Red Sox Not Pursuing Anyone Aggressively Right Now
The Red Sox are "not pursuing anyone aggressively right now," a source familiar with the team's thinking told WEEI's Alex Speier. Instead, the team is currently trying to determine which internal solutions will work. We've heard the Red Sox named as one of the most aggressive suitors for Carlos Beltran, but that may not be the case.
The Sox are still taking their normal approach of "inquiring about anyone who may make an appreciable difference to the team," in the words of the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. Cafardo says the Red Sox have inquired on Beltran, Ubaldo Jimenez, Felix Hernandez, Jose Reyes, Jeff Francoeur, Jeff Baker, Michael Cuddyer, Ty Wigginton, Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly, Jeremy Guthrie, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, Conor Jackson, Ryan Spilborghs, Mike Adams, and others. The team needs include starting pitching, a reliever, an outfielder, and a shortstop, but the Red Sox may prefer internal options in many cases.
Brown, Passan On Rockies, Reyes, Angels
A few more notes from Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo…
- The Rockies are not actively shopping Chris Iannetta and Ty Wigginton, though they appeal to other teams.
- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes told friends he'd love to sign with the Angels after the season. However, the writers feel that Angels owner Arte Moreno is unlikely to win the bidding. Plus, the team is content with Erick Aybar at shortstop.
- The Halos' trade deadline emphasis is their bullpen, though they believe the cost of top-tier relievers like Heath Bell and Mike Adams is prohibitive. They'll look at the next tier, and also consider third base upgrades.
Quick Hits: Goldschmidt, Johnson, Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez struck out nine Braves in 6 2/3 innings tonight, allowing seven hits, two walks and two earned runs. The asking price on Jimenez was already sky-high and there's no reason to think it's going anywhere but up after tonight's performance. Here are the latest links from around MLB…
- Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks and Brad Boxberger of the Reds are two of the minor leaguers who could make an impact in the Major Leagues down the stretch, as Keith Law writes at ESPN.com.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America breaks down 12 pro scouting success stories in baseball this year, from Reed Johnson's solid play for the Cubs, to Jason Giambi's power displays in Denver.
- Carlos Gonzalez told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he hopes the Rockies can regain the confidence of their front office by playing better baseball for the remainder of the season.
- Third round pick C.J. McElroy signed with the Cardinals for $510K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's the highest bonus any third rounder has obtained so far, $226K over slot.
Reds Eyeing Wandy, Figgins, Crisp
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has three new names on the Reds' radar: Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez, Mariners third baseman Chone Figgins, and Athletics center fielder Coco Crisp.
The Reds have strong interest in Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez, says Knobler, and have looked into Rodriguez. Wandy would be much easier to acquire in general, though there is the wrinkle of trading with a division rival and a GM who might fear losing his job in Ed Wade.
Figgins and Crisp would fit the Reds as leadoff types, though neither is getting on base much this year. The Mariners would likely pick up much of the $19.9MM that will be owed to Figgins through 2013. Figgins or Crisp would presumably play left field for the Reds.
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Tuesday
We heard yesterday that at least 12 teams have checked in on Ubaldo Jimenez, though the Rockies are likely going to hold on to the right-hander. Scouts will get another look at Jimenez tonight, when he toes the rubber against the Braves. In the meantime, here are the latest rumors, with the most recent updates up top:
- The Red Sox inquired on Jimenez, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. However, the level of Boston's interest isn't yet clear. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported Sunday that the Red Sox had "probably" checked in on Jimenez, but this is the most definite interest we've heard of so far.
- People familiar with the Rockies' plans say the Reds and Rangers have a better chance of obtaining Jimenez than the Yankees, according to Knobler. The Tigers, who are prioritizing starting pitching, have asked about most available starters, including Jimenez.
West Notes: Heath Bell, Jimenez, Conor Jackson
The latest on a few NL and AL West teams…
- Padres closer Heath Bell explained to Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton on XX 1090 that he has not gotten an extension offer from the Padres, but he's leaving the door open (transcript here). Bell appears willing to take a discount, but admits he doesn't know what he's worth.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that some baseball people feel Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd tossed Ubaldo Jimenez's name out there to gauge the pitcher's value, as Kevin Towers did during the offseason with Justin Upton.
- The affordable Conor Jackson figures to be traded, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Jackson, once a rising star in Arizona, has a .249/.323/.330 line in 260 plate appearances for Oakland this year. He'll be owed just over $1MM after the trade deadline, and has been linked to the Pirates so far.
Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Monday
We've read estimates ranging from a 10 to 25% chance that Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez is traded this month. Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd said yesterday "it would have to be a Herschel Walker deal." Given Jimenez's extremely team-friendly contract, and the fact that he has more value to the Rockies than any other team due to the nature of his 2014 club option, I can't see him being traded. What young pre-arbitration pitcher would be the centerpiece? My reservations aside, here are today's Jimenez rumors…
- The Rockies and Yankees have not started exchanging names regarding Jimenez, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Olney suggests there's only a "very slim" chance the Yankees and Rockies work out a deal.
- No less than 12 teams, including some non-contenders, have checked in on Jimenez, reports SI's Jon Heyman.
- Yankees catcher Jesus Montero will not be the centerpiece of a Jimenez deal, a person with ties to the Rockies tells Heyman. That makes sense, especially if the Rockies view Montero as a future first baseman. Perhaps 20-year-old southpaw Manny Banuelos could be the key player, but Heyman says someone with ties to the Yankees insists they won't part with Banuelos, Dellin Betances, or Ivan Nova. The Rockies asked for all four.
Rockies Could Move Relievers
The Rockies are currently 9.5 games out in the NL West. They don't have any crucial players heading to free agency after the season, but they may still have some expendable veterans. In particular, MLB.com's Thomas Harding says "information is surfacing that the Rockies could be willing to deal any of three key right-handed relievers" – Huston Street, Rafael Betancourt, and Matt Belisle.
Street, 28 in August, has a 3.56 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 1.67 HR/9, and 39.0% groundball rate in 43 innings this year. At the deadline he'll have $2.37MM left on his contract this year, plus $7.5MM in '12 and a $500K buyout after that season for a total of $10.37MM. Yesterday, Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports wrote that there have been "recent inquiries" on Street. However, keep in mind that GM Dan O'Dowd has no directive to shed salary. If Street is dealt, Matt Lindstrom would probably close, as indicated on our depth chart at CloserNews.
Betancourt, 36, has a 4.66 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 1.47 HR/9, and 30.6% groundball rate in 36 2/3 innings. His numbers are similar to Street's in that he limits free passes but is prone to the longball. Betancourt will have $1.22MM left this year at the deadline, plus $4MM in '12 and a $250K buyout after that season for a total of $5.47MM. Since he doesn't have saves on his resume, he earns half as much as Street.
Belisle, 31, has a 3.46 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.86 HR/9, and 46.8% groundball rate in 41 2/3 innings. He will have $1.05MM left this year at the deadline and $3.775MM in '12 for a total of $4.825MM. This is the first time his name has been mentioned as a potential trade target.
The Yankees, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Phillies, and Rangers are contenders who are in the hunt for relief help.
Quick Hits: Rockies, Pirates, Kuroda
Here's some late-night linkage as the Rays and Red Sox head to extras in Tampa …
- The Rockies are drawing interest from trade suitors on outfielder Ryan Spilborghs and reliever Rafael Betancourt, and some teams have recently inquired about closer Huston Street, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com. Spilborghs is a free agent at season's end, while Betancourt and Street are both under contract through 2012 with options for 2013.
- The Pirates are looking for bats and have checked with the Athletics on Josh Willingham and Conor Jackson, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Dodgers are getting "a lot of play" on right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Kuroda, however, has a full no-trade clause, and as we found out earlier today, some execs think he won't accept a trade to an East Coast team.
Quick Hits: Wigginton, Reyes, Phillies, Lowe
Some assorted links for your Sunday reading:
- Ty Wigginton's name has come up in talks between the Yankees and Rockies, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. As Heyman points out, Wigginton could fill in for Alex Rodriguez as he recovers from surgery.
- The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo feels that the Red Sox should go all-in and acquire Jose Reyes to put the team over the top.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to a scout from each league and got their takes on several Phillies' trade targets, including: Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Hunter Pence, and Carlos Beltran.
- Derek Lowe isn't concerning himself with trade rumors and is even making light of the Tigers' interest in him, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rogers speculates that the Braves could move Lowe to clear salary for a big-name hitter.
- The Tigers are looking at improving their rotation and possibly third base, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. With Carlos Guillen coming back and Phil Coke being placed back in the bullpen, GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't feel second base and relief help are big areas of need.