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Pedro Won’t Pitch In 2010, Could Return In 2011

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Pedro Martinez won't pitch in 2010, but may return in 2011, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald also reported the news.

Agent Fernando Cuza told Rojas that Pedro wants to spend more time with his family in the Dominican Republic at this point. It's not a retirement, since Pedro may pitch in 2011. Rojas reports that a number of teams had interest in Pedro, including the Phillies.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner posted a 3.63 ERA in nine second-half starts for the Phillies last year with 7.5 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. This season, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is eyeing another top starter, Roy Oswalt, but running into some obstacles in pursuit of the Astros ace.

Astros Claim Anderson Hernandez, Nelson Figueroa

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The Astros claimed infielder Anderson Hernandez off waivers from the Indians and pitcher Nelson Figueroa off waivers from the Phillies, tweets Alyson Footer.  She adds that pitchers Polin Trinidad and Gary Majewski were designated for assignment.

Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Indians three days ago, the second time they'd done so this year.  He's struggled mightily with the bat in the Majors and minors.  Figueroa cleared waivers and accepted a Triple A assignment in June, so I'm not sure what happened there.  The 36-year-old was excellent in the minors and decent in the bigs.

Trinidad, a 25-year-old southpaw, has a 4.55 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, and 12 home runs allowed in 97 Triple A innings this year.  Heading into the season Baseball America ranked him 26th among Astros prospects, saying he "profiles as a No. 5 starter or long reliever."  Majewski, 30, spent most of the season at Triple A where he posted a 4.04 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.8 BB/9 in 35.6 relief innings.

Olney On Phillies, Bautista, Dodgers, Red Sox

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Rumors from the blog of ESPN's Buster Olney…

  • Olney suggests the Phillies acquiring Roy Oswalt and trading Jayson Werth would in large part be about positioning the team for 2011.  Oswalt would still be under contract next year, while Domonic Brown would get big league seasoning.
  • Some teams feel that the Blue Jays are bluffing by asking for elite young players for MLB home run leader Jose Bautista.  Rival executives feel that Bautista's salary will jump to eight figures in his final arbitration year, and the Jays would be reluctant to pay.
  • The Dodgers expect they'll be able to add a starter and reliever in the next ten days, giving up better prospects while the other team pays the player's salary.  Not the best long-term strategy.  The Dodgers have been linked to Paul Maholm, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, David Aardsma, and the Blue Jays' relievers.  
  • Some teams believe the Red Sox will be aggressive on the waiver wire next month, placing strategic claims at a time when few teams are willing to take on salary.  Today on the Dennis & Callahan show, Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said the team has "money set aside to acquire talent if we can find it," at that they're at the "bottom end of the tax threshold." 

Phillies Exploring Oswalt, Werth Trades

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The Phillies are exploring acquiring Roy Oswalt and moving Jayson Werth in a companion trade, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.  GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says nothing is close, but Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Oswalt talks are "heavy."  Oswalt has yet to be presented with a deal for his approval.  Stark says the Phils have also discussed Dan Haren, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ben Sheets as they leave no rock unturned.  As for Werth, Stark believes the Rays "head the list of interested teams."  The impending free agent would be moved to save money, stock the farm system, and open up a spot for Domonic Brown.  Stark says the Red Sox, Giants, and Padres are also interested in Werth.

The Phillies recently optioned Kyle Kendrick to the minors and lost Jamie Moyer to an elbow strain, so they could use starting pitching depth. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. hinted today that the club could acquire a starter by Saturday. The Phils have already committed $135MM to next year's payroll, so adding an expensive arm like Haren or Oswalt would take some maneuvering.

One candidate to start Saturday, or perhaps be traded, is J.A. Happ.  Stark says the Phillies have shopped the lefty, and the Astros scouted him on Tuesday.

Click here to predict the Phillies next move.

Odds & Ends: Hanrahan, Phillies, Berkman, Yankees

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Another round of links for Tuesday, with 11 days remaining before the deadline…

  • The Pirates are getting calls about Joel Hanrahan, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Not surprisingly, they're asking a lot for the reliever.
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com hears that the Phillies would still like to add a top starter. Earlier today, before Jamie Moyer strained his left elbow, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. hinted that the club could trade for an arm.
  • Lance Berkman tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he realizes he may hit free agency after the season. The Astros can buy Berkman out for $2MM or pay him $15MM next year.
  • Former big league player and minor league manager Pat Listach would have interest in managing the Cubs next year, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman tells Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger that he doesn't like the looks of the current trade market and isn't optimistic about making major deals.
  • MASN.com's Ben Goessling explains that offering Adam Dunn a four-year deal would be risky.
  • USA Today considers some potential replacements for Lou Piniella, starting, of course, with Ryne Sandberg. 
  • The Cubs will have a new manager next year, but Jim Hendry is still the team's GM going forward, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).
  • The Pirates signed eight Latin American players and Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com has the details.
  • An AL executive tells ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that teams are demanding a ton for their relievers (Twitter link). Here are some of the arms teams can consider.

Teams Scouting John Buck?

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A slew of scouts attended last night's Blue Jays-Royals game in Kansas City, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  The Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Twins, and Phillies were represented.  The Reds and Mets scouted the Jays over the weekend. Clearly some of this scouting extends beyond normal coverage.  Toronto's roster is littered with trade candidates: Scott Downs, Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Jose Bautista, and Lyle Overbay.  But several of the aforementioned teams need catching and may have been on hand to observe All-Star catcher John Buck.

Buck had a pair of doubles in the contest, bringing his line to .278/.309/.504 through 265 plate appearances.  He's flashed power before, but in this season he's slugged at least .462 in every month.  Buck recently turned 30 and will be a free agent after the season.  He just sneaks in as a Type B right now.  It's not difficult to imagine Buck receiving and turning down an arbitration offer, so his status boosts his trade value.  Asher Wojciechowski (Blue Jays) and Drew Vettleson (Rays) were compensation picks at #41 and #42 overall this year, so GM Alex Anthopoulos will presumably aim for a player or package he likes more than that level of draft pick.

Elliott feels that the Tigers, Red Sox, and Reds are teams that might have interest in Buck.

Contenders Scouting The Athletics

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The Athletics' record stands at exactly .500 after 92 games, but they sit seven games back of the molten hot Rangers in the AL West. GM Billy Beane said he didn't anticipate being that active before the non-waiver trade deadline, but that hasn't stopped contending teams from checking out his roster for potential fits. 

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle brings us the latest and greatest from the East Bay…

  • Ben Sheets is a potential target for both the Phillies and Twins, though the A's have no desire to move the righthander. He is still owed $4.3MM for the remainder of this season, and he is currently on pace to earn the full $2MM worth of incentives in his contract, which are based on innings pitched. $6.3MM total is pricey for a guy with a 6.66 ERA away from his home park.
  • Slusser says that Vin Mazzaro's emergence (3.50 ERA in 64.1 innings) could make Sheets expendable, ditto healthy returns by Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden.
  • Detroit scouted reliever Michael Wuertz this weekend, which is not the first time they've done so this season. They also have their eye on Craig Breslow. Slusser says Oakland might not want to sell low on Wuertz, who's gone from a 2.63 ERA and 11.67 K/9 last year to 5.30 and 6.75 this year, respectively.  

Rosenthal On Yankees, Hart, Haren, Werth

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new installment of Full Count up.  Let's dive in and see what he has for us..

  • The Yankees are talking to the Marlins and the two teams could match up in a few different ways.  Cody Ross, a right-handed hitting outfielder, would be a perfect fit for the Pinstripes.  Trouble is, Ross is a regular for Florida and the Yanks may not want to pay that price for a player they'd only use part-time.  Leo Nunez would also make sense for the Yankees in a set-up role but they'll want a lot for him as well.  The closer is under team control for two seasons after this one.
  • The Braves like Ross as well but their opinions on Corey Hart are mixed.  Some Atlanta officials are rather fond of Hart, but others see him as a slightly better version of Jeff Francoeur.  If Matt Diaz hits well and Nate McLouth comes back strong, they may not even need the Brewers outfielder.  If their guy ultimately is Hart though, it'll be at their price.
  • Two of the top starters on the trading block hold no-trade clauses, though they may not be much of a factor.  Ted Lilly can reject trades to ten teams, though the  only contenders on his list are the Twins and Phillies, who may not even be interested in him.  Arizona's Dan Haren can reject deals to twelve clubs, including the Reds.  However, a source says that his list is not a factor as he has not been pitching well.
  • The Phillies, at the moment, are not playing well enough to make a run at Roy Oswalt.  However, they don't expect to fall far enough out of contention to sell.  Jayson Werth, Rosenthal says, could be moved in order to improve the team in the short-term and long-term.  A Werth-for-Javier Vazquez swap could make sense if the Yankees could acquire another starting pitcher.  Cliff Lee, in theory, would have been that guy. 

Talks Between Phillies and O’s Are “Dead”

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Talks between the Phillies and Orioles regarding infielders Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada are currently dead, a source told Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun.  Yesterday it was reported that the Phillies have been talking to Baltimore about Wigginton for weeks and might also be interested in Tejada, who could have been a short-term solution at third base.

For now, it seems that the defending National League champs are content with leaving Placido Polanco at third base and Wilson Valdez at second until Chase Utley returns to the fold.  However, Zrebiec notes that this could all change before the deadline, especially if the O's reduce their asking price for Wigginton.

Meanwhile, Orioles GM Andy MacPhail says that the club could be in position to make a splash by picking up a big-time player on waivers:

“A claim would be something that would definitely be attractive," the GM said. "The trade for a big-time player, if it’s going to subtract from the core guys you are trying to build around, that becomes more problematic. It’s something you obviously would have to look at.”

Phillies Release Juan Castro

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The Phillies have released infielder Juan Castro according to a team press release. The move clears a roster spot for Placido Polanco, who was reinstated from the disabled list.

Castro, 38, signed a one-year deal that guaranteed him $750K with Philadelphia this winter. The team is still on the hook for the $315K owed to him during the remainder of the year, plus the $50K buyout of his $750K option for next year. Castro hit just .198/.237/.238 in 136 plate appearances this season after being pressed into semi-regular duty because of injuries to Polanco, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins.

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