Mets Less Likely To Trade For A Pitcher?
The Mets were enamored with Cliff Lee but lost out on the lefty when they wouldn't include Ike Davis in a deal, and now Andy Martino of The New York Daily News hears from "people familiar with the team's thinking" that they are less likely to make a trade for a pitcher now than they were last month. The team believes that R.A. Dickey's success has reduced the urgency to add an arm.
Dickey, 35, has a 2.63 ERA in 11 starts for the Mets, stymieing hitters with his knuckleball. Martino says the Mets maintain interest in Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Brett Myers, and to a lesser extent Roy Oswalt, and they are still open to making a move if the opportunity presents itself. They are not optimistic about adding an impact reliever though, and consider the overall market for bullpen help to be underwhelming.
The Mets were reportedly in on Lilly, but they have concerns about his drop in velocity following a shoulder injury. The Cubs are getting serious about making trades and moving cumbersome salaries, but Lilly's market isn't limited to just the Amazins. They shouldn't have trouble finding another suitor.
Omar Minaya's payroll situation and ability to take on salary are unclear, though a team official told Martino that the Mets will be able to add payroll if needed. Those decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Myers is the most affordable option, with just $1.37MM or so left on his contract this year and a $2MM buyout of his $8MM mutual option for 2011.
Phillies Release Juan Castro
The Phillies have released infielder Juan Castro according to a team press release. The move clears a roster spot for Placido Polanco, who was reinstated from the disabled list.
Castro, 38, signed a one-year deal that guaranteed him $750K with Philadelphia this winter. The team is still on the hook for the $315K owed to him during the remainder of the year, plus the $50K buyout of his $750K option for next year. Castro hit just .198/.237/.238 in 136 plate appearances this season after being pressed into semi-regular duty because of injuries to Polanco, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins.
Olney’s Latest: Hamilton, Trades, Myers, Sherrill
In today's blog post on ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney spoke to Rangers' GM Jon Daniels about Josh Hamilton's torrid streak (.374/.404/.683 since May 12th), which has coincided with the team's run to the top of the AL West.
Here are Olney's rumors…
- A number of executives expect there to be a "fairly robust" trade deadline. "I don't think there's going to be a lot of big names on the move," said one GM, "but I think you've got a lot of teams looking to fill specific needs, and there are a lot of conversations going on."
- All of the executives Olney spoke to agreed that there are very few teams willing (or able) to add payroll, so many deals will include salary relief, similar to the $2.5MM the Mariners sent the Rangers in the Cliff Lee trade.
- The Astros have not yet indicated to other teams what they would like in return for Brett Myers.
- Olney wonders if the recently outrighted George Sherrill could land with the Phillies, given their interest in him last year.
Poll: Ty Wigginton’s Next Team
It's gotten to the point where it's not a matter of if the Orioles will trade utility man Ty Wigginton, but when. The righthanded bat offers versatility and some power, so he'd be a fit for almost every team in the league. The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are among the clubs seriously interested in acquiring him for the stretch run.
Which team will acquire Ty Wigginton before the 2010 trade deadline?
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Padres, Scutaro, Nationals
A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Phillies have had a "top scout" on hand for the A's last four series, though Oakland isn't going to move Mark Ellis and Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch this weekend.
- James Schmehl of MLive.com says that Sheets could be a "rather inexpensive" trade option for the Tigers if they're looking to add a starting pitcher.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told reporters he would like to make a move to improve the team, not just a cosmetic one (all Twitter links). He says the prices must first come down, and that he has the resources to add multiple pieces.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says (via Twitter) that the Braves did not talk to the Red Sox about a potential Yunel Escobar–Marco Scutaro deal. He says that the Blue Jays were the only team Atlanta spoke to about an Escobar trade.
- Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo ranked the team's international free agent signings for MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Tokyo Giants have a scout attending tonight's Dodgers-Cardinals game. If nothing else, it shows that Japanese teams scour the U.S. for talent just like MLB teams do in Japan.
Mets Tried To Swap Perez For Meche
Oliver Perez is currently on the disabled list with a knee issue, but that hasn't stopped Mets' GM Omar Minaya from trying to unload the enigmatic lefty. ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin reports that the Mets approached the Royals about swapping Perez for Gil Meche, but were told no thanks. Talks with other teams have gone nowhere.
Perez, still just 28, hasn't pitched since the end of May because of the injury, though the team didn't exactly want him on the mound anyway. He had been sent to the bullpen after allowing 24 runs and walking more batters (28) than he struck out (27) in his first seven starts, and continued to pitch poorly in mop-up duty after the demotion. The injury was suspicious enough that the league decided to investigate, which is understandable after he refused a minor league assignment not long before.
Both Perez and Meche will earn the same $12MM this year and next, so the money would have been a wash if a trade did occur. Perez started a rehab assignment last Saturday, so the team has 30 days from then to activate him. It's hard to imagine any team taking on Perez without the Mets eating a significant portion of the money owed to him.
Padres Have Not Had Contract Talks With Gonzalez
The Padres are perhaps the biggest surprise contender in baseball this season, sporting the best run differential and second best overall record in the National League coming out of the break. That doesn't mean they're any closer to locking up franchise cornerstone Adrian Gonzalez though, as Dan Hayes of The North County Times tweets that the two sides have yet to discuss a contract extension.
Earlier this week we heard that Gonzalez was seeking an eight-year contract, which suggests that he and his agent might be using Mark Teixeira's eight-year, $180MM contract as a guideline for his next deal. Unsurprisingly, many teams are still interested in trading for Gonzalez, but San Diego has him under contract through next season for slightly more than $7.5MM. They don't have any motivation to move him at this point.
In fact, the Padres are looking to add offense right now, not subtract it. Gonzalez is the only legitimate power threat on the team, and while he may be looking for a Teixeira kind of contract, the team would be looking for a Teixeira kind of return if they were to trade him, referring of course to the haul Texas received when they sent the current Yankee first baseman to Atlanta.
Ted Lilly’s Trade Value
Starting pitching is always at a premium, especially during the mid-to-late July trade season. With Cliff Lee now off the market, Cubs' southpaw Ted Lilly takes over the title of most coveted starter available. He offers much more affordability than either Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren, both in terms of money and trade cost.
Lilly, 34, struck out ten Phillies across seven innings today, and will go to bed tonight the proud owner of a 4.07 ERA with a 6.49 K/9 and 2.16 BB/9. He missed the first few weeks of the season with a shoulder issue that appears to have robbed him of some velocity, but otherwise he's made at least 25 starts in every season since 2003. Lilly has plenty of experience in the American League, however he hasn't faced the DH regularly since 2006.
There's approximately $5.3M left on his contract this year, and he'll head onto the free agent market after the season as a Type-A free agent barring a total collapse in the second half. In theory, the Cubs would need to receive two prospects in a trade that are equal to or greater in value than the two high draft picks they would receive next year if they let Lilly walk as a free agent.
The Mets reportedly have interest in the southpaw after losing out on Lee, as do the Rays. The Twins and Tigers have also been mentioned as possible suitors. Minnesota has highly touted (and blocked) catching prospect Wilson Ramos to deal, and Tampa has more prospects than they know what to do with, so putting a package together won't be an issue for them.
Jarrod Washburn was in a similar situation last season, and was eventually traded for two good, but certainly not great prospects in Luke French and Mauricio Robles. Lilly has a better track record and has a little bit more money left on his deal, but the Washburn deal could serve as a guide for what the Cubs should expect in return.
Wigginton, Tejada Drawing Interest
With baseball's worst record at 29-59, the Orioles are expected to start selling off their veteran players any day now as they build for the future. That process appears to be in full swing, with Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reporting that several teams have interest in utility man Ty Wigginton while at least one may have their eyes on Miguel Tejada.
The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are all in on Wigginton, and in fact the O's have been talking to the Phillies about him for weeks. Zrebiec says Philadelphia may also have interest in Tejada, who they could use at third base while sliding the currently injured Placido Polanco over to second base while Chase Utley is on the shelf.
The Rangers, meanwhile, will have a scout in attendance for Baltimore's game against the Blue Jays tonight. Texas has been looking for a righthanded bat since the offseason, and the trade of Justin Smoak may have increased the team's efforts to find a platoon mate for Chris Davis. Wigginton could be a perfect fit given his versatility.
Zrebiec is convinced that Wigginton will not be an Oriole come August 1st, and it's hard not to agree with him. He isn't so sure about Tejada, however he does say there are several teams out there that believe the former AL MVP would elevate his game if pushed back into a pennant race.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Giants, Fielder, Lee
On this date in 2001, Fred McGriff invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him from the last place Devil Rays to the first place Cubs. The Crime Dog was born and raised in Tampa, but he relented and agreed to the deal 11 days later. Tampa Bay received Manny Aybar and Jason Smith in return for McGriff, who was unquestionably the greatest player in franchise history at the time.
Hear are some links with the deadline rapidly approaching…
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness scouts the starting pitcher and relief pitcher market for the Dodgers.
- Bleacher Report says the Giants would be filling one hole and creating another if they trade for Corey Hart.
- Disciples of Uecker feels it is unrealistic to expect the Brewers to retain Prince Fielder long-term.
- 1 Blue Jays Way chimes in on the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez swap.
- Meanwhile, Beyond the Box Score wonders how much Yunel Escobar's bad attitude cost the Braves.
- Royals Review takes a quick look at the trade history between the Royals and Yankees.
- El Lefty Malo tries to nail down Jonathan Sanchez's trade value.
- Yankeeist looks at some solutions for the Yankees' DH vacancy.
- Gear Up For Twins Baseball has some suggestions to help improve the Twins.
- River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yanks go for the kill and acquire Adam Dunn.
- Sports: A Game of Inches analyzes the Cliff Lee non-trade to the Yanks and his eventual move to the Rangers in a four part series (parts one, two, three, four).
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