Rockies Don’t Plan To Be Sellers
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
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
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.
Cafardo On Dodgers, Hardy, Wandy, Twins
The latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The Dodgers are not ready to become sellers quite yet, but Cafardo reports that the team's scouts are already compiling lists of other teams' better prospects. Ted Lilly, Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll are among the players who would be made available — Kuroda is already attracting the attention of several teams and MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at Carroll's trade candidacy two weeks ago.
- Cafardo reports that the Indians looked into Casey Blake as a depth option at third base before Lonnie Chisenhall was called up. Blake, Jonathan Broxton and Jon Garland are all currently on the DL but would be shopped by L.A. if they can prove they're healthy.
- The Dodgers don't appear to be interested in moving higher-profile players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or James Loney since "the feeling is Dodgers fans would rebel if some of their star players were sold off." I don't think Loney falls into this category at all — he has just a .678 OPS this season and could be a non-tender candidate after the season, so the Dodgers would love to get something back for him.
- J.J. Hardy will be "a major trade chip" for the Orioles if the two sides can't work out a contract extension before the deadline. Hardy would become the top option for shortstop-needy teams, particularly if the Mets don't shop Jose Reyes.
- "It’s no secret that [Wandy Rodriguez] is being watched closely by the Yankees, who have sent a few people to watch some of his starts," Cafardo writes. As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal noted a few weeks ago, the Yankees would want Rodriguez at the back of their rotation while the Astros would want a trade package befitting an ace, so there may not be a fit between the two teams. Cafardo notes that Brett Myers "also remains on the Yankees' radar."
- The Twins are more likely to deal Carl Pavano or Francisco Liriano than they would Scott Baker, though "there are teams that would love to get their hands on Baker."
- The White Sox recently sent assistant general manager Dave Yokum to scout some Braves games for pitching. Cafardo specifically cites Brandon Beachy as a starter the Sox were watching and says that Beachy or Derek Lowe could be shopped by Atlanta in exchange for a hitter. I think it's obvious the Braves would prefer to move the expensive Lowe rather than a young, controllable pitcher like Beachy, but if the Braves wanted to pick up a big bat like Carlos Quentin (as Cafardo speculates), Atlanta certainly has the pitching depth to spare.
Poll: Francisco Liriano’s Trade Value
Twins lefty Franciso Liriano is an intriguing potential trade candidate. It feels like he's been around forever, but he's just 27 and under team control through 2012, so he's still well within his prime years and relatively cheap for another season and a half.
Liriano's raw stuff is nasty, but the road back from Tommy John surgery in 2006 has been marked by notable highs and lows. He appeared to be fully recovered in 2010, posting a 3.62 ERA (2.62 FIP), 9.44 K/9, 2.72 BB/9 and 53.6% GB percentage. He's regressed in 2011, however, with his control (4.65 BB/9) being especially problematic.
Between Liriano's bouncing between dominance and mediocrity, and the Twins' uphill climb in the AL Central (eight games behind the Indians through today), it's quite possible that the lefty could be made available on the trade market this month. This came up in last week's MLBTR Chat with Tim Dierkes, who suggested that the Twins would probably recoup a top-50 prospect in exchange for Liriano, considering his age and contract status. (For reference, here are Keith Law's, Baseball America's and Baseball Prospectus' respective top-100 prospects for 2011).
The reasons to justify such a payment for Liriano are self-evident: His potential is huge, and he's been dominant for stretches in his career. But is it a no-brainer? Prospects are valued as highly now as they've ever been, and Liriano's inconsistencies are scary, as is his reliance on what may be an arm-taxing slider, as Eno Sarris of Fangraphs recently illustrated.
If you were a suitor, what would you do?
Give Up A Top-50 Prospect For Liriano?
-
No - the prospect is too valuable, and Liriano too inconsistent. 52% (4,310)
-
Yes - Liriano's potential is worth the risk. 48% (4,054)
Total votes: 8,364
Twins To Sign Miguel Gonzalez
The Twins are set to sign Dominican right-hander Miguel Gonzalez of La Academia, tweets Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated. Gonzalez will receive a signing bonus of $650K.
Segura adds that small-market teams continue to lead the way in international free agent signings. Yesterday, Ben Badler of Baseball America predicted that Gonzalez would command the 22nd highest signing bonus of this year's prospects in Latin America.
Potential Suitors For Mike Cameron
The Red Sox cut ties with veteran outfielder Mike Cameron yesterday, designating him for assignment after he hit just .149/.212/.266 in 105 plate appearances this year. "Rest assured I'll play again," said Cameron to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). "I'm not going out that way."
Despite his poor season and last year's injury riddled campaign (just 48 games), Cameron figures to draw interest based on his track record. He hit .250/.342/.452 with 24 homers as a full-time player just two seasons ago, and he went deep at least 20 times every year from 2006 through 2009. That power might be gone at 38 years old, but his three homers this year suggest that he might still be able to provide double digit long balls given enough playing time.
With approximately $3.625MM left on his contract this year, it's very likely that Cameron will clear waivers and hit the open market. Any team would then be able to sign him for the pro-rated league minimum, which is attractive to clubs on a budget. Let's look at some teams that could be potential suitors for Cameron…
- Braves – Martin Prado is dealing with a staph infection and temporary fill-in Jordan Schafer is hitting just .222/.295/.310. Wilkin Ramirez, Atlanta's current righty outfield bat off the bench, has been unimpressive in limited playing time.
- Cardinals – There's no way to replace Albert Pujols, but St. Louis was able to slide Lance Berkman over to first and stick Jon Jay in right field. The lefty bat is hitting .289/.340/.356 against southpaws, but Cameron could replenish some outfield depth.
- Giants – This one is probably a long shot because their outfield is already crowded, but the game's worst offense (just 285 runs) is in desperate need of help, particularly in the power department.
- Indians – Shin-Soo Choo will miss a substantial amount of time after having thumb surgery, and the incumbent righty hitting outfielder (Austin Kearns) has been ineffective both overall (.194/.282/.265) and against lefties (.244/.292/.267).
- Mariners – Jeff Sullivan of Lookout Landing tackled this one.
- Nationals – They've been looking for a center fielder basically all season, and if nothing else, Cameron would give them a platoon partner for Roger Bernadina (.208/.255/.271 vs. LHP).
- Phillies – Ben Francisco has been disappointing against lefties (.200/.317/.314) this year, plus Cameron could give them platoon partners for both Domonic Brown and Raul Ibanez.
- Pirates – It's strange to think of the Pirates as buyers, but they're over .500 and just two games back in the NL Central. Jose Tabata is on the DL and Matt Diaz has been a disappointment (.268/.297/.331).
- Rangers – Julio Borbon is back in Triple-A and David Murphy can't hit lefties (.177/.235/.194), plus they could probably use the depth since Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz are known to visit the DL from time to time.
- Rays – Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld have cooled off considerably, though the righty hitting Justin Ruggiano has done a swell job in limited playing time (.300/.328/.500). That might not last though.
- Tigers – Ryan Raburn (.207/.244/.348) and Magglio Ordonez (.200/.268/.279) have been big disappointments, and Austin Jackson isn't tearing the cover off the ball either (.248/.312/.364). All three are right-handed and could be replaced, though Jackson figures to keep the center field job.
- Twins – Injuries have decimated the Twins outfield, though at 8.5 games back of a playoff spot, they might be looking to sell off veterans rather than add one.
Jack Curry of the YES Network heard that the Yankees "probably" won't have interest in Cameron (Twitter link), but several other teams figure to come calling once he clears waivers and is available on the cheap. It's easy to see Cameron fitting on the 25-man roster of nearly even team, though the amount of playing time he'll receive is sure to factor into his decision.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Olney On Deadline Plans For AL Teams
ESPN's Buster Olney outlined plans for National League teams heading into the trade deadline yesterday, and today he follows up with the American League in an Insider-only column that comes highly recommended. Here's a brief recap…
- The Mark Ellis trade could just be the first domino that falls for the Athletics. Other veterans like Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, and Grant Balfour could follow him out the door.
- The Twins aren't as willing to trade now as they were a few weeks ago, and the big question they have to ask themselves is if eating a chunk of the $5.5MM left on Michael Cuddyer's contract is worth it to trade him.
- We've heard this before, but B.J. Upton and Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays figure to draw interest.
- The Red Sox and Angels don't have a lot of financial flexiblity and are more likely to target smaller pieces.
- Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, and Wilson Betemit are all affordable and reasonably productive, but Olney notes that the Royals might want to keep some veterans around so the youngsters don't get pounded.
- The Indians and Mariners will not blow up their rebuild processes despite their surprising runs at contention. Erik Bedard's injury took away Seattle's best chip.
- Poor seasons from Alex Rios and Adam Dunn make it difficult for the White Sox to do anything. They need those two to get back on track more than anything.
- The Yankees are convinced their internal pitching options are better than what's available on the market right now. A Rafael Soriano setback would put them in the reliever market.
- It's all about right-handed relief pitching for the Rangers, who will have plenty of options to choose from. The Blue Jays have lots of bullpen help to deal.
- The Tigers are asking around about pitching, specifically left-handers.
- The Orioles are having an internal debate about whether or not to trade Jeremy Guthrie, but they are expected to at least listen to offers.
Red Sox Notes: Lee, Beltran, Cuddyer, Millwood
How's this for a fun defensive alignment? Adrian Gonzalez will play right field for Boston tonight while David Ortiz plays first base. Here's the latest on the Red Sox from WEEI.com as we wait for Terry Francona's heavily-scrutinized defenders to take the field…
- The pitcher who defeated Boston last night, Phillies lefty Cliff Lee, told Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com that the Red Sox had "nonexistent" interest in him last offseason. "I think they were satisfied with their pitching, they weren't looking for pitching," Lee said. "Nothing with any substance to it, they were never serious."
- MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons reported yesterday that the Red Sox don't have financial flexibility and he explained Boston's predicament in further detail today on WEEI's Mut & Merloni Show. "They’re not getting Carlos Beltran," Gammons said. "They’re not getting Michael Cuddyer." Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com has highlights of Gammons' conversation.
- Kevin Millwood, who recently decided not to opt out of his minor league contract with the Red Sox, tells Sam Dykstra of WEEI.com that he'd consider it "a great opportunity" to join Boston's big league team.
Heyman On Padres, Athletics, Twins
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The Padres are being aggressive in engaging in trade discussions, say executives who have spoken to them. They're even willing to discuss dominant set-up man Mike Adams, who is under team control for next year. Many teams prefer Adams over closer Heath Bell, who Heyman says is "very likely" to be dealt. There are a couple of surprise suitors for Bell, but one exec told Heyman the righty "won't bring as much as you think."
- The impending returns of Rich Harden, Brandon McCarthy, and Tyson Ross are delaying the Athletics' decision on whether to sell. If they do sell, here's a look at who might be available.
- A rival executive believes the Mets would have to be bowled over to trade Jose Reyes, though teams seem convinced Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez will be traded. Teams haven't even called the Mets yet about Reyes' availability, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Heyman says that the Dodgers have not received any calls on Matt Kemp.
- Though they are nine games out, Heyman says there is no evidence the Twins will start shopping soon. A competing exec thinks they'll stand pat. While Michael Cuddyer would be coveted, his value in the clubhouse might compel the Twins to keep him.
- The Giants don't have much interest in Cleveland's Orlando Cabrera, writes Heyman.
- The Reds "seem reluctant" to trade catcher Ramon Hernandez. For more on Hernandez, click here.
- The Rockies are in wait-and-see mode, but if they sell they'll look to move closer Huston Street. Street is signed through 2012 with a club option for '13.