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Archives for July 2008

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

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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, drawing interest from the Rays, Red Sox, and Diamondbacks.  His price will exceed that of Brian Fuentes, since he’s under team control through 2010.
  • The D’Backs would like to add a left-handed hitting outfielder, and Raul Ibanez is under consideration.  Rosenthal suggests Matt Stairs or Tony Clark as possible bench additions.

Odds And Ends: Teixeira, Rauch, Castro, Newman

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Saturday linkage…

Rosenthal and Fuentes Q&A

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Ken Rosenthal sat down for a Q&A session with Rockies’ closer Brian Fuentes in light of all the recent trade speculation. Some highlights:

On being mentioned in trade rumors:

…Now that I’m going into my sixth year and free agency, it seems like it’s coming up more. You hear a lot of speculation, a lot of rumors. It’s hard to tell what’s true. I know there’s a lot of posturing going on among the GMs.

On possibly receiving a warm reception if he does indeed get traded (ala C.C. Sabathia):

(chuckling) I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. They gave CC a standing ovation when he came out and played catch. It was pretty amazing.

On his approach to free agency:

I knew going into free agency that I wanted to have a really good year. I also knew I’d be setting up. My main objective was to close. I feel I can close in Colorado or anywhere else. But it’s not my choice.

On talking about trade rumors with his teammates:

It’s almost like a running joke. We all know there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s speculation they might want to move Matt, (Yorvit) Torrealba, Willy Taveras, myself. We joke about it. It’s a relaxed atmosphere in the clubhouse.

With Alou Out, Mets Looking At Ibañez

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The possible career-ending injury to Moises Alou means the Mets have to look at the trade market for a replacement, and baseball sources are telling Newsday’s Anthony Rieber the Mariner’s Raul Ibañez is a possibility.

Joel Sherman of the NY Post reports that if the Mets are willing to take some money, "they might be able to use a Double-A corner player such as Mike Carp, Nick Evans or [Daniel] Murphy to complete a deal."

Ibañez is in the last year of his contract and can become a free agent next year. The Mariners have the worst record in baseball and are in the cusp of full sell-mode.

Ibañez has been one the most consistent players in the M’s roster, but at 36 and in the current trade market he’s more of a commodity than a franchise player.

The Manhattan-native played with Carlos Beltran in Kansas City.

"He’s a great guy," Beltran told Rieber. "Love him as a person, as a player. Great guy, great guy. I think he’s a great, great player. A player no one really talks about, but he always does his job. Driving in 80, 90, 100 runs, hits 25, 30 home runs, plays hard."

Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com. Comments? Rumors? Email me: alexo05 (at) umpbump (daught) com.

Angels Enter Mix For Fuentes

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When we last checked, nine teams had expressed interest in Rockies closer Brian Fuentes at some point: the Marlins, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, A’s, Cubs, Cardinals, and Rays.  Today Ken Rosenthal adds a tenth team to the mix: the Angels.  The Rays are considered the frontrunner.

Rosenthal did a phone interview with Fuentes, asking about his geographic preference once he becomes a free agent.  Fuentes notes that he’s a West Coast guy, but most importantly he wants to remain a closer.

Yankees To Sign Eric Milton

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Eric Milton, remember him?  The AP is reporting that he is set to rejoin the Yankees after working out at the team’s minor league complex.  The 33 year-old lefty had Tommy John surgery in June of last year.  He’s said to be six weeks away from pitching in games, and the Yankees have 2009 in mind as well.

Milton was a top prospect in the Yankees’ system back in the late nineties before being traded to the Twins in the Chuck Knoblauch deal.  He never pitched above Double A in the Yankee organization.

Yankees Considering Sexson?

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From Joel Sherman of the New York Post:

The Yankee problems against lefty pitching are so dire that they will meet in the next day or so to determine whether to make a play for Richie Sexson, Hardball has learned.

The Yankees have a .729 OPS against southpaws this year, which ranks 7th in the American League.  Sexson has a 1.045 OPS against lefties this year, but it’s only been 70 plate appearances.  He was nothing special against lefties in 2006-07.  Peter Abraham offers his take on the idea of signing Sexson over at his blog.

Padres Rumors: Maddux, Wolf, Clark

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Padres beat writer Corey Brock has the latest on the team’s trade candidates.

  • GM Kevin Towers recently told Greg Maddux which teams have expressed interest in him.  The Professor will ponder his options over the break, since he controls his fate with a full no-trade clause.  Possible suitors like the Cubs and Brewers may have backed off, I imagine.
  • As expected, Randy Wolf is drawing interest.
  • Tony Clark could be moved within a few days, with Arizona the rumored suitor.
  • The Padres are only looking to move veterans, and want prospects in return.

Heyman’s Latest: Bay, Rivera, Chacon

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New column from SI.com’s Jon Heyman.

  • Fresh Jason Bay rumors: the D’Backs and Cardinals are in pursuit.  The Mets and Rays have kicked the tires as well.  Heyman believes the Pirates want Emilio Bonifacio from the D’Backs, and maybe Colby Rasmus from the Cards.  At any rate, the price will be steep with Bay signed for ’09.
  • Juan Rivera is a "surprise target" of the Mets, though they’ve had interest in him since March.  Rivera will be hard to acquire, though, because he’s gaining playing time for the Angels.
  • Heyman believes Shawn Chacon will win his grievance and get paid his full salary.

Stark’s Latest: Burnett, Nady, Greinke, Burrell

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FRIDAY: We have an update to Stark’s column – he is now saying that Burnett does have veto power over 15 teams.

THURSDAY: Let’s take a look at Jayson Stark’s latest over at ESPN.com.

  • The Phillies and Yankees both made failed runs at CC Sabathia.  The Phils wouldn’t include Carlos Carrasco or Lou Marson, while the Yanks insisted on a negotiating window.  The Phils are looking at Erik Bedard and A.J. Burnett by default, while neither of those pitchers makes sense for the Yankees.  The Yanks checked in on Aaron Harang, but that’s a moot point since he’s ailing.
  • Despite the Dodgers’ run at Sabathia, they’re apparently not looking at other starters.
  • Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that Burnett had veto power over 15 teams, but Stark’s source says it’s just a handful of teams.  It’ll be tough to convince Burnett not to opt out of his contract after the season, unless he’s hurt.
  • The Braves still haven’t made the buy/sell decision.  If they buy, Xavier Nady is the top target.  If they sell, Mark Teixeira is the best chip.  Apparently Scott Boras is talking about $23MM per year for Tex this winter.
  • The Giants are pretty clearly not trading Matt Cain.
  • The Orioles, making a run at .500, don’t seem motivated to move George Sherrill or othe top veterans.
  • The Brewers’ Plan B beyond Sabathia was Zack Greinke, rather than Rich Harden.  Ken Rosenthal recently said the Royals were "decidedly uninterested in moving Greinke," however.
  • Stark says it "wouldn’t be out of the question" for the Cubs to pursue a lefthanded starter like Randy Wolf, despite the Harden acquisition.
  • Extension with the Phillies for Pat Burrell did not get very far.

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