Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Sox Rumors

Red Sox Acquire Mike Carp

By | at

The Red Sox acquired Mike Carp from the Mariners for a player to be named later or cash considerations, the teams announced. The Red Sox placed outfielder Ryan Kalish on the 60-day disabled list to create 40-man roster space for Carp.

Multiple teams expressed interest in Carp after the Mariners designated him for assignment. The Twins, Astros and Brewers were all linked to the 26-year-old earlier this week.

Carp, a left-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder, has played for the Mariners in parts of four seasons, compiling a .255/.327/.413 batting line with 18 home runs and 28 doubles in 608 plate appearances. Seattle originally acquired him from the Mets in the three-team trade involving Jason Vargas, J.J. Putz and Franklin Gutierrez four offseasons ago.

Carp has a .300/.341/.462 batting line against left-handed pitching for his career and a .241/.323/.398 line against right-handers. I expect his .372 batting average on balls in play against southpaws is driving that discrepancy; Carp won't necessarily hit left-handers better than right-handers going forward.

Quick Hits: Tigers, White Sox, Yankees

By | at

Alfredo Aceves has irked his bosses in Boston, but shipping him to another team wouldn’t necessarily be easy for the Red Sox. One general manager told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that Aceves has next to no trade value. "Not if you know him," the GM said (Twitter link). Here are more links from around MLB…

  • Lynn Henning of the Detroit News explains how the Tigers nearly failed to sign prospect Nick Castellanos after they drafted him in the summer of 2010.
  • MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince looks around the AL Central to see if any of the re-tooled teams can challenge the Tigers in 2013.
  • In a video clip on MLB.com, White Sox GM Rick Hahn discusses the organization’s approach to remaining competitive while undergoing cycles of team building. Hahn highlighted the importance of monitoring the strengths and weaknesses of division opponents while remaining realistic about one’s own organization. 
  • Turning to the team’s present situation, Hahn opined that Chicago is poised to compete in 2013 and discussed the team’s handling of young starter Chris Sale.
  • Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan questions and analyzes Brian Cashman’s claims that the Yankees are committed to and successful at developing homegrown starting pitching. The piece details each team’s success at developing pitching in recent years.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Red Sox Hope To Acquire Mike Carp

By | at

Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik recently told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that there's a good chance Mike Carp will be traded in the near future. Zduriencik said a "good number" of teams are interested in the recently-designated first baseman/outfielder. The Twins, Astros and Brewers have also been linked to the 26-year-old. Here are the latest Carp-related rumors…

  • The Red Sox remain interested in acquiring Carp and are “hopeful” that they can complete a deal with the Mariners, Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports. The Red Sox view Carp as a potential upgrade over their existing selection of left-handed hitting first basemen/outfielders.
  • There's a "good possibility" the Red Sox trade for Carp, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter).

This post was first published on February 20th, 2013.

Red Sox Links: Aceves, Napoli, De La Rosa

By | at

We learned earlier tonight that the Red Sox are one of several teams interested in recently DFA'ed Mariners first baseman/outfielder Mike Carp. Here's some more on the BoSox…

  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com runs down a list of the team's options with Alfredo Aceves, who recently garnered some negative attention for himself by lobbing pitches to batters in live batting practice rather than actually pitching (ESPNBoston's Joe McDonald has the details). The Red Sox could trade Aceves, waive him, option him to Triple-A, or cut him for a fraction of his salary depending on the date at which they would theoretically release him.
  • When ESPN's Buster Olney asked one GM about Aceves, he responded by asking, "Why haven't they cut him yet?" Other GMs think Aceves has some trade value (Twitter link).
  • The Boston Herald's Scott Lauber interviewed Mike Napoli's agent and friend, Brian Grieper, about the emotional roller coaster that Napoli went through upon learning that he had avascular necrosis (AVN) in both of his hips. Grieper and Napoli were concerned about Napoli's long-term health, first and foremost, writes Lauber. A recent MRI showed Napoli's condition hasn't worsened. He'll have another MRI in three months and will be on medication for the next two years to monitor the condition.
  • Rubby De La Rosa has one of the best arms in the organization, writes Mike Newman of Fangraphs, which makes Boston's offseason acquisitions a bit surprising. The team added Ryan Dempster, Joel Hanrahan and Koji Uehara, which effectively blocks De La Rosa from having a clear path to the Major League roster. De La Rosa was one of the key pieces in last summer's blockbuster with the Dodgers.

Multiple Teams Interested In Mike Carp

By | at

7:34pm: Brewers general manager Doug Melvin has indeed checked in on Carp, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told McCalvy that there's a good chance that Carp will be dealt in the next 24-48 hours.

7:19pm: The Twins, Red Sox and Astros are among the teams that are interested in Mike Carp, according Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). MLB.com's Greg Johns also speculates (via Twitter) that the Brewers could be a possible landing spot for Carp given Mat Gamel's season-ending injury and Corey Hart's knee surgery.

Carp, 26, has a career .255/.327/.413 batting line in 608 plate appearances. The lefty swinger was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week in order to clear roster space for the recently signed Joe Saunders. As Cafardo notes, Seattle has until Thursday of this week to make a decision regarding Carp's future.

Any team that acquires the first baseman/outfielder would be locking in four years of team control, as Carp won't be eligible for free agency until the 2016-17 offseason.

East Notes: Mets, Red Sox, Aceves, Yankees

By | at

In a meeting with his players today, Mets manager Terry Collins told his team that just because they don't have eight players making $20MM doesn't mean that they can't win, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post (on Twitter).  Could the Mets surprise people this year?  We'll have to wait and see.  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • A rival evaluator told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that if the Red Sox decide to move Alfredo Aceves, he will have some value in the trade market.  Aceves' agent, Tom O'Connell, was in Fort Myers, Florida today and had a chat with GM Ben Cherington, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal (Twitter link).  However, it's not clear if the two were talking about Aceves.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson has committed to reloading the team's farm system and won't sacrifice the club's future to win the short term, writes Andy McCullough of Baseball America (subscription req'd). 
  • Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter), that he's not thinking about his next contract and is only focused on winning another championship.  Last week we heard that Cano and the Bombers aren't making much progress on contract talks.
  • Barring something completely unexpected, Yankees manager Joe Girardi seems like a safe bet to re-sign with the team this winter and lead them for another three years or so, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues.  
  • Pedro Martinez is pitching in to help out the Red Sox in spring training, but he told reporters that he doesn't see himself wanting to be a manager or a pitching coach, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Cafardo On Arroyo, Wang, Perez, Dodgers, Oswalt

By | at

The Rays shed about $28MM of payroll this winter between B.J. Upton, James Shields, Carlos Pena, Jeff Keppinger, J.P. Howell, and Wade Davis, but that's no problem for the confident organization, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  While the team will look different in several areas this season, they'll still have their typically strong pitching.  The first four of the rotation are set with David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore, Alex Cobb with a competition between four strong candidates for the No. 5 spot.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Bronson Arroyo has been a consistent pitcher for the Reds, but the feeling from most people and the pitcher himself is that this could be his last year in Cincinnati.  One major league source says the Cubs would be a perfect fit as a strong veteran presence in their rebuilding effort. 
  • Agent Alan Nero said he has taken Chien-Ming Wang off the market until he pitches for Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic.  If he pitches well, the veteran should have a healthy market for a team in need of depth.  The Yankees are keeping tabs on Wang despite already having six starters in the fold.
  • While there’s more focus on where Alfonso Soriano might be dealt, David DeJesus could also be a nice midseason chip for the Cubs.  The outfielder would be a solid fit for a few teams, including the Phillies, Orioles, and Red Sox. 
  • It looks like the Indians will hold on to Chris Perez for now, but the Dodgers had serious interest in him not too long ago.  If Tribe gets off to a slow start, L.A's interest could be something to keep in mind.
  • The Red Sox have discussed first baseman/outfielder Mike Carp, who was designated for assignment last week by the Mariners, as a backup.  There may not be room, however, as they are committed to Lyle Overbay.  Overbay has asked the Red Sox if he could play some outfield as well this season.
  • Roy Oswalt still hasn't officially retired and he could be leaving the door open to join a club during the season.  Recently, we learned that the Mets tried to sell Oswalt on becoming their closer in 2013, but the veteran isn't interested in the bullpen.
  • Teams will pay attention to out-of-options Red Sox reliever Clayton Mortensen in spring training. The 27-year-old looks to be the odd man out the way the Sox bullpen could be configured.

AL East Notes: Cherington, Lind, Jurrjens

By | at

Here's the latest news and stories making headlines around the AL East…

  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says that he does not expect Jacoby Ellsbury contract situation to be a distraction at any point this season, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Ellsbury enters his walk year looking to rebound from injuries that have plagued him in two of the past three seasons.
  • Adam Lind discusses how last year's Blue Jays coaching staff played a role in negatively impacting his numbers over the course of the season, writes Gregor Chisolm of MLB.com. "This year the coaches will be given the freedom to do whatever they want. They have the trust of Gibby so he can just manage and sometimes the type of personalities we had on our staff last year, they micromanaged a lot and sometimes that can affect the way we play and the way we coach."
  • Jair Jurrjens may have suffered financial setback this offseason, but the veteran right-hander remains confident he can be the pitcher the Orioles were looking for when they first offered him a big league contract, says Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun. "If I'm out there and can stay on the mound, I know what I can do. A lot of people know what I can do. I'm just going to come here and show everybody that i'm healthy and I can pitch again."

East Notes: Red Sox, Duquette, Escobar, LaRoche

By | at

John Lackey's new slim physique marks one of the many signs that the Red Sox organization has taken a step toward rebuilding a positive culture within the clubhouse, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub req'd). The team has added new faces on the field (Jonny Gomes, Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, among others) as well as brought familiar staff members home (former pitching coach John Farrell returns to Boston as the squad's manager) for what should be a vastly different season than years past. Here's the rest of the news and stories making headlines in both of the East Divisions.

  • Jair Jurrjens' contract status continues to remain the status quo according to Orioles GM Dan Duquette, writes Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com (on Twitter). "It's time to get it resolved," said Duquette as Jurrjens looks to rebound from a difficult 2012 season where he posted a 6.89 ERA with 3.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 48.1 innings. 
  • Yunel Escobar's arrival with the Rays organization has manager Joe Maddon excited about what the shortstop can provide the team this season, says Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). After a suspension marred his final month with the Blue Jays, Escobar was dealt to the Marlins in the November mega deal before ending up in St. Petersburg.  
  • Adam LaRoche says the new free agent compensation system has hurt players like him and is currently keeping Kyle Lohse from finding an acceptable deal, writes Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com (Twitter links). "It shows how important it is to get rid of that rule," LaRoche said to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. "I don't know if that was something the union granted, or they overlooked and didn't realize it could backfire the way it did, or if they were willing to take that risk. In talking with the union a little bit, I think they would love to take that back." For a more in-depth look, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examines the system and explains why a qualifying offer can be a hindrance for a high-quality, but not elite, free agent.

NL West Links: D’Backs, Torrealba, Crawford, Colletti

By | at

Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Eaton holds the top spot on Keith Law's top 20 list of prospects (ESPN Insider subscription required) who will have the biggest impact in 2013.  Eaton is projected as Arizona's leadoff man and everyday center fielder, and Law believes Eaton can be a Rookie Of The Year candidate given how well his game fits Chase Field.  D'Backs left-hander Tyler Skaggs is #4 on Law's list and Trevor Bauer (who the Snakes dealt to the Indians this offseason) ranked fifth.  Padres righty Casey Kelly also appears in the top 20, while Padres infielder Jedd Gyorko and Giants reliever Heath Hembree are honorable mentions.

Here's the latest from the NL West…

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top