Orioles Interested In Fernando Cabrera
The Indians have ten days to waive, trade, or release 25 year-old reliever Fernando Cabrera. By my count they’ll need to do something by Friday. The best option would be to work out a trade, and the Orioles called to inquire.
The O’s would have to put Cabrera on the 25-man roster, or else try to pass Cabrera through waivers themselves. It would make more sense to carry Cabrera than Paul Shuey, so this shouldn’t be a problem.
Healey’s Latest: Wilkerson, Marte
Gotham Baseball’s Mark Healey has a new post up with some good trade rumors:
- The Mets are talking to the Rangers about Brad Wilkerson, not Eric Gagne. This makes sense, as Wilkerson has hit lefties well this year and can play right field.
- The Mets are also talking to the Reds; could’ve been about Ken Griffey Jr. or David Weathers. From what we’ve heard, though, Weathers is not available. And would Junior approve a trade to the Mets? He vetoed a trade there once before.
- The Pirates want Alan Horne from the Yankees for Damaso Marte. Given that Brian Cashman didn’t seem to want to give him up for Gagne, I don’t see this happening.
- The Orioles are shopping Chad Bradford, but the Yankees aren’t allowed in the store.
Mets Hunting For Reliever, Second Baseman
Pretty much the same old story with the Mets, though Joel Sherman and Mark Hale of the New York Post do have some new tidbits.
- The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar. However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers). Shawn Chacon doesn’t catch the Mets’ eye, and they don’t want Chad Bradford‘s three-year commitment. They had that option with Bradford this winter. I think that logic is silly – Bradford’s pitched well this year, and acquiring him now would be akin to a two-year contract. Sometimes it seems GMs pass over certain players because they simply want to add a fresh name.
- You can add Al Reyes to the mix for the Mets, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
- The Mets think many of the available starting pitchers could be traded in August – Jose Contreras, Kyle Lohse, and Steve Trachsel for example. I don’t agree on Lohse – he’ll be traded today or tomorrow. But Contreras’s contract would probably get through waivers without a claim.
- The Post reports no substantive talks to the Royals about Mark Grudzielanek. An inquiry has been made on Mark Loretta.
- Meanwhile, Newsday says the Twins are open to trading Luis Castillo but don’t want any of the current Major League Mets. Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger seems to disagree, citing a Twins scout at Shea yesterday. Graziano does not believe Castillo would get through waivers unclaimed. He believes the Twins want Double A starter Kevin Mulvey and then some (perhaps Ruben Gotay).
- Graziano says a deal for Castillo could be expanded to include 28 year-old righty reliever Juan Rincon. Rincon had been consistently solid for three years (perhaps aided by steroids) but has seen his strikeout rate and overall performance plummet in 2007. Rincon is under control next year and will make at least $2MM again.
- Graziano notes that the Mets have talked to the A’s about Joe Blanton, but Billy Beane wants Lastings Milledge. The Mets can’t do that without damaging the current team. The Mets could actually add an outfielder in Jay Payton; the Cubs’ interest has waned. The Sammy Sosa rumor also has some legs, as the Mets could bring him in to platoon with Shawn Green if they decide they can tolerate the sideshow.
Murton, Payton Not Starting Today
The Cubs are again sitting Matt Murton today. That’s two days in a row he was expected to start and didn’t. Of course, it may just be that Lou Piniella doesn’t like him. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, Jay Payton is out of the lineup for the Orioles-Yankees game today. He typically starts in left field, but it’s Jay Gibbons today. This could also just be Dave Trembley’s preference and nothing more. He sat Payton in favor of Gibbons on Thursday as well. Gibbons is 6 for 18 lifetime against Chien-Ming Wang while Payton is 1 for 6.
Discussions regarding a Payton-to-Chicago deal were getting pretty serious last night.
Rosenthal’s Latest Videos: Teixeira, Dye, Garland
Ken Rosenthal has a couple of recent videos up at FOXSports. Check ’em out. Some highlights:
- The Mark Teixeira talks are at a standstill; the Braves and Angels are reluctant to improve their offers. The Dodgers are said to be out of the picture. Daniels, Schuerholz, Stoneman – which one blinks first? I’ll say Daniels; he’ll go with Atlanta’s best offer.
- Jermaine Dye is Plan B for the Angels, but as you know the Red Sox still have interest.
- Jon Garland can be had, but Kenny Williams’ price is sky-high. The Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mets, and Braves all have interest. The Braves had offered not only Edgar Renteria but a top pitching prospect, and still were rejected. Rosenthal expects Garland to stay put because as the asking price is not met.
- The Dodgers are still the leaders on Octavio Dotel, but the Tribe could jump in if they part with Ben Francisco. Would Francisco really be missed?
- The Cubs are looking at role players like Jay Payton and Jeff Conine. Many Cubs fans have written me looking for some good rumors – anything I would hear would go on the site. My gut feeling is that they do nothing major.
- The Orioles asked about Kei Igawa, but were told he’s not available.
- Rosenthal can see Adam Dunn and Eric Gagne staying put at the deadline. The need to deal Gagne is a bit more pressing, in my opinion.
Murton Late Scratch; Payton Talks Itensify
UPDATE: While perhaps shopping Murton, the Cubs have had significant talks regarding Baltimore’s Jay Payton. The Cubs would send over two mid-level prospects; does Murton fit that criteria? Payton will make $5MM next year to finish his contract.
UPDATE 2: RotoWorld says Murton was scratched tonight to allow Cliff Floyd to play and then get Sunday off.
Matt Murton was a late scratch for tonight’s Cubs-Reds game. Does it mean anything? We should know soon enough. This time of year, every scratch or unexpected mid-game substitution is magnified.
The Cubs have been talking to the Rangers about lefty reliever Ron Mahay and catcher Gerald Laird, so maybe there’s a connection. The Rangers could definitely find room for Murton in their outfield.
Take it with a grain of salt, but a Cubs source of mine confirms Felix Pie‘s availability (huh?) and says the Cubs made an inquiry on Torii Hunter. While intriguing, I wouldn’t expect either player to be traded.
Latest Mets Rumors: Luis Castillo, Chad Cordero
Let’s have a look at the latest rumors swirling around the Mets.
- Second base remains an area of focus. A Twins scout was at Shea recently, presumably trying to figure out what to ask for from the Mets for Luis Castillo. The Mets were recently scouting the Twins as well. The problem is that Castillo is not yet officially available. A couple of Marks, Grudzielanek and Loretta, remain on the radar. The Astros might consider signing Loretta to an extension, though no details have been discussed.
- The Devil Rays hosted the Red Sox last night, and a Mets scout was on hand. Speculation on my part, but possible targets include Ty Wigginton, Jonny Gomes, Edwin Jackson, Al Reyes, and Casey Fossum. The Mets had some interest in Jackson way back in November.
- According to Dan Graziano, the Mets are still pushing for Chad Cordero or Jon Rauch. Graziano is skeptical that the Nationals can arrive at a trade. Matthew Cerrone believes the Mets might give up Mike Pelfrey to get Cordero.
- Will Carroll has some other relievers the Mets are considering: Matt Thornton, Chad Bradford, and Shawn Chacon.
- The Mets had a scout in attendance yesterday to watch Jon Garland. He gave up ten hits but only three runs in 7.1 innings to the Blue Jays.
McAdam On Red Sox Trade Possibilities
Yesterday, Sean McAdam of The Providence Journal posted an article discussing trade possibilities for the Red Sox. Let’s discuss.
- It seems that the Red Sox will add a bullpen arm despite the fine work of Manny Delcarmen. Apparently they want someone with experience. Eric Gagne doesn’t seem likely, nor does Brad Lidge. Instead, Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, and maybe Salomon Torres or Scott Linebrink could be acquired. The focus is said to be on the Houston relievers. Wheeler seems like a solid buy-low option. You can add Octavio Dotel to the radar as well. And let’s throw Brian Fuentes into the mix. UPDATE: Today, McAdam added Damaso Marte as a reliever the Red Sox like. He says the price for Torres is "way too high" at present. And according to the Boston Globe, Drayton McLane will not even consider moving Lidge.
- The Sox would get involved on a top-flight starter like Roy Oswalt or Dontrelle Willis. Calling Willis "top-flight" is a stretch, but that’s what McAdam said. They also like Jon Garland, if they can pry him loose for a reasonable price. Other available starters don’t seem markedly better than internal options.
- The Royals would love to pawn Reggie Sanders off, but the Red Sox don’t have interest. Instead, they could reacquire Kevin Millar or even go after Jermaine Dye. Is Dye really a perfect fit, though? Wouldn’t his acquisition make he and J.D. Drew part-time players? That wouldn’t be good for the clubhouse. UPDATE: McAdam says today that this playing time issue will indeed thwart a trade. On the Millar front, the Boston Globe debunks that rumor on the basis that the Sox want someone who can play center field.
- Speaking of people who can play center field, the Boston Herald mentions Randy Winn and Dave Roberts as possibilities. The fans would love a Roberts acquisition, I imagine.
- The trade Mike Lowell/acquire Mark Teixeira scenario is highly unlikely.
- The Boston Globe is saying that the Red Sox are "actively shopping" Wily Mo Pena. I discussed Wily Mo in a post yesterday. The Boston Herald today said that he might be the trading chip for a deal with Houston.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Lohse, Hunter, Contreras
The latest trade and signing rumors from Ken Rosenthal:
- Rosenthal believes Alex Rodriguez‘s ability to play shortstop could increase the number of suitors. Take a look at the free agents – there may not be a single viable option at short this winter. Still, the number of suitors for Rodriguez is severely limited by his massive contract requirement. Not too many clubs aside from the Yankees and Red Sox can get in on $240MM over eight years or whatever. The lack of available, reasonably priced shortstops could compel the Braves and Orioles to aggressively shop Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada.
- As a 29 year-old free agent starter with decent stuff, Scott Boras could sell Kyle Lohse as the next Gil Meche this winter. Meche’s work in the season’s first three months would only aid the wishcasting. I put up a little Lohse history here, writing that his deal will likely fall somewhere between Jason Marquis and Meche. Other free agent starters who will be under 30 for the 2008 season: Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, Joe Kennedy, and Byung-Hyun Kim.
- Rosenthal believes the Rangers will bid on Torii Hunter this winter unless they acquire a proven center fielder this summer. He mentions that Jon Daniels set his sights on Shane Victorino but the Phils would rather trade Michael Bourn. Unless the Rangers get a proven guy they will still go after Hunter.
- The Mariners scouted Jose Contreras and Matt Morris recently, but both were lousy. I still think Jennings could sneak in there as the best available starter, but he too hasn’t pitched well in July. Definitely seems like the Mariners will snag some kind of starter.
- Rosenthal disputes Evan Grant’s report of the Brewers and Indians showing interest in Kenny Lofton. The Brewers are getting Bill Hall back soon and the Indians have some outfielders on the road to recovery as well. Perfect, this frees him up for the Cubs!
- Rosenthal mentions the same teams I did for Kevin Millar, but sees an August deal as a possibility. Waiting until August doesn’t seem to make sense for the Orioles, as things get trickier then.
- The Padres could trade Scott Linebrink in order to make payroll room for a starter. Or they could just sign Brian Lawrence. I discussed some other options for the Friars here.
How About Kevin Millar?
One player who hasn’t gotten much play here at MLBTR is 36 year-old 1B/DH Kevin Millar. He’s up to a solid .282/.399/.462 on the season, including a 1.063 OPS this month. Millar might be one of the few players who exhibits a consistent second half trend. He’s been significantly better after the break in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Millar has a mere $1.2MM left on his contract this year. His $2.75MM option for ’08 becomes guaranteed with 475 plate appearances, and he’s on pace for about 500 right now. He’ll probably pass the 130 game threshold, bringing his ’08 salary to $3.05MM. Very affordable for solid production and clubhouse presence.
The Yankees would be a logical destination for Millar. Sean Casey has come alive since a terrible April, so the Tigers probably wouldn’t be interested. The Twins would be a fine fit at DH. Angels or Mariners too. Over in the NL Millar could help the Braves or Diamondbacks at first base.