Erik Bedard Rumors: Sunday
The latest on Mariners southpaw Erik Bedard…
- The Red Sox, Cardinals, and one other team are eyeing Bedard, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
- The Mariners and Cardinals are discussing Bedard, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He adds that the ball is in the Cardinals' court. Acquiring Bedard would give the Cards strong rotation depth, as they added Edwin Jackson on Wednesday.
Quick Hits: Slowey, Royals, Lee, Reddick
For a while, it seemed as though we'd have a quiet trade deadline. So much for that – today we saw Ubaldo Jimenez, Derrek Lee, Orlando Cabrera, Rich Harden, Koji Uehara, Chris Davis, Tommy Hunter, Jason Marquis, Mike Aviles, Jerry Hairston Jr., Doug Fister and David Pauley all get traded. Let's gear up for the deadline itself with another round of links…
- The Twins would like to move Kevin Slowey and the Rockies are interested, though they don't want to pay too much for him, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Teams are still calling on Bruce Chen, Jeff Francis and Kyle Davies of the Royals, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Any deal will likely come at the deadline tomorrow.
- Teams are still inquiring on Brandon League, even though top Mariners executives have said he's going nowhere, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels expects a quiet day tomorrow, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Astros would love to convince Carlos Lee that there's no point in refusing to waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.
- The Astros wanted a package of players including Josh Reddick and Kyle Weiland from the Red Sox for Hunter Pence, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
Red Sox Talked To A’s About Harden, Willingham, Crisp
8:15pm: The Red Sox are out on Willingham and still trying on Harden, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
3:18pm: The Red Sox checked in with the A's on old friend Coco Crisp, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes. He says the price is high for a player who may not bring draft pick compensation. Crisp does have a shot at Type B status though.
11:11am: The Red Sox talked to the Athletics about a possible trade for starter Rich Harden and outfielder Josh Willingham, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but it's unclear whether the deal currently has a pulse. The rumor mill has been quiet on Harden and Willingham, though they'd both be solid pickups for a contender.
Hiroki Kuroda To Stay With Dodgers
Yesterday we learned that officials in the Kuroda talks believe that they'll need to come to a resolution by tonight since the hurler will need some time to approve a deal. The Dodgers continue to talk with teams but the asking price remains high. Here's the latest news on Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:
- Kuroda told the Dodgers he intends to stay with them for the remainder of the season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Dodgers have confirmed Kuroda's intention (on Twitter).
- Kuroda is the 'best bet' among players on Boston' radar, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). The deal is far from done, though.
- The Dodgers' heaviest conversations about Kuroda today have been with Texas and Boston, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Yankees are still involved.
- Kuroda has indicated to the Dodgers that he is open to deals to the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes. Heyman, however, spoke to a friend of Kuroda who would be surprised if the pitcher consents to any trade.
- The Dodgers are down to a final three of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox on Kuroda, tweets Jon Heyman, though there's still no word on whether he'd approve a trade.
- The Yankees have taken the lead over the Red Sox for Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, and it's 40/60 they make a deal. However, Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees and Dodgers have not spoken about Kuroda recently.
- The Dodgers asked the Yankees for Ivan Nova and a catching prospect, which was a non-starter for New York, tweets Joel Sherman. He explains that the Yankees think the Dodgers feel that if they can't make a killer deal for Kuroda, it's not worth trying to talk him out of his no-trade clause.
- Boston's interest in Kuroda increased after Erik Bedard's ugly start last night, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
- The Red Sox and Dodgers are in trade talks involving Kuroda for a prospect, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told reporters that he's "under no orders to shed salary," writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Due to a signing bonus that has yet to be paid, Kuroda is owed almost $6.7MM of his $12MM contract currently.
Matt Thornton Rumors: Saturday
Left-handed reliever Matt Thornton has a 3.28 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 35 2/3 innings this season for the White Sox, which is only a down year by his lofty standards. Thornton signed a three-year extension in March. He has $1MM remaining this year, $5.5MM in 2012, $5.5MM in '13, and a $6MM club option or $1MM buyout for '14. That's a total of $13MM guaranteed through 2013 for the hard-throwing 34-year-old. The latest rumors:
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that another deal is highly unlikely (Twitter link).
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post senses that the White Sox have really fallen out of love with Thornton and would love to move his contract (Twitter link). He says the Yankees are watching Thornton.
- The Diamondbacks would love to acquire Thornton but it can't happen given Chicago's demand of top prospects, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- The Red Sox are pushing hard for Thornton and right fielder Carlos Quentin, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
- Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Rangers are pursuing Thornton, but would only be open to Chicago's request of Derek Holland if the Sox include a starter such as John Danks.
Red Sox Acquire Mike Aviles
The Red Sox acquired infielder Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder/outfielder Yamaico Navarro and reliever Kendal Volz, according to the Royals' official Twitter feed.
Aviles, 30, has struggled this year, getting demoted in June, but owns a career line of .286/.317/.417 in 1218 plate appearances. He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2008, and is capable of playing second base, shortstop, and third base. He'll be arbitration eligible for the first time after the season and is under team control through 2014.
Navarro, 23, hit .258/.362/.469 in 149 Triple-A plate appearances this year, playing all over the diamond. Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked Navarro 12th among Red Sox prospects, citing 15-20 home run potential but questioning his maturity. Volz, 23, posted a 3.33 ERA, 9.8 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and 1.1 HR/9 in 51 1/3 relief innings at High-A this year and is not among the team's top 30.
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Saturday
Yesterday we learned that the Tigers have strong interest in Rockies' ace Ubaldo Jimenez, showing a willingness to include top prospect Jacob Turner, who is being called up to start today but not as a showcase. However, Detroit may be out for now and the chances of any Jimenez deal may have slipped below 50%. The latest:
- Pomeranz and White will be in the deal if it happens, Renck tweets.
- Jimenez was scratched from his start tonight, Heyman tweets.
- The Yankees infuriated the Rockies by taking their top prospects off of the table and offering Phil Hughes and others instead, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Rockies are moving toward a deal with Cleveland, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
- White has been scratched from his one-inning rehab outing, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
- There are indications that Pomeranz and White could be available in a possible deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The Rockies asked for Pomeranz, Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Rockies and Indians are in serious talks, Renck reports (on Twitter). He hears that a deal would center around Pomeranz, Alex White and Jason Kipnis.
- Renck gets the "strong sense" that Cleveland hasn't given up (Twitter link) and Morosi says Indians prospect Drew Pomeranz was scratched from his Double-A start today (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox, Reds and Indians are in on Jimenez, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees aren't talking actively with Colorado and won't include Nova, Betances, Banuelos or Montero in a deal for Jimenez (Twitter links).
- The Rockies haven't dropped their demands and are still asking for three players, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (on Twitter). The Yankees still won't part with Montero, Betances and Nova for Jimenez.
- Two teams have enhanced their offers, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- Rival teams believe the Rockies match up best with the Indians, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Rockies will have a scout watching Nova tonight at Yankee Stadium, tweets Sherman.
- The price on Jimenez has come down a tad, tweets Jon Heyman. He says the Rockies are no longer asking for Banuelos from the Yankees; Betances, Nova, and Montero would work. That's similar to what Joel Sherman wrote earlier today. The two teams have not talked today, tweets Troy Renck. Renck believes the Yankees currently will not put both Montero and Betances in the deal – just one.
- One executive who has been speaking with the Rockies and Reds believes the teams "have discussed an expanded version that could include someone like Seth Smith, because the Reds also have been targeting controllable bats," reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.
- The Red Sox haven't been in contact with the Rockies about Jimenez since Thursday, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. And the Reds aren't currently discussing Jimenez with the Rockies, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
- The Yankees are all over Jimenez, a source tells ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
- The Yankees are hearing that the Rockies may lower the price on Jimenez today, tweets Ken Rosenthal, but still not to a point that they consider realistic. Renck tweets that the Rockies' price hasn't changed during the process.
- The Indians, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds are still in on Jimenez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, and he's not counting out the Yankees.
- In addition to Turner and maybe Rick Porcello or Max Scherzer, the Rockies asked the Tigers for outfielder Brennan Boesch, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Knobler notes that Turner is starting for the Tigers today.
- The Indians were willing to discuss southpaw pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Pomeranz is ranked anywhere from #14 to #35 among all teams by prospect experts. Red Sox third base prospect Will Middlebrooks and righty Anthony Ranaudo are of interest to Colorado, adds Renck.
- The Rockies want Ivan Nova and two of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero from the Yankees, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman writes, "to say the Yankees and Rockies are not finding common ground on Jimenez’s value is an understatement." The Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians remain involved, while the Reds are "less heated to make a deal."
- "Rival executives believe that if the Rockies lower their asking price at all today, it will signal clear intent to move the pitcher," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
Red Sox Pushing Hard For Quentin, Thornton
The Red Sox are pushing hard for White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin and reliever Matt Thornton, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale, but Chicago would have to be overwhelmed with prospects.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post senses that the White Sox "have really fallen out love with Thornton, and would love move the $13MM he is owed for 2012-13." He says the Yankees have been watching the lefty.
Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Friday
Yesterday we heard a variety of reports about whether the Dodgers are taking offers for Hiroki Kuroda and which destinations he would approve trades to. This much is clear, though – the Dodgers are asking for a "significant piece" in return for the right-hander, who is drawing lots of interest and can block any deal. Here are the latest rumblings regarding Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:
- Officials in the Kuroda talks think a resolution is needed by Saturday night, since the pitcher will need some time to approve a deal, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The Yankees made multiple calls to the Dodgers today on Kuroda, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
- There is a wide gap between the Dodgers' asking price and what teams are willing to pay, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Rival teams say the Dodgers want a young starting pitcher or a catcher who’s close to the Major Leagues for Kuroda, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
- Kuroda seems "apprehensive" about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, who hears that Kuroda may only accept a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox. The Tigers, Rangers and Indians remain interested.
- There's a strong belief that Kuroda would not approve a deal to the Tigers or Indians, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). As for accepting a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox, it's "iffy."
AL East Notes: Uehara, Yankees, Lee, Guthrie
On this date last year, the Orioles traded Miguel Tejada to the Padres for Wynn Pelzer and the Blue Jays traded Brett Wallace to the Astros for Anthony Gose. Here's the latest from the AL East as we await today's first trade…
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that Koji Uehara is drawing "big interest" (Twitter link).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports believes that the Yankees have to acquire a starter before the
- deadline.
- Jeremy Guthrie, Uehara and Derrek Lee are the main players the Orioles are discussing, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Mark Reynolds might get an extended look at first base if the Orioles trade Lee, who could be a fit in Pittsburgh or Arizona.
- The Tigers and Indians have talked to the Orioles about Guthrie, Zrebiec confirms.
- Yankees manager Joe Girardi doesn't think the Yankees need another starting pitcher, but the Yankees have a number of options to consider, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News explains. Ubaldo Jimenez, Wandy Rodriguez and Hiroki Kuroda are possible fits for the Yankees.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explains the pros and cons of bringing Erik Bedard or Jimenez to Boston. As we’ve heard this week, the Red Sox are interested in pitching, including Bedard and Jimenez.