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Pirates Notes: Upton, Quentin, Lincoln

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The Pirates, who lead the NL Central with a 48-37 record, aim to improve their roster for the second half of the season. “We’re in a buying mode,” manager Clint Hurdle said, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates have inquired on Carlos Quentin and Justin Upton, two of the top bats available this summer. Here are the details on the Pirates…

  • “Our focus is to exhaustively search all opportunities to add to this club and to execute the right move(s) to make this club better,” GM Neal Huntington said, according to Biertempfel.
  • The Diamondbacks and Padres might have some degree of interest in right-hander Brad Lincoln in potential deals involving Upton and Quentin, Biertempfel reports (on Twitter). The Diamondbacks are scouting the Pirates’ Triple-A team and the Padres are scouting the Pirates’ Class A West Virginia team, Biertempfel adds.
  • Biertempfel suggests the Pirates could use starting pitching depth.
  • Within Biertempfel’s piece a handful of former general managers share thoughts on what the Pirates should do this year.

Pirates Have Had Talks For Quentin, Upton

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11:27am: Interest in Upton is said to be "huge'' and the Diamondbacks are only interested in making a "perfect" deal, sources tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Sources say that the outfielder's limited no-trade list is not the same as it was a couple years ago when it consisted of the Tigers, Indians, A's, and Royals.  Detroit, Heyman notes, is a team that would have interest in Upton.

10:54am: The Pirates have had preliminary trade discussions involving the Padres' Carlos Quentin and the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton, major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com.  Talent evaluators from both teams have scouted PIttsburgh's farm system in recent days and the teams are preparing lists of prospects they would target in a potential deal.

It is unlikely the Pirates would acquire both outfielders, but they have a strong desire to land one of the two.  Quentin, 29, would require a lesser package as he is eligible for free agency after this season.  Upton, 24, would cost more in terms of prospects as he is under contract through 2015.

When it comes to trades, the Pirates are said to be more attached to Gerrit Cole than Jameson Taillon, in part because Cole is closer to the big leagues.  The D'Backs are looking to compete again in 2013 and would likely target players who are closer to the majors in a deal for Upton.  The Padres, meanwhile, are willing to take younger players, as long as they have considerable upside.

Olney On Upton, Greinke, Rays, Phillies

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The Diamondbacks have let other clubs know that they are willing to consider offers for Justin Upton and Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes that teams are attaching red flags to the situation.  Rival clubs wonder why Arizona would look to move a 24-year-old who is signed through 2015. and there is some concern about whether Upton has a chronic left shoulder problem.  The D'Backs are looking for third base help, and there aren't a lot of options at the position.  Meanwhile, we learned this morning that they have talked with the Pirates about a possible deal.  More from today's column..

  • If the Brewers decide to deal Zack Greinke and the Orioles have a chance to land him, the question is whether Baltimore can generate an offer strong enough to top the draft pick that Milwaukee would get by hanging onto the pitcher instead.  Baltimore won't part with Manny Machado or Dylan Bundy, leaving the Brewers to look beyond the club's two best prospects.  Brian Matusz could be an interesting name in the talks if Milwaukee is a fan.
  • It remains to be seen whether the Rays will turn into sellers, but they have assets to dangle if they decide to go in that direction, including James Shields, B.J. Upton, and Matt Joyce.  Upton is making $7MM this year and Joyce is headed to arbitration for the first time this winter.
  • The Phillies are already prepared to weigh any offers for Cole Hamels right now and the decision to sell continues to get easier as they fall in the standings.  Headed into this afternoon's game against Atlanta, Philadelphia is 14 games behind the Nationals.

Central Notes: Greinke, Brewers, Pirates, Tigers

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Zack Greinke took the hill for the Brewers today against the Astros, but not for long.  The right-hander was tossed from the game after just four pitches when he spiked the ball following a close play at first base.  Milwaukee would go on to lose 6-3, but they weren't the only club disappointed by what took place.  Here's more on Greinke and other items out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Scouts for at least six contending teams were disappointed when Greinke was ejected, as it deprived them of seeing a pitcher of trade interest, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Scouts from the Orioles, Rangers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Blue Jays were all in Houston for the game.  However, it's possible that some of those teams had their eye on Wandy Rodriguez or were just taking part in regular coverage.  Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the GMs of the O's and the Brewers have yet to talk about a Greinke deal.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) spoke with Indians and Rangers GM John Hart, who said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates "go all-in" to swing a deal before the deadline.
  • The Tigers should go after offense rather than pitching at the trade deadline, opines Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press.  He argues that Detroit can get by with their No. 2-5 starters but are in greater need of hitting.

D’Backs Will Consider Offers For Justin Upton

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SATURDAY, 12:20pm: The D'Backs have let other teams know they're willing to trade Upton for the right package, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. "They wouldn't be pushing it this hard in the middle of the year unless they really wanted him out of there," said one official. Olney hears that the situation reminds teams of the Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez last summer.

FRIDAY, 7:23pm: Rosenthal tweets that the teams on Upton's limited no-trade clause are unknown. He was able to block deals to the Royals, Tigers, Athletics, and Mariners back in 2010 but the list has since changed.

6:59pm: The Diamondbacks are currently 39-43 and seven games out in the NL West, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that they would consider trade offers from Justin Upton if they fall further out of contention. They will target a third baseman if they instead move closer to contention.

Rosenthal says GM Kevin Towers is open to any type of deal, meaning they could buy, sell, or make a veteran-for-veteran swap that helps now. Upton has been involved in trade rumors before, specifically during the 2010-2011 offseason. The 24-year-old has hit just .266/.348/.378 with seven homers this year after placing fourth in the MVP voting last season. He's under contract through 2015 for approximately $41.9MM and is the type of player that will draw interest from every other team in the league if available.

Quick Hits: Towers, Headley, Dempster, Quentin

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Some links from around the league as Friday turns into Saturday…

  • "I'm open-minded on anybody, everybody. Even guys who have no-trade clauses," said Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert when asked about the Justin Upton rumors. "You ask people when I was in San Diego, same exact response. I think you always have to be open-minded."
  • Chase Headley told MLB.com's Corey Brock and Chelsea James that despite the trade rumors, he'd prefer to stay with the Padres. "If it were my choice, I would love to be here," said the third baseman.
  • Ryan Dempster will be activated off the DL on Sunday, and he told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he knows the trade rumors will start right back up. “They’ve been there," said the Cubs right-hander. "That stuff doesn’t bother me. I’ll just try to do my job the best I can and let those things take care of themselves."
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com suggests the Padres trade Carlos Quentin at the trade deadline then sign him as a free agent this offseason. Quentin is a San Diego native and thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, they would not have to surrender a draft pick.

Tigers Interested In Matt Garza

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The Tigers have interest in Matt Garza, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The Cubs recently scouted Detroit's Erie affiliate, but talks are not serious. The Blue Jays, Indians, Reds, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all scouted Garza's start last night, Morosi adds.

The Cubs and Tigers discussed a deal involving Matt Garza this past January without reaching an agreement. Though the Tigers continue to get Cy Young-type production from Justin Verlander, starters Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer have been inconsistent so far this year.

Garza, 28, earns $9.5MM and will remain under team control through 2013. He has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 93 2.3 innings.

Rosenthal On Red Sox, Blue Jays, Greinke, A’s

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We hear a lot of talk about buyers and sellers this time of year, but as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out in his latest column, some teams will do neither this summer and other teams will do both. Here are Rosenthal’s latest notes with less than four weeks to go before July 31st:

  • The Red Sox could be positioned to trade an outfielder this month if their rehabbing players return as expected. Boston figures to pursue starting depth in trades; the Red Sox aren’t considering trades involving Josh Beckett.
  • The Yankees will probably not sign Josh Hamilton or Cole Hamels this offseason, since they aim to avoid the MLB luxury tax by 2014 and that means cutting back on extravagant free agent signings.
  • Under GM Frank Wren the Braves won more games while spending less money than every team but the Rays from 2009-11, Rosenthal notes. 
  • If the Blue Jays trade players on the brink of free agency such as Edwin Encarnacion and Kelly Johnson, they’d look to acquire players who can help them win next year. And if the Blue Jays don’t like what other teams are offering, they’ll keep their potential free agents. Toronto’s not likely to overpay in a “go for it” trade, Rosenthal writes.
  • The Blue Jays aren’t trading Colby Rasmus, who has become more driven, according to a team official. 
  • Rosenthal suggests the Athletics could look to acquire players midseason if they stay in the playoff mix. Bartolo Colon is the player the A’s are most likely to trade, Rosenthal writes.
  • The Mets are actively seeking relief help, but it’s highly doubtful they’d trade for Huston Street, who publicly criticized Mets bench coach Bob Geren last year. The Mets, who insist they won’t trade top prospects, are likely to wait until the end of the month before making any trades.
  • The Cardinals wouldn’t be willing to meet the Brewers’ asking price for Zack Greinke, Rosenthal notes. St. Louis is more likely to pursue a mid-rotation starter.
  • The Diamondbacks believe they need a third baseman more than a starting pitcher.

Chase Headley Drawing Trade Interest

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The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams believed to have some interest in Padres third baseman Chase Headley, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Padres are open to trading Headley within the division, Heyman adds. 

Headley, 28, earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The switch-hitter has a .271/.372/.421 batting line in 352 plate appearances so far in 2012. The Padres have scored fewer runs than any other MLB team this year, but top prospect Jedd Gyorko is hitting .315/.379/.532 in the upper minors and could be called upon if the Padres complete a deal involving Headley.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this week that Headley was drawing serious interest. The 33-50 Padres figure to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline when Headley, Carlos Quentin and others could be available.

Stark On Garza, Orioles, Braves, Phillies, Headley

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Arizona general manager Kevin Towers says he’s been impressed by Mike Trout and Bryce Harper from an offensive and defensive standpoint, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. "They can beat you on the basepaths. They impact the game defensively,” Towers said. “They can beat you with key hits or the long ball. They're both very special." Here are Stark’s latest rumors from around MLB…

  • One American League executive says the Cubs are basing their asking price for Matt Garza on last summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez deal. This means it’ll take two controllable, young players with upside to pry the right-hander away from Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein.
  • Other teams say the Orioles are involved in the Garza talks. However, Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy aren’t going to be available in summer trade talks with any club.
  • The Braves are looking for "an impact starting pitcher" and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively
  • The Angels are desperate to add a really good bullpen piece and would dangle Peter Bourjos in the right deal, according to rival teams.
  • One executive doesn’t expect Luke Gregerson of the Padres to become available, though there would be heavy demand if San Diego were willing to listen.
  • Another executive suggests the Red Sox could trade Kelly Shoppach and call Ryan Lavarnway up from the minor leagues.
  • The Twins continue to tell teams they expect to hold onto Josh Willingham.
  • The Marlins are telling rival teams they haven’t discussed becoming sellers this summer. The Phillies also seem to want to add, not subtract. The Phils are considering a long list of relievers and have asked the Padres about Chase Headley.
  • The Diamondbacks have “window-shopped” for bullpen depth, Stark writes. Towers says he prefers his current team, now 38-37, to the one that won the NL West a year ago.
  • Stark also reported on the Blue Jays' approach to the trade deadline and you can read the details here.
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