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Padres Not Seeking Rentals

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In case there was any doubt, the GM for the last-place Padres made clear he's not in the market for rental players.  "I think the one thing our recent play has done is it doesn’t make sense for us to go for a rental," Josh Byrnes told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  Byrnes added, "To say that we make a trade to bring in somebody who is on our team now and helping us but we also have beyond this year, we’re certainly knocking on those doors."

As Sanders notes, Byrnes' stance seems to take the Padres out of the market for the Cubs' Matt Garza, who will be eligible for free agency after the season and had been linked to San Diego.  For a look at the controllable starting pitchers on the trade market, check out my Tuesday post.

Beltran Aims To Play Three Or Four More Years

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Though he'll play most of next season at age 37, right fielder Carlos Beltran ranked seventh on my recent 2014 free agent power rankings.  It's difficult to ignore his production and relative durability since signing with the Cardinals prior to the 2012 season; he's hit .284/.346/.510 in 969 plate appearances and made the All-Star team both years.  Talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch at the All-Star game, Beltran suggested he'll play three or four more years, and admitted the Hall of Fame is on his mind.

"If I can stay healthy and play in the game to the level I’m playing right now, who knows, man?  I could be close," explained Beltran regarding the Hall.  Here's a look at the center field JAWS leaders, using Jay Jaffe's metric.  Beltran's case already seems superior to Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett, Andre Dawson, and Richie Ashburn, and reaching the 400 home run plateau with a strong finish would go a long way toward pushing him out of Kenny Lofton/Andruw Jones territory.

Beltran has enjoyed his time with the Cardinals, though the possible emergence next year of top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras has put his future with the club in doubt.

White Sox Sign Travis Ishikawa

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The White Sox agreed to sign first baseman Travis Ishikawa, MLBTR has learned.  He'll join their Triple-A Charlotte club.  Ishikawa recently elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Yankees.

After signing a minor league deal with the Orioles in December, the 29-year-old Ishikawa hit .316/.413/.525 in 208 plate appearances.  His contract was selected as his opt-out date approached, but the Orioles designated him soon after.  A waiver claim by the Yankees led to even less playing time.  Ishikawa, a former 21st round draft pick of the Giants, did fine work at Triple-A but has yet to find a consistent opportunity in the Majors this year.  Lars Anderson and Andy Wilkins have played first base for the Charlotte Knights this year; both have struggled offensively.  For the big league club, Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko have combined for a .750 OPS at the position.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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On January 8th, 2011, the previous Cubs front office led by GM Jim Hendry finalized a trade that brought Matt Garza (and Fernando Perez and Zach Rosscup) to Chicago from the Rays for Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld, and Brandon Guyer.  At the time, ESPN's Buster Olney heard that Andrew Friedman and the Rays "didn't get much in the way of high-end prospects; more depth type guys than impact."  Archer, 24, seems ready to challenge that evaluation as a member of the Rays' rotation, while Lee, a 22-year-old shortstop, was knocking on the door of the Majors until a knee injury ended his season in April.  It's clear now the Cubs gave up a huge haul to acquire three years of Garza; now their new regime is marketing the remaining two to three months of his services to recoup as much young talent as possible.  The latest:

  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports echoes Sullivan's earlier report that the Rangers aren't willing to include Martin Perez in a trade for Garza. The Red Sox are said to be "thinking about" Garza and would be a major threat if they entered the fray, according to Heyman. Boston has many pitching prospects acquired by Theo Epstein during his time as the team's GM. The Diamondbacks are in the mix as well, though they may prefer Jake Peavy. The Cubs are likely to place more emphasis on ceiling than proximity to the Major Leagues, according to Heyman, with a slight preference for pitching as opposed to position players.

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers, Cardinals, Pirates, Indians, Blue Jays, and Dodgers "are the strongest pursuers" with a handful of other teams showing at least cursory interest in Garza, writes David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.  A handful of club executives who spoke to Kaplan consider Garza a very strong No. 3 starter, for whom the Cubs have an "exceptionally high" asking price.  Kaplan adds that the Rangers and Blue Jays "are both deciding how far they want to go to acquire Garza."  Kaplan's baseball personnel experts feel the Cubs will come close but fall short of the Brewers' Zack Greinke package from last summer, which consisted of shortstop Jean Segura and pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena.  Complicating that comparison is the fact that Segura raised his stock considerably this year; at the time of the deal, Baseball America ranked him 43rd among prospects and ESPN's Keith Law had him outside of his top 50.
  • Baseball America's midseason top 50 prospects list came out last week.  Prospects in the 35-50 range who play for potential Garza suitors include Joc Pederson of the Dodgers, Anthony Ranaudo and Garin Cecchini of the Red Sox, Alen Hanson of the Pirates, Aaron Sanchez of the Blue Jays, Mike Olt of the Rangers, Kolten Wong of the Cardinals, and Adam Eaton of the Diamondbacks.  Kaplan notes that the Rangers are "thought to be dangling" Olt, a third baseman.  A lot of the position players named here either seem unlikely to be traded or aren't great fits for the Cubs, who might prefer to get a pitcher as the headliner.
  • The personnel heads who spoke to Joel Sherman of the New York Post picture Garza going to the Rangers, who have the need and the goods to make a deal.  22-year-old southpaw Martin Perez "could be a key element for the Cubs to move Garza to Texas," writes Sherman.  The Rangers are not going to give up Perez, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  He names Neil Ramirez, Carlos Pimentel, Leury Garcia, and Luis Sardinas as more realistic possibilities.

Cuban Pitcher Hinojosa Granted Free Agency

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Cuban righty Dalier Hinojosa received clearance from the U.S. government and has been granted free agency by MLB, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Hinojosa defected from Cuba in February, establishing residency in Haiti, according to a source.  The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in the 27-year-old, Sanchez wrote in June.  Hinojosa is represented by Praver/Shapiro, MLBTR has learned, and he has already showcased his talents for teams.

Hinojosa throws in the low-to-mid 90s with a slider, curveball, two-seam fastball, and changeup, according to Sanchez.  He starred with the Cuban national team, and is a former teammate of Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.  Gonzalez has also been cleared to sign with MLB teams.  There is no limitation to the contracts these Cuban defectors may receive, because they are at least 23 years old and have played as a professional in a Cuban professional league for at least three seasons.  For the 2014-15 international signing period, that minimum requirement will jump to five seasons.

All-Star Notes: Scherzer, Harvey, Davis

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Tonight's American League All-Star starter Max Scherzer knows the best place for MLB players to find out if they're on the move.  "It's crazy how that works.  You're traded out of the blue, and the only way you find out is by MLB Trade Rumors. All of the media and all of your friends know, but you don't hear it from the people doing it," the Tigers righty told Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Scherzer went on to describe himself as a "pretty fanatical fan" of this website, of which he is a near-daily reader.  Be sure to check out Nightengale's article, which focuses on Scherzer's experiences with former slugger and current Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire.  As Scherzer and other players prepare for tonight's All-Star game at Citi Field, here are your related links…

  • We learned yesterday that nothing is cooking regarding a contract extension for Scherzer, who is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.  Talking to Nightengale, Scherzer said, "It's funny, everybody wants to speculate on teams, and X amount of dollars, but if I go out there and pitch well, everything will take care of itself."  
  • How about National League starter Matt Harvey, who fronts the Mets' rotation and is also represented by Scott Boras?  Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Boras, who said, "Usually the team will come to you, it is not up to the player to start negotiations.  I would also say this, where the team wants to go in these situations and what the true value of the player is are not often that close."  That's not terribly encouraging, but Mets fans can rest easy knowing Harvey will not be arbitration eligible until after the 2015 season, and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 campaign.
  • Though he didn't make the American League squad, Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes took home the Home Run Derby belt last night, besting Bryce Harper.  To learn about the journey Cespedes and his family took in defecting from Cuba, check out this article from Susan Slusser and Demian Bulwa of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Another good read is the harrowing story of Marlins All-Star Jose Fernandez, who also defected from Cuba.  MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has it here, and Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald has another good look at Fernandez here.  Fernandez has not yet reached the riches Cespedes has, as he was subject to the 2011 amateur draft.
  • With 37 home runs at the All-Star break, the Orioles' Chris Davis is another of the All-Star Game's big stories.  Davis treats Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961 as the record, discounting the six times it was bested from 1998-2001 by Barry Bonds, McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.  Yahoo's Jeff Passan surveyed 15 All-Stars and found that most treat Bonds' 73 as the record despite his PED ties.  The Reds' Joey Votto was most critical of Davis' stance, telling Passan, "If Chris feels like 61 is the home run record, maybe he’s just selfishly pegging that number as the home run record so if he passes it he can wear a crown or something like that.  There would be a lot of money in that."
  • The Nationals were highly interested in Davis when the Rangers made him available in 2011, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  Instead, Davis joined the Orioles along with Tommy Hunter in a July 2011 deal for reliever Koji Uehara and $2MM. 
  • More than half of the 78 All-Stars were acquired by their current team through the draft, an international signing, or a trade while still in the minors, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal in his analysis.

Trade Market For Starting Pitchers

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Two prominent mid-rotation starters have already been dealt this month, with the Orioles acquiring Scott Feldman (and giving up another starter in Jake Arrieta) and the Dodgers picking up Ricky Nolasco.  The Red Sox, Indians, Rangers, Nationals, Diamondbacks, and Dodgers could be in the hunt for starting pitching, with other contenders potentially jumping in on the better names.  Let's see what the market offers as the July 31st trade deadline approaches.

Rentals

Matt Garza (Cubs), Tim Lincecum (Giants), Josh Johnson (Blue Jays), Phil Hughes (Yankees), Jason Marquis (Padres), Edinson Volquez (Padres), Erik Bedard (Astros), Aaron Harang (Mariners), Mike Pelfrey (Twins), Joe Saunders (Mariners)

These available starting pitchers will be free agents after the season.  Garza appears a lock to be dealt, and seems likely to command a top 50 prospect or equivalent young player as the centerpiece.  With over $7MM remaining at the deadline, trading Lincecum would be complicated.  Johnson and Hughes would likely generate solid interest on the market.

Controllable Starters

Yovani Gallardo (Brewers), Kyle Lohse (Brewers), Bud Norris (Astros), Joe Blanton (Angels), Kevin Correia (Twins), Lucas Harrell (Astros), Barry Zito (Giants), Kevin Slowey (Marlins), Carlos Villanueva (Cubs), John Danks (White Sox), Vance Worley (Twins), James McDonald (Pirates), Alfredo Aceves (Red Sox), Ricky Romero (Blue Jays)

All of these players can be controlled beyond 2013 given their contracts or arbitration status, not that teams would necessarily be thrilled by the prospect.  Gallardo and Norris seem to be the names to watch here.

Currently On The DL

Jake Peavy (White Sox), Jason Vargas (Angels)

Peavy is projected to return from a displaced rib fracture Saturday against the Braves, so he could make three starts to prove his health prior to the deadline.  He's under contract for next year, and would jump to the top of the short list of potential difference-makers.  Vargas had surgery to remove a blood clot in his left armpit and is expected to return before the deadline.

Other Possibilities

Cliff Lee (Phillies), James Shields (Royals), Ervin Santana (Royals), Jeremy Guthrie (Royals), R.A. Dickey (Blue Jays), Jeff Samardzija (Cubs)

These pitchers are not currently believed to be available, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see one of them traded this month.  Lee is the best pitcher named in this post, though he has no-trade protection and is owed more than $70MM through 2015.  The Royals probably are not inclined to gut their rotation, though it would make sense to entertain offers for Santana if they are beyond the value of a supplemental round draft pick, as he is eligible for free agency after the season.  Dickey and Samardzija are controllable beyond this year, but it would be silly for their teams not to listen.

For the large-salaried players such as Lincecum, Danks, and Zito, keep in mind that trades can happen in August as well if they clear waivers or are claimed.

Check out our other posts in the trade market series here.

Strong Interest In Michael Young

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"Intense trade interest" in infielder Michael Young might compel the Phillies to trade him despite indications the team doesn't plan to sell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He says the Red Sox and Yankees are among about a dozen teams that have checked in on Young.

I still think Young, a 36-year-old hitting .288/.344/.414, would bring a modest return.  Rosenthal says the Phillies have no obvious internal replacement for him, though I wonder if utility man Kevin Frandsen is capable of delivering similar production in a regular role.  The Phillies are currently 5.5 games out in the wild card, and seek a center fielder and bullpen help.

Travis Ishikawa To Elect Free Agency

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SATURDAY: Ishikawa cleared waivers and will elect free agency, MLBTR has learned.

THURSDAY: The Yankees designated first baseman Travis Ishikawa for assignment to open a roster spot for Derek Jeter, they announced today.  Ishikawa, who received only two plate appearances with the Yankees, is expected to go on waivers today, MLBTR has learned.  Jeter makes his season debut tonight following his long recovery from ankle surgery, batting second at designated hitter.

Ishikawa, 29, received most of his playing time with the Orioles' Triple-A club, hitting .316/.413/.525 in 208 plate appearances.  He had signed a minor league deal with Baltimore and was added to the big league club upon reaching his opt-out date.  He was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Yankees shortly thereafter given their lack of depth at first base after Mark Teixeira's season ended.

2014 Free Agent Power Rankings

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The MLB season is around 56% over, and it's time for a fresh set of 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings prior to the July 31st trade deadline.  Our previous installment was published June 4th.  You can check out our full list of 2014 free agents here.

1.  Robinson Cano.  "Scott Boras, you over baby. Robinson Cano, you coming with me," raps Jay-Z about his lone baseball client on "Crown."  Roc Nation Sports may only have one baseball client at present, but he happens to be the offseason's top free agent by a mile.  Cano, 31 in October, sits at .299/.380/.537 with 21 home runs and 62 RBI through Wednesday.

2.  Jacoby Ellsbury.  Ellsbury, who is with Boras, is hitting .379/.439/.515 in 192 plate appearances since May 21st and has reclaimed the #2 spot.  He's shown no ill effects from a recent minor wrist issue.  If he stays relatively healthy, he may finish with 100 runs scored and his second career 60-steal season.

3.  Shin-Soo Choo.  Also a Boras client, Choo is second in the National League with a .418 OBP.  It wasn't enough to get him his first All-Star nod, but he's in good shape for a sizeable four-year deal.

4.  Brian McCann.  McCann now has almost 200 plate appearances since returning from offseason shoulder surgery, and he's hitting a strong .294/.371/.518.  I imagine he'll be seeking at least four years as well.

5.  Matt Garza.  Our first change since the last rankings, as Garza moves up a spot.  He's now provided the Cubs with ten starts and 64 1/3 strong innings this year, and has the rest of the season to further solidify his health.  A trade this month appears a near-certainty, meaning Garza will not be linked to draft pick compensation in the offseason.  I consider Anibal Sanchez money (five years, $80MM) to be his ceiling.

6.  Hiroki Kuroda.  Kuroda recently experienced tightness in his hip flexor, but he only missed one start.  He's third in the AL with a 2.77 ERA, and even at 39 next year he'll get big dollars on a short-term deal.  

7.  Carlos Beltran.  Beltran doesn't have youth on his side either, but he seems past the injury issues of 2009-10.  With a .309/.347/.534 line, 19 home runs, and 52 RBI, he'll start in the All-Star game.

8.  Ervin Santana.  A new entrant to this list, Santana is eighth in the AL with 123 innings and is making the Royals look smart for acquiring him (despite a rough outing today).  I'm not convinced he's a different pitcher than what he was in Los Angeles, but he should be a popular mid-rotation free agent arm.

9.  Josh Johnson.  Since coming off the DL June 4th, Johnson has a 3.54 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, and 1.11 HR/9 in seven starts.  He should have at least a dozen more starts to continue bringing his stock back up after missing over a month with a triceps injury.  The Blue Jays, currently eight games out in the wild card, can help his stock by trading him and removing the qualifying offer issue.

10.  Nelson Cruz.  Cruz is tied for fifth in the AL with 22 home runs, and has a shot at his first 40 home run season.  Biogenesis is a looming issue, with a potential 50-game suspension likely to be served at the start of his next contract (if he is indeed suspended).  I imagine his suitors would prefer to let that situation play out before determining what kind of contract to offer the 33-year-old slugger.

A.J. Burnett, Hunter Pence, and Mike Napoli were bumped out of the top ten this time around, while Chase Utley and Tim Lincecum just missed returning to it.  The top five appears to be solidifying, while the rest may shift around quite a bit in the coming months.  

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