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Tigers Interested In Derek Lowe

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The Tigers are looking for starting pitching, and that search has led them to a native Michiganite. Detroit has expressed interest in Derek Lowe according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, though the two sides have not yet had any serious talks.

Money could be an issue for the Tigers, as Morosi notes. Lowe is owed approximately $6MM for the rest of this season and is under contract for $15MM next year. That said, the prospect cost would be much less significant than it would be for someone like Ubaldo Jimenez. The 38-year-old Lowe has a 4.30 ERA in 113 innings this season, though he has his highest strikeout rate (6.5 K/9) in four years with his typically high ground ball rate (59.9%).

All things being equal, Morosi says Detroit would prefer to add a left-handed starter to a rotation currently lacking one. The Braves would be able to use any cash savings towards adding a hitter. These two teams have gotten together for a number of trades in recent years as our Transaction Tracker shows.

Rosenthal On Nolasco, Rays, Upton, Jimenez

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brought us another edition of Full Count today while sporting yet another fantastic bow tie.  Here are some highlights..

  • The Marlins could wind up trading Ricky Nolasco if they fail to get back to the .500 mark.  The Rangers have shown interest in Nolasco since last winter and the Yankees could look to reunite him with manager Joe Girardi.  If the Fish make such a deal, it won't be in one of their classic salary dumps, it will be instead for baseball reasons.  They're looking to increase their payroll ahead of their move into a brand new stadium and they could be major players for free agents this winter.
  • The Rays still could end up as sellers but right now they appear to be buyers as they were looking to get Francisco Rodriguez before the Brewers swooped in at the final hour.  If Tampa Bay sells, it's doubtful that they'll move any of their starters but B.J. Upton is another story.  In theory, the Nationals, Phillies, and Braves could all be potential destinations for the outfielder.
  • The three teams with the best chance of meeting the Rockies' asking price for Ubaldo Jimenez are the Yankees, Tigers, and Reds.  The concerns with Jimenez are that he's not back to his 2009/early 2010 form and that his velocity has dropped.  One scout told Rosenthal that he's not back to his ace form yet but he's getting close.
  • The first-place Pirates are after upgrades but they should also improve from within.  They have a number of injured players returning such as Jose Tabata, Evan Meek, and Ross Ohlendorf.  The Bucs continue to search for a bat but they're not terribly interested in the Cubs' Carlos Pena.

Olney On Tigers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Beltran

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Teams looking to trade for outfield help will encounter a buyers’ market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest from around MLB, with the most recent rumors up top:

  • The Tigers are pursuing pitching aggressively, checking in on high-end arms, according to Olney (on Twitter). 
  • The Pirates are looking for an outfielder who can be a stable presence in their lineup. They have asked around for veteran outfielders (Twitter link). 
  • The D'Backs are looking for relievers who have yet to go to arbitration, not expensive veterans (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox, Braves and Phillies would “undoubtedly” love to acquire Carlos Beltran, but all three clubs are distancing themselves from the teams behind them in the standings, so they could decide to acquire a second-tier bat instead of surrendering an elite prospect for Beltran.
  • Hunter Pence will likely stay in Houston unless the Astros are “overwhelmed,” according to Olney.
  • The A’s are listening on Josh Willingham.
  • Rival GMs believe that a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez is “all but impossible,” since the Rockies would ask for so much in a trade for their ace. The Rockies will listen on Jimenez, who is on the Reds' radar.

Braves Sign Sean Gilmartin

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FRIDAY: Gilmartin obtained a bonus of $1.13MM, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). The 21-year-old obtained MLB's recommended bonus.

THURSDAY: The Braves have signed their first round pick in the 2011 amateur draft, 28th-overall selection Sean Gilmartin, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America.  (Twitter link)  Gilmartin, 21, is a 6'2" left-hander out of Florida State who the Padres took as a high-schooler in the 31st round in 2008.  Terms of the deal haven't been released, but MLB's recommended slot bonus for the No. 28 position is $1.134MM.

NL East Notes: Beltran, Sanchez, Nationals, Braves

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The Marlins are the only NL East team whose second half begins tonight, as the Fish start a four-game series at Wrigley Field.  The other four teams will begin intra-divisional matchups (Phillies at Mets, Nationals at Braves) on Friday.  Here's the latest from the East…

  • The Carlos Beltran rumors are already swirling but the Mets will wait right until the deadline to move him, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  The Mets will wait, Heyman says, since the team still thinks it has a chance at the playoffs and because the club isn't sure Beltran would clear waivers.
  • The Marlins' organizational lack of pitching depth make them likely to pursue an extension with Anibal Sanchez, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  2012 is Sanchez's last arbitration-eligible year, so Rodriguez thinks an extension might cost a bit more than Josh Johnson's four-year, $39MM with the team since this deal would be cover more of Sanchez's free agent years.
  • Also from Rodriguez, Larry Beinfest said prospect Matt Dominguez is being considered by the Marlins for a September call-up.  Dominguez was the 12th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft and was ranked 81st on Baseball America's preseason list of the game's 100 best prospects.  He hasn't hit well at Triple-A this season (a .239/.303/.394 line in 201 plate appearances) but Dominguez also spent a month recovering from a fractured elbow.
  • Terry Collins announced today that Pedro Beato, Jason Isringhausen and Bobby Parnell will all get chances to close games for the Mets.  For more on this move and other late-game news, check out MLBTR's sister site, Closer News.
  • The Nationals announced the signings of four picks from this year's amateur draft.  Right-hander Taylor Hill (a sixth-round pick) was the highest-selected of the four new Nats.
  • Frank Wren talks to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the Braves' needs at the trade deadline.  Wren feels the return of Martin Prado and Chipper Jones from the DL will help the club's offense and thus Atlanta may just look for role players to come off the bench, sch as a right-handed bat.  The Braves are often mentioned as a team that could move its pitching depth in a trade but Wren says that other clubs haven't contacted him about such deals "because I think they’re smart enough to know that we’re not going to be trading our young pitching unless there’s something extraordinary out there to us."

Soria Can Block Trades To Dodgers, Rockies, Braves

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The Dodgers, Rockies and Braves have replaced the Tigers, Cubs and Cardinals on Joakim Soria's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com (on Twitter). The reliever can still block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies with his no-trade clause, which would provide him with leverage in the unlikely event of a proposed deal.

The asking price for Soria is "exorbitant," according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who hears that Royals officials have never had upper-level talks about the closer with the Yankees.

Soria, 27, has a 4.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 38 innings this year. He had a difficult May during which he briefly lost the closer's job, but has recovered to post a 14K/2BB ratio since with just one earned run allowed in 16 innings in June and July.

The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games this year (he has finished 26 games so far). The Royals also have an $8MM option for Soria in 2013 ($750K buyout) and an $8.75MM option for  2014 ($750K buyout). Keep up with Soria and every other MLB closer at closernews.com.

NL East Notes: Beltran, Braves, Marlins

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The Mets made the first major deal of the summer last night, sending Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee. Here's the story, here are some related links and here's the latest from the rest of the division…

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that we shouldn't draw conclusions about the Mets from their decision to trade their high-priced closer (Twitter links). Alderson says he simply wanted to trade Rodriguez before other relievers became available.
  • Though Carlos Beltran has drawn lots of interest, the Mets aren't actively discussing him with other teams at this point, Alderson told Rubin (on Twitter). The Mets are looking for a "big-time" prospect for Beltran, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, who suggests the Mets could keep the outfielder if they aren't offered exactly what they want (Twitter links).
  • The Braves would like to acquire an affordable right-handed bat without handing over top prospects, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told Joe Frisaro of MLB.com that he doesn't expect to make major changes this month. “We never really consider ourselves sellers,” Beinfest said.
  • At Closernews.com, Dan Mennella explains why Michael Dunn would be worth a look on your fantasy team if the Marlins decide to trade Leo Nunez.

Contenders In Need Of A Left Field Upgrade

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As many as seven contenders could seek a left field upgrade at the trade deadline:

  • Rays: The Rays are five games out in the wild card, so acquiring talent for the short-term remains possible.  They've been using Sam Fuld and Justin Ruggiano lately.
  • Tigers: The team has employed a bunch of different corner outfielders, but primary options Brennan Boesch and Magglio Ordonez might be sufficient.
  • White Sox: The Sox have stuck with Juan Pierre, who was at least useful in May and is having a solid July.  Internally, they could give more playing time to Brent Lillibridge or promote Dayan Viciedo.
  • Phillies: Raul Ibanez has had a rough year, but has shown power this month and in May.  He's earning $11.5MM, which limits the Phillies' flexibility.
  • Braves: The Braves have been using Nate McLouth in left and Jordan Schafer in center lately with Martin Prado on the DL.  Prado will fill in for Chipper Jones at third upon his return.
  • Reds: The Reds have tried Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes, and Fred Lewis.  Overall none of them have been awful but no one has run away with the job.
  • Giants: Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, and perhaps Pat Burrell are in the mix.  Brandon Belt could enter the picture as well, so the Giants may already have enough to choose from.

None of these clubs are a slam dunk to acquire a left fielder, but the Braves, Phillies, and Reds seem more likely than the others.  Potential trade targets could include Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Luke Scott (if healthy), David DeJesus, Marcus Thames, Laynce Nix, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, and Juan Rivera, with Soriano and Lee long shots to be dealt.

Cafardo’s Latest: Bell, Kazmir, Kendall, Aramis

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Heath Bell's name has been near the top of this season's list of trade candidates for months, and in this week's Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe adds a new potential suitor to the mix. According to Cafardo's source, the Rays are interested in the Padres' closer, but will have to determine over the next couple weeks whether they have "enough firepower" to go all out to catch the Red Sox and Yankees. Here are a few other highlights from Cafardo:

  • The Yankees, Rangers, Diamondbacks, and Phillies are a few other teams monitoring Bell.
  • While there hasn't been a whole lot of interest in Scott Kazmir, the Padres and Rangers have "taken a look."
  • Jason Kendall, who hasn't played this year as he recovers from shoulder surgery, has re-torn two rotator cuff tendons. Kendall will undergo additional surgery, possibly ending his career. Royals manager Ned Yost on the procedure: "That takes him out of the picture for this year and out of the picture for next year…. I think it’s more a quality-of-life surgery so he can have function in his shoulder."
  • The Angels appear to be the team most interested in Aramis Ramirez, though Cafardo names the Mariners, Giants, Braves, and D'Backs as other clubs who could look into the Cubs' third baseman. Of course, Ramirez's agent said earlier this week that his client likely won't waive his no-trade clause, so inquires may be futile.

Chicago Notes: Wood, White Sox, Soriano, Ramirez

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Let's check out some items on the Chicago teams, who are both in action tonight..

  • Cubs GM Jim Hendry says that he's gotten phone calls from teams inquiring about players that he's not interested in moving, and the teams know that before they call, writes Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
  • At some point, the Cubs will let Kerry Wood know which contenders have serious interest in him and let him make the choice of if he's traded, and where to according to Buster Olney of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Meanwhile, the club is telling teams that they have no interest in talking about Sean Marshall in any potential trade, Olney tweets.
  • The White Sox might make a trade with the Braves in the weeks leading up to the deadline, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  Though it's possible that nothing is imminent, GM Ken Williams' special assistants Dave Yoakum and Bill Scherrer have been watching Atlanta over the past two or three series.
  • Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com wonders if Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and John Grabow could be of interest to the Yankees.  Although the Yankees already have a solid base in their everyday lineup, Levine writes that Ramirez or Soriano could add some punch as a designated hitter.
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