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Stark On Howie Kendrick, Cubs, D’Backs

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ESPN's Jayson Stark begins his latest column with a look at the Biogenesis situation.  As Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported, suspension announcements are not expected today.  Sherman expects the announcements to come Thursday or Friday.  In Stark's opinion, the Rangers are acting like a team that knows what Nelson Cruz will do if suspended, in that their aggressive search for a bat suggests he might serve a suspension now to preserve his free agent value.  Meanwhile, the Tigers' lack of pursuit of a backup plan to shortstop Jhonny Peralta suggests he'll appeal.  Elsewhere in Stark's column:

  • The Dodgers and Angels, who haven't made a trade in 20 years, had a "mostly casual conversation" regarding Halos second baseman Howie Kendrick.  There are no indications a deal is in the works.
  • The Angels are at least listening on infielders Kendrick, Erick Aybar, and Alberto Callaspo, and seeking high quality big league ready pitching in return.
  • The Cubs could move Kevin Gregg and Nate Schierholtz, but are extremely unlikely to trade lefty reliever James Russell and there's just about zero chance of a Jeff Samardzija trade.
  • Pitchers Ian Kennedy and J.J. Putz of the Diamondbacks and Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays "have suddenly been made available."  Trading Kennedy would allow Arizona to clear around $1.4MM toward another move.  Are they that hard up for cash?

AL East Links: Stanton, Crain, Josh Johnson

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The latest out of the AL East…

  • The Red Sox "may be willing to part with whatever it takes" in hopes of acquiring the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, a league source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  Still, the Marlins have pretty much closed the door on trading Stanton for now.
  • The Red Sox should trade top prospect Xander Bogaerts and more to get Phillies lefty Cliff Lee, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, while Dave Cameron of FanGraphs gives his take on that idea.
  • "The deals we’ve seen so far, teams have gotten a pretty good return," Red Sox Ben Cherington said of this year's trades, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.
  • The Rays acquired reliever Jesse Crain from the White Sox yesterday, with the return to be determined after the season.  Crain has been out since late June with a shoulder strain, and the White Sox seemingly tried to rush him back into action.  "Hopefully this time we'll take our time and be ready for the rest of the year," Crain said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • Josh Johnson accepting a qualifying offer might be an unacceptable risk for the Blue Jays given their limited financial flexibility next year, writes Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.  Speaking to Jeff Blair on the Fan 590 on Friday, Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick said he expects the Jays to make a qualifying offer and "hang compensation on" his client, affecting the pitcher's value in the free agent market.  Sosnick didn't say it explicitly, but he seemed to imply they would accept a qualifying offer.  Sosnick believes we're headed toward "the worst free agent pitching market in the last 10 to 15 years," but Johnson isn't likely to be a part of it.
  • The Yankees are in danger of being "a club that isn’t good enough to legitimately contend and not bad enough to completely tear down," writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues.  Axisa feels the Yankees will have to scrap their plan to keep the payroll under $189MM next year, if they re-sign Robinson Cano.  Otherwise, they'll have to rebuild.

Rays Acquire Jesse Crain

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5:21pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the two sides will negotiate the player/cash combination going from the Rays to the White Sox over the next several weeks. Rosenthal also tweets that the return is not contingent on how much Crain pitches. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the compensation is likely to be finalized after the season. Scott Merkin of MLB.com adds that the pool of players from which the White Sox can choose has been agreed upon.

4:40pm: The Rays have become the third playoff contender to add a significant piece to their bullpen today, as the team has announced the acquisition of Jesse Crain from the White Sox in exchange for player(s) to be named later or cash considerations. Chicago's return in this deal will reportedly be dependent on Crain's health down the stretch for the Rays. Brandon Gomes has been shifted to the 60-day disabled list to create a 40-man roster spot for Crain. Reports from earlier today stated the ball was in Chicago's court to trade their ace setup man to one of two teams, with the Rays being the favorites.  Crain

The White Sox have also announced the trade, and general manager Rick Hahn issued the following kind words about his former right-hander:

“We cannot say enough about what Jesse has meant to our bullpen, and the positive impact he’s had on our young relievers. "We certainly think he has the ability to influence this year’s pennant race very positively for the Rays.”

The 32-year-old Crain is in the midst of one of the finest seasons for a relief pitcher in recent history. In 36 2/3 innings prior to his shoulder injury, the Toronto native had allowed just three earned runs (0.74 ERA) with 11.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He has not surrendered a home run this season despite pitching in the cozy confines of U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Crain was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain on July 3.

Crain is in the final season of a three-year, $13MM contract that he signed with the White Sox prior to the 2011 season. His trade to the AL East will bring him out of the only division he's ever known, as he spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Twins after Minnesota selected him in the second round of the 2002 draft. Because he is a free agent at season's end, Crain is strictly a rental and cannot net the Rays a compensatory draft pick in 2014.

Earlier today the Tigers fortified their bullpen by acquiring Jose Veras from the Astros, and the Braves acquired Scott Downs from the Angels.

ESPN's Buster Olney was the first to tweet that a deal had been struck. Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that the White Sox would receive "future considerations" for Crain, depending on his health (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted that the Rays would send players to be named later or cash to the Rays.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Jesse Crain

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3:56pm: The ball is in Chicago's court on a Crain trade, hears Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Rays are hoping to finalize a deal for the reliever today.

3:24pm: Crain spoke about the White Sox in the past tense and sounds as if he knows he's gone, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, but declined to identify his potential new team.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Rays remain hopeful of landing Crain, and the teams continue to talk.  The Rays would not be giving up a player from their big league roster, notes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

12:58pm: Crain could be traded today to one of two teams, with the Rays as the leading club, tweets Levine.  He notes it's a complicated deal because the compensation could depend on his performance.

11:39am: The deal is not close to done, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan.  He adds that the White Sox are exploring multiple avenues for Crain.

10:58am: The White Sox are close to trading reliever Jesse Crain in a complicated deal involving the Rays and a third team, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.  Crain is currently on the disabled list with a sore shoulder, and has not pitched since June 29th.  A bullpen session on Thursday was cancelled due to a slight setback.

Crain, 32, snagged his first All-Star nod this season with a stellar first half: a 0.74 ERA, 11.3 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, no home runs allowed, and a 34.8% groundball rate in 36 2/3 innings.  He'll be a free agent after the season.

Cafardo On Morneau, Blue Jays, Veras, Ramirez

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The Rays might be the only contending team that doesn't need to do anything at the deadline, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  As for the other 13 clubs that are still in the hunt, Cafardo runs down each of their needs in advance of Wednesday's deadline.  The Cardinals would like to add a starter and perhaps a middle infielder, but are good to go with what they have.  The Rangers got their big fish in Matt Garza, but they'll still be on the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder as their concern grows over Nelson Cruz.  Meanwhile, not every club has the resources to make the upgrades that they'd like to.  The Reds have three top arms on the shelf in Johnny Cueto, Jonathan Broxton, and Sean Marshall, but they might not have enough to obtain another.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Contrary to some reports, the Twins have received “numerous calls” on Justin Morneau, according to a major league source.  The Blue Jays are one team that has expressed interest in the Canadian.
  • Scouts and executives are split on whether the Blue Jays could sell off Mark Buehrle and/or Josh Johnson.  Buehrle, 34, isn’t the same pitcher he used to be, but he shows that he has value for a contender with performances like Thursday against the Astros. 
  • Jose Veras has done well as the Astros' closer and he’s receiving a lot of attention from teams looking for a late-inning reliever.  However, teams are wary of the fact that Veras hasn't had to deal with real pressure and the Astros' high asking price.  “I don’t think you can make a blanket statement like he pitches for the Astros so there’s no pressure,” said an American League GM. “If you look at his performances, he comes in when there’s pressure and he handles it well.” 
  • Manny Ramirez was getting rave reviews in his first week for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, but he's now slumping.  Texas isn’t bringing him up any time soon, and the Rangers remain focused on acquiring a bat.
  • Twins right-hander Mike Pelfrey is an under-the-radar guy whose performance is peaking and he's available since he'll be a free agent at season's end.  It's a small sample size for sure, but Pelfrey has a 2.28 ERA in four July starts.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Young, Rays, Middlebrooks

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While it has been said that the Orioles don't have enough financial flexibility to make a major splash before the deadline, last night's developments might indicate that they have the cash to make something happen.  Not only have they inquired on the Twins' Justin Morneau, who makes about $6MM for the rest of 2013, they're also among the teams that are in on Jake Peavy.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • The Rangers and Orioles would provide a definitive role for Michael Young, but the Red Sox might have the best package to offer the Phillies, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Boston and Baltimore may have one less suitor to compete with as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com heard that the Rangers don't plan to deal for Young before Wednesday's deadline.
  • As one might expect, the Rays aren't planning any major moves before the deadline, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "We are always looking to improve, and between now and Wednesday, we're going to do everything we can to do that," executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "But I can't overstate our confidence in the team that we have. This is a tremendous group of guys, and the worst thing we can do is to feel pressure to make a move just for its own sake."
  • Will Middlebrooks, who's spent the last month in Triple-A, wants to remain with the Red Sox, telling Tim Britton of the Providence Journal that the bright lights of Boston appeal to him. "I mean, everybody wants to play in the Bostons, the New Yorks, the Phillys – with the big-market teams, to win on that stage," Middlebrooks said. However, the attention may have been a distraction earlier in the season, the third baseman admitted. 

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Morrow, Red Sox, Rays, Yankees

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Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow is likely out for the season due to an entrapped radial nerve in his right forearm, a source told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca last night.  The issue is likely to be treated with extended rest rather than surgery, Davidi adds.  The Blue Jays have since announced that Morrow will be out for approximately six weeks.  Morrow, who turns 29 tomorrow, is under contract for $8MM next year and has a $10MM club option for 2015.  The Blue Jays are finished this year, as a seven-game losing streak has dropped them to 11 games out in the wild card.  Elsewhere in the AL East…

  • The Red Sox appear "just as likely to stand pat as they are to add another reliever," writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  He says the team has not stepped up its search despite losing Andrew Bailey for the season, though they continue to monitor the market.
  • "We explained to him that this is financial lunacy," agent Seth Levinson said in reference to Dustin Pedroia wanting to approach the Red Sox as early as 2011 about spending the rest of his career in Boston (WEEI's Alex Speier reporting).  "Money was never really a factor," explained Levinson, who also said Pedroia chose years over salary partly to avoid becoming a contract albatross.
  • Contract offers of more than five years are hard to come by, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal, and he understands why Pedroia left "a few extra dollars lying on the table."  Longoria did so himself in a pair of contract extensions.
  • "There's no glaring place to be doing anything," Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times in regard to his club's needs.  Still, the team is always looking to upgrade for the present and future.
  • Along with the Yankees, the Red Sox are also still intrigued by Phillies third baseman Michael Young, a Major League source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  Having dropped four in a row, the Phillies are eight games out in the NL East and worse off in the wild card.
  • Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano "asked for a couple days to think about" a potential trade to the Yankees, president Theo Epstein told reporters including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune yesterday.  Adding Soriano would be a "good first step" for the Yankees, writes Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues, but the team still has to address needs at third base and behind the plate.
  • Cuban outfielder Dariel Alvarez, who recently signed with the Orioles for $800K, "struggles against live pitching," according to scouts who spoke to Baseball America's Ben Badler.

AL East Notes: A-Rod, Guerrieri, Red Sox, Dickerson

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The Alex Rodriguez saga took another strange turn today when the third baseman's handpicked doctor told Mike Francesca of WFAN that the third baseman doesn't have a quad strain and should be able to play, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Later in the day, Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded in a press release, saying, "Contrary to the Basic Agreement, Mr. Rodriguez did not notify us at any time that he was seeking a second opinion from any doctor with regard to his quad strain.  As you know, it is the Yankees’ desire to have Alex return to the lineup as soon as possible. And we have done everything to try and accomplish this."  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • Rays pitching prospect Taylor Guerrieri underwent Tommy John surgery today, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Drafted 24th overall by the Rays in 2011, Guerrieri is ranked as the 64th prospect in baseball by Baseball America. ESPN.com's Keith Law ranks him 47th, while Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has him at No. 44. In 67 innings this year for the Rays' Class A affiliate, the right-hander had compiled a 2.01 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.
  • Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino says his team has an obligation to be active at the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean a deal is a certainty, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets. While the Sox have been a popular name in trade speculation and have been connected with arms such as the White Sox's Jake Peavy and the Royals' Luke Hochevar, the executive cautions that the team isn't "just building for one year." "There's going to have to be a pretty good deal to extract some of these high-quality prospects we have," Lucchino said (link).
  • The Orioles are getting lots of interest in Chris Dickerson and we can expect to see him in the majors somewhere in the next few days, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.  The O's designated the outfielder for assignment last week.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

AL East Notes: Anthopoulos, Sternberg, Rios, Orioles

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The Orioles paid a steep price to acquire Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers, ESPN's Keith Law opines, (Insider subscription required), given that Rodriguez will be a free agent this offseason.  The busy marketplace for relief pitching could be a boon to another AL East club if they decided to become sellers; "if a two-month rental of K-Rod gets a mid-level prospect, the Jays should shop Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar," Law tweets.

Here's the latest from around the AL East…

AL East Notes: Yankees, Hafner, Rays

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If the Yankees don't acquire a hitter before the July 31st trade deadline, it won't necessarily be for a lack of trying.  "The phone calls are taking place, but nothing to show for it,” Cashman said. “I think if you’re looking for offense, Exhibit A is, name me the bat that’s moved already? It hasn’t. Exhibit B is, look at all the big rumors out there – they’re involving pitchers … It’s just an offensive offense market."  Here's the latest on the Yankees and other news out of the AL East..

  • Travis Hafner's inability to play the field could result in his release from the Yankees, explains Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  When/if Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez return to action, they'll need the respite of playing DH more than ever.  Hafner could save his job if he picks things up, but he hasn't hit with much power lately.
  • Rays team president Matt Silverman isn't a huge fan of MLB's competitive balance lottery, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  "The competitive balance lottery is a lot more lottery and a lot less competitive balance," Silverman said. "Perhaps one day these picks will make strides against the imbalance in our game. For now it is about competitive balance in name only."  The Rays got a Round B pick in the inaugural lottery (after Round 2) rather than the preferred Round A (after Round 1).
  • While the Yankees would like to count on an in-house boost rather than give something up via trade, they have to accept that guys like Jeter and Rodriguez are basically day-to-day for the rest of their careers and cannot plan to have them next week, next month, or next year, Sherman writes.
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