Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels Rumors

Hunter Pence Rumors: Thursday

By | at

Yesterday we learned that the Phillies offered Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and a second-tier pitching prospect for Hunter Pence, but the Astros did not pull the trigger.  Domonic Brown may have been available as well, but it appears Pence will remain with Houston until the offseason at least.  The latest:

  • The Astros are deep into trade talks and could deal Pence as soon as Friday, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, who confirms that the Phillies are the leading candidate to acquire the outfielder.
  • The Astros are "mulling" the Braves' offer for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Braves' offer is "significant" and is built around highly-regarded pitching prospects, but does not include Julio Teheran, according to Stark.
  • The Phillies are making progress toward a deal for Pence, but they'll have to reach an agreement by Friday or the Astros will move on to other suitors, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Phillies would include Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton in a deal for Pence, according to FOX. The Astros prefer younger prospects and Domonic Brown is not currently in the trade. The Braves, who have "more restrictions" on their prospects, would enter the fray along with the Reds and Red Sox if the Phillies don't complete a deal.
  • The Phillies have been Pence's most serious suitor and the Braves have a high level of interest as well, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Angels aren't seriously pursuing Pence and the Astros may be reluctant to trade Pence to the Reds and Pirates, two NL Central rivals.
  • The Phillies and Braves continue pursuing Pence and the Indians are still involved, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). There's a better than 50/50 chance of a deal. The Rangers aren't seriously pursuing Pence, however.
  • The Astros appear to be moving closer to trading Pence, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Six teams are involved, but no deal is imminent.
  • The Phillies' hope that the Astros will move Pence seems to be holding up the Phils' conversations with the Padres about Ryan Ludwick and Mike Adams, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Olney's colleague Jayson Stark adds that interest in Pence is exploding since the Beltran trade, naming the Phillies, Braves, Reds, and Red Sox as suitors.
  • Interest in Pence has picked up considerably with Carlos Beltran off the market, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • As many as eight teams are in on Pence, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, including the Phillies and Braves.  Rosenthal says the Astros are listening.
  • The Braves are the last team in on Pence, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  The Phillies "seem to have all but given up" on Pence after their big offer was rejected.

Los Angeles Notes: Carroll, Ethier, Kuroda, Angels

By | at

The Angels are buyers and the Dodgers are sellers, but what are the Angels looking to acquire and who are the Dodgers willing to part with? Here are the latest rumors…

  • The Indians are discussing Kuroda and Carroll with the Dodgers, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers have had continued dialogue with the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that interest in Hiroki Kuroda is intensifying, with the Yankees at the forefront. The Red Sox, Rangers, Tigers, and Indians remain in the mix. Kuroda has not yet been presented with a formal trade offer to accept or decline.
  • The odds of an Andre Ethier trade are "very slim" and the Dodgers would have to be blown away to move the outfielder, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Red Sox haven't had serious discussions with the Dodgers about a deal for Ethier, who isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that there's little belief that Kuroda will accept a trade out of Los Angeles (Twitter link). The right-hander can block deals to any team.
  • The Angels are more focused on acquiring relievers than adding third base help, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter).

Miller On Upton, Angels, Slowey

By | at

Scott Miller of CBSSports.com has updates on the trade market. Here they are… 

  • Miller’s sources expect the Rays to trade B.J. Upton by Sunday (click here for the latest on Upton).
  • Angels owner Arte Moreno has approved a payroll increase, according to Miller. The Angels are looking for a third baseman, but they would send Erick Aybar to the Mets for Jose Reyes straight up, according to Miller. The Mets, however, aren’t interested; they’ll keep Reyes instead.
  • Minnesota is expected to trade Kevin Slowey, who continues to draw interest, according to Miller. Earlier tonight, we heard that the Rockies are interested in Slowey.

Nationals Interested In Peter Bourjos

By | at

Welcome to life as a trade target, Peter Bourjos. The Nationals have expressed interest in the Angels' outfielder, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (Twitter links). They've already been linked to B.J. Upton and Colby Rasmus as their search for a center fielder continues. In addition to Bourjos, Upton and Rasmus, the Nationals are also scouting Denard Span and Michael Bourn these days, Ladson reports.

Bourjos, 24, debuted early last August, so he has roughly one season of MLB experience. His .242/.286/.385 line is far from spectacular, but he has 21 steals (28 attempts) and, unsurprisingly, UZR suggests that his blazing speed translates into tremendous outfield defense (30.0 UZR/150). Bourjos, who recently returned from a stint on the disabled list with a tight right hamstring, isn't arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season or eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season.

Angels Still Prioritizing Offense

By | at

The Angels priority this week is to add a bat, writes CBS Sports' Scott Miller, preferably a third baseman.  Internally, they've discussed Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs and Michael Cuddyer of the Twins.

Miller says the Halos have considered making a run at Cuddyer and using him at third base.  However, the Twins "remain in go-for-it mode" and actually might add a reliever.  Plus, Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote earlier this month that a Twins official said the team would keep Cuddyer and attempt to re-sign him even if they fall out of contention.  So, the Angels, Giants, and other suitors are probably out of luck.  

As for Aramis, the Angels' best bet will be to hope he'll waive his no-trade rights after his kids return to school in August.  Also on the Angels front, Kevin Baxter of the L.A. Times reported today that the Marlins are scouting them closely.

West Rumors: Angels, Iannetta, Rangers

By | at

The latest on a few AL and NL West clubs…

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:

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