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Archives for July 2011

Quick Hits: Iwakuma, Cintron, Twins, Buehrle

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Links for Monday as the Indians and Pirates claim sole possession of first place in their respective divisions…

  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker previews the NPB players who may be available to Major League teams after the season, including starter Hisashi Iwakuma and former big leaguer Matt Murton.
  • The Hiroshima Carp signed Brian Barton, according to a report on Sanspo. The 30-year-old infielder has experience with three MLB teams and last played in the big leagues for last year's Marlins team.
  • The agent for Alex Cintron told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that his client is looking to un-retire and play in the Major Leagues again (Twitter link).
  • Twins assistant GM Rob Antony said on 1500 ESPN's "Sunday Morning SportsTalk" show that Minnesota would like to add a middle reliever and may go outside of the organization for help. Tom Pelissero has the details on the Twins, who started the day just five games out of first place.
  • White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen told Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.com that he and GM Kenny Williams want to re-sign Mark Buehrle after the season, when the left-hander is eligible for free agency. The White Sox have not discussed years or money with Buehrle, who has hinted at retirement in the past. Buehrle allowed two earned runs in seven innings as the White Sox beat the Royals tonight.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Monday

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Yesterday we learned that the Mets are willing to pick up a substantial portion of Carlos Beltran's $18.5MM salary if it means getting better prospects in return for the switch-hitting outfielder. Here's the latest on Beltran, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson hasn't yet approached Beltran with a list of possible destinations for the outfielder to approve or turn down, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. As a ten and five player, Beltran has earned the right to block any deal, though he'll waive that right under certain circumstances.
  • The Pirates will "kick the tires" on Beltran, a source tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
  • The Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Braves and Red Sox have called the Mets about Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). The Yankees and Rangers may also have checked in with the Mets, who appear willing to deal Beltran within the NL East.
  • The Phillies and Giants are the most likely fits, followed by the Tigers and Braves. The Brewers are focused on adding infield help and Boston's interest has been mild so far.
  • Earlier today, Heyman reported that the Mets don't believe Beltran would pass through waivers in August, as he did a year ago.

National League Notes: Reds, Berkman, Adams

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We've already checked in on three of the most noteworthy trade candidates that the National League has to offer. Here's the rest of tonight's news from the Senior Circuit… 

Rangers Notes: Trades, Kazmir, Murphy

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We heard multiple times over the weekend that the Rangers are interested in some of the best available relievers. Texas GM Jon Daniels joined Galloway & Co. on 103.3 ESPN in Dallas (audio here) and though he declined to comment on specific players, he did provide insight into the Rangers' deadline plans…

  • Daniels doesn't believe many 'impact' players will be available in trades this summer.
  • Though the Rangers are optimistic about what Darren O'Day and Tommy Hunter can do in relief, "the bullpen's our focus point right now," Daniels said.
  • However, if a true number one starter becomes available, as Cliff Lee did last year, the Rangers will check in and consider making an offer.
  • Texas is willing to spend, though Daniels says he doesn't want to be "flippant" about finances.
  • The Rangers decided to pass on signing Scott Kazmir, since they didn't expect the left-hander to be able to help the Major League team this season.
  • The Rangers would almost certainly consider moving David Murphy in a trade for a quality reliever, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Phillies, Nationals

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Is the American League East really the best division in baseball? National League East teams have averaged 51 wins apiece so far this year, two more than AL East teams and more than any other division in baseball. Here’s the latest from the division, which is home to the two winningest teams in the National League…

  • Jose Reyes prefers the Mets to other teams, but wants to see the club's offseason plan, since he's unsure about the kind of offer they'll be able to make, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he'd like to see the Phillies add a reliever and a bat this month. The skipper makes it clear that he's looking for an upgrade, not just a lateral move. “If we’re going to get somebody, I want somebody good that will help us," Manuel said. "I don’t want someone we’ve already got."
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that rival teams have called the Nationals about relievers, veteran starters and Ivan Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Nationals will listen on their relievers, including Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.

AL East Notes: Papelbon, Kuroda, Blue Jays, Rays

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The latest from the AL East as the Orioles host the Red Sox and the Rays host the Yankees… 

  • Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who will hit free agency after the season, tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he's excited about the opportunity to prove himself in the second half of the season, but only focusing on what he can control.
  • The Yankees called Hiroki Kuroda's agent to gather information and heard that the starter doesn't want to leave Los Angeles for the East Coast, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com that he isn't close to making any moves, though that could change quickly, since dialogue between GMs is picking up.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports discusses teams on the fringes of contention and provides recommendations for their deadline strategy. Among Morosi's more surprising advice: the Rays should sell.
  • For the latest on the Orioles, check out Mike Axisa's post from earlier this evening.

Baseball Prospectus’ Midseason Prospect List

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Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Matt Moore of the Rays and Julio Teheran of the Braves are the three best prospects in baseball, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, who released his midseason list of the top 50 prospects in the game today.

Harper, the consensus top prospect in baseball, also topped Baseball America's midseason list and Keith Law's midseason list. Goldstein ranked Teheran higher than Law (12th) or BA (4th). Though the 20-year-old right-hander has pitched well, Moore has simply outperformed him to become the new top pitching prospect in baseball, according to Goldstein.

Orioles Notes: Hardy, Simon, Bell, Worrell

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Let's check in on the latest from Charm City…

  • Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun has the breakdown of J.J. Hardy's contract extension (on Twitter). He'll earn $7MM per season from 2012-2014 with a $1.25MM signing bonus.
  • Alfredo Simon's hearing in the Dominican Republic is finished and he should be back in Baltimore by Tuesday according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Simon has not been cleared or charged in his case, and it's "highly unlikely" he'll have to leave the team again this season.
  • Meanwhile, the club announced in a press release that they've placed Simon on the restricted list. Third baseman Josh Bell and righty reliever Mark Worrell were recalled from Triple-A.

Mets Sign Fernando Perez

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The Mets signed Fernando Perez to a minor league contract, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Cubs, who acquired the 28-year-old in January the trade that brought Matt Garza to Chicago, released the outfielder ten days ago.

Perez hit .206/.206/.206 in 35 plate appearances for the Cubs this year, playing all three outfield positions. The switch-hitter spent most of the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a .238/.312/.337 line with 17 stolen bases.

Tigers, Indians Interested In Aaron Harang

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The top two teams in the American League Central are both looking for starting pitching depth and, in at least a couple of instances, they're interested in the exact same pitcher. The Indians and Tigers have interest in Aaron Harang, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, Heyman reported that both clubs have interest in Hiroki Kuroda.

The Indians, who lead the Tigers by a half game after today's win, are looking to add a starting pitcher (here's a look at who's available). The Tigers hope to do the same and have some interest in Ubaldo Jimenez, Jeremy Guthrie, Derek Lowe and others.

Harang, 33, has a 3.19 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 93 innings this year. He may be profiting from pitcher-friendly Petco Park and the fact that opponents are hitting just .281 against him on balls in play (26 points below his career mark).

The ten-year veteran earns $4MM this season with a $5MM mutual option for 2012 ($500K buyout). He doesn't project as a ranked free agent under the Elias formula, so draft pick compensation does not appear to factor in to Harang's trade value.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirms that the Tigers are interested in Harang and adds that Detroit is not taking serious looks at Mark Reynolds or Wilson Betemit at the moment (Twitter links).

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