Quick Hits: Phillies, Soria, Hardy, Braves
The Reds signed Pete Rose as an amateur free agent on this date in 1960 and it's safe to say their investment paid off. Rose collected 3,358 hits in 19 seasons with the Reds en route to becoming MLB's all-time hits leader with 4,256. Here are today's links…
- Phillies starter Cole Hamels is heading into his final season of arbitration eligibility and as David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News shows in a pair of pieces, starters with Hamels-like production have been extremely well-paid in recent years. Hamels is earning $9.5MM this year in his third season of arbitration eligibility.
- Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News explains that the Phillies might want to acquire a right-handed hitter for their lineup to avoid becoming a regular season success that fails in the playoffs, like the 2001 Mariners.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains that being selected to play in the All-Star Game has made a difference for players like Jose Bautista and Joe Nathan, who have obtained more endorsement offers and had more leverage in contract discussions since becoming All-Stars for the first time.
- The teams on Joakim Soria's no-trade list have changed since last season, according to Morosi (on Twitter). The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are on the list, just as they were last year. The Tigers, Cardinals and Cubs were previously on Soria's list, which is designed to provide the reliever with leverage.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are communicating semi-regularly with J.J. Hardy about a possible extension. The Orioles began extension talks with the shortstop last week.
- Atlanta GM Frank Wren told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that the pieces the Braves are looking for may already be on their roster.
Rosenthal On Braves, Yankees, Royals
Though some teams are still in the process of deciding whether to buy, sell or hold, others are developing a clear sense of what moves they intend to make this month. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has the latest on the trade deadline, which is just over three weeks away…
- The Braves, who have limited payroll flexibility, aren’t sure if they’re going to upgrade their offense, but they could pursue a right-handed hitting outfielder. Atlanta could probably afford an outfielder like Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham or Michael Cuddyer if they also obtained cash to cover the player’s salary (though that would likely mean giving up better prospects in the trade).
- The Phillies may end up pursuing some of the same right-handed hitters as the Braves. Philadelphia is also exploring trades for relievers now that Jose Contreras, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson are on the disabled list.
- The Yankees would like to acquire a top-of-the-rotation lefty, but they’re more likely to add a left-handed reliever. New York’s preference is for a southpaw who can retire right-handed hitters as well as lefties. The Yankees are targeting a number of left-handers, including Sean Burnett of the Nationals, who is not yet available.
- The Royals will listen to offers for all of their players, but rival executives tell Rosenthal that Joakim Soria is likely staying put, since the asking price for him is high.
- Yankees catcher Jesus Montero has limited appeal to the Royals, since they doubt he’ll be able to stay behind the plate long-term.
- The Royals expect to compete from 2012-14.
NL East Notes: Johnson, Phillies, Mets
On this date in 1979, Mike Schmidt homered in his first three trips to the plate then flied out to the warning track his next time up. Here's the latest from the Hall of Famer's former division…
- Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com gives us an up-close look at 68-year-old Nationals manager Davey Johnson, who considers himself a "geek" and can speak Spanish and some Japanese.
- The Phillies are expected to consider ways of making upgrades on the infield this month, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports imagines what might have been if the Yankees had acquired current Phillies ace Cliff Lee last summer.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson told David Waldstein of the New York Times that it's still too early to predict what kind of moves the Mets are going to make this month. The Mets are listening to offers for outfielder Carlos Beltran.
Heyman On Cubs, Reyes, Street, Dodgers
Jon Heyman of SI.com hands out his midseason awards and Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Verlander, Jose Reyes and Roy Halladay are among those who take home some virtual hardware. Here’s Heyman’s latest from around the Major Leagues…
- Though Cubs manager Mike Quade appears to be safe, GM Jim Hendry doesn’t have assurances that he’ll keep his job, according to Heyman.
- The Mets will make Reyes an offer, but one GM believes it will cost more than the $142MM Carl Crawford obtained to sign the shortstop when he hits free agency after the season.
- I compared Reyes to Crawford on Monday and suggested that Reyes appears headed for a Crawford-like deal.
- The Phillies would like to re-sign Ryan Madson after the season, when the currently injured closer hits free agency.
- Huston Street could hit the trade market if the Rockies keep losing.
- The Dodgers are saying they don’t expect to consider trading players away for two weeks or more.
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya is expected to join a different team in 2012.
Davidoff On Twins, Indians, Reyes, Rays
Since few teams have been completely eliminated from contention, the trade market is developing slowly, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. As of today, the top commodity available is relief pitching and there’s lots of interest in that department. Here are the rest of Davidoff’s notes on the trade market:
- Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson are available.
- The Mets believe they can keep their fans interested even if they trade Rodriguez.
- The Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers are among the teams that are heavily in the mix for relievers.
- It appears extremely unlikely that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes, but his top suitors would likely include the Reds, Indians, Giants and Mariners, four teams that have poked around for infield help, according to Davidoff. It’s even possible that the Red Sox would pursue Reyes if he became available.
- The Orioles aren’t quite ready to shop Koji Uehara and the Twins aren’t quite ready to shop Matt Capps. In fact, the Twins aren’t going to sell until they’re sure they’re out of contention.
- The Yankees are focused on finding a lefty reliever, a commodity the Red Sox and Tigers would also like to acquire.
- Though no frontline starters appear to be available, the Yankees are looking to acquire a top starter. Cleveland and Detroit are also looking for rotation help.
- The Mariners are looking for an outfielder and the Phillies are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
- One official says the Rays are “buying and selling.” Johnny Damon could be had in the right deal, according to Davidoff.
Quick Hits: Mets, Indians, Cameron, Gregerson
Tuesday night linkage..
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't counseling manager Terry Collins on how to use Francisco Rodriguez, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. K-Rod is on pace to finish more than 55 games this year.
- Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan have encouraged GM Chris Antonetti to find ways to improve the club, but that doesn't mean he's operating with an open checkbook, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
- The Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Twins, and Rangers didn't inquire on Mike Cameron before he was dealt to the Marlins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- A major league executive told Tom Krasovic of InsideThePadres (via Twitter) that no team wants to take on money in a deal. The teams that can absorb salary, the exec says, have a big advantage.
- The Padres activated right-hander Luke Gregerson from the disabled list today and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that there's already trade interest in him.
- There's been a lot of interest in pitcher Scott Kazmir and he should have a team soon, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN estimated that Kazmir would find a club by early next week.
Brewers Among Clubs With Interest In Padres’ Arms
The Brewers are among the teams that have contacted the Padres about their relievers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Cardinals have also contacted San Diego about possible trades for relievers.
Though the Padres haven’t begun exchanging offers for players like Heath Bell and Mike Adams, discussions will likely intensify at the All-Star Break. The Yankees will likely pursue relievers aggressively, but Adams will only be available for an “extraordinary” offer, according to Rosenthal and Morosi. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last week that the Yankees prefer Adams, who is a free agent after 2012, to Bell, who hits the open market this offseason.
Quick Hits: Jones, Rivera, Wang
Here are a few items of note as the Dodgers and Angels finish up the Freeway Series …
- The Tigers dismissed pitching coach Rick Knapp today and promoted bullpen coach Jeff Jones to replace him, writes Jason Beck of MLB.com. The move was made in the wake of a rough patch for Tigers pitchers, who gave up 51 runs over a five-game stretch last week, according to Beck.
- The Phillies will likely have a look at Juan Rivera, who was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays this morning, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The Phils are rumored to be seeking a right-handed bat, and Rivera would fit that bill at a presumably cheap price. For his career, the 33-year-old (today) is hitting .292/.339/.509 against southpaws.
- Nationals right-hander Chien-Ming Wang is making rehab starts and seeking a return to the Majors, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Wang will be a free agent at season's end, so it will be interesting to see if he can piece together a decent couple months' worth of starts.
East Notes: Nationals, Red Sox, Phillies, Orioles
A few items of note from the East divisions as the Mets and Yanks kick off this season's second installment of the Subway Series …
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson has ideas about how he'd like his roster and staff tweaked, writes Jeff Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com. Johnson wants a more offensive-oriented bench, a swing starter/long man, another lefty reliever and fewer split-heavy regulars in the lineup. Sounds like a lot of changes for this juncture of the season, but then again, these aren't especially difficult moves to make.
- The New York Times Co. has sold more than half its stake in the Red Sox for $117MM, according to the Boston Globe.
- The Phillies and Red Sox are bumping up against the luxury tax and don't have much financial flexibility to add players, but Scott Miller of CBSSports.com writes that those clubs have a knack for coming up with the necessary funds when push comes to shove.
- The Orioles have a better record than they did a year ago, but Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun isn't sure the team, still not ready to contend, is really any better off than it was then. 2011 marks the Birds' fourth full season under the stewardship of Andy MacPhail.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Bocock
Here's the list of players to be outrighted to Triple-A today:
- The Phillies have outrighted infielder Brian Bocock to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). The club is now carrying 39 players on the 40-man roster.