NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Soriano, Betemit, Pence
Four teams are within striking distance of the NL Central lead: the Brewers, the Cardinals and the Reds and Pirates, who are currently playing at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The latest links from the division…
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that he can take on payroll and would prefer not to trade players currently on the Major League roster (Twitter link).
- Alfonso Soriano told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com that he isn't worried about trade rumors, since he doesn't control what happens leading up to the trade deadline. The 35-year-old has 14 homers and a .255/.298/.456 line for the Cubs, who owe him $18MM annually through 2014. Soriano told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender.
- Dave Gershman of Beyond the Boxscore suggests the Cubs should consider trading Sean Marshall if they can get a top prospect like Jonathan Singleton.
- The Brewers and Royals are still in contact about Wilson Betemit, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Brewers have had interest in the infielder since earlier in the month, but haven’t made substantial progress so far. Morosi reports that the Brewers would like any acquisition to be capable of playing the outfield.
- Rival teams get the impression that it will take a "major, major overpay" to obtain Hunter Pence from the Astros now, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
National League Notes: Reds, Berkman, Adams
We've already checked in on three of the most noteworthy trade candidates that the National League has to offer. Here's the rest of tonight's news from the Senior Circuit…
- Rival executives believe the Reds could trade for a top reliever and/or Ubaldo Jimenez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- MLB.com's Matthew Leach suggests the Cardinals and Lance Berkman have some mutual interest in negotiating a new deal after the season, when the slugger's one-year, $8MM contract expires.
- Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com hears that the Pirates are still looking to acquire a right-handed hitter. They're also in the market for bullpen help, according to Langosch. The Pirates are eyeing Hunter Pence and open to trading prospects in the right deal.
- Padres setup man Mike Adams tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he realizes he's a trade candidate and has applied for a passport in case he's dealt to the American League and has to visit Toronto.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com that the trade deadline is his "least favorite time of the year." Arizona is in the market for "pitching in general," Towers said.
Teams Called On Rasmus; Deal “Highly Unlikely”
The Rays, Nationals and Red Sox are among the teams that called the Cardinals about Colby Rasmus, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. However, GM John Mozeliak says he's "not shopping" his center fielder and insists that a deal remains "highly unlikely" (Twitter link).
Rasmus has requested a trade in the past and the Cardinals had serious talks about sending him to Tampa Bay last year.
Rasmus, who is arbitration eligible for the first time after the season, has a .241/.326/.404 line with nine home runs in 369 plate appearances this year. His 2012 salary will reach seven figures through arbitration and he's under team control through 2014.
Nats Rumors: Storen, Clippard, Desmond, Gorzelanny
The Nationals are listening on top relievers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but such a trade would have to fill a specific long-term need such as center field. Teams are calling on Storen, Clippard, and Todd Coffey.
Potential center field targets for Washington include B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Colby Rasmus, and Denard Span, writes Rosenthal. He believes that a reliever alone probably would not bring back a center fielder, but the Nats could also trade shortstop Ian Desmond since some club officials would like to move Danny Espinosa to shortstop.
Storen is under team control through 2016, Clippard and Desmond through '15. Desmond would be an interesting name for teams seeking shortstop help, though he's limped to a .226/.269/.311 line in 361 plate appearances this year.
The Nationals also have starting pitching to spare, as ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that they will move Jason Marquis, Livan Hernandez, and Tom Gorzelanny. Gorzelanny is a bit of a surprise, as he's got strong strikeout and walk rates and is under team control through 2013.
NL Central Rumors: Cubs, Astros, Brewers, Rasmus
The NL Central lead seems to change hands on a daily basis, meaning we can expect plenty of trade talk over the next two weeks as the Brewers, Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds attempt to gain an edge in a tight race. Here's the latest from out of the division:
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry has "no interest" in moving Matt Garza or Ryan Dempster this season, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com.
- New Astros ownership would like to cut payroll to $60MM, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter). As such, Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers are "being shopped," though Houston will likely hang on to Hunter Pence.
- Discussing those three Houston trade candidates, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says the Astros would have to be "completely blown away" to move Pence, but Myers is very much in play, and there could be a decent market for him. Rodriguez falls somewhere in between – the Astros have fielded plenty of inquires, but it would take a big package to get a deal done.
- Heyman thinks that Jamey Carroll would be a good addition for the Brewers (Twitter link).
- Colby Rasmus' father confirmed to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his son has requested a trade in the past. Strauss breaks down some of the reasons why the Cardinals and Rasmus seem to have trouble seeing eye to eye.
Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey
Saturday evening linkage..
- The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
- The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
- Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
- Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey. Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
- The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
- With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin. If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
- Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).
Cardinals Have Checked In On Blue Jays Relievers
Earlier today we heard that the Cardinals are aggressively looking for a starting pitcher, but that doesn't mean they aren't trying to add bullpen help either. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that St. Louis has checked in on the availability of several Blue Jays relievers, according to sources (on Twitter).
Toronto has a cache of right-handed relievers available, namely Jason Frasor, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Frank Francisco. The first three have affordable club options for next season, $3.75MM or less. Morosi notes that Frasor has never pitched in the NL, so there's an element of surprise there. The Cardinals are currently without setup man Eduardo Sanchez, and their 4.04 bullpen ERA is the third highest in the National League. The Jays and Cards don't get together for trades very often as our Transaction Tracker shows, but both clubs have relatively new GMs.
Make sure you check out our sister site dedicated to fantasy bullpens, Closer News.
Quick Hits: Cardinals, Tigers, Rays, Peacock
That terrified gasp you heard earlier this evening was from Blue Jays fans and Jose Bautista fantasy owners. The star slugger was forced to leave Toronto's 16-7 win over the Yankees due to a twisted right ankle suffered in the fourth inning. X-rays were negative and Bautista will likely undergo an MRI tomorrow, reports Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet.
Some news from around the majors…
- The Cardinals are shopping for both starting and relief pitching, but their trade efforts are complicated by the Albert Pujols negotiations looming this winter, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach. There's also pressure on the club to win now since this could be the last season for both Pujols and Chris Carpenter in St. Louis.
- Speaking of pressure, it "might be higher than ever" in Detroit since GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland are both in the last year of their contracts, notes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Tigers are also looking to add starting pitching and possibly a right-handed reliever, though Beck says the club will look internally (possibly the returning Carlos Guillen) to solve its second base problem.
- With their next seven games against the Red Sox and Yankees, the Rays may know by next week if they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain. If the Rays are in contention, however, Andrew Friedman says it doesn't mean the Rays will deal prospects for big upgrades since "because of our situation, our prospects mean more to us than any other team in baseball."
- Brad Peacock is now represented by the ACES agency, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link). The Nationals right-hander was a 41st-round pick in the 2006 draft but was recently ranked as the 42st-best minor leaguer in the game on Baseball America's midseason prospect list.
- The White Sox have signed third-round draft pick Jeff Soptic, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. Soptic's contract bonus was worth $320K, $40.1K over MLB's recommended slot price for the 110th overall pick.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy runs down the week's minor league transactions.
- A source tells Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles that the Angels are "pinching pennies" and won't be looking to add payroll at the trade deadline.
Rays, Cards Had ‘Serious Talks’ About Rasmus In 2010
The Rays and Cardinals had serious talks about a trade that would have sent Colby Rasmus to Tampa Bay last year, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The center fielder appeared to request a trade last summer, though he later denied doing so.
The Cardinals might be willing to move Rasmus now, though Strauss and colleague Bernie Miklasz suggest a deal is unlikely. Rasmus is the most attractive trade chip GM John Mozeliak has, but Miklasz expects the Cardinals and their center fielder to be “stuck with each other” for a while.
The Cardinals would most covet Jeremy Hellickson in a trade, according to Strauss. However, Tampa Bay doesn't necessarily covet Rasmus, especially at that price. Rays center fielder B.J. Upton homered in three of five games leading up to the All-Star break and his .239/.325/.427 line resembles Rasmus' .246/.329/.413 line.
Soria Can Block Trades To Dodgers, Rockies, Braves
The Dodgers, Rockies and Braves have replaced the Tigers, Cubs and Cardinals on Joakim Soria's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com (on Twitter). The reliever can still block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies with his no-trade clause, which would provide him with leverage in the unlikely event of a proposed deal.
The asking price for Soria is "exorbitant," according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who hears that Royals officials have never had upper-level talks about the closer with the Yankees.
Soria, 27, has a 4.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 38 innings this year. He had a difficult May during which he briefly lost the closer's job, but has recovered to post a 14K/2BB ratio since with just one earned run allowed in 16 innings in June and July.
The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games this year (he has finished 26 games so far). The Royals also have an $8MM option for Soria in 2013 ($750K buyout) and an $8.75MM option for 2014 ($750K buyout). Keep up with Soria and every other MLB closer at closernews.com.