Angels Targeting Cubs Bats?
SUNDAY, 8:19pm: The Angels haven't aggressively pursued a trade for help yet and may not have Lee on their radar at this point, a source told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. With their 9-4 victory in Seattle today, the Angels improved to 7-1 without first baseman Kendry Morales in the lineup.
FRIDAY, 7:15pm: The Cubs have not asked Derrek Lee to approve a trade, sources tell Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Lee's contract includes a no-trade clause, so the club could not deal him without his approval.
When asked about the trade rumors, Lee responded:
"Who are the 'excellent sources?'" the 34-year-old asked. "I've heard nothing on it. I've got nothing for you."
The first baseman also told reporters that he is not bothered by the trade speculation and wants to remain with the Cubs.
THURSDAY, 9:10am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears that the Cubs have not talked to the Angels about Nady or Lee (Twitter link). That doesn't mean the Angels aren't interested, but it shows that talks are not far along.
8:08am: The Angels appear to be targeting Xavier Nady, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Nady, 31, has appeared in three games at first for the Cubs this year.
WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Cubs "may be involved in trade talks" that would send first baseman Derrek Lee to the Angels, according to Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of The Chicago Tribune. The Halos, of course, will be without regular first baseman Kendry Morales for the foreseeable future following the fractured leg he suffered celebrating a walk-off grand slam last weekend.
The 34-year-old Lee missed tonight's game with a minor hamstring issue, but overall he's hitting just .232/.339/.366 on the season, down from last year's splendid .306/.393/.579 performance. The Cubs still owe him a touch under $9MM in salary for the remainder of the season, after which he'll become a free agent for the first time in his career.
We've already discussed the Angels' options for replacing Morales at length, though Lee's name was not mentioned.
Cafardo’s Latest: Lowell, Angels, Haren, Suzuki
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a few hot stove notes in his latest column, but before he gets to those, he discusses Ken Griffey Jr.'s career, noting that the Mariner "walked away very quietly, with little fanfare, just as he said he would." Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's piece:
- It doesn't appear any teams, besides maybe the Rangers, are too interested in Mike Lowell. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mariners and White Sox as potential matches, though a Sox official says Lowell "doesn’t fit for us right now."
- The Angels, meanwhile, seem committed to giving Mike Napoli playing time at first base for now, diminishing any interest they'd have in Lowell.
- The Diamondbacks have had internal discussions about trading Dan Haren, but one baseball executive expressed doubt that Arizona will pull the trigger. The exec pointed out that rebuilding from scratch isn't necessary in the NL West, since almost every team could be just a couple moves away from contending.
- Kurt Suzuki will likely be the Red Sox' top trade target this winter.
- A scout offers his opinion on the Orioles' young arms like Chris Tillman: "They’re kind of stuck and maybe have even taken a step backward. But sometimes that happens. Every kid has a hump they have to get over once they hit the big leagues." Last night, we discussed the possibility of the O's having a fire sale and turning their roster over to their youngsters for the remainder of the season.
Rosenthal On Fielder, Angels, Pierzynski, Mets
Let's check out the newest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Milwaukee may not be able to find a taker for Prince Fielder before the trade deadline. Fielder's deal runs through next season and the Angels, who are the most obvious fit, only need a first baseman for the remainder of this season to fill in for Kendry Morales. The teams with the greatest needs for a first baseman/designated hitter type, such as the Mariners, aren't in contention. Rosenthal points out that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has always said that it's easier to move position players in the winter when more teams can be drawn into the mix.
- Angels GM Tony Reagins says that the team will be patient in finding a replacement for Morales. The Angels are starting to play better and Mike Napoli is an obvious internal solution as Jeff Mathis gets set to return. While their biggest need is in the bullpen, Reagins says that the team is comfortable with the pitchers that they have, for now.
- White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski would almost certainly consent to a trade if the club asked him to move on in order to give Tyler Flowers big league experience. Pierzynski has the right to veto any trade beginning on June 13th. The veteran is a free agent at the end of the season and could enhance his value by going to a contender. If he was still available in August then his salary is high enough that he would likely clear waivers.
- The Mets say that they have the payroll flexibility to add a starter at the deadline but it remains to be seen just how much and how willing they are to part with young talent. One solution could be putting Jenrry Mejia in the starting five as GM Omar Minaya believes that he could be a dominant starter. However, manager Jerry Manuel raised doubts about that happening this season.
Olney’s Latest: Orioles, Diamondbacks, Delgado
In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney says a question being asked by some is whether the Orioles' constant losing is infecting the team's great young core, most notably Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters. One evaluator said that even though players like Ty Wigginton, Kevin Millwood, and Luke Scott would have trade value at mid-season, the team might be better off holding onto them to help stabilize the young players.
I respectfully disagree, because those players are with the team now and it's obviously just not working. Some new blood might not be the worst thing in the world for Baltimore.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Diamondbacks' manager A.J. Hinch pointed the finger directly at himself with regards to who to blame for the team's struggles. "This group hasn't responded that well to me," said Hinch. "I'm scratching and clawing, trying to find the right solution, but I'm not going to run from any accountability."
- The Angels have checked into the condition of Carlos Delgado, who is making his way back from hip surgery and could return in six weeks, if all goes well. They're looking for a Kendry Morales replacement, of course.
Odds & Ends: Sizemore, Lewis, Red Sox, Haren
Some links for Friday before Roy Halladay tries to restore order for the slumping Phillies…
- Grady Sizemore will miss the rest of the season as he recovers from today's operation on his left knee, according to the team. He is expected to be ready for spring training next year.
- Rogers Sportsnet reported last weekend that the Blue Jays finalized their Fred Lewis acquisition for cash, according to John Lott of the National Post.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Yankees will likely seek a bat with a high on base percentage and wonders if David DeJesus could fit (Twitter link).
- Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe speculates that Mike Lowell and Boof Bonser could be trade bait.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says it's a "long shot" that the D'Backs deal Dan Haren.
- Cuban player Yadil Mujica could sign soon, according to Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald (Twitter link).
- Ebro reports (via Twitter) that the Phillies are eyeing Dominican pitcher Yunesky Maya.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun presents 12 possible replacements for Dave Trembley, including Eric Wedge, Bobby Valentine and Bob Melvin.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says firing Dave Trembley won't be enough for the Orioles. He says the club needs to hire a "high-profile, kick-ass manager."
- David Ortiz told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that he "definitely" hopes to see Lowell traded, since it would be "a wonderful thing" for Lowell's sake.
- As Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports, the Red Sox have more high picks than usual this year, partly because Type A free agents Jason Bay and Billy Wagner signed elsewhere last winter.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wouldn't give up more than one 'B' prospect to acquire Derrek Lee if he were running the Angels.
- Freddy Sanchez, who will play in Pittsburgh for the first time since the Pirates traded him last summer, tells Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he loved playing in Pittsburgh and can't wait to return.
Stark On Orioles, Lee, Padres, Stanton, Angels
Major league executives told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark which starters they would most want to have for the next ten years. Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum didn't make the cut, but Felix Hernandez, Josh Johnson, Ubaldo Jimenez, David Price, Brett Anderson and Jon Lester did. Here are Stark's latest rumors, as the trade market starts taking shape:
- Two teams say that the Orioles would listen on Kevin Millwood right now.
- A rival executive says the Orioles are "sniffing around for a shortstop." Stark hears rumors that they have interest in Twins prospect Trevor Plouffe.
- The Mariners won't seriously consider trading Cliff Lee before they're sure they can't salvage their season.
- There's increasing pessimism that the Astros will be able to obtain salary relief and prospects for Roy Oswalt.
- Teams are giving up on acquiring Adrian Gonzalez this summer, since the Padres continue to win.
- Two officials believe Heath Bell could be traded even if the Padres stay in contention. Check out this post from earlier in the week for more on Bell's trade value.
- Tom Gorzelanny could be on the market in a couple weeks when John Grabow comes off the DL.
- Stark hears that the Marlins will call Mike Stanton up next week. The Marlins are being cautious, since they want to prevent Stanton from obtaining super two status and teams believe the cut-off will be later than ever this year.
- Stark's sources don't expect the Angels to start searching for a bat to replace Kendry Morales for a few weeks. When they begin looking for offense, they're expected to look for someone who is about to hit free agency or a versatile player who can defend around the diamond. Kendry Morales is under team control through 2013, so Prince Fielder wouldn't be a fit for the Angels.
Adam LaRoche’s Trade Value
The Diamondbacks are 10.5 games out of a playoff spot and they aren't scheduled to play a team with a losing record for more than a month. If you suspect they might become sellers, you're not alone. As ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports, executives expect the D'Backs to move payroll early this year.
Adam LaRoche has makings of a trade candidate. He's on an affordable one-year deal and he's hitting well. Last month MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested that the Rangers, Mariners and Marlins could inquire and we can now add the Angels to the list of possible suitors. LaRoche was traded twice last summer, so we can start to determine his current trade value by looking back at last summer's deals. To figure out what the D'Backs can get for LaRoche, let's consider the players he was traded for, what has stayed the same since last year and what has changed:
Who LaRoche was traded for:
- The Red Sox gave up pitcher Hunter Strickland and shortstop Argenis Diaz. At the time of the trade, Baseball America suggested Strickland had a chance of becoming a big league reliever. Diaz appeared to have big league potential as a defense-first shortstop last July. After last season, BA ranked Strickland 19th among Pirates prospects.
- The Red Sox then sent LaRoche to the Braves for Casey Kotchman.
- An unknown club offered a major leaguer and a borderline prospect for LaRoche last summer.
What has stayed the same:
- LaRoche is in the final year of his contract.
- His team is out of contention.
- He has a reputation as a second half hitter (career .300/.363/.546 line in the second half).
- His defense remains about average, according to UZR.
What has changed:
- LaRoche's contract is more team-friendly this year. He was making 7.05MM last year. Now, LaRoche's salary is just $4.5MM, but if a team trades for him, they'll have to buy LaRoche out for $1.5MM or pick up his 2011 option for $9.5MM.
- He's hitting better this year. When the Pirates traded him last year, LaRoche had a .247/.329/.441 line. Now, he's hitting .266/.362/.485 with seven homers.
- LaRoche, now 30, is a year older.
- A contender has a clear need for a first baseman this year. The Marlins, Giants and Braves all wanted upgrades at first base last year, but none of those teams had a hole like the Angels do now.
The verdict:
- LaRoche brought the Pirates a couple secondary prospects last year and could reportedly have brought in a similar return from another team. Now, he's under a more desirable contract and hitting better in a market where one team clearly needs a first baseman and few clubs appear ready to sell. D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes seems better-positioned to acquire prospects for LaRoche than Neal Huntington was a year ago.
Odds & Ends: Angels, Willis, Oswalt, Jones
Memorial Day linkage, as Ubaldo Jimenez continues to amaze…
- T.J. Simers of the LA Times offers a profile of refreshingly down-to-earth Angels owner Arte Moreno.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune explains the dilemma the White Sox will face when they have the chance to select Ozney Guillen on draft day.
- Ryan Zimmerman would like to see the Nationals acquire Roy Oswalt, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
- A scout told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he would be interested in Adam Jones if the Orioles considered trading him, despite the young outfielder's 2010 struggles.
- MLBTR is looking for an intern with strong Excel skills and a willingness to contribute for 30 minutes a day. If you are interested in this unpaid data entry position, send a short e-mail to mlbtrintern@gmail.com by the end of the day.
- We will be giving away a DVD of the movie Sugar to our 30,000th Twitter follower (currently 584 followers away). Sugar chronicles a Dominican pitcher trying to make it to the Majors.
- The Cubs announced the promotion of 2008 first-round pick Andrew Cashner. The big righty will work out of the bullpen. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle notes that several years ago, Cashner offered the Astros a hometown discount and they declined.
- The Pirates benched second baseman Akinori Iwamura in favor of Neil Walker, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Iwamura, the team's highest-paid player, was an out-of-character acquisition for GM Neal Huntington. At the time of the trade there had been talk about an extension, but we have to assume that idea has been tabled.
- Dontrelle Willis' agent Matt Sosnick spoke to MLB.com's Jason Beck, saying his client could benefit from a fresh start despite a fair chance with the Tigers.
- Rany Jazayerli says Dayton Moore is not the worst GM in baseball, and it is too early to judge his organizational rebuilding effort.
- With one week left, AOL FanHouse's Frankie Piliere has his third first-round mock draft. ESPN's Keith Law also posted a mock draft, for those who have Insider.
- Heath Bell explained to Bill Center and Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune why he still has hostility toward the Mets.
Rosenthal On Cardinals, Silva, Yankees
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his latest column by noting that the Angels' problems extend beyond the loss of first baseman Kendry Morales. On the business side, I wonder how Morales' abbreviated 2010 will affect his first-time arbitration payday after the season. A few other hot stove notes from Rosenthal…
- Rosenthal would not be surprised to see the Cardinals add a starting pitcher. They've got payroll flexibility but a reluctance to move more prospects. In my opinion, that points toward an acquisition of someone like Jake Westbrook.
- Carlos Silva has surpassed all expectations, and you have to credit Cubs GM Jim Hendry for saving money and getting a useful player for Milton Bradley. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said to Rosenthal, "We didn't see any flashes of him doing what he's doing now. It just didn't feel like it was going to work here."
- Rosenthal finds it likely that the Yankees will attempt to acquire a bat as well as bullpen help.
- Could Phillies first base prospect Jonathan Singleton become trade bait? Rosenthal spoke to one scout who raved about Singleton, who the Phillies drafted out of high school in the eighth round last year. Singleton, ranked 20th among Phils prospects heading into the season by Baseball America, is off to a strong start in Low A.
Odds & Ends: Willis, Pierzynski, Mets, Miranda
Links for Sunday….
- Matthew Carruth at FanGraphs says that Dontrelle Willis could go from being a big sunk cost to a valuable investment if he flees to an NL club for the league minimum.
- Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reminds us that A.J. Pierzynski's ten-and-five rights kick in on June 14th, just over two weeks away. At that point the catcher will be able to veto any trade.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis says (via Twitter) that he remains unconvinced that the Mets would exceed MLB's recommended slot bonus in next month's draft. The Amazin's hold the seventh overall pick.
- Chad Jennings of The Journal News chronicles the story of Yankees' DH Juan Miranda, who wasn't able to successfully defect from Cuba until his seventh attempt.
- In his latest Inbox column at MLB.com, Joe Frisaro says that if the Marlins look to make any additions prior to this year's deadline, they will likely come in the form of bullpen arms. Florida's rotation has compiled a 3.65 ERA this season, but its bullpen ranks 11th in the NL at 4.46.
- More bad news for Indians fans from MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince: Grady Sizemore will undergo knee surgery that could potentially end his season.
- After being designated for assignment, Willis would like to play for a West Coast team, according to FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. Morosi says the Diamondbacks are Willis' first choice.
- In a pair of tweets, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times discusses the Paul Konerko-to-the-Angels speculation we mentioned this morning.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post expects the Yankees to sign Cliff Lee after this season, and ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider-only link) agrees. One AL exec tells Sherman that he has "no doubt" the Yanks will sign the left-hander.
- Within the same ESPN.com piece, Olney opines that the Tigers could be the most logical fit for Roy Oswalt. Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press would like to see the Tigers make a run at the Astros' ace, while Morosi (via Twitter) thinks Lee makes more sense for the Tigers.
- Scott Schoeneweis cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe. The Red Sox designated the lefty for assignment earlier this month.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer examines the challenge Chris Antonetti will face when he takes over as the Indians' GM after this season.
- Adeiny Hechavarria is making a strong first impression at Single-A Dunedin, according to the Toronto Sun's Bob Elliott.