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Martino On Phillies, Papelbon, Nolasco, Dodgers

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The first big move of trade season went down yesterday when the Orioles acquired starter Scott Feldman from the Cubs, along with catcher Steve Clevenger, for starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, reliever Pedro Strop and international bonus pool money.  The move will obviously have an impact on the O's, but more broadly, it means that we've entered the period when trade talk becomes more than just talk, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Scouts that have spoken with Martino expect the Phillies to be active sellers, but hold onto Cliff Lee since they want to contend next year.  However, rival scouts and execs anticipate that, in addition to Michael Young and Chase Utley, Jonathan Papelbon will be dealt or at least heavily shopped.  We've heard previously that the Phillies are expected to ask for an astronomical haul to part with Papelbon.
  • Papelbon also fits the bill as someone who could be kept for next year, but rivals that have spoken with Martino see too much of a need for bullpen help amongst contenders like the Red Sox and Tigers and they expect GM Ruben Amaro to get a strong offer for the closer.
  • One executive involved in the talks for the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco predicts that he will land with the Dodgers, with the Giants a possibility and the Padres still somewhat interested.  Last night it was reported that the Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers are in "heavy pursuit" of the Miami hurler.  
  • A major league source told Martino that the Twins will likely shop Mike Pelfrey later this month, if he makes a strong few starts.  While the 29-year-old hasn't exactly been a world-beater this year – he has a 6.11 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 – he could perhaps get better as he moves further from last year's Tommy John surgery and appeal to a contender willing to throw starters against the wall like the Orioles.

Sherman On Utley, Cano, Dodgers, Marlins

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post has some interesting items in today's column so let's dive in..

  • The Dodgers reportedly have interest in acquiring the Phillies' Chase Utley and one NL executive sees it happening, just not necessarily this month.  “I know everyone has [Robinson Cano] going to the Dodgers as a free agent if the [Yankees] don’t get him signed up, but I would put it at 90 percent that Utley ends up there,” said the exec.  He reasoned that the Dodgers, who have to sign Clayton Kershaw to a $200MM+ deal soon, may not be all that bullish about Cano since they aren't as flush with cash as people believe and they have learned that collecting mismatched expensive star players isn't necessarily the way to go.  The exec went on to predict that the Dodgers will offer Utley something like a three-year, $45MM deal this winter.  As for the Dodgers and Cano, we learned yesterday that the club doesn't want to do long-term contracts beyond age 36, which could limit Cano to a six-year offer if they decide to get involved.
  • The Marlins fire sale appears to be panning out well for the club, even if it was done for the wrong reasons.  Miami now looks better not just from a financial standpoint, but also when it comes to talent.  The Hanley Ramirez deal brought them Nathan Eovaldi and the blockbuster with Toronto imported Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, and well-regarded minor leaguers Jake Marisnick and Justin Nicolino. The Marlins’ rebuilding might be going quicker and better that the Mets' rebuilding.  As one AL source told Sherman, ignore who made the deals and just realize, “they made good baseball trades.”
  • After the Indians gave Michael Bourn a four-year, $48MM deal and the Nationals dealt one of their top prospects for Denard Span, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Sherman that Brett Gardner was in their class, if not better.  Right now, Gardner is outperforming both players in OPS and has a significant lead in WAR (2.8).

Rangers, Dodgers, Rockies In “Heavy Pursuit” Of Nolasco

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9:42pm: The Rangers, Dodgers and Rockies "are in heavy pursuit" of Nolasco, two executives tell ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Marlins are narrowing their focus to getting a deal done quickly, because the team would like to have the returning Henderson Alvarez make tomorrow's start instead of Nolasco. The Marlins are seeking a pair of prospects in return for Nolasco.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that the Marlins are looking for prospects as opposed to a return like the Cubs received from the Orioles earlier today when they acquired Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop for Scott Feldman. Rosenthal opines that there is no sense in the Marlins' insistance that the acquiring team absorb the remaining $5.7MM on Nolasco's deal. The Marlins entered the season with a $36.3MM payroll — the second lowest in baseball — and will easily receive more than that figure in revenue sharing and national TV money.

7:10pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports spoke with a Marlins source who emphasized that Nolasco is "not a giveaway." According to Heyman, the Rockies have offered a pair of "pretty decent prospects" but don't want to absorb the remaining salary on Nolasco's deal. Heyman's source suggests that the Marlins also have an offer that is mostly salary relief without offering much in the way of prospects.

5:12pm: The Marlins are beginning to adjust their asking price on Ricky Nolasco, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The change reflects their desire to move him as soon as possible, according to Olney, who notes that the Dodgers are still the frontrunners.

As recently as last Thursday, the Marlins were said to be looking for a "good" prospect for Nolasco, as well as a willingness to absorb the entirety of the roughly $6MM remaining on his contract for the 2013 season.

Nolasco has been connected to the Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants, Orioles and Rangers, though the Orioles swung a deal for Scott Feldman earlier today, and it's unclear if their interest remains. The 30-year-old has a 3.93 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 105 1/3 innings this season, though he's struggled in his past two outings.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported last week that Wednesday could be a "soft deadline" to move Nolaco, as the Marlins are hoping to deal him before he makes his scheduled start that day.

Minor Moves: Zavada, Cruz, Kimball, Laffey, Pauley

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Today's minor moves…

  • The Padres have purchased left-hander Clay Zavada from the independent league Gary SouthShore RailCats, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Zavada had a 1.65 ERA in 16 1/3 innings for the RailCats. The former Diamondback was known more for his mustache than his pitching in 2009, but he posted a 3.35 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 51 innings for the D-Backs that year. Brock tweets that Zavada will report to Double-A.
  • Luis Cruz has refused an outright assignment to Triple-A and elected free agency, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times (Twitter links). Cruz, who was designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and can sign with any team. He hit just .127/.175/.169 in 128 plate appearances for the Dodgers this season — a far cry from the solid .297/.322/.431 line he posted in 296 plate appearances last season.
  • The Nationals announced that they have outrighted right-hander Cole Kimball off the 40-man roster (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has appeared in just four minor league innings for the Nats this season and hasn't pitched with the big league club since 2011.
  • Aaron Laffey has opted out of his minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has confirmed the move. Laffey, 28, has a 5.61 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 61 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He also allowed 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings between the Mets and Blue Jays at the MLB level.
  • Righty David Pauley was released by the Diamondbacks' Triple-A club on Saturday, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  Pauley had joined them on a minor league deal on June 10th, but the 30-year-old struggled in four relief appearances.  Pauley was originally drafted by the Padres in '01, three picks before the Red Sox took Kevin Youkilis.  Pauley was later a minor piece in Dave Dombrowski's July 2011 heist of the Mariners, in which the Tigers acquired Doug Fister.
  • Six players are currently in DFA limbo: Francisley Bueno of the Royals, Eric Hinske of the Diamondbacks, Alex Liddi of the Mariners, Clayton Mortensen of the Red Sox, Travis Ishikawa of the Orioles and Jeff Francoeur of the Royals.

Dodgers, Cubs Swap Guerrier, Marmol

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In a swap of relievers who had been designated for assignment, the Cubs announced they have acquired Matt Guerrier from the Dodgers for Carlos Marmol and Chicago's fourth international signing bonus slot.  That slot is worth $209,700 in pool money, announced the Dodgers, who had a pool of $2,112,900.  Marmol

Of Marmol's $9.8MM salary this year, about $4.8MM remains.  The Cubs will pay nearly $2MM of his salary, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown, plus the aforementioned pool money.  Guerrier earns $3.75MM this year (plus a $750K installment of his signing bonus) in the final season of his three-year deal with Los Angeles. He has about $2.34MM remaining, so the Cubs will only save about $500K in the deal, as noted by Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times (on Twitter).

ESPN's Jayson Stark adds that if the Dodgers end up releasing Marmol and he signs with another team, the Cubs will need to send additional money to the Dodgers (Twitter link).

Marmol had become a symbol for the Cubs' struggles this year, with a 5.86 ERA, 6.8 BB/9, and 1.95 HR/9 in 27 2/3 innings.  He began the season as the team's closer, apparently as a way of building trade value, but lost the job after allowing five runs in his first three outings.  Marmol, a converted catcher/outfielder, joined the team's bullpen in 2007, snagged an All-Star nod in '08, and ascended to the Cubs' closing job late in 2009.  He peaked in 2010, striking out nearly 42% of batters faced while racking up 38 saves.  That season earned him a three-year, $20MM extension in February 2011.  Marmol had always had major problems with walks, and now the team has finally moved him in a bad contract swap.  During November of last year, it seemed like Marmol was headed to the Angels for Dan Haren before the Cubs pulled the plug and the Halos declined Haren's club option. 

The Dodgers will send Marmol to the minors for a few outings, notes ESPN's Keith Law.  The Dodgers are second-to-last in bullpen ERA in the NL, with a 4.39 mark.  The club is eight games out in the wild card; should they pull closer to contention perhaps they'll acquire a more stable reliever.

Guerrier, 34, posted a 4.80 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9, and 42.6% groundball rate in 30 innings for the Dodgers this year before being designated for assignment.  The Dodgers signed him to a three-year, $12MM deal in December 2010, with that third year serving as the kicker.  The Cubs also added Pedro Strop to their bullpen earlier today; they may yet ship closer Kevin Gregg to a contender.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Dodgers President Kasten Talks Trades, Long-Term Contracts

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"We feel comfortable at 36," Dodgers president Stan Kasten told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times yesterday in explaining the team's philosophy toward age and long-term contracts.  Adrian Gonzalez will finish his deal at 36, as will Carl Crawford.  Matt Kemp, Zack Greinke, and Andre Ethier will be 35 when their deals conclude.  The Dodgers' stance could affect impending free agent Robinson Cano, seemingly limiting them to a six-year offer if they do eventually get involved with him this offseason.

In terms of in-season upgrades, Kasten told Shaikin he likes the rotation and lineup, while GM Ned Colletti has been looking at ways to improve the bullpen.  The team is reportedly close to acquiring Carlos Marmol from the Cubs, and Shaikin says they're also looking at "higher-quality options."  

Kasten noted that the Dodgers do not have a lot of high-end prospects close to the Majors, and they would certainly not trade their best prospects for a rental.  The team could be quieter than expected this summer and in the offseason, as Kasten told Shaikin, "I also think the direction we pursued last year — established veterans, looking at big free agents — we are going to move away from that.  I know people think we are in this deal, in that deal, and in any deal. That is not what the next phase of this franchise requires."

Heyman On Nolasco, Dodgers, Utley, Young

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Here's a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..

  • A person familiar with the Ricky Nolasco talks says the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Rangers, and Rockies are among the teams in the mix, Heyman writes.  The Dodgers have been considered a favorite since they might be willing to absorb the $5.75MM remaining on Nolasco's $11.5-million 2013 salary, but the source suggested late Monday afternoon that there's isn't a deal out there yet that is good enough to jump on.  Colorado is said to have offered two decent prospects for the hurler but they are skittish about paying the salary.  While some have suggested that the Marlins are anxious to trade Nolasco before his scheduled start on Wednesday, they are still holding out for a quality offer.
  • Heyman hears that the word around baseball is that the Dodgers could have interest in Chase Utley. It isn't known if the Dodgers have gone so far as to contact Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, but he doesn't seem anxious to trade the second baseman despite the fact he is headed towards free agency.  If the Phillies do decide to sell, they are said to be more willing to part with Michael Young, who's interested the Dodgers before. 
  • With the deadline just weeks away, Heyman laid out the market as it stands today.  The piece starts by highlighting the six biggest sellers in the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Marlins, and Astros.

Dodgers, Cubs Closing In On Marmol Trade

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6:54pm: If the Dodgers get Marmol, the Cubs would pay most, if not all, of the $5MM owed to him tweets Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  The Cubs might also get a player recently removed from the Dodgers' roster.  Gurnick doesn't specify, but the recently DFA'd Matt Guerrier would fit the bill.

4:27pm: The Dodgers are closing in on a trade to acquire Carlos Marmol from the Cubs, according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Marmol was designated for assignment by the Cubs last week.

There are some hurdles left, as the Dodgers are on Marmol's limited no-trade list, and he's owed about $5MM for the rest of the season. The Dodgers are expected to absorb some of the salary and it's unclear which player or players might be heading to Chicago, according to Levine.

Marmol has a 3.50 ERA with a healthy 11.7 K/9 in 542 1/3 career innings, but he's also averaged 6.1 walks per nine innings pitched. Those command problems have worsened over the past two seasons, and his strikeout rate has dropped in 2013. He is in the final season of a three-year, $21MM extension he signed in early 2011.

Minor Moves: Owings, Ramirez, Jurrjens

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Today's minor moves from around the league…

  • Justin Thomas exercised his out clause with the Athletics and is now a free agent, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links).  Thomas made 16 starts for the club's Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.48 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
  • The Nationals have granted Micah Owings his release from Triple-A Syracuse, tweets Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. The former pitcher had been trying to make the team as a position player. He batted .265/.305/.480 with eight homers and played primarily left field in 57 games for the Chiefs this season.
  • In addition to the two Rays moves below, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the team signed recently released right-hander Ramon Ramirez. The 31-year-old was an elite setup ma from 2008-11, posting a 2.77 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 for the Royals, Red Sox and Giants, but he's struggled the past two seasons in San Francisco.
  • The Rays have released Triple-A right-hander Will Inman and signed outfielder Evan Frey, the team announced on Twitter. Inman, 26, posted a 6.47 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 32 innings. Frey is a .271/.369/.357 hitter in 213 career games at Triple-A. 
  • Jonathan Sanchez has decided against exercising his July 1 opt-out clause with the Dodgers and instead negotiated a new opt-out date, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The lefty signed with the Dodgers in May but only got the opportunity to start two games for Triple-A Albuquerque. Sanchez began the year with the Pirates but didn't last long as he was designated for assignment after just five appearances and an 11.85 ERA.
  • Jair Jurrjens has been officially optioned to Triple-A, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles optioned Jurrjens rather than technically designating him for assignment, though he had the right to refuse the assignment. Jurrjens accepted, and will report to Norfolk in 72 hours (All Twitter links).
  • Nine players are in DFA limbo: Carlos Marmol (Cubs), Francisley Bueno (Royals), Eric Hinske (D-Backs), Luis Cruz (Dodgers), Alex Liddi (Mariners), Clayton Mortensen (Red Sox), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Jeff Francoeur (Royals) and Matt Guerrier (Dodgers).

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Dodgers Designate Matt Guerrier For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced that they have designated right-handed pitcher Matt Guerrier for assignment.  The move will allow the club to recall right-handed pitcher Chris Withrow from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Guerrier posted a 4.80 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 34 games for the Dodgers this season.  In all three seasons for the Dodgers, Guerrier owns a a 4.24 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 across 120 appearances.  The right-hander came to the Dodgers as a free agent in December of 2010.

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