Cubs Rumors: Harden, Heilman, Bradley
SATURDAY, 4:02pm: Ken Rosenthal said during a segment on FOX Saturday Baseball that a deal between the Twins and Cubs for right-hander Rich Harden could indeed happen.
Rosenthal made a couple of valid points: First, Harden is an impending free agent and the Cubs could always re-sign him in the winter. Second, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have been pining for help and would be more inclined to sign long-term deals if Minnesota management shows a desire to win this season.
FRIDAY, 4:12pm: ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine reports that the Twins were in fact awarded the claim on Harden, and that the Giants were awarded the claim on Heilman.
9:03am: Rich Harden and Aaron Heilman were claimed on waivers yesterday, but that doesn't mean the Cubs are about to trade either pitcher away. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times hears that the Cubs hadn't even been contacted by the claiming teams as of late last night. Even if those teams do contact the Cubs, there's no guarantee that GM Jim Hendry would decide to deal either player.
The Cubs might be more open to moving Milton Bradley, but who would have interest? Wittenmyer considers the possibilities and concludes that the Blue Jays and Royals may be fits if the Cubs are willing to take on some of the $21MM remaining on Bradley's deal. It's been a disappointing season for Bradley, but he has still managed a .387 OBP.
Brad Penny Rumors: Saturday
1:26pm: According to SI.com's Jon Heyman, the Yankees and Giants have also begun showing serious interest in Penny. Heyman opines, and many others agree, that an "NL team might be better for him."
9:19am: Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports says that the Marlins are "among the most serious suitors" for Brad Penny's services in the wake of Penny's release from the Red Sox this week. Penny is apparently set to clear release waivers sometime soon.
The Marlins' interest has been noted here, but it looks like a decision will come soon. Morosi believes that the finalization of the move will probably be predicated on how well the Fish play against the Padres this weekend, and says that winning this series could justify a Penny addition. Morosi also says that the Rockies, while still looking for starting pitching, aren't in the market for Penny.
When Penny departed the Marlins for the Dodgers in 2004 in a trade he was in top form, having put up a 3.15 ERA and 105/39 K/BB ratio in 131 innings that season. He's only matched that brilliance in one season since, but a move to the NL certainly can't hurt.
Giants Claimed Hoffman; Trade Unlikely
The Giants claimed Trevor Hoffman, but it appears that the Brewers will pull the reliever off waivers instead of negotiating a trade, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The Giants made the claim partly because Hoffman would help their bullpen and partly because they didn't want to give the Rockies or Dodgers a chance to acquire him.
The Brewers seem more likely to hold onto Hoffman than trade him. Speaking in general terms, GM Doug Melvin told Olney that he would "probably not" compromise the club's bullpen in the coming days.
Brad Penny Rumors: Thursday
10:24pm: Olney reports that the Rockies will not pursue Penny this season.
4:29pm: Olney notes that Penny can decline any waiver claim. This essentially gives him the chance to assure himself free agency. Becoming a free agent would mean forfeiting the chance to earn the incentives on his contract.
3:37pm: The Yankees claimed Brad Penny earlier in August, only to see the Red Sox pull him back, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
3:19pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post notes that it's becoming increasingly unlikely that the Rockies will add Brad Penny. Some people within the organization believe he'd help, but others are concerned that he would not fit it. Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies first reported that the Rockies weren't likely to add Penny this morning.
2:20pm: Joe Christensen of the Mineapolis Star-Tribune hears that the Twins would consider claiming Penny off release waivers and taking on the rest of his salary instead of waiting for him to become a free agent.
2:16pm: George A. King III of the New York Post hears that the Yankees have interest in Penny. The Yanks haven't heard anything to suggest Penny promised the Red Sox he wouldn't sign with an AL contender. Johnny Damon says he'd like the Yankees to add Penny.
1:16pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney confirms that the Rockies, Giants and Marlins are interested in Penny. None of those teams are likely to claim him before Monday, because they would have to take on the remainder of his salary to do so. If they wait until Penny clears waivers, he'll cost less than $100k.
12:01pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from one GM who believes Brad Penny "absolutely should go back to the National League" once he can sign with the team of his choice on Monday. "He's stupid if he stays in the AL," the GM adds.
Rosenthal says Penny makes sense for the Rockies, Giants and Marlins. The Dodgers could use him, but Rosenthal doubts Penny would re-join the team. Penny will cost less than $100k, because his incentives are negated once he's released.
And here's a roundup of the rumors we've already heard about Penny today:
Odds And Ends: Lincecum, Byrd, Orioles, Cubs
More links from around the league…
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick wonders if Tim Lincecum will sign a multi-year deal this offseason. He might make more going year-to-year, but a long-term deal could give him peace of mind.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers want to bring Marlon Byrd back after the season, but wonders if the outfielder might prefer to test the open market.
- Roch Kubatko of MASN.com says the Orioles have a lot more flexibility now that they've dealt Aubrey Huff.
- Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times doesn't doubt that the Cubs can win a World Series with Jim Hendry as GM, even though his moves have looked "disastrous" this season.
Verducci On Bonuses, Hamels, Lincecum
Tom Verducci of SI.com says teams are willing to spend on amateur talent now because they expect MLB to push for a hard-slotting system after 2011 that would limit the bonuses top draft picks receive. Large-revenue teams like the Red Sox will lose the advantage they have now, since they'll no longer be able to snap up players who fall because of signability concerns.
Cole Hamels set a record for a pitcher in his first year of arbitration when he signed a three-year $20.5MM deal last year. Tim Lincecum appears ready to break that record after this season and not even Giants GM Brian Sabean knows what kind of deal to expect.
"I'm not sure who you compare him to," Sabean said. "And the other thing is he already has a Cy Young Award and just might have two."
Lincecum has 100 more strikeouts than Hamels did after last season and his ERA is half a run lower.
Molina Wants To Stay In San Francisco
Bengie Molina wants the Giants to offer him a two-year contract, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Molina, who becomes a free agent after the season, hasn't started formal talks with the team, so he considers the next six weeks a chance for him to audition for the job he already has.
Some teams would hope for the return of a catcher who has led a strong pitching staff and clubbed 15 home runs, but it's not that simple in San Francisco. Buster Posey– considered by Baseball America to be the 6th-best prospect in the game- is waiting at Triple A Fresno. He's hitting .322 with nearly as many strikeouts as walks and 48 extra base hits for an OPS of .958 in the upper minors.
Molina believes he could teach Posey and says there's room for both on the club. Molina should be a Type A free agent after the season, so the Giants could offer him arbitration and either keep him around for another year or collect two draft picks if he signs elsewhere.
Mets Deny Sheffield’s Request For Extension
FRIDAY, 9:10am: Sherman reports that Sheffield demanded to be released or traded to the Marlins.
THURSDAY, 8:48pm: SI's Jon Heyman reports, via Twitter, that the Giants were the team that claimed Sheffield on waivers earlier this month.
6:23pm: David Lennon at Newsday reminds us that earlier this month, the Mets placed Sheff on waivers, but pulled him back when he was claimed. This means he cannot be traded; the Mets could release him or place him on irrevocable waivers and lose him if he is claimed.
5:57pm: Via Twitter, Sherman cites a Mets official who says that "Sheffield has not been released."
5:47pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that Gary Sheffield and the Mets are at odds about his contract situation. Sherman cites "two sources" who say that Sheffield asked the team for a contract extension and was denied. The sources say he is now threatening to leave the team.
The two parties are now in discussions, according to Sherman, and the release of the aging outfielder is "a possibility." Sheffield was pulled from the roster for tonight's game, but Jerry Manuel said he pulled himself "to clear his head."
Odds And Ends: Jays, White Sox, Posey
Some links for the morning…
- GM J.P. Ricciardi tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that being good isn't enough in the AL East. The Blue Jays have to be great.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Tribune that he's unhappy with his team, which trails the Tigers by 2.0 games in the AL Central. "We're underachievers," he said.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle hears that the Giants have no plans to call Buster Posey up this season. They just drafted the catcher last year, so GM Brian Sabean says "there's no rush."
Giants Sign Zack Wheeler
The Giants signed sixth overall pick Zack Wheeler for $3.3MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. BA has slot at about $2.34MM for that position. Wheeler will make his pro debut in 2010, says Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Wheeler is a high school righty from Georgia; click here for MLB.com's scouting report.