Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

Stark On Bell, Beltran, Rays, Giants

By | at

The latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • The Rangers and Phillies are the favorites for Padres closer Heath Bell, with the Cardinals, Angels, Braves, and Reds also in the mix.
  • One executive Stark spoke to wouldn't be surprised to see a dark horse like the Reds or Brewers make a late run at Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran.
  • An official who spoke with the Rays over the weekend said that while they're not trading James Shields, they'll decide later this week on players like Johnny Damon and Kyle Farnsworth.  B.J. Upton could be dealt even if the team closes its 6.5 game wild card deficit.
  • The Rays and Blue Jays have been scouting each other's farm systems recently.  One scout speculated that the Jays could join a three-team Upton trade somehow.
  • One team says Brian Sabean's off-limits prospects are Zack Wheeler, Heath Hembree, and Gary Brown, along with Brandon Belt.  That'd leave the team without any top 50 prospects to move, with Francisco Peguero and Ehire Adrianza in the next tier based on Baseball America's preseason rankings.  There's also Double-A lefty Eric Surkamp, who brought his ERA down to 2.00 yesterday.
  • The Phillies are steering teams to their High-A Clearwater club, as they don't want to trade big leaguers and not to add much more than a million bucks in payroll.  Jonathan Singleton, Brody Colvin, Trevor May, Sebastian Valle, and Jiwan James are names to watch there assuming Jarred Cosart is untouchable.  Stark says the Phillies have cooled on Beltran and Hunter Pence is a long shot, so the focus is now the back end of the bullpen.  Heath Bell is the top target, with Brandon League also on the radar.

Quick Hits: Hanley, Phillies, Zduriencik, Darvish

By | at

The Mariners' losing streak extended to 14 games after dropping a 3-1 result to Boston today.  Seattle's 14-game skid ties a franchise record for consecutive losses.

Some news from around the majors….

  • In a radio appearance with Dan LeBatard (partially transcribed by Matt Forman of the Miami Herald), Jeff Conine said that if it was up to him, the Marlins would trade Hanley Ramirez.  Conine might have just been using the interview to vent, but given Conine's status as a special assistant to Marlins president David Samson, it's worth wondering if others in the Florida front office feel the same way about the club's star shortstop.
  • Also from Forman's post, Marlins manager Jack McKeon doesn't think his team will do much, if anything at the trade deadline.
  • Ruben Amaro's reputation for major trade deadline deals has raised expectations that the Phillies GM will make another big move this summer, writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • The Mariners' losing streak has erased the fact that the club was in the AL West hunt just two weeks ago.  GM Jack Zduriencik tells Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that he tried to find help for the Mariners' terrible offense but to no avail.  "That big bat doesn't seem to be out there at a reasonable cost. It's not as easy as saying, 'We need a bat. Let's go get a bat.' Great. Who's giving one up? Lots of clubs who are doing well are looking for a bat," Zduriencik said.
  • The Nationals still have an interest in Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
  • It's been almost 20 years since the Dodgers were last sellers at the trade deadline, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times.
  • The Angels aren't expected to make any huge deals at the deadline, though Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times notes the Halos have been "eagerly courting" the Padres with the hopes of adding Heath Bell or Mike Adams.
  • Dennis Manoloff of the Cleveland Plain Dealer looks back at the Indians' history at the trade deadline since 1994.

Stark On Shields, Melky, Soria, Marlins

By | at

Astros GM Ed Wade has been determining the market for his players, including Hunter Pence, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Incoming owner Jim Crane urged Wade to do so in case appealing offers emerge. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors: 

  • Given Wade’s uncertain future in Houston, at least one executive suggests the GM needs to make a "job-saving deal" if he trades Pence.
  • The Rays are more likely to trade B.J. Upton than James Shields, though they realize Shields’ value has never been higher (the right-hander won't be going to the Bronx). 
  • The Phillies remain in contact with the Royals about Melky Cabrera, but the Royals have told teams they’re more likely to deal Jeff Francoeur. Kansas City is asking for a number three starter who’s nearly Major League ready in return for Cabrera.
  • Clubs that have inquired on Vance Worley have heard that he’s off of the market.
  • The Braves have shown some interest in Heath Bell, whose most aggressive suitors have been the Rangers, Cardinals, Phillies and Angels. The Padres are telling teams that they’ll need to “clearly surpass” the value of two compensatory draft picks in any deal for Bell, though they’re flexible in terms of the type of player they’d accept in return.
  • The Padres continue to field calls on Mike Adams, who will be tougher to obtain than Bell.
  • The Yankees, Phillies and Diamondbacks appear to have checked in on Joakim Soria.
  • The Red Sox are looking at everything, but aren’t approaching the deadline with much urgency, one AL executive told Stark.
  • Rival teams expect that the Dodgers will trade Jamey Carroll and there are indications that Rafael Furcal is drawing interest as well.
  • The Marlins, who hope to build momentum before opening their new stadium in 2012, are in a “holding pattern,” Stark reports. They’ve shown interest in third basemen.
  • Rival teams report that the Phillies say they won’t move Domonic Brown or top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart. Jonathan Singleton is available in the right deal, but the Phillies don’t expect to trade him for a rental player.
  • Stark reminds us that commissioner Bud Selig ruled out contraction at the All-Star Game.

Heyman On Astros, Adams, Matsui, Yankees

By | at

Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane has ordered a decrease in payroll from $76MM to $60MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on Houston’s deadline plans and other notes from around MLB:

  • The Astros are looking for at least three pieces for Hunter Pence. They’d probably demand young, MLB-ready talent, so a deal appears unlikely.
  • Houston is shopping Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers harder than Pence
  • Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Heyman that he’d have to be “blown away” to trade Mike Adams and that he’d prefer to keep the setup man.
  • The Rangers are in talks with the Padres about Heath Bell, who is also drawing interest from the Cardinals, Angels and Reds.
  • No one has called the A’s about Hideki Matsui and Oakland isn’t looking to trade Grant Balfour. 
  • The A’s are taking calls on Michael Wuertz, Brian Fuentes and Craig Breslow.
  • The Yankees’ wish list includes a right-handed bat along with a lefty reliever and a starter. Perhaps the newly-signed Marcus Thames will help the Yankees at some point in 2011.

Bullpen Notes: Royals, Angels, Braves, Cardinals

By | at

Virtually every contender could use relief help, as Tim Dierkes explained yesterday. Here's the latest on the bullpen market…

  • Kansas City GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that we shouldn’t read too much into rumors about the Royals’ closer, Joakim Soria. “We certainly understand and appreciate why there would be strong interest in him,” Moore said. “He’s a premium closer. But he fits for us, and our view of Joakim Soria hasn’t changed as it pertains to his importance to our team.”
  • Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times notes that the Angels are targeting relief help. 
  • There is "growing reason" to expect the Braves to explore deals for relief help, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
  • The Cardinals are among the teams looking for a starters, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The St. Louis front office would likely shift Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen if they acquire a starter.

West Notes: Pentland, Bell, Breslow, Bedard

By | at

The latest on a few AL and NL West clubs…

  • The Dodgers fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland and named Dave Hansen interim coach through season's end, the team announced on Twitter.  Not that it's entirely Pentland's fault, but the Dodgers are 15th in the NL with 3.63 runs scored per game.
  • Padres closer Heath Bell appeared on ESPN's Doug Gottlieb show yesterday.  He thinks his top three suitors are the Rangers, Phillies, and Cardinals, and believes he'd probably close only for the Cards.  SI's Jon Heyman says the Padres have considered taking draft picks for Bell after the season or re-signing him if they don't get what they want this month.  Heyman lists the Phillies, Reds, Rangers, Cardinals, Pirates, Angels, (and the White Sox and Yankees to a lesser degree) as suitors.  By the way, check out our Bell archive over at CloserNews for fantasy advice.
  • Athletics lefty Craig Breslow interests the Brewers, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Morosi expects many A's to be dealt this month, and notes that the Rangers, Orioles, Giants, Pirates, Blue Jays, Brewers and Reds scouted Tuesday's game in Detroit.
  • Trade candidate Erik Bedard will likely have his return delayed until after the Mariners' series with Boston at Fenway this weekend, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  He might have one start to display his health prior to the July deadline.
  • Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told SI's Jon Heyman he hasn't heard nor has he asked about his situation.  Zduriencik's contract is up after this season.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti explained to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that "it's not that cut and dry" to label his club buyers or sellers.  Though the team has no chance in 2011, Colletti may be willing to acquire players who are controlled beyond this year.

Brown, Passan On Rockies, Reyes, Angels

By | at

A few more notes from Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo…

  • The Rockies are not actively shopping Chris Iannetta and Ty Wigginton, though they appeal to other teams.
  • Mets shortstop Jose Reyes told friends he'd love to sign with the Angels after the season.  However, the writers feel that Angels owner Arte Moreno is unlikely to win the bidding.  Plus, the team is content with Erick Aybar at shortstop.
  • The Halos' trade deadline emphasis is their bullpen, though they believe the cost of top-tier relievers like Heath Bell and Mike Adams is prohibitive.  They'll look at the next tier, and also consider third base upgrades.

Rosenthal On GM Job Security

By | at

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells us which GMs are on the hot seat in his latest column.  A few details…

  • Ed Wade (Astros) and Jim Hendry (Cubs) are deemed to be on the hot seat.  New Astros owner Jim Crane is expected to try to lure Rays decision-maker Andrew Friedman with the chance to run his hometown team.  As for the Cubs, Rosenthal finds speculation of a Pat Gillick-Hendry pairing to be far-fetched.  Rosenthal notes that the Cubs job, which has been occupied by Hendry for more than nine years, "might draw interest from some of the game's top current GMs."
  • Jack Zduriencik (Mariners), Tony Reagins (Angels), and Dave Dombrowski (Tigers) are viewed as "less than secure."
  • Brian Cashman (Yankees) and Andy MacPhail (Orioles) are in the final year of their contracts.  Rosenthal says "even some of Cashman’s friends in the industry think he might be ready to bolt."  Rosenthal says it'd be an upset if MacPhail returns for Baltimore.
  • Ned Colletti (Dodgers) and Kenny Williams (White Sox) are in unusual positions.  Colletti has an out after 2012, and of course his club is a picture of uncertainty.  As for Williams, he could theoretically become club president to allow the team to retain Rick Hahn, but Rosenthal's sources believe "such an arrangement would be difficult on both men."
  • Rosenthal tosses a "you never know" tag on Doug Melvin (Brewers) and Bill Smith (Twins), but finds the Pirates' Neal Huntington secure.    
  • We'll have much more on the topic of GM candidates next month.  But in MLBTR's survey of dozens of team executives and agents, the following people were named as candidates at least five times: Hahn, Jerry Dipoto, Thad Levine, David Forst, Ben Cherington, Tony LaCava, Mike Chernoff, Bryan Minniti, A.J. Preller, and Billy Eppler.

Angels Interested In Aramis Ramirez, Wilson Betemit

By | at

The Angels are interested in Aramis Ramirez and Wilson Betemit, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, Ramirez remains adamant that he will not accept a trade to any team, according to Rosenthal.

Ramirez's agent, Paul Kinzer, told Rosenthal that his client remains unwilling to accept any trade (Ramirez has ten and five rights). There's a chance that Ramirez would accept a deal in August, but the third baseman currently intends to finish his career in Chicago.

If traded, Ramirez would likely want his new club to drop his $16MM option for 2012 so that he can hit the open market after this season, Rosenthal reports. Ramirez's '12 option technically becomes guaranteed if he gets traded. 

Acquiring Betemit won't necessarily be much easier. The Brewers, who are looking for help on the left side of the infield, have discussed the 29-year-old with the Royals.

Angels third basemen – mainly Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis – have combined for a .285/.356/.364 line this year. Their .356 on-base average ranks fourth in baseball, but their .364 slugging percentage is 18th in MLB. Ramirez and Betemit would offer more power and less on-base percentage than Los Angeles' current options.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Sunday

By | at

The market for Carlos Beltran will become much more interesting if the Mets are willing to pay most or all of the outfielder's remaining salary in a deal, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post write. Within Sherman's column, an AL assistant GM points out that not many teams can afford to take on $6MM at this point, meaning the Mets have a decision to make: "Do they want salary relief or do they want to open up the field of interested teams by eating a lot of dollars, and get a better return?" Here are today's other Beltran rumors, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….

  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says that it's bad news for the Giants if the Mets are open to paying Beltran's price tag, since San Francisco would rather absorb salary and give up lesser prospects.
  • According to executives polled by Sherman, only the Giants and Tigers could afford to take on all of Beltran's remaining salary, among potentially interested clubs. If the Mets paid most or all of the cost, teams like the Indians, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Red Sox, Phillies, and Braves would all be in play.
  • Beltran is on the Angels' radar as well, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • One Mets official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that trading Beltran within the NL East isn't out of the question, saying it "would be a factor, but not prohibitive." In Sherman's piece, however, one AL exec questions whether the Wilpons would allow the team to deal Beltran to the Phillies or Braves, even if Sandy Alderson is willing to do so.
  • New York would probably have to gain about five games on Atlanta by July 31st to make keeping Beltran a viable option, says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top