Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday
The Twins offered prospects Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks to the Mariners for Cliff Lee, according to a report by Jeff Fletcher of AOL FanHouse yesterday. Reports have since indicated that the two clubs are not close to a deal. If nothing works out between the Twins and Mariners, other teams, such as the Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Reds would likely be involved. We'll keep track of all the day's Cliff Lee rumors right here, so check back later in the day to see if we have moved this post back to the top of the page with updates.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) hears that Lee trade talks are "heating up," since some teams want to add the southpaw as soon as possible.
- An official from one team interested in Lee tells AOL FanHouse's Ed Price that his club has yet to hear back from Jack Zduriencik regarding what sort of return the Mariners are seeking.
- B.J. Upton, now involved in the Lee rumors, tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he doesn't want the Rays to trade him (Twitter link). Joe Maddon also talks to Topkin about the Upton rumors, saying there's "nothing from our end regarding that being true."
- The Yankees believe they could trade for Lee if they wanted to, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
- The Yankees are “kicking the tires” on Lee, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The source estimates that the Yanks have less than a 50% chance of obtaining Lee and suggests the Yankees could flip Javier Vazquez to another team if they do acquire Lee.
- The Rays are on the periphery of the Lee sweepstakes, according to Rosenthal’s sources, who confirm that B.J. Upton–Cliff Lee trade talk surfaced amoung scouts last night.
- The Tigers like Lee, but aren't optimistic about acquiring him, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Olney hears that the Mariners "really like" Brewers prospect Brett Lawrie (Twitter link). The 20-year-old second baseman recently made Baseball America's mid-season All-Star team. Lawrie "still strikes out too often and is a work in progress at second base," but is among the offensive leaders at AA. The Mariners have 2009 first rounder Dustin Ackley, also a second baseman, hitting well in AA, though Ackley's presence doesn't mean they can't pursue Lawrie.
- Morosi hears that talks between the Mets and Mariners have not progressed much (Twitter link).
- Jerry Crasnick's sources estimate that there's a 60-100% chance that the Mariners trade Lee this month. The Mets prefer Lee to innings eaters and the Yankees ‘covet’ him, but the Phillies would be more likely to pursue Dan Haren if they go after an ace, according to Crasnick’s report for ESPN.com. One AL executive suggested the Mariners might have to explore three-way trades to get as much as possible in return for the left-hander.
- A rival executive told Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that the Twins will ‘go hard’ after Lee. Some believe the Rangers called Omar Beltre up to showcase him for the Mariners.
- Peter Gammons hears rumblings of a Lee-B.J. Upton deal and wonders if a third team could be involved along with the Mariners and Rays (Twitter link).
- Rosenthal hears that no deal between the Twins and Mariners is imminent. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik declined to characterize the talks he has had with the Twins, but Jon Paul Morosi hears that the Mariners have scouted the Twins extensively. Executives were divided on whether the Twins, who have traditionally held onto their prospects, would offer Hicks and Ramos in the same deal.
Price On Oswalt, Wood, Dotel, Marlins
Earlier today, we heard rumors from AOL FanHouse's Ed Price involving Cliff Lee and the Tigers' hunt for bullpen help. In his latest column, Price provides a few more hot stove notes. Let's take a look:
- According to Price, the Astros are looking for teams interested in Roy Oswalt to take on Oswalt's entire salary and give up three major-league-ready players. There have been indications lately that the Astros would be willing to pay part of their ace's salary in order to get better prospects, so it's hard to believe the team will stick to the demands described by Price.
- The Indians have been trying to drum up interest for Kerry Wood.
- Pittsburgh "seems willing" to move Octavio Dotel.
- A source tells Price that members of the Marlins' front office will meet this week to decide whether to become buyers or sellers.
- In a bullet point at the bottom of Price's piece, FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher says that the Phillies had one of their "top special assignment scouts" watching Ben Sheets' last start. As Ruben Amaro Jr. indicated today, the Phils are more likely to trade for a pitcher than an infielder.
Orioles Release Garrett Atkins
JULY 6th: Atkins has cleared waivers and been released by the Orioles, making him a free agent, reports Connolly.
JUNE 27th: The Orioles have officially designated Atkins for assignment, reports Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. The move clears a spot for Uehara to be activated from the disabled list. Atkins told Ghiroli earlier this weekend that he wouldn't look at it as a bad thing if the O's decide to release him.
JUNE 24th: Baltimore will likely designate Garrett Atkins for assignment, writes Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. The O's must free up two spots on the 25-man roster in order to welcome back Brad Bergesen and Koji Uehara.
Atkins has been disappointing so far this season, hitting .219/.282/.292 with one homer in 149 plate appearances. The 30-year-old inked a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the O's over the winter. Baltimore's acquisition of Jake Fox on Tuesday was a sign that Atkins' time in orange and black was nearing an end.
To clear the second spot, the Orioles could either demote Frank Mata to Triple-A or designate fellow reliever Matt Albers for assignment. Seldom used fourth outfielder Lou Montanez could also be shown the door, though he will likely be kept until Felix Pie returns from the disabled list.
Amaro Discusses Phillies’ Trade Possibilities
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. talked to reporters today about his areas of focus as the trade deadline approaches, and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki has a transcript of the conversation. Here are a few highlights:
- The Phillies are being "pro-active" on the trade market, talking to a handful of teams about possible deals.
- Amaro implies that he's exploring acquiring an infielder, but cautions that the Phillies "may have a totally different need come July 31 than adding a piece in the infield."
- If they could only make one move, the team would prefer to add a pitcher as opposed to an infielder, since Placido Polanco and Chase Utley will be back eventually.
- The Phils would consider trading not just prospects, but players from their major league roster.
- The club has the flexibility to add to its payroll.
Red Sox Weighing Bullpen Options
The Red Sox are interested in Scott Downs and have also had internal discussion about acquiring Kerry Wood, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. However, given the price tags on Downs, Wood, and other veteran arms, along with the Red Sox' reluctance to part with prospects for relievers, the team may just attempt to shore up their bullpen internally instead.
Cafardo suggests that the Sox are trying to find their "2010 Billy Wagner," a reference to the club's late-season bullpen addition last season. After coming to Boston from the Mets, Wagner posted a 1.98 ERA in 15 appearances. The Sox could once again be in the market for a southpaw this year, with Hideki Okajima battling back issues. Both Downs, whose trade value we looked at yesterday, and the Orioles' Will Ohman may be options for Boston.
If the Sox don't trade for a reliever, help could come from the minors, in the form of Michael Bowden. Cafardo notes that the team has moved the right-hander from the Triple-A rotation to the bullpen, a move that suggests a call-up may be in his near future.
Rays Have Payroll Flexibility
The Rays can add payroll this summer, principal owner Stuart Sternberg told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The Rays, who opened the season with a $73MM payroll, will likely have to spend less next year, but Sternberg believes 2010 is a special season. That means GM Andrew Friedman can make the moves he wants to, even if they increase payroll.
"We're going to do whatever we can, whatever's necessary, to try to give us the best opportunity to win this year,'' Sternberg said.
Sternberg says money will remain an obstacle, though it won't prevent the team from making deals. The Rays could use a designated hitter and multiple reports indicate that the team has some interest in Cliff Lee. The left-hander earns $9MM in 2010, and about $3MM of that total will remain on Lee's contract after the July 31st trade deadline. Sternberg insists that making the postseason is a priority for the Rays, who now lead the Red Sox by half a game for the AL Wild Card.
Tigers Interested In Relievers
The Tigers are interested in bullpen help and have started scouting relievers, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter). They had a top scout at last night's Mariners-Royals game looking for bullpen help. Price doesn't mention specific relievers, but David Aardsma, Brandon League, Joakim Soria, Kyle Farnsworth and Bruce Chen are among the relievers on the Mariners and Royals that could interest the Tigers.
Detroit lost Joel Zumaya to season-ending elbow surgery after one of the more painful-looking baseball injuries of the year. Bobby Seay's shoulder injury may lead to a season-ending operation, too. Combine the time Zumaya and Seay missed with Ryan Perry's down year and you'd expect an inflated bullpen ERA. Surprisingly, Tigers relievers, led by Jose Valverde, have combined for a 3.31 ERA, but there is room for improvement.
Brad Thomas has walked five more batters than he has struck out; Daniel Schlereth has just 22 big league appearances; Enrique Gonzalez has just 36 big league appearances. The Tigers lead their division by half a game, but they could use relief help in spite of their impressive team ERA.
Odds & Ends: Millwood, Cardinals, Rangers, Pettitte
Links for Tuesday, as the Cliff Lee rumors get a little juicier…
- Kevin Millwood, who has pitched poorly since the beginning of June, is going on the DL with a right forearm strain, according to the Orioles. We can rule out a Millwood trade for the time being.
- The Cardinals say they won’t be big players in this summer’s international free agent market, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards already agreed to a $1.5MM deal with pitcher Carlos Matias, though that has not been made official, due to an ongoing investigation.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes and Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog broke down the trade deadline in this video segment for SNY.tv.
- David Aardsma told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he doesn't want to be traded since he loves playing for the Mariners.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com that he isn't counting on the completion of the team's sale, but he plans to keep making the club better between now and the end of the month.
- Andy Pettitte told Chad Jennings of the Journal News that he doesn't see himself playing three or four years from now. As usual, Pettitte will play the season out and determine his future afterwards.
- Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald each tell Yahoo's Jeff Passan that the other player took a more improbable path to major league success.
- Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.com wonders if the Nationals should trade Matt Capps, whose value may never be higher.
B.J. Upton’s Trade Value
There are rumblings about a B.J. Upton–Cliff Lee deal, according to Peter Gammons (via Twitter). That doesn't mean the Rays are going to trade their center fielder, but we do know this: Upton has seen his name in the lineup less than usual since he loafed after an extra base hit ten days ago. Let's evaluate the 25-year-old's value and explore some possible trade partners for the Rays, who do not shy away from blockbuster deals.
Upton is hitting .228/.321/.399 this year with 24 steals in 30 attempts. That's not bad for a center fielder, but Upton's defense appears to have fallen off (even disregarding last month's episode). He has been below-average on defense, according to UZR/150, an advanced defensive metric that suggests Upton was better than average in 2008-09. Even though his strikeout and walk rates are similar to his career averages, Pitch f/x data shows that Upton is swinging at more pitches than ever, especially ones out of the strike zone.
The Rays have Upton under contract for $3MM this year and under team control through 2012. Unless he is non-tendered or signs a long-term deal, Upton will get raises through arbitration in 2011 and 2012. The Rays have a cheaper option at Triple A Durham; top prospect Desmond Jennings is hitting .296/.371/.423 with 20 steals in 22 tries. He has just one homer, but appears ready for the majors.
The Rays have a number of possible suitors for Upton, who is still young, talented and cheap enough to have considerable appeal:
- The Mariners have Ichiro and Franklin Gutierrez locked up, plus Michael Saunders, so Upton doesn't appear to be a natural fit in Seattle. Gammons suggested a third team could be involved if the Mariners and Rays make a Lee-Upton swap.
- The Braves are looking for a right-handed outfielder and Upton qualifies.
- The Padres could use an outfielder and Upton's speed and defensive potential would presumably be a fit in spacious Petco Park.
- The Giants could upgrade in the outfield. Acquiring Upton would probably mean less playing time for Nate Schierholtz and Aaron Rowand.
- The Red Sox have seen their best outfielders miss time with injuries, but Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew and Mike Cameron are under control for 2011 and their fill-ins have played well.
- The Nationals targeted Upton earlier in the season. Here's an idea, though it's pure speculation: Upton to the Nationals for Adam Dunn, prospects and cash to even out the players' salaries. The Rays need a DH and Nats GM Mike Rizzo said recently that he wants to make his team "younger, better, more athletic."
- The Royals don't have a long-term option in center field.
It would be surprising to see the Rays trade Upton and there's no indication that they're planning to move him. But if they decide to trade the former first round pick, they should have multiple suitors to choose from.
Phils Remain Buyers; Could Sell
If the Phillies fall from contention, they could sell, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledged to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 43-38 Phillies are in the race now, but a lot depends on how the team plays over the course of the coming weeks.
“I could be buying and selling,” Amaro told FOX Sports, without naming specific players.
If the Phillies are buyers, they could add Ty Wigginton, Miguel Tejada or one of the other infielders they have expressed interest in. Rival teams are demanding substantial returns for their infielders, since Chase Utley and Placido Polanco are on the DL, so the Phils are in a vulnerable position. Amaro could also pursue a pitcher like Cliff Lee or Pedro Martinez, two major pieces of last year’s NL Championship team.
Sources tell FOX Sports that the Phillies would likely consider trading Jayson Werth if they fall from contention. The right fielder hits free agency after the season and would instantly become one of the top hitters available. For now the Phillies are buyers, but that won’t necessarily be the case at the deadline.