Tigers Interested In Stephen Drew
SATURDAY, 11:22am: Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic heard from a Diamondbacks' source that there have been no discussions with the Tigers regarding Drew in the past week.
MONDAY, 1:12pm: The Tigers are looking for middle infield help and are interested in Stephen Drew, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Tigers could use a shortstop and Drew is one of the many Diamondbacks interim GM Jerry Dipoto will consider dealing before July 31st.
Drew, who won’t hit free agency until after 2012, makes $3.4MM this year. The 27-year-old is hitting .268/.336/.409 and appears to be an above-average defender. Drew has made just four errors this year and UZR/150 suggests he defends better than most shortstops.
However, Drew has missed time with a sore left knee, so the Tigers would likely need to be assured that the shortstop is healthy before making the D’Backs a compelling offer. Since Adam Everett's release, Ramon Santiago and Danny Worth have been playing short for the Tigers, who are tied for first place with the Twins.
Olney’s Latest: Lee, Mets, Ibanez, Fukudome, DeJesus
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney names the winners and losers in yesterday's Cliff Lee deal. Beyond the obvious, he says the Red Sox and Rays win because Lee stays away from the team they're chasing in the AL East while the Athletics and Angels lose because he's going to the team they're chasing in the AL West. Olney also dubs the Phillies losers because yesterday's trade again showed that they didn't receive as much as they could have for Lee when they traded him last winter.
Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…
- People within the Mets' front office are working under the assumption that they will not be able to expand payroll. Earlier this week we heard that the team liked the idea of acquiring Ted Lilly and taking on the now $5.55MM left on his deal as a way to move fewer prospects.
- The Phillies would prefer to move Raul Ibanez and the $17MM left on his deal to make room for top prospect Domonic Brown, but I can't imagine anyone will bite. Impending free agent Jayson Werth might go instead.
- Kosuke Fukudome's stock is falling, but the Cubs are still keeping the eye on the market for his services.
- The Royals are telling teams that they are going to hang on to David DeJesus until the trade deadline before deciding whether or not to move the outfielder.
What’s Next For The Mariners?
The Mariners cashed in their biggest chip yesterday, dealing Cliff Lee to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and three prospects. With the team currently 34-52 and 16 games back in the division, it's reasonable to expect GM Jack Zduriencik to continue making moves geared more towards contending in 2011 than righting the ship in 2010.
Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times points out that with Smoak set to man first on an every day basis, the Mariners now have three players (Milton Bradley, Russell Branyan, and Michael Saunders) for two roster spots (left field, designated hitter). Bradley's sore knee buys them some time, and Saunders could also be optioned to Triple-A, but flipping Branyan to a contender looking for some pop is very possible.
Saunders was almost sent to Philadelphia in last winter's Lee deal before the Phillies' requested Tyson Gillies instead, and Baker says the Zduriencik regime "hasn't exactly been in love" with holdover prospects from the Bill Bavasi era. Saunders could again find himself on the chopping block.
Backup first baseman Casey Kotchman could go at any time, though it's tough to believe there will be much trade interest in his .208/.292/.344 batting line, regardless of how good his defense is. The same could be said of the currently injured Mike Sweeney, though he was hitting a tolerable .263/.327/.475 before his back flared up.
Jose Lopez is very much available, but Baker doesn't think either Brandon League or David Aardsma will be dealt. Both are under team control for the next two seasons, so the Mariners aren't feeling pressure to move them immediately.
The Lee trade basically represented the white flag, but the Mariners don't have much left to trade away beyond Lopez, some relievers, and possibly Branyan. More than anything, they need to start getting better production out of Chone Figgins (.235/.334/.277) and Bradley (.211/.295/.368) while Jason Vargas (3.09 ERA) and Doug Fister (also a 3.09 ERA) continue to establish themselves as viable starters behind Felix Hernandez.
Poll: Next Player To Be Traded
The trade deadline is exactly three weeks away now, and it's entirely possible that yesterday's Cliff Lee blockbuster is the deal that starts the chain reaction. We know there are 30 teams out there looking for upgrades, but some have their eyes on stars while others are looking for role players or prospects.
Who will be the next player to be traded?
Click here to take part in the survey, and here to view the results.
Angels Looking For Depth, Not Rental Players
The Angels have been linked in rumors to names like Adam Dunn or Prince Fielder, but judging from manager Mike Scioscia's comments today to MLB.com's Alex Espinoza, L.A. may not go quite so big with any midseason deals.
"Our lineup needs to get deeper," Scioscia said. "If there's someone out there who is going to make us deeper, Tony [GM Tony Reagins] is going to act on it. As of right now, there hasn't been a lot presented that is going to be doable for what other teams are looking for and what we might have."
Scioscia also noted that he would like for any potential acquisition to be under contract for longer than just then end of the season, which would seem to remove Dunn from the discussion. Fielder is signed through 2011, but Milwaukee would expect quite a bit more in a trade for Fielder than Washington would for Dunn. Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com points out that "other teams aren't exactly tripping all over themselves to get at the Angels' minor-league talent," so there's even a question as to whether or not the Halos have the right prospects to land a major player in a trade.
Saxon suggests that Texas' deal for Cliff Lee may have sealed up the AL West for them, and thus L.A. should start looking ahead to next year. If Lee ends up being the spark that the Rangers expect him to be, it's likely that the Angels will start thinking like Saxon. A short-term addition like Hank Blalock (who L.A. is rumored to be interested in) might be the extent of the Halos' pre-deadline moves.
Rick Porcello Could Become A Trade Chip
10:16pm: Jason Beck of MLB.com reports that Jim Leyland categorically denied the Porcello trade rumor this afternoon. "There's not a chance that Rick Porcello is going to be traded," Leyland said. "That's a lie. That's not even speculation."
1:33pm: The Tigers haven’t ruled out trading Rick Porcello, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They pushed the 21-year-old's next Triple A start back a day, though it’s not because of an injury. GM Dave Dombrowski said he doesn’t plan to move Porcello, but acknowledged that anything could happen.
“I don’t ever use the word ‘untouchable’ on any players,” Dombrowski said. “But he’s not a guy we’re looking to trade.”
The Tigers have tens of millions coming off the books after the season, since Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis all have contracts that expire. That could make it easier for the Tigers to add a top starter this year.
Cliff Lee won’t likely be on the market for long and Roy Oswalt would not accept a deal to Detroit, but the Tigers could pursue Dan Haren. The Tigers have sent Edwin Jackson and Willis to Arizona in recent trades, though that was when Josh Byrnes was running the D’Backs.
Porcello followed up his breakout 2009 season with a disappointing 13-start stint in the Tigers' rotation. He posted a 6.14 ERA in the majors and has since posted a 4.29 mark in three minor league starts.
Yankees Still Seen As Favorites To Sign Lee For 2011
The city of New York has missed out on both LeBron James and Cliff Lee over the last two days. In the latter star's case, however, another chance to acquire Lee will likely be coming soon, and many seem to think it's already a fait accompli.
As Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com puts it, "there is still a feeling around baseball that it is a matter of when, not if, Cliff Lee will become a Yankee." Lee is a free agent at the end of the season and given the uncertainly surrounding the Rangers' ownership situation, it's unknown exactly what the club's payroll or overall financial status will be come winter. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that the Rangers feel they can sign Lee to a long-term deal should the sale of the team be settled, but even with this stability, it means that the Rangers will still need to face the Yankees in a bidding war — a daunting task for any club when pursuing a player that New York truly seems to want.
Even by losing out on Lee now, the Yankees can still win in the long run. The Bronx Bombers can keep top prospect Jesus Montero and promising infielder David Adams (who would've gone to Seattle in a Lee deal) and still possibly get Lee for nothing but money in the offseason. Also, New York's rotation will have more room for Lee in the winter since Javier Vazquez is probably unlikely to be re-signed and Andy Pettitte may retire.
There is one possible short-term downside for the Yankees, however, best summarized in a tweet by Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News: "..this worked out quite well for the Yankees. Unless they have to play Texas in the playoffs, of course."
Odds & Ends: Lee, DeJesus, Padres, Drew
Some news from around the majors tonight, including a bit more on (you guessed it), Cliff Lee joining the Rangers…
- Newsday's David Lennon tweets that the Mariners/Mets negotiations for Lee fell through when Seattle wanted Ike Davis as part of the trade package.
- The Mariners were after James Loney or Chad Billingsley from the Dodgers in a possible Lee trade, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. (Twitter link)
- Most teams feel the Royals will wait until closer to the trade deadline before thinking about a David DeJesus trade, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports (via Twitter) that the Padres have heard some inquiries about right-handed prospect Keyvius Sampson, among other notable minor leaguers in the San Diego system.
- Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers are virtually obligated to make a move at the trade deadline.
- Blogger El Lefty Malo thinks the Giants should make an offer on Stephen Drew. Not a bad idea, but it's hard to believe that San Francisco would give up Jonathan Sanchez for Drew, as E.L.M. proposes.
- Speaking of Drew, MLB.com's Jason Beck thinks that he's "a more realistic target" than Dan Haren in a potential Tigers/Diamondbacks trade.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the Pirates' international scouting system.
- Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin says his team isn't in out-and-out "seller" mode, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com writes that the Cubs could be contenders again in the near future.
- And finally, Fangraphs' Matt Klaaseen pokes some fun at the newest members of the Miami Heat by predicting a familiar scenario for some of this winter's top free-agent outfielders.
Texas Has “Strong Interest” In Xavier Nady
Now that Justin Smoak is on his way to Seattle, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports that the Rangers are looking at Chicago's Xavier Nady. Chris Davis has already been called up from Triple-A to take over first base for Texas, though Davis was sent down in April due to his unimpressive .556 OPS in 53 plate appearances that necessitated Smoak's call-up earlier this season.
Nady, meanwhile, has a line of .233/.305/.361 line in 151 PA for the Cubs as he tries to recover from major elbow surgery last year. Nady is the last man on the depth chart in a crowded Cubs outfield, and has about $1.6MM still owed to him from the one-year deal he signed with Chicago last January. Nady can earn $2.05MM more due to games-played incentives, which the Rangers would also have to take into consideration should they have a more prominent role in mind for the veteran.
If Texas did acquire the right-handed hitting Nady, it would make sense to platoon him with the left-handed hitting Davis (who has a career .671 OPS against lefties). The Rangers were, however, willing to install a rookie as the everyday first baseman when they called up Smoak, so it's reasonable to think that they'd still show some faith in Davis by letting him take some cuts against major league southpaws. Davis had a whopping .958 OPS for Triple-A Oklahoma City so perhaps he's gotten his confidence back.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Red Sox, Meek, Giants
On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball's 73rd All Star Game ended after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie when both sides ran out of pitchers. Shortly thereafter, commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the All Star Game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, a still unpopular decision. The American League has won every Midsummer Classic since then, and 12 of the last 13 overall (the tie being the one exception).
This year's All Star Game is still four days away, so here are some links to keep you occupied until then…
- Mets Paradise examines some trade scenarios for the Mets involving Ted Lilly and Octavio Dotel.
- The Bottom Line finds some relievers on the trade market that could entice the Red Sox.
- MLB Depth Charts lists (almost) every club's nearly big league-ready trade chips.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at the possibility of the Pirates turning Evan Meek, an All Star, into a starting pitcher.
- The Dugout Report wonders if the Bengie Molina trade means the Giants are going for it, or packing it in.
- Meanwhile, More Hardball catches up with the three Molina brothers.
- River Ave. Blues lays out the case for the Yankees to acquire Kerry Wood.
- Examiner looks at the consequences of Jake Peavy's injury for the White Sox.
- The Baseball Opinion reviews the Mark Mulder trade following the lefty's retirement.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.