Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Sunday
The trade chatter surrounding Kevin Youkilis picked up a ton of steam yesterday as the White Sox, Pirates, Indians, and Dodgers all seem to have interest in the third baseman. As of late last night, it appeared that the White Sox were the frontrunner for the veteran with Pittsburgh in second. Here's the latest on Youkilis with the most recent news up top..
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets that a clubhouse source says Youkilis has been traded to the White Sox and his nameplate has been removed from his locker.
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets the White Sox appear to be the most likely destination for Youkilis and, as of yesterday, the two teams were haggling over money. Knobler adds in a separate tweet that Youkilis is not headed to the Dodgers.
- A deal for Youkilis is in the works, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman adds late talks involved the White Sox, but new team is not yet confirmed. In a separate tweet, Heyman says the Indians are out of the running.
- Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets a source has confirmed that a deal for Youkilis is in the works, but "not complete." Youkilis was removed, to a standing ovation, in the 7th inning as a precaution.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers confirmed that he is not in on Youkilis, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- McAdam hears from a major league source that the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, Braves, and a fifth team are in on Youkilis. A second source says that the Pirates and Diamondbacks are no longer involved. A source with knowledge of the talks indicated that Boston is focused on getting the best return available, whether its in the form of prospects or current major leaguers.
- Youkilis is in today's lineup and a team source tells Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that it's not indicative of one thing or another and a trade remains still in play.
- The White Sox, Dodgers, and Indians are likely going to be amongst the final five teams for Youkilis, tweets Heyman.
- The White Sox’s pursuit of Youkilis is more advanced than any other club’s and could be approaching the final stages, a major league source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Sources say Boston is willing to include about $5MM of the nearly $8MM remaining on Youkilis’ contract in the trade. As of late last night, the Indians appeared to be a “longshot,” the Dodgers’ talks were minimal, and the Pirates pulled out of the discussions, according to sources.
Athletics Designate Danny Farquhar For Assignment
The Athletics announced that they have designated right-hander Danny Farquhar for assignment. The move will allow the club to promote fellow righty A.J. Griffin from Triple-A Sacramento.
Farquhar, 25, was claimed off of waivers by Oakland on June 9th after he was let go by the Blue Jays. The pitcher posted a 2.97 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 20 Double-A appearances for Toronto's affiliate and pitched eight innings for the A's Triple-A squad this year.
Pirates Claim Sutton Off Waivers From Rays
The Pirates announced that they have claimed infielder Drew Sutton off of waivers from the Rays. This marks a return of sorts for Sutton, who spent less than 24 hours as a member of the Pirates last month.
On May 20th, Atlanta sent Sutton to the Bucs for cash considerations and the infielder was flipped to Tampa Bay the next afternoon for a player to be named later. The 28-year-old was designated for assignment by the Rays on Friday. Sutton posted a .271/.314/.354 batting line in 51 plate appearances for the Rays in 2012.
Red Sox Notes: Loney, Dodgers, Youkilis, Middlebrooks
Here are some Red Sox-related items as we keep track of the latest news on Kevin Youkilis..
- Dodgers first baseman James Loney says that he isn't preoccupied with rumors of the club possibly acquiring Youkilis from the Red Sox, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. The 28-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the year and said that he hopes to remain with the club.
- Even though Youkilis hadn’t been told anything about his future yesterday, he seemed resigned to the idea of leaving Boston, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. However, the veteran wouldn't totally rule out the possibility that he may remain with the club beyond the deadline. "I’m still here," he said. "I’m not dead."
- Trading Youkilis to make room for the younger Will Middlebrooks only makes sense for the Red Sox, opines Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The 23-year-old has a .331/.368/.592 slash line in 152 plate appearances this season.
Cafardo On Garza, Lowrie, Greinke, Red Sox, Liriano
The rest of the baseball world is waiting for the Yankees to get old, but so far that hasn't happened, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "They’ve been saying that ever since I’ve been around," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "They said it after 2001. They said it after we were reshuffling in 2003, and in 2004, my therapist said I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. After 2009, we can’t be winning with older guys…So I’ve always heard it. As long as we’re winning, people can keep saying it." Here's more from today's column..
- About six teams have been in contact with the Cubs consistently regarding Matt Garza: the Braves, Tigers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Jays, and Royals. Epstein is looking for a great package to part with Garza as he is the club's biggest chip. However, teams have some concern over whether the pitcher can control his emotions.
- The Tigers could be heavily in the mix for Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie and Detroit would likely move him to second to fill a need. Cafardo wouldn't be shocked if he is on the Phillies’ radar as well. Houston has a few other chips in Brett Myers, Brandon Lyon, and Wandy Rodriguez that could help contenders.
- When teams ask about Zack Greinke's availability, they are getting "not yet" from the Brewers. However, Cafardo writes that he'll be available as soon as they get the right offer because there doesn’t seem to be any chance of Milwaukee signing him long-term.
- There has been a lot of talk about Scott Podsednik being used as a trade chip but Cody Ross and Daniel Nava could also be made available by the Red Sox.
- Francisco Liriano's recent pitching has made him a viable trade chip for the Twins. It would still be hard for a contender to trust him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved.
- A National League talent evaluator thinks the Mets should give some thought to trading R.A. Dickey while his value is skyhigh. The Mets don't have the money to make the deadline upgrades that they need, so they could instead continue with their three- or four-year plan by making the right-hander available.
Rosenthal On Greinke, Youkilis, Podsednik, Giants
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has his latest edition of Full Count up. Let's dive in..
- It's still too early to know if Zack Greinke will still be a member of the Brewers after the trade deadline. The club expects Shaun Marcum back as soon as next weekend and Jonathan Lucroy back after the All-Star break. The Brewers feel that they're obligated to listen on offers for all players but at the same time don't need to be the aggressors just yet.
- The Indians appear to be on the periphery of the Kevin Youkilis sweepstakes but still aren't certain if they want to squander their limited resources on a player who is far from a sure thing. While Johnny Damon is hitting much better as of late, their biggest needs are in leftfield and in the starting rotation.
- The Red Sox will face interesting positions once all four of their left-handed hitting outfielders are back in action. Things could get interesting with Scott Podsednik, who could be a trade candidate if Daniel Nava is still hot. The Reds are one team that could be in the mix as they seek a leadoff hitter.
- The Giants would like to add to their offense but some of their people aren't sure if it's worth compromising their defense. The obvious position to upgrade is second base but Ryan Theriot has hit better as of late.
Quick Hits: Angels, Doumit, White Sox, Tigers
Trade talk is heating up for a number of clubs, but Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters, including MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez, not to expect much chatter out of the club between now and July 31st. “We have a 25-man roster right now of guys that are playing particularly well, they’re feeding off each other,” the GM said. “I don’t think it’s imminent that we make any kind of moves, nor do I think that it’s a must.” It was already hard to imagine the Halos making additions, in part because of their already hefty $154MM payroll. More from around baseball as Saturday turns to Sunday..
- Twins Assistant GM Rob Antony told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) that he'll engage Ryan Doumit's agent in extension talks soon. Doumit has enjoyed his time in Minnesota and has interest in returning next season.
- White Sox GM Ken Williams kept mum today when asked about the current climate of the trade market, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The club has been linked heavily to Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski must find a way to acquire a solid everyday second baseman and a right-handed power bat, opines Lynn Henning of The Detroit News.
- Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig was set to have workouts for teams today for scouts in Mexico but wound up being a no-show, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 21-year-old has apparently changed representation and will now audition for clubs in Cancun over the next week.
Draft Notes: Astros, Ruiz, Virant, Rays, Tigers
Earlier today we learned that the Astros signed fourth-round pick Rio Ruiz for $1.85MM, well over the slot recommendation for his pick. Here's more on Ruiz and today's other draft signings..
- Ruiz's signing effectively ends any chance Houston had of inking eleventh-rounder Hunter Virant, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America. The California high school left-hander dropped in the draft because of his demand for a seven-figure bonus.
- Rays second-round selection Spencer Edwards announced via Twitter that he has signed with the club. The Texas high school shortstop was tabbed with the No. 88 pick.
- The Tigers have agreed to terms with the club's 23rd round draft selection, right-hander Drew Harrison, according to Director of Media Relations Brian Britten (via Twitter). The University of Oklahoma product stands at 6'4" and was once a coveted prospect for his ability at the plate.
Beltway Notes: Giolito, Nationals, Orioles, Moyer
Late last week, the Nationals gave first-round pick Lucas Giolito a grand tour of their ballpark, but things have been quiet since between the two parties. Here's the latest news on the Nats and Orioles..
- The Nationals are willing to pay a fine in order to sign Giolito but they are not willing to forfeit a draft pick next year, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nats signed several of their top ten draft picks under the recommended slot in order to give themselves room to ink the hard-throwing right-hander.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter expects Jamie Moyer to continue pitching, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com. The 49-year-old asked to be released earlier today and the O's obliged.
- With the trading deadline roughly six weeks away, Orioles GM Dan Duquette insists that he’s looking to improve the club, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. “We’re in contention. We’re going to do whatever we can to make the playoffs,” he said.
Royals Sending Mixed Signals On Francoeur
The Royals' willingness to trade Jeff Francoeur has fluctuated greatly in recent weeks, major league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. An official with another club termed their interest in moving the veteran as "back and forth, every other week."
Francoeur should draw even more interest once Kevin Youkilis is traded as clubs looking for right-handed hitting could turn to the Royals rightfielder instead. Kansas City is within striking distance in the AL Central but strong play from prospect Wil Myers could motivate the club to move the 28-year-old.
Unsurprisingly, Morosi hears that Francoeur is more available than Billy Butler, who is on a longer-term contract One source said Kansas City would need a "[Zack] Greinke-type" offer in order to part with Butler.