Odds & Ends: Martin, Sweeney, Red Sox, D’Backs
On this day in 1999, Mark McGwire hit his 500th career homer, reaching that plateau faster than any other player in history. It was McGwire's second consecutive season with a home run milestone, as he hit homer #400 during his (then) record-breaking 1998 campaign. But since we're not here to talk about the past, let's get to some news items…
- Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at Russell Martin's hip injury and how it might spell the end of his tenure with the Dodgers. Weisman also notes that L.A.'s chances of acquiring another catcher to replace Martin this season are "slim to none."
- Mike Sweeney is excited to get his first taste of a pennant race, writes Charles Nobles of MLB.com.
- The Red Sox dealt former Mets infielder Argenis Reyes and minor league catcher Juan Apodaca to Cleveland for future considerations, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
- J.P. Ricciardi discussed the waiver wire, the Jarrod Saltalamacchia deal, the Kevin Youkilis injury and other Boston-related news on WEEI's The Big Show today. Maryalice Gill of WEEI.com has the full transcript here.
- Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall took questions from Arizona fans in an MLB.com web chat.
- Speaking of the Snakes, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks at how the D'Backs might reallocate the $2MM they had earmarked for first-round draft pick Barret Loux before he failed his physical.
- Pittsburgh has yet to sign 10 of its top 13 picks from the June amateur draft, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
Phillies Designate Cody Ransom For Assignment
The Phillies designated Cody Ransom for assignment, according to the MLB.com transactions page. The Phillies, who acquired Mike Sweeney from the Mariners yesterday, no longer had room for the 34-year-old Ransom on their roster.
The utility man can play all four infield positions, but hasn't hit much in his MLB career. In 346 plate appearances picked up over the course of eight seasons, Ransom has a .227/.311/.391 line. He has a little power and did hit two homers for the Phillies this year, but didn't do much more than that in his 46 trips to the plate.
Ransom has also suited up for the Giants, Astros and, the club who designated him for assignment last year: the Yankees.
Phillies Acquire Mike Sweeney
The Phillies acquired Mike Sweeney from Seattle for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to a Mariners press release. The 37-year-old has six homers and a .263/.327/.475 line for the Mariners this year. However, Sweeney has been on the disabled list since late June with back spasms and was just activated.
He'll presumably become a pinch hitter and occasional first baseman for Charlie Manuel's Phillies once Ryan Howard returns from the DL. Until then, Manuel told reporters that he'll use Sweeney regularly at first base. He made five All-Star teams as a first baseman/DH, but has only played 25 innings in the field this year.
Sweeney makes just $650K this year before becoming a free agent, so there won't be a ton of money changing hands in the deal. If the Mariners obtain a player instead of cash, they'll likely get a fringe prospect, but GM Jack Zduriencik says he wanted to see Sweeney play for a contender and will be "pulling for him to succeed in Philadelphia.”
The deal means all 14 American League teams and every NL team with a worse record than the Phillies passed on Sweeney. It's possible that every NL team passed on him, but that cannot be verified.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported the deal on Twitter.
Waiver Trade Candidates: NL East
The current NL East situation: the Braves and Phillies are in contention, the Marlins and Mets are in the gray area, and the Nationals are out of it. Waiver trade candidates:
The Braves would have to consider letting Derek Lowe's contract go if he's claimed. Kenshin Kawakami is more likely, as he has a more modest $6.667MM salary for 2011 and is currently in the bullpen. The Braves tried to trade Kawakami over the past month, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Nate McLouth's stock is way down, as he's trying to rebuild value in Triple A. He's getting $6.25MM next year, plus another $1.25MM for a 2012 buyout.
Raul Ibanez and Brad Lidge are two Phillies who'd likely clear waivers. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Danys Baez and Greg Dobbs make it through. The Phillies' attempts to free up payroll might have to wait until the offseason though.
The Marlins might be able to move Cody Ross, depending on which team wins a claim. Wes Helms is another trade candidate.
Though he's not going anywhere, Mets pitcher Johan Santana should clear waivers. Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jason Bay are similar stories, though Bay can't pass through waivers until he returns from the DL. Oliver Perez, Luis Castillo, Jeff Francoeur, Alex Cora, and Ryota Igarashi should clear with ease. Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco, and Pedro Feliciano are trade candidates with value who could go if the Mets fall further out of contention, though Barajas would have to return from the DL first.
Could the Nationals trade Adam Dunn, especially if he slips to Type B status? Dunn's been dealt in August before, but the Reds didn't seem to value him the way the Nationals do. The Nats should see Jason Marquis, Willie Harris, and Wil Nieves clear waivers, while Ivan Rodriguez, Adam Kennedy, Miguel Batista, and Livan Hernandez could land with contenders.
For our primer on the waiver trade rules, click here.
Trade Deadline Reactions
While we wait for August's rumor mill to pick up, the focus remains on the trades made over the last few days. Let's take a look at how a few writers are evaluating those deals….
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale and the New York Post's Joel Sherman list their winners and losers, agreeing that the Rangers and Padres did very well, while the Mets and Red Sox needed to do more.
- In Jeff Passan's assessment of July's deals for Yahoo! Sports, the Mets get a surprising thumbs-up.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports examines how the trades affect the playoff races. The Phillies and Cardinals are among his predicted division winners, after their respective deals for Roy Oswalt and Jake Westbrook.
- The Cardinals paid too high a price for Westbrook, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times says that although the Dodgers' and Angels' moves were nice, they won't be enough to propel either team into the playoffs.
- A pair of New York Daily News writers disagree about the merit of the Yankees' weekend acquisitions. According to Mike Lupica, all the additions make the Yanks seem slightly desperate, but John Harper sees nothing wrong with making baseball's best team better. I have to side with Harper here – Brian Cashman's goal is to field a championship team, not to worry about whether a division rival's inactivity makes his club look insecure.
- The Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice and Jerome Solomon have conflicting views on the post-deadline Astros. Solomon can't think of much to be happy about, while Justice writes that a younger, more energetic roster should be fun.
Odds & Ends: Duffy, Tigers, Yankees, Reds, Red Sox
Some leftovers in the wake of another trade deadline…
- I'll be appearing on Sporting News Radio at 8:25pm PT tonight to talk about the deadline. You can listen in here.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark named his trade deadline winners and losers, with the Rangers, Padres, and Yankees among the teams earning praise.
- The Phillies released Triple-A outfielder Chris Duffy, reports Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Steve Kornacki of MLive.com that he "had a chance to do something surprising and big," and that it was like "getting the wind knocked out of you" when it fell through. He didn't elaborate any further, so we'll have to keep playing the guessing game.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post says the Yankees took on $4.8MM at the deadline, more than any other team (Twitter links). The bankrupt Rangers came in second at $4.1MM.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that he was working on some deals in recent days, but they "fell apart at the end."
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets the Red Sox finished second in the Kerry Wood race, ditto the Rays and Lance Berkman, both of whom ended up with their biggest rival.
- Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider tweets that Yunesky Maya's deal with Washington will be made official within the hour.
- The Padres inquired about Jacoby Ellsbury before picking up Ryan Ludwick, but were told he's not available according to ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes (Twitter links).
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Dodgers took on about $3MM with all their deadline moves. Their financial situation has been in question basically all season.
- Chad Tracy has exercised an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Yankees and is now a free agent, tweet Conor Foley with the Triple-A Scranton Yankees.
- Barret Loux has joined the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League according to the team's official Twitter feed. Loux was the sixth overall pick in last month's draft, but recently failed his physical with the Diamondbacks and could be looking to rebuild his stock.
- The Royals traded minor league catcher Jeff Howell to the Twins for future considerations according to milb.com's official Twitter feed.
Odds & Ends: Padres, Oswalt, Farnsworth, Theriot
We here at MLBTR really appreciate everyone staying up past their respective bedtimes to keep up on all of the latest rumors. Here's some news from around the web..
- The Padres prospect drawing the most interest from other clubs is Double-A starter Cory Luebke, writes Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.
- The Dodgers had a chance to land Roy Oswalt from the Astros, but it would have cost them Chad Billingsley, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
- Plenty of major leaguers read MLBTR, but it doesn't sound like Kyle Farnsworth is one of them in this article by Dick Kaegel and Samuel Zuba of MLB.com.
- ESPN's Buster Olney (in these three tweets) says that the Red Sox, who have found the market for outfielders and relievers to be shallow, might make a smaller deal before the deadline or make their moves in the August waiver period.
- The Diamondbacks offered second baseman Kelly Johnson to the Cubs for Ryan Theriot and lefty James Russell in return, writes ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.
- Brad Hawpe says that he isn't concerned about being involved in a deadline deal, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Based on news from earlier today, it sounds like Hawpe doesn't have anything to worry about.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the Cubs could move Ryan Theriot to the Diamondbacks for Kelly Johnson.
- The Phillies may be done trading and are telling teams that they are out of money and prospects, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
- The Tigers and Jays are talking, and John Buck may be an even better fit for Detroit than the relievers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Abreu, Mets, Edmonds
A few assorted links, as the trading finally picks up…
- After missing out on Roy Oswalt, the Cardinals are looking elsewhere for pitching, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mid-level starters like Jake Westbrook or Aaron Cook could be fits for the Cards. The asking price for Cook, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, is a bullpen piece and a prospect.
- The Angels don't appear to have made Bobby Abreu available, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
- The Mets finalized their over-slot deal with Erik Goeddel, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). They agreed to give the 21-year-old righty a $350K bonus. MLBTR first reported an agreement had been reached on July 4th.
- The Dodgers designated Jack Taschner for assignment according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
- The Astros released Tommy Everidge to make room for Brett Wallace, according to the Round Rock Express website.
- Teams have asked the Brewers about Jim Edmonds, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
- GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that things are quiet for the Brewers right now.
- The Rangers pursued Roy Oswalt and Prince Fielder aggressively, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
- The Mets asked the Cubs about Tom Gorzelanny, according to Heyman (Twitter link).
- The White Sox signed former major leaguer Jon Adkins to a minor league deal, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Twins, Phillies and Giants are losing interest in Ty Wigginton, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Jason Frasor tells Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star that he hears the latest from MLB Trade Rumors whether he wants to or not, since his friends tell him about the latest rumors.
- I talked trades with Rob Shaw and Michelle Steele of Bloomberg Sports. You can check out the video clip at USA Today.
Jose Bautista Rumors: Thursday
Corey Hart, David DeJesus and Jayson Werth aren't on the market anymore, so it's no surprise that the Blue Jays are getting lots of calls about Jose Bautista. There's a limited selection of impact outfielders and Bautista leads the major leagues in homers and ranks among the league leaders in walks, OPS and outfield assists. Here's the latest on the versatile 29-year-old:
- The Giants and many others are in on Bautista, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- Yesterday we heard that the Phillies were interested in Bautista, but the Blue Jays have since acquired Anthony Gose, a player the Jays coveted when he was in the Phillies organization.
Phillies Acquire Roy Oswalt
Just one win shy of the Astros' franchise win record, Roy Oswalt is leaving the only team he's ever known. The 32-year-old righty approved a trade to the Phillies, who sent J.A. Happ and low minors prospects Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar to Houston for Oswalt and $11MM. The Astros then flipped Gose to the Blue Jays. The Phillies will not pick up Oswalt's 2012 option, but will add $1MM to the buyout as compensation. Seven months after trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners for prospects, the Phillies added a different ace to their rotation to support Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Oswalt has a 3.42 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and 2.4 BB/9 in 20 starts this year.
Oswalt asked the Astros for a trade in late May, and talks ensued with the Phillies, Cardinals, Rangers, Padres, and Dodgers, among others. Astros owner Drayton McLane dealt directly with Phillies president David Montgomery to complete the complicated trade. As expected, Oswalt's full no-trade clause, his 2012 option, and the $23.46MM guaranteed to him through '11 were significant obstacles.
Happ, 27, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last year with a 2.93 ERA in 166 innings. However, he's tallied only 53 pro innings in 2010 due to an April forearm injury. Happ won't go to arbitration until after the 2011 season and the Astros control his rights through 2014.
Gose, a speedy center fielder playing at the High A level, was ranked sixth among the team's prospects by Baseball America heading into the season. He rates highly for his speed, defense, and arm tools, but remains a work in progress.
Villar, a shortstop in Low A ball, was ranked 22nd among Phillies prospects heading into the season. The results haven't been there yet but BA says he has "plus tools across the board except for power."
Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston first reported the agreement late Wednesday night, while Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark, Jon Heyman, Matt Gelb, Amy K. Nelson, Jerry Crasnick, and Danny Knobler contributed more information today.