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Red Sox In Talks With Twins, Rangers About Lowell

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SATURDAY, 1:11pm: The Twins' field staff is lobbying for Lowell as their need for that type of player is obvious, tweets Rosenthal.  However, the front office has concerns about his salary and durability.

FRIDAY, 5:26pm: The Red Sox are in trade talks with the Twins and Rangers about third baseman Mike Lowell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. The Angels, who recently learned that Kendry Morales will definitely miss the remainder of the season with a fractured leg, are said to be "hovering."

With the strong play of Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis, plus David Ortiz's May resurgence, the 36-year-old Lowell has become a sparsely used and expensive bench player. He's in the lineup tonight, but overall he's received just 25 plate appearances over the last month and is hitting .225/.313/.338 on the season.

The Rangers have been connected to Lowell dating back to the offseason, when they had a deal in place to acquire him. Minnesota third basemen are hitting just .211/.281/.281 on the year, so it's a clear position of upgrade. The Mariners and White Sox have also expressed interest in Lowell this month, who is still owed approximately $7.4MM through the end of the season.

In a second tweet, Rosenthal mentions that Boston will likely explore the market for an outfielder, which could tie into a potential Lowell deal. Both Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury are on the disabled list, and Mike Cameron is playing with an abdominal tear.

Angels Not Interested In Rental Player

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Since Kendry Morales' season-ending leg injury, there has been plenty of speculation about whether or not the Angels will make a move to replace him. Manager Mike Scioscia voiced his thoughts on the subject to Fanhouse's Tom Krasovic, suggesting that the team would rather not merely rent a player for the remainder of this season.

"At this point, it would be a piece that you bring in that would help you past this year — make you better for the future also," Scioscia said. "I think that's a deal that would be very attractive to [the front office]."

Scioscia's comments indicate the Angels are less likely to pursue players such as Paul Konerko or Adam LaRoche, who are in the final year of their contracts.

We heard yesterday from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Angels were "hovering" around Mike Lowell, whose contract also expires at season's end. Krasovic's report explains why the Angels could be hesitant to pursue Lowell, though perhaps the cost of trading for him would be negligible enough that the club would still consider it.

Scioscia added that the Angels don't feel any pressure to make a move, and that a middle-of-the-order bat could "evolve" from within the organization.

Angels Sign Daniel Cabrera

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The Angels signed Daniel Cabrera, according to the transactions page of the team's AA affiliate. Cabrera, who was released by the White Sox in March, will begin his 2010 season with the Arkansas Travelers. Though it seems like Cabrera has been around for ages, he just turned 29.

The 6'9" right-hander spent parts of five seasons in Baltimore, where he became known for his high walk rates, mid-90s fastball and ability to induce ground balls. As a member of the Orioles' rotation, Cabrera never posted an ERA below 4.50 and he led the league in walks twice, wild pitches twice and hit batsmen once.

Last year, Cabrera posted a 6.00 ERA in 15 games for the Nationals and Diamondbacks. He had career-worst rates of 7.4 BB/9 and 4.1 K/9 and saw his average fastball velocity dip to 91 mph. The Angels may not get any production from Cabrera, but it's not hard to see why they're intrigued.

The Angels: Recoup Or Reload?

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Now that it's been confirmed that Kendry Morales' ankle surgery will sideline him for the rest of the season, the flurry of rumors connecting the Angels to various available first basemen will only intensify.  It's possible that the likes of Lance Berkman, Paul Konerko, or maybe Derrek Lee could be wearing Anaheim red before the season is out, but Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com has another suggestion: none of them.

Rather than give up prospects and money to pick up a big-name first baseman, Saxon thinks the Halos should instead use the resources to get starting pitching, bullpen help or a third baseman.  Getting a first baseman wouldn't help the club get any further in the postseason.

"Even with, say, Konerko hitting home runs fairly regularly in the second half, was this team ever going to make any noise in October?" Saxon asks.  "How do you like the Angels' chances against the New York Yankees again?  How about the Tampa Bay Rays, even the Minnesota Twins?  In their current incarnation, the Angels would be first-round fodder and, these days, their fans don't get too worked up about making playoff appearances. They have higher aspirations, and so does the organization."

Saxon doesn't say L.A. should wave the white flag on the season; indeed, it might be hard to do that given that a .500 record might be good enough to compete in the AL West.  The Angels had won 12 of 15 games heading into today's action to move a half-game behind Texas for first place.  Rather, Saxon is suggesting that a first baseman is a needless addition given that he believes at best, such an acquistion would just net the Halos the division title (which they could win anyway).

It's a reasonable argument to make given that the Angels are coming off some significant offseason losses — John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins, etc. — and already have over $80MM in committed salary for 2011 (thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts).  Adding a high-priced bat for a late-season rental can cost the Angels a lot of money and valuable prospects.  Los Angeles has worked hard under Arte Moreno's ownership to turn itself into a franchise that is perpetually in contention and never "gives up" on its quest for a World Series, but there's no reason why Morales' freak injury should potentially wreck more than one season if L.A. overpays to fill Morales' spot.  

Odds & Ends: Santana, Morales, Rangers, Mariners

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Links for Thursday, as Omar Vizquel goes deep for the first time this year…

Draft Links: Ruffin, Pomeranz, Grandal, Wolters

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The draft is underway, and we've got another round of links.

  • Mayo hears that the Indians will take Drew Pomeranz and the D'Backs will take Barret Loux (Twitter link).
  • Heyman hears that the Nationals will take Harper, the Pirates will take Jameson Taillon and the O's will take Manny Machado (Twitter link).
  • The White Sox could take Grandal if he's available when they select 13th overall, according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo (via Twitter).
  • In what would be a surprising move, the Reds appear ready to take Chance Ruffin 12th overall, according to Law.
  • Law hears that Pomeranz is sliding and that teams are having "uh-oh" moments because they didn't discuss him enough (Twitter links).
  • Padres executive Paul DePodesta explains that the draft has slowed down over the years. That gives teams the chance to breathe a little more easily between selections.
  • An Orioles official told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that the team will likely pick Manny Machado third overall.
  • It looks like the D'Backs will take a college pitcher with their first round pick, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic hears they aren't likely to take lefty Drew Pomeranz.
  • The Indians have topped the Royals' predraft offer of $2.9MM to Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal, reports Frankie Piliere of AOL Fanhouse.  Piliere still believes the Royals will take Grandal at #4, but the original agreement is off.  ESPN's Keith Law, meanwhile, heard that the Royals and Grandal had not even discussed money as of Saturday evening.  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that the Royals prefer Grandal but are "taking a hard look" at Florida Gulf Coast lefty Chris Sale.  Law has the Royals taking Sale, in a recent chat comment. 
  • Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets that high school infielder Tony Wolters is in play for the Angels, Blue Jays, and Braves in the late first round or the first compensation round.  Piliere sees the Braves at #35.
  • Goldstein tweets that high school outfielder Drew Vettleson looks like a potential first-round pick, maybe to the Dodgers at #28 (matching the prediction of Baseball America's Jim Callis).  Law has heard Vettleson as a possibility for the Dodgers, Rays, and Yankees.
  • FanGraphs' David Cameron explains that Bryce Harper doesn't necessarily have more value as a catcher than an outfielder.
  • Cameron's colleague Bryan Smith looks at recent draft picks that were questioned at the time they were made.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI outlines Boston's shift toward drafting for impact players starting in '06.
  • SI's Jon Heyman names the biggest booms and busts in draft history. 

2010 Draft Pick Gains And Losses

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Using Mike Axisa's 2010 draft order, let's take a look at which teams gained and lost picks through free agent compensation during the offseason.

  • Seven clubs added at least one pick without giving any up: the Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies.
  • The Angels lost Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but they added the most and best picks: #18, #29, #37, and #40.  This is a huge year for director of scouting Eddie Bane.  The Blue Jays added three picks: #34, #41, and #80.
  • The Astros, Rangers, and Cardinals each added two picks, with the Astros doing the best by snagging #19 and #33 for Jose Valverde.
  • The Orioles and Mets were the only two teams to lose a pick without adding any; those are #53 and #57 respectively.
  • The Mariners added #43 but gave up #18, while the Tigers added #44 and #48 while giving up #19.
  • The Red Sox came out in pretty good shape despite signing a pair of Type As in John Lackey and Marco Scutaro.  The Sox added #20, #36, #39, and #57 while losing #29 and #80.  Losing a Type A who was offered arbitration brings in two picks, but signing such a player only costs one.
  • The Braves added picks #35 and #53, but surrendered #20.

Originally published 3-29-10.

Angels Targeting Cubs Bats?

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SUNDAY, 8:19pm: The Angels haven't aggressively pursued a trade for help yet and may not have Lee on their radar at this point, a source told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  With their 9-4 victory in Seattle today, the Angels improved to 7-1 without first baseman Kendry Morales in the lineup.

FRIDAY, 7:15pm: The Cubs have not asked Derrek Lee to approve a trade, sources tell Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Lee's contract includes a no-trade clause, so the club could not deal him without his approval.

When asked about the trade rumors, Lee responded:

"Who are the 'excellent sources?'" the 34-year-old asked. "I've heard nothing on it. I've got nothing for you."

The first baseman also told reporters that he is not bothered by the trade speculation and wants to remain with the Cubs.

THURSDAY, 9:10am: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears that the Cubs have not talked to the Angels about Nady or Lee (Twitter link). That doesn't mean the Angels aren't interested, but it shows that talks are not far along.

8:08am: The Angels appear to be targeting Xavier Nady, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). Nady, 31, has appeared in three games at first for the Cubs this year.

WEDNESDAY, 10:40pm: The Cubs "may be involved in trade talks" that would send first baseman Derrek Lee to the Angels, according to Fred Mitchell and David Kaplan of The Chicago Tribune. The Halos, of course, will be without regular first baseman Kendry Morales for the foreseeable future following the fractured leg he suffered celebrating a walk-off grand slam last weekend.

The 34-year-old Lee missed tonight's game with a minor hamstring issue, but overall he's hitting just .232/.339/.366 on the season, down from last year's splendid .306/.393/.579 performance. The Cubs still owe him a touch under $9MM in salary for the remainder of the season, after which he'll become a free agent for the first time in his career.

We've already discussed the Angels' options for replacing Morales at length, though Lee's name was not mentioned.

Cafardo’s Latest: Lowell, Angels, Haren, Suzuki

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a few hot stove notes in his latest column, but before he gets to those, he discusses Ken Griffey Jr.'s career, noting that the Mariner "walked away very quietly, with little fanfare, just as he said he would." Here are the rest of the highlights from Cafardo's piece:

  • It doesn't appear any teams, besides maybe the Rangers, are too interested in Mike Lowell. Cafardo lists the Angels, Mariners and White Sox as potential matches, though a Sox official says Lowell "doesn’t fit for us right now."
  • The Angels, meanwhile, seem committed to giving Mike Napoli playing time at first base for now, diminishing any interest they'd have in Lowell.
  • The Diamondbacks have had internal discussions about trading Dan Haren, but one baseball executive expressed doubt that Arizona will pull the trigger. The exec pointed out that rebuilding from scratch isn't necessary in the NL West, since almost every team could be just a couple moves away from contending.
  • Kurt Suzuki will likely be the Red Sox' top trade target this winter.
  • A scout offers his opinion on the Orioles' young arms like Chris Tillman: "They’re kind of stuck and maybe have even taken a step backward. But sometimes that happens. Every kid has a hump they have to get over once they hit the big leagues." Last night, we discussed the possibility of the O's having a fire sale and turning their roster over to their youngsters for the remainder of the season.

Rosenthal On Fielder, Angels, Pierzynski, Mets

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Let's check out the newest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Milwaukee may not be able to find a taker for Prince Fielder before the trade deadline.  Fielder's deal runs through next season and the Angels, who are the most obvious fit, only need a first baseman for the remainder of this season to fill in for Kendry Morales.  The teams with the greatest needs for a first baseman/designated hitter type, such as the Mariners, aren't in contention.  Rosenthal points out that Brewers GM Doug Melvin has always said that it's easier to move position players in the winter when more teams can be drawn into the mix.
  • Angels GM Tony Reagins says that the team will be patient in finding a replacement for Morales.  The Angels are starting to play better and Mike Napoli is an obvious internal solution as Jeff Mathis gets set to return.  While their biggest need is in the bullpen, Reagins says that the team is comfortable with the pitchers that they have, for now.
  • White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski would almost certainly consent to a trade if the club asked him to move on in order to give Tyler Flowers big league experience.  Pierzynski has the right to veto any trade beginning on June 13th.  The veteran is a free agent at the end of the season and could enhance his value by going to a contender.  If he was still available in August then his salary is high enough that he would likely clear waivers.
  • The Mets say that they have the payroll flexibility to add a starter at the deadline but it remains to be seen just how much and how willing they are to part with young talent.  One solution could be putting Jenrry Mejia in the starting five as GM Omar Minaya believes that he could be a dominant starter.  However, manager Jerry Manuel raised doubts about that happening this season.
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