West Links: Giants, Guthrie, Frieri, Amarista
Dodgers right-hander Todd Coffey will miss the rest of the season and undergo his second Tommy John surgery according to multiple reports. Los Angeles figures to be in the hunt for a bat at the deadline, but relief help could also be a priority with Coffey, Javy Guerra, and Matt Guerrier all hurt. Here are some links from baseball's two West divisions…
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says it's time for the Giants to explore the trade market for a starting pitcher given Tim Lincecum's continued struggles. He allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings to Nationals last night and now owns a 6.08 ERA.
- Jeremy Guthrie will return to the Rockies' rotation tonight and Troy Renck of The Denver Post says he has a chance to reignite trade interest. Guthrie has pitched to a 6.56 ERA in 11 starts and four relief appearances for Colorado this season.
- MLB.com's Tyler Emerick writes that both the Angels and Padres are benefitting from last month's Ernesto Frieri trade. Frieri has yet to allow an earned run in 24 appearances with his new team while Alexi Amarista is hitting .290/.320/.527 for San Diego.
Mets Designate Justin Hampson For Assignment
The Mets have designated Justin Hampson for assignment, the team announced (on Twitter). The move clears a roster spot for Jordany Valdespin.
Hampson, 32, appeared in three games and faced eight batters for New York. The left-hander allowed three hits and a walk in his first big league action since 2008.
Olney’s Latest: NL Trade Market, Darvish
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney compares the current state of the trade market to shopping at an airport, where priced are designed to gouge customers. Buyers want more sellers and sellers want more buyers. Olney also previewed the NL trade market, so let's dive in…
- The Mets are among teams looking for bullpen help and are waiting for the market develop. The division-rival Nationals are also in the market for relief help but do have Drew Storen on the mend. Olney wonders if they'll look for a starter given Stephen Strasburg's inning limit.
- Executives expect the Padres to deal Carlos Quentin and Huston Street, plus they continue to get calls about Chase Headley. Olney speculates that the Reds could be a fit for Quentin.
- The Braves are looking to add a veteran starting pitcher, but Olney says they're unlikely to swing a trade for Zack Greinke without having some kind of long-term contract agreement in place.
- Olney wonders if the Diamondbacks could become surprise buyers for pitching help given Joe Saunders' injury and Trevor Bauer's early struggles. The Cardinals figure to jump into the pitching market given Chris Carpenter's season-ending shoulder surgery.
- The Cubs, Astros, and Rockies are among the clubs in sell mode. The Brewers will wait a little longer before deciding to sell, and while Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and others could be on the block, Corey Hart will not.
- Olney says the Blue Jays actually finished third in the bidding for Yu Darvish behind the Rangers and Cubs. No bid was within $35MM of the $51.7MM Texas submitted.
Yanks Have “No Intention Of Joining” Hamels Bidding
The Yankees are currently in wait-and-see mode despite injuries to both CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, though they could make a move for a starter before the trade deadline. ESPN's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter) that the team has "no intention of joining" the bidding for Cole Hamels unless the asking price diminishes dramatically, however.
Over the weekend we heard that the Phillies had started to gauge trade interest in their homegrown ace left-hander, and that they're looking for a package of four or five prospects with an emphasis on help at third base and in the outfield. Since the Yankees are aiming to get below the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, trading prospects for the southpaw and then keeping him long-term may not be feasible.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Cardinals, Greinke, Astros, Rasmus
With Chris Carpenter set to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a nerve condition in his shoulder, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Cardinals are in the market for at least one starter and one reliever. St. Louis has trade chips though the new collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow teams to recoup draft pick compensation for rental players, changing the landscape.
Let's round up the rest of Rosenthal's rumors…
- Zack Greinke would likely welcome a trade to – and a chance to sign long-term with – the Cardinals, though it's unclear if the Brewers would be willing to trade him within the division.
- The Astros are prepared to move Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers, though Jed Lowrie is essentially unavailable. Rosenthal says they could be an obvious trade partner for St. Louis since GM Jeff Luhnow spent nine years in the Cardinals' front office.
- The Cardinals may not want to invest $20MM+ annually into a pitcher, but both Lance Berkman ($12MM) and Kyle Lohse ($11.875MM) will be off the books after this season.
- The Blue Jays' immediate strategy may be to acquire a modest rotation upgrade before reassessing at the trade deadline, shortly before Brandon Morrow returns from his oblique injury. Rosenthal believes they should consider selling high on Colby Rasmus.
- Teams continue to call the Angels about Peter Bourjos and some believe he could be the centerpiece of a deal for a quality starting pitcher. The Halos believe the young outfielder is a building block for the future, however. They do not appear to be in the market for a pitcher at the moment.
- The difference in income tax rates between Texas (none) and California (among the highest in the country) was an issue for Astros first baseman Carlos Lee as he mulled over a potential trade to the Dodgers. Los Angeles may have been willing to help "bridge the gap" had he shown enthusiasm for the deal.
Rays Notes: B.J. Upton, Trade Market
Here's a look at the Rays as the celebrate their ninth-straight home win over the Yankees..
- In an interview on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio with Jim Bowden, General Manager Andrew Friedman praised the all-around ability of B.J. Upton and said that it is premature to speculate on whether the outfielder could be dealt (audio link). Speaking broadly, Friedman did concede that he is open to anything and will consider the team's present needs as well as future interests when looking at trades.
- Friedman told Bowden (via Twitter) that teams are focusing more on players with at least two years of team control rather than free agents because of the new CBA.
- The GM also opined (Twitter link) that there will be more strength/weakness deals at the deadline rather than buyer/seller pairings.
Red Sox Release Bobby Jenks
9:46pm: The Sox agreed to pay $4.5MM of the $6MM owed to Jenks for the 2012 season, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
3:36pm: The Red Sox announced that they reached a contract termination settlement with Bobby Jenks and placed the right-hander on unconditional release waivers. Jenks has spent the 2012 season on the 60-day disabled list recovering from offseason back surgery.
Jenks signed a two-year, $12MM deal in December of 2010, not long after being non-tendered by the White Sox. Biceps and back injuries limited him to just 15 2/3 innings last year, when he walked nearly one batter per inning. The 31-year-old Legacy Sports Group client underwent two back surgeries this past offseason, and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident this March.
International Signings: Blue Jays, Pirates, Athletics
This year’s July 2 signing period opened yesterday, and teams got started immediately with a number of significant contracts on the first day of deal-making. The action continues today as the Twins and Indians have already signed players. We’ll keep track of other noteworthy deals right here with the latest updates up top:
- The Astros agreed to terms on contracts with outfielder Luis Payano, shortstop Kristian Trompiz, and catcher Victor Tavarez, the team announced. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.
- Dominican shortstop Richard Urena has signed with the Blue Jays, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old is ranked as the No. 13 international prospect by Baseball America and projects to stick at shortstop.
- The Pirates signed Dominican third baseman Julio Delacruz for $700K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Baseball America notes that the 16-year-old has an impressive feel for hitting from the right side. "We are very excited to have signed Julio Delacruz who is, in our estimation, the best pure hitter available in Latin America this season,” director of Latin American scouting Rene Gayo said in a statement from the team.
- The Athletics signed Dominican outfielder Luis Barrera for $450K, Badler reports. The 16-year-old Barrera has a smooth left-handed swing and profiles at first base or in left field.
Padres Sign Walker Weickel
The Padres have signed supplemental first-rounder Walker Weickel for $2MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). The deal marks a significant raise from the suggested pick value of $926K for the Floridian.
The high school right-hander boasts a low-90s fastball with a solid three-pitch mix. Tabbed with the No. 55 pick, Weickel stands at 6'6" and weighs in at 200 pounds. Callis notes that he is the sixth player to recieve $1MM or more over his pick value, joining Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros), Matt Smoral (Blue Jays), Carson Kelly (Cardinals), Rio Ruiz (Astros), and Ty Buttrey (Red Sox).
NL West Notes: Richard, Volquez, Padres, Dodgers
The Padres would consider moving Clayton Richard, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). However, the left-hander isn't eligible for free agency until after 2014, so there's no real urgency to move him. The latest out of the NL West..
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) doesn't see the Padres parting with Edinson Volquez or Richard. Brock reasons that San Diego would wind replacing them with guys similar to them for next season. An offer similar to what the club got for Mat Latos could be worth their while, he tweets, but otherwise the Padres could stick with the affordable pair of hurlers.
- Things have changed drastically for the Dodgers since this time last year, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. General Manager Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract and while president Stan Kasten didn't say that he'd be receiving a new deal, he said that he plans on keeping him indefinitely.
- The Padres signed undrafted free agent Cade Kreuter, the son of former big leaguer Chad Kreuter, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. The University of Miami catcher was hurt for most of the spring but Callis writes that he has a big frame and raw power.