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.
Cardinals Focused On Westbrook, Haren
The Cardinals are trying to acquire a starting pitcher, wrote Ed Price of AOL FanHouse last night, and they're focused on Jake Westbrook and Dan Haren.
Recently we summed up the market for both pitchers. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ten days ago that he expected to "shy from a rental deal that requires us to give up a ton of talent." Neither Westbrook nor Haren fits that description, so it makes sense that they'd be in play for newly-extended GM John Mozeliak.
The Dan Haren Market
Diamondbacks interim GM Jerry Dipoto recently told CBS' Scott Miller, "We're not to the point right now where we're aggressively seeking [a Dan Haren trade]." Still, it's time for us to summarize the Haren situation.
Contract
Haren signed a four-year, $44.75MM extension in August of 2008 under previous GM Josh Byrnes. He has $3.45MM left this year, $12.75MM in 2011, $12.75MM in '12, and a $15.5MM club option for '13 with a $3.5MM buyout. In other words, Haren is guaranteed $32.45MM through 2012. If Haren had never signed the extension and hit free agency after this year at age 30, would he top two years, $29MM plus a club option? His next dozen starts are a factor, and maybe in this cautious time he wouldn't reach John Lackey money. But I still view the contract as a bargain relative to the free agent market.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this weekend that Haren's no-trade clause allows him to block trades to a dozen teams, including the Reds. Rosenthal's source did not feel that Haren's no-trade list would be a factor, however.
Performance
Home runs and hits allowed are up this year for Haren, who has a 4.60 ERA through 20 starts. Though Haren's groundball rate is down a touch, his continually strong strikeout and walk rates suggest a pitcher capable of a sub-4.00 ERA from here on out. Since 2006, Haren has posted significantly higher ERAs in the second half. Is this a reliable trend? Haren's home run per flyball rate seems to jump every August. This could be a fluke – the Sabermetrics Library says home run per flyball rates "have little predictive value" year to year. It doesn't help that Chase Field inflates home runs by about 7%, according to The Bill James Handbook.
Asking Price/Availability
We have no trade history for Dipoto, as he's been a GM for less than a month. He told Miller he's not sure if trading Haren is smart business, but "what we do know is what value Dan brings to this team and what value he should hold in the market." All things considered, Haren is probably the best available starting pitcher. SI's Jon Heyman talked to one GM who described Dipoto's asking price as "two starters plus bullpen help." Earlier this month, Rosenthal and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both said the D'Backs would need to be "overwhelmed" or "blown away" to trade Haren. Dipoto was upfront to Miller about his reservations, saying "you might bite off your nose to spite your face" by trading the ace.
Interested Teams
- Tigers: Miller says they "appeared to be the only club with a scout dispatched solely to bird-dog Haren" Friday night. Back in May I noted that the Tigers should have over $50MM to play with for 2011 if they hold payroll steady, so they could afford Haren. The Tigers have plenty of young starters that would appeal to the D'Backs.
- Cardinals: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cards have interest in bringing Haren back and do have payroll capacity. Still, they'd be committing half their payroll to the rotation in 2011.
- Rockies: Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post doesn't feel that they'd overpay for Haren.
- Yankees: A case could be made for the Yanks adding Haren. However, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that their top two priorities are improving the bench and adding a reliever.
- Phillies: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick said they have Haren on the radar, though David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News wondered if they'd even have the prospects to pull it off.
- Nationals: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reported on June 30th that they had expressed interest. GM Mike Rizzo craves "premier, front-line starting pitching." With Haren, the Nats would have a fearsome rotation in short order.
- Angels: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times finds Haren to be "a natural trade target" for the Halos.
- I imagine other clubs would be interested. In my opinion, the White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Mets, and Padres could be fits, though the field becomes limited when you consider Arizona's asking price.
Isringhausen To Audition For Reds
Appearing on KFNS 590 The Fan with Doug Vaughn this morning, free agent reliever Jason Isringhausen said he has a tentative plan to audition for the Reds tomorrow. Isringhausen added that he expects to hear back from the Cardinals this week and implied that his agent has been in contact with the Yankees, Rays, and Royals.
Isringhausen admitted it'd be weird to pitch for the Reds against the Cardinals this summer as the teams battle for the NL Central. Walt Jocketty's Reds already count Scott Rolen and Russ Springer as organization members. Izzy, of course, tallied 217 saves in seven seasons for the Cards from 2002-08. Isringhausen's last appearance in the Majors came in June of 2009 with the Rays, after which he went down for Tommy John surgery. He said he's currently throwing three times a week and working on a changeup. He expects he'd need a couple of weeks in the minors to get ready.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Machado, Wood, Montero
Saturday afternoon linkage…
- Bengie Molina has had an immediate impact in Texas, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
- The Orioles won't sign Manny Machado before August 1st, Baltimore's director of scouting told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter).
- The Indians placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The move is retroactive to July 12th, so unless he needs more than the 15 days off, Wood will be back just before the trade deadline.
- Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney says Wood's actual trade deadline is August 31st, because he will clear waivers next month given the $4MM still owed to him this season (Twitter links).
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams often approaches his veteran players to get their opinions about potential moves, but he has not yet pulled Paul Konerko aside to discuss scenarios according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times.
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak was well-deserving of his contract extension.
- In a video on ESPN, Olney says the Yankees have determined that they would not trade catching prospect Jesus Montero for any player available on the trade market. They were willing to move him for Cliff Lee because it was a special case.
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Padres, Scutaro, Nationals
A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…
- Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Phillies have had a "top scout" on hand for the A's last four series, though Oakland isn't going to move Mark Ellis and Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch this weekend.
- James Schmehl of MLive.com says that Sheets could be a "rather inexpensive" trade option for the Tigers if they're looking to add a starting pitcher.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told reporters he would like to make a move to improve the team, not just a cosmetic one (all Twitter links). He says the prices must first come down, and that he has the resources to add multiple pieces.
- WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says (via Twitter) that the Braves did not talk to the Red Sox about a potential Yunel Escobar–Marco Scutaro deal. He says that the Blue Jays were the only team Atlanta spoke to about an Escobar trade.
- Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo ranked the team's international free agent signings for MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Tokyo Giants have a scout attending tonight's Dodgers-Cardinals game. If nothing else, it shows that Japanese teams scour the U.S. for talent just like MLB teams do in Japan.
Cardinals Extend GM John Mozeliak
The Cardinals agreed to a three-year extension with GM John Mozeliak, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals, who currently trail the Reds by a game, won the NL Central last year, Mozeliak's second full season on the job. The GM's current deal was set to expire after the 2010 season.
Mozeliak's major moves include the Matt Holliday signing and extensions for Kyle Lohse and Adam Wainwright. The biggest decision of all has yet to come: Albert Pujols will hit free agency after 2011 and Mozeliak and his front office will have to decide how much they're willing to pay to keep the slugging first baseman in St. Louis. Yadier Molina and Pujols are two of the better-known players the Cardinals drafted when Mozeliak was the team's scouting director.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Marlins, Berry, Carroll, Pujols
Links for Wednesday, on an eerily quiet day for baseball fans…
- Red Sox GM Theo Epstein told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that there aren't many All-Star caliber players available on the trade market right now.
- It's "very likely" that the Marlins make moves between now and July 31st, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (Twitter link).
- The Padres claimed 25-year-old outfielder Quintin Berry from the Phillies, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (via Twitter). Berry has a .606 OPS at AA so far in 2010.
- The Dodgers have fielded multiple calls on Jamey Carroll's availability, as Tim Dierkes noted on Twitter earlier today.
- Like everyone else in the baseball world, Albert Pujols' agent expects the Cardinals to pick up the slugger's $16MM option for 2011. Dan Lozano told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Pujols is open to talking about an extension in the offseason. Cards GM John Mozeliak confirmed on Twitter that the team won't initiate discussions before then.
- Some of Derrek Lee's friends tell Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that they believe the first baseman would waive his no-trade clause for the right deal. The Angels would prefer to pursue someone who isn't under contract next year, so they could be a fit for Lee.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs ranks Justin Verlander 35th among the MLB players with the most trade value.
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Mariners, Red Sox
Four years ago today, the Rays sent Aubrey Huff and cash to the Astros for Ben Zobrist and Mitch Talbot. The Astros finished 1.5 games out in '06 despite Huff contributing 13 home runs, and GM Tim Purpura chose not to offer arbitration after the season. On to today's links…
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees have no plans to acquire a starting pitcher – "Cliff Lee was a special case." Speaking of Lee, he told MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the trade from the Phillies did not sour him on the team, and he's not opposed to any club once he reaches free agency.
- The Blue Jays had a scout at this weekend's Cardinals-Astros series, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Strauss wonders if shortstop Alex Gonzalez could be a match for the Cards, and he notes that the Jays have had previous interest in Brendan Ryan.
- Mariners president Chuck Armstrong and CEO Howard Lincoln weren't aware of the full extent of pitcher Josh Lueke's 2008 trouble with the law, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Lueke went to Seattle as part of the Lee trade.
- Talking to WEEI's Alex Speier, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein explained that in the case of Casey Kelly and other prospects, he'd rather challenge them against advanced competition than allow them to compile numbers and trade value at more age-appropriate levels.
- In the same article, Speier notes that the Red Sox have agreements, pending physicals, with a pair of international free agents. One is a righthanded pitcher, the other an outfielder.
- As part of an extensive Q&A with Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, Commissioner Bud Selig says he would not consider contracting the Athletics or Rays if their ballpark situations are not resolved.
Odds & Ends: Rolen, Yankees, Astros, Jeter
Links for Sunday, as the celebration continues in Spain….
- Since acquiring Scott Rolen from Toronto roughly one year ago, the Reds are 70-42 when he starts and 12-26 when he doesn't, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter) talked to Yankees catcher Austin Romine, who admitted that a trade of Jesus Montero to the Mariners would have benefited him.
- Looking to improve their NL-worst OBP (.295) and SLG (.348), the Astros have replaced hitting coach Sean Berry with Jeff Bagwell, per a team release. Sean Berry was surprised by his dismissal from the Astros, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
- Last winter, Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports suggested that the Yankees offer Derek Jeter a four-year, $100MM extension. Today, the New York Post's Joel Sherman says that Jeter "hardly looks like a player deserving" of such a contract, except for the fact that he's Derek Jeter. Sherman expects Jeter to be a Yankee past this season, of course, but suggests that the second half of 2010 may be a "salary drive" for the 36-year-old.
- Brian Sabean has no regrets about not promoting Buster Posey or trading Bengie Molina earlier, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks the Indians would like to keep Jake Westbrook, so they have at least one veteran starter in their 2011 rotation.
- Noting that Albert Pujols could have his own "Decision" to make next year, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hopes the slugger doesn't do to St. Louis what LeBron James did to Cleveland.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is reluctant to become a seller because he believes his team can contend next year, if not this year, says Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Within the same piece, Shaikin indicates the Dodgers could still be in "payroll limbo" this offseason if the McCourts' divorce goes to trial.
- Minor league free agents have come through this year for the Phillies, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.