Cafardo On Red Sox, Morneau, Broxton, Lee
The Red Sox could be in the enviable position of being both buyers and sellers at the deadline, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Once their outfield is healthy, Cody Ross, Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney, Scott Podsednik, and Marlon Byrd could be trade bait. Kevin Youkilis is obviously a major chip and guys like Aaron Cook, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Mark Melancon, and Kelly Shoppach may also find themselves on the block. The Nationals are in a similar position as they could sell off pitchers John Lannan and Chien-Ming Wang while still contending. Meanwhile, the two teams most willing to move players will be the Astros and Cubs. Here's more from Cafardo..
- The Twins will likely entertain offers at the trading deadline for Justin Morneau but won’t necessarily deal him. The Blue Jays are a team to watch as they are trying to do something significant to help their offense. Morneau earns $14MM this year and next and the Jays have money saved. Toronto also has the kind of prospects Minnesota desires.
- A decision the Royals made last week will likely enhance Jonathan Broxton’s trade value. They have been cautious with him because of past elbow issues but are no longer barring him from pitching consecutive days. Broxton has a 1.74 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 20.2 innings this year.
- Despite the Astros’ surprising start, they will still listen to offers for their top trade candidates. That includes closer Brett Myers, lefty starter Wandy Rodriguez, first baseman Carlos Lee, right-hander Brandon Lyon, and shortstop Jed Lowrie.
- Lee could be a fit for the Dodgers as they look to replace Matt Kemp's power bat, but Lee has always had West Coast teams on his no-trade list.
- Eventually, Twins GM Terry Ryan try to make the best possible deals for assets such as outfielder Josh Willingham, starters Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano, closer Matt Capps, and infielder Jamey Carroll.
- A's starters Bartolo Colon and Brandon McCarthy, relievers Grant Balfour and Brian Fuentes, outfielder Coco Crisp, catcher Kurt Suzuki, and others are in play. They also wouldn’t be against moving Josh Reddick.
Latest On Kevin Youkilis
The Dodgers, Phillies and Diamondbacks are among the teams showing early interest in Kevin Youkilis, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. One Red Sox person termed talks as "very preliminary'' but others familiar with the club's thinking say that they feel the need to trade him, barring more injuries.
Red Sox people are telling others that they're looking for value in exchange for Youkilis, but it is said that they would ask for less if a team will pay the $9MM plus remaining on his contract ($12MM salary). That deal also has a $13MM option with a $1MM buyout for 2013.
Aside from the aforementioned clubs, Heyman writes that the White Sox, Angels, Brewers, Giants, Rangers, Indians, and Reds are also possible destinations for the 33-year-old. While Texas had a scout at a recent Red Sox game, Heyman notes that they are pretty set in the infield and the right-handed bat they seek is much more likely to be an outfielder.
Minor Moves: Fiorentino, Padilla
Today's minor moves..
- The Athletics have released Triple-A outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, according to Casey Pratt of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Fiorentino was released as one of two moves to free up spots for Daric Barton and Tyson Ross.
- The Padres signed outfielder Jorge Padilla to a minor league contract, according to CBSSports.com's transactions page. Padilla, 33 in August, had a 29-game cup of coffee with the Nationals in 2009 for his only big league service time. He's a career .292/.360/.413 hitter in parts of 15 minor league seasons.
Quick Hits: Dodgers, Byrd, Soler, Red Sox, Cubs
The Dodgers have been sliding as of late and though they could use some reinforcements, they might not get them any time soon. General Manager Ned Colletti said that he has been contacting other teams for the last month to inquire about potential trades but hasn't found much yet, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. More from around baseball..
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) wonders if both of the players in the Michael Bowden–Marlon Byrd trade could be designated for assignment. Bowden was DFA'd by the Cubs yesterday to make room for right-hander Jairo Asencio while Byrd could be DFA'd by the Red Sox when Darnell McDonald returns.
- Jorge Soler's agent, Barry Praver, has requested that offers for his client be submitted by Thursday, June 7th, a source tells Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter).
- The Red Sox aren't aggressively shopping Kevin Youkilis right now because he has been hitting well and the club doesn't know when Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury will be back, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd).
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider req'd) suggests three trades to help fix the Cubs.
Blue Jays Claim Chris Schwinden, DFA Farquhar
The Blue Jays announced that they have claimed right-hander Chris Schwinden off of waivers from the Mets and designated Danny Farquhar for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. Schwinden will report to the team's Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate.
Schwinden, 25, was DFA'd by the Mets yesterday as one of two moves needed to make room on the 40-man for right-hander Elvin Ramirez and catcher Josh Thole. Aside from two starts and a relief appearance for the Mets, Schwinden has spent the year with Triple-A Buffalo. In nine starts there, the 6'3" hurler posted a 2.59 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.
Farquhar, also 25, has spent the year with Double-A New Hampshire after pitching mostly at the Triple-A level in 2011. In 20 appearances this year, Farquhar has a 2.97 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
Orioles Acquire Steve Pearce, DFA Bill Hall
The Orioles have acquired first baseman Steve Pearce from the Yankees and designated utility man Bill Hall for assignment, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). The Yankees will receive cash considerations in return, tweets Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com.
Pearce, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Yanks in late March after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Pirates. In 52 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Pearce hit .321/.422/.574 with eleven homers.
Hall, 32, was just added to the club's 25 and 40-man rosters yesterday after having his contract purchased. The veteran was also DFA'd by the team on May 25th before clearing waivers. Hall has a .221/.272/.372 slash line with three home runs in 21 Triple-A games this year.
West Notes: Dodgers, Dempster, Angels, Hamilton
After taking a look at the AL and NL East, it's only fair that we turn our attention to the Western divisions..
- The Dodgers are expected to pursue pitching and hitting and Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) wouldn't be surprised to see the club pursue Ryan Dempster of the Cubs. Knobler adds (Twitter link) that that the Dodgers wanted Dempster two summers ago but settled for Ted Lilly once he was taken off the market by the Cubs.
- Juan Rincon opted out of his contract with the Angels this morning but Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter) says that the Halos released him, making it a mutual decision in essence.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan says that there's nothing new to report when it comes to contract talks with Josh Hamilton. Over the weekend, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opined that the slugger is unlikely to sign an extension with Texas.
East Notes: Nationals, Youkilis, Podsednik, Red Sox
After 8,020 games, the Mets finally have their first no-hitter in franchise history thanks to Johan Santana's brilliant performance tonight against the Cardinals. Santana's bid was saved in the seventh inning by Mike Baxter as he sacrificed his body to make an incredible catch against the leftfield wall. The left-hander threw 134 pitches in total but said after the game that he had no intentions of coming out of the game early. Here's more out of the Eastern divisions..
- According to a baseball source, there is a feeling that Bryce Harper is not the long-term answer in center field for the Nationals and the club still has interest in Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos and Twins outfielder Denard Span, a source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. However, the source said there haven't been any talks between the Nats and those clubs and wouldn't be the surprised if nothing happened until the offseason.
- Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis told Ian Browne of MLB.com that he's not fazed by the recent trade talk surrounding him. Boston GM Ben Cherington denied a report saying that they are telling teams that the veteran is available but the White Sox and Rangers are among the clubs that have checked in on him.
- The Red Sox could be forced to cut veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik once Darnell McDonald or Cody Ross return, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. For his part, the 36-year-old doesn't sound ready to hang 'em up just yet. "Until I can't go out and steal a base, until I'm not running that well, I'd be doing myself an injustice by not trying to go out and play," Podsednik said.
Stark On Hamels, Ruiz, Scutaro, Willingham, Pirates
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has plenty of news in his latest edition of Rumblings & Grumblings. Let's dive in and take a look..
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro says that his value assessment on Cole Hamels hasn't changed but he will have to take his other free agents into account this winter. "But the biggest thing is all the other decisions we have to make…at third base [Placido Polanco], in center field [Shane Victorino], and at right field [Hunter Pence] and catcher [Carlos Ruiz] in two years. And we haven't solved our left-field situation, either," Amaro said.
- Amaro says that he is high on Ruiz but will consider the club's payroll as a whole before considering a long-term deal. The GM also pointed out his age (33) and demanding position. The Phillies hold a $5MM club option for next year on Ruiz, which would put him on the open market on the verge of his age-35 season.
- The Phillies GM also seems confident that the club won't be in a position to cave before the deadline and become sellers. For the Phillies to pull the plug and sell, he says the club would have to "fall out of contention pretty significantly."
- The Tigers might want to consider waiting around for the Rockies' Marco Scutaro as a solution at second base. Clubs that have checked in with the Rockies say they're still at least a month from selling but Scutaro, Rafael Betancourt, and Jeremy Guthrie are all likely to be available when they do.
- There's been a surprising amount of trade talk surrounding Twins outfielder Josh Willingham but teams that have kicked the tires on him have been rebuffed.
- The Pirates are telling other teams that they're likely to approach this deadline like they did last year's, looking to add. They've indicated that they're likely to trade arms for bats, especially hitters they can control beyond this year.
- Meanwhile, potential shoppers wonder if the Pirates are willing to move enough quality to make a splash. Pittsburgh is hinting that they'll keep James McDonald, A.J. Burnett, and probably Erik Bedard if they have a shot to win. If that's the case, they'll instead be shopping the likes of Charlie Morton, Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens, and prospect Rudy Owens, which won't net them the same kind of return.
- Despite reports to the contrary, Roy Oswalt never received offers from the Phillies or Cardinals according to Amaro and a source who spoke with the Cards' brass, respectively. While there was other interest, it seems that this was a one-team negotiation with Oswalt and the Rangers.
Wright Won’t Discuss Contract During Season
David Wright told Ed Coleman of WFAN Radio that he will not discuss a new contract with the Mets during the season, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The third baseman has also let the club know that he won't negotiate in-season, a team source told Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). Wright is earning $15MM this season with a club option for 2013 worth $16MM.
Earlier this week, GM Sandy Alderson said that he planned on offering the 29-year-old a new contract at some point during the season. Mets CEO Jeff Wilpon supported that notion, but added that the club wasn't necessarily in a rush to get a deal done.
Wright has been outstanding thus far in 2012, boasting a slash line of .365/.463/.565 with five homers in 203 plate appearances.