NL Central: Garza, Wigginton, Cardinals, Braun
In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. required and recommended) explains that many teams have "Zack Wheeler Syndrome" as they approach the deadline. As he describes it, It’s the tendency of GMs to wait for a club to get desperate and overpay for a player. That's what the Mets were able to do in 2011, when they demanded that they get a top-tier prospect in return for Carlos Beltran and wound up prying Wheeler from the Giants. Today, one exec tells Olney that the asking price for the Cubs' Matt Garza (as well as the Yankees' Phil Hughes) is "incredibly high" because of that thinking. Chicago knows they will at least present a qualifying offer to Garza after the season if they keep him, which will net them a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere. Anyone who wants to land Garza has to match, and probably exceed, the value of that pick. Here's more out of the NL Central..
- Ty Wigginton wound up as the low man on the totem pole with the Cardinals, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While his disappointing tenure in St. Louis ended with his release yesterday, manager Mike Matheny is an adamant supporter of the veteran and says that his career is far from done.
- The Cardinals made reliever Mitchell Boggs available because he has struggled so far in 2013, but he could bounce back and regain his 2012 form, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. St. Louis shipped Boggs to the Rockies yesterday for roughly $206K in international bonus slot money.
- The Biogenesis suspensions could make for a messy second-half of the season, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, despite the negative attention surrounding the Brewers' Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and others, the game has been quite resilient through this and other PED scandals.
Yankees Aggressively Pushing Chamberlain, Hughes
The Yankees are aggressively pushing trades involving Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, an AL executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In fact, a deal sending Chamberlain to a National League team could happen soon, though nothing is imminent on either front.
Yesterday we learned that the Phillies have expressed interest in Chamberlain as they feel out the market for Michael Young. However, as Tim Dierkes noted yesterday, the market for the 27=year-olds is somewhat limited as they are in their walk years and not of much use to non-contenders. In the case of the Phillies, they may see themselves as buyers with a real chance to win this year, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears.
Chamberlain typically wouldn't garner trade attention, but a team in need of bullpen help could bite. The right-hander has a 5.75 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 22 relief appearances this year. Hughes, meanwhile, has a 4.55 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 17 starts.
MLB To Suspend Braun, Rodriguez, Others
5:21pm: An MLB spokesperson tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter) that the news on Braun is premature and no decisions have been made.
5:07pm: Major League Baseball is expected to suspend Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and as many as 20 players connected to the Biogenesis clinic sometime after next week's All-Star break, several sources told T.J. Quinn and Mike Fish of ESPN.com. Commissioner Bud Selig's office is considering 100-game bans for Braun and Rodriguez, the punishment for a second offense, despite neither player receiving a previous suspension for violating MLB drug rules.
Suspensions appear to be a certainty for both players and the only issue in question is the length of time that they'll be sidelined. One source said that the league's argument would be that they, and possibly other players, committed multiple offenses by receiving PEDs from Tony Bosch's clinic and lying about it.
As Quinn explains on Twitter, suspensions are usually levied, appealed, and ruled upon by an arbitrator months later before becoming public, but MLB is allowed to announce suspensions publicly because case has been public. Players who appeal the forthcoming suspensions may continue playing until an arbitrator rules, however.
Braun, who has repeatedly denied using PEDs, refused to answer questions during a recent meeting with the league office about his connection to Bosch, according to sources. Rodriguez will meet with baseball officials on Friday, sources familiar with the meeting tell Michael O'Keeffe, BIll Madden, Nathaniel Vinton, and Teri Thompson of the Daily News.
Late last month, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that suspensions were likely in the Biogenesis case. Nelson Cruz, Everth Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Jesus Montero, and Bartolo Colon were among the other players linked to Biogenesis in the initial report.
New York Notes: Trades, Parnell, Alderson, Aramis
It could be a quiet trade deadline for the Mets, as a team insider tells ESPN New York's Adam Rubin that the team may not be buyers or major sellers by July 31. The Mets "are not actively shopping anyone," including controllable players like Bobby Parnell, Daniel Murphy or Ike Davis. The club doesn't have any major salaries that can realistically be unloaded — even a veteran like Marlon Byrd is just making $700K and wouldn't be moved for anything less than a quality prospect since the Mets don't want to "sacrifice 2013 competitiveness" by trading their viable Major League parts. As for acquiring a slugging outfielder, the Mets will keep an eye on big names like Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Gonzalez and Andre Ethier though a trade isn't likely any time soon.
Here are some more items about both the Mets and Yankees…
- The Mets will probably call up a veteran lefty reliever sometime in July, Rubin writes, so that reliever would become trade bait. Rubin suspects that Tim Byrdak is likely to get the call over Pedro Feliciano.
- Parnell would be a valuable trade chip, as Bill Madden of the New York Daily News notes that the AL East alone has three teams (the Rays, Orioles and Red Sox) that would covet a hard-throwing young closer. “I’m sure those clubs could really tempt the Mets on Parnell — the Red Sox with the outfielder, Jackie Bradley Jr, and one of their top pitching prospects like (Rubby) De La Rosa, but that remains to be seen, and if they want to be able to compete next year, as they say they do, there’s no way they can trade him," a rival scout tells Madden.
- Also from Madden, Michael Young is "by far the best fit for the Yankees" since his contract is up after this season, he has a strong clubhouse presence and Young can play both first and third base. The Yankees had a scout watching the Phillies over the weekend.
- The Yankees consider Aramis Ramirez to be too expensive and they aren't in pursuit of the Brewers' third baseman, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports. The 35-year-old Ramirez was just placed on the disabled list today with a left knee injury, the same knee that has already cost him a month on the DL earlier this season. Though Ramirez is hitting a solid .271/.359/.414 in 209 PA, he has only five homers and is guaranteed approximately $20MM through the end of the 2014 season, plus a 2015 mutual option with a $4MM buyout.
- With Sandy Alderson having "all but promised" to spend on a major trade acquisition or free agent signing this winter, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post notes that Alderson's two most expensive free agent signings as Mets GM (Frank Francisco and Shaun Marcum) have both been busts. "This upcoming expenditure (or plural expenditures) will be a large part of his legacy. And the Mets probably have to hit on this player or players for the plan to succeed," Davidoff writes. On the plus side, Davidoff notes that the Mets have gotten a lot of recent production from under-the-radar inexpensive signings.
Rosenthal On Buyers/Sellers, Arrieta, Ruggiano
Ken Rosenthal's latest column for FOX Sports begins with a look at the Phillies, Giants, Rockies, Padres, and Blue Jays, five teams currently on the bubble of buying and selling. The Padres have been eager to buy, rival executives tell Rosenthal. Other notes from the article:
- Rosenthal provides insight into the July 2011 three-team deal that sent Erik Bedard to Boston. As it turns out, the Dodgers are looking pretty good now with big leaguers Stephen Fife and Tim Federowicz. At the time of the deal, they were questioned for including Trayvon Robinson.
- "I thought it was an awesome trade by the Cubs," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis told Rosenthal of Chicago's acquisition of Jake Arrieta from Baltimore.
- The Reds have "thinned out their talent base" in trades over the last several years, opines Rosenthal, which could make significant acquisitions this summer difficult.
- The Rangers and Yankees are among the teams that have expressed interest in Marlins outfielder Justin Ruggiano. Ruggiano, a 31-year-old right-handed hitter, is at .225/.290/.414 in 273 plate appearances this year.
- The Mariners have put a high price tag on Tom Wilhelmsen and it seems like they want to keep the closer in the fold. Rosenthal notes that another team recently asked about Wilhelmsen and the M's wanted that club's top pitching prospect in return.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Johnson, Yankees, Ishikawa
Let's take a look at the latest news and notes involving the American League East:
- The Red Sox are open to trade market upgrades in the bullpen and at third base, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- One name on Boston's list of bullpen trade targets is the White Sox's Matt Thornton, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com (Twitter link). The Braves also have "limited" interest in the left-hander.
- Josh Johnson, set to become a free agent at the end of the season, has seen injury and poor performance affect his value to the point where it is difficult to see the Blue Jays pursue a multi-year deal with him, writes the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin. Johnson may be forced to accept a qualifying offer from the Blue Jays, assuming he receives one, to rebuild his value for 2014, opines Griffin.
- The Phillies' Michael Young and Carlos Ruiz both could be on the Yankees' radar as they have a scout in Philadelphia today, tweets Jayson Stark of ESPN.
- The recently-released Miguel Olivo is not on the Yankees' radar, but first baseman Russ Canzler, who was designated for assignment yesterday, might pique their curiosity, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman (Twitter links).
- Earlier today, the Yankees added first base depth by claiming Travis Ishikawa off waivers from the Orioles. O's Executive Vice President Dan Duquette told reporters, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, he acquired Eric Thames from the Mariners last week knowing he could lose Ishikawa to another team.
Yankees Claim Travis Ishikawa
The Yankees have claimed Travis Ishikawa off of waivers from the Orioles, an industry source tells Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The O's designated the first baseman for assignment towards the end of June.
Ishikawa signed a minor league deal with Baltimore and, as MLBTR first reported, had an opt out clause in his contract. The Orioles promoted him rather than let him go elsewhere, but he was DFA'd after just six games in uniform for the major league team. In 208 plate appearances for Triple-A Norfolk, the 29-year-old slashed .316/.413/.525 with seven homers.
Injury Notes: Carpenter, Anderson, Pagan, Chen, Cervelli
As always, the rehabilitation status of injured players can have a major impact on teams' plans as the trade deadline nears. Here are a few updates on some players whose recovery could play a role in the trade market's development:
- Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter threw over 100 pitches in a bullpen session Friday and could face live hitters shortly, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. Though Cards' GM John Mozeliak said recently that Carpenter's status is unlikely to factor into the team's plans, a continued positive trajectory could potentially change that stance.
- The Athletics received good news on starter Brett Anderson today, with MLB.com's Jane Lee reporting (via Twitter) that he will be shedding his walking boot and beginning to work back from an ankle fracture. She also tweets that manager Bob Melvin is bullish on Anderson returning strong, with Lee suggesting that we could see a repeat of Anderson's mid-August return from last season. While the A's rotation has not exactly been a problem area, some have suggested that Oakland could shop for another arm.
- It appears that the Giants are prepared to go the rest of the way without center fielder Angel Pagan, with the club putting him on the 60-day DL. The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea also relayed comments (on Twitter) by GM Brian Sabean indicating that the club does not expect him back in 2013. As previously noted, this could make the Giants potential buyers for a Pagan replacement.
- On the other hand, in spite of that need (and this evening's earlier report that the club is actively pursuing Ricky Nolasco), San Francisco could instead stand pat. Shea tweets that, according to Sabean, the Giants will not make any acquisitions unless the team turns around its play before the deadline.
- Though the Orioles recently added a starter in the first significant trade of the pre-deadline market, they could still be considering the addition of more starting pitching. One major factor in Baltimore's internal analysis will surely be the return of Wei-Yin Chen, who has missed much of the year with a strained oblique. Chen looked strong in his rehab outing last night and, according to Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun, could take a spot in the rotation as soon as Tuesday. If Chen can pick up where he left off — his ERA stands at 3.04 through his first 47 1/3 innings of the year — it may obviate the need for the O's to revisit the market.
- Another day, another bit of bad injury news for the Yankees. As Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger reports, the catching-strapped club learned yesterday that its primary backstop to start the year, Francisco Cervelli, will have his rehab halted and be shut down for two weeks. With an early August return now the best case scenario for Cervelli and rookie Austin Romine struggling, the Yankees could find it necessary to look for another capable backstop before the trade deadline.
Dodgers Sign Ian Stewart
The Dodgers have signed third baseman Ian Stewart, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Since being jettisoned by the Cubs, Stewart was most recently rumored to be in discussions with the Yankees, who USA Today's Bob Nightengale says (Twitter link) were finalists for Stewart along with the Marlins and Rockies. While contract details have not yet been reported, all signs point to the deal being a minor league contract.
Stewart never made it to the bigs this season, as he was outrighted to Chicago's highest minor league affiliate after struggling during an early-season rehab stint. His cumulative line this season (all for Triple-A Iowa) is just .168/.286/.372. In 2012, Stewart managed just a .201/.292/.335 slash for the major league Cubs.
The 28-year-old Stewart had a less-than-amicable end to his tenure in Chicago after being non-tendered but later re-signed by the Cubs this past offseason. He never regained the power stroke that he showed during his time with the Rockies. To add insult to injury to the Cubs, one of the players the club dealt to Colorado for Stewart — 24-year-old infielder DJ LeMahieu — could be in the midst of establishing himself as a big league regular.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox
Let's take a quick peek in at the American League's eastern division:
- The Yankees are still working to sign the last of the club's three first-rounders, Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets that Judge has yet to accept the Yanks' full slot offer of $1.677MM. As Baseball America's handy tracking page shows, New York is currently $311,900 under budget, so could presumably increase its offer to Judge if it wishes.
- As previously reported, the Yanks' scouting staff was among those represented in the stands last night to see the Marlins defeat the Braves. But Heyman tweets that the club was not there to watch Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco take the hill. Instead, according to Heyman, New York was scouting hitters.
- The Red Sox have signed University of Florida quarterback and 29th round pick Jeff Driskel, according to the Associated Press (via SI.com). As Jerry Hinnen of CBSSports.com reports, Driskel's deal will apparently allow him to continue to play under center for Florida, as he intends to do. Driskel, an outfielder on the ballfield, also says that he still hopes to pursue an NFL career before turning back to the diamond.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.