Tim Dierkes | MLB Trade Rumors

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 1:16pm CDT

The trade deadline is roughly eight hours away, and we learned yesterday that the Cubs are talking Matt Garza with multiple clubs despite a fluid buildup in the righty's triceps that will keep him from pitching until after the deadline passes. The 28-year-old is under team control for 2013, a season for which he will earn approximately $12.1MM, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. The Cubs moved Paul Maholm, Reed Johnson, and Geovany Soto on Monday; here's the latest on Garza.

The Blue Jays and Rangers had scouts watching Garza's side session on Monday, tweets Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.
Cubs officials were not overly optimistic about trading Garza today, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The Rangers appear unlikely for Garza, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Blue Jays and Reds appear to be more realistic matches. The Blue Jays are believed to have already asked the Cubs permission to conduct a physical exam of Garza, wrote Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.

Giants Acquire Hunter Pence

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 1:06pm CDT

The Giants have to have bolstered their lineup with an All-Star caliber outfielder for the second consecutive summer. They acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and, minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph the Phillies announced.

Pence, 29, is hitting .271/.336/.447 in 440 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. He's under team control for 2013, though his salary could exceed $14MM. He'll boost a Giants lineup that ranks 11th in the NL with four runs scored per game. GM Brian Sabean snagged one of the best bats on the trade market last summer as well with Carlos Beltran, but Pence is more than a rental.

Pence joined the Phillies one year ago in a trade with the Astros, but amidst a disappointing season GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is cleaning house. Less than an hour ago, the Dodgers acquired another member of the Phillies' outfield in Shane Victorino. Los Angeles also acquired Hanley Ramirez and Brandon League, creating pressure for their NL West rivals.

Schierholtz, 28, appears to have requested a trade after seeing his playing time diminish. T he left-handed hitter has a .257/.327/.429 batting line in 196 plate appearances this year and a .270/.319/.412 line in his six-year career. He's earning $1.3MM this year and can be retained through 2014 via the arbitration process.

Rosin, a 23-year-old right-hander, stand 6'6". He has a 4.31 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 56 1/3 innings at Class A so far this year. The 2010 fourth round pick has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in the minor leagues.

Joseph, 21, is hitting .260/.313/.391 in 335 Double-A plate appearances this year. Baseball America wrote before the season that the 2009 second-rounder should be able to stay at catcher.

Jon Heyman first reported the trade today. Two days ago, Dennis O'Donnell of KPIX was first to report that the Giants had a deal in place for Pence involving Joseph. Todd Zolecki first reported that Rosin was in the trade. Danny Knobler confirmed Joseph's role in the trade.

Yankees Close To Acquiring McGehee For Qualls

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 1:00pm CDT

The Yankees were on the verge of acquiring third baseman Casey McGehee from the Pirates for reliever Chad Qualls as the deadline approached, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who is working to confirm the deal.

Latest On Orioles, Joe Blanton

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 12:45pm CDT

31-year-old innings eater Joe Blanton has about $3MM left on his contract, and the Orioles are his most interested suitor. The latest:

The Phillies are coming off the $3MM demands, tweets Connolly, and Blanton to the Orioles is picking up steam again.
The Orioles would have to take on $3MM to acquire Blanton, and they aren't comfortable with that amount, so they're considering other options, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). The Mariners want a lot in return for Jason Vargas, Connolly writes. Joe Saunders and Bud Norris are alternatives, but it's not clear whether they're fits for Baltimore. The Orioles don't want to give up much in a trade for starting pitching, Connolly writes.
The Orioles tried to get Paul Maholm from the Cubs, Ghiroli reports. She confirms the team's interest in Saunders and Vargas. The Orioles are looking on the relief market as well, Ghiroli reports.
The Orioles are turning their attention back toward other starters, tweets MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli.
The Orioles were sent medicals on Blanton as well as two Phillies minor leaguers, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
Money continues to be a stumbling block on a Blanton deal, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The chances of the deal dying have increased since yesterday.

Dodgers Acquire Shane Victorino

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 11:52am CDT

Shane Victorino is returning to the organization that drafted him in 1999. The Dodgers acquired Victorino from the Phillies today for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter link). The deal has been officially announced by both teams, and the Phillies also received a player to be named later or cash considerations. It's been another active summer for Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who also acquired Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, and Brandon League this month.

Victorino, 31, has $3.3MM remaining on his contract and will be eligible for free agency after the season. The center fielder has a .261/.324/.401 line in 431 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. It seems likely he'll play left field for the Dodgers, despite less than 200 career innings at that position. For the Phillies, Domonic Brown will come up to play left field with John Mayberry Jr. becoming the regular center fielder.

The Flyin' Hawaiian was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 1999. Former Dodgers GMs Dan Evans and Paul DePodesta let him go twice in the Rule 5 draft, claiming him back from the Padres the first time in '03 but not from the Phillies in '05. Victorino went on to become a star for the Phils, snagging three Gold Gloves, two All-Star appearances, and even some MVP votes in his time with the club. With the team's surprising last place performance this season, Victorino was dealt to a contender a few months prior to free agency. The Reds, Orioles, and Giants had also reportedly been in the mix. The Dodgers announced they've designated lefty Michael Antonini to open a 40-man roster spot for Victorino.

Martin, the Dodgers' first-round draft pick from 2008, owns a 3.58 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 0.38 HR/9 in 118 Double-A innings this year. Drafted as a raw high schooler, Baseball America ranked Martin 17th on their Dodgers prospect list prior to the season. They wrote that Martin "maintains the ceiling of a No. 2 starter but has a long way to go."

Lindblom, 25, has a 3.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 47 2/3 relief innings this year, so he's had some issues with the longball. He doesn't have much big league service time, and is technically under team control through 2017. Drafted in the second round in '08, Lindblom was once considered one of the team's top prospects. Lindblom was made more expendable by the Dodgers' acquisition of League from the Mariners last night.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire/Robert Mayer. Jon Heyman first reported a deal was very likely.

Pirates Close To Acquiring Gaby Sanchez

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 11:30am CDT

The Pirates are close to acquiring first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and a competitive balance pick, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Giants Closing In On Deal For Pence

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 11:21am CDT

Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence holds extra appeal since he's under team control for 2013, even if he could earn more than $14MM next year. The latest:

The Giants are closing in on a deal for Pence, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Pence to the Giants talk is pretty hot, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
Just prior to the Dodgers wrapping up their deal for Shane Victorino, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the Phillies were still discussing a Pence deal with the Giants. They apparently are willing to trade two starting outfielders.

Nationals Interested In Shoppach

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 11:20am CDT

11:20am: The Brewers aren't in on Shoppach, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter).

8:21am: The Nationals and Brewers have interest in Red Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The 32-year-old backstop has performed well as Jarrod Saltalamacchia's backup, hitting .261/.343/.513 in 136 plate appearances. Shoppach has about $470K remaining on his contract this year.

Dodgers Close To Acquiring Victorino

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 10:07am CDT

Roughly 10% of you feel that Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino will be the biggest name dealt today. The latest:

A Dodgers-Victorino trade is looking very likely, tweets Heyman. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that the Dodgers are close to acquiring Victorino for Lindblom and a second player. Another sign a deal is imminent: outfielder Domonic Brown was scratched from today's Triple-A game and will be joining the Phillies in Washington, D.C., tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Dodgers are in serious talks for Victorino, reports Heyman. The Phillies have been asking for relievers.
The Reds and Phillies have ceased talks on Victorino and Juan Pierre, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, putting the Dodgers in a good position for Victorino.
Potential Phillies target Josh Lindblom became more expendable for the Dodgers after the team acquired Brandon League from the Mariners, wrote Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports early this morning. Lindblom, 25, has a 3.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 47 2/3 relief innings this year, so he's had some issues with the longball.

Poll: Biggest Name Traded Today

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 7:15am CDT

As always, there are tons of intriguing names flying around on trade deadline day. Our poll question is simple: tell us the biggest name that will be dealt today.

Biggest name traded today?

Ryan Dempster 18.84% (5,018 votes)

Cliff Lee 16.80% (4,474 votes)

Hunter Pence 15.57% (4,147 votes)

Shane Victorino 11.91% (3,173 votes)

Matt Garza 8.68% (2,312 votes)

Josh Beckett 4.70% (1,251 votes)

Justin Upton 4.36% (1,160 votes)

Justin Morneau 4.18% (1,112 votes)

Josh Johnson 2.95% (785 votes)

Shin-Soo Choo 2.84% (756 votes)

James Shields 2.40% (639 votes)

Chase Headley 2.32% (619 votes)

Jonathan Broxton 1.75% (465 votes)

Joe Blanton 1.55% (414 votes)

Stephen Drew 1.15% (307 votes)

Total Votes: 26,632

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