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K-Rod Could Reject Trade To Setup Role

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7:40pm: Rodriguez would consider re-structuring his contract to do away with the $17.5MM option for 2012 in exchange for some other form of compensation, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.

3:50pm: Rodriguez's no-trade list was submitted when the contract was signed and it doesn't change year to year, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Yankees are not on the list, according to Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Rodriguez chose the teams on his no-trade list based on which teams he didn't want to join and the list includes some small-market teams that wouldn't have interest in him, according to Costa.

1:39pm: Francisco Rodriguez's new agent Scott Boras strongly indicated today that the reliever would not accept a trade to a team on his no-trade list if it means being a setup man, tweets Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal.  The issue at stake: Rodriguez will receive a staggering $17.5MM salary from the Mets for 2012 if he finishes 21 more games and is healthy after the season.  The closer told Mike Puma of the New York Post he hopes the Mets let him finish the year with them.

K-Rod can block deals to ten unknown teams.  Boras will be fighting for the vesting option Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group negotiated, while Mets GM Sandy Alderson is trying to skirt the clause former GM Omar Minaya accepted.  

In a fantasy baseball sense, the trade rumors have helped place Rodriguez in the third tier of closers, in the opinion of Dan Mennella at CloserNews.  

Red Sox Notes: Papelbon, Ellsbury, Beltran, Ortiz

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No American League team has more wins than the Red Sox, who boast a 55-35 record at the All-Star break despite a surprisingly slow start. Here's the latest on the Red Sox…

  • The Red Sox haven't engaged Jonathan Papelbon in extension talks this season, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Papelbon hits free agency after the season and it's a situation that fellow free agent closer Heath Bell will be monitoring in case a job opens up at the back of Boston's bullpen.
  • Scott Boras pointed out that Jacoby Ellsbury's combination of power, speed and defense is hard to find. “Your skill set to play centerfield and steal bases obviously generates itself around speed," the agent told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. "So, to go beyond and add an offensive power to that is hard to do. It’s a rare skill set.”
  • Carlos Beltran told Speier that he would accept the trade to Boston if the Mets decide to move him. “They’re in first place,” Beltran said. “That’s a no-brainer.” Beltran is an unlikely target for the Red Sox, who don't have much money available and would prefer to find an internal solution, according to Speier. Beltran earns $18.5MM this year and has said that he would waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
  • David Ortiz, who will hit free agency after the season, told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he hasn't heard anything about his future and isn't worried about it. Ortiz says he hopes to play for more than one season after 2011.
  • Andre Ethier told Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe that he likes the idea of playing for the Diamondbacks with Dustin Pedroia late in their respective careers (Twitter link).

NL West Notes: Colletti, Ethier, Beltran, Young

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Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, former Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday and former Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will all take part in tonight's Home Run Derby. Here’s the latest from the NL West as we await tonight’s power display…

Mets Notes: K-Rod, Alderson, Isringhausen

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Here are some Mets notes as they take on the Giants in MLB's final game before the All-Star break …

  • GM Sandy Alderson suggests that he'll have to revisit discussions with Francisco Rodriguez about the closer waiving his partial (10-team) no-trade clause now that he has reportedly changed representation from Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group to Scott Boras, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Within that same piece, Alderson said there is a chance Rodriguez could be with the Mets in 2012, and that his $17.5MM option, should it vest, would not be "crippling" to the team. Alderson also mentioned that the trade market for big-name players such as K-Rod and Carlos Beltran is just beginning to warm up.
  • Right-handed reliever Jason Isringhausen, whose name has cropped up in trade rumors recently, apparently pleaded with Alderson not to deal him, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Alderson said he appreciated Izzy's preference to remain in New York and will "weigh it accordingly."

Quick Hits: Krol, K-Rod, Trade Deadline

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On this date in 1997, the Yankees signed a 17-year-old named Yhency Brazoban as an amateur free agent. Over the next 14 years, Brazoban was traded for Kevin Brown, closed games for the Dodgers, signed minor league contracts with four different teams, and, most recently, allowed yesterday's game-tying homer to Albert Pujols. Here are this afternoon's links, as Brazoban and the Diamondbacks look to recover from last night's loss in St. Louis….

  • Athletics minor leaguer Ian Krol was suspended indefinitely for a derogatory tweet, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Krol, a left-hander who was selected in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, was ranked ninth among the A's prospects by Baseball America pre-season.
  • Even contenders who are eyeing Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez as an eighth-inning guy have to worry about his vesting option, says ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider only). As one GM points out, if your team acquires Rodriguez as a setup man and your closer gets hurt, it would be hard to justify not inserting K-Rod into the role.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com examines five prospects taking part in today's Futures Game who trade deadline sellers might target.
  • There are eight teams who should definitely be sellers at this point, argues Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter): the Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals, Athletics, Marlins, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres.
  • Despite being big spenders in Major League free agency, the Phillies are once again exercising restraint when it comes to international free agents, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson (via Twitter) reiterates that the Nationals need to acquire a leadoff man, citing the team's .203/.270/.306 slash line from the top of the order.

Mets Notes: Wright, Reyes, Beltran, Wilpons

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One of three Mets' starting infielders currently on the disabled list, David Wright is making good progress in his rehab, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Anthony DiComo. The third baseman, who has been on the DL since May 18th, could start a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday and return to the Mets for the club's ten-game road trip later this month. Let's check out some other Mets-related notes….

  • According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, executives around the league have very different opinions about what sort of contract Jose Reyes will earn in free agency. Before Reyes was placed on the DL, estimates ranged from "no more than $90MM" to as much as $160MM.
  • Within the same piece, Sherman looks at some teams besides the Mets that could be in on Reyes this winter, including the Phillies, Brewers, Mariners, Nationals, and Tigers. One GM says the Giants are the "obvious choice," predicting a bid of $120MM or so from San Francisco.
  • The Mets' solid play heading into the second half makes the decision on whether to trade Carlos Beltran tougher, says Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. While the team probably won't seriously contend for the postseason, dealing Beltran this month would be a "white flag" move that would hurt attendance.
  • The Wilpons' chances of maintaining ownership of the Mets are looking better, write Teri Thompson and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.

Francisco Rodriguez Hires Scott Boras

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Francisco Rodriguez has changed agents. MLB.com’s Adam Berry and Anthony DiComo report that the Mets’ closer has signed on with Scott Boras after having been represented by Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group.

Rodriguez, 29, is scheduled to become a free agent after the season as long as his $17.5MM option for 2012 does not vest. He needs to finish 55 games for the option to kick in, and right now he’s at 34 and on pace for 62. K-Rod’s name has popped up in trade rumors all year and that figures to continue this month, so the option could become moot if he’s dealt to a team that would use him as a setup man.

Yesterday we learned that K-Rod and Boras met in Los Angeles earlier this week. Boras has also been trying to snag Jose Reyes, another impending free agent. Check out our Agency Database for a list of Boras and WMG clients.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Yankees, Ubaldo, Jays

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up, so let's recap…

  • Two GMs tell Rosenthal that the Yankees are more worried about Mariano Rivera's nagging triceps injury than they're letting on. If true, they could increase their efforts to acquire a setup man, though they're hopeful Rafael Soriano will be back from his elbow injury soon after the All-Star break.
  • The Mets have called the Yankees and offered Francisco Rodriguez according to one source, but they're only interested if the Mets call them at the deadline and offer K-Rod at a minimal price.
  • The starting pitching market could soon heat up. The Rockies are getting calls about Ubaldo Jimenez and several other players, though they're not shopping their ace right-hander. Rosenthal says they'll listen on anyone besides Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. Jimenez is under contract through 2014 (though he can void that option if traded) and could return a significant package of the players, so the team would give a trade serious consideration.
  • Don't be surprised if the Marlins listen on Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez. Florida will try to get back into contention, though they'll likely entertain offers for both pitchers if that doesn't happen. Nolasco is under contract though 2013, Sanchez under team control through 2012.
  • The Blue Jays offer perhaps the best value on the bullpen market. Jason Frasor, Octavio Dotel, and Jon Rauch aren't in the same class as Heath Bell, though all three could pitch better outside of the AL East and have club options for 2012. They all figure to qualify as Type-B free agents as well.

Olney’s Latest: Choate, Bell, Isringhausen, K-Rod

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In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney notes that while the market for right-handed relief pitching is bountiful, the market for lefties is pretty thin. The Nationals will talk about Sean Burnett but the Cubs will not discuss Sean Marshall, though one southpaw to keep an eye on is Randy Choate. Olney says the Yankees have already asked the Marlins about his availability.

Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

  • The Padres are unlikely to trade Heath Bell to the Diamondbacks even though the latter would love to have him. Padres owner Jeff Moorad used to run the D'Backs.
  • "The key guys this time of year really aren't the general managers," said one GM. "The owners are the key guys. Because they'll decide whether to add payroll, and when to raise the white flag on the season."
  • Jason Isringhausen of the Mets is "destined to draw a whole lot interest" because he's cheap and experienced. A handful of GMs feel that a Francisco Rodriguez trade is "all but impossible" because of his vesting option.
  • Teams have received their preliminary 2012 schedule, and the chances of realignment dwindle with each passing day.
  • Labor negotiations are progressing as scheduled, though recent buzz that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement could be announced at the All-Star Game has been dismissed.

Quick Hits: Beltran, Giants, Brewers, Gordon

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Friday night linkage..

  • Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran hinted that he would waive his no-trade clause to play for the Giants, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).  Beltran also said that the Mets might want to keep him now that they're playing better (Twitter link).
  • The Brewers will be looking for infield depth in the trade market in addition to relief pitchers, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • The Yankees have sold Brian Gordon's rights to the SK Wyverns of the Korean Professional League for cash considerations, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. 
  • For a Carlos Beltran trade to happen, the Mets would probably have to eat $5-7MM of his contract and take back a B-minus/C-plus prospect back in return, Olney tweets.
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