Dodgers, Angels Continue Pursuing Top Arms
The Dodgers are considering trades for Josh Johnson and James Shields since they aren’t making progress with the Cubs regarding a possible Ryan Dempster deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Dodgers could check in on Zack Greinke, who will likely be traded this month. However, they view Cliff Lee’s contract as onerous (not that he's available).
The Angels continue to be involved in talks for Greinke, Shields and Johnson, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. They might like Greinke best, but Shields may be their most realistic target (Ken Rosenthal reported this morning that the Angels believe in Shields at a time that other clubs have doubts about him). The Angels would prefer to acquire a pitcher they can keep beyond 2012, so Shields’ contract options likely appeal to Angels executives. Johnson is also controllable, but the Angels have concerns about his health issues and $13.75MM salary.
The Angels would like to find a taker for Ervin Santana and Vernon Wells, Knobler writes. The team would likely have to absorb salary to move either player.
Stark On Headley, Braves, Marlins, Reds
The Athletics, Orioles, Pirates and Indians are pursuing Chase Headley most aggressively, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. The Pirates and Indians seem less motivated to complete a deal now, but the A’s and Orioles haven’t backed off. The Diamondbacks, Phillies and Yankees checked in on Headley, and the Dodgers were seriously interested until they traded for Hanley Ramirez. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors…
- The Braves are telling teams they’re shifting their focus away from the rotation to possible bullpen and bench upgrades, Stark reports.
- The Marlins are working hard to trade Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Lee, Stark writes. Ricky Nolasco is also available.
- The Rangers are mainly focused on Zack Greinke and James Shields, but the odds of a trade involving Shields are diminishing because Evan Longoria is on his way back to the Rays’ lineup.
- The Cubs are offering to absorb all but $2MM of Alfonso Soriano’s contract, Stark writes. The left fielder earns $18MM per season through 2014 and the Cubs might take it all on for the right prospect.
- The Phillies are still considering trading Shane Victorino, but they are likely to wait a few days before making a decision on his future.
- The Padres have told teams they are likely to trade Huston Street if they can’t sign him to an extension. The Padres are expected to attempt to lock Street up to a one-year extension.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty "feels a need to do something" and has asked around for a middle-of-the-order hitter, Stark reports.
Sherman On Red Sox, Crawford, Shields
Three AL East executives said they view the Red Sox as the Yankees’ greatest intra-divisional threat this year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. “There is just too much talent on that roster for them not to contend,” one of the executives said of the Red Sox. Here are the latest notes and rumors from Sherman…
- The Red Sox are trying to find a high-end starting pitcher or a shortstop, one official told Sherman.
- Boston tried to flip Carl Crawford to Miami to address their shortstop situation, Sherman reports. However, GM Ben Cherington said on WEEI in Boston today that there was just one conversation with Miami and that talks about Crawford never got serious (Twitter link via Rob Bradford).
- Boston “wants [Crawford] out in the worst way,” Sherman hears from an exec.
- James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis are drawing lots of interest, Sherman writes. The Rays are hoping demand for Shields spikes once Zack Greinke gets traded. It's conceivable that a bidding war could emerge between the Angels and Rangers.
NL East Notes: Mets, Nationals, Marlins, Ramirez
The latest out of the National League East..
- Mets assistant GM John Ricco says the club is still in the market for a reliever and backup catcher, and projects the Mets making a "small" move before the trade deadline, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.
- Several Nationals officials have made the trip with the club to Milwaukee as the deadline nears, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. While it would seem that the Nats are in need of an infielder, Washington manager Davey Johnson believes that the club can fill the gap internally.
- New Dodgers reliever Randy Choate says that it's unfair of Marlins players to blame Hanley Ramirez for the team's struggles thus far, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. The left-hander was sent to Los Angeles along with Ramirez this week.
Josh Johnson Rumors: Thursday
Baseball executives seem divided on the Marlins' plans for Josh Johnson, but it's clear the right-hander is drawing considerable interest as the trade deadline approaches. One official told Jayson Stark there's a 95% chance the 28-year-old stays put. But other executives told Joel Sherman they'd be shocked if the Marlins don't trade him. The Rangers, Angels, Orioles and Blue Jays appear to have interest in Johnson, who earns $13.75MM per season through 2013. Here’s the latest on Johnson, with the most recent rumors up top:
- The Blue Jays are undeterred by their series loss to the A's and are still pursuing Johnson, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Johnson would prefer to be near his home in Oklahoma or his wife's home in Orange County, California, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter).
- The Marlins are seeking a Mark Teixeira-like package for Johnson, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Miami seeks at least three good young pieces for Johnson, Heyman writes. The Rangers, of course, obtained Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Jarrod Saltalamacchia when they traded Teixeira five years ago.
NL East Notes: Reyes, Bonifacio, Murphy
The Marlins appear to have set an extremely high asking price for Josh Johnson, Jon Heyman reported today. Here’s the latest on the Marlins and their NL East rivals…
- The Marlins are telling teams Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle are off-limits, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. They feel committed to Buehrle and believe Reyes will play better now that Hanley Ramirez has been traded. The Marlins are also sure to keep Giancarlo Stanton, Heyman writes.
- The Marlins are reluctant to trade Emilio Bonifacio, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
- The Padres offered to trade Luke Gregerson for Daniel Murphy, but the Mets rejected the possible deal, John Harper of the New York Daily News reports. Gregerson, 28, has a 3.05 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 44 1/3 innings this year. He earns $1.55MM and will remain under team control through 2014.
Examining The Turner-Sanchez-Infante Trade
The Tigers were willing to trade top prospect Jacob Turner to reinforce their roster with Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante in a move that addresses their two biggest needs. Yet there’s no guarantee that they’ll get any sort of long-term assets as a result of the deal.
Players traded in past midseason deals could be tied to compensatory draft picks, but Sanchez won’t be connected to anything of the sort. It’s now against the rules for teams to obtain compensatory draft picks for players acquired midway through the last year of a contract. Infante, who earns $4MM per season through 2013, will not bring the Tigers draft pick compensation, either. For that to happen, the Tigers would have to be prepared to offer $12MM-plus when Infante’s contract expires following the 2013 season. It’s not happening.
Leading up to the trade deadline, some general managers speculated that teams would be reluctant to trade top prospects for players on expiring contracts. For some teams the idea of surrendering an elite prospect for a rental player seemed unappealing, especially now that the possibility of obtaining draft pick compensation no longer exists.
But for at least one club, it’s a necessary sacrifice required to make meaningful midseason upgrades. Though Turner (pictured) entered the season as the 22nd-ranked prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America, the Tigers weren’t going to address their issues at second base and in the rotation without including him. The Braves’ willingness to part with Randall Delgado for Ryan Dempster is another example of an aggressive trade offer for a player who won’t be tied to draft pick compensation.
It’s not entirely new for the Tigers — president and GM Dave Dombrowski has made a number of similar win-now decisions in recent years. Under baseball’s pervious collective bargaining agreement, they were willing to sign Type A free agents under the right circumstances, even when it meant surrendering draft choices. They had to forfeit draft picks to sign Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez and Jose Valverde, though the lost draft selections were significant for Dombrowski — “you don’t like to give them up,” he acknowledged after signing Martinez.
The Tigers didn’t lose a pick in this week’s trade (they did swap competitive balance picks with Miami). But they gave up a long-term asset in Turner to bolster their chances in 2012. The Tigers-Marlins trade and the near Braves-Cubs trade appear to be encouraging developments for teams currently marketing other players on the brink of free agency. Highly-regarded prospects seem to be attainable even when draft pick compensation isn't a possibility. The Brewers, for example, can reasonably expect a top prospect of their own if they complete a trade for Zack Greinke. Maybe the new CBA won’t affect teams’ willingness to part with top prospects as much as initially expected.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Wednesday
Ryan Dempster allowed three earned runs on five hits in six innings against the Pirates today, striking out six. Trade talk continues to surround the 35-year-old right-hander, who would prefer to be dealt to the Dodgers than the Braves. Here’s the latest on Dempster, with the most recent notes up top:
- The Cubs have told teams interested in Dempster they'd grant a window to negotiate an extension, tweets Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
- The possibility of a trade exists, but the Cubs are frustrated by their lack of leverage, Morosi tweets. Chicago still hopes Dempster changes his mind about Atlanta, tweets Olney.
- The Cubs now plan to keep Dempster and make him a qualifying offer after the season, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets. Doing so would allow the Cubs to collect a compensatory draft pick in 2013.
- The Dodgers have Zack Greinke and Josh Johnson on their list in case they don't trade for Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- Braves GM Frank Wren said on 680-AM The Fan in Atlanta that he's "moving on" from Dempster. "I think it's very highly unlikely," Wren said (via ESPNChicago.com). Once the Braves heard Dempster would prefer to play for the Dodgers, they moved on. Wren said the Braves continue pursuing starting pitchers.
- The Dodgers have the upper hand in talks with the Cubs, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
- The Dodgers are feeling increasingly confident that they can work out a deal for Dempster, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets. The Cubs don't have many alternatives given Dempster's interest in playing for L.A. and his no-trade protection.
- A trade between the Dodgers and Cubs still seems “realistic,” Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers still intend to add a starting pitcher, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com tweets.
Marlins Notes: Johnson, Ramirez, Red Sox
With Hanley Ramirez in Los Angeles and the Marlins entertaining offers for Josh Johnson, let's check out the latest items out of Miami..
- Two executives who spoke with the Marlins say that the club is willing to move Johnson for a huge return, but would prefer to build with him and a lineup of Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, and Logan Morrison, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).
- Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports opines that the Marlins conned Miami into giving them a brand-new ballpark under the guise of needing more revenue to be competitive, only to revert to their old chop shop ways.
- As offensive as it may be to see the Marlins unload Ramirez's contract to improve their bottom line, there's a lot of baseball sense in their trade, Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). He points out that Miami received a solid pitching prospect in Nathan Eovaldi while not having to cover any of Ramirez's contract.
- The Red Sox are among the teams said to be interested in Johnson and former teammate Cody Ross would be happy to see the pitcher in Boston, writes Ian Browne of MLB.com. “I mean, he definitely would help any team,” Ross said. “He’s a bulldog. He’s one of the premier pitchers, an ace. I’ve always said that he is one of the most competitive players I’ve ever played with. He’s a bulldog.”
- Given all of his ups and downs, it's hard to say what version of Ramirez the Dodgers are receiving, writes MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
Stark On Marlins, Phillies, Dodgers, Garza, Twins
Here's the latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- One official who spoke with the Marlins brass estimates that the odds Josh Johnson remains with Miami are "95 percent." The Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Royals have all checked in.
- Carlos Lee, Ricky Nolasco, Heath Bell, and Gaby Sanchez are all very available. Other than Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton will be the toughest player to pry away from the Fish.
- The Phillies have talked about trading Cliff Lee following the Cole Hamels extension and they haven't discouraged other teams from inquiring, but their game plan right now is to keep their trio of aces intact.
- Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton are good bets to be dealt and the Phillies will listen on Hunter Pence. They want multiple young big leaguers to plug holes at third base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen in return.
- The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They've also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.
- Clubs have not been assured by the Cubs that Garza will make another start before the trade deadline due to his triceps issue. He's more likely to be dealt in the offseason.
- In the wake of acquiring Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates are sending signals that they could trade away a starter like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia.
- The Twins' asking prices for Morneau ("pricey"), Denard Span ("more pricey"), and Josh Willingham ("it made me laugh") are high. Minnesota insists they will listen on anyone and Stark says Morneau is the bat they're most likely to move. Francisco Liriano is "nearly 100 percent" likely to be traded.
- The Orioles continue to look for pitching, someone they consider a number three starter or better. Garza and Vargas have their eye but Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table. They've gotten hits on Jake Arrieta but won't move him unless they get a similar young arm with several years of team control remaining in return.
- The Brewers will trade Randy Wolf "for nothing if you take the money," according to one official.
- The Rays have "got a big market" for Wade Davis.