AL East Notes: Lester, Blue Jays, Aramis
We checked in on the AL East this morning, but with less than a week remaining before the trade deadline, the rumors don’t stop coming. Here’s the latest…
- The Red Sox won't trade Jon Lester this summer, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports. The Red Sox are working to add starting pitching and have interest in controllable right-handers Matt Garza and Josh Johnson, Edes writes.
- Several clubs have approached the Red Sox about possible trades involving outfielders such as Ryan Kalish, Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross. The Pirates and Reds have both scouted the Red Sox extensively, according to Edes.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Blue Jays are trying to move Yunel Escobar and suggests they could have interest in Jose Reyes. The Blue Jays were very interested in Reyes as a free agent, Sherman writes.
- The Yankees aren’t likely to pursue Aramis Ramirez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). They could have interest in Chase Headley, however.
- In case you missed it, the Rays designated Hideki Matsui for assignment.
Josh Johnson Rumors: Wednesday
The Marlins are willing to listen on most of their players, including Josh Johnson. But there’s no guarantee they’ll deal the 28-year-old right-hander, who is under contract for 2013. While his salary has risen to $13.75MM, he’s still an attractive commodity to teams seeking starting pitching such as the Rangers and Blue Jays. Here are the latest rumors on Johnson:
- Executives expect the Marlins to trade Johnson, Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets. The Rangers are viewed as the favorites to acquire him.
- Executives expect the Angels, Orioles, Blue Jays and Rangers to push for Johnson, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Rangers haven't yet agreed to surrender Olt in a trade for Johnson, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets.
- The Marlins had not intended to trade both Hanley Ramirez and Johnson, but that stance could be changing given the interest in Johnson, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets
- The Rangers are one of the teams actively pursuing Johnson, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. They'd be willing to trade top prospect Mike Olt for Johnson, Nightengale writes.
- There’s a 50-50 chance the Marlins move Johnson, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports (on Twitter). The Marlins are holding out for a great offer.
- There should be a “feeding frenzy” for Johnson, an executive tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Rangers would like to add an elite starter and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney suggests they’ll pursue Johnson. The Rangers could also ask about Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke, Olney writes (Twitter link).
A’s Rumors: Rollins, Hanley, Drew, Escobar
The A's were nine games below .500 in mid-June, but they're now 51-44 following an impressive six-week stretch that's positioned them as contenders for a playoff berth. Here are the latest A’s-related notes and rumors…
- Rollins is not currently an option for the A's, Slusser reports. Slusser hears from two people who aren't convinced Rollins would approve a deal to Oakland (Twitter links).
- The A’s pursued Hanley Ramirez aggressively before the Marlins sent him to Los Angeles, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirms that the A’s were “very much in on” Ramirez (Twitter link). The Marlins recently offered Oakland a “sweet deal” that would have sent Ramirez to the A's for a couple of minor leaguers and enough cash to cover half of Ramirez’s contract, Knobler writes. But the A’s held off on the deal, and the Dodgers agreed to take on all of Ramirez’s salary.
- The A’s are still looking to add, Knobler reports. They have been scouting Stephen Drew, have had interest in Yunel Escobar, and have considered the possibility of bringing Oakland native Jimmy Rollins back to the Bay Area.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Hanley, Orioles
Alex Rodriguez broke his hand last night, when he was hit by a pitch from Felix Hernandez in Seattle. The injury is expected to sideline Rodriguez for six to eight weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Not surprisingly, the news will affect the Yankees' summer shopping list. Here are the latest notes from the AL East…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he’ll engage the market for a third baseman, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The Yankees will consider all third base options, including Chase Headley of the Padres, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). It seems unlikely that the Yankees would meet the Padres' asking price for Headley, Heyman writes (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox asked the Marlins about Hanley Ramirez before last night’s trade, but Boston’s interest was in acquiring the infielder and flipping him to a third team, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. It sounds as though the Red Sox were going to flip Ramirez to either the A’s or the Dodgers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- The Orioles announced that they signed 25-year-old Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to a minor league contract. The Orioles will assign the 6’5”, 195-pound switch-hitter to Double-A Bowie. Urrutia did not play in 2011 following an unsuccessful attempt at defection, according to the Orioles. He established residency in Haiti after successfully defecting from Cuba.
Dodgers Acquire Hanley Ramirez & Randy Choate
The Dodgers announced that they have acquired Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate from the Marlins for Nathan Eovaldi and minor league right-hander Scott McGough. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that Miami is not sending any money to the Dodgers to cover the salaries of Ramirez and Choate (Twitter links). But GM Ned Colletti couldn't pass up the chance to add Ramirez to his team's struggling lineup.
“The addition of a hitter the caliber of Hanley Ramirez improves our lineup from top to bottom, inserting a proven run producer to go along with Matt and Andre,” Colletti said. “We’re excited for Hanley to begin a new chapter in Los Angeles.”
The Athletics, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Orioles all had some interest in Ramirez, and the Red Sox might have been interested as well. However, the infielder has 37.3MM remaining on his contract with Miami ($15MM in 2012, $15.5MM in 2013 and $16MM in 2014) and owns a pedestrian .246/.322/.430 batting line. His trade value isn’t what it once was.
"We had to do something," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). "The machine was sputtering. It's too good a baseball team and for some reason it didn't seem to be operating on all cylinders from the beginning of the season."
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly will determine whether to play Ramirez at shortstop or third base, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). Ramirez has volunteered to play either position, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). He's likely to play shortstop until Dee Gordon returns from the disabled list, then move to third base.
Choate, 36, has a 2.49 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 60.3% ground ball rate in 25 1/3 innings with the Marlins this year. The lefty specialist earns $1.5MM in the final season of a two-year, $2.5MM contract and will hit free agency after the season. The Dodgers had been looking for a left-handed reliever.
Eovaldi has started ten games for the Dodgers this year, posting a 4.15 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 56 1/3 innings. The 22-year-old entered the season as the 96th-best prospect in MLB, according to Baseball America. In five minor league seasons he has a 3.28 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB /9.
McGough, a 22-year-old right-hander, has a 3.88 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 34 relief outings at Class A. The 2011 fifth rounder has averaged more than one strikeout per inning since being drafted.
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports first reported the trade and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported McGough's inclusion in the deal. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Multiple Teams Interested In Hanley Ramirez
6:47pm: With Ramirez owed roughly $38.5MM for the remainder of his contract, rival executives say the Marlins would have to pick up a substantial portion of that money in any deal, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com. As well, some teams think Ramirez is not a third baseman, though they might try him again at shortstop (Twitter links).
3:59pm: Though the Marlins are waiting for the Dodgers to show interest in Ramirez, no significant talks have taken place between the teams yet, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
2:15pm: The Athletics, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Orioles are among the teams with interest in Hanley Ramirez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Interest levels in Ramirez vary and nothing is close, Rosenthal reports. The Red Sox are also interested, according to USA Today. However, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com hears Boston isn't in on Ramirez (Twitter link).
An American League official told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Marlins' asking price for Hanley Ramirez is "not ridiculous." Miami wants quality young pieces in return for Ramirez, who earns $15MM in 2012, $15.5MM in 2013 and $16MM in 2014. The infielder does not have no-trade protection.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests the A's, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Pirates, Blue Jays and Orioles are potential fits for Ramirez. Earlier today, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs suggested Toronto could be a fit because Rogers Centre is a haven for right-handed power hitters. Though I have no doubt the Blue Jays checked in on Ramirez, they routinely inquire in available players, so this isn't necessarily an indication of serious interest.
Blue Jays Interested In Josh Johnson
5:24pm: The Marlins told teams they would trade only one of Johnson or Sanchez, so it would take a "blowaway" offer to land Johnson as of now, reports Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
4:15pm: Teams inquiring on Johnson are being told his finger issue is minor, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter). Johnson is expected to make his next start.
2:49pm: The Blue Jays are interested in Marlins starter Josh Johnson, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays also have interest in Hanley Ramirez, but their interest in Johnson is stronger, Morosi reports.
Johnson, 28, has a 4.14 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 119 2/3 innings of work this year. The 6'7" right-hander earns $13.75MM per season in 2012 and 2013. He has a ground ball rate of 46.9% and an average fastball velocity of 93 mph, according to FanGraphs. Johnson experienced irritation on the middle finger of his pitching hand in last night's start.
The Blue Jays, now 48-47, are said to be looking for controllable starting pitching options, even after acquiring J.A. Happ. The club's injury-depleted rotation currently includes Ricky Romero, Aaron Laffey, Carlos Villanueva, Henderson Alvarez and Brett Cecil.
The Marlins are drawing interest in a number of players, including Ramirez and Johnson, after trading Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to Detroit. They're open to moving Ramirez, but likely to keep Johnson.
Rosenthal & Morosi On White Sox, Tigers, Angels
White Sox GM Kenny Williams has already traded for Kevin Youkilis and Brett Myers, but he may not be done dealing yet, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports write. The White Sox want to add a starting pitcher and Zack Greinke is high on their list of potentially available arms, Rosenthal and Morosi report. Here are the rest of the notes and rumors from the FOX reporters…
- The White Sox are eager to move Gavin Floyd, Rosenthal and Morosi report.
- Though the White Sox don’t have a deep farm system, they could flip Floyd for prospects and use those prospects to acquire Greinke from Milwaukee, Rosenthal and Morosi suggest.
- A National League executive suggested to Morosi that Anibal Sanchez will be the third-best free agent starter this offseason behind Greinke and Cole Hamels (Twitter link).
- Morosi expects the Tigers to extend catcher Alex Avila at some point (Twitter link). Avila, the son of Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, has a .237/.339/.381 batting line this year. He has battled hamstring issues in 2012, his final year as a pre-arbitration eligible catcher.
- The Blue Jays remain in buy mode, Morosi notes. Toronto executives believe a second-place finish in the AL East is possible (Twitter link).
- The Blue Jays, Yankees, Giants, Indians, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all had scouts at last night’s Marlins game, according to Morosi (Twitter link).
- Josh Willingham is available, but prohibitively expensive, one GM told Rosenthal (Twitter link).
- Josh Johnson, James Shields and Greinke are among the starting pitching options the Angels could consider, Rosenthal writes.
NL East Notes: Nationals, Buehrle
The Phillies are eager to trade Hunter Pence, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported today. Here are some more notes from the NL East with exactly one week remaining before the July 31st trade deadline…
- The Nationals' primary concern is improving their middle infield depth, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals could make a move very soon now that Ian Desmond might miss a month with a strained oblique. The team has discussed 15-20 players in the Marco Scutaro, Jamey Carroll, Nick Punto mold, Kilgore reports.
- The Nationals aren’t looking for a starting position player and they aren’t offering much for starting pitching, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). It seems unlikely that GM Mike Rizzo will trade for a premium pitcher like Zack Greinke or Matt Garza.
- One GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Marlins are expected to listen on any player not named Giancarlo Stanton or Jose Reyes. However, the Marlins would likely have to be overwhelmed to trade Mark Buehrle.
- The Mets announced that they have signed reliever Craig Hansen to a minor league contract (via Twitter). Hansen was a first-round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2005.
Marlins, Orioles Talking Trades
The Marlins and Orioles are discussing trade scenarios, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Miami is "knee deep" in trade talks and could complete a blockbuster in the next 24 hours, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter).
The Marlins, who sent Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to Detroit yesterday, have also had teams inquire on Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Lee, Josh Johnson,Ricky Nolasco and Randy Choate. The Orioles are known to be seeking pitching and corner infield help. It wouldn't be surprising to see Baltimore pursue Ramirez or Johnson, since either player would have an impact in 2012 and on next year's team.