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Archives for July 2013

All-Star Notes: Scherzer, Harvey, Davis

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Tonight's American League All-Star starter Max Scherzer knows the best place for MLB players to find out if they're on the move.  "It's crazy how that works.  You're traded out of the blue, and the only way you find out is by MLB Trade Rumors. All of the media and all of your friends know, but you don't hear it from the people doing it," the Tigers righty told Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Scherzer went on to describe himself as a "pretty fanatical fan" of this website, of which he is a near-daily reader.  Be sure to check out Nightengale's article, which focuses on Scherzer's experiences with former slugger and current Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire.  As Scherzer and other players prepare for tonight's All-Star game at Citi Field, here are your related links…

  • We learned yesterday that nothing is cooking regarding a contract extension for Scherzer, who is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.  Talking to Nightengale, Scherzer said, "It's funny, everybody wants to speculate on teams, and X amount of dollars, but if I go out there and pitch well, everything will take care of itself."  
  • How about National League starter Matt Harvey, who fronts the Mets' rotation and is also represented by Scott Boras?  Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Boras, who said, "Usually the team will come to you, it is not up to the player to start negotiations.  I would also say this, where the team wants to go in these situations and what the true value of the player is are not often that close."  That's not terribly encouraging, but Mets fans can rest easy knowing Harvey will not be arbitration eligible until after the 2015 season, and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 campaign.
  • Though he didn't make the American League squad, Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes took home the Home Run Derby belt last night, besting Bryce Harper.  To learn about the journey Cespedes and his family took in defecting from Cuba, check out this article from Susan Slusser and Demian Bulwa of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Another good read is the harrowing story of Marlins All-Star Jose Fernandez, who also defected from Cuba.  MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has it here, and Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald has another good look at Fernandez here.  Fernandez has not yet reached the riches Cespedes has, as he was subject to the 2011 amateur draft.
  • With 37 home runs at the All-Star break, the Orioles' Chris Davis is another of the All-Star Game's big stories.  Davis treats Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961 as the record, discounting the six times it was bested from 1998-2001 by Barry Bonds, McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.  Yahoo's Jeff Passan surveyed 15 All-Stars and found that most treat Bonds' 73 as the record despite his PED ties.  The Reds' Joey Votto was most critical of Davis' stance, telling Passan, "If Chris feels like 61 is the home run record, maybe he’s just selfishly pegging that number as the home run record so if he passes it he can wear a crown or something like that.  There would be a lot of money in that."
  • The Nationals were highly interested in Davis when the Rangers made him available in 2011, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  Instead, Davis joined the Orioles along with Tommy Hunter in a July 2011 deal for reliever Koji Uehara and $2MM. 
  • More than half of the 78 All-Stars were acquired by their current team through the draft, an international signing, or a trade while still in the minors, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal in his analysis.

Trade Market For Starting Pitchers

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Two prominent mid-rotation starters have already been dealt this month, with the Orioles acquiring Scott Feldman (and giving up another starter in Jake Arrieta) and the Dodgers picking up Ricky Nolasco.  The Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers could be in the hunt for starting pitching, with other contenders potentially jumping in on the better names.  Let's see what the market offers as the July 31st trade deadline approaches.

Rentals

Matt Garza (Cubs), Tim Lincecum (Giants), Josh Johnson (Blue Jays), Phil Hughes (Yankees), Jason Marquis (Padres), Edinson Volquez (Padres), Erik Bedard (Astros), Aaron Harang (Mariners), Mike Pelfrey (Twins), Joe Saunders (Mariners)

These available starting pitchers will be free agents after the season.  Garza appears a lock to be dealt, and seems likely to command a top 50 prospect or equivalent young player as the centerpiece.  With over $7MM remaining at the deadline, trading Lincecum would be complicated.  Johnson and Hughes would likely generate solid interest on the market.

Controllable Starters

Yovani Gallardo (Brewers), Kyle Lohse (Brewers), Bud Norris (Astros), Joe Blanton (Angels), Kevin Correia (Twins), Lucas Harrell (Astros), Barry Zito (Giants), Kevin Slowey (Marlins), Carlos Villanueva (Cubs), John Danks (White Sox), Vance Worley (Twins), James McDonald (Pirates), Alfredo Aceves (Red Sox), Ricky Romero (Blue Jays)

All of these players can be controlled beyond 2013 given their contracts or arbitration status, not that teams would necessarily be thrilled by the prospect.  Gallardo and Norris seem to be the names to watch here.

Currently On The DL

Jake Peavy (White Sox), Jason Vargas (Angels)

Peavy is projected to return from a displaced rib fracture Saturday against the Braves, so he could make three starts to prove his health prior to the deadline.  He's under contract for next year, and would jump to the top of the short list of potential difference-makers.  Vargas had surgery to remove a blood clot in his left armpit and is expected to return before the deadline.

Other Possibilities

Cliff Lee (Phillies), James Shields (Royals), Ervin Santana (Royals), Jeremy Guthrie (Royals), R.A. Dickey (Blue Jays), Jeff Samardzija (Cubs)

These pitchers are not currently believed to be available, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see one of them traded this month.  Lee is the best pitcher named in this post, though he has no-trade protection and is owed more than $70MM through 2015.  The Royals probably are not inclined to gut their rotation, though it would make sense to entertain offers for Santana if they are beyond the value of a supplemental round draft pick, as he is eligible for free agency after the season.  Dickey and Samardzija are controllable beyond this year, but it would be silly for their teams not to listen.

For the large-salaried players such as Lincecum, Danks, and Zito, keep in mind that trades can happen in August as well if they clear waivers or are claimed.

Check out our other posts in the trade market series here.

Strong Interest In Michael Young

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"Intense trade interest" in infielder Michael Young might compel the Phillies to trade him despite indications the team doesn't plan to sell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He says the Red Sox and Yankees are among about a dozen teams that have checked in on Young.

I still think Young, a 36-year-old hitting .288/.344/.414, would bring a modest return.  Rosenthal says the Phillies have no obvious internal replacement for him, though I wonder if utility man Kevin Frandsen is capable of delivering similar production in a regular role.  The Phillies are currently 5.5 games out in the wild card, and seek a center fielder and bullpen help.

Scherzer Extension Talks Will Wait Until Offseason

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Scott Boras, agent for Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer, told reporters (including MLB.com's Jason Beck) that he hadn't spoken to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski about a multiyear extension for Scherzer and such talks would wait until the offseason. 

Scherzer has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility remaining and is scheduled for free agency following the 2014 season.  The Tigers explored a long-term extension with Scherzer last winter but the two sides instead settled on a one-year, $6.725MM deal that avoided an arb hearing.  It appears as though the Tigers missed their window for a relatively inexpensive extension for Scherzer, who has posted a 3.19 ERA, 10.6 K/9 rate and 4.90 K/BB ratio en route to a 13-1 record and a starting assignment for the American League All-Star team.

Boras noted that his client "is very happy in Detroit" and that if Scherzer did reach the open market, there's no guarantee he would go elsewhere.

“I don’t think Detroit fans should all be scared of free agency,” Boras said. “If I’m not mistaken, I think free agency has been very good to the Detroit Tigers. Again, I don’t think [owner] Mike Ilitch or Dave is in any way perplexed about what they know free agency means to a player like Max. He’s a proven owner to go out and do what is necessary to keep the players that Dave and his staff have determined are necessary for his success.”

Scherzer will be 30 years old when he hits free agency and would be one of the headliners of an intriguing crop of free agent pitchers in the 2014-15 offseason that could include Clayton Kershaw, Homer Bailey, Justin Masterson, Johnny Cueto, Hisashi Iwakuma, Brandon Morrow, Wei-Yin Chen and Yovani Gallardo, though the latter five hurlers could be retained on team options.

Quick Hits: Wilpon, Rios, Mozeliak, Blue Jays

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National League All-Star starter Matt Harvey has become a well-known name around baseball…though not necessarily a well-known face.  Harvey personally explored his relative anonymity in a comedy bit tonight on The Late Show With Jimmy Fallon (YouTube link).  If it makes Harvey feel better, I rarely hear, "Hey, are you Mark Polishuk from MLB Trade Rumors?!" when I'm strolling around New York.  Here's some news from around baseball on the eve of the All-Star Game…

  • Jeff Wilpon promised that the Mets are willing to spend in 2014, the team COO said in an interview on WFAN radio (and partially transcribed by Newsday's Neil Best).  The Mets will be helped when the Johan Santana and Jason Bay contracts expire this winter, which will by themselves free up $43.625MM in payroll space.  "We haven't set a payroll for next year, but I can tell you we're ready to invest with those big contracts coming off the books," Wilpon said. "We have the money to invest. We're going to invest it prudently. Sandy [Alderson] is going to set a path."
  • The Rangers could avoid giving up top prospects for White Sox right fielder Alex Rios, depending on how much of Rios' contract Texas is willing to eat, ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett writes.  Rios is owed roughly $4.85MM for the rest of 2013, $12.5MM in 2014 and a $13.5MM club option for 2015 that can be bought out for $1MM.  The Rangers are one of several teams interested in acquiring Rios, though his trade stock has dipped due to a six-week slump.
  • “A lot of teams you think might normally would be breaking things up aren’t,” Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There just aren’t a lot of players that are truly available. That could change. That’s my observation today.”  The Cardinals are known to be interested in acquiring starting pitching and have recently been connected to Matt Garza, though the Cards aren't too keen to trade within the NL Central and are unlikely to make a deal that would cost them one of their top prospects.
  • Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Cecil all tell Sportsnet's Shi Davidi that the Blue Jays already have the talent to turn their season around.  Bautista, for one, doesn't think GM Alex Anthopoulos necessarily needs to make any further roster additions.  “Alex is not out on the field playing for us, we’re totally capable of playing a lot better baseball than we’ve shown, we just need to play better as a team,” Bautista said.  If the Jays don't make any moves, Bautista "wouldn’t look too much into it" since Anthopoulos “made plenty of moves in the off-season to make our team the best team that he could put on the field.”
  • The three prospects acquired by the Nationals in the Michael Morse trade have performed well for Washington thus far, MASNsports.com's Byron Kerr observes.  Right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen have pitched well at high A-ball and Double-A, respectively, while southpaw Ian Krol reached the Majors and delivered a 1.80 ERA, 13 strikeouts and just one walk over 15 relief innings for the Nats.
  • Chase Lambin turned 34 years last week and has played 12 years of professional baseball in the minors and in Japan, but the veteran has still yet to reach the Major Leagues.  Kent Babb of the Washington Post profiles Lambin, who currently plays for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Mets' infamous long-long-term deferred contract with Bobby Bonilla is actually a pair of contracts that will pay the retired slugger $42MM between 2004 and 2035, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports.  While the Orioles are paying part of Bonilla's ongoing salary, the Mets are solely responsible for another 25-year deferred payment plan, this one to Bret Saberhagen.  The former two-time Cy Young Award winner has received $250K per year from the Mets since 2004.

Orioles Notes: Davis, Wieters, Duquette

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As the baseball world gathers at Citi Field for the All-Star break, the Orioles are looking to bring the Midsummer Classic back to Baltimore in 2016, Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun reports.  It would be the first time the O's have hosted the All-Star Game since 1993, and a 2016 hosting date would also mark the team's 25th season at Camden Yards.

Here's the latest from Charm City…

  • Scott Boras told reporters (including Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun) that he hasn't had any conversations with Orioles executive VP Dan Duquette about contract extensions for Chris Davis or Matt Wieters.  “Dan and I talk all the time, but it’s the kind of thing where the focus is on the play and not really their contracts now," Boras said.  Both players have two years of arbitration eligibility remaining before they're eligible for free agency after the 2015 season.  There was talk of a Wieters extension last offseason but the team now believes Wieters will test the open market in 2015.  Davis is sure to receive a huge arbitration raise on his current $3.3MM salary, and it will be very interesting to see how any extension talks develop given Boras' involvement and Davis' sudden emergence as an elite slugger.
  • The Orioles have been quiet on the international signing front since July 2, but Dan Duquette tells MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski that the team is actively working to identify and access international talent.  "We're working all the markets. Teams have different strategies to acquire talent. Our strategy is to sign good players and look for value in the market and that is what our scouts are doing," Duquette said.  "We are active on the international markets.  We will be out executing our international recruiting strategy for the whole [2013-14] season."  You can check out all of MLBTR's coverage of the 2013-14 international signing period here.

Garza Likely To Be Traded This Week

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9:54pm: ESPN's Jim Bowden hears that there is an 80% chance Garza is dealt before his next start (Twitter link).  The Cubs have an off-day on Thursday and Jeff Samardzija is scheduled to start on Friday, so Garza's next start could come on Saturday at the earliest.  Bowden also listed the Diamondbacks as a possible Garza suitor, the first time we've heard that team in the mix, as well as the usual suspects of the Rangers, Nationals, Red Sox, Rockies and (to a lesser degree) the Indians.

12:51pm: Kaplan is hearing that Garza will be moved by Saturday, though the Cubs will still make sure that someone meets their price as opposed to rushing a trade. One AL scout tells Kaplan that the Cubs are in a "phenomenal spot to land a tremendous deal" because Garza has looked so strong of late (Twitter links).

12:46pm: Following his recent string of success, teams are willing to engage Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer in serious trade talks over the All-Star break, according to David Kaplan of CSN Chicago. A former general manager told Kaplan on Sunday that it's become "crystal clear" to other teams that Garza is at 100 percent.

A second "significant industry source" told Kaplan that the Rangers, Blue Jays and Indians are all involved in talks for Garza, but that the Cardinals are the dark horse in the pursuit of Garza. St. Louis saved loads of money by letting Albert Pujols walk, and their farm system is rife with high-upside prospects. Hoyer and Epstein will have no problem dealing Garza within the division, writes Kaplan, though he cautions that the Cardinals themselves (as well as the Pirates) may be hesitant to deal top prospects to a division rival.

Garza, 29, has a 3.17 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 39.8 percent ground-ball rate in 71 innings for the Cubs this season, his final year before free agency.

NL West Notes: Puig, Kershaw, Rockies, Garfinkel

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Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig has hired Radegen Sports Management to handle his sponsorship and marketing contracts, Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter).  The move doesn't affect Puig's baseball representation, which is handled by agent Jamie Torres, though it ends speculation that Puig would hire Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports agency to represent him in both on- and off-the-field ventures.

Here are some more items from around the NL West…

  • The Dodgers' inability (so far) to sign Clayton Kershaw to a contract extension is the biggest surprise of the first half, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman writes.  We heard about a month ago that the two sides were making progress on a seven-year deal that would pay Kershaw at least $180MM, and the prospect of a 12-year, $300MM contract had also been discussed.
  • Joc Pederson doesn't seem to have a place in the Dodgers' crowded outfield and could become trade bait before the deadline, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times writes.  The 21-year-old center fielder entered 2013 ranked as the 83rd-best prospect in the sport by MLB.com and has improved his stock by hitting .296/.386/.516 with 14 homers and 26 steals in 353 Double-A plate appearances this season.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti praised Pederson's development but declined to say whether the outfielder's name had surfaced in trade talks.
  • "I treat the trade deadline kind of like reading US Weekly or People magazine — entertainment value," Michael Cuddyer tells CBS Sports' Danny Knobler. "I do follow it, but I don't take everything to heart."  Cuddyer could be a trade candidate if the Rockies decide they're out of the NL West race, though since they're only 4.5 games out of first, Cuddyer and Troy Tulowitzki both hope the team doesn't give up on the season.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune examines Tom Garfinkel's resignation as Padres president and CEO as part of a reader mailbag.  Center doesn't think Garfinkel's departure will lead to Josh Byrnes or Bud Black being fired, as interim president/CEO Ron Fowler told Byrnes that no changes were coming in the baseball operations department.  Center also hears that Mike Dee, the CEO of both the Miami Dolphins and Miami's Sun Life Stadium, could be a contender to fill Garfinkel's old jobs.
  • In NL West news from earlier today, Giants righty Tim Lincecum has drawn interest from the Tigers and other clubs as a relief pitcher, Hanley Ramirez said he wanted to stay with the Dodgers, and the Rockies acquired Armando Galarraga from the Reds.

Hanley Ramirez Open To Extension With Dodgers

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Hanley Ramirez is a year and a half away from free agency but the shortstop told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times that he would be happy to discuss an extension with the Dodgers if the team broached the subject.  "Definitely, because I want to stay here," Ramirez said. "I want to stay here forever."

Offseason thumb surgery and a hamstring injury have limited Ramirez to just 142 PA this season, but he returned to the Dodgers lineup in early June and has been in great form ever since.  Ramirez is hitting .386/.444/.693 with eight homers and appears to be back on track after disappointing seasons in 2011-12.  Ramirez credited the Dodgers training staff with helping him return to full fitness, one of the reasons he wants to stay with the club over the long term, not to mention the fact that the Dodgers are focused on contending.

Ramirez signed a six-year, $70MM extension with the Marlins in May 2008 that covered the 2009-14 seasons, and Ramirez will earn $16MM in the final year of that deal.  The Dominican Republic native will be 31 years old on Opening Day 2015 — the back end of his prime, but still young enough to secure another strong contract in free agency, especially if he keeps hitting. 

The Dodgers, of course, haven't been shy about adding big contracts and signing key players to major extensions.  The club is guaranteed to spend at least $122MM on payroll in every year through the 2017 season and could sign Clayton Kershaw to an extension worth a minimum of $180MM.  Shortstop Corey Seager was ranked as the third-best prospect in the Dodgers system by the Baseball America Prospect Handbook (behind only Hyun-Jin Ryu and Yasiel Puig) and he's hitting well at A-ball, but Seager is only 19 years old and "likely will face a move to third base at some point" according to BA, so Ramirez could help solidify the shortstop position in L.A. for years to come.

Red Sox Notes: Buchholz, Ellsbury, Aceves, Melancon

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Clay Buchholz hopes to throw a bullpen session on Thursday at Fenway Park and, if all goes well, the right-hander may try a simulated a game a few days afterwards, Buchholz told reporters (including Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe) during Monday's All-Star festivities in New York.  Buchholz said he won't return until the stiffness in his neck has totally subsided, but “if I thought it was a do or die situation in September and we were pushing for the pennant, if it came to that, absolutely I’d be out there," he said. "There’s no risk right now, but I don’t feel comfortable doing it."

Here are some more items about the AL East-leading Red Sox…

  • Scott Boras, Jacoby Ellsbury's agent, told reporters (including WEEI.com's Alex Speier) that he wasn't planning to negotiate with GM Ben Cherington about a new contract for his client until after the season.  Ellsbury recently claimed the #2 spot on Tim Dierkes' free agent power rankings for the coming offseason.  The center fielder is hitting .305/.368/.422 and has stolen a league-leading 36 bases for the Sox this year, a performance that Boras attributes to Ellsbury's gradual recovery from a shoulder injury.
  • Alfredo Aceves is no longer represented by agent Tom O'Connell, Nick Cafardo reports (Twitter link).  The right-hander is believed to be representing himself for now, according to Rob Bradford and Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Aceves was outrighted to Triple-A earlier today, the latest step in the reliever's tumultuous stint in Boston.  You can keep track of who's representing who in the baseball world via MLBTR's Agency Database.
  • The move from Boston to small-market Pittsburgh wasn't the reason for Mark Melancon's improvement in 2013, the reliever told media (including Tim Britton of the Providence Journal), saying that the improvement began after working on his mechanics and approach to pitching during a minor league stint last season.  Melancon allowed 11 runs in his first two innings with the Red Sox in 2012 but posted a 4.19 ERA over his next 43 innings, though it wasn't enough to keep him from being dealt to the Bucs last December.  With the Pirates, Melancon has posted a sterling 0.81 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 1/3 IP and earned his first All-Star appearance.

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