AL Central Notes: Morneau, Tigers, Rios, Peavy
We'll end the evening with some links from the AL Central …
- Twins first baseman Justin Morneau talked to reporters, including MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger, about the recent trade rumors that have circulated. While he has a six-team no-trade clause, Morneau said that none of those teams are among the clubs reportedly interested in dealing for him.
- Morneau also expressed that he hopes to stay in Minnesota, but has not been contacted about an extension. Set to become a free agent in 2013, the 32-year-old figures to be worth far short of his now-expiring six-year, $80MM deal.
- For his part, Twins owner Jim Pohlad told La Velle E. Neal II of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that, while he would not "feel great about [Morneau] being traded," the team ultimately must "do whatever it takes to win." He added that Minnesota has twice rebuffed Morneau when he approached the club to try and discuss an extension.
- Even with Joaquin Benoit, Drew Smyly, and Bruce Rondon pitching well at the back of the bullpen, the Tigers continue to explore the trade market, according to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. He says that Detroit is scouting the Marlins, Brewers, Padres, Mariners, and Astros in search of bullpen pieces.
- While Knobler does not connect the Tigers to any specific relievers, he does say that the team is not interested in Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees. Dan Martin of the New York Post, on the other hand, reports precisely the opposite. (Hat tip to River Ave. Blues.) He writes that the Tigers may be one of the only teams interested in Chamberlain, with the Phillies, Braves, and Giants not intrigued.
- There was a moment of excitement tonight when White Sox outfielder and trade candidate Alex Rios was pulled from the game after the sixth inning. Rumored to have been seen hugging in the dugout, it turns out that Rios was pulled for not hustling on the basepaths. MLB.com's Scott Merkin was among the first (Twitter link) to firmly quash the speculation that a Rios trade had gone down.
- Since peaking in late May with an OPS that reached .928, Rios has seen his on-base and (especially) power numbers plummet. On the heels of two substandard months, Rios now stands at a league-average OPS of .755 for the year, making him a less compelling trade piece than he looked to be back in May.
- Expect a lot of teams to be watching Jake Peavy's start today for the White Sox. Peavy, who could be the most valuable starter available since he is controlled through next season, will look to prove that he is healthy and effective after a DL stint.
Quick Hits: Delgado, Top Prospects, Byrd, Relievers
The Blue Jays will add Carlos Delgado to the Level of Excellence at the Rogers Centre this weekend — an honor bestowed upon the greatest Jays in franchise history. Delgado spent a dozen seasons with the Jays, hitting .282/.392/.556 with 336 homers in 6,018 plate appearances. He will join Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, George Bell and Dave Stieb as players to receive the distinction. Here's more from around the league…
- ESPN's Keith Law unveiled the latest edition of his Top 50 prospects (ESPN Insider required and recommended), and it's fronted by Twins Class A Advanced center fielder Byron Buxton, though Law cautions that even he is a little uncomfortable with the amount of hype Buxton is receiving. Oscar Taveras, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Sano and Francisco Lindor round out Law's Top 5.
- The Mets will need to be "overwhelmed" to trade Marlon Byrd, writes Jorge Castillo of the Newark Star Ledger. "Overwhelmed," of course, is a relative term, and manager Terry Collins states things more lightly later in the article: "Right now, Marlon Byrd’s a huge piece. If Marlon Byrd’s going to get moved, we’re going to get something good back." Castillo's article meshes with previous reports that the Mets may simply stand pat at the deadline.
- A team official tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that the Mets haven't had any action yet on Byrd or closer Bobby Parnell (Twitter link).
- ESPN's Jim Bowden examines the trade market for relievers (video link), naming all of the usual suspects that have been mentioned previously but also adding Jared Burton, Huston Street and Luke Gregerson, who haven't been mentioned often this summer. All three are controlled beyond 2013. Bowden's colleague Buster Olney tweeted earlier today that the Diamondbacks continue to be players on the relief pitching market.
- Uncertainty surrounding Clay Buchholz's injuries hasn't changed Boston's approach to the trade deadline, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox still plan to be "selective" as they debate possibilities to upgrade what they consider to be strong rotation depth. The team is also still interested in upgrades at third base and in the bullpen.
AL Central Links: Morneau, Royals, Gonzalez, Linares
Earlier tonight, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports took a look at the Twins' trade chips, noting that the market for Justin Morneau is soft at this time, with a few interested parties deterred by the $6MM remaining on the former MVP's contract. Here's more on Morneau and the rest of the AL Central…
- Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that the M&M Boys (Joe Mauer and Morneau) in Minnesota is coming to an end. Berardino took some time over the All-Star break to talk to Mauer and former teammates Michael Cuddyer, Joe Nathan and Carlos Gomez about Morneau's leadership abilities. All spoke with the utmost respect for the Canadian slugger.
- Royals general manager Dayton Moore is not in sell mode despite the team's recent slide in the standings, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Moore says he won't shift gears and focus on the future, though that doesn't mean he won't acquire players who can help the team beyond 2013. He also won't entertain offers for free-agent-to-be Ervin Santana.
- A source close to Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that there's no steam between the Twins and Gonzalez (Twitter link). Earlier tonight, the Twins were connected to Gonzalez but listed as a long shot due to his price tag.
- The White Sox and Indians are two of the three teams that MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports as suitors for 19-year-old Cuban right-hander Leandro Linares (Twitter links). The Marlins also have interest in Linares, who does fall under the newest CBA's international signing guidelines.
Heyman Talks Twins Trade Chips
While earlier reports have said that the Twins are likely to trade longtime first baseman Justin Morneau, the 2006 AL MVP isn't drawing significant interest, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Multiple teams that make sense as landing spots are "cool to the idea" at this time, Heyman writes.
The Rangers and Yankees prefer to focus their efforts on acquiring right-handed bats. The Orioles could use an extra bat, but they don't want to pay the $6MM remaining on the final year of Morneau's six-year, $80MM contract. ESPN's Jim Bowden recently connected the Rays and Pirates to Morneau, but Heyman says the Pirates "aren't heavily involved yet," and the financial element is a deterrent to the Rays as well.
Twins-connected sources tell Heyman there's almost no chance that Josh Willingham will be dealt, and closer Glen Perkins is likely to stay as well. The southpaw told Heyman over the All-Star break: "I'd love to be part of the future. And from what I gather, [the Twins] feel the same." Even Kevin Correia, halfway through the first season of a two-year, $10MM deal, doesn't sound likely to be dealt at this time, according to Heyman's contacts.
Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez Could Sign Next Week
THURSDAY: Jaime Torres, Gonzalez's agent, told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com that he doesn't expect a deal to go down this weekend but that he hopes to announce an agreement next week. Torres is working on Gonzalez's visa process while the most interested teams make "their last internal consultations," the agent said.
Rojas added the Yankees, the Twins and the Marlins to the list of teams interested in the righty, citing a source close to Gonzalez, though the source adds that Minnesota and Miami are not expected to win the bidding because of Gonzalez's high salary demands.
WEDNESDAY: The market is taking shape for Cuban pitcher Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and the right-hander could sign with a club as early as next week, an industry source tells MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. There's also a trio of new teams in the mix for Gonzalez in the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Braves. They'll vie with the Cubs, Dodgers, Rangers, and Red Sox, who have all been showing serious interest in his services.
While teams are working the phones vigorously to land an impact pitcher before the July 31st deadline, Gonzalez could provide a boost to a contender without giving up anything other than money. Scouts believe Gonzalez needs only a few starts in the minors before making his MLB debut and his addition could move the needle as much as finding an arm via trade.
Gonzalez, who was cleared to sign with an MLB team earlier this week, could get as much as $60MM over five years.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Gardenhire, Twins, Giants
Chase Lambin is the oldest active minor league player to have never played a game in the majors, but the 34-year-old is still chasing the dream, writes Kent Babb of the Washington Post. Lambin, whose career has taken him to multiple stops in the minors and even Japan, is with the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha and hoping to get the call up to Kansas City. If it doesn't come this year, Lambin says he'll keep playing until there are no more contracts, whether here in the states or overseas. Here's tonight's look around baseball..
- There have been questions about manager Ron Gardenhire's job security with the Twins, but people around the team tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that there's very little chance that he won't be asked back for 2014.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link) spoke with a rival front office executive who said that the Giants'' best trade bait is their pitching in the low minors along with Double-A catcher Andrew Susac in return for big-league talent, if they're buying at the deadline. San Fran is 43-51, 6.5 games back of the first place D'Backs.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the up-to-date international bonus pool figures for all 30 big league teams.
- Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball compiled a list of the players earning bonuses for their appearance in the 2013 All-Star game. The Tigers wound up doling out $400K in bonuses to five players, including Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Torii Hunter, who made $100K each for their trip to Queens.
Bowden’s Latest: Garza, Rox, Rios, Morneau, Perkins
The trade deadline is just two weeks away, and with the All-Star Game in the rear-view mirror, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio writes that the market will pick up rapidly beginning Friday. Here are some highlights from the highly informative article penned by the former GM of the Reds, Expos and Nationals (ESPN Insider required and recommended)…
- Bowden hears there's an 80 percent chance that Matt Garza will be traded before his next scheduled start (Monday or Tuesday of next week). The Rangers, Red Sox and Diamondbacks are still involved, He describes the D-backs as "dark horses," adding that their odds in the Garza sweepstakes would increase if they were willing to part with left-hander David Holmberg.
- The Rockies could also be interested in Garza, but they're not clear-cut buyers right now, and the prospective cost is prohibitive to them. If they were to sell, Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle could be had. Michael Cuddyer could be moved, but only if Colorado is "blown away."
- The White Sox have been "extremely disappointed" with offers for Alex Rios thus far. Bowden feels that offers will improve as the deadline draws closer.
- The Justin Morneau era in Minnesota is coming to an end, and the Twins are prepared to trade the former MVP, according to Bowden. The Rays, Pirates and Yankees are said by Bowden to be possible destinations for Morneau.
- The Cardinals, Reds, Dodgers and Braves have all inquired on Twins closer Glen Perkins and been turned away. Those four teams are all monitoring the health of Jesse Crain as well.
- The Yankees are trying to use Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and catching prospect J.R. Murphy to acquire a bat but have had no luck thus far. None of those players figure to interest the Twins in regards to Morneau, Bowden adds, given the impending free agency of Hughes and Chamberlain and the presence of Joe Mauer behind the plate for the Twins.
Twins Notes: Carroll, Morneau, Plouffe
The Twins have won just three of the 14 games they've played this month and figure to be sellers following the All-Star break. Brighter days could be ahead in the near future, however, thanks to top prospects such as Byron Buxton, who was profiled by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports earlier today. Passan writes that Buxton's introversion can help him to avoid some of the negative perception that has surrounded Bryce Harper and Yasiel Puig, likening him to Mike Trout in that regard. Here's more on the Twins…
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports that Jamey Carroll is being sought after, but the Twins shouldn't expect much of a return. A prospect in the mold of Eduardo Escobar (a utility infielder whom the Twins received in last year's Francisco Liriano deal) is all they could hope for (Twitter links).
- Justin Morneau had his agent at SFX reach out to the Twins last week to see if they had interest in working out an extension but was told by the team that they preferred to wait and see what happened at the trade deadline, according to Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Morneau added that after July, it would be difficult not to hear what other teams had to say, with his first venture into free agency so near.
- From that same piece, Miller notes that Chris Parmelee was "stunned" by his demotion to Triple-A Rochester over the weekend. The Twins demoted Parmelee, Escobar and Oswaldo Arcia but only announced two call-ups. In another piece, Miller writes that it's likely due to the fact that Chris Colabello is slated to play in the Triple-A All-Star game this week, and the team is waiting until after that event to make the announcement.
- Twins VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff told Wolfson that Trevor Plouffe's versatility will come into play when Miguel Sano is ready for the Major Leagues. Plouffe has homered 34 times over his last 729 plate appearances in establishing himself as Minnesota's primary third baseman but will likely be displaced by Sano. Of Sano's defensive improvements, Radcliff said, "He can play third base. That's not an issue anymore."
AL Central Notes: Twins, Perkins, Jacobs
Here's a look at the latest out of the AL Central..
- Twins GM Terry Ryan says that he's willing to trade anybody, including coveted reliever Glen Perkins, writes Mike Beradino of the Pioneer Press. "If somebody overwhelms you with something, then you've got to listen," Ryan said. "There's no question. You just can't say, 'No.' It's not just Glen Perkins. It would be anybody in this situation. If somebody wants to talk about a guy, I'm all ears. Go ahead." Perkins is under contract for a combined $10.3MM through 2015 with a team option for 2016 at $4.5MM.
- In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (insider sub. req'd) writes that rival GM continue to believe that the Twins don't want to part with Perkins. However, the left-hander's value is at its zenith and he would bring in a nice haul for Minnesota.
- Jim Margalus of South Side Sox breaks down the newly-acquired Brandon Jacobs, who came to the White Sox in the Matt Thornton deal.
AL Central Notes: White Sox, Twins, Indians
After last night's Matt Thornton trade sent a veteran player to greener pastures, the White Sox team faces a few weeks of speculation backed by the knowledge that some rumors will come to fruition. Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com gathered some interesting material from the Chicago clubhouse. Fellow reliever and trade candidate Jesse Crain, for instance, said that the team now realizes that it is in for a lot of changes: "With him being traded, you know it's going to happen. That kind of opens the door." Likewise, manager Robin Ventura acknowledged that the deal makes things harder. "Any time these guys read a paper or look at the names floating around, now one of them is true," Ventura explained. "It does become a little tougher because it was a rumor before, but now something has happened." Indeed, the White Sox could move any number of its veterans before the deadline. Here are a few notes elsewhere in the American League's Central division:
- The Twins ownership approved a "much higher payroll" for 2013 than the team's front office elected to utilize, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Of course, as Ben Nicholson-Smith explained in reviewing the Twins' offseason for MLBTR, the true arguable failure was not the decision to withhold from spending, but rather the failure to deploy funds in a way that would give the team some upside (either generating an outside shot at contention or building trade chips).
- Indeed, the Twins seem to have little prospect of significant returns among the team's free agent signings. While Mike Pelfrey could be dangled, he would hardly bring much in return after a poor first half. Fellow starter Kevin Correia has produced better results and could garner some attention, but as Nicholson-Smith noted in March, his value is limited by the seeming over-pay he received from Minnesota. (While Correia does come with another year of control, he has produced only .5 fWAR to date and will be owed $5.5MM in his age-33 season.)
- Although the Indians remain viable contenders, Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that the team should stick with its multi-year rebuilding plan rather than going for broke. With too many holes to fill this year, Ocker recommends a conservative trade deadline strategy in which the team explores additions with longer-term value but otherwise hopes that its current club can hang in the division with its present constitution.