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Cafardo On Hernandez, Upton, Bard, Gordon

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As teams scan the trade market for pieces that can make a difference down the stretch, many GMs are experiencing sticker shock, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  “Some of the demands out there are ludicrous,” said one NL adviser. “We asked about a lefty pitcher and they asked us for our best pitching, best hitting, and a couple of other established players. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ That’s why I’m thinking despite all the talking, I’m not sure much is going to get done.”  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • The Rays have sniffed around on Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez.  The Mets and Nationals are also said to have interest in the veteran, though teams are wary of the $3.2MM owed to him in 2013.
  • Diamondbacks rightfielder Justin Upton hasn’t drawn as much interest as expected.  The Pirates obviously have a great deal of interest in him but find the asking price was prohibitive.  Pittsburgh may also be interested in B.J. Upton of the Rays and they inquired on Billy Butler of the Royals and the Phillies' Shane Victorino.
  • The Cubs could be interested in Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard in a Matt Garza trade. Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod all have a strong history with the right-hander.
  • There hasn't been much news about him in the last week or so, but Red Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach remains a viable option for teams like the Mets in need of a catcher.  Boston can afford to part with him as well with Ryan Lavarnway waiting in Pawtucket. 
  • Cafardo cautions not to dismiss possible interest by the Yankees in Royals outfielder Alex Gordon, with Brett Gardner having surgery.
  • The Orioles, Tigers, and Royals are among the teams that have made inquiries on Mariners left-hander Jason Vargas.

D’Backs, Tigers Have Talked Drew & Peralta

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The Diamondbacks and Tigers have discussed a trade involving Stephen Drew and Jhonny Peralta according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com. The deal was characterized as a "long shot," however.

Detroit is one of several teams who have expressed interest in Drew. The 29-year-old has hit just .214/.274/.286 in 62 plate appearances after coming back from his ankle injury and will become a free agent after the season. Peralta, 30, owns a .271/.337/.415 batting line in 333 plate appearances this year. His contract includes a $6MM club option ($500K buyout) for 2013.

Tigers & Angels Have Interest In James Shields

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Both the Tigers and Angels have interest in Rays right-hander James Shields according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The two teams scouted his start yesterday and are known to be seeking pitching upgrades. Heyman reiterates that Tampa is looking for a young catcher and pitching help in any deal.

Shields, 30, has seen his ERA rise to 4.39 this year, more than a run and a half higher than last season. He leads the league in hits allowed but remains a dependable innings-eater with strong strikeout (8.5 K/9) and walk (2.7 BB/9) rates. Shields is owed $7MM this year with a $9MM club option for 2013 and an $11MM club option for 2014, so he's very affordable.

Heyman notes (on Twitter) that the Tigers appear to be prioritizing second base help at the moment. Detroit's win this afternoon moved them into first place in the AL Central, but their non-Justin Verlander starters have a 4.82 ERA on the season. The Angels have received excellent work from Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, but Dan Haren has dealt with a back issue and Ervin Santana has struggled.

AL East Notes: Shields, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles

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Several teams, including the Tigers and Angels, had scouts in attendance for Rays right-hander James Shields' start against Seattle today, write Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Blue Jays also had scouts on hand, indicating that Shields could be a hot commodity as the deadline approaches.  As for Detroit, sources say that the Tigers have had interest in Shields for years and could ply him away with catching prospects Rob Brantly and James McCann.  The Rays aren't necessarily shopping Shields but GM Andrew Friedman will listen to offers on him as well as Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb, and Wade Davis, sources say.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • As you might imagine, the ten-player deal between the Blue Jays and Astros wasn't exactly easy to put together.  Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) that he had 20 conversations with Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos last night alone.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette told reporters, including Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun that he's on the lookout for high on-base percentage hitters.  “Hopefully, [Omar Quintanilla] is a good on-base man. Take a look at his OBP capabilities with the Mets. He was good. We hope he brings the same [thing] with us. … "[But] we are looking at our on-base capabilities. No question. We need to do a better job with that," Duquette said.
  • Anthopoulos told reporters that the two teams will work out the player to be named later in the trade by the end of August, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday

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Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start in St. Louis against the Cardinals tonight amid rumors that his time with the Cubs will soon come to an end. The Red Sox are no longer in on Dempster, but the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals still seem to be involved, based on yesterday's rumors. Here are today's Dempster rumors, with the most recent updates up top:

  • In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams interested in Dempster, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  Even though a report yesterday suggested that the Red Sox are out on Dempster, Boston has made an offer, according to another source.  However, it is unclear if the right-hander is willing to switch leagues. 
  • Dempster is one of four or five starters the Nationals are pursuing, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). The Nationals would need to get creative to complete a trade and the Braves don't appear to be pursuing Dempster aggressively. They prefer starters under team control beyond 2012.
  • A handful of teams are involved in trade talks and some proposals have been exchanged, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
  • The Cardinals are monitoring every starter on the market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They aren't a likely fit for Dempster, since they're reluctant to part with prospects for a rental player.
  • The Cubs would likely get one or two young arms in return for Dempster if they trade him to Los Angeles, Morosi tweets.
  • The Cardinals have checked in on Dempster, Heyman tweets.
  • There's a 50-50 chance the Dodgers and Cubs will complete a deal for Dempster, Morosi tweets. The sides are still discussing prospects, so there's time for another team to jump in with an impressive offer.
  • The Nationals are said to be trying hard on Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Braves are in as well, and one GM believes the Dodgers are the favorites to land the righty.
  • The Tigers maintain interest in Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Dodgers continue in "hot pursuit" of Dempster, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com tweets. The Dodgers still have an offer on the table and are hoping to complete a deal as soon as possible.
  • Trade talks could drag on for a few more days, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Dodgers and Cubs haven’t found common ground in discussions about Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Other teams are being aggressive.

Starting Pitching Rumors: Nationals, Greinke, Tigers

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The Nationals, Braves, Tigers and Dodgers are in on Ryan Dempster, who could be traded sooner, rather than later. But what about the rest of the starting pitcher market? Here’s the latest:

  • The Nationals don't intend to trade top prospects for a starting pitcher, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
  • The Tigers intend to trade for a difference-making starting pitcher, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Rays appear to be telling teams James Shields isn't available yet, Knobler adds.
  • It’s possible that Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke will both remain with their current teams at the trade deadline, and if they stay put demand will increase for the next tier of available starters, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The trade value of pitchers such as Shields and Matt Garza would increase and teams undecided about their midseason plans — the Marlins and Rays, for example — could decide to take advantage of the market and sell.
  • One rival executive said he’s “very” concerned about Greinke given his recent poor performances and potential fatigue issues. Another executive told Rosenthal that Greinke is a scary potential trade target.
  • The Orioles are among the teams that have shown interest in Bartolo Colon, Rosenthal reports.
  • The Tigers are still interested in acquiring a starting pitcher, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). However, they aren’t serious players in the market for Greinke.
  • In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney explained that players can improve their trade value by performing well in the days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Paul Maholm of the Cubs is one example, and clubs have already shown an interest in him. – Mike Axisa

AL Central Notes: Liriano, Hernandez, Tigers

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As Tigers left-hander Phil Coke celebrates his 30th birthday, here's are a few rumors from around the AL Central…

  • The Twins are looking for pitching in exchange for Francisco Liriano and in any deadline deal, reports Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
  • Indians right-hander Roberto Hernandez is expected to soon receive a new visa that would allow him to return to the United States, reports MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  Hernandez has been training in the Dominican Republic but would require some minor league starts before returning to the Tribe and may yet face a suspension for using his false "Fausto Carmona" identity, though the Indians don't think a suspension is likely.
  • James Schmehl of MLive.com suggests the Tigers could trade the extra draft pick they were awarded in yesterday's inaugural competitive balance lottery.  The Tigers will get a compensation pick after the second round and, unlike other MLB draft picks, these competitive balance picks are allowed to be dealt.

Stephen Drew Drawing Interest

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3:37pm: The Pirates haven't had discussions about Drew with the Diamondbacks either, Olney reports (on Twitter).

3:27pm: The Red Sox and Diamondbacks have not spoken about Drew, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter).

1:21pm: The Pirates, Red Sox and Tigers are among the teams interested in Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. Drew has played in 15 games this season since returning from the ankle injury that sidelined him for most of a year.

No team in baseball has obtained a lower OPS from its shortstops than the Pirates (.515), as noted in the FOX report. The Red Sox would likely use Drew in a reserve role and the Tigers, who are also interested in Diamondbacks infielder Ryan Roberts, could use him off the bench or at shortstop. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks would rely on Willie Bloomquist and John McDonald if they complete a trade.

Drew earns $7.75MM this year on a contract that includes a $10MM mutual option for 2013 ($1.35MM buyout). He has a .192/.246/.250 batting line in 57 plate appearances since returning from the disabled list. Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick expressed his disappointment in Drew earlier this year.

The Mariners have discussed Drew with the Diamondbacks, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported this week. Rosenthal has suggested that the Athletics could also be a fit for Drew.

East Notes: Rays, Infante, Ankiel, Moyer

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On average, the ten teams in baseball's two East divisions are four games over .500. Here’s the latest from the two divisions…

  • Rays president Matt Silverman says MLB needs to make significant changes to its economic structure, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. “We have advocated for meaningful change, especially when it comes to addressing the dramatic imbalances in our game,” Silverman said. “Meaningful change has not occurred.” The Rays were one of two eligible teams that didn’t obtain an additional draft pick in yesterday’s competitive balance lottery. Silverman called the picks “trifling.”
  • The Tigers have barely obtained any offensive production from second base this year, so John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press discusses the possibility of a reunion with Omar Infante in light of yesterday's report linking the Tigers to the Marlins infielder.
  • The Nationals recently asked a Mets person if they'd have interest in Rick Ankiel, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The Nationals believe the recently-designated Ankiel is a Major League caliber player and they expect him to be picked up by another club, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). Peter Gammons of MLB Network suggests on Twitter that Ankiel would be a "great fit" for the Yankees.
  • Jamie Moyer intends to continue pitching, Tom Mahon of the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "I'm not retired," Moyer said, adding that his agent is working to find a fit for him. Moyer, 49, has been a free agent since the Blue Jays released him two weeks ago.

Quick Hits: Greinke, Hunter, Ruggiano, Marlins

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Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…

  • There doesn't appear to have been much contract dialogue between the Brewers and Zack Greinke, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. As of today, there is no evidence that a formal offer has been made even though we heard last week that the team was prepared to make one.
  • Torii Hunter told Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that he's willing to take a big paycut to return to the Angels next season. Hunter is in the final year of his five-year, $90MM deal. If things don't work out with the Halos, the outfielder said he would consider playing for the Yankees, Rangers, or Dodgers. Retirement would be an option as well.
  • The Marlins have no intention of trading Justin Ruggiano, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro (on Twitter). The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .368/.440/.705 in 111 plate appearances for Miami this season.
  • Frisaro also notes (on Twitter) that the Marlins are not dangling Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, or Mark Buehrle. Yesterday we heard that the team could become sellers if they don't turn things around in the coming weeks.
  • The Yankees, Tigers, and Royals were all on hand to watch Wandy Rodriguez get knocked around by the Padres this afternoon according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The left-hander remains available before the trade deadline.
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