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NL Central Notes: Lowrie, Brewers, Cardinals

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The NL Central includes the Senior Circuit's most potent offense (the Cardinals) and its lowest-scoring team (the Cubs). The Cardinals outscore the Cubs by more than one run per game (4.88 runs per game vs. 3.69). Here are the latest links from the NL Central…

  • The Astros are telling teams they're open to more trades, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Even Jed Lowrie, who has been on the disabled list with a sprained ankle for the past two weeks, is available.
  • Brewers president of baseball operations Doug Melvin joined Casey Stern and Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and explained how the Zack Greinke trade went down (audio here).
  • The Brewers released Seth McClung, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). The right-hander, who last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2009, appeared in 21 games for Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate this year, posting a 6.36 ERA in 103 1/3 innings.
  • The Cardinals have never been more open to trading pitching prospect Shelby Miller, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports. However, at least one team has lost interest in Miller.
  • Cubs manager Dale Sveum will be surprised if Ryan Dempster isn't traded, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Click here for the latest rumors surrounding the right-hander.

Athletics To Acquire George Kottaras From Brewers

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SUNDAY, 12:51am: The Brewers will receive right-handed reliever Fautino De Los Santos in the trade according to Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. The 26-year-old pitched to a 7.25 ERA in 36 Triple-A innings this year and owns a 4.21 ERA with 11.4 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 36 1/3 big league innings with Oakland over the last two seasons.

SATURDAY, 3:05pm: The Brewers and Athletics have agreed on a trade to send catcher George Kottaras to Oakland, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  It's not yet known what the Brewers will receive in return.

Kottaras, 29, was designated for assignment by Milwaukee on Thursday.  The catcher has a .209/.409/.360 slash line in 116 plate appearances this year for the Brewers.  In parts of five big league seasons, Kottaras owns a .221/.326/.402 batting line.  The Brewers replenished their catching depth this afternoon when they inked Humberto Quintero to a minor league deal.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal for the catcher.

NL Central Links: Dempster, Garza, Cardinals, Parra

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Perhaps no division will be more active at the trade deadline this summer than the NL Central, which houses three sellers (Cubs, Brewers, Astros) and three buyers (Reds, Pirates, Cardinals). Here's the latest from baseball's only six-team division…

  • The Cubs are at an impasse with the Dodgers over Ryan Dempster while the Braves continue to monitor the situation according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. People in the game think Atlanta could get involved with Dempster again even though their first deal fell through.
  • If the Cubs don't trade Matt Garza this summer, he seems likely to be dealt in the winter, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. A trade seems likely as the two sides haven't discussed a contract extension since talks broke off this spring.
  • Scott Miller of CBSSports.com reports that the Cardinals have discussed Francisco Liriano with the Twins as they look to bolster their pitching staff before the deadline.
  • The Brewers have had some inquiries about Manny Parra, but they may keep him and try him as a starter again, Knobler tweets.
  • The Pirates have acquired outfielder/first baseman Christian Marrero from the Braves for infielder Brian Friday, reports Dan Simpson of Talking Chop (on Twitter). Both players will head to Triple-A, adds Michael Sanserino of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Brewers Sign Humberto Quintero

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The Brewers have signed catcher Humberto Quintero to a minor league deal, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  This comes on the heels of the Brewers reportedly closing in on a deal to send recently DFA'd catcher George Kottaras to Oakland.

Quintero, 32, was cut loose by the Royals after being designated for assignment earlier this month.  Kansas City acquired Quintero in March along with Jason Bourgeois from the Astros for Kevin Chapman and minor league outfielder D'Andre Toney.  Quintero hit .232/.257/.341 line in 144 plate appearances for the Royals in 2012.

Details On The Pursuit Of Zack Greinke

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The Angels won the Zack Greinke sweepstakes last night, acquiring the former Cy Young Award winner in exchange for prospects Jean Segura, John Hellweg, and Ariel Pena. We've already seen some reactions to the trade as well as a breakdown of its impact on the Rangers, but here are some more details on the pursuit of the right-hander…

  • Righties Justin Grimm and Cody Buckel were the top pieces in the Rangers offer, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Brewers valued a young shortstop and wanted Martin Perez to compensate.
  • Rosenthal also hears that the Angels' late inclusion of Pena in their offer swung things in their favor (Twitter link).
  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams "worked his tail off" to land Greinke according to Rosenthal (on Twitter), even trying to include a third team before failing to find a match.
  • MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter) that the Nationals expressed interest in Greinke, perhaps in preparation for Stephen Strasburg's eventual shutdown. The Braves were also in the mix.

The Rangers And The Zack Greinke Deal

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Besides the Angels and Brewers themselves, perhaps no team was as impacted by the Zack Greinke trade as the Rangers.  Here's the latest on the Rangers' own pursuit of Greinke and how they plan to counter the Angels' newest salvo in the battle for the AL West.

  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that the Rangers were the other finalist for Greinke's services.  The Rangers offered Leury Garcia, Chad Bell and Justin Grimm to the Brewers.
  • Had the Rangers been willing to include third base prospect Mike Olt in their offer to the Brewers, Greinke probably would've ended up in Texas, USA Today's Bob Nightengale.  FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, however, reports the Brewers wanted Martin Perez and didn't "insist" on Olt or Jurickson Profar, though Texas still felt the requested package of prospects was too much (both links are to Twitter).
  • With Greinke gone, the Rangers won't necessarily try to acquire Josh Johnson or James Shields, a source tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  The Marlins and Rays have put a high price tag on their aces and the Rangers may wait to see if they lower their demands.  Sullivan notes that if the Rangers weren't willing to deal the likes of Olt for Greinke, they wouldn't trade him or other top prospects for another pitcher who they didn't value as highly.
  • The Rangers also valued Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee more than they did Greinke, reports Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).  Hamels just signed an extension to remain in Philadelphia and the Rangers shied away from the large salary still owed to Lee through the 2015 season.
  • The Rangers are "unlikely" to get Johnson, while they're still in play for Shields, tweets CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. 

Reaction To The Zack Greinke Trade

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Zack Greinke is on his way to the Angels and the ripple effects of this big move are reverberating throughout baseball.  Here is some of the early reaction to the big deal and how it will impact other clubs as we approach the trade deadline…

  • Los Angeles paid a "significant" price for Greinke, especially given that he's only under contract through the rest of this season, writes ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required).  As for the minor league package going to Milwaukee, "it's only marginally less than the Brewers initially gave up for two years of Greinke, but has a lot more risk, as all three of the prospects involved have fairly low floors," says Law.
  • The Angels "must be thrilled" over acquiring Greinke without having to deal Peter Bourjos or Garrett Richards, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. 
  • The Greinke trade could it for the Angels' deadline moves.  "This in all likelihood will be all we do," GM Jerry Dipoto tells Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times (Twitter link).
  • Dipoto also told DiGiovanna that he hasn't discussed an extension yet with Greinke, who can be a free agent after this season. An AL executive tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link) that the Angels must have gotten "at least [an] inkling from [the] Greinke camp he can be re-signed" or else they wouldn't have made the deal.
  • Greinke told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that he enjoyed his time in Milwaukee and would be open to returning if the Brewers pursued him in free agency.  The right-hander described his choice to not sign an extension with the Brewers as "a business decision."
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin told reporters (including Haudricourt) that he "zeroed in" on three suitors for Greinke before narrowing the field down to just two teams. "We got a lot of phone calls. When you have a player of Zack's caliber, a lot of people are instructed to make a phone call to get involved," Melvin said.
  • The Angels were reportedly high on Greinke's list of preferred trade destinations, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).  Greinke also would've liked to pitch for the Braves and Cardinals.
  • The Rays were hoping that if Greinke was dealt to the Angels or Rangers, it would move the other to "pay big" for James Shields, reports Sherman (Twitter link).  Other executives, however, think the Rangers prefer Josh Johnson over Shields.

Brewers DFA Brock Kjeldgaard, Edwin Maysonet

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The Brewers have designated outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard and infielder Edwin Maysonet for assignment, according to a team press release.  This is a corresponding move to the Zack Greinke trade, as the Brewers opened up 40-man roster spots for Jean Segura, Ariel Pena and John Hellweg.

Kjeldgaard, 26, was taken as a pitcher in the 34th round of the 2005 amateur draft, but he converted to the outfield in his third pro season.  The Edmonton native has a career batting line of .251/.333/.454 in 2215 minor league plate appearances, never reaching higher than the Double-A level. 

Maysonet posted a .250/.297/.350 line in 66 plate appearances with the Brewers this season and has an overall .654 OPS in 152 Major League PAs with the Brewers and Astros.  The 30-year-old was picked by Houston in the 19th round of the 2003 amateur draft.  Maysonet has played mostly shortstop and second base in his career and has a .701 OPS in 3615 PAs over 10 minor league seasons.

Angels Acquire Zack Greinke

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One of the trade deadline's major chips has switched teams, as the Angels have acquired Zack Greinke in a trade with the Brewers.  Milwaukee will receive top infield prospect Jean Segura and Double-A right-handers Ariel Pena and John Hellweg in exchange for their ace.

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Greinke returns to the American League after spending the last season and a half with the Brewers.  The right-hander lived up to expectations in Milwaukee, posting a 3.67 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 rate in 49 starts with the team and playing a major role in the Brewers' charge to the NLCS last season.  Still, the Brewers are undoubtedly disappointed to be moving their ace less than 20 months after acquiring him from the Royals for a major prospect haul that included Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, though they were able to recoup some of that minor league depth back in this deal.

Segura was rated as the 55th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America headed into this season and the shortstop put up solid numbers at Double-A Arkansas, hitting .294/.346/.404.  Segura also made his Major League debut on July 24 as the Angels called him up as depth for the injured Erick Aybar.  With Mike Trout and Garrett Richards now in the majors, Segura was considered to be the top prospect remaining in the Halos' system.  The 22-year-old has been considered by some teams to be best suited for second base, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, though for now Segura fills the shortstop void left behind by Escobar in the Brewers' system.

Pena, 23, has a 3.37 ERA, an 8.9 K/9 rate and a 2.2 K/BB rate in 111 games (103 of them starts) over six seasons in the Angels' system.  Hellweg, also 23, was a 16th-round pick for the Angels in the 2008 amateur draft.  He has a 3.66 ERA and a 9.6 K/9 rate in 127 minor league games (38 starts) though control has been an issue, as Hellweg has a career 6.4 BB/9 rate.

Pitching wasn't expected to be a need position for the Halos going into the season, but with Dan Haren and Ervin Santana struggling, the team was in need of another big arm.  Greinke is a free agent this winter and the Angels are in a good payroll position to keep him; Los Angeles could decline its $15.5MM and $13MM options on Haren and Santana, respectively, plus Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu's contracts will be off the books after this season.

The Angels not only upgrade themselves by acquiring Greinke, they also deal a blow to their AL West rivals — the Rangers were one of several teams in the mix for Greinke.  With one major arm removed from the trade market, teams like the Rangers, Braves, White Sox or Dodgers could now their attention to other possibly available aces like James Shields or Josh Johnson.

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) broke the news that Greinke was going to Anaheim, as well as the news about which prospects would be going back to Milwaukee.

Photo courtesy of Frank Victores/US Presswire.

Rangers Notes: Outfielders, Greinke, Broxton

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The Rangers look primed to make at least a couple of trade deadline upgrades to their roster as they pursue that elusive World Series title.  We heard earlier today that Texas was looking at such top-tier outfielders as Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Shin-Soo Choo and Justin Upton, though none of those players look to be available right now.  Here's some more about other Ranger trade targets…

  • "We need a good pitcher. We can use a good pitcher. If it happens to be a No. 1 that Jon Daniels gets, if he gets it, fine. We need a good pitcher," Rangers manager Ron Washington told reporters (including ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett).
  • The Rangers seem to prefer Zack Greinke to James Shields and Josh Johnson, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets.  Knobler also notes the possibility that if Texas misses out on trading for a starter, they could instead trade for a reliever and more Alexi Ogando back to the rotation.
  • If the Rangers do acquire Greinke from the Brewers, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan speculates that Texas would want a second player back in the deal, "to at least have something to show for it beyond 2012" if Greinke leaves via free agency.  Such a second player could be a prospect or bench depth, Sullivan guesses.
  • The Rangers could be interested in Jonathan Broxton as the club looks for relief help, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  The Mets and Giants are among the other teams recently linked to Broxton.
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