The chances of Cole Hamels getting traded are diminishing, but they haven't disappeared, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports. The Phillies are trying to sign the left-hander to a long-term deal, but will weigh trade offers if they can’t agree on an extension. Here are Stark’s latest rumors…
- The Rays would be looking for a combination of high-end young pitchers, a young catcher and a controllable hitter if they discuss trades involving James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson. Wade Davis is drawing as much interest as Shields, now that he’s pitching well out of the Tampa Bay bullpen, Stark reports.
- The Astros have told rival teams that they’d absorb a substantial percentage of Wandy Rodriguez’s salary in a trade if it allows them to get “the best value back.”
- The Padres aren’t shopping Edinson Volquez, but they haven’t made him untouchable.
- Teams don’t expect the Marlins will trade Josh Johnson, who’s under contract for 2013.
- Brandon McCarthy’s history of shoulder problems diminishes his trade value. “He's not going anywhere," one executive predicted to Stark.
- The Nationals haven’t been focused on finding a center fielder.
- Hunter Pence is attracting as much interest as anyone on the Phillies, including Hamels. However, the Phillies have downplayed their interest in trading the right fielder. Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Joe Blanton, Placido Polanco and Kyle Kendrick would be available if the Phillies decide to sell this month, Stark reports. Rollins can veto any trade and would only accept deals to West Coast contenders.
- The Pirates have asked about tons of hitters, including Billy Butler, but they’re still in a “buy-low frame of mind.” The Royals have told clubs they’d have to be overwhelmed to part with Butler, Stark reports.
- The Rockies are trying to move Marco Scutaro and Jason Giambi, but they’d have to be “bowled over” to deal relievers such as Rafael Betancourt, Matt Belisle and Matt Reynolds.
Would like to see the yankees make a move on Denard Span or Pence. This would allow Ibanez and Jones to move their platoon over to the DH spot.
But the Phillies probably won’t trade Pence reason being that don’t have the prospects to play right field in years to come and right now the Phillies aren’t buyers or sellers until the Hamels and 6 year 130mm contract is signed or declined
Pence would cost more than Headley….
Rockies are just ran horribly, you can hit on relievers anytime, trade them while they have value, relievers are worthless when you never have a lead.
As a Rockies fan, I’d tend to agree with you. They made a flurry of moves this off-season in an attempt to right the wrongs of 2011, only to create the wrongs of 2012. I’ve also noticed that they over-value their prospects… refusing to deal guys like Blackmon and Wheeler who are essentially blocked and could have actually got them something usable in return. Not anymore, however, as they both are having sub-par seasons.
Young Pitchers: Lee, Reed, Wintrow, Webster, Gould
Young Catcher: Fedex, AJ Ellis(30 years old), Errickson
Controllable Hitter: Pederson, Baldwin, Seagar (ptbnl)
A combination would be worth Sheilds or Helickson?
I have a very hard time imagining that a 31 (not 30) year old catcher would qualify as “young” to the Rays.
he is young considering how little he has played in minors and majors. He was mostly a backup until this season where he is 3rd in the league in obp and among the league leaders in cs. Good piece for the Rays.
sounds like St. Louis is becoming a better fit to trade with Tampa Bay than with the Padres. Miller, Cox, Cruz, Kozma, and Greene for Hellickson or Shields and Davis
What rumor had you heard regarding the Padres with either the Cards or the Rays? Have you heard any names thrown around?
I think TB would really love Craig in the deal somehow over added prospects….power righty with the ability to play first with many controllable years is pretty much exactly what the Rays need (besides a catcher who can hit his weight)
Miller is a good starting point, but I don’t think any of the others would be more than filler for just Shields. Probably be something like Miller, Jenkins and Adams/Craig for Shields.
How about JPA, Gose, and a Lansing arm (and filler if you want) for Hellickson?
I think the Rays want a catcher who can defend, not JPA…
JP isn’t great, but he has gotten better. He is almost average now.
I’m in favor of Billy Butler being dealt every season to the host of the upcoming All-Star game. Just to create a wave after wave scenario of seasonal booing by the hometown partisans when he isn’t selected for the home run derby.
I’d love to see Hellickson in the old English D.
Turner and Brantly may be a decent start point…
I would honestly be very surprised if you were able to get either Shields or Hellickson without including Castellanos.
Richards, Conger, Cron for Shields and a prospect of BP arm?
I don’t think this is terrible, but probably more like Richards, Conger, Cron and Maronde or Richards, Conger and Segura for Shields.
Why would the Nationals be focused on finding a CF when Harper’s capable of playing there the rest of the season and the two they’re heavily rumored to want (Upton and Bourn) are FA at the end of the year?
You’re right. It seems the rumor-mill has been pushing this for about a year. It MAYBE made sense before Harper came up and while Morse was out, but soon they’ll have Werth, Morse, and Harper all healthy. No need to waste club resources on a CF acquisition.
From reading this piece, I wonder if the Rays would be interested in sending Hellickson to the Royals if the return included Hosmer and a known young pitcher, such as Mike Montgomery. The Rays can let Carlos Pena walk and Hosmer can take over at 1B next year. Would hurt KC to lose Hosmer, but they need SP badly, and Butler could play 1B or they can try Wil Myers or Clint Robinson there.
I think the Rays would be very interested in that trade (although it seems like more of an offseason trade, then one that might be made now.
That’s actually one of the few decent offers for Hellickson that someone has suggested on here.
No way a 25yo SP with a 5.4K/9 is worth Hosmer+
No way a 1B with an OPS of .655 and an OPS+ of 78 is worth Hellickson, the reigning ROY, with a 3.55 ERA in the ALE.
Astros ought to package Castro and Lowrie for Davis and Archer
No.
Why not Lowrie is having a great year and would plug a lot of holes in TB(sort of Zorilla Lite) and Castro is a good not great C who would be a great addition to a contender. Wade Davis could join Norris and Harrell in the core of a cost controlled rotation and that would allow them to move Wandy to Boston or NYY for a decent prospect. Archer would join Lylesas building blocks for the future.
I don’t mind Lowrie, but I would like someone more talented at catcher. Both of them for Davis AND Archer?? Rays would be severely spurned. Both for Davis…….possibly.
MIami needs to get it together. They go out get the new stadium, sign Reyes and Buerhle and one season into the journey are making people available. Loria had years of basement payrolls and free money. He owes it to the fans to keep all the major players around and continue to build on it. Johnson has been inconsistent this year but unless they get blown away they should hold onto him until next years deadline, He should come around and he has that year of control that makes him super valuable.
Those Rays are always looking for good young pitching, and they will find it. The Rays have a terrific eye for pitching talent. That’s why they really should focus on getting a good young catcher first and foremost if they are going to deal Shields. A good pitching prospect should also be part of the deal, but the catcher is more important. Catching is a position the Rays have been weak for the past few years.
If the Phil’s re-sign Hamels would they go out for Headly for 3rd and use someone like Victorino for a centerpiece
there’s no way the pads want Victorino he’s not part of a rebuilding process and you have no other prospects we want.