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Phillies Notes: Lee, Papelbon, Utley, Ruiz

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Phillies' right-hander Luis Garcia looked the part of a big league pitcher when he made his MLB debut on Wednesday, striking out Ryan Zimmerman and getting a double-play grounder from Adam LaRoche. However, prior to this season he'd been out of organized baseball for two years, working for a moving company and in a barbershop, Todd Zolecki and Stephen Pianovich of MLB.com write. After showing the Phillies a mid-90s fastball and a decent slider, the team assigned him to their high-A club, and he's now pitching out of a major league bullpen. Some more Friday night Phillies links…

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. isn't expected to make drastic changes to his team as the trade deadline approaches, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Though the Phils remain under .500, the team is playing well lately, having just taken five of seven from divison rivals Washington and Atlanta.  A model for the Phillies' approach to the trade market this year might be the 2007 club under GM Pat Gillick, which plugged holes by acquiring infielder Tad Iguchi and pitcher Kyle Lohse for two non-prospects. Gelb also discussed the market for Michael Young, highlighting the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Dodgers and the Orioles as potential trade partners.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com runs down possible trade pieces for the Phillies at the deadline. From conversations with people around baseball, it would seem that Lee is staying put while rival execs see at least a small chance of Jonathan Papelbon being traded. Opinions seem to be split 50/50 on Chase Utley, though there's a strong belief that Young is a goner if they're not in position to contend. Finally, execs could see the club trading catcher Carlos Ruiz if they remain on the cusp of the race or fall further.
  • The Phillies signed 11th-round pick Denton Keys to a $350K bonus (plus a $200K college scholarship) that will put them over their bonus pool and force them to pay a luxury tax, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (Twitter links). Because Callis mentions no loss of future draft picks, it seems that the Phils exceeded their pool by 0-5 percent. Any further overage would result in a loss of their 2014 first-rounder. Keys, according to Callis, is a prep left-hander from Colorado whose fastball touches 91 mph. He was committed to Kansas.

East Links: Byrd, Phillies, Yanks, Young, Joba, Urrutia

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Matt Warden of River Ave. Blues completed his 2013 series on potential Yankees' trade targets, highlighting the Rockies' Tyler Colvin, Peter Bourjos of the Angels, the Mariners' Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez, and Logan Morrison of the Marlins. Here's more out of baseball's Eastern divisions…

  • The Mets aren't likely to trade Marlon Byrd, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. General manager Sandy Alderson will likely employ the same strategy he did with Scott Hairston last summer. However, one scout told Martino that he's not sure if the team's plan to stand pat is just posturing to drive up trade prices.
  • The Phillies would be buyers right now if it were July 31, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters (including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). Amaro said he doesn't feel he has a replacement for Jonathan Papelbon and needs his closer to contend. However, he also doesn't want to part with young talent, and Zolecki calls the Phillies' situation "fluid."
  • The Yankees and Red Sox at one point appeared to be one of the most serious contenders for the Phillies' Michael Young, George A. King III of the New York Post writes. However, the Red Sox's main focus is now on bullpen help. Young isn't opposed to playing in the Bronx, according to King.
  • Within that same post, King notes that Howie Frieling, a special assignment scout for the Phillies, was in attendance to watch the Yankees against the Twins last week. The Phils also sent Sal Agostinelli, their director of international scouting, to watch the Yankees on Wednesday.
  • King adds that Joba Chamberlain's trade stock is falling, and the Phillies "have questions about what is perceived as the reliever’s immaturity," King says. In addition, one team that was previously interested in Chamberlain told King that they don't plan to make an offer for him because it's believed that the Yankees could eventually release him.
  • Marlon Byrd told Daniel Nelson of Mets Merized Online that he'd love to stay with the Mets but understands that he could be shipped to a contender at the deadline. "Sandy Alderson’s going to do anything possible to make this organization the best it can be," Byrd says.
  • Orioles prospect Henry Urrutia is "getting closer" to being an option, Buck Showalter told reporters, including Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Urrutia entered the season as the Orioles' No. 13 prospect, according to Baseball America, but has likely upped his stock with a big performance at Double-A and Triple-A. The Cuban defector is hitting .365/.429/.536 with seven homers in 280 minor league plate appearances this season.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

Reliever Trade Talk: Parnell, Red Sox, Giants

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The Twins and Mets "should learn from the mistake the Royals made with Joakim Soria," writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs, and trade closers Glen Perkins and Bobby Parnell.  Cameron's argument is convincing: "Relievers, even really good young relievers, should be viewed as ripe fruit. They are great for a while, but you don’t store ripe fruit for the future planning on having a healthy snack later. You consume it now or waste it."  The latest from around the relief trade market:

White Sox Notes: Hahn, Thornton

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With the second-worst record in the American League and plenty of useful veterans, the White Sox are a clear seller this month.  The team's prime trade chips are Alex Rios, Matt Thornton, Matt Lindstrom, and perhaps Jake Peavy and Jesse Crain when they return from the disabled list.  It's less clear whether the Sox would consider trading Alexei Ramirez, Paul Konerko, John Danks, and Alejandro De Aza.  The latest:

  • "The bulk of our struggles this year have been on the offensive side. That's something we are going to have to improve," GM Rick Hahn told reporters yesterday, including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  Though Hahn wouldn't address trade rumors or the July 31st deadline, Gonzales takes this to mean Hahn will lean toward hitters in making deals this month.  Hahn has dispatched scouts to evaluate prospects from the Braves, Blue Jays, Rangers, and Red Sox, writes Gonzales.
  • The White Sox seek "high-end prospects" for Thornton, a source tells Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.  The 36-year-old is having his worst year in recent memory, with a 4.00 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.33 HR/9, and 44.3% groundball rate in 27 innings.  He's been better against left-handed hitters, though they've authored three of the four home runs he's surrendered.  With a $6MM club option for 2014, Thornton can be more than a rental.
  • Regarding the idea of trading ace Chris Sale, Jim Margalus of South Side Sox writes, "Hahn would pretty much have to get two stars back to justify it. Otherwise, it's getting way too cute."  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes today that a large contingent of scouts are watching Sale.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: First Half Disappointments

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We're just past the halfway mark of the 2013 Major League Baseball season and well past the midway point of the Minor League Baseball season. While taking stock of the top prospects from around baseball, a number of names appear in the "disappointment column," which is not surprising given the general volatility of young players. Below, we take a look at some of the prospects having disappointing seasons, as well as some educated guesses as to what might be ailing them.

Matt Barnes, RHP, Red Sox: Barnes' season hasn't been as bad as some of the other players on this list but it's still been a disappointing 2013 for the right-handed hurler. The former first-round pick was expected to zoom through the minor leagues and possibly even help the big league club this season, but he currently has a 5.32 ERA with 78 hits allowed in 67 2/3 innings at the Double-A level. As the Boston Globe's Julian Benbow explained, Barnes has been working on fleshing out his secondary pitches this season so he doesn't have to rely so heavily on his low-to-mid-90s fastball.

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Indians: Bauer is the perfect example of the volatility of prospects. Selected third overall in the 2011 amateur draft, the right-hander out of UCLA dominated competition during his first taste of pro ball but the wheels fell off the wagon towards the end of 2012. Bauer's issues — both on and off the field — lead to an offseason trade and continued into 2013. His results at Triple-A have been less than ideal. After his most recent disastrous big league start, the young pitcher was returned to the minors and — according to a piece by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal — he may focus on pitching exclusively from the stretch as a starter.

Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Angels: Los Angeles doesn't have a very deep minor league system whatsoever so when their top prospects stumble, it hurts them more than most organizations. The young third baseman is hitting just .215/.280/.309 at Double-A this season and some adjustments he made during the springtime could be to blame for his slow start. As Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com explained, the switch-hitting Cowart quieted his stance and eliminated the leg kick from the left side of the plate. He's still hitting just .198/.261/.275 versus right-handed pitching so clearly there are more wrinkles to iron out.

David Dahl, OF, Rockies: Like Bauer, Dahl's value is down as a result of well-documented off-the-field actions and maturity concerns. But those aren't the only things that have gone wrong for the outfielder in 2013. In early May, Dahl suffered what was expected to be a pulled hamstring while running the bases. About a week later, though, the prospect revealed on Twitter that his hamstring had been torn and was much more serious than first reported. That halted his season after 10 games (He got off to a late start because of the maturity issues mentioned above) and he hasn't appeared in a game since that time. His timetable for a return to the game is still up in the air.

Billy Hamilton, OF, Reds: Hamilton, 22, hasn't had a terrible year but he has yet to build off of the momentum he created last season when he hit .323/.413/.439 in High-A ball and stole 155 bases between two minor league clubs. Promoted to Triple-A to begin 2013 after spending just 50 games at the Double-A level, the speedy Hamilton has struggled to find his footing at the plate. On the plus side, the shortstop-turned-outfielder has nabbed 50 bases in just 80 games. His stolen base total could become much higher once he improves upon his .300 on-base percentage.

Courtney Hawkins, OF, White Sox: Hawkins has experienced a lot of struggles in his first full professional season. After hitting a combined .284 between three levels during last season's debut, he's batting just .191/.273/.485 with 95 strikeouts in 55 games during 2013. Scott Merkin of MLB.com talked to Hawkins regarding the learning curve he's experienced in High-A ball and how he plans to come out ahead.

Bubba Starling, OF, Royals: Starling opened 2013 with huge expectations surrounding him, but he hit just .195/.263/.379 with a massive strikeout rate in April. As Danny Wild of MiLB.com explained, things got so bad that Starling was sent to have his eyes examined for possible LASIK surgery in May — similar to what the Rangers did with third base prospect Mike Olt. Dick Kaegel of MLB.com later updated the story to report that the outfield prospect underwent the procedure on May 16. In June, after the eye surgery, Starling improved to hit .250/.327/.369 for the month, but he continued to strike out at a similar rate. He also hit jut one home run in 24 games. Clearly, there is more work to be done.

Kyle Zimmer, RHP, Royals: During the first three months of the year, Zimmer posted an ERA of more than 5.00 despite showing the same strong repertoire that caused him to be chosen fifth overall during the 2012 amateur draft. Thankfully, the right-hander may have finally turned a corner in July. He's posted a 2.77 ERA with no walks and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings. On the season, he's now whiffed 103 batters in 84 2/3 innings of work. Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com spoke to Zimmer, who stated that he's finally becoming comfortable with his pitching mechanics, which is in turn allowing him to provide more consistent command.

A number of prospects have also suffered significant loss in value due to serious injuries. The list of walking wounded include: Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles; Travis d'Arnaud, C, Mets; Danny Hultzen, LHP, Mariners; Casey Kelly, RHP, Padres; Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Rays; and Arodys Vizcaino, RHP, Cubs.

AL Notes: Rangers, Red Sox, Mariners

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The Rangers are looking for a righty hitter to balance out their lefty-heavy lineup, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. Switch-hitter Lance Berkman and righty Jeff Baker are both on the disabled list, and it's unclear what might happen with righty Nelson Cruz, who has been connected to the Biogenesis scandal. Here are more notes from around the American League.

  • The Red Sox appear likely to be active on the trade market, with relief help a top concern, says Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox's bullpen is in a tough spot with the loss of Andrew Miller to injury. He names the White Sox's Matt Thornton or the Marlins' Steve Cishek as potential trade acquisitions.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik doubts he will be an "aggressor" on the market, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "I'm not going to go out there and start shopping our players. I don't think that's the right thing to do," Zduriencik says. "We have three weeks before the trading deadline. Our goal is to put a healthy club on the field." Zduriencik says he will be open-minded when other teams call. The Mariners have shown small signs of progress recently, winning six of their last nine, although they're 13 1/2 games out of first place and are just 16-19 even since the beginning of June.

Phillies Notes: Papelbon, Tigers, Young

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Here's a look at the latest out of Philly..

  • The Phillies have been spotted scouting the Tigers' system for a second time, but a deal involving Jonathan Papelbon is still considered unlikely, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Papelbon making $13MM a year through 2015 with a very attainable vesting option for 2016 and even though Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has never been shy about spending, word is that money will be more of an issue this time around.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that the move for the Phillies to make is not to trade Papelbon, but to add another reliever who is under control through at least 2014.  The Phillies are in the midst of a mini-surge and trading away their closer wouldn't make sense at this time.  However, adding another reliever would give them additional support if they make a run this season and a closer-in-waiting if they decide to move Papelbon further down the road.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney joined WEEI's Mut & Merloni earlier today and discussed the possibility of the Red Sox dealing for the Phillies' Michael Young.  Olney says that before Boston can think about trading for the former Ranger, they have to determine exactly how well they feel he can play the third base position.
  • Earlier today, we heard that the Phillies are focused on buying rather than selling.

White Sox Notes: Sale, Reed, Thornton, Lindstrom

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If Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports were in charge of the White Sox, he would make Chris Sale available via trade.  With an incredibly thin starting pitching market, some smart team is going to capitalize and put a top-of-the-rotation hurler in play and the White Sox should be that team.  Some in baseball believe Sale can be had but one GM on the lookout for a starter says that he has had numerous conversations with Rick Hahn, and Hahn never once has mentioned Sale.  Sale is only 24 and is in the first year of a club-friendly, five-year, $32.5MM contract that includes club options of $12.5MM for 2018 and and $13.5MM for ’19.  Here's more on the White Sox..

  • The Red Sox are looking everywhere for relief help and are interested in White Sox relievers Addison Reed, Matt Thornton, and Matt Lindstrom, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • The White Sox have been asking for major-league ready or near-ready prospects in their trade talks, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) suggets five blockbuster trades for teams, including a swap between the White Sox and Pirates.  Bowden's hypothetical has Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez heading to Pittsburgh for outfielder Gregory Polanco, pitcher Nick Kingham, and shortstop Jordy Mercer.  Bowden reasons that the deal will give the White Sox an excellent prospect in Polanco while allowing them to get younger and free up dollars.

Red Sox Notes: Garza, Papelbon, Breslow

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It's no secret that the Red Sox are in need of bullpen help, but there's not much out there on the trade market.  They're keeping an eye on Brewers relievers John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mike Gonzalez but there are plenty of other clubs, including the Orioles and Tigers, who have the same idea.  Here's the latest out of Boston..

  • The Red Sox could also use a boost in the starting rotation, but sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that they do not feel desperate enough to pay the necessary price to land Matt Garza from the Cubs.  Major league sources say Boston ranks its trade deadline needs in the following order: bullpen help, stopgap players for the left side of its infield, and starting pitching.
  • Some have suggested that the Red Sox should look into bringing Jonathan Papelbon back to Boston, but John Tomase of the Boston Herald doesn't see the Phillies closer solving their problems.  History is littered with teams that have made regrettable trades for relievers, and the Red Sox are no strangers to that phenomenon.  Beyond the cost of prospects, money needs to be taken into consideration as well.  Papelbon is still owed $26MM over the next two years, with an attainable 2016 vesting option worth another $13MM.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com spoke with Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow, who had some very interesting thoughts on the way that left-handed relievers are valued.

East Notes: Red Sox, Parnell, Howard, Bay

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The Red Sox were already in a tough spot with their bullpen, but things got worse when they learned that left-hander Andrew Miller will likely require season-ending surgery on his left foot, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  While one might expect them to hit the trade market for a reliever, that may not happen between now and the deadline.  "I guess you lose a guy, he has to be replaced somehow," GM Ben Cherington told reporters. "We still think we have some internal options we can consider. We may take a look at some of those in different ways over the course of the next few weeks. We've got to have an open mind."  Here's more from the AL and NL East..

  • The Mets plan to hang on to closer Bobby Parnell, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post opines that they should think about changing their minds.  There are several teams, including the Tigers and Red Sox, that are desperate for late-inning solutions and there isn't much out there. 
  • Ryan Howard's contract with the Phillies is a total loss, opines Dan Szymborski of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd).  Howard's dip in performance is not a surprise, but exactly what is to be expect from a one-dimensional slugger in his early 30s.  Howard makes $20MM this season, $25MM per year through 2016, and must be paid $10MM in 2017 if his $23MM option isn't picked up.
  • Now with the Mariners, Jason Bay looks back fondly on his tenure with the Red Sox, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Bay had to make a team's roster for the first time in his big league career but he says that he is enjoying his time in Seattle.
  • The Marlins asked the Dodgers for righty Chris Withrow in the Ricky Nolasco deal, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, but were told he wasn't available.  In the post, Frisaro also explains why not to expect trades of Giancarlo Stanton or Steve Cishek.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

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