Brewers Rumors

Odds & Ends: Lowell, Barmes, Red Sox, Hanson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 28, 2010 at 10:06pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, as the Tigers get some infield depth from a division rival…

The Rangers haven't ruled out acquiring Mike Lowell, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
Agent Bean Stringfellow told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Blue Jays are not currently discussing an extension with Jose Bautista. It’s not at all surprising given how much else the Blue Jays have to sort out this week. Bautista said on the FAN 590 today that he would listen if the Blue Jays approached him with a multi-year deal after the season.
The Cardinals are not interested in Clint Barmes, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino told WEEI.com’s Alex Speier that the Red Sox will “look aggressively” for ways to improve at the trade deadline.
Tommy Hanson explained to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he chose the Boras Corp. because of the support the agency offers.
Brett Myers is untouchable, a source tells Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). With respect to Justice and his source, it seems unfathomable that a 41-59 team wouldn't listen to offers on a player who can walk at the end of the season.
Casey Fien cleared waivers and the Tigers outrighted him to Triple A, according to the team (via Twitter). Detroit designated Fien for assignment last weekend.
Like Fien, Scott Moore cleared waivers and headed to Triple A, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's designated Moore for assignment last week.
And another recent DFA, Justin Miller, was outrighted to Triple A Albuquerque, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
The Blue Jays have considered Kelly Johnson, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Aaron Hill recently told the Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair that he would play third if the Jays asked him to, so Johnson could theoretically play second in Toronto. Seems like a longshot to me.
Kyle Farnsworth is available to manager Ned Yost (and GMs around the league) after leaving yesterday's game with a hamstring cramp, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
Trevor Hoffman can veto deals to 25 MLB teams, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The all-time saves leader and his $7.5MM salary would likely clear waivers, so interested teams will probably be able to pursue him in August.
One player told Morosi that he'd be "shocked" if the Brewers trade Prince Fielder this week.
Mike Axisa counts down the Yankees' top five trade chips at River Ave. Blues.
The Dodgers won't discuss prospect Dee Gordon with other teams, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday

By Tim Dierkes | July 28, 2010 at 8:40pm CDT

The Prince Fielder rumors have been surprisingly quiet, but here's the latest…

The Rangers are not confident in their ability to acquire Fielder, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter). They don't want to give up too many prospects, but the Brewers are asking for a mammoth return. Passan notes on Twitter that first base is still a priority for the Rangers, who maintain interest in Jorge Cantu.
The Rangers have joined the Fielder fray along with the Angels and White Sox, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Fielder would already cost a lot in terms of prospects, so I can't imagine what it'd take to convince the Brewers to pick up most of his remaining $3.88MM this year too. This is also the first we've heard in a while about the Halos being interested in Fielder.

Brewers To Wait And See For Now

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2010 at 6:23pm CDT

The Brewers still appear to be sellers, but they're going to take a little extra time to determine their plan for this week's trade deadline. The team will not make any decisions – or, presumably, any trades – until they complete their series with the Reds, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

GM Doug Melvin and the rest of the club's front office have many trade chips, but appear ready to wait until the club wraps up its series with Cincinnati tomorrow afternoon. The Brewers are 8.0 games out of a playoff spot, though they have won five straight.

The team's biggest trade chip, Prince Fielder, tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's prepared for a trade. Prince knows he has little control over the Brewers' decision, but he says he enjoys playing defense and wants to play first base when he signs as a free agent after 2011. The sides are not currently discussing an extension, according to Fielder.

Corey Hart is not in tonight's lineup, but he has caught the attention of several teams and will presumably draw heavy interest if he proves that his right wrist won't be a serious problem. Dave Bush, on the other hand, has drawn little interest, even though he has more quality starts than Ted Lilly or Dan Haren.

The lack of interest in Bush amuses Melvin, who told MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that he gets "a kick out of teams talking about all of these other pitchers" when Bush has been serviceable as well.

Odds & Ends: Sweeney, Downs, Martin

By Tim Dierkes | July 26, 2010 at 11:14am CDT

Links for Monday, as we celebrate the anniversary of the Mark DeRosa (2009), Casey Blake (2008), Xavier Nady (2008), and Ben Broussard (2006) trades. More importantly, Chris Perez, Carlos Santana, Jose Tabata, and Shin-Soo Choo were surrendered for those veteran acquisitions. The trade deadline is five days away; who will mortgage the future this year?

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy has good quotes from Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who said, "Teams talk, but they don't give you legitimate offers. The toughest part is that teams don't want to take anybody off their Major League club. Teams will offer prospects in A-ball." In the piece, McCalvy outlines Melvin's options regarding Prince Fielder.
Orioles owner Peter Angelos doesn't want to deal with the Yankees, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. That means one less trade partner for the Orioles as they try to move Ty Wigginton.
The Blue Jays reached a $600K agreement with second-round pick Kellen Sweeney, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. Sweeney, brother of A's outfielder Ryan, will move to third base to begin his pro career. News of the agreement first surfaced Friday via Jeff Johnson of The Gazette.
WEEI's Rob Bradford looks at Boston's bullpen options, noting that it'd be dangerous to overpay for Scott Downs. The Jays continue to ask for an elite prospect for Downs, writes Bradford's colleague Alex Speier. One exec who spoke to ESPN's Jayson Stark expects Toronto to continue "stoking fires" and wait until Friday or Saturday to trade Downs.
Will the Dodgers, possibly reluctant to give Russell Martin another raise through arbitration, trade the catcher in the early offseason? Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports examines.
Speaking of the offseason, D'Backs CEO Derrick Hall says the team will be pursuing a closer and another reliever despite a decreasing payroll (Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reporting).
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs explains that MLB teams may view Dan Haren as less than an ace due to his tendency to allow home runs. The Diamondbacks moved Haren at the worst possible time, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Odds & Ends: Reds, Happ, Edmonds, Rangers, Tigers

By Luke Adams 2 | July 25, 2010 at 3:30pm CDT

Links for Sunday, as Jim Thome cranks his 576th career home run….

Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that he's actively talking to clubs, but nothing is imminent.
MLB.com's Corey Brock offers his opinion (via Twitter) of how the Padres should prioritize their needs at the deadline: a starting pitcher and middle infield depth.
CSN's Jim Salisbury tweets that the Astros, Rays, Giants, and Pirates all have scouts at today's Phillies game. Both J.A. Happ and Jayson Werth are appealing to other teams.
Jim Edmonds implied that he's leaning toward retiring at season's end, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A close friend of Josh Byrnes tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the former Diamondbacks GM has no shortage of job offers. Within the column, Cafardo also speculates on the availability of players such as Joakim Soria, Livan Hernandez, and Mike Gonzalez.
Rangers president Nolan Ryan reiterated that a right-handed first baseman was at or near the top of the club's wish list, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.
Jim Leyland tells Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press that Dave Dombrowski hasn't informed him of any trade targets during the last two weeks. Specifically, Leyland hasn't heard anything about Ted Lilly or Mike Lowell from the Tigers' GM.
Referring to trade rumors or contract years as a "distraction" is overblown, according to MLB.com's Alyson Footer.
Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer has six tips for Ruben Amaro Jr. to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches, while John Tomase of the Boston Herald would like to see Theo Epstein exercise restraint this week.

Olney’s Latest: Tigers, Hart, Sheets

By Luke Adams 2 | July 25, 2010 at 10:30am CDT

Injuries could play a part in increasing trading before Saturday's deadline, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link). With a handful of teams, most notably the Tigers, seeing key players head to the disabled list, many clubs' needs are in flux. Detroit, for instance, had been focusing on acquiring a starting pitcher, but with Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez all recently placed on the DL, the team may need to look into bats as well. Here are the other highlights of Olney's column:

If the Tigers pursue an outfielder, they could ask about Jayson Werth, Jose Guillen, or Jeff Francoeur. Dave Dombrowski has said he won't trade top prospects for rental players though, according to this tweet by Tom Gage of the Detroit News.
Corey Hart's hand injury doesn't appear serious, but one GM tells Olney: "If [the Brewers] are going to get anything in a trade, he's got to play before the deadline and show he's healthy."
Scouts had noticed a dip in Ben Sheets' velocity and less use of his breaking ball before the right-hander hit the DL with elbow trouble. Olney notes that Oakland's "Matt Holliday plan" has been a bust in Sheets' case, since his injury means they're stuck with him.
Olney hears from a GM that there's "a lot of conversation about a lot of players" happening right now, meaning we could see a flurry of trade activity this week.

Rosenthal On Fielder, Padres, Rockies

By Zachary Links | July 24, 2010 at 4:49pm CDT

Let's see what Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has for us in his latest installment of Full Count..

White Sox GM Ken Williams is said to be confident about landing either Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn. Williams continues to talk to the Brewers about Fielder but there doesn't seem to be a match as they seek pitching in return. Meanwhile, the Nats have told everyone that they'll need to be overwhelmed by an offer to move Dunn. If the White Sox strike out on the two big-time left-handed sluggers, they're unlikely to reach for a player such as Russell Branyan or Brad Hawpe. Instead, they'll look to go small and try to improve their bullpen and bench.
The Padres are now more focused on offense than pitching, but don't expect them to make a big splash. The club expects pitchers such as Jake Westbrook to clear waivers rather easily in August. Ultimately, they're likely to make two or three small acquisitions, bringing in guys that won't cost a lot but will help their squad contend.
The Rockies are looking for a right-handed hitting first baseman in Todd Helton's absence. Jorge Cantu was a possibility but his price was high to begin with and now the Marlins appear to be back in contention. Ty Wigginton also appears to be out of reach as the O's want a young shortstop in return. Colorado made an inquiry on Jayson Werth but the Phillies are telling teams that they won't deal him unless they get a major league-ready starter.

Odds & Ends: Hart, Angels, Blue Jays, Mariners

By Mike Axisa | July 24, 2010 at 12:44pm CDT

Some links for Saturday as Roy Oswalt prepares to make what might be the final start of his Astros' career…

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that an MRI revealed just a bruise in Corey Hart's thumb. He isn't expected to go on the disabled list, but will be out a few days. Plenty of teams have been connected to the Brewers' outfielder this trade season.
Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that it will tough for the Angels to justify more upgrades if they get swept by Texas this weekend. The Halos have already brought in Alberto Callaspo, but have fallen seven games back of the Rangers after losing in each of the last two nights.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff notes (via Twitter) that the Blue Jays had scouts at last night's Royals-Yankees game, and will again today. Toronto has made most of their bullpen available, and the Yanks are known to be looking for relief help.
ESPN's Buster Olney hears that there is a "major split" between the Mariners' front office and field staff (Twitter link). This comes the morning after Chone Figgins and manager Don Wakamatsu had to be separated in the dugout.
The Giants made "genuine progress" on a deal for David DeJesus before the Royals' outfielder suffered a season ending thumb injury on Thursday, reports Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News.
Meanwhile, Baggarly speculates that the Giants could be looking at some Diamondbacks' players since they're looking for a lefty bat.
A's GM Billy Beane said "it would behoove" him to keep Ben Sheets because of his value in the clubhouse, according to MLB.com's Alex Espinoza. With just over $4MM left on his contract, Sheets should easily clear trade waivers in August if Beane has a change of heart.
Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald adds the Rockies to the list of teams that have expressed interest in Jorge Cantu.
The Phillies have not put much money into their international scouting program in recent years, writes Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Odds & Ends: Lilly, Braves, Reds, Berkman

By Luke Adams 2 | July 23, 2010 at 10:26pm CDT

Links for Friday night….

Ned Colletti says the Dodgers could use another outfielder, but not as much as they need pitching, according to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
We heard recently from ESPN.com's Jayson Stark that Ted Lilly will likely be traded before the deadline. Chris De Luca of the Chicago Sun-Times says it could even happen by the end of the weekend.
Frank Wren tells David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he often has to turn away teams inquiring about the Braves' young pitchers.
The Reds could still be looking for bullpen arms, says Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
GM Dave Dombrowski tells FOX's Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link) that the Tigers aren't close to completing any trades.
The Braves aren't showing much interest for now in Cody Ross, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
Lance Berkman is prepared to face free agency if his option isn't picked up, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Corey Hart will have an MRI on his injured wrist tomorrow, according to the Brewers' Twitter feed. Teams in the market for an outfielder, having already seen David DeJesus go down this week, will be closely monitoring the results.

Odds & Ends: Greinke, Cardinals, DeJesus, Guillen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 2:50pm CDT

Links for Friday, exactly one year after the Rockies acquired Rafael Betancourt…

A source tells George A. King III of the New York Post that the Royals will listen on all of their players, including Zack Greinke. As one MLB source explained to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, the Royals would really need to be blown away to trade their ace (Twitter link).
The Cardinals have slowed their search for a shortstop who can hit, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Here's a major blow for the Royals: David DeJesus will miss two to six weeks, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). Either way, he's out until after the deadline.
The Giants scouted Jose Guillen last night, according to Olney (Twitter link).
Brewers manager Ken Macha appears to have job security for the rest of the season, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests that the Phillies should send Raul Ibanez back to Seattle. That's a deal that wouldn't interest the Mariners in the least.
Jeff Francoeur told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork that he loves New York, but wouldn't mind being traded if it means he gets to play more. The Mets appear to be trying to trade Francoeur.

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