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Pirates, Indians In Mix For Ryan Ludwick

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The latest on Padres right fielder Ryan Ludwick, who is hitting .238/.301/.373 and has $2.2MM left on his contract…

  • The Pirates are back in on Ludwick, tweets Brown.  An earlier report had the Indians close but then balking at the Padres' asking price.
  • The Pirates are in play for Ludwick but he's not their top target, tweets Rob Biertempfel.  That might be Jason Kubel, he adds.  However, Jon Paul Morosi says there are no serious talks now between the Pirates and Twins about Kubel.
  • As of last night, the Pirates were still in the mix for Ludwick along with the Indians, tweets Ken Rosenthal.  The Pirates are still trying for Ludwick this morning, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.

Quick Hits: Slowey, Royals, Lee, Reddick

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For a while, it seemed as though we'd have a quiet trade deadline. So much for that – today we saw Ubaldo Jimenez, Derrek Lee, Orlando Cabrera, Rich Harden, Koji Uehara, Chris Davis, Tommy Hunter, Jason Marquis, Mike Aviles, Jerry Hairston Jr., Doug Fister and David Pauley all get traded. Let's gear up for the deadline itself with another round of links…

Nationals Making Headway On Acquiring Span

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10:47pm: The Nationals are more likely to go after Span than Michael Bourn or B.J. Upton at this point, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that the sides are in a "staredown" (Twitter link). The Twins want the Nationals to include Storen in their offer.

9:22pm: The deal is "no closer than any other day," an MLB official told Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

6:31pm: A deal featuring Span and Storen continues to look close, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

6:08pm: The Twins are insisting on acquiring Storen with Bernadina and minor league infielder Stephen Lombardozzi for Span, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

5:18pm: There are lots of mixed signals about the talks, but no deal is close, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

3:28pm: The Nationals are making headway with the Twins on a deal for Span, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.  The Twins are insisting Storen be included along with a second player.

1:50pm: The Twins want Roger Bernadina along with a reliever in any deal that sends Span to the Nationals, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

10:45am: The Nationals are pushing setup man Tyler Clippard on the Twins for center fielder Denard Span over closer Drew Storen, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports.  He says the Twins won't trade Span for a setup man, however.

Aside from saves, Storen comes with one more year of team control than Clippard.  Still, we're talking about 2015 and 2016, and there's no telling what can happen with relievers in the course of several years.

Yankees Inquired On Francisco Liriano, Span

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5:29pm: The Yankees inquired on Francisco Liriano only to hear that the Twins aren't trading him, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

2:32pm: The Yankees inquired on Twins center fielder Denard Span, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown.  Brown imagines that this inquiry could be part of something bigger, since the Yankees are currently set on outfielders.  Joel Sherman speculates that if the Yankees inquired on Span perhaps it was with the idea of flipping him to the Nationals in a deal involving Tyler Clippard.

Latest On Braves’ Outfield Targets

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The Braves offered a four-player package to the Astros for Hunter Pence, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.  However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Astros sought two of the Braves' top four pitching prospects and another good young pitcher, so a deal was not reached.  With Pence and Carlos Beltran off the board, here's the latest on the Braves' hunt for a hitter…

  • Byrd is not going to be traded, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark, though the Braves took a run at him.  Stark says the Twins are set on receiving big league-ready players for Denard Span.  Bourn, Upton, Crisp, and Quentin are on the radar, while there are no signs the Braves have pursued Ludwick or Willingham of late.
  • The Braves are strongly in on Quentin, tweets Bob Nightengale, but the White Sox are still unlikely to move him.  Chicago's asking price is very high, tweets Jon Paul Morosi, and the Braves are interested but not optimistic.
  • Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd appears to be among the names on Atlanta's radar, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • The Braves' talks for Oakland center fielder Coco Crisp slowed Friday, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but he wonders if they'll be rekindled now that the Phillies got Pence.
  • The Braves are almost certain to land an outfielder before the deadline, reports Rosenthal.  He cites the names you have been hearing for a while: B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Quentin, and Josh Willingham.
  • Bourn is on the Braves' radar, tweets Crasnick.  Padres right fielder Ludwick is "more down the list of options."  Would Astros GM Ed Wade deal another outfielder?  He told reporters earlier tonight, "We’re going to be open-minded on all fronts. We’re going to be good listeners."
  • The Braves are targeting a center fielder, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, though it doesn't rule them out on corner guys.

Phillies Asked Twins About Jim Thome

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The Phillies' next move might be for a home run threat off the bench, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.  He says the Phillies even asked the Twins about Jim Thome, and cited Jason Giambi as another example.

Thome, 40, signed a six-year, $85MM deal with the Phillies prior to the 2003 season but was traded to the White Sox three years later.  He's four home runs shy of 600, but the Twins haven't shown any inclination to trade veterans.

As for Giambi, ESPN's Buster Olney hears from an executive who feels he would not make it through waivers to them in August.  Giambi "appeared almost certain to go to Philly" before he hurt his quad, tweets Troy Renck.

Twins Unlikely To Trade Kubel, Cuddyer

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The Twins are getting hits on Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer but are unlikely to trade either of them, tweets Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.

On Friday morning it was reported that Kubel and Cuddyer were drawing strong interest from clubs with Kubel more likely to be dealt.  The Pirates are one of the teams with interest in Kubel while the Angels are said to have their eye on Cuddyer.

Pirates Have Strong Interest In Jason Kubel

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The Pirates have strong interest in Twins outfielder/designated hitter Jason Kubel, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.  ESPN's Jayson Stark reported earlier that the Pirates have their eye on Kubel.

Langosch reports that the Pirates would likely not have to part with top prospects to obtain Kubel.  However, the big question is whether the Twins, at 6.5 games out, would move him.  So far, indications are that the Twins still consider themselves contenders, or at least aren't interested in selling off pieces.  The Reds and Mets are 6.5 games out as well.

Kubel, 29, is hitting .308/.359/.463 in 248 plate appearances this year.  He missed all of June and three weeks of July with a sprained foot.  He's got $1.76MM remaining on his contract this year and projects as a Type B free agent currently, at least in the American League.

Twins Rumors: Young, Slowey, Kubel, Cuddyer

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The Twins are discussing a deal with the Nationals that would send Denard Span to Washington, possibly for Drew Storen. Here are some more updates on the Twins from Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

  • The Twins are open to trading Delmon Young and Kevin Slowey, but interest in Young has been “tepid.” Slowey has drawn interest from the Rockies and others.
  • Meanwhile, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer, are drawing strong interest. The Twins are more likely to trade Kubel than Cuddyer, according to Morosi and Rosenthal.
  • The Twins have also spoken to rival teams about upgrading their rotation.
  • The Twins are six games back in the AL Central, trailing three other teams. One of FOX’s sources says they’re “in limbo.”

Nationals Targeting Denard Span

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10:08am: The Twins are unhappy with the Nationals' offer, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Nationals are worried about Span's concussion.

FRIDAY, 9:23am: Talks between the Twins and Nationals are ongoing, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Span and Storen are at the center of discussions, with Roger Bernadina and others in play. The Nationals aren't talking exclusively to the Twins as they search for a center fielder, but Span appears to be high on their list of targets.

THURSDAY, 12:52pm: The Nationals are not willing to trade Storen for Span, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.

WEDNESDAY, 3:20pm: The Nationals continue to target Span, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and Storen may be in play.

MONDAY, 2:03pm: The Nationals have talked to the Twins about Span, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Nationals are unwilling to trade Drew Storen or Tyler Clippard, though Rosenthal feels Ian Desmond could be of interest to the Twins.

1:30pm: Twins center fielder Denard Span is high on the Nationals' list of targets, reports Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.  Span would fit the team's desire for a controllable center fielder/leadoff hitter, assuming there are no ill effects from a concussion suffered in June.

Span, 27, is hitting .294/.361/.385 on the season in 255 plate appearances.  His center field defense has been a plus in recent years, according to UZR.  His team-friendly contract has less than $15MM remaining through 2014, plus a club option for '15.  It's not known whether the Twins consider Span expendable; Ben Revere has a .249/.287/.284 line filling in.  The asking price would surely be significant.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first mentioned Span as a potential Nats target earlier this month, along with B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, and Colby Rasmus.

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