Orioles Rumors

Odds & Ends: Millwood, Cardinals, Rangers, Pettitte

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 6, 2010 at 2:30pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as the Cliff Lee rumors get a little juicier…

Kevin Millwood, who has pitched poorly since the beginning of June, is going on the DL with a right forearm strain, according to the Orioles. We can rule out a Millwood trade for the time being.
The Cardinals say they won’t be big players in this summer’s international free agent market, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cards already agreed to a $1.5MM deal with pitcher Carlos Matias, though that has not been made official, due to an ongoing investigation.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes and Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog broke down the trade deadline in this video segment for SNY.tv.
David Aardsma told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he doesn't want to be traded since he loves playing for the Mariners.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com that he isn't counting on the completion of the team's sale, but he plans to keep making the club better between now and the end of the month.
Andy Pettitte told Chad Jennings of the Journal News that he doesn't see himself playing three or four years from now. As usual, Pettitte will play the season out and determine his future afterwards.
Daniel Nava and Darnell McDonald each tell Yahoo's Jeff Passan that the other player took a more improbable path to major league success.
Mark Zuckerman of NatsInsider.com wonders if the Nationals should trade Matt Capps, whose value may never be higher.

Odds & Ends: Phillies, Orioles, Nats, Rangers, Lowell

By Zachary Links | July 5, 2010 at 11:37pm CDT

Monday night linkage..

Using MLBTR's reverse engineered Elias Rankings, Jack Moore of Fangraphs writes that Ted Lilly and Felipe Lopez are two Type A free agents to keep an eye on in the National League.
R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs sees Kelly Johnson and Jose Lopez as potential fits for the Phillies.
Buck Showalter told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun that he has not yet been offered the O's managerial position.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson expects the Nationals to be buyers at the Trade Deadline.
Chuck Greenberg's group has waived their exclusive right to purchase the Rangers, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The lenders who hold the debt on Hicks Sports Group believe that there are other potential buyers out there who would pay more for the club.
Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal wonders if Mike Lowell might consider retiring before the end of the season. If he were to retire now, the veteran would be leaving more than $5MM on the table.

Kevin Millwood Is “Off The Block”

By Zachary Links | July 5, 2010 at 6:51pm CDT

Kevin Millwood's underwhelming performance in recent starts coupled with injury rumors have resulted in the hurler being taken "off the block", according to Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter). Ghiroli theorized that Millwood could be injured after he lasted just one inning and allowed five runs in today's start against the Tigers.

The veteran pitcher's value was already plummeting after a dreadful June. Millwood posted an 8.82 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in six starts. His latest outing gives him an ERA above ten in his last seven starts.

The Mets were linked to the 35-year-old for quite some time but are said to no longer have him on their radar. Other teams, such as the Cardinals, have considered Millwood, though his $12MM salary is a sticking point.

Orioles Zeroing In On Showalter

By Zachary Links | July 5, 2010 at 6:14pm CDT

The Orioles are zeroing in on Buck Showalter as their choice for manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Showalter, who last managed the Texas Rangers from 2002 through 2006, spoke with the O's today.

Over the weekend, it was reported that Showalter and former Indians manager Eric Wedge were the leading candidates for the position. Wedge was called in for a second interview on Friday.

Showalter, 54, has a track record of improving the fortunes of young clubs including the aforementioned Rangers, Yankees, and Diamondbacks. Bobby Valentine was also in the mix at one point, but opted to withdraw his name from consideration once the Florida job became available.

Odds & Ends: Texeira, Orioles, Willis, Fielder, Giants

By Luke Adams 2 | July 4, 2010 at 10:41pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as the baseball world attempts to come to terms with Omar Infante's All-Star nod….

Kyle Drabek, who was a part of the Roy Halladay deal, threw a no-hitter for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. This was the first nine inning no-hitter in the history of Toronto's Double-A affiliate, writes Alex Raskin for MLB.com.
Rob Neyer of ESPN (via Twitter) says that he's usually hyper-critical of the Royals organization, but applauds their pickup of Kanekoa Texeira. The Royals claimed the pitcher off of waivers from the M's early last month.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) suggests that Mike Lowell could be an option for the Phillies if he gets healthy. He points out that the Phils went hard after him last time he was a free agent.
The Orioles have made 46 personnel moves since Opening Day, writes Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun.
The Marlins had interest in Dontrelle Willis before he was dealt to Arizona, tweets Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. Frisaro hears that the lefty will take his time before deciding his next move.
Kyle Parker, the Rockies' first-round draft pick, visited Coors Field, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding and Joey Nowak. Colorado hopes to sign the Clemson quarterback, who has three years of football eligibility remaining.
SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Astros have been telling teams they're willing to absorb some salary in a potential Roy Oswalt trade. We heard a couple weeks ago that Houston was entertaining this possibility if it meant landing better prospects.
Heyman and ESPN.com's Buster Olney (both Twitter links) place their bets on the Orioles' managerial search.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says not to be surprised if the White Sox make a play for Prince Fielder.
The Giants aren't expected to make a splash on the international free agent market, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
Domonic Brown deserves to be labeled "untouchable" by the Phillies, according to this piece at Philly.com.

Tejada Prefers To Remain In Baltimore

By Luke Adams 2 | July 4, 2010 at 10:47am CDT

Though he's been the subject of a handful of trade rumors lately, Miguel Tejada tells Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he'd like to stay in Baltimore. Tejada not only indicated that he'd prefer not to be dealt this month, but suggested he wouldn't mind wearing an Orioles uniform past this season.

"If they want me to be here, I’m staying here," said Tejada. "I definitely like it. I live in Florida, but I’ve always said, Baltimore is like my home. I signed my big contract here and the fans really have treated me this time like they did last time. I love playing at Camden Yards. But there’s nothing I can do. It’s out of my hands."

The Phillies are rumored to be interested in acquiring Tejada, and the 36-year-old could also appeal to the Twins, among other teams. With third base prospect Josh Bell now on the major league roster and the Orioles in the AL East cellar by a wide margin, a Tejada deal looks more and more likely as the deadline approaches. The former AL MVP has about $3MM left on his one-year contract, and would also receive a $150K bonus if he's traded.

Odds & Ends: Zambrano, Millwood, Orioles, Ausmus

By Zachary Links | July 3, 2010 at 10:13pm CDT

Let's check out some tidbits from around the web on this Fourth Of July eve..

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks that a swap of Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Rowand would make sense.
A source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that the Tigers have not inquired on Kevin Millwood even though they need pitching. Earlier this week we learned that the Mets aren't interested in the veteran either.
It will be interesting to see what Eric Wedge does if he's offered the O's job, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Wedge and Buck Showalter are believed to be the favorites for the position.
Brad Ausmus, 41, isn't ready to call it a career yet, writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Mets, Orioles, Lee

By Luke Adams 2 | July 2, 2010 at 10:16pm CDT

Links for Friday night, as Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos duel in San Diego….

Joe Torre tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he and GM Ned Colletti have discussed potential moves for the Dodgers.
Jerry Manuel wouldn't mind seeing the Mets acquire a starting pitcher, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun provides his take on a few Orioles-related news stories, including who he thinks their next manager will be.
Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi appeared on WEEI's Big Show and addressed how he thinks Theo Epstein will approach the trade deadline. Jay Asser has the transcript of the discussion at WEEI.com.
A person "close to Cliff Lee" denies that the left-hander suggested he may have pitched his last game as a Mariner, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Sirius XM's Jim Duquette reported Lee's alleged comments yesterday (via Twitter).
Livan Hernandez is excited about the Nationals signing his half-brother as a reliever, writes MASN's Ben Goessling.

Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee

By Luke Adams 2 | July 2, 2010 at 7:27pm CDT

Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:

Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.

Yankees Interested In Ty Wigginton

By Luke Adams 2 | July 2, 2010 at 6:28pm CDT

The Yankees have some interest in Ty Wigginton, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Price suggests the Yankees would be interested in the 32-year-old as a part-time player, rather than as an everyday starter.

In 299 plate appearances for the Orioles this season, Wigginton has hit .258/.342/.465, and his versatility has provided the O's even more value. In addition to logging significant time at first and second base, he has started a handful of games at third base. Though Wigginton hasn't spent any time in the outfield this season, he has shown in the past that he can play there if needed, recording 30 games in left field for the Astros in 2008.

For their part, the Orioles are reportedly looking for a young shortstop in exchange for Wigginton. If they were to discuss a trade with the Yankees, the first name the O's would bring up might be Eduardo Nunez, who Baseball America ranked 14th among Yankees prospects heading into 2010. The 23-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a breakout year (.313/.358/.416) for the Yanks' Triple-A affiliate, making it somewhat unlikely that New York would move him to rent Wigginton. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports doesn't think any team will part with a promising young shortstop for Wigginton, calling Baltimore's demand a "self-defeating stance."

Wigginton is earning $3.5MM in 2010, the final season of a two-year pact with the O's. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, Wigginton recently left agent Dan Lozano and hired the Levinson Brothers, presumably in anticipation of his upcoming free agency.

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