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Mariners Explore Deal For Kouzmanoff; Not Ready To Trade Yet

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Mariners are taking a "wait-and-see" approach to trades and "will probably wait about two weeks before moving definitively on the trade market."

Morosi adds that the Mariners and Padres have "engaged in preliminary discussions with the Padres about third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, according to one source with knowledge of the talks."

With Adrian Beltre on the DL, a deal for a third baseman would make sense for the Mariners. Earlier today, we discussed an alternative for the Mariners at third, as well as the chances that they will trade pitchers Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn.

Rockies Re-Instate Torrealba, DFA Paul Phillips

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies re-instated Yorvit Torrealba from the restricted list today and designated Paul Phillips for assignment. Torrealba was expecting to be traded, and the Rockies had hoped to find a suitor for him, but the $2MM left on his contract "complicated" any potential deal, according to Renck.

Torrealba was placed on the restricted list a month ago following the kidnapping of his son, who was returned safely. It was reported earlier today that this decision would be delayed until Friday. According to Renck, it is unclear why the move was made today instead.

Odds and Ends: Duran, Ichiro, Wright, Manny, Wilson

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The Pirates are dominating the rumors lately, but there have been a few other noteworthy items:

  • The Astros claimed infielder German Duran off unconditional waivers from the Rangers. Ken Rosenthal writes that Duran will be put on the DL and will end up in the minors. 
  • Though money is tight for many American franchises, SI reports that the earnings for the world's twenty richest non-American athletes are at an all-time high. Ichiro, with $22.5MM, is the only ballplayer on the list. 
  • David Wright shook off criticism from former Met John Franco, telling reporters that Franco "doesn't know what's going on" in the Mets clubhouse.
  • Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the Dodgers prepared for the return of Manny Ramirez with a series of roster moves.
  • And Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson apologized for remarks made yesterday that criticized the team's trading strategy.

Discussion: Mike Rizzo’s Team-Building Strategy

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Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has some interesting thoughts in the wake of yesterday's deal between the Nationals and Pirates. He argues that this trade was an indication of GM Mike Rizzo's team-building strategy, "which favors reliability over high-yield potential, a counter to predecessor Jim Bowden."

Harlan continues, "the trade, too, commences Washington's attempt to restock a malformed roster on which few outfielders can catch and few relievers can hold leads."

Meanwhile, Dave Cameron at Fangraphs argues that Nyjer Morgan might be more valuable than most give him credit for.

Morgan and Sean Burnett will both plug holes for the Nationals, but is this kind of deal a ticket to respectability for Washington? Is reliability a good return for the upside of Lastings Milledge? Pick a side!

Pirates Open To More Deals?

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Ed Price at Fanhouse.com reports that the Pirates might be open to dealing more of their players. He cites "an official of an AL team" as saying that the Bucs have been "considering deals for [John] Grabow and closer Matt Capps."

Price writes that the Pirates are not simply attempting to dump salary; they will want power pitching prospects in return. He cites a "person familiar with the Pirates' thinking" who says that other teams would have to give up more for Capps, whose contract runs through 2011.

Grabow is a left-handed reliever who had his best season last year. He is currently sporting a 3.75 ERA with 32 K's in 36 innings. Capps, the Pirates' closer, is only 25 years old and has a 3.25 career ERA, though he has pitched to a less-impressive 4.72 ERA this year with 18 saves.

For those interested in the Pirates' overall strategy, this transcript of a chat with president Frank Coonelly is worth a read. There seems to be some unrest brewing among Pirates fans who, in the words of Coonelly, are asking, "When is now?"

Draft Odds and Ends: Phillies, Red Sox, Brewers

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Some draft-themed links…

Could Cardinals Be Interested In DeRosa?

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Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com says that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is seeking help at third base with Troy Glaus out with ligament damage. "And in describing what he's looking for to reporters earlier today, he might as well have just said, 'Mark DeRosa.'"

Castrovince continues:

"The Indians, as you know, have had DeRosa basically on the block for a couple weeks now, because his value to them isn't anywhere near what it was before Jhonny Peralta moved to third base. So this could be an interesting situation to watch in the next couple days."

The Indians want Major League-ready pitching in return for DeRosa, says Castrovince, and he lists Mitchell Boggs, P.J. Walters, and Chris Perez as potential bargaining chips for the Cards.

The Indians have increasing reason to believe that they cannot compete in the AL Central. Yesterday, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX wrote that the injury to Grady Sizemore pushes the Indians that much closer to a selloff.

Peavy’s Agent Discusses Vetoed White Sox Deal

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Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune talked to Jake Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod, who said he and his client were taken by surprise when the White Sox offered to trade Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, and two unnamed pitchers for the ace. "Honestly, the White Sox had never come up, even as speculation or rumor," said Axelrod.

Axelrod outlined the difficulties teams will face when trying to deal for Peavy:

"I have always said that this is a hard deal to make because the team that seeks to acquire Jake Peavy is going to take on a significant financial responsibility in terms of his future contract. And also, according to the reports, they are going to have to give up some decent young players in exchange."

Axelrod also reiterated that Peavy strongly prefers to pitch for a National League team.

News From Twitter: Red Sox, Corey Hart, Victor Martinez, Cardinals

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A few of tonight's trade tidbits from baseball writers on Twitter:

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal: "GM Doug Melvin told me any talk of the Brewers shopping RF Corey Hart is pure nonsense."

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated: "Red Sox looking hard for a hitter. Victor Martinez would be perfect. but [C.C.] Sabathia told me no way Tribe trades V-Mart."

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that Troy Glaus is ready to resume baseball activities and noted that the Cardinals are "expanding [a] wide net for possible help."

You can follow MLB Trade Rumors on Twitter here.

Braves Seek Outfield Help In Stagnant Market

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Mark Bowman of MLB.com talked to Braves GM Frank Wren about the possibility of trading for outfield help, and Wren's comments paint a picture of a tough market:

"It's not going to be easy. We've been talking to clubs for a while, and most of them are reluctant to make a move right now. There are a number of clubs looking for offense with a power bat. None of us can shake one loose."

Bowman writes that "there would likely be some power bats that come into the picture" if the Braves were willing to offer top pitching prospect Tommy Hanson, but notes the they have "absolutely no desire" to trade the righthander.

Wren went hard after pitching last offseason, picking up Derek Lowe, Kenshin Kawakami, and Javier Vazquez, but their offense has let them down so far.

Which hitters might be a good fit for the Braves? If Wren is unwilling to part with Hanson, how much should he give up for offensive help?

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