Quick Hits: Dodgers, LaHair, Wedge, K-Rod
Here's the latest news and headlines from around the league on the day Chase Utley told the world he was back with a home run in his first at-bat since the end of the 2011 season…
- There are very few viable options for the Dodgers as they look to add a middle-of-the-order bat, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Many of the players currently available are either fringe types or vastly overpaid for their services (like this one).
- Olney tweets that Cubs first baseman/outfielder Bryan LaHair has been scouted by the Dodgers, among other teams, but Los Angeles has reservations about his defense. Nonetheless, the Dodgers' need for a quality bat could lead to them overlooking LaHair's shortcomings and acquiring the power hitter before the trade deadline.
- Mariners manager Eric Wedge doesn't like the progress his young team has made this season, but he's not ready to start sending players to Triple-A, writes Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. "It's frustrating because I know these guys are a much better offensive club than what we're seeing them do here at home,'' Wedge said. "I don't want to hear anything about the fences, or this, that and the other. It's about what they're doing at home plate and putting up good at-bats and hitting the ball hard."
- The Angels have a special assignment scout watching the Reds–Brewers series to check up on a few players including Francisco Rodriguez, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The Angels entered Wednesday night's action four and a half games behind the Rangers for first place in the American League West.
Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Sunday
The trade chatter surrounding Kevin Youkilis picked up a ton of steam yesterday as the White Sox, Pirates, Indians, and Dodgers all seem to have interest in the third baseman. As of late last night, it appeared that the White Sox were the frontrunner for the veteran with Pittsburgh in second. Here's the latest on Youkilis with the most recent news up top..
- Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets that a clubhouse source says Youkilis has been traded to the White Sox and his nameplate has been removed from his locker.
- Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets the White Sox appear to be the most likely destination for Youkilis and, as of yesterday, the two teams were haggling over money. Knobler adds in a separate tweet that Youkilis is not headed to the Dodgers.
- A deal for Youkilis is in the works, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Heyman adds late talks involved the White Sox, but new team is not yet confirmed. In a separate tweet, Heyman says the Indians are out of the running.
- Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweets a source has confirmed that a deal for Youkilis is in the works, but "not complete." Youkilis was removed, to a standing ovation, in the 7th inning as a precaution.
- Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers confirmed that he is not in on Youkilis, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- McAdam hears from a major league source that the Dodgers, White Sox, Indians, Braves, and a fifth team are in on Youkilis. A second source says that the Pirates and Diamondbacks are no longer involved. A source with knowledge of the talks indicated that Boston is focused on getting the best return available, whether its in the form of prospects or current major leaguers.
- Youkilis is in today's lineup and a team source tells Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter) that it's not indicative of one thing or another and a trade remains still in play.
- The White Sox, Dodgers, and Indians are likely going to be amongst the final five teams for Youkilis, tweets Heyman.
- The White Sox’s pursuit of Youkilis is more advanced than any other club’s and could be approaching the final stages, a major league source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Sources say Boston is willing to include about $5MM of the nearly $8MM remaining on Youkilis’ contract in the trade. As of late last night, the Indians appeared to be a “longshot,” the Dodgers’ talks were minimal, and the Pirates pulled out of the discussions, according to sources.
Red Sox Notes: Loney, Dodgers, Youkilis, Middlebrooks
Here are some Red Sox-related items as we keep track of the latest news on Kevin Youkilis..
- Dodgers first baseman James Loney says that he isn't preoccupied with rumors of the club possibly acquiring Youkilis from the Red Sox, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. The 28-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the year and said that he hopes to remain with the club.
- Even though Youkilis hadn’t been told anything about his future yesterday, he seemed resigned to the idea of leaving Boston, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. However, the veteran wouldn't totally rule out the possibility that he may remain with the club beyond the deadline. "I’m still here," he said. "I’m not dead."
- Trading Youkilis to make room for the younger Will Middlebrooks only makes sense for the Red Sox, opines Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The 23-year-old has a .331/.368/.592 slash line in 152 plate appearances this season.
Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Saturday
Yesterday we learned that the White Sox may be best positioned to swing a trade for Kevin Youkilis, who is losing playing time to rookie Will Middlebrooks. The Braves have scouted him in recent weeks though the Pirates are said to have little interest. Here are today's Youkilis rumors, with the latest up top…
- The Pirates are still interested in Youkilis, but the team is not confident in its chances of landing him, sources told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- Sources indicate that the Indians are a longshot for Youkilis while the Dodgers have had minimal contact with the Red Sox today, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Signs point to the White Sox, Pirates, or another club as the veteran's destination.
- Angels GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter) that he is "not involved with [Youkilis]."
- The Indians have been the most serious bidder for Youkilis but the White Sox jumped into the mix yesterday, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have maintained consistent interest.
- A new source tells Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) that the Pirates are likely "out" on the veteran at this point.
- The Braves are not in on the Youkilis discussions, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Dodgers are on the "fringe" of talks for Youkilis, reports Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The Pirates continue to be in the mix according to Rosenthal and Morosi (on Twitter).
- Talks are described as "intense" according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. He says the Red Sox will pay a significant portion of the $7.5MM or so left on Youkilis' contract in any trade scenario.
- The Rangers checked in on Youkilis at one point according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, but they are "not involved anymore." Texas was concerned that he would be unhappy in a part-time role.
- The Pirates will not surrender a top prospect for Youkilis but they might offer a second tier guy if Boston eats most of his salary, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
- Red Sox team officials discussed potential roster moves in the wake of an impending Youkilis trade last night, reports Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. That could be an indication that a deal is close.
- Boston will trade Youkilis "sooner rather than later" according to Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. ESPN's Buster Olney says a deal could come down as soon as today.
- The Red Sox are speaking with multiple clubs and continue to move closer to a deal, reports Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The ChiSox have engaged in "heavy dialogue" with Boston but the Dodgers remain in the mix as well. The Sox prefer to trade Youkilis to an NL club.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Signings: Flexen, Dodgers, Yankees, Rays, Nats
The deadline for signing draft picks is just three weeks away, now that it’s been moved up under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. Here are the latest noteworthy signings from the second round of the draft and on…
- The Mets gave 14th round pick Chris Flexen an above slot $374,400 bonus, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (on Twitter). The high school right-hander is represented by Adam Karon of Sosnick Cobbe Sports.
- The Dodgers signed third rounder Onelki Garcia for an under-slot $382K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Cuban southpaw owns a 90-93 mph fastball and a good curveball according to Callis.
- The Dodgers also signed eighth rounder Scott Griggs for $135K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The UCLA right-hander received the full slot value.
- The Yankees signed third round selection Nathan Mikolas for $400K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). The high school first baseman has a very good bat and some power potential, according to Callis.
- The Rays signed third round selection Andrew Toles for $397K, Callis tweets. The speedy outfielder is a strong defender in center field, Callis writes.
- The Nationals announced that they signed third rounder Brett Mooneyham, a left-hander out of Stanford University. Amanda Comak of The Washington Times says (on Twitter) that he received $429K.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Lee, Pirates, Ortiz, A’s, Royals
The Dodgers are in need of a run producer and the Astros' Carlos Lee is the latest name to surface on the club's radar, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. The veteran has the ability to block trades to 14 teams, and the Dodgers are on that list. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that Lee doesn't want to play in Los Angeles Almost all of the teams on that list are high-revenue teams, providing the first baseman with leverage. More from around baseball on this Thursday night..
- With the Pirates on the lookout for offense, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter) wouldn't be surprised to see them check in on Ryan Kalish or Cody Ross when Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford return to the Red Sox.
- David Ortiz hasn't been happy with the Red Sox for some time and people that have heard his complaints strongly doubt that he would want to return to Boston after this year, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- Both the A's and the Giants have had a revolving door at first base for some time, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants have used 24 players at first since J.T. Snow left, and the A's have used 41 since Jason Giambi left the first time.
- A's skipper Bob Melvin insists that the promotion of Derek Norris isn't about creating trade bait when it comes to Kurt Suzuki, writes Jane Lee of MLB.com. Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that Oakland would probably like to move the catcher and his $6.45MM salary.
- Carlos Beltran says that the Royals never made him a concrete, multi-year offer to keep him during his time there, writes MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. "I don't really recall getting a real offer. I knew they talked about having something done, but we never got to the point where we were serious about it," the outfielder said.
International Notes: Blue Jays, Red Sox, Twins
A new set of rules and restrictions for the international prospect market will take effect less than two weeks from now, on July 2. Each team will be working with an annual budget of $2.9MM for international players starting next month. Here are the latest rumblings regarding the international prospect market, via Ben Badler of Baseball America:
- The Blue Jays had seemed to be in the lead for Venezuelan right-hander Jose Mujica, but may not be as closely linked to him as expected, Badler writes. The Red Sox and Diamondbacks have also been linked to the 15-year-old Mujica, who's considered by many scouts to be the top pitching prospect available in Latin America.
- The Blue Jays are still favored to sign 16-year-old Venezuelan Franklin Barreto, according to Badler. Some teams consider Barreto the top available prospect, but he will likely move from shortstop to another position.
- The Red Sox, Padres and Royals have been mentioned as possible teams of interest on Venezuelan left-hander Jose Castillo, Badler writes. Some view the Dodgers and Orioles as sleepers for Castillo, who’s expected to obtain a generous bonus.
- The Twins are showing heavy interest in Dominican shortstop Amaurys Minier, according to Badler. The 16-year-old switch-hitter is expected to become one of the highest-paid Dominican prospects.
- Some believe the Pirates are in on Dominican third baseman Julio de la Cruz.
Kevin Youkilis Rumors: Thursday
Potential suitors for Kevin Youkilis are waiting to see if the Youkilis of old returns, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. So far this year, the 33-year-old has a .225/.311/.359 batting line, which means he's on track for the lowest batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage of his nine-year career. Here are the latest Youkilis rumors from Boston:
- The Red Sox have stepped up their efforts to trade the infielder, and will have to absorb most of his $12MM salary to facilitate a deal, Cafardo writes. However, they want something more than salary relief for Youkilis, a homegrown player who developed into an All-Star.
- The Indians are very much involved in talks and talks with the Diamondbacks don’t appear to be dead, Cafardo reports. The Phillies have scouted Youkilis, and the Dodgers could have interest, but the White Sox are more likely to pursue pitching help.
Quick Hits: Galvis, ChiSox, Marlins, Soriano, Dodgers
Ichiro Suzuki recorded his 2500th career hit tonight, leading off the game with a single to center field. Only Al Simmons, Ty Cobb and George Sisler reached the 2500-hit milestone in fewer games than Ichiro's 1817 MLB games. Of course, Ichiro started his Major League career at a much later age than any of those Hall-of-Famers, as he had already racked up 1278 hits in Japan before joining the Mariners in 2001.
Here's the latest from around the majors….
- Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis has been suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball due to a positive PED test, according to a statement from the league. Galvis is currently injured and will able to serve his suspension while on the DL, which FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi describes as "a loophole that wasn't closed in the new [collective bargaining agreement]."
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told reporters (including Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago) that his team's low attendance could make it more difficult for the Sox to make acquisitions at the trade deadline.
- The Marlins are actively looking for outfielders, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro as part of a reader mailbag. Frisaro speculates that Denard Span, Peter Bourjos or Carlos Lee could fit the Marlins' needs.
- ‘‘It goes both ways because I don’t want to be miserable,’’ Alfonso Soriano tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times about a possible trade from the Cubs. Soriano wants to remain in Chicago but, ‘‘I don’t want to have a long summer or a long season. I just want to win, no matter what. If it’s here, I’m more than happy. If it’s not here, if they think they want to take longer than two or three years, then my contract’s done….But it has to be a very good team to go to because I don’t want to go be miserable on the other team, too.’’
- With the Dodgers expected to big players at the trade deadline, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times warns that the team shouldn't feel obligated to make a move just to answer the pressure.
- Ned Colletti tells Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that the Dodgers are looking for a starting pitcher, a hitter and a left-handed reliever. Trades have been hard to come by, however, as Colletti says teams have so far only been willing to discuss moving pending free agents. The second wild card has also improved several teams' chances of contending, so there are fewer obvious sellers.
- The Pirates have been similarly stifled in their trade attempts, as they've been discussing moves for the last six weeks, writes Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We've been told by some clubs that they're going to hold on as long as they can to sell tickets and try to keep their fans engaged, so that may take an obvious seller off the market," said GM Neal Huntington.
- Diamondbacks rookie Wade Miley shut down the Mariners on Monday, but Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that in 2010, the two teams discussed a trade that would've sent Miley to Seattle in exchange for David Aardsma.
Sherman On Dempster, Lee, Gonzalez
MLB executives expect the additional Wild Card teams to slow the trade market this summer, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Cubs and a few other teams such as the Athletics, Astros and Padres are willing to sell now, but most clubs still hope to contend this summer. Here are some notes from Sherman on the trade market:
- No clear difference makers appear to be available right now, Sherman reports. People are generally waiting to see if the Brewers or Phillies decide to trade established stars for controllable talent.
- A Yankees official told Sherman that Ryan Dempster would just “muddy the water” in New York, an indication that the Yankees aren’t overly interested in the Cubs right-hander.
- Though there’s no indication that Cliff Lee and Carlos Gonzalez are available, Sherman makes the case that their respective clubs should consider trades for them this summer. Lee, who has a nine-team no-trade list, would appeal to a number of contenders, and Gonzalez would draw considerable interest in a trade market that currently features few impact hitters.
- Sherman points out that people in the industry see California native Cole Hamels heading toward a big payday from the Dodgers after the season when he hits free agency.