Tigers Interested In Derek Lowe
The Tigers are looking for starting pitching, and that search has led them to a native Michiganite. Detroit has expressed interest in Derek Lowe according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, though the two sides have not yet had any serious talks.
Money could be an issue for the Tigers, as Morosi notes. Lowe is owed approximately $6MM for the rest of this season and is under contract for $15MM next year. That said, the prospect cost would be much less significant than it would be for someone like Ubaldo Jimenez. The 38-year-old Lowe has a 4.30 ERA in 113 innings this season, though he has his highest strikeout rate (6.5 K/9) in four years with his typically high ground ball rate (59.9%).
All things being equal, Morosi says Detroit would prefer to add a left-handed starter to a rotation currently lacking one. The Braves would be able to use any cash savings towards adding a hitter. These two teams have gotten together for a number of trades in recent years as our Transaction Tracker shows.
Rosenthal On Nolasco, Rays, Upton, Jimenez
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brought us another edition of Full Count today while sporting yet another fantastic bow tie. Here are some highlights..
- The Marlins could wind up trading Ricky Nolasco if they fail to get back to the .500 mark. The Rangers have shown interest in Nolasco since last winter and the Yankees could look to reunite him with manager Joe Girardi. If the Fish make such a deal, it won't be in one of their classic salary dumps, it will be instead for baseball reasons. They're looking to increase their payroll ahead of their move into a brand new stadium and they could be major players for free agents this winter.
- The Rays still could end up as sellers but right now they appear to be buyers as they were looking to get Francisco Rodriguez before the Brewers swooped in at the final hour. If Tampa Bay sells, it's doubtful that they'll move any of their starters but B.J. Upton is another story. In theory, the Nationals, Phillies, and Braves could all be potential destinations for the outfielder.
- The three teams with the best chance of meeting the Rockies' asking price for Ubaldo Jimenez are the Yankees, Tigers, and Reds. The concerns with Jimenez are that he's not back to his 2009/early 2010 form and that his velocity has dropped. One scout told Rosenthal that he's not back to his ace form yet but he's getting close.
- The first-place Pirates are after upgrades but they should also improve from within. They have a number of injured players returning such as Jose Tabata, Evan Meek, and Ross Ohlendorf. The Bucs continue to search for a bat but they're not terribly interested in the Cubs' Carlos Pena.
Olney’s Latest: Trade Market, Tigers, D’Backs, Beltran
In today's Insider-only blog post, Buster Olney says that a high-ranking official told him the "dam is about ready to burst on the trade market." The number of phone calls is multiplying and everyone is getting more serious. "I think that once July 24 hits, that's when you're going to see a bunch of things happen," said an AL official. "There's a lot of talk."
Let's round up Olney's rumors…
- The Tigers continue to look for high-end starters, not the third and fourth starter types that flood the market. They had scouts at Ubaldo Jimenez's most recent start.
- The Diamondbacks are focused on less expensive relief pitchers, like Brad Ziegler and Jason Isringhausen.
- The Mariners are pitching-rich and willing to listen to offers. Erik Bedard's knee may be healthy in time for him to make two starts before the deadline.
- Josh Willingham "is going to be traded at some point."
- Since the left-handed relief market is so thin, teams have begun scouting right-handed relievers that are effective against lefties. David Pauley, Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Tyler Clippard, and Joel Peralta fit the bill.
- In a tweet, Olney says the Mets are insisting on a top prospect in return for Carlos Beltran. He adds that pressure on the Giants to add a bat is decreasing as their division lead continues to grow.
Olney On Tigers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Beltran
Teams looking to trade for outfield help will encounter a buyers’ market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest from around MLB, with the most recent rumors up top:
- The Tigers are pursuing pitching aggressively, checking in on high-end arms, according to Olney (on Twitter).
- The Pirates are looking for an outfielder who can be a stable presence in their lineup. They have asked around for veteran outfielders (Twitter link).
- The D'Backs are looking for relievers who have yet to go to arbitration, not expensive veterans (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox, Braves and Phillies would “undoubtedly” love to acquire Carlos Beltran, but all three clubs are distancing themselves from the teams behind them in the standings, so they could decide to acquire a second-tier bat instead of surrendering an elite prospect for Beltran.
- Hunter Pence will likely stay in Houston unless the Astros are “overwhelmed,” according to Olney.
- The A’s are listening on Josh Willingham.
- Rival GMs believe that a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez is “all but impossible,” since the Rockies would ask for so much in a trade for their ace. The Rockies will listen on Jimenez, who is on the Reds' radar.
Quick Hits: Cardinals, Tigers, Rays, Peacock
That terrified gasp you heard earlier this evening was from Blue Jays fans and Jose Bautista fantasy owners. The star slugger was forced to leave Toronto's 16-7 win over the Yankees due to a twisted right ankle suffered in the fourth inning. X-rays were negative and Bautista will likely undergo an MRI tomorrow, reports Shi Davidi of Rogers Sportsnet.
Some news from around the majors…
- The Cardinals are shopping for both starting and relief pitching, but their trade efforts are complicated by the Albert Pujols negotiations looming this winter, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach. There's also pressure on the club to win now since this could be the last season for both Pujols and Chris Carpenter in St. Louis.
- Speaking of pressure, it "might be higher than ever" in Detroit since GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland are both in the last year of their contracts, notes MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Tigers are also looking to add starting pitching and possibly a right-handed reliever, though Beck says the club will look internally (possibly the returning Carlos Guillen) to solve its second base problem.
- With their next seven games against the Red Sox and Yankees, the Rays may know by next week if they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, writes MLB.com's Bill Chastain. If the Rays are in contention, however, Andrew Friedman says it doesn't mean the Rays will deal prospects for big upgrades since "because of our situation, our prospects mean more to us than any other team in baseball."
- Brad Peacock is now represented by the ACES agency, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (Twitter link). The Nationals right-hander was a 41st-round pick in the 2006 draft but was recently ranked as the 42st-best minor leaguer in the game on Baseball America's midseason prospect list.
- The White Sox have signed third-round draft pick Jeff Soptic, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. Soptic's contract bonus was worth $320K, $40.1K over MLB's recommended slot price for the 110th overall pick.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy runs down the week's minor league transactions.
- A source tells Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles that the Angels are "pinching pennies" and won't be looking to add payroll at the trade deadline.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Brad Thomas
Here's where we'll keep track of the players who get outrighted to the minor leagues today…
- The Tigers announced that they reinstated left-hander Brad Thomas from the disabled list and outrighted him to Triple-A. He has 72 hours to accept or decline the assignment. The 33-year-old native of Australia allowed 17 hits, 11 earned runs and six walks in 11 innings before hitting the disabled list.
Tigers Have Interest In Beltran, Focused On Pitching
The Tigers have interest in Carlos Beltran, but a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the team is still focused on finding a starting pitcher. They are not having any serious talks with the Royals about Jeff Francis, with the Astros about Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez, or with the Cubs about Ryan Dempster. They're also unlikely to acquire Erik Bedard from Seattle, according to Morosi.
Detroit has gotten very little production out of left field (.251/.296/.387) and center field (.244/.320/.369) this year, so Beltran would be an obvious help. Tim Dierkes wrote about their left field plight earlier this week. Their rotation is middle of the pack with a 4.08 ERA, but that is boosted by the great Justin Verlander (2.15). Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Brad Penny all have 4.50+ ERA's, and Phil Coke (4.88 ERA) has just been replaced by rookie Charlie Furbush. The Tigers maintain their interest in Hiroki Kuroda.
Soria Can Block Trades To Dodgers, Rockies, Braves
The Dodgers, Rockies and Braves have replaced the Tigers, Cubs and Cardinals on Joakim Soria's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com (on Twitter). The reliever can still block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies with his no-trade clause, which would provide him with leverage in the unlikely event of a proposed deal.
The asking price for Soria is "exorbitant," according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who hears that Royals officials have never had upper-level talks about the closer with the Yankees.
Soria, 27, has a 4.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 38 innings this year. He had a difficult May during which he briefly lost the closer's job, but has recovered to post a 14K/2BB ratio since with just one earned run allowed in 16 innings in June and July.
The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games this year (he has finished 26 games so far). The Royals also have an $8MM option for Soria in 2013 ($750K buyout) and an $8.75MM option for 2014 ($750K buyout). Keep up with Soria and every other MLB closer at closernews.com.
Heyman On K-Rod, Sabathia, Fielder, Beltran
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Francisco Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin shortly after last night's trade, at which point Heyman says "Boras made the case that K-Rod should close, suggesting he wouldn't do nearly as well setting up." Melvin was apparently noncommital in that conversation, as he has been publicly. K-Rod would become the highest-paid reliever in baseball history if his option vests, though Boras wouldn't get commission on a contract brokered by Wasserman Media Group in 2008. Heyman suggests an unhappy Rodriguez is a scary concept, but based on the player's tweets (in Spanish), he's content.
- Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia "has done some selling on the Yankees" to his friend Prince Fielder. Heyman doesn't take this as a sign the Yankees are interested in Fielder as a very expensive designated hitter, but rather an indication that Sabathia expects to stick around with the club after this season.
- Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman told Yahoo's Jeff Passan he expects Fielder to top Albert Pujols in total dollars due to the age difference, but Albert should get the higher average annual value.
- Heyman sees the Tigers as a potential suitor for Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran. He believes the Tigers could add a bat at second base, third base, or outfield.
Contenders In Need Of A Left Field Upgrade
As many as seven contenders could seek a left field upgrade at the trade deadline:
- Rays: The Rays are five games out in the wild card, so acquiring talent for the short-term remains possible. They've been using Sam Fuld and Justin Ruggiano lately.
- Tigers: The team has employed a bunch of different corner outfielders, but primary options Brennan Boesch and Magglio Ordonez might be sufficient.
- White Sox: The Sox have stuck with Juan Pierre, who was at least useful in May and is having a solid July. Internally, they could give more playing time to Brent Lillibridge or promote Dayan Viciedo.
- Phillies: Raul Ibanez has had a rough year, but has shown power this month and in May. He's earning $11.5MM, which limits the Phillies' flexibility.
- Braves: The Braves have been using Nate McLouth in left and Jordan Schafer in center lately with Martin Prado on the DL. Prado will fill in for Chipper Jones at third upon his return.
- Reds: The Reds have tried Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes, and Fred Lewis. Overall none of them have been awful but no one has run away with the job.
- Giants: Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, and perhaps Pat Burrell are in the mix. Brandon Belt could enter the picture as well, so the Giants may already have enough to choose from.
None of these clubs are a slam dunk to acquire a left fielder, but the Braves, Phillies, and Reds seem more likely than the others. Potential trade targets could include Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Luke Scott (if healthy), David DeJesus, Marcus Thames, Laynce Nix, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, and Juan Rivera, with Soriano and Lee long shots to be dealt.