Angels Rumors

Odds & Ends: Aybar, Haren, Hughes, Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 18, 2010 at 12:10pm CDT

Links for Friday, before the Subway Series, Stephen Strasburg's third MLB start and Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway…

Mike Scioscia tells Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times he's "very optimistic" that Erick Aybar's left knee injury won't lead to a DL stint. That reduces the chances that the Angels will go after a shortstop.
It's been a great year for young players like Strasburg and Mike Leake, as ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian shows.
Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D'Backs often hear trade rumors from Dan Haren, who reads MLBTR. As Piecoro explains, players are generally aware of the latest rumblings in "the era of the trade rumor."
Another top pitcher, Cliff Lee, chooses to ignore the rumors, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked 12 baseball insiders whether they would prefer to have Phil Hughes or Mike Pelfrey for the next five years and was surprised to see all 12 select Hughes.
Edwin Jackson and Dontrelle Willis say they have good memories of Detroit and no hard feelings over the trades that sent them to Arizona, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Angels May Need A Shortstop

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 17, 2010 at 10:16am CDT

Injuries to Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar could force the Angels to trade for or sign a shortstop. For now, GM Tony Reagins tells Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he’s hoping Aybar’s left knee and Izturis’ left forearm heal on schedule.

"Hopefully, our injury situation isn't long-term," Reagins said. "If it is, you'd probably have to look outside the organization."

The Angels are aware of available shortstops. Adam Everett is a free agent; Maicer’s half-brother Cesar Izturis could become a trade target; the Rays have shortstop depth; Stephen Drew, Ryan Theriot, Omar Vizquel and others could also be available. But the Angels aren’t pursuing any of them.

"We're not at that point," Reagins said.

It’s not a good year to be an Angels infielder. Kendry Morales is out for the season after breaking his leg, so the Angels have been linked to available first basemen for weeks. Despite these injuries, the Angels are just 2.0 games out of first place in the AL West.

Angels Designate Michael Ryan For Assignment

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 17, 2010 at 9:49am CDT

The Angels designated Michael Ryan for assignment after last night's game, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Ryan said he had "a blast" with the Angels, but the club had to make room for Jeff Mathis, who is coming off of the disabled list.

If Ryan clears waivers, the Angels would assign him to Triple A, but the utilityman hasn't decided whether he would accept the assignment. In 41 plate appearances, the 32-year-old hit .205/.220/.308. It was Ryan's first stint in the majors since 2005, when he played for the Twins.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Orioles, Cubs, Oswalt, Chipper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 16, 2010 at 2:56pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, before Pedro Alvarez makes his MLB debut…

Jack Curry of the YES Network (via Twitter) hears from a baseball official that the Phillies are interested in adding a starting pitcher. Curry specifically names Cliff Lee, though I can't imagine the team re-acquiring him just a few months after shipping him to Seattle.
The Orioles have contacted Buck Showalter about managing the team, according to Tim Kurkjian of ESPN.com.
The Cubs hired a statistical analyst for the team's baseball operations department, according to ESPN.com's Bruce Levine.
Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that it's an "extreme long shot" that the Rangers acquire Roy Oswalt.
One GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that teams are now demanding big returns for players who will eventually be traded for less.
DJ Bean of WEEI.com introduces us to Red Sox fourth rounder Garin Cecchini, who told every major league team he wouldn't sign for less than mid-first-round money. Specifically, Cecchini wants $1.75MM, according to Bean.
White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he hasn't given up on his team and wants to see how it fares over the course of the coming week.
Chipper Jones' agent, B.B. Abbott, told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Chipper will "absolutely not" retire during the season.
The Yankees released David Winfree from their Triple A team, according to Donnie Collins of the Times-Tribune.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the Yankees won't have to pursue free agents Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth if Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson keep playing this well.

Berkman’s Preferred Destinations

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 16, 2010 at 11:20am CDT

Despite all the rumors surrounding him and Roy Oswalt, Lance Berkman told Yahoo's Jeff Passan that he doesn't expect to be traded. Berkman has at least $10.6MM remaining on his contract when you include his 2011 buyout, and he realizes that figure scares teams off, especially in this market.

"Teams value their prospects more than they ever have," Berkman said. "I’m 34. I’m not having a great year."

Berkman, who is hitting .238/.340/.392 with six homers, has a no-trade clause, so like Oswalt, he controls his future to an extent. The Angels have a clear need for a first baseman, but Berkman says the Angels "wouldn't be an automatic yes." Berkman would rather go east than west, though that's not his number one consideration.

"There is absolutely no way I would consent to going somewhere that didn’t have a good chance not just to get to the playoffs, but to win the whole thing," he said.

Berkman realizes the Astros are probably not going to pick up his $15MM option for 2011 at this point. Earlier in the month, Jon Heyman of SI.com reported that Berkman would approve a trade if the acquiring team picked up his option.

Poll: The Angels And Kendry Morales

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 15, 2010 at 8:22am CDT

Angels manager Mike Scioscia recently told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that the Angels are prepared to keep replacing Kendry Morales from within, even though the club is open to making a deal. The Angels have choices: they can keep relying on the players in their system, or they can trade for a corner infielder. It's time to hear your predictions.

How are the Angels going to replace Kendry Morales?

Click here to vote and here to view the results.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Brewers, Gordon, Romero

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2010 at 10:13pm CDT

Some links to check out while we wait to see if Jon Garland can help the Padres extend their lead in the NL West…

Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that the Angels may take their time in trading for a first baseman, both to save money and to determine if they need to make a big pickup.
Brewers' first-round pick Dylan Covey is looking for a $2MM signing bonus, which Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes is about $300K higher than MLB's slotted bonus price for a 14th overall selection.
Haudricourt also reports that Milwaukee's first two picks from the 2009 Amateur Draft (26th overall right-hander Eric Arnett and 39th overall outfielder Kentrail Davis) have both been sent down a level. Arnett posted a 6.87 ERA in 12 starts at the low-A level and is moving down to rookie ball, while Davis goes from high-A to low-A.
Royals manager Ned Yost tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that in spite of Alex Gordon's success at Triple-A, Gordon won't be called back up to the majors until Kansas City can find an everyday space for him.
Five teams have an interest in outfielder Wilmer Romero in advance of the international signing period opening on July 2, tweets Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated.
Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks the Pirates could spend around $10.5MM to sign their draft class since they "need, and want, to flood…their system with talent."
The already pitching-rich Braves have "the most talented rotation in the minors" at Advanced-A Myrtle Beach, according to Fangraphs' Marc Hulet.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson sees Washington pursuing a pitcher and a hitter at the trade deadline, and answers a number of hot stove-related questions in a fan mailbag.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that the Dodgers haven't made any progress towards acquiring Cliff Lee and are balking at the money left on Roy Oswalt's contract.
Meanwhile, Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times says the Angels could have Paul Konerko today, if they wanted. He adds that if they do make a trade, they might be better off targeting a third baseman.
A Mets' official indicated that the team won't discuss an extension with Rod Barajas until after the season, tweets Newsday's David Lennon.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets that Ted Lilly was "begging" the Yankees to sign him before the 2007, but they went for Kei Igawa instead.
Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies shouldn't expect a trade deadline boost this year because of a depleted farm system beyond Domonic Brown and close to $140MM in salary commitments for 2011.
Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle says it might not be until July that the Astros decide to "blow up the roster and start over."
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports looks at nine starting pitchers who will be on the market this summer, led by Lee.

Amateur Draft Signings: Monday

By Mark Polishuk | June 14, 2010 at 6:39pm CDT

Several teams announced mass signings of players from the 2010 Amateur Draft today. Here's a round-up of Monday's signings…

The Angels have signed over 20 of their picks, most notably supplemental round selections Taylor Lindsey and Ryan Bolden.
According to a team press release, the Mariners have signed 17 of their draft picks. The highest of these picks was Tennesse Tech right-hander Stephen Pryor, taken in the fifth round.
The Nationals have inked 22 draft picks according a team press release, including 15 of their 25 selections. No, Bryce Harper is not among those who signed on the dotted line.
The Reds signed 14 draft picks according to John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer, including their second, third, and fourth rounders.
Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com reports that the Mets signed 25 draft picks of their own, highlighted by fourth rounder Cory Vaughn (Greg Vaughn's son).
Houston's signing of Mike Kvasnicka, the 33rd overall selection, became official today. In addition to Kvasnicka, an Astros team press release also announced three other signings, including seventh-round selection Roberto Pena.

Mike Axisa also contributed to this post.

Heyman’s Latest: Lee, Oswalt, White Sox, Nady

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2010 at 1:09pm CDT

Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…

Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are the two big name pitchers available on the trade market, but their value is very different because of the money owed to them. "At the end of the day," says one AL exec, "I don't think Houston will be able to move the entire (Oswalt) contract and get premium players back."
Another AL executive noted that Lee has proven that he can be successful in the American League and will fetch two draft picks at the end of the season.
The Red Sox turned down a straight up Lee for Clay Buchholz offer last year.
The Yankees are happy with their rotation at the moment, but they plan on putting in a call in the coming days just in case they are "pleasantly surprised" by Seattle's asking price. Oswalt, meanwhile, isn't even on their radar.
Some wonder if the Dodgers are saving money for a big score, but GM Ned Colletti will be hard pressed to acquire either Lee or Oswalt without ownership approval.
The Cardinals might not be willing to take on Oswalt's deal with Albert Pujols' free agency rapidly approaching.
The Mets might not want to give up the prospects to acquire another frontline pitcher, though the Rangers would be able to work Lee's salary into the budget.
Heyman also goes through and offers some opinion on other teams that could use one of the two aces, including the Reds, Phillies, and Angels.
Kenny Williams would like to fire Ozzie Guillen according to one person close to the team, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf is too loyal to let it happen.
A trade of Xavier Nady to open up the Cubs' outfield logjam seems likely.

Odds & Ends: Bell, Giants, Lowell, Maine, Indians

By Mike Axisa | June 13, 2010 at 6:06pm CDT

Sunday linkage..

Heath Bell told Ephraim Fischbein of New York Baseball Digest that he's happy in San Diego, but would like to return to the Mets if the Padres decide to go in a different direction.
Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News (via Twitter) applauds the Giants' signings of Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff, who cost the club roughly $3MM each.
Mark Tracy is excited to be a part of the Rockies along with his father, manager Jim Tracy, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Colorado selected the skipper's son in the 22nd round of the 2010 Draft.
Contrary to a report late last night, the Angels and Red Sox did not agree to a swap of Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Lowell over the winter, a major league source told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
David Lennon of Newsday (via Twitter) writes that it's an 80% possibility that the Mets non-tender John Maine after this season.
ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Indians are likely to move some veterans in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, but they could be a dangerous team to face until then because of Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, and Jake Westbrook (Insider req'd).
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says to expect negotiations between the Pirates and their top draft picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie to go right down to the August 16th signing deadline.
The Pirates had a long debate about who to take with the second overall pick in last week's draft according to Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and it wasn't until last weekend that they decided on Jameson over Manny Machado.
Meanwhile Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the Pirates won't rush their top prospects. Once those prospects are promoted to the big league team, their minor league roster spots will be filled by players currently on ML roster (after they're optioned down) or by "signing low-cost, minor league free agents."
Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn't see the Indians offering anyone but Shin-Soo Choo a multi-year deal, including the resurgent Austin Kearns.
Newsday's David Lennon thinks it might make sense for the Mets to "consider opening extension talks" with catcher Rod Barajas before the season ends and he hits the free agent market.

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