Reds Eyeing Wandy, Figgins, Crisp
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has three new names on the Reds' radar: Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez, Mariners third baseman Chone Figgins, and Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp.
The Reds have strong interest in Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez, says Knobler, and have looked into Rodriguez. Wandy would be much easier to acquire in general, though there is the wrinkle of trading with a division rival and a GM who might fear losing his job in Ed Wade.
Figgins and Crisp would fit the Reds as leadoff types, though neither is getting on base much this year. The Mariners would likely pick up much of the $19.9MM that will be owed to Figgins through 2013. Figgins or Crisp would presumably play left field for the Reds.
West Notes: Heath Bell, Jimenez, Conor Jackson
The latest on a few NL and AL West teams…
- Padres closer Heath Bell explained to Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton on XX 1090 that he has not gotten an extension offer from the Padres, but he's leaving the door open (transcript here). Bell appears willing to take a discount, but admits he doesn't know what he's worth.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that some baseball people feel Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tossed Ubaldo Jimenez's name out there to gauge the pitcher's value, as Kevin Towers did during the offseason with Justin Upton.
- The affordable Conor Jackson figures to be traded, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Jackson, once a rising star in Arizona, has a .249/.323/.330 line in 260 plate appearances for Oakland this year. He'll be owed just over $1MM after the trade deadline, and has been linked to the Pirates so far.
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Orioles Designate Chorye Spoone For Assignment
The Orioles designated minor league starter Chorye Spoone for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for newly-acquired Zach Phillips, according to a team press release.
Spoone, 25, posted a 4.73 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 97 innings for the Orioles' Triple and Double-A affiliates this year. Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked Spoone 24th among Orioles prospects, saying that he once had electric stuff but now may be better off as a reliever. Spoone had shoulder surgery after the '08 season.
Orioles Acquire Zach Phillips
The Orioles acquired lefty reliever Zach Phillips from the Rangers for Nick Green and cash, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Green will not go on the Rangers' 40-man roster, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Phillips, 24, posted a 4.43 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 44 2/3 innings for the Rangers' Triple-A club before being designated for assignment to clear a 40-man spot for Scott Feldman on Thursday.
Green, 32, has a .208/.276/.357 line in 348 plate appearances for the Orioles' Triple-A club this year. He's mainly played shortstop, second base, and left field.
Andy MacPhail and Jon Daniels matched up on a trade once before, when the Orioles acquired Kevin Millwood and cash for Chris Ray and Ben Snyder during the 2009 Winter Meetings.
Possible Reds Relief Targets
The Reds have had internal discussions about acquiring Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara, Jason Isringhausen, Jason Frasor, and Todd Coffey, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Isringhausen and Coffey have previous ties to the organization. GM Walt Jocketty might have to go toe-to-toe with the divison rival Cardinals and Pirates on certain players, as those teams also seek bullpen help.
Morosi adds that the Reds are also focused on high-end starters, maintaining their interest in Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez. The Reds are not looking for shortstop help, as they're pleased with the play of Zack Cozart in his first seven games.
Pirates Interested In Koji Uehara
12:39pm: The Pirates are looking at the Orioles' Koji Uehara, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Statistically, Uehara is one of the best relievers available. Uehara earns $3MM this year, and a $4MM option for next year vests with 15 more appearances.
11:06am: We've seen hints that the Pirates are seeking relief help, as noted in our Contender Wish List post this morning. But the bullpen is actually the front office's focus, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
The Pirates' bullpen ranks fourth in the NL with a 3.15 ERA, though the group is third from the bottom in strikeout rate. Evan Meek has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, leaving righties Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras, Chris Resop, and Daniel McCutchen to pile up relief innings.
It's a buyer's market for relievers, though the supply of quality lefties is a little weak.
Mariners Rumors: Felix, League
The Mariners are sellers, and they might be willing to part with decent pitching. Here's the latest…
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik still plans to retain ace Felix Hernandez, he tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal says the Yankees occasionally check in to see if the team will change its stance, but there's no indication they'll budge. Yesterday, though, CBS' Danny Knobler reported that the Mariners are willing to discuss starters Jason Vargas and Doug Fister. Both seem capable of ERAs around 4.00 going forward.
- The Mariners are fielding a heavy volume of calls on closer Brandon League, reports Jon Paul Morosi. Morosi believes League is favorable to Mike Adams in some regards. Both are under team control through 2012. Fantasy leaguers might want to add David Pauley in the event League is traded, writes Dan Mennella at CloserNews.
- The Mariners need to raise payroll and add offense, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
Phillies, Marlins Discussed Leo Nunez
The Phillies have talked to the Marlins about closer Leo Nunez, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The Marlins seek young pitching in return, Crasnick adds.
Nunez fits with the Phillies' goal of acquiring players they can control beyond this year, though his salary will get a healthy bump from this year's $3.65MM. Over at CloserNews, we're speculating on Mike Dunn for saves in Florida if Nunez is dealt.
Crasnick tweets that the Marlins are not ready to pull the plug yet, even if the team's recent strong play still doesn't make them a mathematical contender. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Marlins will stay the course, and maybe even consider adding a third baseman or pitcher. Keep in mind that even if the Marlins don't want to pay Nunez $6-7MM next year, they can always trade him in August or the offseason.
Kuroda Unsure About Waiving No-Trade Clause
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti met with starter Hiroki Kuroda yesterday, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. The GM told Kuroda he doesn't want to trade him and would like to have him back next year, but also wants to offer him a chance to win and will keep him apprised of inquiries.
Kuroda's contract includes a full no-trade clause, and it's been rumored that he'd block trades to the East Coast. Asked about the waiving the clause, Kuroda said, "At this point, I don't know yet." In June, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that Kuroda would require some form of compensation to waive his no-trade.
Kuroda is one of the best starters available this summer. He's on a one-year, $12MM deal, but has an $8MM salary and a $4MM signing bonus to be paid out in 2012 and '13. So in theory the Dodgers could unload 55% of the contract ($6.6MM) for one-third of a season of Kuroda's services.
Interest in Kuroda appears strong, with the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Tigers reportedly interested. Of course, none of those clubs play on the West Coast.