Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Yankees, Dodgers, Pirates
The tireless Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up. Let's dive in…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Rosenthal that he was "very aggressive" going after pitching help, whether it be high-end starters, low-end starters, or relievers. "I was on all of it," Cashman said.
- Cashman specifically targeted Jarrod Washburn, but the Mariners asked for top prospect Austin Jackson in return. The Yankees were also "one of several clubs" to inquire about Felix Hernandez.
- Rosenthal says Heath Bell was their primary target among relievers, as the idea was to make him the primary setup man for Mariano Rivera, and possibly put Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves back into the rotation.
- The Dodgers "never got close" in their attempted blockbuster for Adrian Gonzalez and Bell. The deal would have helped Los Angeles' rotation by shortening the game from the back end with another elite reliever.
- They still have issues in the rotation however, as Jason Schmidt topped out at 87 last night. Only two National League clubs have gotten fewer innings out of their starters than the Dodgers.
- We won't know the true result of the Pirates' firesale until 2011 or 2012, but the early returns on the Jason Bay trade are not good. Rosenthal says the Rays may have been willing to pay more for Bay at the time, possibly including the since-traded Jason Hammel and/or Edwin Jackson in a package.
- Hitters and relievers will be in "ample supply" during the August waiver period, but quality starting pitchers … not so much. Doug Davis might be one of the best available starters, and the Diamondbacks will need to be realistic about a return since they are unlikely to offer him arbitration after the year.
- There was "precious little action" on Davis in July. When Rosenthal mentioned to a club official that the offers for Davis might not be much better in August, the official responded "they can't be much worse."
Odds And Ends: Hudson, D’Backs, Expos, Jays
More links to look through for the evening, including a little history…
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that Tim Hudson was scratched from his rehab start tonight with a sore groin.
- D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told MLB.com that he expects a "pretty active" August around the league, trade-wise. It'll be interesting to see if Doug Davis and Jon Garland clear waivers; if they do, the D'Backs could be among the teams making trades.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says Nick Johnson was the last member of the Nationals to play for the Expos.
- Erik Manning of FanGraphs doesn't get the Scott Rolen deal from the Reds' perspective. Neither does Tyler Hissey.
- You thought the Roy Halladay saga was over, but it's merely on hold. J.P. Ricciardi says he'd "have to listen" to offers for his ace after the season, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Next time, the GM hopes the offers are "a little better."
Heath Bell Rumors: Friday
2:54pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale, via Twitter, says the Twins' talks for Bell are all but dead. However, they're in on Arizona's Jon Rauch.
2:38pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are no longer pursuing Bell or Nick Johnson. That should leave the Angels or Dodgers if anyone.
2:11pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Twins have interest in Bell, as well as Oakland's Michael Wuertz.
1:18pm: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times says the Angels and Dodgers are battling for Bell.
9:19am: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Padres wanted Cameron Maybin and Miller for Bell. The Fish have seen other trade ideas dry up as well, leading Rodriguez to suggest "it might be Nick Johnson or bust for the Marlins." SI's Jon Heyman agrees.
7:02am: The latest on Padres closer Heath Bell, who is under team control through 2011…
Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that "late Thursday night, both the Angels and Marlins were still talking to the Padres regarding Bell." We learned yesterday that the Padres requested Andrew Miller or Sean West from the Marlins, and Florida declined. Marlins president David Samson appeared on the radio yesterday to discuss the trade deadline, and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has a nice summary of that.
Quiet Market For Arizona Starters
The Diamondbacks have a couple of passable starting pitchers in Doug Davis and Jon Garland, but the market is "remarkably quiet" for them according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The writers note that these hurlers might slip through waivers, making August trades possible. Davis earns $8.75MM this year, Garland $6.25MM.
Dodgers & Angels Seek Relievers
FRIDAY, 11:30am: A deal between the Dodgers and Jays for Frasor is unlikely, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
THURSDAY, 5:13pm: Even after adding George Sherrill, the Dodgers are looking to add relievers, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. They're interested in adding a right-handed setup man. Teams in conversation with the Dodgers say they have interest in Mark Lowe, David Weathers, Matt Capps, Arthur Rhodes and Jason Frasor.
Meanwhile, the Angels are prioritizing relievers over starters, Stark reports. One scout says the Angels are after "premium" relievers. They were considering Heath Bell today and inquired about Chad Qualls only to find that the D'Backs aren't likely to move him.
ESPN On Qualls, Adrian Gonzalez, Mahay
11:19pm: Olney reports that the Padres and Red Sox had made very little progress in their discussions about Adrian Gonzalez as of 9pm CST.
4:19pm: In regard to the Qualls item below, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick has an update. His source says the D'Backs are "very unlikely" to trade their closer.
11:58am: All kinds of good stuff from ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider required and recommended).
- The big news: the Red Sox and Padres talked "at length" about an Adrian Gonzalez trade Wednesday night. Those discussions are expected to resume today; of course you can expect top prospects to be involved.
- On the D'Backs front, there has been interest in Doug Davis and Jon Garland. Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers have spoken to the D'Backs about a deal for starting pitching, but would probably have to unload salary (Hank Blalock?) first. A D'Backs scout took a look at Rangers reliever Guillermo Moscoso. However, Arizona is actually considering whether to extend Davis. Might make sense, with Brandon Webb going under the knife.
- Olney says there's momentum building toward a Chad Qualls trade, but the closer won't come cheap. Chad Tracy would be a fourth available D'Back, but Bob McManaman and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic feel that August trades are more likely for the club.
- The Royals would like to move the contract of southpaw reliever Ron Mahay (.274/.292/.468 against lefties). He's got about $1.5MM left.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark tosses in this nugget: the Marlins made a run at Roy Halladay but balked at an asking price that included Cameron Maybin and Mike Stanton.
GM: Brewers Don’t Expect To Trade For An Arm
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he doesn't expect to add a starter before tomorrow's trade deadline. The Brewers were looking for starters before Jeff Suppan hit the DL and now their need for arms has grown. Here are the details from Melvin's conversations around the league:
- The Brewers talked to rival teams about 10 or 12 starters.
- Melvin says it looks like the Mariners will keep Jarrod Washburn.
- The D'Backs appear likely to keep Jon Garland and Doug Davis.
- Kevin Correia was on the Brewers' list, "but there's nothing to it at this time," Melvin said.
- "We're just not a match for anybody right now," Melvin said.
Heyman Talks Giants
In a new blog post, SI's Jon Heyman discusses the Giants' plans.
- The Giants "haven't ruled out trading for more offense" after getting Freddy Sanchez and Ryan Garko. Heyman says that at some point the Giants scouted Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee, Josh Willingham, Nick Johnson, Mark Teahen and Marco Scutaro. We can probably cross Johnson off the list. And we've seen no sign the Astros would sell.
- The Giants would like to add a fifth starter, given the loss of Randy Johnson for at least August. Heyman speculates on a few names such as Bronson Arroyo, Doug Davis, and Jon Garland.
Yankees Eyeing Corey Patterson, Josh Anderson
We already knew of the Yankees' interest in recently-designated outfielder Josh Anderson; Joel Sherman of the New York Post says to add the newly-released Corey Patterson to the list. Sherman says the goal is to find a fill-in for Brett Gardner, who broke his thumb on Saturday. Anderson and Patterson both have speed, at least.
In that same blog post, Sherman draws a connection between Chien-Ming Wang and Brandon Webb. He wonders whether both pitchers could hit the free agent market after this season. On a related note, we've heard that Webb will have shoulder surgery on Monday; hopefully just a clean-up.
Cardinals After Relievers?
WEDNESDAY: Strauss has more on the proceedings. He says the Cardinals are "definitely pushing" for a right-handed setup man. There's "strong internal support" to obtain Chad Qualls, but the search is "apparently directed elsewhere."
TUESDAY: Joe Strauss at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that the Cardinals are in "hot pursuit" of right-handed relievers. He also says that they had tried to include former Redbird Russ Springer in the deal for Matt Holliday from the A's, but balked when they learned they'd have to throw in another starting pitching prospect. Still, with the bullpen struggling, Strauss says they "may revisit" a deal for Springer.