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Twins Release Steve Singleton

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The Twins released minor league infielder Steve Singleton from the organization today, writes La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In a follow-up tweet, Neal adds that "off the field issues" played into the Twins' decision to release the 25-year-old.

Singleton excelled in 41 games at Double-A New Britain this season, hitting .295/.331/.452 with three homers and 17 doubles. He struggled in a promotion to Triple-A Rochester, though, batting just .246/.289/.380. Singleton was an 11th round selection by the Twins back in 2006 and has seen significant time at second base, shortstop, and third base in six minor league seasons, compiling a .282/.329./.418 triple slash line along the way.

Twins Won’t Trade Cuddyer

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Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune cites a team official in reporting that the Twins won't trade Michael Cuddyer this summer, even if they fall from contention. Instead, the Twins will hang onto Cuddyer as they try to close what's now just a six-game gap for the division lead, and will look to re-sign their clubhouse leader after the season.

Cuddyer, 32, has been the Twins' best hitter with a .292/.372/.467 line and 13 homers thus far. He got off to a terrible start, but is batting .325/.405/.513 since May 1, ripping 10 home runs along the way.

He's been linked to teams such as the Phillies, and Christensen throws in the Braves and Giants as teams who've scouted Cuddyer in recent weeks. Last month, Cuddyer was willing to waive his limited no-trade clause if the situation called for it, but that looks to be a thing of the past now. A prolonged losing streak and a big offer from another club could of course cause the Twins to change their minds, but for now it seems certain that the longest-tenured Twinkie will be hanging around. I examined Cuddyer's trade candidacy last month.

Olney’s Latest: Willingham, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins

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Buster Olney continues to share hot stove notes via Twitter and his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, so let's dive right into his latest updates:

  • Josh Willingham is being eyed by the Pirates, who have been in touch with the Athletics about the outfielder (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are considered favorites to land either Heath Bell or Mike Adams (Twitter link). Rival executives believe that now is the time for the Padres to move Adams, whose trade value will probably never be higher, considering his age and injury history.
  • The Red Sox will likely give Josh Reddick and the rest of their outfield about a week to ten days before deciding whether to pursue another bat.
  • Olney speculates that the Giants could be a fit for B.J. Upton, as the Rays continue to "weigh interest" in the 26-year-old.
  • Now just six games out of first place, the Twins are telling teams they're not interested in dumping players like Michael Cuddyer.

Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey

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Saturday evening linkage..

  • The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
  • The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
  • Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
  • Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey.  Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
  • The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
  • With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
  • Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  
  • The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).

Pirates, Rockies Interested In Slowey

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The Rockies and Pirates are among the teams showing continued interest in Twins hurler Kevin Slowey as he nears the end of a minor-league rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester, major-league sources told Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.  The 27-year-old is currently on the disabled list with an abdominal strain, but he is said to be healthy now.

The veteran is earning $2.7MM this season but hasn't been able to find a spot on the team's big league roster.  If the Twins don’t deal him soon, it’s possible that Slowey will be kept in the minors on an optional assignment.

Slowey will not be a free agent until after the 2013 season.  For his career, the right-hander has a 4.43 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9.

Heyman’s Latest: K-Rod, Jackson, Twins, Reyes

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Let's round up the latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…

  • The Mets were telling interested clubs that Francisco Rodriguez would be with a new team "within 48 hours" of the reliever's decision to switch agents and hire Scott Boras. The trade with the Brewers was announced four days later.
  • Heyman lists 40 players that could be traded before the deadline, headlined by the usual suspects: Carlos Beltran, Heath Bell, B.J. Upton, and Josh Willingham.
  • "Calls are coming in" about Edwin Jackson, and the White Sox will have the rotation depth to move him once John Danks returns from the disabled list.
  • Jose Reyes has told the Mets he won't negotiate a contract extension during the season, but he hasn't completely ruled out an extension with a new team if traded.
  • The Mets are "unlikely" to trade Mike Pelfrey, despite his climbing salary. 
  • The Twins are telling teams they're going for it.
  • Beltran's salary would be an issue for both the Indians and Reds, though Cleveland is looking for an outfield bat.
  • In a tweet, Heyman notes that the Reds and Phillies match up well with the Padres for a trade, since both teams are looking for a right-handed outfield bat and bullpen help. San Diego has Ryan Ludwick and a stable of quality relievers to offer.

Heyman On Ethier, Lowe, Astros, Twins, Mets

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Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is the main topic of Jon Heyman's latest piece at SI.com. Ethier, a free agent after the 2012 season, is deeply unhappy with the Dodgers on account of their on and off-field troubles, a source tells Heyman.

While no specific trade or signing rumors pertaining to Ethier are cited, the outfielder is apparently a good friend of Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (both players attended Arizona State University) and is said to have "Boston in his mind."

Here are some other items of note from Heyman's piece:

  • The Braves aren't openly shopping Derek Lowe, but with good pitching depth in the minors, Atlanta would probably listen to offers on the right-hander.
  • The Astros will be hard trade partners, one GM told Heyman, because of the impending change of ownership.
  • The Twins do not yet consider themselves sellers, a rival exec told Heyman.
  • Even if the Mets wanted to negotiate secretly with Jose Reyes, as was recently reported, Heyman thinks it's unlikely Reyes and his agents would entertain those talks at this juncture.
  • The Mets would love to find a trade partner to offload Francisco Rodriguez but, the closer's $17.5MM 2012 option deters logical suitors. One GM called it "scary."
  • The Tigers will consider an offensive upgrade at one of third base, second base or outfield.

Rockies Don’t Plan To Be Sellers

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The Rockies don’t need to shed salary this summer and don’t plan to be sellers regardless of their record, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies are now 41-46 and if they continue struggling they may move Aaron Cook and Ian Stewart, but Huston Street and Ty Wigginton are likely staying put. 

For now, the Rockies will attempt to add a pitcher who’s under team control beyond 2011. They’ve asked the Twins about their starters, but Minnesota is reluctant to trade until they’re further out of the race. 

Though Brett Myers and Carlos Beltran are among the best players available, the price tags for those players make them unappealing to Colorado. GM Dan O’Dowd won’t consider trading prospects for a ‘rental player’ unless Colorado is leading the division, according to Renck (the Rockies now trail by 7.5 games).

Davidoff On Twins, Indians, Reyes, Rays

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Since few teams have been completely eliminated from contention, the trade market is developing slowly, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. As of today, the top commodity available is relief pitching and there’s lots of interest in that department. Here are the rest of Davidoff’s notes on the trade market:

  • Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson are available. 
  • The Mets believe they can keep their fans interested even if they trade Rodriguez.
  • The Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers are among the teams that are heavily in the mix for relievers.
  • It appears extremely unlikely that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes, but his top suitors would likely include the Reds, Indians, Giants and Mariners, four teams that have poked around for infield help, according to Davidoff. It’s even possible that the Red Sox would pursue Reyes if he became available.
  • The Orioles aren’t quite ready to shop Koji Uehara and the Twins aren’t quite ready to shop Matt Capps. In fact, the Twins aren’t going to sell until they’re sure they’re out of contention.
  • The Yankees are focused on finding a lefty reliever, a commodity the Red Sox and Tigers would also like to acquire.
  • Though no frontline starters appear to be available, the Yankees are looking to acquire a top starter. Cleveland and Detroit are also looking for rotation help.
  • The Mariners are looking for an outfielder and the Phillies are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
  • One official says the Rays are “buying and selling.” Johnny Damon could be had in the right deal, according to Davidoff.

Quick Hits: Mets, Indians, Cameron, Gregerson

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Tuesday night linkage..

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't counseling manager Terry Collins on how to use Francisco Rodriguez, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.  K-Rod is on pace to finish more than 55 games this year.
  • Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan have encouraged GM Chris Antonetti to find ways to improve the club, but that doesn't mean he's operating with an open checkbook, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
  • The Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Twins, and Rangers didn't inquire on Mike Cameron before he was dealt to the Marlins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • A major league executive told Tom Krasovic of InsideThePadres (via Twitter) that no team wants to take on money in a deal.  The teams that can absorb salary, the exec says, have a big advantage.
  • The Padres activated right-hander Luke Gregerson from the disabled list today and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that there's already trade interest in him.
  • There's been a lot of interest in pitcher Scott Kazmir and he should have a team soon, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN estimated that Kazmir would find a club by early next week.
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