Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers Interested In Breslow
The Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers are interested in A's reliever Craig Breslow, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (Twitter link). The lefty, 30 in August, has a 3.02 ERA in 44.2 innings so far in 2010. He has typically been effective against lefties and righties, but this year, righties are having a harder time against him, oddly enough. Breslow has posted 9.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 this season so it's no surprise that teams are interested.
Breslow's salary ($425K) and controllability (he isn't scheduled to hit free agency until after 2013) contribute to his appeal. The lefty's Yale degree doesn't add to his trade value, but it distinguishes him from most ballplayers this side of Doug Glanville and Ross Ohlendorf. Breslow majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry before the Brewers took him in the 26th round of the 2002 draft.
Red Sox Notes: Werth, DeJesus, Snyder
The Red Sox are unquestionably a good team, but in the AL East, 'good' is rarely good enough. Here's the latest on the Red Sox, who are currently in third place, 4.5 games behind the Rays for the AL Wild Card:
- The Red Sox are interested in acquiring an outfielder, a catcher and a reliever, according to Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com. The team isn't close to making any deals at the moment.
- They have "strong interest" in Jayson Werth and are interested in David DeJesus.
- GM Theo Epstein has continued interest in Chris Snyder and Chris Iannetta, partly because both backstops are under control after 2010.
- The Red Sox had a scout at the Rockies-Marlins game last night, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The scout was not there to watch Iannetta and Renck suggests the Red Sox were eyeing potential relief help.
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com argues that the Red Sox are "worthy of postseason conversation," even if they don't currently hold a playoff spot. The team addressed many of its holes over the winter, as Bradford shows.
Fernando Cabrera Clears Waivers
WEDNESDAY: Cabrera cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple A, according to the team.
SATURDAY: The Red Sox will designate righty reliever Fernando Cabrera for assignment according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. The move frees up a roster spot for Manny Delcarmen, who is returning from the disabled list, though manager Terry Francona told Bradford that multiple moves could be announced today.
Cabrera, 28, appeared in one game for the Sox this year, giving up a grand slam to Bengie Molina last night in an appearance that included two walks, two hits, three runs, and four outs. He spent the majority of the season with Boston's Triple-A affiliate, where he posted a 3.50 ERA with a 12.5 K/9 in 36 innings. The former Indian and Oriole has struck out an impressive 9.9 batters per nine innings in 175.1 big league innings, but his 5.24 ERA and 5.0 BB/9 are rather forgettable.
Olney On Phillies, Bautista, Dodgers, Red Sox
Rumors from the blog of ESPN's Buster Olney…
- Olney suggests the Phillies acquiring Roy Oswalt and trading Jayson Werth would in large part be about positioning the team for 2011. Oswalt would still be under contract next year, while Domonic Brown would get big league seasoning.
- Some teams feel that the Blue Jays are bluffing by asking for elite young players for MLB home run leader Jose Bautista. Rival executives feel that Bautista's salary will jump to eight figures in his final arbitration year, and the Jays would be reluctant to pay.
- The Dodgers expect they'll be able to add a starter and reliever in the next ten days, giving up better prospects while the other team pays the player's salary. Not the best long-term strategy. The Dodgers have been linked to Paul Maholm, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, David Aardsma, and the Blue Jays' relievers.
- Some teams believe the Red Sox will be aggressive on the waiver wire next month, placing strategic claims at a time when few teams are willing to take on salary. Today on the Dennis & Callahan show, Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said the team has "money set aside to acquire talent if we can find it," at that they're at the "bottom end of the tax threshold."
Red Sox Designate Ryan Shealy For Assignment
The Red Sox designated first baseman Ryan Shealy for assignment, tweets Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe. Shealy was added two weeks ago after posting an aggregate Triple A line of .240/.361/.489 at Durham and Pawtucket. However, he went 0-for-7 in his time with the Red Sox.
Phillies Exploring Oswalt, Werth Trades
The Phillies are exploring acquiring Roy Oswalt and moving Jayson Werth in a companion trade, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says nothing is close, but Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Oswalt talks are "heavy." Oswalt has yet to be presented with a deal for his approval. Stark says the Phils have also discussed Dan Haren, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ben Sheets as they leave no rock unturned. As for Werth, Stark believes the Rays "head the list of interested teams." The impending free agent would be moved to save money, stock the farm system, and open up a spot for Domonic Brown. Stark says the Red Sox, Giants, and Padres are also interested in Werth.
The Phillies recently optioned Kyle Kendrick to the minors and lost Jamie Moyer to an elbow strain, so they could use starting pitching depth. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. hinted today that the club could acquire a starter by Saturday. The Phils have already committed $135MM to next year's payroll, so adding an expensive arm like Haren or Oswalt would take some maneuvering.
One candidate to start Saturday, or perhaps be traded, is J.A. Happ. Stark says the Phillies have shopped the lefty, and the Astros scouted him on Tuesday.
Click here to predict the Phillies next move.
Gustavo Molina Clears Waivers
TUESDAY: Molina cleared waivers, according to the Boston Globe.
SUNDAY: The Red Sox have designated catcher Gustavo Molina for assignment, according to a team press release. The move was made in order to promote reliever Michael Bowden who will try to help turn around Boston's bullpen.
Molina, 28, was called up to the big league squad on June 29th. The catcher made two starts for the club and appeared in four games total. His promotion to Boston marked his first major league cameo since 2008, when he played in two games for the Mets.
Teams Scouting John Buck?
A slew of scouts attended last night's Blue Jays-Royals game in Kansas City, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. The Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, and Phillies were represented. The Reds and Mets scouted the Jays over the weekend. Clearly some of this scouting extends beyond normal coverage. Toronto's roster is littered with trade candidates: Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Jose Bautista, and Lyle Overbay. But several of the aforementioned teams need catching and may have been on hand to observe All-Star catcher John Buck.
Buck had a pair of doubles in the contest, bringing his line to .278/.309/.504 through 265 plate appearances. He's flashed power before, but in this season he's slugged at least .462 in every month. Buck recently turned 30 and will be a free agent after the season. He just sneaks in as a Type B right now. It's not difficult to imagine Buck receiving and turning down an arbitration offer, so his status boosts his trade value. Asher Wojciechowski (Blue Jays) and Drew Vettleson (Rays) were compensation picks at #41 and #42 overall this year, so GM Alex Anthopoulos will presumably aim for a player or package he likes more than that level of draft pick.
Elliott feels that the Tigers, Red Sox, and Reds are teams that might have interest in Buck.
Red Sox Rumors: Relievers, Beltre
Red Sox rumors from those covering the team…
- GM Theo Epstein said he isn't close to any trades, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cafardo lists Scott Downs, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, and David Aardsma as potentially available relievers, but says "the Sox aren’t crazy about bringing Aardsma back unless they could do so cheaply." Cafardo lists familiar names on the outfield front in David DeJesus and Cody Ross, while noting that Corey Hart "is likely out of Boston's range." Cafardo does not see the Sox pursuing a starting pitcher.
- MLB Network's Peter Gammons chimes in on Downs, tweeting, "before [the Yunel] Escobar deal, [the Blue Jays] wanted [Jose] Iglesias for Downs." That gives you an idea of the Jays' initial asking price for one of the best available relievers; the Dodgers, Yankees, and Phillies are also known to be interested.
- Gammons also tweets that the Rockies turned down an offer of Jed Lowrie for Chris Iannetta. We learned last night that the Sox are not currently pursuing Iannetta, however.
- Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald confirms yesterday's report that the Sox are interested in Florida's Leo Nunez. However, Lauber writes that, "they believe the Marlins will require a hefty return" for the righty reliever.
- Adrian Beltre is not thinking about his next contract yet, learned WEEI's Alex Speier.
Red Sox Not Discussing Iannetta With Rockies
The Red Sox are not discussing Chris Iannetta with the Rockies, though they do like him and did inquire about him earlier in the season. Red Sox officials tell Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal that the Red Sox are not currently pursuing the catcher, though Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier today that talks were on again.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the banged-up Red Sox are now looking for catching help, relievers and outfield depth (Twitter link). There aren't a ton of catchers available, but Chris Snyder and John Buck make at least some sense.
Iannetta is under team control through 2013 on an affordable deal, but the Rockies can entertain the idea of trading the 27-year-old, since they hold a $2.5MM option for Miguel Olivo (and his .922 OPS) in 2011.