Rosenthal’s Latest: Nats After Dunn
Ken Rosenthal’s got a new column up; let’s dive in.
- Fun new rumor: the Nationals are pursuing Adam Dunn. Huh? Makes no sense on the surface. Jim Bowden’s possible motivation would be to sign Dunn long-term and make him the cornerstone of the franchise. If he fails at that, all would not be lost given the draft pick compensation. Rosenthal says the market for Dunn beyond Washington is a bit foggy – the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres could all get involved but none stand out.
- Rosenthal adds some color to my recent Nationals post. He mentions that Ron Belliard is a name that might interest the Mets, an idea that has come up before. Rosenthal says the Mets will not do a Lastings Milledge for Chad Cordero trade.
- The Dodgers have jumped to the forefront on Octavio Dotel, with Takashi Saito ailing. According to Rosenthal, the Royals aren’t demanding the very specific bounty Joel Sherman claimed. Instead, they just want a near MLB-ready player. Rosenthal says Tony Abreu is out of reach but Chin-Lung Hu might not be. He suggests moving Hu to second base to accomodate Tony Pena Jr., which should probably be reversed. It appears the Indians wouldn’t surrender Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco for Dotel. I’d give one up, personally.
- I didn’t know this: Jermaine Dye can veto a deal to four clubs. With his solid play, interest is picking up. As are Kenny Williams’ demands; he wants an elite prospect. The Indians and Red Sox have inquired; the Cubs might make sense too. I thought we had ruled out the Red Sox earlier though.
- The Padres are looking for bench help, perhaps in the name of Ryan Klesko, Mike Piazza, Mark Loretta, or Mike Lamb. Couple of prodigal sons there. Would Piazza be happy as a pricey bench player? Rosenthal says Matt Stairs isn’t available. Why not?
Troy Glaus Available
The general feeling, based on comments from Troy Glaus and J.P. Ricciardi, has been that Glaus is staying put. However, a Toronto Sun article from Bob Elliott quotes an NL scout saying that Glaus is indeed available. The 31 year-old third baseman would be hard to replace, so he won’t come cheap. No reason Ricciardi shouldn’t at least field offers.
Glaus, of course, has a full no-trade clause. When he was last traded, he required an $11.25MM player option for ’09 be added to his deal. At present he will make another $4.4MM this year and $12.75MM in ’08. If he were to concede to another trade, maybe he’d want $26-30MM guaranteed for 2009-10. Just a guess.
The common sentiment is that Glaus would end up back in California if traded. Elliott names the Padres and Angels as teams in need of a power-hitting third-sacker. But let’s give some props to rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff, who is hitting .283/.338/.500 since May 1st. Elliott says the Dodgers aren’t in on Glaus, leaving a return to the Halos are the most feasible scenario. He’d be a perfect addition for the Angels, who are ninth in the league in slugging.
New Plan: Extension For Gagne
The Rangers are throwing trade rumor junkies a curveball – they’re now thinking about hanging onto Eric Gagne and signing him to a contract extension. This development may be related to the limited trade options for the rejuvenated closer.
Keep in mind that the extension talk may just be lip service. As a Scott Boras client, wouldn’t the oft-injured Gagne require a good three years, $36MM guaranteed? That’s my guess. That would be very risky. Assuming Mariano Rivera remains a Yankee, Francisco Cordero will be the only free agent closer near Gagne’s level. Nice timing for Coco, by the way.
I’m still learning how the Elias Bureau determines its free agent classifications. My guess is that Gagne would not earn the Type A designation because he missed most of last year. I’ll have to confirm that. If I’m correct, the Rangers wouldn’t be able to collect much in the way of draft picks if Gagne walks.
Evan Grant also notes that Joaquin Benoit has moven to the forefront as the Ranger reliever must likely to be dealt. Akinori Otsuka‘s injury may prevent him from full re-establishing his value by July 31st. Benoit will not become a free agent until after 2008, and he’s in the midst of a career year after rediscovering his control. The Dodgers and Brewers may be interested. L.A. could get desperate if Takashi Saito‘s injury is serious, although it does not appear to be. On the other hand, it’s certainly in Ned Colletti’s best interest to downplay the injury. For the Brew Crew, Benoit could slide into the closer role in 2008 if they allow Cordero to leave.
Grant adds that the Rangers and Dodgers have had slow-moving talks about Mark Teixeira, and that the Braves were scouting the game on Friday as well. The Braves could’ve been looking at relievers though.
One final note: contrary to a previous report, Grant says Kenny Lofton is drawing significant interest from the Tribe. Lofton’s agent has heard the rumor as well. Kenny implied yesterday that he’d play a corner outfield position if need be.
Rosenthal On Teixeira, Dunn
I neglected to mention a Ken Rosenthal article from yesterday, chock full of rumory goodness as always.
- Rosenthal believes the Yankees need a backup plan in case they are not able to retain Alex Rodriguez. Wilson Betemit definitely makes sense in that he’d be useful even if they do keep A-Rod. Rosenthal basically names every third baseman you can think of. The most likely option, to me, is to simply sign Mike Lowell as a free agent. Would he switch sides? Perhaps, if the Red Sox don’t make an offer or try to lowball him.
- The Braves apparently won’t give up Yunel Escobar or Jarrod Saltalamacchia to get Mark Teixeira. Neither of ’em. No doubt John Schuerholz will spend the next ten days trying to get Jon Daniels to settle for less.
- The Reds have a "co-Dunn-drum," as Rosenthal puts it. Now that’s good stuff. The basic codunndrum here is that no team that can afford Adam Dunn wants him. Rosenthal likes the Tigers as a dark horse. I know Dunn isn’t much with the glove, but I’m surprised the market isn’t stronger for him right now.
- Dan Wheeler is more likely than Chad Qualls to be moved, because he’s closer to free agency (after 2008).
- Rosenthal believes the Royals could not even acquire a Tony Abreu from the Dodgers for Octavio Dotel. Previously it had been said that the Dayton Moore was asking for Matt Kemp or James Loney. And Duke Snider plus Sandy Koufax.
- Bronson Arroyo does not appear to be available. Jose Contreras or Matt Morris: which is the lesser of two evils?
Graziano On Greinke, Pettitte
Good stuff today from Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger. Here’s my summary:
- Beyond the Cubs, Graziano lists the Braves, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks as teams interested in pitcher Zack Greinke. If the initial asking price for Octavio Dotel was as high as reported, I can’t imagine what Dayton Moore would want for Greinke.
- Graziano’s Dotel suitors: Cubs, Dodgers, and Brewers. The Red Sox, Rockies, and Indians have been mentioned by other sources. Quite a market for this guy.
- David Weathers is seen as the poor man’s Dotel/Gagne. Let’s see if Wayne Krivsky can get something useful for him. Stormy makes another $2.75MM in ’08 before his contract is up.
- The Mets are mostly focused on a power relief arm, as Roy Oswalt and Dontrelle Willis are said to be unavailable. I have no idea why Willis keeps getting lumped in with Oswalt; they are nowhere near equal. Graziano says the Mets still like Javier Vazquez but the White Sox keep trying to pawn off Jose Contreras instead.
- The Braves are trying to deal for southpaw reliever C.J. Wilson of the Rangers. The 26 year-old has an undeserved 2.81 ERA right now. His control has been worse this year, so he’d have to remain unhittable to be effective.
- The Mariners inquired on Andy Pettitte, but the Yankees aren’t giving up yet.
Yankees Still Pursuing Wilson Betemit
The Yankees’ love affair for 27 year-old infielder Wilson Betemit continues. They keep trying to swap Scott Proctor for him, this time with the Dodgers instead of the Braves.
The Dodgers are definitely searching for late-inning relief help, but Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post say Proctor doesn’t do it for them.
Betemit began the year as the Dodgers’ regular third baseman, but hit his way out of the job after about a month. I’ll be the first to admit I thought he’d keep the job and OPS at least .800. But to be fair, Betemit’s OPS is over .800 – a career best .844 in fact. He’s got 28 home runs over his last 515 ABs, and he’s drawn enough walks this year to keep his OBP strong.
The switch-hitting Betemit has never hit southpaws much, but he’s going to need full exposure to them if he’s ever going to learn. It’s kind of a catch-22. I still think he can carve out a career as a regular, maybe as an offensive-minded second baseman.
Proctor for Betemit would be a fine move for the Yankees. He wouldn’t have a regular job but could spend some time at first this year and offer an insurance policy for Alex Rodriguez next year. If A-Rod is to depart, the Yankees could spend the extra cash to improve at a position other than third.
Dodgers Interested In Dotel
According to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, the Dodgers are currently the top suitor for 33 year-old reliever Octavio Dotel. Dutton reports that Royals GM Dayton Moore is said to be asking for a position player regular, like James Loney or Matt Kemp. Lest you think Dutton is off his rocker, consider that Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News says the same thing. Jackson even mentions Russell Martin.
I have to begin by questioning the Dodgers’ need for Dotel – he would be their third-best reliever. I don’t know why he would jump ahead of Jonathan Broxton on the depth chart. Broxton has become one of the game’s best relievers, and he’s posted zeroes in his last eight appearances.
But beyond that, the asking price is silly. Maybe the White Sox were offered a player like Kemp for Mark Buehrle – maybe. Dotel isn’t nearly as valuable. I applaud Moore for trying, but he’s really asking for the moon right now. Dotel might be worth a Delwyn Young, maybe a Blake DeWitt, not that the Royals need those guys. A pitcher such as Hong-Chih Kuo seems about the high end of what Moore could reasonably get, in my opinion.
The Indians and Rockies have also been said to have interest in Dotel, who is making $5MM plus incentives this year. He’s also got a $5.5MM option for ’08, which he probably won’t exercise if he stays healthy and effective in 2007. Additionally, John Perrotto mentioned in his Sunday column that the Tigers have been scouting Dotel.
Teixeira Trade Talk Continues
A host of clubs are currently in on Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
We’ve heard the most about the Dodgers and Angels competing to acquire him. However, as Buster Olney notes, both clubs have promising young cheap first basemen. Though Teixeira has the track record, is he significantly better than James Loney or Casey Kotchman? Grant says the Dodgers have been scouting the Rangers and could go for one of their relievers as well. Meanwhile, the Rangers are scouting the Angels.
Grant says additional contenders like Teixeira: the Braves, Red Sox, and Yankees. Kevin Youkilis has been Boston’s first baseman this year. However, they could shift him back to third base and trade impending free agent Mike Lowell for something useful. The Braves and Yankees definitely have room at first base for Tex.
In the Braves’ case, though, there would truly be nowhere for Jarrod Saltalamacchia to play if he wasn’t included in the deal. The Braves are in an odd place, with two excellent young starting catchers on the roster. Atlanta’s strongest need right now is starting pitching, however. The Baseball Opinion connects the dots and finds a Javier Vazquez acquisition possible.
Grant believes noncontenders such as the Orioles and Giants could be interested in Teixeira as well. The Giants could use some star power if they cut ties with Barry Bonds after the season. Brian Sabean now has the job security to think about the post-Bonds Giants. The Orioles would be bringing in their hometown boy and could make a corresponding trade of Miguel Tejada.
Buehrle Cleans Out Locker
And in other news, I tidied up my desk today. Mark Buehrle‘s housecleaning, however, is just barely newsworthy. It could be a sign that a deal is impending, or it could just be plain old cleaning. I can speak from experience: I only cleaned out my high school locker when school was out for summer. And I found an old sandwich. Just saying.
Ken Rosenthal mentioned today that various execs still expect Buehrle to be traded. The Dodgers, Mets, and Mariners seem to be the top contenders.
Buehrle, for his part, is as sick of the constant rumors as you are. He’s planning on testing free agency if he doesn’t stay with Chicago.
UPDATE: Jayson Stark is reporting that Williams is asking for three players for Buehrle, two of which must be premium prospects. Ultimately I think KW will settle for just one top prospect. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times would begrudgingly surrender center fielder Adam Jones.
Stark adds that the Red Sox are back in the Buehrle sweepstakes, trying to push Julio Lugo on the White Sox as part of the deal.
Buehrle Extension Lives
UPDATE: Kenny Williams spoke to the press tonight; the White Sox have offered Buehrle no-trade protection except for an 18-month span. It seems likely that the two sides reach an agreement.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times believes tonight could be Mark Buehrle‘s last start as a member of the White Sox. His teammates have been collecting memorabilia, and extra support is expected tonight at U.S. Cellular. Hard to believe that this thing died over a no-trade clause. Perhaps Buehrle wanted a full and the Sox would only give a partial. But how can they justify passing on a well below-market commitment of 4/54? The Sox are definitely built to win in 2008. Everyone Buster Olney talked to is stunned as well.
Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times reported this morning on discussions between the Dodgers and White Sox about Buehrle. The Sox want outfielder Matt Kemp in a trade. They may even be asking for more, perhaps Chad Billingsley or Jonathan Broxton. We know that Kenny Williams’ starting point was each team’s two best prospects. If the clubs ultimately settle on Kemp for Buehrle straight up – something the Dodgers hope to avoid – Williams will have done well. He needs an outfielder he can build around. The L.A. Daily News, however, says no deal is close and the Dodgers haven’t even talked to the White Sox since before extension negotiations died.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune believes the Mets, Braves, Red Sox, Brewers, and Dodgers will all now increase their interest in Buehrle. And Lance Berkman of the Astros is now campaigning for him too. Cowley mentions in his article that the Mets’ interest is now heating up. And if you’re wondering what the Mariners might be able to offer, check out Dave Cameron’s take.
One long shot possibility: this is all just a noise by the White Sox and they’ll make an extension announcement before Buehrle takes the mound. That’s the scenario Sox fans are hoping for at this point.