Mike Morse Very Available
12:00pm: Aside from the Rays and Orioles, three or four other teams are interested in Morse, according to Peter Gammons on MLB Network.
6:07am: Mariners outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse is very available, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Morse, 31, recently returned from a long layoff due to a quad strain and is headed for free agency after the season.
The general vibe so far has been that the Mariners are not motivated to strip down their team, even at 8.5 games out in the wild card. Morse, acquired from the Nationals in January, has a .246/.307/.445 line in 231 plate appearances. From 2010-12, he hit .296/.345/.516 in 1,298 plate appearances for the Nats, so he has the potential to be the impact bat the trade market seems to be lacking with nine hours to go until the deadline.
Rangers Willing To Listen On Anyone
WEDNESDAY: Even the newly-acquired Matt Garza could be in play for the Rangers, tweets Rosenthal. He notes that as they aggressively seek offense, it's not unusual for the Rangers to make creative proposals.
TUESDAY: The Rangers are willing to listen on anyone, report Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, including shortstop Elvis Andrus. The Rangers have not have any substantive trade conversations involving Andrus, however, cautions Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. The team is known to be aggressively seeking a bat, especially given the possibility of Nelson Cruz being suspended. Bowden says they're focused more on outfielders than DH types.
At .250/.310/.289 in 458 plate appearances, the 24-year-old Andrus has not done much offensively this year. In theory, the Rangers could trade him and replace him with 20-year-old rookie Jurickson Profar. Andrus signed an eight-year, $120MM extension with the Rangers in April, which includes opt-out clauses after the 2018 and '19 seasons as well as a 2023 vesting option that becomes a player option upon a trade. The Cardinals would seem to be a logical fit for Andrus.
Mariners In Active Discussions About Wilhelmsen, Perez, Morse
The Mariners are in active trade discussions involving closer Tom Wilhelmsen and reliever Oliver Perez, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Orioles are actively pursuing Perez and Mike Morse, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, and would like to acquire both. The Rays are interested in Morse, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Indians Working Hard To Get A Starter
The Indians are working hard to get a starter, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. They had previously shown interest in the Cubs' Matt Garza before he went to Texas.
Cliff Lee Not Getting Traded Today
Driving home the recent vibe, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM says Phillies lefty Cliff Lee is not getting traded today. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday there was "very little chance" of him trading Lee. With the Red Sox having acquired Jake Peavy, there are no clear suitors anyway.
Alex Rios Rumors: Wednesday
White Sox right fielder Alex Rios is guaranteed almost $18MM through next year. The latest trade rumors:
- The White Sox would like to move Rios today, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, but it doesn't look promising. The Rangers and Pirates have no more than lukewarm interest, he adds.
- Rios was watched by a Pirates scout last night, notes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. The White Sox have scouted the Pirates' farm system thoroughly, he says. Rios left the game in the eighth inning after fouling a pitch off his foot, but the bruise appears minor.
Phillies, Utley Discussing Two- Or Three-Year Extension
WEDNESDAY: The two sides are discussing a three-year deal or two-year deal (plus a vesting option) for around $13MM per season, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Phillies consider Utley to be their franchise player and have every intention of keeping him around.
MONDAY: Two GMs with interest in Utley were informed he's unavailable, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman confirms the Phillies are trying to sign him to an extension.
THURSDAY: The Phillies had recent talks with Chase Utley's representation about a contract extension, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Salisbury also notes that the Phillies are not listening to trade offers for their second baseman, they did include him in a post-trade deadline promotion, and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has "recently been spotted huddling for private conversations at the ballpark" with Utley.
Utley, 34, hovered right outside our top ten free agents in a mid-July power rankings update. He's hitting .286/.346/.520 with 13 home runs in 298 plate appearances. Despite missing a month with an oblique injury, he seems primed to play 125 games for the first time since '09. I imagine the Phillies would be willing to make a qualifying offer after the season if they don't extend or trade Utley, as the sticking point in negotiations could be more about years than salary since he will play next year at age 35. Utley was drafted and developed by the Phillies and could have a Hall of Fame case if he finishes his career strong.
The trade market for second basemen is light without Utley, as you can see from Steve Adams' analysis earlier this month.
Cubs Won’t Trade Samardzija
The Cubs have determined they aren't going to get the required blockbuster package for righty Jeff Samardzija, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman echoes a weekend report from Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that stated the Cubs will once again try to extend Samardzija this winter. Should that fail, "a trade will become much more likely," according to Heyman.
Samardzija, 28, has a 3.75 ERA, 9.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.94 HR/9, and 48.5% groundball rate in 144 innings this year. Those are solid numbers, and he has the repertoire of an ace, but so far Samardzija's control hasn't taken a leap forward as it appeared earlier this season (in fact, it's been worse than last year). The Cubs control Samardzija for two more years after 2013.
For his part, Samardzija told Wittenmyer that he's content to let his performance dictate his earnings: “My numbers and what I do on the field will, I guess, implicate myself in a way. And that’s all I want. Just to win.” Samardzija added that he's been reluctant to discuss long-term value to this point due to his limited big league experience as a starter.
In my opinion, Samardzija's floor would be the five-year, $55MM deal signed by Matt Harrison in January this year, with the possibility of aiming for the five-year, $80MM range deals signed by Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander before the 2010 campaign. Though Samardzija doesn't have the Cy Young votes or career innings those aces did at the time, four years will have passed since they set the bar for starting pitchers in the four-to-five service class. Good pitchers with four years service rarely avoid multiyear extensions to that point, but Samardzija signed a $10MM deal out of the draft and has earned more than $15MM in total, perhaps reducing his willingness to choose the financial security of a team-friendly pact.
Bud Norris Rumors: Tuesday
28-year-old Astros starter Bud Norris was scratched from his start in Baltimore today amid swirling trade rumors. The righty is under team control through 2015. The latest:
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets that the Pirates have no plans to move Glasnow, though they still have plenty in the system to acquire Norris. Alex Rios also remains a target for Pittsburgh.
Earlier Updates
- In addition to the Orioles and Pirates, the Diamondbacks are also in the mix for Norris, according to McTaggart (on Twitter). The D'Backs are also said to be hot after Jake Peavy, though I imagine they're only interested in adding one of the two arms.
- Astros manager Bo Porter told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that trade talkes regarding Norris have "gotten deeper." Norris will start for Houston tomorrow if he isn't traded, adds McTaggart (Twitter links).
- The Orioles have yet to make an offer on Norris, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. They appear to have interest in the Angels' Jason Vargas, more of an August trade candidate after he recovers from a blood clot in his left armpit.
- Three teams are hard after Norris, reports McTaggart, including the Orioles, though no deal is imminent.
- Norris is very likely to be traded today, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, and Pittsburgh could be his landing spot. He adds that the Pirates won't trade center field Gregory Polanco for Norris, but the Astros do like righty Tyler Glasnow. Passan goes on to write that other teams are still in on Norris, and one executive says the Astros are motivated to move him.
- Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle says that while Norris hasn't been informed he's been traded, all signs point to a deal by the deadline. In contrast, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears the Astros have no trade close with anyone as of now.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday
Phillies lefty Cliff Lee is "eminently available," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Given that the 34-year-old has at least $70MM remaining on his contract through 2015, his availability has sparked a debate over his true trade value. The latest:
- The Phillies have no no obvious bidders for Lee at this point, tweets Heyman, who adds that he would be surprised to see a team give up three top prospects and take on the remaining $70MM on Lee's contract.
Earlier Updates
- The Red Sox are no longer pursuing Cliff Lee, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio (Twitter link).
- There is "very little chance" of the Phillie trading Lee, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said on MLB Network on Tuesday afternoon.
- The Red Sox feel a trade for Lee is highly unlikely, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown, but Jake Peavyand Bud Norris are still in play for them.
- The Phillies are believed to have asked for a package headed by Bogaerts and Brandon Workman, plus a big league ready outfielder, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark's source agrees with the consensus, that the Sox won't give up Bogaerts.
- Though the Phillies want Bogaerts as the centerpiece of a Lee deal, the Red Sox "view his inclusion as a non-starter and will not consider proposals that involve him," writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. He says the Red Sox are willing to deal multiple top ten prospects though.
- The Phillies won't settle for anything less than top Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts at the head of any package for Lee, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Red Sox are the biggest player in the Lee derby, writes Heyman. "If there are other teams heavily involved in talks for Lee, they are doing it in an extremely stealthy manner," he adds.