MLB Trade Rumors

Yankees Have Not Acquired Marlon Byrd

By Jeff Todd [July 31, 2014 at 12:51pm CDT]

12:57pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that nothing is close, via Twitter.

12: 51pm: The Yankees have agreed to acquire Marlon Byrd from the Phillies, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com.

A’s “Getting Flooded” With Calls On Jason Hammel

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:50pm CDT]

The Athletics are “getting flooded” with calls on Jason Hammel following this morning’s acquisition of Jon Lester, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Oakland was planning to use Hammel as its fifth starter, with Jesse Chavez heading to the bullpen, Susan Slusser tweeted earlier this morning. However, Chavez also gives the A’s an excellent fifth starter candidate should they decide to flip Hammel, be it for prospects or perhaps a Major League piece that could help deepen their current roster.

Hammel, 31, has struggled tremendously since coming over in the Jeff Samardzija trade. In four starts with the A’s, he’s yielded a 9.53 ERA and seen his previously excellent 1.9 BB/9 rate spike to 5.3. However, his overall numbers this year are still appealing to teams in need of a rotation rental: Hammel has a 3.87 ERA with 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 40.9 percent ground-ball rate. Rival clubs may consider him a nice buy-low candidate.

Full Story | Comments | Categories: Jason Hammel | Newsstand | Oakland Athletics

New York Notes: Yanks, Byrd, Murphy, Colon

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:38pm CDT]

With the trade deadline less than three hours away, here are some notes out of the Big Apple…

The Yankees are still considering names like Josh Willingham, Chris Denorfia and Byrd, but their talks are currently at an impasse, tweets Rosenthal. The Yankees appear to be taking their decision down to the wire.

Earlier Updates

The Yankees aren’t focusing on any major trades, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. They’re looking for an upgrade over Ichiro Suzuki in right field — Marlon Byrd is still possible, he notes — as well as some help for the bullpen.
The Nationals have called the Mets to express interest in Daniel Murphy, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but a trade between the division rivals is unlikely. Rosenthal noted earlier today that Washington also has interest in Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Orioles have checked in on Bartolo Colon, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. However, the Mets aren’t sure whether or not they’ll trade him at this time yet. The Mets have signaled a definite willingness to move Colon, though GM Sandy Alderson isn’t one to simply dump salary in trades, so based on Heyman’s writing, it seems that the O’s probably haven’t made any form of significant offer.
There’s no traction between the Royals and the Mets for Colon, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Martino adds that barring a change, the Mets don’t seem likely to be active today, but he’d be surprised if Colon were with the Mets in 2015.
Sherman also hears that the Mets are likely to stand pat today (Twitter link). The Mets feel that a better market will develop for Colon in the offseason, when he’ll have just one year and $11MM remaining on his contract.

Chances Of David Price Trade Increasing

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:35pm CDT]

David Price didn’t have his best start for the Rays yesterday, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts in seven innings, but that won’t curb any trade interest in the Cy Young candidate. Price may have thought that he dodged a bullet yesterday, as he admitted to reporters that he thought the trade deadline was Wednesday afternoon. As we well know around these parts, that’s not the case, and the Tampa Bay ace could find himself on the move before 3pm CT today. Indications have been that the Rays will hang onto Price, but we’ll keep track of the final developments right here…

The Rays are actively seeking to make a deal on Price, though that does not mean that the team is lowering its asking price, reports Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Conversations remain open with multiple teams, Stark adds.
Talks on Price have picked up some steam since Jon Lester was dealt, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. A deal now appears more likely than it did last night.
The Rays entered deadline day expecting to hold, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. But the team will continue listening on Price, waiting to see if a big offer comes through the door at the last minute.
A source familiar with conversations says it is “doubtful” that the Dodgers will land Price, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Los Angeles has long been said to be one of the possible landing spots for the outstanding lefty, though GM Ned Colletti said last night that he has no interest in dealing away his team’s three blue chip prospects (to say nothing of more than one of them) in any trade.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Odds Of Asdrubal Cabrera Trade Increasing

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:18pm CDT]

12:18pm: The Mariners are a sleeper team in the Cabrera market, Olney tweets.

11:23am: There’s a growing confidence that Cabrera will be traded today, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweets.

8:18am: Rosenthal tweets that the Jays, however, aren’t expected to add a hitter. Their talks with Cabrera were earlier this week.

7:43am: The Nationals, Blue Jays and two other clubs have been in contact with the Indians about switch-hitting shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Despite the apparent interest, Cabrera isn’t a lock to be traded, they add.

Cabrera was linked to the Nats last night, and Morosi noted yesterday that the Jays and Giants had checked in as well. The Indians were said to be ready to move Cabrera and Justin Masterson as of yesterday afternoon, and they’ve since dealt Masterson to the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old Cabrera is hitting .246/.305/.386 with nine homers and seven steals on the season. While defensive metrics have never liked his glovework at shortstop, his bat is above average for the position, and some clubs could look at him as an option for second base, where he played a good amount earlier in his career.

Andrew Miller Draws Big Interest; Tigers Making Push

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:10pm CDT]

Boston’s Andrew Miller has been the most talked-about left-handed relief option on the trade market, and with good reason. The impending free agent has pitched to a 2.34 ERA with dazzling secondary stats: 14.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 52.5 percent ground-ball rate. ERA estimators such as FIP (1.69), xFIP (1.76) and SIERA (1.42) feel that Miller has been even better than that 2.34 mark, and he’s dominated both lefties (.420 OPS) and righties (.537 OPS) this season.

Here’s the latest …

The Tigers are “making a big push” on Miller, tweets ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.
There is some internal resistance to moving Miller, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. If that is the case, Edes wonders whether the club would instead consider dealing closer Koji Uehara.
Another club that is a possible landing spot at this point is the Pirates, tweets McAdam.
The Orioles are also in on Miller, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Boston expects to deal Miller by this afternoon, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. Offers are rising with strong interest from many clubs, he adds.
The Tigers have strong interest in acquiring Miller to bolster their bullpen for a potential postseason matchup with the A’s or Angels, tweets Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM/670 The Score.
The Red Sox are being “swarmed” with offers for Miller, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Needless to say, the club has kept its asking price high in light of the demand. A rival executive tells Nightengale that Miller is holding up the rest of the market.

Earlier Updates

Jon Lester helped the Red Sox out last week by publicly stating that he’d be willing to re-sign with Boston if traded, and it appears that Boston thinks the same scenario could play out with lefty reliever Andrew Miller. Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald spoke to a source (Twitter link) who told him that the Sox “believe they have built up enough good will that [Miller would] consider coming back as free agent.”
Miller has drawn interest from the Braves, Royals, Dodgers and Pirates, but the asking price is said to be very high. The Sox are reportedly seeking a rival team’s top prospect and a lesser prospect in order to move their dominant setup man. Earning just $1.9MM in 2014, Miller is owed only $633K through season’s end.

Cubs Moving Closer To Bonifacio Trade

By Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Jeff Todd [July 31, 2014 at 12:05pm CDT]

TODAY, 12:04am: Also in on Bonifacio as of this morning were the Pirates, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

11:13am: There is plenty of action on Bonifacio, who is being pursued currently by the Orioles, Giants, and Mariners, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.

Bonifacio is a backup option for the Mariners, along with Chris Denorfia, tweets Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Seattle prefers to add Alex Rios or Ben Zobrist.

YESTERDAY, 8:12pm: It does not appear that the Giants are going to acquire Bonifacio, according to a tweet from Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

6:42pm: The Royals are not yet close to adding Bonifacio, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.

5:48pm: The O’s are not in on Bonifacio, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, who hears that the versatile fielder could be returning to Kansas City. Needless to say, that would be an interesting turn of events: Bonifacio finished well last year with Kansas City, was tendered a contract, agreed to a salary to avoid arbitration, and was then released before the start of the season.

5:14pm: At present, the Giants, Orioles, and Reds are all in play for Bonifacio, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

4:50pm: Bonifacio has been told to be prepared for a deal today, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

4:42pm: Bonifacio is indeed not in the lineup, with manager Rick Renteria saying it was “prudent” to hold him out, according to Rogers (Twitter link).

2:50pm: The Cubs are getting close to trading Bonifacio, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. Levine tweets that Bonifacio is not in tonight’s lineup, which could obviously signal that a deal is nigh. Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle hears that the Giants have been scouting Bonifacio all week, but the asking price for the impending free agent is said to be high.

2:32pm: The Orioles are Giants are considering Cubs utility man Emilio Bonifacio as a trade option, tweets ESPN’s Buster Olney. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score adds the Royals, Mariners, and Reds as three more potential suitors (All Twitter links).

Bonifacio, 29, is hitting .279/.318/.373 in 298 plate appearances for the Cubs. The switch-hitter is raking against lefties in this year’s limited sample. He’s mainly played center field and second base for the Cubs. Bonifacio is eligible for free agency after the season.

Astros Fielding Interest In Cosart, Not Shopping Keuchel

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 12:03pm CDT]

12:03pm: The Marlins and Rangers are two teams that are checking in on Cosart, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links).

9:59am: The Astros are “very busy” taking calls on righty Jarred Cosart, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Houston has taken lefty Dallas Keuchel off the market, however, though it always seemed a longshot for him to be dealt.

Houston has been said to be willing to listen on its young starting pitching, which has featured some better-than-expected performances. Of course, the biggest surprises have comes from Keuchel and Collin McHugh. Unsurprisingly, the Astros appear more hesitant to deal either of those arms.

But Cosart, 24, has turned in a solid season in his own right. He owns a 4.41 ERA through 116 1/3 frames with 5.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 and a sterling 56.5% groundball rate. That has been good for a 4.02 FIP, 4.28 xFIP, and 4.42 SIERA — hardly ace-level numbers, to be sure, but useful and promising enough given his age. Of course, much of Cosart’s value lies in the fact that he will not even be eligible for arbitration until 2017.

Rockies Designate Ryan Wheeler For Assignment

By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 11:46am CDT]

The Rockies announced that they have designated infielder Ryan Wheeler for assignment and selected the contract of lefty Pedro Hernandez.

Wheeler hit .232/.281/.375 in 64 plate appearances for the Rox this season, and he has a .615 OPS in 225 Major League plate appearances. He’s mashed at Triple-A, posting a .308/.352/.474 slash line, albeit in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

The 25-year-old Hernandez posted an unsightly 6.83 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) for the Twins last season, and his 6.14 ERA at Triple-A this year wasn’t much better.

Full Story | Comments | Categories: Colorado Rockies | Transactions

Royals And Braves In Lead To Land Padres’ Denorfia

By Jeff Todd [July 31, 2014 at 11:44am CDT]

11:44am: The Mariners consider Denorfia a fallback option if they are unable to acquire Alex Rios, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

11:20am: The Mariners also have interest, according to a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.

11:15am: The Padres are very likely to move outfielder Chris Denorfia today, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who says that the Royals and Braves are currently the two likeliest destinations.

A pending free agent, Denorfia has scuffled to a .244/.295/.321 line this year. But the 34-year-old has a .810 career OPS against lefties, and would bring a solid glove (and plenty of experience coming off the bench) to a contender.

Dodgers Trying Hard For Benoit

By Tim Dierkes [July 31, 2014 at 11:37am CDT]

11:37am: The Dodgers are “fully in” on relief help and have the most interest in Benoit, tweets Sherman.

11:15am: The Dodgers are trying hard to acquire Padres reliever Joaquin Benoit, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Yesterday, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the Dodgers and Yankees were in on the 37-year-old reliever.

Benoit, who assumed the Padres’ closer role after Huston Street was traded to the Angels, has a 1.88 ERA, 10.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 0.63 HR/9, and 38.1% groundball rate in 43 innings this year. He’s owed about $2MM more this year, plus $8MM in 2015. Benoit also has an $8MM club option for 2016 that becomes guaranteed with 55 games finished in 2015, which likely wouldn’t happen with the Dodgers given the presence of Kenley Jansen.

Cardinals Close To Deal For Lackey

By Tim Dierkes [July 31, 2014 at 11:35am CDT]

11:35am: The Cardinals are getting Lackey, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

11:26am: The Red Sox are close to trading John Lackey to the Cardinals or Dodgers, tweets Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.

Twins, Suzuki Again Discussing Extension

By Jeff Todd [July 31, 2014 at 11:16am CDT]

11:17am: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets that the two sides are still far apart in extension talks, and Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish also tweets that no extension is close.

10:54am: The Twins have re-started extension talks with catcher Kurt Suzuki, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). There is a reasonable chance that agreement will be reached, he adds.

Last we heard, an extension seemed unlikely, and Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweeted this morning that traction was nonexistent, but apparently a new effort is underway. That being said, prior reports have suggested that Minnesota could still look to deal Suzuki in August if it holds onto him and cannot nail down an extension. Suzuki’s trade market looks to have dried up significantly, with the Cardinals acquiring A.J. Pierzynski and reports indicating that the Orioles are not interested.

Full Story | Comments | Categories: Kurt Suzuki | Minnesota Twins | Newsstand

John Lackey Rumors: Thursday

By Steve Adams and Tim Dierkes [July 31, 2014 at 11:12am CDT]

Yesterday we learned there’s a “very good chance” that the Red Sox will trade right-hander John Lackey in advance of this afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline. The Royals, Indians, and Dodgers have been linked to the right-hander, while the Angels and Brewers are reportedly not pursuing him. The Marlins were also linked to Lackey, though reports on the likelihood of that deal vary from “zero chance” to the two sides still discussing potential deals. Here’s the latest Lackey buzz as the deadline looms…

The Red Sox are still working to trade Lackey, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, with a source giving a 70% chance he’s dealt today.

Earlier Updates

The Pirates were known to have interest in Jon Lester before he was traded to Oakland, but prior to that trade today Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe said the Bucs were in on Lackey as well. Cafardo also weighed in on previous interest from San Francisco, writing, “The Giants, who acquired [Jake] Peavy last weekend, were also in the hunt for another arm, and Lackey was also mentioned.”

Latest On Royals’ Pitching Search

By Jeff Todd [July 31, 2014 at 11:05am CDT]

We took a look yesterday at the Royals’ search for an outfielder. Kansas City has also been mentioned alongside several starting pitchers in recent days, including A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon, and John Lackey. (MLBTR links.) Here’s the latest:

The Royals have asked the Rockies about Jorge De La Rosa, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. De La Rosa spent a few years with Kansas City before they dealt him to Colorado to complete the Ramon Ramirez deal in 2008. Earlier this month, Rockies owner Dick Monfort told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post the team aimed to do everything they can to keep De La Rosa, who is eligible for free agency after the season.
The Royals are talking with the Phillies about A.J. Burnett, but nothing is close, tweets Rosenthal. With bats in scarce supply, Kansas City is still exploring the pitching market, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star adds on Twitter.

Yesterday’s Updates

The Royals are in on Ian Kennedy of the Padres, along with the Pirates and Marlins (and still others), tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Of course, as Rosenthal notes, it is not clear that San Diego will deal away Kennedy.
Boston is looking for power pitching in return for Lackey, but K.C. places a high value on its young arms, tweets McCullough.
The Royals have indeed inquired on Colon, but got the sense that New York did not intend to move him, tweets McCullough.
The Phillies have had recent discussions with the Royals about Burnett as well as Antonio Bastardo, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. As for Colon, his market is not developing with any clubs, let alone the Royals, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
As of earlier this morning, the Royals were unwilling to meet the Red Sox‘ asking price on Lackey, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Kansas City remains interested if the price comes down, adds Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
While the team is looking into adding a starter (and/or an outfielder or reliever), McCullough tweets, GM Dayton Moore says he is still counting on internal production to drive results.

Yankees Have Not Acquired Marlon Byrd

A’s “Getting Flooded” With Calls On Jason Hammel

New York Notes: Yanks, Byrd, Murphy, Colon

Chances Of David Price Trade Increasing

Odds Of Asdrubal Cabrera Trade Increasing

Andrew Miller Draws Big Interest; Tigers Making Push

Cubs Moving Closer To Bonifacio Trade

Astros Fielding Interest In Cosart, Not Shopping Keuchel

Rockies Designate Ryan Wheeler For Assignment

Royals And Braves In Lead To Land Padres’ Denorfia

Dodgers Trying Hard For Benoit

Cardinals Close To Deal For Lackey

Twins, Suzuki Again Discussing Extension

John Lackey Rumors: Thursday

Latest On Royals’ Pitching Search

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