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Angels Interested In David Murphy

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The Angels are among the teams interested in Indians corner outfielder David Murphy, Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports report (on Twitter). The lefty-hitting Murphy is in the midst of a solid season in Cleveland in which he’s batted .299/.347/.443 in 224 plate appearances. The 33-year-old is making $6MM this season and has a $500K buyout on his $7MM 2016 team option.

The Angels already have lefty hitters (Matt Joyce and Kole Calhoun) in the outfield corners, although Joyce has struggled this season, and Murphy could also help righty C.J. Cron (who has a .679 OPS this season and has done most of his damage against lefties) at DH. Last week, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Indians would like to receive younger hitters in return for Murphy or Ryan Raburn.

More Fallout From The Johnny Cueto Trade

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We already collected one set of reactions to the trade of Johnny Cueto to the Royals. Here are a few more odds and ends from the deal.

  • In Brandon Finnegan, Cody Reed and John Lamb, the Reds are receiving three potential big-league starters, MLB.com’s Jim Callis writes. The Reds sacrificed a draft pick as a result of trading Cueto, but the three lefties they received have more than enough talent to make up for it. The Royals, meanwhile, traded from solid minor league pitching depth.
  • The Yankees scouted Cueto for five weeks, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. The Yankees and Reds also had brief discussions involving Cueto and Yankees starter Ivan Nova, but the talks did not develop. It is, of course, highly unlikely that Nova could have been centerpiece of any Cueto trade. The Yankees have thus far been unwilling to trade top prospects like Aaron Judge, Luis Severino or Greg Bird.
  • The Dodgers did have talks with the Reds about Cueto, GM Farhan Zaidi tells CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Zaidi thinks the Dodgers will be able to consummate some other trade before Friday’s deadline, presumably one involving starting pitching. Within the Dodgers’ clubhouse, Heyman writes, some players were disappointed that the team didn’t get Cueto, and would like the team to pursue David Price now that Cueto is off the market.

Latest On Cole Hamels

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Phillies starter Cole Hamels has completed a no-hitter against the Cubs in what could be his final start with Philadelphia. Hamels walked two (Dexter Fowler twice) and struck out 13 in the gem. Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera deserves a hat tip – he made two adventurous catches in the final two innings. If you missed the game, it’s well worth catching the highlights on SportsCenter.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that only two pitchers have been traded in a season in which they tossed a no-hitter – Edwin Jackson in 2010 and Cliff Chambers in 1951. The Cubs got a good first-hand look at Hamels – they are one of several clubs connected to him. There have also been a few new bits of information from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, all via Twitter (1 2 3 4 5).

  • The Yankees have asked about Hamels, but their interest does not appear to be much more than due diligence at this time. The Phillies like Yankees power-hitting prospect Aaron Judge, but the Yankees don’t want to trade top prospects like Judge, first baseman Greg Bird or righty Luis Severino. “We’ve had conversations with every club willing to sell, finding out what they’re willing to sell and what their price tags are,” says Yankees exec Brian Cashman.
  • In addition to the Yankees, other recent teams to express interest in Hamels include the Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers and Giants.
  • The Astros are scouting Hamels’ start today. Rosenthal says that they’re keeping tabs on his market, since they might be better positioned to offer the Phillies what they’re looking for than some other teams are.

Closer Notes: Nationals, Papelbon, Chapman

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The Phillies and Nationals recently discussed a trade involving Jonathan Papelbon, but a deal between the two teams does not seem likely, Jake Kaplan of the Inquirer writes. Papelbon would need to approve a trade to Washington, but his preference is to remain a closer, and the Nats already have an excellent one in Drew Storen. Here are more quick notes on relievers.

  • Rival executives think that if the Nationals do make a move this week, it will be a big one, ESPN’s Jayson Stark tweets. Stark speculates that could mean a pursuit of the Padres’ Craig Kimbrel or the Reds’ Aroldis Chapman. Neither of those pitchers have no-trade restrictions. FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi wrote last month that the Nationals and Reds had discussed Chapman.
  • Trading for Chapman might be tricky, however. Stark also tweets that the Reds have asked other teams for three “higher-level” prospects in return for their closer. The significance of that information depends on how good those higher-level prospects are, but it appears they’re in no rush to part with him lightly. The Reds could certainly wait to deal Chapman, who isn’t eligible for free agency until after next season.

Ruben Rivera Retires

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Former big-league outfielder and top prospect Ruben Rivera appears to have retired as a player, MiDiario.com reports (link in Spanish). Rivera will now become a hitting coach for his former team, the Olmecas de Tabasco.

Among many US readers, this news will surely be greeted with confusion, since Rivera last appeared in the big leagues in 2003, but he has been a star in Mexico for a decade since then, hitting at least 20 home runs in eight separate years in the Mexican League and also posting several strong seasons in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

The 41-year-old Rivera has a somewhat different history in the United States, of course. He signed with the Yankees in 1990, and Baseball America ranked him in the top ten prospects in baseball in 1995, 1996 and 1997. After a trade to the Padres, though, he never had sustained success in the big leagues, generally posting low batting averages and on-base percentages in parts of four seasons in San Diego.

After being released, he headed to the Reds before returning to the Yankees prior to the 2002 season. The Yankees then released him after an infamous incident in which he took equipment from Derek Jeter to sell to a sports memorabilia dealer. He then played briefly for the Rangers and Giants (during which he was part of one of the greatest baserunning gaffes of all time) before heading to the minors and ultimately to Mexico. For his big-league career, Rivera hit .216/.307/.393 in 1818 plate appearances spanning nine seasons.

Latest On Mets’ Pursuit Of Offense

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At least based on reports, the Mets appear to be one of the busier teams as we approach the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Here’s the latest, mostly via FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:

  • The Mets tried for Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, but they believe Colorado isn’t interested in a trade.
  • The Mets have also looked into utilityman Ben Zobrist and reliever Tyler Clippard of the Athletics, but it appears likely that the Athletics will find better deals for both players, probably in two different trades.
  • New York discussed sending Zack Wheeler to the Reds in a deal for outfielder Jay Bruce, but talks went nowhere. Andy Martino and Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Mets had discussed potential Wheeler deals with multiple clubs.
  • The Mets and Brewers have had talks regarding Gerardo Parra, although it appears that there’s enough interest in Parra that the Brewers’ price has increased. That’s consistent with a tweet this afternoon from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt, who wrote that the Brewers have had lots of interest in Parra and will have their choice of various offers.
  • The Mets are also interested in Yoenis Cespedes of the Tigers, but so far, they have nothing to show for it, Marc Carig of Newsday tweets.

Yankees Designate Gregorio Petit For Assignment

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The Yankees have announced that they’ve designated infielder Gregorio Petit for assignment. The Yankees also optioned righty Branden Pinder to Scranton. The moves clear space for righty Nick Goody, whose contract the Yankees selected from Triple-A Scranton after 48 1/3 strong innings of relief in the high minors this season.

The 30-year-old Petit collected 47 plate appearances with the Yankees, hitting .167/.217/.238. He’s also played with the Athletics and Astros in parts of four seasons in the big leagues. Petit isn’t a strong hitter, but he does provide versatility in the field, appearing at second and third with the Yankees and also appearing at shortstop in the minors this season.

Pirates Designate Brent Morel For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated third baseman Brent Morel for assignment, MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets. The move clears space on the Pirates’ active roster for fellow third baseman Aramis Ramirez. The Pirates’ 40-man roster now stands at 39, since the Pirates already designated Steve Lombardozzi to clear space for Ramirez on their 40-man roster, but Morel was out of options, so the Bucs could not merely send him back to the minors.

The 28-year-old Morel is a good defensive corner infielder but a weak hitter, as his career .227/.273/.328 line in the big leagues suggests. Morel was hitting .266/.322/.441 in 326 plate appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis before being pressed into duty in Pittsburgh thanks to injuries to infielders Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer.

Mets, Padres Stalled In Justin Upton Trade Talks

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The Mets and Padres have discussed a possible Justin Upton trade, but talks have since stalled, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman writes. The Padres asked for one or two top prospects in return, and declined to pay any of the approximately $6MM remaining on Upton’s contract. Heyman had previously reported that Upton was a top priority for the Mets.

The identities of the prospect or prospects the Padres sought are unknown. Heyman notes, however, that the Padres want quality and not quantity in their return for Upton. Upton is currently hitting .248/.326/.420 in his last season before free agency eligibility. The Orioles, Pirates and Astros have also recently been connected to Upton.

The Mets are known to be searching for offense, and they’ve also recently been linked to Gerardo Parra of the Brewers. Heyman also lists Carlos Gomez of the Brewers, Jay Bruce and Marlon Byrd of the Reds and Will Venable of the Padres as possibilities. Yesterday, the Mets traded for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson of the Braves to upgrade their infield, and they also recently promoted top prospect Michael Conforto to help their outfield, although GM Sandy Alderson said that the timing of Conforto’s promotion would not affect their strategy at the trade deadline.

Prospect Notes: Lee, Hultzen, Giolito

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The Dodgers have announced that Zach Lee has been promoted and will make his big-league debut tonight in a start against the Mets. The Dodgers will announce a corresponding move later today. The 23-year-old Lee, a first-round pick in 2010, was a top prospect list staple before a rough season with Triple-A Albuquerque in 2014. He’s bounced back nicely with the Dodgers’ new Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City this season, though, posting a 2.36 ERA, 6.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 68 2/3 innings. He’ll become the 14th pitcher to start for the Dodgers in a season that’s featured tons of rotation injuries. Here are a couple more notes on pitching prospects, both of them former first-rounders.

  • Mariners pitcher Danny Hultzen, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, has been shut down with shoulder fatigue and is unlikely to pitch the rest of the season, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). The Mariners hope he’ll be able to pitch in the Arizona Fall League or in instructs. It’s been a very rough ride for the 25-year-old Hultzen, who has missed most of the last three seasons due to shoulder troubles, including a torn rotator cuff and labrum.
  • The Nationals have promoted top prospect Lucas Giolito to Double-A Harrisburg, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. Giolito, who turned 21 earlier this month, dominated at Class A+ Potomac, posting a 2.71 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 69 2/3 innings there, displaying excellent velocity and a great curveball. MLB.com, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN’s Keith Law all ranked Giolito among baseball’s top ten prospects heading into the season, and he’s done nothing to diminish that status since then. Law (Insider-only) ranked Giolito the third-best prospect in baseball, behind only the Dodgers’ Corey Seager and the Phillies’ J.P. Crawford, in a recent update to his list.

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