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Quick Hits: Pirates, Jimenez, Dodgers

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It's easy to be overwhelmed by all of the action on July 31st, but we've summarized this month's trades by division. Earlier today, Zach Links looked back at the American League (East, Central, West) and the National League (East, Central, West). Here are some more links for Sunday night…

  • The Pirates explored "huge deals" without coming close to completing them, GM Neal Huntington told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (Twitter link).
  • Ubaldo Jimenez has the right to void the Indians' $8MM team option for 2014 because he was traded, as MLB.com's Jordan Bastian points out (on Twitter). There isn't currently a deadline for the decision.
  • A lot of teams will likely start the waiver process tomorrow, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Teams were allowed to start passing players through waivers last week to clear them by Monday.
  • Athletics owner Lew Wolff told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he wants Frank McCourt to sell the Dodgers. "My hope is that the Dodgers will be sold to a party that will restart this great franchise, and that Frank and his family will benefit from a positive sale," Wolff said. He's the first MLB owner to publicly call on McCourt to stop fighting for his team, as Shaikin notes.

Trade Reaction: Ubaldo, Rangers, Furcal, Mariners

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We've seen dozens of deals completed this month. To help you make sense of it all, here are some reactions to the moves from around MLB…

Red Sox Acquire Erik Bedard In Three-Team Deal

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Bedard

Southpaw Erik Bedard hasn't pitched into August since 2007, but the Red Sox are hoping he can bolster their rotation for the rest of the season.  The Sox acquired Bedard from Seattle today in a complicated trade:

Bedard, 32, has a 3.45 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 1.08 HR/9, and 41.7% groundball rate in 91 1/3 innings this year.  That's his highest innings total since '07, as he endured multiple shoulder surgeries.  With Daisuke Matsuzaka out for the season, Clay Buchholz battling back problems, and Jon Lester missing time this month with a strained shoulder muscle, the Sox will take whatever they can get from Bedard.  Bedard recently returned from a month-long layoff due to a knee sprain.  He's owed only $324K in additional base salary, but can make millions more in incentives.

In Robinson, the Mariners came away with the best prospect in the deal.  The 23-year-old outfielder is hitting .293/.375/.563 at Triple-A.  Baseball America ranked him tenth among Dodgers prospects heading into the season, saying he's "loaded with athleticism" and "could have four average or better tools."  Chiang, signed by the Red Sox out of Taiwan in 2006, has a breakout .338/.399/.647 line at Double-A.  The Mariners added two quality outfield prospects without giving up much.

The Ms did have to surrender Josh Fields, their first-round draft pick from 2008.  The 25-year-old has experienced control problems in the high minors.  Baseball America ranked him 24th among Mariners prospects prior to the season, writing, "he could be a useful middle reliever if he can tighten up his control."

Federowicz, a 23-year-old Double-A catcher, must have been the key to the deal for the Dodgers.  He's a well-regarded defensive backstop, but has a .275/.337/.397 line at Double-A.  Overall Dodgers' involvement is a bit of a head-scratcher, but we'll see if prospect experts agree.

Rodriguez, 22, has a 5.19 ERA with 13.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 59 innings of relief at Class A this year.  In parts of four professional seasons, he has a 3.31 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9.  Fife, 24, has spent the past two seasons in the rotation of Boston's Double-A affiliate at Portland.  He has a 3.66 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 103 1/3 innings this year.

Jon Heyman, Gordon Edes, and Jon Heyman broke the story with ESPN.com's Buster Olney reporting the specifics of the trade. Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Cardinals Acquire Rafael Furcal

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Despite a trade market thin on shortstops, the Cardinals may have accomplished their goal of upgrading at the position, as they acquired veteran Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers today for Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos and about $2.5MM.  The 33-year-old had to waive his 10-and-5 rights for the deal to become official.

Furcal

Furcal is hitting .197/.272/.248 in 152 plate appearances, but perhaps a change of scenery will rejuvenate his bat.  He was hampered by a broken thumb and oblique strain this season, each injury knocking him out for about a month.  Because of Furcal's 10-and-5 rights and the amount of money the Dodgers are sending, the teams needed his approval and the same from the commissioner's office regarding the money the Dodgers will be sending to the Cardinals.  Furcal, the first free agent signing by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti in 2005, had about $4MM remaining on his current contract.  Furcal effectively replaces Ryan Theriot at shortstop for the Cardinals; Theriot started at second base last night for the first time this season.

Castellanos, 24, is hitting .319/.379/.562 in 391 plate appearances this year, playing right and center field.

Fallout for the Dodgers: they can give prospect Dee Gordon an extended look at shortstop in the Majors, plus they save a little cash.  Reportedly, infielder Jamey Carroll will be staying put.

GMs Ned Colletti and John Mozeliak last hooked up on a trade in November, in the deal that sent Theriot to St. Louis, according to our Transaction Tracker.

Joe Strauss, Matthew Leach, Derrick Goold, Scott Miller, Tim Brown and Jon Heyman broke aspects of the story as it developed.  Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Cardinals Acquire Rafael Furcal

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10:31am: The deal is now complete, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.  The Cardinals will pay $1.4MM of Furcal's $3.96MM remaining salary, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, implying the Dodgers are sending $2.56MM.

SUNDAY, 10:06am: The Dodgers will receive Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos from the Cardinals, reports Goold.  The 24-year-old is hitting .319/.379/.562 this year.

SATURDAY, 9:48pm: The Cardinals are likely to receive cash in the deal and they'll send a minor league outfielder to the Dodgers, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The outfielder is not currently on St. Louis' 40-man roster, Goold reports.

8:40pm: Furcal will approve the trade, Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets.

1:40pm: The teams are a step away from completing the deal, hears Goold. 

SATURDAY, 12:00pm: Though Furcal has no-trade protection, he's open to a deal to the Cardinals, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  The two teams continue to talk.

FRIDAY, 8:35pm: The Cardinals have had conversations with the Dodgers regarding Rafael Furcal, reports MLB.com's Matthew Leach.

6:34pm: The Cardinals are prioritizing a trade for a shortstop, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Strauss hears it's more likely than not that GM John Mozeliak pulls off a deal before Sunday's deadline, and feels that the rumored move is a difference-maker.

Difference-making shortstops are hard to come by in this trade market, unless the Marlins decide to listen on Hanley Ramirez or the Mets on Jose Reyes.  The names I'd expect to be available are not nearly as exciting: Jamey Carroll and Rafael Furcal.  The Astros are telling some teams Clint Barmes is not available, tweets MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

Hiroki Kuroda To Stay With Dodgers

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Yesterday we learned that officials in the Kuroda talks believe that they'll need to come to a resolution by tonight since the hurler will need some time to approve a deal.  The Dodgers continue to talk with teams but the asking price remains high.  Here's the latest news on Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Kuroda told the Dodgers he intends to stay with them for the remainder of the season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Dodgers have confirmed Kuroda's intention (on Twitter).
  • Kuroda is the 'best bet' among players on Boston' radar, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). The deal is far from done, though.
  • The Dodgers' heaviest conversations about Kuroda today have been with Texas and Boston, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Yankees are still involved.
  • Kuroda has indicated to the Dodgers that he is open to deals to the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes.  Heyman, however, spoke to a friend of Kuroda who would be surprised if the pitcher consents to any trade.
  • The Dodgers are down to a final three of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox on Kuroda, tweets Jon Heyman, though there's still no word on whether he'd approve a trade.
  • The Yankees have taken the lead over the Red Sox for Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, and it's 40/60 they make a deal.  However, Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees and Dodgers have not spoken about Kuroda recently.
  • The Dodgers asked the Yankees for Ivan Nova and a catching prospect, which was a non-starter for New York, tweets Joel Sherman.  He explains that the Yankees think the Dodgers feel that if they can't make a killer deal for Kuroda, it's not worth trying to talk him out of his no-trade clause.
  • Boston's interest in Kuroda increased after Erik Bedard's ugly start last night, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
  • The Red Sox and Dodgers are in trade talks involving Kuroda for a prospect, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told reporters that he's "under no orders to shed salary," writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  Due to a signing bonus that has yet to be paid, Kuroda is owed almost $6.7MM of his $12MM contract currently.

NL West Rumors: Carroll, Diamondbacks, Harang

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The Giants and Diamondbacks are buyers; the Rockies, Dodgers, and Padres are sellers.  The latest:

Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Friday

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Yesterday we heard a variety of reports about whether the Dodgers are taking offers for Hiroki Kuroda and which destinations he would approve trades to. This much is clear, though – the Dodgers are asking for a "significant piece" in return for the right-hander, who is drawing lots of interest and can block any deal. Here are the latest rumblings regarding Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Officials in the Kuroda talks think a resolution is needed by Saturday night, since the pitcher will need some time to approve a deal, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • The Yankees made multiple calls to the Dodgers today on Kuroda, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
  • There is a wide gap between the Dodgers' asking price and what teams are willing to pay, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
  • Rival teams say the Dodgers want a young starting pitcher or a catcher who’s close to the Major Leagues for Kuroda, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
  • Kuroda seems "apprehensive" about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, who hears that Kuroda may only accept a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox. The Tigers, Rangers and Indians remain interested.
  • There's a strong belief that Kuroda would not approve a deal to the Tigers or Indians, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).  As for accepting a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox, it's "iffy."

Minor Moves: Miller, Cintron

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The latest minor moves come from Matt Eddy of Baseball America…

  • The Dodgers released Justin Miller, who had been pitching at Triple-A. The 33-year-old posted a 5.73 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 9.0 BB/9 in 22 Triple-A innings for the Dodgers, Rangers and Marlins this year. He was useful for the Dodgers in 2010, throwing 24 1/3 innings in the big leagues.
  • The Padres released Alex Cintron in what appears to be a procedural move. The infielder retired in May, then decided to un-retire earlier this month. He last appeared in the Major Leagues in 2009.

Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Thursday

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Righty Hiroki Kuroda tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Rockies yesterday, lowering his ERA to 3.11 in what might have been his last start for the Dodgers this year.  Yesterday we heard from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi that the Yankees' interest intensified, with the Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Tigers also in the mix.  Kuroda has yet to be presented with a formal trade to approve.  The latest:

  • The Dodgers are not currently taking offers for Kuroda, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
  • The Dodgers are telling teams they want a "significant piece" for Kuroda, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Dodgers sent a scout to see third base prospect Nick Castellanos, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, but they doubt the Tigers would move him for Kuroda.
  • Kuroda's contract stipulates that he will be eligible for conventional Article XX(B) after the season, writes Jon Paul Morosi, so he is a candidate for draft pick compensation if he maintains Type B status.
  • A friend of Kuroda told ESPN's Jayson Stark the pitcher can finally focus on the trade possibility with last night's start out of the way.  The Yankees have strong interest, Kuroda tops the Tigers' wish list, and the Red Sox were the only contender scouting last night's game.  Stark says the Indians and Rangers remain involved.  The Dodgers want a true baseball deal, and would prefer a starting pitcher close to the big leagues.
  • The Dodgers are "acting like they can trade Kuroda, and not just to the Yankees or Red Sox," tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  The Dodgers have a scout watching the Tigers' A-ball team.
  • Uncomfortable with the price tag of Ubaldo Jimenez, as well as concerned about their current rotation, the Yankees are in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • "My honest feeling is that I can't fathom wearing another uniform than the Dodgers uniform right now," Kuroda told MLB.com's AJ Cassavell last night through a translator.  He'll go over options with his agent, Steve Hilliard of Octagon.
  • Three factors limiting Kuroda's trade value: since his signing bonus is yet to be paid, he's still owed almost $6.8MM of his $12MM contract.  Second, he possesses leverage with a full no-trade clause, which I think may require additional compensation to waive.  Third, he's never pitched in the American League.
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