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Archives for July 2012

Tigers & Angels Have Interest In James Shields

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Both the Tigers and Angels have interest in Rays right-hander James Shields according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The two teams scouted his start yesterday and are known to be seeking pitching upgrades. Heyman reiterates that Tampa is looking for a young catcher and pitching help in any deal.

Shields, 30, has seen his ERA rise to 4.39 this year, more than a run and a half higher than last season. He leads the league in hits allowed but remains a dependable innings-eater with strong strikeout (8.5 K/9) and walk (2.7 BB/9) rates. Shields is owed $7MM this year with a $9MM club option for 2013 and an $11MM club option for 2014, so he's very affordable.

Heyman notes (on Twitter) that the Tigers appear to be prioritizing second base help at the moment. Detroit's win this afternoon moved them into first place in the AL Central, but their non-Justin Verlander starters have a 4.82 ERA on the season. The Angels have received excellent work from Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Dan Haren has dealt with a back issue and Ervin Santana has struggled.

Texas Links: Scutaro, Lee, Wandy, Astros

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The Rangers have the second best record in baseball (55-37) while the Astros have the worst record in baseball (34-60). Here's the latest from Texas…

  • The Rangers would have interest in Marco Scutaro as a utility man if the Rockies were to put him on the market, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • Cliff Lee does not have the Rangers on his 21-team no-trade list according to Heyman. There is still no indication that the Phillies will move their veteran left-hander, even to free up payroll to sign Cole Hamels long-term.
  • Carlos Lee, Brandon Lyon, J.A. Happ, and Brett Myers have all been traded already, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that it "will be a while" before the Astros deal Wandy Rodriguez (Twitter link).
  • In an Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Keith Law says the two pitchers the Astros received in exchange for Myers – Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters – "barely qualify as prospects." He says Walters has a chance as a lefty specialist.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney hears from rival executives that the Astros seem to be following the old Devil Rays strategy, meaning they'll accumulate top draft picks for several years because their big league team will be so bad (Twitter link).

Reds Sign Will Ohman

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The Reds have signed left-hander Will Ohman, according to Assistant Director of Media Relations Jamie Ramsey (via Twitter).  The 34-year-old will report to Triple-A Louisville.

Ohman was released by the White Sox earlier this month after being designated for assignment.  In 26 2/3 innings for Chicago, Ohman posted a 6.41 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.  The veteran likely came to the Reds at a reasonable rate as he will collect on the $2.5MM owed to him on the backend of his two-year deal from the ChiSox.

Orioles Designate Steve Pearce For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated Steve Pearce for assignment, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Infielder Omar Quintanilla has been added to the 25-man roster in a related move.

Baltimore acquired the first baseman from the Yankees in exchange for cash considerations on June 2nd.  The once highly-regarded Pirates prospect posted a .254/.321/.437 slash line in 83 plate appearances for the O’s this year.

Rosenthal On Victorino, Lee, Padres, Ramirez

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Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • The Indians and Pirates have been linked to most of the big available bats but Cleveland is placing a greater priority on finding a starting pitcher.  Johnny Damon has been hitting well this summer and the Tribe doesn't think that they'll be able to top his output via trade.  As for the Pirates, they're first in the majors in runs since June 1st and but would like to bolster their OBP.  Shane Victorino would make sense for them down the stretch, Rosenthal opines.
  • The Dodgers are the one team that could swallow Cliff Lee's contract in a trade, but it's hard to see what the Phillies could gain from such a deal when looking at Los Angeles' thin farm system.  Lee could be a strong candidate to be moved as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks to build for the future and the hurler can only say no to eight clubs without his permission.
  • The Padres are talking about keeping Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, and Edinson Volquez as they're optimistic about their chances next season.  Their play of late has been encouraging and they believe that they can be serious players next season when their pitching is healthy again.  The one guy who is still likely to go is Chase Headley as he can be replaced with Jedd Gyorko and the offers for him should be strong.
  • The Marlins demonstrated their willingness to trade Hanley Ramirez in their talks with the Red Sox and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them step up their efforts before the deadline.  The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, A's, Mariners, and Pirates could all use a shortstop or third baseman, but it's not clear if they'd be willing to take on his hefty contract.

White Sox Acquire Brett Myers From Astros

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The White Sox have acquired Brett Myers from the Astros, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Houston announced that they will receive right-hander Matt Heidenreich, left-hander Blair Walters, and a player to be named later for the pitcher.  The Astros will also send cash to Chicago, according to the White Sox.

The White Sox are on the hook for just $1MM of the $4.45MM still owed to Myers this year, according to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter).  Chicago also received money to go towards Myers' salary or possible buyout for next sesaon.

Myers, 31, has a $10MM option for 2013 that will vest if he finishes 45 games and doesn't end the season on the disabled list.  To date, the closer has finished 29 games with 35 appearances in total.  Rosenthal notes (via Twitter) that Myers has a $500K bonus in his contract for being traded, but it's not yet known which team will pick up the tab.

The veteran has been linked to a handful of clubs recently including the Cardinals and the Mets but the White Sox weren't among the teams rumored to be interested.  The right-hander has posted a 3.52 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 for the Astros this season.

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has extremely busy this week, having just completed a ten-player swap with the Blue Jays.  That deal brought six players to Houston including four minor leaguers and a player to be named later.  In total, Luhnow has replenished the Houston farm system with eight prospects through these two deals.

Heidenreich, 21, has a 3.95 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 18 Single-A and Double-A starts this year.  Houston announced that the former fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft will be assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi.  The 6'5" right-hander boasts a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and will likely fill out in the years ahead as he weighs in at just 185 pounds.

Walters, 22, has split time between Single-A and Advanced-A this year, posting a 3.96 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.  Prior to this season, Baseball America had the left-hander ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the White Sox organization.

Astros Claim Mark Hamburger Off Waivers

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Astros GM Jeff Luhnow announced that the Astros have claimed right-hander Mark Hamburger off waivers from the Padres, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter).  San Diego designated the 25-year-old for assignment on Thursday.

Hamburger was designated for assignment twice inside of 30 days with the Rangers also DFA'ing him in June.  The right-hander owns a career 3.99 ERA and 8.1 K/9 rate in 198 minor league games.

Hamels, Phillies Working Towards New Deal

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The Phillies and Cole Hamels are said to be "moving in the right direction'' in their contract discussions, people familiar with the talks told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The club's willingness to go to six years was apparently a turning point in the negotiations.

The Phillies were said to start at $127.5MM over six years but are expected to go from there.  A report on Wednesday said that the club has been sending signals that they're willing to go to $130MM for the left-hander.

Yankees Have Some Interest In Rick Ankiel

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The Yankees have some interest in picking up Rick Ankiel according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (on Twitter). Earlier this week we heard that they didn't have any interest in the outfielder, but Brett Gardner is out for the year with an elbow issue and Nick Swisher left last night's game with a leg problem.

Ankiel, 33, was designated for assignment by the Nationals a few days ago. He hit .228/.282/.411 with five homers in 171 plate appearances this season, including .237/.299/.437 in 148 plate appearances against righties. Ankiel signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM with Washington this past offseason.

Dodgers “Very Unlikely” To Trade For Ryan Dempster

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Ryan Dempster allowed four runs in six innings against the Cardinals last night, an outing that is not likely to hurt his trade value. Yesterday we heard that the Dodgers, Tigers, Nationals, and Cardinals all have some level of interest in the right-hander while the Red Sox are likely out. The Cubs want one or two young arms in exchange for their vetreran ace, but it's unclear if he'll waive his no-trade clause to switch leagues. Here are today's Dempster rumors with the latest up top…

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dempster sweepstakes is currently down to the Braves, Nationals, and Cardinals. 
  • The Dodgers are "very unlikely" to trade for Dempster according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They prefer not to trade prospects for a rental, making Matt Garza a more logical target.

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