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AL East Notes: A-Rod, Guerrieri, Red Sox, Dickerson

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The Alex Rodriguez saga took another strange turn today when the third baseman's handpicked doctor told Mike Francesca of WFAN that the third baseman doesn't have a quad strain and should be able to play, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Later in the day, Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded in a press release, saying, "Contrary to the Basic Agreement, Mr. Rodriguez did not notify us at any time that he was seeking a second opinion from any doctor with regard to his quad strain.  As you know, it is the Yankees’ desire to have Alex return to the lineup as soon as possible. And we have done everything to try and accomplish this."  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • Rays pitching prospect Taylor Guerrieri underwent Tommy John surgery today, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Drafted 24th overall by the Rays in 2011, Guerrieri is ranked as the 64th prospect in baseball by Baseball America. ESPN.com's Keith Law ranks him 47th, while Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has him at No. 44. In 67 innings this year for the Rays' Class A affiliate, the right-hander had compiled a 2.01 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.
  • Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino says his team has an obligation to be active at the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean a deal is a certainty, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets. While the Sox have been a popular name in trade speculation and have been connected with arms such as the White Sox's Jake Peavy and the Royals' Luke Hochevar, the executive cautions that the team isn't "just building for one year." "There's going to have to be a pretty good deal to extract some of these high-quality prospects we have," Lucchino said (link).
  • The Orioles are getting lots of interest in Chris Dickerson and we can expect to see him in the majors somewhere in the next few days, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.  The O's designated the outfielder for assignment last week.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

The Latest On Alex Rodriguez

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The Biogenesis fallout began the other day with a season-ending suspension for Ryan Braun and the news that Alex Rodriguez would likely face a lengthier punishment than Braun's 65-game ban. Yesterday it was reported that A-Rod plans to appeal his impending suspension, which would likely delay it until the 2014 season. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote on Monday, that scenario would benefit the Yankees in a financial sense; any money lost by Rodriguez to his suspension is money that the Yankees don't have to risk paying luxury taxes on. Here's the latest on Rodriguez…

  • ESPN's T.J. Quinn reports that Major League Baseball is considering a lifetime ban for Rodriguez, but likely just to use as a weapon in negotiations. While the evidence against Rodriguez is "far beyond" the evidence MLB had on Braun, experts told Quinn it would be very difficult for MLB to convince an arbitrator to rule in favor of a lifetime ban (Twitter links).
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that Rodriguez will likely leverage multiple lawyers to try to fight his suspension. Rodriguez hired David Cornwell, the attorney who helped Braun win his 2011 appeal, back in June to join Jay Reisinger on his legal team. Reisinger, who has a strong relationship with the MLBPA, tells Rosenthal that he no longer represents Rodriguez. One person close to Rodriguez offered Rosenthal the following explanation: "When people don’t tell him what he wants to hear, he goes out and finds someone who will." Rosenthal adds that Cornwell isn't well-liked by the MLBPA for his "bombastic, swing-for-the-fences" tactics.

Stark’s Latest: Brewers, Ruggiano, Young, Storen

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ESPN's Jayson Stark quotes a number of executives who feel the trade deadline has lost its luster since many teams have locked up their top young players, teams are reluctant to acquire rental players who carry no draft pick compensation as free agents, and the second wild card has narrowed the market of outright sellers to just a few teams.  That said, Stark still has lots of hot stove items for us in his latest Rumblings & Grumblings column…

  • Ryan Braun's suspension could drastically change the Brewers' perspective on trading some veteran stars.  While Francisco Rodriguez was indeed traded just a day after Braun's suspension was announced, Stark hears that the Brewers are asking for a lot in deals.  "One of the problems with dealing with Milwaukee is that [their] trade for [Jean] Segura last year was so one-sided that they want another tilted deal. Not going to happen," an AL executive said.
  • The price for Kyle Lohse, for instance, involves the price of a first-round pick.  The Crew gave up as first-rounder as compensation for signing Lohse as a free agent in the spring.
  • Three scouts who have recently seen Yovani Gallardo say he's been pitching like a fourth or fifth starter.  Gallardo in his prime was "close to an ace. [But] lots of pitches on that arm from then to now. He can really pitch, but his stuff [has gone] way back," one scout said.  Gallardo has a 4.58 ERA and a career-worst 7.2 K/9 in 21 starts this season, plus he's lost two miles of velocity off his fastball.
  • We'd heard that the Yankees and Rangers had checked in on Marlins outfielder Justin Ruggiano, and Stark adds the Phillies and Giants to the list of a half-dozen interested teams.  The Marlins weren't too keen on dealing Ruggiano but he could be expendable now that Christian Yellich and Jake Marisnick have been called up.
  • The Phillies' next five games "will determine Michael Young's fate more than anyone else on their roster," said one executive who has talked to the club.  Young is seen as "pretty much a lock" to be dealt if the Phils struggle during their road trip through St. Louis and Detroit this week.  The Phillies dropped a 4-1 result to the Cardinals last night.
  • Jonathan Papelbon hasn't been made available by the Phillies but even if he was, one AL executive thinks Papelbon's contract makes him "practically untradable."
  • Stark thinks the Phillies and Marlins are good trade partners on paper since the Phils could use Ruggiano or any of Miami's good relievers.  The Marlins aren't willing to move anyone unless they get a great offer, however, and the Phillies aren't willing to move any of their top prospects to facilitate a deal.
  • The Nationals could listen on a good offer for Drew Storen, the former first-round pick who is struggling through a tough year.  The Nats are in a tough spot trade-wise, however, since the team is largely set at every position yet are still in need of hitting.
  • Alex Rios' long slump has lowered his trade value and the White Sox will be hard-pressed to find a team to meet their asking price for the right fielder.  The Rangers still have some interest in Rios, as they're looking for an outfielder that can be controlled beyond this season.
  • The Red Sox are seen as very likely to add pitching before the deadline.  Boston has been linked to Jake Peavy and were interested in Francisco Rodriguez before the Orioles got him. 
  • The Braves have targeted Oliver Perez and Charlie Furbush of the Mariners, Scott Downs of the Angels, Mike Dunn of the Marlins and James Russell of the Cubs in their search for left-handed relief pitching.  While Atlanta has been looking at these names and others, however, Stark says the team isn't close to a deal.
  • In regards to the Biogenesis scandal, Stark hears from an attorney who believes "virtually every case will be settled by a plea deal.  You're going to see a lot of pleas. You're going to see a lot of deals."

Cubs Notes: Soriano, Epstein, Adams, Samardzija

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The Cubs dealt Matt Garza yesterday and are exploring a deal to send Alfonso Soriano to the Yankees, though that trade is far from complete (if it happens at all).  Here's the latest from Wrigley Field…

  • The Garza negotiations were "pretty all-consuming" for the organization, Theo Epstein told reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune).  With that deal now settled, Epstein said his team "can focus on some other things that we thought would happen closer to the deadline."
  • Epstein tells reporters (including MLB.com's Carrie Muskat) that the Yankees aren't the only team who have called about Soriano.
  • A "large gap" exists between the Cubs and Yankees about Soriano's value, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets.  The two teams are also far apart in determining how the $24.9MM remaining on Soriano's contract will be split up.
  • CBS Sports' Jon Heyman believes the Cubs will end up paying more than half of Soriano's remaining salary and that a Soriano-to-New York deal "simply makes too much sense" for either side to balk.
  • The Cubs have shown interest in Yankees third baseman David Adams in the past, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (Twitter link), though Sherman isn't sure if Adams' name has come up in the Soriano trade talks.
  • Jeff Samardzija tells Carrie Muskat that he hasn't thought much about a long-term extension with the Cubs.  "I haven't had too many talks with my agent outside of bill paying and insurance paying and taxes, which are always the most fun conversations. We'll see what happens in the offseason," Samardzija said.  The right-hander is controlled through the 2015 season and has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility.  The two sides discussed an extension in the offseason but not much progress was made.

AL East Notes: Anthopoulos, Sternberg, Rios, Orioles

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The Orioles paid a steep price to acquire Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers, ESPN's Keith Law opines, (Insider subscription required), given that Rodriguez will be a free agent this offseason.  The busy marketplace for relief pitching could be a boon to another AL East club if they decided to become sellers; "if a two-month rental of K-Rod gets a mid-level prospect, the Jays should shop Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar," Law tweets.

Here's the latest from around the AL East…

A-Rod Plans To Appeal Possible PED Suspension

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While Ryan Braun accepted a 65-game suspension from the league for his part in the Biogenesis scandal, Alex Rodriguez currently has no plans to make any such deals and will appeal any PED-related suspension the league may level against him, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports.

Rodriguez reportedly doesn't believe his case is comparable to Braun's, and Major League Baseball may agree in the sense that they're pursuing a lengthier suspension for the Yankee third baseman.  Nightengale hears from a source that the league is looking to suspend Rodriguez for at least 100 games due to his longer history with PEDs and his part in the Biogenesis case, including a possible charge that Rodriguez tried to destroy evidence.

A 100-game suspension could cost Rodriguez roughly $21MM in salary.  HIs return to the field in 2013 is in question due to both injuries and the possibility that the Yankees simply want nothing more to do with the controversial slugger.  The Yankees could also potentially recoup 80% of Rodriguez's remaining salary through insurance policies if he is physically unable to play.

Yankees, Cubs Have Talked Soriano

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6:39pm: Soriano tells reporters that the Cubs contacted his agent to tell him that the Yankees had interest, but since no deal is close, there has been no discussion of waiving his no-trade clause.  Soriano hasn't spoken directly to the Cubs front office and is "open to anything" trade-wise, though he wants to make sure he'll still be able to play every day on a potential new team (all links are to the Twitter feed of Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times).  The Yankees are the only team that has made contract with Soriano's agent, so they may be his only trade option (via Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune).

1:48pm: In an interview with Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on MLB Network Radio (audio link), Cubs GM Jed Hoyer called reports of a deal being near "very premature." Hoyer adds that there is "nothing close at all."

The Cubs have discussed Soriano with multiple teams, and Hoyer and Epstein plan to fly to Arizona to speak with the outfielder in order to gauge his interest in the teams that have inquired about him.

10:31am: A Cubs source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the two sides are indeed negotiating a Soriano trade, but a deal is not close at this time. The conversations to this point have been closer to preliminary, according to Sullivan, though he notes that both sides appear motivated to get something worked out.

8:11am: The Cubs scouted 24-year-old Triple-A right-hander Chase Whitley over the weekend, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Whitley has a 3.52 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 38 1/3 innings this season.

Sherman adds that right-handed relief is one area where the Yankees feel they're deep in young. In addition to Whitley, they have Preston Claiborne and Shawn Kelley at the Major League level and prospects Dellin Betances, Danny Burawa and Tommy Kahnle on the way.

7:47am: The Cubs likely consulted with Soriano before engaging in serious discussions with the Yankees, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal adds that Soriano recently told FOX Sports that he would accept the right deal to the right team. His article also has quotes of high praise from teammate David DeJesus and manager Dale Sveum about the 37-year-old Soriano's work ethic.

1:10am: The Yankees and Cubs are nearing a deal that would send Alfonso Soriano to the New York, according to George A. King III of the New York Post. Soriano is owed roughly $24.9MM over the remainder of his contract (roughly $6.9MM in 2013 and $18MM in 2014), and King reports that the Cubs would pick up the majority of the remaining tab in exchange for a mid-level prospect.

Soriano, 37, would be joining the team with which he broke into the Major Leagues back in 1999. The Dominican native played with the Bombers from 1999-2003 before being traded to the Rangers along with Joaquin Arias for Alex Rodriguez. In 378 plate appearances for the Cubs this season, Soriano is batting .256/.286/.471 with 17 home runs.

Soriano, of course, would have to waive the same no-trade clause that he enacted a year ago when the Cubs attempted to trade him to the Giants. Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have been exceptionally busy of late, with the Cubs trading Matt Garza to the Rangers earlier today. They also traded Scott Hairston to the Nationals and Scott Feldman to the Orioles earlier this month.

Minor Moves: Hernandez, Gonzalez, Moskos

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Here is Tuesday's rundown of minor moves from around the league…

Reactions To Ryan Braun’s Suspension

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Earlier today, Major League Baseball announced that Ryan Braun has accepted a suspension for the remainder of the season (65 games) in lieu of filing an appeal following his connection to the Biogenesis PED scandal. This comes on the heels of Braun adamantly denying his use of performance enhancing drugs for nearly two years. Braun's situation will be one of the hottest topics in baseball in the coming days, and the chatter has already started.

Here are some of the reactions from media members and other players…

  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets that Braun's teammates are glad that he was suspended and angry that they were lied to.
  • Passan also tweeted that Braun's suspension will serve as a baseline for Alex Rodriguez's coming suspension. One source Passan spoke to said that A-Rod's suspension will be significantly longer.
  • MLB could push for a 150-game suspension for Rodriguez, if it can prove multiple violations before and after interviews denying involvement with PEDs, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. He goes on to note that a 150-game suspension for a soon-to-be 38-year-old with two bad hips could put his career in jeopardy. As many as 15 more players could be facing suspensions in the coming weeks, Heyman adds.
  • Heyman's colleague Scott Miller writes that Braun's apology today was weak and didn't come close to addressing all of the parties who needed to be addressed. Miller writes that Braun needs to apologize first and foremost to Dino Laurenzi Jr., the collector who Braun called into question following his initial positive test following his 2011 MVP campaign.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney agrees that Braun's apologies have only just begun. He writes that the Brewers signed Braun to be the Cal Ripken of their franchise and instead watched him turn into the Lance Armstrong of Major League Baseball.
  • White Sox reliever Jesse Crain told Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago that he is happy to see Braun suspended for using performance enhancing drugs. Jake Peavy, a close friend of Braun, told Hayes that he was surprised by the news and finds it amazing that anyone could try to get away with using PEDs given the testing in today's game.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs writes that suspending Braun for the remainder of a season in which the Brewers are 19 games out of first place is akin to pinch-hitting for him in a blowout game. The loss of Braun won't affect the Brewers' season this year and could even lead to a better draft pick for them in 2014. Cameron wouldn't be surprised to see other non-contenders with Biogenesis-connected players push them to take their suspensions without an appeal.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Nationals, Angels, K-Rod

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Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs is on the Yankees' radar as a possible trade target, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. If any deal were to take place, though, it might not happen in July, since the $25MM remaining on Soriano's contract means he's sure to pass through waivers in August. Soriano has a full no-trade clause, but says he will consider a trade to a contending team. Wittenmyer writes that the Yankees view another Cubs outfielder, Nate Schierholtz, as more of a platoon type.

  • The Nationals shouldn't be buyers at the trade deadline, the Washington Post's Thomas Boswell writes. The Nats are now 48-50, and are now seven games back of the Braves in the NL East, as well as seven games back of the Reds for the second Wild Card. Boswell points out that their chance of making the playoffs is less than 20 percent, and for a team in that position, the value of a rental player like Matt Garza or Ervin Santana is questionable. Boswell argues that even if the Nats acquire a player who is also under contract for 2014, like Jake Peavy or Yovani Gallardo, they need to do so mostly because those players can help next year, not because they can help down the stretch this season.
  • The Angels are now ten games back of the Athletics in the AL West, and it looks like they should sell at the trade deadline, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi tweets. (Note that Morosi isn't predicting the Angels will sell, only saying that they should.) If the Angels were to sell, Erick Aybar and Scott Downs are two players they could trade, Morosi writes. Aybar is in the first year of a four-year, $35MM deal, and he's hitting .287/.305/.388 as the Angels' starting shortstop. Downs, who is in the last year of a three-year, $15MM contract, has a 1.32 ERA, albeit with a more pedestrian 6.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
  • The Dodgers have heavily scouted Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez recently, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports. Milwaukee also has two other veteran relievers in Mike Gonzalez and John Axford, and Knobler notes that the Tigers and Red Sox have also been scouting the Brewers. Still, the Brewers might opt not to trade any of their relievers before the deadline.
  • The Yankees have signed left-handed pitcher Artur Strzalka, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues notes (via Baseball America's Matt Eddy). Strzalka is the first born-and-raised Polish player ever to sign with a Major League team. As Axisa notes, one likely purpose of this signing is to help the Yankees establish themselves as bidders for talent in a new part of the world.
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