Quick Hits: Braves, Blue Jays, Soriano, Weaver
Earlier this evening, Braves General Manager Frank Wren confirmed that he is on the lookout for a shortstop. "We’re moving along. Hopefully in the next day or so we’ll get to the end of it," said the GM, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Here's more from around baseball..
- The Blue Jays are more focused on improving their starting rotation than their bullpen right now but are interested in upgrading both, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Toronto is said to be among the clubs interested in Cubs starter Matt Garza.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) speculates that Alfonso Soriano would be an interesting get for the Rays if the Cubs were willing to absorb about 90 percent of the money owed to him.
- Angels pitcher Jered Weaver has no regrets about staying with the Halos for less money than he could have gotten elsewhere on the open market this offseason, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- Phillies assistant GM Marti Wolever isn't “overly disappointed” about not signing second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “We’ll get an extra second-rounder next year,” he said of the right-hander. “We liked [Rash], but he didn’t pitch well this summer. We made a fair offer. He’s going to school."
NL East Notes: Nationals, Pence, Young
The Nationals will have to directly protect their NL East lead right out of the gate after the All-Star Break, as Washington's first 14 games of the second are all against division rivals. Here are some items from around the NL East…
- The Nationals may be relatively quiet at the trade deadline, as Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider write that the team is relying more on injured players (Drew Storen and Jayson Werth) returning to fill holes in the roster.
- If the Phillies dealt Hunter Pence, they could use the salary earmarked his possible long-term extension and spend it on re-signing Shane Victorino at a discount and signing another outfielder, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Using Andre Ethier's $85MM extension with the Dodgers as a model for a future Pence contract, Gelb argues that if the Phils don't want to pay Pence that much, they should move him now to create salary relief and add prospects. Pence has one more arbitration year before being eligible for free agency following the 2013 season.
- Chris Young's minor league contract with the Mets can pay him as much as $4.85MM if he reaches all his incentive clauses, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. Young's one-year deal pays him a base salary of $1.1MM.
Phillies Preparing Major Offer For Cole Hamels
The Phillies plan to offer Cole Hamels a large contract extension in order to see if they can lock the southpaw up before the July 31 trade deadline, reports ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The size of the proposal is unknown, though a source tells Stark that the Phillies have debated about whether or not to break their unofficial club policy of not signing a pitcher to more than five guaranteed years.
We recently heard that the Phillies were willing to go beyond four years to sign Hamels, though if the Phils aren't willing to go beyond five years, Hamels could easily get a minimum six-year deal on the open market this winter. If it's just length and not money (an estimated $24-25MM per season) that's the issue, the gap could possibly be closed by a vesting option.
This could explain why the Phillies are internally optimistic that they can re-sign Hamels, Stark hears from two executives from opposing teams.
"They're trying to sign him," said one of those executives. "And they think it's going to happen. At least that's what I was told."
If Hamels turns down the offer, then the Phillies could explore trading the southpaw before the trade deadline, though Stark notes that the Phillies intend to wait as long as possible to decide if they'll be sellers given that Chase Utley, Ryan Howard are off the DL and Roy Halladay will also soon return.
Quick Hits: Draft, Headley, Phillies, Pence
For the most part, the new draft system has reined in costs and pushed players to sign early, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. However, six first-round picks remain unsigned as the Friday deadline approaches. Of course, the draft pool limit should keep the drama in check as teams are unwilling to overspend to the point where they have to forfeit draft picks. The two most interesting teams to watch figure to be the Pirates (Mark Appel) and the Nationals (Lucas Giolito), Mayo writes. Links from around baseball as Wednesday turns into Thursday..
- If the Padres make Chase Headley available, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) expects the Orioles to inquire on him. For his part, the third baseman has said that he would prefer to remain in San Diego.
- Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence might have the most trade value of anyone on the team, including Cole Hamels, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pence, 29, should make close to $15MM through arbitration for 2013.
- It may seem like a no-brainer for the Phillies to have an all-out fire sale, but Richard Justice of MLB.com writes that it's not quite that simple. Philadelphia is leading the majors in attendance for a second straight year and their core players believe that they can still make a run in 2012. Regardless, one has to imagine that Ruben Amaro Jr. & Co. will make trades with the future in mind.
East Notes: Martin, Phillies, Blue Jays, Papelbon
A few links from around the NL East and AL East, where the Yankees and Nationals reside in first place at the All-Star break …
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman has no plans to acquire a catcher despite Russell Martin's struggles, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. "We have our catching," Cashman said. "I believe in Russell Martin, period."
- The Phillies are flirting with exceeding MLB's luxury-tax threshold of $178MM, which could affect their dealings with impending free agent Cole Hamels, who's also a potential trade candidate, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. The looming threat of a luxury tax stifling a player's contract negotiations is something union chief Michael Wiener said he wouldn't be "happy about," but he understands it's part of the the collective bargaining agreement.
- The Blue Jays will have to pay a tax after overshooting the $2.9MM cap for signing international free agents that kicked in on July 2, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Toronto inked three of BA's top 20 international free agents.
- Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said his Boston tenure all but ended when ex-manager Terry Francona's 2012 option was not picked up, leaving a managerial void the club would not fill till December, according to ESPNBoston.com. The Sox never made the right-hander an offer, Papelbon confirmed: "(The Red Sox) wanted to see if I could go out and test the market and maybe come back. I don't know if they would (have countered), but I don't go back. I go forward."
Hamels, Phillies Continue Discussing Extension
Lines of communication between the Phillies and the agent for Cole Hamels are open and the negotiations are reaching a critical stage, Jim Salisbury at CSNPhilly.com reports. Hamels, a free agent after the 2012 season, is expected to become a trade chip if the Phillies don’t sign him long-term.
Not much has changed since Spring Training, Salisbury reports. The Phillies appear to be comfortable paying Hamels close to $24MM per season (the same range as Cliff Lee), but the sides haven’t agreed on the length of the potential extension. Initially the Phillies wanted to complete a four-year deal, but it’s likely the team is now willing to offer more years. However, John Boggs, the agent for Hamels, could target a six or seven-year contract.
East Links: Phillies, Beltran, Mets, Bourn
Some links pertaining to MLB's two eastern divisions as Prince Fielder is crowned Home Run Derby champion for the second time…
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes that Jonathan Papelbon says he and his teammates understand the business side of the game, but that trading Cole Hamels would still not go over well in their clubhouse.
- Carlos Beltran told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca and other reporters that the Blue Jays showed interest in him this offseason, but never made a formal contract offer. Beltran said the Indians and Rays were also interested, but most AL clubs wanted him to spend significant time at DH, and he wanted to play in the field regularly. According to Beltran, he would have considered the Giants, but they never called.
- The Mets are open to adding veteran pieces at the trade deadline this year to strengthen the club, but they won't be trading top prospects like Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Heyman offers speculative lists of relievers and catchers who could interest GM Sandy Alderson.
- Heyman also writes that the Braves are not currently in extension talks with Michael Bourn, and that Bourn will likely be pursued by the Giants this winter when he hits free agency.
Knobler On Tigers, Hamels, Upton, Royals
Rival executives are divided on what the Tigers need to acquire for the second half of the season, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Some say the Tigers need a pitcher, others say they should acquire a second baseman and others believe they don’t need to make a major addition. Here are more of Knobler’s notes, starting with the Tigers:
- Detroit has shown some interest in Matt Garza, but Tigers people suggest a deal is fairly unlikely, according to Knobler. The Tigers don’t seem enthused about the possibility of trading for Marco Scutaro, though they’ve shown some interest in him.
- The Phillies have identified about four teams that would be a fit for Cole Hamels and they’re saying they'd want players who are close to contributing in the Major Leagues. However, the Phillies aren’t ready to deal the left-hander yet.
- Scouts believe the Diamondbacks are serious about listening to offers for Justin Upton.
- The Royals had been considering the possibility of becoming midseason buyers this year. They don’t intend to give Jonathan Broxton or other players away because they “badly want” to win games in the second half, Knobler writes.
- The 43-43 Athletics see themselves as sellers, rather than contenders, Knobler reports. A’s people are hoping Brandon McCarthy pitches well and increases his trade value when he returns from the disabled list.
- Scouts are unimpressed by Cubs pitching prospect Gerardo Concepcion, Knobler notes.
Rosenthal On Upton, Rangers, Twins, Tigers
The Diamondbacks are willing to trade Justin Upton even if they’re in contention, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Arizona GM Kevin Towers won’t make a deal unless he’s “dazzled”, Rosenthal reports. Here are Rosenthal’s latest rumors, starting with Upton:
- The Diamondbacks could pursue Major Leaguers instead of prospects for Upton if they remain in contention for a postseason berth. Upton raises some questions with his effort level and body language, according to Rosenthal, but the outfielder appears to have drawn “huge” interest from teams such as the Pirates nonetheless.
- The Rangers prefer Cole Hamels to Zack Greinke, though they continue scouting Greinke.
- Francisco Liriano has a 2.74 ERA in eight starts since returning to the Twins’ rotation, but clubs are “wary” of trading for the left-hander, Rosenthal reports. It’s doubtful that teams would part with significant prospects for Liriano, who’s thought of as a bullpen option by some teams. Matt Capps will also be available once he returns from the disabled list, according to Rosenthal.
- The Tigers are prioritizing offense over starting pitching, according to an executive that has spoken to the team. The Tigers need second base help and could also explore trades for corner outfielders, starting pitchers and relievers.
Phillies Notes: Cole Hamels, Rangers, Charlie Manuel
The Phillies concluded the first half of the season by dropping an afternoon game against the Braves by the score of 4-3. The setback marked Philadelphia's 50th loss of the season as the team currently sits in last place in the National League East with a record of 37-50. The 2011 Phillies did not lose their 50th game until September 12 as the squad went on to win 102 games in route to the division title. Let's check in on the latest news and headlines from Citizens Bank Park with the All-Star break nearly upon us…
- Cole Hamels spoke with CSNPhilly.com's Leslie Gudel about his current status with the Phillies and his future beyond this season as the trade deadline quickly approaches. Hamels said while he would be happy to sign a long-term deal with the Phillies, he's curious to explore free agency and potentially end up with a team on the West Coast like the Dodgers.
- Look for Hamels to land with the Rangers if the Phillies end up dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Olney spoke with baseball officials on Sunday who deemed Texas as the prohibitive favorites in the Hamels arms race.
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel isn't concerned about his job security given his self-proclaimed belief that he is a winner, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. "How concerned am I? I’ve got a lot of confidence in myself," said Manuel. "And I am a fighter. And not only that, I think I’m a winner."