Martino’s Latest: Hughes, Joba, Nats, O’s, Nolasco
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News has a new column up that is loaded with trade deadline info after speaking to several Major League executives over the past few days. Here are some highlights from his excellent article…
- One National League executive told Martino that the Yankees won't be able to get a useful bat or prospect back for either one of Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain.
- The Nationals are the most aggressive buyer on the market at this point, and their primary focus is on starting pitching. "They're calling everybody, said Martino's source. The Nationals recently placed the struggling Dan Haren on the disabled list, and Chris Young has been worse at Triple-A with a 7.88 ERA.
- The Orioles are also making calls as part of a search for starting pitching, which lines up with reports from last week.
- Martino spoke with another NL official who told him that the Marlins are "aggressively" shopping their pitchers. Ricky Nolasco is known to be available, and they're said to be open to dealing Ryan Webb as well. I'd imagine that the team will be willing to listen to offers on Kevin Slowey and Chad Qualls also. It would make sense to listen on Mike Dunn and Steve Cishek, though previous reports state that the Fish would like to hold onto both relievers.
- Nolasco's name came up in February trade talks with the Mets, and one NL executive says that the Marlins are still "desperate" to move him. The Mets aren't a fit for Nolasco at this point, but Martino reiterates that the team could act as buyers this July, despite their losing record, as they look to add outfielders with multiple years of team control.
AL East Notes: Ramirez, Gonzalez, Yankees, Papelbon
Manny Ramirez wants to return to the Majors, but Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com spoke with an official who doesn't think he'd be a fit with the Yankees, despite the Yanks' recent offensive woes: "Can't see him in the Bronx given all the baggage he brings," said Marchand's source. Marchand also polled readers, who are split about 50-50 on whether or not they would approve of a Ramirez acquisition at this point. Here's more on the AL East…
- Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington was the only Major League GM present to watch Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez's recent showcase in Tijuana, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Numerous other teams were there to see him, though they were represented by scouting directors and assistant GMs. One executive told Rosenthal: “The world was there to see him. A million teams were in there."
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if the Yankees should consider selling low on Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in order to supplement their roster with some right-handed bats that can help alleviate the team's woes against left-handed pitching. Both are free agents at season's end, and neither is a key component to their success at this point, opines Sherman.
- In light of the Red Sox's recent closer shuffle, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal asks if the best solution is for the Sox to re-acquire Jonathan Papelbon. As MacPherson points out, the Sox have tasked four relievers with replacing Papelbon — Andrew Bailey (twice), Mark Melancon, Alfredo Aceves and Joel Hanrahan — and none have been able to get the job done to this point.
Bootcheck Clears Waivers, Re-Signs With Yankees
Right-hander Chris Bootcheck has cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. Instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Bootcheck elected free agency and immediately re-signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal.
The new deal includes an August 15th opt-out date if he is not in the major leagues, and he will report to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has posted a 3.32 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 11 starts on the season. In 91 career big league games with the Angels and Pirates, the 34-year old has a 6.55 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
Yankees Acquire Brent Lillibridge
The Cubs announced that they have traded Brent Lillibridge to the Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The light-hitting infielder/outfielder has spent the bulk of the year with Chicago's Triple-A affiliate.
The 29-year-old saw just nine games of action on the Cubs' varsity squad this season versus 48 games in Triple-A Iowa where he hit .281/.331/.425 with five homers. Across six big league seasons, Lillibridge owns a .207/.271/.339 slash line with five different clubs.
Yankees, Robinson Cano Far Apart In Talks
Some figured that Robinson Cano's decision to join up with Jay-Z's agency venture would lead to a quick and smooth contract resolution with the Yankees, but that doesn't appear to be the case. While there's been some talk that the second baseman's people and the Yankees might pick up official contract talks sometime after the All-Star break, it's clear they are nowhere near a deal at this point, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
Even if they talk, its not clear if they will have anything to talk about, making free agency a very likely outcome for Cano at this point. The Bombers are still far and away Cano's preference, but there's a very good chance he won't have a new deal with anyone until at least November or perhaps later. There's always an outside chance that either part or both could bend leading to a quick deal, but that would signal a major change in thinking.
Cano isn't talking about his contract publicly, but he has told friends that he'd like something in the neighborhood of a $275MM deal, reminiscent of Alex Rodriguez's deal. The Yankees aren't believed to be anywhere close to that, however, and at one point they suggested something closer to David Wright's eight-year, $138MM contract.
The second baseman is the top ranked free agent on Tim Dierkes' 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings. While he's still having a strong year, his numbers are down from his 2012 campaign in which he hit .313/.379/.550 with 33 homers.
Yankees Acquire Yoshinori Tateyama
The Rangers announced that they have sent right-hander Yoshinori Tateyama to the Yankees for future considerations. The right-hander has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Tateyama has spent the entire season at Triple-A Round Rock, posting a 4.24 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 23 games. The 37-year-old spent portions of the 2011-12 seasons with Texas, posting a 5.75 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 53 relief appearances.
Yankees Sign Mike Zagurski
The Yankees have signed Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. His contract contains an August 15 opt-out date if Zagurski has not been promoted to the Majors.
Zagurski, 30, elected free agency on Wednesday after being designated for assignment by the Pirates last week. While the left-hander made just six big league appearances this season for the Bucs, he has been extremely sharp in Triple-A, posting a 2.14 ERA with 37 strikeouts and nine walks across 21 innings of work.
Quick Hits: Nolasco, Stanton, Yankees, Ramirez
Ricky Nolasco would not mind pitching for the Giants, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I don’t think anybody would be disappointed to come to San Francisco. I like everything about this place: mound size, good place to pitch, crowd is great and a great team. What’s not to like?" Meanwhile, the Marlins are laying the groundwork for a Nolasco trade, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. "They don't screw around," a source tells Rodriguez. "The second they get the deal they like they'll do it." In 15 starts this year, Nolasco has a 3.61 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- The Pirates "need" the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, ESPN.com's David Schoenfield argues. Schoenfield points out that the Pirates rank last in the National League in OPS at right field (with Travis Snider's disappointing season thus far being the main reason why). Also, the Pirates have a strong farm system with the sorts of prospects that could well tempt the Marlins. Schoenfield suggests that the Pirates could deal Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco, both Top 100 prospects, along with catcher Tony Sanchez and an additional pitching prospect. That would still leave the Bucs with a good crop of young players that would include Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte, Alen Hanson, Josh Bell and their 2013 draft class, but it would be a high price, as one would expect. Stanton isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season, so the Pirates would be receiving a huge, and immediate, upgrade for the next several years. But the Bucs' financial situation makes their farm system a crucial part of any success they might have, so the penalty for missing on such a huge trade would be very high.
- The Yankees will be looking for hitters at the trade deadline, but one problem is that the uncertain timing of the returns of the Yankees' many injured hitters makes it difficult to know which positions they should aim to upgrade, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman writes. Also, the Yanks would still like to keep their payroll under $189MM in 2014, which could make it tricky to trade for players signed beyond 2013.
- Manny Ramirez is still looking for an opportunity with a Major League club, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com tweets. Ramirez is also looking for a chance to play in Japan. Ramirez, 41, played briefly for the Rays in 2011, and appeared in 17 games for the Athletics' Triple-A Sacramento affiliate in 2012.
New York Notes: Bootcheck, Cano, Marcum, Harvey
Earlier today it was reported that the MLBPA has officially certified Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports to represent players. Roc Nation Sports, of course, will handle Robinson Cano's contract discussions with the Yankees (and other clubs if he reaches free agency). Here's the latest out of the Big Apple…
- Right-hander Chris Bootcheck has been placed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. The waivers expire at 1 PM EST on Friday, at which point Bootcheck will learn if he has been claimed by a team or has cleared. If he clears waivers, he will likely be outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has posted a 5-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 11 starts on the season.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that Jay-Z's certification allows him to be in the room during negotiations, but little else will change. CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen will still run point on all of the negotiations.
- Removing Shaun Marcum from the rotation would actually save the Mets money instead of costing them money, writes ESPN's Adam Rubin. While some feel that his $4MM base salary is a reason to keep him in the rotation, Rubin provides a breakdown of Marcum's incentives in showing that the more Marcum pitches, the more costly he becomes.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports spoke with a pair of scouts who watched Matt Harvey on Tuesday, and both said they would take Harvey over Stephen Strasburg, with one scout saying it's "not even close." Knobler's scouts weren't as optimistic about Zack Wheeler, with one saying that he should still be in Triple-A and another calling him a middle-of-the-rotation arm, likening him to Edwin Jackson.
AL Notes: Yankees, A’s, Royals, White Sox, Mariners
With the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly at Yankee Stadium today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the process that resulted in Yanks' manager Joe Girardi getting the gig over Donnie Baseball back in 2007. Cashman considered those two gentlemen along with fellow late-80's/early-90's favorite Tony Pena. Managing the Yankees, explains Cashman, requires a wide range of skills that go well beyond the playing field. Ultimately, he said that Mattingly lacked the managerial experience that he was looking for: "The area that was a very difficult hurdle for him at the time, and obviously he doesn't have that anymore to deal with, is obviously at the time, he hadn't managed a game in the big leagues. So was I going to be in a position to be comfortable enough to turn over $200 million worth of assets to someone who hadn't done that before in-game."
Here are a few notes from some other American League clubs:
- The City of San Jose has brought suit against Major League Baseball relating to the Athletics' potential move to the city, alleging various federal and state antitrust claims along with a claim for interference with prospective economic advantage. In a piece for Fangraphs yesterday, Wendy Thurm gave an excellent overview of the background legal principles governing the dispute, along with the procedural and strategic considerations that will frame it. The situation could, of course, have a major impact on the A's budget moving forward. I highly recommend a read.
- Moving to the AL Central, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan took a look at the Royals' impressive recent run of pitching-fueled success. Even as the team's offense continues to sputter, its starters (and excellent defense) have allowed KC to regain traction in the postseason race. Of course, the squad's rotation is led by arms that were acquired in a series of heavily-scrutinized transactions. GM Dayton Moore traded for James Shields and Wade Davis, dealt for Ervin Santana, and gave a three-year deal to free agent Jeremy Guthrie. While Davis has struggled and Guthrie's peripherals are concerning, the collective rotation ERA stands at 7th in baseball.
- As the Royals gear up to try and make a run at the playoffs, the AL Central-rival White Sox appear to be readying to sell at the trade deadline. As MLB.com's Kelly Erickson reports, GM Rick Hahn says the team has "had some phone calls — more of the vulture-type phone calls, the type that traditionally we're more accustomed to making." Given the "hole that we've dug for ourselves," says Hahn, "teams are going to look at us as potential sellers when the deadline comes, and they're starting to lay a little bit of that ground work now."
- The Mariners are coming up on some roster decisions with Dustin Ackley hitting the ball well in Triple-A and Franklin Gutierrez close to returning from the 60-day DL, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. While Ackley's return to the bigs has been delayed while he learns to man the outfield, the seemingly inevitable result will be some roster casualties. Baker tabs outfielder Endy Chavez and pitcher Aaron Harang as potential candidates for the waiver wire.