Padres Rumors: Maddux, Hoffman, Kouzmanoff, Greene, Bard
4:32pm: More from Towers – he’s had inquiries on Jake Peavy, Trevor Hoffman, Heath Bell, Kouzmanoff, and Greene. Potential deals will be assessed after the season, though Towers wants Hoffman to stay until the end of his career.
2:43pm: MLB.com’s Corey Brock has the latest on the Padres and Greg Maddux.
Maddux apparently will only accept a trade to a West Coast team, preferably the Dodgers. Padres GM Kevin Towers doesn’t mind trading within the division. The only piece missing is interest from L.A. They’ve got good pitching depth, but if Maddux could be added at a reasonable price, why not? The Professor has a 4.18 ERA this year.
Don’t expect to see younger Padres like Kevin Kouzmanoff, Khalil Greene, or Josh Bard on the move. Towers said a trade of any of those three is "very doubtful."
Heyman’s Latest: Nady, Teixeira, Sherrill
Jon Heyman is cranking out a lot of rumorage. Here’s his latest.
- The price has dropped a tad on Xavier Nady, as the Pirates have become more interested in moving him.
- The Braves still might trade Mark Teixeira right before the deadline, and Heyman thinks they can easily beat two draft choices.
- Many teams scouted George Sherrill recently: the Marlins, Dodgers, Cardinals, Phillies, and Brewers.
- Some execs "expressed annoyance" at the D’Backs underpaying for Jon Rauch.
- Heyman says the Yankees are looking for catching, though Peter Abraham doesn’t agree.
- The Twins, Giants, and Dodgers have interest in Hank Blalock, who has a $6.2MM option for ’09.
Yankees Scouting Dodgers
Here’s one I missed from this morning. According to George King of the New York Post:
Yankee scout Rick Williams is following the Dodgers, who will entertain offers for right-hander Derek Lowe if he will bring L.A. a much-needed bat.
Hard to think of a good match there. Plus, why would the Dodgers trade Lowe when they’re a half-game out? Even if Lowe walks after the season he’s good for two draft picks.
Tim Brown’s Latest: Peralta, McPherson, Putz
Yahoo’s Tim Brown posted a new column this evening.
- The Nationals got an OK return for Jon Rauch, acquiring second baseman Emilio Bonifacio. That could set the pace for reasonable reliever prices.
- The Indians are listening on Casey Blake, Paul Byrd, and Jamey Carroll, as you know. Jhonny Peralta isn’t off-limits either.
- Here’s a new name of interest for the Dodgers: Marlins minor league third baseman Dallas McPherson. He’ll be 28 soon, and carries a .287/.400/.650 line with 32 home runs in 314 Triple A at-bats. This could be the second time McPherson blasts 40 home runs in a minor league season.
- The Red Sox inquired on J.J. Putz, but the Mariners say he’s not available.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Fuentes, Sherrill, Nady, Kemp, Guthrie
New Rosenthal. Let’s take a look.
- Rosenthal says the Marlins are in on Brian Fuentes and other top relievers, and they’re more focused on bullpen help than a catcher. The Marlins’ interest in Fuentes was first reported by the Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck on July 9th.
- Sources tell Rosenthal that the Brewers aren’t likely to pay up for a top reliever like George Sherrill. Rosenthal considers the Angels the best fit for Sherrill, but doesn’t say whether they’re actually interested.
- The Braves probably won’t discuss Tim Hudson; they’ll need him for next year.
- Rosenthal wonders whether the Phillies will entertain trades for Brett Myers in the offseason.
- The Phillies inquired on some interesting hitters: Matt Holliday, Xavier Nady, and Matt Kemp.
- The Rockies asked the Orioles about Jeremy Guthrie, but he’s not available.
- The Mets may not consider Casey Blake even of a difference-maker, though Blake is popular on the trade market. The Rays are one team looking at him.
Dodgers Scouting A’s?
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that the Dodgers have a scout at the current A’s-Rays series in Tampa Bay. Ken Rosenthal recently named the Dodgers as one suitor for A’s closer Huston Street. Slusser also speculates that the Dodgers could consider shortstop Bobby Crosby.
Street is not at peak value right now, with eight hits and four runs allowed in his last three appearances. His average fastball velocity is down to 89.7 mph this year from 90.4 last year. Strikeouts are down, walks and home runs are up. He’s dealt with a groin strain this season and ulnar nerve irritation last year. Street is under team control through 2010.
Other teams eyeing Street: the Mets, White Sox, and Brewers.
Dodgers Showcasing Andy LaRoche?
Dodgers manager Joe Torre pledged to play young third baseman Andy LaRoche in all three games of the current series against the Rockies. Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News wonders whether the Dodgers are showcasing him. Or, the Dodgers may just want to see if he can win the starting gig.
LaRoche, 24, began the season on the DL with a torn thumb ligament. He then hit .277/.444/.420 in 38 Triple A games. In the minors and in his brief Major League career, LaRoche has drawn a ton of walks. He’s yet to flash much power in the bigs, but it’s a small sample.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is said to be targeting third base and/or shortstop help. Possible veterans on the radar: Jack Wilson, Casey Blake, and Adrian Beltre.
Pirates Rumors: Wilson, Bay, Nady, Marte, Grabow
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest Pirates hot stove chatter.
- The Pirates are not opposed to creating a hole at shortstop for the rest of the year by trading Jack Wilson. They would just need the right return. Teams are still calling on Wilson, with the Dodgers confirmed and the Tigers possible.
- A Jason Bay deal seems less likely – the Pirates’ price is high for their star.
- Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte continue to draw interest, with John Grabow in the mix as well. Nady or Marte would require two prospects each. Nady’s suitors are the Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Braves. Marte has roughly a dozen suitors.
- Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger says the injury to Hideki Matsui led to heightened interest from the Yankees in Nady and Bay. They’re also in on Marte and Grabow. The Bucs aren’t interested in Melky Cabrera.
- Interesting stuff in this John Perrotto article found via DRays Bay. He names the Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, and Rays as teams interested in Marte. The Tigers, Phillies, and Cardinals also have an eye on Grabow.
- Perrotto runs through all kinds of names of interest to the Pirates: Anthony Reyes, Chris Duncan, Jeff Larish, Matt Joyce, Ross Ohlendorf, Brent Lillibridge, Brandon Jones, Jeff Niemann, Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, and Bobby Parnell.
Rosenthal’s Latest: K-Rod, Maddux, Wolf, Street
Rumor guru Ken Rosenthal is at it again.
- Angels GM Tony Reagins is doing his due diligence on available hitters. Rosenthal admits his own suggestion of a Mark Teixeira/Will Ohman blockbuster acquisition is unlikely.
- Rosenthal believes Francisco Rodriguez‘s expected asking price to be five years, $75MM. The Angels would not bite on that.
- Greg Maddux only wants to be traded to a West Coast team. He might accept a trade back to the Dodgers, if Ned Colletti and Kevin Towers want to go down that road.
- The Orioles would trade George Sherrill if someone wants to overpay. Tons of teams are looking for lefty relievers, and many are available. Rosenthal notes that the Orioles have plenty of players likely to clear waivers, making August trades quite possible.
- The Dodgers are apparently interested in Toronto shortstop John McDonald. Talks for Cristian Guzman and Jack Wilson have stagnated. An extension is more likely than a trade for Guzman.
- Randy Wolf and Cla Meredith are the most popular Padres in trade talks. Wolf’s no-trade clause doesn’t include the teams that like him, so that won’t be an issue. If the Friars were to move Kevin Kouzmanoff, they’d ask for a young outfielder back.
- Even with their second base surplus, the A’s want to sign Mark Ellis to an extension.
- A Milton Bradley deal is unlikely, but the Rangers are getting calls on Marlon Byrd and Nelson Cruz. In return, they might be looking for young starting pitchers.
- The Royals are said to be "actively shopping" Miguel Olivo and Mark Grudzielanek. However, it’s been suggested that the Royals might not have the catching depth to move Olivo.
- Rosenthal’s list of Huston Street suitors: Mets, White Sox, Dodgers, and Brewers.
Dodgers Sign Ozuna, Look To Stay Active
Ken Gurnick from MLB.com writes that the Dodgers signed veteran utility player Pablo Ozuna today. The White Sox designated Ozuna for assignment on July 8 to make room for Paul Konerko when he returned from the DL. He elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers. Ozuna had posted a mediocre line of .281/.313/.328 in 69 plate appearances for the White Sox this year.
Luis Maza was designated for assignment to make room for Ozuna, Gurnick writes. Maza was called up as a quick shortstop fix earlier in the year, but had posted an abysmal .228/.278/.282 line through 79 ABs with the Dodgers.
Manager Joe Torre refers to Ozuna as a "safety net" at three positions, and also expects the Dodgers to continue to be active over the next 10 days:
"I know Ned [Colletti, general manager] is on the phone, trying to make our club better," Torre said. "Chances are, we’ll be active. Having said that, we’re trying."
Gurnick mentions that the Dodgers are hesitating to bring pinch-hitting specialist Mark Sweeney off the DL, perhaps signaling that an additional move is near on the horizon. General Manager Ned Coletti said that with shortstop options limited in Rafael Furcal’s absence, his desire to acquire a run-producing third baseman would intensify.
Personal speculation: Adrian Beltre is available, and the Twins look to have thrown in the towel on their attempt to acquire him, but the asking price there is quite high. Minnesota could still offer competition to the Dodgers in an attempt to acquire a third baseman. Here’s a look at the third base market.
Casey Blake’s name has been tossed around with the Dodgers. Hank Blalock could be another option, if he can remain healthy and return to his old self. His great run from 2003-2005 seems like a long time ago at this point, but a turnaround would be a tremendous boost to the Dodgers’ lineup.