Roy Oswalt Rumors: Thursday
The Astros have made a major push to find suitors for Roy Oswalt, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. It appeared yesterday that talks between the Phillies and Astros slowed down when Oswalt demanded that his 2012 option be picked up in any trade.
Olney reports that Oswalt would like the chance to pitch in St. Louis, and that preference may become a factor. Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports reported last night that the Cardinals are, in fact, frontrunners for the righty. Meanwhile, MLB.com reports that Oswalt would love to pitch in St. Louis and might not even require that his option be picked up if the Astros work out a deal with the division rival Cards. Here are the rest of your Roy Oswalt rumors, with more to come throughout the day:
- Jayson Stark of ESPN.com talks to an anonymous official from an AL team who predicts that Oswalt will drop his demand about his 2012 option: "In the end, I don't believe the guy is going to insist on getting that option picked up. He wants out. And if he really wants out, that's going to change." Stark also notes that St. Louis has offered "two young players off their major-league roster" for the Astros right-hander.
- Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Twins are showing an interest in Oswalt.
- Jamie Moyer is out indefinitely, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Phils will replace him internally this weekend (Twitter link).
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that Oswalt has told the Astros that the Cardinals are his "first choice." However, a Cards official told Goold that adding a premium player is a "longshot" at this point.
- The Cardinals want the Astros to take on a significant chunk of the $24MM or so remaining on Oswalt's contract, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Phillies are still involved in talks for Oswalt.
- The Cardinals have discussed possible Oswalt trades with the Astros, but the two clubs have struggled to find a fit, someone with close knowledge of the talks tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Astros like Shelby Miller, but aren’t sure if they want the Cardinals prospect to be the centerpiece of a deal. It isn’t easy to imagine a situation that satisfies all of Oswalt’s demands and all of the Astros’, but Rosenthal and Morosi say it’s too early to count the Cards out.
- One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that the Oswalt-Cardinals talks are "very real" (Twitter link).
- Cards vice president of scouting and player development Jeff Luhnow did not call pitching prospect Shelby Miller untouchable yesterday, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, since Miller would be tough to obtain whether or not the Cards publicly label him ‘untouchable.’ Strauss reports that Oswalt has told acquaintances connected to the Cardinals that he would be flexible with his 2012 option if traded to St. Louis. Presumably that means he wouldn’t demand that the Cards pick it up.
- Brad Lidge tells Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News that he would call Oswalt, a former teammate, if it helps bring him to Philadelphia.
Timo Perez Signs With Phillies
Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Twitter link) that Philadelphia has signed Timo Perez to a minor-league contract and assigned the outfielder to Double-A.
The outfielder hasn't played in the majors since 2007, but he has been toiling in the independent leagues, Mexican League and (this season) for the Dodgers' Triple-A franchise, posting a .762 OPS in 123 plate appearances for Albuquerque.
Many Teams Pursuing Dan Haren
7:00pm: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D'Backs are looking for pitching in exchange for Haren. Derrick Hall tells Piecoro that the team would need an "A-plus" offer to deal their ace.
"Ideally what we would ask for is major-league ready pitching, be it starters and/or bullpen, and prospects,” Hall said. “The volume doesn’t matter. It doesn’t need to be four or five or six guys. It’s really about the quality.”
6:20pm: Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall tells MLB.com's Steve Gilbert that a Haren trade, if it occurs, "will not be [a] salary dump." (Twitter link)
4:05pm: The Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals and Twins are also pursuing Haren, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The D’Backs are not close to a deal with anyone.
We should note that Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported last night that the Twins are 'barely monitoring' Haren, since they're on his no-trade list (Twitter link).
2:08pm: The Diamondbacks are exchanging names with teams interested in Dan Haren and the Detroit Tigers are among the clubs with 'serious' interest in the right-hander, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (all Twitter links). The Tigers' interest is not surprising, since they need rotation help, have three high-priced pitchers coming off the books next season and scouted Haren (along with the Phillies) last night.
Haren can block deals to a dozen teams, but would consider allowing a trade, depending on the situation. The Cardinals and Phillies are among the teams interested in Haren. He won't come cheap, but as one MLB official explained to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, Haren's price may be dropping.
"[The D'Backs are] starting to get more reasonable," the official said. "Before, they were asking for two starting pitchers off your major league roster. Now they're talking prospects, so I think they've gotten realistic. I definitely think he's moving now."
Haren makes $12.75MM in 2011 and 2012, and there's a $3.5MM buyout for a $15.5MM option in 2013.
Phillies, Dodgers Expressed Interest In Cody Ross
The Phillies and Dodgers expressed interest in Cody Ross, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Those two teams discussed Ross with the Marlins, as did the Braves, Red Sox and Yankees. Ross tells Rodriguez that seeing his name in trade rumors is "not a good feeling," but until July 31st comes along, the rumors probably won't stop.
The 29-year-old has split his time between center and right, posting a solid .274/.326/.400 line with seven homers. He makes $4.45MM and won't qualify for free agency until after 2011, so he's more than a rental. Ross has $1.8MM remaining on his salary, but that's less than what many available outfielders will make.
Odds & Ends: Haren, Cordero, Phillies, Rangers
Links for Wednesday, as Pedro Alvarez keeps clubbing homers…
- The Phillies and Tigers have scouts watching Dan Haren pitch tonight, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
- The Mets, who agreed to sign Chad Cordero earlier today, thought they had a deal with the right-hander over the winter, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com hears that the Phillies may not add a pitcher at all if they can't acquire a top arm like Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt.
- Darren Oliver, who will likely see his vesting option kick in later in the summer, tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he has no intention of retiring.
- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has attached himself to one of the groups attempting to buy the Rangers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Nightengale notes that Ben Sheets is starting to attract "strong interest" (Twitter link).
- Roy Oswalt tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he hasn't heard anything from the Astros about a possible trade. In case you missed it, the Phillies and Astros appeared to be discussing an Oswalt deal last night.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners could send Jose Lopez or Jack Wilson to Detroit.
- A couple of scouts gave MASN.com's Ben Goessling the impression that Adam Dunn isn't going anywhere.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean denied to Murray Chass that the timing of Buster Posey's call-up had anything to do with service time.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains how he thinks a number of MLB teams should approach the deadline.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't expect the Yankees to acquire a big-name starter this July.
- The Hiroshima Carp are wrapping up a deal with Vinnie Chulk, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Chulk, who has played in seven major league seasons, was playing at Triple A in the Pirates' organization.
Heyman On Werth, Fielder, Uggla, Mets
The Phillies have asked the Rays about B.J. Upton and Wade Davis, but someone familiar with the trade talks tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that the Phils may attempt to obtain prospects from Tampa Bay and flip them to Houston to acquire Roy Oswalt. Here’s the latest on the Phillies, plus the rest of Heyman’s rumors:
- The Phillies offered Jayson Werth a long-term deal, but he didn’t accept it right away.
- The Blue Jays are looking for middle-infield help, according to Heyman. That’s surprising, since they can retain Aaron Hill through 2014 and Yunel Escobar through 2013. Perhaps the club seeks a versatile depth option.
- Prince Fielder is not likely to be traded, according to Heyman.
- One GM tells Heyman that Dan Uggla does not yet appear to be available.
- The Mets seem to prefer Brett Myers to Ted Lilly. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the Mets maintain interest in Lilly and have cooled on Myers. The reports are not necessarily contradictory, but let’s just say the Mets have some interest in both pitchers.
Pedro Won’t Pitch In 2010, Could Return In 2011
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
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
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
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.