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Angels, Dodgers Discussed Trade For Kendrick In July

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The Angels and Dodgers "held extensive trade discussions" about a possible deal that would've sent Howie Kendrick from Angel Stadium to Chavez Ravine, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.  Negotiations went on right up until the July 31 deadline, a source tells Rosenthal, and Zach Lee would've been part of the package that went back to the Angels in return.  It isn't clear which team backed away from the deal.

Kendrick also drew attention from the Blue Jays and Royals before the deadline as the Angels openly shopped a number of pieces on their roster in an attempt to gauge their trade value and obtain young, MLB-ready pitching.  (Alberto Callaspo and Scott Downs ended up being the only notable Angels moved in July.)  ESPN's Jayson Stark reported on July 30 that the Angels and Dodgers had discussed Kendrick, but there was no indication that a deal was close.

Kendrick has a partial no-trade clause that allows him to block trades to 12 teams, but Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers aren't one of them.  Rosenthal says the Halos are likelier to deal Kendrick than they are Erick Aybar since they think it's easier to find a replacement at second base than at shortstop.  Indeed, Anaheim may already have an in-house second base option in Grant Green.

The Dodgers' pursuit of Kendrick could be a sign, Rosenthal notes, that the team is looking for second base options besides Robinson Cano.  It has been widely speculated that the Dodgers would be one of the very few teams that could meet Cano's salary demands in free agency but we heard earlier today that L.A. might not pursue Cano (or any major free agents) this offseason.

Kendrick, 30, has hit .301/.341/.437 with 11 homers in 451 PA, though hasn't played since August 5 due to a sprained left knee.  He is owed $18.85MM over the 2014-15 seasons, the last two years of his current four-year contract.  According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Kendrick's limited no-trade protection drops to just six blocked teams in 2014, so the Halos could have a wider array of trade partners in the new year.

Lee, the 28th overall pick of the 2010 draft, was ranked by MLB.com as the sport's 78th-best prospect prior to the 2013 season.  The right-hander has a 3.19 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 3.9 K/BB ratio in 26 games (23 of them starts) at Double-A this season.  Lee's name has popped up in a few trade rumors in recent years, perhaps most notably in a rumored deal for Matt Garza in July 2012.

Dodgers Don’t Intend To Pursue Robinson Cano

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Robinson Cano is expected to sign the largest contract of the offseason, but it doesn't sound like the Dodgers will be a major factor in those dicusssions. USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that the Dodgers have privately stated they don't intend to pursue Cano or bid on any other high-priced free agents this offseason.

Many have expected the Dodgers to be one of the biggest players for Cano's services this winter based on the way they've spent since new ownership took over the club in 2012. The Dodgers took on the contracts of Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett (and, to a lesser extent, Nick Punto) in blockbuster trades last summer. Then, in the offseason, they shelled out $147MM for Zack Greinke, $42MM for Yasiel Puig, $36MM for Hyun-Jin Ryu and $22.5MM for Brandon League. And that's to say nothing of the $6MM obligation they took on in acquriing Ricky Nolasco last month or the $85MM extension given to Andre Ethier last Spring.

Last month, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said the club was comfortable guaranteeing salaries through age 36, which could present a problem in pursuing the soon-to-be-31-year-old Cano, as a six-year offer would be shorter than the contract he appears likely to sign. Cano, unsurprisingly, occupies the No. 1 spot on Tim Dierkes' Free Agent Power Rankings — a claim to which he has laid stake all season. 

NL East Notes: Bernadina, Fernandez, Carpenter

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The Nationals' trade for David DeJesus was the headline news out of the NL East today, and you can read some of extra details behind the deal and reaction to the Nats' move here.  Here are some other notes from around the NL East..

  • The Phillies have interest in Roger Bernadina, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury reports.  Bernadina was released by the Nationals today to create roster space for DeJesus.  The 29-year-old is hitting .179/.247/.270 with two homers in 167 PA.  As Salisbury notes, Bernadina has played all three outfield positions and could provide the Phils with much-needed depth for this season and perhaps beyond.
  • Jose Fernandez's last start of the season will occur in the first week of September, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro calculates, possibly on September 4 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field or at home on September 6 against the Nationals.  Fernandez was put on a 170-inning cap by the Marlins at the start of the year and he has made every one count.  The 21-year-old phenom allowed just one earned run over six innings against the red-hot Dodgers tonight, dropping his ERA to 2.41 in 24 starts.
  • The Braves' claim of David Carpenter off waivers from the Red Sox last November has proven to be a steal, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (AJC subscriber account required).  Carpenter has posted a 1.86 ERA and 10.6 K/9 in 48 1/3 innings out of the Atlanta bullpen this season. 
  • Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog.com doesn't see the Mets signing Jose Dariel Abreu, noting that it would be unlike Sandy Alderson to give a major contract to a player with so many question marks surrounding him.  Abreu could receive a deal in excess of $60MM and the Orioles, Red Sox, Pirates and White Sox are all known to have interest in the Cuban slugger.

Dodgers, Twins, Braves In On Guerrero; BoSox Out

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8:42pm: David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link) confirms that the Braves have indeed evaluated Guerrero and would be "interested if [the] price is right."  Since Andrelton Simmons is already locked in at shortstop, the Braves would move Guerrero to second or third base.

7:34pm: The Red Sox are not one of the finalists for Guerrero's services, Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown reports (via Twitter).

6:50pm: The market for Cuban shortstop Alexander Guerrero is down to four teams, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter links).  The Dodgers, Twins, Red Sox and Braves are the clubs still in the mix to sign the 26-year-old.  The Reds have also checked in on Guerrero, though they might not be (or are no longer be) a serious contender since Wolfson didn't include them in his first group.

The Dodgers and Twins had previously been cited as two of the then-three clubs known to be interested in Guerrero, and agent Rudy Santin denied reports that his client already had a seven-year deal in place with Los Angeles.  Guerrero defected from Cuba in January and is still waiting to be unblocked by the U.S. government before he can pursue a contract with a Major League team.

The David DeJesus Trade: Reaction & Fallout

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An August trade between two sub-.500, non-contending teams that involves a legitimate Major League talent is something of a rarity, yet that's what the Nationals and Cubs accomplished this afternoon when David DeJesus was sent to Washington for a player to be named later.  Here are some of the follow-up notes about the swap and some reaction…

  • Cubs GM Jed Hoyer spoke to reporters this afternoon (including Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago) and said that salary was the main factor in the trade.  The trade will save the Cubs roughly $2.5MM — the approximately $975K left on DeJesus' 2013 salary and the $1.5MM buyout on his club option for 2014 (the option costs $6.5MM if exercised).
  • Hoyer also noted that the Cubs would be interested in re-signing DeJesus if the Nats don't pick up the outfielder's option.  As CSN Chicago's Patrick Mooney notes (via Twitter), there appears to be mutual interest from both sides in a DeJesus return to Wrigley Field.
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo also spoke to the media, telling reporters (including CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman) that DeJesus was acquired to improve the Nats' left-handed bench depth and that the move was made with the 2013 season still in mind.  "We're going to take this thing one game at a time," Rizzo said. "But I certainly haven't given up on this season, and I think that with the talent level that we have on this ballclub that we still have a run left in us."  The Nationals entered today's action 15.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and 9.5 games behind the Reds for the last NL wild card spot.  According to Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds calculations, Washington has just a 1.2% chance of reaching the postseason.
  • Also from Zuckerman's piece, the Nats were interested in DeJesus before the July 31 trade deadline but couldn't work out a deal in time.  This trade was worked out after the Cubs put DeJesus on waivers and the Nationals claimed him.
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale (via Twitter) thinks DeJesus' $6.5MM option is too expensive for the Nats to pick up this winter.  I don't agree with Nightengale — despite what Rizzo says, the Nats have to be looking ahead to 2014.  There would be no point in picking DeJesus up now just to let him walk in the offseason, unless Rizzo plans to flip DeJesus to a contender before the August 31 waiver trade deadline.
  • The lack of bench production has been one of the underrated reasons for the Nationals' disappointing performance this season, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times writes, and DeJesus' acquisition is a step towards fixing that problem.
  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson hinted to reporters (including MASNsports' Dan Kolko) that DeJesus might not receive much playing time over the rest of the season.  The Nats already have Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Denard Span playing every day in the outfield and Johnson seems more keen to give any spare at-bats to younger players like Tyler Moore.

Minor Moves: Marlins, Red Sox, Mortensen, Mock

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Marlins announced (via Twitter) the transfer of Marcell Ozuna to the 60-day disabled list.  This frees up a roster spot for Gil Velazquez, called up from Triple-A to take the place of Placido Polanco, who is going on the seven-day DL for concussion issues.
  • The Red Sox announced that they have moved Clay Buchholz and Andrew Bailey to the 60-day DL and sent Rubby De La Rosa, Ryan Lavarnway and Brock Holt to Triple-A in order to create roster spots for David Ross (activated from the 60-day DL) and call-ups Xander Bogaerts and Brayan Villarreal.  Bailey is out for the season but Buchholz may soon return from a neck/shoulder issue that has kept him sidelined since June.  Steve Adams examined the Bogaerts promotion earlier today on MLBTR.
  • The Rays signed right-hander Jared Mortensen to a minor league contract and assigned him to High-A Charlotte last week, according to a release from the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Mortensen, 25, went undrafted out of LSU-Shreveport and had been pitching for the American Association's Grand Prairie AirHogs. In 100 1/3 innings for the AirHogs (15 starts), he posted a 3.77 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Mortensen has made one relief appearance since reporting to the Florida State League, firing a pair of scoreless innings.
  • The Diamondbacks released right-hander Garrett Mock from Triple-A Reno, according to the Pacific Coast League Transactions page. The 30-year-old Mock posted a 6.72 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 75 innings for the Aces this season. Mock spent parts of three seasons with the Nationals from 2008-10, posting a 5.17 ERA in 135 2/3 innings, but he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since. The D-Backs are his third organization since the Nationals, as he's also spent time with the Astros and Red Sox.
  • Following the releases of Luis Cruz and Elliot Johnson earlier today, Sean O'Sullivan is the only player in DFA limbo at this time.  O'Sullivan was designated for assignment by the Padres earlier today.

Jarred Cosart Joins Excel Sports Management

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Astros right-hander Jarred Cosart is now represented by Excel Sports Management, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (via Twitter).  Cosart made his Major League debut in July, making him eligible for salary arbitration following the 2016 season and free agency after the 2019 season.

Cosart, 23, was the Phillies' 38th-round draft choice in 2008 and was sent to the Astros as part of the Hunter Pence trade in July 2011.  MLB.com ranked Cosart as the 89th-best prospect in the sport heading into this season and the righty has not disappointed in his first taste of the majors.  Cosart has a 1.15 ERA through his first six starts with Houston, though his peripheral stats (3.50 FIP, 4.42 xFIP, 4.95 SIERA, 18 strikeouts and 18 walks) indicate that he's enjoyed a lot of good fortune through his first 39 innings.

Cosart joins an impressive Excel client list that includes the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Jason Heyward, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Chase Headley.  If you're looking for information on who represents who in the baseball world, MLBTR's Agency Database has agent listings for nearly 1900 players in the major and minor leagues.

Red Sox Release Jose Contreras

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The Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox have announced that Jose Contreras has been granted his release, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier (Twitter link).  Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reported over the weekend (Twitter link) that Contreras had opted out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox, and with Boston calling up Brayan Villarreal earlier today, it appears as though the Sox opted for the younger option to help their bullpen.

Contreras signed his minor league deal with Boston exactly a month ago and posted a 6.52 ERA, 15 strikeouts and six walks over 9 2/3 relief innings for Pawtucket.  The 41-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Pirates over the winter and was released last month after pitching five innings over seven games for the Bucs, posting a 9.00 ERA.

Padres Designate Sean O’Sullivan For Assignment

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The Padres announced on Twitter that they have designated right-hander Sean O'Sullivan for assignment to clear a roster spot for fellow righty Brad Boxberger, who will be recalled from Triple-A Tucson.

O'Sullivan, 25, signed a minor league contract with the Friars this offseason after the Blue Jays released him last November. The right-hander was drafted by the Angels and traded to the Royals along with Will Smith in exchange for Alberto Callaspo. Toronto later acquired him from Kansas City for cash considerations.

O'Sullivan posted a 3.96 ERA in 25 innings with the Padres this season but walked more batters (14) than he struck out (12) in the process. In 218 2/3 Major League innings, the San Diego native has a 5.89 ERA with 4.2 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 40.1 percent ground-ball rate.

Nationals Acquire David DeJesus

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The Nationals have acquired David DeJesus from the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later, the team has announced via press release. The Nationals reportedly claimed DeJesus off waivers before working out a trade with Chicago. In order to clear roster space for their newest acquisition, the Nationals released fellow outfielder Roger Bernadina.DeJesus

The 33-year-old DeJesus is hitting .250/.330/.401 in 84 games (318 plate appearances) for the Cubs this season. While his overall batting line is solid, he's developed a significant platoon split in recent years and is hitting just .156/.224/.178 against lefties in a small sample of 45 plate appearances this season. DeJesus can play all three outfield positions, though The Fielding Bible isn't a fan of his work in center field, and Ultimate Zone Rating has considered his glove in center to be merely average over the course of his career. Both metrics praise his work at the outfield corners.

DeJesus has roughly $975K of his $4.25MM salary remaining this season and is under control via a $6.5MM club option for 2014. That option carries a $1.5MM buyout, so the Nationals will essentially have a $5MM decision on their hands in the offseason regarding DeJesus. Barring a significant injury, it seems likely that they'll exercise that option.

DeJesus originally signed a two-year, $10MM contract with the Cubs prior to the 2012 season. In 232 games with Chicago, he batted .258/.343/.403. Fangraphs pegs his value as a Cub at 3.1 wins above replacement, suggesting that despite his injuries, he was well worth the money the Cubs invested.

DeJesus is the second outfielder that the Nationals have acquired from the Cubs this summer, as Washington has already dealt for Scott Hairston. Chicago GM Jed Hoyer and president Theo Epstein have also moved Matt Garza, Alfonso Soriano, Scott Feldman, Steve Clevenger, Carlos Marmol and minor leaguer Ronald Torreyes in trades this summer.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports was the first to report the trade (via his colleague Jon Heyman on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the trade came after Washington had claimed DeJesus on waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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