Marlins & Pirates Talking Capps; Aren’t Close
The Marlins, who have signed three relievers this week, are talking with the Pirates about trading for another. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Marlins have maintained contact with the Pirates about closer Matt Capps, though the two sides are not close to a deal.
Odds And Ends: Atkins, Ryan, Halladay
More links for the afternoon…
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Red Sox phoned the Rockies about Garrett Atkins, who's hitting much better since the beginning of June.
- Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says the Royals can't give Mark Teahen away, but they should be open to trading him.
- Joel Sherman wonders if a contender will pick B.J. Ryan up as a lefty specialist.
- Jorge Arangure Jr. says Ryan could fit with the Marlins, who have been handing out second chances non-stop.
- MLB.com's Lyle Spencer looks at pieces the Angels could offer for Roy Halladay, about whom they have called the Blue Jays.
- But the Angels are not the only ones inquiring. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, J.P. Ricciardi has received "several" calls about Halladay.
Rosenthal On Vazquez, Hairston, Teahen
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Javier Vazquez has more value than any available hitter. Here are the details and the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:
- Not even Matt Holliday or Corey Hart would be fair value for Vazquez, so Rosenthal asks why the Braves would want to trade him at all.
- The Mets inquired on Scott Hairston, who could have been an affordable stopgap, but balked when the Padres asked for Bobby Parnell.
- The Marlins offered Gaby Sanchez for Manny Delcarmen, but the Red Sox weren't interested.
- The Mariners, Tigers and Rays weren't far from agreeing to a deal that would have sent Edwin Jackson to Seattle and J.J. Putz to Detroit last offseason.
- Kevin Towers compares Rule 5 pick Everth Cabrera to Rafael Furcal.
- The Royals "do not seem terribly inclined" to deal Mark Teahen.
- The Pirates covet Eric Young Jr. of the Rockies.
- Some predict that the distribution of amateur talent- through the draft and international signings- will be the biggest issue in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Marlins Won’t Move Top Prospects For Relief
The Marlins are about to sign Scott Williamson to a minor league deal, and they have also shown interest in big league relievers, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Every potential trade partner has asked for Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton in return, but the Marlins consider the two prospects untouchable.
Marlins To Sign Scott Williamson
The Marlins are about to add Scott Williamson to their bullpen, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. They're close to finalizing a minor league deal with the 33-year-old righty, who could join new additions Brendan Donnelly and Luis Ayala in the 'pen after a stint in the minors.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Kouzmanoff, Marlins
A tasty handful of Monday evening links…
- Chris DeLuca of the Chicago Sun-Times gathered a quote from Cubs GM Jim Hendry on the possibility of his club making a move: "We have a pretty good team,and if our guys all play like their capable … you don’t have to do a whole lot."
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports the Padres aren't "getting many hits" from other teams on Kevin Kouzmanoff, but believes that might change soon.
- According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds have signed four Venezuelan amateurs.
- Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a rundown of team-by-team minor league transactions from late June. It's interesting reading for prospect buffs.
- Will the Marlins be leaving their payroll issues behind when they move into their spanking new facility in 2012? Carl Hiaasen of the Miami Herald doesn't seem to think so. He questions whether the club will be able to fill their $634MM, 37,000-seat stadium once the luster wears off.
- Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay.com has more on Venezuelan third baseman Cesar Perez, who was signed this afternoon by Tampa Bay for $1MM.
- Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reviews the Ryan Freel trade, noting that the Royals must be labeled as "buyers" as of July 6. Of course, that could change by the time the July 31 trade deadline rolls around.
- Remember to tune in for the weekly MLBTR live chat tomorrow at 2pm CST.
Marlins Sign Brendan Donnelly
Joe Frisaro reports that the Marlins have signed Brendan Donnelly. The 37 year old veteran was signed by the Astros in May after being released by the Rangers in March. He left the Astros on July 1 to become a free agent. Florida will be the fifth club Donnelly has joined since leaving the Angels after 2006.
Morosi’s Latest: Blue Jays, Sanchez, Correia, Holliday
Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com suggests the Blue Jays might want to set their sights on 2010, after which they stand to lose Lyle Overbay, Scott Downs, Scott Rolen, and Roy Halladay to free agency. Not to mention Cito Gaston and J.P. Ricciardi, whose contracts will both expire barring an extension. Morosi writes,
Morosi adds the following:
- Halladay is not going anywhere.
- Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond are most likely staying put, says Morosi, and I doubt anyone here disagrees.
- Pitching is not a need for 2010 with the anticipated return of Jesse Litsch, Shaun Marcum, and Dustin McGowan.
- The Jays are almost certain to keep Downs, who has become a premier reliever in the American League.
Morosi suggests, the Jays trade a pitcher or two to boost their team OPS which lags in the AL East behind the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays. Given the above, Morosi suggests Brian Tallet as a trade chip. "Tallet could be looked upon as a viable option for teams looking for a mid-rotation left-handed starter, particularly if the Mariners stay in the race and elect not to move Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn."
They may also look at dealing from their collection of right-handed setup men, such as Casey Janssen, Jeremy Accardo, Brandon League, or Jason Frasor. Just speculating here but Janssen may be the most attractive since he can start. As a reliever in 2007, Janssen had a 2.35 ERA in 72.2 IP with 6 saves before missing 2008 with a torn labrum.
Morosi has a few more bullet points to discuss:
- Freddy Sanchez's contract contains an $8MM option for 2010 that automatically vests after 635 PAs, or only 600 if he makes the All Star team. So, it stands to reason that Sanchez will either make the All Star Team or see his trade value increase. This may be moot given Sanchez is on pace for 660 plate appearances. Morosi says one Mariners official doesn't think Pittsburgh is considering trading Sanchez. The M's have need for a pure hitter as well as a second baseman given concerns about Jose Lopez ability to stay at 2B long term.
- The M's asked about Jeremy Hermida, but there wasn't a lot of movement. Morosi notes Hermida's trade value has fallen significantly.
- Kevin Correia is pitching fantastically but the Padres haven't put him on the open market. Morosi doesn't report much excitement among other clubs.
- Morosi says "one person in the industry who knows Oakland general manager Billy Beane well," guessed Matt Holliday will stay with the team so Beane could collect the compensatory draft picks. Morosi quotes the source: "Billy loves the draft."
Odds & Ends: Marlins, Brewers, Wang, Mitre, Matzek
Here's some links to hold you over while waiting for the sky to start lighting up…
- Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald says the Marlins have some important decisions to make in the coming weeks, whether they plan to make a trade before the deadline or not.
- MLB.com's Adam McCalvy mentions that the Brewers have some questions of their own to answer, including what to do with the starting rotation and how to handle Mat Gamel, who hasn't played much of late.
- Chien-Ming Wang is headed for the DL after leaving today's game with a shoulder strain and bursitis, and Peter Abraham of The Journal News mentions that Sergio Mitre could be an option to replace him in the rotation. After rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and serving a 50-game suspension, Mitre has a 3.26 ERA and a 2.71 GB/FB ratio in 30.1 Triple-A innings this year.
- Wang's injury basically eliminates any chance he'll be traded by the 31st as well.
- Rockies' top pick Tyler Matzek is the first rounder most likely not to sign according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
- Bart Hubbuch of The New York Post tweets that reliever Connor Robertson has been demoted all the way to High-A ball. Ouch. Robertson had been designated for assignment about two weeks ago.
Rosenthal Discusses George Sherrill
Orioles closer George Sherrill sports a 2.51 ERA with 17 saves, and had been lights out recently until today's outing against the Red Sox. The 32 year-old southpaw is under team control through 2011. Since the Orioles are 10.5 games out of the wild card, it's only natural to expect a few trade rumors involving Sherrill.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports discusses the possibility of a deal in an article tonight. His source speaks of talks with Florida that have "tiny legs" that "could grow given time." The Marlins' closer, Matt Lindstrom, is currently on the shelf with an elbow sprain. Rosenthal says the Fish would not be willing to part with Chris Coghlan for Sherrill, though the O's like the rookie. The Orioles have a clear organizational need on the left side of the infield.
A trade of Sherrill is no sure thing, according to Rosenthal. He speaks of Sherrill's stabilizing presence on the team's young pitching staff. I imagine it would be easier for the Orioles to part with Danys Baez, especially with over $2.8MM remaining on his contract.