Mets After Jose Contreras
The Mets have kicked the tires on Mark Buehrle, but Jose Contreras may be a more likely acquisition according to the Newark Star-Ledger. The Mets would prefer not to trade younger players for a rental, and may turn to Contreras because he’s signed through 2009. I’m sure Kenny Williams would have no problem with that. I think Contreras would handle a return to New York well. Lastings Milledge would be more than enough for Contreras, in my mind.
Dan Graziano’s article also confirms that the Braves and Red Sox have been pushing hard for Buehrle. He says there was "no indication last night that the Yankees were interested in Buehrle." Of course, Boston’s interest could change that.
The Phillies, meanwhile, have inquired on both Dontrelle Willis and Buehrle and found the price unreasonable. They’re going to need to acquire a starter one way or another.
Cardinals Sign Tomo Ohka
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cardinals have signed free agent righty Tomo Ohka to a minor league contract. The Phillies were in on him as well, but the Cardinals gave him a shorter minor league requirement.
The Cardinals talked to Ohka’s agent last December, but must have found $1.5MM guaranteed to be prohibitive. It’s easier to swallow when the Blue Jays are paying Ohka’s salary. I think Ohka’s rotator cuff is still kind of messed up, but he might be able to get by in the NL Central.
Check out my profile of Ohka here; he’s an interesting character. Unfortunately Ohka likely won’t remain a Memphis Redbird long enough to run into Sun-Woo Kim of the Fresno Grizzlies. The two engaged in fisticuffs back in 2000 as members of the Pawtucket Red Sox.
Gagne’s List
We know Rangers closer Eric Gagne has some kind of no-trade protection in his contract, but further details were unknown. Jon Heyman of SI.com recently clarified a bit.
Apparently Gagne has given the Rangers a list of 12 teams he can be traded to. Heyman says that almost all of those allowable 12 are not in contention or would have no motivation to trade for him. Heyman also believes that the Tigers, Indians, and Phillies are not among the 12 allowable teams. So if one of those wants Gagne, they’ll need his approval and his salary will escalate.
Meanwhile, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News speculates that Lou Piniella might urge Jim Hendry to acquire Gagne to solidify the Cubs’ bullpen.
Rosenthal’s Latest
The authority on all trade rumors, Ken Rosenthal has spoken. Let’s review.
- As we have heard before, the Dodgers like Adam Dunn. We’ve also discussed the fact that there’s not a clear place to put him. Whether you go with first base or left field, a veteran must move. The Padres like Dunn as well but talks have yet to occur. The Angels may have liked him in the past but they don’t seem likely at this point. And the Twins? They just won’t break the bank for him unfortunately.
- With Michael Barrett having issues with 40% of the Cubs’ rotation, the Cubs could look to trade him. Even though he’s a top offensive catcher, his impending free agency might prevent any strong return. Plus, the Cubs would have to go with a Henry Blanco/Koyie Hill tandem. A more likely scenario is that the Cubs will let Barrett walk after the season.
- Finally some clarity on Eric Gagne‘s limited no-trade protection. Rosenthal reveals that he can veto trades to 12 teams. The Phillies and Indians are again mentioned as suitors. Rosenthal thinks Mark Teixeira could generate a lot of talk but no action at the trading deadline. Kind of like Alfonso Soriano or A.J. Burnett before him.
- The asking price for Brad Lidge, supposedly: a premium young catcher and promising young pitcher. Lidge will probably earn $8MM next year before hitting free agency. The Astros should be happy with a young catcher or a young pitcher, not both. I’d mention Salty here but I think he is worth much more than Lidge. Rosenthal says the Astros could move another bullpen arm like Wheeler or Qualls to get the bat they need.
- Could the Devil Rays simply retain Al Reyes and Carlos Pena? Both players could be valuable contributors to the 2008 club. I like the idea of keeping Reyes around for next year, but I think Pena has peaked.
- Noah Lowry would get the attention of the Braves or Cardinals, but the Giants are unlikely to move him.
- The Phils are likely to pass on Tomo Ohka despite their need for pitching.
Will Rowand Return To White Sox?
Center fielder Aaron Rowand has achieved some sort of cult status in Chicago, with many Sox fans convinced that he has the mojo or special something that the team has been lacking. With the White Sox in Philadelphia this week, five articles were produced this morning surrounding a few comments Rowand made about returning to Chicago.
He admitted that he has a "soft spot" for the Sox, all things being equal. I assume that means the White Sox matching the best contract offer Rowand receives on the free agent market this winter. While Rowand was almost traded back to the White Sox a couple of times this year, Scot Gregor thinks free agency is the more likely path. Meanwhile Sam Donnellon tosses out a Rowand for Mark Buehrle proposal.
Rowand considers himself a possible "leftover" in a sea of free agent center fielders. He’s just being modest. Aside from Corey Patterson, who’s having an awful year, and Milton Bradley, who’s been on the DL three times this season, Rowand is the youngest available CF. He’s more affordable than the Big Three (or Four if you include Mike Cameron) and younger too. He’s a better defender than Eric Byrnes. And he’s in the midst of a career year. If Rowand can stay healthy he may be looking at a Gary Matthews Jr. deal.
I am a little bummed that Rowand is not drawing walks like he was in the first two months of the season. He seems to have reverted to his old ways in June.
The Percival Saga Continues
For all the ink being spilled over the soon-to-be home of Troy Percival, is this guy really going to make much of a difference? For all of his career saves, he really didn’t have that many dominating seasons, and of course it’s been a few years since he put together a full healthy season, regardless of quality.
Anyway, Rosenthal checks in with a report on the teams present at Troy’s most recent workout, notably new additions the Braves and the A’s. Atlanta shouldn’t come as a surprise: John Schuerholz has been on a mission to have a solid pen ever since last year’s debacle, and with Mike Gonzalez going on the shelf for the rest of the year, it’s only natural that he’d seek another late-inning option. The A’s are less obvious, but also make sense in their way: they’ve been aggressive in acquiring high-risk, high-reward type players, and they are also short a couple of relief arms due to injury.
Finally, the Philly Inquirer cites reports that the Phillies and Tigers are most interested in Percival.
By Jeff Sackmann
Brew Crew Ball
Kenny Williams Loves Aaron Rowand
Several years ago, Billy Beane described Erubiel Durazo as his "Holy Grail". Beane had been in pursuit of the young slugger, coveting his plate discipline and projecting him as a middle-of-the-order type for the A’s lineup.
At this point, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams’ pursuit of Aaron Rowand is beginning to reach similar status. From Phil Rodgers in the Chicago Tribune:
If the Phillies are willing to try to get Mike MacDougal straightened out, the reliever could be a centerpiece in a White Sox deal for Aaron Rowand. The Phillies desperately need bullpen help and are letting teams know Rowand could be available in the right deal. The speedy Michael Bourn seems ready to move into a regular role in Philadelphia’s outfield.
The outfield is one of the few places the Phillies actually have some depth/interchangeable parts, and with Aaron Rowand‘s average hovering around .325 for most of the season so far, the Phillies may be thinking it’s time to "sell high" on the centerfielder.
However, it isn’t Michael Bourn who would take over in center, more likely Shane Victorino would shift to centerfield while Greg Dobbs and Jayson Werth would probably platoon in rightfield. Bourn shows promise but right now, he is still too raw for anything more than Pat Burrell‘s caddy for late-inning defensive/pinch-running and the occasional start. Really, he would be better off playing in AAA everyday and honing his skills on a regular basis.
Having said that, it will probably take a little more than Mike MacDougal to get things done in a deal like this. A slumping middle-reliever for a streaking everyday player isn’t very even.
Tom Goyne is the author of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, a Phillies-centric site, and maintains the Phloggers’ Pheeds page, a source for the latest commentary from around the "phlogosphere". Recently, he teamed up with his brother to launch Roto Front Office.
Phillies Kicking Brian Fuentes’ Tires
The latest from the prolific and well-connected Ken Rosenthal:
A member of the Phillies asks, "Is Brian Fuentes available?" Well, not yet — and maybe not at all if the Rockies’ resurgence continues. The Rockies will discuss Fuentes, their left-handed closer, only if they fall out of contention. Fuentes, who turns 32 on Aug. 9, is earning $3.5 million this season, and eligible for free agency after next season.
The search for quality bullpen arms will likely be a theme that lasts throughout the season for the Phillies, given that Brett Myers has proven to be a mere mortal, unable of pitching two innings everyday and that Tom Gordon is probably used up.
From this phan’s perspective, I fear that by the time some quality relievers shake loose from the trade tree, the Phillies themselves will have fallen out of contention.
Tom Goyne is the author of Balls, Sticks, & Stuff, a Phillies-centric site, and maintains the Phloggers’ Pheeds page, a source for the latest commentary from around the "phlogosphere". Recently, he teamed up with his brother to launch Roto Front Office.
The Percival Chase
My apologies to the loyal readers hoping for more posts this weekend – my wife and I are painting the condo. Good times.
For those keeping score at home, here’s a summary of Troy Percival‘s suitors. He won’t be returning to the Angels, but plenty of other clubs want in.
Though interest hasn’t been confirmed, Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon thinks highly of Percival. The Indians are another club where only speculation exists. Let’s add the Cubs to that list; Phil Rogers notes the team’s interest in the 2004-05 offseason. Back then, the Cubs wisely decided to open the season with LaTroy Hawkins at closer given Joe Borowski‘s broken hand. OK, maybe not so wisely.
Last week, two teams publicly showed interest in the Tigers and Phillies. Now we know the Marlins are "closely monitoring" Percival as well. It wouldn’t be right to have a Marlin season go by without the club resurrecting a closer.
Speculated interest: Devil Rays, Indians, Cubs
Confirmed interest: Tigers, Phillies, Marlins
Not interested: Angels
Percival Possibilities
The Angels aren’t interested in reliever Troy Percival, but several other clubs will be in attendance when he works out for teams in a week or two.
The Tigers are publicly showing interest, as Percival left the club on good terms despite barely pitching for them. He was voted a playoff share last year and used the money to buy a suite for the players’ wives. With Joel Zumaya out for quite a while, the Tigers could use another arm at the back of the bullpen. Contrary to previous reports of 97 mph (subtract five mph from anything an agent says) Percival is topping out around 92 these days.
The Phillies also want in; they remain desperate for relief help. They’ll attend his workout. The Indians gave a "no comment" on the Percival topic, but I can’t see why they wouldn’t send someone to observe the workout. I also can’t see why Rafael Betancourt isn’t closing, but that’s my fantasy side talking.