Cardinals Notes: Wainwright, Heath Bell, Bartlett
At 41-38, the Cardinals are three games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. They rank second in the league with 4.67 runs scored per game, though Albert Pujols will miss all of July with a left forearm fracture. The Cards' starters rank 10th in the league with a 3.90 ERA, while the bullpen is 13th at 4.19. Today's links…
- Adam Wainwright hopes to make the Cardinals' September and playoff rosters this year, to help the team and to force his $9MM option for 2012 and $12MM option for 2013 to vest, he told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, since Wainwright had Tommy John surgery in late February, manager Tony La Russa isn't expecting anything from him this year. I think the Cardinals would prefer Wainwright not to rush, and will happily pick up his options anyway.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Cardinals "are trying to land" Heath Bell and Jason Bartlett of the Padres. In that scenario, Ryan Theriot would have to move to second base. Acquiring Bell and Bartlett at the trade deadline would require taking on about $3.7MM in additional 2011 salaries, plus quality prospects.
- Get your Cardinals MLBTR fix through our team-specific Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages.
Sherman On Yankees, Padres, Clippard
Joel Sherman of the New York Post dishes all kinds of Yankees rumors today; let's check it out.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted the team's weakness is left-handed pitching, but says, "I can't force it. I can't make it happen if it is not there." Another Yankees official said that a lefty would help, "But I don't think it is live or die." Sherman believes Wandy Rodriguez and Francisco Liriano might be the two best available southpaw starters, but both bring concerns. Relief-wise they could go for the Marlins' Randy Choate or consider higher-priced names in August like Brian Fuentes and Mike Gonzalez.
- In general, Cashman said he doesn't think he can trade for a starter better than Bartolo Colon or Phil Hughes or a reliever better than Rafael Soriano, and all three could be back in July. According to Sherman, the Yankees "have shown no interest in high-cost veterans with dubious stuff such as the Brett Myers, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, Livan Hernandez, and Jason Marquis."
- Hoping for the Yanks to acquire Jair Jurrjens or Derek Lowe? We're not sure if either is available, but Sherman says "the Yankees' policy has become pretty much to run away from Atlanta pitching after having successful Braves hurlers blow up on them."
- The Yankees would not offer an extension to Hiroki Kuroda, if the righty were to make that a condition of a trade. We know Kuroda will require some form of compensation.
- The Padres "want to get out in the market quickly" with relievers Heath Bell and Chad Qualls, writes Sherman. The Yankees, however, prefer Mike Adams, who is considered much less available.
- The Nationals are willing to trade setup man Tyler Clippard, but are looking for a center fielder and have their sights on B.J. Upton.
Tigers Gauging Trade Interest In Brad Thomas
The Tigers "have been gauging trade interest in left-handed reliever Brad Thomas and are willing to move him," reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 33-year-old Australian is on a rehab assignment after going down with elbow inflammation in May.
Thomas is earning $800K this year, and could be retained in the future as an arbitration eligible player. 2010 was his one full year in the Majors; he was OK against lefties and ineffective against righties. The Tigers have three left-handed relievers on their active roster, so Thomas is expendable. The Tigers can keep Thomas on the rehab assignment for a few more weeks, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck, but then must make a decision since he is out of options. Click here to survey other potentially available left-handed relievers.
Rockies Interested In Jamey Carroll
The Rockies are looking for second base help, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and they've expressed interest in Dodgers infielder Jamey Carroll. Carroll spent the 2006-07 seasons with Colorado, sending the Rockies to the playoffs in '07 with a sacrifice fly off Trevor Hoffman.
Carroll, 37, is hitting .300/.368/.366 in 288 plate appearances on the season. He's capable of playing second base, shortstop, third base, and the outfield corners. I examined his trade candidacy about a week ago. Carroll is earning $1.8MM and he's a bit short of Type B status.
Rockies second basemen, mainly Jonathan Herrera and Chris Nelson, are hitting .240/.296/.325 on the season. I think Nelson deserves more of a look, but adding Carroll wouldn't hurt. There aren't too many contenders seeking second basemen, but Carroll, Mark Ellis, and Jeff Keppinger are the top trade candidates. Renck says the Rockies also want to bolster their rotation, but may look internally for that. At six games out, they're on the fringe of contention.
GMs Dan O'Dowd and Ned Colletti matched up on a trade last year, when the Rockies acquired Octavio Dotel from the Dodgers for Anthony Jackson. Before that, the division rivals hadn't matched up since '03.
Rangers Not Interested In Beltran, K-Rod
TUESDAY, 7:50am: "I can't believe that we have an interest in either," remarked Rangers president Nolan Ryan on Galloway and Company yesterday. Ryan doesn't see K-Rod as an upgrade to his bullpen, and he's worried about Beltran's health and salary.
MONDAY, 12:37pm: The Rangers are interested in Mets veterans Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
Beltran and the Rangers are not an obvious match, since Texas is set at the outfield corners with Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz. Of course, there are ways to make it work, as Hamilton and Beltran are capable of playing center field. Plus, Hamilton and Cruz are not locks to avoid the DL from here on out. The 34-year-old Beltran is hitting .278/.372/.480 with 10 home runs in 317 plate appearances on the season, in what is likely to become his healthiest season since '08. Beltran's $18.5MM salary and full no-trade clause, as well as the Mets' status as wild card contenders, could be obstacles in a trade.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, has an 8.18 ERA in 11 games this month. He's 26 games finished away from having his $17.5MM option for 2012 vest. That target could be down to 15 or so by the trade deadline, so it's safer to trade K-Rod now. Though a trade would be a clear manipulation of his vesting option, the closer appears open to waiving his no-trade protection. Even teams with established closers would take on risk in acquiring Rodriguez, since he could be thrust back into the ninth inning if the incumbent stopper is injured. A trade agreement might have to address such a scenario. And don't forget, Rodriguez earns a hefty $11.5MM this year.
The Rangers and other teams seeking relief help have plenty of options beyond K-Rod and all his baggage. The Rangers have more trade chips than anybody, in the opinion of one scout who spoke to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Quick Hits: Maholm, Chulk, Cardinals
Two years ago today, the Indians traded third baseman Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for Chris Perez, with Jess Todd also going to Cleveland as the player to be named later. DeRosa injured his wrist shortly after the trade and struggled in his time with the Cards, but they received a consolation prize in righty Seth Blair, chosen in the 2010 draft as compensation when DeRosa signed with the Giants. Perez has racked up 42 saves as the Indians' closer. Todd was designated for assignment in April of this year, claimed by the Yankees, designated again in May, claimed by the Cardinals, and recently outrighted to Triple-A. On to today's links…
- Rangers reliever Darren O'Day may return this week from the 60-day DL, meaning the team will need to open up a 40-man roster spot.
- The Red Sox announced they activated righty Junichi Tazawa from the 60-day DL and optioned him to Double-A; lefty Rich Hill was placed on the 60-day DL to keep the 40-man roster at 40.
- Pirates lefty Paul Maholm reiterated to Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he'd like to stay in Pittsburgh, but he's not going to beg or initiate extension talks. In general terms, GM Neal Huntington expressed a strong preference for avoiding in-season negotiations. He has a $9.75MM option on Maholm for 2012. For more on the Maholm situation, click here.
- Athletics reliever Vinnie Chulk can opt out of his contract Friday, notes SI's Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The 32-year-old righty has a 2.75 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, and 0.2 HR/9 in 39 1/3 Triple-A innings this year.
- Heyman talked to agents and executives, asking them to predict contracts for Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Jose Reyes. Everyone sees Pujols getting at least $27.5MM and at least six years. I have to wonder if he'd prefer a one-year deal if his return is less than stellar. Meanwhile, most of the participants saw Fielder getting $24-25MM a year and at least five years.
- The Cardinals could try to acquire two relievers rather than go after a big fish like Heath Bell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Indians Designate Adam Everett For Assignment
The Indians designated infielder Adam Everett for assignment, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Everett isn't sure of his next step, and retirement is possible. As Everett's career possibly comes to a close, the Lonnie Chisenhall era is about to begin in Cleveland, reports Bastian. Adding the top prospect would keep the Tribe's 40-man roster full.
Everett, 34, hit .217/.277/.233 in 67 plate appearances for the Indians, but he was brought aboard for his exceptional defensive abilities. Primarily a shortstop in his career, Everett played more third and second base for the Indians this year.
Chisenhall was ranked as the 20th best prospect in baseball by ESPN's Keith Law on May 31st. The 22-year-old third baseman is hitting .265/.352/.427 in 290 Triple-A plate appearances.
New York Notes: Crosstown Trades, Osuna, Reyes
The Yankees own the best record in the American League and a half-game lead in the AL East over the Red Sox. The Mets are at .500 and sit 4.5 games out in the wild card race. The latest on New York's teams…
- The Mets and Yankees have matched up on only nine trades in their history, which you can check out with our Transaction Tracker. Yanks GM Brian Cashman has authored three of them, acquiring Mike Stanton (2004), Armando Benitez (2003), and Robin Ventura (2001). Cashman told Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal, "There's never been an issue with it, but you'd better win the trade." Costa's article is an excellent discussion of cross-town dealing, so be sure to check it out.
- Speaking of Yankees-Mets deals, one Yankees person who spoke to SI's Jon Heyman called the chances of a trade for Francisco Rodriguez "less than 50-50." As I mentioned earlier today, K-Rod carries a lot of baggage.
- The Yankees will eventually need 40-man roster spots for Phil Hughes, Rafael Soriano, and Eric Chavez when they come off the 60-day DL. Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues breaks down the most expendable Yankees currently on the 40-man. The Yankees are one of 19 teams with a full 40-man roster.
- The Yankees, Rangers, Blue Jays, Athletics, and Padres watched Roberto Osuna throw in Mexico on Thursday, reports Roberto Espinoza of Vanguardia (link in Spanish). The Red Sox are also interested. The 16-year-old Osuna is one of the top pitchers in the July 2nd class.
- SI's Jon Heyman surveyed two executives and two agents about Jose Reyes' next contract, with three of the four expecting $20MM per year and six or seven years.
What Do The Indians Need?
The Indians have been exploring trades, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, but the market remains undefined with so many teams still in contention. Bastian adds that he expects the team to lean toward internal moves for upgrades at primary positions. He believes they could make deals for backup-type players, with high-priced acquisitions unlikely. The Indians are one game back in the AL Central after being swept by the Giants over the weekend.
A pair of Indians position players are currently on the DL in first baseman Matt LaPorta and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. LaPorta, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, will rejoin the team for batting practice on Friday and is eligible to be activated on July 4th. Choo is expected to need surgery on a broken thumb and might be out until mid-August. The Tribe will go with an Austin Kearns/Travis Buck platoon in right field initially. If they eventually look outside the organization, guys like Reed Johnson and Laynce Nix could merit consideration in my opinion.
The Indians rank eighth in the AL with 4.28 runs scored per game. Second and third base are potential areas of upgrade. As we've discussed, the Indians are giving Cord Phelps a shot at second now and still have Jason Kipnis in the minors. They could get more offense than what Jack Hannahan has provided at the hot corner, though top prospect Lonnie Chisenhall hasn't been amazing at Triple-A. The biggest offensive upgrade could come from Baltimore's Mark Reynolds, but he's more than a rental. A more reasonable alternative might be Kansas City's Wilson Betemit, though both players would represent defensive downgrades from Hannahan. Another option could be to acquire Colorado's Josh Fields and use him in various spots as the Sky Sox have been doing.
How about the rotation? Fausto Carmona has struggled all year. Should he eventually be considered for a long relief role, options abound at Triple-A, as outlined by MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. Another reinforcement could come perhaps in August if Alex White recovers from a finger injury. So it appears the Indians will go the internal route here as well. If GM Chris Antonetti does explore the trade market, a few of these starters will be in the mix. There's no ace in the group, so Antonetti won't be switching to the buying side of a Cliff Lee or C.C. Sabathia type deal.
The Tribe's bullpen may lack household names, but with an AL-best 2.94 ERA Antonetti probably will not be in the market for relievers.
When Teams Prefer Type Bs
What do Kevin Correia, Octavio Dotel, Brad Hawpe, Orlando Hudson, Chad Qualls, and Javier Vazquez have in common? They were all Type B free agents who were surprisingly offered arbitration by their former clubs and then turned it down. The offers surprised me because I assumed the risk of the players accepting was too great. However, I couldn't account for the possibility of handshake deals – these players probably agreed beforehand to turn down arbitration offers, helping their former employers without hurting their own free agent stock.
If supplemental round picks Jace Peterson (Padres), Trevor Story (Rockies), Grayson Garvin (Rays), Hudson Boyd (Twins), James Harris (Rays), and Dante Bichette Jr. (Yankees) make Major League impacts, their respective teams may want to thank the above-named Type B free agents who were willing to agree to turn down arbitration offers. It's not a given - for example, the Rays didn't offer arbitration to Type B Carlos Pena, and the Yankees didn't offer to Lance Berkman or Kerry Wood. In total, 17 Type Bs were not offered arbitration last offseason.
Had players such as Hudson and Vazquez been rated as Type As, they would not have been so willing to turn down arbitration, since doing so would have required a new team to surrender a draft pick to sign them. The Twins and Yankees would have realized this and never made arbitration offers in the first place.
My point: star players aside, many teams would prefer their own free agents to be rated as Type Bs rather than Type As. So keep an eye on those currently on the borderline: Jason Kubel, Vladimir Guerrero, Aaron Hill, Carlos Guillen, Jason Frasor, and Chris Snyder.