Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Abreu, Mets, Edmonds
A few assorted links, as the trading finally picks up…
- After missing out on Roy Oswalt, the Cardinals are looking elsewhere for pitching, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mid-level starters like Jake Westbrook or Aaron Cook could be fits for the Cards. The asking price for Cook, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, is a bullpen piece and a prospect.
- The Angels don't appear to have made Bobby Abreu available, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
- The Mets finalized their over-slot deal with Erik Goeddel, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). They agreed to give the 21-year-old righty a $350K bonus. MLBTR first reported an agreement had been reached on July 4th.
- The Dodgers designated Jack Taschner for assignment according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
- The Astros released Tommy Everidge to make room for Brett Wallace, according to the Round Rock Express website.
- Teams have asked the Brewers about Jim Edmonds, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
- GM Doug Melvin tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that things are quiet for the Brewers right now.
- The Rangers pursued Roy Oswalt and Prince Fielder aggressively, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
- The Mets asked the Cubs about Tom Gorzelanny, according to Heyman (Twitter link).
- The White Sox signed former major leaguer Jon Adkins to a minor league deal, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Twins, Phillies and Giants are losing interest in Ty Wigginton, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Jason Frasor tells Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star that he hears the latest from MLB Trade Rumors whether he wants to or not, since his friends tell him about the latest rumors.
- I talked trades with Rob Shaw and Michelle Steele of Bloomberg Sports. You can check out the video clip at USA Today.
Adam Dunn Rumors: Thursday
The latest on Adam Dunn, with more updates to come throughout the day…
- The Nats are believed to have requested either Gordon Beckham or both Daniel Hudson and Dayan Viciedo in exchange for Dunn, tweets Heyman. That price was too high for the Sox, who told Beckham he wouldn't be on the move this week.
- The price for Dunn is high, but not ridiculous, according to Heyman (via Twitter). The White Sox and Rays are still involved.
- The Giants have minimal interest in Dunn at his current price, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Morosi notes that the Tigers are not pursuing Dunn.
- The White Sox and Tigers have plenty of interest in Dunn, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
- Three-way scenarios involving the Nationals, White Sox, Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson are in play, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Rosenthal reported that such talks were underway earlier in the week.
- The Rays are the favorites to acquire Dunn, according to one executive who spoke to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Giants are the only other team Sherman hears in connection to Dunn (Twitter links).
- The Tigers are not pursuing Dunn, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The White Sox are saying internally that they're out of the Dunn sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Yankees are now out on Dunn. Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains that the Yankees would give up top prospects for a piece they need, but not for a luxury like Dunn. The Yanks lead the majors in scoring, so Dunn's bat is not an absolute necessity for the Bronx Bombers.
Tigers, White Sox, Padres Have Interest In Hawpe
9:34pm: The Tigers are interested in Hawpe, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
5:03pm: The Padres and White Sox have asked the Rockies about Brad Hawpe, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (all Twitter links). Chicago’s interest hinges on the pursuit of Adam Dunn and the Padres’ interest may have softened, now that they have acquired Miguel Tejada.
Hawpe, who hit his seventh homer this afternoon, began the day with a .259/.337/.439 line. The 31-year-old has about $2.8MM remaining on his contract this year. The Rockies have a $10MM option for 2011 with a $500K buyout. If the Rockies trade Hawpe, he can void the option.
White Sox Acquire Edwin Jackson
12:01pm: The D'Backs announced they've traded Jackson to the White Sox for Hudson and pitching prospect David Holmberg.
11:54am: Jackson has been told he's been traded to the White Sox, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.
9:46am: Sox GM Kenny Williams has something big cooking, tweets Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, and if he gets it done the Jackson deal is off. Meanwhile USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that the Sox would pay all of Jackson's salary if the deal gets done.
AOL FanHouse's Steve Phillips says the White Sox would try to flip Jackson to the Nationals in a Dunn trade but would be happy to keep him. MLB Network's Peter Gammons adds that the Nationals are "not that hot" for Jackson, though SI's Jon Heyman tweets that they love him. Rosenthal tweets that the deal is in the Nationals' hands, but Hudson would end up with the D'Backs either way. There's almost no chance Hudson makes his scheduled start tonight, tweets Cowley.
1:51am: If the two sides were to agree on a deal, the second prospect heading to the D'Backs would also be a pitcher, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
1:14am: The White Sox are on the verge of acquiring Jackson, report Rosenthal and Morosi. Chicago would send Hudson and another prospect to the D'Backs in the proposed deal.
12:26am: The White Sox are looking into acquiring Edwin Jackson from the Diamondbacks, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Although the Sox have been linked peripherally to Jackson for much of the week, reports to date have indicated that Chicago's only interest in the right-hander would be as a chip to facilitate a three-way Adam Dunn trade. Rosenthal suggests, however, that the Sox may be interested in acquiring and keeping Jackson, rather than flipping him.
While Chicago covets Dunn, they are becoming less convinced they'll be able to work out a deal with the Nationals before Saturday's deadline. As such, they've been focusing more on bolstering their starting rotation. Rosenthal writes that the Sox are exploring other pitchers in addition to Jackson, as they look to replace the injured Jake Peavy.
Peavy's current replacement in the rotation, Daniel Hudson, could be a key piece in a potential trade for Jackson, according to Rosenthal.
Astros Discussing Berkman Deals
5:41pm: The White Sox consider Berkman a backup plan since they don't expect to acquire Adam Dunn, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
4:14pm: The Astros are discussing possible trades involving Lance Berkman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that a high-ranking executive told him the Astros could move Berkman and start rebuilding.
Like former teammate Roy Oswalt, who was traded to Philadelphia earlier today, Berkman has a no-trade clause and can veto any deal. About $5.4MM remains on Berkman's $14.5MM salary this season. The Astros hold a $15MM option for next year, but they can buy it out for $2MM. Berkman is hitting .245/.372/.436 so far in 2010.
Rosenthal On Dunn, Carmona, White Sox
Tweets from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, with the latest up top…
- The Yankees are out on Adam Dunn for now. Joel Sherman of the New York Post cites several reasons the Yanks cooled on him.
- Rosenthal's source puts the Indians' chances of trading Fausto Carmona at one in a million. Though the Indians are listening, they don't expect to receive a suitable offer. Carmona, whose ERA jumped from 3.51 to 3.92 after yesterday's disaster, can be controlled through 2014 given his rare three-option contract.
- Despite Jorge Posada's sore knee, the Yankees are unlikely to pursue a catcher.
- The White Sox are exploring hitters other than Dunn, and not all left-handed bats. With an open DH spot, the Sox have flexibility to take almost any bat. Rosenthal says they also seek a mid-rotation starter.
Odds & Ends: Joba, Orioles, White Sox, Mets
Big names have traditionally been traded on July 29th, including Cliff Lee and Mark Teixeira in recent years. Perhaps today we'll add Roy Oswalt to the list. Links for Thursday with about 51 hours until the deadline…
- The Tigers have designated Jeff Larish for assignment, according to the team.
- I discussed the Mets and Yankees with SNY's Ted Berg earlier today.
- The Yankees were open to building a Dan Haren deal around Joba Chamberlain, Ivan Nova, and two prospects, reports Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse.
- The Orioles may be concerned about making their team even worse by trading veterans, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press analyzes Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos based on his major trades so far.
- The White Sox and Mets were on hand to watch the Blue Jays beat the Orioles last night, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Trade bait on the field for Toronto: Jose Bautista, Lyle Overbay, John Buck, Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg.
- The Mets think they can trade Jeff Francoeur in August after he clears waivers, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The problem with that, in my opinion: he doesn't offer much for a contender, and other teams may not care to acquire a guy who's certain to hit the free agent market as a non-tender.
- The Rays' two biggest trade targets were Jayson Werth and David DeJesus, who are now off the board. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder don't hold the same appeal to Andrew Friedman and company.
- Pirates reliever D.J. Carrasco would welcome a trade to a contender, based on comments made to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Carrasco's cheap and under team control through 2012, though keep in mind the White Sox non-tendered him in December coming off a similarly decent year.
- The Braves acquired second baseman Michael Noboa from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash, MLBTR has learned.
Quiet Deadline Possible?
One "very-plugged-in GM" told the New York Post's Joel Sherman yesterday that this could be a very quiet trade deadline, with big names like Jayson Werth, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Adam Dunn, and Roy Oswalt possibly staying put. Oswalt, of course, appears headed to Philadelphia if he'll approve the trade. Sherman notes that prospects are being overvalued, money is tight, certain teams are reassessing their playoff chances, and many players will still be available in August.
Despite such talk the days leading up to the trade deadline are always exciting in terms of rumored discussions. We hope you'll keep reading MLBTR religiously – we've extended our coverage until 3am central time the next two nights, all leading up to the first Saturday deadline day in the site's history. Back to Sherman's article…
- Dunn is viewed as the most likely to be moved from the aforementioned group. The White Sox and Giants are pushing harder than the Yankees.
- The Rays, Twins, and Phillies are the most motivated buyers. The Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays are the most motivated sellers.
- The Red Sox appear likely to make only a minor move. WEEI's Alex Speier says the Sox are focused on relief help, perhaps hoping to buy low on someone with good stuff. They're also monitoring the catcher and outfield markets.
Adam Dunn Rumors: Wednesday
The Angels, Tigers, Rangers, Giants, Rays and Rockies were all connected to Adam Dunn in yesterday's round of rumors, but the White Sox may be the best fit of all. Dunn's left-handed bat would fit well into Ozzie Guillen's lineup, but the Nats are asking for Daniel Hudson plus a prospect. Washington could still extend Dunn, who says he'd consider three or four-year deals. Here's the latest on the slugger; we'll add more bullets throughout the evening.
- The Yankees are interested in Dunn, but the Yanks and Nationals haven't had serious talks yet, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
- Dunn is a "bit of a longshot" for the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
- Lots of baseball people expect the Nationals to trade Dunn, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). The White Sox and Giants appear to be stronger players for Dunn than the Yankees, according to Sherman (Twitter link).
- The Rays remain "in the mix" for Dunn, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday
The Prince Fielder rumors have been surprisingly quiet, but here's the latest…
- The Rangers are not confident in their ability to acquire Fielder, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter). They don't want to give up too many prospects, but the Brewers are asking for a mammoth return. Passan notes on Twitter that first base is still a priority for the Rangers, who maintain interest in Jorge Cantu.
- The Rangers have joined the Fielder fray along with the Angels and White Sox, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Fielder would already cost a lot in terms of prospects, so I can't imagine what it'd take to convince the Brewers to pick up most of his remaining $3.88MM this year too. This is also the first we've heard in a while about the Halos being interested in Fielder.