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Pirates Interested In Koji Uehara

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12:39pm: The Pirates are looking at the Orioles' Koji Uehara, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Statistically, Uehara is one of the best relievers available.  Uehara earns $3MM this year, and a $4MM option for next year vests with 15 more appearances.

11:06am: We've seen hints that the Pirates are seeking relief help, as noted in our Contender Wish List post this morning.  But the bullpen is actually the front office's focus, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.

The Pirates' bullpen ranks fourth in the NL with a 3.15 ERA, though the group is third from the bottom in strikeout rate.  Evan Meek has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, leaving righties Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras, Chris Resop, and Daniel McCutchen to pile up relief innings.

It's a buyer's market for relievers, though the supply of quality lefties is a little weak.

Rosenthal On GM Job Security

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells us which GMs are on the hot seat in his latest column.  A few details…

  • Ed Wade (Astros) and Jim Hendry (Cubs) are deemed to be on the hot seat.  New Astros owner Jim Crane is expected to try to lure Rays decision-maker Andrew Friedman with the chance to run his hometown team.  As for the Cubs, Rosenthal finds speculation of a Pat Gillick-Hendry pairing to be far-fetched.  Rosenthal notes that the Cubs job, which has been occupied by Hendry for more than nine years, "might draw interest from some of the game's top current GMs."
  • Jack Zduriencik (Mariners), Tony Reagins (Angels), and Dave Dombrowski (Tigers) are viewed as "less than secure."
  • Brian Cashman (Yankees) and Andy MacPhail (Orioles) are in the final year of their contracts.  Rosenthal says "even some of Cashman’s friends in the industry think he might be ready to bolt."  Rosenthal says it'd be an upset if MacPhail returns for Baltimore.
  • Ned Colletti (Dodgers) and Kenny Williams (White Sox) are in unusual positions.  Colletti has an out after 2012, and of course his club is a picture of uncertainty.  As for Williams, he could theoretically become club president to allow the team to retain Rick Hahn, but Rosenthal's sources believe "such an arrangement would be difficult on both men."
  • Rosenthal tosses a "you never know" tag on Doug Melvin (Brewers) and Bill Smith (Twins), but finds the Pirates' Neal Huntington secure.    
  • We'll have much more on the topic of GM candidates next month.  But in MLBTR's survey of dozens of team executives and agents, the following people were named as candidates at least five times: Hahn, Jerry Dipoto, Thad Levine, David Forst, Ben Cherington, Tony LaCava, Mike Chernoff, Bryan Minniti, A.J. Preller, and Billy Eppler.

Orioles Notes: Hardy, Simon, Bell, Worrell

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Let's check in on the latest from Charm City…

  • Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun has the breakdown of J.J. Hardy's contract extension (on Twitter). He'll earn $7MM per season from 2012-2014 with a $1.25MM signing bonus.
  • Alfredo Simon's hearing in the Dominican Republic is finished and he should be back in Baltimore by Tuesday according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Simon has not been cleared or charged in his case, and it's "highly unlikely" he'll have to leave the team again this season.
  • Meanwhile, the club announced in a press release that they've placed Simon on the restricted list. Third baseman Josh Bell and righty reliever Mark Worrell were recalled from Triple-A.

Tigers, Indians Interested In Aaron Harang

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The top two teams in the American League Central are both looking for starting pitching depth and, in at least a couple of instances, they're interested in the exact same pitcher. The Indians and Tigers have interest in Aaron Harang, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, Heyman reported that both clubs have interest in Hiroki Kuroda.

The Indians, who lead the Tigers by a half game after today's win, are looking to add a starting pitcher (here's a look at who's available). The Tigers hope to do the same and have some interest in Ubaldo Jimenez, Jeremy Guthrie, Derek Lowe and others.

Harang, 33, has a 3.19 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 93 innings this year. He may be profiting from pitcher-friendly Petco Park and the fact that opponents are hitting just .281 against him on balls in play (26 points below his career mark).

The ten-year veteran earns $4MM this season with a $5MM mutual option for 2012 ($500K buyout). He doesn't project as a ranked free agent under the Elias formula, so draft pick compensation does not appear to factor in to Harang's trade value.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirms that the Tigers are interested in Harang and adds that Detroit is not taking serious looks at Mark Reynolds or Wilson Betemit at the moment (Twitter links).

Orioles Extend J.J. Hardy

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The Orioles now have a strong bridge in place to top prospect Manny Machado.  They officially signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a three-year, $22.5MM contract extension today, in a deal that includes an eight-team no-trade clause.  Hardy is represented by LSW Baseball, as our Agency Database shows.

Hardy

Hardy, 28, is hitting .278/.335/.490 in 282 plate appearances for the Orioles this season.  His defense is generally regarded as above-average.  The biggest concern with this deal is health, as Hardy played 104 games last year and may fall short of 130 this year.  Still, it won't take 160 games a year for Hardy to be worth a $7.5MM salary.  The 2012 free agent market is now down to two big-name shortstops: Jose Reyes and Jimmy Rollins.

The Orioles acquired Hardy and Mark Reynolds in separate deals in December, revamping the left side of their infield.  The Twins found Hardy expendable after signing Tsuyoshi Nishioka as a free agent.

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun first reported the agreement on Saturday, with Ken Rosenthal tweeting the contract details.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.  Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Tigers Interested In Jeremy Guthrie

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The Tigers have interest in Orioles righty Jeremy Guthrie, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The 32-year-old is behind Ubaldo Jimenez and Hiroki Kuroda on Detroit's wish list, however.

Guthrie sports a 4.45 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.17 HR/9, and 35.7% groundball rate in 123 1/3 innings this year.  He's earning $5.75MM this year, and depending on how his peers do in arbitration, Guthrie could jump to the $10MM range in 2012.  Word is that the Orioles will listen on Guthrie, but they'll need to get pitching back in return.

Morosi notes that the Orioles had a Major League scout at Sunday's game between the Triple-A affiliates of the Tigers and Yankees.  Not only did the Tigers' second-best pitching prospect Andy Oliver start that contest, but the Tigers' front office instructed manager Phil Nevin to use Charlie Furbush.  It appears that the Tigers and Orioles match up well for a Guthrie trade.

On the Derek Lowe front, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that the chances of the Tigers acquiring him are extremely low.  He says the Braves would have to pick up at least 75% of the $21MM owed to Lowe through next year, so about $15.75MM, and that's not happening.  Surely there's a team that values Lowe at more than $5.25MM through 2012.

Rosenthal On Phillies, Adams, Royals, Guthrie

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It's been a busy weekend for FOX's Ken Rosenthal, who brought us a pair of rumor-packed videos yesterday. He shared a few more tidbits this morning in his newest column, so let's check out the highlights….

  • The Phillies are telling teams that they can add about $2MM in salary, which would keep them below the luxury tax threshold. They would also prefer to trade for players they can control through at least 2012, which makes rentals like Carlos Beltran or Heath Bell less appealing.
  • Mike Adams is one player under control past this season who has drawn "serious interest" from the Phillies, as we heard yesterday. But the Yankees and Rangers, among other teams, are also very interested in the righty.
  • The Royals are pushing to trade Melky Cabrera rather than Jeff Francoeur.
  • The Mets attempted to restructure Francisco Rodriguez's contract before sending him to the Brewers, ultimately deciding that trading their closer was the "cleaner" solution.
  • When John Danks comes off the disabled list this week, trade talks involving Edwin Jackson could heat up. Given Jake Peavy's injury history though, moving Jackson would be a risky move for a White Sox team just four games back in the AL Central.
  • The Orioles are willing to listen to offers for Jeremy Guthrie, but would want pitching back in any trade.
  • While they'd like to add a bat, the Indians may need a starting pitcher even more, since they have some question marks at the back of their rotation.

Latest On Extension Talks For J.J. Hardy

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4:34pm: One holdup in the talks between Hardy and the Orioles has been concern on Hardy's part that the Orioles will trade him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

4:02pm: The Orioles and Hardy are progressing on a three-year deal that could be worth $21-25MM, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.

3:10pm: There's optimism from the Orioles and J.J. Hardy about a potential extension and Baltimore appears to be willing to offer a three-year deal, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). It's not clear how much money the Orioles will offer the shortstop, who will become a trade candidate later this month if the Orioles don't complete a long-term deal, as they hope to.

The Orioles started extension talks with Hardy in June, but that hasn't stopped other teams from inquiring about his availability. It's not surprising that general managers are taking note of the 28-year-old's play. He has a .277/.336/.496 line with 13 home runs and a $5.85MM salary so far in 2011. If the Orioles don't reach an agreement with Hardy, he'll hit the open market after the season.

Gillick On Phillies, Werth, Daniels, Orioles

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Longtime baseball executive Pat Gillick will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next weekend alongside Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar. The former Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners and Phillies GM reflected on his career and the state of the game on a conference call with reporters this morning. Congratulations in advance to Gillick; here are some highlights from his conversation:

  • Gillick, who is now a senior advisor for the Phillies, would like to see Philadelphia add a right-handed bat this summer. Though doing so is not imperative, it's "very important."
  • Gillick now provides the Phillies with scouting reports on amateur players on the West Coast and talks with GM Ruben Amaro Jr. about twice per week.
  • Jayson Werth's $126MM contract with the Nationals "stunned and shocked" Gillick, who once signed Werth for $850K under considerably different circumstances. The longtime GM says he's not a fan of long-term deals. "It wouldn't have been something I would have recommended," Gillick said.
  • Jon Daniels of the Rangers reminds Gillick of himself. "I always considered myself a little adventurous," Gillick said, "and I think Jon and his Texas group are headed in the right direction."
  • Gillick says he admires some moves by Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, especially the deal that brought Adam Jones to Baltimore for Erik Bedard.
  • Gillick says he doesn't expect to be a GM again, but he would consider becoming a club president in the right situation.
  • The Pirates are the surprise of 2011 for Gillick.

Orioles Notes: Hardy, Markakis, Uehara, Johnson

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Some news tidbits from Charm City…

  • Teams have contacted the Orioles about J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Mark Reynolds, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  Jones would seemingly be untouchable and (as Heyman notes) Hardy and the Orioles are working out an extension, though Hardy would be a strong trade chip if negotiations fall apart.  Reynolds and Markakis are also probably unlikely to be dealt unless Baltimore is having second thoughts about paying Markakis over $47MM between now and the end of the 2014 season.
  • In a radio interview with 105.7 The Fan's Ken Weinman and Vinny Cerrato, ESPN's Keith Law thinks the team "should go out and deal any veteran player who is not likely to be part of the next good Orioles team. That’s anyone who is not under contract for 2013 or beyond. You’ve got to trade them for prospects, even if it’s a mid-level prospect. Trust your scouts. Go out and add the depth to your farm system. Sometimes you get lucky.”  Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun has transcribed some of the interview's highlights, plus a link to the audio of the full interview.
  • Koji Uehara "has drawn tepid interest" on the trade market due to his injury history and his age, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  There is more interest in Jim Johnson, but the O's are considering making Johnson a starter next season and have told other teams that Johnson isn't for sale.
  • Andy MacPhail tells Ghiroli that the pitching staff is "definitely something we are looking at to try to augment" at the trade deadline.  To this end, if Jeremy Guthrie is traded, Baltimore would want at least one Major League-ready pitcher in return to eat Guthrie's innings.
  • Also from Ghiroli, MacPhail didn't comment on his own status with the club.  MacPhail's contract as Baltimore's president of baseball operations is up after this season.
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