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Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee

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Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:

  • Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
  • A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
  • The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
  • Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
  • The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
  • The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
  • The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
  • According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.

Phillies Interested in Lee, Tejada, Wigginton

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that we can add the Phillies to the list of teams interested in trading for Cliff Lee. Only a few months after sending Lee to the Mariners, the Phillies would like to reacquire the left-hander, according to Rosenthal's sources.

A source tells Rosenthal that the Phillies consider themselves long-shots in the Lee sweepstakes, given what the M's will ask for in return. Philadelphia would likely have to part with Domonic Brown to reacquire Lee, something they'd be reluctant to do with Jayson Werth facing free agency and no other blue chip, major-league-ready prospects in their farm system. Nonetheless, the Phillies would like to upgrade their rotation, and are focusing on impact starters rather than back-of-the-rotation types.

In addition to having interest in Lee, the Phillies are also expected to "move quickly" to acquire infield help, according to Rosenthal, who says the team is targeting Miguel Tejada and Ty Wigginton. Rosenthal himself speculated yesterday that Tejada and Wigginton could be possibilities for the Phils, in the wake of injuries to Chase Utley and Placido Polanco, while MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also mentioned the pair of Orioles when he examined the Phillies' options.

Mets Sign Brian Bruney

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Well-traveled right-hander Brian Bruney will join his third team so far this season. Newsday's David Lennon reports (via Twitter) that the Mets have signed Bruney to a minor league deal.

The Nationals acquired the 28-year-old over the winter from the Yankees, but released him in May after 19 unimpressive appearances. Bruney then signed with the Brewers, but failed to crack their big league roster during his three weeks in the organization, and was released ten days ago. In 21 IP between the majors and minors for the Nats and Brewers this season, the righty has walked exactly a batter per inning.

Yankees Interested In Ty Wigginton

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The Yankees have some interest in Ty Wigginton, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Price suggests the Yankees would be interested in the 32-year-old as a part-time player, rather than as an everyday starter.

In 299 plate appearances for the Orioles this season, Wigginton has hit .258/.342/.465, and his versatility has provided the O's even more value. In addition to logging significant time at first and second base, he has started a handful of games at third base. Though Wigginton hasn't spent any time in the outfield this season, he has shown in the past that he can play there if needed, recording 30 games in left field for the Astros in 2008.

For their part, the Orioles are reportedly looking for a young shortstop in exchange for Wigginton. If they were to discuss a trade with the Yankees, the first name the O's would bring up might be Eduardo Nunez, who Baseball America ranked 14th among Yankees prospects heading into 2010. The 23-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a breakout year (.313/.358/.416) for the Yanks' Triple-A affiliate, making it somewhat unlikely that New York would move him to rent Wigginton. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports doesn't think any team will part with a promising young shortstop for Wigginton, calling Baltimore's demand a "self-defeating stance."

Wigginton is earning $3.5MM in 2010, the final season of a two-year pact with the O's. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, Wigginton recently left agent Dan Lozano and hired the Levinson Brothers, presumably in anticipation of his upcoming free agency.

Nationals Sign Orlando Hernandez

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The Nationals have signed Orlando Hernandez to a minor league contract, reports CSNWashington.com's Mark Zuckerman at Nats Insider. El Duque, the half-brother of Livan Hernandez, will report to the team's Florida spring complex and may pitch for Triple-A Syracuse at some point this season.

The Rangers released the veteran right-hander last July, and at the age of 44, it seemed unlikely that Hernandez would catch on with another club. However, we heard this spring that he was still working out and throwing, in hopes of signing somewhere this season. At that point, Hernandez's velocity was sitting at about 82-83 mph, according to Reds scouting director Chris Buckley.

Jeremy Reed Declares Free Agency

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The Blue Jays outrighted Jeremy Reed to create space on their 40-man roster and the utilityman refused the assignment and elected free agency, according to the team (via Twitter). Reed, 29, picked up three hits in 21 at bats for the Jays this year, walking twice and hitting one home run. He played left, right and first base, though most of his MLB experience has come in center field. 

Reed has a .253/.311/.356 line in parts of seven seasons with the Mets, Mariners and Blue Jays and UZR/150 suggests that Reed has been an above-average center fielder in his career. He joins outfielders such as Rocco Baldelli, Cory Sullivan and Jermaine Dye on our list of current free agents.

Odds & Ends: Tracy, Braves, Brewers, Phillies

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Links for Friday, as the international signing period begins…

  • Chad Tracy's agent told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that his client has interest in playing for Mike Rizzo's Nationals, since Rizzo, Arizona's former scouting director, drafted Tracy in 2001 (Twitter link).
  • You can listen to MLBTR's Tim Dierkes talking trades on the YES Network's Off the Wall podcast right here.
  • Earlier in the week we heard that the Braves weren't crazy about David DeJesus and that remains true, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Morosi says the Braves are not pursuing DeJesus or Jose Guillen.
  • The Brewers would listen to offers for Todd Coffey and Carlos Villanueva, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (via Twitter).
  • Assistant GM Scott Proefrock told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the current edition of the Phillies has to perform. Chase Utley will miss eight weeks or more and Placido Polanco will miss three to four weeks, so the Phillies’ depth will be tested if they don’t make a trade.
  • As expected, the Yankees promoted Dustin Moseley, according to Conor Orr of the Star Ledger. Some teams called the Yankees to inquire about the righty's availability as his opt-out date drew nearer.
  • One GM who just did an overview of the Royals' farm system told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he's impressed by the team's prospects.
  • D'Backs president Derrick Hall says the team won't likely start searching for a permanent GM until the offseason, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
  • Not surprisingly, the D'Backs have yet to ask the Dodgers for permission to interview assistant GM Logan White, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Red Sox supplemental rounder Anthony Ranaudo is looking to be paid like a top-ten pick, according to Amanda Comak of the Cape Cod Times. Check out the complete list of first rounders to sign right here.
  • The Brewers released Triple A outfielder Trent Oeltjen, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

July 2 Rumors: Phillies, Twins, Cubs, Blue Jays

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The international signing period opens today and we'll keep track of the rumors and news right here:

  • The Phillies signed Venezuelan shortstop Francisco Silva for about $200K and the Twins agreed to sign Reyson Zoquier, a Dominican lefty, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
  • The Cubs agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Daniel Sanchez for a mid six-figure bonus, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. 
  • ESPN.com’s Keith Law hears that the Blue Jays are expected to spend aggressively on international prospects this summer.
  • The Blue Jays have been tied to Gabriel Cenas, a Venezuelan third baseman and Pedro Perez, a Colombian third baseman, according to Law.
  • They are also in on Eskarlin Vazquez, a Dominican outfielder who has captured the Giants’ attention. Law predicts Vazquez will get one of the summer’s top bonuses.
  • The Mariners are expected to sign Philips Castillo, another Dominican outfielder who should command a top bonus, according to Law. The Mariners have also been linked to Jose Torres, a Colombian right-hander.
  • Law has heard that the Royals are in on Jeffrey Baez, a speedy Venezuelan outfielder.

A’s Claim Jeff Lyman

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The A's claimed Jeff Lyman off waivers from the Braves, and optioned the right-hander to AA, according to an A's press release. Lyman, 23, was the Braves' second round selection in the 2005 draft. He had been pitching at Triple A Gwinnett for the Braves, where he posted a 4.72 ERA in 34.1 innings.

Control has been an issue for Lyman throughout his career and the first half of 2010 has been no exception. He posted 6.0 BB/9 with 6.8 K/9 at Triple A this year. Overall, Lyman has a 4.50 ERA in nearly 500 innings of minor league work.

A’s To Sign Three Venezuelans; One Gets $2.2MM

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The A's signed Venezuelan third baseman Renato Nunez for $2.2MM, an international source tells Ben Badler of Baseball America. The powerful 16-year-old was considered one of the top Venezuelan hitters by international scouts. Baseball America has video of Nunez, who is the first major signing of this year's international signing period.

The A's announced that they agreed to terms with two Venezuelan left-handers, plus Nunez. Anderson Mata, 17, and Jose Torres, 16, will join the A's organization. It's worth noting that this is not the Jose Torres who Keith Law described in a July 2 article for ESPN.

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