Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday
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
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
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…
- Indians manager Manny Acta said the team’s front office has been working aggressively to add an outfield bat or a starting pitcher, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox have enough starting pitching depth not to have to rush into the market for rotation help, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- Heyman could see the Mariners picking up Brent Lillibridge (Twitter link). Seattle likes the utility player, who was recently designated for assignment by the Red Sox.
- Ken Davidoff of the New York Post lists some outfield possibilities for the Yankees, including Shane Victorino, Carlos Quentin, Denard Span and Will Venable. Here’s a detailed look at the market for outfielders.
- Matt Holliday, Starlin Castro and Matt Wieters have considerable trade value, Dave Cameron writes in the continuation of his Trade Value series at FanGraphs.
Yankees Designate McDonald For Assignment
The Yankees designated outfielder Darnell McDonald for assignment, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports (on Twitter). The move creates roster space for C.C. Sabathia, who starts tonight against the Blue Jays.
The Yankees claimed McDonald off of waivers from the Red Sox 13 days ago. He has a .205/.297/.352 batting line in 103 total plate appearances this year and owns a .246/.312/.394 line in six MLB seasons.
Justin Upton Rumors: Monday
Justin Upton is available for the right offer, but his no-trade protection enables him to block trades to four teams. The Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Indians are the teams on Upton's list, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. As the FOX reporters note, players often include high-revenue teams like the Yankees on no-trade lists to maximize their leverage. Here are today’s latest Upton-related rumors:
- Marc Carig of the Star Ledger tweets that there is "nothing going on" with the Yankees and Upton.
- Larry Reynolds, the outfielder's agent, says Upton is a good person and a hard worker, Nightengale reports. "What I don't like are the comments and innuendos made about Justin's work ethic and character, especially from those gutless people that don't want to put their name by a quote," Reynolds said.
- The Yankees have checked in on Upton.
- Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he’s getting more calls than ever as the trade deadline approaches. The volume of calls could be related to Upton’s availability and to the increase in potential buyers.
- Towers told Nightengale he’ll let Upton know if he’s nearing a deal with another club and suggested he might even give the right fielder some input if two teams offer similar packages. "I told Justin that if we're at the 1-yard line, I'll tell you the teams that are interested," Towers said.
AL Central Notes: Castillo, Tigers, Willingham
The White Sox lead the AL Central with a 49-39 record, and they are considering at least one high-profile midseason reinforcement. The White Sox have Zack Greinke on their radar, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today. Here are the latest AL Central rumors, starting in Chicago…
- The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican prospect Luis Castillo for $450K, the Dominican Prospect League announced. The league release describes Castillo as a "man child" who hits the ball hard and runs well for his size.
- The Tigers and White Sox are both prioritizing starting pitching in trade talks, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
- The Twins haven't made Josh Willingham off-limits to other teams, but they aren't shopping him, Phil Mackey and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com report. Willingham, who's in the first year of a three-year, $21MM contract, is "definitely" Minnesota's most valuable trade chip, 1500ESPN.com reports. However, the Twins are enjoying Willingham's production and would prefer not to trade a player so early in a multiyear contract.
- The Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays and Braves are believed to have some interest in Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, Heyman reports.
Yankees Monitoring Outfield Market
The Yankees always seem to be pursuing pitching, but their front office officials aren’t overly concerned about the rotation, since C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte are expected to return this summer. Instead, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports, the Yankees are looking at the outfield market and have checked in on both Shane Victorino and Justin Upton.
Upton, who can block trades to the Yankees, would be a “major long shot,” Heyman writes. The Yankees believe the asking price for Upton and Victorino is too high, but Victorino may be slightly more realistic than Upton. At least one executive believes Victorino could be traded before any other big-name players.
Brett Gardner is scheduled attempt to return from an elbow injury later this month. In the meantime, Raul Ibanez, and Andruw Jones are playing well in complementary roles. Yet Yankees left fielders have combined for a .233/.303/.426 batting line, so it's no surprise GM Brian Cashman is considering alternatives.
Yankees Will Monitor Hamels, Pass On Greinke
The Yankees will stay informed about Cole Hamels’ availability between now and the July 31st trade deadline, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. But even if the left-hander's possible extension doesn't materialize and the Phillies decide to weigh trade offers, Yankees GM Brian Cashman probably won’t pursue Hamels as aggressively as he went after Cliff Lee two years ago.
Under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, it’d be impossible for the Yankees to obtain draft pick compensation for Hamels if he were to depart as a free agent when his contract expires following the 2012 season. And signing Hamels long-term doesn’t seem realistic for a Yankees team that aims to avoid luxury tax penalties by 2014. Not only would Hamels command an annual salary of $20MM plus, the Yankees would have to surrender inexperienced (and affordable) players to pry the left-hander away from the Phillies.
The Yankees aren’t interested in Zack Greinke and don’t believe his personality would thrive in New York, Davidoff notes. Like Hamels, Greinke could sign an extension before the trade deadline. Cubs right-handers Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza are among the other possibilities for the Yankees. However, Cashman has said he’s skeptical about the chances of finding a deal that makes sense.
Quick Hits: Sheets, Athletics, Twins
After missing two years due to elbow injuries, righty Ben Sheets made a triumphant comeback start today as a member of the Braves, tossing six scoreless innings against the Mets for the win. Should Sheets manage a dozen decent starts for the Braves, the minor league signing will stand as a shrewd under-the-radar move by GM Frank Wren. Today's shrewd, under-the-radar links:
- "I feel like myself. That's one thing I can say I never felt like in Oakland," Sheets told reporters today including Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Sheets signed a one-year, $10MM contract with the A's prior to the 2010 season despite missing all of '09.
- "It's just as necessary for the Yankees to have young players with a few years of control as it is for the Twins or the A's," GM Billy Beane explained to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times yesterday. The A's GM has been trading away players further from free agency lately, but this year Beane's club is surprisingly in the mix for a wild card spot.
- Scouts from the Yankees, Blue Jays, Braves, Mets, Reds, Padres and Nationals have attended recent Francisco Liriano starts, report Phil Mackey and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com, though some of those clubs may have had other interests. Slugger Josh Willingham would require a lopsided offer and seems likely to stay put, as we've heard before. Willingham is signed through 2014 and is interested in staying with the Twins beyond his current contract.
- Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer had Mike Trout second on his board for the 2009 draft, after only Stephen Strasburg, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. The Angels had two consecutive picks at 24 and 25, with the Yankees at 29, and Oppenheimer thought he might get Trout once the Halos took another high school outfielder in Randal Grichuk at 24. Of course, Angels scouting director Eddie Bane took Trout at 25. Trout told Harper he's motivated by all the teams that passed on him.
- The Diamondbacks signed Dominican shortstop Sergio Alcantara, according to Baseball America's Ben Badler. BA says Alcantara draws praise for his defense, and the D'Backs had been favored to sign him. BA ranked Alcantara 18th overall in the July 2nd class.
Cubs Rumors: Garza, Barney, Wood, Stewart
Pitching amid trade rumors yet again, 28-year-old Cubs righty Matt Garza blanked the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field this afternoon, lowering his ERA to 4.02 while being scouted by the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Tigers, Dodgers, and Pirates, according to ESPN Chicago's Doug Padilla. With just over two weeks remaining until the trade deadline, Garza may have only a handful of starts remaining as a Cub. The latest on the club:
- "The rumor mill can wait," Garza told reporters, because his wife is due in less than a month. Garza knows he can't control the trade rumors, but noted that he is open to an extension.
- According to Padilla, the Tigers have asked about Garza, second baseman Darwin Barney, and starter Ryan Dempster. Padilla says the Tigers' interest in Barney began over a month ago. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported on that situation on July 6th, adding that "talks didn't progress."
- "It's nice to know people are interested but I want to be here," Barney told reporters including Padilla after powering the Cubs' victory today with his fourth home run.
- Fan favorite Kerry Wood visited the Cubs' clubhouse today, telling MLB.com's Rowan Kavner and other reporters he's enjoying his first summer off in 25-plus years. Wood says his kids are still too young for him to ponder a coaching career. The former strikeout artist hung up his cleats in May this year.
- Third baseman Ian Stewart also made an appearance, expressing relief to reporters that a surgeon finally found the cause of his persistent wrist problems. The solution involved removing a bone from Stewart's wrist, and he currently has no timetable for his return. The 27-year-old's salary would likely remain in the $2.2MM range if the Cubs decide to tender him this winter and try again in 2013. Including Stewart, Cubs third basemen have tallied a dismal .223/.297/.374 so far in the post-Aramis era.
- It "wouldn't be cool" to see rotation-mate and mentor Dempster traded, Jeff Samardzija told Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times yesterday. The Cubs are best-served trading Dempster now to clear a path for a Garza deal later this month, opined ESPN's Buster Olney earlier today.