Twins Seek Pitching
According to Joe Christensen at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Twins were hot after pitching before the July 31st deadline but came up empty. However, they're optimistic that they can get something done in August. As Twins GM Bill Smith told Christensen:
“There were very few relievers who got traded this week,” GM Bill Smith noted. “I won’t claim this, I read this the other day: Every team with a reliever was trying to turn a Larry Anderson into a Jeff Bagwell.”
With recent rocky starts by the Twins' young staff and a depleted bullpen, Christensen believes the team could use simply a consistent option–it need not be a "sexy addition," just a veteran to provide depth. He lists Jon Garland, Doug Davis, Kevin Correia and Miguel Batista as potentially interesting names for the Twins.
Odds And Ends: Blue Jays, Twins, Marlins
More links to wrap up a busy July 31st…
- J.P. Ricciardi tells ESPN.com's Peter Gammons that the Jays "may be able to contend" next year with Roy Halladay around.
- For all of their pitching injuries, the Jays have had remarkably healthy position players this year. Eight of their position players have appeared in 82 games or more.
- Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer tell MLB.com's Kelly Thesier they're pleased the Twins' front office added Orlando Cabrera, but they're aware that their division rivals made moves, too.
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Pirates, Tigers and Red Sox are some of this trade deadline's winners.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Florida Sun-Sentinel gives the Marlins credit for finding a high-OBP hitter to slot into the lineup in Nick Johnson.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reported earlier this evening that the Marlins designated Andy Gonzalez for assignment. The 27-year-old utility man hadn't appeared in a game in almost two weeks and has spent most of his season in Triple A.
Twins Acquire Orlando Cabrera
6:59pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's will send a total of $500k to the Twins.
12:45pm: Via Twitter, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Twins are also getting cash in the deal.
12:08pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown said it was a done deal, with the Twins sending shortstop prospect Tyler Ladendorf to Oakland for Cabrera.
Cabrera, 34, is hitting .280/.318/.365 on the season in 448 plate appearances. He has $1.75MM remaining on his contract, once you factor in a $250K bonus for being dealt. Though he profiles as a Type A free agent after the season, Cabrera's agent wisely negotiated a clause disallowing his club to offer arbitration. So, no draft picks for the team for the loss and no impediment to signing Cabrera from the player's point of view.
11:56am: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says Cabrera to the Twins is "very close." Slusser says Valencia is not part of the deal.
11:41am: La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune doesn't see the Twins as close to a deal for Cabrera. The A's apparently want third base prospect Danny Valencia. Neal wonders whether the Twins might go after David Eckstein or Kennedy instead.
FRIDAY, 1:26am: ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the A's and Twins are making "steady progress" as they discuss a deal that would send Cabrera to Minnesota.
THURSDAY, 11:31pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Twins are making progress in their attempt to acquire Cabrera. The teams continued talking today and expect discussions to resume tomorrow.
9:30am: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has a few hot stove notes on the A's this morning.
- Despite interest, the A's do not intend to trade infielder Adam Kennedy. They might even try to re-sign him for 2010 eventually. The 33 year-old is hitting .296/.350/.434 in 327 plate appearances while playing second and third base. Oakland acquired Kennedy back in May from the Rays.
- Slusser debunks a Providence Journal report from Daniel Barbarisi that the Red Sox turned down a trade for Orlando Cabrera. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe agrees with Slusser, saying Cabrera "is not keen on returning to Boston."
- We do know that the Twins have talked to the A's about O-Cab. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Twins are "still chasing" Marco Scutaro as well.
Deadline Roundup: Cabrera, Astros, Nats
More links as we sift through all the trades and slowly realize that there are actual games to be played, too:
- MLB.com's Kelly Thesier passes on a nice line from the Twins' latest addition, Orlando Cabrera. When asked why he's happy to join the team, Cabrera said "Who doesn't like M&Ms?"
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says the Astros did the right thing by holding onto the players that could help them win this year and the prospects that could help them win in the future.
- The Angels had no restrictions from owner Arte Moreno, but weren't comfortable making any deals, according to MLB.com.
- SI.com's Tom Verducci lists the Tigers, Red Sox and Phillies as his deadline winners.
- Acting GM Mike Rizzo says the Nats are in building mode, not rebuilding mode, acccording to MASN's Pete McElroy. Pretty soon they'll have to be in Stephen Strasburg mode, since they have just over two weeks to sign their top pick.
Heath Bell Rumors: Friday
2:54pm: USA Today's Bob Nightengale, via Twitter, says the Twins' talks for Bell are all but dead. However, they're in on Arizona's Jon Rauch.
2:38pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are no longer pursuing Bell or Nick Johnson. That should leave the Angels or Dodgers if anyone.
2:11pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Twins have interest in Bell, as well as Oakland's Michael Wuertz.
1:18pm: Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times says the Angels and Dodgers are battling for Bell.
9:19am: Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel says the Padres wanted Cameron Maybin and Miller for Bell. The Fish have seen other trade ideas dry up as well, leading Rodriguez to suggest "it might be Nick Johnson or bust for the Marlins." SI's Jon Heyman agrees.
7:02am: The latest on Padres closer Heath Bell, who is under team control through 2011…
Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that "late Thursday night, both the Angels and Marlins were still talking to the Padres regarding Bell." We learned yesterday that the Padres requested Andrew Miller or Sean West from the Marlins, and Florida declined. Marlins president David Samson appeared on the radio yesterday to discuss the trade deadline, and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald has a nice summary of that.
Odds And Ends: Torre, Ross, Braves
The rumors keep coming; here are a few tidbits for the evening…
- Joe Torre gave Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch his take on unnamed sources: "It's really embarrassing that their parents don't name them."
- Cody Ross told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that he would trade for Roy Halladay and Matt Holliday if he were an MLB GM.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Braves could make a minor addition.
- USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggests the Twins could deal for David Eckstein or Adam Kennedy instead of Orlando Cabrera.
- One GM tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Boston's pursuit of Adrian Gonzalez won't affect a possible Victor Martinez trade between the Red Sox and Indians.
Reds Back Off Rolen Deal
4:13pm: ESPN's Peter Gammons says the Reds "backed off a potential deal" for Rolen. The Reds are actually hoping to move some contracts, and will listen on Bronson Arroyo, David Weathers, Aaron Harang, and Arthur Rhodes. Plus there's the issue of the Jays not wanting to trade Rolen if they keep Halladay.
2:00pm: CBSSports' Danny Knobler says the Jays would get Edwin Encarnacion and others, if this does get done. The sticking point appears to be how much of Rolen's remaining $15MM the Jays would assume.
Meanwhile, Bastian (via Twitter) has a source saying all is quiet here.
1:39pm: A Ken Rosenthal/Jon Paul Morosi source says the Reds-Rolen talks are "going nowhere." The writers suggest a Halladay trade could help move things along.
1:19pm: Via Twitter, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian says his source would not deny the Rolen-Reds talks (hat tip Drunk Jays Fans).
12:34pm: No mention of Alonso from him, but Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets, "Looks like Rolen to Reds has a 'good chance' of getting done."
12:20pm: Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal says the Reds and Jays are talking about a Rolen-Yonder Alonso swap. Say what? Alonso, who signed on August 15th of last year, would have to be a player to be named later in the unlikely event he's dealt.
9:07am: The Blue Jays have many trade targets aside from Roy Halladay, so let's collect that information in one post.
Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Twins are still chasing shortstop Marco Scutaro, after Freddy Sanchez landed with the Giants. Elliott adds that the Reds "met last night to decide to come up with a package to land third baseman Scott Rolen."
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox
Thursday linkage…
- La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Pirates wanted Aaron Hicks or Danny Valencia from the Twins for Freddy Sanchez. LEN3 has a few other hot stove tidbits as well.
- ESPN's Keith Law finds the Giants' trade of Tim Alderson for Sanchez reasonable, due to "slippage in Alderson's stuff."
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe talks about how major additions such as Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, or Victor Martinez would help the Red Sox. Via Twitter, ESPN's Amy K. Nelson heard from a source guessing that Gonzalez has a ten percent chance of being moved.
- Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports via Twitter that the Mets designated pitcher Elmer Dessens for assignment to make room for catcher Robinson Cancel.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Mets "do not intend to give up a significant prospect" in their quest to add a left-handed reliever.
- Via Twitter, Ken Davidoff of Newsday informs us that the Blue Jays expanded their coverage of the Yankees' farm system. Davidoff feels that this coverage more likely reflects the Yanks' interest in relief help than in Roy Halladay.
- The Pirates don't have anything serious going on with relievers Matt Capps or John Grabow, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They might be done.
- Joe Smith and Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times find the Rays unlikely to make a major deal, with Cliff Lee off the table.
- ESPN's Buster Olney lists all kinds of holes that could be filled via the trade market for various clubs.
Giants Acquire Freddy Sanchez
6:19pm: Kovacevic says that no money is being exchanged in the Sanchez deal, which makes it all the more impressive for the Pirates. Keith Law (Insider) recently ranked the 20-year-old Alderson the 26th-best prospect in all of baseball.
5:51pm: Kovacevic is reporting that the minor leaguer is AA pitcher Tim Alderson. This is an impressive haul for Sanchez–Alderson was ranked the #4 prospect in the Giants' system by Baseball America. What we thought was a salary dump deal has turned into a pretty solid coup for the Pirates.
5:46pm: Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that it's a done deal, Sanchez straight up for a minor-leaguer. Stay tuned for the name.
5:42pm: Instead of making a scheduled flight to Phoenix, Sanchez has apparently been asked to stay at AT&T Park in San Francisco, reports Kovacevic. Looks like we'll find out the details of a deal very soon.
4:52pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hear that the Pirates are talking to the Giants, Twins and at least one other team about Sanchez, but don't have a deal in place.
4:43pm: Kovacevic reports that the Giants' doctors found no major problems with Sanchez's knee and consider him day-to-day.
3:31pm: Kovacevic hears that the Pirates turned down Sanchez's offer. He proposed a deal that would have paid him $6MM next year, $6.5MM in 2011 and $7.5MM in 2012.
3:17pm: Langosch hears that Sanchez's offer is for $20MM over three years.
Meanwhile, Kovacevic hears that the Pirates have absolutely "no deal" in place, though the Giants and Pirates have the framework for one.
2:52pm: Kovacevic hears that the Giants are examining Sanchez within the hour. Is there a deal in place? Kovacevic hears 'yes' and 'no.'
2:46pm: Kovacevic reports that Sanchez made the Pirates a three-year offer.
2:40pm: MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports that the Giants and Pirates have a deal in place that would send Sanchez to San Francisco. The Giants will look at the infielder's knee this afternoon before deciding whether to complete the deal, which wouldn't send any major leaguers to Pittsburgh.
However, Kovacevic says no deal is in place.
2:20pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Giants are in serious talks for Sanchez. The teams are discussing John Bowker, Kevin Frandsen and Jesus Guzman.
2:04pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Giants are "definitely getting Freddy Sanchez." The Pirates already traded Jack Wilson today, so they could conceviably lose their entire double play combo in one day.
10:27am: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears that the Pirates worked on possible trades involving Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson until late last night. The Giants seem to have the greatest chance of acquiring Sanchez since GMs Brian Sabean and Neal Huntington had extensive discussions earlier in the week and may even have set up the framework of a deal.
The Twins are interested in John Grabow and Sanchez, whose knee injury may have slowed down the trade process. Meanwhile, the Red Sox still have interest in Wilson.
And you're not the only one checking out the Pirates rumors. Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Sanchez and Wilson are MLBTR readers. We're glad to have them aboard!
Odds & Ends: White, White Sox, Bard, Willingham
More links as the rumors keep flowing in…
- La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune "heard the Twins might be sniffing around Seattle reliever Sean White." White's best skill is a decent groundball rate; his strikeout and walk rates do not impress.
- The White Sox inked second-round pick Trayce Thompson, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. The high school outfielder, chosen 61st overall, gets $625K.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe is fairly sure the Red Sox won't trade Daniel Bard this week.
- Chico Harlan of the Washington Post believes the Nats should keep Josh Willingham because he's relatively affordable, powerful and plays well enough defensively.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says Ryan Garko is a small upgrade for the Giants at first base.
- The Rangers believed they were frontrunners to acquire Garko yesterday, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. They'd still like a right-handed hitting first baseman.
- The Mets signed former big leaguer Adam Pettyjohn to a minor league deal, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.