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NL East Notes: Phillies, Prospects, Mets

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The Nationals and Braves are very much in the race for postseason berths, but it’s time for three NL East teams to think about 2013 and beyond. Here are the latest NL East links, starting in Philadelphia…

  • Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said third base is becoming a difficult position to fill, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The Phillies figure to pursue third basemen when Placido Polanco hits free agency after the season, but Amaro has discussed the possibility of converting a second baseman or shortstop to third base, since the market at the hot corner is so barren. The GM said it may make sense for the Phillies to trade for a third baseman, instead of signing a free agent.
  • The Phillies are willing to trade from minor league depth to bolster their MLB team, though they aren't anxious to trade young players, Amaro said. 
  • The Phillies will also be looking for outfield help this coming offseason — Amaro said it's a top priority. He added that acquiring above-average offensive outfielders could allow the team to pursue a defensively oriented third baseman.
  • Manager Terry Collins listed Ruben Tejada as a player who could help the Mets contend for the duration of a six-month season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. But aside from Tejada, the Mets don't have many sure things in place, Sherman writes. For example, Lucas Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis are back in Triple-A and the Mets have ongoing bullpen issues. The 2012 season was supposed to reveal some long-term pieces for the team, but as the season has progressed, more questions than answers have emerged.

Mets Won’t Eat Jason Bay’s Contract

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After announcing that Jason Bay will be a platoon player for the Mets, General Manager Sandy Alderson says that he won't absorb the final season of the veteran's contract.  The Mets allegedly discussed a change of scenery deal with the Marlins for Bay but the Mets aren't looking to part ways with the outfielder.

"Certainly, there are times when it is appropriate to eat a contract," Alderson told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York.  "There are other times when it is not. Jason Bay is not going anywhere, nor is his contract."

Bay, 34 in September, is hitting just .154/.248/.285 with five homers in 149 plate appearances in 2012.  The outfielder is set to earn $16MM in 2013 and has a $3MM buyout on his $17MM 2014 season.

Minor Moves: Jake Fox, Scott Patterson

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Phillies have signed catcher/outfielder Jake Fox to a minor league contract, according to Ryan Dunleavy of NJ Press Media (via Twitter). Fox, 30, will report to the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate after posting strong numbers for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League.
  • The Mets announced that they have signed right-hander Scott Patterson to a Triple-A deal.  The 33-year-old was previously with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate and last appeared in the majors in 2008 with the Padres.

Quick Hits: Sheets, Braves, Phillies, Royals

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Saturday afternoon linkage..

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports recaps the unusual story of how Ben Sheets wound up hooking on with the Braves.  The 34-year-old, who had interest from a number of clubs, told Rosenthal that the situation in Atlanta fit him perfectly even though the offer wasn't necessarily the best.  The veteran prefers the National League, likes the pitcher's advantage in Turner Field, and enjoys the humidity of the Southeast.  Sheets' deal is for the prorated portion of $2.25MM and includes up to $1.4MM in incentives.
  • While Ruben Amaro Jr. & Co. are staying positive about the 2012 season, the Phillies should be making moves with 2013 and beyond in mind, opines Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • We could see familiar August trade subjects such as Jeff Francoeur go through the process once more this year, writes Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated.  Other top candidates to be moved include Carlos Lee of the Marlins, Jose Lopez of the Indians, and Scott Hairston of the Mets.
  • Dominican third baseman Juan Carlos Arias failed his age investigation, a major league source told Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The 6-foot-3, 220 pound prospect stood out for his raw power and strength but will now have to wait until June 12, 2013 to sign.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Suzuki, Bell, Bay

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The Braves became the latest team to beat the struggling Astros tonight, winning a 4-1 result on the back of 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball from Tim Hudson.  With the Braves' win and the Nationals' split of a double-header with the Marlins today, Washington is only two games up on Atlanta in the NL East.  Here's the latest from around the division…

Quick Hits: Red Sox, Pena, Bay, Grades

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The trade deadline is officially behind us, but expect to see a number of waiver trades this month as teams begin to fall out of contention. Here's the latest from around the league as Wednesday turns into Thursday…

  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox held onto Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach at the deadline despite trade interest because they wanted to keep as many impact bats as possible while David Ortiz is on the DL. They also want to maintain catching depth.
  • "Absolutely. That would be wonderful," said Hunter Pence to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com when asked about signing long-term with the Giants (Twitter link). San Francisco acquired Pence yesterday.
  • Earlier today we heard that the Mets and Marlins discussed a trade involving Jason Bay, Heath Bell, and John Buck, but Mike Puma of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) that Bay was never asked to waive his no-trade clause.
  • ESPN's Jim Bowden graded each team's trade deadline activity, giving the Angels and Dodgers an A and an A-, respectively. The rebuilding Astros received a B+.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Bay, Bell, Buck, Lee, O’s, K-Rod

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The Mets and Marlins discussed a change-of-scenery trade that would have sent Jason Bay to Miami for Heath Bell and John Buck, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. A deal was never close, though the contracts and the money matched up well. Bell is signed through 2014, Bay and Buck through 2013. Rosenthal notes that all three players are likely to clear waivers this month, so the two sides could revisit the deal. Here are the rest of his rumors…

  • The Astros are paying virtually all of the $9MM left on Carlos Lee's contract, but one club that spoke to the Marlins said Miami wanted as much as $2.5MM in return for the slugger. Talks never progressed.
  • The Orioles spoke to the Mariners about Kevin Millwood, but Seattle wanted a better return than what was offered given the right-hander's bargain $1MM salary.
  • The Orioles also discussed a deal with the Royals that would have sent one of their young arms to Kansas City for Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Broxton. Rosenthal speculates that it may have been Jake Arrieta.
  • The Brewers were close to trading Francisco Rodriguez to the Giants about a week before the deadline, but San Francisco backed off after the right-hander blew two saves and allowed six runs in Philadelphia last week.

Alfonso Soriano Not Getting Traded Today

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5:14pm: Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including MLB.com's Jason Beck, that the Tigers didn't discuss Soriano with the Cubs (Twitter link). "Not once. … We did speak with the Cubs, but we did not speak about Soriano," Dombrowski said.

2:24pm: Soriano will stay with the Cubs at least this week, tweets Nightengale.

2:14pm: The Cubs say Soriano is likely to stay put, though an August deal is possible, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

2:04pm: The Tigers and Cubs are hard at work on Soriano, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com, but he's not sure if they can make the money work.  Soriano is owed $42.3MM through 2014.

1:18pm: Manager Jim Leyland thinks the Tigers may be done on the trade front, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

10:57am: The Tigers have considered Alfonso Soriano, but don't think he's a great fit, Knobler reports (on Twitter).  They asked about Scott Hairston, but the Mets wanted one of the Tigers' top five prospects in return.

10:24am: The Tigers are seeking a middle-of-the-order hitter in the wake of discouraging news on Victor Martinez's recovery from knee surgery, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  Martinez is said to be 50-50 to return this year, so the Tigers are "looking hard" for another bat.

Rangers Acquire Geovany Soto

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The Rangers officially acquired a former Rookie of the Year today, getting catcher Geovany Soto and cash from the Cubs for minor league pitcher Jake Brigham and a player to be named later or cash.

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Soto, 29, has a .195/.278/.345 batting line in 194 plate appearances this year. The 2008 NL Rookie of the Year earns $4.3MM in 2012 and is on track to go to arbitration for the third time this offseason. However, he could be non-tendered given his salary. The Mets also had interest in trading for Soto.

The move led to the Rangers designating catcher Yorvit Torrealba for assignment. If Soto's production improves, Texas will have an in-house alternative to Mike Napoli when he hits free agency this offseason. Otherwise, the Rangers could non-tender Soto and let him test the free agent market a year early.

Brigham, a 24-year-old right-hander, had been pitching at Double-A Frisco. He has a 4.28 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 124 innings over the course of 21 starts this year. Brigham is a fringe arm, Ben Badler of Baseball America writes (on Twitter).  ESPN's Keith Law says he has "a plus fastball and power breaking ball but lacks the command and the third pitch to start."

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported that a trade would take place and Tim Brown of Yahoo first reported that the Rangers acquired Soto.  Photo courtesy of US Presswire/Benny Sieu.

Heyman On Morneau, Dodgers, Athletics, Mets

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The latest from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

  • The Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Giants "appear to have some interest" in Twins first baseman Justin Morneau.  Heyman notes that the Dodgers are looking at many offensive options, possibly as many as 10.  Morneau, 31, has somewhat bounced back to a .260/.322/.457 line after a 2011 season lost to concussion symptoms and other injuries.  He has $5MM in salary remaining this year and is owed $14MM in 2013.
  • The Athletics' top two choices for a shortstop upgrade are still Stephen Drew of the Diamondbacks and Yunel Escobar of the Blue Jays.  The A's remain interested in Padres third baseman Chase Headley as well, but Heyman finds a match unlikely.
  • The Mets have talked about Geovany Soto of the Cubs, Kelly Shoppach of the Red Sox, and Ramon Hernandez of the Rockies, but the prices are too high on these catchers.  Heyman says the Mets may be willing to delay their catcher search until the winter.
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