Heyman On Cubs, Reyes, Street, Dodgers
Jon Heyman of SI.com hands out his midseason awards and Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Verlander, Jose Reyes and Roy Halladay are among those who take home some virtual hardware. Here’s Heyman’s latest from around the Major Leagues…
- Though Cubs manager Mike Quade appears to be safe, GM Jim Hendry doesn’t have assurances that he’ll keep his job, according to Heyman.
- The Mets will make Reyes an offer, but one GM believes it will cost more than the $142MM Carl Crawford obtained to sign the shortstop when he hits free agency after the season.
- I compared Reyes to Crawford on Monday and suggested that Reyes appears headed for a Crawford-like deal.
- The Phillies would like to re-sign Ryan Madson after the season, when the currently injured closer hits free agency.
- Huston Street could hit the trade market if the Rockies keep losing.
- The Dodgers are saying they don’t expect to consider trading players away for two weeks or more.
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya is expected to join a different team in 2012.
Quick Hits: Orioles, Canseco, Dodgers, Gutierrez
The Yankees obtained Jeff Weaver from the Tigers in a three team deal that sent Ted Lilly to Oakland and Carlos Pena to Detroit on this date in 2002. We've only seen minor moves so far today, so here are some links to check out…
- Matt Vensel of the Baltimore Sun runs through some possible trade candidates on the Orioles, including J.J. Hardy, the hot hitting Mark Reynolds and Jeremy Guthrie.
- Jim Caple of ESPN.com catches up with Jose Canseco, who is now managing and playing for the independent Yuma Scorpions with his brother Ozzie. Not surprisingly, the Scorpions are having a memorable season under Canseco, who has lots to say as usual.
- Bud Selig has argued that the Dodgers would have been in financial trouble again by 2013 had MLB accepted the club's proposed deal with Fox, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter).
- The attorneys for Frank McCourt wrote that others teams with financial questions enjoy "the velvet-glove treatment" from MLB, according to Shaikin. McCourt's lawyers are asking for documents relating to the Mets' financial issues to prove their point: that the Commissioner's office is biased against McCourt and the Dodgers.
- Nicaraguan right-hander Osman Gutierrez obtained a $210K bonus from Toronto, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). The Blue Jays announced yesterday that they had signed the prospect.
Minor Moves: Simons, Miller, Corcoran, Hernandez
A few transactions from the minor leagues…
- The Marlins have signed right-hander Zach Simons, MLBTR has learned. Simons, 26, was released by the Tigers last week. Simons was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2005 draft and has a 4.06 ERA and a 7.1 K/9 rate in seven minor league seasons in the Colorado and Detroit systems.
- The Dodgers have signed Justin Miller to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. This is Miller's second stint with L.A. after posting a 4.44 ERA in 19 appearances with the club in 2010 before being designated for assignment. Miller has pitched for the Mariners' and Rangers' Triple-A teams this season, with a combined 5.31 ERA in 17 appearances.
- The Dodgers signed right-hander Roy Corcoran to a minor league deal and assigned him to Double-A Chattanooga, according to the Southern League's transactions page. Corcoran last piched in the Majors in 2009 and has a career 4.17 ERA in 82 appearances with the Expos, Nationals and Mariners between 2003 and 2009. Corcoran pitched for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock last season.
- The Yankees released Fernando Hernandez, according to the International League's transactions page. Hernandez had posted a 5.91 ERA in 33 appearances for Double-A Trenton this season and made just one appearance for Triple-A Scranton before being released. The right-hander, who turns 27 later this month, has three Major League innings to his name, all with Oakland in 2008.
Jon Garland’s Season Could Be Over
Dodgers right-hander Jon Garland's shoulder injury may sideline him for the remainder of the season, a source tells Tony Jackson of ESPN Los Angeles. Garland has been on the DL for the last month with inflammation in his throwing shoulder and was looking for a second opinion on his injury, but the source tells Jackson that Garland won't pitch again in 2011 even if he opts to avoid surgery.
If Garland's season is indeed over, it will probably mark the end of his tenure with the Dodgers. The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $5MM contract with Los Angeles last November that included a club option worth $8MM for 2012 that would have vested had Garland thrown 190 innings. This looked like a safe bet at the time given that the durable Garland had reached the 190-inning plateau in each of previous nine seasons. As it happened, the righty made his first two career trips to the DL this year. Given Garland's health and the Dodgers' financial issues, there is little to no chance the club would pick up that $8MM option for next year.
Garland has a 4.33 ERA and a 1.4 K/BB ratio in nine starts for L.A. this season. This was Garland's second stint with the Dodgers, as he pitched for the club in 2009 followng an August 31st trade from Arizona. Garland's strong September (a 2.72 ERA in six starts) helped the Dodgers win the NL West, though Garland was left off the postseason roster.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Hardy, Wandy, Twins
The latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The Dodgers are not ready to become sellers quite yet, but Cafardo reports that the team's scouts are already compiling lists of other teams' better prospects. Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll are among the players who would be made available — Kuroda is already attracting the attention of several teams and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Carroll's trade candidacy two weeks ago.
- Cafardo reports that the Indians looked into Casey Blake as a depth option at third base before Lonnie Chisenhall was called up. Blake, Jonathan Broxton and Jon Garland are all currently on the DL but would be shopped by L.A. if they can prove they're healthy.
- The Dodgers don't appear to be interested in moving higher-profile players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or James Loney since "the feeling is Dodgers fans would rebel if some of their star players were sold off." I don't think Loney falls into this category at all — he has just a .678 OPS this season and could be a non-tender candidate after the season, so the Dodgers would love to get something back for him.
- J.J. Hardy will be "a major trade chip" for the Orioles if the two sides can't work out a contract extension before the deadline. Hardy would become the top option for shortstop-needy teams, particularly if the Mets don't shop Jose Reyes.
- "It’s no secret that [Wandy Rodriguez] is being watched closely by the Yankees, who have sent a few people to watch some of his starts," Cafardo writes. As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted a few weeks ago, the Yankees would want Rodriguez at the back of their rotation while the Astros would want a trade package befitting an ace, so there may not be a fit between the two teams. Cafardo notes that Brett Myers "also remains on the Yankees' radar."
- The Twins are more likely to deal Carl Pavano or Francisco Liriano than they would Scott Baker, though "there are teams that would love to get their hands on Baker."
- The White Sox recently sent assistant general manager Dave Yokum to scout some Braves games for pitching. Cafardo specifically cites Brandon Beachy as a starter the Sox were watching and says that Beachy or Derek Lowe could be shopped by Atlanta in exchange for a hitter. I think it's obvious the Braves would prefer to move the expensive Lowe rather than a young, controllable pitcher like Beachy, but if the Braves wanted to pick up a big bat like Carlos Quentin (as Cafardo speculates), Atlanta certainly has the pitching depth to spare.
Tigers Interested In Hiroki Kuroda
The Tigers have some interest in Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, it's not clear whether the Dodgers would part with Kuroda or whether the right-hander would accept a trade to Detroit. The Dodgers aren't ready to sell and Kuroda, who is drawing lots of interest, will likely require compensation to accept a trade.
The 36-year-old has a 2.90 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 43.9% ground ball rate in 108 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. He earns an $8MM salary, so he'll still be owed $2.7MM at the July 31st trade deadline. Kuroda, whose contract expires after the season, projects as a Type B free agent this offseason.
Improving the rotation is a priority for the Tigers. They just demoted Phil Coke from the rotation and Charlie Furbush will take his place tonight when he makes his first MLB start.
Quick Hits: Hanrahan, Harden, Dodgers, Ring
Some links for Sunday afternoon…
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that All-Star Joel Hanrahan doesn't have a bonus for being selected to the All-Star Game built into this year's contract with the Pirates, but you can bet his 2012 contract will have one.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Rich Harden could make sense for the Rockies or Diamondbacks if he continues throwing well.
- Olney quotes ESPN's Evan Cohen in this tweet, pointing out that the Dodgers owe $74MM to 40 creditors, which is more than twice the $31MM they have committed to players for 2012.
- The New York Post's Joel Sherman spoke to a Yankees executive and says it's unlikely that they pursue Royce Ring (Twitter link), who opted out of his contract with the Mariners today. Ring had a solid 2010 season for the Yanks' Triple-A affiliate.
- The Indians could use an outfielder and Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer outlined some possible trade targets for the Tribe. Ryan Ludwick, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur, and Jason Kubel are among the names suggested.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) expects Padres reliever Chad Qualls to be dealt.
- Between Latin American prospects Elier Hernandez and Nomar Mazara, Ben Badler of Baseball America (via Twitter) prefers the potential of Hernandez. Hernandez signed with the Royals yesterday for $3.05MM while Mazara agreed to a record setting deal worth more than $5MM with the Rangers.
Dodgers Not Ready To Sell
Even though the Dodgers find themselves in the cellar of the NL West, GM Ned Colletti says that it's too early to go into selling mode, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
"We haven't been healthy all year, but I still don't think we've played as well as we can play," the GM said. "The next three-plus weeks, if we can show some of that, we might be adding people."
The Dodgers could draw interest from contenders in players such as Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll. Kuroda is in the middle of yet another strong season, posting at ERA of 2.90 with 6.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. Carroll, meanwhile, is hitting .300/.370/.365 and can play a number of positions. The Rockies are believed to be interested in Carroll, but Colletti said that he'd have to feel very confident about the return in order to trade within the division.
Olney On Dodgers, Cardinals, Bell, Kazmir
The Dodgers are playing hard and preparing diligently for every game, but you'd have to be blind to not see the cloud that hangs over the team on a daily basis, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Because of the club's situation, the team knows that there probably won't be help coming in before the trade deadline. They've also seen their farm system dry up and their club is no longer a top destination for big-time free agents. Regardless of who the owner is of the team this time next year, they'll likely need years to repair the damage that has been done. Here's more from Olney..
- The Padres are scouting the farm systems of several clubs as the deadline approaches, and the Cardinals are among those clubs. All along, St. Louis has been a natural fit for Heath Bell or one of the other San Diego relievers. On Thursday, Olney reported that San Diego has told teams that they're ready to take offers on Bell and Mike Adams.
- Pitcher Scott Kazmir is expected to pick his next team sometime in the next ten days. The veteran has met with the Rangers and other clubs are in the mix, such as the Padres. Kazmir worked out for Texas last week and was healthy for the workout.
Dodgers Have Not Had Serious Talks About Kuroda
Despite interest from several teams, the Dodgers have not had any serious trade discussions about right-hander Hiroki Kuroda according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi notes that tomorrow's start against the Angels will give teams a chance to evaluate Kuroda against an AL lineup.
Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is said to hold the 36-year-old righty in high regard, and team ownership recently said they'll be able to take on payroll at the deadline. Kuroda will require compensation to waive his no-trade clause, though it's unclear exactly what kind of compensation he's looking for. The Reds and Rockies scouted his most recent start, and Morosi reminds us that the Yankees are always lurking.
Kuroda has a stellar 3.10 ERA through 101 2/3 innings this year, and his strikeout (6.8 K/9) and walk rates (2.5 BB/9) are right in line with his career norms. He is getting fewer ground balls in 2011 (44.6%) compared to the rest of his career (49.7%), so it's not surprising that he's giving up a career high 1.1 homers per nine innings.