White Sox Ready To Sell; Won’t Trade Sale Or Konerko
We heard last week that the White Sox had begun to receive calls on their veteran players. Now, rival executives tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the ChiSox are "open for business" and willing to discuss anyone on their roster with the exception of Chris Sale and Paul Konerko.
That means that even John Danks, who just last year signed a five-year, $65MM extension with the Sox, could be had in the right deal. The team also has desirable trade chips like Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez, Jesse Crain, Matt Lindstrom, Matt Thornton and Jake Peavy (though he's currently on the DL). Heyman also adds that Jeff Keppinger's name has already come up in conversations, despite the fact that he signed a three-year deal just this past offseason.
Not surprisingly, one executive told Heyman that Adam Dunn will be difficult to move. Dunn is owed $15MM in 2014 and is hitting .194/.303/.460 this season. Another said that Peavy will be tough to find a match for as well. The White Sox will have a high asking price on their co-ace, but teams won't have much time to determine if he's truly healthy.
Another executive told Heyman that the Mets could look at Ramirez as a potential long-term option at shortstop. While he's not hitting for power anymore, Ramirez is batting .280/.308/.345 with 18 stolen bases and outstanding defense, according to advanced metrics like UZR and DRS. He's owed $10MM in 2014 and has a $10MM club option for 2015 on his contract as well.
Mets Notes: Parnell, Ricco
At 11.5 games out in the NL East, the Mets are among the game's clear sellers here in late June. The latest on the team:
- The Mets should trade closer Bobby Parnell, opines Matt Meyers of ESPN New York, who provides three reasons. Parnell, 28, is having another strong year and is under team control through 2015.
- GM Sandy Alderson needs to build a playoff-caliber team in the near future, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, because the primes of David Wright, Matt Harvey, and Zack Wheeler may not overlap for more than a few years. One could make the same case with the Brewers, who have Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, and Carlos Gomez together through 2016.
- Mets assistant GM John Ricco discussed the idea of acquiring controllable players for the future, talking to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
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Angels Acquire Collin Cowgill
The Mets announced, via Twitter, that they have traded Collin Cowgill to the Angels in exchange for minor league outfielder Kyle Johnson. Angels director of communications Eric Kay tweets that Cowgill has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake and adds that Ryan Madson was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.
Cowgill, 27, has a .173/.189/.327 slash line in 53 plate appearances for the Mets this season, though he's career .307/.381/.476 hitter in 885 Triple-A plate appearances. The Mets designated him for assignment last week after they acquired Eric Young Jr. from the Rockies.
Johnson, 23, was the Angels' 25th round pick in last year's draft. The Washington State product is hitting .310/.414/.424 with two homers and 30 stolen bases in 297 plate appearances for Class A Burlington. He did not rank among the Angels' Top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America. Yesterday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that the Mets unsuccessfully attempted to trade Cowgill to the Angels in exchange for Triple-A right-hander Matt Shoemaker.
NL East Notes: Espinosa, Cowgill, Murphy
The Phillies aren't considered to have a particularly deep farm system but one upcoming gem could exist in the form of 20-year-old third baseman Maikel Franco. A scout tells CBS Sports' Danny Knobler (Twitter link) that Franco is the "best impact bat I've seen in minors this year." Franco posted a .259/.322/.395 line over his first three pro seasons but delivered a .925 OPS in 289 PA at High-A ball this year and already has two homers in four games since being promoted to Double-A. Baseball America ranked Franco as the Phillies' eighth-best prospect before the season, saying "he has a ceiling of a power-hitting corner infielder, but he'll have to continue to make offensive adjustments, especially in recognizing offspeed stuff."
Here's the latest from around the division…
- Danny Espinosa played two Triple-A games at shortstop this weekend, leading a few rival evaluators to tell Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that it seems as if the Nationals could be showcasing Espinosa's shortstop ability for a possible trade. Kilgore isn't sure, since the Nats need Espinosa for infield depth and "trading Espinosa now would be the epitome of selling low." Espinosa has just a .465 OPS though 167 PA and has battled both a torn rotator cuff and a fractured wrist this season.
- The Mets offered Collin Cowgill to the Angels in exchange for right-hander Matt Shoemaker but the Halos weren't interested, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (Twitter link). Cowgill was designated for assignment last week and the Mets are known to be exploring trades for the outfielder. Shoemaker, 26, has a 4.49 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.89 K/BB ratio in 16 starts at Triple-A Salt Lake City this season.
- As part of a reader mailbag, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo opines that a long-term extension for Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy doesn't seem like "a realistic expectation at this point." This could open the door for prospect Wilmer Flores, who currently has an .853 OPS in his first Triple-A season. Murphy will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and is controlled through the 2015 season.
- In NL East news from earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reported that the Phillies had outrighted Michael Martinez to Triple-A, we heard some Ricky Nolasco rumors, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that he is putting a high price tag on his star pitchers and The New York Daily News' Andy Martino shared a few items about the Marlins, Mets and Nationals.
Minor Moves: Vasquez, Alvarado, Upperman, Moskos
Here's today's rundown of minor moves from around the league…
- The Twins have released right-hander Esmerling Vasquez, according to Jeremy Nygaard of the Twins Daily blog (Twitter link) and the International League's transactions page. Vasquez signed a new minor league deal with the Twins in November but spent the entire season on the Triple-A disabled list. Vasquez posted a 5.68 ERA in six starts for Minnesota last season and a 4.66 ERA over 137 relief innings with the Diamondbacks from 2009-11.
- The Mets have signed 35-year-old righty Giancarlo Carlos Alvarado to a minor league deal, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. Alvarado had been pitching in the Mexican League, where he compiled a 4.03 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 38 innings.
- Right-hander Casey Upperman has signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and been assigned to Class A Delmarva, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The 22-year-old Upperman was a 47th-round pick by the D-backs in 2010 but was pitching for the Normal CornBelters of the independent Frontier League this season. In 11 1/3 innings for the CornBelters, he posted a 3.97 ERA, fanned 17 and walked eight.
- The White Sox have released lefty Daniel Moskos from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the International League's transactions page. The 27-year-old posted a 4.97 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 29 relief appearances for the Knights. Those numbers are right in line with his career marks in 122 innings at Triple-A. Moskos, who was the No. 4 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2007 draft, has just 24 1/3 Major League innings under his belt — all with the Buccos in 2011.
- The Rockies released right-hander Brett Jacobson from Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page. Jacobson's biggest claim to fame was being included as part of the Twins' return in 2010's ill-fated J.J. Hardy trade. The 26-year-old has walked 78 batters over his past 63 2/3 minor league innings. Jacobson's release cleared a spot for the recently acquired Hisanori Takahashi.
- There are currently nine players in DFA limbo: Wade LeBlanc of the Astros, Quintin Berry of the Royals, Eric Thames of the Mariners, Josh Wilson of the Diamondbacks, Jose Valverde of the Tigers, Reid Brignac of the Yankees, Collin Cowgill of the Mets, Ross Seaton of the Astros and Yamaico Navarro of the Orioles. Navarro is presently on outright waivers and Brignac has cleared waivers and could elect free agency.
Martino’s Latest: Hughes, Joba, Nats, O’s, Nolasco
Andy Martino of the New York Daily News has a new column up that is loaded with trade deadline info after speaking to several Major League executives over the past few days. Here are some highlights from his excellent article…
- One National League executive told Martino that the Yankees won't be able to get a useful bat or prospect back for either one of Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain.
- The Nationals are the most aggressive buyer on the market at this point, and their primary focus is on starting pitching. "They're calling everybody, said Martino's source. The Nationals recently placed the struggling Dan Haren on the disabled list, and Chris Young has been worse at Triple-A with a 7.88 ERA.
- The Orioles are also making calls as part of a search for starting pitching, which lines up with reports from last week.
- Martino spoke with another NL official who told him that the Marlins are "aggressively" shopping their pitchers. Ricky Nolasco is known to be available, and they're said to be open to dealing Ryan Webb as well. I'd imagine that the team will be willing to listen to offers on Kevin Slowey and Chad Qualls also. It would make sense to listen on Mike Dunn and Steve Cishek, though previous reports state that the Fish would like to hold onto both relievers.
- Nolasco's name came up in February trade talks with the Mets, and one NL executive says that the Marlins are still "desperate" to move him. The Mets aren't a fit for Nolasco at this point, but Martino reiterates that the team could act as buyers this July, despite their losing record, as they look to add outfielders with multiple years of team control.
East Notes: Davis, Haren, Arrieta
The AL East is home to the hottest team in baseball as the Blue Jays tied a franchise-record by winning their 11th consecutive game this afternoon and is the only division in baseball where every team has a winning record. Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked executives and scouts from the other five divisions to predict the finishing order in the AL East. The stunning result? The Red Sox are the favorite to win the division and no one polled sees the Yankees finishing higher than third. The consensus is the Yankees will be the AL East cellar-dwellers citing age, injuries, lack of depth in the minors, and a reluctance to add future payroll. Sherman also breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of the entire division and adds his summation for each team. Elsewhere in MLB's East divisions:
- The Mets had an oppportunity to recall Ike Davis when Lucas Duda landed on the disabled list, but the club decided against such a move. According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets wanted to protect Davis as they are entering a stretch where they face several left-handers. "You don’t want to put him back in a funk right away," manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Ackert. Davis is hitting .310/.463/.690 with four home runs in 54 plate appearances since being sent to Triple-A Las Vegas.
- The Nationals may try to bolster their starting rotation with a trade after Dan Haren was placed on the disabled list, reports the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Haren signed a one-year, $13MM contract with the Nationals after his option was declined by the Angels when a proposed trade with the Cubs fell through over reported injury concerns.
- The name of the recently demoted Jake Arrieta keeps coming up as a possible trade chip for the Orioles. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes the Orioles are eventually going to have to think long and hard about how the right-hander fits and what's best for his development. Encina guesses a move to the bullpen could be part of that plan, which would allow Arrieta to concentrate on pitching in smaller spurts.
- ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider subscription required) sees Arrieta as a Chris Davis-type situation: the talent is there, but the question is whether it will translate at some point.
Quick Hits: Gonzalez, Cowgill, Iwakuma, Delgado
While Ben Cherington was the only GM that was in attendance for Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez's audition yesterday, the Red Sox aren't the only team with interest in the Cuban right-hander. The Dodgers sent three of their top scouts to Tijuana on Thursday to find out if they might have another exciting Cuban import to join Yasiel Puig, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Agent Jaime Torres declined to say how many clubs sent representatives to the Tijuana showcase but said there was "a great turnout." Meanwhile, Gonzalez is scheduled to put on another display for teams next Friday where he could pitch five innings, tweets Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Here's more from around baseball..
- After designating him for assignment on Tuesday, Mets assistant GM John Ricco acknowledged that the club is soliciting trade offers for Collin Cowgill, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Ricco added that the Mets would try to get Cowgill through waivers and send him to Triple-A Las Vegas if they were unable to get a suitable deal rather than release Cowgill.
- Hisashi Iwakuma's name has popped up in rumors, but the Mariners intend to hang on to him. "Trust me," M's GM Jack Zduriencik told Peter Gammons (on Twitter), "we're not going to trade him." The 32-year-old has a 2.06 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 through 15 starts this season.
- Diamondbacks right-hander Randall Delgado hired Beverly Hills Sports Council, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). You can look up agency info for just about every major leaguer with MLBTR's Agency Database.
New York Notes: Bootcheck, Cano, Marcum, Harvey
Earlier today it was reported that the MLBPA has officially certified Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports to represent players. Roc Nation Sports, of course, will handle Robinson Cano's contract discussions with the Yankees (and other clubs if he reaches free agency). Here's the latest out of the Big Apple…
- Right-hander Chris Bootcheck has been placed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. The waivers expire at 1 PM EST on Friday, at which point Bootcheck will learn if he has been claimed by a team or has cleared. If he clears waivers, he will likely be outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he has posted a 5-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 11 starts on the season.
- Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that Jay-Z's certification allows him to be in the room during negotiations, but little else will change. CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen will still run point on all of the negotiations.
- Removing Shaun Marcum from the rotation would actually save the Mets money instead of costing them money, writes ESPN's Adam Rubin. While some feel that his $4MM base salary is a reason to keep him in the rotation, Rubin provides a breakdown of Marcum's incentives in showing that the more Marcum pitches, the more costly he becomes.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports spoke with a pair of scouts who watched Matt Harvey on Tuesday, and both said they would take Harvey over Stephen Strasburg, with one scout saying it's "not even close." Knobler's scouts weren't as optimistic about Zack Wheeler, with one saying that he should still be in Triple-A and another calling him a middle-of-the-rotation arm, likening him to Edwin Jackson.
Mets Acquire Eric Young Jr., Designate Collin Cowgill
The Mets announced that they have acquired Eric Young Jr. from the Rockies in exchange for right-hander Collin McHugh. In a related move, the Mets have also designated Collin Cowgill for assignment.
Young Jr. was designated for assignment last week in order to make room for the activation of right-hander Chris Volstad. The outfielder posted a .316/.377/.448 slash line in 196 plate appearances last year but has hit just .242/.290/.352 with one homer in 180 PAs this year. The 28-year-old has experience at all three outfield positions as well as 49 games at second base.
McHugh has 11 big league games under his belt but has spent the 2013 season with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate. In nine starts for Las Vegas, McHugh has a 2.87 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Despite his success there, he'll report to the Rockies' Double-A affiliate, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
Cowgill, 27, has a .173/.189/.327 slash line in 53 plate appearances this year. In parts of three seasons at the Triple-A the outfielder has hit .307/.381/.476.