Orioles Notes: Jones, Guthrie, Hunter
The Orioles sent Koji Uehara to Texas and are close to sending Derrek Lee to Pittsburgh. Here's the latest news out of Baltimore on the last night before this year's trade deadline…
- Orioles center fielder Adam Jones is not available, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- The Orioles aren't seeing offers they like for Jeremy Guthrie and will likely hang onto him, while adding the newly-acquired Tommy Hunter to the rotation, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (on Twitter).
Jose Bautista Looks Back At Past Trades
This time last year, the Major League home run leader appeared to be on the trade block and teams were asking about his availability daily. The Giants, Phillies, White Sox and Tigers all inquired on Jose Bautista, and while the talk intrigued front offices and fans alike, it didn’t faze Bautista.
"That wasn’t something that bothered me too much,” he told MLBTR. “By now, I don’t think any trade rumors bother me. It’s always somewhat intriguing to know that you’re involved in talks.”
Twelve months later, the MLB home run leaderboard looks similar – Bautista tops it with 31 home runs – but the right fielder turned third baseman no longer hears himself mentioned as a trade candidate. Bautista, who has switched organizations six times in his career, obtained some stability over the winter, signing a five-year, $64MM extension with the Blue Jays.
On this date seven years ago, long before the multiyear contracts and home run titles, the trade talk turned to reality for Bautista, who was traded twice on July 30th, 2004. The Royals sent him to the Mets, who flipped him to the Pirates, the organization that drafted and developed him. Bautista was on the field for batting practice when he was told to go inside.
“I just thought it was a routine call into the office to talk about something else,” he recalled. “They told me straight up ‘all right, we’ve got some good news and bad news, which one do you want first?’ I was like ‘give me the bad news first and then give me the good news.’ They said ‘well the bad news is we just lost you, we just traded you away. The good news is you’re going to your original team and you’re going to have a lot of opportunities.”
Then a rookie Rule 5 pick who had already suited up for the Orioles, Rays and Royals in the first three months of the 2004 season, Bautista says getting traded so often early on in his career was disorienting at times.
“There’s always a little bit of ‘what the hell am I doing wrong that people don’t want me,'" he said. "At the same time, you’re going somewhere where people do want you. Mixed bag of feelings, but ultimately it was the best thing that happened to me at that point in my career.”
Seven years later, Bautista doesn't have to pack his bags or hear his name in trade rumors. It’s now time for him to experience this summer’s trade deadline in another way – as an observer.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.
Rangers Acquire Koji Uehara For Davis, Hunter
After weeks of searching, GM Jon Daniels has acquired some help for his bullpen. The Rangers acquired Koji Uehara and $2MM from the Orioles for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter in a move the Orioles confirmed this evening.
Uehara, 36, has a 1.72 ERA with 11.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 47 innings this year. He earns $3MM and has a $4MM option for '12 that vests with another 12 appearances. He'll be a welcome addition to the back of manager Ron Washington's bullpen. Dan Mennella has all the fantasy angles covered at CloserNews.
Davis, 25, has a .250/.299/.403 line in 77 Major League plate appearances this year. He has destroyed Triple-A pitching this year, hitting 24 homers and posting a .368/.405/.824 line in 210 plate appearances. Davis, who struggles to hit lefties, has a .248/.300/.454 career line in parts of four seasons.
Hunter has appeared in eight games this year and has a 2.93 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 so far (he was on the disabled list from late March to the beginning of July). The 25-year-old former first rounder has also logged 30 2/3 minor league innings this season and he has a 4.99 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 for the Rangers' top two affiliates. Hunter was a member of the Rangers' rotation last year, when he started 22 regular season games and three in the playoffs.
Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun first reported the move. Jon Heyman of SI.com and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News added detail.
NL East Notes: Braves, Pence, Minor, Beltran, Marlins
The Phillies sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees on this date five years ago. Now they're buyers and they have Hunter Pence to show for it. Here's the latest on Pence and his new division…
- The Braves are working hard to acquire an outfield bat, but there are "still no dance partners" according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
- The Astros sent $2MM (not $1MM) to the Phillies in the Pence deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Phillies won't have to pay the luxury tax this way, Stark reports.
- Kevin Goldstein and R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus break down the trade that sent Pence to the Phillies.
- The Braves would have included Mike Minor in a deal for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- One executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Braves have six untouchable players (Twitter link).
- The Mets thought they were going to trade Carlos Beltran to the Rangers earlier in the week, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Texas was being more aggressive than other teams and even though they weren't willing to include elite prospects, the Mets considered a multi-prospect package. Finally, the Giants offered Zack Wheeler and the Mets moved on from the Rangers, who wouldn't budge on certain requests.
- The Marlins intend to keep Leo Nunez, Omar Infante, Ricky Nolasco and Randy Choate, according to Olney (on Twitter). They've gotten tons of hits on those players, Olney reports.
Pirates Acquire Derrek Lee
10:51pm: The Orioles announced the deal.
10:10pm: The Orioles will get minor league first baseman Aaron Baker from the Pirates in the deal, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Baker, 23, has a .285/.353/.474 line with 15 homers in Class A Bradenton this year. The 2009 draft pick did not crack Baseball America's preseason list of the Pirates' top 30 prospects.
10:07pm: The Pirates are "very likely" to acquire Lee tonight, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
9:40pm: It doesn't appear that the Pirates will have to take on much salary, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
9:07pm: The Orioles will obtain a Class A hitter, Connolly reports (on Twitter).
8:57pm: The Pirates are "getting very close" to acquiring Lee, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). A deal is "very likely," Connolly reports. The Orioles are likely to send cash to Pittsburgh and obtain a Class A player.
4:54pm: The Orioles are looking to move Derrek Lee as soon as they can, mostly for salary relief, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (on Twitter). The first baseman left in the eighth inning of this afternoon's game and is not in the lineup for the second half of today's double-header, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter).
The 35-year-old has a .248/.306/.409 line in 360 plate appearances this year and earns $7.25MM. His play has improved in July, however; he has a .261/.306/.533 line with six homers this month. Lee, who was dealt to the Braves last August, would be an August trade candidate if the Orioles don't move him this weekend, as there's a good chance his salary would clear waivers.
Though his contract expires after the season, Lee doesn't project as a ranked free agent, so he probably won't be tied to draft pick compensation. The Pirates inquired on Lee and the D'Backs could also be a fit.
Padres Reliever Rumors: Friday
Heath Bell said yesterday that he expects to be traded and you can't blame him given the recent rumors. The Rangers, Angels, Phillies and Cardinals appear to have some interest in Bell and some of those clubs are interested in setup man Mike Adams, as well. Here's the latest on the San Diego relievers…
- I've heard the Padres asked for Wieland and Erlin from the Rangers for Adams and were turned down, and were seeking just Wieland for Bell.
- The Cardinals are still in on Bell, tweets Heyman.
- The Rangers and Padres continue to discuss Bell, reports Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they've made little progress. The Cardinals are on the fringe, and the Angels are not involved. The Padres are asking for three players for Bell, and have interest in Rangers prospect Robbie Erlin. Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets that the Padres are rumored to have interest in Rangers Double-A righty Joe Wieland, who tossed a no-hitter against the San Antonio Missions tonight.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock questions the upper-level prospects the Cardinals would move in a deal with the Padres, but says Double-A righty Joe Kelly is a name to watch (Twitter link).
- The Rangers remain the favorite for Bell, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, but they're at a standstill with the Padres in terms of which prospects would be involved. He says the Padres understand they're not getting Jurickson Profar, Martin Perez, or Leonys Martin.
- The Phillies remain active in talks for Padres relievers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. He says they prefer Adams to Bell because of the extra year of control.
- The Rangers are the frontrunners for Bell and the Cardinals' interest in the closer is growing, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It's possible that no team will meet the Padres' asking price for Adams, Center writes.
- Rival teams still expect the Rangers to acquire Bell, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. One official even says it’s “a lock.” However, the Rangers continue to shy away from the Padres’ asking price – up to three of their top prospects.
- The Angels are looking for setup types, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Friday
The Tigers contacted the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez yesterday and they're far from the only team in the mix. The Yankees, Red Sox, Reds and Indians are still involved and the Rockies are eyeing each team's top prospects in possible deals. Colorado's asking price hasn't dropped, so it will still take multiple top young players to pry the right-hander away. Here are the latest rumors, with the most recent updates up top:
- Danny Knobler tweets that the Tigers are out on Jimenez for now, and while the Indians have tried it looks like the Yankees or Red Sox if there's a trade at all. He says the door is slightly open for the Tigers to have another go at it, but that's not expected to happen.
- A Rockies source pegs the chances of a Pence deal at less than 50%, with the Yankees and Red Sox most likely, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan.
- The Tigers have strong interest and are willing to include top prospect Jacob Turner in a Jimenez deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Turner is ranked anywhere from #11 to #26 among all prospects by the gurus.
- The Yankees have made no calls to the Rockies thus far today, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
- Others believe the Indians are a big threat to acquire Jimenez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Yankees’ interest in Jimenez appears to be waning, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. However, the Indians are sending signals that their “untouchables” might be available in a deal for Jimenez, according to Stark.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Rockies are "mad" at Jimenez for for the way he has acted this year (Twitter link). However, Troy Renck of the Denver Post weighs in on Ubaldo the person: "There are no questions about his character," Renck tweets. "Zero."
- The Red Sox are aggressively pursuing Jimenez while the Indians, Reds, and Blue Jays are also interested, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. Meanwhile, Heyman says that the Yankees are "lurking".
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says that the Yankees would only package Jesus Montero and Dellin Betances in the same deal in exchange for a sure thing, and they don't view Jimenez as a sure thing.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that talks between the Yankees and Rockies have not gone well (Twitter link).
- Any Jimenez deal with the Tigers would "almost certainly" include Jacob Turner and/or Rick Porcello, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Rival teams expect to know the Rockies’ true intentions regarding Jimenez tomorrow, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. If the sky-high asking price drops in the next day and a half, other teams will see the price reduction as a signal that Colorado intends to move Jimenez.
Reds In On Michael Bourn
7:26pm: The Reds are focused on Bourn, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. However, SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Astros' asking price for the Reds is wildly high.
9:52am: The Reds aren’t letting a losing record stop them from pursuing some of the top available players. They're in on Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence of the Astros, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Astros recently stepped up their efforts to trade Bourn, who has also drawn interest from the Nationals.
Bourn, 28, has a .306/.367/.409 line in 465 plate appearances. The Houston native leads the National League in stolen bases (39) for the third consecutive season and UZR/150 suggests he's an above-average defensive center fielder. The Scott Boras client earns $4.4MM this year and is eligible for free agency after 2012.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggested this morning that Bourn might be a good fit for the Reds, who could put the speedster at the top of their order.
Tigers, Indians Pursuing Jason Marquis
4:34pm: The Indians have joined the Tigers in the pursuit of Marquis, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden. The two division rivals appear to be chasing many of the same starting pitchers. The Nationals are asking a lot, as they reportedly want teams to take on Marquis' remaining $2.5MM and surrender a prospect.
12:21am: The Tigers are discussing a trade for Jason Marquis, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski has been looking for starting pitching this month and has had interest in Marquis.
Though the Tigers have pursued others, including Hiroki Kuroda and Jeremy Guthrie, they're not sure that Kuroda would accept a deal to Detroit and appear to have struggled to reach a deal with the Orioles for Guthrie. Tigers checked in on Doug Fister, but they were turned off by the Mariners' asking price. They contacted the Rockies about Ubaldo Jimenez as well.
The Tigers recently bumped Phil Coke from a rotation that includes Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Brad Penny.
Reds Won’t Be Selling
4:18pm: GM Walt Jocketty told reporters today, "We are not selling." At 6.5 games out, Jocketty feels the Reds are "still within striking distance." It sounds like catcher Ramon Hernandez is staying put, as Jocketty says his value is greater to the Reds than what they'd get in return and he has not listened to offers. (Twitter links from MLB.com's Mark Sheldon and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
FRIDAY, 12:42pm: The Reds are “strongly mulling a sell-a-thon,” according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
THURSDAY: The Mets completed a four-game sweep in Cincinnati this afternoon, so the 50-55 Reds face a decision: do they continue pursuing difficult-to-obtain players like Ubaldo Jimenez and Hunter Pence or approach possible trades with a cautious approach more typical of a fourth-place team? At this point, the Reds may still be undecided. An unnamed general manager told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Reds GM Walt Jocketty seems unsure about which course to take between now and Sunday’s trade deadline (Twitter link).
The Reds are now in fourth place, 6.5 games out of first and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer guesses that if they make a move it will be directed toward making a difference in future seasons (Twitter link). As Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com points out, the Reds weren't in contention when they acquired Scott Rolen from the Blue Jays in 2009 (Twitter link).