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Rangers, Giants, Orioles Interested In Broxton

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MONDAY, 3:16pm: The Royals are still listening on Broxton but offers haven't been encouraging so far, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  The Orioles were showing serious interest in Broxton over the weekend, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, though they're showing less interest now.  Kubatko says the Orioles are known to want a left-handed reliever but might just be looking to upgrade the bullpen however possible.

SUNDAY, 10:11pm: The Royals are eyeing right-hander Justin Grimm in their discussions with the Rangers, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News echoes the sentiment (on Twitter).  Grimm, 23, was a fifth round selection by the Rangers in 2010 out of the University of Georgia. He currently boasts a 1.99 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A and made his Major League debut earlier this season.

6:36pm: The Rangers are also in on Broxton, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Texas is turning its focus to bullpen help after becoming frustrated with the starting pitching market, according to Heyman.

2:36pm: The Giants have serious interest in Jonathan Broxton, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). Interest on Broxton is picking up and there's a 60-70% chance he'll be traded by the deadline, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).

The Giants don't view Broxton as the solution for their bullpen, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reported this week. There's not much bullpen help available, now that Huston Street is off the market, Knobler reported today (on Twitter). The Blue Jays and Red Sox aren't selling and teams aren't impressed by the available relievers.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Phillies Could Be “Most Active Sellers”

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The Phillies entered this weekend needing to perform well in a critical series against the division rival Braves. Instead, they were swept and now appear to be in the position to sell off several pieces. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Phillies could be baseball's "most active sellers" in the next two days, and that they've laid the groundwork for several trades. Olney's colleague Jayson Stark hears from several teams that the Phillies could make 2-3 trades prior to Tuesday's deadline, though they've yet to officially declare themselves sellers (Twitter link).

CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury agrees that selling is likely, and runs down several of the possibilities for the Phillies in the coming days. Salisbury writes that Shane Victorino is the "most likely" Phillie to be dealt, and lists the Giants, Pirates, Reds and Dodgers as possible destinations for Victorino. Interest in Victorino was said to be "heating up" as recently as yesterday.

The Reds have also inquired on Juan Pierre, and both the Orioles and Cardinals are potential destinations for Joe Blanton according to Salisbury. He also says that Hunter Pence could be moved if GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is blown away by an offer, and speculates that Ty Wigginton would fit on several teams looking for bench help.

Salisbury reiterates that the Phillies are likely to keep Cliff Lee for the time being, although he could be shopped this offseason in an attempt to fill multiple holes.

Rafael Betancourt, Matt Reynolds Drawing Interest

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6:26pm: Matt Reynolds is also drawing trade interest, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Reynolds, 27, has a 3.61 ERA, 8.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 46.3 percent ground-ball rate in 42 1/3 innings of work this season. 

6:15pm: Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the Rangers, Braves, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all inquiring on Betancourt (Twitter link).

Sunday, 6:02pm: Betancourt continues drawing trade interest but nothing is imminent, according to Renck (Twitter link). It's probably fair to assume that several of the teams who are currently discussing Brandon League with the Mariners are also intrigued by Betancourt, though that's my own speculation. — Steve Adams

Saturday: The Orioles, Yankees, and Athletics are among the teams with interest in Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. The Red Sox had interest earlier this month and both the White Sox and Angels are digging around for bullpen help.

Betancourt, 37, has pitched to a 3.00 ERA and gone 17-for-21 in save chances. His strikeout (9.3 K/9) and walk (2.5 BB/9) rates are superb as usual. Betancourt is owned approximately $1.5M for the rest of the season and is under contract for $4.25MM next year. His deal includes a $4.25MM mutual option ($250K buyout) for 2014 as well.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

West Links: Headley, Scutaro, Rockies, Rangers

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Hanley Ramirez has been a Dodger for all of four days, but he's already hit a game-winning homer against the rival Giants. Here's the latest from Hanley's new division and its AL counterpart…

  • Chase Headley of the Padres is coveted by the Athletics, Orioles, and Indians, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). It doesn't appear as though Oakland is a match for the San Diego third baseman, however.
  • The Giants will pay $1.75MM of Marco Scutaro's contract according to Heyman (on Twitter), leaving the Rockies on the hook for just $500K or so. Troy Renck of The Denver Post notes (on Twitter) that Colorado has saved $2.8MM by trading Scutaro and Jeremy Guthrie.
  • The Rangers need help at backup catcher according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, and he reports that they had scouts in attendance to possibly watch Kelly Shoppach tonight (on Twitter).

Rosenthal On Orioles, Liriano, Soriano, Diamondbacks

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Let's take a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link)..

  • The Orioles figure to make at least one trade before the non-waiver deadline and one source says they are the most aggressive team on Francisco Liriano of the Twins.  Multiple sources also say they're also aggressive on the Padres' Chase Headley.  Unfortunately for the O's, they lack chips beyond Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy, and aren't moving either player.  As a result, they could be open to discussing major league pieces like Jake Arrieta or even Zach Britton.
  • Alfonso Soriano's name has surfaced in the Cubs' discussions with the Dodgers, but the Cubs might prefer to wait until the offseason and make a better deal.  The veteran is on pace to hit 31 homers and post a .831 OPS.  After this season, he'll have two years and $36MM remaining and the Cubs could find him a home in the AL if they pay that down to about $12MM per year.
  • The D'Backs don't plan to trade Justin Upton now but they will likely move an outfielder this offseason between Upton, Chris Young, and Gerardo Parra.  Arizona has two young outfielders that they like in Triple-A in Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock.

Astros Claim Steve Pearce Off Waivers

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The Astros have claimed first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce off of waivers from the Orioles, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  Pearce was designated for assignment last Saturday by the O’s to create room for Omar Quintanilla on the 25-man roster.

The O’s traded for Pearce in early June and posted a .254/.321/.437 slash line in 83 plate appearances for them this year.  In parts of six big league seasons, Pearce has hit .235/.304/.375 for the Orioles and Pirates.

Stark On Rangers, Johnson, Headley, Dempster

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Here's a look at the today's Daily Rumble from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark..

  • According to clubs that have talked to the Rangers, the club is balking at including shortstop Jurickson Profar and third baseman Mike Olt in any deal.  That stance meant losing out on Zack Greinke and could take them out of the mix for Josh Johnson or James Shields.
  • Clubs identify the Dodgers, Orioles and Blue Jays as other aggressive suitors for Johnson while the White Sox, Red Sox, Braves, and Royals have checked in.
  • Teams that have spoken with the Pirates say they seem to be losing their enthusiasm for Chase Headley.  If they dealt for Headley, they would have to move either him or Pedro Alvarez to first base, and neither player has started a professional game there.
  • One source told Stark that while the Braves and Ryan Dempster could potentially reverse course and get a deal done that would send the hurler to Atlanta, he "seriously" doubts it will happen.
  • While the Rays seem to be listening on offers for several quality players, other teams remain skeptical of how willing they are to move anyone right now.  One exec believes that they are simply listening on players in order to gather information for possible deals during the offseason.

Olney’s Latest: Shields, Greinke, Reds, Headley, Drew

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In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney says the Rays have a tough decision to make about trading James Shields. Clubs interested in acquiring him have to figure out how to value him – as an ace who finished third in the Cy Young voting last year, or as an innings-eater with a 4.52 ERA like this year. Similar questions are being asked about Josh Johnson of the Marlins. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • Rival executives don't believe the Angels gave up any blue-chippers for Zack Greinke and that they have a good chance to retain him beyond this season.
  • Olney believes the Reds and Phillies could match up well in a trade. Cincinnati is seeking a leadoff-type hitter type and Philadelphia has Shane Victorino or Juan Pierre to offer.
  • The Orioles and Phillies are two teams to watch in the race for Chase Headley. Both clubs are seeking long-term third base solutions.
  • Other clubs have called the Diamondbacks about Stephen Drew, but those teams now sense that Arizona will keep its shortstop according to Olney (on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Headley, Fire Sales, Draft Picks

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With such notable names as Zack Greinke, Wandy Rodriguez and Hanley Ramirez already dealt, what other big moves could see as we head into the last weekend before the trade deadline?  Here are a few items to kick off Saturday…

  • The Padres have sent three officials to watch the Orioles over the last two weeks, with senior VP Omar Minaya in attendance at Camden Yards for Friday's Athletics/Orioles game at Camden Yards, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  Of course, Minaya could have also been watching the visitors, given that both Oakland and Baltimore are two of the top suitors for Chase Headley.
  • Would-be contenders aren't shying away from dealing away major pieces in an effort to start fresh, opines MLB.com's Terence Moore.  "Trades also are now more about trading contracts than trading players, which is part of the bottom line: People in baseball are looking for ways to control those payrolls and budgets," says SiriusXM Radio's Steve Phillips.
  • The new CBA rules prohibiting draft pick compensation for teams who acquire "rental players" is having an impact on the deadline movement, writes MLB.com's Paul Hagen.
  • The Chiba Lotte Marines announced the acquisitions of left-hander Wil Ledezma and right-hander Doug Mathis, according to a Sponichi news report (passed on by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker).  Ledezma, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last winter but posted a 6.99 ERA in 38 relief appearances at Triple-A Albuquerque.  The nine-year Major League veteran pitched five games for the Blue Jays in 2011.  Mathis, 29, last appeared in the Majors with the Rangers in 2010 and had previously signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in January.
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