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Bud Norris Rumors: Tuesday

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28-year-old Astros starter Bud Norris was scratched from his start in Baltimore today amid swirling trade rumors.  The righty is under team control through 2015.  The latest:

Earlier Updates

  • In addition to the Orioles and Pirates, the Diamondbacks are also in the mix for Norris, according to McTaggart (on Twitter). The D'Backs are also said to be hot after Jake Peavy, though I imagine they're only interested in adding one of the two arms.
  • Astros manager Bo Porter told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that trade talkes regarding Norris have "gotten deeper." Norris will start for Houston tomorrow if he isn't traded, adds McTaggart (Twitter links).
  • The Orioles have yet to make an offer on Norris, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  They appear to have interest in the Angels' Jason Vargas, more of an August trade candidate after he recovers from a blood clot in his left armpit.
  • Three teams are hard after Norris, reports McTaggart, including the Orioles, though no deal is imminent.
  • Norris is very likely to be traded today, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, and Pittsburgh could be his landing spot.  He adds that the Pirates won't trade center field Gregory Polanco for Norris, but the Astros do like righty Tyler Glasnow.  Passan goes on to write that other teams are still in on Norris, and one executive says the Astros are motivated to move him.
  • Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle says that while Norris hasn't been informed he's been traded, all signs point to a deal by the deadline.  In contrast, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears the Astros have no trade close with anyone as of now.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Latest On Justin Morneau

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Justin Morneau has spent more than 14 years with the Twins organization since being selected in the third round of the 1999 draft, but the now 32-year-old former AL MVP finds his name swirling about the rumor mill. Here's the latest on Morneau, who is in the final season of a six-year, $80MM contract and owed roughly $4.7MM over the remainder of 2013…

  • The Orioles have engaged the Twins in trade talks regarding Morneau, writes Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Miller adds that a source puts it at 50-50 whether Morneau remains with the Twins or is traded prior to tomorrow's 4pm ET trade deadline. Morneau's July swoon at the plate isn't helping his trade value either, Miller notes.
  • Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press spoke to an AL scout who called Morneau "a shell of his former self," noting that his glove work at first base has taken a significant downturn as well. "The mobility and the agility are not there," the scout said. Berardino writes that a contract for Morneau may have to follow the mold of those signed by Travis Hafner and James Loney this offseason. Each signed for a $2MM base salary with additional incentives ($4MM for Hafner, $1MM for Loney). Another club monitoring Morneau considered the three-year, $21MM pact signed by his teammate, Josh Willingham, to be a fair comparable.
  • Within that same piece, Berardino also notes that the Rays monitored Morneau for weeks but appear to be an unlikely landing spot. He also agrees with Miller's report that there's about a 50-50 chance Morneau is dealt (on Twitter).

Orioles Trade Targets: Byrd, Oliver Perez

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The Orioles currently stand to take the second wild card spot in the American League, and they've already bolstered their pitching staff with the additions of Scott Feldman and Francisco Rodriguez.  Here's the latest on their trade targets, courtesy of Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun:

  • Connolly feels the Phillies' Michael Young is the best fit for the Orioles at DH, but the team hasn't made an aggressive push for him at this point.  Connolly expects Young to go elsewhere if traded.
  • The Orioles are interested in the Mets' Marlon Byrd.  However, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes today that Byrd is "highly unlikely" to be traded.  Connolly also believes Mariners lefty reliever Oliver Perez is the most likely player to be acquired by the Orioles.
  • Connolly says to forget about Cliff Lee and Jake Peavy.  Instead, the O's have coveted the Astros' Bud Norris and Chris Sale of the White Sox.
  • Connolly expects the Orioles to pass on the Twins' Justin Morneau.
  • Orioles minor leaguers Mike Wright, Tim Berry, and Christian Walker have piqued teams' interests.
  • Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette feels he has the money and prospects to make a deal, if the right one comes along.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Monday

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White Sox righty Jake Peavy might be the best starting pitcher traded between now and this Wednesday's deadline.  He's been well-informed of trade talks by GM Rick Hahn and indicated yesterday he expects a deal, packing his belongings from the clubhouse.  With Peavy under contract for 2014, the White Sox are asking more for him than the Cubs did for Matt Garza, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan.  The latest:

  • An executive from a team interested in Peavy tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Peavy wants to be traded. While Peavy enjoys the White Sox, he knows they're rebuilding and wants to play for a contender (Twitter link).
  • The Athletics have moved on from Peavy and will focus on other upgrades such as their bullpen and middle infield, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The A's will dangle some of the players they would have offered for Peavy as they pursue other upgrades. Rosenthal adds that Chicago's desire to receive quality prospects and shed the remaining $20MM or so on Peavy's contract "remains a significant obstacle."
  • The White Sox are telling interested parties that they're planning to keep Peavy and build around him, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. As Olney goes on to note, this could just be a ploy by the White Sox to increase their leverage in Peavy trade talks (Twitter links).
  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets that the White Sox debated packaging Peavy and Jesse Crain together before ultimately electing to trade Crain to the Rays in a separate package.

Earlier Updates

  • "They're definitely trying to move him before he makes that [Tuesday] start," an executive of a team monitoring the Peavy talks tells ESPN's Jayson Stark.  Stark says the Red Sox are willing to take on Peavy's contract or give up prospects, but not both.  Stark sees the A's as the favorite, with the money a stumbling block for the Braves, the Cardinals unlikely, and the Orioles lurking.
  • The Red Sox are "very much in" the Peavy sweepstakes, tweets Passan.  With their motivation and available prospects, they're in a strong position to acquire him.  Passan says Hahn is asking for every interested organization's top prospect, including "complete non-starters" such as Xander Bogaerts of the Red Sox and Addison Russell of the A's.  Executives believe the asking price will drop in advance of the Wednesday deadline.
  • In speaking with executives yesterday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post got the impression the Athletics are pushing hard for Peavy after finishing second for Garza.  Oakland "seems the most motivated," writes ESPN's Buster Olney.

Orioles Willing To Move Dylan Bundy

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3:36pm: Regarding the Bundy rumor, Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said, "That probably came from someone who wants to trade for the player," according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

2:27pm: The Orioles have always been willing to consider trading Bundy and other top prospects, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  During the offseason, they kicked around a Bundy-Wil Myers swap, he adds.  However, the Orioles would have to be overwhelmed to deal their top prospects, and the available veterans on the trade market wouldn't come close.

8:39am: The aggressive Orioles are "even willing to move" top prospect Dylan Bundy "for the right return," sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Perhaps any player can be moved for the right return, but Rosenthal's report implies the Orioles are more willing to listen on Bundy than teams usually are on top prospects.

Bundy, 20, was generally regarded as one of the three best prospects in baseball prior to the season.  He was drafted fourth overall in 2011 out of high school and rocketed through the minors last year despite delicate handling by the Orioles.  However, the righty underwent Tommy John surgery last month, dropping him to 11th on Keith Law's midseason list for ESPN and 17th on Baseball America's list.

The Orioles are targeting Jake Peavy, Justin Morneau, and Michael Young, writes Rosenthal, confirming previous reports.  I think it's clear Bundy would not be involved in discussions for those players, even Peavy.  I imagine a Bundy trade is unlikely, but if he is dealt, it would involve a big name not currently in the rumor mill much.  As Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports noted, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos has the ability to be a game-changer, on the remote chance he gets an offer enticing enough to move Jose Bautista or Edwin Encarnacion.

Orioles Outright Chris Dickerson

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JULY 29: Dickerson has been outrighted to Triple-A after accepting the assignment, according to the team.

JULY 19: The Orioles have designated Chris Dickerson for assignment, the team announced on Twitter. The move will clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Henry Urrutia, who will be promoted to the Majors to start the season's second half.

The 31-year-old Dickerson hit .245/.274/.412 in 106 plate appearances for the Orioles after being promoted in early April. He signed a minor league deal with the O's this offseason. Dickerson broke into the Majors as a 26-year-old with the Reds in 2008 and is a career .263/.340/.408 hitter, though he's produced very little since his first two seasons with Cincinnati.

Urrutia's prospect stock has risen quickly this season, as the Cuban import has batted .365/.427/.531 with seven long balls in 288 plate appearances between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. The lefty swinger should give manager Buck Showalter an additional threat at designated hitter, and he could see occasional time in the outfield as well, though the Orioles are mostly set in that capacity with Nate McLouth, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis.

Jake Peavy Rumors: Sunday

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Jake Peavy has cleared his belongings from the White Sox's clubhouse and is prepared to be traded soon, reports ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine. "It is sad to think that this is probably my last day in here," Peavy said this morning. "We all realize the reality of the situation and I am prepared with that to happen soon. If I am not traded I would be happy to know the message here is we think we can win it all next year with you a part of it. I am reflecting on my four years here as we speak and getting a little caught up in the emotion. It is a sad day when you think it could be your last. This is a business and this is what we do. I will always cherish the people here and my time in Chicago." Here are the other rumors involving Peavy today:

  • The White Sox have shown no interest in absorbing any of the approximately $24MM owed Peavy and that, along with health concerns, are big issues for the Braves, Orioles, Cardinals, and even the Dodgers, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
  • Baseball executives still feel it is likely the White Sox will trade Peavy before the deadline, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (Insider-only). The Cardinals have more than enough young pitching to get Peavy, but they don't seem inclined to move it, Olney writes. He guesses that Peavy will ultimately wind up with the Athletics.
  • The Sox are having difficulty trading Peavy, however, tweets Peter Gammons, whose reporting echoes Stark's. The Sox asked the Athletics for top young players Sonny Gray and Addison Russell, while also asking the A's to pay almost $20MM in salary, Gammons writes. That's surely far more than the A's would be willing to pay.

Earlier Updates

  • The Braves are no longer in the mix for Peavy, tweets FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. In a separate tweet, Rosenthal notes Orioles owner Peter Angelos has historically been a stickler on medical issues and Peavy's long injury history may affect their pursuit. 
  • The sense is the A's are working the hardest to acquire Peavy while the Braves like him but not enough to offer a significant package, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The current front-runners for Peavy are (in order): A's, Cardinals, Red Sox, and Orioles, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox are targeting top prospects, but interested teams figure the price will come down and see the Sox accepting multiple prospects instead, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. Passan, in a separate tweet, reports the asking price for Peavy is higher than for Matt Garza. 
  • Levine notes, in the aforementioned article, talks with the Braves have heated up since Tim Hudson's season-ending ankle injury, but MLB.com's Mark Bowman writes, while there might be some lingering interest in Peavy, GM Frank Wren appears focused on upgrading the bullpen.
  • The Cardinals are continuing their pursuit of Peavy and Alexei Ramirez, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio. Bowden lists Carlos Martinez, Joe Kelly and Kolten Wong as names being mentioned on the Cardinals' end.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Orioles Have Internally Discussed Carlos Quentin

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3:10pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock noted on Twitter that Quentin has a full no-trade clause as part of the contract extension he signed last July.

12:05pm: The Orioles are giving thought to trading for a bat and one of the players that the club has talked about internally is Carlos Quentin of the Padres, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  The slugger is signed through 2015 for roughly $24MM in total.

Last night we learned that the Orioles could have more payroll flexibility than they've been letting on and are considering making a major splash before this week's deadline.  That significant move could be making a play for a top available starter like Jake Peavy or bolstering the offense with someone like Quentin or Justin Morneau.  However, it's not a given that San Diego will part with Quentin as a source told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports last week that they don't plan to trade the veteran. 

Quentin, 31 in August, is hitting .278/.366/.500 with 13 homers through 80 games this season.  For his career, the two-time All-Star owns a .255/.351/.492 slash line across eight seasons with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Padres.  

Orioles Designate Jairo Asencio For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they have designated Jairo Asencio for assignment.  The move allows the O's to recall outfielder L.J. Hoes from Triple-A Norfolk.

Asencio, 30, appeared in four games for Baltimore this season and allowed two runs.  In parts of four big league seasons, the right-hander owns a 5.34 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.  Across four Triple-A campaigns, the veteran has a much sharper 2.44 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Young, Rays, Middlebrooks

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While it has been said that the Orioles don't have enough financial flexibility to make a major splash before the deadline, last night's developments might indicate that they have the cash to make something happen.  Not only have they inquired on the Twins' Justin Morneau, who makes about $6MM for the rest of 2013, they're also among the teams that are in on Jake Peavy.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • The Rangers and Orioles would provide a definitive role for Michael Young, but the Red Sox might have the best package to offer the Phillies, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Boston and Baltimore may have one less suitor to compete with as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com heard that the Rangers don't plan to deal for Young before Wednesday's deadline.
  • As one might expect, the Rays aren't planning any major moves before the deadline, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "We are always looking to improve, and between now and Wednesday, we're going to do everything we can to do that," executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "But I can't overstate our confidence in the team that we have. This is a tremendous group of guys, and the worst thing we can do is to feel pressure to make a move just for its own sake."
  • Will Middlebrooks, who's spent the last month in Triple-A, wants to remain with the Red Sox, telling Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that the bright lights of Boston appeal to him. "I mean, everybody wants to play in the Bostons, the New Yorks, the Phillys – with the big-market teams, to win on that stage," Middlebrooks said. However, the attention may have been a distraction earlier in the season, the third baseman admitted. 

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

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