Carroll’s Latest: Torrealba, Wheeler, Dunn
Here’s the latest from Will Carroll at Baseball Prospectus. Some of this info is from this afternoon, so I apologize for the tardiness.
- The Rockies may still move a lesser player like Yorvit Torrealba, if anyone’s interested. There doesn’t seem to be a match with the catching-hungry Marlins though.
- Carroll tosses a new name into the relief market: Dan Wheeler. Would the Rays part with him?
- Carroll’s sources don’t think much of the recent Jeff Kent rumor.
- The White Sox have been aggressive in their relief pursuit; the Twins have been passive in general. The Mets, Rays, and Phillies have been quiet.
- Still no interest in Adam Dunn. The man has 30 home runs! Carroll says David Weathers is drawing some inquiries.
Stark’s Latest: Ohman, Rhodes
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has some new rumor material.
- Braves lefty Will Ohman is drawing plenty of interest, with the Tigers, Rays, Yankees, and Cardinals named as suitors. Perhaps the Yanks’ interest will diminish now that they have Damaso Marte.
- The Marlins and other clubs may turn to Arthur Rhodes as a more reasonable Plan B if they aren’t able to pry George Sherrill or Brian Fuentes loose.
- Given the emergence of Jeff Samardzija as a power bullpen arm, the Cubs are no longer looking for pitching. They desire a left-handed hitting center fielder, but that might wait until the offseason. It’s probably too early to say whether Jim Edmonds will be considered.
Odds and Ends: Eaton, Dykstra, Lohse, Burnett
Let’s round up some linkage.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney wonders if Adam Everett would be a good fit for the Dodgers.
- Phillies pitcher Adam Eaton accepted a minor league assignment today. It seems that J.A. Happ will replace him.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America thinks the only first-round pick who might not sign will be San Diego’s Allan Dykstra.
- I did a Q&A with Mets Fans Forever.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak dismissed the idea of trading Kyle Lohse. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe believes the Cardinals have the best shot at acquiring A.J. Burnett. But don’t forget that interesting suggestion yesterday from John Perrotto: the Jays might offer Burnett an additional $2MM in ’09 and ’10 to entice him to stay.
- Marlins catcher Matt Treanor had a setback, increasing their need to acquire a backstop.
- Rays manager Joe Maddon says the chances of a trade are "50-50 at best."
- The D’Backs are still talking extension with Cy Young contender Dan Haren, who is signed cheaply through 2010.
- Blue Jays reliever Brian Tallet is out at least three weeks with a broken toe; bad timing for potential suitors like the Mets.
- I did the Drunk Jays Fans podcast last night.
Perrotto’s Latest: Ross, Jacobs, Kent, Burnett
Baseball Prospectus’ John Perrotto has a new column.
- The Mets are looking at relievers Huston Street, Brian Fuentes, Arthur Rhodes, and Eddie Guardado. On the radar for outfielders: Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez, and Randy Winn.
- A new suitor for Fuentes has emerged: the Diamondbacks. Would they really make another move for a reliever? Other known suitors were named here.
- The Marlins would consider trading Cody Ross or Mike Jacobs for relief help.
- New name on the Rays’ radar: Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent. They’re better off with Akinori Iwamura aren’t they?
- George Sherrill suitors: Cardinals, Tigers, Dodgers, Marlins, and Phillies.
- The Blue Jays may offer A.J. Burnett an additional $2MM per year to convince him to stay for 2009-10.
- The Rangers are "expected to be among the top bidders" for CC Sabathia this winter.
Marlins Inquire On Bengie Molina
According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, the Marlins recently inquired on Giants catcher Bengie Molina. Frisaro believes the asking price may be too high, but the situation is worth watching.
Molina, 34, is hitting .282/.313/.421 in 368 plate appearances this year. Molina rarely draws a walk or strikes out. Behind the dish, he’s thrown out a third of attempted basestealers, fifth in baseball. Jason Kendall leads that stat by a wide margin, which is surprising to me.
Molina is owed another $2.2MM this year and $6MM in ’09, plus performance bonuses for games started as a catcher. He has some level of no-trade protection, though it’s unclear which teams are included. The Yankees have also been linked to Molina. The price is said to be a young power hitter.
Tigers Eyeing Taschner
The Brewers, Mets, Phillies, Marlins, and Cardinals have been linked to Giants’ lefty Jack Taschner in the past. Today, MLB.com’s Trade Talk blog says the Tigers have been observing him as well. However, the Tigers have fallen to 7.5 games out in the AL Central (they might shave that to 6.5 today if the bullpen can hold a four-run lead).
Taschner, 30, has struggled this month after a solid stretch in May and June. Control has always been an issue. Taschner is under team control for quite a while.
Odds And Ends: Gammons, Stark, Giles, Royals
And still more minor notes from around the MLBiverse…
First from Peter Gammons:
- Gammons says that the Marlins will not part with Anibal Sanchez for Brian Fuentes and will instead go after Arthur Rhodes.
- The Cardinals now appear to be the favorite for Fuentes.
- No teams seem willing to pay the asking price for Jason Bay.
- The Indians will pay the remainder of Casey Blake’s $2MM salary.
Next from Jayson Stark:
- The Mets are also showing interest in Randy Winn, but one official from another club feels Winn is just a backup plan.
A couple of random notes:
- Bud Black says Brian Giles does not want to be traded and prefers to stay with the Padres.
- Kevin Murphy notes that the Royals haven’t fared too well in the trade market the last few years.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
Stark’s Latest: Dunn, Tankersley, Sherrill
ESPN has a new Trade Deadline blog going; here’s the link. Jayson Stark already has two entries up, found here and here. Let’s dig in!
- The Yankees have explored the idea of acquiring Adam Dunn, though they’re reluctant to meet the Reds’ demands.
- The Marlins are proposing the idea of swapping lefty Taylor Tankersley for a more experienced one like Brian Fuentes or George Sherrill. So far, nothing’s cooking. Tankersley, 25, was demoted to Triple A earlier this month after being bitten by the home run bug. He dealt with shoulder tendinitis in early ’07.
- The Rockies instead have their eye on Florida’s Ryan Tucker, a young Double A righty with a mid-90s heater and a 1.41 ERA. I don’t see that happening. Stark says they want to push the bidding closer to the deadline though.
- The Orioles are apparently trying to pry Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel from the Brewers for Sherrill, but as you know they’re not biting.
Graziano’s Latest: Sherrill, Arroyo, Rhodes, Zaun
Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger has a new Trade Winds column.
- Graziano notes how incredible the Erik Bedard trade could look for Baltimore if they spin George Sherrill for prospects. He names the Cardinals, Rays, Marlins, and Red Sox as suitors. The Mets fear Sherrill’s price tag, while the Yankees don’t expect a deal within the division.
- The Yankees haven’t spoken to the Reds about Bronson Arroyo (although based on previous reports, they have scouted him). The Yanks aren’t likely to sign Barry Bonds, and aren’t terribly thrilled with the catching market.
- Fernando Martinez‘s possible injury could increase the Mets’ urgency to find a left fielder. For some reason, Adam Dunn is not in the mix. The Mets are in on relievers Brian Tallet, Jack Taschner, and Arthur Rhodes.
- The division rival Marlins are after Rhodes, as well as Gregg Zaun.
- Graziano says no one denied his rumor that the Blue Jays were quietly discussing Roy Halladay with other teams. The offseason might be a better time to shop him, though.
Knobler’s Latest: Pirates, Brewers, Beltre, Cabrera
Here’s the latest from CBSSports.com’s Danny Knobler.
- A rumor made the rounds that Pirates president Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington were at odds over the team’s strategy, with Coonelly pushing .500 as a goal. Huntington denied that, and has five coveted players to work with in the next week. Keep in mind that only Damaso Marte is a free agent after the season, so moves can be made in the offseason.
- Teams with available relievers believes the Brewers are still in the market, despite Doug Melvin’s claims. Many teams are scouting the Brewers’ Double A club.
- Adrian Beltre‘s contract wouldn’t be a problem for the Twins, but the teams haven’t found a match on players.
- Knobler heard that the Marlins might consider Baltimore catcher Ramon Hernandez.
- The rumor about Kevin Towers becoming a candidate for the Seattle GM vacancy won’t die.
- Some folks expect the White Sox to move shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. They’re still looking for pitching.