Brown & Passan On Olt, Braves, Morneau
A handful of teams still don't know whether to buy, hold or sell with eight days remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, Yahoo’s Jeff Passan reports. Expanded playoffs are on the horizon for the first time, so more teams than ever are within striking distance of a postseason berth, and the trade market is unsettled as a result. Here are the latest notes from Passan and colleague Tim Brown…
- The Diamondbacks “adore” Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt, Passan writes. Olt could help the Rangers put together a competitive trade offer for 24-year-old right-fielder Justin Upton.
- Rival executives know the Braves are looking for pitching, which means Atlanta is up against extra-high asking prices, according to Passan. The Braves will acquire Ryan Dempster from the Cubs for Randall Delgado if Dempster approves the trade.
- The Twins are listening on Justin Morneau, Tim Brown reports. Minnesota wants teams to surrender a big leaguer for Morneau, while absorbing his entire contract ($14MM per season through 2013). That's a high asking price for a player with a history of concussion issues and a .744 OPS.
Heyman On Upton, Hanley, Twins, Lannan
Arizona GM Kevin Towers could wait until the offseason to trade Justin Upton instead of moving him within the next eight days. A patient approach makes sense for the Diamondbacks if it allows them to maximize their return, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Here are some more notes from Heyman…
- One general manager doesn’t know where he’d play Hanley Ramirez on defense. "He's not a third baseman, he's not a shortstop anymore. I wouldn't know where to hide him," the GM told Heyman.
- The Twins don’t seem interested in trading Josh Willingham, but a long list of teams would have interest if Minnesota makes the outfielder available.
- John Lannan made a successful spot start for Washington over the weekend, but it’s clear he’s not in the team’s long-term plans. Heyman suggests it’d be best if the Nationals can find a way to trade the left-hander, who earns a $5MM salary in 2012.
Quick Hits: Upton, Red Sox, Yankees, Dempster
The Yankees have inquired on Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton and Joel Sherman of the New York Post opines that GM Brian Cashman should make it happen. Sherman argues that three of their best trades of the past two decades involved landing outfielders in their 20s who had fallen out of favor with their clubs: Paul O’Neill, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher. Upton would fit the profile as some in the D'Backs organization have questioned his heart and motivation. Here's more from around baseball..
- With the Red Sox possibly eyeing some major acquisitions before the deadline, Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal runs down the movable pieces and the near untouchables in their farm system.
- One National League official told Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter) that he expects Ryan Dempster of the Cubs to be the "first domino to fall", followed by the Twins' Francisco Liriano.
- The new collective bargaining agreement and the altered free agent compensation system has made this year's deadline harder to figure out that most, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) opines that while the Astros' purge might make sense from a baseball perspective, it is harmful from a business perspective as it will turn off a large section of fans.
Cafardo On Hernandez, Upton, Bard, Gordon
As teams scan the trade market for pieces that can make a difference down the stretch, many GMs are experiencing sticker shock, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. “Some of the demands out there are ludicrous,” said one NL adviser. “We asked about a lefty pitcher and they asked us for our best pitching, best hitting, and a couple of other established players. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That’s why I’m thinking despite all the talking, I’m not sure much is going to get done.” Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Rays have sniffed around on Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez. The Mets and Nationals are also said to have interest in the veteran, though teams are wary of the $3.2MM owed to him in 2013.
- Diamondbacks rightfielder Justin Upton hasn’t drawn as much interest as expected. The Pirates obviously have a great deal of interest in him but find the asking price was prohibitive. Pittsburgh may also be interested in B.J. Upton of the Rays and they inquired on Billy Butler of the Royals and the Phillies' Shane Victorino.
- The Cubs could be interested in Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard in a Matt Garza trade. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod all have a strong history with the right-hander.
- There hasn't been much news about him in the last week or so, but Red Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach remains a viable option for teams like the Mets in need of a catcher. Boston can afford to part with him as well with Ryan Lavarnway waiting in Pawtucket.
- Cafardo cautions not to dismiss possible interest by the Yankees in Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, with Brett Gardner having surgery.
- The Orioles, Tigers, and Royals are among the teams that have made inquiries on Mariners left-hander Jason Vargas.
Quick Hits: Yankees, Span, Giants, Cardinals, Mets
Some links from around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…
- With Brett Gardner out for the year, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says the Yankees have called the Phillies about Shane Victorino, the Diamondbacks about Justin Upton, and the Twins about Denard Span. "The Twins are asking for a ton (for Span)," he hears.
- The Giants are in the market for bullpen help according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). He says Jonathan Broxton of the Royals could be a possible fit.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said his team has both short and long-term payroll flexibility and will likely seek bullpen help at the deadline according to the AP (via ESPN). He indicated that he is open to trading within the division as long as a top prospect isn't involved.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson told reporters (including Conor Orr of The Star-Ledger) that the presumption is his team will be buyer before the deadline (Twitter link). The next 7-10 days will dictate their moves, however.
D’Backs, Tigers Have Talked Drew & Peralta
The Diamondbacks and Tigers have discussed a trade involving Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com. The deal was characterized as a "long shot," however.
Detroit is one of several teams who have expressed interest in Drew. The 29-year-old has hit just .214/.274/.286 in 62 plate appearances after coming back from his ankle injury and will become a free agent after the season. Peralta, 30, owns a .271/.337/.415 batting line in 333 plate appearances this year. His contract includes a $6MM club option ($500K buyout) for 2013.
Rosenthal On Victorino, Lee, Padres, Ramirez
Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Indians and Pirates have been linked to most of the big available bats but Cleveland is placing a greater priority on finding a starting pitcher. Johnny Damon has been hitting well this summer and the Tribe doesn't think that they'll be able to top his output via trade. As for the Pirates, they're first in the majors in runs since June 1st and but would like to bolster their OBP. Shane Victorino would make sense for them down the stretch, Rosenthal opines.
- The Dodgers are the one team that could swallow Cliff Lee's contract in a trade, but it's hard to see what the Phillies could gain from such a deal when looking at Los Angeles' thin farm system. Lee could be a strong candidate to be moved as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks to build for the future and the hurler can only say no to eight clubs without his permission.
- The Padres are talking about keeping Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, and Edinson Volquez as they're optimistic about their chances next season. Their play of late has been encouraging and they believe that they can be serious players next season when their pitching is healthy again. The one guy who is still likely to go is Chase Headley as he can be replaced with Jedd Gyorko and the offers for him should be strong.
- The Marlins demonstrated their willingness to trade Hanley Ramirez in their talks with the Red Sox and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them step up their efforts before the deadline. The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, A's, Mariners, and Pirates could all use a shortstop or third baseman, but it's not clear if they'd be willing to take on his hefty contract.
West Notes: A’s, Haren, Santana, Upton
A look at the latest out of the AL and NL West..
- With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, A's manager Bob Melvin says that he is comfortable with what the team has at shortstop, tweets Jane Lee of MLB.com. Earlier this week, it was reported that General Manager Billy Beane would like to upgrade at the position. Even though Oakland has yet to engage other clubs in talks, Yunel Escobar and Stephen Drew were mentioned as possible targets.
- The Angels would like to get a read on starters Dan Haren and Ervin Santana before they consider dealing them, but GM Jerry Dipoto says that he won't let one or two starts dictate their fate, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles. Dipoto added that the current trade market has the least "definition" of any that he has seen.
- While constant trade rumors can be a source of distraction for some, Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson says that outfielder Justin Upton hasn't been fazed by it, writes Tyler Emerick of MLB.com.
- In this week's mailbag, Casey Pratt of CSNBayArea.com writes that trading Coco Crisp could give the A's more flexibility in the outfield.
Diamondbacks Release Geoff Blum
The Diamondbacks released Geoff Blum, the infielder tweeted today (via MLB.com). Blum is in the second season of a two-year, $2.7MM contract signed after the 2010 campaign.
The Diamondbacks activated Blum from the 60-day disabled list earlier this month and he played in nine games as a pinch hitter and third baseman. The 39-year-old collected four hits and two walks in 31 plate appearances for Arizona this year. He has a .250/.310/.384 career batting line in 14 seasons at the MLB level.
Diamondbacks Claim Brad Bergesen
The Diamondbacks have claimed Brad Bergesen, Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus tweets. The Orioles called Bergesen up earlier this week, but designated him for assignment without having him pitch in a game.
Bergesen, 26, had posted a 4.03 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 80 1/3 innings at Triple-A before getting promoted. He posted a 5.70 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 101 innings a year ago, when the Orioles used him in a hybrid role as a starter and reliever. The Diamondbacks had an empty 40-man roster spot going into the day.