NL East Notes: Sanchez, Victorino, Braves, Mets
The battle for the top spot in the National League East has quickly become a two-horse race given how teams have fared since returning from the All-Star break. Swept by the Dodgers in a three-game series this weekend, the Mets are now one game under .500 after losing eight of their last nine contests. New York is left looking up at the Braves and Nationals, who split a four game series with Atlanta at home. Here's the latest news and happenings from around the division…
- The Marlins' Anibal Sanchez was being scouted today by the Tigers and Red Sox, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Sanchez took the loss against the Pirates but was impressive striking out eight while allowing only three runs in seven innings.
- The Pirates see Shane Victorino as a perfect fit for their outfield, but not until the Phillies drop their asking price dramatically, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The Braves continue to be one of the teams courting the Cubs' Ryan Dempster. ESPN's Buster Olney wonders if Jair Jurrjens' poor outing today (six runs allowed, including two home runs, in 2 1/3 innings) will spur more talk between the Braves and Cubs (via Twitter).
- The Mets will not become sellers at the trade deadline, despite their recent struggles, because they don't want to leave the clubhouse bare, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin adds the Mets could still be active at the deadline making lateral trades for MLB players under control in 2013 (via Twitter).
Daniel Seco contributed to this post.
Braves Moving Toward Deal For Ryan Dempster
12:59pm: The Braves seem to be close to acquiring Ryan Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Braves are believed to be high on the list of teams to which Dempster would approve a trade, Heyman notes. The right-hander, who can veto any trade, is not likely to demand an extension.
Dempster, 35, has an NL-best 2.11 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 98 innings for the Cubs this year. He earns $14MM in 2012 — more than $5.5MM between now and the end of the season — but the Cubs are said to be willing to absorb salary to facilitate a deal.
12:39pm: The Braves are moving closer to finalizing a trade for a starting pitcher, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). GM Frank Wren is known to be looking for starting pitching and reportedly has some interest in Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, Jon Lester, Jason Vargas and others.
Braves starters have combined for a 4.34 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 so far this year. The team's rotation currently consists of Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Jair Jurrjens and newcomer Ben Sheets. Brandon Beachy and Arodys Vizcaino are out for the season with Tommy John surgery, which has diminished the organization's internal options. Here's a look at some potentially available starting pitchers.
This post was first published on Monday, July 23rd.
Minor Moves: Hurley, Russell, Hughes, Broderick
Here are the day's minor moves…
- Right-hander Eric Hurley has elected free agency according to the MLB.com's transactions page. The Angels called him up earlier this month but he did not appear in a game. The 26-year-old Hurley signed a minor league deal with the Halos this offseason and pitched to a 5.81 ERA in 18 starts for their Triple-A affiliate this summer.
- The Braves have released Adam Russell according to the International League transactions page. Atlanta signed the 29-year-old righty to a minor league pact this winter but he posted a 7.28 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for their Triple-A affiliate. Russell owns a 3.95 ERA in 86 2/3 big league innings with the White Sox, Padres, and Rays.
- The Athletics have released Luke Hughes according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Oakland designated the infielder for assignment back in April. Hughes, 27, had one single in 13 plate appearances for the A's this year while hitting .223/.316/.338 in 152 minor league plate appearances.
- The Cardinals have released Brian Broderick according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Sulia). The 25-year-old right-hander posted a 7.32 ERA in 78 2/3 innings for the team's Triple-A affiliate. Broderick appeared in eleven games for the Nationals last year as a Rule 5 Draft pick.
Braves Inquired About Jon Lester
The Braves are seeking pitching help prior to the trade deadline, and MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that they recently called the Red Sox about Jon Lester. Boston is not yet looking to sell, something we heard earlier this month.
"Pitching is at a premium," said GM Frank Wren. "It's so hard to get pitching because there are a limited amount of guys. There are a lot of guys being bantered around out there, and they're not really available because teams have not determined whether they're in or out. In some cases, they haven't determined whether they can sign them or not. It's really a tough market."
Lester, 28, is in the middle of the worst full season of his career. His 4.80 ERA is more than a full run higher than his 3.67 career mark, and his strikeout rate (7.6 K/9) is his lowest since 2008. The good news is that his 2.6 BB/9 is a career-best. Lester is owed $11.625MM next season with a $13MM club option for 2014.
Bowman says the Braves appear to be much more interested in Zack Greinke than Ryan Dempster, but they will not mortgage the future for a rental player. Atlanta is also in the market for bullpen help and Bowman opines that they may check in former Brave Omar Infante.
Dodgers “Very Unlikely” To Trade For Ryan Dempster
Ryan Dempster allowed four runs in six innings against the Cardinals last night, an outing that is not likely to hurt his trade value. Yesterday we heard that the Dodgers, Tigers, Nationals, and Cardinals all have some level of interest in the right-hander while the Red Sox are likely out. The Cubs want one or two young arms in exchange for their vetreran ace, but it's unclear if he'll waive his no-trade clause to switch leagues. Here are today's Dempster rumors with the latest up top…
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dempster sweepstakes is currently down to the Braves, Nationals, and Cardinals.
- The Dodgers are "very unlikely" to trade for Dempster according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They prefer not to trade prospects for a rental, making Matt Garza a more logical target.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday
Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start in St. Louis against the Cardinals tonight amid rumors that his time with the Cubs will soon come to an end. The Red Sox are no longer in on Dempster, but the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals still seem to be involved, based on yesterday's rumors. Here are today's Dempster rumors, with the most recent updates up top:
- In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams interested in Dempster, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Even though a report yesterday suggested that the Red Sox are out on Dempster, Boston has made an offer, according to another source. However, it is unclear if the right-hander is willing to switch leagues.
- Dempster is one of four or five starters the Nationals are pursuing, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). The Nationals would need to get creative to complete a trade and the Braves don't appear to be pursuing Dempster aggressively. They prefer starters under team control beyond 2012.
- A handful of teams are involved in trade talks and some proposals have been exchanged, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
- The Cardinals are monitoring every starter on the market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They aren't a likely fit for Dempster, since they're reluctant to part with prospects for a rental player.
- The Cubs would likely get one or two young arms in return for Dempster if they trade him to Los Angeles, Morosi tweets.
- The Cardinals have checked in on Dempster, Heyman tweets.
- There's a 50-50 chance the Dodgers and Cubs will complete a deal for Dempster, Morosi tweets. The sides are still discussing prospects, so there's time for another team to jump in with an impressive offer.
- The Nationals are said to be trying hard on Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Braves are in as well, and one GM believes the Dodgers are the favorites to land the righty.
- The Tigers maintain interest in Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers continue in "hot pursuit" of Dempster, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com tweets. The Dodgers still have an offer on the table and are hoping to complete a deal as soon as possible.
- Trade talks could drag on for a few more days, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers and Cubs haven’t found common ground in discussions about Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Other teams are being aggressive.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Thursday
The Red Sox are out of the Ryan Dempster sweepstakes but there is still plenty of trade interest in the Cubs' starter. Here's the latest on today's Dempster-related news, with the freshest items at the top of the page.
- The Braves have had general discussions with the Cubs about Dempster "without getting real specific" about players, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
- Dempster has had "occasional contact" with the Cubs' front office and hasn't been told a deal is imminent, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- The Dodgers and Cubs are negotiating over prospects and don't appear to be close to a trade tonight, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. While the Dodgers may be in the lead now, Heyman says that other teams are "still in the picture," including the Braves and Nationals.
- The Dodgers have made an official trade proposal for Dempster, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. The Dodgers are known to be the frontrunners for Dempster and the pitcher himself favors Los Angeles as his top destination if he is to be dealt, an important factor given his 10-5 trade protection rights. Levine isn't sure what the Dodgers' offer entails or if pitching prospect Zach Lee is involved, though the Cubs are known to be looking for young pitching above all else in trades.
- The Cubs will have a Triple-A pitcher on hand in St. Louis who will be ready to pitch in case Dempster is traded before his scheduled start against the Cardinals on Friday, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Rockies Links: Guthrie, Scutaro, Betancourt, Nieves
The Rockies are one of the few teams in baseball who are firmly out of contention, and thus figure to be sellers as the trade deadline approaches. Here's the latest on some of Colorado's top trade chips, courtesy of Troy Renck and Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post…
- Jeremy Guthrie's continued struggles are ruining the starter's trade value, writes Renck. Guthrie has a 6.35 ERA in 19 games this season, including a whopping 9.50 ERA at Coors Field. Renck suggests that the Rockies could limit Guthrie only to road starts in order to properly showcase him for any trade suitors.
- Marco Scutaro has drawn interest from the Pirates and Rangers, reports Renck and Saunders, in addition to the Tigers' known interest in the veteran infielder. Scutaro would be an upgrade over Clint Barmes at shortstop for the Pirates, and he would provide the Rangers with middle infield depth behind Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler.
- The Braves and Red Sox have shown some interest in Rafael Betancourt. We heard last month from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Rockies "would have to be overwhelmed" to deal Betancourt or Matt Belisle.
- The Nationals have scouted Wil Nieves. The catcher played for Washington from 2008-10 and has a .738 OPS in 51 plate appearances for Colorado after signing a minor league deal with the Rockies in December. Nieves is on the DL with a turf toe injury. The Nats also asked about Colorado's Ramon Hernandez as they continue to look for catching help.
- Scouts say the Rockies want pitching back in any deal.
Braves, Martin Prado Have Not Discussed Extension
Earlier this week we heard that the Braves will attempt to sign Martin Prado to a contract extension since they view him as their long-term third base replacement for Chipper Jones. The two sides have yet to have any discussions about a deal however, and Prado told MLB.com's Mark Bowman and Teddy Cahill that it's not on his mind at the moment.
"That is not something I want to think about right now," Prado said. "I just want to focus on this season."
Prado, 28, will earn $4.75MM this season before becoming arbitration-eligible for the third and final time this offseason. He's scheduled to become a free agent after 2013. A .296/.345/.435 career hitter with a .311/.369/.441 batting line this year, Prado has quietly become one of the game's most versatile and effective players. He's spent significant time at second base, third base, and in left field throughout his career.
It's tough to find similar players to use as contract comparisions given how many times Prado has changed positions through the years. Yesterday at FanGraphs I wrote that a four-year pact in the $40MM range could work for both sides, though Prado's representatives at Peter E. Greenberg & Associates could push for a deal in line with Alex Gordon's four-year, $50MM contract with the Royals.
Heyman On Escobar, Bourjos, Sanchez
The Phillies intend to offer Cole Hamels an extension worth approximately $130MM over six years, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today. Here are the rest of his rumors…
- Heyman keeps hearing that the Blue Jays want to trade Yunel Escobar (Twitter link). The Braves, Escobar’s former team, have little depth at shortstop following injuries to Andrelton Simmons and Jack Wilson, but they’re not interested in Escobar.
- The Angels are willing to trade outfielder Peter Bourjos in some deals, Heyman reports (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has a .243/.298/.360 batting line and won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season.
- The Angels are looking at Hamels, Zack Greinke and potentially available relievers as they aim to improve their pitching staff, Heyman adds.
- Heyman keeps hearing the Marlins could trade Anibal Sanchez (Twitter link). The Braves have expressed interest in Sanchez, who’s earning $8MM in his final season before free agency, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
- The Dodgers are looking in a variety of places for offense, Heyman reports (on Twitter). He suggests Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Michael Cuddyer, Josh Willingham, Corey Hart and Chase Headley are all possible fits, but says Alfonso Soriano is a no-go.