Rockies Rumors

Odds & Ends: Rockies, Haren, Cowart, Cubs

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 10, 2010 at 9:12pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, after a night of drama in Cincinnati…

The Rockies agreed to sign 15th-rounder Will Swanner to a $490K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's third-round money for the 18-year-old.
Callis writes that “it's a near lock that we'll get an earlier signing deadline” when baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires after next season. Callis suggests the deadline – now August 15th – could move up a month.
Dan Haren tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he is glad to have landed in Anaheim, since he rooted for the Angels growing up. Haren, who has already been traded three times, is a deal-maker himself, at least when it comes to fantasy football.
MLB executives tell Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus that Angels first rounder Kaleb Cowart will be a "very tough sign" (Twitter link).
Aramis Ramirez told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he has been impressed by Cubs youngsters Andrew Cashner, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin.
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos explained to Tom Verducci of SI.com that he wants to build his rotation around power arms. So far, so good; Blue Jays starters have posted 7.5 K/9 in 2010.
Check out Tim Dierkes' examination of Peter Bourjos at RotoAuthority if you're wondering about the speedy center fielder's fantasy value.
The Marlins agreed to sign third rounder J.T. Realmuto for $600K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That’s nearly double the recommended bonus of $310K.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Blue Jays, Morrow, Delgado

By Mike Axisa | August 8, 2010 at 6:30pm CDT

Some links to check out as Brandon Morrow just misses no-hitting the Rays…

Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) doesn't like the chances of the Cards signing their 12th-round pick, outfielder Austin Wilson.
Toronto's negotiations with first-round pick Deck McGuire will likely go down to the wire, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Morrow told FOX Sports' Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that he was happy to be traded to the Blue Jays this offseason because he knew he would be a starter and not a reliever.
Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Indians signed 13th-rounder Michael Goodnight for $315K. Goodnight has a fastball that reaches 94 mph and a plus slider.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Tigers aren't pursuing the recently DFA'ed Jose Guillen.
Carlos Delgado told Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal that he and his agent spoke to the White Sox, Rockies, and Mariners before deciding to sign with the Red Sox. In a separate article, WEEI's DJ Bean writes that Delgado is more focused on winning a championship than anything else.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post explains how the Yankees have to develop their own bench players because no free agents want to sign with them only to sit on the bench most of the time.
Jason Churchill and Keith Law of ESPN take a look at some teams that need to land a few of their tough-to-sign draft picks before the August 16th deadline (Insider req'd).
Karen Price of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about the newest Pirates and the difficult transition they've had to make following the trade deadline.
Meanwhile, the Chris Snyder pick up does not make a Ryan Doumit trade inevitable, says Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says that Ozzie Guillen and Paul Konerko are happy with the moves the White Sox did not make.
The Cardinals are trying to find a long-term fix at the hot corner, writes Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. David Freese will be out indefinitely after suffering a setback as he rehabbed from an ankle injury.

Stark On Padres, Manny, Wandy, Harang

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 5, 2010 at 3:51pm CDT

The Rangers appear to be headed toward stability, but they added $4.6MM in payroll before the trade deadline and, as ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports, that left some rival executives unhappy. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:

The Padres had asked the Cardinals about Ryan Ludwick more than once leading up to the trade deadline.
GM Jed Hoyer had also inquired on Jake Westbrook and even Roy Oswalt.
When the White Sox called the Dodgers to ask about Manny Ramirez, the Dodgers ended the conversation quickly. That didn't stop the Rays and two other American League teams from calling the Dodgers, however. We should note that GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio that he only fielded one call about Manny (Twitter link).
Not one team pursued Jose Guillen seriously before the deadline. The Royals designated the outfielder for assignment today, so we'll see in the next ten days if any teams have mild interest.
Joe Beimel drew lots of interest last weekend, but the Rockies never seriously shopped him.
A number of teams tried to acquire Wandy Rodriguez, including the Twins, Reds, Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays.
The Reds tried to determine interest in Aaron Harang, so they could attempt to move him in August if he returns from the DL and proves that the back spasms that sidelined him are no longer an issue.

Odds & Ends: Pedro, DeShields, Myers, Lee

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 5, 2010 at 2:02pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Juan Pierre picks up his 500th career stolen base…

Pedro Martinez said he has recently received offers to pitch this year, but still doesn't intend to play in 2010, according to this AP report on ESPN.com.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon implied to Mike Puma of the New York Post that Omar Minaya will definitely be his GM in 2011.
Top Astros draft pick Delino DeShields Jr. told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he's excited to begin his pro career. DeShields' deal could be finalized today.
Astros GM Ed Wade told Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse that he has no concern about Brett Myers' health. "He's a 29-year-old horse," Wade said.
Chuck Greenberg's group, which won the auction to buy the Rangers for hundreds of millions, plans to pursue Cliff Lee when he hits free agency after the season, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). Yesterday, we saw that GM Jon Daniels has interest in bringing the left-hander back.
Tim Redding, who had been pitching in the Yankees system, signed with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Professional Baseball League, according to Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune (Twitter link).
Over at RotoAuthority, Tim Dierkes wonders what to expect from Mike Minor as a fantasy baseball option this year.
The Yankees had interest in Willie Harris before the deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
The Rockies 'kicked the tires' on Derrek Lee last month, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).

Indians Re-Claim Wes Hodges

By Tim Dierkes | August 5, 2010 at 1:34pm CDT

THURSDAY: The Indians claimed Hodges back from the Rockies, according to Castrovince (on Twitter).

TUESDAY: The Rockies claimed infielder Wes Hodges off waivers from the Indians, tweets MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. Hodges had been designated for assignment on Friday to make room for Josh Tomlin.

Hodges, a second-round pick of the Indians in 2006, was hitting .270/.316/.423 this year in his second Triple A stint. He came up as a third baseman, but has been playing first base and DH this year. Baseball America ranked him 27th among Indians prospects heading into the season, citing health issues and the move off third base.

Carlos Delgado Drawing Interest

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 5, 2010 at 12:48pm CDT

12:48pm: The White Sox have had extensive conversations with Delgado's agent, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. More than four teams are interested in the first baseman, including the Red Sox and Angels, according to Levine.

8:00am: The White Sox are showing interest in Carlos Delgado and are not the only potential fit for the first baseman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Agent David Sloane told Rosenthal that his client has received two minor league offers and could be ready for the major leagues after a couple weeks in the minors.

The Rockies’ interest in Delgado depends on Todd Helton’s health, the Mariners want to see Delgado work out before deciding whether to pursue him and the Angels have checked in before. Those three teams and the Boston Red Sox could be fits, as the 38-year-old wants to play for a contending team that would have lots of at bats for him.

Delgado, who has 473 career home runs, hinted this summer that he would like to join the 500-homer club. He hasn’t played since last year and is recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery.

Waiver Trade Candidates: NL West

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 2, 2010 at 9:15pm CDT

The current NL West picture: the Padres hold a slim lead over the Giants and the Rockies and Dodgers are playoff contenders, too. The Diamondbacks haven't been close to contention for months. Here are some waiver trade possibilities to keep in mind:

Padres bench player Matt Stairs, who was traded two Augusts ago, could clear waivers in spite of his $700K contract because of his .590 OPS. Scott Hairston could see reduced playing time with Ryan Ludwick around and it's possible that his $2.45MM salary would clear waivers. Hairston has a .235/.316/.390 line in 2010.

Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand would both clear waivers, but Zito is an important part of San Francisco's rotation. Rowand has $27MM remaining on his contract, but is hitting just .252/.302/.405. The Giants have enough outfielders to give the 32-year-old up, but no team would claim Rowand given his salary. Edgar Renteria is hitting .284/.346/.376, but he's making $9MM this year, so he could clear waivers. The Giants, who have a club option for Renteria's services in 2011, could get by without him. It's possible that Todd Wellemeyer would clear waivers given his 5.52 ERA, but his $1MM salary is affordable. The Giants have bullpen depth, so they would likely consider parting with Wellemeyer, who is finishing a rehab stint.

Manny Ramirez earns $20MM this year, but the White Sox and Rays showed interest in him last month. Manny could definitely clear waivers in late August if he returns from his calf strain, so he is a player to watch. George Sherrill cleared waivers recently, so teams clearly don't think he's worth his $4.5MM salary. He hasn't pitched well this season, so he will be available. Like Stairs, Garret Anderson would likely clear waivers despite his modest salary ($550K) because of his poor production (.484 OPS).

The Rockies have waiver trade candidates galore, from relievers Rafael Betancourt, Joe Beimel and Randy Flores to bats like Brad Hawpe to role players like Jason Giambi and Melvin Mora. Aaron Cook, who went to the hospital this weekend after getting hit on the foot with a line drive, could appeal to contenders. He'd have to prove he's healthy first, but Cook makes $9MM this year with $9.75MM or more remaining afterwards, so he'd likely clear waivers. He has pitched to a 5.08 ERA this year, but contenders could have interest if his foot is fine and the Rockies keep fading.

Diamondbacks first baseman Adam LaRoche makes a reasonable $4.5MM this year, so it's possible that someone would claim him. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the D'Backs trade LaRoche given the many deals they've already made. Chris Young and Stephen Drew are making reasonable salaries, so they will probably be staying put.

For our primer on the waiver trade process, click here.

Odds & Ends: Padres, Oswalt, Farnsworth, Theriot

By Zachary Links | July 31, 2010 at 3:00am CDT

We here at MLBTR really appreciate everyone staying up past their respective bedtimes to keep up on all of the latest rumors. Here's some news from around the web..

The Padres prospect drawing the most interest from other clubs is Double-A starter Cory Luebke, writes Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres.
The Dodgers had a chance to land Roy Oswalt from the Astros, but it would have cost them Chad Billingsley, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Plenty of major leaguers read MLBTR, but it doesn't sound like Kyle Farnsworth is one of them in this article by Dick Kaegel and Samuel Zuba of MLB.com.
ESPN's Buster Olney (in these three tweets) says that the Red Sox, who have found the market for outfielders and relievers to be shallow, might make a smaller deal before the deadline or make their moves in the August waiver period.
The Diamondbacks offered second baseman Kelly Johnson to the Cubs for Ryan Theriot and lefty James Russell in return, writes ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine.
Brad Hawpe says that he isn't concerned about being involved in a deadline deal, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Based on news from earlier today, it sounds like Hawpe doesn't have anything to worry about.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the Cubs could move Ryan Theriot to the Diamondbacks for Kelly Johnson.
The Phillies may be done trading and are telling teams that they are out of money and prospects, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
The Tigers and Jays are talking, and John Buck may be an even better fit for Detroit than the relievers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

Odds & Ends: Lowell, Perez, Zambrano, Ross

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 30, 2010 at 6:26pm CDT

Links for Friday, with less than 24 hours before the deadline…

The Pirates acquired minor league outfielder Mitch Jones from the Braves, according to MLB.com's transactions page. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves obtained cash in return (Twitter link).
The Rangers are the only team that has slight interest in Mike Lowell, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
The Mets shopped Oliver Perez today, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
The Cubs are resigned to the fact that if they want to trade Carlos Zambrano, it will have to happen in the winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports will believe that Cody Ross is unavailable once the deadline passes tomorrow. Until then he's a skeptic (Twitter link).
Teams like Joe Beimel, but are only offering the Rockies non-prospects, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies are shopping Randy Flores.
GM Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that the Brewers look for "plus" fastball velocity, quality breaking pitches, solid arm action and delivery and height in the pitchers they pursue.
The Rangers are talking to rival teams to determine if there's interest in Rich Harden or Scott Feldman, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
The Astros wanted Chad Billingsley in exchange for Roy Oswalt, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (Twitter link). The Dodgers countered with a four-prospect offer, but the Astros preferred the Phils' offer.
The Royals aren't making much progress on deals, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).
I answered questions from Neil Keefe and broke down the trade deadline in detail at WFAN.com.

Rockies Not Likely To Trade Cook Or Hawpe

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 30, 2010 at 6:00pm CDT

6:00pm: The Rockies are telling teams they can't move Hawpe right now no matter what, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).

1:55pm: The Rockies aren’t likely to move Aaron Cook or Brad Hawpe, but Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that Colorado is looking for MLB-ready prospects if they deal either player (all links on Twitter). Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Rockies would deal Cook for a bullpen piece and a prospect.

The White Sox and Tigers are still eyeing Hawpe, so Renck suggests things could get “interesting” if Chicago doesn’t acquire Adam Dunn. The White Sox still appear to have interest in Dunn, but Hawpe’s left-handed bat could be an alternative for GM Kenny Williams. So far this season, the 31-year-old is batting .262/.340/.454 with seven homers.

Lance Berkman, another player the White Sox are considering as an alternative to Dunn, drew interest from the Rockies, who ‘kicked the tires’ on him before their recent skid.

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