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Latest On Trade Talks Involving Red Sox Starting Pitchers

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TODAY, 10:19am: The Braves are not interested in adding Peavy, sources tell David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).

10:07am: While Peavy remains the pitcher that the club is most interested in dealing, Boston has fielded strong interest in fellow starter John Lackey, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. That is not terribly surprising: since the start of last year, Lackey has logged 306 2/3 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. And he is under contract for the league minimum for 2015.

YESTERDAY, 10:12pm: Peavy said that he has spoken with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington and understands that there is a possibility he will be dealt, tweets Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. “Don’t think people are making stuff up,” he said.

6:31pm: Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says that the team believes it would need to give up one of its own starters to get a “top starter” in return, resulting in a net loss of years of control, tweets Goold.

6:06pm: The Cardinals are “looking for offense not Peavy” right now, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). Goold says there is no match with Boston, given that Joe Kelly is expected to return to the rotation in short order.

5:52pm: Boston is discussing starting pitching — not just Peavy — with many teams, but there is “nothing imminent,” a team source tells Abraham (Twitter link).

4:20pm: The Braves are also involved in talks regarding Peavy, reports Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.

4:16pm: The Cards and Red Sox are in active trade talks regarding Peavy, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports.

12:45pm: ESPN’s Jayson Stark is now also hearing that the Cardinals are interested in Peavy, and he hears that something could come together quickly (Twitter link). The only Red Sox game that the Cards have scouted was the Peavy start that Edes originally referenced, according to Stark.

12:01pm: The Cardinals have had their share of pitching injuries of late, with Jaime Garcia out for the season and Michael Wacha out indefinitely, and Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com tweeted yesterday that the team scouted Jake Peavy’s most recent start for the Red Sox. Peter Gammons also tweets that he’s hearing the Redbirds have interest in Peavy.

The 33-year-old Peavy has struggled, to an extent, this season in what has been one of the least-effective campaigns of his 13-year career. He’s posted a 4.64 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate. His 89.9 mph average fastball velocity is the lowest mark he’s posted since his rookie campaign in 2002. He’s been healthy, however, and has averaged more than six innings per start this season. A move to the NL, of course, could help his numbers as well.

Then again, Peavy wouldn’t need to do much to be an upgrade to the back of the St. Louis rotation. With their current injuries, the Cardinals are using a rotation of ace Adam Wainwright and right-handers Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez (with Joe Kelly set to come off the DL in the next few days). Miller has seen his control disappear, along with his ability to miss bats, and he’s posted a 5.50 ERA over his past nine starts as a result. Martinez has pitched well since transitioning from the bullpen, but he threw just 108 innings last year and is already at 53 in 2014. Marco Gonzales, the club’s 2013 first-rounder, served up 11 runs with more walks than strikeouts in a three-start cameo recently. Peavy could serve as a durable back-end piece to complement veterans Wainwright, Lynn and Kelly while serving as an insurance policy for the club’s younger arms.

Peavy is earning $14.5MM this season and has a vesting player option that he won’t trigger. That option, valued at $15MM, required that Peavy pitch 400 innings from 2013-14, but he is still 144 2/3 frames shy of that mark after spending time on the DL last season. As such, he’s owed roughly $6.58MM over the remainder of the 2014 campaign and will be a free agent at year’s end.

As Edes points out, this isn’t the first time that the Cardinals have had interest in Peavy. The team expressed interest in the former NL Cy Young winner last summer. The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported over the weekend that Peavy could be of interest to some NL clubs if Boston were to eat some of the remaining salary on his deal.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

West Notes: Padres, Dodgers, Giants, Rockies

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There were several notes yesterday on the Padres’ search for a new GM. The club interviewed Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller yesterday, reports MLB.com’s Corey Brock, joining prior candidates Larry Beinfest, Logan White of the Dodgers, Ray Montgomery of the Diamondbacks, and Billy Eppler of the Yankees. Today, the team had a sit-down with Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen, per Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (via Twitter). Meanwile, Cardinals assistant GM Mike Girsch has withdrawn himself from consideration, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). As Nightengale further tweets, some potential candidates have expressed a belief that it will take upwards of two to three years to effect a turnaround in San Diego.

Here’s the latest trade deadline chatter from the Friars and the rest of the NL West:

  • The Padres are asking for a big return to move late-inning righties Joaquin Benoit and Huston Street, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). A reunion with the Tigers makes sense for Benoit, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, because the sides parted on good terms.
  • The Dodgers are looking into the starting pitching market, particularly after losing Josh Beckett to the 15-day DL, reports Shaikin. Though Los Angeles hopes Beckett’s hip impingement will only cause him to miss one start (with the benefit of the All-Star break), the club is readying for a longer absence. Of course, Paul Maholm remains in the fold, and the club has fill-in options at Triple-A, but those appear to be temporary options. Shaikin says that the team lacks the kind of rotation depth that it would prefer, and could pursue either a depth arm (he gives Jake Peavy and Bartolo Colon as hypothetical examples) or a high-end pitcher such as David Price or Cole Hamels.
  • Giants GM Brian Sabean says that his team is willing to consider any and all trade proposals, reports Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. “We’ve told everybody that everybody we have is in play,” said the long-tenured GM. “There are no untouchables in our organization.” While he expressed a desire to be patient, he expressed consternation at the team’s recent struggles. “Unfortunately, we’ve leaked oil in a lot of areas,” said Sabean. “That further confuses what you think you might want to do or have to do in and around the trade deadline.” As far as where an addition could be made, Sabean indicated that many spots are in play: “All our prospects are in play, but at this point we need bullpen help, you can always use another starter, second base, bench help,” said Sabean. “Just a lot of areas where you need shoring up and obviously we’re not [going to] be able to do that totally in the trade market.”
  • Last night, we took a look at some comments from Rockies owner Dick Monfort, courtesy of Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Notably, he said that he has no plans to deal star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. This morning, Saunders posted the full transcript of his interview with Monfort, and there is plenty more to cover. Monfort says that the organization’s greatest need is starting pitching depth, and said he “would love to have another starting pitcher before the trade deadline,” preferably “somebody that we could have control of for a period of time.” The club had interest in acquiring Jeff Samardzija, but “the asking price was Eddie Butler and some other stuff,” which Monfort found too steep.
  • Though Colorado has one of the worst records in the league, Monfort says that the team is not a seller, at least at this point. After weathering the injuries and a tough stretch in the schedule, he said that he is holding out hope that the Rockies can creep back into the wild card picture. Monfort said that he does not anticipate trading starter Jorge De La Rosa or outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who he “would like to figure out a way to keep” beyond this season.

AL West Notes: Williams, Astros, Angels, Ramirez

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Recently-released Astros hurler Jerome Williams has already drawn inquiries from eight clubs, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. That does not include the Twins, he notes. Williams’ agent tells MLBTR’s Zach Links (Twitter link) that he believes the veteran righty will get a chance to start on a major league club.

Here’s more from the AL West:

  • The Astros are interested in upgrading the club’s bullpen in both the short and long-term, reports MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Owner Jim Crane said that the team’s relief corps has cost the club ballgames, indicating that he hopes to find some solutions during the current season. Nevertheless, any moves would keep an eye firmly on the future: “We’re always looking more long term,” he said, “but we want to try to establish a nucleus this year and win a lot more ballgames than we did last year.”
  • Of course, the Angels’ bullpen needs are on a much shorter fuse. Even after making several recent acquisitions, club GM Jerry Dipoto says that the team is still browsing the market, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). Dipoto hopes to form a late-inning nucleus that can record the “last nine outs” of a game. “We will continue to look for a guy who can join that group,” he said.
  • Multiple teams have expressed interest in Mariners righty Erasmo Ramirez, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports on Twitter. The 24-year-old has not had sustained success at the major league level, but does offer plenty of youth and team control. Ramirez would seem to make a useful trade chip in a lower-level deal for Seattle, or as a part of a package in a larger swap.

Rockies Owner Monfort: No Plans To Deal Tulowitzki

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Rockies owner Dick Monfort says that the club has no desire to sell off star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, in an interesting interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The 29-year-old has been one of the most productive players in the game this year for a scuffling Colorado ballclub, leading to speculation that he could be dangled.

“I have read some stuff,” said Monfort, “but I haven’t heard anything about him wanting to leave or us wanting to get rid of him. I don’t have any plans of doing any of that.” When asked what he would do if Tulowitzki were to request a trade, Monfort said he would wait until such a situation arose.

Of course, many have suggested that now may be the time to deal the game’s premier shortstop, who has been healthy and productive all year. Under his late-2010 extension, Tulowitzki is guaranteed $20MM per year over 2015-19, $14MM for the 2020 campaign, and $4MM for a buyout of a $15MM club option in 2021. While hardly cheap, that contract pales in comparison to what Tulowitzki would likely garner on the open market.

Likewise, Monfort indicated that he was not inclined to move fellow headliner Carlos Gonzalez. “Same answer,” he said. “I haven’t talked to CarGo. All I know is that they love it here. Most offensive players do. I assume they are happy here, but none of us is happy with losing.”

As for the team’s broader issues, Monfort expressed confusion at the club’s struggles. He declined to pin it all on injuries, explaining that “we haven’t played as good as what the talent is.” Monfort expressed continued support for the club’s two head baseball decision-makers, Dan O’Dowd and Bill Geivett. “I have stuck behind both of them,” he said. “I think they are really good baseball people. I think, if you are looking to make a change, there has got to be a better option.” Likewise, Monfort said that manager Walt Weiss is a “winner” who had “grown into the role.”

NL East Notes: Mets, Murphy, Phillies, Braves, Miller

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Mets GM Sandy Alderson maintains that the club is still assessing what course it will take at the trade deadline, reports ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin. “Look, let’s see where we are at the end of this week,” said Alderson. “We’re always willing to listen. We may be thinking in terms of the second half of this season. We may be thinking more in terms of next season.” Alderson continued to note that, even if the team sells, it may not be willing to settle for lower-level talent: “We’ve made a lot of deals in recent years where we’ve gotten prospects who are a good ways away. I don’t think we’re thinking that way these days, although sometimes that’s the value in a return.” 

Here’s the latest out of New York and the rest of the National League East:

  • After talking with people familiar with Alderson’s thinking, David Lennon of Newsday gets the sense that the Mets’ GM isn’t necessarily committed to the idea of trading Daniel Murphy. Lennon does note that the team is eager to get another look at Wilmer Flores, who is playing second base at Triple-A Las Vegas these days.
  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. took to the air to defend the capabilities of several of the team’s veterans in a radio interview (audio link) with Mike Missanelli of 97.5 The Fanatic. “If you want to talk about declining, that happens,” said Amaro. “But that doesn’t mean they aren’t producing in some way shape or form and Chase [Utley] is one of those guys.” Nevertheless, Amaro acknowledged that several of the team’s long-term deals have not worked out as hoped: “Unfortunately these guys are human beings and they aren’t living up to what we expected and we’re trying to do something about that right now.” Going forward, the team is in a “fluid situation,” said the Philly GM. “I talk to [team owner] David [Montgomery] and our group all the time about what our direction is,” he said.
  • The Braves are prioritizing the acquisition of a “lockdown-type left-hander” for the bullpen, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O’Brien argues that the club should make a push to add Andrew Miller of the Red Sox, noting his outstanding 14.7 K/9 mark and domination of opposing left-handed hitters. The 29-year-old has indeed been outstanding, with a 2.41 ERA through 33 2/3 frames thus far in his walk year.

 Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Rays Acquire Three International Bonus Slots From Marlins

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TODAY: The Rays will still face the full penalty for exceeding their pool money, explains Ben Badler of Baseball America. While Rondon’s signing did not push Tampa past its newly expanded allocation by itself, other international signings did. The acquisition will limit the overage tax owed by the club by about $1MM, however.

YESTERDAY: The Marlins have acquired right-hander Matt Ramsey from the Rays in exchange for international bonus money, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the Rays will acquire Miami’s second, third and fourth bonus slots, which add up to a total of $1,000,800, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune.

Subsequently, the Rays have officially announced the signing of top international prospect Adrian Rondon, with who the team reportedly agree to terms last week, for $2.95MM (Twitter link). The additional money acquired from the Marlins bumps Tampa’s international bonus pool to $2,998,900, meaning that the Rondon signing will not push them over their limit.

Ramsey, 24, is enjoying a dominant season at Double-A Montgomery, having pitched to a 1.07 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings. He’s had some control issues, walking 23 batters in that time. Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper tweets that Ramsey runs his fastball up to 95 mph with a power curveball.

This is the second trade of international bonus money today, as the A’s shipped a bonus slot to the Brewers earlier this afternoon in exchange for minor leaguer Rodolfo Fernandez. For a refresher on how international free agent signings work, check out MLBTR’s 2014-15 International Signing Period Primer.

Minor Moves: Jerome Williams, Jo-Jo Reyes, Ramon Ramirez, Brad Glenn

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Righty Jerome Williams has been released by the Astros, according to the MLB.com transactions page. The 32-year-old swingman owns a 6.04 ERA through 47 2/3 innings (all as a reliever) on the year for Houston, with 7.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9. Across nine MLB seasons, he has allowed 4.45 earned runs per nine while working mostly as a starter.
  • The Phillies have agreed to a minor league deal with Jo-Jo Reyes, reports MLBTR’s Zach Links (via Twitter). The 29-year-old lefty has seen time in parts of five MLB seasons, the last of which came in 2011. He owns a 6.05 career ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 through 334 2/3 innings, mostly as a starter. Reyes has been playing in Korea since the start of the 2013 season.
  • The Orioles have outrighted righty Ramon Ramirez to Triple-A, the club announced. Ramirez got just one inning during his time with Baltimore, though he has seen action in parts of nine MLB seasons.
  • After being designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Sunday, outfielder Brad Glenn has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, reports Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star (via Twitter). The 27-year-old notched his first MLB hit during a brief call-up.
  • The DFA rolls are growing, with the following players are currently in limbo (per MLBTR’s DFA tracker): Justin Maxwell (Royals), Jeff Francis (Athletics), Rich Hill (Angels), Raul Fernandez (Rockies), Alfonso Soriano (Yankees), Brad Mills (Athletics), Donnie Murphy (Rangers), George Kottaras (Indians), John Buck (Mariners), and Mark Lowe (Indians).

Cole Hamels Can Block Trades To Twenty Clubs

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The two-year anniversary is approaching of the pre-trade deadline extension signed between the Phillies and lefty Cole Hamels. As part of that six-year, $144MM deal, Hamels received a limited no-trade clause, the details of which had gone unreported.

Now, with Hamels a potential trade target, details have emerged regarding the clause, via Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (links to Twitter). Hamels is permitted to designate twenty of the league’s thirty clubs for no-trade protection, reports Morosi. The remaining nine teams (other than the Phillies) to which Hamels may be traded without his consent are the Dodgers, Angels, Cardinals, Nationals, Braves, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, and Padres.

It is difficult to say what this means for the possible Hamels market, should Philly make him available. In some respects, the mere fact that the club would need to consult with the pitcher to send him to any one of twenty clubs could pose a deterrent. On the other hand, his list could conceivably indicate a willingness to go to a contender, as it seems to be composed of teams that were expected to be in the mix (in addition to those that, as Morosi notes, are located near his native southern California).

Orioles Designate Julio DePaula For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated righty Julio DePaula for assignment, the club announced via press release. His active roster spot will go to the recently-activated Bud Norris.

DePaula, 31, did not make an appearance for Baltimore after being called up yesterday. He is still looking for his first MLB action since a 16-game, 8.55 ERA stint with the Twins back in 2007. Before joining the Orioles organization, DePaula had been playing internationally or in independent ball since a 2009 stint with the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate.

Indians Designate Mark Lowe For Assignment

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The Indians have designated righty Mark Lowe for assignment, the club announced via press release. Lowe, 31, was added on a minor league deal late in the spring.

Since a mid-season call-up, Lowe has allowed three earned runs in seven innings. But he also has as many strikeouts as walks, with six apiece, and has given up ten base knocks. Over 281 1/3 career frames, all as a reliever, Lowe owns a 4.16 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.

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