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Cubs Do Not Intend To Trade Jeff Baker

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Despite being "open for business," the Cubs will not trade utility man Jeff Baker according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Rival executives are saying Chicago envisions him as part of their team next season.

Baker, 30, is hitting .304/.324/.422 in 139 plate appearances this year, and he's played the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as the corner outfield spots. The FOX scribes say the Cubs are under no pressure to shed payroll, and Baker is making just $1.175MM this year and will remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season. The Red Sox and Indians have reportedly shown interest in him. 

Morosi On League, Astros, Red Sox, Blue Jays

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It's unlikely that incoming Astros owner Jim Crane would want to start his tenure as Houston's new owner by opposing MLB's other teams, as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out. That means it will be hard for Crane to turn Bud Selig down if the commissioner asks the Astros to move to the American League West at some point. Here are more of Morosi's notes from around MLB:

  • The Mariners are taking calls on Brandon League and have no plans to make Felix Hernandez available (Twitter link).
  • Despite the many injuries to their starting pitchers, the Red Sox haven't begun an all-out search for rotation help, according to Morosi. The Red Sox, who have checked in on Carlos Beltran, are prioritizing a right-handed hitting outfielder.
  • The Blue Jays are hearing from teams interested in their relievers (Twitter link).
  • The Angels prefer left-handed hitters over right-handed hitters, according to Morosi (on Twitter). They had serious discussions about the left-handed hitting Garrett Jones earlier in the year.

Red Sox Expressed Interest In Kuroda

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The Red Sox called the Dodgers about Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). The Red Sox don't appear to have started an all-out search for rotation help, but it's not surprising to hear of their interest in Kuroda given the injuries their starters have sustained.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for the season, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are on the disabled list and there's no guarantee that Josh Beckett, who did not pitch in the All-Star Game because of a sore left knee, will make his scheduled start Sunday. As a result, Andrew Miller, Tim Wakefield and Kyle Weiland are members of the rotation, which seems considerably less formidable than it did a few months ago.

The Tigers and Yankees are among the many clubs interested in Kuroda, according to Heyman. The 36-year-old right-hander will require compensation to waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal.

Olney On Tigers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Beltran

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Teams looking to trade for outfield help will encounter a buyers’ market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest from around MLB, with the most recent rumors up top:

  • The Tigers are pursuing pitching aggressively, checking in on high-end arms, according to Olney (on Twitter). 
  • The Pirates are looking for an outfielder who can be a stable presence in their lineup. They have asked around for veteran outfielders (Twitter link). 
  • The D'Backs are looking for relievers who have yet to go to arbitration, not expensive veterans (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox, Braves and Phillies would “undoubtedly” love to acquire Carlos Beltran, but all three clubs are distancing themselves from the teams behind them in the standings, so they could decide to acquire a second-tier bat instead of surrendering an elite prospect for Beltran.
  • Hunter Pence will likely stay in Houston unless the Astros are “overwhelmed,” according to Olney.
  • The A’s are listening on Josh Willingham.
  • Rival GMs believe that a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez is “all but impossible,” since the Rockies would ask for so much in a trade for their ace. The Rockies will listen on Jimenez, who is on the Reds' radar.

Red Sox Notes: Beltran, Ortiz, Papelbon, Garza

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The Red Sox kick off the second half on Friday with a big series at Tropicana Field against the Rays.  Here are some notes about the club with the AL's best record…

  • The Red Sox have contacted the Mets about Carlos Beltran, a Boston team official tells Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston  (Twitter link).  According to the official, however, the Sox were "just doing [their] due diligence."
  • Beltran would certainly fill Boston's hole in right field, an area that GM Theo Epstein admitted is an area of concern, reports MLB.com's Ian Browne.  Epstein said he would make a move if necessary, but the GM also noted that the Sox could improve at the position from within, either with Josh Reddick playing more or J.D. Drew breaking out of his season-long slump.
  • WEEI.com's Ryan Hannable has a partial transcript of Peter Gammons' appearance on the Mut & Merloni radio show today.  Gammons said Boston faces "difficult decisions" on pending free agents David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon, particularly Papelbon since Daniel Bard is waiting in the wings as the club's next closer.  Gammons believes if Papelbon wants a three-year deal worth $36MM or more, the Sox will let him go.
  • Also from Gammons, he doesn't think Boston will trade a number of prospects for a starter like Matt Garza in order to solve its lack of rotation depth.
  • The Red Sox face a 40-man roster crunch this winter, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  "For that reason, the Red Sox can afford — and, indeed, might be wise — to trade three or four high-level prospects for an impact player," MacPherson writes.  "Not only could that impact player help them win the World Series, but the trade could clear the 40-man-roster logjam and allow the Red Sox to retain some of the other prospects they've devoted so many resources to developing." 

Kevin Youkilis Talks Future In Boston

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Kevin Youkilis doesn’t expect to play until he’s 40, but he’ll “definitely” play on another contract for “a few more years” when his current deal expires. The 32-year-old infielder told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he would like to reach ten years of service as a Major Leaguer and assure himself of a full pension.

Youkilis, who will have over seven years of service after the 2011 season, is under contract through 2012 and the Red Sox have a $13MM team option for 2013 ($1MM buyout). He has spent most of his career at first and third and would prefer to remain a position player as long as possible.

“I wouldn’t want to DH until I had to DH,” Youkilis said, before explaining that he’s open to another role. "If that’s the role that I have to play to help the team win, I’ll do it.”

Youkilis made his third All-Star team in four seasons this year after posting a .285/.399/.512 line with 13 home runs in the first half.

Red Sox Notes: Jerez, Holliday, Bradley, Weiland

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The Red Sox and Yankees are rivals all year long, even during the Home Run Derby. But Robinson Cano and the rest of the Yankees will be suiting up alongside Adrian Gonzalez and the rest of the Red Sox for one night only during tonight's All-Star Game…

  • The Red Sox signed second round pick Williams Jerez, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The Dominican-born center fielder will obtain the bonus recommended by MLB, which will likely be $444K.
  • Matt Holliday told the Boston Herald that he “thought there was a chance” of signing with the Red Sox after the 2009 season, when he hit free agency. The outfielder ended up staying in St. Louis on a seven-year, $120MM deal.
  • Agent Scott Boras told Speier that Jackie Bradley Jr., a supplemental first round pick of the Red Sox,  is doing well in his recovery from wrist surgery. Boras says Bradley is preparing to return to college (though he’s not going to concede leverage by saying that Bradley is preparing to sign).
  • At Baseball America, Speier explains that Kyle Weiland has been the best player in Boston's minor league system this year. The 24-year-old has a 3.00 ERA in the minors and debuted in the Major Leagues before the break. Speier goes on to explain why Miles Head has been a pleasant surprise and why Drake Britton has been a disappointment in the subscriber-only piece.

Boras Doesn’t Expect Deal For Ellsbury During Season

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Scott Boras told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he doesn’t expect to discuss a new contract for Jacoby Ellsbury during the season, but the agent says he’s confident in his ability to work with the Red Sox, who control Ellsbury’s services through 2013.  

Ellsbury is earning $2.4MM in his first season as an arbitration eligible player and he’ll also be arbitration eligible in 2012 and 2013. If and when Ellsbury hits free agency, Boras expects strong interest in his client.

“The market at the end of 2013 is going to be much different than the market of 2010,” he said. “It’s going to be widely more aggressive. The reason is there are just fewer players who can do what he’s doing.”

Ellsbury has a .316/.377/.490 line with a career-high 11 homers and a league-leading 28 stolen bases this year. The 27-year-old was limited to 18 games in 2010, when he had three stints on the disabled list with fractured ribs. Though the Red Sox may consider an extension for Ellsbury, there’s a definite possibility that one or both sides will prefer to go year to year instead of working out a long-term agreement.

Red Sox Notes: Papelbon, Ellsbury, Beltran, Ortiz

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No American League team has more wins than the Red Sox, who boast a 55-35 record at the All-Star break despite a surprisingly slow start. Here's the latest on the Red Sox…

  • The Red Sox haven't engaged Jonathan Papelbon in extension talks this season, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Papelbon hits free agency after the season and it's a situation that fellow free agent closer Heath Bell will be monitoring in case a job opens up at the back of Boston's bullpen.
  • Scott Boras pointed out that Jacoby Ellsbury's combination of power, speed and defense is hard to find. “Your skill set to play centerfield and steal bases obviously generates itself around speed," the agent told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. "So, to go beyond and add an offensive power to that is hard to do. It’s a rare skill set.”
  • Carlos Beltran told Speier that he would accept the trade to Boston if the Mets decide to move him. “They’re in first place,” Beltran said. “That’s a no-brainer.” Beltran is an unlikely target for the Red Sox, who don't have much money available and would prefer to find an internal solution, according to Speier. Beltran earns $18.5MM this year and has said that he would waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
  • David Ortiz, who will hit free agency after the season, told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he hasn't heard anything about his future and isn't worried about it. Ortiz says he hopes to play for more than one season after 2011.
  • Andre Ethier told Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe that he likes the idea of playing for the Diamondbacks with Dustin Pedroia late in their respective careers (Twitter link).

AL East Notes: Hardy, A-Rod, Millwood

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Here are a few items of note coming out of the American League East. The Red Sox own a one-game lead over the Yankees in that tightly contested division as we hit the Midsummer Classic …

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