Dodgers Shift Focus To Matt Garza
The Dodgers don't want to surrender prospects for a rental and are "very unlikely" to acquire Ryan Dempster, but Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago reports that they have shifted their focus to Matt Garza. Los Angeles had a deal on the table to acquire Dempster yesterday but it was not consummated.
Garza, 28, left tonight's game after three scoreless innings with tightness in his triceps. The team announced that x-rays were negative. Garza has pitched to a 4.02 ERA in 17 starts this year and unlike Dempster, he is under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season.
Rosenthal On Victorino, Lee, Padres, Ramirez
Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Indians and Pirates have been linked to most of the big available bats but Cleveland is placing a greater priority on finding a starting pitcher. Johnny Damon has been hitting well this summer and the Tribe doesn't think that they'll be able to top his output via trade. As for the Pirates, they're first in the majors in runs since June 1st and but would like to bolster their OBP. Shane Victorino would make sense for them down the stretch, Rosenthal opines.
- The Dodgers are the one team that could swallow Cliff Lee's contract in a trade, but it's hard to see what the Phillies could gain from such a deal when looking at Los Angeles' thin farm system. Lee could be a strong candidate to be moved as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks to build for the future and the hurler can only say no to eight clubs without his permission.
- The Padres are talking about keeping Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, and Edinson Volquez as they're optimistic about their chances next season. Their play of late has been encouraging and they believe that they can be serious players next season when their pitching is healthy again. The one guy who is still likely to go is Chase Headley as he can be replaced with Jedd Gyorko and the offers for him should be strong.
- The Marlins demonstrated their willingness to trade Hanley Ramirez in their talks with the Red Sox and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them step up their efforts before the deadline. The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, A's, Mariners, and Pirates could all use a shortstop or third baseman, but it's not clear if they'd be willing to take on his hefty contract.
Dodgers “Very Unlikely” To Trade For Ryan Dempster
Ryan Dempster allowed four runs in six innings against the Cardinals last night, an outing that is not likely to hurt his trade value. Yesterday we heard that the Dodgers, Tigers, Nationals, and Cardinals all have some level of interest in the right-hander while the Red Sox are likely out. The Cubs want one or two young arms in exchange for their vetreran ace, but it's unclear if he'll waive his no-trade clause to switch leagues. Here are today's Dempster rumors with the latest up top…
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dempster sweepstakes is currently down to the Braves, Nationals, and Cardinals.
- The Dodgers are "very unlikely" to trade for Dempster according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They prefer not to trade prospects for a rental, making Matt Garza a more logical target.
Quick Hits: Greinke, Nats, Indians, Liriano, Dodgers
Recently it was reported that Zack Greinke received an extension offer from the Brewers in the neighborhood of $100MM and today the pitcher told Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that the figure is “pretty accurate”. However, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says that there’s no indication that Greinke will sign quickly. More from around baseball as Friday turns into Saturday..
- The Nationals planned on designating Xavier Nady for assignment if they came through tonight’s game healthy, but so far there hasn’t been an announcement, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.
- Nationals manager Davey Johnson doesn’t think that the club needs to make a blockbuster move before the deadline, writes Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. “I have gone into that area with general managers, saying, ‘I need so-and-so,’ or this, that and the other,” Johnson said. “But I like what we have here. I don’t see any emergency move needed.“
- As the Indians look to bolster their pitching rotation, Francisco Liriano of the Twins is a name to keep an eye on, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (video link).
- Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly gave a solid endorsement of Cubs hurler Ryan Dempster, who is said to be a target for Los Angeles, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams reportedly in on Dempster.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday
Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start in St. Louis against the Cardinals tonight amid rumors that his time with the Cubs will soon come to an end. The Red Sox are no longer in on Dempster, but the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals still seem to be involved, based on yesterday's rumors. Here are today's Dempster rumors, with the most recent updates up top:
- In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams interested in Dempster, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Even though a report yesterday suggested that the Red Sox are out on Dempster, Boston has made an offer, according to another source. However, it is unclear if the right-hander is willing to switch leagues.
- Dempster is one of four or five starters the Nationals are pursuing, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). The Nationals would need to get creative to complete a trade and the Braves don't appear to be pursuing Dempster aggressively. They prefer starters under team control beyond 2012.
- A handful of teams are involved in trade talks and some proposals have been exchanged, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
- The Cardinals are monitoring every starter on the market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They aren't a likely fit for Dempster, since they're reluctant to part with prospects for a rental player.
- The Cubs would likely get one or two young arms in return for Dempster if they trade him to Los Angeles, Morosi tweets.
- The Cardinals have checked in on Dempster, Heyman tweets.
- There's a 50-50 chance the Dodgers and Cubs will complete a deal for Dempster, Morosi tweets. The sides are still discussing prospects, so there's time for another team to jump in with an impressive offer.
- The Nationals are said to be trying hard on Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Braves are in as well, and one GM believes the Dodgers are the favorites to land the righty.
- The Tigers maintain interest in Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers continue in "hot pursuit" of Dempster, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com tweets. The Dodgers still have an offer on the table and are hoping to complete a deal as soon as possible.
- Trade talks could drag on for a few more days, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers and Cubs haven’t found common ground in discussions about Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Other teams are being aggressive.
Rosenthal On Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Nats
There's no question that the Dodgers will look to be major players at the deadline this year, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link). The Dodgers want to add a starting pitcher, a couple of bats, and bullpen help, but it's not certain that they'll get all of that accomplished. The club's farm system isn't terribly deep and they might not have the prospects necessary to entice teams. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- While the Dodgers figure to be aggressive on those three fronts, Rosenthal expects the rival Giants to zero in on bullpen help and possibly bench upgrades. They are unlikely to trade a top prospect for immediate help, like they did last year by trading Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltran, but there are other ways for the Giants to improve their team.
- The Rangers have the ability to pull off almost any move thanks to a talented farm system and financial flexibility. However, right now it seems that the only thing they might do is improve their bench. They could be in on Justin Upton, but he may not fit on their roster as they have plenty of outfielders. They've also talked about getting an elite starting pitching but if Cole Hamels re-ups with the Phillies, that's another top hurler off the market. Teams are also concerned about Zack Greinke's long layoff and how much he can be trusted down the stretch.
- The Nationals could be an even better club down the stretch if they add another starting pitcher who can fill the void when Stephen Strasburg is put on the shelf. However, Rosenthal believes that the club's recent comments about gauging the youngster by the way he looks rather than the number of innings that he throws suggests that they may let him approach 180 innings rather than 160 or 165. The right-hander has logged 105 innings thus far.
Gammons On Hamels, Dodgers, Headley
Peter Gammons of MLB Network weighed in with some notes on Twitter today. Let’s round them up…
- Three teams say they've backed off on Cole Hamels because they believe the Phillies will get him signed. The Phillies are willing to offer Hamels a six-year extension in the $130MM range.
- The Dodgers don't expect to acquire Padres third baseman Chase Headley. Buster Olney reported this week that the Padres' asking price on Headley is remarkably high. The third baseman will be under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014.
- One general manager doesn't expect a Zack Wheeler-caliber prospect to be traded this summer. To weigh in on the possibility of trading prospects for established stars, check out today’s MLBTR’s poll.
Quick Hits: Strasburg, Rangers, Hunter, Cubs
Cody Ross was a walkoff hero for the Red Sox tonight, slugging a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off White Sox closer Addison Reed to give Boston a 3-1 win in the Battle Of The Sox. Here are some links from around the majors as we wrap up a busy Thursday of trade rumors…
- The Nationals have decided on to shut down Stephen Strasburg at some point this season though it may not be at the 160-inning limit, GM Mike Rizzo tells ESPN's Pedro Gomez. "There is no magic number," Rizzo said. "It will be the eye test. (Manager) Davey (Johnson) won't decide and ownership won't decide. It will be the general manager, and that's me."
- The Rangers have "a very small list" of pitchers on their wish list and may be out of the pitching market entirely if Cole Hamels signs an extension with the Phillies, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- If Torii Hunter is really willing to take a big discount to re-sign with the Angels, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal speculates that the Halos could save money by keeping Hunter and Peter Bourjos at low costs and then non-tender or trade Kendrys Morales to free up more money to pursue pitching.
- The Cubs are unlikely to make a major free agent signing this winter, as Theo Epstein tells CSN Chicago's Patrick Mooney that the team isn't far enough along in its rebuilding process. “Free agency’s definitely a nice way to add talent to an organization without giving up talent," Epstein said. "But you cannot make an organization that way. And we have a lot of steps ahead of us that we need to take care of before we’re in a position to add a finishing piece or two through free agency.”
- Beyond their big-name talent, the Cubs are also getting calls about right-handed hitting bench players Jeff Baker and Reed Johnson, reports Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).
- The Twins led all teams in draft spending this year, as Baseball America's Jim Callis breaks down how much each club spent on their draft picks.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America recaps the week's minor league transactions.
- Dodgers president Stan Kasten hinted that his team isn't likely to splurge in a blockbuster trade deadline deal, saying any trade the Dodgers make will "have to be governed by reason" and "make sense long term," he tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
- Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told reporters (including MLB.com's Joe Frisaro) that his team is running out of time to prove they're contenders before the Fish could be forced to sell some pieces at the deadline. “In terms of decision making, I don’t how that’s going to go,” Beinfest said. “I really don’t. We need to win games here to make sure we’re on the periphery of even thinking about getting into things….You believe in your talent and hope we get hot. I think that’s where we are right now. But every day that goes by, it gets tougher and tougher to do that.”
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Thursday
The Red Sox are out of the Ryan Dempster sweepstakes but there is still plenty of trade interest in the Cubs' starter. Here's the latest on today's Dempster-related news, with the freshest items at the top of the page.
- The Braves have had general discussions with the Cubs about Dempster "without getting real specific" about players, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
- Dempster has had "occasional contact" with the Cubs' front office and hasn't been told a deal is imminent, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- The Dodgers and Cubs are negotiating over prospects and don't appear to be close to a trade tonight, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. While the Dodgers may be in the lead now, Heyman says that other teams are "still in the picture," including the Braves and Nationals.
- The Dodgers have made an official trade proposal for Dempster, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. The Dodgers are known to be the frontrunners for Dempster and the pitcher himself favors Los Angeles as his top destination if he is to be dealt, an important factor given his 10-5 trade protection rights. Levine isn't sure what the Dodgers' offer entails or if pitching prospect Zach Lee is involved, though the Cubs are known to be looking for young pitching above all else in trades.
- The Cubs will have a Triple-A pitcher on hand in St. Louis who will be ready to pitch in case Dempster is traded before his scheduled start against the Cardinals on Friday, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
NL West Notes: Lee, Upton, Pena, Street, Denorfia
We've already checked out some Giants and Rockies rumors today, so let's look around the rest of the NL West…
- The Dodgers won't trade top pitching prospect Zach Lee for a rental player like Ryan Dempster, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that Los Angeles had made the Cubs an offer for Dempster.
- Though the Diamondbacks and Pirates have had trouble connecting on a trade match for Justin Upton, the outfielder remains "at or near the top" of Pittsburgh's search for a hitter, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- The Diamondbacks have signed 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Ismael Pena, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Badler describes Pena as "a 6-foot-3, 175-pound lefty with a sound swing, a good approach and a hit-first, power-second profile. He's an average runner with a 45 to 50 arm on the 20-80 scale."
- Huston Street was "aggressively" pursued by the Mets last winter, a source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), but through the Mets are searching for bullpen help now, they don't think the Padres will move the closer. We heard earlier today that the Padres were looking to propose long-term extensions to Street and Carlos Quentin before the trade deadline.
- Street and Chris Denorfia have drawn more trade interest than Quentin, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Also from Center, the Pirates and Orioles are "among the teams pushing hardest" for Chase Headley. Center added the Mariners to the long list of Headley's suitors. The third baseman himself says he has heard "between six and 10 teams" have shown interest.