NL East Notes: Cole Hamels, Scott Hairston
The Marlins acquired Carlos Lee from the Astros for Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen earlier tonight in a trade that shows Miami's leadership still intends to win this year. The Marlins should obtain some additional offense from Lee at first base, while the Astros acquire a pair of intriguing prospects for their minor league system. Here are today’s NL East links…
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. met privately with Cole Hamels yesterday, but the left-hander said the meeting didn’t have to do with his contract status, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Hamels, who’s set to hit free agency this coming offseason, isn't intent on leaving the Phillies because of the team's disappointing 2012 season. He understands that the Phillies are talking to other clubs about him and remains optimistic that he and Amaro can reach a long-term agreement, Zolecki reports.
- Lefty masher Scott Hairston would be the most in-demand player on the Mets if New York were selling, a scout told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). However, the 44-37 Mets are looking to add to the big league team this summer.
Yanks Have “No Intention Of Joining” Hamels Bidding
The Yankees are currently in wait-and-see mode despite injuries to both CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, though they could make a move for a starter before the trade deadline. ESPN's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter) that the team has "no intention of joining" the bidding for Cole Hamels unless the asking price diminishes dramatically, however.
Over the weekend we heard that the Phillies had started to gauge trade interest in their homegrown ace left-hander, and that they're looking for a package of four or five prospects with an emphasis on help at third base and in the outfield. Since the Yankees are aiming to get below the $189MM luxury tax threshold by 2014, trading prospects for the southpaw and then keeping him long-term may not be feasible.
Phillies Notes: Hamels, Victorino, Manuel
The Phillies' trades in the past week are signs that the club is getting ready to send off even more pieces, opines Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (video link). Philly hasn't quite put Cole Hamels out on the trade market yet, but as they sit far behind the first-place Nationals, it seems inevitable. Morosi says that moves involving Hamels and Shane Victorino look likelier by the day. More on the Phillies..
- The Phillies might be saying publicly that they're not prepared to sell, but that doesn't appear to truly be the case, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. One rival executive who talked to a high-ranking Phillies official told Knobler, "They told me, 'If we lose any more games, we could be selling soon.'"
- Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel agreed with a reporter’s observation that the team's season riding on these next three weeks, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Meanwhile, Victorino argued that the returns of Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard will make a major impact on the club and will be bigger than any two acquisitions the Phillies could possibly make.
- Victorino also told reporters, including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (via Twitter) that he doesn't think his days in Philly are numbered and it's up to the team to show the front office that they can win as-is.
Latest On Yankees’ Search For Pitching
The Yankees are in wait-and-see mode for now, but could pursue starting pitching before July 31st, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write. With C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte on the disabled list, the Yankees’ rotation now includes Freddy Garcia and David Phelps.
Zack Greinke doesn’t interest the Yankees, who are concerned about how players will adjust to playing in New York. The Yankees could pursue Cole Hamels, but they aim to lower payroll below $189MM by 2014 to avoid the luxury tax, so keeping the left-hander long term wouldn’t be easy given the team’s existing commitments. The Yankees like Matt Garza and he may be their most realistic option if they’re willing to meet the Cubs’ steep asking price.
Quick Hits: Lee, Lino, Hamels, Trade Market
Some links to sift through as your Monday night winds down…
- Carlos Lee is remaining quiet on the potential Astros-Dodgers trade that would have sent him to Los Angeles, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "When I'm ready to talk, I'll come to you," Lee told reporters on Monday.
- Mike Newman of Fangraphs and Scouting the Sally writes that Gabriel Lino, who the Phillies acquired from the Orioles in this weekend's Jim Thome trade, is one of the Top 5 catching prospects he's scouted in person in terms of talent and ceiling. Newman opines that Ruben Amaro Jr. did well to turn a one-year deal like Thome into a talented teenage catcher.
- Josh Slatger of MLive.com writes that if the Tigers decide to make a run at Cole Hamels, third base prospect Nick Castellanos could be the "golden ticket" to acquiring the Philadelphia ace. Castellanos is blocked with both Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder locked into Detroit long-term.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince looks at the ten biggest buzz topics heading into this year's trading season.
Int’l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers
The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment. We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..
- The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
- Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
- Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
- The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
- The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
- The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).
Phillies Gauging Trade Interest In Cole Hamels
Monday: Olney adds that the Phillies are focused on acquiring help at third base and in the outfield in any trade for Hamels (Twitter link).
Sunday, 2:30 pm: The Phillies' asking price for Hamels is said to be a package of four to five prospects, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Olney adds rival executives believe such a package could be hard to come by with the new rule preventing teams from offering arbitration to potential free agents acquired in trade (via Twitter).
12:22 pm: The Phillies have begun calling teams to see about trade interest in Cole Hamels, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The left-hander will be eligible for free agency after earning $15MM in his walk year. Heyman writes there has been no progress made in contract negotiations.
It's possible that the Phillies are just scoping out early interest in Hamels just in case, Heyman tweets, but the calls make the odds of a trade seem real at this point. Less than a week ago, it was reported that the club was not ready to put Hamels or outfielder Shane Victorino on the block.
There should be no shortage of interest in the 28-year-old and the Rangers could be one of the more aggressive suitors for him. Texas is said to be scouting Hamels as well as Brewers pitcher Zack Greinke.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Phillies Notes: Hamels, Howard, Halladay
Yesterday we learned that the Phillies have begun calling teams to see about trade interest in Cole Hamels. Here's the latest on the left-hander..
- An executive who spoke with the Phillies says he can't see them unloading Cole Hamels and other pieces until after Ryan Howard and Roy Halladay return in mid-July, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. denounced rumors of the club shopping Hamels and told reporters, including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that he plans to keep the pitcher in Philly in the "short term and long term." When asked if he believes re-signing Hamels is realistic, he answered in the affirmative. Meanwhile, a baseball source says contact between the GM and Hamels' agent, John Boggs, has been almost nonexistent.
- The Phillies will not be trading any major piece anytime soon, opines Gelb. Gelb believes that Amaro has simply been gauging interest in his top pieces and won't necessarily move anyone.
Rosenthal On Pirates, Headley, Angels, Phillies
In today's column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Pirates should go all in and trade for either Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke or Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels. Rosenthal notes that the Bucs have the 11th-ranked farm system in the majors and enough young talent to pull off a trade without including Jameson Taillon or Gerrit Cole. Pittsburgh's pitching has been strong this year and the team is currently focusing on boosting their offense, but finding a hitter who could make an impact on the level of Greinke or Hamels would be a challenge. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- The Padres are drawing serious interest in third baseman Chase Headley, but one rival exec wonders how could the team trade Headley without knowing the future of left fielder Carlos Quentin. The club could potentially move both and replace Headley with top infield prospect Jedd Gyorko, but that would leave them flat offensively in 2013.
- Some execs wonder if the Angels might try to add one of the elite starters on the block due to the recent struggles of Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. The chances appear remote, however, as the Halos' farm system isn’t deep and sources say GM Jerry Dipoto is adamant about keeping right-hander Garrett Richards as a future low-cost option.
- Even before the Phillies began calling teams about Cole Hamels, it was obvious that they wouldn't be buyers. “Their scouts are not out there banging,” a rival exec said. “They’re usually out there banging by this time. They’re playing it more conservative.”
- The GM carousel could pick up again this year. The Rockies, Mariners, and Braves could all be compelled to make changes while the Dodgers and Padres are under new ownership. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract while the Padres’ Josh Byrnes has four years left.
- Sellers should target teams who are under a great deal of pressure to win such as the Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, Tigers, and Angels. The Yankees now work to take emotion out of the equation when surveying the trade market but they could feel added stress if they start to see another AL East club as a threat.
- Giants outfielder Nate Schierholtz is out-of-options and could draw interest at the deadline. Schierholtz is hitting .248/.314/.400 with three homers in 140 plate appearances.
Quick Hits: Jon Daniels, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has delivered three game-winning RBIs in his five games since being called up from Triple-A last week. Here's the latest news and headlines from around the big leagues…
- The Rangers will take a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming trade deadline meaning Jon Daniels and his associates plan to consider the best players available, writes Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Daniels hopes his team will benefit from getting four pitchers back from the disabled list before the end of the month. "… I’m hoping we’re not big players at the deadline. Hopefully, we get our guys back, get healthy and stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing."
- The Phillies will make at least one more attempt to sign Cole Hamels to a long-term contract before the team fully commits to dealing the left-hander, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). As mentioned earlier today, opposing clubs believe Philadelphia has an asking price of four to five prospects for Hamels, which makes a deal unlikely at this point. The 28-year-old was selected for his third All-Star team on Sunday after posting a 3.08 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 through 16 starts this season.
- Dodgers star Matt Kemp remains confident in his team's ability to be successful on the field after Los Angeles' deal with the Astros for Carlos Lee fell through on Sunday, says Alex Angert of MLB.com. "It's always good to get people to make your team better," Kemp said. "I don't know exactly what people think we need. We did a great job with what we have here. If we get somebody, that's good. But if we don't, it keeps going on and we have to keep playing the way we have in the first half."
- The Rays, depleted by a series of injuries, will determine how they approach the trade deadline based upon the health of Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. If Longoria and Joyce return from the disabled list shortly after the All-Star break, it would free up the Rays to bolster their weak spots at catcher and shortstop. More likely, Tampa Bay will pursue an offensive weapon that adds power to the lineup, such as Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who has 15 home runs since May 15.