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Carlos Beltran Rumors: Monday

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Yesterday we learned that the Mets are willing to pick up a substantial portion of Carlos Beltran's $18.5MM salary if it means getting better prospects in return for the switch-hitting outfielder. Here's the latest on Beltran, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson hasn't yet approached Beltran with a list of possible destinations for the outfielder to approve or turn down, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. As a ten and five player, Beltran has earned the right to block any deal, though he'll waive that right under certain circumstances.
  • The Pirates will "kick the tires" on Beltran, a source tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
  • The Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Braves and Red Sox have called the Mets about Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). The Yankees and Rangers may also have checked in with the Mets, who appear willing to deal Beltran within the NL East.
  • The Phillies and Giants are the most likely fits, followed by the Tigers and Braves. The Brewers are focused on adding infield help and Boston's interest has been mild so far.
  • Earlier today, Heyman reported that the Mets don't believe Beltran would pass through waivers in August, as he did a year ago.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Phillies, Nationals

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Is the American League East really the best division in baseball? National League East teams have averaged 51 wins apiece so far this year, two more than AL East teams and more than any other division in baseball. Here’s the latest from the division, which is home to the two winningest teams in the National League…

  • Jose Reyes prefers the Mets to other teams, but wants to see the club's offseason plan, since he's unsure about the kind of offer they'll be able to make, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he'd like to see the Phillies add a reliever and a bat this month. The skipper makes it clear that he's looking for an upgrade, not just a lateral move. “If we’re going to get somebody, I want somebody good that will help us," Manuel said. "I don’t want someone we’ve already got."
  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that rival teams have called the Nationals about relievers, veteran starters and Ivan Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Nationals will listen on their relievers, including Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.

The Price For Mike Adams

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32 year-old reliever Mike Adams has a microscopic 1.70 ERA in 212 innings in his Padres career, spanning four seasons.  He's under team control through next year, causing some to suggest the Padres' asking price will exceed that of closer Heath Bell.

Adams does have an injury history, including surgery to repair a torn labrum and damage to his rotator cuff in October of '08.  He missed a little time with a shoulder strain in August of '09, after his return.  Last year's injury was only an oblique strain, so on the bright side his arm and shoulder have been pretty healthy since the surgery.

The Rangers, Yankees, and Phillies are known to be in on Adams, and SI's Jon Heyman says Padres GM Jed Hoyer wants "a very big prospect" in return.  Heyman explains that Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar, generally considered among the ten or so best prospects in the game, would be too much. 

On the other hand, Tom Krasovic reports that the Phillies are willing to trade first base/left field prospect Jonathan Singleton for Adams, but that might not be enough for San Diego.  Singleton was ranked #24 on Keith Law's top 50 prospects list, but #41 on Baseball America's list.  He failed to crack Kevin Goldstein's top 50 at Baseball Prospectus.

The prospect gurus are pretty far apart on Singleton, making it tough to identify the lower bound on the expected return for Adams.  Still, if the two prospect-related Adams rumors are accurate, an appropriate return might be pitching prospects Robbie Erlin (Rangers) or Dellin Betances (Yankees).

Heyman On Beltran, Giants, Padres

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Rumors from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • The Mets don't believe Carlos Beltran would pass through waivers in August.  Beltran is well-compensated at $18.5MM, but he's also the best hitter available this summer.  Heyman says the Mets may try to make a deal a few days before the deadline to avoid any hitches with Beltran's no-trade rights.
  • The Giants "do not want to part with any decent prospects for a hitter," perhaps taking them out of the Beltran mix.
  • The Phillies and Reds match up well with the Padres, who can offer Ryan Ludwick plus a number of different veteran right-handed relievers.  Padres GM Jed Hoyer has yet to match up with Ruben Amaro Jr. or Walt Jocketty in his two years at the helm.
  • The Padres would want a "very big prospect" for setup man Mike Adams, but Heyman says Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar isn't going anywhere.

Rosenthal On Rangers, Relief Market

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Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com has the latest on the Texas Rangers' pursuit of bullpen help and a few other items of note on the relief market.

  • The Rangers are stocked with prospects and cash, and they are shopping for top-flight relievers.
  • Texas' trade targets include San Diego's Heath Bell and Mike Adams, Oakland's Andrew Bailey and Washington's Tyler Clippard.
  • The asking price for each of those relievers is high. The A's and Nats, in particular, will need to be overwhelmed to move Bailey and Clippard, respectively. Both right-handers will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason.
  • For trade partners in need of offense, the Rangers have a useful trade chip in slugger Chris Davis, who is Major League-ready.
  • The Padres are discussing their relievers with the Yankees, Phillies and other clubs.

Padres Notes: Bell, Adams, Ludwick

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The Padres have been prominent in trade rumors all month, and a couple tidbits of note pertaining to San Diego's sought-after commodities came in this afternoon and evening, courtesy of Buster Olney of ESPN.com.

  • The Friars have exchanged names with a couple teams on relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams, among others, though they "haven't been inspired yet." The Rangers and Phillies are involved, according to Olney (via Twitter). The trade market is relatively flush with useful relievers, so it will be interesting to see how high a return the Padres can land for these righties, if they do in fact trade one or both. For the fantasy ramifications of relievers on the move this month, check out CloserNews.
  • San Diego may hold onto Bell unless it can recoup what it considers to be a little more value than two drafts picks, which would be the compensation if Bell, a likely type A free agent, were to sign with another team this offseason. This is not a good year to be selling relievers, as it's a buyer's market (Twitter links).
  • The Red Sox are among the teams that have checked in with the Padres about right-handed-hitting outfielder Ryan Ludwick, reports Olney (via Twitter). Boston has lacked a useful righty stick in the outfield most of the season, as Mike Cameron was ineffective in that role before being designated for assignment and then acquired by the Marlins. The Phillies have also been rumored to be interested in Ludwick, who is a free agent at season's end.

Quick Hits: Wigginton, Reyes, Phillies, Lowe

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Some assorted links for your Sunday reading:

Twins Won’t Trade Cuddyer

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Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune cites a team official in reporting that the Twins won't trade Michael Cuddyer this summer, even if they fall from contention. Instead, the Twins will hang onto Cuddyer as they try to close what's now just a six-game gap for the division lead, and will look to re-sign their clubhouse leader after the season.

Cuddyer, 32, has been the Twins' best hitter with a .292/.372/.467 line and 13 homers thus far. He got off to a terrible start, but is batting .325/.405/.513 since May 1, ripping 10 home runs along the way.

He's been linked to teams such as the Phillies, and Christensen throws in the Braves and Giants as teams who've scouted Cuddyer in recent weeks. Last month, Cuddyer was willing to waive his limited no-trade clause if the situation called for it, but that looks to be a thing of the past now. A prolonged losing streak and a big offer from another club could of course cause the Twins to change their minds, but for now it seems certain that the longest-tenured Twinkie will be hanging around. I examined Cuddyer's trade candidacy last month.

Rosenthal On Phillies, Adams, Royals, Guthrie

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It's been a busy weekend for FOX's Ken Rosenthal, who brought us a pair of rumor-packed videos yesterday. He shared a few more tidbits this morning in his newest column, so let's check out the highlights….

  • The Phillies are telling teams that they can add about $2MM in salary, which would keep them below the luxury tax threshold. They would also prefer to trade for players they can control through at least 2012, which makes rentals like Carlos Beltran or Heath Bell less appealing.
  • Mike Adams is one player under control past this season who has drawn "serious interest" from the Phillies, as we heard yesterday. But the Yankees and Rangers, among other teams, are also very interested in the righty.
  • The Royals are pushing to trade Melky Cabrera rather than Jeff Francoeur.
  • The Mets attempted to restructure Francisco Rodriguez's contract before sending him to the Brewers, ultimately deciding that trading their closer was the "cleaner" solution.
  • When John Danks comes off the disabled list this week, trade talks involving Edwin Jackson could heat up. Given Jake Peavy's injury history though, moving Jackson would be a risky move for a White Sox team just four games back in the AL Central.
  • The Orioles are willing to listen to offers for Jeremy Guthrie, but would want pitching back in any trade.
  • While they'd like to add a bat, the Indians may need a starting pitcher even more, since they have some question marks at the back of their rotation.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Sunday

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The market for Carlos Beltran will become much more interesting if the Mets are willing to pay most or all of the outfielder's remaining salary in a deal, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post write. Within Sherman's column, an AL assistant GM points out that not many teams can afford to take on $6MM at this point, meaning the Mets have a decision to make: "Do they want salary relief or do they want to open up the field of interested teams by eating a lot of dollars, and get a better return?" Here are today's other Beltran rumors, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….

  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says that it's bad news for the Giants if the Mets are open to paying Beltran's price tag, since San Francisco would rather absorb salary and give up lesser prospects.
  • According to executives polled by Sherman, only the Giants and Tigers could afford to take on all of Beltran's remaining salary, among potentially interested clubs. If the Mets paid most or all of the cost, teams like the Indians, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Red Sox, Phillies, and Braves would all be in play.
  • Beltran is on the Angels' radar as well, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • One Mets official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that trading Beltran within the NL East isn't out of the question, saying it "would be a factor, but not prohibitive." In Sherman's piece, however, one AL exec questions whether the Wilpons would allow the team to deal Beltran to the Phillies or Braves, even if Sandy Alderson is willing to do so.
  • New York would probably have to gain about five games on Atlanta by July 31st to make keeping Beltran a viable option, says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
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