Rosenthal On Royals, A’s, Barney, Orioles
Many baseball people expect the Padres to trade Carlos Quentin, but the team is in a fluid situation, so that assumption is not safe, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Padres should have some payroll flexibility this offseason, so they could keep the outfielder despite their modest budget. Here are Rosenthal’s latest rumors:
- Jeff Francoeur has played through ailments and injuries this year and the Royals like his leadership, so they aren’t necessarily looking to trade him.
- Last August the Royals offered Melky Cabrera the same two-year, $13.5MM contract Francoeur eventually signed, but Cabrera declined the offer and the Royals traded him a few months later.
- Rosenthal suggests the A’s aren’t eager to trade veterans for marginal returns. The team is hovering around .500 and plays 18 of its next 28 games at home. The A’s would probably love to trade Kurt Suzuki, Rosenthal writes.
- One exec predicts the Phillies don’t have enough confidence in their outfield depth to trade Hunter Pence this summer.
- An agent predicts Cole Hamels will sign a monster free agent contract this coming offseason and Rosenthal says the Phillies won’t go near $150MM for six years or $175MM for seven years.
- Rival teams frequently ask about Darwin Barney and it’s possible the Cubs will trade the second baseman.
- The Orioles seem to have the most interest in trading for Diamondbacks left-hander Joe Saunders, Rosenthal reports.
- The Orioles’ Triple-A team, which includes Miguel Tejada, Jamie Moyer and Dontrelle Willis, tops the Orioles’ MLB team in career earnings, Rosenthal notes.
- One executive suggested a growing number of teams could request 72-hour windows to negotiate extensions with trade targets this summer because of the provision in the new collective bargaining agreement that prevents teams from obtaining draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason. However, players wouldn’t necessarily be interested in signing and it’d cost teams time and leverage.
Quick Hits: Padres, Phillies, Drabek, Vlad
Teams interested in acquiring starting pitching help surely noticed when the Cubs placed right-hander Ryan Dempster on the disabled list with right lat tightness today. Dempster, 35, is one of the top starters known to be available in trades. Here are today’s links…
- A quick sale of the Padres may not be possible at this point, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. The three apparent finalists are all leading bid groups with multiple investors, which will require extensive background work once a sale is announced.
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com examines the trade stock of some of the Phillies biggest names in the event that their slide continues into late July.
- Blue Jays righty Kyle Drabek is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, tweets Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca. This will be the second time Drabek has been through Tommy John.
- Free agent designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero isn't close to signing, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
- There's no indication the Tigers are interested in Jim Thome, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press reports. Thome, a "longtime tormentor" of the Tigers, bats left-handed, which means he’s not a perfect fit in Detroit. The Tigers are interested in acquiring a bat before the July 31st trade deadline and they'd prefer to add a right-handed hitter, Morosi reported yesterday.
- GM Brian Cashman told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that the Yankees haven't pursued contract extensions for Robinson Cano or Curtis Granderson, but aim to keep both players long-term (Twitter link).
- Maury Brown explains that TV deals are boosting franchise values across MLB in a piece at Baseball Prospectus.
Sherman On Dempster, Lee, Gonzalez
MLB executives expect the additional Wild Card teams to slow the trade market this summer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Cubs and a few other teams such as the Athletics, Astros and Padres are willing to sell now, but most clubs still hope to contend this summer. Here are some notes from Sherman on the trade market:
- No clear difference makers appear to be available right now, Sherman reports. People are generally waiting to see if the Brewers or Phillies decide to trade established stars for controllable talent.
- A Yankees official told Sherman that Ryan Dempster would just “muddy the water” in New York, an indication that the Yankees aren’t overly interested in the Cubs right-hander.
- Though there’s no indication that Cliff Lee and Carlos Gonzalez are available, Sherman makes the case that their respective clubs should consider trades for them this summer. Lee, who has a nine-team no-trade list, would appeal to a number of contenders, and Gonzalez would draw considerable interest in a trade market that currently features few impact hitters.
- Sherman points out that people in the industry see California native Cole Hamels heading toward a big payday from the Dodgers after the season when he hits free agency.
Rosenthal On Dempster, O’s, Jays, Astros, Indians
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com has the latest from the rumor mill in a pair of videos, the Rosenthal Report and Full Count. Here's what's going on …
- The Cubs are shopping starter Ryan Dempster to multiple teams, including the Dodgers. Chicago is willing to include significant amounts of cash in any trade in hopes of landing better prospects. Dempster has 10-and-5 rights, however, and thus can veto any deal, although he's willing to move to a contender.
- The Orioles are pursuing starting pitching and scouted both Dempster and Matt Garza this week, although the Diamondbacks' Joe Saunders may be a better trade fit for Baltimore.
- The Blue Jays are asking around for pitching help, although they may end up sellers before the non-waiver trade deadline.
- The Astros are willing to listen on "virtually all of their players." Younger players like Jed Lowrie and third baseman Chris Johnson are all in play, although it would take a huge offer to pry away second baseman Jose Altuve.
- The Indians are unlikely to make a move for a DH type like Vladimir Guerrero or Manny Ramirez. Their bigger need is a player who can play left field — perhaps someone like Carlos Quentin — but they first need to figure out where they stand with Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, who are both injured.
- The Marlins will have trouble bolstering their weak offense because of a depleted farm system. With Emilio Bonifacio injured, their most obvious need is center field. The Twins' Denard Span and perhaps the Phillies' Shane Victorino are potential targets.
- The Angels no longer have room in the starting lineup for the injured Vernon Wells now that Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout have solidified the outfield, and one rival GM thinks Wells could be released when he's ready to return from the disabled list.
Olney On Hamels, Dempster, Cubs, Red Sox, Draft
Some rival executives believe that unless the Phillies run off a string of victories between now and the deadline, they will seriously consider offers for left-hander Cole Hamels, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. In today's column (Insider subscription required), Olney looks at the pros and cons of trading Hamels and more..
- If the Red Sox are waffling about whether to get involved in talks for Ryan Dempster, then the right-hander must have opened their eyes with his strong outing Friday. However, it remains to be seen if the Cubs and BoSox can move past the Theo Epstein compensation drama to make a deal.
- Matt Garza could also figure to be one of the top pitchers on the market leading up to the deadline and execs say that he has been talked about a lot more in recent days.
- A pair of baseball execs told Olney that they're in favor of the new draft rules putting prospects into their respective systems more rapidly. "For them, it's one less year to the major leagues. High school kids do not have to spend as much time in rookie league. College players who are high draft [picks] can get more easily get to Double-A in Year Two," said Mark Newman, Yankees senior VP of baseball operations.
- The Padres are extremely high on top pick Max Fried and one evaluator compared his breaking ball to Clayton Kershaw's. Fried, the No. 7 pick, agreed to a $3MM deal with the club yesterday.
East Notes: Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves, Soler
Earlier today we learned that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau. However, one exec noted that Anthopoulos seems to "[call] about everyone." Here's more on the Blue Jays and the rest of the division..
- Anthopoulos isn't worried about any criticism that may come his way, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Even though the GM knows that the club has to show progress on the field, he insists that he won't be swayed by popular opinion and won't rush into making a move.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who didn't have a very high opinion of where the Phillies stand or what they can offer in a trade. “They’re not young. They’re not healthy. And their system is thin," the scout said.
- The Braves were right there with the Cubs and willing to spend $30MM on Jorge Soler, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com. The White Sox and Yankees, meanwhile, had bids that fell between $25MM and $30MM.
Phillies Sign Jason Pridie
The Phillies signed Jason Pridie, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). The Athletics granted Pridie his release earlier this month, making him a free agent.
Pridie signed with the A's last offseason but didn't play a game in the Oakland organization following a 50-game suspension for a drug violation. The 28-year-old appeared in 101 games for the Mets last year, posting a .231/.309/.370 batting line in 236 plate appearances and playing all three outfield positions. He is a Sosnick/Cobbe client.
Quick Hits: Gio, Phillies, Rangers, Burnett
Brayan Pena's attempt to stretch a single into a double in the 9th inning drew a throw from the outfield and allowed Jarrod Dyson to score from third with the game-winning run in the Royals' 4-3 result over the Brewers tonight. It was Kansas City's second unusual walkoff victory in as many nights, as they won on a bases-loaded walk from Mike Moustakas on Wednesday. The Royals picked up the sweep against Milwaukee, winning all three games by one run.
Here's the latest from around the majors…
- The Nationals' trade for Gio Gonzalez was the "best deal anyone made last winter," a rival scout tells Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. "They didn't get him cheap, but he can dominate, and how many starters can you say that about?" The Nats look like the big winners of the deal thus far, given Washington's first-place position and Gonzalez's Cy Young Award-caliber numbers since joining the team.
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News breaks down what the Phillies could possibly receive for some of their top assets on the trade market.
- The Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Astros and Red Sox are positioned to dominate the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline, predicts Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
- Despite injuries to Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara, Rangers GM Jon Daniels "still feels good" about his bullpen, reports Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest (Twitter link).
- A.J. Burnett has brought both veteran leadership and quality pitching to the Pirates, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. “It was important for our guys to see a guy that’s brought in and it’s not a trading-deadline deal where you have a guy for two months,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We brought in a guy for two years. He can go ahead and unpack his bags. He’s going to be around, he can be involved, be engaged.”
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski outlines his team's pursuit of Roy Oswalt to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. Dombrowski said the Tigers were prepared to meet Oswalt's salary demands in the offseason but the veteran just didn't want to pitch in Detroit. Oswalt's representatives contacted Dombrowski again once the season began and Oswalt was without a team, but the Tigers had already moved on with Drew Smyly in the rotation.
Olney On Red Sox, Quentin, Willingham, Pirates
ESPN's Buster Olney shared a number of items (via his Twitter feed) about a variety of hot stove topics and rumors…
- The Red Sox might be forced to deal Kevin Youkilis due to a "roster crunch" at the corner infield positions and players returning from the DL. Rival executives, however, think Youkilis currently has "no trade value" so it doesn't make sense for Boston to move him right now.
- The Angels and Yankees are "still waiting for needs to be defined" before exploring trades, while the Red Sox are only focused on acquiring starting pitching.
- Many baseball executives believe the Padres will trade Carlos Quentin, though Olney reports the Padres "would like to" offer Quentin a long-term extension sometime this summer. Olney's phrasing may relate to the uncertain status of the Padres' ownership situation.
- Teams have checked in on Josh Willingham but have been told that he isn't available. Some believe this could change but others believe Twins GM Terry Ryan "is, generally speaking, conservative with in-season deals" so the Twins could hold onto their slugger.
- The Pirates are looking for hitting but thus far found few sellers willing to deal.
- The Dodgers are asking about first basemen as they look to upgrade from James Loney but have "no reason to go crazy" finding a second base replacement for Mark Ellis, who will return from the DL at some point.
- The Rockies aren't seen as a team with much to trade, as their roster is split between "untouchables" (i.e. Troy Tulowitzki) and "role players" (such as Rafael Betancourt).
- Jim Thome could be a trade target for AL teams but Olney believes Phillies GM Ruben Amaro would first ask Thome if changing teams was something the respected veteran would want.
Ben Sheets Throws For Teams
Righty Ben Sheets threw for scouts today in Monroe, Louisiana, MLBTR has learned. Scouts from the Phillies, Braves, Yankees, and Angels were in attendance.
Sheets, 33, signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Athletics in January 2010 despite missing all of the '09 season due to a partial tear in the flexor tendon near his right elbow. He made 20 middling starts for the A's in 2010 before going down for a second flexor tendon procedure in August. At the time, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Sheets actually had three procedures done on his elbow, including Tommy John surgery.
Word is that Sheets didn't want to return to baseball unless he felt 100%, and he'd like to help a team down the stretch. Assuming he flashes his old form in throwing sessions, Sheets will be a popular free agent this summer.