Tigers Inquired On Ted Lilly
The Tigers inquired about Ted Lilly, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Buster Olney reports that the sides haven’t discussed a deal in over a week, though the left-hander would be a good fit for the Tigers.
The ESPN reporters say the Cubs are communicating with a number of teams about Lilly, who is “very available.” ESPN.com’s Bruce Levine reported yesterday that teams such as the Tigers were pursuing Lilly.
The 34-year-old has a 4.07 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 this season and projects as a Type A free agent. The Tigers could use that kind of arm, since they have had inconsistent production from starters other than Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman. At 48-42 the Tigers are tied for second in the AL Central, but like the White Sox and Twins, they could use depth in their rotation.
The Tigers, who would consider adding a shortstop, have had interest in Ryan Theriot before and could inquire about him as well. Last year, the Tigers added left-hander Jarrod Washburn for the stretch run, though he didn't pitch as well as they would have hoped (7.33 ERA in Detroit).
Dunn May Be Losing Interest In Extension?
FRIDAY, 5:30pm: Dunn denied changing his mind about staying with the Nationals according to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, though he did acknowledge being frustrated by not having an extension already in place. He said he has no animosity towards the team, but will stay out of any contract talks and let his representatives handle things.
MONDAY, 7:29pm: Adam Dunn is losing interest in signing a long-term deal with the Nationals, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter links found here). The powerful first baseman perceives a lack of urgency from the Nationals, who began preliminary discussions with Dunn and his representatives months ago.
GM Mike Rizzo has made it clear that he would part with Dunn only for an extraordinary package. Olney reports that the Nationals have discussed possible deals involving Dunn, so they are clearly considering trades. As we heard last week, the White Sox are among the interested teams.
Dunn leads the National League with 22 home runs and appears headed for a seventh consecutive season with 38 or more homers. The 30-year-old has a .959 OPS, which would be a career-high. Dunn and Jayson Werth are two of the most productive hitters rumored to be available as the trade deadline nears.
Odds & Ends: Wood, Cards, Uggla, Guillen, Lilly
Links for Friday, after an impressive start from trade candidate Ted Lilly…
- Peter Gammons said on WEEI that he hears the Red Sox don't have interest in Kerry Wood.
- Five Cardinals writers confront the following question at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Has Cards GM John Mozeliak emerged from the shadow of his predecessor, Walt Jocketty?
- Joey Votto and Ryan Zimmerman are among the ten MLB players with the most trade value, if you ask Dave Cameron of FanGraphs.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak did not deny interest in Kelly Johnson and Dan Uggla while chatting to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).
- The Rockies are not discussing Dan Uggla with the Marlins, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- 2005 first rounders Justin Upton and Ryan Braun are 11th and 12th, respectively, on Dave Cameron's list of the MLB players with the most trade value.
- The Giants have a better chance of obtaining Jose Guillen than David DeJesus, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. The Giants have said they'd prefer to avoid rental players, but Guillen could presumably be had.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry met with Ted Lilly yesterday to discuss the left-hander's future, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Lilly, a (projected Type A) free agent after the season, makes $12MM this year and has no-trade protection.
- Bobby Jenks told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is relieved not to spot his name in trade rumors – at least for now.
- Former MLB manager Don Baylor tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he would like the chance to interview for the upcoming managerial opening in Toronto.
Yankees Covet Dunn, Soria
The Yankees would love to have Adam Dunn and Joakim Soria, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). But the Yankees' interest in the two stars doesn't mean those players will be in pinstripes any time soon. After all, many teams would love to have them both and the Nationals and Royals would demand a lot in any deal.
In fact, Rosenthal reports that the Nationals have an "exorbitant" asking price for Dunn. The 30-year-old, who becomes a free agent after the season, is one of the more appealing first baseman available, along with Prince Fielder. As usual, Dunn is on pace for a 40-homer season (he leads the NL with 22). He makes $12MM this season and profiles as a Type A free agent, so the Nationals could obtain picks for Dunn if they don't trade him.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported earlier in the week that Dunn may be losing interest in an extension with the Nats. At River Ave. Blues, MLBTR's Mike Axisa makes the case that the Yankees should acquire Dunn, even though he's only under contract for 2010.
The Royals would need to be "overwhelmed" to part with Soria, who makes $3MM this season and is under team control through 2014. He has 25 saves already and has posted 11.1 K/9 this season, which makes him one of the more appealing relievers available. The Yankees have had inconsistent performances from righties Joba Chamberlain, Chan Ho Park and David Robertson, which no doubt contributes to their interest in Soria.
The 2010 Trade Market
Here is a position-by-position look at the current trade market. Most of the players on these lists will stay put this month and we're sure to see some names added to and removed from them over the course of the next two weeks. But all of these players could be options for teams looking to improve between now and the end of the month:
Heyman On Haren, Oswalt, Lilly, Piniella
One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that there are plenty of complementary pieces available on the trade market, but few impact players. That echoes what Theo Epstein said earlier in the week: there’s not a ton of All-Star caliber talent available at the moment. Here's what Heyman is reporting on the market for starting pitchers:
- One general manager hears that interim GM Jerry DiPoto is asking for two starters plus bullpen help in exchange for Dan Haren. Wow.
- Another GM says every member of the D’Backs is available “except Justin Upton and maybe Ian Kennedy.”
- No team appears willing to commit to the $25MM or so remaining on Roy Oswalt’s contract. Some GMs believe Oswalt wants his 2012 option picked up at $16MM if he is traded.
- A few GMs believe the Mets make sense as a destination for Ted Lilly.
- One GM doesn’t get the impression that the Blue Jays would move young starters like Shaun Marcum.
- People connected to the Cubs expect manager Lou Piniella to retire after the season when his contract expires. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg could replace Piniella as Cubs skipper.
Olney On Mets, Phillies, Fielder
Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mets have interest in Brett Myers. Today, Olney explains part of the reason the Mets are considering him over the many other options available. Here are the details and the rest of Olney’s rumors:
- The Mets don’t anticipate having much financial flexibility, so Myers’ $3MM salary has appeal.
- Myers’ former team, the Phillies, would like to add a starter, and they have discussed pursuing difference-making pitchers.
- Executives are divided on whether the Brewers will trade Prince Fielder this July. A team that acquires Prince now would have him for two pennant races before he hits free agency at the end of the 2011 season. GM Doug Melvin won’t find many bidders for his first baseman now, but could attempt to engage more teams by marketing Fielder this winter. No matter what you think of Prince's value, we can safely say that the Brewers will have a hard time keeping him after 2011.
- The White Sox, Rays and Angels could be fits, but rival officials doubt the White Sox would have enough to offer the Brewers unless they offer Daniel Hudson and Gordon Beckham. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk pointed out last night, the Angels find themselves in a similar situation.
Potentially Available Relievers
It wouldn't be surprising to see any contender other than the Padres (and perhaps the Rays) acquire bullpen help before July 31st. Here are the options teams will consider between now and July 31st, sorted by 2010 salary:
- Kerry Wood, $10.5MM ($11MM vesting option for 2011) – There doesn't appear to be much interest in Wood now, but he will be an August trade candidate, since he will likely clear waivers.
- Trevor Hoffman, $7.5MM ($7MM mutual option or $500K buyout for 2011) – Hoffman's season numbers are ugly: an 8.33 ERA and a walk rate (4.3 BB/9) that nearly doubles his career average. If would be surprising to see the all-time saves leader traded, but his last ten innings have been quite good.
- Kyle Farnsworth, $4.5MM ($5.25MM club option or $500K buyout for 2011) – Some fans find Farnsworth frustrating, but his strikeout to walk ratio and 95 mph fastball should have appeal as the deadline nears.
- Chad Qualls, $4.2MM (free agent after 2010) – Qualls has good strikeout and walk numbers, but has been extremely hittable and has already allowed more runs than he has in any season since 2006.
- Scott Downs, $4MM (free agent after 2010) – The Phillies have interest in Downs who, like two other Toronto relievers, is available. He should have trade value because he induces ground balls, limits walks and throws left-handed.
- Matt Capps, $3.5MM (free agent after 2011) – It would be a surprise to see the Nationals trade Capps, since they have limited bullpen depth and can retain the righty for 2011. He has 23 saves and a lower walk rate than he had in 2009.
- Octavio Dotel, $3.25MM ($4.5MM option or $500K buyout for 2011, option becomes mutual after a trade) – The Marlins have inquired on Dotel, who is striking out and walking lots of batters, as usual.
- Joakim Soria, $3MM ($4MM for 2011, club options through 2014) – Something tells me it'd be tough for the Royals to trade away 25 saves, 11.1 K/9 and a deal that provides lots of flexibility for the team.
- David Aardsma, $2.75MM (free agent after 2012) – Aardsma's peripherals aren't as good as they were last year and his season ERA is 5.40.
- Jason Frasor, $2.65MM (free agent after 2010) – Frasor is available, and continues to be an effective middle reliever, though he is walking more batters than usual.
- Aaron Heilman, $2.15MM (free agent after 2010) – Heilman, who has already been traded three times in the past two years, has been one of the few somewhat effective relievers the D'Backs have had this season.
- Kevin Gregg, $2MM ($4.5MM club option for 2011 or $8.75MM for 2011-12 with $750K buyout) – Like Downs and Frasor, Gregg is available. He has 20 saves for a fourth consecutive year in spite of his usual high walk total.
- Leo Nunez, $2MM (free agent after 2012) – We haven't seen a clear indication that the Marlins would move Nunez. They were looking for relief help recently and Nunez is under control for two more years, but they could consider a trade.
- Will Ohman, $1.35M (free agent after 2010) – Ohman leads the league in appearances and should have appeal, partly because he's left-handed. He can strike hitters out, though he will walk his share, too.
- D.J. Carrasco, $950K (free agent after 2012) – Carrasco has value as a cheap option who can go more than one inning at a time. He has 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 midway through another solid season.
- Bruce Chen, minor league contract (free agent after 2011) – The 33-year-old has been a swingman of sorts for the Royals and could become a long reliever for a contender.
- Teams could always call the Padres to see if they'd part with any of their relievers, but as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out (via Twitter), the Padres seem more likely to hold their relievers now that Mike Adams is going on the DL.
- Free agents like Chad Cordero and lefties Alan Embree and Scott Schoeneweis are also available.
Poll: Best Available Starter
There are lots of starting pitchers for interested teams to consider and lots of interested teams considering starting pitching. Let's set all salaries aside for a moment and talk about pitching ability alone.
Which potentially available starter would you want to see in your favorite team's rotation?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
Phillies Don’t Expect To Add Pitching
GM Ruben Amaro Jr. explained to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that the Phillies aren’t optimistic about acquiring pitching help before the end of the month. Last year, the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee, but Amaro doesn’t know if he will be able to add an impact arm in 2010.
“Do we have to have another pitcher? No,” he said. “Would I like to add some pitching? Yeah. I think we need to get healthy. I think we're getting closer."
Chad Durbin, Ryan Madson and J.A. Happ are no longer on the DL, but the Phillies could use help behind Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton have been shaky in recent starts and Kyle Kendrick is no sure thing.
Last year this time, the Phillies signed Pedro Martinez, but a reunion seems unlikely, since Pedro has yet to throw off of a mound. There are plenty of starters for Amaro and the Phillies front office to consider, depending on how much they’re willing to spend and which prospects they’re willing to give up. The club could also add a reliever in an attempt to make up the 5.5 game gap between them and the Braves.