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Matt Garza Rumors: Friday

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last night that the Nationals, Dodgers, Phillies, Orioles and Blue Jays were scouting Matt Garza in his dominant performance over the Brewers yesterday. Garza fired seven innings of one-run ball, allowing eight hits and a walk to go along with 10 strikeouts. He figures to be one of the most popular names on the trade market this summer. Here's the latest on the 29-year-old Garza…

  • There's "heavy traffic" on Garza, who should be dealt well in advance of the July 31 non-waiver deadline, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).
  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports writes that the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Padres, and Rangers all have "varying degrees of interest" in Garza. He adds that the Blue Jays and Red Sox are also seen as possibilities. 
  • Rosenthal tweets that the Rangers were also on hand to scout Garza for yesterday's start against the Brewers.
  • Earlier today, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reported that the Rockies are among the teams that are interested in Garza.

Yovani Gallardo’s No-Trade List

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When Yovani Gallardo signed his five-year, $30.1MM extension early in the 2010 season, details surrounding his no-trade clause were a bit vague. It was known that he received full no-trade protection through the 2012 season, but after that he would be able to list just 10 teams to which he could block trades.

Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com has learned the 10 teams on the list, and those teams have been confirmed by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. Gallardo can block trades to the Orioles, Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Astros, Angels, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates and Blue Jays.

Last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Diamondbacks, who don't appear on that list, are interested in Gallardo. Gallardo could, of course, waive his no-trade clause and approve a deal to one of the aforementioned teams (the Orioles, for example, are rumored to be seeking rotation upgrades), but doing so creates another hurdle in the already complicated process of hammering out a deadline deal.

Gallardo, 27, is owed $11.25MM in 2014 and has a $13MM club option for the 2015 season on his contract. He's in the midst of a down season, having pitched to a 4.20 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. While his strikeouts and velocity are down (he's averaging 90.6 mph on his heater), that walk rate is the second best of his career, and his 48.7 percent ground-ball rate is a career best.

NL Central Links: Garza, Cubs, Lohse, Pujols

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With the Cubs and Brewers both more than 14.5 games out of first place, the NL Central figures to be the source of plenty of rumors this summer. Both teams have an ample amount of trade chips that should ultimately exchange hands. Here's the latest out of the division…

  • The Nationals, Dodgers, Phillies, Orioles and Blue Jays all had scouts on hand to watch Matt Garza's dominant start against the Brewers today, tweets MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
  • Cubs president Theo Epstein told ESPN Chicago's Sahadev Sharma that he owes it to the organization to explore trades of Garza and the team's veteran players to improve the future. Garza added that he doesn't pay attention to rumors.
  • From that same piece, Epstein said that trading for additional pool space in this year's international free agency market isn't a huge priority, though he didn't specifically deny rumors that the Cubs are looking to acquire additional funds. For those who don't recall, the new CBA will allow teams to trade international spending money.
  • Teams have ramped up their evaluations of Kyle Lohse to determine if he's a worthwhile trade target, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • Albert Pujols told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that St. Louis is still a special place for him and it made him the person that he is today. The longtime Cardinal said he's slightly bitter about the way the front office handled his departure, though he declined to get into specifics on the topic.

Ricky Nolasco Rumors: Thursday

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Significant trades remain rare in June, but the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco has four days left to join a club that has added Kevin Youkilis, Mark Ellis, Joel Hanrahan, Sean Burnett, Mark DeRosa, Chris Perez, Nate McLouth, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton in recent years.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN today that there have been far more serious trade discussions five weeks from the deadline than he can ever recall, and you have to wonder if Colletti is thinking of his own discussions for Nolasco while making that comment.  The entire NL West plus the Orioles have been linked to the 30-year-old righty, who is scheduled to face the Padres tomorrow night.  Nolasco has about $6MM left on his contract, which will certainly be part of the trade negotiations.  The latest:

  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are seeking a "good" prospect as well as the full $6MM of salary relief in exchange for Nolasco. The financial implications of those demands have pushed the Rockies out of the running. The Dodgers are the front-runners, according to one executive, though the Giants and Padres are still involved in talks. The Orioles are "less confident" in their chances, and the Rangers "loom as a possibility," according to the FOX duo.
  • The Dodgers are likely to pay more of Nolasco's salary if it means saving a prospect, tweets Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. The Dodgers are pleased with the current direction of their minor league system.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Dodgers and Marlins have indeed made progress in talks for Nolasco. One source tells Olney that there's a 70 percent chance the deal gets done.
  • The Marlins and Dodgers are indeed in talks about Nolasco, hears Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
  • As a Southern California native, Nolasco would naturally prefer to pitch on the West Coast, notes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  The interest from the NL West bodes well for that goal, though the Red Sox scouted Nolasco's last start, writes Frisaro.  Nolasco's opinion on being a walking trade rumor?  "Whatever happens, happens," he told Frisaro.
  • What might it take to acquire Nolasco?  Bowden offers proposals for each NL West team in this ESPN article. 

Garcia Signs New Minor League Deal With Orioles

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THURSDAY: Garcia has accepted his assignment to Triple-A, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Orioles have confirmed the move, announcing that Garcia has opted out of his prior deal and re-signed a new minor league contract. He is no longer on the 40-man roster.

MONDAY, 2:40pm: The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have optioned Garcia to Triple-A Norfolk. Ghiroli tweets that Garcia has the right to decline the option and become a free agent. For the time being, however, Garcia remains on the 40-man roster.

2:20pm: Freddy Garcia told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com that he will be placed on waivers by the Orioles. He has no plans to retire and could become a free agent or accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk (Twitter links). Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that Garcia has technically been designated for assignment and not strictly waived just yet. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com adds that Kevin Gausman has been recalled and is listed as a reliever on the team's lineup card (Twitter link).

The 36-year-old Garcia totaled 53 innings for the Orioles this season, posting a 5.77 ERA with 4.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 40 percent ground-ball rate. The veteran hurler has become increasingly homer-prone since a solid 2011 campaign with the Yankees, as he's yielded an alarming 34 homers in his past 160 1/3 big league innings. Were his lofty homer-to-flyball ratio to stabilize around the league average, xFIP projects a 4.54 ERA for the 15-year veteran.

Marlins Working To Trade Nolasco ASAP

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WEDNESDAY, 10:59pm: The Marlins are surprisingly open to eating some of Nolasco's contract, but only if the prospect return is significantly better than alternative deals, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com.  Meanwhile, the Padres continue to have talks with the Marlins on multiple players, including Nolasco, but nothing is close or imminent, a source tells Bowden (Twitter link).

5:21pm: The Marlins have told other clubs that they have teams willing to take on all of the prorated portion of Nolasco's $11.5MM salary, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  Nolasco is owed roughly $6MM between now and the end of the season.

TUESDAY, 12:41pm: The Marlins have been aggressively working to move starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco as soon as possible, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  So far the Orioles, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, and Giants have been connected to the righty, and the Marlins' aggressive approach was noted by Andy Martino of the New York Daily News yesterday.  And earlier today, ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote that Nolasco might win the "Most Likely to Get Traded Before the All-Star Break pool."  Moving Nolasco with over a month remaining until the July 31st trade deadline makes sense, because there's added value to a contender in having him for all of July.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new article on Nolasco, where he names the Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, and Orioles as interested parties (the NL West teams have expressed interest).  As opposed to Olney's report, Rosenthal writes, "The Marlins are 'kicking around' names in a potential Nolasco trade with clubs, sources say, but their talks have not progressed to the point where a deal is close."

Nolasco, 30, has a 3.68 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9, and 41.6% groundball rate in 100 1/3 innings this year, making him one of the better available starting pitchers.  He has about $6MM remaining on his contract, after which he'll be a free agent.  Another of the top starting pitchers available, Matt Garza, is under pursuit by the Padres and Dodgers, according to Rosenthal.  Any player traded midseason becomes ineligible for a qualifying offer in the offseason, removing the possibility of draft pick compensation and increasing the player's value to winter suitors.

Click here to see a leaderboard I've created of all the potentially available starting pitchers.

Orioles News: Dylan Bundy, Freddy Garcia

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Earlier today the Orioles were reported as one of the teams that is in hot pursuit of Ricky Nolasco, and it was also announced that infielder Yamaico Navarro cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. Here's more on the O's…

  • Top prospect Dylan Bundy will undergo Tommy John surgery after meeting with Dr. James Andrews earlier today, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Bundy ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the game prior to this season, according to Baseball America and MLB.com.
  • MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (via Twitter) that Bundy will now have a fourth option year as a result of the injury. As Baseball America's Matt Eddy explained back in March: "Players who have a season wiped out by injury do not receive credit for a 'professional season' so long as they spend 30 or fewer days on the active roster."
  • Connolly also tweets that Freddy Garcia has yet to decide if he will accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. The 36-year-old has until Thursday to make a decision. Baltimore attempted to option Garcia to Triple-A rather than designating him for assignment earlier this week.

Orioles Outright Yamaico Navarro

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WEDNESDAY: Navarro has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.

MONDAY: Navarro is now on outright waivers, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

TUESDAY: The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have selected the contract of Travis Ishikawa and designated infielder Yamaico Navarro for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. A 25-man roster space has been opened by placing Miguel Gonzalez on the paternity list.

Navarro, 25, hit .286/.333/.357 in 31 plate appearances for the O's this year, though he's just a career .206/.258/.267 hitter. Despite his youth, he's seen Major League action with four different clubs — the Red Sox, Pirates, Royals and O's. He's fared significantly better in 190 games at the Triple-A level, batting .268/.354/.440.

Ishikawa exercised the out clause in his minor league contract, giving the Orioles 48 hours to decide whether or not to add him to the roster. General manager Dan Duquette said earlier this morning they were leaning toward selecting the contract. Ishikawa, who was hitting .316/.413/.525 with seven homers in 208 plate appearances at Triple-A, will start at DH for the Orioles tonight and bat eighth.

Giants Not Planning To Make Trades Soon

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Last night's loss dropped the Giants below .500 and placed them as close to last place in the NL West as it did to first place. Prior to the game, however, general manager Brian Sabean spoke with reporters, including Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, and said he and his front office team wouldn't take a reactionary approach. Sabean noted that the asking price for players this early in the trading season is too steep:

“You’re not going to do anything without getting your clock cleaned as of this date. If somebody’s going to trade somebody this early, they’re going to have to win the deal and you’re going to have to let them win the deal."

The team isn't keen on adding rental players, though Sabean noted that the Giants will be more willing to add players who are viewed as a salary dump by the other team, as opposed to trading top prospects. The long-time GM said that money won't be the issue when acquiring players this summer and also noted that he'd be more open to adding a rental who is amenable to a long-term deal with the Giants.

Schulman notes that the Giants still like California native Ricky Nolasco, and the Marlins are more concerned with shedding his $6MM salary than obtaining highly regarded prospects in potential trades. That would bode well for the Giants, but many teams are in on the right-hander. Schulman reported last night that the Dodgers are hot after Nolasco, and he adds the Orioles into that mix in this most recent update.

Meanwhile, Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area adds that Sabean and his staff have made lists of available hitters, starters and relievers, but Sabean wouldn't reveal which was the top priority. He told Baggarly that the team doesn't view the current crop of available starters as much better than No. 4 and No. 5 pitchers. Sabean also hinted that a center field upgrade would be nice now that Angel Pagan is on the shelf for 10 weeks.

Stark On Astros, Ethier, Brewers, Papelbon, Stanton

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The latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark is jam-packed with trade-related information.  Highlights:

  • One National League executive predicted that the Cubs' Matt Garza will be the first pitcher traded; he's thought to be eminently available, as the Cubs are not comfortable with his asking price on a potential new contract.  The Padres and Dodgers are among the teams pursuing Garza, reported Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports earlier today.
  • The Astros are looking for volume in any deal they make, one NL exec told Stark.  Bud Norris is an obvious trade chip for Jeff Luhnow and company, while I imagine Carlos Pena, Jose Veras, Erik Bedard, Lucas Harrell, Wesley Wright, Ronny Cedeno, and others can be had as well.
  • The Dodgers are not actively dangling right fielder Andre Ethier.  What's more, the team still views itself as a buyer despite being eight games out.  They may be interested in adding a third baseman they can control for multiple years, implies Stark.
  • Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche could be dealt, hears Stark, in a scenario where Ryan Zimmerman moves to first base, Anthony Rendon moves back to third base, and Danny Espinosa gets healthy.  LaRoche's name is not out there at present, however.
  • The Brewers will "gladly listen" on third baseman Aramis Ramirez, as well as any position player other than Jean Segura, Carlos Gomez, and Ryan Braun.  I wonder if that means names such as Jonathan Lucroy and Norichika Aoki will be in play next month.
  • Execs who spoke to Stark seem divided on whether the Brewers want to trade Yovani Gallardo, with one saying, "To be honest, I think they would love to move him."  Click here for thoughts from Brewers GM Doug Melvin on the situation.
  • The Phillies are talking to the Red Sox and Tigers about closer Jonathan Papelbon right now, one exec tells Stark, even if they say otherwise.
  • Officials of three teams that have talked to the Marlins about slugger Giancarlo Stanton are convinced owner Jeffrey Loria won't trade him this summer.  In an April poll of over 13,000 MLBTR readers, over 40% thought Stanton would be dealt this summer.
  • Other teams say the Tigers are willing to surrender top prospects Nick Castellanos or Avisail Garcia if necessary.  The team is focused on finding a closer.
  • The Braves are "all over the bullpen market," which jives with a couple of other reports today.
  • The Giants "have taken on a whole new fervor in the last week in their hunt for another starter."  They've been connected often to Nolasco, but there are around 20 viable candidates out there of varying quality.  The Orioles could make a move before the All-Star break, hears Stark, and they seem to be prioritizing starters over relievers.
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