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Rosenthal’s Latest: M’s, Yanks, Roenicke, Rays, Cubs

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a lengthy new article discussing All-Stars, some of the game's top young hitters and a plethora of hot stove info. Here are some highlights…

  • Rival executives around the league are critical of the Mariners for rushing their top prospects, but Rosenthal notes that Nick Franklin has been more than up to the challenge, and Brad Miller earned his promotion with his minor league performance. Regarding the struggling Mike Zunino, GM Jack Zduriencik told Rosenthal: "We planned all along to get Mike to Seattle at some point in July … He wasn't expected to be a big contributor offensively if it was now, July, September … but he has held his own, and what he is receiving now will set him up for 2014 and beyond."
  • Multiple scouts have questioned the work ethic of the Brewers' players, with one telling Rosenthal "there's a lot of quit on that team." Rosenthal writes that it isn't manager Ron Roenicke's fault that Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Aramis Ramirez have been injured, but the negative reports could be an "ominous sign" for Roenicke. Rosenthal tweets a correction, noting that Roenicke is signed through 2014, not through 2013 as he initially reported.
  • The Yankees aren't planning a fire sale, but if they did, they'd have some of the most attractive trade chips in the game. The Yankees could part with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, however, and Rosenthal adds Curtis Granderson's name to the mix, assuming the injured outfielder gets healthy in time.
  • The Rays aren't looking to add a starting pitcher with both David Price and Alex Cobb likely to return in the near future. If the Rays make any moves at all, they'll be for impact players regardless of position.
  • The Cubs are "all but certain" to trade pending free agents Matt Garza, Kevin Gregg and Scott Feldman, but they're not in a rush to deal Nate Schierholtz and David DeJesus, both of whom are controlled beyond 2013. 

Yankees Notes: A-Rod, Gonzalez, Devers, Molina

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The Yankees dropped a 4-2 result to the Orioles tonight, giving the Bombers an 11-16 record in June and extending their losing streak to five games.  Here's the latest from the Bronx…

  • Alex Rodriguez and Yankees GM Brian Cashman shared some harsh words this week but team president Randy Levine told ESPN New York's Ian O'Connor that the Yankees both want and "need Alex back" as soon as possible.  "We are desperate for his right-handed power, and he's better than any third baseman on this team right now," Levine said.  "Alex is going to help us.  Obviously, it's no secret that we're struggling against left-handed pitching, that our whole offense is struggling, and that we've had very, very serious injuries….Any semblance of A-Rod would help us. Even last year's A-Rod would be a big upgrade over what we have right now."
  • The Yankees have scouted Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez but won't pursue signing him, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.  One scout tells King that it "looks like the Dodgers" will sign the 26-year-old, echoing rumors that the Dodgers are willing to "go all out" to acquire Gonzalez.  
  • Also from King, the Yankees are interested in two players from the Dominican Republic: third baseman Rafael Devers and center fielder Leonardo Molina.  The Yankees have been considered to be the "most likely suitor" for the 15-year-old Molina, while the Phillies and Red Sox have also been linked to Devers.

Cafardo On Utley, Gonzalez, Crain, Yankees

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As impressive as young players like Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Yasiel Puig have been, no one was more spectacular than young Alex Rodriguez, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  However, A-Rod has since tarnished his legacy by being linked to performance enhancing drugs.  It all comes back to Rodriguez's love of baseball, because for him, being the best was never good enough.  Now he finds himself rehabbing from injury in Tampa, Florida and no one knows how it will play out.  Rodriguez could retire because of a physical disability and collect the remaining $114MM on his contract or he return to the Yankees after the All-Star break and provide the righthanded bat they sorely need.  Here's more from today's column..

  • One team that has at least discussed acquiring the Phillies' Chase Utley is the Royals.  Kansas City would love to stabilize their lineup and/or second base situation with someone of Utley’s caliber.  Meanwhile, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that he wants the second baseman to retire in a Phillies uniform, if possible.
  • The Red Sox are one of the teams extremely interested in Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, but they won’t break the bank for him, according to a team source.  The Sox were certainly burned by the Daisuke Matsuzaka signing and don’t want to get burned again on a deal for the 26-year-old righthander. Even though Gonzalez seems to be the real deal, past injuries seem to be giving some teams pause. 
  • White Sox reliever Jesse Crain will draw interest and Cafardo warns not to rule out the Red Sox. Pitching coach Juan NIeves coached him in Chicago and he’s a stable force at the end of games.  Meanwhile, there will be others vying for Crain, including the Orioles and Yankees.  Our own Charlie Wilmoth recently examined Crain as a trade candidate.
  • FIrst baseman Chris Carter is an interesting righthanded bat the Astros would move for the right package of young players. The Yankees are a possibility since they need a righthanded hitter who can play first base and the outfield.  Even though he strikes out a lot, the 26-year-old Carter could be an intriguing option for clubs. 
  • The Cubs have a lot of desirable trade pieces, starting of course with Matt Garza, who could be dealt sooner rather than later – maybe even sooner than the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco.  Besides Garza, there’s been a lot of interest in outfielder Nate Schierholtz and veteran righthander Scott Feldman, who Cafardo sees as a match for the Orioles.  Outfielders Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus along with relievers Kevin Gregg and James Russell could be moved as well.
  • While the Twins say that Glen Perkins is not available, they should expect some club – possibly the Tigers - to offer a substantial package.

Quick Hits: Konerko, Garza, Gonzalez, Yankees

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Paul Konerko isn't interested in discussing a potential trade from the White Sox to a contender, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports on Twitter.  "I don’t know many teams that are going to want a guy who can’t play," the first baseman said.  Konerko, 37, is nursing a back injury and hasn't played since June 23rd.  As Merkin notes, Konerko has ten-and-five rights, meaning he cannot be traded without permission.  The White Sox reportedly aren't interested in moving him anyway, even though they expect to be sellers at the deadline.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Orioles are interested in the Cubs' Matt Garza after being "lukewarm" on him previously, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports via Twitter. However, they believe the Cubs' current asking price is too high.
  • A team source says Cuban righty Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez is "not a fit" for the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, via Twitter. The Nats had two scouts watch Gonzalez pitch this month but believe he'll be overpriced.
  • The Yankees aren't involved in discussions for Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco "or any other pitcher," FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says via Twitter, noting that offense is the team's primary need.
  • It sounds as though A's GM Billy Beane will give serious thought to re-signing Grant Balfour, despite having two cheaper heir-apparents in the fold, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Boldt, Young, Yankees, Hughes, Orioles

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Here's a look around the American League East, which figures (as usual) to be one of baseball's most interesting divisions over the summer. 

  • The Red Sox are doing everything they can to court 22nd-round high school outfielder Ryan Boldt, reports WEEI.com's Alex Speier, including a trip to venerable Fenway Park. While the presumption has been that Boston's free bonus money will be insufficient to draw Boldt away from the University of Nebraska, the Sox are still hoping to woo him with a $1MM-plus bonus offer.
  • We just learned that the Red Sox are bringing up longtime minor leaguer Jonathan Diaz to fill in temporarily at third, but the club could have designs on a more permanent solution for the remainder of the year. George A. King III of the New York Post says that Boston could be in on Michael Young if the Phillies make him available, with one source saying that the Sox "want him badly."
  • King further reports that the Yankees are also likely to be in on Young, as others have noted. Indeed, as CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman discussed yesterday, the Yanks seem to be a likely buyer at third. Alex Rodriguez is still a ways off from a return, and remains a major uncertainty. Other than Young, Heyman says that the top potential target — Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers — will likely be too expensive for New York's preferences. According to Heyman, the Bronx Bombers could consider White Sox utilityman Jeff Keppinger, and are still interested in bringing in free agent Ian Stewart on a minor league deal.
  • As the Yankees look for bats, Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger explores whether the club could do so by dealing inconsistent starter Phil Hughes. McCullough acknowledges that there are several reasons why this wouldn't make sense: for one, if Hughes performs well enough to net a good return and the Yankees remain in contention, it would be hard to part ways. For another, Hughes would seem to appeal mostly to other contenders given his pending free agency, limiting the potential for acquiring an impact bat from a cellar-dwelling trade partner. Finally, the possibility of making the still-youthful Hughes a qualifying offer remains an attractive (if complicated) option for New York. 
  • The Orioles have a complex roster management situation developing with the impending return of second baseman Brian Roberts, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. While the club has a 40-man spot open after removing Freddy Garcia, the O's will need to create a 25-man vacancy. Kubatko lists several roster moves, each of which has some drawbacks: the club could designate first baseman Travis Ishikawa or option one of infielder Danny Valencia or utilityman Ryan Flaherty. The decision is complicated by the fact that lefty Wei-Yin Chen promises to return from his own DL stint shortly.

Yovani Gallardo’s No-Trade List

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When Yovani Gallardo signed his five-year, $30.1MM extension early in the 2010 season, details surrounding his no-trade clause were a bit vague. It was known that he received full no-trade protection through the 2012 season, but after that he would be able to list just 10 teams to which he could block trades.

Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com has learned the 10 teams on the list, and those teams have been confirmed by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. Gallardo can block trades to the Orioles, Red Sox, Indians, Tigers, Astros, Angels, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates and Blue Jays.

Last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Diamondbacks, who don't appear on that list, are interested in Gallardo. Gallardo could, of course, waive his no-trade clause and approve a deal to one of the aforementioned teams (the Orioles, for example, are rumored to be seeking rotation upgrades), but doing so creates another hurdle in the already complicated process of hammering out a deadline deal.

Gallardo, 27, is owed $11.25MM in 2014 and has a $13MM club option for the 2015 season on his contract. He's in the midst of a down season, having pitched to a 4.20 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. While his strikeouts and velocity are down (he's averaging 90.6 mph on his heater), that walk rate is the second best of his career, and his 48.7 percent ground-ball rate is a career best.

Yankees, Ian Stewart Discussing Minor League Deal

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10:50pm: Stewart has received interest from other teams and is weighing his options, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

10:41pm: The Yankees and Ian Stewart are discussing a minor league deal, according to Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). The Cubs released Stewart earlier this week after a controversial outburst from the former first-round pick on Twitter.

Stewart hit just .168/.286/.372 in 133 plate appearances for Triple-A Iowa this season. He's struggled tremendously since a solid 2010 season with the Rockies as a result of a wrist injury that he tried to play through. Stewart ultimately wound up undergoing surgery to correct the issue. From 2008-10, he hit .246/.334/.454 with 53 homers in 349 games for the Rockies.

It's unclear which other teams have talked with Stewart at this time, though Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported yesterday that the Twins aren't interested.

Cuban Prospect Dariel Alvarez Eligible To Sign

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It's been months since we've heard significant news on Cuban defectors Dariel Alvarez and Aledmys Diaz, but MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez writes that Alvarez has been cleared by the Commissioner's Office to sign with a Major League team. He has actually been cleared to sign for several months, but the process has been slowed by a change in agents. Diaz, according to a separate tweet from Sanchez, will not be eligible for free agency until next February.

The Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Padres and Yankees were among the teams in attendance for an Alvarez showcase in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. yesterday, according to Sanchez. The Marlins did not attend his workout despite its proximity to Miami, which gels with reports from the offseason that the Marlins weren't interested.

Alvarez, 24, is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has drawn praise for a strong throwing arm. The new collective bargaining agreement states that players who are at least 23 years of age and have a minimum of three years of professional experience are not subject to the international signing limitations. In other words, teams will be able to spend as freely as they wish to acquire Alvarez's services. In addition to the previously mentioned teams, the Twins and Cardinals were both connected to Alvarez this past winter as well.

Quick Hits: A-Rod, Phillies, Rangers, Angels

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Alex Rodriguez believes the Yankees do not want him to return this season, and perhaps ever again, a source told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. The source says that A-Rod thinks the Yankees are deliberately slowing his return to their active roster in the hope they can have him declared medically unfit to play this season, enabling them to recoup the bulk of his $28MM salary through insurance.  "Alex thinks there's something really off about this situation," the source said. "Here we have a doctor declaring him fit to play. You think they would be happy about that."  Recently, Rodriguez tweeted that he was excited to have the green light from his doctor to play games again and Cashman responded to Matthews' colleague Andrew Marchand by saying, in slightly sharper language, that Rodriguez should keep that sort of thing under his hat.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • The Yankees could be a trade partner for the Phillies, opines Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz, and Michael Young could be of serious interest to the Yankees, who are in the market for catching and corner-infield help.  A baseball exec tells Salisbury that the Yanks have already kicked around Ruiz’s name as a possible upgrade behind the plate.
  • The Rangers are in the market for a starting pitcher if there is a significant upgrade available, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.  Daniels likes his  young starters and wants to see what happens with Alexi Ogando and Colby Lewis, but he did acknowledge he will consider trading for starting pitching.  He added that he expects ownership to support any major moves the Rangers attempt, if there is extra finances involved.
  • Angels GM Jerry Dipoto asserts that he is neither a buyer or a seller as the deadline approaches, writes MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.  “I don’t see drastic paths. We have a roster of veteran players, most of whom are under club control, a very talented offensive club, pitching staff is evolving, some pending free agents, many others under club control. We’ll assess as we go," said the GM.

Teixeira To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

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4:13pm Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the Yankees have insurance on Teixeira's contract which, when coupled with the initial WBC salary relief, should cover about 80 percent of Teixeira's $22.5MM salary.

3:06pm: At a press conference, Teixeira confirmed to reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger, that he's done for the season (Twitter link). Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets that the surgery will require 4-5 months of rest and rehab. Teixeira is hoping to be 100 percent in six months.

2:54pm: The Yankees announced today that doctors have recommended surgery for the torn sheath tendon in Mark Teixeira's right wrist. Such a procedure would almost certainly mean that his season is over.

Teixeira, 33, initially injured his wrist while preparing for the World Baseball Classic and missed nearly two months before being activated from the DL on May 31. He received just 66 plate appearances this season and hit .151/.270/.340 with three homers.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently pointed out that the Yankees' decision to activate Teixeira could cost the team more than $15MM, as the WBC would've been on the hook for the injury. The Yankees are sorely lacking right-handed pop, and Teixeira's injury should impact the team's strategy as the trade deadline draws near.

Lyle Overbay, signed by the Yankees at the end of Spring Training, has filled in admirably at first base. However, he's hitting just .197/.229/.333 against left-handed pitching.

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