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AL Central Notes: Peavy, White Sox, K-Rod

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Here's the latest out of the AL central…

  • The White Sox's Jake Peavy may be the top name on the trade market now that he's returned from the DL, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says. Up until now, most of the market's attention seems to have been on another Chicago hurler, the Cubs' Matt Garza, but a survey of GMs and assistant GMs favored Peavy, Heyman writes. Executives say they like Peavy's extra year of club control – allowing a club to extend a qualifying offer, which won't be an option for the team that acquires Garza – and overall appeared to be "pretty enamored" of the Chicago righty.  "Peavy has been better than Garza except for lately and he has done it in a hitter's park in the American League," an NL GM said. "Garza's better for 2013, but I think Peavy has more overall value." 
  • Scouts from the Blue Jays, the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Orioles and the Diamondbacks were on hand for the White Sox's matchup with the Braves today, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets. However, not all were there to watch Peavy, who started for the White Sox and went six innings, striking out three and walking none. Rosenthal says Yankees scouts were in attendance merely as a part of the team's normal coverage, while the Diamondbacks aren't in on the righty.
  • The Tigers hope to be the team that ends up with the Brewers' Francisco Rodriguez when the trade deadline passes, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (Twitter link).  K-Rod appears to make the most sense for Detroit and Boston, Olney tweets, as he has experience in the ninth inning but can pitch in any role and any market. 

AL Central Notes: Morneau, Tigers, Rios, Peavy

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We'll end the evening with some links from the AL Central …

  • Twins first baseman Justin Morneau talked to reporters, including MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, about the recent trade rumors that have circulated. While he has a six-team no-trade clause, Morneau said that none of those teams are among the clubs reportedly interested in dealing for him.
  • Morneau also expressed that he hopes to stay in Minnesota, but has not been contacted about an extension. Set to become a free agent in 2013, the 32-year-old figures to be worth far short of his now-expiring six-year, $80MM deal.
  • For his part, Twins owner Jim Pohlad told La Velle E. Neal II of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that, while he would not "feel great about [Morneau] being traded," the team ultimately must "do whatever it takes to win." He added that Minnesota has twice rebuffed Morneau when he approached the club to try and discuss an extension.
  • Even with Joaquin Benoit, Drew Smyly, and Bruce Rondon pitching well at the back of the bullpen, the Tigers continue to explore the trade market, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. He says that Detroit is scouting the Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Astros in search of bullpen pieces.
  • While Knobler does not connect the Tigers to any specific relievers, he does say that the team is not interested in Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees. Dan Martin of the New York Post, on the other hand, reports precisely the opposite. (Hat tip to River Ave. Blues.) He writes that the Tigers may be one of the only teams interested in Chamberlain, with the Phillies, Braves, and Giants not intrigued.
  • There was a moment of excitement tonight when White Sox outfielder and trade candidate Alex Rios was pulled from the game after the sixth inning. Rumored to have been seen hugging in the dugout, it turns out that Rios was pulled for not hustling on the basepaths. MLB.com's Scott Merkin was among the first (Twitter link) to firmly quash the speculation that a Rios trade had gone down. 
  • Since peaking in late May with an OPS that reached .928, Rios has seen his on-base and (especially) power numbers plummet. On the heels of two substandard months, Rios now stands at a league-average OPS of .755 for the year, making him a less compelling trade piece than he looked to be back in May. 
  • Expect a lot of teams to be watching Jake Peavy's start today for the White Sox. Peavy, who could be the most valuable starter available since he is controlled through next season, will look to prove that he is healthy and effective after a DL stint.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: Trade Bait

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The July trade deadline in Major League Baseball is less than two weeks away on the 31st. We don't exactly know who will be on the move, or how many trades will be completed, but we do know that a lot of minor league prospects will be changing uniforms within the next 13 days.

Below is a look at some of the prospects who could be on the move to new organizations looking to build for the future.

American League

Athletics: Oakland hasn't shied away from leaning on young players while in a playoff hunt and recent promotions for pitcher Sonny Gray and infielder/outfielder Grant Green could also serve a secondary purpose: showcasing. Gray, a right-handed hurler, was extremely successful in Triple-A and was lights-out during his one big league appearance before the All-Star break. He could develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter, or a high-leverage reliever. Green has played sparingly since his promotion but the former first round draft pick's versatility could be highly coveted.  

Indians: Cleveland has one of the top shortstop prospects in (untouchable) Francisco Lindor, which could make fellow infielder Dorssys Paulino expendable in the right deal. Just 18, his numbers don't look great but he's holding his own in Low-A ball at a young age and has shown signs of improvement in June and July.

Orioles: L.J.Hoes doesn't have a huge ceiling but the 23-year-old prospect can play all three outfield positions, as well as second and third base. Currently hitting .308/.405/.413 at Triple-A, he makes good contact and can run the bases well.

Rangers: It would probably take a very intriguing veteran player with more than one year of control but Texas' middle infield depth could allow the club to dangle shortstop Luis Sardinas on the trade market. The 20-year-old infielder is a slick defender with little-to-no power but the ability to hit for average and steal some bases.

Rays: Right-hander Alex Colome made three starts with Tampa Bay earlier this year and the organization's pitching depth could allow the right-hander to be offered in an attractive deal, but he's currently on the Triple-A disabled list with what has been called a "mild elbow strain." Second baseman Ryan Brett, 21, received a 50-game suspension last year, so that cloud is still hanging over his head, but the scrappy baseball player can really hit. He's currently batting .336/.392/.480 with 17 steals in 39High-A ball games.

Red Sox: Boston is in an enviable position with a fair amount of depth that can be used to help strengthen the big league product. The presence of top prospect Xander Bogaerts means that the club can comfortably move third base prospect Garin Cecchini or shortstop Deven Marrero, should the right deal come along, because Bogaerts could probably handle either position at the big league level. Cecchini swings a mean stick but he lacks the prototypical power that teams look for from the hot corner. Marrero's numbers have been respectable in 2013 but nothing to write home about. A team that really liked him in college, though, might be willing to bite. 

Tigers: The Tigers system is pretty thin, which could impact the organization's ability to make key moves via the trade market. Outfielder Danry Vasquez is highly projectable thanks to his frame and left-handed swing, both of which hint at future power. Just 19, he's aggressive but makes good contact given his limited experience.

Yankees: Catcher J.R. Murphy could be an attractive name on the trade market, if New York is willing to part with him knowing that Gary Sanchez is not that far behind. Murphy is an offensive-minded backstop who's improved his defensive game, especially with throwing out baserunners. 

National League

Braves: On the surface it seems like the Braves haven't really made the amateur draft a priority in recent years and that has hurt the organization's depth. The versatile Joey Terdoslavich's strong performance in Triple-A earned him a promotion to the big league level where he's possibly been showcased for a deal. The pop in his bat, along with his ability to switch hit and positional versatility could make him an intriguing trade target.

Cardinals: The Cardinals have some impressive middle infield depth and former first round draft pick Kolten Wong could become a casualty. The second baseman can hit, but converted third baseman Matt Carpenter has been nothing short of brilliant at the big league level. Any team that acquires Wong is getting a player who's very close to MLB ready.

Diamondbacks: If Arizona is looking to make a big splash at the trade deadline, the club has a lot of pitching depth to deal from, including (likely) untouchables Archie Bradley and Tyler Skaggs. It would take a special player coming over to Arizona to nab him, but lefty David Holmberg is an underrated talent that could help a lot of ball clubs. His ceiling is probably that of a No. 3 or 4 starter but he's been durable and isn't afraid to throw strikes.

Dodgers: Los Angeles is always rumored to have a lot of irons in the fire and the club is definitely looking to improve itself despite the massive payroll. Southpaw Onelki Garcia, signed out of Cuba in 2012, made just one appearances during the regular season last year. In 2013, he's been very good in Double-A thanks to his above-average fastball. He's mostly viewed as a future reliever but Garcia has made six starts. 

Pirates: To get value back, you often have to trade quality players. Pittsburgh has enjoyed breakouts over the past year in the form of infielder Alen Hanson, outfielder Gregory Polanco and pitcher Tyler Glasnow, among others, and that trio is probably safe at the trade deadline barring a blockbuster deal. However, pitcher Luis Heredia could perhaps be had at the right price. The right-hander is just 18 with three years of pro experience under his belt. He's a larger-framed pitcher and hasn't developed quite as hoped, suggesting a modest ceiling as a starter.  He's been passed on the depth chart by a number of guys like Jameson Taillon, Nick Kingham and Glasnow.

Reds: Outfielder Jesse Winker doesn't wow with his tools but he gets the most out of his abilities and is one of the safer bets in Cincinnati's system to have a big league career. The 19-year-old prospect has modest power and doesn't steal bases so he's going to have to hit for average to provide value as a hitter — along with his willingness to take a free pass.

Rockies: Colorado doesn't have much in the way of tradable commodities, but the organization could cash in on the lack of catching depth around the game — much like the Yankees — with Tom Murphy. The second-year catcher, who's now 22 years old, has inexplicably been left in Low-A ball all year long despite overpowering the younger competition. He's by no means a finished product and has holes in his game but an OPS over 1.000 is going to attract some suitors.

Lincecum Has Limited No-Trade Clause; Unlikely To Be Moved

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9:45pm: Lincecum's no-trade clause is likely to be a moot point, as general manager Brian Sabean said today on KNBR radio: "I find it hard to believe we'll see Timmy in another uniform this year" (via Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle on Twitter).

Lincecum told Schulman's colleague, John Shea, that he's not worried about trade talk, especially after Sabean's comments (Twitter link).

7:06pm: Tim Lincecum has a previously unreported limited no-trade clause in his contract that would allow him to block trades to eight teams, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Red Sox and Tigers aren't on that list, he adds, alluding to a report from earlier in the week that the Tigers have interest in acquiring "The Freak" and converting him to a reliever.

A Tigers acquisition is a "major long shot," and one NL executive called the idea of a team acquiring Lincecum and converting him into a closer "far-fetched." Heyman adds that Lincecum likely wouldn't be happy about the move anyway. He prefers to start, and because he's just over two months away from hitting the open market for the first time, a move to the bullpen may reduce his free agent value.

The 29-year-old Lincecum has a 4.26 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate in 116 1/3 innings this season. He's in the final season of a two-year, $40.5MM contract he signed with the Giants to avoid arbitration prior to the 2012 campaign. He's lost significant life on his fastball and seen his command worsen in that time, leading to results that look more like a fourth or fifth starter than a two-time Cy Young winner. 

All-Star Notes: Scherzer, Harvey, Davis

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Tonight's American League All-Star starter Max Scherzer knows the best place for MLB players to find out if they're on the move.  "It's crazy how that works.  You're traded out of the blue, and the only way you find out is by MLB Trade Rumors. All of the media and all of your friends know, but you don't hear it from the people doing it," the Tigers righty told Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Scherzer went on to describe himself as a "pretty fanatical fan" of this website, of which he is a near-daily reader.  Be sure to check out Nightengale's article, which focuses on Scherzer's experiences with former slugger and current Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire.  As Scherzer and other players prepare for tonight's All-Star game at Citi Field, here are your related links…

  • We learned yesterday that nothing is cooking regarding a contract extension for Scherzer, who is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.  Talking to Nightengale, Scherzer said, "It's funny, everybody wants to speculate on teams, and X amount of dollars, but if I go out there and pitch well, everything will take care of itself."  
  • How about National League starter Matt Harvey, who fronts the Mets' rotation and is also represented by Scott Boras?  Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Boras, who said, "Usually the team will come to you, it is not up to the player to start negotiations.  I would also say this, where the team wants to go in these situations and what the true value of the player is are not often that close."  That's not terribly encouraging, but Mets fans can rest easy knowing Harvey will not be arbitration eligible until after the 2015 season, and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 campaign.
  • Though he didn't make the American League squad, Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes took home the Home Run Derby belt last night, besting Bryce Harper.  To learn about the journey Cespedes and his family took in defecting from Cuba, check out this article from Susan Slusser and Demian Bulwa of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Another good read is the harrowing story of Marlins All-Star Jose Fernandez, who also defected from Cuba.  MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has it here, and Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald has another good look at Fernandez here.  Fernandez has not yet reached the riches Cespedes has, as he was subject to the 2011 amateur draft.
  • With 37 home runs at the All-Star break, the Orioles' Chris Davis is another of the All-Star Game's big stories.  Davis treats Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961 as the record, discounting the six times it was bested from 1998-2001 by Barry Bonds, McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.  Yahoo's Jeff Passan surveyed 15 All-Stars and found that most treat Bonds' 73 as the record despite his PED ties.  The Reds' Joey Votto was most critical of Davis' stance, telling Passan, "If Chris feels like 61 is the home run record, maybe he’s just selfishly pegging that number as the home run record so if he passes it he can wear a crown or something like that.  There would be a lot of money in that."
  • The Nationals were highly interested in Davis when the Rangers made him available in 2011, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  Instead, Davis joined the Orioles along with Tommy Hunter in a July 2011 deal for reliever Koji Uehara and $2MM. 
  • More than half of the 78 All-Stars were acquired by their current team through the draft, an international signing, or a trade while still in the minors, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal in his analysis.

Scherzer Extension Talks Will Wait Until Offseason

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Scott Boras, agent for Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer, told reporters (including MLB.com's Jason Beck) that he hadn't spoken to Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski about a multiyear extension for Scherzer and such talks would wait until the offseason. 

Scherzer has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility remaining and is scheduled for free agency following the 2014 season.  The Tigers explored a long-term extension with Scherzer last winter but the two sides instead settled on a one-year, $6.725MM deal that avoided an arb hearing.  It appears as though the Tigers missed their window for a relatively inexpensive extension for Scherzer, who has posted a 3.19 ERA, 10.6 K/9 rate and 4.90 K/BB ratio en route to a 13-1 record and a starting assignment for the American League All-Star team.

Boras noted that his client "is very happy in Detroit" and that if Scherzer did reach the open market, there's no guarantee he would go elsewhere.

“I don’t think Detroit fans should all be scared of free agency,” Boras said. “If I’m not mistaken, I think free agency has been very good to the Detroit Tigers. Again, I don’t think [owner] Mike Ilitch or Dave is in any way perplexed about what they know free agency means to a player like Max. He’s a proven owner to go out and do what is necessary to keep the players that Dave and his staff have determined are necessary for his success.”

Scherzer will be 30 years old when he hits free agency and would be one of the headliners of an intriguing crop of free agent pitchers in the 2014-15 offseason that could include Clayton Kershaw, Homer Bailey, Justin Masterson, Johnny Cueto, Hisashi Iwakuma, Brandon Morrow, Wei-Yin Chen and Yovani Gallardo, though the latter five hurlers could be retained on team options.

Tigers, Others Interested In Lincecum As A Reliever

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Several teams, including the Tigers, have interest in acquiring Tim Lincecum from the Giants but as a relief pitcher instead of a starter, FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reports.  Lincecum has only made one regular season relief appearance in his seven-year Major League career, but he allowed just one run over 13 relief innings during the Giants' postseason run last October.  Though Lincecum returned to the San Francisco rotation this year, Morosi notes that he may eventually be tabbed for a bullpen role in the future.

The Tigers have been looking for an answer at closer all season, and while Joaquin Benoit has pitched well in the role as of late, Lincecum could be a game-changing addition at the back of the Detroit bullpen (or, Benoit could remain as closer as Lincecum could simply be used for other important relief situations).  It would be a somewhat difficult trade to negotiate for the Tigers or any team that wished to use Lincecum out of the pen, given that the Giants would likely still be looking for a return befitting that of a solid starting pitcher. 

As Morosi writes, the Giants may want to keep Lincecum given that they're still on the outskirts of the NL West race.  The World Series champs might be loath to deal Lincecum given that they're already known to be looking for starting pitching help and recently came up short in a bid to acquire Ricky Nolasco.  On the other hand, Lincecum is a free agent this winter and is owed $10.2MM for the remainder of the 2013 season, so if the Giants decided to become sellers, moving Lincecum's salary would be a key move as the club reloads for 2014.

I wrote back in February that Lincecum's upcoming free agency made this a make or break year for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, and to this point, Lincecum has showed signs that his disappointing 2012 campaign may have been an aberration.  Lincecum has a posted a 9.71 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 over 19 starts, the best of which was a no-hitter against the Padres on Saturday.  Lincecum has been hurt by some bad luck in the form of a .312 BABIP and 67.4% strand rate — his advanced metrics (3.34 FIP, 3.25 xFIP, 3.54 SIERA) indicate that his 4.26 ERA should be lower.  As I recently noted on MLBTR's sister fantasy site Roto Authority, Lincecum was a good buy-low candidate for your fantasy league, though the no-hitter has likely upped his value.

Minor Moves: Jeremy Bonderman, Omir Santos

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We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..

  • The Tigers have signed right-hander Jeremy Bonderman to a minor league contract and he will report to Triple-A Toledo, the team announced on its Twitter feed. Bonderman rejoins the Tigers organization, where he pitched from 2003-2010, after refusing an outright assignment by the Mariners Thursday and electing free agency. The 30-year-old was designated for assignment Monday after posting a 4.93 ERA, 3.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.94 HR/9, and 42.5% groundball rate in 38 1/3 innings over seven starts for the Mariners.  
  • The Indians announced that they have outrighted catcher Omir Santos to Triple-A Columbus.  Santos, who has experience in parts of five MLB seasons with the Orioles, Mets, Tigers, and Indians, has a career .266/.303/.351 slash line at the Triple-A level.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Reliever Trade Talk: Parnell, Red Sox, Giants

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The Twins and Mets "should learn from the mistake the Royals made with Joakim Soria," writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs, and trade closers Glen Perkins and Bobby Parnell.  Cameron's argument is convincing: "Relievers, even really good young relievers, should be viewed as ripe fruit. They are great for a while, but you don’t store ripe fruit for the future planning on having a healthy snack later. You consume it now or waste it."  The latest from around the relief trade market:

Phillies Notes: Papelbon, Tigers, Young

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Here's a look at the latest out of Philly..

  • The Phillies have been spotted scouting the Tigers' system for a second time, but a deal involving Jonathan Papelbon is still considered unlikely, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.  Papelbon making $13MM a year through 2015 with a very attainable vesting option for 2016 and even though Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has never been shy about spending, word is that money will be more of an issue this time around.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that the move for the Phillies to make is not to trade Papelbon, but to add another reliever who is under control through at least 2014.  The Phillies are in the midst of a mini-surge and trading away their closer wouldn't make sense at this time.  However, adding another reliever would give them additional support if they make a run this season and a closer-in-waiting if they decide to move Papelbon further down the road.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney joined WEEI's Mut & Merloni earlier today and discussed the possibility of the Red Sox dealing for the Phillies' Michael Young.  Olney says that before Boston can think about trading for the former Ranger, they have to determine exactly how well they feel he can play the third base position.
  • Earlier today, we heard that the Phillies are focused on buying rather than selling.
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