Carlos Beltran Rumors: Tuesday
The trade deadline is just 12 days away, and the Mets possess the best available bat in Carlos Beltran. The Mets are willing to assume a chunk of his $18.5MM salary to improve the return. Beltran will have to approve the trade, and the Phillies, Giants, Tigers, and Braves might be the most likely suitors. The latest:
- The Pirates, who won again tonight, have called on Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Pirates rate Beltran as the top available bat, but aren't going after him full-speed, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
- The Phillies and Red Sox are among the most aggressive suitors for Beltran, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Other clubs remain "strongly in the mix" for Beltran, Rosenthal reports. Both the Phillies and Red Sox are up against the luxury tax and want the Mets to pick up substantial salary in any deal. The Mets may trade the switch-hitter several days before the deadline and may have to include less money than they originally expected to send. Though Beltran can block any trade, the Mets don't expect that to become a problem.
- The Giants, who acquired Jeff Keppinger earlier today, remain interested in Beltran, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Yankees aren't in the market for Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). They won't be interested in him unless somone on their roster gets injured, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
- Rival executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney that Beltran's trade value would be much higher if not for a contractual clause that prevents his team from offering arbitration after the season, therefore eliminating draft pick compensation. My take: Beltran is not a lock for Type A status, and most teams would have been reluctant to offer arbitration to him given his health history and $18.5MM salary. The impact of Beltran's "no arbitration offer" clause on his trade value seems overstated.
- The Yankees discussed Beltran with the Mets, reports Olney, but he cannot see a deal happening unless it's a pure salary dump. Bob Klapisch goes a step further, saying the Yankees briefly entertained the idea but decided it's not a fit.
NL East Notes: Braves, Nationals, Hairston, Byrdak
The Phillies and Braves will be buyers this month, the Mets appear to be sellers, the Nationals will be 'buyers and sellers' and the Marlins are fielding inquiries on their players. Here's the latest on the NL East…
- The Braves are happy with Jordan Schafer, so even though they're among the teams with interest in Carlos Beltran, they wouldn't necessarily put Beltran in center field if they were to acquire him, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
- If the Braves trade Derek Lowe it will be to create payroll flexibility for the rest of 2011 and in 2012, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Such a deal would also show that the Braves have lots of confidence in Brandon Beachy, as Olney explains.
- Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com explains that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is willing to listen on just about all of his players, including relievers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard. Goessling says it's more likely that the Nationals trade a starter than Clippard or Storen, however.
- The Phillies are scouting Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak of the Mets, not just Beltran, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.
AL Central Notes: Indians, Francis, Chen, Buehrle
Jeff Keppinger was traded today as well as five years ago today. That's when the Royals acquired him from the Mets for Ruben Gotay. Here's the latest from the AL Central…
- Grady Sizemore was placed on the disabled list with a knee issue, and SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) the Indians have their eyes on Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. They also called about Carlos Beltran, but his no-trade clause may be an obstacle.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian notes (on Twitter) that while the Indians prefer a right-handed bat, they haven't ruled out lefties with Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo out.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore told MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden that it's possible they'll move lefty starters Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen before the deadline (Twitter link).
- South Side Sox notes that it's much quieter this year than the last time White Sox ace Mark Buehrle was scheduled to become a free agent.
Possible Reds Relief Targets
The Reds have had internal discussions about acquiring Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara, Jason Isringhausen, Jason Frasor, and Todd Coffey, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Isringhausen and Coffey have previous ties to the organization. GM Walt Jocketty might have to go toe-to-toe with the divison rival Cardinals and Pirates on certain players, as those teams also seek bullpen help.
Morosi adds that the Reds are also focused on high-end starters, maintaining their interest in Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez. The Reds are not looking for shortstop help, as they're pleased with the play of Zack Cozart in his first seven games.
Carlos Beltran Rumors: Monday
Yesterday we learned that the Mets are willing to pick up a substantial portion of Carlos Beltran's $18.5MM salary if it means getting better prospects in return for the switch-hitting outfielder. Here's the latest on Beltran, with the most recent updates up top:
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson hasn't yet approached Beltran with a list of possible destinations for the outfielder to approve or turn down, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. As a ten and five player, Beltran has earned the right to block any deal, though he'll waive that right under certain circumstances.
- The Pirates will "kick the tires" on Beltran, a source tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
- The Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Braves and Red Sox have called the Mets about Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). The Yankees and Rangers may also have checked in with the Mets, who appear willing to deal Beltran within the NL East.
- The Phillies and Giants are the most likely fits, followed by the Tigers and Braves. The Brewers are focused on adding infield help and Boston's interest has been mild so far.
- Earlier today, Heyman reported that the Mets don't believe Beltran would pass through waivers in August, as he did a year ago.
NL East Notes: Reyes, Phillies, Nationals
Is the American League East really the best division in baseball? National League East teams have averaged 51 wins apiece so far this year, two more than AL East teams and more than any other division in baseball. Here’s the latest from the division, which is home to the two winningest teams in the National League…
- Jose Reyes prefers the Mets to other teams, but wants to see the club's offseason plan, since he's unsure about the kind of offer they'll be able to make, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he'd like to see the Phillies add a reliever and a bat this month. The skipper makes it clear that he's looking for an upgrade, not just a lateral move. “If we’re going to get somebody, I want somebody good that will help us," Manuel said. "I don’t want someone we’ve already got."
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that rival teams have called the Nationals about relievers, veteran starters and Ivan Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Nationals will listen on their relievers, including Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.
Mets Sign Fernando Perez
The Mets signed Fernando Perez to a minor league contract, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Cubs, who acquired the 28-year-old in January the trade that brought Matt Garza to Chicago, released the outfielder ten days ago.
Perez hit .206/.206/.206 in 35 plate appearances for the Cubs this year, playing all three outfield positions. The switch-hitter spent most of the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a .238/.312/.337 line with 17 stolen bases.
Knobler On Tigers, Vargas, Fister, Marlins
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has the latest on the market for starters, from Miami to Detroit to Seattle. Here’s the latest:
- Though the Tigers are a possible destination for Carlos Beltran, they've been focusing all of their attention on upgrading their rotation at this point (Twitter link). Derek Lowe and Jeremy Guthrie are two of the pitchers who have drawn the Tigers' interest.
- The Mariners have suggested to teams that they would discuss dealing starting pitching – specifically Jason Vargas and Doug Fister, according to Knobler. They may not get much for Erik Bedard, but they're getting calls on Adam Kennedy and Jamey Wright.
- Though the Marlins will consider trading Javier Vazquez, Leo Nunez and Randy Choate, they won't talk about Ricky Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez or Josh Johnson, according to Knobler. The Marlins are looking to add starting pitching and a third baseman, though those moves may not happen this month.
Heyman On Beltran, Giants, Padres
Rumors from SI's Jon Heyman…
- The Mets don't believe Carlos Beltran would pass through waivers in August. Beltran is well-compensated at $18.5MM, but he's also the best hitter available this summer. Heyman says the Mets may try to make a deal a few days before the deadline to avoid any hitches with Beltran's no-trade rights.
- The Giants "do not want to part with any decent prospects for a hitter," perhaps taking them out of the Beltran mix.
- The Phillies and Reds match up well with the Padres, who can offer Ryan Ludwick plus a number of different veteran right-handed relievers. Padres GM Jed Hoyer has yet to match up with Ruben Amaro Jr. or Walt Jocketty in his two years at the helm.
- The Padres would want a "very big prospect" for setup man Mike Adams, but Heyman says Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar isn't going anywhere.
Rosenthal On Phillies, Adams, Royals, Guthrie
It's been a busy weekend for FOX's Ken Rosenthal, who brought us a pair of rumor-packed videos yesterday. He shared a few more tidbits this morning in his newest column, so let's check out the highlights….
- The Phillies are telling teams that they can add about $2MM in salary, which would keep them below the luxury tax threshold. They would also prefer to trade for players they can control through at least 2012, which makes rentals like Carlos Beltran or Heath Bell less appealing.
- Mike Adams is one player under control past this season who has drawn "serious interest" from the Phillies, as we heard yesterday. But the Yankees and Rangers, among other teams, are also very interested in the righty.
- The Royals are pushing to trade Melky Cabrera rather than Jeff Francoeur.
- The Mets attempted to restructure Francisco Rodriguez's contract before sending him to the Brewers, ultimately deciding that trading their closer was the "cleaner" solution.
- When John Danks comes off the disabled list this week, trade talks involving Edwin Jackson could heat up. Given Jake Peavy's injury history though, moving Jackson would be a risky move for a White Sox team just four games back in the AL Central.
- The Orioles are willing to listen to offers for Jeremy Guthrie, but would want pitching back in any trade.
- While they'd like to add a bat, the Indians may need a starting pitcher even more, since they have some question marks at the back of their rotation.