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Odds & Ends: Pirates, Brewers, Harper, Ortiz

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Links for Tuesday, as the National League wins an All-Star Game for the first time since Fred McGriff was their cleanup hitter…

Red Sox, Royals Discussed DeJesus

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The Red Sox and Royals discussed outfielder David DeJesus about ten days ago and agreed to stay in contact, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  They add, "The Royals are scouting the Red Sox’s minor-league system, but the teams have yet to exchange names."  Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald first reported the Red Sox' interest in DeJesus on June 26th.  The Padres and Giants seem like good fits for the Royals outfielder as well, though their level of interest is not known.

The Red Sox are not likely to deal for DeJesus unless his price drops, a source tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The Royals are currently asking for a lot in return for their right fielder.

As Rosenthal and Morosi note, the Red Sox have dealt with injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron this season and could use the versatile DeJesus.  Given his $6MM club option, the Sox would have DeJesus, Ellsbury, Cameron, and J.D. Drew under control for 2011.  Such depth could prompt a trade of Ellsbury, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.  This year, DeJesus is owed an additional $2.12MM.

DeJesus is having a career year so far at age 30, with a .326/.395/.460 line in 370 plate appearances.  He's also playing above-average defense.  The Royals will wait until closer to the July 31st deadline to decide whether to trade DeJesus, reported ESPN's Buster Olney three days ago.

Odds & Ends: Dunn, Beltre, Lee, Sabathia

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Links for Tuesday, as we wait for David Price to throw the first pitch of the All-Star Game to Hanley Ramirez…

David Ortiz Wants Multiyear Deal?

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Prior to his Home Run Derby victory last night, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz implied he wants a multiyear deal.  Talking to ESPN's Gordon Edes, Ortiz said:

"I don't want one year. Why should I return for one year and go through the same [stuff] I'm going through now, just because it's my last year? No. I like to be left alone when I'm playing baseball. I know how to clean my [stuff] up."

Even with Ortiz's strong production since May, it's difficult to envision the Red Sox offering two guaranteed years.  The first order of business will be his $12.5MM option for 2011, which will almost surely be declined.  I don't think he'll reach a $10MM base salary again.  It's well-known Ortiz wants to remain in Boston, so perhaps he'll be amenable to a lower salary and a second-year option similar to that given to Jason Varitek before the '09 season.  The Red Sox might prefer flexibility with their DH spot for 2012, however.

Lester Hopes To Pitch In Boston Long-Term

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Jon Lester told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he hopes to sign an extension with the Red Sox at some point. The Red Sox already extended Lester once and control his rights through 2014, at which point the left-hander wants to re-sign in Boston. 

“Hopefully I’ll stay here, and hopefully we’ll be able to do it,” Lester said. “That’s a couple years away, but it’s something I’ve always thought about, and hopefully it’s something we can get done at some point.”

Clay Buchholz said in May that he would like to sign long-term with the Red Sox, but he hasn’t approached the club about a deal, and the Red Sox haven’t brought the subject up either. Buchholz isn’t arbitration-eligible until after 2011 or free agent-eligible until after 2014, so he says he isn’t worried about his long-term future yet.

“I think time will take care of all that stuff,” said Buchholz. “I’m going to focus on playing.”

The Red Sox have Daisuke Matsuzaka under team control through 2012 and John Lackey and Josh Beckett through 2014, so they have more pitching locked up long-term than just about any other team.

Minor League Transactions: Meyer, Colome

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The latest minor league transactions from Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

  • The Astros released second baseman Drew Meyer, who was then signed by the Angels.  Meyer has already racked up 39 plate appearances for the Salt Lake Bees.
  • The Dodgers released reliever Jesus Colome.  They'd signed him on June 24th, but he made only three appearances for the Isotopes before being let go.
  • Other familiar names were cut, including Brian Buscher (Indians), Ruddy Lugo (Tigers), and Mike Koplove (Mariners).  The Red Sox signed Argenis Reyes, who had been playing independent league ball.  

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Mariners, Red Sox

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Four years ago today, the Rays sent Aubrey Huff and cash to the Astros for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot.  The Astros finished 1.5 games out in '06 despite Huff contributing 13 home runs, and GM Tim Purpura chose not to offer arbitration after the season.  On to today's links…

  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees have no plans to acquire a starting pitcher – "Cliff Lee was a special case."  Speaking of Lee, he told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the trade from the Phillies did not sour him on the team, and he's not opposed to any club once he reaches free agency. 
  • The Blue Jays had a scout at this weekend's Cardinals-Astros series, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Strauss wonders if shortstop Alex Gonzalez could be a match for the Cards, and he notes that the Jays have had previous interest in Brendan Ryan.
  • Mariners president Chuck Armstrong and CEO Howard Lincoln weren't aware of the full extent of pitcher Josh Lueke's 2008 trouble with the law, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  Lueke went to Seattle as part of the Lee trade.
  • Talking to WEEI's Alex Speier, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein explained that in the case of Casey Kelly and other prospects, he'd rather challenge them against advanced competition than allow them to compile numbers and trade value at more age-appropriate levels.
  • In the same article, Speier notes that the Red Sox have agreements, pending physicals, with a pair of international free agents.  One is a righthanded pitcher, the other an outfielder.
  • As part of an extensive Q&A with Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, Commissioner Bud Selig says he would not consider contracting the Athletics or Rays if their ballpark situations are not resolved.

Blue Jays Make Gregg, Frasor, Downs Available

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10:47am: The Jays have made Gregg, Frasor, and Scott Downs available, reports WEEI's Rob Bradford.  Bradford feels that the Red Sox are a potential match for one of them.

Frasor's control has slipped this year, especially against lefties.  He's getting more groundballs than last year, though more hits have dropped in too.  Frasor has been better lately and remains a useful arm.  He has $1.21MM remaining on his contract.  At the moment, he profiles as a Type B free agent after the season.  Downs, meanwhile, has trimmed walks and hits compared to '09.  The lefty is owed $1.83MM; MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith analyzed the potential Type A free agent a week ago.

7:50am: The Blue Jays have made closer Kevin Gregg available, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  Elliott adds that the Jays re-routed a scout to Seattle for the final two games of this weekend's Yankees-Mariners series, implying that the Jays might consider the Yanks a potential match for Gregg.

Gregg doesn't appear concerned with trade rumors, based on his comments to MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith Saturday.  Gregg's one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Blue Jays seemed curious in February, but he was installed as the team's closer in April when Jason Frasor struggled.  Gregg has a 3.67 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 with three home runs allowed in 34.3 innings this year.  He's saved 20 of 23 and bumped his groundball rate from last year.

After the season Gregg's team can choose to retain him for zero, one, or two years.  His club option is for $4.5MM in 2011 or $8.75MM for 2011-12.  He currently profiles as a Type B free agent, and an arbitration offer seems possible.  Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos figures to aim for more than the value of one supplemental draft pick if he trades Gregg now.  Gregg has $913K remaining on his contract, plus a potential $750K buyout on the option.

Odds & Ends: Smoak, Giants, McDonald, Orioles

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Sunday night linkage..

Ortiz Would Like To Remain In Boston

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David Ortiz envisions himself wearing a Red Sox uniform past this season, and hopes the team feels the same way, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Ortiz is in the final year of a $52MM contract, with the Sox holding an $12.5MM option for 2011.

"I want to stay here in Boston and always have a home here, go back and forth when I do retire," said Ortiz. "The people here have been good to me and I’ve tried to be good to them."

Ortiz's $12.5MM option for next season looks a little pricey when taking into account the present-day value of designated hitters. Hideki Matsui ($6.5MM) and Vladimir Guerrero ($5MM) are among the DHs that received one-year contracts last winter for approximately half of Ortiz's 2011 price tag. And while Ortiz has recovered from a slow start to put up impressive numbers (.262/.382/.552), the free agent market this winter will be flush with similar players, including Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Derrek Lee, Adam LaRoche, and Carlos Pena.

Still, even if the club declines his option, Ortiz is optimistic that he and the Sox can work something out: "Hopefully, it gets done…. I think I will be here. I may look crazy, but I'm not stupid. I don't see myself playing nowhere else and that's important to me."

The 34-year-old said earlier this year that he'd like to play for two or three more years, so if the Red Sox are interested in bringing him back, Ortiz will likely look to finish his career in Boston.

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