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West Notes: Upton, Colon, Bloomquist, Billingsley

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Colorado is the epicenter of scouting activity this afternoon as Cole Hamels starts against the Rockies. The Angels, Dodgers, and Rangers are scouting the Phillie left-hander, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports (Twitter links). The Tigers are on hand taking a look at Marco Scutaro, tweets Tracy Ringolsby of Root Sports.  Here's the rest of the news from the AL and NL West with the most recent up top:

NL Central Notes: Cubs, Dempster, McClellan, Baker

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Yesterday we learned that ten teams have shown legitimate interest in acquiring Ryan Dempster, including the Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Braves, Indians, and White Sox.  Here’s more on the Cubs pitcher plus other items from the NL Central..

  • The Cubs will look to trade Dempster now in part so that his presence doesn’t affect their marketing of Matt Garza later this month, writes Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d).  While the Dodgers once looked like the favorite to land the veteran, it’s now unclear if they can outgun the rest of the field to trade for him.
  • After undergoing shoulder surgery, pitcher Kyle McClellan believes that he has probably pitched his last game for the Cardinals, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  McClellan will be arbitration eligible for the third time this winter and says that he anticipates being non-tendered.  The 28-year-old makes $2.5MM this year and would probably command upwards of $3MM in arbitration.
  • Reds skipper Dusty Baker isn’t sure if the club will ask him to return for next season but he sounds like he’d be ready to move on to another team if the opportunity isn’t there, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  “At this point in my career, this point in the season, I have as much say about it as the organization does. And that’s not sounding cocky or arrogant,” Baker said.

Ten Teams Have Shown Interest In Ryan Dempster

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A total of ten teams have shown "legitimate interest" in acquiring Ryan Dempster according to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Among those ten teams are the Dodgers, Tigers, Yankees, Braves, Indians, and White Sox.

The Cubs are willing to pay part of the approximately $7MM owed to Dempster through the end of the season in order to receive better prospects via trade. Levine says Chicago has begun to scout the lower levels of every farm system in earnest, and they seek young pitching as part of any trade. A highly regarded third base prospect is also high on their list.

Dempster, 35, extended his scoreless streak to 33 innings with six shutout innings today, lowering his season ERA to 1.86. With both Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels reportedly due to receive extension offers before the trade deadline, Dempster could be the best starter realistically available this summer.

Dodgers Eyeing Aramis, Headley

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The Dodgers have identified Aramis Ramirez as a potential trade target in case the Brewers decide to trade veteran players this summer, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). However, the Dodgers prefer Chase Headley of the Padres.

Ramirez signed a three-year, $36MM contract with Milwaukee last offseason. The 34-year-old has ten home runs and a .272/.346/.475 batting line through 338 plate appearances so far in 2012. The 40-45 Brewers aim to establish themselves as contenders after the All-Star beak, when they play the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds.

Headley, 28, has a .267/.368/.413 batting line in 370 plate appearances for the Padres. He earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The 34-53 Padres figure to be sellers this summer, though they may hesitate to deal within the NL West.

Los Angeles has a clear need at the hot corner; Dodgers third basemen rank 26th in MLB with a combined .631 OPS. Manager Don Mattingly was relying on a combination of Jerry Hairston Jr., Juan Uribe, Adam Kennedy and Luis Cruz at the position leading up to the All-Star break.

Dodgers Seeking Lefty Reliever; No Interest In Fuentes

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The Dodgers are looking to add a left-handed reliever but have no interest in Brian Fuentes, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The Athletics released Fuentes earlier today.

Scott Elbert has been the lone southpaw in the Los Angeles bullpen this year, but lefties have tagged him for a .286/.349/.429 batting line in 63 plate appearances. Any team that signs Fuentes will only owe him the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for the remainder of the season.

Dodgers, Cubs Discussing Dempster, Garza

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The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing possible trades that would send either Ryan Dempster or Matt Garza to Los Angeles, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers are seen as a favorite to acquire Dempster, and they’ve also had conversations about Garza. 

The Dodgers are expected to pursue upgrades aggressively in their first summer under new ownership. They have the resources to take on large contracts like Dempster’s ($14MM) and Garza’s ($9.5MM), but the Cubs prefer to obtain talent in trades even if it means getting less salary relief.

Dempster, 35, recently returned from the disabled list. He has a league-leading 1.99 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 86 innings and will hit free agency this coming offseason. Garza, 28, has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 93 2/3 innings. He’ll go to arbitration once more next winter and hit free agency following the 2013 campaign.

Quick Hits: Quentin, Hagadone, A’s, Uribe

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A few stray links to pass along as the NL All-Stars celebrate their third consecutive victory over the AL …

  • The Indians are trying to acquire Carlos Quentin from the Padres, but the sides "don't have much common ground right now," according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Quentin is an impending free agent and figures to be dealt, as the Friars are unlikely to extend him with their ownership situation still in flux.
  • The MLB Players Association is considering filing a grievance on behalf of Indians reliever Nick Hagadone, who was placed on the minor league disqualified list after injuring himself in a fit of frustration following a recent poor outing, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Indians GM Chris Antonetti said Hagadone was angry that he pitched poorly and not because he had been informed he'd been optioned to the minor leagues. Players do not receive salary or accrue service time while on the disqualified list.
  • The odds of the Athletics moving to Sacramento, as was recently proposed by the city's mayor, former NBA star Kevin Johnson, is highly unlikely, according to the Contra Costa Times. The A's, meanwhile, remain in stadium limbo.
  • The Dodgers may be in an active-roster bind with the impending returns of outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier from the disabled list, and though they could possibly cut ties with oft-injured and ineffective infielder Juan Uribe, that move remains unlikely, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. The balance of the $12MM owed to Uribe over the next season-plus would be tough for the Dodgers to swallow, Dilbeck explains.

Dodgers Acquire Osvaldo Martinez

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The latest minor moves from around MLB…

  • The Dodgers acquired minor league infielder Osvaldo Martinez from the White Sox for cash considerations, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times tweets. Martinez, 24, had a .178/.221/.229 batting line in 230 plate appearances for Chicago's top affiliate this year. The White Sox acquired him last fall in the deal that sent manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami.

Quick Hits: Victorino, Phillies, Dempster, Pirates

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Shane Victorino was a late scratch for today's game against the Braves, but it's apparently nothing more than a manager's decision by skipper Charlie Manuel.  However, Victorino doesn't appear to be long for Philadelphia anyway as he will almost certainly sign elsewhere if he is not dealt before July 31st, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  People familiar with the familiar with the Phillies' thinking have suggested that while they intend to make a strong effort to keep Cole Hamels, their efforts to retain the outfielder are expected to be lukewarm at best.  The Dodgers have a bit of interest in Victorino while he could also be a fit for the Pirates, Indians, and Tigers, Heyman tweets.  More Sunday afternoon linkage..

  • A big scouting presence is expected for Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster's start against the ‪Mets‬ today, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The right-hander was on the disabled list for three weeks with a sore right lat.
  • Former Rangers and Indians GM John Hart told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) that while it's "common knowledge" that the Bucs are looking for offense, he believes that they should also consider adding a big pitcher.
  • Giving Jonathan Papelbon a four-year, $50MM contract has handcuffed the Phillies from making other essential moves, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  While Papelbon has posted a 3.45 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 on his way to a fifth All-Star selection, the rest of the bullpen has been battered by injuries.

Cafardo On Beckett, Quentin, Hernandez, Phillies

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hands out his midseason awards.  His award for "Most Surprising Team" so far goes to the White Sox in the American League and the Mets in the National League.  Cafardo credits the Mets' management team of Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta, and J.P. Ricciardi for piecing together the scraps and overshadowing the team's Bernie Madoff public relations nightmare.  Here's more from today's piece..

  • Red Sox starter Josh Beckett can block any deal with his ten-and-five rights, but it wouldn’t shock baseball people if Boston eventually pursues it. “He would get some interest if some of the money was absorbed,” said one National League GM. “He’s not what he was, but he can still pitch. He’s got the postseason resume and still seems to have some competitiveness on the mound, which are all things you look for. The things you have to evaluate would be the issues in the clubhouse, to some extent, and breaking down a little more than he used to.”
  • Earlier today we learned that the Pirates have had preliminary talks with the Padres about Carlos Quentin.  Cafardo writes that the outfielder could be the next big bat to go and would also be desirable for the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
  • Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik keeps insisting he will not trade Felix Hernandez, but he would likely be able to take care of three or four positions by doing so.  However, Zduriencik has been tempted with great offers in the past and declined to part with the right-hander.
  • While the Phillies are obviously giving serious thought to dealing Cole Hamels, one consideration for the club is that they have aging pitchers in Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and Hamels is younger.  The 28-year-old would be even more valuable down the road and rebuilding in Philadelphia is tough. 
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