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Quick Hits: Paul, Ross, Tanner, Wells, Martin

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Let's check out some links as Saturday turns into Sunday..

  • Outfielder Xavier Paul has signed with the Reds and will report to Triple-A Louisville, according to his agency Paragon Sports International on Twitter.  Paul was granted free agency by the Nationals earlier this week.
  • Cody Ross told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he rejected a multi-year offer from ‪the Braves‬ to sign a one-year deal with ‪the Red Sox‬ this winter.  Ross has a .275/.352/.560 slash line in 220 plate appearances this year.
  • The Giants signed left-hander Clayton Tanner and assigned him to Triple-A after he was released by the Reds, according to the Fresno Grizzlies' tranactions page.  Tanner, 24, spent several years in the Giants organization before being designated for assignment last summer.
  • There is concern for the Angels that there could be distractions if Vernon Wells either grumbles about a lack of playing time upon his return or other players grumble about him taking at-bats away from Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  Wells is set to earn $21MM in each season through 2014 and moving him would be far from easy.
  • Russell Martin's slump this year could cost him a great deal of money, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The catcher is believed to have rejected a three-year, $24MM offer from the Yankees this offseason, instead choosing to bet on himself.
  • Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette confirmed to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that the club won't be signing Korean high school pitcher Seong-Min Kim.  The O's signing of Kim this winter got them in hot water with the Korean Baseball Association which led to their $550K agreement being voided.

Central Notes: Greinke, Brewers, Pirates, Tigers

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Zack Greinke took the hill for the Brewers today against the Astros, but not for long.  The right-hander was tossed from the game after just four pitches when he spiked the ball following a close play at first base.  Milwaukee would go on to lose 6-3, but they weren't the only club disappointed by what took place.  Here's more on Greinke and other items out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Scouts for at least six contending teams were disappointed when Greinke was ejected, as it deprived them of seeing a pitcher of trade interest, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Scouts from the Orioles, Rangers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Blue Jays were all in Houston for the game.  However, it's possible that some of those teams had their eye on Wandy Rodriguez or were just taking part in regular coverage.  Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the GMs of the O's and the Brewers have yet to talk about a Greinke deal.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) spoke with Indians and Rangers GM John Hart, who said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates "go all-in" to swing a deal before the deadline.
  • The Tigers should go after offense rather than pitching at the trade deadline, opines Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press.  He argues that Detroit can get by with their No. 2-5 starters but are in greater need of hitting.

Rosenthal On Greinke, Hamels, Ellsbury, Victorino

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has posted his latest edition of Full Count.  Let's dive in..

  • As of this morning, the GMs of the Orioles and Brewers have not spoken about a trade involving Zack Greinke.  But the O's, despite sending three starters to the minors this week, continue to indicate that they are buyers.  Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was previously in Baltimore and O's right-hander Jake Arrieta was originally a Brewers draft pick in 2005 and could be of interest as part of a package for Greinke.  However, the Orioles may not want to pay a steep price for a potential free agent when they might only be playing for a wild card.
  • Rival teams covet Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt and the Phillies would likely target him in any talks for Cole Hamels, but the odds of Philly landing him are slim.  Texas would view Hamels as a rental and are looking at Olt at first base and right field, in addition to third.  His bat will be needed next season if they lose Hamilton or Mike Napoli to free agency.
  • The Red Sox face ongoing luxury tax concerns and are over the threshold by $10MM, according to a source.  That could make holding on to Jacoby Ellsbury difficult after 2013 and trading him might make sense at the end of this season.  Unfortunately, the free agent market will be flooded with outfielders including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino.  That will obviously hurt the market for the 28-year-old.
  • Victorino could be a fit for the Pirates or Indians as they aggressively pursue hitters.  The Pirates like Carlos Quentin but his asking price is steep.  The Tribe has inquired on Corey Hart, but he is unavailable.  Victorino would be a solid fit for Cleveland as he is a switch-hitter (who would join a predominantly left-handed lineup) and can play either left or center field.

Starting Pitching Rumors: Blue Jays, White Sox

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The Orioles are just one of many teams looking for starting pitching, and they reportedly have their sights set on Zack Greinke and Wandy Rodriguez. Here's the latest on some other clubs in need of rotation help…

  • The Blue Jays are showing the most interest in pitchers under control beyond this season, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Matt Garza and Rodriguez are among those high on their list, according to sources.
  • The White Sox's plans for the deadline depend heavily on John Danks and Philip Humber, tweets Morosi. If the two injured hurlers are not back soon, expect GM Kenny Williams to actively seek help for the battered rotation.

Draft Notes: Gausman, Phillies, Rash, Brewers

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Earlier today, we ran down the remaining unsigned first-round picks from the 2012 draft.  Here's today's latest draft news..

  • An Orioles source tells Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) that the team remains "very confident" of signing top pick Kevin Gausman.  However, talks between the two sides still could go into next week.  The fourth-overall pick in the draft has said that he expects to reach agreement with the O's but there hasn't been a great deal of news on that front lately.
  • The Phillies were unable to reach agreement with second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register.  The right-hander's father said the family requested $800K while the Phillies countered with an offer of $500K plus $120K for college.  Rash will now attend Missouri in the fall.
  • The Brewers‬ signed eighth-rounder Edgardo Rivera for $200K, more than the suggested pick value of $132K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.   The high school outfielder out of Puerto Rico boasts plus-plus speed and could be solid left-handed bat, Callis writes.

Royals Claim Adam Moore On Waivers

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The Royals have claimed Adam Moore on waivers, a source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  The catcher was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week in order to make room for pitcher Josh Kinney on the 40-man roster.

Moore, 28, recently underwent his second surgery in two years to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee.  The catcher has a slashline of of .209/.247/.372 in 24 games for Triple-A Tacoma this season and did not appear in any games for the M's.  Yesterday, agent Mike McCann insisted to Crasnick that his client is healthy.

Seven First Round Picks Still Unsigned

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Just seven first round selections remain unsigned as we close in on the July 13 deadline.  If the players below don't reach agreement with their respective clubs, they will be eligible for future drafts.  In the last week alone, we saw four first-round picks sign: Corey Seager (Dodgers), Mike Zunino (Mariners), Marcus Stroman (Blue Jays), and Walker Weickel (Padres).  Here's the updated list of players who have yet to agree to terms:

4. Kevin Gausman, Louisiana State RHP, Orioles

6. Albert Almora, HS OF, Cubs

8. Mark Appel, Stanford RHP, Pirates

9. Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State LHP, Marlins

16. Lucas Giolito, HS RHP, Nationals

25. Richie Shaffer, Clemson IF, Rays

30. Ty Hensley, HS RHP, Yankees

D’Backs Will Consider Offers For Justin Upton

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SATURDAY, 12:20pm: The D'Backs have let other teams know they're willing to trade Upton for the right package, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. "They wouldn't be pushing it this hard in the middle of the year unless they really wanted him out of there," said one official. Olney hears that the situation reminds teams of the Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez last summer.

FRIDAY, 7:23pm: Rosenthal tweets that the teams on Upton's limited no-trade clause are unknown. He was able to block deals to the Royals, Tigers, Athletics, and Mariners back in 2010 but the list has since changed.

6:59pm: The Diamondbacks are currently 39-43 and seven games out in the NL West, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that they would consider trade offers from Justin Upton if they fall further out of contention. They will target a third baseman if they instead move closer to contention.

Rosenthal says GM Kevin Towers is open to any type of deal, meaning they could buy, sell, or make a veteran-for-veteran swap that helps now. Upton has been involved in trade rumors before, specifically during the 2010-2011 offseason. The 24-year-old has hit just .266/.348/.378 with seven homers this year after placing fourth in the MVP voting last season. He's under contract through 2015 for approximately $41.9MM and is the type of player that will draw interest from every other team in the league if available.

O’s Have Contacted Astros About Wandy Rodriguez

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The Orioles are in the thick of the hunt for a postseason berth and are looking to shore up their starting rotation. Yesterday we learned that they were "going hard" after Zack Greinke, and today Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com (on Twitter) reports they've contacted the Astros about Wandy Rodriguez. Kubatko says GM Dan Duquette is talking to a lot of teams at the moment.

Rodriguez, 33, is one of a number of players Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is reportedly prepared to move. Carlos Lee was just traded to the Marlins and Brett Myers could be of interest to clubs in need of bullpen help. Wandy is no stranger to the trade rumor circuit and has pitched to a 3.54 ERA with his lowest strikeout rate (5.8 K/9) since his rookie year this season. He's owed approximately $5MM for the rest of 2012 and $13MM for 2014. His $13MM club option for 2014 becomes a player option if traded.

Baltimore got seven innings of one-run ball out of Miguel Gonzalez last night, but Brian Matusz was just demoted to Triple-A and Jake Arrieta owns a 6.13 ERA through 18 starts. The O's are 5.5 games back in the AL East but currently hold a 1.5 game lead on a wildcard spot. Adding a third reliable starter to Wei-Yin Chen and Jason Hammel figures to be Duquette's top priority leading up to the deadline.

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