Ivan Nova Rumors

AL East Notes: Yankees, Nova, Vargas, Rays

Links out of the AL East..

• The Yankees are still listening to offers on Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes, and Ivan Nova, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).  Team executives have acknowledged that Granderson and Hughes have come up in trade talks but say that it would be tough to replace both in the short-term.
• Right-hander Claudio Vargas has agreed to a minor league deal with the Blue Jays, according to Metis Sports Management (via Twitter).  Vargas retired in summer 2011 before inking a minor league deal with the Brewers this past spring.
• The Rays aren't going to be shaking things up right away but there could be some trades on the horizon, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "At the very least we have more clarity. I wouldn't say anything is imminent. But we just have more clarity on how we might be able to complete this offseason looking out over the next six-to-eight weeks," said executive VP Andrew Friedman.
• It seems that almost everyone in Nashville this week was poised to spend big bucks except for the Yankees, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Scott Boras and two other agents who have discussed clients with the Yankees in recent days said their perception was a clamp had been placed on spending with the team’s payroll already at $168MM for 2013.  Meanwhile, the Yanks still have major needs in right field, the left side of the infield, and at catcher.

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Yankees Notes: Pettitte, Hughes, Nova, Damon

The latest on the Yankees...

• Before Andy Pettitte signed with the Yankees, Lance Berkman tried to recruit the left-hander for the Cardinals, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Berkman said he was in regular contact with Pettitte and would have approached the front office if he had obtained the go-ahead from his friend and former teammate.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Yankees will look to extend Phil Hughes or Ivan Nova to a Derek Holland-like extension in order to cap costs and avoid MLB's luxury tax. 
• There was a split between upper management and the field staff over whether to sign Johnny Damon or Raul Ibanez, Tom Verducci of SI.com writes. Damon told the Yankees he would play for whatever they were offering Ibanez, but it wasn't enough.
• Agent Scott Boras says Damon has received nibbles, but no offers. “We have heard from teams who say 'We have interest in the guy but we want to see what our players are going to do,'" Boras said.

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Yankees Notes: Kuroda, Darvish, Sabathia, Nova

The Yankees will decline Damaso Marte's option, as expected. Here are some more notes on the club's pitching staff...

• C.C. Sabathia's investment in the Yankees is not "in the same universe" as Derek Jeter's, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. The Yankees are hesitant to tie themselves up with long-term deals, but there should be common ground for the Yankees and their ace. Sherman proposes a number of deals that could work for both sides, including a five-year, $125MM contract with a vesting option for a sixth year. 
• Though the Rangers would have interest if Sabathia hits the open market, Sherman explains that they aren't likely to be among his most aggressive suitors.
• The Yankees don't seem inclined to add three years to Sabathia's contract to keep him in New York, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Sabathia has four years and $92MM remaining on his current deal and he will likely opt out after the World Series. Sabathia's weight gives the Yankees some concern about another seven-year deal.
• The Yankees are beginning their scouting meetings today, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Front office members will discuss possible acquisitions and provide GM Brian Cashman with the information he needs to create his offseason plan.
• Marchand notes that free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda is a possible fit for the Yankees. Though Kuroda appears to prefer the Dodgers if he continues playing in MLB, the Yankees have had interest in him before. 
• Rafael Soriano will not opt out of the two years and $25MM remaining on his contract, though there's nothing official yet, according to Marchand.
• Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains that Yu Darvish makes sense for the Yankees because they can use their most abundant resource (money) to add a potential star who fits their offseason needs. Bidding on Darvish wouldn't require the Yankees to surrender a draft pick and wouldn't prevent them from bidding on free agent pitchers such as C.J. Wilson.
• Ivan Nova remains an SFX client, after switching to Legacy Sports for two days, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). As MLBTR's Agency Database shows, Mariano Rivera, Francisco Cervelli and Eduardo Nunez are also SFX clients.

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Quick Hits: Sizemore, Carmona, Pujols, Wilson, Nova

Wednesday night linkage..

• The Indians plan to take their time in deciding whether to pick up the options on Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  Sizemore, who underwent surgery on his right knee earlier this month, has a club option worth $9MM with a $500K buyout while Carmona's option is worth $7MM for next season.
• The Cardinals are hopeful that the good feelings from this postseason might carry over into the Albert Pujols negotiations this winter, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.
• Even though the Marlins are expected to spend this offseason, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter) doesn't like their chances of landing Pujols or C.J. Wilson.
• If Yankees pitcher and former Rule 5 pick Ivan Nova can build off of an inspiring rookie season, he’ll be taking one of the rarest career paths in baseball history, writes Josh Goldman of Fangraphs.

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AL East Notes: Roberts, Lester, Nova

Curtis Granderson added to his MVP-caliber season with home run number 32 today and he now has a .276/.367/.584 line. He'll receive MVP consideration after the season, along with division rivals including Jose Bautista, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ben Zobrist. Here's the latest on the AL East...

• Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun asks a hypothetical question of Orioles fans: would you trade Brian Roberts for Adam Dunn? The deal, by the way, has not been been discussed by either side as far as Connolly has heard. 
• Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com says Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw are two of the only pitchers he'd trade straight up for Red Sox starter Jon Lester, considering the left-hander's age (27) and contract status (under team control through 2014). 
• The Yankees thought about returning Ivan Nova to the minors last week, but GM Brian Cashman ultimately decided that the right-hander gives the Yankees a better chance to win than any alternative, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. 

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New York Notes: Jimenez, Nova, Collins, Wade

The Yankees enter today's action tied for the American League's best record, while the Mets sit at just .500. But it was the team from Queens that enjoyed the better Saturday, slugging four home runs en route to an 11-7 win against the Braves, while C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees were beat up by the Red Sox. As the Mets and Yanks prepare for the rubber matches of their respective series, let's round up the latest links on the two clubs:

• Speaking to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Gordon Blakeley, a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman, defended the Yankees' inactivity at the trade deadline: "We were ready to do something if there was someone who could make a big impact. If the kid in Seattle (Felix Hernandez) is available, that is different. But we didn’t see huge impact, and now we think we may get huge impact from kids we didn’t trade in August and September."
• Within the same piece, Blakeley goes on to discuss the Yankees' July pursuit of Ubaldo Jimenez, saying that the organization feels Ivan Nova "is as good as this version of Jimenez."
• The starting rotation won't be a priority for the Mets this offseason, as GM Sandy Alderson will focus instead on re-signing Jose Reyes and bolstering the bullpen, writes Newsday's David Lennon.
• While Alderson praised the performance of Terry Collins, the GM said the club wouldn't even think about extending the skipper's contract until after the season, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Collins is currently signed through 2012.
• Cory Wade, who has recorded a 1.86 ERA in 17 relief appearances for the Yankees this year, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Rangers were also interested in signing him after he was released by the Rays, but the Yankees "made a stronger push."

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Hiroki Kuroda To Stay With Dodgers

Yesterday we learned that officials in the Kuroda talks believe that they'll need to come to a resolution by tonight since the hurler will need some time to approve a deal.  The Dodgers continue to talk with teams but the asking price remains high.  Here's the latest news on Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:

• Kuroda told the Dodgers he intends to stay with them for the remainder of the season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Dodgers have confirmed Kuroda's intention (on Twitter).
• Kuroda is the 'best bet' among players on Boston' radar, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). The deal is far from done, though.
• The Dodgers' heaviest conversations about Kuroda today have been with Texas and Boston, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Yankees are still involved.
• Kuroda has indicated to the Dodgers that he is open to deals to the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes.  Heyman, however, spoke to a friend of Kuroda who would be surprised if the pitcher consents to any trade.
• The Dodgers are down to a final three of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox on Kuroda, tweets Jon Heyman, though there's still no word on whether he'd approve a trade.
• The Yankees have taken the lead over the Red Sox for Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, and it's 40/60 they make a deal.  However, Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees and Dodgers have not spoken about Kuroda recently.
• The Dodgers asked the Yankees for Ivan Nova and a catching prospect, which was a non-starter for New York, tweets Joel Sherman.  He explains that the Yankees think the Dodgers feel that if they can't make a killer deal for Kuroda, it's not worth trying to talk him out of his no-trade clause.
• Boston's interest in Kuroda increased after Erik Bedard's ugly start last night, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
• The Red Sox and Dodgers are in trade talks involving Kuroda for a prospect, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.
• Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told reporters that he's "under no orders to shed salary," writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  Due to a signing bonus that has yet to be paid, Kuroda is owed almost $6.7MM of his $12MM contract currently.

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Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Wednesday

Yesterday's Ubaldo Jimenez info: about seven teams are in on him, but the Yankees and Reds are best-positioned to make a deal if the Rockies are as motivated as has been reported.  So far, the Rockies' asking price of "three sure-thing young players, including one pitcher who goes into their rotation immediately" has not dropped.  The latest:

• The Red Sox are still in on Jimenez, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter).
• The Indians have asked about Jimenez, but are a "real longshot," according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
• The Indians are strongly in the mix for Jimenez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Indians have been working aggressively to upgrade their offense and rotation, Rosenthal writes. They're "thinking big in multiple deals."
• Though the Yankees and Reds have been the most active suitors for Jimenez, they aren’t close to a deal, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Yankees aren’t close to matching Colorado’s asking price and it’s hard to imagine the Reds obtaining Jimenez without surrendering Mesoraco. The Tigers and Red Sox are ‘on the fringe’ of the trade talks and the Rangers are no longer considered a candidate to acquire the right-hander.
• The Yankees have the best chance of landing Jimenez, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  The Rangers are all but out, while the Tigers and Blue Jays are remote.
• The Rockies do not require Reds untouchables Devin Mesoraco or Billy Hamilton in a deal with the Reds, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
• The Rockies are in active trade talks with six to eight teams, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.  A source tells Stark that two NL teams, yet to be identified, are in the mix, and the guess is that one of them is the Nationals.
• As of yesterday, the Reds were the most motivated Jimenez suitor and the Red Sox were more seriously inquiring than the Yankees, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Still, the Rockies appear amenable to doing a Jimenez deal for three of these Yankee youngsters: Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Jesus Montero, and Ivan Nova.  The Yankees, however, are hesistant to even include two.  Ownership is not pushing Yankees GM Brian Cashman to make a deadline splash, writes Sherman, and the front office is more focused on relievers.

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Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Sunday

With July 31st just two weeks away, Ubaldo Jimenez is one of the most surprising names being floated in trade rumors. Would the Rockies actually move Jimenez less than a year after he finished third in NL Cy Young voting? ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) talked to one talent evaluator who put the chances of a deal at one in four: "It has to be something that makes sense for the Rockies [right now]." Another evaluator thinks "it's more trolling than intent on moving" on Colorado's part (Twitter link). Here's a roundup of the rest of today's Jimenez-related notes....

• MLB.com's Peter Gammons says the Rockies think there's about a 10% chance Jimenez is traded this month. Colorado is looking for two prime prospects, along with one or two big-league ready players, including a starting pitcher.
• The Rockies and Yankees match up well, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. Colorado likes Jesus Montero, but the Yanks are reluctant to include Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, or Ivan Nova along with Montero.
• Heyman says (via Twitter) that the Rockies have talked to the Yankees, and "probably" the Red Sox, Tigers, Reds, and others as well.
• Some teams interested in Jimenez believe that if the Rockies hang on to him now, he's a decent bet to be traded this winter, when available top pitching will again be scarce and more clubs could get involved, writes Olney.
• One more note from Olney's article: Given Jimenez's inexpensive price tag through 2013, there would be very little financial risk for any team acquiring the right-hander, which is one reason why the Rockies' asking price is so high.
• Speaking of that asking price, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that the Rockies would have to be "absolutely overwhelmed" to move Jimenez. "It would have to be a Herschel Walkerdeal," O'Dowd added, referring to the 1989 NFL trade that earned the nickname "The Great Train Robbery."
• There seems to be a potentially game-changing pitcher connected in trade rumors to the Yankees every July, and this year it's Jimenez, writes Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News.

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Heyman On Bautista, Wakefield, Dominguez, Perez

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he thought carefully before locking up Jose Bautista to a $65MM extension. "When you spend that kind of money, I don't think you can ever be completely comfortable," Anthopoulos said. "And I am one to agonize over everything, anyway,'' Both Anthopoulos and Bautista acknowledged that a second 54-homer season is unlikely, but that doesn't mean the former utility player can't produce. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors...

• Boston's front office has not seriously considered cutting Tim Wakefield.
• Dennys Reyes, who can opt out of his contract Friday, will likely make the team as well, according to Heyman.
• Two scouts say Marlins third baseman Matt Dominguez isn't ready to hit in the major leagues. However, he's an above-average defender.
• Though manager Joe Girardi won't say as much, Ivan Nova has locked up the Yankees' No. 4 starter job, according to Heyman.
• It appears that Oliver Perez will find a job. The Yankees and Brewers aren't interested.
• Scouts tell Heyman that Twins pitching prospect Kyle Gibson isn't far from the majors.

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