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Quick Hits: Clemens, Plouffe, Drew, Ortiz

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On this date 20 years ago the Mets sent right-hander David Cone to the Blue Jays for 24-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent. Cone helped Toronto win the first of two consecutive World Series titles and Kent went on to become a borderline Hall of Famer (though he spent his most productive seasons in San Francisco). Here are today’s links as we await the next major trade of the 2012 season…

  • Alan Blondin of the Houston Chronicle writes that Roger Clemens called his recent performance for the Sugar Land Skeeters a favor to Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti. Clemens told Blondin he doesn't have plans for further pitching performances, but cautioned, "That could change in a couple days." 
  • Twins general manager Terry Ryan feels that now is the time for Trevor Plouffe to step up and establish himself as the team's long-term answer at third base, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Mackey quotes Ryan as saying Plouffe "[has] the rest of the year" to show the Twins that third base isn't a position they need to address.
  • Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that they don’t regret trading Stephen Drew to Oakland, even though Willie Bloomquist experienced a setback in his return from a back injury. “No. We wanted to see what [Jake] Elmore was capable of doing,” Towers said. “He’s held his own, I think, defensively out there.”
  • David Ortiz, a free agent this offseason, wants to re-sign with the Red Sox, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “This is what I know and this is something I want to be part of,” Ortiz said.
  • The Athletics and Astros have improved their farm systems considerably in the last year, Jim Callis of Baseball America writes in this week’s edition of Ask BA.
  • The Blue Jays should have publicly told the Red Sox that manager John Farrell is off-limits long ago, Shi Davidi writes at Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays have failed to limit speculation about the possibility of Farrell returning to Boston, Davidi writes. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has said the Blue Jays won’t announce an extension with Farrell, even if the sides agree to one.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Orioles Acquire Joe Saunders For Matt Lindstrom

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1:12pm: The player to be named later the Diamondbacks will receive won't be named until after the season and will not be a targeted prospect but a lower-level minor leaguer, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

11:09am: The Orioles have acquired Joe Saunders and cash from the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later.  Saunders cleared trade waivers earlier in the week, making him eligible to be dealt to any club. 

Late last night, we learned that Arizona found a trade partner for the 31-year-old and the O's were said to be the club with the most steady interest in him.  Saunders will be owed roughly $1.5MM, the prorated portion of his $6MM salary, between now and the end of the year. 

The veteran has a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 21 starts for the Diamondbacks this year.  For his career, Saunders owns a 4.17 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in eight big league seasons for the Angels and Diamondbacks.

Lindstrom, 32, has a 2.72 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 34 appearances this year.  The right-hander is earning $3.6MM in 2012 (roughly $748K remaining) with a $4MM club option for next season.  Lindstrom's option can be bought out for just $200K.  The deal marks the fifth time that Lindstrom has been traded in the last six years.

The O's also announced that Jake Arrieta has been called up from Triple-A.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) first reported that the Orioles acquired Saunders.  Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) added details.

D’Backs May Have Trade Partner For Joe Saunders

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SUNDAY, 8:34am: The Orioles have shown the most steady interest in Saunders and have been in the mix for him in recent days, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  However, the O's have not been confirmed as the landing spot for the pitcher.

SATURDAY, 10:46pm: The Diamondbacks appear to have found a trade partner for Joe Saunders, reports Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The left-hander may be scratched from Sunday's start. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic mentions (on Twitter) that the Orioles have been speculated as a possible fit for a while.

Saunders, 31, cleared trade waivers earlier this week and can be dealt to any team. He'll earn $6MM this year — approximately $1.5MM between now and the end of the season — and he will hit free agency this fall. He has posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 130 innings over the course of 21 starts with Arizona in 2012.

With Wade Miley, Ian Kennedy, and Trevor Cahill fronting the rotation plus youngsters like Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin, and Trevor Bauer breaking into the big leagues this summer, the D'Backs appear to have enough starting pitching to move Saunders without hurting their chances of contending.

Justin Upton Claimed On Waivers

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7:46pm: The Rangers are one of several clubs that placed a claim on Upton, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Since they have the best record in the AL, Texas is dead last on the waiver priority list for an NL player.

SATURDAY, 6:48pm: The Red Sox were not the claiming team, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). He reiterates that Upton will not be traded.

FRIDAY: Justin Upton has been claimed on waivers by an unidentified team, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). However, a Diamondbacks official said there's "no chance" of a trade this month.

Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick told reporters last month that it's a "reasonable assumption" that Upton will stay put for the remainder of the season. It's not at all uncommon for teams to determine trade interest by placing players — even stars — on the waiver wire.

Upton will earn $9.75MM in 2013, $14.25MM in 2014 and $14.5MM in 2015. His six-year, $51.25MM contract allows him to block moves to the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians.

The Diamondbacks now have until Sunday to select one of three options. They can let Upton (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. Expect Arizona to pull Upton back off of waivers.

National League teams had claiming priority on Upton, whose teammate, Joe Saunders, cleared waivers today. Upton, 25, has a .273/.356/.397 batting line with nine home runs in 472 plate appearances this year.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Rosenthal On Upton, Rangers, Beckett, Drew

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Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link)..

  • It's likely that the Rangers will pursue a trade for the Diamondbacks' Justin Upton this offseason.  Upton would join Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar as a part of the team's future offensive core.  Of course, Texas will be facing the potential losses of Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli as free agents and Nelson Cruz will be entering his final year under contract.  In a deal for Upton, the D'Backs would likely have interest in shortstop Elvis Andrus.
  • Stephen Drew is basically on a six-week audition with the A's and the club won't rule out bringing him back for 2013, perhaps even by exercising their end of his $10MM option.  Drew's agent Scott Boras has shown a willingness to do one-year deals to help players re-establish value and the shortstop has a strong relationship with Bob Melvin.
  • The Red Sox won't regret trading Josh Beckett when they had the chance.  Even though this winter's available pitchers aren't necessarily elite, there are plenty of more attractive options than Beckett.  Three of the big free agents: Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, and Anibal Sanchez, haven't upped their value since being traded and their prices could sink.  Dan Haren and Ervin Santana could be available if the Angels decline their options and pitchers like Gavin Floyd and Justin Masterson could be on the trade block.
  • The Reds are leaning against promoting Billy Hamilton, who has 148 stolen bases in the minors this season.  The idea of using him as a pinch runner in September would be extremely exciting, but the club doesn't believe that he will be ready to play in the majors next season and he would basically be a waste of a 40-man spot.

Quick Hits: Strasburg, Giants, Chavez, Sizemore

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Earlier today, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post spoke with agent Scott Boras about his client Stephen Strasburg and the notion that he had a hand in imposing an innings limit on the hurler.  Boras confirmed that he shared information with Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo but insisted that ultimately, the decision was made by the organization.  Boras said that his staff created a study on the durability of pitchers and shared the data with Rizzo, who Boras said had already completed a similar study.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Rival executives say that a number of players have yet to pass through waivers, creating the possibility that the Giants could find a left fielder.  However, the Diamondbacks and other clubs that trail the Giants in the standings will almost certainly look to block affordable options.  Someone like Jeff Francoeur would be more realistic for Brian Sabean & Co., writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • Yankees veteran Eric Chavez hopes to manage when his playing days are through, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.  The 34-year-old isn't sure what next year will hold for him, but he has considered retirement before each of the past two seasons.
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti won't tip his cap to whether the club will look to bring back Grady Sizemore next year, only saying that he will wait to get a better handle on his health, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.  Earlier today, two scouts told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that they'd recommend signing Sizemore if it doesn't require much guaranteed money.

Joe Saunders Clears Waivers

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The Diamondbacks can trade Joe Saunders to any team now that he has cleared waivers, John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR in Phoenix reports (Twitter link via Nick Piecoro). The Diamondbacks placed the left-hander on revocable waivers earlier in the week.

Saunders earns $6MM this year — approximately $1.5MM between now and the end of the season — and he will hit free agency this fall. He has posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 130 innings over the course of 21 starts with Arizona in 2012.

The Diamondbacks appear to have enough starting pitching depth to trade Saunders without compromising their chances of contending. Now that he has cleared waivers they can trade him without concerning themselves with waiver restrictions.

AL East Links: Lucchino, Beckett, Jeter, Hardy

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Four AL East teams can be found amongst the top eight in ESPN's Future Power Rankings, which measure how well-positioned teams are for success over the next five years.  The list can be found in two parts (ESPN Insider subscription required).

Here's the latest from the AL East…

  • Larry Lucchino discussed his team's turbulent season both on and off the field in a radio interview on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan show (WEEI.com's Morley Quatroche has a partial transcript) and the Red Sox president didn't rule out making large changes in the offseason. "I think we’ll examine all options, absolutely,” Lucchino said. “It’s not a question of fine tuning. It’s a question of looking back to the fundamental things….do we have the right kind of system in place? You need to build it all on pitching and we will focus heavily on that, but we’ll look at everything. We’ll look under every rock.”
  • With Josh Beckett a sure bet to pass through waivers, the Nationals could be a good trade partner for the Red Sox, opines Fangraphs' Dave Cameron.  Beckett could give the Nats an experienced arm in the rotation once Stephen Strasburg is shut down.  Cameron thinks, however, that the Red Sox would only be able to move Beckett if they agree to eat at least $20MM of the approximately $36MM owed to the right-hander through the 2014 season.
  • Derek Jeter is a good bet to finish in the top six of AL MVP voting this season, which ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews points out will earn Jeter an extra $2MM if he picks up his 2014 player option with the Yankees.  That option is worth $8MM, though incentives could push the value to $14MM.
  • "No chance. No chance. Nada. Zero. No, not a chance," is how Jeter described his interest in someday becoming a manager, reports CSN Chicago's Jeremy Lynn.
  • J.J. Hardy "makes a ton of sense" as a trade target for the Diamondbacks this winter, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  The Orioles could unload Hardy to make room for Manny Machado at his natural shortstop position, while the D'Backs pick up Hardy as a "stopgap" for the next two seasons until prospect Chris Owings is ready for the majors.  Arizona GM Kevin Towers said yesterday that his team would likely pursue a shortstop via the trade market in the offseason as the D'Backs look to replace Stephen Drew.

Diamondbacks Will Seek Shortstop This Offseason

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The Diamondbacks traded Stephen Drew this week, officially acknowledging that he won’t return in 2013. The team will rely on Willie Bloomquist, Jake Elmore and John McDonald for the remainder of the 2012 season, but they’ll pursue shortstop help over the winter, GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

"There's not a lot on the free-agent market, so more than likely it's going to take a trade,” Towers said. “We'll probably have to trade a good player — or a couple of good players — to find one."

Towers expects to encounter an “overpay situation” in his search for shortstops because there is only so much talent to go around. “Teams tend to really horde those type of players,” he said. The Rangers have enviable depth at the position in Elvis Andrus and top prospect Jurickson Profar. GM Jon Daniels says it’s a good problem to have.

“We don't know exactly how it's going to play out long term, but I'm not really all that concerned about it,” Daniels said. “I know that all the possibilities are good ones for us."

Piecoro suggests the Diamondbacks will talk to the Rangers this offseason. The Reds have middle infield depth behind Zack Cozart (Didi Gregorius and Billy Hamilton) and the Blue Jays have Adeiny Hechavarria and Yunel Escobar. 

The Diamondbacks would like to see more of Elmore, but don’t seem convinced he’s more than a part-time player, according to Piecoro. And while they like prospect Chris Owings, they don’t expect him to be ready for the MLB level in 2013. Bloomquist and McDonald are both under contract for 2013.

West Links: Saunders, Jaramillo, A’s

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Here are a few links out of the NL and AL West as Tuesday runs into Wednesday …

  • The Diamondbacks have placed left-hander Joe Saunders on trade waivers, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Saunders, whose waiver period expires on Thursday at 12 p.m. CT on Thursday, is owed roughly $1.5MM for the remainder of the season and is slated to become a free agent in the offseason.
  • The Athletics have signed catcher Jason Jaramillo to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Sacramento, according to Casey Pratt of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Jaramillo appeared in the Majors for stints of various lengths with the Pirates from 2009-11. He owns a career big league batting line of .235/.293/.327.
  • Among a handful of roster moves Oakland made today was optioning second baseman Jemile Weeks to Triple-A. Weeks burst onto the scene in the second-half of last season but has struggled mightily with the bat this year (.220/.305/.302). However, the A's don't seem to have soured on Weeks overall, as manager Bob Melvin characterized the demotion as a "blip" and said the organization still thinks Weeks has a bright future ahead, according to Pratt (Twitter link).
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