MacPhail: No Young Player Is Untouchable
Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail spoke to reporters today, and MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli says he indicated that no young player on the team's roster is untouchable (Twitter link). He did, however, say that it would be hard to give up a young guy, even for a big bat.
Even with the majors' worst record at 29-60, the Orioles do have a promising young core to build around, led by Brian Matusz and Matt Wieters. Others like Chris Tillman, Adam Jones, Jake Arrieta, Josh Bell, and Felix Pie also fit into that fix. Nick Markakis remains extremely productive, though the big money in his contract kicks in next season, when he'll earn $10.25MM. Baltimore would find plenty of interest in the 26-year-old if they were to make him available.
Understandably, most of the trade rumors involving Orioles' players this summer have been about veterans, namely Ty Wigginton. The team would receive a better return if they moved younger players for obvious reasons, and I suppose it's not crazy to think MacPhail could deal a youngster for a package that could potentially address multiple needs.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Machado, Wood, Montero
Saturday afternoon linkage…
- Bengie Molina has had an immediate impact in Texas, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
- The Orioles won't sign Manny Machado before August 1st, Baltimore's director of scouting told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter).
- The Indians placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The move is retroactive to July 12th, so unless he needs more than the 15 days off, Wood will be back just before the trade deadline.
- Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney says Wood's actual trade deadline is August 31st, because he will clear waivers next month given the $4MM still owed to him this season (Twitter links).
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams often approaches his veteran players to get their opinions about potential moves, but he has not yet pulled Paul Konerko aside to discuss scenarios according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times.
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak was well-deserving of his contract extension.
- In a video on ESPN, Olney says the Yankees have determined that they would not trade catching prospect Jesus Montero for any player available on the trade market. They were willing to move him for Cliff Lee because it was a special case.
Talks Between Phillies and O’s Are “Dead”
Talks between the Phillies and Orioles regarding infielders Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada are currently dead, a source told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Yesterday it was reported that the Phillies have been talking to Baltimore about Wigginton for weeks and might also be interested in Tejada, who could have been a short-term solution at third base.
For now, it seems that the defending National League champs are content with leaving Placido Polanco at third base and Wilson Valdez at second until Chase Utley returns to the fold. However, Zrebiec notes that this could all change before the deadline, especially if the O's reduce their asking price for Wigginton.
Meanwhile, Orioles GM Andy MacPhail says that the club could be in position to make a splash by picking up a big-time player on waivers:
“A claim would be something that would definitely be attractive," the GM said. "The trade for a big-time player, if it’s going to subtract from the core guys you are trying to build around, that becomes more problematic. It’s something you obviously would have to look at.”
Orioles, Showalter Close To Terms
SATURDAY: MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli confirms that the Orioles will not announce any managerial moves this weekend (via Twitter).
TUESDAY: Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun assures his readers that Showalter will not be named Orioles manager this weekend.
MONDAY: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears from a source who expects Showalter to take over this weekend.
SUNDAY: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Orioles are "close to terms" with managerial candidate Buck Showalter. According to Rosenthal's sources, Showalter will be in uniform sometime after the All-Star Game. An official announcement will also be held until after the All-Star Break, according to Rosenthal's second tweet.
However, the O's have yet to make an offer to Showalter, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Juan Samuel will manage the team Friday after the All-Star Break, but Showalter could receive an offer in the near future.
Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted that the Orioles met with Showalter again this weekend, and that he was the "heavy favorite" to be the O's next manager. The consensus for the past few weeks has been that either Showalter or former Cleveland skipper Eric Wedge would eventually be Dave Trembley's replacement, after Trembley was fired on June 4. Last week, we learned that Showalter had become the favorite.
Showalter has managed the Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Rangers over parts of 11 seasons. He owns an 882-833 career record as a Major League manager and was the AL Manager of the Year with the Yankees during the strike-shortened 1994 season.
Poll: Ty Wigginton’s Next Team
It's gotten to the point where it's not a matter of if the Orioles will trade utility man Ty Wigginton, but when. The righthanded bat offers versatility and some power, so he'd be a fit for almost every team in the league. The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are among the clubs seriously interested in acquiring him for the stretch run.
Which team will acquire Ty Wigginton before the 2010 trade deadline?
Wigginton, Tejada Drawing Interest
With baseball's worst record at 29-59, the Orioles are expected to start selling off their veteran players any day now as they build for the future. That process appears to be in full swing, with Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reporting that several teams have interest in utility man Ty Wigginton while at least one may have their eyes on Miguel Tejada.
The Phillies, Rangers, and Yankees are all in on Wigginton, and in fact the O's have been talking to the Phillies about him for weeks. Zrebiec says Philadelphia may also have interest in Tejada, who they could use at third base while sliding the currently injured Placido Polanco over to second base while Chase Utley is on the shelf.
The Rangers, meanwhile, will have a scout in attendance for Baltimore's game against the Blue Jays tonight. Texas has been looking for a righthanded bat since the offseason, and the trade of Justin Smoak may have increased the team's efforts to find a platoon mate for Chris Davis. Wigginton could be a perfect fit given his versatility.
Zrebiec is convinced that Wigginton will not be an Oriole come August 1st, and it's hard not to agree with him. He isn't so sure about Tejada, however he does say there are several teams out there that believe the former AL MVP would elevate his game if pushed back into a pennant race.
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Wigginton, Rockies, Wood
It was on this day in 1905 that Shirley Povich, one of the great sportswriters of all time, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine. Povich, who passed away in 1998, would've been 105 today and no doubt still would've been keeping an eye on Stephen Strasburg for the Washington Post.
Some news items….
- The Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi wonders if Edwin Rodriguez's planned lineup changes in Florida are a hint towards a possible trade of Cody Ross or Jorge Cantu.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun adds the Padres and Rangers to the list of "potential fits" for Ty Wigginton.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweeted a few follow-up points to his story about Colorado's interest in Dan Uggla. Renck mentions right-hander Esmil Rogers and outfielder Matt Miller as possibilities for a trade package with Florida, but "there's no way" that Jhoulys Chacin would be dealt. Renck also thinks the Rockies "will listen" to offers for Franklin Morales, though those offers might not be related to any Uggla deal.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince shares some Cleveland hot stove talk in a reader mailbag. Castrovince says that Kerry Wood has drawn "minimal, at best" trade interest, but he notes that Wood could be dealt in late August to a team that didn't want to pay an extra month of Wood's contract.
- In another MLB.com mailbag, Bill Ladson "would be shocked" by a Matt Capps trade. The Nationals still have Capps under control for 2011, and with Drew Storen still a rookie and Tyler Clippard not pitching well lately, Ladson doesn't think Washington will want to risk dealing their closer.
- It's "all quiet on [the] Ben Sheets trade front," tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, though Sheets' recent success "should change" that.
- Aroldis Chapman's inconsistent control means that Chapman probably won't be promoted to the majors until September, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- We already know that the Giants have shown some interest in acquiring David DeJesus, and now Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that a "top Royals talent evaluator" was on hand for the Mets/Giants game at AT & T Park tonight.
- Steve Kornacki of Mlive.com looks at what the Tigers need to do in the second half and weighs in on some trade options. Kornacki says that trading for Jack Wilson wouldn't cost much for Detroit, whereas acquiring Dan Haren isn't worth the cost since he doesn't think "the Tigers are good enough to get past the first round of the playoffs. And that’s the only reason to gamble that much for somebody like Haren."
- Rice's Anthony Rendon, thought to be a potential first overall pick in the 2011 Amateur Draft, is undergoing ankle surgery on Friday, reports MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron has the latest installment of his ranking of the players with the most trade value. As he goes from #20 to #16, Cameron cites a defending Cy Young Award winner and two potential Cy winners for this season.
Odds & Ends: Prior, Capps, Lee, Harper, Hart
Another round of links for Monday, as Big Papi keeps on hitting…
- The Orioles have some interest in Mark Prior and will continue to keep an eye on him, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.com.
- Matt Capps told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he doesn't want the Nationals to trade him.
- Cliff Lee told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he hopes to negotiate a no-trade clause into the free agent deal he signs after the season. Lee reflected on "a whirlwind few days" with Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
- The Nationals have yet to discuss a pro contract with first overall pick Bryce Harper, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter). The sides have until August 16th to work out a deal and it would be a surprise to see them agree much before then.
- Corey Hart repeated to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he wants to remain a Brewer, but told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has thought about becoming a Giant (Twitter link).
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs places Phillies prospect Domonic Brown 50th on his list of MLB players with the most trade value.
Odds & Ends: Smoak, Giants, McDonald, Orioles
Sunday night linkage..
- M's manager Don Wakamatsu urged fans to be patient with the newly acquired Justin Smoak, writes MLB.com's Mike McCall.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean isn't sure if his club can make the postseason without a trade, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News.
- Darnell McDonald went from being a non-factor with the Orioles to being a key part of Boston's offense, says WEEI's DJ Bean.
- Kevin Cowherd of The Baltimore Sun wants to see the Orioles hire their new manager this week.
Odds & Ends: Rolen, Yankees, Astros, Jeter
Links for Sunday, as the celebration continues in Spain….
- Since acquiring Scott Rolen from Toronto roughly one year ago, the Reds are 70-42 when he starts and 12-26 when he doesn't, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter) talked to Yankees catcher Austin Romine, who admitted that a trade of Jesus Montero to the Mariners would have benefited him.
- Looking to improve their NL-worst OBP (.295) and SLG (.348), the Astros have replaced hitting coach Sean Berry with Jeff Bagwell, per a team release. Sean Berry was surprised by his dismissal from the Astros, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
- Last winter, Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports suggested that the Yankees offer Derek Jeter a four-year, $100MM extension. Today, the New York Post's Joel Sherman says that Jeter "hardly looks like a player deserving" of such a contract, except for the fact that he's Derek Jeter. Sherman expects Jeter to be a Yankee past this season, of course, but suggests that the second half of 2010 may be a "salary drive" for the 36-year-old.
- Brian Sabean has no regrets about not promoting Buster Posey or trading Bengie Molina earlier, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks the Indians would like to keep Jake Westbrook, so they have at least one veteran starter in their 2011 rotation.
- Noting that Albert Pujols could have his own "Decision" to make next year, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hopes the slugger doesn't do to St. Louis what LeBron James did to Cleveland.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is reluctant to become a seller because he believes his team can contend next year, if not this year, says Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Within the same piece, Shaikin indicates the Dodgers could still be in "payroll limbo" this offseason if the McCourts' divorce goes to trial.
- Minor league free agents have come through this year for the Phillies, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.