Reds In On Michael Bourn
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
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
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
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?
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).
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Thursday
The latest on Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez, who is scheduled to pitch Saturday in San Diego…
- The Tigers contacted the Rockies Thursday to discuss possible deals, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Colorado is also discussing Jimenez with the Yankees, Red Sox, Reds and Indians, according to FOX. Names of interest to the Rockies: Kyle Weiland and Will Middlebrooks of the Red Sox, Ivan Nova, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero of the Yankees, Jacob Turner of the Tigers, Yonder Alonso and a Major League starting pitcher from the Reds, and Drew Pomeranz of the Indians.
- The Yankees appear to have the best shot at Jimenez, but there are no indications that they will meet the Rockies' asking price, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- The Rockies' asking price for Jimenez "remains very, very high," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, as in three top prospects. There's been no significant movement in the Jimenez market, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- An NL source tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald the Red Sox are "not hot as of now" for Jimenez.
Hunter Pence Rumors: Thursday
Yesterday we learned that the Phillies offered Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and a second-tier pitching prospect for Hunter Pence, but the Astros did not pull the trigger. Domonic Brown may have been available as well, but it appears Pence will remain with Houston until the offseason at least. The latest:
- The Astros are deep into trade talks and could deal Pence as soon as Friday, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, who confirms that the Phillies are the leading candidate to acquire the outfielder.
- The Astros are "mulling" the Braves' offer for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Braves' offer is "significant" and is built around highly-regarded pitching prospects, but does not include Julio Teheran, according to Stark.
- The Phillies are making progress toward a deal for Pence, but they'll have to reach an agreement by Friday or the Astros will move on to other suitors, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Phillies would include Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton in a deal for Pence, according to FOX. The Astros prefer younger prospects and Domonic Brown is not currently in the trade. The Braves, who have "more restrictions" on their prospects, would enter the fray along with the Reds and Red Sox if the Phillies don't complete a deal.
- The Phillies have been Pence's most serious suitor and the Braves have a high level of interest as well, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Angels aren't seriously pursuing Pence and the Astros may be reluctant to trade Pence to the Reds and Pirates, two NL Central rivals.
- The Phillies and Braves continue pursuing Pence and the Indians are still involved, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). There's a better than 50/50 chance of a deal. The Rangers aren't seriously pursuing Pence, however.
- The Astros appear to be moving closer to trading Pence, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Six teams are involved, but no deal is imminent.
- The Phillies' hope that the Astros will move Pence seems to be holding up the Phils' conversations with the Padres about Ryan Ludwick and Mike Adams, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney's colleague Jayson Stark adds that interest in Pence is exploding since the Beltran trade, naming the Phillies, Braves, Reds, and Red Sox as suitors.
- Interest in Pence has picked up considerably with Carlos Beltran off the market, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- As many as eight teams are in on Pence, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, including the Phillies and Braves. Rosenthal says the Astros are listening.
- The Braves are the last team in on Pence, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The Phillies "seem to have all but given up" on Pence after their big offer was rejected.
Stark On Quentin, Pirates, Braves, Indians, Reds
Another must-read column from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- Stark has updated his take on Carlos Quentin's availability. He says there is "increasing evidence the White Sox are talking to several teams about Quentin, one of which is believed to be Atlanta." An executive of a team that has talked to the Sox says that while they are not "bound and determined" to trade Quentin, they would do it.
- The Pirates are focused on finding a professional hitter, but aren't hot on Carlos Pena or Josh Willingham. They're eyeing the Twins' Jason Kubel, but GM Bill Smith considers his team a contender at six games out.
- Stark hasn't heard much that suggests the Braves are still bullpen shopping.
- The Indians are turning their attention to starting pitching, but players Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jason Kipnis appear to be untouchable.
- The Astros continue to shop Wandy Rodriguez, and Stark wonders if he'll fit for the Yankees as a salary dump type.
- The White Sox dangled Adam Dunn. Dunn has over $48MM remaining on the four-year, $56MM deal he signed in December.
- The Reds have "stepped up their calls this week on controllable middle-of-the-order bats," although it's hard to name any available hitters of that nature.
Quick Hits: Blue Jays, Beltran, Astros, Zambrano
Congratulations to Ervin Santana, who threw the third no-hitter of the season this afternoon. Santana joins Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander on this year’s list of pitchers to author a no-no. Here are the latest links from around MLB…
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says he's likely done making trades, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (on Twitter). The GM will continue monitoring the trade market in case something comes up, but his work might be done.
- The Rangers offered a group of "OK" prospects for Carlos Beltran and Philadelphia's offer was even weaker, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). San Francisco eventually acquired Beltran.
- The Astros are stepping up their efforts to trade Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and Michael Bourn, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- Carlos Zambrano told reporters, including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, that he wants to stay in Chicago as long as there is "change" (Twitter link). The right-hander, who is available in trades, did not specify what kind of change he's looking for.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hears that the Reds have serious misgivings about making an all-in move to save their season (Twitter link). After tonight's loss, Cincinnati is 50-54.
Giants Notes: Burrell, Rowand, Beltran, Hernandez
Before accepting a trade to San Francisco, Carlos Beltran refused to waive his no-trade clause to go to the Pirates, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Like the Indians, the Pirates made an aggressive push for Beltran before he headed for Northern California. Here’s the latest on the Giants, as they prepare for a run at a second consecutive title…
- Jon Heyman of SI.com suggests that there won't be much room for Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand in San Francisco (Twitter link). Beltran, Nate Schierholtz, Andres Torres and Cody Ross figure to get most of the playing time in the Giants’ outfield. The Giants are expected to release Burrell to create space on the roster for Beltran.
- The Giants aren't discussing an extension for Beltran, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). The switch-hitter hits free agency after the season and cannot be offered arbitration.
- Some Giants people believe the Reds will deal Ramon Hernandez for a pitcher, according to Schulman (on Twitter).