Odds & Ends: Marlins, Wigginton, Rockies, Wood
It was on this day in 1905 that Shirley Povich, one of the great sportswriters of all time, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine. Povich, who passed away in 1998, would've been 105 today and no doubt still would've been keeping an eye on Stephen Strasburg for the Washington Post.
Some news items….
- The Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi wonders if Edwin Rodriguez's planned lineup changes in Florida are a hint towards a possible trade of Cody Ross or Jorge Cantu.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun adds the Padres and Rangers to the list of "potential fits" for Ty Wigginton.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweeted a few follow-up points to his story about Colorado's interest in Dan Uggla. Renck mentions right-hander Esmil Rogers and outfielder Matt Miller as possibilities for a trade package with Florida, but "there's no way" that Jhoulys Chacin would be dealt. Renck also thinks the Rockies "will listen" to offers for Franklin Morales, though those offers might not be related to any Uggla deal.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince shares some Cleveland hot stove talk in a reader mailbag. Castrovince says that Kerry Wood has drawn "minimal, at best" trade interest, but he notes that Wood could be dealt in late August to a team that didn't want to pay an extra month of Wood's contract.
- In another MLB.com mailbag, Bill Ladson "would be shocked" by a Matt Capps trade. The Nationals still have Capps under control for 2011, and with Drew Storen still a rookie and Tyler Clippard not pitching well lately, Ladson doesn't think Washington will want to risk dealing their closer.
- It's "all quiet on [the] Ben Sheets trade front," tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, though Sheets' recent success "should change" that.
- Aroldis Chapman's inconsistent control means that Chapman probably won't be promoted to the majors until September, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- We already know that the Giants have shown some interest in acquiring David DeJesus, and now Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that a "top Royals talent evaluator" was on hand for the Mets/Giants game at AT & T Park tonight.
- Steve Kornacki of Mlive.com looks at what the Tigers need to do in the second half and weighs in on some trade options. Kornacki says that trading for Jack Wilson wouldn't cost much for Detroit, whereas acquiring Dan Haren isn't worth the cost since he doesn't think "the Tigers are good enough to get past the first round of the playoffs. And that’s the only reason to gamble that much for somebody like Haren."
- Rice's Anthony Rendon, thought to be a potential first overall pick in the 2011 Amateur Draft, is undergoing ankle surgery on Friday, reports MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron has the latest installment of his ranking of the players with the most trade value. As he goes from #20 to #16, Cameron cites a defending Cy Young Award winner and two potential Cy winners for this season.
Cafardo’s Latest: Arroyo, Carmona, Garza, Lilly
In this week's installment of his Baseball Notes feature, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe discusses the 2006 deal that sent Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena. "I'm sure it's not one [trade] that Theo has on his mantle at home," Arroyo jokes, before going on to say that he'd love to stay with the Reds past this season. The team holds an $11MM 2011 option ($2MM buyout) for Arroyo. Here are Cafardo's other notes of interest:
- The Brewers and the Rangers, before they acquired Cliff Lee, were among the teams "sniffing around" Fausto Carmona.
- Cafardo wouldn't be shocked if the Rays were willing to discuss trading Matt Garza, with Jeremy Hellickson waiting in the wings (2.21 ERA in 105.2 Triple-A innings). In exchange for an impact bat, the Rays appear more inclined to deal major league players than prospects. A National League scout tells Cafardo that the team has been "very willing to include B.J. Upton in trade talks" and may even think about moving Wade Davis, if the price was right.
- The Rays also have some interest in Ted Lilly, who could be a fit for the Twins and Tigers as well.
- Cafardo thinks the Red Sox should pursue Evan Meek if the Pirates make him available.
- Lou Piniella's agent Alan Nero says that the Cubs' skipper will definitely finish out the season, but isn't sure about Piniella's future past this year.
Odds & Ends: Dunn, Dodgers, Lee, Tigers
Links for Saturday night, after Roy Halladay and Travis Wood traded zeros for nine innings….
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes that Mike Rizzo isn't looking to deal Adam Dunn. Rizzo repeated what's becoming a favorite phrase lately, telling Washington broadcaster Bob Carpenter that it'd be "very painful" to move Dunn, both for the Nationals and for the team acquiring him.
- The Dodgers were involved in talks with the Mariners for Cliff Lee, but wouldn't part with Chad Billingsley or James Loney, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
- Jamey Newberg provides his detailed take on the Rangers' acquisition at The Newberg Report.
- In light of the Lee trade, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times takes a look at how some past blockbuster deals between division rivals worked out.
- Jim Leyland reiterates to MLB.com's Jason Beck that the Tigers could use some bullpen help.
- Ricky Nolasco knows that he might be on the trade block this month, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com wonders (via Twitter) if the Yankees' scout in Arizona yesterday had an eye on Nolasco, noting that Joe Girardi managed the right-hander in 2006.
- River Ave. Blues passes along a story from El Universal (Spanish link) in which Ernesto Armenteros reports that the Yankees signed 18-year-old Colombian catcher Alfredo Castellon Jr.
What’s Next For The Mariners?
The Mariners cashed in their biggest chip yesterday, dealing Cliff Lee to the Rangers for Justin Smoak and three prospects. With the team currently 34-52 and 16 games back in the division, it's reasonable to expect GM Jack Zduriencik to continue making moves geared more towards contending in 2011 than righting the ship in 2010.
Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times points out that with Smoak set to man first on an every day basis, the Mariners now have three players (Milton Bradley, Russell Branyan, and Michael Saunders) for two roster spots (left field, designated hitter). Bradley's sore knee buys them some time, and Saunders could also be optioned to Triple-A, but flipping Branyan to a contender looking for some pop is very possible.
Saunders was almost sent to Philadelphia in last winter's Lee deal before the Phillies' requested Tyson Gillies instead, and Baker says the Zduriencik regime "hasn't exactly been in love" with holdover prospects from the Bill Bavasi era. Saunders could again find himself on the chopping block.
Backup first baseman Casey Kotchman could go at any time, though it's tough to believe there will be much trade interest in his .208/.292/.344 batting line, regardless of how good his defense is. The same could be said of the currently injured Mike Sweeney, though he was hitting a tolerable .263/.327/.475 before his back flared up.
Jose Lopez is very much available, but Baker doesn't think either Brandon League or David Aardsma will be dealt. Both are under team control for the next two seasons, so the Mariners aren't feeling pressure to move them immediately.
The Lee trade basically represented the white flag, but the Mariners don't have much left to trade away beyond Lopez, some relievers, and possibly Branyan. More than anything, they need to start getting better production out of Chone Figgins (.235/.334/.277) and Bradley (.211/.295/.368) while Jason Vargas (3.09 ERA) and Doug Fister (also a 3.09 ERA) continue to establish themselves as viable starters behind Felix Hernandez.
Odds & Ends: Lee, DeJesus, Padres, Drew
Some news from around the majors tonight, including a bit more on (you guessed it), Cliff Lee joining the Rangers…
- Newsday's David Lennon tweets that the Mariners/Mets negotiations for Lee fell through when Seattle wanted Ike Davis as part of the trade package.
- The Mariners were after James Loney or Chad Billingsley from the Dodgers in a possible Lee trade, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. (Twitter link)
- Most teams feel the Royals will wait until closer to the trade deadline before thinking about a David DeJesus trade, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Dan Hayes of the North County Times reports (via Twitter) that the Padres have heard some inquiries about right-handed prospect Keyvius Sampson, among other notable minor leaguers in the San Diego system.
- Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press says the Tigers are virtually obligated to make a move at the trade deadline.
- Blogger El Lefty Malo thinks the Giants should make an offer on Stephen Drew. Not a bad idea, but it's hard to believe that San Francisco would give up Jonathan Sanchez for Drew, as E.L.M. proposes.
- Speaking of Drew, MLB.com's Jason Beck thinks that he's "a more realistic target" than Dan Haren in a potential Tigers/Diamondbacks trade.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the Pirates' international scouting system.
- Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin says his team isn't in out-and-out "seller" mode, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com writes that the Cubs could be contenders again in the near future.
- And finally, Fangraphs' Matt Klaaseen pokes some fun at the newest members of the Miami Heat by predicting a familiar scenario for some of this winter's top free-agent outfielders.
Texas Has “Strong Interest” In Xavier Nady
Now that Justin Smoak is on his way to Seattle, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports that the Rangers are looking at Chicago's Xavier Nady. Chris Davis has already been called up from Triple-A to take over first base for Texas, though Davis was sent down in April due to his unimpressive .556 OPS in 53 plate appearances that necessitated Smoak's call-up earlier this season.
Nady, meanwhile, has a line of .233/.305/.361 line in 151 PA for the Cubs as he tries to recover from major elbow surgery last year. Nady is the last man on the depth chart in a crowded Cubs outfield, and has about $1.6MM still owed to him from the one-year deal he signed with Chicago last January. Nady can earn $2.05MM more due to games-played incentives, which the Rangers would also have to take into consideration should they have a more prominent role in mind for the veteran.
If Texas did acquire the right-handed hitting Nady, it would make sense to platoon him with the left-handed hitting Davis (who has a career .671 OPS against lefties). The Rangers were, however, willing to install a rookie as the everyday first baseman when they called up Smoak, so it's reasonable to think that they'd still show some faith in Davis by letting him take some cuts against major league southpaws. Davis had a whopping .958 OPS for Triple-A Oklahoma City so perhaps he's gotten his confidence back.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Red Sox, Meek, Giants
On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball's 73rd All Star Game ended after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie when both sides ran out of pitchers. Shortly thereafter, commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the All Star Game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, a still unpopular decision. The American League has won every Midsummer Classic since then, and 12 of the last 13 overall (the tie being the one exception).
This year's All Star Game is still four days away, so here are some links to keep you occupied until then…
- Mets Paradise examines some trade scenarios for the Mets involving Ted Lilly and Octavio Dotel.
- The Bottom Line finds some relievers on the trade market that could entice the Red Sox.
- MLB Depth Charts lists (almost) every club's nearly big league-ready trade chips.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at the possibility of the Pirates turning Evan Meek, an All Star, into a starting pitcher.
- The Dugout Report wonders if the Bengie Molina trade means the Giants are going for it, or packing it in.
- Meanwhile, More Hardball catches up with the three Molina brothers.
- River Ave. Blues lays out the case for the Yankees to acquire Kerry Wood.
- Examiner looks at the consequences of Jake Peavy's injury for the White Sox.
- The Baseball Opinion reviews the Mark Mulder trade following the lefty's retirement.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Reactions To The Cliff Lee Trade
Now that we know for sure that Cliff Lee is headed to the Rangers, the pundits are already chiming in about the big swap — both about what it means for Texas and Seattle, and about what it means for the teams that fell short in the Lee sweepstakes.
- Since the Rangers didn't have to give up any of their blue-chip pitching prospects, the trade is "a huge, huge 'win' for" Texas, tweets Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- Grant also tweets that he was told that one of those young pitchers, Martin Perez, "was deemed untouchable" by the team.
- Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio thinks "both teams win on this deal," though the Rangers are the "biggest winner" since it helps their chances in October. Bowden also compliments the Mariners for getting more talent back for Lee than they dealt to acquire him in the winter. (Twitter link).
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale writes that last night, the Rangers thought that Lee was going to the Yankees. (Twitter link) Nightengale also thinks this trade makes Texas GM Jon Daniels the executive of the year.
- The Phillies are taking some heat for not getting as much minor league talent for Lee when they dealt him over the winter. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that one scouting director rated Philadelphia's haul for Lee as "last by a long shot" compared to what Seattle and Cleveland both got for the pitcher within the last year.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds "made what they thought was a serious offer" for Lee today, though Fay thinks both "the Rangers and Yankees offered a better package than the Reds could have put together."
- Ed Price of Fanhouse.com comments that the Rays didn't want to give up any significant prospects for Lee (via Twitter), while the Mets simply didn't have the caliber of prospects that Seattle was looking for. Price notes, however, that Jeremy Guthrie could be on the Mets' radar screen.
- The Mets could use this Lee deal as a guideline, however, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. The Mets could follow the Rangers' example and try to get a trading partner to add money into a deal, since Olney reports that New York won't be able to add to their payroll before the deadline.
- Rays manager Joe Maddon is unsurprisingly happy that Lee isn't in Yankee pinstripes, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says his team "had interest [in Lee], but we didn’t come close to a deal," reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
- Alyson Footer of MLB.com tweets that the Lee trade may help Houston move Roy Oswalt, since the "more attractive pitcher is off the table & Roy is the next best option."
Rangers GM Can Opt Out If Ownership Changes
Jon Daniels can opt out of his contract with the Rangers after this season if the team’s ownership changes, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Rangers' ownership transfer is in flux, but the 32-year-old GM tells Rosenthal that he isn’t thinking of opting out.
“That’s not even remotely on my mind,” Daniels said. “All of the focus should be on the team and what they’re doing.”
Daniels, who became GM after the 2005 season, is under contract through 2011 if there's no ownership change. The 50-35 Rangers lead the AL West and Daniels says he loves it in Texas. If the group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan buys the team, the out clause will likely amount to nothing, Rosenthal reports.
The Rangers say they are focused on improving their team by the trade deadline. They have already acquired Bengie Molina and are looking for pitching, too. If they hope to add Cliff Lee, they should act soon; the Yankees appear to be close to acquiring the left-hander.
Odds & Ends: D-Backs, Padres, Brewers, Rangers
Here are some links to check out while we all hope there won't be an hour long television special when Cliff Lee is traded…
- ESPN's Keith Law tweets that the Diamondbacks have signed fourth round pick Kevin Munson. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says Munson received a $243K bonus (via Twitter).
- FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi asked a scout if the Padres should make a trade for a right fielder now that Will Venable is on the disabled list (Twitter link)."No," said the scout. "Aaron Cunningham is playing better than Venable was." Cunningham was acquired from the A's as part of the Kevin Kouzmanoff–Scott Hairston deal, and is hitting .310/.318/.476 in 45 plate appearances this year.
- The Brewers' front office watched four straight losses during their organizational meetings this week, and Morosi thinks (via Twitter) that has them looking more like a seller than buyer.
- Baseball fans aren't the only ones getting excited about a potential Cliff Lee trade. Players inside the Rangers' clubhouse are also thrilled about the possibility of adding the former Cy Young Award winner to the staff, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
- The Nationals have signed three more draft picks according to a team press release, including third rounder Rick Hague. The Nationals' faithful are still waiting on Bryce Harper, however.