Stark On Marlins, Phillies, Dodgers, Garza, Twins
Here's the latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- One official who spoke with the Marlins brass estimates that the odds Josh Johnson remains with Miami are "95 percent." The Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Royals have all checked in.
- Carlos Lee, Ricky Nolasco, Heath Bell, and Gaby Sanchez are all very available. Other than Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton will be the toughest player to pry away from the Fish.
- The Phillies have talked about trading Cliff Lee following the Cole Hamels extension and they haven't discouraged other teams from inquiring, but their game plan right now is to keep their trio of aces intact.
- Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton are good bets to be dealt and the Phillies will listen on Hunter Pence. They want multiple young big leaguers to plug holes at third base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen in return.
- The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They've also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.
- Clubs have not been assured by the Cubs that Garza will make another start before the trade deadline due to his triceps issue. He's more likely to be dealt in the offseason.
- In the wake of acquiring Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates are sending signals that they could trade away a starter like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia.
- The Twins' asking prices for Morneau ("pricey"), Denard Span ("more pricey"), and Josh Willingham ("it made me laugh") are high. Minnesota insists they will listen on anyone and Stark says Morneau is the bat they're most likely to move. Francisco Liriano is "nearly 100 percent" likely to be traded.
- The Orioles continue to look for pitching, someone they consider a number three starter or better. Garza and Vargas have their eye but Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table. They've gotten hits on Jake Arrieta but won't move him unless they get a similar young arm with several years of team control remaining in return.
- The Brewers will trade Randy Wolf "for nothing if you take the money," according to one official.
- The Rays have "got a big market" for Wade Davis.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Tuesday
Scouts will be watching Brewers ace Zack Greinke very closely tonight as he makes his first start since July 13. The right-hander was given 10 days' rest in an effort to see him "recharge his batteries," as Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin phrased it. We'll keep tabs on Greinke rumors in this post, with the latest going up top.
- The Brewers' ideal scenario is to trade third baseman Aramis Ramirez to the Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Zach Lee and then deal Greinke to the Rangers for third base prospect Mike Olt, reports Jim Bowden of SiriusXM ESPN radio (via Twitter). Bowden adds that such a sequence of moves is unlikely, however.
- The teams that are known to have interest in Greinke, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, are: the Rangers, Orioles, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Dodgers.
Rosenthal & Morosi On White Sox, Tigers, Angels
White Sox GM Kenny Williams has already traded for Kevin Youkilis and Brett Myers, but he may not be done dealing yet, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write. The White Sox want to add a starting pitcher and Zack Greinke is high on their list of potentially available arms, Rosenthal and Morosi report. Here are the rest of the notes and rumors from the FOX reporters…
- The White Sox are eager to move Gavin Floyd, Rosenthal and Morosi report.
- Though the White Sox don’t have a deep farm system, they could flip Floyd for prospects and use those prospects to acquire Greinke from Milwaukee, Rosenthal and Morosi suggest.
- A National League executive suggested to Morosi that Anibal Sanchez will be the third-best free agent starter this offseason behind Greinke and Cole Hamels (Twitter link).
- Morosi expects the Tigers to extend catcher Alex Avila at some point (Twitter link). Avila, the son of Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, has a .237/.339/.381 batting line this year. He has battled hamstring issues in 2012, his final year as a pre-arbitration eligible catcher.
- The Blue Jays remain in buy mode, Morosi notes. Toronto executives believe a second-place finish in the AL East is possible (Twitter link).
- The Blue Jays, Yankees, Giants, Indians, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all had scouts at last night’s Marlins game, according to Morosi (Twitter link).
- Josh Willingham is available, but prohibitively expensive, one GM told Rosenthal (Twitter link).
- Josh Johnson, James Shields and Greinke are among the starting pitching options the Angels could consider, Rosenthal writes.
AL Central Links: Tigers, Royals, White Sox
It's possible that tonight was the last start Francisco Liriano will make as a member of the Twins. Liriano entered with a 2.84 ERA with a 10.9 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 since May 30, but was shelled for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. Here are some links surrounding the division…
- After swinging a major trade to acquire Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante earlier today, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski says his team is "set at this point," according to Jason Beck of MLB.com (on Twitter).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that Jonathan Broxton, Jose Mijares, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Jeff Francoeur have all been made available by the Royals.
- Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune passes along a video interview with White Sox GM Kenny Williams stating, "There's no sense" in acquiring a marginal upgrade to his rotation. Williams implies that his club will only be interested in adding a front-line pitcher, and that he's willing to look at prospect deals to improve his club in the short-term. Williams is also optimistic that John Danks, currently on the DL, can return and improve his team's rotation.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports speculates that Carlos Quentin's recent extension could push teams into overpaying the Twins to acquire Josh Willingham (video link).
- Morosi also discusses the impact of the trade that sent Brett Myers to the White Sox.
White Sox Acquire Brett Myers From Astros
The White Sox have acquired Brett Myers from the Astros, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Houston announced that they will receive right-hander Matt Heidenreich, left-hander Blair Walters, and a player to be named later for the pitcher. The Astros will also send cash to Chicago, according to the White Sox.
The White Sox are on the hook for just $1MM of the $4.45MM still owed to Myers this year, according to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Chicago also received money to go towards Myers' salary or possible buyout for next sesaon.
Myers, 31, has a $10MM option for 2013 that will vest if he finishes 45 games and doesn't end the season on the disabled list. To date, the closer has finished 29 games with 35 appearances in total. Rosenthal notes (via Twitter) that Myers has a $500K bonus in his contract for being traded, but it's not yet known which team will pick up the tab.
The veteran has been linked to a handful of clubs recently including the Cardinals and the Mets but the White Sox weren't among the teams rumored to be interested. The right-hander has posted a 3.52 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 for the Astros this season.
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow has extremely busy this week, having just completed a ten-player swap with the Blue Jays. That deal brought six players to Houston including four minor leaguers and a player to be named later. In total, Luhnow has replenished the Houston farm system with eight prospects through these two deals.
Heidenreich, 21, has a 3.95 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 18 Single-A and Double-A starts this year. Houston announced that the former fourth-round pick in the 2009 draft will be assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi. The 6'5" right-hander boasts a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and will likely fill out in the years ahead as he weighs in at just 185 pounds.
Walters, 22, has split time between Single-A and Advanced-A this year, posting a 3.96 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. Prior to this season, Baseball America had the left-hander ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the White Sox organization.
Quick Hits: Orioles, White Sox, Dodgers
The Orioles have lost 17 of their last 24 games, but they're just half a game out of the Wild Card race, so their top baseball executive says the team’s future is now. Dan Duquette told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Orioles are "going to try to do everything [possible] to get into the playoffs this year.” Here are today’s links…
- The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican corner outfielder Hanlet Otano, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 16-year-old Otano has raw power from the right side, according to Badler.
- Austin Jackson, Mark Trumbo and Jason Kipnis make appearances in Dave Cameron's latest pieces about the MLB players with the greatest trade value.
- The Tigers, Red Sox and Dodgers figure to be among the most aggressive teams in summer trade talks, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The Tigers are pursuing starting pitching, Olney reported this morning.
- Dodgers chairman Mark Walter told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times that the Dodgers won't pass up ways of improving their team this summer, even if it means boosting payroll. "I'm not trying to save a dollar," Walter said. "I'd rather say we have a great team and maybe spend a little too much."
Tigers, White Sox, Orioles Asked About Richard
The Tigers, White Sox and Orioles checked in on Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). All three American League teams are known to be seeking starting pitching depth.
Richard, 28, has a 3.83 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in an NL-best 127 innings this year. He earns $2.7MM in 2012 and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014. He has a career ERA of 4.12 with 6.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in five seasons with the White Sox and Padres.
Padres GM Josh Byrnes figures to get calls on players such as Richard, Edinson Volquez and Chase Headley, but all three players are under team control past 2012. One team said the Padres' asking price for Headley is the highest market price, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported on Twitter today.
AL Central Notes: Castillo, Tigers, Willingham
The White Sox lead the AL Central with a 49-39 record, and they are considering at least one high-profile midseason reinforcement. The White Sox have Zack Greinke on their radar, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today. Here are the latest AL Central rumors, starting in Chicago…
- The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican prospect Luis Castillo for $450K, the Dominican Prospect League announced. The league release describes Castillo as a "man child" who hits the ball hard and runs well for his size.
- The Tigers and White Sox are both prioritizing starting pitching in trade talks, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
- The Twins haven't made Josh Willingham off-limits to other teams, but they aren't shopping him, Phil Mackey and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com report. Willingham, who's in the first year of a three-year, $21MM contract, is "definitely" Minnesota's most valuable trade chip, 1500ESPN.com reports. However, the Twins are enjoying Willingham's production and would prefer not to trade a player so early in a multiyear contract.
- The Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays and Braves are believed to have some interest in Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, Heyman reports.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Monday
The Angels and Rangers are among the teams monitoring Zack Greinke, but don't expect the Yankees to become involved. Here's the latest on the Brewers right-hander as the trade and extension rumors continue…
- The White Sox have Greinke on their radar, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Chicago is also looking to add a veteran reliever.
- The Brewers announced that Greinke won't make his scheduled start Wednesday (via Mike Vassallo of the Brewers on Twitter). Greinke recently started three consecutive games because of an ejection and the timing of the All-Star Break. However, he has allowed 14 earned runs in 14 innings this month, so the Brewers decided it's time to give their ace some rest. GM Doug Melvin told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Greinke is physically fine. The Brewers are simply "recharging his batteries," Melvin said (Twitter link).
Ten Teams Have Shown Interest In Ryan Dempster
A total of ten teams have shown "legitimate interest" in acquiring Ryan Dempster according to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Among those ten teams are the Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Braves, Indians, and White Sox.
The Cubs are willing to pay part of the approximately $7MM owed to Dempster through the end of the season in order to receive better prospects via trade. Levine says Chicago has begun to scout the lower levels of every farm system in earnest, and they seek young pitching as part of any trade. A highly regarded third base prospect is also high on their list.
Dempster, 35, extended his scoreless streak to 33 innings with six shutout innings today, lowering his season ERA to 1.86. With both Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels reportedly due to receive extension offers before the trade deadline, Dempster could be the best starter realistically available this summer.