosenthal is too kind in saying the Cards would have a "sub-par offense on the left side of the infield." Rosenthal also suggests the Cardinals could take a look at Hank Blalock. Hiroki Kuroda isn't dead set on the West Coast - he's keeping an open mind in terms of location. The Twins are discussing Joe Nathan with..   Continue Reading

---

Blalock To Cards For Rolen And Duncan?

UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 4:53pm: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan mentioned this rumor to Rangers GM Jon Daniels. Daniels told him not to write it. Sounds like there's nothing to the idea of Blalock to St. Louis, but the Dodgers rumor is picking up steam. FROM 12-3-07 at 4:30pm: Here's a good one from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Grant admits this is dangerous, unsubstantiated rumormongering. Is there any other kind? The buzz is Hank Blalock to the Cardinals for Scott Rolen and Chris Duncan. Interesting, though we know the Cards are very reluctant to trade Duncan. Both Blalock and Rolen..   Continue Reading

---

Rangers Rumors: Kinsler, Laird, Padilla

Here's the latest hot stove buzz surrounding the Rangers. The team will try again to lock up second baseman Ian Kinsler long-term. It would be a five-year deal, buying out one year of free agency. Kinsler had an inconsistent 2007. He hit .298/.375/.667 with 9 HR in April and .256/.351/.393 thereafter. Nice to see him draw 62 walks though. Jon Daniels has had several teams ask him about Gerald Laird and Hank Blalock. He's not likely to sell low on Blalock. But Laird is getting more costly and the Rangers want to use Jarrod Saltalamacchia full-time behind the plate. He's..   Continue Reading

---

Heyman's Latest: Cabrera, Blalock, Bonds

Rumor-man Jon Heyman has some good info from the GM meetings. Miguel Cabrera is officially available, as the Marlins have made calls to selected teams describing what they'd want in return. The main contenders for Cabrera are the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, and Angels. Also, Paul Hoynes suggested this morning that the Indians could be in the mix. You know the drill - it takes 2-3 top flight prospects, at least one of them a blue chip pitcher. Heyman even says Cabrera could be combined with Dontrelle Willis to create the mother of all blockbusters. This package will exceed..   Continue Reading

---

Dodgers Need a Third Baseman

Ken Rosenthal has a bunch of news and notes, including a bit about the misshapen offense of the Dodgers. They have plenty of bats and plenty of prospects, but not enough to solve every problem they've got. Rosenthal mentions Morgan Ensberg, Hank Blalock, and Joe Crede as potential trade targets, but rightfully notes that none would make that big of a difference. The Dodgers recently called up prospect Andy LaRoche, a third baseman, and moved another prospect, Tony Abreu, to third at Triple-A Las Vegas. So they are at least trying some different things while Wilson Betemit continues to not..   Continue Reading

---

Justice: McLane Orders Lidge Trade

According to Richard Justice on his SportsJustice blog: "I'm told Drayton McLane ordered Purpura to trade Brad Lidge. I got this information from an official with another team. I would expect the Astros to deny it." Justice also mentions that Roger Clemens is pushing Drayton McLane for help, who has in turn orderd GM Tim Purpura to make something happen. Mets closer Billy Wagner is campaigning for Omar Minaya to bring Lidge in so Wagner can fix him. Also, I'm told Justice was recently on 610 AM in Houston. He mentioned that if the Astros trade Lidge for Hank Blalock..   Continue Reading

---

Houston Chronicle: Lidge For Blalock?

Jose De Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle mentions this morning that the Rangers are asking the Astros about Brad Lidge, and that Hank Blalock could be part of a deal. Such a trade would really pile on the third basemen for Houston, who already have Morgan Ensberg and Aubrey Huff. Ensberg is on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury, but Huff can play the outfield corners or first base   Continue Reading

---

White Sox Interested In Blalock?

In today's Chicago Tribune, Phil Rogers lays out some options for the White Sox to further bolster their club. According to Rogers: "The most transparent scenarios are a starter and Joe Crede to Texas for a package fronted by left-handed-hitting third baseman Hank Blalock (signed for a highly reasonable $13.7 million for the next three years with a $6.2 million option in 2009); a starter and Juan Uribe to Baltimore for Miguel Tejada—not that likely—or a starter to Baltimore for a package of young talent in a deal that makes Tejada happier about staying put. When Williams trades one of..   Continue Reading

---

Twins Buzz: Mueller, Marte, Lowell

It's well known that the Twins lineup at present is woefully devoid of power hitters. While noted Twins blogger Aaron Gleeman seems very receptive to a second baseman who can actually get on base, he acknowledges Luis Castillo's complete lack of punch. So who's on the radar? Well, you can cross Bill Mueller off the list. He's planning on signing with either the Dodgers or Pirates. Mueller is a nice player, but he's exactly what the Twins don't need at third. Mueller is a fragile on-base machine. Sure, the team could use more players who take walks, but A)they don't..   Continue Reading

---

Beckett Trade Nearly Done

It's being reported in the Dallas Morning News that John Danks will be the prospect sent over by Texas and the deal is near completion. While lefthanded, Danks doesn't have the same upside as his Double A Frisco teammate Thomas Diamond. Both starters struggled in 2005. Danks gave up a ton of hits, while Diamond had major control problems. John Danks Career Statistics Click here to see our 2006 projections for Josh Beckett as a Texas Ranger   Continue Reading

---

Beckett and Lowell for Blalock

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the huge blockbuster that might go down today. Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post told us late last night: "In what could be the first step of a major housecleaning in Florida, the Marlins and Rangers are close to completing a trade that would send Beckett and Lowell to Texas for third baseman Hank Blalock and a top pitching prospect, two baseball sources said Friday night. The Marlins are asking for either left-hander John Danks, Texas' first-round pick in 2003, or right-hander Thomas Diamond, the team's first-round pick in 2004." The article..   Continue Reading

---

Search MLBTR

MLBTR Mailing List

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

MLBTR Features

Recent Posts

Rumors By Team

Monthly Archives

Live Chats

Tuesdays at 2 p.m. CST