Phillies Downplaying Pedro Interest?
Jayson Stark at ESPN says the Phillies are "exploring all possibilities" to shore up their rotation, and one of those possibilities has been Pedro Martinez, who they saw throw today. While manager Charlie Manuel didn't seem to indicate Pedro was the answer to the team's issues, a major-league source told Stark that "If [Pedro] throws well, they'll do something."
The source, based in the Dominican Republic, goes on to say that the Phillies have already notified Martinez that they likely won't reach his demands of a $5MM prorated salary. Instead, they're shooting for an incentive-laden deal of some kind. Keep up with the latest Pedro rumors here.
White Sox Acquire Tony Pena
According to Jesse Temple at MLB.com, the White Sox have acquired RHP Tony Pena from the Diamondbacks for 1B prospect Brandon Allen.
Pena, 27, had been serving as a late-inning reliever for the D'Backs, where he's amassed a 4.24 ERA and 26/11 K/BB ratio in 34 innings. Pena is cheap and under team control through 2012.
Allen is a 23-year-old prospect with power. He's struggled since being called up to Triple-A earlier this year, putting up a .584 OPS in 13 games so far, but he mashed in the minors last year, putting up a .972 OPS in 153 Double-A at-bats.
This looks like a decent return for both teams. Pena has allowed quite a few more hits than usual this year, but sports a .352 BABIP that could be due for regression. He could be useful in the back end of the bullpen. John Sickels at Minor League Ball rated Allen the fourth-best Sox prospect before the season. This deal pretty much solidifies the Diamondbacks as sellers, so it'll be interesting to see if they move any more pieces before the deadline.
Rizzo: “Not Trading Dunn”
Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post has a transcript of Nationals GM Mike Rizzo's chat with ESPN Radio's Kevin Sheehan today. At first, Rizzo says Dunn is "not on the trading block," but then implies the Nationals would think about it if they were overwhelmed. So Sheehan lays it on the line:
Sheehan: Do you understand that without a definitive statement on that it's a little bit surprising to some of the fans?
Rizzo: We are not trading Adam Dunn. That's as definitive as I can be.
Steinberg admits to being a fan of Dunn, saying "Dunn has the potential to capture casual D.C. sports fans in a way hardly anyone else on that roster does."
Rizzo may call his words "definitive," but anything can happen. Keep up with the latest rumblings on Dunn here.
Padres DFA Walter Silva
According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, the Padres have designated RHP Walter Silva for assignment. Infielder Craig Stansberry has been recalled to replace Silva on the roster.
The Padres had inked the 32-year-old Silva to a minor league deal in February out of the Mexican Winter League. Silva started six games for the Padres and put up an ugly 8.76 ERA and 11/15 K/BB ratio in 24.2 innings. Brock notes the Padres don't have to make up Silva's rotation spot until Saturday, so it's unclear who will replace him for now.
Halladay Season: Link Round-Up
The baseball realm is a-twitter with the news that the Blue Jays will listen to offers on Roy Halladay. Let's run down the latest bullet points on this front:
- MLB.com's Jordan Bastian has a bevy of quotes from Roy himself: "It's a situation where I think if it's best for the team, if it's best for me, then you go from there."
- SI's Jon Heyman hears that the Jays may want a top SS prospect for the Doc, which could bode well for the Phillies, White Sox and Brewers, who all harbor chips in Jason Donald, Gordon Beckham and Alcides Escobar, respectively.
- Scott Gregor at the Daily Herald doesn't believe a deal with the White Sox for Halladay to be a likely scenario.
- Scott Lauber of the News-Journal says the Blue Jays already have a scout at the Phillies game tonight.
- Bill Shaikin at the L.A. Times asks Dodgers fans what their package deal for the Doc would be.
- Ken Davidoff at Newsday says it'd be "irresponsible" for the Mets and Yankees to not inquire on Halladay. Davidoff talked to Ricciardi, who insinuates that he wants a bigger package than what the Braves gave for Mark Teixeira a couple years ago.
- Tony Massarotti at the Boston Globe wonders just how unlikely an intra-divisional trade would be, and according to J.P. Ricciardi via WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, he apparently wouldn't hesitate to deal to an AL East competitor.
Giants To Discuss Finances
Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants brass, headed by managing general partner Bill Neukom, will meet to discuss the potential addition of payroll through a midseason deal. Schulman believes that though money might be there to acquire the big bat they covet, the cost in prospects might be the dealbreaker. Schulman writes:
"To get Mark DeRosa from Cleveland, the Cardinals had to part with a major-league, power bullpen arm (Chris Perez) and a player to be named who I understand will be a top-level prospect — all for three months of DeRosa. Scott Hairston is a nice outfielder, too, but Billy Beane gave up three prospects to get him. Imagine, then, what it will take for GM Brian Sabean to extract a legitimate middle-order hitter."
Schulman reiterates GM Brian Sabean's stance against betting the farm on a three-month rental, and calls this a definite sellers' market. He goes on to note that there isn't a Ryan Braun in the clubhouse clamoring for a deal to improve the team, and concludes that this will likely be a quiet deadline for the Giants, "unless one or two teams fall by the wayside quickly, either competitively or financially."
A’s Acquire Scott Hairston
10:08pm: Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports reports that Hairston was not acquired to be flipped to another club and has been on the As' radar since he was traded from the Diamondbacks in 2007. Rosenthal notes that Hairston is cheap this season at $1.5MM and under control through 2011, and that the Mets, Phillies and Giants also expressed interest. He says the PTBNL will be revealed probably at the end of this month.
Corey Brock of MLB.com tells us that Padres GM Kevin Towers "sounded excited" about the player to be named later, who will be one of two pitchers in the A's organization. One of these unnamed players reportedly has Major League service time.
8:55pm: Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com says the new Padres pitchers are RHP Ryan Webb and high-A RHP Craig Italiano. Corey Brock at MLB.com tells us that Webb will join the Padres in Phoenix tomorrow, while Italiano will likely head to the Pads' Class-A affiliate Lake Elsinore.
Keith Law of ESPN says this about Italiano: "Great arm, bad delivery. Stick him in the pen and watch him go." The 22-year-old was a second-round draft choice for the A's in 2005. Webb, 23, was drafted in the fourth round in 2004 and has worked his way through the minors, putting up a 4.34 ERA and 39/15 K/BB ratio in 45.2 innings for Triple-A Sacramento this season. Hairston is expected to join the A's in Boston on Monday.
8:28pm: According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, the Padres have traded Scott Hairston to the A's for two minor league pitchers and a PTBNL.
Hairston, 29, has put up a solid .307/.364/.547 line in 210 plate appearances while manning outfield for the Padres this year. We'll update you with more information as it comes.
Rangers Ink More International FA’s
We learned yesterday that the Rangers signed two top international free agents, and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan has a few more for us that were made official today. In addition to Venezuelan SS Luis Sardinas and SS Jurickson Profar of Curacao, the Rangers added LHP Daniel De La Torre of Mexico, outfielder Chris Garia of Curacao and shortstop Luis Mendez of Venezuela.
Sullivan tells us Garia is speedster who was clocked in at 6.2 seconds for the 60-yard dash, but "not a big prospect." There's some video of Profar here. Both of the Curacao natives played in an international tournament hosted by fellow native and Rangers OF Andruw Jones, says Daniel Paulling at MLB.com.
Indians Sign Bobby Livingston
According to Anthony Castrovince at MLB.com, the Indians signed LHP Bobby Livingston to a minor-league deal yesterday. Livingston had been granted his release from the Orioles on July 2nd, and he'll now slide into the rotation at Double-A affiliate Akron. This marks another scrap-heap acquisition for the Indians, who have been shuffling their vaunted bullpen.
All-Star Acquisitions
As you probably heard, the All-Star lineups were announced today. Whether you consider the lineups fair or flawed, a sizeable portion of the talent pool was acquired just this past offseason and will be heading to St. Louis for the festivities next week. Just for fun, let's run through a list of these players–let me know if I missed anyone:
AL
SP Edwin Jackson, Tigers – Acquired Dec. 10, 2008, from Rays for OF Matt Joyce.
RP Brian Fuentes, Angels – Signed Dec. 31, 2008, to 2-year deal worth $17.5MM.
1B Mark Teixeira, Yankees – Signed Dec. 23, 2008, to 8-year deal worth $180MM.
NL
OF Raul Ibanez, Phillies – Signed Dec. 16, 2008, to 3-year deal worth $31.5MM.
2B Orlando Hudson, Dodgers – Signed Feb. 20, 2009, to 1-year deal worth $3.4MM plus incentives.
SP Jason Marquis, Rockies – Acquired Jan. 6, 2009, from Cubs for RP Luis Vizcaino.
RP Francisco Rodriguez, Mets – Signed Dec. 10, 2008, to 3-year deal worth $37MM.