Teams Interested In Dunn, Willingham
The Tigers, who we know are looking for a bat, are interested in Nationals' outfielders Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats want young pitching in return, and have been scouting players with Detroit's Double-A affiliate in Erie according to an industry source.
Ladson also writes that the Rangers have been scouting the Nats lately, and are believed to be interested in Willingham.
Rockies DFA Ryan Speier
According to Steve Foster of Inside the Rockies, the team has designated reliever Ryan Speier for assignment. The 29-yr old righthander has spend most of the season in the minors, but has a 3.99 career ERA in 99.1 big league innings.
Mariners DFA Roy Corcoran
Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times tweets that righty reliever Roy Corcoran has been designated for assignment by the Mariners. Corcoran had a 6.16 ERA in 19 IP this year, sporting an unfathomable 6-17 K/BB ratio.
Tigers Looking To Add A Bat
When speaking with Chris Iott of Mlive.com, team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said that he's looking to add a bat to the Tigers' lineup.
"We're looking for a bat. As you start talking to clubs about trades, which we've been doing a lot of, a lot of the players that are available are DHs, in our mindset. And we think we might have as good a one as anybody."
While Marcus Thames has done the lion's share of the work at DH, Dombrowski is referring to Carlos Guillen, who came of the DL today. The Tigers were rumored to have some interest in Matt Holliday, but that ship has obviously sailed. The club designated the speedy Josh Anderson for assignment earlier today to make room for Guillen.
Padres DFA Josh Banks
Via a team press release, the Padres have designated righthander Josh Banks for assigment. The move frees up room on the roster for top prospect Mat Latos, who was called up to start tomorrow's game. Banks got into six games with the Friars this year (three starts), allowing 34 baserunners and pitching to 7.15 ERA in 22.2 IP.
Not much of a birthday present for Banks, who turns 27 today.
Odds & Ends: Lilly, White Sox, Reds, Sheets
Back to back Odds & Ends posts? Madness!
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday writes about what the Yankees missed out on when they passed on Ted Lilly as a free agent in 2007.
- Rick Morrissey of The Chicago Tribune says that the White Sox need Roy Halladay, no matter the cost. He suggests a package built around Alexei Ramirez and John Danks.
- Hal McCoy of The Dayton Daily News says that he could see Aaron Harang and/or Bronson Arroyo moved for prospects if "the Reds nose dive before the July 31 trade deadline."
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Ben Sheets continues to make progress as he returns from elbow surgery, but it's unclear if he'll be able to pitch at all in 2009. Earlier this month we heard that Sheets may not pitch at all this year.
Odds & Ends: Glaus, Pirates, Schmidt, Cubs, Reds
A few links for your Saturday evening reading…
- MLB.com's B.J. Rains says that Troy Glaus is going to work out in the outfield as he rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery. The Cardinals haven't committed to using him in the outfield when he returns, they're just giving it a try to see what happens. Glaus played five innings in left field tonight before moving to first base. The Cards have been looking to add a bat seemingly all year.
- John Perrotto of Pirates Report.com says that it's unlikely Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez sign extensions. This morning we learned that the Bucs lowballed both players with their offers.
- Jason Schmidt will return to the Dodgers' rotation on Monday, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. It'll be just his seventh start for the Dodgers since signing his three year, $47MM deal in Decemeber 2006, and his first since June 16th of 2007.
- The Cubs have signed second round pick D.J. LeMahieu, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. LeMahieu was the 79th overall pick in last month's draft, which has an expected slot recommendation of around $460k.
- Bronson Arroyo wants to see the Reds kept together at the trade deadline rather than having the veterans sold off, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Mets Ready To Release Redding?
6:42pm: Bart Hubbuch of The NY Post spoke to Mets vice president of player development Tony Bernazard, who said they "haven't spoken internally" about releasing Redding. Manager Jerry Manuel added that from his perspective, Redding was still in the team's plans.
1:14pm: As Rubin notes, Redding was in the Mets' clubhouse Saturday. A release could still be on the horizon, but might not go down until early next week.
10:08am: Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News spoke to a source who indicated that the Mets were ready to release righthander Tim Redding and eat what's left on the one year, $2.25MM deal he signed this winter. Redding has been dreadful for the Amazin's, allowing 86 baserunners and pitching to a 7.22 ERA in 52.1 IP this year.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Halladay, Padres, Orioles, Holliday, Dodgers
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count Video up. Let's dive in…
- The Brewers are flying under the radar for Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays love shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar, but the Brew Crew might not have the young pitching needed to complete a deal.
- Rosenthal isn't sure Halladay would approve a deal to Milwaukee either.
- Don't expect the Padres to move either Adrian Gonzalez or Heath Bell before the trade deadline. GM Kevin Towers says it makes "no sense" to move those players now, but it could be a different story in the offseason since teams may be more willing to discuss Major League players then.
- The Orioles aren't "terribly enthused" about trading either Aubrey Huff or Luke Scott. The O's could try to retain the free agent to be Huff in the offseason by offering him arbitration, and taking the compensation draft picks if he declines. Scott is still under team control for another few seasons.
- Don't be surprised if the A's are "relatively quiet" at the deadline. Matt Holliday is drawing only minimal interest, but that could change if he heats up before the deadline.
- Oakland has gotten calls about reliever Michael Wuertz and "to a lesser degree Brad Ziegler," but they aren't in a rush to move either guy since they're cheap and under team control for the next few seasons.
In a separate video, Rosenthal says that Dodgers manager Joe Torre has "made it clear he wants Roy Halladay." The problem is that Toronto has asked for Clayton Kershaw as the centerpiece of any deal, and the money might be prohibitive for LA. The Dodgers are also looking for a setup reliever. Rosenthal also reiterates the lack of interest in Holliday.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Saturday
3:11pm: FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi reports the Tigers have had internal conversations about Halladay, but doesn't see a deal happening:
"Meantime, the Tigers have had some internal discussions about Toronto ace Roy Halladay," writes Morosi," but have yet to initiate a trade dialogue with the Blue Jays about him. It's unlikely that Detroit would be able to meet Toronto's price in prospects, and Halladay, who has a no-trade clause, would have to approve the deal."
12:39pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Phillies are still the favorites to land Halladay. He hears that the Angels want to keep their prospects while the Rangers don't have the money to bring Doc aboard.
9:25am: Add the Brewers to the mix of teams who've talked to the Blue Jays about All Star Roy Halladay. Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel spoke to GM Doug Melvin, who confirmed that he did have a conversation with Toronto, but wouldn't go into details. It was previously reported that the Brewers weren't likely to part with top prospects Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar, a point that was reiterated by Melvin.
Bill Shaikin of The LA Times reports that the Angels have pursued Halladay as well, but "club officials are not confident they can satisfy the Blue Jays in a trade." He says the Halos would consider parting with Brandon Wood, but would be hesitant to include one of their young Major League pitchers in a deal.