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Yankees Have Some Interest In Rick Ankiel

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The Yankees have some interest in picking up Rick Ankiel according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (on Twitter). Earlier this week we heard that they didn't have any interest in the outfielder, but Brett Gardner is out for the year with an elbow issue and Nick Swisher left last night's game with a leg problem.

Ankiel, 33, was designated for assignment by the Nationals a few days ago. He hit .228/.282/.411 with five homers in 171 plate appearances this season, including .237/.299/.437 in 148 plate appearances against righties. Ankiel signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM with Washington this past offseason.

AL East Links: Orioles, Yankees, Victorino, Red Sox

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The Blue Jays are the only team in the AL East with a losing record and they're only one game under .500. The Yankees have a healthy eight-game lead but the Orioles, Rays, Red Sox, and Jays are all within three games of a Wild Card spot. With ten days until the trade deadline, here's the latest from baseball's deepest division…

AL East Notes: Shields, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles

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Several teams, including the Tigers and Angels, had scouts in attendance for Rays right-hander James Shields' start against Seattle today, write Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Blue Jays also had scouts on hand, indicating that Shields could be a hot commodity as the deadline approaches.  As for Detroit, sources say that the Tigers have had interest in Shields for years and could ply him away with catching prospects Rob Brantly and James McCann.  The Rays aren't necessarily shopping Shields but GM Andrew Friedman will listen to offers on him as well as Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb, and Wade Davis, sources say.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • As you might imagine, the ten-player deal between the Blue Jays and Astros wasn't exactly easy to put together.  Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) that he had 20 conversations with Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos last night alone.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette told reporters, including Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun that he's on the lookout for high on-base percentage hitters.  “Hopefully, [Omar Quintanilla] is a good on-base man. Take a look at his OBP capabilities with the Mets. He was good. We hope he brings the same [thing] with us. … "[But] we are looking at our on-base capabilities. No question. We need to do a better job with that," Duquette said.
  • Anthopoulos told reporters that the two teams will work out the player to be named later in the trade by the end of August, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

Yankees Notes: Ankiel, Pierre, Wandy, Figueroa

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It was on this day in 1961 that commissioner Ford Frick suggested that "a distinctive mark" would be placed on a new home run record if a player eclipsed Babe Ruth's then-record of 60 homers in more than 154 games (the length of Ruth's season in 1927).  Though no such notation ever used in any sort of official record, it was still popularly believed that Frick and Major League Baseball had asterisked Roger Maris' 61-homer season.

Here's the latest from Yankee Stadium…

East Notes: Rays, Infante, Ankiel, Moyer

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On average, the ten teams in baseball's two East divisions are four games over .500. Here’s the latest from the two divisions…

  • Rays president Matt Silverman says MLB needs to make significant changes to its economic structure, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. “We have advocated for meaningful change, especially when it comes to addressing the dramatic imbalances in our game,” Silverman said. “Meaningful change has not occurred.” The Rays were one of two eligible teams that didn’t obtain an additional draft pick in yesterday’s competitive balance lottery. Silverman called the picks “trifling.”
  • The Tigers have barely obtained any offensive production from second base this year, so John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press discusses the possibility of a reunion with Omar Infante in light of yesterday's report linking the Tigers to the Marlins infielder.
  • The Nationals recently asked a Mets person if they'd have interest in Rick Ankiel, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The Nationals believe the recently-designated Ankiel is a Major League caliber player and they expect him to be picked up by another club, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Peter Gammons of MLB Network suggests on Twitter that Ankiel would be a "great fit" for the Yankees.
  • Jamie Moyer intends to continue pitching, Tom Mahon of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "I'm not retired," Moyer said, adding that his agent is working to find a fit for him. Moyer, 49, has been a free agent since the Blue Jays released him two weeks ago.

Olney On Royals, Red Sox, Dempster

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The Royals' rotation has a 5.42 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 this year, and they're averaging barely five innings per start. As ESPN.com’s Buster Olney explains, the Royals are perusing the market for starting pitchers who could help now and in the future. Here are the details:

  • The Royals have indicated to other teams that they believe they’re about two years away from being serious contenders. They’re looking for starters who could be obtained now and kept for a couple more seasons.
  • The Red Sox are also more interested in adding long-term pieces than two-month rentals, Olney writes. While there’s no indication the Red Sox are willing to trade Jon Lester, some wonder whether the left-hander would benefit from a change of scenery.
  • One GM suggested Ryan Dempster would be better off avoiding trades to American League teams this summer. Dempster, a lifelong National Leaguer, can veto any trade. An agent agreed that Dempster would be better off in a pitcher-friendly environment. "If he gets hit hard, it'll cost him," the agent told Olney. The Dodgers are viewed as the favorites to acquire Dempster, who will hit free agency after the season.
  • Olney suggests Nate Schierholtz could be a nice addition for the Yankees. The Giants outfielder has said he’d be open to a trade.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Hunter, Ruggiano, Marlins

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Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…

  • There doesn't appear to have been much contract dialogue between the Brewers and Zack Greinke, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. As of today, there is no evidence that a formal offer has been made even though we heard last week that the team was prepared to make one.
  • Torii Hunter told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that he's willing to take a big paycut to return to the Angels next season. Hunter is in the final year of his five-year, $90MM deal. If things don't work out with the Halos, the outfielder said he would consider playing for the Yankees, Rangers, or Dodgers. Retirement would be an option as well.
  • The Marlins have no intention of trading Justin Ruggiano, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .368/.440/.705 in 111 plate appearances for Miami this season.
  • Frisaro also notes (on Twitter) that the Marlins are not dangling Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, or Mark Buehrle. Yesterday we heard that the team could become sellers if they don't turn things around in the coming weeks.
  • The Yankees, Tigers, and Royals were all on hand to watch Wandy Rodriguez get knocked around by the Padres this afternoon according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The left-hander remains available before the trade deadline.

Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday

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The Cubs are working hard to move Ryan Dempster and they could trade him by the end of the week. The Dodgers, Tigers, Braves, Red Sox and Nationals have all expressed interest in the right-hander, who can veto any trade. The Dodgers would top Dempster's list of potential destinations, followed by the Braves, Ken Rosenthal reported yesterday. There are only a few teams to which the right-hander wouldn't accept a trade. 

Dempster, 35, has a 1.86 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 92 innings for the Cubs this year. He earns $14MM in 2012 — more than $6MM between now and the end of the season — but the Cubs are said to be willing to absorb salary to facilitate a deal. Here are the latest rumors surrounding Dempster, with the most recent developments up top:

  • Interest from the Nationals and Yankees isn’t as strong as some reports indicate, Toni Ginnetti of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. While the Dodgers had been considered the favorite to land Dempster, teams such as the Tigers, Red Sox and Braves could still acquire him.
  • ESPN.com’s Buster Olney and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both hear the Dodgers are considered the favorites to acquire Dempster.
  • The Dodgers are viewed as the favorites for Dempster with the Tigers seen as “strong pursuers” and the Red Sox considered long shots, Joel Sherman reported today.

Quick Hits: Dempster, Headley, Yankees, Greinke

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Some interesting links of note as Roy Halladay, activated from the disabled list today, takes the mound for the first time since May 27 at Dodger Stadium …

  • Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster is receptive to being traded and would prefer to go to a contender, with first the Dodgers and then the Braves topping his list of desired landing spots, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. There are are only a few teams to which he wouldn't accept a trade, adds Rosenthal.
  • The Dodgers are considered the frontrunners to acquire Dempster, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, but the Cubs are doing their due diligence in exploring other suitors. Some officials are questioning whether Dempster would prefer to go to the NL West or the AL East, Olney adds (Twitter links).
  • The Diamondbacks are interested in acquiring Padres third baseman Chase Headley, but strained relations between the organizations would make it difficult for them to strike a deal, tweets Olney.
  • The Yankees could trade for a left fielder in the wake of Brett Gardner's most recent injury setback, tweets Olney, but they're not in a hurry to make a deal and would only do so if the right one presented itself.
  • Some team executives are expressing concern over Zack Greinke's health after the Brewers' recent decision to skip his turn in the rotation, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
  • The Tigers, a team with a hefty payroll, have managed to qualify for MLB's new Competitive Balance Lottery, explains Jason Beck of MLB.com. It's an interesting read, especially if you're unfamiliar with this new wrinkle to the draft, which will begin next year.

Quick Hits: Indians, Red Sox, Yankees

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Indians president Mark Shapiro says the trade market is slow because of the new rules regarding draft pick compensation and the abundance of teams in contention, particularly in the American League (Twitter links). However, the Indians are "heavily engaged" in the trade market, according to Shapiro. Here are more notes from around MLB…

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