Archives for July 2009

Tigers Not Interested In Troy Glaus

By | July 25, 2009 at 2:13pm CDT

We heard from FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal yesterday that the Cardinals are now trying to move Troy Glaus because he's unable to throw more than 90 feet. He'd work well as a DH-type in the American League or a first baseman, if NL teams decide to step up. Rosenthal listed the Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers as possible trade partners, but we can now cross Detroit off that list.

As Chris Iott of MLive.com notes, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the club has no interest in Glaus: "Believe me, with all due respect to Troy Glaus, his name has never been mentioned here, to my knowledge. "I want to nip that in the bud."

Teams Scouting George Sherrill

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 1:03pm CDT

Ed Price at AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Twins, Angels and Dodgers are all scouting Orioles lefty George Sherrill.

The Orioles have frequently stated they're not interested in becoming a farm system for other teams, but it's believed Sherrill will still be moved. Sherrill has also been recently linked to the Rangers, as well as the Brewers and White Sox, and recently the Marlins and Cubs. The Orioles are said to potentially want young pitching in return.

Mariners DFA Balentien

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 12:29pm CDT

According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse, the Mariners have designated outfielder Wladimir Balentien for assignment. He's bumped to make room for Michael Saunders.

The move is somewhat interesting, as the Mariners had once considered the powerful Balentien the future of their outfield when Adam Jones departed to the Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade. The 25-year-old Balentien has been disappointing, though, posting a .619 OPS in 434 plate appearances the last three seasons. He was ranked the Ms' #5 prospect by Baseball America as recently as last year. You can bet he'll latch on to another team willing to gamble.

D’Backs Ready To Move Snyder?

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 11:08am CDT

Scott Bordow at the East Valley Tribune notes that the recent breakout of Miguel Montero could spell the end of Chris Snyder's tenure as catcher for the Diamondbacks.

Snyder, who should return from the disabled list sometime this coming week, was signed to a three-year, $14.25MM deal this past offseason. But the club sees Montero as the future at that position, and the 28-year-old Snyder will likely be on the outs this winter. Montero has stellar 1.087 OPS this July and is at .834 for the season.

There's still a chance Snyder could be a useful regular. Any teams who might have a use for him next year?

Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Diamondbacks, Indians

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 10:20am CDT

Lots of trade talk means lots of links, so let's get right to the madness:

Corey Brock at MLB.com examines the possibility presented by Chico Harlan at the Washington Post that Stephen Strasburg could end up a Padre.
Bernie Miklasz at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the Cardinals' five biggest winners in the Matt Holliday trade. Rick Hummel looks at other memorable trades in which the Cardinals dealt top prospects.
According to Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks are currently in a "holding pattern" with no. 16 overall pick Bobby Borchering.
Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners' brutal 9-0 loss last night will mark the team's transition into selling mode.
Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians will have a look at recently departed reliever Rafael Betancourt when he hits the free agent market.
Hoynes also outlines the Indians' payroll obligations for next season, and wonders if low attendance and revenues will force them to trim the team's "luxury items."
Toni Ginnetti at the Chicago Sun-Times talked to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who expects some upgrades will come after the non-waiver deadline.
Jamey Newberg takes a look at the concept of trading prospects through the lens of the Rangers.
Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel chatted with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, who will take an "aggressive but smart" approach at the deadline.
Jeff Zrebiec at the Baltimore Sun says director of scouting Joe Jordan is "irked" by the fact that only 20 of the Orioles' 50 picks have signed with the team.
Rumors are swirling that Luis Gonzalez might be heading back to the Diamondbacks as a team official, says Jesse Sanchez at MLB.com.

Kazmir Not On Angels’ Radar?

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 9:42am CDT

Mark Saxon at the O.C. Register reports that there have been no discussions in team meetings to pursue Scott Kazmir from the Rays. This conflicts with earlier reports that the Rays were scouting the Angels' farm teams and that Kazmir's name was indeed of interest, with goading from pitching coach Mike Butcher.

Saxon says GM Tony Reagins still has his sights set on a frontline starter, a la Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, and a reliable setup man. Saxon also speculates that the Angels could have interest in some of the Rays' relievers, including J.P. Howell, Randy Choate and Grant Balfour.

A’s Rumors: Wuertz, Cabrera, Angels

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 9:09am CDT

Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Angels are "prepared to make a strong bid" for RHP Michael Wuertz's services. That strong bid could begin with infielder Sean Rodriguez.

However, it's unclear if the A's would be willing to trade Wuertz within the division–Wuertz is under team control for two more years.

Slusser also notes that the Twins have expressed interest in SS Orlando Cabrera, who has a .925 OPS in July, but they might not have a prospect package good enough to entice the A's.

Elias Rankings

By Tim Dierkes | July 25, 2009 at 7:51am CDT

At the end of each season, The Elias Sports Bureau ranks all MLB players numerically based on a bunch of stats. Every player is categorized in one of five position groups and by league. The rankings cover a two-year time period. They are used to determine whether free agents are Type A, Type B, or neither. If you'd like a reminder on how draft pick compensation works, read up here.

Eddie Bajek of Detroit Tigers Thoughts reverse-engineered the Elias Rankings last year. Eddie's incredible work was made possible in large part due to information provided by ESPN's Keith Law. Eddie is now providing the rankings exclusively to MLB Trade Rumors. Today's snapshot covers the beginning of the 2008 season through July 23rd of 2009. So the rankings will obviously change over the next few months.

Keep in mind that if players change leagues, they are ranked in their new league. So Matt Holliday and Rafael Betancourt are ranked in the NL, Adam LaRoche in the AL. Holliday remains a Type A; Betancourt just barely makes the Type B cut, and LaRoche misses the Type B cut. As for the Mariners pitchers under scrutiny, Erik Bedard is a B with a shot at A and Jarrod Washburn is entrenched as a B (not sure how they'd look in the NL though).

Click here to see the latest Elias Rankings.

Red Sox Scout Indians-Mariners Game

By Tim Dierkes | July 25, 2009 at 1:02am CDT

MLBTR has learned tonight that the Red Sox had a scout in attendance for tonight's Indians-Mariners game. The Indians topped the Ms 9-0 behind a nice performance from Aaron Laffey and four home runs from the offense.

The purpose behind Boston's scouting mission is unknown. But the logical connection is Indians catcher Victor Martinez. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote Thursday that the Red Sox "continue to scout and express interest in Martinez even after acquiring first baseman Adam LaRoche." However, at the time Rosenthal considered a Martinez trade a longshot. The Rays also have an eye on V-Mart, based on reports earlier this week from SI's Jon Heyman.

Rosenthal’s & Morosi’s Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus

By Mike Axisa | July 24, 2009 at 10:49pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that the Phillies and Blue Jays are getting closer on a potential Roy Halladay deal, but nothing is imminent. The Rangers and Dodgers have both expressed interest in Halladay, but did not talk with Toronto on Friday. The Angels have reportedly improved their offer for the former Cy Young Award winner, but it's unlikely they'll match Philadelphia's package. The Yankees have also expressed interest, but Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi has yet to engage them in discussions.

In a separate column, Rosenthal and Morosi fork over a slew of rumory goodness…

Don't be surprised if the Red Sox "show renewed interest" in shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. O-Cab was hitting .365-.377-.500 in his last 30 games coming into tonight.
The addition of Matt Holliday ensures that the Cardinals will look to move Troy Glaus. The Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers are expected to show interest in the former AL homerun champ.
One GM had this to say about the Holliday deal "In light of the current climate, good return on a 70-game guy. All based on what (Wallace) turns out to be. We are not high on the other two guys."
Meanwhile, a scout offered this about Brett Wallace: "He can hit but he throws like a girl. They acquired a DH — I think he might be Jack Cust Jr. with fewer Ks. (Outfielder Shane) Peterson is the hidden gem!"
The Jays are pushing Scott Rolen and Kevin Millar in trade talks, while a number of their bullpen arms are drawing interest.
The Marlins expressed interest in Holliday at one point, but wanted the A's to pick up most of the money owed to him this year. The Reds also inquired.
A bid to get Holliday ended for the Tigers when the A's asked for prospects Casey Crosby and Scott Sizemore.
Anaheim is indeed interested in Scott Kazmir, spurred on by input from pitching coach Mike Butcher, who once held the same position with Tampa.
The Cubs don't appear to be in any serious talks to acquire another catcher.
One scout familiar with the Reds said they "are listening on about everyone."
The Rangers have interest in lefty relievers George Sherrill and Scott Downs.
Sherrill is also on the White Sox's radar.
Oakland is reluctant to move reliever Michael Wuertz, but there is so much interest in him that the team might get the return it desires.
A number of clubs are expected to watch Justin Duchscherer on his rehab assignment as he comes back from elbow surgery.
The article closes with an amusing text message exchange between Skip Schumaker and Mark DeRosa.

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