O’Dowd, Shapiro Talk Ubaldo Jimenez
As our Transaction Tracker shows, the Rockies and Indians have gotten together for a number of trades throughout the years, but none were more significant than yesterday's Ubaldo Jimenez swap. Colorado acquired four young players in exchange for the greatest pitcher in franchise history (by WAR), and as Troy Renck of The Denver Post explains, a number of factors contributed to the team's decision to trade Jimenez.
First and foremost was performance. Ubaldo has pitched to a 3.98 ERA in 203 1/3 innings over the last calendar year, which is very good put not what the Rockies had come to expect from him. Jimenez's fastball velocity has dropped noticably this season, another factor. The team's recent whiffs in the draft, including failed first rounders Greg Reynolds (2006) and Casey Weathers (2007), took away from their depth, also contributing to the trade. GM Dan O'Dowd was much more diplomatic when asked about why they made the decision to part ways with Jimenez…
"This isn't rebuilding, this is restocking," said O'Dowd to Renck. "Even if we were 10 games up instead of 10 games back, it would have been hard to say no to this deal … We felt to maximize [Jimenez's] value, this was the time to do it. The closer he got to free agency, you would see a falloff in what clubs would offer."
As for the Indians, it's easy to understand why they'd want to add a 27-year-old pitcher with Ubaldo's credentials. Team president Mark Shapiro took to Twitter to explain their end of the trade, saying it was a "rare [and] unique [opportunity] to acquire [a front] of [the] rotation [starter with] multiple [years] of control." He added that Jimenez's contract aligns with some of their best players, "giving us a multi [year opportunity] to field teams we feel can contend."
As Cot's Baseball Contract shows, the Tribe controls their top three starters (Jimenez, Fausto Carmona, and Justin Masterson) through 2013. Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo, and Asdrubal Cabrera will also be under team control through that season. Ubaldo will make his Indians' debut on Friday against the Rangers as Cleveland remains 2.5 games back of the Tigers in the AL Central heading into tonight.
The Latest On Wandy Rodriguez
The Astros traded two of their three starting outfielders before this afternoon's trade deadline, but they were unable to find a taker for Wandy Rodriguez. Let's round up the latest news regarding the left-hander, all courtesy of SI.com's Jon Heyman on Twitter…
- The Yankees offered to pay $21MM of the $38MM left on Wandy's contract, but that wasn't enough for the Astros.
- The Indians and Blue Jays were both interested in Rodriguez, both only in a three-team scenario that would have sent him elsewhere. Presumably, the Yankees were that third team.
- The $38MM left on Rodriguez's contract makes him a prime August waiver trade candidate, but is there a chance a team claims him? "None," said one executive Heyman.
- The Yankees are unlikely to revisit talks with Houston after Wandy clears waivers this month.
Bobby Abreu’s 2012 Option Vests
When Bobby Abreu came to the plate against Jose Valverde in the ninth inning of today's game, it was his 433rd plate appearance of the season. Combined with last year's 667 plate appearances, it gives him an even 1,100 plate appearances from 2010-2011. That vests his 2012 option, worth $9MM.
Abreu, 37, has hit a respectable .264/.380/.354 in those 433 PA this year, though his power numbers continue to decline with age. His 67 walks are the sixth most in baseball, but he doesn't contribute anything with the glove and has spent 73 games at DH this season. Cot's Baseball Contracts shows the team's commitments for next season, and only Vernon Wells ($24.6MM), Torii Hunter ($18MM), Dan Haren ($11MM), and Ervin Santana ($11.2MM) are scheduled to make more than Abreu. Jered Weaver figures to climb ahead of him in his third trip through arbitration.
Cubs Will Not Trade Carlos Pena
The Cubs are informing other teams that they will not trade Carlos Pena before tomorrow's deadline, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). At least one team – the Pirates – inquired about his availability. The 33-year-old Pena is hitting .224/.338/.445 with 20 homers this year, and will become a free agent after the season.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Yankees, Bedard, Rasmus
Eight years ago today, Bill Mueller became the first and only player in baseball history to hit a grand slam from each side of the plate in the same game. The Red Sox third baseman took lefty Aaron Fultz deep with the bases loaded in the seventh, then an inning later he did the same to righty Jay Powell. He also had a solo shot off R.A. Dickey in the third inning, helping Boston to a 14-7 win over Rangers.
Here are this week's links from around the baseball blogosphere…
- Rising Apple interviewed Mets prospect Greg Peavey.
- River Ave. Blues wonders what happens if the Yankees don't trade for a starter.
- Brotherly Glove addresses the Phillies and their proactivity towards improving the outfield.
- Rays Colored Glasses makes a case for trading James Shields.
- True Blue LA looks back at Dodgers GM Ned Colletti's deadline deals.
- Monkey With A Halo did the same for Angels GM Tony Reagins.
- Lasorda's Lair breaks down the recent McCourts divorce news.
- Feeling Dodger Blue thinks the Dodgers need to make a splash.
- Rooftop View says that Aramis Ramirez has to be traded.
- Cubs Billy Goat Blog tries to figure out what the Cubs could get in return for Carlos Pena.
- Wahoo Blues questions whether or not the Indians need a first baseman.
- Fenway Faithful Report tells us why the Red Sox should acquire Erik Bedard.
- FanSpeaks wonders if the Nationals should trade Ian Desmond.
- The Nats Blog thinks something may be wrong with Jordan Zimmermann.
- 2011 Nationals Draft Info compiled information about Washington's 2011 draft haul.
- Blogging Mets looked back on Carlos Beltran's legacy as a Met.
- MLB Paradise compares trading Hunter Pence now vs. later.
- The Blue Jays Hunter breaks down what Toronto gave up for Colby Rasmus.
- Baseball Theorem introduces Jays' fans to their new center fielder.
- The Hardball Times looks at the Rasmus trade with a fantasy angle.
- MLB Reports speculates about a deal that would send Hiroki Kuroda to the Rangers.
- Replacement Level Baseball has some fun with contract bonuses.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.
Minor Moves: Evans, Restovich
The Mariners signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league pact earlier today and we'll keep track of any other minor moves here…
- Nick Evans has cleared waivers and is headed back to Triple-A, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). The Mets designated Evans for assignment late last week after he hit .148/.343/.333 through 35 plate appearances as a first baseman, third baseman and left fielder.
- The Diamondbacks have acquired outfielder Michael Restovich from the White Sox and assigned him to Triple-A, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter). The 32-year-old Restovich was hitting .229/.282/.365 in 103 plate appearances for Chicago's Triple-A squad. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 2007.
Mariners Sign Wily Mo Pena
The Mariners have signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal, the team announced in a press release. WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports (on Twitter) that the deal includes a September opt-out if he is not called to the majors. He will join their Triple-A affiliate in a few days.
Pena, 29, had been released by the Diamondbacks earlier this week. He hit five rather majestic homeruns in 46 plate appearances for Arizona, but he also struck out 19 times and walked not once. Pena hit .363/.439/.726 with 21 homers in 271 plate appearances for their Triple-A squad before being called up for interleague play.
White Sox Could “Turn Over The Entire Roster”
The White Sox were expected to contend for the AL Central crown this year, but right now they're just 49-51 and 4.5 games back of the division lead. That prompted GM Kenny Williams to tell ESPN Chicago that he might "turn over the entire roster" if they don't get back into the race this week.
"On one hand, you can look toward potentially adding (players)," said Williams. "We'd have to add creatively because of the financial situation right now. And on the other hand, maybe this is the most opportune time to turn over the entire roster and get some young, exciting players in here and go that route."
"We don't really know where we stand. To a large degree over the next six days we'll find out."
Williams indicated that he has deals in place if he wants to blow the team up and go into full rebuild mode, but also emphasized that no decision has been made about the club's future yet. The White Sox open a ten-game homestand tonight with three against the Tigers, one of the teams they're chasing in the AL Central.
Edwin Jackson and Matt Thornton have popped up in rumors, and Carlos Quentin could be moved as well. With six starters for five spots and a bullpen full of power arms, Williams will have plenty to dangle in trades for young players. It's tough to see them finding a taker for Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, or Alex Rios though. All three are signed for at least two more years at big money, and right now Konerko is also the only productive member of the bunch.
Carlos Beltran Rumors: Saturday
Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the Mets' win over the Marlins last night, and every game he plays could be his last with the team these days. Yesterday we learned that because of his no-trade clause, Beltran can not approve a trade until 24 hours after the deal. That means the deadline to move him is July 30th, not the 31st. The Mets have interest in top prospects, but Mike Minor (Braves), Domonic Brown (Phillies), Gary Brown, Zach Wheeler, and Brandon Belt (all Giants) appear to be long shots.
Let's keep track of all the day's Beltran rumors right here, with the latest up top…
- There is "increasing chatter around [the] Mets" suggesting that Beltran will be dealt to the Giants, tweets Newsday's David Lennon.
- Beltran's no-trade clause is considered to be a "ring choice," according to Peter Gammons, as in Beltran will only agree to go to a team that has a legitimate chance at the World Series. Given Beltran's rumored preference to remain in the NL, Gammons feels this narrows the field down to the Phillies, Giants and Braves, with the Major League-leading Phillies perhaps Beltran's "preference."
- Beltran is likely going to be the only Mets player moved before the deadline, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. That said, Martino hears that at least one team has contacted the Mets about Angel Pagan.
- Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas looks at how Beltran would fit into the Rangers' lineup.
- SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets are still shooting for a home run with Beltran, targeting Domonic Brown, Wheeler, and Minor. He notes, however, that with an expiring contract and no possibility for the acquiring team to collect draft picks, the Mets may ultimately have to drop the price tag.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said in today's pre-game show that the Braves won't part with a number of their top pitching prospects to acquire a rental like Beltran, especially since he can't be offered arbitration following the season.
- Jon Heyman of SI tweets that all of the Mets' trade talk currently revolves around Beltran. If they move anyone else, it'll be a late trade.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports that the Rangers remain in play for Beltran. The Mets have increased their scouting of Texas' farm system, redirecting scouts as needed.
- Rival executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney that Mets GM Sandy Alderson is not necessarily conceding eating most of Beltran's salary (Twitter links). It's all part of negotiations and there is some belief within the organization that they'll get some financial relief in a trade.
- Andy Martino of The New York Daily News says the Mets hope to complete a Beltran trade before next weekend (Twitter links). They don't want there to be a frenzy right at the deadline.
- The Reds "have nibbled" on Beltran according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter), but they are hesitant to give up good prospects or take on so much money for a rental.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
B.J. Upton Rumors: Saturday
The Rays created some buzz last night when they pulled B.J. Upton from their game while top prospect Desmond Jennings was a late scratch in the minors. Jennings is coming up to the big leagues, but not because Upton was traded; Reid Brignac was sent back down. The Braves and Nationals are among the teams reportedly interested in Upton, so we'll keep track of any rumors involving Tampa's center fielder right here throughout the day. The latest will be up top…
- An Upton trade is "not imminent," tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The Rays are waiting to "assess [their] viability" in the AL East race and will wait until close to the trade deadline before deciding if they'll move Upton. Passan notes Upton could well end up remaining in Tampa Bay after all.
- In the FOX Saturday pre-game show, Rosenthal said of Upton: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."
- In his latest Full Count Video, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Indians have joined the Upton fray. Rosenthal suggests teams would prefer him to other outfielders such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham due to his glovework, baserunning ability, and team control through 2012.
- ESPN's Buster Olney says there is growing interest in Upton, with several more teams calling (Twitter link). He speculates that clubs could be comparing the price for Upton to that of Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence.