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Red Sox Expressed Interest In Kuroda

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The Red Sox called the Dodgers about Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link). The Red Sox don't appear to have started an all-out search for rotation help, but it's not surprising to hear of their interest in Kuroda given the injuries their starters have sustained.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for the season, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are on the disabled list and there's no guarantee that Josh Beckett, who did not pitch in the All-Star Game because of a sore left knee, will make his scheduled start Sunday. As a result, Andrew Miller, Tim Wakefield and Kyle Weiland are members of the rotation, which seems considerably less formidable than it did a few months ago.

The Tigers and Yankees are among the many clubs interested in Kuroda, according to Heyman. The 36-year-old right-hander will require compensation to waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Riggleman, Shields, Jimenez

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Sixteen years ago today, Ramon Martinez threw a no-hitter against the Florida Marlins.  The former All-Star won 123 games in 11 seasons with the Dodgers from 1988 to 1998 and finished second in voting for the 1990 NL Cy Young Award.  Today, however, Ramon is best known as being Pedro's older brother.

Some news from the NL West…

  • This is no surprise given the team's bankruptcy proceedings, but if the Dodgers do become buyers at the trade deadline, "it's probably on the Walmart level, if not the 99 Cents Only Store," writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.  If the Dodgers become sellers, Gurnick lists Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Dee Gordon and Rubby De La Rosa as players who won't be moved.
  • The Giants have hired former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman as a special assignment scout, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. (Twitter link)  Riggleman resigned as Washington's manager on June 23 after the Nats refused to negotiate a contract extension.
  • The Giants are looking to add offense at catcher, second base, shortstop and/or corner outfield spots, said vice-president of baseball operations Bobby Evans during an appearance with Jim Bowden on XM 89 MLB Network Radio.  (Twitter link)
  • The "Rockies have always liked James Shields," tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who thinks Colorado could pursue the right-hander if the Rays make him available.  We've already heard that the Rockies want to add controllable starting pitching whether they're in the NL West race or not, and Shields' contract carries options for the 2012-14 seasons worth $28MM.  (These options could be worth as much as $44MM if Shields reaches certain performance standards.) 
  • Scouts from the Braves, Cardinals, Indians, Phillies, Reds, Tigers, White Sox and Yankees were among the 17 scouts on hand to watch Ubaldo Jimenez's start against the Brewers on Thursday night, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.  Of course, it's possible those scouts were there to see other Colorado or Milwaukee players, though at least the Reds were known to have an interest in Jimenez.
  • Kevin Towers has been personally scouting the Diamondbacks' minor leaguer prospects in order to evaluate them for possible trades, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  While the D'Backs are willing to move minor leaguers, however, the team's elite prospects are off limits.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune chatted with fans today about the Padres and potential trades involving Heath Bell, Mike Adams and Ryan Ludwick. 

Soria Can Block Trades To Dodgers, Rockies, Braves

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The Dodgers, Rockies and Braves have replaced the Tigers, Cubs and Cardinals on Joakim Soria's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com (on Twitter). The reliever can still block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies with his no-trade clause, which would provide him with leverage in the unlikely event of a proposed deal.

The asking price for Soria is "exorbitant," according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who hears that Royals officials have never had upper-level talks about the closer with the Yankees.

Soria, 27, has a 4.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 38 innings this year. He had a difficult May during which he briefly lost the closer's job, but has recovered to post a 14K/2BB ratio since with just one earned run allowed in 16 innings in June and July.

The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games this year (he has finished 26 games so far). The Royals also have an $8MM option for Soria in 2013 ($750K buyout) and an $8.75MM option for  2014 ($750K buyout). Keep up with Soria and every other MLB closer at closernews.com.

Brewers Seek Boost On Left Side Of Infield

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The Brewers aren't done trading yet. They're working to improve the left side of their infield, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Brewers want a definite upgrade over shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt or third baseman Casey McGehee, but they aren’t close to making a deal, since few quality infielders are available in trades.

Jamey Carroll isn’t available now and J.J. Hardy will likely sign an extension with the Orioles, according to Rosenthal. The Brewers would like to obtain a player with a good glove and they can consider adding payroll on a case-by-case basis.

Brewers shortstops (Betancourt, Craig Counsell and Josh Wilson) have combined to rank 28th in MLB with a .267 OBP. Brewers third basemen (mostly McGehee and Counsell) rank 28th in MLB with a .206 average, a .264 OBP and a .277 slugging percentage. Betancourt has a .237/.255/.342 line while McGehee checks in at .223/.279/.315.

Dodgers Acquire Juan Rivera; Designate Thames

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The Dodgers acquired outfielder Juan Rivera from the Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations and designated Marcus Thames for assignment, announced the team (Twitter links).  Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers also received cash.

The Jays had to take Rivera and his $5.25MM salary to facilitate the Vernon Wells trade with the Angels in January.  Toronto ended up designating Rivera for assignment on July 3rd.  Rivera, 33, hit .243/.305/.360 for the Blue Jays in 275 plate appearances, playing both outfield corners, first base, and designated hitter. 

Rivera is a right-handed hitter who handles lefties well, which is what the Dodgers thought they were getting when they signed Thames for $1MM in January.  Thames struggled mightily in 70 plate appearances, missing about a month with a quad strain.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Mariners, Dodgers

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Congratulations to Robinson Cano, who joins Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds and other sluggers of note on the list of Home Run Derby winners. Here are the latest links from around the Major Leagues…

  • Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun suggests that the Orioles could look to add veteran starting pitching this month. Though Baltimore is not likely to surrender top prospects for back-of-the-rotation help, there’s something to be said for innings eaters who can keep teams in games. 
  • The Mariners announced that they have signed seventh round pick Steven Proscia, a third baseman from the University of Virginia, and 22nd round pick John Taylor, a right-hander from the University of South Carolina.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America believes seven 2011 draftees are among the top 50 prospects in baseball. For example, Anthony Rendon, Dylan Bundy and Trevor Bauer appear on Callis’ list.
  • Prince Fielder, C.J. Wilson and Michael Cuddyer were among the prospective free agents who told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that they'd consider off-field issues like ownership, front office leadership and attendance before signing with the Dodgers.

Red Sox Notes: Papelbon, Ellsbury, Beltran, Ortiz

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No American League team has more wins than the Red Sox, who boast a 55-35 record at the All-Star break despite a surprisingly slow start. Here's the latest on the Red Sox…

  • The Red Sox haven't engaged Jonathan Papelbon in extension talks this season, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Papelbon hits free agency after the season and it's a situation that fellow free agent closer Heath Bell will be monitoring in case a job opens up at the back of Boston's bullpen.
  • Scott Boras pointed out that Jacoby Ellsbury's combination of power, speed and defense is hard to find. “Your skill set to play centerfield and steal bases obviously generates itself around speed," the agent told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. "So, to go beyond and add an offensive power to that is hard to do. It’s a rare skill set.”
  • Carlos Beltran told Speier that he would accept the trade to Boston if the Mets decide to move him. “They’re in first place,” Beltran said. “That’s a no-brainer.” Beltran is an unlikely target for the Red Sox, who don't have much money available and would prefer to find an internal solution, according to Speier. Beltran earns $18.5MM this year and has said that he would waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
  • David Ortiz, who will hit free agency after the season, told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he hasn't heard anything about his future and isn't worried about it. Ortiz says he hopes to play for more than one season after 2011.
  • Andre Ethier told Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe that he likes the idea of playing for the Diamondbacks with Dustin Pedroia late in their respective careers (Twitter link).

NL West Notes: Colletti, Ethier, Beltran, Young

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Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, former Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday and former Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will all take part in tonight's Home Run Derby. Here’s the latest from the NL West as we await tonight’s power display…

Heyman On Jackson, Marlins, Brewers

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Some teams are hoping that a top-of-the-rotation starter or two will appear on the trade market at some point this month, but those pitchers aren’t available now, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on the starting pitching market and more of Heyman’s notes from around the league: 

  • The White Sox are fielding calls on Edwin Jackson, who is set to hit free agency after the season. I identified 2011 as a 'make or break' year for the right-hander before the season and he has a 4.30 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings so far.
  • The Marlins want to be a contender when their new stadium opens next year, so they aren’t expected to seriously consider trading Ricky Nolasco or Anibal Sanchez.
  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is happy in Milwaukee, according to Heyman’s sources. Attanasio has family connections in Milwaukee, but he lives in Los Angeles so he has been mentioned as a speculative owner for the Dodgers.
  • Former agent Dennis Gilbert is a "logical candidate" to own the Dodgers at some point, Heyman writes.

Quick Hits: Krol, K-Rod, Trade Deadline

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On this date in 1997, the Yankees signed a 17-year-old named Yhency Brazoban as an amateur free agent. Over the next 14 years, Brazoban was traded for Kevin Brown, closed games for the Dodgers, signed minor league contracts with four different teams, and, most recently, allowed yesterday's game-tying homer to Albert Pujols. Here are this afternoon's links, as Brazoban and the Diamondbacks look to recover from last night's loss in St. Louis….

  • Athletics minor leaguer Ian Krol was suspended indefinitely for a derogatory tweet, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Krol, a left-hander who was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, was ranked ninth among the A's prospects by Baseball America pre-season.
  • Even contenders who are eyeing Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez as an eighth-inning guy have to worry about his vesting option, says ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider only). As one GM points out, if your team acquires Rodriguez as a setup man and your closer gets hurt, it would be hard to justify not inserting K-Rod into the role.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com examines five prospects taking part in today's Futures Game who trade deadline sellers might target.
  • There are eight teams who should definitely be sellers at this point, argues Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter): the Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals, Athletics, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres.
  • Despite being big spenders in Major League free agency, the Phillies are once again exercising restraint when it comes to international free agents, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter) reiterates that the Nationals need to acquire a leadoff man, citing the team's .203/.270/.306 slash line from the top of the order.
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