Adam Dunn Rumors: Friday
The latest on Nationals slugger Adam Dunn…
- The Giants are involved a number of pursuits, but do not seem serious about Dunn, writes Rosenthal.
- The White Sox are once again saying that they're out of the Dunn sweepstakes, according to Rosenthal (Twitter links). Barring a mystery team, Rosenthal finds it hard to envision a Dunn trade.
- The Nationals told teams that Edwin Jackson was key to obtaining Adam Dunn from them, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Many teams tried to obtain Jackson, the White Sox got him and now the Nationals say they aren't so sure they want the righty. Obviously, teams are frustrated with the Nationals (all Twitter links).
- The Nats are becoming frustrated as they try to obtain equal value for Dunn, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Rival teams say that Washington's asking price is enormous.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo told MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling that he won't lower his asking price for Dunn (Twitter link).
- Dunn says he'd be comfortable DHing for the rest of the year, according to multiple reporters, including Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link). That is music to the ears of White Sox, Rays and Yankees fans.
- The Rays are convinced that the Yankees will acquire Dunn, Peter Gammons told WEEI.com. Gammons suspects that if the Nationals trade Dunn, the Yankees will acquire him. The Rays haven't given up hope, since they have had a special assignment scout watching Dunn all week, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link).
- The White Sox remain in talks with the Nationals for Dunn even after the Edwin Jackson trade, write Rosenthal and Morosi. Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets that the Nationals want Jackson in a Dunn trade, but the White Sox hope to keep him out of the deal.
- The White Sox are focused only on Dunn and not Prince Fielder or Lance Berkman, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has heard varying opinions about whether the Yankees are truly out on Dunn.
- Yesterday's Dunn rumors are tough to sort out, rife with conflicting reports. The White Sox, Yankees, Rays, Giants, and Tigers were linked, though the Tigers might be out.
Cardinals Close To Jake Westbrook Trade
11:13am: Westbrook has agreed to lower the $2MM trade bonus, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It's currently unclear whether the Padres are involved in this as part of a three-team deal, though Sherman thinks they may have dropped out.
10:53am: A third team might be involved in the deal, reports MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
10:19am: The Cardinals are close to acquiring starter Jake Westbrook from the Indians, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Westbrook is scheduled to start against the Blue Jays a few hours from now.
Westbrook is pricey – he has $3.89MM remaining in base salary this year, and a $2MM bonus and $353K salary bump for being traded. That's a total of $6.24MM remaining. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the deal is at the union level as the teams try to sort through the financials.
Westbrook, 32, will solidify the back end of the Cardinals' rotation given the injuries to Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny. Westbrook has a 4.65 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 53.3% groundball rate this season. He had Tommy John surgery in June of '08, and wasn't healthy until this year.
Padres, Cardinals, Indians Agree To Deal Involving Ludwick, Westbrook
11:44am: The Padres are sending pitching prospect Corey Kluber to the Indians in the deal, tweets Nightengale. Krasovic adds that the Padres will send pitching prospect Nicholas Greenwood to the Cardinals.
11:38am: The union has approved the trade, tweets Krasovic. The Padres get Ludwick, the Cardinals get Westbrook, and the Padres give up two prospects. Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the deal is official.
11:36am: Westbrook to the Cardinals is agreed to, tweets Heyman. He adds that the Padres still appear likely to get Ludwick.
11:28am: Ludwick to the Padres has a 90% chance of going down, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The Padres would send money and a prospect to the Indians in the potential three-team deal, tweets Olney. Westbrook has officially been scratched, tweets Castrovince.
11:16am: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets/counters that this thing still has life as of two minutes ago. Sherman is backing off his earlier tweet and now thinks the Padres are still in it too.
11:08am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that he thinks the Padres have fallen out of this deal and it's just going to be the Cardinals and Indians in a Westbrook trade.
10:58am: Krasovic tweets that a three-team deal is pending the union's OK: the Padres get Ludwick, the Cardinals get Jake Westbrook and a Padres prospect, and the Indians get prospects.
10:39am: The Padres are deep in talks with the Cardinals for outfielder Ryan Ludwick, tweets Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse. The Cardinals were not known to be willing to discuss Ludwick, but perhaps the strong play of Jon Jay swayed them.
Ludwick, 32, has settled at a level between his stellar '08 and disappointing '09 seasons. He's under team control for next year, and we know the Padres prefer to get more than a rental.
Mariners May Move Aardsma On Saturday
The Mariners may move David Aardsma on Saturday, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Aardsma, 28, has a 4.59 ERA on the year with 9.7 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. Recently we have learned that the Tigers are keeping tabs on him, the Giants inquired on him, and the Red Sox have explored a trade for him (and roughly fifteen other relievers).
When the Giants asked about Aardsma, the M's countered by offering their closer and Jose Lopez for Pablo Sandoval, but Jack Zduriencik & Co. were rebuffed.
Multiple Teams Discussing Paul Maholm
SATURDAY, 1:44am: In a deal for Maholm, the Pirates want a starting pitcher who is ready to contribute, two high-ranking team sources told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
FRIDAY, 8:23pm: The Dodgers and Pirates aren't necessarily close to a Maholm deal, but the sides believe there's a genuine possibility that a trade happens, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
4:19pm: The Padres are not close to acquiring Maholm, according to Kovacevic (Twitter link).
3:46pm: The Dodgers and Padres are not the only clubs discussing deals with the Pirates, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The Mets appear to be involved in discussions for Maholm, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
3:12pm: The two teams look close to a deal, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter).
3:10pm: The Padres are discussing Maholm with the Pirates, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
2:59: The Pirates are "close" to trading Maholm, according to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (on Twitter). However, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse hears that the Padres are not discussing a deal for Maholm (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Padres are making progress on a Maholm deal (Twitter link).
2:36pm: The Padres are discussing Maholm with the Pirates, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
1:29pm: The Pirates are willing to trade a starting pitcher for the right price, GM Neal Huntington told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Huntington referred to starters close to free agency, which implies Paul Maholm or Zach Duke.
Kovacevic figures Maholm to be more popular than Duke, since the latter spent time on the DL this year with an elbow strain. Maholm is signed reasonably through next year with a club option for 2012, making him appealing to the Dodgers. The Mets, Cardinals, Padres, Twins, and Tigers may also be in the hunt for a starter.
Dodgers, Cubs Discussing Ted Lilly Deal
12:29am: The Cubs are sitting on multiple proposals for Lilly, tweets Rosenthal. The Dodgers are in the mix, but the two sides are still apart on money and players. He adds that the Dodgers find themselves in a similar position with the Pirates' Paul Maholm.
11:49pm: It's unlikely that the two sides get a deal done tonight, but talks are moving in a "positive" direction, a source tells Jayson Stark of ESPN (via Twitter).
10:53pm: The Dodgers and Cubs are closing in on a deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
10:37pm: The Cubs are discussing two possible scenarios with the Dodgers, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Tony Jackson. One would send Lilly to LA and the other would send Lilly to LA along with teammate Ryan Theriot. FOX Sports reported early this morning that the Dodgers could acquire Theriot. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark confirms that the Yankees are in on Lilly and notes that they also inquired on Theriot (Twitter link).
10:21pm: The Cubs continue discussing Lilly with the Yankees and Dodgers, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link).
9:49pm: The only thing preventing the Cubs from sending Lilly to the Dodgers is money, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (via Twitter). The clubs can't agree on how much money the Cubs would take on, but it could be enough to prevent a deal from happening.
8:59pm: The Yankees are still in on Lilly, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The Padres had discussions about Lilly, but nothing is imminent, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link).
8:24pm: The Dodgers remain active on Lilly and seem intent on acquiring him or Pirates lefty Paul Maholm, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Click here for the latest on Maholm.
3:18pm: The Reds have a "remote" chance of obtaining Lilly, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The clubs haven't spoken in recent days, but the Reds are not on Lilly's no-trade list.
2:10pm: The Tigers still aren't out on Lilly, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. He adds that a mystery team is in the mix. Hard to pin down a reasonable match, with the Padres not interested.
Rosenthal tweets that the Dodgers are more inclined to get Lilly without Theriot.
2:05pm: The Dodgers are talking to the Cubs about a multiplayer deal that would include Lilly and a position player, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez does not believe Theriot would be the position player. By the way, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Padres are not a fit for Lilly.
11:58am: The Dodgers are waiting for Lilly's cost to come down, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. He notes that they're also monitoring Paul Maholm and Jason Frasor. The Pirates are willing to move a starting pitcher for the right price, GM Neal Huntington told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
7:10am: The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing a trade that could send Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to Los Angeles, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They say it's not known whether a deal is close. The Cubs would need to kick in cash – Lilly has $4.3MM remaining and Theriot has $933K.
Theriot received a $2.6MM salary for 2010 after losing an arbitration case to the Cubs in February. He's under team control through 2012; the FOX writers see him taking over at second base for the Dodgers. It doesn't seem to be the strongest need for them, with Blake DeWitt currently outperforming Theriot and Jamey Carroll and Ronnie Belliard also on the roster.
There aren't a ton of great matches for Lilly at this point, as action with the Tigers, Twins, and Mets has cooled and the Phillies are out of the mix. I wonder if we'll hear anything about the Cardinals and Padres looking at the lefty.
Braves Designate Brent Clevlen For Assignment
The Braves designated Brent Clevlen for assignment, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link). The 26-year-old hit a double in four at bats with the Braves this year and will likely head to Triple A Gwinnett if he clears waivers.
The 2002 second-rounder has a .255/.372/.362 line at Triple A in 2010. That's not far off the .261/.341/.421 mark he has posted in nine minor league seasons.
Pirates, D’Backs Agree On Chris Snyder Trade
10:43am: The minor leaguer going to the Pirates will be shortstop Pedro Ciriaco, tweets Kovacevic. Baseball America ranked Ciriaco 27th among D'Backs prospects heading into the season, praising his defense and speed.
9:55am: The Pirates will also receive a minor leaguer in the deal, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. So it's Snyder, a minor leaguer, and cash to the Pirates for Carrasco, Church, and Crosby. The Pirates will not flip Snyder, tweets Kovacevic.
9:42am: The D'Backs will also get reliever D.J. Carrasco, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Carrasco has $336K plus incentives left on his contract this year, and he's under team control through 2012. He should be a useful piece in what figures to be a revamped bullpen for Arizona next year.
9:31am: The D'Backs will receive Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church in the deal, tweets Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona. This explains the call-ups today of Argenis Diaz and Jeff Clement, to some extent. The inclusion of Crosby and Church offsets about $883K of the $8.18MM still owed to Snyder.
8:56am: Despite an agreement in principle, the two sides are still talking about names going to Arizona, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spoke to an uninvolved industry source who wonders if the Pirates might flip Snyder.
SATURDAY, 12:37am: The only thing standing in the way of a Snyder-to-Pittsburgh deal is the commissioner's approval for cash changing hands, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. It is still not clear as to what Arizona will receive in return, he adds (via Twitter).
FRIDAY, 8:57pm: The Pirates have spoken to the D’Backs about a trade that would send catcher Chris Snyder to Pittsburgh, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The FOX Sports writers suggest Arizona would likely send money to Pittsburgh in any deal. Snyder has $1.7MM remaining on his contract in 2010, plus $5.75MM next year and either $6.75MM or a $750K buyout in 2012.
The Pirates currently have Jason Jaramillo and Erik Kratz on the active roster, but Ryan Doumit is on the DL with a concussion. Like Snyder, Doumit has a lot of money coming his way. He'll earn $5.1MM in 2011 and the club holds options for 2012-13.
Earlier in the week, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that the D'Backs were trying to trade Snyder, but this is the first we've heard of the Pirates' interest.
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Jose Bautista Rumors: Friday
Jose Bautista picked up two walks and three hits tonight, including a grand slam. It's safe to say his trade value is pretty high. Here's the latest on the Blue Jays right fielder:
- Bautista told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he isn't concerned about an extension. "I have one more year of arbitration and I have no problem with the process," he said. Bautista also said he hopes to stay in Toronto (Twitter links).
- Bautista is the player the Giants want, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Heyman suggests the Jays could target Emmanuel Burriss or Ehire Adrianza in a trade.
- The Blue Jays and Giants have had extensive conversations, but San Francisco finds Toronto’s asking prices for Scott Downs and Bautista too high, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Yesterday, Heyman reported that many teams besides the Giants were interested in Bautista.