Injured Trade Candidates
Players can be traded while on the DL, but in general teams strongly prefer their acquisitions to be healthy. Here's a look at trade candidates who are currently on the DL.
- Erik Bedard, Mariners. Bedard is on the DL for a knee sprain. He threw a successful bullpen session on Sunday and may be able to make a start or two before the deadline. Injuries have killed Bedard's trade deadline value in years past, though they were more serious than this one. To the extent that he's on the mound, Bedard might be the best available starter on the trade market.
- Jose Reyes, Mets. Reyes just finished recovering from a left hamstring strain; he's expected back in the Mets' lineup tonight. I know he's not expected to be dealt, though I think it'd make sense for Sandy Alderson to listen.
- Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals. Pudge is coming back from an oblique strain and should return to action this month.
- Luke Scott, Orioles. Scott's shoulder has bothered him for much of the season, but he received a cortisone shot and could be activated today. I think he's likely to stay put.
- Brad Hawpe, Padres. Hawpe strained a finger in late June, but an elbow problem may be the bigger concern. It sounds like he won't make it back by the deadline, but an August deal could happen.
- Kevin Slowey, Twins. Battling an abdomen injury, Slowey made a third rehab start on Friday. He's expected to be optioned to stay in Triple-A, so a trade would be best for everyone.
- John Danks, White Sox. Danks is expected to rejoin Chicago's rotation Thursday against the Royals after an oblique strain. His teammate Edwin Jackson seems more likely to be dealt.
- Casey Blake, Dodgers. Blake received a cortisone shot for his neck injury, but no return is imminent. This might have to be an August deal if at all.
Rosenthal On GM Job Security
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells us which GMs are on the hot seat in his latest column. A few details…
- Ed Wade (Astros) and Jim Hendry (Cubs) are deemed to be on the hot seat. New Astros owner Jim Crane is expected to try to lure Rays decision-maker Andrew Friedman with the chance to run his hometown team. As for the Cubs, Rosenthal finds speculation of a Pat Gillick-Hendry pairing to be far-fetched. Rosenthal notes that the Cubs job, which has been occupied by Hendry for more than nine years, "might draw interest from some of the game's top current GMs."
- Jack Zduriencik (Mariners), Tony Reagins (Angels), and Dave Dombrowski (Tigers) are viewed as "less than secure."
- Brian Cashman (Yankees) and Andy MacPhail (Orioles) are in the final year of their contracts. Rosenthal says "even some of Cashman’s friends in the industry think he might be ready to bolt." Rosenthal says it'd be an upset if MacPhail returns for Baltimore.
- Ned Colletti (Dodgers) and Kenny Williams (White Sox) are in unusual positions. Colletti has an out after 2012, and of course his club is a picture of uncertainty. As for Williams, he could theoretically become club president to allow the team to retain Rick Hahn, but Rosenthal's sources believe "such an arrangement would be difficult on both men."
- Rosenthal tosses a "you never know" tag on Doug Melvin (Brewers) and Bill Smith (Twins), but finds the Pirates' Neal Huntington secure.
- We'll have much more on the topic of GM candidates next month. But in MLBTR's survey of dozens of team executives and agents, the following people were named as candidates at least five times: Hahn, Jerry Dipoto, Thad Levine, David Forst, Ben Cherington, Tony LaCava, Mike Chernoff, Bryan Minniti, A.J. Preller, and Billy Eppler.
Contender Wish Lists
Here's what each contender appears to be looking for, as determined by reported rumors.
- Red Sox: Right-handed hitting right fielder, lefty reliever, starting pitcher, shortstop
- Yankees: Starting pitcher, lefty and righty reliever, bench player capable of playing third base
- Rays: Reliever
- Indians: Starting pitcher, outfielder, infield help, general offense
- Tigers: Starting pitcher, third baseman, outfielder, lefty reliever
- White Sox: Righty reliever
- Twins: Middle reliever
- Rangers: Reliever, starting pitcher
- Angels: Reliever, third baseman, outfielder, first baseman (preference for left-handed hitter)
- Phillies: Reliever, right-handed hitting outfielder (preference for non-rentals)
- Braves: Right-handed hitting outfielder, leadoff hitter, bench player
- Pirates: Right-handed hitter, reliever, starting pitcher
- Cardinals: Starting pitcher, reliever
- Brewers: Third baseman, shortstop
- Reds: Reliever, starting pitcher, left fielder
- Giants: Corner outfielder, catcher, second baseman, shortstop
- Diamondbacks: Affordable reliever, starting pitcher
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Monday
We've read estimates ranging from a 10 to 25% chance that Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez is traded this month. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd said yesterday "it would have to be a Herschel Walker deal." Given Jimenez's extremely team-friendly contract, and the fact that he has more value to the Rockies than any other team due to the nature of his 2014 club option, I can't see him being traded. What young pre-arbitration pitcher would be the centerpiece? My reservations aside, here are today's Jimenez rumors…
- The Rockies and Yankees have not started exchanging names regarding Jimenez, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Olney suggests there's only a "very slim" chance the Yankees and Rockies work out a deal.
- No less than 12 teams, including some non-contenders, have checked in on Jimenez, reports SI's Jon Heyman.
- Yankees catcher Jesus Montero will not be the centerpiece of a Jimenez deal, a person with ties to the Rockies tells Heyman. That makes sense, especially if the Rockies view Montero as a future first baseman. Perhaps 20-year-old southpaw Manny Banuelos could be the key player, but Heyman says someone with ties to the Yankees insists they won't part with Banuelos, Dellin Betances, or Ivan Nova. The Rockies asked for all four.
Rays Designate Adam Russell For Assignment
The Rays designated right-handed reliever Adam Russell for assignment, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. In a series of moves, the Rays designated Russell, placed Juan Cruz and Jose Lobaton on the DL, and promoted Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, and Robinson Chirinos. The removal of Russell from the 40-man roster drops the team's count to 38.
Russell, 28, posted a 3.03 ERA, 3.6 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, and 53.2% groundball rate in 32 2/3 innings for the Rays this year. Armed with a 94 mile per hour fastball, Russell failed to tally strikeouts in his Rays stint. Drafted by the White Sox in 2004, Russell was dealt to the Padres in the Jake Peavy deal and later headed to Tampa Bay in the Jason Bartlett trade.
The Price For Mike Adams
32 year-old reliever Mike Adams has a microscopic 1.70 ERA in 212 innings in his Padres career, spanning four seasons. He's under team control through next year, causing some to suggest the Padres' asking price will exceed that of closer Heath Bell.
Adams does have an injury history, including surgery to repair a torn labrum and damage to his rotator cuff in October of '08. He missed a little time with a shoulder strain in August of '09, after his return. Last year's injury was only an oblique strain, so on the bright side his arm and shoulder have been pretty healthy since the surgery.
The Rangers, Yankees, and Phillies are known to be in on Adams, and SI's Jon Heyman says Padres GM Jed Hoyer wants "a very big prospect" in return. Heyman explains that Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar, generally considered among the ten or so best prospects in the game, would be too much.
On the other hand, Tom Krasovic reports that the Phillies are willing to trade first base/left field prospect Jonathan Singleton for Adams, but that might not be enough for San Diego. Singleton was ranked #24 on Keith Law's top 50 prospects list, but #41 on Baseball America's list. He failed to crack Kevin Goldstein's top 50 at Baseball Prospectus.
The prospect gurus are pretty far apart on Singleton, making it tough to identify the lower bound on the expected return for Adams. Still, if the two prospect-related Adams rumors are accurate, an appropriate return might be pitching prospects Robbie Erlin (Rangers) or Dellin Betances (Yankees).
Heyman On Beltran, Giants, Padres
Rumors from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The Mets don't believe Carlos Beltran would pass through waivers in August. Beltran is well-compensated at $18.5MM, but he's also the best hitter available this summer. Heyman says the Mets may try to make a deal a few days before the deadline to avoid any hitches with Beltran's no-trade rights.
- The Giants "do not want to part with any decent prospects for a hitter," perhaps taking them out of the Beltran mix.
- The Phillies and Reds match up well with the Padres, who can offer Ryan Ludwick plus a number of different veteran right-handed relievers. Padres GM Jed Hoyer has yet to match up with Ruben Amaro Jr. or Walt Jocketty in his two years at the helm.
- The Padres would want a "very big prospect" for setup man Mike Adams, but Heyman says Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar isn't going anywhere.
Indians Seeking Starter, Outfielder
The Indians are clinging to first place, and now they've lost center fielder Grady Sizemore to the 15-day DL. Sizemore suffered a right knee contusion in yesterday's game. Michael Brantley is the last man standing in the Indians' outfield, with Shin-Soo Choo out until mid-August for a broken thumb.
The Tribe has been linked to Carlos Beltran, the top outfielder on the market. However, the $6MM remaining on Beltran's contract could be an obstacle. If the Indians are otherwise looking for right-handed hitters, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests, they may be limited to Hunter Pence, Marlon Byrd, Jeff Francoeur, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, Reed Johnson, and Scott Hairston in my opinion. And Pence is considered a long shot to be dealt.
Rosenthal, as well as Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, feel the Indians will also go after a starting pitcher. Here's a look at what's out there, with the Marlins' top starters probably off the board. SI's Jon Heyman reports that the Indians inquired on the Dodgers' Hiroki Kuroda, as have the Tigers, Red Sox, Rangers, and Yankees.
Nats Rumors: Storen, Clippard, Desmond, Gorzelanny
The Nationals are listening on top relievers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but such a trade would have to fill a specific long-term need such as center field. Teams are calling on Storen, Clippard, and Todd Coffey.
Potential center field targets for Washington include B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Colby Rasmus, and Denard Span, writes Rosenthal. He believes that a reliever alone probably would not bring back a center fielder, but the Nats could also trade shortstop Ian Desmond since some club officials would like to move Danny Espinosa to shortstop.
Storen is under team control through 2016, Clippard and Desmond through '15. Desmond would be an interesting name for teams seeking shortstop help, though he's limped to a .226/.269/.311 line in 361 plate appearances this year.
The Nationals also have starting pitching to spare, as ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that they will move Jason Marquis, Livan Hernandez, and Tom Gorzelanny. Gorzelanny is a bit of a surprise, as he's got strong strikeout and walk rates and is under team control through 2013.
Rockies Could Move Relievers
The Rockies are currently 9.5 games out in the NL West. They don't have any crucial players heading to free agency after the season, but they may still have some expendable veterans. In particular, MLB.com's Thomas Harding says "information is surfacing that the Rockies could be willing to deal any of three key right-handed relievers" – Huston Street, Rafael Betancourt, and Matt Belisle.
Street, 28 in August, has a 3.56 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 1.67 HR/9, and 39.0% groundball rate in 43 innings this year. At the deadline he'll have $2.37MM left on his contract this year, plus $7.5MM in '12 and a $500K buyout after that season for a total of $10.37MM. Yesterday, Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports wrote that there have been "recent inquiries" on Street. However, keep in mind that GM Dan O'Dowd has no directive to shed salary. If Street is dealt, Matt Lindstrom would probably close, as indicated on our depth chart at CloserNews.
Betancourt, 36, has a 4.66 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 1.47 HR/9, and 30.6% groundball rate in 36 2/3 innings. His numbers are similar to Street's in that he limits free passes but is prone to the longball. Betancourt will have $1.22MM left this year at the deadline, plus $4MM in '12 and a $250K buyout after that season for a total of $5.47MM. Since he doesn't have saves on his resume, he earns half as much as Street.
Belisle, 31, has a 3.46 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.86 HR/9, and 46.8% groundball rate in 41 2/3 innings. He will have $1.05MM left this year at the deadline and $3.775MM in '12 for a total of $4.825MM. This is the first time his name has been mentioned as a potential trade target.
The Yankees, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Rangers are contenders who are in the hunt for relief help.