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Cafardo On Garza, Lowrie, Greinke, Red Sox, Liriano

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The rest of the baseball world is waiting for the Yankees to get old, but so far that hasn't happened, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  "They’ve been saying that ever since I’ve been around," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "They said it after 2001. They said it after we were reshuffling in 2003, and in 2004, my therapist said I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. After 2009, we can’t be winning with older guys…So I’ve always heard it. As long as we’re winning, people can keep saying it."  Here's more from today's column..

  • About six teams have been in contact with the Cubs consistently regarding Matt Garza: the Braves, Tigers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Jays, and Royals.  Epstein is looking for a great package to part with Garza as he is the club's biggest chip.  However, teams have some concern over whether the pitcher can control his emotions.
  • The Tigers could be heavily in the mix for Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie and Detroit would likely move him to second to fill a need.  Cafardo wouldn't be shocked if he is on the Phillies’ radar as well. Houston has a few other chips in Brett Myers, Brandon Lyon, and Wandy Rodriguez that could help contenders.
  • When teams ask about Zack Greinke's availability, they are getting "not yet" from the Brewers.  However, Cafardo writes that he'll be available as soon as they get the right offer because there doesn’t seem to be any chance of Milwaukee signing him long-term. 
  • There has been a lot of talk about Scott Podsednik being used as a trade chip but Cody Ross and Daniel Nava could also be made available by the Red Sox.
  • Francisco Liriano's recent pitching has made him a viable trade chip for the Twins.  It would still be hard for a contender to trust him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved.
  • A National League talent evaluator thinks the Mets should give some thought to trading R.A. Dickey while his value is skyhigh.  The Mets don't have the money to make the deadline upgrades that they need, so they could instead continue with their three- or four-year plan by making the right-hander available.

Rosenthal On Hernandez, Castro, Butler

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Trading Felix Hernandez for offense would make sense for the Mariners, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests. Hernandez, who’s under contract through 2014 and can block deals to ten teams, has a 3.52 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 94 2/3 innings this year. Here are more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB…

  • Few teams are willing to take on high salaries and part with premium prospects, Rosenthal writes. This would limit the Mariners’ potential trade partners were they to consider trading Hernandez.
  • The Mariners asked the Cubs about Starlin Castro and asked the Royals about Billy Butler in recent weeks, Rosenthal reports. They also talked to other clubs about potential trades for hitters, but none of the discussions progressed.
  • Virtually every team contacted the Cubs following a report indicating that Castro was available. However, the Cubs haven’t actually put Castro on the trading block.
  • Butler is also relatively untouchable, Rosenthal writes. The Royals consider him a core piece.

Braves To Consider Pitching Upgrades

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For now, the Braves will replace Brandon Beachy by recalling Jair Jurrjens from the minor leagues. But the Braves' long-term solution could come from outside of the organization, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. 

“I think we get through the next few weeks leading up to when the trading season really begins,” general manager Frank Wren said. “And we evaluate what we have, how guys are throwing and who might be available.”

The Braves are believed to be among the teams interested in Cubs right-hander Matt Garza, O’Brien writes. Garza earns $9.5MM this year and will be arbitration eligible for the fourth and final time before the 2013 season. His teammate, right-hander Ryan Dempster, could also interest the Braves.

The Braves hope Jurrjens pitches respectably, and they believe his minor league performance was better than his numbers would indicate (5.18 ERA, 4.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9). Beachy will miss the remainder of the season to undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, which leaves Jurrjens, Randall Delgado, Mike Minor, Tommy Hanson and Tim Hudson in the Braves' rotation.

Draft Signings: Diaz, Blach, Cubs, Red Sox

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Here are the latest mid-to-late round draft signings…

  • The Mariners have signed third rounder Edwin Diaz for $300K reports ESPN's Kiley McDaniel (via Keith Law on Twitter). The right-hander was slotted for a $186K bonus.
  • The Giants have signed fifth rounder Ty Blach for a straight slot $225K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
  • MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports that the Cubs have signed fifth rounder Anthony Prieto ($200K), 10th rounder Chad Martin ($10K), 13th rounder Bijan Rademacher, 16th rounder Michael Hamann ($100K), and 22nd rounder Eduardo Orozco ($1K). Chicago has signed 21 picks so far.
  • The Red Sox have signed sixth rounder Justin Haley and 19th rounder Iseha Conklin according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier (on Twitter). Haley's slot number was approximately $164K.

Cubs Sign Pierce Johnson

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June 20th: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports that Johnson signed for a straight slot bonus of $1.196MM.

JUNE 11th: Cubs supplemental round pick Pierce Johnson tweeted that he has signed with the team.

Chicago selected the Missouri State right-hander with the 43rd overall pick in the draft, which they received as compensation for the departure of Aramis Ramirez. The recommended slot bonus for the No. 43 pick is $1.196MM. The Rays selected Johnson out of high school in the 15th round of the 2009 draft, but he elected to pitch in college.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Galvis, ChiSox, Marlins, Soriano, Dodgers

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Ichiro Suzuki recorded his 2500th career hit tonight, leading off the game with a single to center field.  Only Al Simmons, Ty Cobb and George Sisler reached the 2500-hit milestone in fewer games than Ichiro's 1817 MLB games.  Of course, Ichiro started his Major League career at a much later age than any of those Hall-of-Famers, as he had already racked up 1278 hits in Japan before joining the Mariners in 2001.

Here's the latest from around the majors….

  • Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis has been suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball due to a positive PED test, according to a statement from the league.  Galvis is currently injured and will able to serve his suspension while on the DL, which FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi describes as "a loophole that wasn't closed in the new [collective bargaining agreement]."
  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters (including Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago) that his team's low attendance could make it more difficult for the Sox to make acquisitions at the trade deadline.
  • The Marlins are actively looking for outfielders, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro as part of a reader mailbag.  Frisaro speculates that Denard Span, Peter Bourjos or Carlos Lee could fit the Marlins' needs.
  • ‘‘It goes both ways because I don’t want to be miserable,’’ Alfonso Soriano tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times about a possible trade from the Cubs.  Soriano wants to remain in Chicago but, ‘‘I don’t want to have a long summer or a long season. I just want to win, no matter what. If it’s here, I’m more than happy. If it’s not here, if they think they want to take longer than two or three years, then my contract’s done….But it has to be a very good team to go to because I don’t want to go be miserable on the other team, too.’’
  • With the Dodgers expected to big players at the trade deadline, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times warns that the team shouldn't feel obligated to make a move just to answer the pressure.
  • Ned Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that the Dodgers are looking for a starting pitcher, a hitter and a left-handed reliever.  Trades have been hard to come by, however, as Colletti says teams have so far only been willing to discuss moving pending free agents.  The second wild card has also improved several teams' chances of contending, so there are fewer obvious sellers.
  • The Pirates have been similarly stifled in their trade attempts, as they've been discussing moves for the last six weeks, writes Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  "We've been told by some clubs that they're going to hold on as long as they can to sell tickets and try to keep their fans engaged, so that may take an obvious seller off the market," said GM Neal Huntington.
  • Diamondbacks rookie Wade Miley shut down the Mariners on Monday, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that in 2010, the two teams discussed a trade that would've sent Miley to Seattle in exchange for David Aardsma.

Braves Links: Beachy, Jurrjens, Garza, Youkilis

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The Braves have just one win over their last eight games and now face a potential season-ending injury for young ace Brandon Beachy.  Here's the latest from the A-T-L…

  • If Beachy requires Tommy John surgery, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution thinks the Braves may be forced to acquire another starter, and thus boost payroll or deal a valued prospect to do so.  The team could also go with internal options like Kris Medlen or Jair Jurrjens, the latter of whom is scheduled to take Beachy's spot in the rotation.
  • The Braves could still look to upgrade the rotation even if Jurrjens pitches well, but manager Fredi Gonzalez tells O'Brien that other teams would lower their trade demands since the Braves wouldn't be as desperate for pitching help.
  • Matt Garza's most recent start was watched by Braves' top advance scout Jim Fregosi, according to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine.  "Six or seven other teams" besides Atlanta are also interested in Garza.
  • In addition to a starter, Fangraphs' Michael Barr suggests the Braves could augment their lineup by adding Kevin Youkilis, who would add depth at first and third behind the injury-plagued Freddie Freeman and Chipper Jones.  I'm not sure I see Atlanta getting in on the Youkilis sweepstakes given his salary and the fact that he'd be an expensive redundancy if Freeman and Jones were to remain healthy and productive.
  • From earlier today, the Braves officially released Livan Hernandez.

Rosenthal On Royals, A’s, Barney, Orioles

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Many baseball people expect the Padres to trade Carlos Quentin, but the team is in a fluid situation, so that assumption is not safe, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The Padres should have some payroll flexibility this offseason, so they could keep the outfielder despite their modest budget. Here are Rosenthal’s latest rumors:

  • Jeff Francoeur has played through ailments and injuries this year and the Royals like his leadership, so they aren’t necessarily looking to trade him.
  • Last August the Royals offered Melky Cabrera the same two-year, $13.5MM contract Francoeur eventually signed, but Cabrera declined the offer and the Royals traded him a few months later.
  • Rosenthal suggests the A’s aren’t eager to trade veterans for marginal returns. The team is hovering around .500 and plays 18 of its next 28 games at home. The A’s would probably love to trade Kurt Suzuki, Rosenthal writes.
  • One exec predicts the Phillies don’t have enough confidence in their outfield depth to trade Hunter Pence this summer.
  • An agent predicts Cole Hamels will sign a monster free agent contract this coming offseason and Rosenthal says the Phillies won’t go near $150MM for six years or $175MM for seven years.
  • Rival teams frequently ask about Darwin Barney and it’s possible the Cubs will trade the second baseman.
  • The Orioles seem to have the most interest in trading for Diamondbacks left-hander Joe Saunders, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Orioles’ Triple-A team, which includes Miguel Tejada, Jamie Moyer and Dontrelle Willis, tops the Orioles’ MLB team in career earnings, Rosenthal notes.
  • One executive suggested a growing number of teams could request 72-hour windows to negotiate extensions with trade targets this summer because of the provision in the new collective bargaining agreement that prevents teams from obtaining draft pick compensation for players acquired midseason. However, players wouldn’t necessarily be interested in signing and it’d cost teams time and leverage.

Trade Candidate: Alfonso Soriano

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Look up any recently–published list of baseball's worst contracts and you won't have to read for long before encountering Alfonso Soriano's name. The eight-year, $136MM deal Soriano signed following the 2006 season remains a regrettable one for the Cubs, but that shouldn't obscure the fact that Soriano remains a modest offensive threat. In a trade market that doesn't yet feature impact hitters, Soriano figures to draw interest this summer.

Alfonso Soriano - Cubs (PW)

Presumably, the Cubs will be paying most of his salary in any trade. Soriano will earn $18MM per season through 2014, which means $47MM or so remains on his contract. The Cubs, who already seem willing to sell, are reportedly willing to pick up most of Soriano’s salary to facilitate a trade. It'd be a surprise if they absorb less than $35MM of Soriano’s contract.

Soriano has a .266/.315/.480 batting line so far this year. All 12 of his home runs have come since May 15th, so he's still capable of impressive bursts of power. He has a career .276/.345/.519 line against left-handed pitching, which will make him appealing to teams that struggle against southpaws, or teams in search of power.

Yet Soriano’s an exceptionally aggressive hitter (only 12 qualified hitters swing at a higher percentage of pitches) who doesn't walk or get on base much relative to the rest of the league. His value on offense is closely tied to his power and, now that he's 36, it's unclear how much longer he'll continue producing at this level.

A number of contending teams could have interest in Soriano. The Indians rank 29th in MLB with a .630 OPS against left-handed pitching, and they have a potential opening in left field. The Pirates rank 22nd with a .678 OPS against lefties and could create at bats for Soriano. The Tigers haven't enjoyed much production from their DH spot or from right field, and they’d like to add a right-handed bat. The Nationals lead the NL East, yet their left fielders are last in the game in OPS. 

Soriano has a full no-trade clause, but he has said he’s willing to accept a deal if the Cubs propose to move him to a contender. Non-contenders probably wouldn’t have interest in Soriano given his age and salary, so the no-trade clause may not be a major obstacle.

Back in 2004, Soriano was traded for 28-year-old Alex Rodriguez. Eight years later, his trade value is nowhere near that high. It's hard to imagine any general manager agreeing to part with an elite prospect for Soriano, regardless of how much salary the Cubs take on. Even so, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer could be motivated to move Soriano if the Cubs can obtain an intriguing young player for him and shed some salary in the process.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Sherman On Dempster, Lee, Gonzalez

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MLB executives expect the additional Wild Card teams to slow the trade market this summer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Cubs and a few other teams such as the Athletics, Astros and Padres are willing to sell now, but most clubs still hope to contend this summer. Here are some notes from Sherman on the trade market:

  • No clear difference makers appear to be available right now, Sherman reports. People are generally waiting to see if the Brewers or Phillies decide to trade established stars for controllable talent.
  • A Yankees official told Sherman that Ryan Dempster would just “muddy the water” in New York, an indication that the Yankees aren’t overly interested in the Cubs right-hander.
  • Though there’s no indication that Cliff Lee and Carlos Gonzalez are available, Sherman makes the case that their respective clubs should consider trades for them this summer. Lee, who has a nine-team no-trade list, would appeal to a number of contenders, and Gonzalez would draw considerable interest in a trade market that currently features few impact hitters.
  • Sherman points out that people in the industry see California native Cole Hamels heading toward a big payday from the Dodgers after the season when he hits free agency.
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