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Heyman On Greinke, Red Sox, Wright

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the latest from a handful of MLB owners…

  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Heyman he wants to sign Zack Greinke to a long-term deal. "Sure, why not? We'd like to keep him,” Attanasio said. Greinke, a free agent this offseason, said he likes playing in Milwaukee. "Good owner. Good guys in management. Good guys in the clubhouse. Really good, really good,'' Greinke said. It’s likely Greinke will ask for a $100MM contract this offseason, and that would be a lot for the small-market Brewers to commit.
  • Red Sox owner Tom Werner told Heyman that manager Bobby Valentine is "absolutely" doing fine (Twitter link).
  • Mets owner Fred Wilpon told Heyman that he hopes to retain David Wright long-term (Twitter links). Wilpon says his third baseman is "a great kid and a great player."

AL East Notes: Bergesen, Wakefield, Youkilis

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The injury bug continues to bite notable AL East players.  The Yankees put closer David Robertson on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique, while Rays starter Jeff Niemann will miss the next 4-6 weeks after suffering a broken fibula during last night's game in Toronto.  Rafael Soriano will take over as New York's new closer while the Rays will call up either Alex Cobb or Chris Archer to take Niemann's spot in the rotation.

Here's some other news from around the division…

  • The Orioles haven't put Brad Bergesen on waivers since they're still trying to trade the right-hander, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's designated Bergesen for assignment on Saturday.
  • "The fire to compete is still there," Tim Wakefield tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link), but while retirement is "difficult," the knuckleballer said he's enjoying spending time with his family.  The Red Sox honored Wakefield with a pregame ceremony before their 5-0 win over the Mariners this afternoon at Fenway Park.
  • David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News speculates about a Kevin Youkilis-for-Joe Blanton trade between the Red Sox and Phillies.  I don't see the Red Sox making that deal, as I'm not sure Blanton could replicate his current good form in the AL East, nor is he necessarily even a clear upgrade over any of Boston's current rotation.

Red Sox, Cubs Complete Marlon Byrd Trade

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The Red Sox and Cubs completed the trade that sent Marlon Byrd to Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets. The Red Sox are sending left-hander Hunter Cervenka to the Cubs to complete the April 21st trade that sent Byrd and cash to Boston for Michael Bowden and a player to be named.

Cervenka, 22, started the 2012 season with Class A Greenville, where he has an 8.04 ERA with 13.8 K/9 and 6.9 BB/9 in 15 2/3 innings. The 2008 27th round selection has a 5.97 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 7.2 BB/9 in four professional seasons.

Catching Rumors: Shoppach, Nationals

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MLB catchers have combined for a .244/.316/.388 line this year and they're preventing 30% of stolen base attempts. Here are some catching rumors from around baseball…

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests Kelly Shoppach of the Red Sox is likely popular in trade talks right now (Twitter link). The Angels and Nationals are among the clubs with possible interest in catching depth and Jarrod Saltalamacchia's emergence may make Shoppach expendable. The Red Sox could call Ryan Lavarnway up if necessary.
  • The Nationals don’t sound overly interested in trading for a catcher, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Sandy Leon and Wilson Ramos are on the disabled list, so the Nats are relying on Jesus Flores and Carlos Maldonado for now.

Cafardo On Red Sox, Youkilis, Beckett, Nationals

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders what is at the root of the Red Sox’s pitching woes.  Some around baseball feel that the club’s hurlers are missing catcher Jason Varitek.  “He did a lot for that team in terms of getting the staff ready for each team,’’ said an American League GM. “They depended on him like no team depended on a catcher anywhere in baseball, with the possible exception of St. Louis, where Yadier Molina seems to have that effect.’’  Here’s more from Cafardo..

  • An AL GM told Cafardo that there could be a market for embattled Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, but the club would have to be willing to eat more than half of his contract.  Beckett will earn $15.75MM each year through 2014.
  • If Red Sox Kevin Youkilis can show he’s healthy, there’s a strong third base market out there for Boston. A National League special assignment scout told Cafardo that the Giants and Phillies are looking while the Rays could factor in, even though they say they aren’t in search of an answer at third base.
  • The Nationals would like to deal left-hander John Lannan but teams appear more interested in Chien Ming-Wang. The Nationals also have a good thing going and have created competition on their staff, as Wang and Lannan could push the other five. 
  • One American League GM doesn’t see the Phillies parting with Cole Hamels via trade.  “The [Blue] Jays are looking to do something big,” said an American League GM. “I just don’t see the Phillies bailing out on Hamels. They can still win it.“
  • The Rangers probably won’t let Josh Hamilton leave in free agency, but if he does look elsewhere, the Dodgers could be a fit for him with their new-found dollars.  Signing Hamilton would also allow the club to let Andre Ethier head into the market.

East Notes: Red Sox, Dempster, Mets, Murena

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Items on the Red Sox and Mets..

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has a list of suggestions for fixing the Red Sox and writes that the club should seek out a starting pitcher who can make a difference.  Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, Heyman writes, would be a solid fit.
  • Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) wasn't confident that David Wright would be a lifelong member of the Mets a year ago but now thinks that there's a good chance the club will pony up more than $100MM to keep him.
  • Mets reliever Tim Byrdak could use support from a second lefty in the bullpen, but pitching coach Dan Warthen told Rubin that the club is unlikely to deal for one.  Byrdak has made a league-leading 19 relief appearances.
  • The Red Sox signed Pablo Murena, a 17-year-old catcher out of Panama, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Murena became a catcher just a couple months ago and the team was impressed with his arm strength at the position.

Yankees Claim Justin Thomas Off Waivers

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The Yankees have claimed left-handed reliever Justin Thomas off of waivers from the Red Sox, Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger confirms (via Twitter).  The move was first reported by Maureen Mullen of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). 

Thomas, 28, was removed from Boston's 40-man roster earlier this week and has one minor league option remaining.  The reliever has a 4.14 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in eight seasons as a minor leaguer.

Olney On Hamels, Victorino, Youkilis, Dodgers

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A look at today's column from Buster Olney of ESPN.com..

  • The Phillies could have an ulterior motive in exploring trade possibilities for left-hander Cole Hamels and center fielder Shane Victorino.  The club could be suggesting that they are willing to trade the two veterans in order to pressure them to come to the negotiating table.  However, it both cases, there appears to be a significant gap to overcome.
  • Olney speculates that the Dodgers could be a good landing spot this summer for Kevin Youkilis if James Loney doesn't turn things around and the club is in search of an upgrade at first.  Youkilis, of course, would have to appear healthy enough to take on for the rest of the season.
  • The Blue Jays don't have a master plan for Vladimir Guerrero as they basically signed him for organizational depth, similar to what the Rays did by signing Hideki Matsui.  If Guerrero shows in Triple-A that he can be a productive player, and a need arises for the Jays, then he could be promoted.  If a need doesn't develop, then the club will allow Guerrero to pursue better opportunities elsewhere. 

Pirates Acquire Jeff Larish From Red Sox

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The Pirates have acquired first baseman/third baseman Jeff Larish from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations, according to a team press release.  Larish will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis tomorrow.

Larish, 29, last appeared in the majors in 2010 with the Athletics.  The veteran hit .240/.330/.449 in 75 games for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate last season and hooked on with Boston last week. 

The move marks the second trade of the day for the Red Sox as they acquired Scott Podsednik from the Phillies earlier this evening.

Red Sox Acquire Scott Podsednik From Phillies

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The Red Sox have acquired Scott Podsednik from the Phillies, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Phillies will receive cash considerations for the outfielder and he will report to Triple-A Pawtucket, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (Twitter links).

Podsednik, 36, has not appeared in the majors since 2010 when he played for the Royals and Dodgers.  The Red Sox were said to be scouting the veteran roughly three weeks ago as they have been on the lookout for a left-handed hitting outfielder. 

The outfielder hit .254/.340/.396 in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems in 2011 and signed a minor league deal with the Phillies last fall.  For his big league career, Podsednik owns a .279/.340/.381 slash line.

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