AL East Notes: Davis, Yankees, Beckett, Escobar
The Angels are talking to the Rays about Wade Davis and other available pitchers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. James Shields has drawn interest from Los Angeles, but Davis might represent an alternative for the Angels’ bullpen or rotation. Here are the latest notes from the AL East…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post can’t imagine the Yankees trading for Mark Reynolds or Chone Figgins even with Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list. However, an AL executive said there’s “zero chance” Eric Chavez can replace Rodriguez on a daily basis without breaking down. The Yankees are expected to consider available third basemen in the coming week.
- The Red Sox have fielded some exploratory inquiries on Josh Beckett, but the calls amount to preliminary check-ins at this point, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. There’s “nothing close” regarding a potential deal, according to Bradford. Beckett, who can veto any trade with his ten and five rights, does not interest the Rangers.
- Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar remains a possible option for the A’s, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. However, the shortstop says he likes playing in Toronto and doesn’t want to be traded, according to Slusser.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Wednesday
Zack Greinke made his first start in ten days last night in what might turn out to be his final start in a Brewers uniform. He allowed one run on three hits over seven innings against the Phillies, striking out five.
It’s looking increasingly likely that the Brewers will consider trade offers for the right-hander, who has drawn interest from the Rangers, Orioles, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers. Greinke earns a $13.5MM salary this year and will be in line for a considerably larger contract when he hits free agency a few months from now — the Brewers have already offered him a nine-figure deal. Here are today’s Greinke rumors with the most recent updates up top:
- The price tag for Greinke is extremely high, interested teams told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Brewers are said to have a particular interest in a top young shortstop, and a source said they asked the Orioles about Manny Machado, a request that was rebuffed.
- The Rangers, Angels, Braves and White Sox are most interested in Greinke, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The White Sox want him badly and the Nationals are on the periphery of the talks at best.
- There’s an "excellent chance" Greinke will be dealt, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Many scouts watched his outing last night and some came away impressed. Greinke is said to admire the Angels and Braves organizations, Morosi notes.
- Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe hears that the Red Sox will not target Greinke (Twitter link).
- Greinke will be a big focus for the Braves, who are moving on from Ryan Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- Greinke says he enjoys playing in Milwaukee, but won't take it personally if he's traded, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. “I don’t really look forward to being traded from this place, but it could happen,” Greinke said.
- The Red Sox had a scout watching Greinke last night, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
Phillies Discussing Victorino Trades
The Phillies are trying to trade Shane Victorino for bullpen help, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (Twitter links). They realize they'll have to pay part of his $9.5MM salary to facilitate a trade.
The Dodgers and Reds continue to talk to the Phillies, according to Bowden. The Phillies are interested in a Victorino for Logan Ondrusek swap or a Victorino for Josh Lindblom deal, Bowden reports. The Pirates and Yankees have also been linked to Victorino. The Orioles like Victorino as well, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter).
Stark On Marlins, Phillies, Dodgers, Garza, Twins
Here's the latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- One official who spoke with the Marlins brass estimates that the odds Josh Johnson remains with Miami are "95 percent." The Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Royals have all checked in.
- Carlos Lee, Ricky Nolasco, Heath Bell, and Gaby Sanchez are all very available. Other than Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton will be the toughest player to pry away from the Fish.
- The Phillies have talked about trading Cliff Lee following the Cole Hamels extension and they haven't discouraged other teams from inquiring, but their game plan right now is to keep their trio of aces intact.
- Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton are good bets to be dealt and the Phillies will listen on Hunter Pence. They want multiple young big leaguers to plug holes at third base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen in return.
- The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They've also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.
- Clubs have not been assured by the Cubs that Garza will make another start before the trade deadline due to his triceps issue. He's more likely to be dealt in the offseason.
- In the wake of acquiring Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates are sending signals that they could trade away a starter like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia.
- The Twins' asking prices for Morneau ("pricey"), Denard Span ("more pricey"), and Josh Willingham ("it made me laugh") are high. Minnesota insists they will listen on anyone and Stark says Morneau is the bat they're most likely to move. Francisco Liriano is "nearly 100 percent" likely to be traded.
- The Orioles continue to look for pitching, someone they consider a number three starter or better. Garza and Vargas have their eye but Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table. They've gotten hits on Jake Arrieta but won't move him unless they get a similar young arm with several years of team control remaining in return.
- The Brewers will trade Randy Wolf "for nothing if you take the money," according to one official.
- The Rays have "got a big market" for Wade Davis.
Padres Likely To Trade Chase Headley
The Padres are drawing “huge” amounts of interest in third baseman Chase Headley, and there’s a “strong probability” of a trade, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Padres are "down the road" with several teams willing to part with high-end prospects for Headley, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
The Yankees are unlikely to make a strong push for Headley, Heyman reports. Though they will consider third base options now that Alex Rodriguez is on the disabled list with a broken hand, they don’t want to surrender top prospects for Headley. The Yankees will ask the Padres about Headley, but haven’t done so yet, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter).
Headley has a .268/.361/.423 batting line in 421 plate appearances for the Padres this year. He earns $3.48MM in 2012 and will remain under team control through 2014. GM Josh Byrnes has reportedly set a tremendously high asking price for Headley. The Orioles, Indians, Pirates, A's and others have checked in on the 28-year-old.
Josh Johnson Rumors: Wednesday
The Marlins are willing to listen on most of their players, including Josh Johnson. But there’s no guarantee they’ll deal the 28-year-old right-hander, who is under contract for 2013. While his salary has risen to $13.75MM, he’s still an attractive commodity to teams seeking starting pitching such as the Rangers and Blue Jays. Here are the latest rumors on Johnson:
- Executives expect the Marlins to trade Johnson, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. The Rangers are viewed as the favorites to acquire him.
- Executives expect the Angels, Orioles, Blue Jays and Rangers to push for Johnson, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Rangers haven't yet agreed to surrender Olt in a trade for Johnson, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
- The Marlins had not intended to trade both Hanley Ramirez and Johnson, but that stance could be changing given the interest in Johnson, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets
- The Rangers are one of the teams actively pursuing Johnson, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. They'd be willing to trade top prospect Mike Olt for Johnson, Nightengale writes.
- There’s a 50-50 chance the Marlins move Johnson, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports (on Twitter). The Marlins are holding out for a great offer.
- There should be a “feeding frenzy” for Johnson, an executive tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Rangers would like to add an elite starter and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests they’ll pursue Johnson. The Rangers could also ask about Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke, Olney writes (Twitter link).
AL East Notes: Yankees, Hanley, Orioles
Alex Rodriguez broke his hand last night, when he was hit by a pitch from Felix Hernandez in Seattle. The injury is expected to sideline Rodriguez for six to eight weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Not surprisingly, the news will affect the Yankees' summer shopping list. Here are the latest notes from the AL East…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he’ll engage the market for a third baseman, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The Yankees will consider all third base options, including Chase Headley of the Padres, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). It seems unlikely that the Yankees would meet the Padres' asking price for Headley, Heyman writes (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox asked the Marlins about Hanley Ramirez before last night’s trade, but Boston’s interest was in acquiring the infielder and flipping him to a third team, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. It sounds as though the Red Sox were going to flip Ramirez to either the A’s or the Dodgers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- The Orioles announced that they signed 25-year-old Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to a minor league contract. The Orioles will assign the 6’5”, 195-pound switch-hitter to Double-A Bowie. Urrutia did not play in 2011 following an unsuccessful attempt at defection, according to the Orioles. He established residency in Haiti after successfully defecting from Cuba.
Quick Hits: Drew, Arrieta, Pirates, Mariners
A few odds and ends to pass along as this busy Tuesday night winds down …
- The Diamondbacks are less likely to trade shortstop Stephen Drew now that they've removed Ryan Roberts from the roster, tweets Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com. GM Kevin Towers said there's no deal out there for Drew "that's going to make us better."
- The Orioles may not have a choice but to trade starter Jake Arrieta if they'd like to improve their Major League roster without dealing any of their prized prospects, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Baltimore has told potential trade partners that Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
- The Pirates made a bid to acquire Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, but talks hit a snag when Philly asked for right-hander Brad Lincoln, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The Pirates are "definitely going for it" and would like to acquire an outfielder or first baseman, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- The Mariners have released minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez, tweets Triple-A Tacoma announcer Mike Curto. In his place, D.J. Mitchell, acquired from the Yankees in the Ichiro Suzuki trade, will start.
Multiple Teams Interested In Hanley Ramirez
6:47pm: With Ramirez owed roughly $38.5MM for the remainder of his contract, rival executives say the Marlins would have to pick up a substantial portion of that money in any deal, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com. As well, some teams think Ramirez is not a third baseman, though they might try him again at shortstop (Twitter links).
3:59pm: Though the Marlins are waiting for the Dodgers to show interest in Ramirez, no significant talks have taken place between the teams yet, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
2:15pm: The Athletics, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Orioles are among the teams with interest in Hanley Ramirez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Interest levels in Ramirez vary and nothing is close, Rosenthal reports. The Red Sox are also interested, according to USA Today. However, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com hears Boston isn't in on Ramirez (Twitter link).
An American League official told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Marlins' asking price for Hanley Ramirez is "not ridiculous." Miami wants quality young pieces in return for Ramirez, who earns $15MM in 2012, $15.5MM in 2013 and $16MM in 2014. The infielder does not have no-trade protection.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests the A's, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Pirates, Blue Jays and Orioles are potential fits for Ramirez. Earlier today, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs suggested Toronto could be a fit because Rogers Centre is a haven for right-handed power hitters. Though I have no doubt the Blue Jays checked in on Ramirez, they routinely inquire in available players, so this isn't necessarily an indication of serious interest.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Tuesday
Scouts will be watching Brewers ace Zack Greinke very closely tonight as he makes his first start since July 13. The right-hander was given 10 days' rest in an effort to see him "recharge his batteries," as Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin phrased it. We'll keep tabs on Greinke rumors in this post, with the latest going up top.
- The Brewers' ideal scenario is to trade third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Zach Lee and then deal Greinke to the Rangers for third base prospect Mike Olt, reports Jim Bowden of SiriusXM ESPN radio (via Twitter). Bowden adds that such a sequence of moves is unlikely, however.
- The teams that are known to have interest in Greinke, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, are: the Rangers, Orioles, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers.