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Rosenthal On Wright, Astros, Garza, Youkilis

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Here's the latest Full Count video from Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com …

  • Mets third baseman David Wright, a free agent after next season assuming his 2013 option is picked up, will likely seek an eight-year contract extension of $150MM, using the long-term deals of franchise players Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Kemp and Joey Votto as negotiating points.
  • With several hard-to-trade veterans on the roster in Wandy Rodriguez, Carlos Lee and Brett Myers, the Astros might be well advised to trade second baseman Jose Altuve as a means to replenish their farm system. Houston has a well-regarded second base prospect in the minors in Jimmy Paredes, who was acquired in the deal that sent Lance Berkman to the Yankees.
  • Most teams expect the Cubs to trade Matt Garza, but the North Siders are also considering re-signing the right-hander to a long-term extension. If the Cubs opt to trade Garza, though, they should be able to draw interest from pitching-needy AL East teams, as well as the Tigers.
  • The Red Sox are motivated to trade Kevin Youkilis sooner than later, wanting to preclude a distraction and limit the positional shuffling of Adrian Gonzalez, but potential suitors want to see Youkilis remain healthy and productive before buying. The Dodgers are an obvious fit, while the Diamondbacks, who expressed interest last offseason, might not have the financial flexibility to take on the $12MM owed to Youk.

Yankees Eyeing Matt Garza

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Matt Garza interests the Yankees more than other potentially available starters, so GM Brian Cashman could pursue the right-hander this summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox could also pursue Garza, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter).

The Yankees appear to have little interest in Brewers right-handers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Heyman writes. The team has concerns about how Greinke would pitch in New York and members of the New York front office aren’t sure about Marcum as an American Leaguer.

The Yankees also have concerns about Ryan Dempster’s ability to transition to the American League. While the Brewers have a buyer’s mindset, the Cubs appear willing to listen on most of their players. Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros could be another option for the Yankees, Heyman notes.

Quick Hits: Cabrera, Escobar, Astros

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Links for Thursday, as we await a particularly light schedule of games…

  • Melky Cabrera and the Giants haven’t made progress toward a long-term deal, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports wonders if the Blue Jays could trade Yunel Escobar when prospect Adeiny Hechavarria gets the call to the Major Leagues. The A’s, Mariners and Pirates could be positioned to trade pitching for Escobar, Morosi writes. Personally, I doubt the Blue Jays trade Escobar in the near future.
  • Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that it'll take more than one draft to add talent throughout the Astros organization. "I feel like there's a lot of pressure to do it in one draft," Luhnow said. "That's not going to happen." The Astros have the first overall selection on Monday.
  • Any bonus that exceeds $100K counts against a team’s bonus limit, even if it goes to a non-drafted free agent, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.

Rosenthal On Pirates, Astros, Rangers

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The acquisition of right-handers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom has proved integral to the Orioles' early season success. The same cannot be said for Jeremy Guthrie, sent to the Rockies by Baltimore in the same trade, as the right-hander has struggled in injury-limited action for Colorado. Let's check in with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports as he catches us up on news and rumors from around the league in his latest column:

  • The Pirates may be strong candidates to trade pitching for hitting the way the Mariners did when they traded Michael Pineda for Jesus Montero. While the Pirates' offense averages fewer than three runs per game their pitching staff has offered glimmers of hope. More specifically, the Pirates' bullpen leads the league in relief ERA with a plethora of quality relievers waiting for an opportunity at Triple-A Indianapolis.
  • Count Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow among the believers who think that the Astros may be buyers at the trade deadline given their plus-11 run differential heading into Memorial Day. “I do think so,” Luhnow said. “I don’t necessarily know if we’ll take on a whole bunch of salary. But we’ll look at every opportunity that comes our way, evaluate it in terms of short-term impact and medium and long-term impact. Look for Houston to attempt to trade Wandy Rodriguez, Carlos Lee and Brett Myers if the team begins to mimic last year's 106-loss club.
  • The inability to move right-hander Koji Uehara during the offseason and later during Spring Training has paid huge dividends for the Rangers this season. After struggling in Arlington upon being acquired from the Orioles, Uehara has rebounded nicely in 2012 by posting a 1.04 ERA with 9.9 K/9 and 1.0 BB/9.

Marlins Acquire Justin Ruggiano From Astros

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The Marlins have acquired outfielder Justin Ruggiano from the Astros in exchange for minor league catcher Jobduan Morales, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter). 

Ruggiano, 30, appeared in 46 big league games for the Rays in 2011 before signing a minor league deal with the Astros in February.  The outfielder was off to a strong start with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, hitting .325/.409/.581 in 138 plate appearances.

Morales, 20, spent the bulk of the year with Miami's New York-Pennsylvania League affiliate, hitting .272/.385/.450 in 52 games.  The switch-hitter was the Marlins' ninth-round pick in 2009.

NL Central Notes: Berkman, Cubs, Lucroy, Astros

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The light-hitting Pirates again didn't generate much offense on Friday, scoring just one run against the Cubs.  Fortunately for the Bucs, that lone run was all they needed — five Pittsburgh hurlers (started off by A.J. Burnett's scoreless 5 1/3 frames) combined to shut out Chicago in a 1-0 result.  The Cubs have now suffered 10 consecutive losses.

Here's the latest from around the division…

Minor Moves: Maine, Hernandez, Lindsay

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The latest minor moves…

  • The Yankees will sign right-hander John Maine to a minor league deal, Evan Drellich of MLB.com tweets. The Red Sox recently released the 31-year-old, who has missed considerable time with shoulder injuries. He posted a 7.43 ERA in 46 innings with the Rockies' top affiliate in 2011 before signing with the Red Sox this January.
  • The Cubs signed infielder Diory Hernandez, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. The Astros had released Hernandez earlier in the week.
  • The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Gaby Hernandez from the independent Frontier League, Eddy tweets. The 26-year-old pitched at Triple-A for the Diamondbacks and White Sox last year.
  • The Dodgers released right-hander Shane Lindsay, Eddy tweets. The reliever had walked more than one batter per inning at Triple-A this year.

Astros Release Diory Hernandez

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The Astros have released infielder Diory Hernandez, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).  Hernandez, 28, struggled offensively as he played for the club's Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.

Hernandez appeared in 75 games for the Braves from 2009-2011, making 138 plate appearances in total.  The veteran owns a .270/.311/.366 slash line across parts of five Triple-A campaigns with experience at second base, third base, and shortstop.

Minor Moves: Galarraga, Montanez, Barfield

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Tonight's minor moves..

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