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Rosenthal’s Latest: Fuentes, Sherrill, Nady, Kemp, Guthrie

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New Rosenthal.  Let’s take a look.

  • Rosenthal says the Marlins are in on Brian Fuentes and other top relievers, and they’re more focused on bullpen help than a catcher.  The Marlins’ interest in Fuentes was first reported by the Denver Post’s Troy E. Renck on July 9th.
  • Sources tell Rosenthal that the Brewers aren’t likely to pay up for a top reliever like George Sherrill.  Rosenthal considers the Angels the best fit for Sherrill, but doesn’t say whether they’re actually interested.
  • The Braves probably won’t discuss Tim Hudson; they’ll need him for next year.
  • Rosenthal wonders whether the Phillies will entertain trades for Brett Myers in the offseason.
  • The Phillies inquired on some interesting hitters: Matt Holliday, Xavier Nady, and Matt Kemp.
  • The Rockies asked the Orioles about Jeremy Guthrie, but he’s not available.
  • The Mets may not consider Casey Blake even of a difference-maker, though Blake is popular on the trade market.  The Rays are one team looking at him.

Mets Scouting Rangers

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According to Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger, the Mets had a scout watching the Rangers last night.  Graziano suggests Marlon Byrd as a possible player of interest.

First baseman/left fielder Frank Catalanotto may be available, but he comes with a $6MM commitment beyond this year.  Lefty reliever Eddie Guardado is another possibility.  The Rangers don’t seem compelled to trade starting pitching or Milton Bradley.

Pirates Rumors: Wilson, Bay, Nady, Marte, Grabow

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest Pirates hot stove chatter.

  • The Pirates are not opposed to creating a hole at shortstop for the rest of the year by trading Jack Wilson.  They would just need the right return.  Teams are still calling on Wilson, with the Dodgers confirmed and the Tigers possible.
  • A Jason Bay deal seems less likely – the Pirates’ price is high for their star.
  • Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte continue to draw interest, with John Grabow in the mix as well.  Nady or Marte would require two prospects each.  Nady’s suitors are the Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Braves.  Marte has roughly a dozen suitors.
  • Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger says the injury to Hideki Matsui led to heightened interest from the Yankees in Nady and Bay.  They’re also in on Marte and Grabow.  The Bucs aren’t interested in Melky Cabrera.
  • Interesting stuff in this John Perrotto article found via DRays Bay.  He names the Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, and Rays as teams interested in Marte.  The Tigers, Phillies, and Cardinals also have an eye on Grabow.
  • Perrotto runs through all kinds of names of interest to the Pirates: Anthony Reyes, Chris Duncan, Jeff Larish, Matt Joyce, Ross Ohlendorf, Brent Lillibridge, Brandon Jones, Jeff Niemann, Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, and Bobby Parnell. 

Odds and Ends: Mets, Cardinals, Phillies, Tigers

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Today’s links.

  • Mets manager Jerry Manuel expects a move, most likely for a left fielder.
  • Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein wrote Saturday about the remaining unsigned draft picks.  BP is free for all this week, by the way.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak faces a tough situation – he doesn’t have much time before the trade deadline to determine what Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will contribute.
  • Don McKee believes the Phillies should sell the farm for Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes.
  • Jon Paul Morosi notes that the Tigers might be able to trade Ivan Rodriguez in August.  He also says that Edgar Renteria’s ’09 option is for $12MM, not $11MM as was previously reported.
  • Jacob Jackson thinks the Athletics should trade most of their remaining chips for one player: Colby Rasmus.

Bay Wants To Stay

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Jason Bay continues to play like his old self, and with 12 days to the non-waiver trade deadline, interest in the Pirates’ slugger is at an all-time high.

Speaking to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Rob Biertempfel, Bay expressed satisfaction with his performance:

"I feel like I’ve gotten back to that guy who I’ve been in the past, and that’s gratifying. But there’s also some trade-talk stuff that comes with it. It’s a Catch-22. I knew coming in that it would be this way."

The teams that Biertempfel mentioned as showing interest in the left fielder include The Mets, Braves, Rays and Diamondbacks, but Bay was poised when asked if he had any particular interest in a destination:

"There really is nowhere in particular that I really want to go," Bay said. "I don’t want out (of Pittsburgh). I like the familiarity, and I like the direction the team is headed."

According to Biertempfel, the Pirates could still decide to give Bay an extension and build around him.

Rockies Rumors: Fuentes, Barmes, Taveras

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Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post has a handful of Rockies rumors today.

  • Saunders believes the Phillies’ spent too much prospect capital on Joe Blanton to be able to acquire Brian Fuentes.  He says the Rays, Yankees, and Mets are still in the mix for Fuentes.
  • The Rays are interested in two other Rockies: Clint Barmes and Willy Taveras.  Unexpected targets…what do you think?  Would Barmes be an upgrade at shortstop?

Pirates Rumors: Nady, Marte, Bay

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New blog to bookmark: PBC Blog.  It comes from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette baseball writers Dejan Kovacevic and Paul Meyer, and already has plenty of good Pirates info up.  On to the hot stove chatter:

  • Kovacevic talked to a Pirates official who disputes the reports that the team’s asking prices for Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, and Jason Bay are exorbitant.  Kovacevic notes that many of these reports come from New York, and in some cases they’re created as tests for rookie GM Neal Huntington.  Welcome to the club, Neal!
  • Bay is unlikely to be traded, but Nady and Marte are available.  Kovacevic says many teams are in on Nady, and the Braves and Mets even conducted recent conference calls with the Pirates about him.  The Pirates are focused on receiving two quality players for Nady, with an emphasis on pitching.  It’s not a concern yet, but if the Rockies truly shop Matt Holliday it could upset the Nady market.
  • Kovacevic speculates on what it might take for the Pirates to sign Bay to an extension beyond ’09, which may well happen.

Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Fuentes, Teixeira

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Jon Heyman of SI.com posted a new column yesterday.

  • Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd is quietly calling other teams about Matt Holliday scenarios.  One that was "floated," perhaps by Colorado, involved Holliday, Willy Taveras, Fernando Martinez, and Carlos Beltran.  The Mets don’t want to trade Beltran, nor does the player want to waive his no-trade clause.  The Holliday-Mets scenario is deemed a long shot.  Meanwhile, Troy E. Renck says the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets are "all panting after" Holliday.
  • As you know, Brian Fuentes is likely to be traded.
  • Heyman talked to a GM who expects Mark Teixeira to stay put.  That does seem likely; the Braves are 6.5 games out.

Sherman’s Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake

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The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.

  • Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees.  The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday.  The Rays’ might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli.
  • Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter?  Right now it’s just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman.
  • The Rockies want either Jon Niese from the Mets or Ian Kennedy from the Yankees for Brian Fuentes, but the two New York clubs aren’t having that.
  • Nolan Ryan doesn’t want to punt on ’08 with the Rangers.
  • Sherman wonders if the Marlins could match up with Texas on a catcher.
  • Juan Rivera is not available at this point.
  • Casey Blake is likely to be traded, partially because the Indians probably wouldn’t offer him arbitration after the season.  The Mets and Yankees are said to have "at least mild interest."

Sherman On The Mets

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Mets GM Omar Minaya yesterday, gaining insight on the team’s plans for the second half.

  • If Ryan Church is able to return (the Mets are cautiously optimistic), the Mets will focus on a righty-hitting left fielder.  Raul Ibanez is a lefty, while the prospect price on Matt Holliday and Xavier Nady seems prohibitive.  I assume the same applies to Jason Bay.  Sherman has mentioned Austin Kearns in the past; he could make sense.
  • The price on Brian Fuentes and similar relievers is also apparently too high.  Minaya might prefer not to further deplete the farm system.
  • The Mets could elect to solve their problems from within – Minaya suggested Jon Niese and Fernando Martinez could be in the bigs next month. 
  • Minaya’s recent history of midseason acquisitions – Luis Castillo and Jeff Conine in ’07, Orlando Hernandez, Shawn Green, Guillermo Mota, Roberto Hernandez, and Oliver Perez in ’06.  Over his career, Minaya has dealt often with Indians GM Mark Shapiro.
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