Jon Rauch Rumors

D'Backs Rumors: Hudson, Dunn, Johnson, Rauch

8:19pm: According to the AP, the D'Backs exercised Rauch's $2.9MM option for 2010. He'll earn $2MM in '09. 9:49am: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has the latest D'Backs hot stove chatter, here and here. The D'Backs figure to have nine draft picks in the first 75 or so next year. They will probably offer arbitration to Orlando Hudson, Adam Dunn, Juan Cruz, and Brandon Lyon, and see all of them decline to sign elsewhere. They could end up spending $8-12MM on next year's draft, but at least the farm system will be restocked. Team CEO Jeff Moorad says he...   Continue Reading

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D'Backs Face Decisions On Lyon, Rauch

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic wrote Saturday about the tough decisions the D'Backs face on relievers Brandon Lyon and Jon Rauch. With Lyon, the D'Backs have to decide whether to risk an arbitration offer. Would they want him back for '09 on a $4-5MM contract? Lyon may make the decision easier for Arizona by falling out of Type B status. Then, there'd be no draft pick to gain. Lyon has a 7.52 ERA since June 1st. Meanwhile Rauch's contract requires the D'Backs decide on his 2010 option five days after this year's World Series. The option is for $2.9MM;...   Continue Reading

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Perrotto's Latest: Royals, Ibanez, Rauch, Gregg

It's Sunday, which means that John Perrotto has his Every Given Sunday column up over at Baseball Prospectus. Here's the highlights... Royals GM Dayton Moore will likely make a big splash in the free agent market once again. Two years ago, he signed Gil Meche to a five-year, $55MM deal. Last year, he signed Jose Guillen to a three-year, $36MM contract. This year, his big target appears to be Rafael Furcal, which would allow the Royals to move Mike Aviles to second base. Moore is also believed to be willing to trade anyone on the team with the exceptions of...   Continue Reading

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Rays Scouting Jayson Werth

Mike Tingle of ESPN 840 in Charlottesville spoke to Rays scout Mike Cubbage yesterday. Cubbage said that he plans to scout Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, and that Werth may be available in the right deal. Werth, 29, is hitting .272/.358/.485 in 268 plate appearances (most of the damage done against lefties). Additionally, the Rays offered a package of players for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte but the Bucs chose the Yankees' offer. The Rays also looked at Jon Rauch previously, though he was not at the top of their list. And of course, the Rays would like to acquire Brian...   Continue Reading

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Week In Review: 7/20 - 7/26

This one will be a bit lengthy, which can be expected as the deadline approaches. Here's a review of some of the major moves and rumors of the last week: The Yankees acquired Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte from the Pirates for OF Jose Tabata, RHP Ross Ohlendorf, RHP Dan McCutchen and RHP Jeff Karstens . I agree with Tim that Ian Kennedy would've been a better centerpiece, but Tabata is pretty highly-touted himself. Kennedy would have made a more immediate impact, while Tabata is only 19 years old. The Dodgers acquired Casey Blake for minor league RHP Jon Meloan...   Continue Reading

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Rauch Ramifications

Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic has an article today about the implications of the Diamondbacks' acquisition of reliever Jon Rauch. The loss of second baseman Emilio Bonifacio doesn't exactly change the D'Back's plans, as they were skeptical on his ability to become a regular anyway. Still, people are asking whether they'll try to re-sign Orlando Hudson. Piecoro says Hudson is expected to test the free agent market, and doesn't seem likely to offer a discount. His salary should exceed $10MM. If Hudson leaves, the D'Backs could either look for a new second baseman or shift Mark Reynolds over there...   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Laird, Washburn, Nady, Bay

Ken Rosenthal has more new material. I've updated the post, as Rosenthal updated his. The Yankees are looking for catching - Rosenthal and Jon Heyman do not agree with Peter Abraham. Rosenthal says the Yanks have expressed interest in Gerald Laird and Miguel Olivo. The Rangers want young pitching for Laird, however. Jarrod Washburn's limited no-trade protection includes the Yankees. He might want compensation to waive that, putting him out of the Yanks' price range. Washburn, a Boras client, wouldn't mind pitching in New York though. The Mariners are looking for young pitching for him. It sounds like the Yankees...   Continue Reading

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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

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Tim Brown's Latest: Peralta, McPherson, Putz

Yahoo's Tim Brown posted a new column this evening. The Nationals got an OK return for Jon Rauch, acquiring second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. That could set the pace for reasonable reliever prices. The Indians are listening on Casey Blake, Paul Byrd, and Jamey Carroll, as you know. Jhonny Peralta isn't off-limits either. Here's a new name of interest for the Dodgers: Marlins minor league third baseman Dallas McPherson. He'll be 28 soon, and carries a .287/.400/.650 line with 32 home runs in 314 Triple A at-bats. This could be the second time McPherson blasts 40 home runs in a minor...   Continue Reading

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Jon Rauch Traded To Diamondbacks

According to Baseball Digest Daily, the Diamondbacks acquired reliever Jon Rauch from the Nationals for second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. Bonifacio was ranked sixth among D'Backs prospects heading into the season. He's hitting .302/.348/.387 in Triple A currently. He's incredibly fast and plays above-average defense. The D'Backs get a fine late-inning reliever in Rauch; I thought Jim Bowden would ask for more. Rauch is signed cheaply through 2010 and has been an above average reliever for several years now.   Continue Reading

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White Sox Looking For Pitching

According to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, the White Sox are hunting for pitching of both the starting and relieving variety. Based on previous reports, GM Kenny Williams is eyeing Oakland's Huston Street and Washington's Jon Rauch. With the success of southpaws Matt Thornton and Boone Logan, it appears that Williams is focused on right-handers. Most of the top available names aside from Street and Rauch are lefties, unless you're a David Weathers fan. With Jose Contreras on the DL with elbow tendinitis, the Sox also may explore the starting pitching market. So far they've only been linked in published reports to...   Continue Reading

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Nationals Rumors: Guzman, Rauch, Holliday

MLB.com's Bill Ladson has the goods on the Nationals. The Nationals are currently negotiating with Cristian Guzman's agent on a possible extension. Last month, the Nats proposed a two-year extension. It's thought that Guzman might make some concessions given how little he gave the Nats in the first three years of his current contract. But if the two sides can't reach an agreement soon, the Nats may choose to trade Guzman. Ladson also reports that the White Sox and Rays are scouting closer Jon Rauch. Rauch, you may recall, came up as a starter with the Sox and was traded...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Vizquel, Saito, Burnett, K-Rod

So many links, so little time. Barry Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris, says the prospects of his client playing this year look bleak. The Tigers made their first Taiwan signing, adding outfielder Tang Chao-Ting. Aside from Jim Bowden's other problems, he's having a hard time finding common ground with the Nationals' top five draft picks. Interesting post at NPB Tracker contrasting Masa Kobayashi with Yasuhiko Yabuta and Kazuo Fukumori. The White Sox will have to choose between pitchers D.J. Carrasco and Adam Russell soon. Troy E. Renck heard "simmering buzz" that Omar Vizquel could retire right now, but Vizquel debunked it....   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Holliday, Burnett, Rauch, Ibanez

Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up. The Angels are not interest in Matt Holliday, while the Dodgers and Red Sox "could play" on him. Rosenthal names the Nationals as an "intriguing dark horse," saying they've been checking up on Holliday. They like the idea of having him for '09, and could even entertain signing him long-term. The Phillies have minimal interest in A.J. Burnett, plus they're on his 15 team no-trade list. Rosenthal notes that Burnett nearly signed with the Cardinals a few years back, but their interest is not mutual. Jon Rauch is a hot commodity,...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Teixeira, Rauch, Castro, Newman

Saturday linkage... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution keeps asking whether the Braves should trade Mark Teixeira. Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports several teams have inquired on the availability of Jon Rauch. The Astros signed first-round draft pick Jason Castro. Royals claimed Josh Newman off waivers. Newman had been DFA'd by the Rockies.   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Rauch, Fielder, Braun, Garcia

Some links for you to peruse... We suggested on Wednesday that Jon Rauch makes sense for Detroit. That same day, the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga wrote that the Tigers "will watch Rauch very closely." You have to appreciate Matt Morris' candor regarding his salary. We learned on Saturday that the Brewers made offers to sluggers Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Today the team's owner said talks with both are ongoing. Other multiyear offers have been made, though the players are not known. Tom Haudricourt speculates on Corey Hart, Yovani Gallardo, J.J. Hardy, and Rickie Weeks. Ken Rosenthal sees Freddy Garcia...   Continue Reading

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Tigers Eyeing Chad Cordero?

Matt Palmer and John Keim of the Washington Examiner write that the Nationals and Tigers discussed Chad Cordero this spring. Their source believes the Tigers' interest will heighten if their bullpen struggles early on. The article doesn't cover suggest it, but the Tigers could also consider relievers Jon Rauch or Luis Ayala. A look at the three: Cordero, 26, earns $6.8MM in '08. He'll be a free agent after the '09 season. Cordero hasn't pitched yet this season due to shoulder tendinitis, and he wasn't at his typical velocity in spring. His control was off in '07 and he was...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Inge, Greene, Pavano

A few tidbits this morning as we wait to hear more on Fukudome... The Tigers and Pirates have had talks about Brandon Inge. Not sure how he fits in with that club, but OK. Yesterday Barry Svrluga wrote of a failed Padres-Nats trade worth noting. The Nats would've sent Jon Rauch or Chad Cordero plus Felipe Lopez to the Padres for Khalil Greene. The talks fizzled; it never sounded like something the Padres would be interested in. They usually grow their own relievers. Tom Krasovic over at the San Diego Union-Tribune elaborates a little more on Jim Bowden's love for..   Continue Reading

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Nats Shopping Rauch For A Shortstop?

The Washington Post's Barry Svrluga says the Nationals are listening on Felipe Lopez, as you might expect. However they're hesitant to leave Cristian Guzman as the only person on the roster who can play shortstop. With that in mind, Jim Bowden is shopping Jon Rauch with at least one team in hopes of getting a shortstop. By the way, only one of Rauch/Cordero will get traded, if any. Trying to think of Rauch scenarios. To the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno? To the Dodgers for Chin-Lung Hu? To the Red Sox for Jed Lowrie   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Livan, Bartlett, Willis, Webb

Random pieces of rumorage... The Mets have expressed interest in Livan Hernandez, though he appears to be their Plan C or D. Jim Bowden and the Nats will be active in the trade market, perhaps finally pulling the trigger on deals for Chad Cordero and/or Jon Rauch. The Rays and Twins have had discussions about shortstop Jason Bartlett. Would a 1 for 1 trade for Rocco Baldelli make sense? Buster Olney believes the Rays should consider trading for the Nats' Cristian Guzman. Update on the Rockies' reliever situation. They're probably going to pass on Ron Mahay and Jeremy Affeldt, while..   Continue Reading

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Mets Rumors: A-Rod, Kim, Silva, Kuroda

Plenty of new hot stove talk involving the Mets. Let's get into it. First off, there's the fact that Omar Minaya met with Scott Boras yesterday. Minaya says he talked to Boras about all the players he represents. Besides Mr. Rodriguez, Eric Gagne, Byung-Hyun Kim, Kenny Rogers, and Kyle Lohse may be considerations for the Mets. Indeed, there is some buzz that the Mets could bring Kim in to compete for a rotation spot. So what about A-Rod? He'd cost the Mets a ton of money, plus the #22 overall pick in the 2008 draft. It sounds like the Mets..   Continue Reading

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Mets Offer Humber For Cordero

UPDATE: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Mets have offered Philip Humber to the Nationals for Cordero, but are holding fast with their bigger name prospects. He also confirms that the Diamondbacks are in on Cordero and could offer Carlos Quentin. According to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, the fates of Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch might be tied to Eric Gagne. Gagne has the lower asking price and limited no-trade protection, and Jim Bowden may wait until that situation is resolved. Some possible names on the Nats' radar include Wily Mo Pena, Carlos Quentin, and Philip Humber. Humber is..   Continue Reading

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Cordero/Rauch Not Going To Tigers, Mets

A Nationals source tells me that if traded at all, Chad Cordero and/or Jon Rauch will not be going to the Mets or Tigers   Continue Reading

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Dodgers Tracking Cordero and Rauch

Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch are on the Dodgers' radar, and they would gladly offer shortstop Chin-Lung Hu according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan. The Washington Post's Barry Srvluga confirms the Dodgers' presence and adds the Mets and Tigers as teams following the relievers. As he mentioned yesterday, Srvluga's source thinks a trade of one of Cordero or Rauch is likely and the return would be prospects. I'm sure we'll be hearing much more about this today. Jon Morosi of the Detroit Free Press ran down the Tigers' stance on various relievers this morning, but Cordero and Rauch were not mentioned...   Continue Reading

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Nationals Working On Cordero Or Rauch Trade

According to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, the Nationals are definitely shopping Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch. Svrluga's source believes one of them will go for prospects, most likely Rauch. Glad to hear it; I was worried both would stay put. I always prefer more trade action. There's also the possibility of packaging both relievers together to get one top-notch prospect. The Dodgers seem most likely to agree to something like that. Matt Kemp would probably work for Jim Bowden. The post mentions that Bowden indeed asked for Cameron Maybin from the Tigers for Rauch. One last note: Adam..   Continue Reading

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Mets Hunting For Reliever, Second Baseman

Pretty much the same old story with the Mets, though Joel Sherman and Mark Hale of the New York Post do have some new tidbits. The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar. However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers). Shawn Chacon doesn't catch the Mets' eye, and they don't want Chad Bradford's three-year commitment. They had that option with Bradford this winter. I think that logic is silly - Bradford's pitched..   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets Rumors: Luis Castillo, Chad Cordero

Let's have a look at the latest rumors swirling around the Mets. Second base remains an area of focus. A Twins scout was at Shea recently, presumably trying to figure out what to ask for from the Mets for Luis Castillo. The Mets were recently scouting the Twins as well. The problem is that Castillo is not yet officially available. A couple of Marks, Grudzielanek and Loretta, remain on the radar. The Astros might consider signing Loretta to an extension, though no details have been discussed. The Devil Rays hosted the Red Sox last night, and a Mets scout was..   Continue Reading

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Yankees Focused On Gagne, Wheeler, Qualls

It seems highly likely that the Yankees will make a move to upgrade their bullpen before the Tuesday trade deadline. They appear to have three main targets. Kat O'Brien of Newsday says the Yanks have had serious discussions with Texas regarding Eric Gagne. Though Gagne wants to close, remember that he can be traded to New York without his consent. A Rivera-Gagne combo would essentially turn every game into seven innings. O'Brien names righthanders Ian Kennedy and Jeff Marquez as two pitchers the Rangers might be after. Kennedy is definitely more highly regarded. The Rangers also like Melky Cabrera but..   Continue Reading

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Rockies Hunting For Relief Help

Playoff odds reports put the Rockies' chances at 6-8% currently, but they still view themselves as buyers. After all, they're still just 4.5 games out of the Wild Card and 5.5 games out in the NL West. Though a crude metric, the Rockies' bullpen currently ranks 12th in the NL with a 4.42 ERA. Among contenders in the league, only Philadelphia has been worse. Brian Fuentes seems at least another week or two from returning. According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has been burning up the phone lines looking for a reliever. Renck..   Continue Reading

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Nationals Looking To Deal

MLB.com's Bill Ladson has the lowdown on the Washington Nationals. They've got several pieces they're looking to move. Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch remain popular names on the market, but it still seems like Jim Bowden is holding out for something amazing. Ladson says Bowden is asking the Mets for Lastings Milledge and Mike Pelfrey in a deal. It is known that the Mets would move Pelfrey in a major trade (per Jayston Stark). Pelfrey would be a great guy for the Nats to acquire; they really need some MLB-ready pitching depth. Another name on the Nats' radar is Double..   Continue Reading

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Rosenthal's Latest: Andruw, Lidge, Gwynn Jr.

Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up at FOXSports for your viewing pleasure. Rosenthal believes that despite Andruw Jones's lousy May and June, he'll still cash in this winter as the best available center fielder. He'll still provide more offense than Torii Hunter in the long run. The Nationals are still asking for the moon in trade talks. If Jim Bowden does start acting reasonable, Dmitri Young, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, and Ryan Church could be dealt. Word via Bill Ladson of MLB.com is that only the Braves have inquired on Young. Brad Lidge is expected to remain..   Continue Reading

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MetsBlog On Cordero, Rauch, Milledge

Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog says recent buzz in Washington, D.C. has linked the Mets to relievers Chad Cordero and Jon Rauch. He also adds that Nationals manager and former Mets' third base coach Manny Acta is a fan of Lastings Milledge. Milledge suffered from a sprained foot ligament for most of the season, but finally returned to the Triple A lineup on Friday. [Correction: Milledge is still on rehab and won't return to the Triple A New Orleans club for another week or two.] It figures that many GMs will try to pry away the 22 year-old this month. It's..   Continue Reading

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