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Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Tuesday

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Yesterday, a Major League source close to the Ubaldo Jimenez trade talks told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the chances of a deal are "around 50/50."  Here's the latest on the Rockies' ace, with the newest info up top…

  • The Yankees and Red Sox called the Rockies about Jimenez today, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Talks with the Reds appear to be further along, though the Rockies appear to be asking for Travis Wood, Bailey and either Chapman or Mesoraco. The Rockies won’t lower their asking price, Harding reports. The Reds haven't said no yet, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Until they do, there's a slim chance a deal will occur.
  • Sources tell Dan Knobler of CBSSports.com that the team with the best chance to trade for Jimenez is the Yankees (Twitter link). The Blue Jays are considered a "real longshot at best."
  • About seven teams are interested in Jimenez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com who names the Reds, Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Indians and Blue Jays (on Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays "legitimately want" Jimenez, according an executive who spoke to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies have asked the Reds about Homer Bailey, tweets Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Earlier,  Renck wrote that "chances remain slim" of a Jimenez trade.  He said the Rockies "continue to listen and negotiate with multiple teams regarding Jimenez, with the Reds receiving the most attention," but in general Colorado's demands are so high that no team is expected to bite.  Renck said the Rockies have asked the Reds for Devin Mesoraco, Aroldis Chapman, and Chris Heisey, among others.  In an email exchange with MLBTR, Renck clarified that the Rockies asked for Mesoraco and Chapman together while Heisey is simply another name that has come up in talks.  Both Mesoraco and Chapman appear to be untouchable.
  • The feeling from executives is that the Rockies want to find a trade for Jimenez, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Yankees, Red Sox, and Reds are calling, and the Blue Jays kicked the tires.
  • The price on Jimenez hasn't dropped at all, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark.  He says the Rockies require "three sure-thing young players, including one pitcher who goes into their rotation immediately."  One executive who spoke with the Rockies pegs the chances of a deal at no more than 25 percent.
  • The Rockies "recently held a two-hour internal conference call to go over the trade alternatives" for Jimenez, writes SI's Jon Heyman.

Nationals Acquire Jonny Gomes

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The Nationals announced that they have acquired Jonny Gomes and cash considerations from the Reds for outfielder Bill Rhinehart and left-hander Chris Manno (Twitter links). The Reds have confirmed the move and announced that they're calling up Yonder Alonso in a corresponding move.

Gomes, 30, has a .211/.336/.399 line with 11 homers in 265 plate appearances this season. He entered the season with a reputation for hitting southpaws (.281/.376/.510 career line against lefties) and has continued hitting them in 2011 (.333/.439/.537 line). However, the left fielder has seen his playing time decrease this month – he has only batted 31 times in July.

Gomes earns $1.75MM this year and will hit free agency after the season. Since he currently projects as a Type B free agent, the Nationals could obtain a supplementary draft pick for him by offering arbitration. However, there's no guarantee that Gomes, a two-time non-tender, will receive an arbitration offer.

Manno was a 26th round pick for Washington in last year's draft. He has a 1.47 ERA with 14.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 61 1/3 innings as a professional. The 22-year-old, who has yet to pitch above Class A, has worked exclusively in relief.

Rhinehart, 26, is in his fifth season as a professional.  He has a .283/.376/.587 line with 21 homers at Double-A, a level he first appeared at in 2008. Rhinehart, who reached Triple-A last year, has a .261/.331/.458 line in his pro career.

Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Monday

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The chances of an Ubaldo Jimenez trade are around 50/50, one source close to the talks tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  To date, I don't think any reporter has ventured to go above 20%.  Here are the latest updates on the right-hander, with the most recent news up top:

  • The Reds remain very much involved in talks for Jimenez and the Tigers have him near the top of their list, according to Morosi.
  • The Rockies won't be able to get three or four of Boston's top prospects for Jimenez, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (Twitter link).  The Reds won't part with Devin Mesoraco, Billy Hamilton and two other prospects for Jimenez, Gammons notes.
  • The Rockies' asking price on Jimenez hasn't changed, according to Renck (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies "haven't pulled Jimenez off the showroom floor," wrote Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post yesterday.  The Reds, Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox are suitors, though Renck says Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd has "talked up nearly everyone."  
  • Morosi notes that the Reds are still involved, but there might not be a favorite at this point.
  • For their part, the Yankees are worried "about Ubaldo's inconsistency, all-out delivery, and coming to AL East," tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Yankees have the talent to pull off a deal, but it remains to be seen if the two teams can find common ground.

NL Central Rumors: Volquez, Iannetta, Bourn

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The NL Central has four buyers and two sellers.  The latest:

Rockies Rumors: Jimenez, Wigginton

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The Rockies are 11 games back in the NL West, so it's time to consider selling various pieces.  The latest:

B.J. Upton Rumors: Monday

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Rays center fielder B.J. Upton may not crack the top 20 on our list of available bats ranked by wOBA, but his defense and potential are enough to make him a hot name on the 2011 trade market.  The latest:

Stark On Bell, Beltran, Rays, Giants

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The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • The Rangers and Phillies are the favorites for Padres closer Heath Bell, with the Cardinals, Angels, Braves, and Reds also in the mix.
  • One executive Stark spoke to wouldn't be surprised to see a dark horse like the Reds or Brewers make a late run at Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran.
  • An official who spoke with the Rays over the weekend said that while they're not trading James Shields, they'll decide later this week on players like Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth.  B.J. Upton could be dealt even if the team closes its 6.5 game wild card deficit.
  • The Rays and Blue Jays have been scouting each other's farm systems recently.  One scout speculated that the Jays could join a three-team Upton trade somehow.
  • One team says Brian Sabean's off-limits prospects are Zack Wheeler, Heath Hembree, and Gary Brown, along with Brandon Belt.  That'd leave the team without any top 50 prospects to move, with Francisco Peguero and Ehire Adrianza in the next tier based on Baseball America's preseason rankings.  There's also Double-A lefty Eric Surkamp, who brought his ERA down to 2.00 yesterday.
  • The Phillies are steering teams to their High-A Clearwater club, as they don't want to trade big leaguers and not to add much more than a million bucks in payroll.  Jonathan Singleton, Brody Colvin, Trevor May, Sebastian Valle, and Jiwan James are names to watch there assuming Jarred Cosart is untouchable.  Stark says the Phillies have cooled on Beltran and Hunter Pence is a long shot, so the focus is now the back end of the bullpen.  Heath Bell is the top target, with Brandon League also on the radar.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Saturday

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Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the Mets' win over the Marlins last night, and every game he plays could be his last with the team these days. Yesterday we learned that because of his no-trade clause, Beltran can not approve a trade until 24 hours after the deal. That means the deadline to move him is July 30th, not the 31st. The Mets have interest in top prospects, but Mike Minor (Braves), Domonic Brown (Phillies), Gary Brown, Zach Wheeler, and Brandon Belt (all Giants) appear to be long shots.

Let's keep track of all the day's Beltran rumors right here, with the latest up top…

  • There is "increasing chatter around [the] Mets" suggesting that Beltran will be dealt to the Giants, tweets Newsday's David Lennon.
  • Beltran's no-trade clause is considered to be a "ring choice," according to Peter Gammons, as in Beltran will only agree to go to a team that has a legitimate chance at the World Series.  Given Beltran's rumored preference to remain in the NL, Gammons feels this narrows the field down to the Phillies, Giants and Braves, with the Major League-leading Phillies perhaps Beltran's "preference."
  • Beltran is likely going to be the only Mets player moved before the deadline, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  That said, Martino hears that at least one team has contacted the Mets about Angel Pagan.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas looks at how Beltran would fit into the Rangers' lineup.
  • SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that the Mets are still shooting for a home run with Beltran, targeting Domonic Brown, Wheeler, and Minor. He notes, however, that with an expiring contract and no possibility for the acquiring team to collect draft picks, the Mets may ultimately have to drop the price tag.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said in today's pre-game show that the Braves won't part with a number of their top pitching prospects to acquire a rental like Beltran, especially since he can't be offered arbitration following the season.
  • Jon Heyman of SI tweets that all of the Mets' trade talk currently revolves around Beltran.  If they move anyone else, it'll be a late trade.
  • ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports that the Rangers remain in play for Beltran. The Mets have increased their scouting of Texas' farm system, redirecting scouts as needed.
  • Rival executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney that Mets GM Sandy Alderson is not necessarily conceding eating most of Beltran's salary (Twitter links). It's all part of negotiations and there is some belief within the organization that they'll get some financial relief in a trade.
  • Andy Martino of The New York Daily News says the Mets hope to complete a Beltran trade before next weekend (Twitter links). They don't want there to be a frenzy right at the deadline.
  • The Reds "have nibbled" on Beltran according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter), but they are hesitant to give up good prospects or take on so much money for a rental.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Braves, Upton, White Sox, Reds

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a special trade deadline edition of his weekly Full Count Video, so let's run down the highlights:

  • For all the talk of the Braves and Carlos Beltran, Rosenthal reminds us that Atlanta could also use a right-handed reliever. Jonny Venters (lefty), Craig Kimbrel (righty), and Eric O'Flaherty (lefty) are all in the top four in the NL for total appearances. Atlanta is hopeful Peter Moylan will return in August, and they just moved Arodys Vizcaino to their Triple-A bullpen. They've also got three hard-throwing Triple-A righties as options, but each is also drawing trade interest: Anthony Varvaro, Jairo Asencio, and Juan Abreu. Each has a K/9 of 10.7 or higher.
  • The Indians have joined the growing number of teams interested in Rays' center fielder B.J. Upton. Rosenthal compares Upton offensively to Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham, but notes that teams like Upton's glove and baserunning skills. Upton is also controlled through 2012, unlike the other two.
  • Don't be surprised as to see the White Sox end up as sellers, says Rosenthal. They've got six starters as it is, so Edwin Jackson could be moved without harming the rotation much. Carlos Quentin could be dealt as well, and be replaced by Dayan Viciedo. Controlled through 2012, Quentin would become one of the hottest chips on the market.
  • Reds' Triple-A catcher Devin Mesoraco is "all but untouchable," but that doesn't guarantee the Reds will deal Ramon Hernandez and use Mesoraco down the stretch. They've yet to receive an offer they like for the veteran Hernandez, and some within the organization are reluctant to hand make a pennant run with a rookie backstop.

Quick Hits: Nationals, Upton, Webb, Inge, Mariners

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With nine days remaining before the trade deadline, the biggest trade chips in baseball are arguably Carlos Beltran (latest rumors) and Hunter Pence (latest rumors). Here are some other relevant links from around MLB…

  • The Nationals are in greater need of outfield depth than infield help or a catcher, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
  • The Rays pulled B.J. Upton and prospect Desmond Jennings from their respective games, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).  However, Upton says that he has not been traded, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
  • Rangers pitcher Brandon Webb will undergo surgery on his right shoulder with the intent to pitch again in 2012, according to his agent Jonathan Maurer.  This will not be a full surgery of the rotator cuff but it will prevent him from throwing for four months.
  • The Tigers would need to eat some salary to move Brandon Inge but teams still believe that the veteran has value, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
  • The Reds scouted Jason Vargas and Doug Fister when the Mariners visited Toronto this week, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Indians team president Mark Shapiro said that he expects the club will make a move in the next ten days, tweets Nick Camino of WTAM 1100.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he’s looking for a bat to insert at the top of the order or in the middle of the lineup. However, the Reds are also open to acquiring pitching, either for the rotation or the bullpen. The Reds have lots of depth, but Jocketty says he “hates” trading prospects.
  • Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago hears that Hall of Fame executive Pat Gillick is open to a role with the Cubs. Gillick said last week that he's open to taking on a full-time role as a team president at some point in the future.
  • MLB talent evaluators tell Alex Speier of WEEI.com that the Red Sox have a number of players whose prospect status is starting to rise and who could become elite prospects within a year. Though the Adrian Gonzalez deal made a major dent in Boston’s farm system, Speier’s sources say the Red Sox still have secondary prospects who could be valuable trade bait this summer. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks and right-hander Anthony Ranaudo are among the organization’s top prospects.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports confirms that the Red Sox have had exploratory conversations with the Royals about Jeff Francoeur.
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