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Cafardo On Rios, Young, Peavy, Aramis

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The Red Sox have scouted both Alex Rios and Michael Young recently, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Cafardo adds that the team is likely to scout Jake Peavy's next few starts for the White Sox as he returns from the disabled list. In a separate tweet, Cafardo reports that the Yankees and Red Sox are both likely to scout Aramis Ramirez next week when he returns from the disabled list.

Boston's in Rios is somewhat of a surprise, as both Shane Victorino and Jacoby Ellsbury have played well across the board, and Daniel Nava is hitting .288/.374/.429 while playing the outfield corners. Nava's OPS has declined in each month this season, however, and he grades out as a poor defender according to both Ultimate Zone Rating and The Fielding Bible. Rios would also present the Sox with a right field option if they wish to move Victorino to center field in 2014, should Ellsbury sign elsewhere (my own speculation).

The Young connection makes sense in light of recent reports that they're looking at upgrades on the left side of their infield. There's said to be "intense" interest in Young from a number of teams, and the Phillies could probably move him even if they don't wish to fully commit as sellers.

Ramirez hasn't hit for much power this season when on the field, but he's hitting .271 with a .359 on-base percentage, which should appeal to both teams. Neither has received much production at the hot corner. He's under control through 2014, but the $16MM salary that he is guaranteed next year could be prohibitive for interested parties.

Earlier today it was reported that the Red Sox are also interested in Houston's Bud Norris, and last night the Pirates were also connected to Rios.

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez Could Sign Next Week

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THURSDAY: Jaime Torres, Gonzalez's agent, told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com that he doesn't expect a deal to go down this weekend but that he hopes to announce an agreement next week. Torres is working on Gonzalez's visa process while the most interested teams make "their last internal consultations," the agent said.

Rojas added the Yankees, the Twins and the Marlins to the list of teams interested in the righty, citing a source close to Gonzalez, though the source adds that Minnesota and Miami are not expected to win the bidding because of Gonzalez's high salary demands. 

WEDNESDAY: The market is taking shape for Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and the right-hander could sign with a club as early as next week, an industry source tells MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  There's also a trio of new teams in the mix for Gonzalez in the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Braves.  They'll vie with the Cubs, Dodgers, Rangers, and Red Sox, who have all been showing serious interest in his services.

While teams are working the phones vigorously to land an impact pitcher before the July 31st deadline, Gonzalez could provide a boost to a contender without giving up anything other than money.  Scouts believe Gonzalez needs only a few starts in the minors before making his MLB debut and his addition could move the needle as much as finding an arm via trade.

Gonzalez, who was cleared to sign with an MLB team earlier this week, could get as much as $60MM over five years.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

NL East Notes: Mets, Phillies, Marlins

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The NL East boasts seven of the game's top 50 prospects, in the eyes of ESPN's Keith Law: Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick, and Andrew Heaney of the Marlins, Noah Syndergaard of the Mets, Jesse Biddle of the Phillies, Lucas Giolito of the Nationals, and Lucas Sims of the Braves.  Be sure to check out Keith's entire list.  On to today's division links:

  • "I know it will be substantially higher," Mets GM Sandy Alderson told David Lennon of Newsday regarding the team's 2014 payroll versus its current $55MM range.  Speaking to Joel Sherman of the New York Post in June, Alderson estimated a $90-100MM payroll.  "I think it has to be sort of a portfolio of players and contracts with varying maturities and obligations that make sense," Alderson told Lennon of his offseason plan, perhaps with a Red Sox-like strategy in mind for the club's numerous positional needs.  2014 was "always a target year," noted Alderson.
  • "Everybody acts like it is tomorrow but it is two weeks away," said Phillies general partner, president, and CEO David Montgomery in reference to the July 31st trade deadline to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Montgomery seems reluctant to adopt a selling stance for the Phillies, currently 5.5 games out in the wild card.
  • "They've kind of come as advertised," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, in reference to the seven players received from the Blue Jays in the controversial November blockbuster.  The Marlins flipped Yunel Escobar for Derek Dietrich, also acquiring Adeiny Hechavarria, Jeff Mathis, Henderson Alvarez, Marisnick, Justin Nicolino and Anthony DeSclafani.  "A big key to it was Hechavarria," GM Michael Hill noted.
  • Elsewhere in the NL East today, we learned the Braves have left-handed relievers James Russell, Mike Gonzalez, and Wesley Wright on their trade deadline wish list.

Strong Interest In Michael Young

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"Intense trade interest" in infielder Michael Young might compel the Phillies to trade him despite indications the team doesn't plan to sell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He says the Red Sox and Yankees are among about a dozen teams that have checked in on Young.

I still think Young, a 36-year-old hitting .288/.344/.414, would bring a modest return.  Rosenthal says the Phillies have no obvious internal replacement for him, though I wonder if utility man Kevin Frandsen is capable of delivering similar production in a regular role.  The Phillies are currently 5.5 games out in the wild card, and seek a center fielder and bullpen help.

Phillies Notes: Giles, Utley, Lee

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The Phillies, who lost Ben Revere for six to eight weeks over the weekend due to a broken bone in his ankle, are currently 6.5 games out of first place in the NL East. With Revere on the shelf for the foreseeable future, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is on the lookout for a center fielder. A rough couple of weeks could have the team selling pieces, however. Here's more on the Phils….

  • Phillies chairman Bill Giles told Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer that this is the "most difficult (final) July two weeks" he has ever seen for the team. The 78-year-old Giles, who has been with the Phillies since 1969, is in particular "worried a lot" about Carlos Ruiz and Chase Utley's futures.  "I am rooting for Chase to be with us, I will tell you that," Giles said. "He is a quality person and has done so much for this organization."
  • Utley, for his part, tells MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that he wants to remain in Philadelphia past the trade deadline and beyond.  "I've never envisioned wearing another team's uniform," Utley said. "And I know there's a lot of speculation, but I still haven't….that still hasn't changed over the last month. I've talked to Ruben. I've told him what I think about the organization and city of Philly. That's kind of where we're at."  Amaro recently said he hoped Utley would stay a Phillie for the remainder of his career.
  • A Red Sox team source tells Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that they don't expect the Phillies to be sellers at the trade deadline since the Phils are still afloat in the NL playoff race.
  • At today's All-Star festivities in New York, Cliff Lee told reporters (including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford) that as far as he knows, he will not be traded this year.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Phillies Looking For A Center Fielder

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Phillies center fielder Ben Revere told reporters, including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, he will miss six-to-eight weeks after breaking a bone in his right ankle in the first game of yesterday's doubleheader against the White Sox. Revere is scheduled to visit a foot specialist tomorrow. 

"The prognosis doesn't sound too good," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters, including Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We'll see how long it's going to be. I think it's something that's going to take a while. If that's the case, we'll probably be looking for a center fielder if one is available or will be an upgrade on what we have with John (Mayberry) out there."

MLBTR's Steve Adams examined the trade market for center fielders recently and the cupboard is somewhat bare, which is why the Phillies could be looking in-house for a replacement. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez started to see some action in center field last week and has been assigned to Double-A to accelerate his learning curve.

"He'll play center field every day for the next 10 days or so," Amaro said. "We're going to get him extensive work down there. But he'll be playing exclusively in center field to see if that's an option for us. He struggled (Saturday), but it's a new position for him. We'll give him a shot."

Brookover notes Hernandez is an interesting option to replace Revere because the two have similar games based on their ability to run. In a brief stint with the Phillies while Chase Utley was on the disabled list earlier this season, Hernandez hit .250 (7-for-28) with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Zolecki meanwhile reports shortstop Freddy Galvis is not an option to replace Revere.

Revere's injury is the second blow to the Phillies' offense in the last week. Ryan Howard underwent knee surgery last Monday and is also set to miss the next six-to-eight weeks. Revere is hitting .347 since the end of April, which is the sixth-best mark in baseball in that span and his .380 on-base percentage is 19th out of 164 qualifying hitters.

Odds & Ends: Hughes, Byrd, Cubs, Yankees

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Giants fans have been concerned about Tim Lincecum as of late, but he looked stellar last night as he pitched a no-hitter against the Padres.  The Freak tossed an eye-popping 148 pitches to get there, one shy of the watermark set by Edwin Jackson in 2010.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Phil Hughes has been mentioned quite a bit as a trade candidate for the Yankees and while one might expect them to seek out a piece to help them in 2013, like a righty-hitting corner bat with power, they would prefer a player that they can control in the future, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  If the Yankees keep Hughes, they are prepared to give him the 2014 tender (roughly $13.8MM) as they believe that outside teams will bid on him even with compensation attached.  In the event that they're wrong, the Bombers see it as low risk to have Hughes on a one-year deal and believe, at worst, he would still be tradeable.  
  • The Mets could trade Marlon Byrd, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) opines that nobody is going to give them anything close to a significant piece for a rental with a .313 OBP.  This weekend, General Manager Sandy Alderson said that he isn't in a rush to deal the outfielder.
  • The Cubs figure to be an attractive trade partner for contending clubs this summer, but president Theo Epstein didn't see it working out that way.  "We wanted to be buyers this year," Epstein told reporters, including MLB.com's Chad Thornburg. "With a few breaks, this year, we could've been in a much different situation. Some one-run games early change, and different bullpen situations [we'd have different results]. The goal every year is to be in position where you're looking to add and have a strong pennant push."
  • After helping the Cubs top the Cardinals, Matt Garza spoke with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) about what the immediate future might hold for him.  While he says that he's focusing on pitching the best he can, he admits that it would be tough for him to leave the Cubs.  Meanwhile, he still pegs the odds of signing an extension with Chicago at 50/50.
  • Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record writes that Yankees fans hoping for a major splash shouldn't hold their breath between now and the end of the month.  “There’s not a lot out there for [GM Brian Cashman],” said one rival executive, who added that Michael Young isn’t currently available and the Bombers aren’t particularly interested in Byrd. 

East Notes: Rays, Byrd, Brown, Red Sox

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The Rays tend to stand pat at the trade deadline, and you can expect the same this time around, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Right now, the Rays have one of their best squads in the past six seasons, strong pitching, a solid bullpen, and the offense is doing better than expected.  "I like what we have now," manager Joe Maddon said. "With everybody staying well I don't anticipate us doing anything."  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Consistent with what we've been hearing, the Mets say that they aren't in a rush to trade outfielder Marlon Byrd, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post.  ”It would have to be significant [talent],” Alderson said before last night's game. “I don’t want to add to the speculation because I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we want to remain competitive.”  Byrd is hitting .267/.313/.498 with 15 homers while the Mets are 40-50, 12 games back from the first place Braves.
  • Domonic Brown is shining for the Phillies, but they almost let him get away, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Brown was an untouchable during talks in 2009 with Toronto for Roy Halladay but two baseball sources said Brown's name was discussed in the 2011 trade with the Astros for Hunter Pence.
  • The Red Sox aren't feeling pressured to make a trade before the deadline, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Even if Clay Buchholz has another setback, the BoSox can still get by with what they have, in Silverman's estimation.

Odds & Ends: Thornton, Soriano, Mariners, Rockies

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Here's today's look around baseball..

  • Other teams passed on Matt Thornton because they felt that he hasn’t been throwing well and that the cost of acquiring him outweighed the possible reward, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd).  The cost for the Red Sox was giving up a 22-year-old minor league outfielder in Brandon Jacobs and taking on the remainder of Thornton's salary, less the $750K that came from the White Sox.
  • Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com sized up the trade market for Windy City outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Alex Rios.  Recently, our own Steve Adams sized up the trade market for corner outfielders and center fielders as the deadline approaches.
  • Teams are waiting on the Mariners, Phillies, and Giants to decide their strategy before the trade deadline as they all have "useful players", tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • The Rockies could conceivably go out-of-house to replace Todd Helton once he retires, but they have a couple of options to turn to in their farm system, writes Irv Moss of The Denver Post.

East Notes: Red Sox, Mets, Byrd, Buchholz

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The Red Sox bolstered their bullpen last night when they acquired Matt Thornton (and cash) from the White Sox in exchange for minor league outfielder Brandon Jacobs.  The left-hander hasn't been quite as sharp this season as he has in years past, but Boston hopes that he'll help fill their need for a quality southpaw after losing Andrew Miller for the season.  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Mets assistant GM J.P. Ricciardi told Jim Bowden of SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club will only move Marlon Byrd if they can get a serious return.  Andy Martino of the Daily News heard earlier this week that the Mets were unlikely to trade the veteran, though one scout noted that GM Sandy Alderson & Co. could just be looking to drive up the price.
  • Clay Buchholz's timeline for returning has been pushed back a bit, which could lead the Red Sox to put a little more thought into acquiring a starter before the deadline, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.  Buchholz was originally scheduled to make a rehab start tomorrow, but he'll instead spend some time regaining his arm strength with bullpen sessions.
  • In speaking to season ticket holders, Orioles Executive Vice President Dan Duquette explained that the club has the financial resources to make deals that are worthwhile, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com.  “The addition of Scott Feldman to our team was a sign that we want to be in this thing,” Duquette said.
  • Ed Rendell of the Philadelphia Daily News suggests that the Phillies should look to add a quality reliever like Jesse Crain of the White Sox while moving Carlos Ruiz, who he has value given the lack of quality catching out there.
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