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Archives for July 2010

Jayson Werth Rumors: Friday

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The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays have told the Phillies that they would have interest in Jayson Werth if he is available, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. We heard yesterday that the Phillies, who would like to add a proven starter, are discussing possible Werth trades with ‘a lot of teams.’

Werth, 31, will hit free agency after the season and is projected to be a Type A free agent. That ranking likely boosts his value in the long-term. For now, Werth boasts a .278/.365/.514 line and plays solid defense in right field. Check back throughout the day for the latest rumors on Werth:

  • The Red Sox have shown interest in Werth, but no deal is imminent, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
  • An official of one team the Phillies discussed Werth with told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that he would be very surprised to see the Phils trade him. Stark reports that the Phillies appear to have evaluated the market for Werth, Ibanez and Shane Victorino. The Phillies would have interest in Vazquez if the Yankees make him available.
  • There’s no reason to believe that the Phillies will trade Werth to the Yankees for Javier Vazquez, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. The Phillies would want major league-ready players who are under team control after 2010 if they deal Werth, Zolecki confirms.
  • The Phillies would part with Werth in the right deal, but aren't sure how they would do without a comparable right-handed bat, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
  • The Phillies would prefer to move Raul Ibanez than Werth, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). The chances of that happening seem slim.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies would be looking to obtain players who can contribute instantly and who are under team control after 2010 (Twitter link).
  • Rosenthal puts the odds of a Javier Vazquez-Werth swap at 50-1 and says the Rays are not likely to acquire the Phillies' outfielder (Twitter link).

Reyes Open To Playing Other Positions

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Jose Reyes told Constantino Viloria at the Spanish-language New York paper La Opinion that he is open-minded about his future with the Mets. As in past interviews, Reyes dismissed the possibility that he would play anywhere but with the Mets, the organization that scouted and signed him as a teenager in the Dominican Republic. The team holds an $11MM option on Reyes for 2011, which seems a no-brainer given the options on the free agent market.

However, Reyes added a new twist by telling Viloria that while he would prefer to stay at short, he "hasn't ruled out" changing positions. More specifically, Reyes mentions that "I played several games at second base for the Mets," referring to the 43 games he logged at the keystone in 2004.

Reyes' preferences aside, there is an argument to be made for bumping the 27-year-old one slot to the right. First of all, one of the team's top position prospects (along with Fernando Martinez and others) is 18-year-old shortstop Wilmer Flores, who has been showing promise at the lower levels of the Mets system—though some see his future outside of the infield. In any event, once the Mets are free of their commitment to Luis Castillo at the end of 2011 (or sooner by trade), there is no ready replacement within the upper levels of the system save Ruben Tejada, a natural shortstop like Reyes but without his speed or offensive ceiling.

In terms of offense, Reyes' .735 OPS this season compares little better to other second basemen than it would have back in 2004, when the likes of Jeff Kent and Alfonso Soriano were setting the power bar. For now, his production puts him firmly on the Orlando Hudson watershed line (.729 OPS), well below boppers like Cano/Pedroia/Kinsler/Utley but still above the slappy types like Schumaker/Theriot/Barmes.

However, after a few more months of an injured Castillo, Alex Cora and fliers like Tejada, Reyes' willingness to switch could resurface as a topic of discussion, especially as it may give the team the flexibility to either finally trade Castillo or package one of the shortstop prospects for pitching, as has been bandied recently.

Phillies Interested In Scott Downs

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The Phillies have shown interest in Blue Jays left-hander Scott Downs, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Teams have had interest in Downs all year, though it has picked up recently, according to one of Morosi’s sources.

Downs projects to be a Type A free agent after the season, according to our latest Elias rankings. This means the Blue Jays will have the chance to obtain draft picks for him after the season. Downs, arguably the best left-handed reliever on the market, has substantial trade value.

The 34-year-old has a 2.65 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 37.1 innings this year. He earns $4MM in 2010, about $1.9MM of which remains.

Oswalt Would Not Accept Trade To White Sox, Tigers

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The White Sox and Tigers are among the teams to which Roy Oswalt would not accept a trade, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). A couple of teams are interested in Oswalt, though the market for the right-hander's services remains slow. The Astros are reluctant to pick up much of the $25MM or so remaining on Oswalt's contract, which limits the number of teams with serious interest.

It doesn't appear that Cliff Lee will be on the market for long, so teams in search of starting pitching may soon be calling the Astros about Oswalt, who has a no-trade clause. The Mets won't be one of them, at least for now. They are prioritizing Ted Lilly, according to multiple reports today.

The Tigers could use stability behind Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and Max Scherzer. The White Sox have had a steady rotation so far, but recently lost Jake Peavy to the DL. The Tigers, White Sox and Twins are all within two games of each other in the AL Central.

Giants Likely To Explore Corey Hart Trade

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FRIDAY, 12:50pm: Rosenthal says the Giants aren't ready to act on a trade for Hart (Twitter link). They would prefer a left-handed bat and would rather give up prospects than a major league arm like Jonathan Sanchez.

WEDNESDAY, 8:48pm: Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that the two sides are expected to talk about a possible Hart trade before their series ends tomorrow night. Rosenthal notes that Milwaukee likes Jonathan Sanchez, but it remains to be seen if a deal can be worked out.

TUESDAY, 7:40pm: Updating his initial report, Schulman adds that the Brewers haven't decided yet whether or not they want to move Hart, so talks between the two teams aren't far along.

7:00pm: Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says (via Twitter) that the Brewers will only deal Hart this week if a team overpays. The Giants, who don't seem entirely convinced that Hart would have as much success in their ballpark, probably aren't going to do that. Schulman, meanwhile, tweets that it would likely take "Sanchez-plus" to pry Hart from the Brew Crew.

6:24pm: The Giants could be "focusing on a possible trade" involving Corey Hart, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants were recently reported to have interest in the Brewers' outfielder, and Schulman noted yesterday that the Giants' brass may have been scouting players at the Giants-Brewers game.

Despite Pat Burrell's success in San Francisco so far (.316/.391/.553), the Giants have still been linked to outfield bats, such as David DeJesus and Jose Guillen. Hart would be of particular interest to the Giants, since he's under contract through 2011, and Brian Sabean has said his club would like to avoid merely renting players for a couple months.

When we asked nearly two weeks ago whether the Brewers ought to deal Hart, over half of our poll respondents suggested that trading the 28-year-old would be in Milwaukee's best interest. For their part though, the Brewers aren't eager to hold a fire sale, particularly with players like Hart and Prince Fielder, who are under team control past this season. In a second tweet, Schulman cautions that Hart, in the midst of a potential career year, would not come cheaply for the Giants.

Rays Release Hank Blalock

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JULY 9th: The Rays officially released Blalock, according to MLB.com's transactions page. You can now find him on our list of 2010 free agents.

JUNE 29th: The Rays designated Hank Blalock for assignment, according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). Gabe Kapler returns from the disabled list tomorrow, so the Rays can afford to part with Blalock. They promoted him in mid-May, just as Pat Burrell's disappointing stint in Tampa was coming to an end. But after tearing through Triple A pitching early on in the season, Blalock hit just one homer and posted a .254/.319/.349 line in the majors.

Blalock, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rays in March. He makes $925K plus incentives, but even at that salary, it would be a surprise to see a team claim him. Instead, Blalock could be traded or released within the next ten days.

The White Sox have been relying on Mark Kotsay to DH and could use depth at third. Blalock could be a consideration, but he may not be the answer since he has hit righties better than lefties in his career, much like Kotsay. The Twins could look to improve over Danny Valencia and the Angels could use corner infielders, but there's no guarantee either team believes in Blalock's bat or his ability to defend. Blalock was mostly a DH for the Rays, though he did appear at first, third and in right.

Yankees Sign Chad Tracy

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The Yankees signed Chad Tracy, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Tracy will play in the minors and provide the Yankees with some of the infield depth they have been seeking. Tracy asked for and received his release after the Cubs designated him for assignment in late June.

When the Cubs signed Tracy to a minor league deal over the winter, they hoped he could replicate some of the success he enjoyed early in his career. From 2005-06, Tracy posted an .848 OPS and averaged 24 homers and 38 doubles as a corner infielder and outfielder with the D’Backs.

Tracy batted just .250/.327/.295 for the Cubs in 49 plate appearances this year. The 30-year-old provides the Yankees with some depth in case Alex Rodriguez’s hip forces him to miss time.

Odds & Ends: Nolasco, Wuertz, Vazquez, Workman

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Some links for Friday, as the Cliff Lee drama unfolds…

  • Ricky Nolasco may become trade bait, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). The Marlins would listen to offers for the 27-year-old righty.
  • The Yankees have Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton and A’s reliever Michael Wuertz on their radar, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
  • The Yankees aren't close to moving Javier Vazquez and could hold onto him until July 31st even if they acquire Lee, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (via Twitter).
  • Red Sox second rounder Brandon Workman and his advisor have given clear indications that the pitcher would not accept a deal for second-round money, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Workman has turned down a six-figure bonus before and appears ready to re-enter the draft in 2011 if the Red Sox don't offer him the bonus he feels he deserves.
  • The Chiba Lotte Marines are closing in on a deal with Hayden Penn, a right-hander currently pitching in the Pirates' system, according to reports that Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along.
  • The Marlins, Brewers, Orioles, Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox watched Mark Prior pitch, according to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link). The 29-year-old Prior is making a comeback.

Mets Will Turn To Ted Lilly

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Cliff Lee is coming to New York, but he isn't the left-handed starter the Mets are focused on. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets will 'turn strongly' to Cubs starter Ted Lilly now that Lee is on the brink of joining the Yankees. As Sherman explains here, the Mets do like Roy Oswalt – they just aren't comfortable paying the vast majority of his salary and giving up good prospects.

Lilly, a free agent after the season, has about $5.6MM remaining on his 2010 contract. The 34-year-old has a 3.76 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 and projects as a Type A free agent. 

Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Mets are more likely to add Lilly than Oswalt or Dan Haren, but says the Cubs have yet to make their left-hander available (Twitter link). Heyman points out that Lilly's average fastball velocity has dropped from 87 to 86 mph.

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