The Tigers are close to acquiring Wilson Betemit for two prospects, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Kansas City would receive two prospects in the deal. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star originally reported that a trade appeared imminent (on Twitter). The Brewers, Angels, and Marlins had expressed interest in Betemit recently.
This post was originally published on July 20th.
Let's check in on the latest from Charm City…
The Orioles now have a strong bridge in place to top prospect Manny Machado. They officially signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year, $22.5MM contract extension today, in a deal that includes an eight-team no-trade clause. Hardy is represented by LSW Baseball, as our Agency Database shows.
Hardy, 28, is hitting .278/.335/.490 in 282 plate appearances for the Orioles this season. His defense is generally regarded as above-average. The biggest concern with this deal is health, as Hardy played 104 games last year and may fall short of 130 this year. Still, it won't take 160 games a year for Hardy to be worth a $7.5MM salary. The 2012 free agent market is now down to two big-name shortstops: Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins.
The Orioles acquired Hardy and Mark Reynolds in separate deals in December, revamping the left side of their infield. The Twins found Hardy expendable after signing Tsuyoshi Nishioka as a free agent.
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun first reported the agreement on Saturday, with Ken Rosenthal tweeting the contract details.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
The Mets have agreed to sign Gustavo Chacin to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. MinorLeagueTransactions.com first reported the agreement.
Houston released the 30-year-old Chacin earlier this week. He appeared in 44 games for the Astros last year, posting a 4.70 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 and homering in his lone at bat for Houston. He had a 5.13 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate this year.
The Mariners have released Charlie Haeger according to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League transactions page. Seattle signed the knuckleballer to a minor league contract in November.
Haeger, 27, started nine games for the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate this season, posting a 7.74 ERA in 47 2/3 innings. He walked 42 and struck out just 35. Haeger has 83 big league innings to his credit, most coming with the Dodgers. He owns a 6.40 ERA with a 7.5 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9 as a Major Leaguer.
Earlier today it was the Full Count video, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has some more notes in a separate video…
Earlier today we heard that the Cardinals are aggressively looking for a starting pitcher, but that doesn't mean they aren't trying to add bullpen help either. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that St. Louis has checked in on the availability of several Blue Jays relievers, according to sources (on Twitter).
Toronto has a cache of right-handed relievers available, namely Jason Frasor, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Frank Francisco. The first three have affordable club options for next season, $3.75MM or less. Morosi notes that Frasor has never pitched in the NL, so there's an element of surprise there. The Cardinals are currently without setup man Eduardo Sanchez, and their 4.04 bullpen ERA is the third highest in the National League. The Jays and Cards don't get together for trades very often as our Transaction Tracker shows, but both clubs have relatively new GMs.
Make sure you check out our sister site dedicated to fantasy bullpens, Closer News.
The Tigers are looking for starting pitching, and that search has led them to a native Michiganite. Detroit has expressed interest in Derek Lowe according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, though the two sides have not yet had any serious talks.
Money could be an issue for the Tigers, as Morosi notes. Lowe is owed approximately $6MM for the rest of this season and is under contract for $15MM next year. That said, the prospect cost would be much less significant than it would be for someone like Ubaldo Jimenez. The 38-year-old Lowe has a 4.30 ERA in 113 innings this season, though he has his highest strikeout rate (6.5 K/9) in four years with his typically high ground ball rate (59.9%).
All things being equal, Morosi says Detroit would prefer to add a left-handed starter to a rotation currently lacking one. The Braves would be able to use any cash savings towards adding a hitter. These two teams have gotten together for a number of trades in recent years as our Transaction Tracker shows.
Unsatisified with the production they're getting from third base, the Brewers have talked to the Royals about acquiring Wilson Betemit according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Kansas City GM Dayton Moore is willing to move Betemit in the right deal according to the FOX scribes.
Casey McGehee hit 23 homers with a .801 OPS last season, but he's hit just .221/.276/.311 with five homers in 362 plate appearances this year. Betemit, 29, has a .285/.345/.415 batting line in 223 plate appearances this season, but he's lost playing time to Mike Moustakas of late. He is making just $1MM this year and can be a free agent after the season. Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at Betemit as a trade candidate back in May.
The Giants have won four in a row to open up a 4.5 game lead in the NL West. Let's check in on the latest from the division…
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