White Sox Rumors

Odds & Ends: Molina, Machado, Wood, Montero

By Mike Axisa | July 17, 2010 at 3:43pm CDT

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.

Olney On Mets, Phillies, Fielder

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 16, 2010 at 12:39pm CDT

Yesterday, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Mets have interest in Brett Myers. Today, Olney explains part of the reason the Mets are considering him over the many other options available. Here are the details and the rest of Olney’s rumors:

The Mets don’t anticipate having much financial flexibility, so Myers’ $3MM salary has appeal.
Myers’ former team, the Phillies, would like to add a starter, and they have discussed pursuing difference-making pitchers.
Executives are divided on whether the Brewers will trade Prince Fielder this July. A team that acquires Prince now would have him for two pennant races before he hits free agency at the end of the 2011 season. GM Doug Melvin won’t find many bidders for his first baseman now, but could attempt to engage more teams by marketing Fielder this winter. No matter what you think of Prince's value, we can safely say that the Brewers will have a hard time keeping him after 2011.
The White Sox, Rays and Angels could be fits, but rival officials doubt the White Sox would have enough to offer the Brewers unless they offer Daniel Hudson and Gordon Beckham. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk pointed out last night, the Angels find themselves in a similar situation.

Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Red Sox, Fielder, Phillies

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 15, 2010 at 2:12pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as the second half begins…

The Mariners released former MLB reliever Mark Worrell, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page. They signed the right-hander earlier in the month and assigned him to the minor leagues.
Adrian Gonzalez and Yahoo's Jeff Passan discuss the changed atmosphere in San Diego. GM Jed Hoyer told Passan that the Padres will talk about Adrian Gonzalez's future with the team in the offseason.
Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears that the Red Sox aren't willing to spend significant amounts of money this July, since they want to avoid the luxury tax.
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs continues ranking the MLB players with the most trade value and Carlos Santana just misses the top 20.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney wonders how the Rays would look if they obtained Prince Fielder for a package built around Wade Davis.
As Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains, Hal Steinbrenner is driven to win championships like his father, but he's more analytical and less of a yeller than George.
Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues that the Phillies need to improve before the trade deadline, especially since the Braves acquired Alex Gonzalez.
Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor tells Adrian Dater of the Denver Post that he would like another shot at managing in the majors.
The White Sox will fly several of their pro scouts to Chicago at the end of July to evaluate the organization's strengths and areas of need, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
The Detroit Free Press points out that National League All-Stars made, on average, $2.8MM less than American League All-Stars.

White Sox Sign Jeremy Reed

By Tim Dierkes | July 14, 2010 at 12:44pm CDT

The White Sox signed outfielder Jeremy Reed to a minor league deal yesterday, according to the team's transactions page. Reed has been assigned to the Triple A Charlotte Knights.

Reed, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays in January. He elected free agency after being outrighted earlier this month. Reed has come full circle since being ranked the 25th-best prospect in baseball as a member of the Knights heading into the 2004 season. He was traded to the Mariners in June of that year as the centerpiece in the Freddy Garcia deal. Reed hasn't hit as expected in his big league career, but he has been able to handle center field.

What The Mariners Wanted For Cliff Lee

By Tim Dierkes | July 12, 2010 at 8:27am CDT

Annoyed your favorite team didn't strike a deal with the Mariners for Cliff Lee? At least consider the details of Jack Zduriencik's high asking price, as reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

According to Sherman, the Mariners general manager set out to acquire "an interested organization's best position prospect with less than one year of service." He was offered none better than the Rangers' Justin Smoak. The Yankees' Jesus Montero was apparently the next-best position prospect offered. Zduriencik also targeted players such as Ike Davis of the Mets, Desmond Jennings of the Rays, Domonic Brown of the Phillies, Gordon Beckham of the White Sox, and Brett Lawrie (who would've had to have come from the Brewers in a three-way deal). Sherman notes that the Mets never offered a player better than Fernando Martinez; Jenrry Mejia and Wilmer Flores "were never part of discussions."

Sherman also gets into the failed Yankees-Lee deal like only he can. He gathered that the Yankees and Mariners had a deal in principle, at which point teams expect you to stop talking to other clubs. Sherman expects the bad blood to linger, making the Yanks unwilling to deal with the Mariners in the future. The Yankees were also apparently "rankled" by Seattle's confusingly high asking price for Jarrod Washburn last summer. Another thought: an executive recently wondered aloud to me how Kevin Towers was involved in the Lee trade talks. Towers has a close relationship with both Brian Cashman and Zduriencik.

From the Rangers' point of view, GM Jon Daniels indicated today to The Ticket's Norm Hitzges that he continually had an open dialogue with the Mariners. Daniels felt that the Rangers were in second place Friday morning, until he adjusted his offer.

White Sox Might Consider Oswalt

By Zachary Links | July 11, 2010 at 8:50pm CDT

The White Sox might consider dealing for Roy Oswalt, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. At the same time, GM Kenny Williams & Co. are leery of a switch from the National League to the American League.

Williams may have some convincing to do as Oswalt reportedly does not want to play for the White Sox. One has to think that the ace could be swayed, however, as the ChiSox present Oswalt with a chance to win and the opportunity to team up with friend Jake Peavy. Back in 2008, Peavy was open to joining the Astros in order to play with the three-time All-Star.

It appeared that the White Sox would be sellers just one month ago. However, the club may look to buy after rallying in recent weeks and climbing their way to the top of the AL Central.

White Sox Want Pitching; Unlikely To Deal Beckham

By Steve Adams | July 11, 2010 at 2:14pm CDT

Things were finally looking up for the White Sox after a terrible start to 2010. Since June 9, the club is an astonishing 24-5, and their ace, Jake Peavy, seemed to have rebounded to his usual Cy Young caliber form. He'd allowed just seven runs over his last 36 innings of work (1.75 ERA) while striking out 29 prior to a start last week that ended his season with a detached latissimus dorsi muscle.

According to this tweet from SI.com's Jon Heyman, the White Sox made a big play to replace their injured ace last week, when Sox GM Kenny Williams tried to swing a deal for Cliff Lee before his trade to Texas. The White Sox, however, were unwilling to part with Gordon Beckham, in spite of his terrible sophomore slump (.564 OPS). Now, Heyman says, the White Sox continue to look around.

Williams is typically one of the more active, aggressive general managers in baseball, so it's unlikely that missing out on Lee will spell the end of his trade thoughts. It's been known for months that Roy Oswalt will accept a trade, though there have been reports that the Houston ace would veto a deal sending him to Chicago. Keep in mind that these things can change, though. Peavy himself vetoed a deal to the White Sox last year before eventually accepting a trade in July. We've heard about Dan Haren's availability as well, though Arizona would need to be "blown away" to trade him.

There's plenty of other non-ace starters who could also be moved. Bronson Arroyo has pitched well lately and the Reds have a great deal of pitching depth, while names like Jeremy Guthrie and Ben Sheets figure to be available as well.

The White Sox do have some help available in Daniel Hudson, who was recently recalled from the minors and is starting today. Hudson was ranked by Baseball America as the game's 66th best prospect, and third-best in the White Sox system. The 2008 fifth-rounder appeared in six games for the Sox last year, totaling 18.2 innings and a 3.38 ERA, though he struggled with his control at the big league level. In 2010, Hudson owns a 3.47 ERA through 17 minor league starts, with a strong 10.4 K/9 to just 3.0 BB/9.

It's a known fact that the White Sox are very interested in Adam Dunn's big bat as well, so Williams may focus his energy on that department. One thing remains certain — with the White Sox surging to just a half-game out of first in the AL Central, Williams will be on the phone and inquiring on just about everyone under the sun as the deadline nears.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Dunn, Oswalt, Haren

By Luke Adams 2 | July 10, 2010 at 5:34pm CDT

In his latest Full Count video at FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal looks at possible next moves for the Angels, Yankees, Mets, and White Sox. Let's check out the highlights….

The Angels are expected to respond in some form to the Rangers' acquisition of Cliff Lee, with a corner infield bat still their top priority. While Rosenthal agrees that the Halos would like a third baseman who's under team control past this season, he thinks they could look at a rental for first base, since Kendry Morales will be back next spring.
Besides Adam Dunn, Rosenthal names Jose Bautista, Adam LaRoche, Ty Wigginton, and Jorge Cantu as potential fits for the Angels, suggesting Bautista makes the most sense. Rosenthal also speculates that, if their respective teams made them available, Mark Reynolds and Casey McGehee would intrigue the defending AL West champs.
Lee was the only starting pitcher the Yankees really coveted, so don't expect them to pursue players like Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren now that they missed out on the left-hander.
Rosenthal expresses skepticism that Oswalt or Haren will get dealt at all. Houston doesn't appear willing to take on enough of their ace's contract, while the D'Backs would need to be "blown away" to trade Haren.
The Mets' search for pitching has them looking at Jake Westbrook and a handful of other arms. Rosenthal notes that the team has had interest in Octavio Dotel as a free agent in the past, and that some members of the Mets' organization are "wary" of Ted Lilly.
The White Sox made a run at Cliff Lee, but never got close to landing him. Although a left-handed bat remains their biggest need, there aren't many on the market who appeal to them besides Dunn, whose price tag is "exorbitant." They might settle for acquiring a right-handed hitter, and could also pursue another starter if Daniel Hudson struggles.

Odds & Ends: Jays, Haren, Nolasco, Lee, Hunter

By Mike Axisa | July 10, 2010 at 1:46pm CDT

Some links before Cliff Lee makes his Rangers' debut this evening…

Toronto has plenty of trade chips heading into the deadline, writes Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi says that the Phillies, Dodgers, Reds, White Sox, Angels, and Yankees all had scouts in attendance for last night's Dan Haren–Ricky Nolasco matchup, though it's unclear how many (or if any) were there specifically to watch the righthanders.
Prospect maven Jim Callis of Baseball America said (via Twitter) that he considers the various packages offered to Seattle for Lee to be "a wash."
A's GM Billy Beane said that he doesn't anticipate "being that active at the trade deadline," according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle. Ben Sheets (4.89 ERA, 6.6 K/9) hasn't built up the trade value Beane hoped he would when they signed him this winter, but there is always a market for starting pitching.
Joel Sherman and George A. King III of The New York Post heard that club officials from other teams were "irked" by the Mariners' actions during the Lee trade discussions. They also have info on some other prospects Seattle requested from the Yankees.
Sherman tweets that the Mariners wanted top outfield prospect Desmond Jennings from the Rays in a deal for Lee.
Torii Hunter told Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times that he wants to be a GM one day, and he thinks that Seattle broke an unwritten rule by trading Lee within the division.
Derrek Lee told The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan that he wouldn't ask Cubs' GM Jim Hendry to trade him to a contender.
Lance Berkman told Bernando Fallas of The Houston Chronicle that it feels different to see the Astros in sell mode.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Red Sox, Meek, Giants

By Mike Axisa | July 9, 2010 at 7:32pm CDT

On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball's 73rd All Star Game ended after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie when both sides ran out of pitchers. Shortly thereafter, commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the All Star Game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, a still unpopular decision. The American League has won every Midsummer Classic since then, and 12 of the last 13 overall (the tie being the one exception).

This year's All Star Game is still four days away, so here are some links to keep you occupied until then…

Mets Paradise examines some trade scenarios for the Mets involving Ted Lilly and Octavio Dotel.
The Bottom Line finds some relievers on the trade market that could entice the Red Sox.
MLB Depth Charts lists (almost) every club's nearly big league-ready trade chips.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at the possibility of the Pirates turning Evan Meek, an All Star, into a starting pitcher.
The Dugout Report wonders if the Bengie Molina trade means the Giants are going for it, or packing it in.
Meanwhile, More Hardball catches up with the three Molina brothers.
River Ave. Blues lays out the case for the Yankees to acquire Kerry Wood.
Examiner looks at the consequences of Jake Peavy's injury for the White Sox.
The Baseball Opinion reviews the Mark Mulder trade following the lefty's retirement.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

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