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Rosenthal On Braves, Yankees, Royals

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Though some teams are still in the process of deciding whether to buy, sell or hold, others are developing a clear sense of what moves they intend to make this month. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the trade deadline, which is just over three weeks away… 

  • The Braves, who have limited payroll flexibility, aren’t sure if they’re going to upgrade their offense, but they could pursue a right-handed hitting outfielder. Atlanta could probably afford an outfielder like Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham or Michael Cuddyer if they also obtained cash to cover the player’s salary (though that would likely mean giving up better prospects in the trade).
  • The Phillies may end up pursuing some of the same right-handed hitters as the Braves. Philadelphia is also exploring trades for relievers now that Jose Contreras, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson are on the disabled list.
  • The Yankees would like to acquire a top-of-the-rotation lefty, but they’re more likely to add a left-handed reliever. New York’s preference is for a southpaw who can retire right-handed hitters as well as lefties. The Yankees are targeting a number of left-handers, including Sean Burnett of the Nationals, who is not yet available.
  • The Royals will listen to offers for all of their players, but rival executives tell Rosenthal that Joakim Soria is likely staying put, since the asking price for him is high. 
  • Yankees catcher Jesus Montero has limited appeal to the Royals, since they doubt he’ll be able to stay behind the plate long-term.
  • The Royals expect to compete from 2012-14.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Giants, Yankees, Orioles

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Our condolensces go out to the friends and family of Dick Williams. The long-time player and manager passed away at age 82 today. 

  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told MLB.com's Greg Johns that "we're wide open." He added that they've "had dialogue" about potential trades, but haven't found a match and won't make a deal until they find one that makes sense.
  • MLB.com's Adam Berry notes that Mike Fontenot is coming off the disabled list soon, which could mean the end of Bill Hall's time with the Giants.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Yankees have a scout at Nationals Park tonight, presumably to see Sean Burnett. Earlier today we heard that they've discussed the lefty internally.
  • Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney hears that the Yankees are doing normal pre-deadline due diligence and are discussing many players (on Twitter), but they are not close to any deals.
  • Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com that he'd like scouting director Joe Jordan to return next year. The contracts of both men are up after the season.
  • The Mets have signed seventh rounder Cole Frenzel, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The first baseman from Arizona was the 222nd overall pick.
  • Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that the Cardinals are expected to finalize a deal with third rounder C.J. McElroy (Twitter link). "Just details" are left to be finalized. MLB's slot recommendation for the 109th overall pick is approximately $284K.

Yankees Have Interest In Sean Burnett

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The Yankees have expressed interest in Nationals lefty reliever Sean Burnett, though the two clubs have not yet had any discussions according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter links). Craig Heist of WTOP 103.5 FM in Washington originally reported the rumor. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says that the Yankees have discussed Burnett internally, but Washington has not yet made him available (on Twitter).

New York has been looking for left-handed bullpen help basically all season, since they learned that free agent signing Pedro Feliciano would miss considerable time with a shoulder injury. Burnett, 28, has an ugly 5.59 ERA in 29 innings this year, but he's held lefties to a .224/.304/.347 batting line against. He is under contract next year ($2.3MM) with a club option ($3.5MM) for 2013 ($250K buyout).

Taking Stock Of C.C. Sabathia’s Value

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It was on this date in 2008 that the Indians sent C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers. He was virtually unbeatable in his 17 starts with Milwaukee, posting a 1.65 ERA and leading the Brewers to their first postseason appearance since 1982.  

C.C. Sabathia

After the season, Sabathia signed his current seven-year, $161MM contract with the Yankees, a deal that includes an opt-out clause this offseason. Sabathia has said before that he intends to stay in New York, but he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of opting out of the remaining four years and $92MM on his contract. We won’t know more for a while, since the sides aren’t going to discuss the opt-out during the season.

On this date in 2009 and 2010, I looked back at the trade that sent the big left-hander to Milwaukee, but today I’m going to look ahead to the offseason and what the market for Sabathia’s services might look like. 

Sabathia, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner, is an annual threat to add a second Cy Young to his mantle. He averaged a 3.27 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 234 innings in 2009-10, finishing in the top four in Cy Young voting each season. So far in 2011, his numbers are as good as ever; he has a 2.90 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 136 2/3 innings. 

Sabathia stands out as one of the best whether you're looking at traditional stats or advanced metrics. Some general managers will note that Sabathia leads the league in wins (12) for the third consecutive season. Others will note that he leads American League starters in Wins Above Replacement this year (4.3 WAR, according to FanGraphs) and that Roy Halladay is the only pitcher with more WAR over the course of the past ten seasons. 

Sabathia throws hard (average fastball velocity of 93.3 mph), induces ground balls (48.2% ground ball rate) and pitches deep into games (in the AL only Justin Verlander and Felix Hernandez have logged more innings) all while playing in the game's toughest division.

Later this month, Sabathia will turn 31, so obtaining another seven-year deal would require some especially skillful negotiating on the part of his representatives at Legacy Sports. His former teammate, Cliff Lee, did sign a five-year deal as a 32-year-old, however. 

Though it’s too early to tell whether Sabathia will opt out, any team that can contemplate a nine-figure investment in a pitcher would figure to have strong interest if he decides to test the market. The Yankees, naturally, would be at the top of any such list, so the left-hander may end up re-signing in New York, just as Alex Rodriguez did after opting out of his contract at the end of the 2007 season.

Sabathia won’t necessarily topple his old contract, like Rodriguez did in '07, since he'll be 31 this offseason. But Sabathia's consistent success has likely set him up for considerably more than $92MM in guaranteed money this winter, whether it's with the Yankees or somebody else.

Photo Courtesy Icon SMI.

Mets Listening On Carlos Beltran

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The Mets are beginning to accept calls on Carlos Beltran, according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post and “people are calling” about the outfielder.

Beltran, who has said he’ll waive his no-trade clause in the right deal to a contender, met with agent Scott Boras to discuss trade possibilities. Few teams, if any, could afford Beltran’s $18.5MM salary, since he’ll still be owed $6MM or so at the end of July. He currently projects as a Type A free agent, but the Mets cannot offer him arbitration after the season.

The Yankees aren’t interested in Beltran, though the Red Sox are a possible fit given the low level of offensive production Boston has received from its right fielders this year. Mets GM Sandy Alderson says “it’s still a little bit early” to make deals, since the Mets are “relevant” in the race for playoff berths.

Yankees Release Kanekoa Texeira

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The Yankees released Kanekoa Texeira, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch (on Twitter). The Yankees had claimed the 25-year-old right-hander from the Royals this May.

Texeira joined the Yankees organization in the 2008 Nick Swisher trade, but he has never donned pinstripes at the Major League level. The Mariners selected him in the 2009 Rule 5 draft and kept him on their roster for two months before exposing him to waivers. The Royals then claimed the Hawaiian and kept him on their roster for the remainder of the 2010 season to earn his rights before losing him to the Yankees.

Texeira posted a 10.43 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 14 2/3 innings total at Triple-A this year. The former 22nd rounder has a 4.66 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 67 2/3 MLB innings.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Jeter, Lackey

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The defending AL East Champion Rays are 47-38, which gives them the third best record in the American League. Unfortunately for the Rays, they're third in the AL East, behind the only two AL clubs with better records, the Yankees and Red Sox. Here's the latest on the division:

Minor Moves: Simons, Miller, Corcoran, Hernandez

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A few transactions from the minor leagues…

  • The Marlins have signed right-hander Zach Simons, MLBTR has learned.  Simons, 26, was released by the Tigers last week.  Simons was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2005 draft and has a 4.06 ERA and a 7.1 K/9 rate in seven minor league seasons in the Colorado and Detroit systems.
  • The Dodgers have signed Justin Miller to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned.  This is Miller's second stint with L.A. after posting a 4.44 ERA in 19 appearances with the club in 2010 before being designated for assignment.  Miller has pitched for the Mariners' and Rangers' Triple-A teams this season, with a combined 5.31 ERA in 17 appearances.
  • The Dodgers signed right-hander Roy Corcoran to a minor league deal and assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga, according to the Southern League's transactions page.  Corcoran last piched in the Majors in 2009 and has a career 4.17 ERA in 82 appearances with the Expos, Nationals and Mariners between 2003 and 2009.  Corcoran pitched for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock last season.
  • The Yankees released Fernando Hernandez, according to the International League's transactions page.  Hernandez had posted a 5.91 ERA in 33 appearances for Double-A Trenton this season and made just one appearance for Triple-A Scranton before being released.  The right-hander, who turns 27 later this month, has three Major League innings to his name, all with Oakland in 2008.    

Cafardo On Dodgers, Hardy, Wandy, Twins

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The latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…

  • The Dodgers are not ready to become sellers quite yet, but Cafardo reports that the team's scouts are already compiling lists of other teams' better prospects.  Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll are among the players who would be made available — Kuroda is already attracting the attention of several teams and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Carroll's trade candidacy two weeks ago.
  • Cafardo reports that the Indians looked into Casey Blake as a depth option at third base before Lonnie Chisenhall was called up.  Blake, Jonathan Broxton and Jon Garland are all currently on the DL but would be shopped by L.A. if they can prove they're healthy.
  • The Dodgers don't appear to be interested in moving higher-profile players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or James Loney since "the feeling is Dodgers fans would rebel if some of their star players were sold off."  I don't think Loney falls into this category at all — he has just a .678 OPS this season and could be a non-tender candidate after the season, so the Dodgers would love to get something back for him.
  • J.J. Hardy will be "a major trade chip" for the Orioles if the two sides can't work out a contract extension before the deadline.  Hardy would become the top option for shortstop-needy teams, particularly if the Mets don't shop Jose Reyes.
  • "It’s no secret that [Wandy Rodriguez] is being watched closely by the Yankees, who have sent a few people to watch some of his starts," Cafardo writes.  As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted a few weeks ago, the Yankees would want Rodriguez at the back of their rotation while the Astros would want a trade package befitting an ace, so there may not be a fit between the two teams.  Cafardo notes that Brett Myers "also remains on the Yankees' radar."
  • The Twins are more likely to deal Carl Pavano or Francisco Liriano than they would Scott Baker, though "there are teams that would love to get their hands on Baker."
  • The White Sox recently sent assistant general manager Dave Yokum to scout some Braves games for pitching.  Cafardo specifically cites Brandon Beachy as a starter the Sox were watching and says that Beachy or Derek Lowe could be shopped by Atlanta in exchange for a hitter.  I think it's obvious the Braves would prefer to move the expensive Lowe rather than a young, controllable pitcher like Beachy, but if the Braves wanted to pick up a big bat like Carlos Quentin (as Cafardo speculates), Atlanta certainly has the pitching depth to spare.
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