Carlos Beltran Rumors: Sunday
The market for Carlos Beltran will become much more interesting if the Mets are willing to pay most or all of the outfielder's remaining salary in a deal, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post write. Within Sherman's column, an AL assistant GM points out that not many teams can afford to take on $6MM at this point, meaning the Mets have a decision to make: "Do they want salary relief or do they want to open up the field of interested teams by eating a lot of dollars, and get a better return?" Here are today's other Beltran rumors, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says that it's bad news for the Giants if the Mets are open to paying Beltran's price tag, since San Francisco would rather absorb salary and give up lesser prospects.
- According to executives polled by Sherman, only the Giants and Tigers could afford to take on all of Beltran's remaining salary, among potentially interested clubs. If the Mets paid most or all of the cost, teams like the Indians, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Red Sox, Phillies, and Braves would all be in play.
- Beltran is on the Angels' radar as well, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- One Mets official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that trading Beltran within the NL East isn't out of the question, saying it "would be a factor, but not prohibitive." In Sherman's piece, however, one AL exec questions whether the Wilpons would allow the team to deal Beltran to the Phillies or Braves, even if Sandy Alderson is willing to do so.
- New York would probably have to gain about five games on Atlanta by July 31st to make keeping Beltran a viable option, says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Mets Agree To Sign Gustavo Chacin
The Mets have agreed to sign Gustavo Chacin to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. MinorLeagueTransactions.com first reported the agreement.
Houston released the 30-year-old Chacin earlier this week. He appeared in 44 games for the Astros last year, posting a 4.70 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 and homering in his lone at bat for Houston. He had a 5.13 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 66 2/3 innings for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate this year.
Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey
Saturday evening linkage..
- The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
- The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
- Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
- Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey. Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
- The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
- With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin. If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
- Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).
Rosenthal’s Latest: Beltran, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees
Earlier today it was the Full Count video, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has some more notes in a separate video…
- Carlos Beltran doesn't figure to be with the Mets much longer, especially since the team is willing to pick up the majority of the $6MM or so left on his contract. The Giants, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox, and Phillies all have interest.
- The Phillies prefer Mike Adams to Heath Bell because they'd have him under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season. They're concerned they may lose Ryan Madson as a free agent this winter.
- The Red Sox keep saying they don't need starting pitching, but that could change before the deadline. Hiroki Kuroda is one possible target.
- The Yankees continue to look for starting pitching, especially after Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia got knocked around in their first starts after the All-Star break. Ubaldo Jimenez is out there, and the Rockies will at very least dangle him just to see if someone overwhelms them with an offer.
Olney’s Latest: Trade Market, Tigers, D’Backs, Beltran
In today's Insider-only blog post, Buster Olney says that a high-ranking official told him the "dam is about ready to burst on the trade market." The number of phone calls is multiplying and everyone is getting more serious. "I think that once July 24 hits, that's when you're going to see a bunch of things happen," said an AL official. "There's a lot of talk."
Let's round up Olney's rumors…
- The Tigers continue to look for high-end starters, not the third and fourth starter types that flood the market. They had scouts at Ubaldo Jimenez's most recent start.
- The Diamondbacks are focused on less expensive relief pitchers, like Brad Ziegler and Jason Isringhausen.
- The Mariners are pitching-rich and willing to listen to offers. Erik Bedard's knee may be healthy in time for him to make two starts before the deadline.
- Josh Willingham "is going to be traded at some point."
- Since the left-handed relief market is so thin, teams have begun scouting right-handed relievers that are effective against lefties. David Pauley, Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Tyler Clippard, and Joel Peralta fit the bill.
- In a tweet, Olney says the Mets are insisting on a top prospect in return for Carlos Beltran. He adds that pressure on the Giants to add a bat is decreasing as their division lead continues to grow.
NL East Notes: McKeon, Beltran, Phillies
Let's check out some notes from the NL East..
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria will consider Jack McKeon to manage the club in 2012, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Loria added that former skipper Edwin Rodriguez resigned on his own and was not pressured by the front office to quit.
- Loria also says that his team can work its way back into the playoff picture in 2011, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
- A source told Jeff Passan of Yahoo (via Twitter) that the no-arbitration clause in Carlos Beltran's contract does transfer to his new team if he is traded.
- History always tells us that the Phillies always make a move and they usually go with a pitcher over a bat, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
Morosi On League, Astros, Red Sox, Blue Jays
It's unlikely that incoming Astros owner Jim Crane would want to start his tenure as Houston's new owner by opposing MLB's other teams, as Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports points out. That means it will be hard for Crane to turn Bud Selig down if the commissioner asks the Astros to move to the American League West at some point. Here are more of Morosi's notes from around MLB:
- The Mariners are taking calls on Brandon League and have no plans to make Felix Hernandez available (Twitter link).
- Despite the many injuries to their starting pitchers, the Red Sox haven't begun an all-out search for rotation help, according to Morosi. The Red Sox, who have checked in on Carlos Beltran, are prioritizing a right-handed hitting outfielder.
- The Blue Jays are hearing from teams interested in their relievers (Twitter link).
- The Angels prefer left-handed hitters over right-handed hitters, according to Morosi (on Twitter). They had serious discussions about the left-handed hitting Garrett Jones earlier in the year.
Olney On Tigers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Beltran
Teams looking to trade for outfield help will encounter a buyers’ market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest from around MLB, with the most recent rumors up top:
- The Tigers are pursuing pitching aggressively, checking in on high-end arms, according to Olney (on Twitter).
- The Pirates are looking for an outfielder who can be a stable presence in their lineup. They have asked around for veteran outfielders (Twitter link).
- The D'Backs are looking for relievers who have yet to go to arbitration, not expensive veterans (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox, Braves and Phillies would “undoubtedly” love to acquire Carlos Beltran, but all three clubs are distancing themselves from the teams behind them in the standings, so they could decide to acquire a second-tier bat instead of surrendering an elite prospect for Beltran.
- Hunter Pence will likely stay in Houston unless the Astros are “overwhelmed,” according to Olney.
- The A’s are listening on Josh Willingham.
- Rival GMs believe that a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez is “all but impossible,” since the Rockies would ask for so much in a trade for their ace. The Rockies will listen on Jimenez, who is on the Reds' radar.
Heyman’s Latest: K-Rod, Jackson, Twins, Reyes
Let's round up the latest from SI.com's Jon Heyman…
- The Mets were telling interested clubs that Francisco Rodriguez would be with a new team "within 48 hours" of the reliever's decision to switch agents and hire Scott Boras. The trade with the Brewers was announced four days later.
- Heyman lists 40 players that could be traded before the deadline, headlined by the usual suspects: Carlos Beltran, Heath Bell, B.J. Upton, and Josh Willingham.
- "Calls are coming in" about Edwin Jackson, and the White Sox will have the rotation depth to move him once John Danks returns from the disabled list.
- Jose Reyes has told the Mets he won't negotiate a contract extension during the season, but he hasn't completely ruled out an extension with a new team if traded.
- The Mets are "unlikely" to trade Mike Pelfrey, despite his climbing salary.
- The Twins are telling teams they're going for it.
- Beltran's salary would be an issue for both the Indians and Reds, though Cleveland is looking for an outfield bat.
- In a tweet, Heyman notes that the Reds and Phillies match up well with the Padres for a trade, since both teams are looking for a right-handed outfield bat and bullpen help. San Diego has Ryan Ludwick and a stable of quality relievers to offer.
Mets Finalizing Deal With Supplemental Pick Fulmer
JULY 15: Callis tweets that the terms of Fulmer's signing bonus have not yet been finalized, contrary to yesterday's report.
JULY 14: Fulmer's bonus will be $950K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America, though the deal has not been quite finalized yet. MLB's recommended slot price for the 44th overall pick is $776.7K.
JUNE 24: The Mets have agreed to terms with suppelemental first round pick Michael Fulmer, the pitcher announced (on Twitter). He said he agreed to a contract yesterday, though he has yet to sign paper (hat tip to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork).
Baseball America ranked Fulmer 45th among draft eligible prospects and the Mets selected him with the 44th overall pick. Fulmer's fastball reaches the mid-90s and he can maintain his velocity late into games, according to BA. He has a hard slider, though he'll have to work on developing a change-up. Here's MLBTR's complete list of top picks that have signed.