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Quick Hits: Paul, Ross, Tanner, Wells, Martin

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Let's check out some links as Saturday turns into Sunday..

  • Outfielder Xavier Paul has signed with the Reds and will report to Triple-A Louisville, according to his agency Paragon Sports International on Twitter.  Paul was granted free agency by the Nationals earlier this week.
  • Cody Ross told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he rejected a multi-year offer from ‪the Braves‬ to sign a one-year deal with ‪the Red Sox‬ this winter.  Ross has a .275/.352/.560 slash line in 220 plate appearances this year.
  • The Giants signed left-hander Clayton Tanner and assigned him to Triple-A after he was released by the Reds, according to the Fresno Grizzlies' tranactions page.  Tanner, 24, spent several years in the Giants organization before being designated for assignment last summer.
  • There is concern for the Angels that there could be distractions if Vernon Wells either grumbles about a lack of playing time upon his return or other players grumble about him taking at-bats away from Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  Wells is set to earn $21MM in each season through 2014 and moving him would be far from easy.
  • Russell Martin's slump this year could cost him a great deal of money, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The catcher is believed to have rejected a three-year, $24MM offer from the Yankees this offseason, instead choosing to bet on himself.
  • Orioles General Manager Dan Duquette confirmed to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that the club won't be signing Korean high school pitcher Seong-Min Kim.  The O's signing of Kim this winter got them in hot water with the Korean Baseball Association which led to their $550K agreement being voided.

Central Notes: Greinke, Brewers, Pirates, Tigers

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Zack Greinke took the hill for the Brewers today against the Astros, but not for long.  The right-hander was tossed from the game after just four pitches when he spiked the ball following a close play at first base.  Milwaukee would go on to lose 6-3, but they weren't the only club disappointed by what took place.  Here's more on Greinke and other items out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Scouts for at least six contending teams were disappointed when Greinke was ejected, as it deprived them of seeing a pitcher of trade interest, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Scouts from the Orioles, Rangers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Blue Jays were all in Houston for the game.  However, it's possible that some of those teams had their eye on Wandy Rodriguez or were just taking part in regular coverage.  Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the GMs of the O's and the Brewers have yet to talk about a Greinke deal.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) spoke with Indians and Rangers GM John Hart, who said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates "go all-in" to swing a deal before the deadline.
  • The Tigers should go after offense rather than pitching at the trade deadline, opines Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press.  He argues that Detroit can get by with their No. 2-5 starters but are in greater need of hitting.

Rosenthal On Greinke, Hamels, Ellsbury, Victorino

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has posted his latest edition of Full Count.  Let's dive in..

  • As of this morning, the GMs of the Orioles and Brewers have not spoken about a trade involving Zack Greinke.  But the O's, despite sending three starters to the minors this week, continue to indicate that they are buyers.  Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was previously in Baltimore and O's right-hander Jake Arrieta was originally a Brewers draft pick in 2005 and could be of interest as part of a package for Greinke.  However, the Orioles may not want to pay a steep price for a potential free agent when they might only be playing for a wild card.
  • Rival teams covet Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt and the Phillies would likely target him in any talks for Cole Hamels, but the odds of Philly landing him are slim.  Texas would view Hamels as a rental and are looking at Olt at first base and right field, in addition to third.  His bat will be needed next season if they lose Hamilton or Mike Napoli to free agency.
  • The Red Sox face ongoing luxury tax concerns and are over the threshold by $10MM, according to a source.  That could make holding on to Jacoby Ellsbury difficult after 2013 and trading him might make sense at the end of this season.  Unfortunately, the free agent market will be flooded with outfielders including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino.  That will obviously hurt the market for the 28-year-old.
  • Victorino could be a fit for the Pirates or Indians as they aggressively pursue hitters.  The Pirates like Carlos Quentin but his asking price is steep.  The Tribe has inquired on Corey Hart, but he is unavailable.  Victorino would be a solid fit for Cleveland as he is a switch-hitter (who would join a predominantly left-handed lineup) and can play either left or center field.

Draft Notes: Gausman, Phillies, Rash, Brewers

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Earlier today, we ran down the remaining unsigned first-round picks from the 2012 draft.  Here's today's latest draft news..

  • An Orioles source tells Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) that the team remains "very confident" of signing top pick Kevin Gausman.  However, talks between the two sides still could go into next week.  The fourth-overall pick in the draft has said that he expects to reach agreement with the O's but there hasn't been a great deal of news on that front lately.
  • The Phillies were unable to reach agreement with second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register.  The right-hander's father said the family requested $800K while the Phillies countered with an offer of $500K plus $120K for college.  Rash will now attend Missouri in the fall.
  • The Brewers‬ signed eighth-rounder Edgardo Rivera for $200K, more than the suggested pick value of $132K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.   The high school outfielder out of Puerto Rico boasts plus-plus speed and could be solid left-handed bat, Callis writes.

O’s Have Contacted Astros About Wandy Rodriguez

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The Orioles are in the thick of the hunt for a postseason berth and are looking to shore up their starting rotation. Yesterday we learned that they were "going hard" after Zack Greinke, and today Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com (on Twitter) reports they've contacted the Astros about Wandy Rodriguez. Kubatko says GM Dan Duquette is talking to a lot of teams at the moment.

Rodriguez, 33, is one of a number of players Astros GM Jeff Luhnow is reportedly prepared to move. Carlos Lee was just traded to the Marlins and Brett Myers could be of interest to clubs in need of bullpen help. Wandy is no stranger to the trade rumor circuit and has pitched to a 3.54 ERA with his lowest strikeout rate (5.8 K/9) since his rookie year this season. He's owed approximately $5MM for the rest of 2012 and $13MM for 2014. His $13MM club option for 2014 becomes a player option if traded.

Baltimore got seven innings of one-run ball out of Miguel Gonzalez last night, but Brian Matusz was just demoted to Triple-A and Jake Arrieta owns a 6.13 ERA through 18 starts. The O's are 5.5 games back in the AL East but currently hold a 1.5 game lead on a wildcard spot. Adding a third reliable starter to Wei-Yin Chen and Jason Hammel figures to be Duquette's top priority leading up to the deadline.

Orioles “Going Hard” After Greinke

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The Orioles are “going hard” after Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke, an MLB executive told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles appear to be the most aggressive suitor for Greinke, but talks are preliminary, Connolly reports. Some believe the Orioles and Braves are most likely to land Greinke, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.

Brewers president of baseball operations Doug Melvin recently told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that his team is "trying to win games and get back in the hunt." The Brewers may wait until after facing the Reds, Pirates and Cardinals to determine their course of action this summer.

Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette "absolutely" has financial support from ownership to take on salary this season, Connolly reports. Greinke, who’s on track for free agency this offseason, earns $13.5MM in 2012. The Brewers could obtain two compensatory draft picks for losing Greinke to free agency, but no other team has the same opportunity under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. 

Duquette recently told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that he'd like to improve his team's rotation if possible. Top prospects Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy are probably off-limits in trade talks. “They look to be long-term solutions to help the Orioles," Duquette said. The Orioles don’t want to trade young pitching, Connolly reports.

 Greinke, 28, has a 3.08 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 108 innings so far this year. Agent Casey Close has had some extensions talks with the Brewers on Greinke's behalf.

Brian Matusz is a possible trade chip for the Orioles, Crasnick writes (on Twitter). The Orioles are "down on" Matusz, who's now in the minor leagues.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees

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Midway through this year's 162-game schedule, all five American League East teams have winning records. The Yankees have the best winning percentage in baseball and the Orioles, Rays, Red Sox and Blue Jays have all won more games than they've lost. Here are the latest AL East links…

  • Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette estimates that the Orioles have had trade talks with "probably over half the teams," Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports. Duquette says he'd like to improve his team's rotation if possible. "We need to find a solution to our starting pitching," he said.
  • Top prospects Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy are probably off-bounds in trade talks. “They look to be long-term solutions to help the Orioles," Duquette said.
  • Dominican prospect Wendel Rijo agreed to sign with the Red Sox for $625K, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees signed fifth round selection Robert Refsnyder for $206K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The right fielder has a good bat and a good arm, Callis adds.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they signed 18th rounder Alonzo Gonzalez, 26th rounder Nathan Desouza and 37th rounder Daniel Devonshire.

Chase Headley Drawing Trade Interest

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The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams believed to have some interest in Padres third baseman Chase Headley, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Padres are open to trading Headley within the division, Heyman adds. 

Headley, 28, earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The switch-hitter has a .271/.372/.421 batting line in 352 plate appearances so far in 2012. The Padres have scored fewer runs than any other MLB team this year, but top prospect Jedd Gyorko is hitting .315/.379/.532 in the upper minors and could be called upon if the Padres complete a deal involving Headley.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this week that Headley was drawing serious interest. The 33-50 Padres figure to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline when Headley, Carlos Quentin and others could be available.

Outrighted: Young, Phillips, Farina

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The latest outright assignments from around MLB…

  • The Tigers outrighted Matt Young to Triple-A Toledo, the team announced (on Twitter). Detroit designated the utility player for assignment two days ago. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A Toledo, where he has played second base, center field and right field and posted a .251/.410/.342 batting line in 258 plate appearances.
  • The Orioles outrighted left-hander Zach Phillips to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore designated Phillips for assignment over the weekend to create roster space for Jim Thome.
  • The Blue Jays outrighted Alan Farina to their Dunedin affiliate earlier this month, according to the team's website.

Olney On Red Sox, Mariners, Smith, Rangers

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Most of the top available starting pitchers currently play in the National League, but there’s still lots of trade talk in the AL this summer. Buster Olney provides updates on the junior circuit trade market in today’s column at ESPN.com. Here are some highlights:

  • The Mariners won’t trade Felix Hernandez, but Kevin Millwood, Chone Figgins, Jason Vargas and Brandon League could be dealt.
  • The Red Sox have focused on adding starting pitching. Some executives believe the Rangers will make a big play for the best starting pitchers available.
  • Meanwhile, the White Sox have been asking around about relievers.
  • Teams have called about Seth Smith, but the Athletics will keep him. However, Kurt Suzuki could be available and the A’s will listen to offers for Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.
  • The Indians figure to pursue right-handed bats and Carlos Quentin could be an option in Cleveland, Olney writes.
  • The Blue Jays plan to assess their chances at the All-Star break, and some rival officials expect Toronto to sell.
  • The Orioles need pitching, but Olney doesn’t expect the team to make a major addition. Similarly, the Twins figure to seek pitching in any midseason trades they consider.
  • Here’s MLBTR’s recap of Olney’s look at the NL trade market.
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