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Ohio Notes: Youkilis, Stephenson, Anderson

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The Indians have a day off while the Reds begin a four-game series with the Rockies tonight at the Great American Ballpark.  Here's the latest baseball news from the Buckeye State…

  • Cincinnati native Kevin Youkilis told ESPN Boston's Joe McDonald that if he were to leave the Red Sox, he would enjoy playing for his hometown Reds.  Youkilis is under contract through 2012, with the Sox holding a $13MM option for 2013 on "the Greek God of Walks."  Youkilis will be 34 on Opening Day 2013, so while $13MM is a bargain for a player with Youkilis' production, it's possible Boston might explore a younger, cheaper third baseman like prospect Will Middlebrooks.  The Reds have Scott Rolen's contract coming off the books after 2012 and could have a hole at third unless Todd Frazier or Yonder Alonso catches on at the hot corner.
  • There is a "greater than 50% chance" that Reds first-round draft pick Robert Stephenson will attend the University Of Washington rather than sign with Cincinnati, tweets Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA.  Stephenson, selected 27th overall by the Reds, had already committed to Washington and is "an academic type," according to Rogers.
  • With Drew Pomeranz and Alex White shipped to Colorado in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian talks to several Indians executives about the pitching depth still left in the club's minor league system.
  • Perhaps one more young arm can be added to that mix — Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Tribe have signed right-hander Cody Anderson, a 14th-round pick in the June amateur draft.  Anderson's bonus was worth $250K.  Callis describes Anderson as having "intriguing size (6-4/225) [and an intriguing] fastball" that clocks in between 92-96 mph.  Anderson had been committed to attend Texas Christian University. 

NL Central Trades

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The month of July proved to be a busy one for the NL Central..

Astros

Brewers

Cardinals

Cubs

Pirates

Reds

The Pirates and Orioles announced tonight that the Pirates acquired Derrek Lee from Baltimore for minor league first baseman Aaron Baker.

B.J. Upton Likely To Stay Put

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The latest on Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who is hitting .226/.308/.398 on the season and is owed $1.59MM prior to his last arbitration year in 2012…

  • Though Upton is expected to stay, the Reds, Pirates, and Indians are kicking the tires, tweets Heyman.
  • Upton appears likely to stay put, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Saturday

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Astros GM Ed Wade is keeping an open mind on trades, so it's possible outfielder Michael Bourn and others could still go.  The latest on Bourn:

  • The Braves refuse to include both Randall Delgado and Arodys Vizcaino in a deal for Bourn, according to ESPN.com's Jim Bowden (on Twitter).
  • The Giants do have interest in Bourn, Morosi tweets.
  • The Reds aren't likely to acquire Bourn, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com; Houston's asking price is too high.
  • The Giants may have interest in Bourn, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Braves are getting more involved on Bourn, tweets Rosenthal.  ESPN's Buster Olney hears the Braves are working hard on getting the center fielder.
  • The Astros' efforts to trade Bourn are picking up steam, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, and it appears more likely he'll be dealt by tomorrow's deadline.
  • The Astros want Major-League ready prospects for Bourn, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  It makes sense that Wade would seek certainty here, with his Hunter Pence haul being of the high-risk, high-reward variety.
  • The Indians and Reds are the main suitors for Bourn right now, tweets Stephen Goff of Examiner.com, but he'd be surprised if the center fielder is traded.
  • The Braves are not one of the main teams in on Bourn yet, tweets Rosenthal.
  • "The Nationals, Braves, Indians and Reds are among the clubs with varying levels of interest in Bourn," report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Indians are the new suitor here.

Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Saturday

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Yesterday we learned that the Tigers have strong interest in Rockies' ace Ubaldo Jimenez, showing a willingness to include top prospect Jacob Turner, who is being called up to start today but not as a showcase.  However, Detroit may be out for now and the chances of any Jimenez deal may have slipped below 50%.  The latest:

  • Pomeranz and White will be in the deal if it happens, Renck tweets.
  • Jimenez was scratched from his start tonight, Heyman tweets.
  • The Yankees infuriated the Rockies by taking their  top prospects off of the table and offering Phil Hughes and others instead, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies are moving toward a deal with Cleveland, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
  • White has been scratched from his one-inning rehab outing, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
  • There are indications that Pomeranz and White could be available in a possible deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • The Rockies asked for Pomeranz, Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies and Indians are in serious talks, Renck reports (on Twitter). He hears that a deal would center around Pomeranz, Alex White and Jason Kipnis.
  • Renck gets the "strong sense" that Cleveland hasn't given up (Twitter link) and Morosi says Indians prospect Drew Pomeranz was scratched from his Double-A start today (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox, Reds and Indians are in on Jimenez, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees aren't talking actively with Colorado and won't include Nova, Betances, Banuelos or Montero in a deal for Jimenez (Twitter links).
  • The Rockies haven't dropped their demands and are still asking for three players, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (on Twitter). The Yankees still won't part with Montero, Betances and Nova for Jimenez.
  • Two teams have enhanced their offers, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Rival teams believe the Rockies match up best with the Indians, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies will have a scout watching Nova tonight at Yankee Stadium, tweets Sherman.
  • The price on Jimenez has come down a tad, tweets Jon Heyman.  He says the Rockies are no longer asking for Banuelos from the Yankees; Betances, Nova, and Montero would work.  That's similar to what Joel Sherman wrote earlier today.  The two teams have not talked today, tweets Troy Renck.  Renck believes the Yankees currently will not put both Montero and Betances in the deal – just one.
  • One executive who has been speaking with the Rockies and Reds believes the teams "have discussed an expanded version that could include someone like Seth Smith, because the Reds also have been targeting controllable bats," reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.   
  • The Red Sox haven't been in contact with the Rockies about Jimenez since Thursday, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  And the Reds aren't currently discussing Jimenez with the Rockies, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
  • The Yankees are all over Jimenez, a source tells ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
  • The Yankees are hearing that the Rockies may lower the price on Jimenez today, tweets Ken Rosenthal, but still not to a point that they consider realistic.  Renck tweets that the Rockies' price hasn't changed during the process.
  • The Indians, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds are still in on Jimenez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, and he's not counting out the Yankees.
  • In addition to Turner and maybe Rick Porcello or Max Scherzer, the Rockies asked the Tigers for outfielder Brennan Boesch, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  Knobler notes that Turner is starting for the Tigers today.
  • The Indians were willing to discuss southpaw pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Pomeranz is ranked anywhere from #14 to #35 among all teams by prospect experts.  Red Sox third base prospect Will Middlebrooks and righty Anthony Ranaudo are of interest to Colorado, adds Renck.
  • The Rockies want Ivan Nova and two of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero from the Yankees, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman writes, "to say the Yankees and Rockies are not finding common ground on Jimenez’s value is an understatement."  The Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians remain involved, while the Reds are "less heated to make a deal."
  • "Rival executives believe that if the Rockies lower their asking price at all today, it will signal clear intent to move the pitcher," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.

Reds In On Michael Bourn

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7:26pm: The Reds are focused on Bourn, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  However, SI's Jon Heyman tweets that the Astros' asking price for the Reds is wildly high.

9:52am: The Reds aren’t letting a losing record stop them from pursuing some of the top available players. They're in on Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence of the Astros, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Astros recently stepped up their efforts to trade Bourn, who has also drawn interest from the Nationals.

Bourn, 28, has a .306/.367/.409 line in 465 plate appearances. The Houston native leads the National League in stolen bases (39) for the third consecutive season and UZR/150 suggests he's an above-average defensive center fielder. The Scott Boras client earns $4.4MM this year and is eligible for free agency after 2012.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports suggested this morning that Bourn might be a good fit for the Reds, who could put the speedster at the top of their order.

Reds Won’t Be Selling

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4:18pm: GM Walt Jocketty told reporters today, "We are not selling."  At 6.5 games out, Jocketty feels the Reds are "still within striking distance."  It sounds like catcher Ramon Hernandez is staying put, as Jocketty says his value is greater to the Reds than what they'd get in return and he has not listened to offers. (Twitter links from MLB.com's Mark Sheldon and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer).

FRIDAY, 12:42pm: The Reds are “strongly mulling a sell-a-thon,” according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.

THURSDAY: The Mets completed a four-game sweep in Cincinnati this afternoon, so the 50-55 Reds face a decision: do they continue pursuing difficult-to-obtain players like Ubaldo Jimenez and Hunter Pence or approach possible trades with a cautious approach more typical of a fourth-place team? At this point, the Reds may still be undecided. An unnamed general manager told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that Reds GM Walt Jocketty seems unsure about which course to take between now and Sunday’s trade deadline (Twitter link).

The Reds are now in fourth place, 6.5 games out of first and John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer guesses that if they make a move it will be directed toward making a difference in future seasons (Twitter link). As Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com points out, the Reds weren't in contention when they acquired Scott Rolen from the Blue Jays in 2009 (Twitter link).

NL Central Notes: Ramirez, Reds, Pirates

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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).

NL West Notes: Iannetta, Ellis, Jimenez, Hernandez

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One of the biggest trade chips in baseball – Carlos Beltran – joined the NL West this week, but a handful of impact players could leave the division within 50 hours. Heath Bell, Mike Adams (latest rumors), Ubaldo Jimenez (latest rumors) and Hiroki Kuroda (latest rumors) are all on the block. Here are the latest notes and rumblings from the NL West…

  • The Padres have some interest in Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Pirates' interest in Iannetta has cooled.
  • The Rockies intend to try to re-sign Mark Ellis, who hits free agency after the season, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports.
  • Tom Verducci of SI.com presents the nine pitchers to throw 500 innings for the Rockies before Jimenez. Jason Jennings, Shawn Chacon and Jeff Francis are among the pitchers on the list, so Verducci says Colorado “should absolutely see if they can prey upon the needs of the Yankees, Reds and Tigers.”
  • The Giants remain interested in Ramon Hernandez, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Reds haven't made the backstop available at this point, but the Giants have had interest since early July (and perhaps earlier).
  • Yhency Brazoban reached an agreement with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, according to a Sports Hochi report that Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along. We heard earlier in the week that the reliever was on the verge of leaving the Diamondbacks' organization for Japan.

Hunter Pence Very Likely To Be Traded?

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We learned yesterday that the Astros are deep into trade talks for Hunter Pence and that a deal could be completed today. The Phillies, who appear to be willing to include Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and others in a deal, may have a Friday pre-deadline for reaching an agreement, so that the Astros have time to explore deals with other suitors, like the Braves, Reds and Red Sox. The Pirates, Rangers and Angels aren't seriously in the mix at this point. Here are today's rumors with the latest updates up top:

  • The Braves are looking to be creative and are still involved, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • Pence is very likely to be moved now, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  He believes the Phillies are the favorite, with the Indians, Red Sox, and Reds also in.
  • A two-team swap remains the Astros' focus, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  Indeed, ESPN's Jayson Stark says there's no more talk of three-team deals.
  • The Braves have not considered Pence a priority, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.  However, Ken Rosenthal tweets that they seek an athletic corner bat who is controlled beyond this year, and Pence fits that description.  
  • The Phillies currently have no intention of putting Brown in a deal for Pence, tweets Buster Olney.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests the Phillies will continue negotiating with the Astros until Sunday if they need to, since Pence "is the guy" for them (Twitter link).
  • The Astros want pitching for Pence, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
  • The Phillies and Astros are exploring potential three-team deals involving Pence, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Jon Heyman of SI.com and Joel Sherman of the New York Post agree (Twitter links). The Phillies may be willing to trade Brown to a third team to get the prospects the Astros want for Pence, Stark writes.
  • The Braves offered a package that included prospects they didn’t offer to the Mets for Carlos Beltran, but the Astros turned the offer down, according to Stark. The Braves may be moving on, which would leave the Phillies as Pence’s primary suitor.  The Red Sox, Reds, Pirates and Indians appear to have peeled off, according to Stark.
  • Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) hears that the Astros don't love the Phillies' prospects, and that may even include Domonic Brown.
  • Houston is still playing the Pence market and working to bring other teams into the mix besides the Phillies, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Astros would prefer to deal Pence to the Braves, but Atlanta continues to be very protective of their big-time pitching prospects, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.  The Phillies are still working to get something done.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Astros prefer the Braves' prospects to the Phillies' prospects (Twitter link). Atlanta won't give up the "key guy," who is believed to be Mike Minor, Sherman writes.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Braves, generally speaking, have zero enthusiasm about giving up Minor, Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino or Randall Delgado (Twitter link).
  • Pence was told during last night's game that he was being pulled because of a trade, then wasn't pulled, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Reds are in on Pence, but he's the Phillies' to lose, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • There's a sense that the Phillies might be able to obtain Pence by offering Domonic Brown instead of Singleton and including Cosart in the deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Astros still have an "unreasonable" asking price for Pence, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • There's a "huge bidding war" going on for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter links). The Braves don't value on-base percentage as much as other teams, one NL official told Olney (Pence has a .354 OBP).
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