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B.J. Upton Rumors: Tuesday

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The latest on Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who owns a .229/.310/.399 line on the season:

My apologies for an earlier error in which I erroneously attributed Joel Sherman's "asking for a ton" quote to the Rays and B.J. Upton.  The quote actually referred to the Cardinals and Colby Rasmus.

Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Monday

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Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda has generated interest from the Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, and Brewers, reported CBS Sports' Danny Knobler yesterday.  He noted that the Tigers "have been very interested."  This is the first time I've seen the Brewers mentioned for any starting pitcher.  The Rangers have also popped up for Kuroda in other reports, and Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that the Cardinals inquired.  Here are the latest rumors about Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Kuroda hasn't talked to his agent or Dodgers GM Ned Colletti about a trade in recent days, according to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
  • ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick hears that Kuroda isn't into "hypotheticals."  He'll decide on deals if and when the Dodgers present them to him instead of providing them with lists in advance, according to Crasnick (Twitter links).
  • Kuroda will consider waiving his no-trade clause if he's dealt to the Yankees or Red Sox, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • The Tigers, Indians and Rangers are the three hottest teams on Kuroda, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • The Dodgers believe Kuroda can be persuaded to waive his full no-trade clause, wrote Knobler.  I am guessing a financial incentive in the $1-2MM range might compel Kuroda to pitch in the midwest or on the East Coast for a few months.  Since Kuroda's signing bonus is paid out in 2012-13, $6.6MM of his $12MM contract will be owed to him after the trade deadline.  Tack on additional money for the no-trade clause, and renting Kuroda becomes an expensive proposition.  Kuroda, 36, has a 3.19 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.99 HR/9, and 43.2% groundball rate in 127 innings this year.

AL Central Rumors: Tigers, Indians, Twins

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The AL Central has only one clear seller at this point in the Royals, and they don't have much to offer.  The White Sox and Twins will add a lot to the trade market if they decide to wave the white flag.  The latest on the division:

Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Sunday

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Hiroki Kuroda will listen to anything the Dodgers present to him before next Sunday's trade deadline, but as we learned yesterday, the team has yet to approach him about waiving his no-trade clause for any specific destination. With the Tigers, Indians, Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox potentially in the mix for the right-hander, let's keep tabs on today's rumors here, adding the latest updates to the top of the list:

  • A scout who spoke to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (Twitter link) thinks the Tigers could be the favorites for Kuroda, and that they may not have to give up top prospects Jacob Turner, Andy Oliver or Nick Castellanos to land him.
  • We've already heard that Cleveland is targeting Kuroda, and Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms (via Twitter) that the Indians have talked to the Dodgers about a deal.
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (Twitter link) hears the Dodgers think Kuroda might agree to go somewhere for the next two months. The Dodgers believe, however, that if the right-hander is pitching in the Majors in 2012, it will be in Los Angeles.

Quick Hits: Hanley, Phillies, Zduriencik, Darvish

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The Mariners' losing streak extended to 14 games after dropping a 3-1 result to Boston today.  Seattle's 14-game skid ties a franchise record for consecutive losses.

Some news from around the majors….

  • In a radio appearance with Dan LeBatard (partially transcribed by Matt Forman of the Miami Herald), Jeff Conine said that if it was up to him, the Marlins would trade Hanley Ramirez.  Conine might have just been using the interview to vent, but given Conine's status as a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, it's worth wondering if others in the Florida front office feel the same way about the club's star shortstop.
  • Also from Forman's post, Marlins manager Jack McKeon doesn't think his team will do much, if anything at the trade deadline.
  • Ruben Amaro's reputation for major trade deadline deals has raised expectations that the Phillies GM will make another big move this summer, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • The Mariners' losing streak has erased the fact that the club was in the AL West hunt just two weeks ago.  GM Jack Zduriencik tells Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that he tried to find help for the Mariners' terrible offense but to no avail.  "That big bat doesn't seem to be out there at a reasonable cost. It's not as easy as saying, 'We need a bat. Let's go get a bat.' Great. Who's giving one up? Lots of clubs who are doing well are looking for a bat," Zduriencik said.
  • The Nationals still have an interest in Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • It's been almost 20 years since the Dodgers were last sellers at the trade deadline, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
  • The Angels aren't expected to make any huge deals at the deadline, though Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times notes the Halos have been "eagerly courting" the Padres with the hopes of adding Heath Bell or Mike Adams.
  • Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer looks back at the Indians' history at the trade deadline since 1994.

Indians Notes: Carroll, Prospects, Ludwick, Harang

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Neither Roberto Alomar nor Bert Blyleven will be wearing a Cleveland cap into the Hall Of Fame tomorrow, but both men spent significant parts of their careers with the Tribe.  Blyleven won 48 games and posted a 3.23 ERA with the Indians between 1981-85, twice finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in that span.  Alomar played in Cleveland from 1999 through 2001, earning Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances in each year and hit .323/.405/.515 as an Indian.

Onto some news about the modern-day Clevelanders, courtesy of Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer….

  • Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Drew Pomeranz and Alex White are "all but untouchable" in trade talks.  Without these top prospects on the table, however, it makes it unlikely that the Indians will be able to acquire top-tier trade candidates like Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence.  Hoynes notes that the Tribe's dealings are tempered by the fact that while they have a chance to win the AL Central, they probably don't have a realistic shot at the World Series so the team doesn't want to mortgage the future for just a token playoff berth.
  • The Indians have talked to the Dodgers about utilityman Jamey Carroll.  Cleveland's interest may have cooled, though, now that Kipnis has been called up.  The Rockies and Brewers have shown interest in Carroll.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored Carroll's trade candidacy and also had a Q&A with the veteran last month.
  • The Indians "aren't close" to working out a deal with the Padres for Ryan Ludwick or Aaron Harang, reports Hoynes (Twitter link).  We recently heard that Harang (along with Hiroki Kuroda) were Cleveland's top two targets on the trade market.

B.J. Upton Rumors: Saturday

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The Rays created some buzz last night when they pulled B.J. Upton from their game while top prospect Desmond Jennings was a late scratch in the minors. Jennings is coming up to the big leagues, but not because Upton was traded; Reid Brignac was sent back down. The Braves and Nationals are among the teams reportedly interested in Upton, so we'll keep track of any rumors involving Tampa's center fielder right here throughout the day. The latest will be up top…

  • An Upton trade is "not imminent," tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  The Rays are waiting to "assess [their] viability" in the AL East race and will wait until close to the trade deadline before deciding if they'll move Upton.  Passan notes Upton could well end up remaining in Tampa Bay after all.
  • In the FOX Saturday pre-game show, Rosenthal said of Upton: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."
  • In his latest Full Count Video, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Indians have joined the Upton fray. Rosenthal suggests teams would prefer him to other outfielders such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham due to his glovework, baserunning ability, and team control through 2012.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says there is growing interest in Upton, with several more teams calling (Twitter link). He speculates that clubs could be comparing the price for Upton to that of Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence.

More From Rosenthal: Beltran, Kuroda, Upton

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On today's FOX Saturday pre-game show, Ken Rosenthal ran down some trade-related topics with co-host Chris Rose, so here's some more news from FOX's senior writer:

  • The Braves are "not going to trade a number of their top pitching prospects" to acquire Carlos Beltran. Rosenthal doesn't mention specific names, but you'd have to think that includes guys like Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, and Arodys Vizcaino. Rosenthal does add that several Braves players, however, approached him and expressed their desire for the front office to add Beltran.
  • Despite reports that he doesn't want to go to the East coast, Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda is "keeping all his options open," Rosenthal learned today. He says it's looking like any team has a chance to get Kuroda to waive his no-trade clause, and mentions the Tigers, Indians, and Rangers specifically as suitors.
  • On Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, Rosenthal says: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."

 

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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