Rosenthal’s Latest: Teixeira, Liriano, Garcia, Willingham
Ken Rosenthal has a new hot stove article up.
- Rosenthal leads with some Mark Teixeira-Angels speculation, but admits the Braves aren’t considering trading him and the Angels are content with their team. The Halos’ .706 team OPS ranks 12th in the AL; something should be done.
- All kinds of Mariners turmoil. They could look to acquire a center fielder given the move back to right for Ichiro. Releases of Richie Sexson and Jose Vidro could be on the agenda. And chemistry problems abound, with Ichiro and Kenji Johjima at the center.
- The Ms might consider Chris Antonetti and David Forst for the GM job, but both could choose to wait for the position to open up on their current teams. Antonetti seems likely to stay put, based on his comments and actions.
- Adam Dunn likes the Reds’ future and wants to stay.
- If the Twins keep Francisco Liriano in the minors a bit longer, he will lose his shot at becoming a Super Two player.
- Past reports have named the Mets, Red Sox, Braves, Yankees, White Sox, Rangers, Indians, Mariners, and Tigers as clubs interested in Freddy Garcia. Rosenthal adds the Rays to the mix.
- On Sunday, Peter Gammons said the Red Sox "might look at a count worker like the Marlins’ Josh Willingham" if David Ortiz needs surgery. Rosenthal agrees that the Sox "indeed might be interested" but believes the Marlins want to hang on to him (even though he reaches arbitration after this season).
- The Cardinals "made a quick inquiry" on Michael Barrett but backed off when Yadier Molina’s injury turned out to be day-to-day.
Odds And Ends: Beckham, Rangers, Peterson, Drew
A few more minor notes from the MLBiverse…
- Marc Lancaster is reporting that Tim Beckham, the top pick of the Rule 4 draft, will be visiting Tropicana Field at the end of the week and his father believes that a deal will be in place by the end of the weekend. The rest of the first rounders could sign quickly once Beckham and the Rays set the benchmark.
- Jamey Newberg wonders if the Rangers will have a hard time making trades because their farm system is so deep. The Rays might have the same problem.
- Jeff Passan names his All-Overpaid and All-Underpaid teams.
- Could Rick Peterson reunite with Barry Zito in San Francisco?
- Dave Cameron says J.D. Drew was worth the money.
- A reader emailed in saying he saw Mets scout Jerry Krause at the White Sox-Pirates game. Krause might be the game’s most publicly recognizable scout.
Possible Destinations For Sabathia
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer weighs in on the different teams that could land CC Sabathia.
- Yankees: Despite Ken Davidoff’s report yesterday that the Yankees would not land Sabathia, Hoynes notes that the Yankees are desperate for an ace but acknowledges that they may wait until the off-season.
- Phillies: Hoynes points out that Sabathia’s first big league manager was Charlie Manuel, but the Phillies may not have enough in the system.
- Cubs: Hoynes feels that Lou PIniella would trade for Sabathia right now if he could.
- Red Sox: Hoynes feels the Sox are more likely to wait until the off-season.
- Rays: Hoynes notes that the Rays have the pieces in the farm system to land Sabathia, but wonders if they are willing to rent a player for a playoff push.
- Angels: Hoynes points out that Sabathia is from the west coast and the Angels may have a better chance of resigning him.
Hoynes also talked to scouts about what the Indians can expect to receive if they do decide to trade the free agent-to-be.
One scout said that "they could get two young players that were at or close to the big-league level that they could control for a while" while a second scout speculates the bounty could be " two and three prospects, depending on whether that team could sign Sabathia to an extension before he becomes a free agent this winter."
Gammons’ Latest: Sabathia, Dunn, Harden
ESPN’s Peter Gammons has a new blog post up.
- The Indians are "thoroughly scouting" eight teams that may be interested in C.C. Sabathia, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, and Dodgers (the Mets may be another). Gammons agrees with Ken Rosenthal that Mark Shapiro may trade Sabathia soon to maximize his value. Gammons does not see the Yanks jumping in with Phil Hughes or a multi-prospect offer, unless Chien-Ming Wang‘s injury forces their hand. He does not think the Cubs or Phillies have the goods, but suggests the Rangers as a dark horse.
- If the Cubs don’t have enough for Sabathia, Plan B could be Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, or even Erik Bedard. The Padres and Mariners have been informed of the Cubs’ interest.
- Gammons seems to indicate that Mark Teixeira could be available if the Braves fall out of the race (although Tex is not mentioned by name).
- The Dodgers may have been open to trading Brad Penny, but his shoulder injury puts the kibosh on that.
- Adam Dunn‘s whifftastic ways scare the Red Sox, who might pass even if David Ortiz needs surgery. Gammons suggests Josh Willingham would be a better fit.
- Rich Harden could be a huge acquisition, one of the game’s most dominating pitchers. It’s the same story though – will any team be willing to meet Billy Beane’s asking price given Harden’s injury history?
Sherman’s Latest: Sabathia, Fielder, Marte
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman has a host of rumors in his new column.
- Sherman believes the Indians are leaning toward trading C.C. Sabathia. He names the usual suspects (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs) but also throws the Brewers into the mix based on the opinion of an "AL talent evaluator."
- Speaking of the Brewers, Sherman believes Prince Fielder will be available "almost definitely in the offseason" and perhaps even this summer. Doug Melvin says he’s not exploring it but never rules out anything. The presence of Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta plus Fielder’s unwillingness to sign long-term could lead to a deal. Fielder figures to jump up to at least $7-8MM upon reaching arbitration for the first time.
- The Yankees have Damaso Marte atop their list, but the Pirates want something better than two draft picks in return. He’s looking like a Type A free agent.
- Walt Jocketty wants to "clean house." The usual players are named, but Sherman also mentions Bronson Arroyo as a possibility.
No Dunn Talks Yet
C. Trent Rosecrans has the latest on Adam Dunn. He reminds us that Dunn’s no-trade clause switches from all teams to 10 teams on Sunday. GM Walt Jocketty is aware of Dunn’s veto teams, even if the public is not. Ken Rosenthal has suggested that Dunn strategically chose the high-revenue teams (Dunn makes $13-16MM this year).
Despite the upcoming change in Dunn’s no-trade clause, Rosecrans quotes Walt Jocketty as saying "there have been no discussions." Negative on extension talks too, even when Wayne Krivsky was GM.
Dunn, 28, is hitting .240/.406/.531 in 251 plate appearances (in line with his career numbers). It’s been suggested by both Rosecrans and Rosenthal that Dunn would make sense in Boston if David Ortiz has complications. For Jocketty to trade his slugger, he’d need a bounty superior to two ’09 draft picks.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Roberts, Bonds, Dunn
Ken Rosenthal has a new column; let’s discuss.
- Rosenthal notes that many contenders will need relief help come July. We’ve got a list of available relievers here.
- The Brewers are interested in second baseman Brian Roberts. Rosenthal suggests they offer Rickie Weeks for Roberts and another player. Rosenthal notes that the various rumored springtime Cubs offers are now off the table.
- Barry Bonds is not a consideration for Boston even if David Ortiz‘s injury becomes long-term. Rosenthal believes Adam Dunn could be on the radar under that scenario.
Odds & Ends: Beckham, Bedard, Bonds, Mulder
Lots of high profile players in today’s Odds & Ends:
- The Rays have opened contract discussions with first overall pick Tim Beckham, says Marc Topkin.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Sports Tribune suggests we add Erik Bedard to the list of starting pitchers who may be available at the trade deadline. More appropriately, Rogers also notes the M’s will most likely hold on to Bedard through 2009, a far more likely outcome.
- Also in the longshot rumor department, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle speculates on Barry Bonds playing for the Red Sox. Personally, I would predict there’s a 0.0% chance Bonds plays in Boston.
- In that same piece by John Shea, Mark Mulder could be done. He’s rejecting the idea of a third surgery and attempting to alter his delivery to remain effective and pain free.
- Will Carroll reports Jeremy Bonderman has undergone surgery to overcome Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – as I understand it, a pinched vein causing a blood clot – and will need a minimum of 6 months to a year of recovery time. This should keep Armando Gallaraga and Dontrelle Willis in the rotation.
By Nat Boyle
Red Sox Not Interested In Bonds
According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, a club source said Barry Bonds is "not a fit" for the Red Sox. David Ortiz may be ready to play in July, anyway.
Bonds will continue to wait for a phone call. I believe he would’ve put aside negative feelings for Boston, had the Red Sox come calling. Just for the fun of it, the following contending teams have gotten below-average production out of the DH spot: Indians, Tigers, Angels, Twins, Blue Jays. You could probably find a reason for each of these clubs to pass on Bonds, however.
Will Ortiz Injury Lead To Acquisition?
11:21pm: Terry Francona says surgery for Ortiz is "very unlikely."
9:28pm: Bad news for the Red Sox – DH David Ortiz will miss a significant chunk of the season with his wrist injury. There’s even a chance Ortiz could need season-ending surgery.
An open DH spot in Boston is sure to light up the rumor mill. Keep in mind, though, that the Sox could fill the vacancy internally. For example, Manny Ramirez could DH and Brandon Moss could play left.
Plenty of bats are out there if Theo Epstein does look for outside help. The following players may be available: Barry Bonds, Adam Dunn, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Brian Giles, Raul Ibanez, and Milton Bradley.