Poll: Which Pitchers Will Be Traded?
This year's trade market features two very available front-line starters in Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren, and that's on top of the already traded Cliff Lee. The secondary market still offers some quality arms, including Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, and Brett Myers. Some will move and some won't.
Which starting pitchers will be traded by the 2010 trade deadline?
Dan Haren Rumors: Friday
The D’Backs have started exchanging names with teams about possible Dan Haren trades and the Tigers, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals and Twins appear to have varying degrees of interest in the righty. That’s just the abbreviated version of what we heard yesterday, but there’s more. The D’Backs’ asking price? High-quality major league-ready pitching. With that in mind, here are today’s Dan Haren rumors, with more to come:
- Updating his earlier story, Magruder quotes Hall, the D'Backs CEO, as saying: "There are some other teams involved that have deals of at least equal value out there. I would not categorize the Yankees as a front-runner."
- In a piece for FOXSportsArizona.com, Jack Magruder notes that the Yankees aren't one of the teams that require Haren's approval. Magruder also suggests a trade with the Yanks could involve New York taking on other players that the D'Backs would like to move, such as Aaron Heilman, Chad Qualls, or Chris Snyder.
- D'Backs' CEO Derrick Hall tells Piecoro (Twitter link) that there's no clear front-runner for Haren and reiterates "nothing [is] imminent." However, most reports still indicate that the Yanks are the favorite. AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere (via Twitter) and Morosi both hear that Ivan Nova could be a key piece in a Haren trade with New York.
- Expanding on his earlier tweet, Price hears that nothing is imminent between the Yankees and Arizona, but that the D'Backs "seem determined" to move Haren before his next start on Tuesday.
- According to Rosenthal, the Yankees appear to be the front-runners for Haren now, with the D'Backs telling clubs that they're in "advanced negotiations" with one team. Ed Price of AOL FanHouse adds (via Twitter) that the Cardinals may be out of the Haren sweepstakes.
- The Yankees are actively talking to the D’Backs about Haren, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. If the Yanks can acquire Haren for prospects, Stark says they are poised to accelerate talks.
- The Cardinals aim to add an innings-eater this summer, though not necessarily an ace, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Tigers and Twins, who both have interest in Haren, are on his no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Haren would also have to approve a trade to the Rays or Reds. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the Twins were on Haren's list.
- The D'Backs have told rival teams that they are intent on moving Haren before the deadline, according to Olney (via Twitter).
- MLB executives tell ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that the D’Backs seem much more willing to deal Haren these days. Some talent evaluators believe the Tigers would have a tough time building an offer for Haren without including pitching prospect Jacob Turner.
- A D'Backs source tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that expectations have shifted and it seems more likely that the D'Backs will trade Haren.
Odds & Ends: Lilly, Braves, Reds, Berkman
Links for Friday night….
- Ned Colletti says the Dodgers could use another outfielder, but not as much as they need pitching, according to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
- We heard recently from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Ted Lilly will likely be traded before the deadline. Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times says it could even happen by the end of the weekend.
- Frank Wren tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he often has to turn away teams inquiring about the Braves' young pitchers.
- The Reds could still be looking for bullpen arms, says Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
- GM Dave Dombrowski tells FOX's Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link) that the Tigers aren't close to completing any trades.
- The Braves aren't showing much interest for now in Cody Ross, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
- Lance Berkman is prepared to face free agency if his option isn't picked up, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
- Corey Hart will have an MRI on his injured wrist tomorrow, according to the Brewers' Twitter feed. Teams in the market for an outfielder, having already seen David DeJesus go down this week, will be closely monitoring the results.
Gammons On Ankiel, Crawford, Iannetta, Martin
In his latest appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons opines that the trade deadline isn't as significant as it's made out to be. He cites only a handful of teams over the last decade who have made the World Series after making major deals prior to the deadline, arguing that the idea of pennant-altering trades is "essentially fiction." Here are a few other interesting tidbits from Gammons' conversation:
- Gammons thinks Rick Ankiel could be a good fit for the Red Sox, if he shows that he's healthy.
- The Angels' top priority this offseason will probably be trying to sign Carl Crawford. Gammons notes that the club put Crawford's locker next to Torii Hunter's at the All-Star Game.
- The Rockies aren't eager to trade Chris Iannetta, hoping instead to platoon him with Brad Hawpe at first base as long as Todd Helton is out.
- The Red Sox could try to make a run at Russell Martin, rather than Iannetta, since Martin's price tag may be getting too high for the Dodgers.
- There's still a chance the Sox could be sellers this year if they fall out of contention, though it's more likely to happen in August than before July 31st.
Minor League Transactions: Vazquez, Rabelo, Calero
The focus at this point in the season is on major league transactions – trades, to be precise. But that doesn't mean the minor league transactions stop. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the latest on the minor league transactions that occurred between July 6th and July 13th:
- One year after posting a 1.95 ERA in 67 major league games, Kiko Calero finds himself a free agent once again. He signed with the Mets and then with the Dodgers, but the Dodgers released him after he posted a 3.00 ERA in 15 minor league appearances. Calero struck out 11 and walked seven in 15 innings.
- The Tigers released Mike Rabelo, a backup catcher who spent parts of 2006-08 with Detroit. The 30-year-old struggled through 36 plate appearances at Triple A before the Tigers let him go.
- Ramon Vazquez hit much better in the Astros' system than he did in the Mariners', but the Astros released the former Pirate anyways. The 33-year-old had a .900 OPS in 64 plate appearances.
Jose Guillen Drawing Interest
There are several teams with at least "a passing interest" in Jose Guillen, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal names the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Padres, and Giants as potential Guillen suitors.
The Giants, who have been connected to virtually every available outfielder, were said to have scouted Guillen last night. However, most of the other clubs Rosenthal lists have yet to be linked to Guillen. The Yanks, Sox, Mets, and Padres could all be in the market for another outfielder, and may not have to take on too much salary to acquire Guillen — last month, we heard from ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Royals were willing to eat a good chunk of the money owed to the 34-year-old. Guillen has approximately $4.76MM remaining on his $12MM 2010 salary.
With David DeJesus on the disabled list for the rest of the season, Guillen (.279/.342/.463) has become the Royals' most appealing chip for teams in search of outfield help.
Rockies Focusing On Bullpen Help
The Rockies' main focus heading into next Saturday's trade deadline will be on acquiring bullpen help, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. We heard a few days ago that the Rockies were eyeing starting pitching and corner infielders along with relievers, but Renck indicates that their bullpen is the top priority at the moment.
According to Renck, Blue Jays relievers like Kevin Gregg and Scott Downs interest the Rockies, with SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeting of Colorado's interest in Gregg as well. Renck also expects the Rox to check in on the availability of Pirates' setup men Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan, but wonders if the price for Pittsburgh's and Toronto's relievers could be too high.
Check out our list of potentially available relievers here.
Riggleman Likely To Manage Nationals In 2011
GM Mike Rizzo fully expects Jim Riggleman to return to Washington in 2011 to manage the Nationals for another season, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The team would have had the option of buying out Riggleman for $100K after the season, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
"Yes, he will be back next season. He has done a terrific job," said Rizzo. "He is a terrific baseball manager. He has great respect from his peers in this game. When the games starts, he is as good as anybody in the game. He has the respect in the clubhouse. He is a diligent worker and he is a loyal employee."
Although the Nationals finished with baseball's worst record (59-103) last season, they showed signs of life in the second half when Riggleman took over for Manny Acta, ending the season on a seven-game winning streak. Riggleman has led the Nats to a 42-54 mark this year, after signing a contract with the team in the offseason. As Kilgore clarifies, while Riggleman's contract is for two years with a 2012 option, only one year was guaranteed.
Giants Eyeing Will Ohman?
The Giants' search for another hitter has been well documented, but the team could be targeting more than just a bat. San Francisco is also looking into the possibility of acquiring Will Ohman, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brian Sabean told listeners on his KNBR radio show Thursday that the team could use an experienced left-handed reliever, and Ohman fits the bill. Although the southpaw has had some control issues this year (5.1 BB/9), he has recorded a 2.57 ERA and struck out a batter per inning. He has also handled lefties well, holding them to a .531 OPS for the season.
If they don't acquire Ohman, the Giants could have a hard time finding another satisfactory left-handed arm for their bullpen. An already underwhelming relief market looks even more uninspiring when you consider the lack of lefties on the list. Besides Ohman and Scott Downs, whose price tag may be too high for the Giants, potentially available southpaws include Bruce Chen, Alan Embree, and Scott Schoeneweis.
Tigers Interested In Mike Lowell
The Tigers "have some interest" in Mike Lowell, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Lowell is in the midst of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket, and will play third base for the first time on Saturday. He hopes to be healthy enough to be activated next week.
With Brandon Inge set to miss four to six weeks with a broken hand, the Tigers are considering how to fill the void his injury leaves at third base. If they determine that Lowell is healthy and able to play the hot corner, he could be a low-cost replacement. While there is still about $4.76MM remaining on Lowell's 2010 contract, the Red Sox figure to pay nearly all of his salary if it means receiving even a mediocre prospect in return.
Lowell recently expressed pessimism about his trade stock to ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes, but a return to health for the 36-year-old could mean he draws a little more interest before July 31st.