Central Notes: Bourn, Guillen, Soto, Rhodes
The latest from the Central divisions….
- The Astros wanted Ross Detwiler as part of any package the Nationals offered for Michael Bourn, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Washington didn't want to part with its young southpaw, so the Nats' chance to acquire Bourn the day before the trade deadline evaporated. Bourn instead went to one of Washington's NL East rivals.
- In a video interview with Graham Bensinger of Yahoo Sports, Ozzie Guillen says that he recently told White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf that "If you want me to stay, a lot of things [have] got to be better." Guillen also said, however, that he wants to remain in Chicago and is fully committed to his current team, despite some rumors connecting him to the Marlins job in 2012. "It'd be an honor for me to manage the Marlins," Guillen said. "Do I want to manage the Marlins? No, because I'm managing the White Sox now."
- Guillen's future is also a topic in Doug Padilla and Bruce Levine's Cubs-and-White Sox chat for ESPN Chicago. Padilla and Levine discuss why both teams kept players like Carlos Quentin and Marlon Byrd at the trade deadline, Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn's potential as a future GM and why Mike Quade is playing so many veterans.
- Also of note from the chat is Levine's news that the Pirates were interested in Geovany Soto, but were told by the Cubs that Soto wasn't available.
- The Cardinals may have interest in Arthur Rhodes, who was designated for assignment today by the Rangers. MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that the Cards have "held significant interest [in Rhodes] in recent years" and notes that Tony La Russa made some vague quotes both praising Rhodes and saying his team needed another southpaw reliever.
- The Royals may have to do some roster juggling in August and September to find playing time for all of their young prospects, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Draft Signings: Red Sox, Rays, Royals
Now that the trade deadline is behind us, the next big event is the draft signing deadline on August 15th. We'll keep track of any draft signings here…
- The Cubs have signed ninth rounder Garrett Schecht for an above-slot $235K, reports Callis on Twitter. The high school outfielder from Illinois received the largest bonus in the ninth round so far.
- The Red Sox have signed third rounder Jordan Weems according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (on Twitter). Weems, a catcher from a Georgia high school, received a $500K bonus. MLB.com's slot recommendation was $275K.
- Callis tweets that the Rays have signed fourth rounder Riccio Torrez for $180K, just above MLB's slot recommendation of $169K. Torrez is a third baseman from Arizona State.
- The Royals have signed their second-round pick, catcher Cameron Gallagher, according to a team press release. Callis says (on Twitter) he received a $750K signing bonus, well above MLB's slot recommendation of $563K. The club has now signed 26 of their 50 selections in this year's draft.
Why Carlos Pena Wasn’t Traded
The non-waiver trade deadline came and went yesterday with nary a Carlos Pena rumor. At first glance you'd think an impending free agent with 20 home runs would be on the move, but Pena remained with the 43-65 Cubs. Why?
For one thing, Pena is moveable in August. Cubs GM Jim Hendry explained to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, "The guys that we kept, for the most part, are guys that still have a chance to be involved next year, and if we do make a trade or two in August, that’s still no more or less significant than if we made them [Sunday]." There's a decent chance Pena would clear waivers, especially since $5MM of his $10MM contract is due in January. If not, the Cubs could just hand over the contract.
Another reason Pena stayed is that Hendry doesn't have anyone to replace him. The GM explained that the Cubs had Tyler Colvin to step in for Kosuke Fukudome, but have no such replacement for Pena. Bryan LaHair has 29 home runs at Triple-A Iowa, but he's 28 and this is his sixth stint at the level. Personally this explanation doesn't do much for me, as the Cubs are going to remain terrible this year whether Pena or LaHair starts at first over the final two months.
I imagine Hendry was also limited by the scant number of contenders in need of first base or DH help. Pena is best marketed as a first baseman, and with the Pirates adding Derrek Lee it's tough to find a contender in need of help at the position.
Wittenmyer mentions draft pick compensation, but Pena is actually below Type B status at present. Plus, the Cubs have often been reluctant to offer arbitration to free agents.
One last possibility is that Pena was not traded because the Cubs want to re-sign him and that's generally easier when you retain a player. Pena, a Scott Boras client, said he'd love to stay in Chicago and is excited about the team's future, but hasn't really looked ahead to next year. The Cubs will have options, with a large amount of payroll flexibility and Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols potentially on the market.
NL Central Trades
The month of July proved to be a busy one for the NL Central..
Astros
- Acquired center fielder Jordan Schafer, southpaw Double-A starter Brett Oberholtzer, righty Double-A starter Paul Clemens, and righty Triple-A reliever Juan Abreu from the Braves in exchange for Michael Bourn and cash.
- Acquired prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later from the Phillies for Hunter Pence and $2MM.
- Acquired right-handed pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel from the Giants for Jeff Keppinger.
Brewers
- Acquired infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Nats for Double-A outfielder Erik Komatsu.
- Acquired Felipe Lopez from the Rays for cash considerations.
- Received cash considerations from the Braves for catcher Wil Nieves.
- Acquired Francisco Rodriguez and cash from the Mets for two players to be named later. The Mets will choose the players from a list of five Brewers minor leaguers by a date in September.
Cardinals
- Acquired Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers for Alex Castellanos and roughly $2.5MM.
- Acquired starter Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, outfielder Corey Patterson, and three players to be named later or cash considerations from the Blue Jays for center fielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters.
Cubs
- Acquired minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith from the Indians for right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and about $3.9MM.
Pirates
- Acquired right fielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres for a player to be named later.
- Acquired Derrek Lee from Baltimore for minor league first baseman Aaron Baker.
Reds
- Acquired outfielder Bill Rhinehart and left-hander Chris Manno from the Nationals for Jonny Gomes and cash considerations.
Cubs Will Not Trade Carlos Pena
The Cubs are informing other teams that they will not trade Carlos Pena before tomorrow's deadline, reports ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). At least one team – the Pirates – inquired about his availability. The 33-year-old Pena is hitting .224/.338/.445 with 20 homers this year, and will become a free agent after the season.
Pirates Rumors: Willingham, Pena, Lee
It's been awfully quiet on the Pirates rumor front lately, but maybe that's just because the team's front office is keeping a lid on it. The latest:
- Talks between the Pirates and A's about Josh Willingham are finished, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The talks never intensified.
- The Pirates and A's are talking, tweets Jon Paul Morosi, as Oakland can fill the Pirates' need for a bat and a reliever.
- The Pirates inquired on Carlos Pena but sensed the Cubs weren't motivated to trade him, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The Bucs are not sure that Pena's predecessor, Derrek Lee of the Orioles, is an upgrade for them. I think he would be.
- The Pirates had interest in lefty Charlie Furbush before the Tigers sent him to Seattle today, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Latest On Braves’ Outfield Targets
The Braves offered a four-player package to the Astros for Hunter Pence, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Astros sought two of the Braves' top four pitching prospects and another good young pitcher, so a deal was not reached. With Pence and Carlos Beltran off the board, here's the latest on the Braves' hunt for a hitter…
- Byrd is not going to be traded, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark, though the Braves took a run at him. Stark says the Twins are set on receiving big league-ready players for Denard Span. Bourn, Upton, Crisp, and Quentin are on the radar, while there are no signs the Braves have pursued Ludwick or Willingham of late.
- The Braves are strongly in on Quentin, tweets Bob Nightengale, but the White Sox are still unlikely to move him. Chicago's asking price is very high, tweets Jon Paul Morosi, and the Braves are interested but not optimistic.
- Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd appears to be among the names on Atlanta's radar, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- The Braves' talks for Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp slowed Friday, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but he wonders if they'll be rekindled now that the Phillies got Pence.
- The Braves are almost certain to land an outfielder before the deadline, reports Rosenthal. He cites the names you have been hearing for a while: B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Quentin, and Josh Willingham.
- Bourn is on the Braves' radar, tweets Crasnick. Padres right fielder Ludwick is "more down the list of options." Would Astros GM Ed Wade deal another outfielder? He told reporters earlier tonight, "We’re going to be open-minded on all fronts. We’re going to be good listeners."
- The Braves are targeting a center fielder, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, though it doesn't rule them out on corner guys.
Quick Hits: Turner, Cubs, Jimenez
Early Saturday morning linkage..
- In what could be an indication of a forthcoming move, the Tigers are calling up pitching prospect Jacob Turner, tweets Jon Heyman of SI. Meanwhile, Jason Beck of MLB.com tweets that the club is not answering questions about his status.
- While he admits that the club needs some rebuilding, Cubs GM Jim Hendry doesn't believe that the team is in need of a complete overhaul, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Now that he's back on track, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com wonders why the Rockies would trade Ubaldo Jimenez.
Aramis Ramirez Wants To Stay With Cubs
FRIDAY, 4:14pm: Ramirez spoke to reporters today, further clarifying his comments. He wants to remain a Cub and would only consider a deal if the team came to him. Cubs GM Jim Hendry asked what he wanted to do, and Ramirez told him he wants to stay. Aramis is not on the market (Twitter links from Bruce Miles and Carrie Muskat).
THURSDAY, 11:15pm: Agent Paul Kinzer tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Ramirez remains reluctant to waive his no-trade protection this month. “He doesn’t want to go anywhere,” Kinzer told Rosenthal after speaking with Ramirez. However, Ramirez may still consider trades during August.
5:01pm: Aramis Ramirez has said all summer that he won't waive his no-trade clause to accept a deal before the July 31st non-waiver deadline. But his recent comments to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times suggest he's softening on the idea of leaving the Cubs for another club this month (Twitter link).
"I understand it's a business," he said. "If they're looking to rebuild, I can't fit in. So we'll see."
If Ramirez gets traded, his $16MM option for 2012 becomes guaranteed and he gets an assignment bonus of $1MM. He earns $14.6MM this year and currently projects as a Type B free agent. If traded, Ramirez would likely want his new club to drop the $16MM option for '12 so that he can hit the open market after this season, agent Paul Kinzer told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
The Angels have interest in Ramirez, the Brewers are looking for help on the left side of the infield.
NL Central Notes: Ramirez, Reds, Pirates
We've already checked in on the NL East and the NL West. Now it's the NL Central's turn with precisely 48 hours remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline…
- The Angels would love the chance to acquire Aramis Ramirez from the Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Yesterday evening, after Ramirez suggested he would consider trades, Ramirez's agent said the third baseman wants to stay put.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer says it would be pointless for the Reds to make moves strictly for this season.
- As Morosi writes, the 50-55 Reds may not be a pitcher away from contending. Ubaldo Jimenez could only do so much – "He’s a pitcher, not a roster mechanic."
- The Reds want pitching in exchange for Ramon Hernandez, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Pirates remain active in the market for outfielders, Morosi reports (on Twitter).