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Archives for July 2015

Indians Unlikely To Trade Moss, Aviles; Listening On Chisenhall

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The 2015 Indians have not yet made good on their evident promise, in spite of quality performances from many of the team’s better long-term pieces. That frames them as a possible seller, though a late run is not out of the question. Reflecting recent comments from GM Chris Antonetti, however, the latest rumors suggest that a large-scale sell-off is unlikely, with the club perhaps looking instead to re-tool for 2016.

  • Cleveland is “unlikely” to deal outfielder Brandon Moss, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The 31-year-old would undoubtedly draw interest, though he’s produced a somewhat tepid .220/.293/.424 batting line. Moss does have 15 home runs, has suffered from a .261 BABIP despite a ton of hard contact, and is earning only $6.5MM with one year of arbitration control remaining. He’s also looked better in the field in the eyes of advanced metrics. All of those factors leave the Indians motivated to keep him in the fold for next season.
  • An entirely different set of considerations will likely keep Mike Aviles in Cleveland, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). The veteran utilityman is dealing with a terribly unfortunate family situation, as his four-year-old daughter is being treated for leukemia at the Cleveland Clinic. Despite receiving some interest, the Indians have (admirably) determined not to trade Aviles in light of those circumstances.
  • The Indians are, however, willing to move third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. He’s currently playing in Triple-A after scuffling to start the year and only comes with two more years of control (his salary this year is $2.25MM). But the 26-year-old has shown more in the past and is putting up solid, if unspectacular, numbers at Columbus. Olney suggests he could be a bench piece for a team like the Mets, and the former top-fifty prospect carries some upside down the line.

Trade Market For Center Fielders

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There doesn’t appear to be a ton of demand on the market for center fielders, in large part because no team in baseball has suffered through truly awful contributions from its present options. A number of clubs that have fallen back (including the Padres, Rangers, Mariners, Athletics, Phillies, and Braves) could potentially have interest in acquiring future-oriented pieces. But as the above link shows, center has been a position of relative strength for many contenders. The Twins rank at the bottom of the list, thanks largely to the since-departed Jordan Schafer, but seem likely to roll with the resurgent Aaron Hicks (with Byron Buxton also now available at the big league level). It’s a somewhat more interesting situation (at least in theory) for the Cardinals, who sport a controllable combination of Jon Jay and Peter Bourjos that has fallen flat after being rather good last year. On the whole, most deadline buyers seem likely to focus on adding center field-capable players to utilize in a corner spot or as fourth outfielders. Let’s turn to the potentially available targets:

Current Starters

Carlos Gomez (Brewers), Gerardo Parra (Brewers), Ben Revere (Phillies), Cameron Maybin (Braves), Will Venable (Padres), Charlie Blackmon (Rockies), Austin Jackson (Mariners), Rajai Davis (Tigers), Michael Bourn (Indians)

  • Gomez has been slowed by hamstring and hip injuries in 2015, but he’s still produced a very strong .271/.338/.442 batting line, homering eight times and stealing 11 bases to go along with standout defense. Gomez has gone from looking like an all-glove center fielder to a solid regular to a borderline superstar over the past few seasons. He was worth about 6.5 wins above replacement in both 2013 and 2014, and he’d be close to that pace were it not for 2015 injuries. Gomez is the rare Scott Boras client that took an extension which bought out free agent years. As such, he’s controlled through next season — his age-28 campaign. He’ll earn just $9MM in 2016 and is owed $3.3MM through the end of the current season.
  • Parra is better equipped to serve as a corner outfielder but is capable of handling center field. (He manned center much of the time that Gomez was sidelined.) Defensive metrics have soured on Parra over the past two seasons after ranking him as one of the best defenders in baseball, though his limited work in right field this year grades out quite well. His bat has erupted in 2015 as well, and while there’s some BABIP help at work, he’s also just hitting for far more power than he ever has. Parra’s batting .315/.352/.514 this season and is drawing appeal from many teams. He’s owed about $2.59MM through season’s end, but he’s a pure rental, as he’s eligible for free agency this winter.
  • Revere’s another player that is probably best-suited in a the corner — specifically left field due to a poor throwing arm. Revere makes up for that lack of a throwing arm with plenty of range, though, and he’s handled all three outfield positions in some capacity this season. Revere offers virtually no power, but he has blistering speed and consistently hits for a high average. He swiped 49 bases in 2014 and is a career .292 hitter. Revere doesn’t walk much and probably never will, but his .296/.334/.377 batting line would look just fine atop many big league lineups. He’s a Super Two player that is earning $4.1MM in 2015 and is controlled through 2017.
  • Maybin entered the season as a candidate to rebound in his new Atlanta digs, and he’s done just that. Maybin’s hitting .284/.350/.403 with eight homers and 16 steals. Defensive metrics are way, way down on Maybin in 2015, though he was generally regarded as a plus defender when healthy in previous seasons. Maybin’s owed about $2.9MM through the rest of the current season, plus $8MM in 2016 and at least a $1MM buyout on his $9MM option for the 2017 season. The Braves reportedly are at least open to moving him, though given the remaining control, I imagine they’ll be asking for a substantial package.
  • Venable plays a better corner outfield than center field, but he’s seen a large portion of time in center this season following the additions of Justin Upton and Matt Kemp. He’s a rental that’s earning a very reasonable $4.25MM in 2015, of which about $1.77MM remains. Venable’s been just about league average with the bat in 2015 and throughout his career, when adjusting for the fact that he plays in Petco Park. He’s a career .251/.316/.412 hitter, but those numbers would trend upward if he played his home games elsewhere; Venable’s batted .233/.300/.389 at home and .268/.331/.433 on the road in his career.
  • Speaking of home/road splits, Blackmon entered the 2015 season with a large discrepancy between his production at and away from Coors Field (like hundreds of hitters before him). However, he’s closed that gap significantly this season and, in fact, has hit nine of his 12 homers on the road. Blackmon still doesn’t hit lefties much, but he brings a nice combination of speed and power to the table. He’d probably be tough to pry away from Colorado, but he’s controlled through 2018. The Rockies desperately need pitching but do have a large number of promising outfielders in the minors, so perhaps a club with a large number of minor league arms could entice Colorado to move the 29-year-old.
  • Jackson’s production at the plate has tanked since being traded to Seattle. He’s rebounded somewhat in 2015, hitting .257/.300/.353, but those numbers aren’t particularly close to the .277/.332/.414 line Jackson posted in parts of five years with Detroit. He’s still above average from a defensive standpoint, though, and a move to another team could help to rejuvenate his bat. He’s owed about $3.16MM through the end of the season and is eligible for free agency this winter.
  • Davis’ name has only joined the mix of trade candidates recently, with the news that the Tigers may wind up going the way of seller this summer. The two-year, $10MM contract he signed has proved to be a bargain for Detroit, as Davis hit well in 2014 and is doing so again in 2015 with a .261/.321/.412 batting line to go with 14 steals. Davis has about $2.05MM to go on his contract, and a club looking for speed as well as a potent bat against lefties (career .302/.357/.447) would do well to add the 34-year-old to its ranks.
  • Nothing’s gone right for Bourn since he signed a four-year, $48MM contract with the Indians. He’s had multiple hamstring injuries, one of which required surgery and cost him the bulk of the 2014 season. Bourn posted a six-win season with the Braves as he entered free agency, but he’s a shell of his former self now. His average, OBP and slugging percentage are all below .300, he’s not stealing bases, and the hamstring issues look to have caused his defense to deteriorate as well. He’s still owed a whopping $19.5MM through the end of the 2016 season. Bourn is a salary dump candidate for any club that wants to try to “buy” a prospect (as the Braves did with Touki Toussaint) or perhaps agree to take on his contract as a means of persuading Cleveland to part with one of its talented young pitchers. Shedding that contract probably has more value to a tight-budgeted Cleveland team than it would to many other clubs.

Backups/Fourth Outfielders

Sam Fuld (Athletics), Drew Stubbs (Rockies), Brandon Barnes (Rockies), Matt den Dekker (Nationals), Kirk Nieuwenhuis (Mets), Ezequiel Carrera (Blue Jays), Abraham Almonte (Padres), Melvin Upton Jr. (Padres)

  • Fuld, Stubbs and Barnes all have extensive big league experience as part-time outfielders in the Majors. Each has decent platoon numbers against opposite-handed pitching (particularly the right-handed hitting Stubbs), although Barnes has curiously struggled against lefties this year. Stubbs and Fuld have five-plus years of service time and can be free agents at season’s end. Stubbs, in particular, is a pricey commodity, as he agreed to a $5.825MM contract this offseason on the heels of a big 2014 season.
  • Nieuwenhuis, den Dekker, Carrera and Almonte have been up and down over the past few seasons. All hit left-handed and can handle center field relatively well, though they all offer less offense than the three center fielders listed in the previous bullet. Almonte’s probably the best defender of the bunch.
  • Upton, of course, has seen his star fade since signing a five-year, $72.5MM contract with the Braves prior to the 2013 season. His contract is among the most burdensome in the game, and the Padres would undoubtedly be open to creative scenarios in which they could offload some of the commitment. That’s a long shot, of course.

Currently in the Minors

Rusney Castillo (Red Sox), Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox), Dalton Pompey (Blue Jays), Marcell Ozuna (Marlins), Justin Ruggiano (Mariners), Arismendy Alcantara (Cubs), Craig Gentry (Athletics)

  • Castillo and Bradley Jr. may have gotten longer looks in the Majors by now were they on a different team. The jury is out on whether or not Bradley will ever hit in the Majors, but he’s a premium defender with plenty of speed and enough upside that other clubs would love to give him a trial. Castillo signed a seven-year, $72.5MM contract with Boston last summer but hasn’t received consistent big league at-bats. He’s also looked injury prone in the minors, though that’s partially due to a very aggressive playing style. It seems doubtful that the Sox would really want to move him so soon after making such a strong commitment, but other teams may have some interest in plugging him into the big league outfield.
  • Pompey opened the season as Toronto’s center fielder but struggled in the Majors. He was optioned to Triple-A and struggled a great deal there as well before being demoted to Double-A and getting on track. He’s an MLB-ready piece that could help Toronto land a much-needed rotation upgrade.
  • Ozuna had a breakout 2014 season but hasn’t hit much in 2015. Some scouts questioned his conditioning early in the year. He was demoted to Triple-A after failing to show the same power or on-base skills he did last year. Ozuna and agent Scott Boras didn’t feel the time was right to talk extension this offseason — a decision that now looks questionable. The Marlins probably still hope he’s part of the future, but one would think he has to be more available now than he was this winter.
  • Ruggiano’s a big league veteran that hits lefties well but is shaky in center field from a defensive standpoint. He’s raked at the Triple-A level since being outrighted following a disappointing run in Seattle’s offense-suppressing park.
  • Alcantara’s future may be as a super utility player, but he’s not far removed from ranking as a top prospect. He got his feet wet with the Cubs in the bigs last season but has barely seen time at that level in 2015. He’s hitting for power in the minors but not showing much in terms of average or OBP (.249/.305/.464).
  • Gentry is a defensive wizard who just didn’t hit much in his second season with the A’s. He typically handles lefties well, and he has plus speed. He’s similar to Bourjos and could help a club needing to patch a leaky defense.

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You can check out the rest of this ongoing series by using the “2015 Trade Market” tag, or by clicking on these links: Catchers, First Basemen, Second Basemen, Shortstops, Third Basemen.

Rotation Rumors: Royals, Teheran, Price, Padres

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The starting pitching market appears to be in flux, with numerous buyers reportedly considering an array of options and a variety of potential sellers weighing whether to deal away impact arms. Here are the latest rumors on the rotation front:

  • The Royals are interested in both Johnny Cueto of the Reds and Yovani Gallardo of the Rangers, as well as other arms, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Both, obviously, would be pure rental pieces, and we’ve mostly heard of Kansas City connected to half-year contracts. The club’s level of need certainly went up with the loss of Jason Vargas, though it’s unclear whether that will prompt any effort to add more than one pitcher.
  • Some rival executives believe that the Braves are willing to deal Julio Teheran, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. But an Atlanta source indicates that the team sees too much upside in the young righty (and his reasonably-priced extension) to consider such a move. Teheran, 24, has not matched his excellent results over the prior two seasons, but it does seem hard to imagine the club selling low on him unless president of baseball operations John Hart is just not a believer in his future.
  • Rosenthal also addresses the possibility of the Tigers dealing David Price, noting that the team is unlikely to retain him beyond this year if it doesn’t. If and when Detroit puts him on the market, some of the most obviously starting pitching buyers — the Dodgers, Cubs, Blue Jays, and Astros — would have interest, per the report.
  • The Padres are not only all ears on outfielder Justin Upton, but are “listening … intently” on soon-to-be free agent starter Ian Kennedy, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, rival executives say that San Diego would “love” to find a taker for righty James Shields. Given that we’ve also heard suggestions that the Padres are holding conversations regarding Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner, it would appear that the club is considering a variety of possible scenarios involving its staff.

Orioles May Be Willing To Discuss Kevin Gausman

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TODAY: O’s skipper Buck Showalter says it is “comical” to suggest the possibility of the club dealing Gausman, in an appearance on MLB Network Radio (Twitter link).

YESTERDAY: The Orioles “appear to be willing” to consider including highly-regarded young righty Kevin Gausman in a deadline deal, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter.

Baltimore’s lack of movable, high-level prospects has been discussed often this summer, as the team has dealt with injuries to Hunter Harvey and Dylan Bundy. While Gausman is no longer a prospect after seeing big league time in each of the last three years, his value lies primarily in the future.

[RELATED: Orioles Interested In Justin Upton, Carlos Gomez]

The 24-year-old Gausman showed plenty of promise last season, when he put up 113 1/3 innings of 3.57 ERA pitching, all from the rotation. He struck out 7.0 and walked 3.0 batters per nine in that stretch. Gausman has mostly worked at Triple-A or from the big league pen this year, though he’s set to start tonight and has opened three additional games. The results (5.00 ERA in 27 innings) have not been as impressive, but Gausman continues to dominate in the upper minors and his big league peripherals are as solid as ever.

It had been expected that Gausman would be off limits, particularly since he factors into the team’s current plans and the team already gave up Eduardo Rodriguez last year. But with Baltimore looking to take advantage of a group of veterans that are set to hit the open market, to say nothing of a generally vulnerable AL East, it appears that the team will at least entertain the possibility of dealing its best young pitcher.

Obviously, the O’s will not part with Gausman lightly. And it remains to be seen precisely what kind of acquisition would be needed to get a deal done. One factor increasing Gausman’s trade value is that he only just passed one year in MLB service time. That means that he can be controlled all the way through he 2020 campaign.

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NL East Notes: Latos, Haren, Cishek

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The Marlins continue to receive interest in both Mat Latos and Dan Haren, reports MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Despite conflicting reports recently, Frisaro hears that the Blue Jays do indeed have some interest in Latos, as do the Cubs. The Blue Jays are also in Haren, per the report,  and so is his former team, the Dodgers (albeit to a lesser extent). Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) characterizes Toronto as having monitored Latos, noting that it remains to be seen whether the team actually pursues him.

A few more Marlins notes …

  • Frisaro feels that it’s more likely that the Marlins will trade Latos than Haren in the next week due to the fact that trading Latos sooner comes with financial savings, whereas Haren’s $10MM salary is entirely paid for by the Dodgers. Haren could still be an August trade candidate, though, in Frisaro’s eyes.
  • Though Haren and Latos are the most popular names among Marlins trade candidates at present, Steve Cishek is drawing interest as well — specifically from the Cardinals, per the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer (Twitter link). Cishek has allowed just one earned run in 11 2/3 innings since returning to the big league roster in mid-June, so it’s certainly plausible to think that Miami could save some money and get at least something back for him.
  • An even more interesting question, perhaps, is whether the Marlins or a hypothetical new team will consider tendering Cishek a contract through arbitration. While he may not earn a significant raise, the reliever has a steep $6.65MM starting point entering his second-to-last year of eligibility.
  • Former Marlins backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia discussed his tenure in Miami with Spencer, He expressed some disappointment with the way things ended and the fact that he did not get a chance to make good on his contract, but acknowledged that he fell short of expectations. On the whole, his comments seemed thoughtful and genuine, and are worth a full read.

Cubs Have Expressed Interest In David Price

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TODAY: Though Chicago is pursuing a starter, the team has no interest in “pay[ing] a premium price for a rental,” tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. There are several different ways to interpret that, of course: it could mean that the club prefers to go after controllable assets, that it is looking more at mid-tier arms, or just that it won’t part with its best young talent in a rental deal (but still might be involved).

YESTERDAY: The Cubs were among the first teams to express interest in left-hander David Price, multiple sources tell Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago.

Levine’s careful to note that while the Cubs have expressed preliminary interest, eight or more teams are likely to kick the tires on Price, in the event that the Tigers do indeed decide to trade him. (Multiple reports have expressed doubt that the former Cy Young winner will actually be moved.) The Tigers are reportedly considering a sale of Price, Yoenis Cespedes and other free agents to be, such as Joakim Soria, Rajai Davis and Alex Avila.

The connections between the Cubs and Price are many. The majority of Price’s career has come with the Rays, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon was Tampa Bay’s manager for every single one of those contests. Cubs top decision-makers Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod long watched Price terrorize the AL East when they filled executive roles with the Red Sox. Price is also more than familiar with bench coach Dave Martinez, who followed Maddon from St. Petersburg to Chicago.

Chicago has the minor league talent to entice the Tigers to part with Price, but the question will be whether or not Epstein & Co. want to part with premium young players for two-plus months of Price. The thought of a playoff rotation consisting of Price, Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta is enticing, but the Cubs would need to make it to an actual playoff series before that becomes a reality. The Cubs are nine games back in the NL Central with two teams to leapfrog, so as it stands, their best chance of reaching the NLDS would be via one-game Wild Card playoff. Paying the steep price of acquisition for Price when their postseason hopes still ride on a one-game playoff may not be the way in which the front office prefers to operate.

The Cubs have been linked to Cole Hamels, but he’s a long-term piece that could help them in 2015 and beyond. Price is the first pure rental of note — at least among pitchers — to whom the Cubs have been linked. Previous reports have indicated that the team hopes to add another top-flight pitcher for the 2016 season, but that end may ultimately be achieved by trading for a someone controlled beyond this season or by investing heavily in free agency for a second straight winter. The interest in Price is indeed notable, but as Levine notes in writing that the Cubs won’t trade their very best prospects, “proper perspective of him being a two-month rental is needed.”

David Freese To Be Placed On DL With Fractured Finger

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Angels third baseman David Freese was hit by a pitch from Minnesota’s Mike Pelfrey tonight and will be placed on the disabled list with a fractured in his hand, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Gonzalez further clarifies that it’s a fractured index finger for Freese. The finger is already in a splint, which Freese will have to wear for at least the next two weeks (Twitter links). Freese’s hope is that he can return within three weeks.

The loss of Freese comes on the heels of a report from Gonzalez that the Angels, who are looking for help at the leadoff spot and in the middle of the order, are slightly prioritizing a power bat over a top-of-the-order catalyst. Freese and his roughly league-average production have occupied the five spot in the Halos’ lineup for much of the season, but according to Gonzalez, they were already interested in adding a bat, possibly in left field, that could move into that spot and push Freese down the lineup. One would imagine, then, that the loss of Freese only serves to enhance the club’s desire to add an authoritative presence behind Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the heart of the order.

Gonzalez and the OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher both reported today that the Angels, who previously had been said to prefer controllable bats, have now warmed to the idea of adding rental players. Fletcher added that beyond that openness, the club is now considering right-handed bats after previously preferring lefty hitters.

The Angels do have a fairly Major League ready replacement in Kyle Kubitza. The 25-year-old prospect was acquired from the Braves this winter and is hitting .276/.346/.446 at Triple-A this season. His first taste of Major League action earlier in the year didn’t go particularly well, though, and while the Angels hope that he’s their third baseman of the future, it’s not certain that they’re willing to hand him a significant role in the midst of a pennant race while Freese mends. He could be a short-term stopgap, but adding a player that’s at least capable of playing third base would seem to be a reasonable target for the Halos.

The Angels have been linked to outfield bats such as Jay Bruce, Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Reddick, Ben Revere and Gerardo Parra, though I personally wonder if the injury to Freese will lead to interest in players capable of handling multiple infield spots. Ben Zobrist’s name is popular on this year’s trade market, but someone such as Juan Uribe of the Braves strikes me as a logical target. Uribe could fill in at third base in the short term and, upon Freese’s return, could potentially be an offensive upgrade at second base in the event that Johnny Giavotella’s recent offensive struggles continue.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/22/15

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Here are some recent minor moves from around the game:

  • The Mariners have acquired Triple-A reliever Tyler Knigge from the Phillies in exchange for cash, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on Twitter. Knigge, 26, was a 12th-rounder back in 2010 that has advanced as far as Triple-A. He’s spent time there in both 2014 and 2015, working to a 4.89 ERA with 5.5 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 70 innings. His numbers at Double-A and Class-A Advanced were markedly better.
  • Braves reliever David Carpenter was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Carpenter — not to be confused with the former Atlanta reliever and current Nationals reliever of the same name — has worked 3 2/3 innings in the bigs this season and 46 2/3 innings at the Major League level as a whole. He’s struggled to a 5.40 ERA, though the 27-year-old has a more palatable 2.73 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 over the life of his minor league career.
  • The Dodgers recently released righty Ryan Buchter after he opted out of his deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The 28-year-old notched a stellar 1.65 ERA with 39 strikeouts against 16 walks in 32 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season.
  • And the Rays released infielder Vince Belnome, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The 27-year-old Belnome has been solid throughout most of his Triple-A tenure, but he’s slumped to a triple-slash of just .169/.293/.225 in 191 plate appearances this season.
  • The Brewers announced yesterday that they’ve signed lefty Jeremy Horst and released right-hander John Ely. Horst, 29, saw a fairly significant amount of Major League action from the 2011-13 seasons with the Reds and Phillies. He has a career 3.32 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 in 72 2/3 innings. Horst began the season with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, where he tallied a 1.64 ERA with 42 strikeouts against 16 unintentional walks in 38 1/3 innings. As for Ely, the now-29-year-old Ely logged 115 2/3 innings with the Dodgers from 2010-12 but hasn’t appeared in the bigs since. Injuries have played a role in his absence from the league, but he also struggled to a 7.42 ERA in 13 1/3 innings between Rookie ball and Triple-A this season.

Orioles Trying To Trade Bud Norris

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The Orioles are currently attempting to move right-hander Bud Norris, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Norris, a free agent at season’s end, has struggled quite a bit this year, working to a 6.82 ERA entering tonight’s contest. His sub-par work in the rotation caused him to lose his starting spot, and the move to the bullpen hasn’t yielded better results (four runs in six relief innings, though he did work a scoreless inning with one strikeout in tonight’s game).

The good news for Norris is that he’s still averaging 93.4 mph on his fastball, and his 41.8 percent ground-ball rate is above his career mark. That’s not much of a silver lining when considering that his 6.7 K/9 is a career-low, his control has taken a step back, and he’s allowing homers at a higher rate than ever before. His 2015 struggles aside, though, Norris has a solid track record. From 2011-14, he averaged 174 innings per season with a 4.06 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 between Houston and Baltimore.

Moving Norris figures to be a difficult feat for Orioles general manager Dan Duquette; in addition to his struggles, Norris is still owed approximately $3.6MM of his $8.8MM salary. Duquette said earlier today that his team was a deadline buyer regardless of its record over the next week and a half, with his primary focus being to add an outfield bat and pitching depth.

Angels Open To Adding Rental Hitters, Righty Bats

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The Angels prefer to acquire a bat that is controlled beyond the 2015 season, but they’re warming to the idea of acquiring a rental, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com tweets. That includes Yoenis Cespedes, though the cost of acquisition will obviously be key to any deal. At the very least, he adds, they’d like to add a bench piece they’re comfortable starting a couple of times per week.

Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register also hears that the Angels are opening up to not only the idea of rental players, but also to the idea of adding a right-handed bat. (Previously, the Angels have been said to prefer left-handed bats due to the heavily right-handed nature of their lineup.) According to Fletcher, the only player that seems off limits in the Angels’ minor league system is Sean Newcomb. Pitchers Chris Ellis and Nate Smith — two of the club’s top-ranked prospects — could potentially be had. Fletcher adds (via Twitter) that Andrew Heaney is probably not available either.

Gonzalez wrote yesterday that the Angels are seeking both a leadoff hitter and a power bat to slot in fifth behind Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the batting order, though they may not be able to acquire both. In a followup tweet to the article, Gonzalez says he’s getting the sense that the Angels would prefer the power bat. David Freese has spent the bulk of the time hitting fifth in Anaheim this season but has batted a fairly pedestrian .240/.308/.409.

As for the leadoff role, Johnny Giavotella has assumed that spot lately but struggled there, and his .261/.315/.349 batting line is below the league average. The Angels, according to Gonzalez, are monitoring Chase Utley’s rehab as a possible alternative. However, they’d only have true interest were the cost “minimal” and should Utley begin to show his old form at the plate. (Utley, of course, is a potential August trade candidate, as one would think his contract, injury troubles and lack of production make him a lock to clear trade waivers.)

Ben Revere has been oft-connected to the Angels in the past, as has Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce. Gonzalez speculates (on Twitter), too, that Gerardo Parra of the Brewers might be a nice rental piece for the Angels.

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