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White Sox, Astros Not Discussing Oswalt Trade

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According to Dave van Dyck of The Chicago Tribune, White Sox GM Kenny Williams squelched rumors of his team's interest in Roy Oswalt today, saying, "I haven't talked to the Houston Astros about any pitching whatsoever."

Speculation about a deal for Oswalt heated up when The Tribune's Mark Gonzales noted on Friday that White Sox special assistant Bill Scherrer was following the Astros. According to van Dyck, Williams said today that "he didn't even know Scherrer was there."

Yesterday, we heard that Oswalt would invoke his no trade clause if Chicago tried to acquire him. So unless both sides are playing things very close to the vest, it seems that we can put this rumor to rest.

Agent Tight-Lipped About Ben Sheets’ Status

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Andrew Marchand of 1050 ESPN Radio spoke to Ben Sheets' agent, Casey Close, who gave away very little about his client's status. Close said he would make no comments about where Sheets might end up and "wouldn't even say how Sheets is doing," according to Marchand. Sheets had surgery in February to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow.

In the same article, Marchand writes that Sheets might be "a low-risk, high-reward option for the Mets."

Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News discussed Sheets in a Q&A on Friday. In response to a question about whether the Rangers would sign the injured star, Wilson urged readers that they should not "count on Sheets for a stretch run."

Wilson points out that Rangers pitcher Jason Jennings had the same surgery twice, and "should serve as poster child for not rushing back from the injury."

Sheets was last seen visiting the Rangers' pitching coach Mike Maddux two weeks ago. As we await word on his status, which teams do you think should make a play for him? Do the Mets make sense?

Peavy Explains Veto

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8:40pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune has the reaction from White Sox GM Kenny Williams. "Anyone who follows our club knows we still have championship aspirations for this season," he said.

7:19pm: The Associated Press has a full recap of the short press conference. Peavy said he will answer more questions after his start against Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs Friday night.

7:07pm: Jake Peavy read a statement to reporters, confirming that he will not accept a trade to the White Sox. "San Diego is the place for us," Peavy said of him and his family. "We've made that decision for the time being."

The White Sox are not likely to be the last team to make an offer for Peavy, and he seems to be leaving the door open for a future trade.

To recap, the White Sox and the Padres agreed to a deal that would send Peavy to Chicago in exchange for four Sox pitchers, including prospects Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda. But Peavy, whose conract includes a full no-trade clause through this season, nixed the deal. For a blow-by-blow account of how this deal came together and then fell apart, see our thread from earlier today.

Odds & Ends: Sano, Kieschnick, Strasburg

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A few links for Thursday night:

  • In a Q&A, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses the Pirates' chances of signing Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano, how they might replace Adam LaRoche at 1B if he is traded, and whether they might seek frontline starting pitching via trade. 
  • Todd Coppernoll at Brewersfan.net has an interview with former major leaguer Brooks Kieschnick, the first player to hit a home run as a pitcher, a pinch hitter, and as a DH. This is a fascinating account of the rise and fall of a ballplayer. Key quote: "I knew my career was in trouble the minute the Cubs drafted me." 
  • Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com makes his predictions for the top 10 picks in June's First-Year Player Draft. Not surprisingly, Stephen Strasburg tops the list.
  • Jim Callis at Baseball America says that Strasburg leaving Wednesday's game with back cramps is not cause for alarm. 
  • Callis also offers his predictions for which players will fall in the draft due to signability concerns. He puts OF Donavan Tate, RHP Jacob Turner, and LHP Matthew Purke on the top of the list. Tate and Turner are Scott Boras clients and Purke is advised by Select Sports Group.

Mets DFA Casey Fossum

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According to David Lennon of Newsday, the Mets designated Casey Fossum for assignment after Sunday's 8-1 loss to the Nationals. Fossum gave up 4 hits and 1 run and notched 4 strikeouts in 3.3 innings of relief this year for the Mets.

The Mets have called up lefthander Ken Takahashi to take Fossum's place. The 40-year-old Takahashi has a 0.77 ERA in six appearances for Triple-A Buffalo.

Padres Will Solve Pitching Problem From Within

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Corey Brock of MLB.com reports that the Padres will promote right-hander Chad Gaudin before Monday's game for a start on Tuesday against the Rockies.

According to Brock, Padres GM Kevin Towers said Sunday that he will not seek to acquire pitching help in a trade.

The Padres have been hit hard by injuries to their rotation, placing three starters on the disabled list in the last month. Cha Seung Baek and Walter Silva have strained forearms, and Shawn Hill was moved to the DL after leaving a game with inflammation in his elbow.

Angels May Look to Independent Leagues for Pitching Help

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According to Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times, Angels manager Mike Scioscia says he might look to independent leagues for pitching help.

"There are some good pitchers that don't have jobs that have major league experience," Scioscia said of independent league pitchers.

According to Baxter, "the team appears unlikely to make a trade and management doesn't believe the big-name free agents still on the market – namely Pedro Martinez and Paul Byrd – can get up to game speed fast enough to help them."

Baxter notes that Jose Lima and Brendan Donnelly are among the players who have resurrected their careers after pitching in the independent Atlantic League. He mentions Ryan Drese as a player who "might be worth a look" by the Angels.

Braves Fielding Offers for Pitching

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SUNDAY, 11:21am: According to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, while the Braves are happy to maintain the surplus they've acquired, they are anticipating offers. Rogers says the most likely source of trade candidates would come from the bullpen, but she includes Josh Anderson and Martin Prado as expendable position players.

Rogers posits seeking a third basemen as a successor to Chipper Jones could be a logical area of interest for the Braves. 

SATURDAY, 6:01pm: Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that Braves GM Frank Wren may look to trade surplus pitching as the season nears. According to Bowman, "Wren has already started to receive a number of pitches from teams that need arms."

Bowman writes that the "most expendable pitchers" appear to be Jeff Bennett, Buddy Carlyle, Manny Acosta and Jorge Campillo.

Angels Looking to Deal Gary Matthews Jr.?

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John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the Angels "probably would love to move" outfielder Gary Matthews Jr.  Entering the third year of of a 5-year $50MM contract, Matthews is currently no more than an "expensive fifth outfielder," according to Shea.

It's a safe bet that Matthews would relish an opportunity to play elsewhere. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported on March 16 that Matthews wants more playing time this year. "I don't intend to sit around and play a couple of days a week like last year," Matthews said.

Matthews was expected to miss all of spring training while he recovered from postseason knee surgery. He returned ahead of schedule and is performing well so far, according to Lyle Spencer of MLB.com.

Baggarly’s Giants Notes: Yabu Re-Signed, Long Relief Search

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Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports that the Giants re-signed pitcher Keiichi Yabu to a minor league deal. Yabu, who posted a 3.57 ERA, 6.35 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 in 68 innings last year, will start the season in AAA.

Baggarly also reports that the Giants are searching for a long reliever. They would like to open the season with an 11-man staff and "are seeking an upgrade to their current options."

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