Minor Moves: Tuffy Gosewisch
There were lots of major moves prior to this afternoon's trade deadline, but here's a recap of the day's smaller transactions…
- The Phillies sold catcher Tuffy Gosewisch to the Blue Jays, reports Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Toronto is currently without J.P. Arencibia and top catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud due to injuries. The 28-year-old Gosewisch hit .192/.241/.310 in 228 plate appearances for Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate this season.
AL East Notes: Qualls, Blanton, Blue Jays, Beckett
The Yankees acquired Casey McGehee and the Red Sox acquired Craig Breslow, but the Blue Jays, Orioles and Rays remained relatively quiet on trade deadline day. Here’s the latest from the AL East…
- The Yankees had planned to designate Chad Qualls for assignment to create roster space for Joba Chamberlain, so trading him to Pittsburgh wasn't a problem for the club, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports (on Twitter).
- The Yankees were in on Ryan Dempster, but talks "never got to crunch time," Marc Carig of the Star Ledger reports (on Twitter).
- The Orioles continued general discussions about a possible Joe Blanton trade, but never took the next step, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter). "We would have liked to have done a deal or two today, but I don't think we're done adding to the team," executive VP Dan Duquette said, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Sun (on Twitter).
- The Blue Jays were discussing a trade late Monday, only to see the deal fall apart, GM Alex Anthopoulos said, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (on Twitter). Griffin suggests the deal was with the Cubs, who were discussing trades involving Matt Garza last night.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said he didn’t ask Josh Beckett if he’d waive his ten and five rights, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal (on Twitter).
D’Backs Tried To Acquire Ace Pitcher
5:33pm: The Diamondbacks were indeed working to acquire Garza today, Olney reports (on Twitter).
12:58pm: Lefty Patrick Corbin has been scratched from his start for Arizona's Triple-A affiliate, tweets Chris Gabel of the Reno Gazette-Journal. Magruder has been told Corbin will not be moved, but says he guesses things could change in what Kevin Towers likes to call the "lightning round."
12:46pm: The Diamondbacks are not currently discussing a deal with the Cubs involving Upton and Garza, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. It was only Olney's speculation in the first place.
12:31pm: The D'Backs are "working hard on something big," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney feels that an Upton-Matt Garza framework makes sense for the Cubs and Diamondbacks. Upton does have the Cubs on his no-trade list, notes Olney.
10:56am: Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick dismissed talk of acquiring Lee, Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com reports (Twitter links). "He is owed $100MM. If they want to keep $90MM" Kendrick said. "Really problematic to move him." Arizona would still like to acquire a starter, but Kendrick says we should not expect front page news.
8:37am: The Diamondbacks are one of the teams to which Lee can block a trade, notes Rosenthal.
8:08am: The Diamondbacks say Upton is definitely staying and there is no truth to rumors of Lee or Hernandez, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. That, of course, does not make Rosenthal's report of the D'Backs seeking an ace pitcher untrue. Meanwhile, Nightengale notes that the club is likely to trade shortstop Stephen Drew today.
3:59am: The Diamondbacks are trying to swing a blockbuster for an unknown ace starting pitcher, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. One rival executive "received indications that the Phillies and Diamondbacks had discussed a deal involving Cliff Lee and Justin Upton," but that scenario is unconfirmed and it is not known whether the D'Backs are among the 21 teams to which Lee can block a trade. Plus, Kevin Towers and company would need serious assistance covering the $95.1MM guaranteed to the Phillies' lefty through 2015.
Rosenthal notes that the Mariners inquired on Upton earlier this month, but talks failed to progress. Given that club's repeated comments on and off record, we can probably forget about Felix Hernandez.
Rosenthal did not mention the Marlins' Josh Johnson, who is reportedly expected to stay put through today's deadline. It's difficult to name another ace-like starting pitcher on whom a team might listen.
Giants Acquire Hunter Pence
The Giants have to have bolstered their lineup with an All-Star caliber outfielder for the second consecutive summer. They acquired right fielder Hunter Pence from the Phillies for right fielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and, minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph the Phillies announced.
Pence, 29, is hitting .271/.336/.447 in 440 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. He's under team control for 2013, though his salary could exceed $14MM. He'll boost a Giants lineup that ranks 11th in the NL with four runs scored per game. GM Brian Sabean snagged one of the best bats on the trade market last summer as well with Carlos Beltran, but Pence is more than a rental.
Pence joined the Phillies one year ago in a trade with the Astros, but amidst a disappointing season GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is cleaning house. Less than an hour ago, the Dodgers acquired another member of the Phillies' outfield in Shane Victorino. Los Angeles also acquired Hanley Ramirez and Brandon League, creating pressure for their NL West rivals.
Schierholtz, 28, appears to have requested a trade after seeing his playing time diminish. T he left-handed hitter has a .257/.327/.429 batting line in 196 plate appearances this year and a .270/.319/.412 line in his six-year career. He's earning $1.3MM this year and can be retained through 2014 via the arbitration process.
Rosin, a 23-year-old right-hander, stand 6'6". He has a 4.31 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 56 1/3 innings at Class A so far this year. The 2010 fourth round pick has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in the minor leagues.
Joseph, 21, is hitting .260/.313/.391 in 335 Double-A plate appearances this year. Baseball America wrote before the season that the 2009 second-rounder should be able to stay at catcher.
Jon Heyman first reported the trade today. Two days ago, Dennis O'Donnell of KPIX was first to report that the Giants had a deal in place for Pence involving Joseph. Todd Zolecki first reported that Rosin was in the trade. Danny Knobler confirmed Joseph's role in the trade.
Latest On Orioles, Joe Blanton
31-year-old innings eater Joe Blanton has about $3MM left on his contract, and the Orioles are his most interested suitor. The latest:
- The Phillies are coming off the $3MM demands, tweets Connolly, and Blanton to the Orioles is picking up steam again.
- The Orioles would have to take on $3MM to acquire Blanton, and they aren't comfortable with that amount, so they're considering other options, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). The Mariners want a lot in return for Jason Vargas, Connolly writes. Joe Saunders and Bud Norris are alternatives, but it's not clear whether they're fits for Baltimore. The Orioles don't want to give up much in a trade for starting pitching, Connolly writes.
- The Orioles tried to get Paul Maholm from the Cubs, Ghiroli reports. She confirms the team's interest in Saunders and Vargas. The Orioles are looking on the relief market as well, Ghiroli reports.
- The Orioles are turning their attention back toward other starters, tweets MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli.
- The Orioles were sent medicals on Blanton as well as two Phillies minor leaguers, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
- Money continues to be a stumbling block on a Blanton deal, tweets MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The chances of the deal dying have increased since yesterday.
Dodgers Acquire Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino is returning to the organization that drafted him in 1999. The Dodgers acquired Victorino from the Phillies today for starting pitching prospect Ethan Martin and reliever Josh Lindblom, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (Twitter link). The deal has been officially announced by both teams, and the Phillies also received a player to be named later or cash considerations. It's been another active summer for Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, who also acquired Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, and Brandon League this month.
Victorino, 31, has $3.3MM remaining on his contract and will be eligible for free agency after the season. The center fielder has a .261/.324/.401 line in 431 plate appearances for the Phillies this year. It seems likely he'll play left field for the Dodgers, despite less than 200 career innings at that position. For the Phillies, Domonic Brown will come up to play left field with John Mayberry Jr. becoming the regular center fielder.
The Flyin' Hawaiian was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 1999. Former Dodgers GMs Dan Evans and Paul DePodesta let him go twice in the Rule 5 draft, claiming him back from the Padres the first time in '03 but not from the Phillies in '05. Victorino went on to become a star for the Phils, snagging three Gold Gloves, two All-Star appearances, and even some MVP votes in his time with the club. With the team's surprising last place performance this season, Victorino was dealt to a contender a few months prior to free agency. The Reds, Orioles, and Giants had also reportedly been in the mix. The Dodgers announced they've designated lefty Michael Antonini to open a 40-man roster spot for Victorino.
Martin, the Dodgers' first-round draft pick from 2008, owns a 3.58 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, and 0.38 HR/9 in 118 Double-A innings this year. Drafted as a raw high schooler, Baseball America ranked Martin 17th on their Dodgers prospect list prior to the season. They wrote that Martin "maintains the ceiling of a No. 2 starter but has a long way to go."
Lindblom, 25, has a 3.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 47 2/3 relief innings this year, so he's had some issues with the longball. He doesn't have much big league service time, and is technically under team control through 2017. Drafted in the second round in '08, Lindblom was once considered one of the team's top prospects. Lindblom was made more expendable by the Dodgers' acquisition of League from the Mariners last night.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire/Robert Mayer. Jon Heyman first reported a deal was very likely.
Giants Closing In On Deal For Pence
Phillies right fielder Hunter Pence holds extra appeal since he's under team control for 2013, even if he could earn more than $14MM next year. The latest:
- The Giants are closing in on a deal for Pence, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
- The Pence to the Giants talk is pretty hot, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.
- Just prior to the Dodgers wrapping up their deal for Shane Victorino, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted that the Phillies were still discussing a Pence deal with the Giants. They apparently are willing to trade two starting outfielders.
Latest On Athletics’ Search For Infielders
11:18am: It doesn't look like the Athletics will acquire a shortstop today, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:55am: MLB Network's Peter Gammons is a hearing a flat "no" on the idea of Drew going to the A's.
MONDAY, 6:03pm: Trade talk about a potential deal that would send Stephen Drew from Arizona to Oakland still has life, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter link). However, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reported today that the Athletics have backed off their pursuit of Drew and Yunel Escobar for now, (Twitter link).
Ken Rosenthal recently reported that the Athletics aren't favored to acquire Drew if the Diamondbacks trade him. Oakland is reluctant to match Toronto's asking price on Escobar, according to Rosenthal. Drew and Escobar are Oakland's top two choices for a shortstop upgrade, Jon Heyman reported today.
The A's looked into the possibility of acquiring Jimmy Rollins, but would have had to take on his entire contract ($11MM per season through 2014 with a vesting option for 2015) to complete a deal, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. The price in terms of prospects wasn't high, but there's no guarantee Rollins, a Bay Area native, would approve a trade to Oakland. The Dodgers are no longer a fit for Rollins, Knobler writes.
Dodgers Close To Acquiring Victorino
Roughly 10% of you feel that Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino will be the biggest name dealt today. The latest:
- A Dodgers-Victorino trade is looking very likely, tweets Heyman. ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that the Dodgers are close to acquiring Victorino for Lindblom and a second player. Another sign a deal is imminent: outfielder Domonic Brown was scratched from today's Triple-A game and will be joining the Phillies in Washington, D.C., tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- The Dodgers are in serious talks for Victorino, reports Heyman. The Phillies have been asking for relievers.
- The Reds and Phillies have ceased talks on Victorino and Juan Pierre, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, putting the Dodgers in a good position for Victorino.
- Potential Phillies target Josh Lindblom became more expendable for the Dodgers after the team acquired Brandon League from the Mariners, wrote Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports early this morning. Lindblom, 25, has a 3.02 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.70 HR/9, and 38% groundball rate in 47 2/3 relief innings this year, so he's had some issues with the longball.
Quick Hits: Indians, Lee, Phillies, Pirates
Links from around MLB, on the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline…
- The Indians continue to insist they don't expect to trade Justin Masterson or Shin-Soo Choo, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes. They'd have to be overwhelmed to trade Choo, but an NL exec says Masterson is "definitely" on the market.
- The Marlins are begging teams to take Carlos Lee off their hands, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
- Scott Miller of CBSSports.com explains the challenges the Phillies face and how they arrived where they are today.
- The Pirates continue trying to add a right-handed outfield bat, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).