Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday
The Cubs and Dodgers have four days to complete a possible trade involving Ryan Dempster. The Dodgers turned down a proposal of Allen Webster for Dempster, but seem optimistic that a deal can be completed. The Cubs, on the other hand, have limited options, since Dempster wants to go to Los Angeles and must approve any trade. Here are today's rumors, with the most recent updates up top…
- The Cubs and Dodgers are discussing a deal of Dempster for Josh Lindblom, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, who isn't sure what other players could be involved in the swap (Twitter links). Another source tells Crasnick that the Lindblom rumor is "completely unfounded."
- The Dempster-to-the Dodgers trade isn't "dead," tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, though the Dodgers are interested in Josh Johnson and are "waiting to see if [the] price drops on" James Shields.
- Dempster will consider trades to a number of teams, including the Braves and Dodgers, if the Cubs approach him with a deal in place, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports. "He has not said that he wouldn't go to Atlanta or anywhere else for that matter," a person familiar with the situation told Levine.
- There's no current dialogue between the Cubs and Dodgers about Dempster, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (Twitter links). Each club know what the other is looking for at this point.
- The teams discussed the possibility of expanding the trade to include Alfonso Soriano or Bryan LaHair, Danny Knobler reported today.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Friday
Brewers GM Doug Melvin has acknowledged that Zack Greinke could be traded before he makes his scheduled start this Sunday. He told USA Today the right-hander will be traded ("It's going to be difficult when we trade him'') then offered a less definitive statement later on last night ("I just said there was that possibility"). The Rangers, Angels, Braves and White Sox are pursuing Greinke. Here are the latest rumors surrounding the right-hander…
- Though the White Sox don't have a highly-regarded farm system, they have enough talent in the Major Leagues to acquire Greinke, Heyman reports. Gavin Floyd's name has come up in trade talks, but he doesn't appear to be related to the Greinke sweepstakes, Heyman reports.
- The Braves continue to seek a starting pitcher and Greinke and others remain in play, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter). However, the Braves are telling teams they’re focused on bullpen and bench help, rather than starting pitching, according to Jayson Stark.
- The Angels remain very much involved in the Greinke talks, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Morosi reports that Greinke has a "high regard" for the Angels and thus would likely be more open to signing a contract extension to remain in Anaheim. The Angels might prefer Greinke to Shields and Johnson, according to Danny Knobler.
- The Dodgers could check in on Greinke, Jon Heyman reported today.
Dodgers, Angels Continue Pursuing Top Arms
The Dodgers are considering trades for Josh Johnson and James Shields since they aren’t making progress with the Cubs regarding a possible Ryan Dempster deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers could check in on Zack Greinke, who will likely be traded this month. However, they view Cliff Lee’s contract as onerous (not that he's available).
The Angels continue to be involved in talks for Greinke, Shields and Johnson, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. They might like Greinke best, but Shields may be their most realistic target (Ken Rosenthal reported this morning that the Angels believe in Shields at a time that other clubs have doubts about him). The Angels would prefer to acquire a pitcher they can keep beyond 2012, so Shields’ contract options likely appeal to Angels executives. Johnson is also controllable, but the Angels have concerns about his health issues and $13.75MM salary.
The Angels would like to find a taker for Ervin Santana and Vernon Wells, Knobler writes. The team would likely have to absorb salary to move either player.
Stark On Headley, Braves, Marlins, Reds
The Athletics, Orioles, Pirates and Indians are pursuing Chase Headley most aggressively, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. The Pirates and Indians seem less motivated to complete a deal now, but the A’s and Orioles haven’t backed off. The Diamondbacks, Phillies and Yankees checked in on Headley, and the Dodgers were seriously interested until they traded for Hanley Ramirez. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors…
- The Braves are telling teams they’re shifting their focus away from the rotation to possible bullpen and bench upgrades, Stark reports.
- The Marlins are working hard to trade Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Lee, Stark writes. Ricky Nolasco is also available.
- The Rangers are mainly focused on Zack Greinke and James Shields, but the odds of a trade involving Shields are diminishing because Evan Longoria is on his way back to the Rays’ lineup.
- The Cubs are offering to absorb all but $2MM of Alfonso Soriano’s contract, Stark writes. The left fielder earns $18MM per season through 2014 and the Cubs might take it all on for the right prospect.
- The Phillies are still considering trading Shane Victorino, but they are likely to wait a few days before making a decision on his future.
- The Padres have told teams they are likely to trade Huston Street if they can’t sign him to an extension. The Padres are expected to attempt to lock Street up to a one-year extension.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty "feels a need to do something" and has asked around for a middle-of-the-order hitter, Stark reports.
Dodgers, Cubs Have Discussed Soriano, LaHair
The Dodgers and Cubs have had some discussions about including Alfonso Soriano or Bryan LaHair in a trade for Ryan Dempster, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers continue seeking offense as well as pitching, but it’s a definite longshot that they’ll acquire Soriano or LaHair, Knobler writes.
The Cubs are “desperate” to trade Soriano, who earns $18MM per season through 2014. The Cubs have offered to pay almost all of Soriano’s salary, but he’s drawing minimal interest from other teams, according to Knobler. At least one team has checked in on Soriano, who has 19 home runs and a respectable .274/.324/.503 batting line.
The Dodgers have also talked about the possibility of acquiring Justin Morneau and Josh Willingham of the Twins, Knobler reports.
Angels Like Shields; Braves Have Some Interest
The Angels still have a lot of interest in James Shields, even as some clubs are concerned about the right-hander’s performance, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Rosenthal also adds a new team to the list of Shields’ suitors: the Braves have some level of interest, Rosenthal reports.
The Rangers and Dodgers are pursuing Shields, Danny Knobler reported yesterday. The Indians have also talked to the Rays about Shields, according to Jayson Stark.
Shields earns $7MM in 2012 and his contract includes club options for 2013 ($9MM with a $1.5MM buyout) and 2014 ($12MM with a $1MM buyout). Shields, the third-place finisher in last year's AL Cy Young voting, has completed at least 200 innings in every one of his five full seasons. The 30-year-old has a 4.52 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 137 1/3 innings so far in 2012.
Rosenthal discusses some possible explanations for Shields' season and explains how his numbers affect his trade value. Joel Sherman of the New York Post was blown away by the number of executives who aren't scared by Shields' numbers (Twitter link).
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Thursday
The Braves are “moving on” from their pursuit of Ryan Dempster, GM Frank Wren said yesterday. That leaves the Dodgers, the right-hander’s preferred team, as a potential suitor. The possibility of a trade exists, but the Cubs are said to be frustrated by their lack of leverage in talks with Los Angeles. So Dempster might stay put after all. Here’s the latest with the most recent updates up top…
- The Cubs offered to send Dempster to the Dodgers straight up for right-hander Allen Webster, but the Dodgers turned it down, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. People briefed on the talks say the Dodgers have thus far offered a couple of lesser prospects who may project as relievers instead. It now seems that the Dodgers are more interested in Matt Garza than Dempster.
- The Cubs are moving closer to sending Dempster to the Dodgers and are discussing various trades including a multi-team deal, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.
- The Dodgers and Cubs continue talking and “might” be getting closer to a deal involving Dempster, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- Rival executives say the Dodgers are projecting an air of optimism about their chances of obtaining Dempster, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter).
- The Cubs are running out of desirable choices as they consider their next move, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Cubs could keep Dempster and make him a qualifying offer after the season, but one executive says there’s “no way” the Cubs would make such an offer because the risk isn’t worth the reward.
- One executive wondered if the Cubs might offer Dempster $1MM to go to Atlanta if the Braves are willing to surrender considerably more than the Dodgers, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes (Twitter links). Someone like Randall Delgado might be worth enough to make up for the one-time cost of $1MM.
- Dempster and Matt Garza are seen as more likely trade options for the Dodgers than James Shields, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- The possibility of the Cubs and Dodgers completing a deal involving Dempster remains in limbo, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
Stark On Greinke, Headley, Indians, Wells
The market for Zack Greinke appears to consist of the Rangers, Angels, White Sox and Braves, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Rival teams say the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers aren’t involved on Greinke, and the Indians and Orioles have limited interest in pitchers headed for free agency, Stark writes. Here are more notes from Stark:
- The Yankees are exploring their third base options with Alex Rodriguez out, Stark reports. Marco Scutaro could be an option for New York.
- There’s an expectation that Chase Headley will be traded, but the Padres continue saying they’re happy to keep him, Stark writes. One team says the Padres are looking for a Mat Latos-like return if they trade the third baseman.
- The Phillies are looking for a proven, young setup reliever and a young outfielder or third baseman for Victorino, Stark reports. They’ve asked about relievers Brad Lincoln, Wade Davis and Logan Ondrusek in trade talks.
- It’s already been a busy month for the Astros, but they’re still willing to consider trades for anyone but Jose Altuve.
- The Indians and Cardinals have talked to the Rays about James Shields, Stark reports.
- The Angels are telling teams they’d rather trade Vernon Wells than keep him when he returns from the disabled list. They’re looking for a trade partner and saying they don’t want to eat all of his salary, Stark reports. It’ll be challenging to find a taker for Wells’ salary; he earns $21MM per season through 2014.
- The Indians aren’t likely to deal Chris Perez or Shin-Soo Choo, but they’ll listen on either player.
Rangers, Dodgers Pursuing James Shields
The Angels aren’t the only team in pursuit of James Shields. The Rangers and Dodgers have also made the Rays trade offers for the right-hander, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports.
The Rays are saying they’d move any pitcher except David Price and Matt Moore, but Shields is the most likely one to be traded, Knobler tweets. The Angels have discussed a package that includes center fielder Peter Bourjos and catcher Hank Conger. However, they were rebuffed when they offered Bourjos for Shields, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Shields earns $7MM in 2012 and his contract includes club options for 2013 ($9MM with a $1.5MM buyout) and 2014 ($12MM with a $1MM buyout). Shields, the third-place finisher in last year's AL Cy Young voting, has completed at least 200 innings in every one of his five full seasons. The 30-year-old has a 4.39 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 131 1/3 innings so far in 2012.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday
Ryan Dempster allowed three earned runs on five hits in six innings against the Pirates today, striking out six. Trade talk continues to surround the 35-year-old right-hander, who would prefer to be dealt to the Dodgers than the Braves. Here’s the latest on Dempster, with the most recent notes up top:
- The Cubs have told teams interested in Dempster they'd grant a window to negotiate an extension, tweets Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
- The possibility of a trade exists, but the Cubs are frustrated by their lack of leverage, Morosi tweets. Chicago still hopes Dempster changes his mind about Atlanta, tweets Olney.
- The Cubs now plan to keep Dempster and make him a qualifying offer after the season, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets. Doing so would allow the Cubs to collect a compensatory draft pick in 2013.
- The Dodgers have Zack Greinke and Josh Johnson on their list in case they don't trade for Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- Braves GM Frank Wren said on 680-AM The Fan in Atlanta that he's "moving on" from Dempster. "I think it's very highly unlikely," Wren said (via ESPNChicago.com). Once the Braves heard Dempster would prefer to play for the Dodgers, they moved on. Wren said the Braves continue pursuing starting pitchers.
- The Dodgers have the upper hand in talks with the Cubs, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- The Dodgers are feeling increasingly confident that they can work out a deal for Dempster, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets. The Cubs don't have many alternatives given Dempster's interest in playing for L.A. and his no-trade protection.
- A trade between the Dodgers and Cubs still seems “realistic,” Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers still intend to add a starting pitcher, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com tweets.