By Mike Axisa | at
It's gotten to the point where it's not a matter of if the Orioles will trade utility man Ty Wigginton, but when. The righthanded bat offers versatility and some power, so he'd be a fit for almost every team in the league. The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are among the clubs seriously interested in acquiring him for the stretch run.
Which team will acquire Ty Wigginton before the 2010 trade deadline?
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By Mike Axisa | at
A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…
By Mike Axisa | at
Oliver Perez is currently on the disabled list with a knee issue, but that hasn't stopped Mets' GM Omar Minaya from trying to unload the enigmatic lefty. ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin reports that the Mets approached the Royals about swapping Perez for Gil Meche, but were told no thanks. Talks with other teams have gone nowhere.
Perez, still just 28, hasn't pitched since the end of May because of the injury, though the team didn't exactly want him on the mound anyway. He had been sent to the bullpen after allowing 24 runs and walking more batters (28) than he struck out (27) in his first seven starts, and continued to pitch poorly in mop-up duty after the demotion. The injury was suspicious enough that the league decided to investigate, which is understandable after he refused a minor league assignment not long before.
Both Perez and Meche will earn the same $12MM this year and next, so the money would have been a wash if a trade did occur. Perez started a rehab assignment last Saturday, so the team has 30 days from then to activate him. It's hard to imagine any team taking on Perez without the Mets eating a significant portion of the money owed to him.
By Mike Axisa | at
The Padres are perhaps the biggest surprise contender in baseball this season, sporting the best run differential and second best overall record in the National League coming out of the break. That doesn't mean they're any closer to locking up franchise cornerstone Adrian Gonzalez though, as Dan Hayes of The North County Times tweets that the two sides have yet to discuss a contract extension.
Earlier this week we heard that Gonzalez was seeking an eight-year contract, which suggests that he and his agent might be using Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM contract as a guideline for his next deal. Unsurprisingly, many teams are still interested in trading for Gonzalez, but San Diego has him under contract through next season for slightly more than $7.5MM. They don't have any motivation to move him at this point.
In fact, the Padres are looking to add offense right now, not subtract it. Gonzalez is the only legitimate power threat on the team, and while he may be looking for a Teixeira kind of contract, the team would be looking for a Teixeira kind of return if they were to trade him, referring of course to the haul Texas received when they sent the current Yankee first baseman to Atlanta.
By Mike Axisa | at
Starting pitching is always at a premium, especially during the mid-to-late July trade season. With Cliff Lee now off the market, Cubs' southpaw Ted Lilly takes over the title of most coveted starter available. He offers much more affordability than either Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren, both in terms of money and trade cost.
Lilly, 34, struck out ten Phillies across seven innings today, and will go to bed tonight the proud owner of a 4.07 ERA with a 6.49 K/9 and 2.16 BB/9. He missed the first few weeks of the season with a shoulder issue that appears to have robbed him of some velocity, but otherwise he's made at least 25 starts in every season since 2003. Lilly has plenty of experience in the American League, however he hasn't faced the DH regularly since 2006.
There's approximately $5.3M left on his contract this year, and he'll head onto the free agent market after the season as a Type-A free agent barring a total collapse in the second half. In theory, the Cubs would need to receive two prospects in a trade that are equal to or greater in value than the two high draft picks they would receive next year if they let Lilly walk as a free agent.
The Mets reportedly have interest in the southpaw after losing out on Lee, as do the Rays. The Twins and Tigers have also been mentioned as possible suitors. Minnesota has highly touted (and blocked) catching prospect Wilson Ramos to deal, and Tampa has more prospects than they know what to do with, so putting a package together won't be an issue for them.
Jarrod Washburn was in a similar situation last season, and was eventually traded for two good, but certainly not great prospects in Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Lilly has a better track record and has a little bit more money left on his deal, but the Washburn deal could serve as a guide for what the Cubs should expect in return.
By Mike Axisa | at
With baseball's worst record at 29-59, the Orioles are expected to start selling off their veteran players any day now as they build for the future. That process appears to be in full swing, with Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reporting that several teams have interest in utility man Ty Wigginton while at least one may have their eyes on Miguel Tejada.
The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are all in on Wigginton, and in fact the O's have been talking to the Phillies about him for weeks. Zrebiec says Philadelphia may also have interest in Tejada, who they could use at third base while sliding the currently injured Placido Polanco over to second base while Chase Utley is on the shelf.
The Rangers, meanwhile, will have a scout in attendance for Baltimore's game against the Blue Jays tonight. Texas has been looking for a righthanded bat since the offseason, and the trade of Justin Smoak may have increased the team's efforts to find a platoon mate for Chris Davis. Wigginton could be a perfect fit given his versatility.
Zrebiec is convinced that Wigginton will not be an Oriole come August 1st, and it's hard not to agree with him. He isn't so sure about Tejada, however he does say there are several teams out there that believe the former AL MVP would elevate his game if pushed back into a pennant race.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
FRIDAY, 5:30pm: Dunn denied changing his mind about staying with the Nationals according to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, though he did acknowledge being frustrated by not having an extension already in place. He said he has no animosity towards the team, but will stay out of any contract talks and let his representatives handle things.
MONDAY, 7:29pm: Adam Dunn is losing interest in signing a long-term deal with the Nationals, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter links found here). The powerful first baseman perceives a lack of urgency from the Nationals, who began preliminary discussions with Dunn and his representatives months ago.
GM Mike Rizzo has made it clear that he would part with Dunn only for an extraordinary package. Olney reports that the Nationals have discussed possible deals involving Dunn, so they are clearly considering trades. As we heard last week, the White Sox are among the interested teams.
Dunn leads the National League with 22 home runs and appears headed for a seventh consecutive season with 38 or more homers. The 30-year-old has a .959 OPS, which would be a career-high. Dunn and Jayson Werth are two of the most productive hitters rumored to be available as the trade deadline nears.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Links for Friday, after an impressive start from trade candidate Ted Lilly…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Yankees would love to have Adam Dunn and Joakim Soria, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). But the Yankees' interest in the two stars doesn't mean those players will be in pinstripes any time soon. After all, many teams would love to have them both and the Nationals and Royals would demand a lot in any deal.
In fact, Rosenthal reports that the Nationals have an "exorbitant" asking price for Dunn. The 30-year-old, who becomes a free agent after the season, is one of the more appealing first baseman available, along with Prince Fielder. As usual, Dunn is on pace for a 40-homer season (he leads the NL with 22). He makes $12MM this season and profiles as a Type A free agent, so the Nationals could obtain picks for Dunn if they don't trade him.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported earlier in the week that Dunn may be losing interest in an extension with the Nats. At River Ave. Blues, MLBTR's Mike Axisa makes the case that the Yankees should acquire Dunn, even though he's only under contract for 2010.
The Royals would need to be "overwhelmed" to part with Soria, who makes $3MM this season and is under team control through 2014. He has 25 saves already and has posted 11.1 K/9 this season, which makes him one of the more appealing relievers available. The Yankees have had inconsistent performances from righties Joba Chamberlain, Chan Ho Park and David Robertson, which no doubt contributes to their interest in Soria.
By Zachary Links | at
FRIDAY: The Indians released Redmond, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
SATURDAY: The Indians have designated catcher Mike Redmond for assignment, tweets Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. In his place, Cleveland promoted Chris Gimenez from Triple-A Columbus.
Redmond, 39, has made just two starts since Carlos Santana joined the big league club. In 22 games for the Tribe this season, the veteran has hit .206/.242/.270. For his career, Redmond owns a slash line of .287/.342/.358.
The catcher can retire comfortably if he chooses to do so. Baseball Reference estimates that Redmond has earned roughly $9MM in his 13-season major league career.
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