Rockies Rumors

Odds & Ends: Hart, Angels, Blue Jays, Mariners

By Mike Axisa | July 24, 2010 at 12:44pm CDT

Some links for Saturday as Roy Oswalt prepares to make what might be the final start of his Astros' career…

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that an MRI revealed just a bruise in Corey Hart's thumb. He isn't expected to go on the disabled list, but will be out a few days. Plenty of teams have been connected to the Brewers' outfielder this trade season.
Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that it will tough for the Angels to justify more upgrades if they get swept by Texas this weekend. The Halos have already brought in Alberto Callaspo, but have fallen seven games back of the Rangers after losing in each of the last two nights.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff notes (via Twitter) that the Blue Jays had scouts at last night's Royals-Yankees game, and will again today. Toronto has made most of their bullpen available, and the Yanks are known to be looking for relief help.
ESPN's Buster Olney hears that there is a "major split" between the Mariners' front office and field staff (Twitter link). This comes the morning after Chone Figgins and manager Don Wakamatsu had to be separated in the dugout.
The Giants made "genuine progress" on a deal for David DeJesus before the Royals' outfielder suffered a season ending thumb injury on Thursday, reports Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News.
Meanwhile, Baggarly speculates that the Giants could be looking at some Diamondbacks' players since they're looking for a lefty bat.
A's GM Billy Beane said "it would behoove" him to keep Ben Sheets because of his value in the clubhouse, according to MLB.com's Alex Espinoza. With just over $4MM left on his contract, Sheets should easily clear trade waivers in August if Beane has a change of heart.
Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald adds the Rockies to the list of teams that have expressed interest in Jorge Cantu.
The Phillies have not put much money into their international scouting program in recent years, writes Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Gammons On Ankiel, Crawford, Iannetta, Martin

By Luke Adams 2 | July 23, 2010 at 9:46pm CDT

In his latest appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons opines that the trade deadline isn't as significant as it's made out to be. He cites only a handful of teams over the last decade who have made the World Series after making major deals prior to the deadline, arguing that the idea of pennant-altering trades is "essentially fiction." Here are a few other interesting tidbits from Gammons' conversation:

Gammons thinks Rick Ankiel could be a good fit for the Red Sox, if he shows that he's healthy.
The Angels' top priority this offseason will probably be trying to sign Carl Crawford. Gammons notes that the club put Crawford's locker next to Torii Hunter's at the All-Star Game.
The Rockies aren't eager to trade Chris Iannetta, hoping instead to platoon him with Brad Hawpe at first base as long as Todd Helton is out.
The Red Sox could try to make a run at Russell Martin, rather than Iannetta, since Martin's price tag may be getting too high for the Dodgers.
There's still a chance the Sox could be sellers this year if they fall out of contention, though it's more likely to happen in August than before July 31st.

Rockies Focusing On Bullpen Help

By Luke Adams 2 | July 23, 2010 at 7:23pm CDT

The Rockies' main focus heading into next Saturday's trade deadline will be on acquiring bullpen help, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. We heard a few days ago that the Rockies were eyeing starting pitching and corner infielders along with relievers, but Renck indicates that their bullpen is the top priority at the moment.

According to Renck, Blue Jays relievers like Kevin Gregg and Scott Downs interest the Rockies, with SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeting of Colorado's interest in Gregg as well. Renck also expects the Rox to check in on the availability of Pirates' setup men Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan, but wonders if the price for Pittsburgh's and Toronto's relievers could be too high.

Check out our list of potentially available relievers here.

Rockies Discussing Deal With First Rounder Parker

By Tim Dierkes | July 21, 2010 at 8:12am CDT

8:12am: Parker will announce he'll return to Clemson to be their quarterback as a sophomore, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies, but the Rockies can still sign him by August 16th. Jim Callis of Baseball America says Parker had given the Rockies a July 20th deadline to sign him to a baseball-only contract.

WEDNESDAY, 7:19am: Renck tweets that he's heard Parker will make an announcement today.

TUESDAY, 9:30pm: The Rockies don't have a deal with Parker yet, according to Renck (via Twitter). The negotiations are taking time, partly because the sides had a lot to discuss. The Rockies are willing to "be creative" and accomodate Parker's desire to play football (Twitter link), but they would offer a smaller bonus if they allow him to play football.

10:44am: Rockies first-round pick Kyle Parker is expected to agree in principle on a deal today, tweets Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Renck believes the contract will be closer to $2MM than $3MM. Parker would join Todd Helton and Seth Smith as Rockies who played quarterback in college.

Parker was drafted at #26, where the slot recommendation might be below $1.5MM. Parker has to be paid extra to be lured away from three years of football eligibility and the starting quarterback gig at Clemson. He projects to land in an outfield corner if he chooses baseball.

Red Sox Rumors: Relievers, Beltre

By Tim Dierkes | July 20, 2010 at 7:56am CDT

Red Sox rumors from those covering the team…

GM Theo Epstein said he isn't close to any trades, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Cafardo lists Scott Downs, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, and David Aardsma as potentially available relievers, but says "the Sox aren’t crazy about bringing Aardsma back unless they could do so cheaply." Cafardo lists familiar names on the outfield front in David DeJesus and Cody Ross, while noting that Corey Hart "is likely out of Boston's range." Cafardo does not see the Sox pursuing a starting pitcher.
MLB Network's Peter Gammons chimes in on Downs, tweeting, "before [the Yunel] Escobar deal, [the Blue Jays] wanted [Jose] Iglesias for Downs." That gives you an idea of the Jays' initial asking price for one of the best available relievers; the Dodgers, Yankees, and Phillies are also known to be interested.
Gammons also tweets that the Rockies turned down an offer of Jed Lowrie for Chris Iannetta. We learned last night that the Sox are not currently pursuing Iannetta, however.
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald confirms yesterday's report that the Sox are interested in Florida's Leo Nunez. However, Lauber writes that, "they believe the Marlins will require a hefty return" for the righty reliever.
Adrian Beltre is not thinking about his next contract yet, learned WEEI's Alex Speier.

Red Sox Not Discussing Iannetta With Rockies

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2010 at 9:12pm CDT

The Red Sox are not discussing Chris Iannetta with the Rockies, though they do like him and did inquire about him earlier in the season. Red Sox officials tell Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal that the Red Sox are not currently pursuing the catcher, though Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier today that talks were on again.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the banged-up Red Sox are now looking for catching help, relievers and outfield depth (Twitter link). There aren't a ton of catchers available, but Chris Snyder and John Buck make at least some sense.

Iannetta is under team control through 2013 on an affordable deal, but the Rockies can entertain the idea of trading the 27-year-old, since they hold a $2.5MM option for Miguel Olivo (and his .922 OPS) in 2011.

Odds & Ends: Inge, Reds, Parker, Brewers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2010 at 6:55pm CDT

Another round of links for Monday, as Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are finally in the Mets' starting lineup together…

Brandon Inge will miss a month or more with a broken bone in his hand, according to the Tigers (via Twitter). Here are some third basemen the team could consider. Players who can play third and short like Miguel Tejada or Jhonny Peralta could appeal to the Tigers.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman chatted with Chad Jennings of the Journal News and summed up the current trade market in these six words: "limited options and high price tags."
Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon something similar. Jocketty says the Reds are watching Jason Isringhausen partly because "there's not a lot available on the market."
Troy Renck of the Denver Post talked to a Rockies official who says talks between the team and 2010 first rounder Kyle Parker are "pretty quiet" at this point (Twitter link).
Corey Hart and Prince Fielder tell Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that they're doing their best to ignore trade rumors.
Those two Brewers have something in common with Josh Willingham, who tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he doesn't worry about the rumors surrounding him.
Ryan Theriot is aware of the rumors, but he told ESPNChicago that he doesn't want the Cubs to trade him.

Rosenthal On Iannetta, Athletics, Bautista

By Tim Dierkes | July 19, 2010 at 1:21pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports kicks off his latest column with a look at Alex Rodriguez's $30MM worth of home run incentives. The chase isn't generating the buzz the Yankees anticipated when they re-signed A-Rod. On to Rosenthal's rumors…

Talks are on again between the Red Sox and Rockies regarding catcher Chris Iannetta. The Rockies would want to improve their big league club with an in-season deal, so perhaps we'll hear heightened Iannetta buzz during the offseason if Miguel Olivo is retained.
The Nationals do not seem to have chosen a course with Adam Dunn in terms of trading or extending him now.
The Athletics have no intention of trading Coco Crisp or Mark Ellis, as both players have club options for 2011.
Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli is "a frequent trade target of rival clubs," but the team likes having depth at the catcher position.
As part of the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez talks, the Braves and Blue Jays discussed Jose Bautista. For now, the Braves still have time to evaluate Nate McLouth's recovery from a concussion. MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote today that the Braves have considered David DeJesus, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, and Josh Willingham as potential trade targets.

Rockies Looking To Add Before Deadline

By Zachary Links | July 18, 2010 at 12:50pm CDT

The Rockies are seeking to upgrade their bullpen, starting rotation, and corner infield situation, sources tell Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.

Colorado seems to be fond of Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, but as we learned earlier today, the Marlins don't seem inclined to deal the two-time All-Star. Further putting the kibosh on the possibility of him ending up in Colorado, Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies says (via Twitter) that the club hasn't been in pursuit of Uggla since last winter.

The club likes Uggla's teammate, Jorge Cantu, and they're keeping an eye on Baltimore's Ty Wigginton. The Rockies could make a move for a rental prior to the trade deadline and make a bigger splash heading into the August 31st waiver deadline.

Meanwhile, the Rockies are looking for relief help. The club has interest in Toronto's Kevin Gregg and Pittsburgh's Octavio Dotel. However, it will be difficult for Colorado to land either player. Gregg's friendly contract option this offseason gives his club the option of picking him up for $4.5MM in 2011 or keeping him through 2012 for $8.75MM. Renck feels that Dotel could be hard to pry away from the Pirates as he is their only closer, but keep in mind that Evan Meek has been one of the game's best relievers (1.05 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9) in a set-up capacity and could probably fill the role despite his lack of experience. Still, Renck feels Colorado will look for a rebound candidate instead.

The Rockies would like to upgrade their rotation, but they're not going to overspend for a "fourth-starter type". Houston ace Roy Oswalt won't waive his no trade clause to come to Colorado, but Arizona's Dan Haren could be a possibility. However, Haren's price could be too high for the club.

Odds & Ends: Parker, Hawpe, Loux, Giants, Orioles

By Mike Axisa | July 17, 2010 at 10:34pm CDT

Saturday night links as Livan Hernandez takes the loss against the Marlins, his first team…

Troy Renck of The Denver Post spoke to Clemson reporters, who indicated that Rockies' first round pick Kyle Parker could decide on his future by Monday or Tuesday (four different Twitter links). Parker is choosing between baseball and football, and it's a matter of how much Colorado is willing to exceed MLB's recommended slot bonus of $1.5MM to sign him. The Rockies would be able to pay out his bonus over five years thanks to MLB's provision for two-spot athletes.
Meanwhile, Brad Hawpe is making his first career start at first base tonight, and Renck says proving he can play the position would go a long way towards keeping him in Colorado beyond this season (Twitter links). The Rockies won't pick up his $10MM option for next season, but they do value his bat and his leadership.
Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic sees the Diamondbacks either signing Barret Loux at a discount or not signing him at all, and using the savings on some tough-to-sign players they drafted in the lower rounds. Loux, the sixth overall pick in last month's draft, recently failed his physical due to a shoulder issue.
Giants' manager Bruce Bochy indicated that he'd rather not sacrifice a starting pitcher in a trade for a bat, according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun wonders when the trade deadline will be something more than a time when the Orioles just sell off veterans.
The Marlins have signed second round pick Rob Rasmussen, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Terms of the deal are unknown, but MLB's recommended slot bonus for the 73rd overall pick is estimated at $500K. Florida has now signed nine of their top 15 picks, though first rounder Christian Yelich remains unsigned.

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