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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.

Many Teams Scouting Brewers’ Relievers

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Brewers relievers John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mike Gonzalez are a popular bunch.  A Dodgers scout was sent to Milwaukee this week to watch the available trio, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, while the Red Sox, Orioles and Tigers have scouts in Milwaukee this week and the other NL West teams are interested in the Brewers' relievers as well as Yovani Gallardo.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports has a new report too, saying the Tigers, Orioles, and Diamondbacks have scouted the Brewers' relievers in recent days and weeks.

Morosi says the D'Backs and Brewers have discussed Axford, Rodriguez, and Jim Henderson, while Knobler says the Brewers have told teams Henderson won't be dealt.  Interest from the Tigers and Orioles appears more preliminary, writes Morosi, and the Tigers and Brewers have not had formal talks recently.

Rodriguez and Gonzalez will be eligible for free agency after the season, while Axford is under team control through 2016 as an arbitration eligible player.  As a Super Two with 106 career saves to his credit, Axford's salary jumped to $5MM this year.  As Morosi notes, Axford's salary might scare some teams off, though his lack of saves this year will slow down his arbitration raises.  Even though a team can technically own Axford's rights through 2016, the focus for a team acquiring him has to be on 2013, with tendering him a contract even for 2014 a decision that will require more information and some thought.  It's one of the reasons the Brewers are reportedly willing to move him.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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Righty Matt Garza may have put the finishing touch on his Cubs career last night by allowing one run in seven innings in a win against the White Sox.  The latest on the best available starter:

  • Garza's start was scouted by the Rangers, Indians, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Padres, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Those aren't necessarily suitors for Garza this month, however.  Morosi says the Rangers and Indians are "known to have strong interest," while the Red Sox, Nationals, and Dodgers can't be ruled out.  Morosi believes Garza probably wants to be paid like Anibal Sanchez on his next contract, which would mean a five-year, $80MM deal.  The difference is that Sanchez was coming off three consecutive healthy seasons.
  • Though Garza told reporters last night the possibility of a contract extension is 50-50, few believe it's actually a coin flip.  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times explains, "Team sources, however, characterize the recent, brief talks as confirmation that the sides aren’t much, if any, closer than they were more than a year ago when they first engaged in talks with little progress."  Garza suggested it would be "one hell of a party" to win with the Cubs, and Wittenmyer does note that team is leaving open the possibility of trading Garza now and talking to him again in the offseason.

Quick Hits: Prospects, Young, Garza, Francoeur

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Baseball America released its updated rankings of the sport's top 50 prospects, headlined by Twins outfielder Byron Buxton.  For Baseball America subscribers, BA's J.J. Cooper also has lists of 10 prospects who missed the top 50 but are still having breakthrough seasons, preseason top-100 prospects who missed the new list, how the thirty preseason top-100 prospects who have already made the Major Leagues are faring and also a look at five organizations who have made strides and five who have struggled.

Here are some items from around the baseball world…

  • The Red Sox still have interest in Michael Young, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets, but "serious names have not been discussed" between the Sox and Phillies in trade negotiations.
  • The Cubs have reportedly explored extending Matt Garza's contract but CSN Chicago's David Kaplan doesn't believe it and neither does an American League executive.  "Theo [Epstein] and Jed [Hoyer] know that they have a great asset. They will not cave on what they want in return," said the AL exec.  "They will play this thing out until they get what they want. He's too valuable to not trade.  When you are in a rebuild you need to move assets to fuel the plan. Garza should help to do that. I'd be stunned if he is a Cub Aug. 1." (Twitter links here)
  • Reds general manager Walt Jocketty confirmed that he had spoken to Jeff Francoeur's agents at CSE, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports (via Twitter).  "He's talking to other clubs as well.  [I'm] not sure it's a fit," Jocketty said.  Francoeur is known to have drawn interest from at least two other teams since he was released by the Royals.  Francoeur could be a right-handed hitting stopgap for Cincinnati until Ryan Ludwick returns from the DL in August.
  • Also from Fay, he thinks the strong recent performance of the Reds' bullpen should shift the team's trade deadline focus to hitting instead of relief pitching.  Fay opines that the Reds should look to acquire Twins outfielder Josh Willingham, who I'd guess would be too expensive for the Reds' liking (owed roughly $9.35MM through 2014) and is on the DL until August following knee surgery.
  • The Mariners have a number of trade chips on the roster but Larry Stone of the Seattle Times feels the team's toughest decisions will concern Raul Ibanez and Kendrys Morales.  On paper the 41-year-old Ibanez is an obvious candidate to be dealt, though Ibanez's popularity on and off the field in Seattle will make the M's consult him before any possible deal.  I examined the case for Morales as a trade candidate back in April.
  • Every Major League transaction is a complicated process, and they get even more complex when they have to be made quickly.  MLB.com's Corey Brock outlines how the Padres had to move fast to replace the injured Yasmani Grandal, which led to a shakeup of catchers at all levels of the organization and a lot of roster juggling that eventually led to Rene Rivera being called up from Triple-A Tucson to Washington for the next day's game.

AL East Links: Henry, Ellsbury, Davis, Bickford

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Andrew Miller will require surgery to repair ligament damage in his left foot and will miss the rest of the season, Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters (including Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com) today.  Miller had pitched well out of the Boston bullpen this season, posting a 2.64 ERA, 2.82 K/BB ratio and a whopping 14.1 K/9 in 30 2/3 relief innings, though control continued to be an issue for the southpaw as he issued 17 walks.  With Miller out, the Red Sox could well look into some of the left-handed relief options available on the trade market.

Here's some more news from around the AL East…

  • Also from McAdam, Red Sox owner John Henry said that the team had room to add payroll at the trade deadline, if necessary.  "I can't see it being an issue," Henry said. "I suppose there might be some (larger) salaries that we couldn't take on, but it just doesn't come up as an issue."  The blockbuster trade with the Dodgers last summer helped the Red Sox avoid any potential payroll tax issues and left the team with financial room to maneuver this year, Henry explained.
  • Jacoby Ellsbury figures to be one of the top free agents of the 2013-14 offseason and agent Scott Boras will no doubt keep his client in the headlines this winter, but Ellsbury tells WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that he and his agent haven't discussed the future as Boras has let Ellsbury just focus on baseball.  Bradford also talked to notable Boras clients Michael Bourn and Stephen Drew about their own forays into free agency and how Boras dealt with their situations.
  • The Orioles have avoided "the mega-contract business" since the Albert Belle signing, though CBS Sports' Jon Heyman wonders what the team will do to lock up Chris Davis and Manny Machado.  Davis will go through the arbitration process for the second time this winter and is controlled through 2015 while Machado is controlled through 2018 and is still two years away from arb-eligibility.  Davis, for his part, hasn't heard of any extension talks between the team and his agent, Scott Boras.  While the O's have generally avoided big signings, I'd argue that the Adam Jones extension shows that the team won't hesitate to extend its key building blocks.  A multiyear deal for Davis wouldn't be a surprise this winter, though the O's can probably wait for a year or two to explore an extension for Machado.
  • A scouting director tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that his team considered Phil Bickford to be the top high school pitcher available in this year's amateur draft but the right-hander carried signability issues.  "The family wouldn’t meet with us until 48 hours before the draft and they wanted $3MM," the scouting director said.  The Blue Jays took Bickford with the 10th overall pick, a position that carries an assigned value of a little over $2.921MM, and since the team has saved a lot of bonus pool money, the Jays could afford to meet Bickford's $3MM asking price.
  • We covered some Yankees items as part of a New York Notes post earlier today on MLBTR.

International Signings: Mariners, D’Backs, Red Sox

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Here are today's international signings, with the newest moves at the top of the page…

  • The Mariners have signed 16-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Luis Rengifo, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports.  Rengifo is a 5'10", 165-pound switch-hitter "who impressed scouts with his bat control and performance against live pitching," Badler writes.
  • The Diamondbacks confirmed the signings of catcher Jose Herrera ($1.06MM bonus) third baseman Josue Herrera ($150K) and outfielder Francis Martinez ($350K) today, and also announced the signings of Dominican right-hander Argency Hiciano ($70K), Dominican outfielder Jose Lopez ($200K) and Venezuelan infielder Didimo Bracho ($80K).  MLB.com's Tyler Emerick reported the dollar figures, and also notes that the D'Backs have spent $1.91MM of their approximately $2.356MM international bonus pool.
  • The Red Sox have signed Dominican outfielder Yoan Aybar, WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports.  Aybar, 16, is a 6'2", 165-pound left-handed hitter who didn't make Baseball America's list of the top 30 international prospects but made their list of honorable mentions.  BA's Ben Badler says Aybar is a raw hitting prospect "but he’ll have to make adjustments to get better against live pitching."  Aybar's throwing arm is strong enough that he could be converted to pitching if he can't develop his bat.

Minor Moves: Kip Wells, Diaz, Thomas

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Five years ago today, the Athletics traded Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs for Josh Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Eric Patterson.  At the time, Gallagher was considered the centerpiece for Oakland, though Donaldson, an A ball catcher, had been drafted in the first round the year prior and had promise despite offensive struggles to that point in '08.  Donaldson reached the Majors as a catcher in 2010, but was moved back to third base and became the A's starter there last year.  Now, after a huge first half, Donaldson had the honor of being snubbed for the All-Star team.  Perhaps he'll find his way onto the roster as various players bow out.  On to today's minor moves:

  • 12-year MLB veteran Kip Wells is contemplating retirement, agent Burton Rocks tells MLBTR's Zach Links.  Wells was released by the Angels in late May.  He's looking for a minor league opportunity with a realistic shot of being brought up to contribute at the big league level.  If nothing materializes by season's end, Wells is considering moving into the player development/scouting side of baseball.  Wells was drafted by the White Sox in the first round in 1998; he posted a 3.43 ERA over 395 2/3 innings for the Pirates from 2002-03 and earned over $17MM in his career.
  • Red Sox infielder Jonathan Diaz was outrighted to Triple-A today, tweets Jenny Dell of NESN.  The move brings the team's 40-man roster count down to 39.  Diaz, 28, made his big league debut June 29th, starting at third base and popping out against Toronto's Esmil Rogers.  He was hitting .242/.350/.341 in 220 Triple-A plate appearances.  Diaz was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 12th round in '06, a dozen picks before the Angels snagged Jordan Walden.
  • Lefty Justin Thomas is headed to Japan to join the Nippon Ham Fighters, he announced on Twitter today.  Thomas, who exercised an out clause in his minor league contract with the Athletics earlier this month, joins former big leaguers Micah Hoffpauir, Brian Wolfe, and Kaz Tadano.  Thomas, 29, was drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round in 2005, a round which later produced Major Leaguers Jeremy Hellickson, Justin Maxwell, Gaby Sanchez, Sam LeCure, Chris Getz, Mike Baxter, Mat Gamel, and Brent Lillibridge.
  • Six players currently reside in DFA limbo: Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, Adam Rosales of the Athletics, Carlos Carrasco of the Indians, Brandon Lyon of the Mets, Hector Gimenez of the White Sox, and Shawn Camp of the Cubs. The Royals requested unconditional release waivers on Jeff Francoeur on Friday, so he'll likely be a free agent soon.  The Twins' P.J. Walters cleared waivers and is likely to accept an outright assignment.
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