Quick Hits: Lee, A’s, Rays, Yankees
In reality, the Red Sox were a "non factor" for Cliff Lee before they landed Jake Peavy, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Will he get moved today to another club? Baseball people are highly doubtful anyone would meet the supposed Phillies' asking price of three top prospects for a pitcher who has $70MM left on his deal through 2015. "I don't know of a team in baseball that would [do] that. Taking on that much money and giving up three legit prospects seems like a stretch for anyone," one exec said. Here's more from around baseball as we approach the 3pm central deadline..
- The A's are still pursuing bullpen depth, tweets Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN.
- Teams that have spoken with the Phillies say they're not upbeat about making any deals today, tweets ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Michael Young is still in play, but there's no clear destination for the third baseman.
- The Cardinals are leaning towards standing pat at the deadline unless there is a last minute drastic change, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the Rays have been looking into at least one more potential deal, presumably to add a bat. Tampa Bay made a splash earlier this week when they landed Jesse Crain in a swap with the White Sox.
- The Yankees were mainly working on smaller acquisitions like Alberto Callaspo this week and didn't have any interest in Alex Rios once they landed Alfonso Soriano, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Callaspo wound up going from the Halos to the A's.
- The Marlins don't expect to do much today and plan to keep Chad Qualls, Justin Ruggiano, and other trade chips if they can't get good value in return, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Meanwhile, the Marlins are gauging interest in Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- The Royals' search for a second baseman continues, but they don't appear to be close on anything at the moment, writes Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. “Anything’s possible,” one club official said. “We looking at a lot of things, but I doubt anything get done unless things change in the last few hours.”
- The Indians got the left-handed reliever they needed yesterday in Marc Rzepczynski and would still be open to a rotation upgrade, but they don't like the price so far, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). For now, the Tribe is prepared to stand pat.
- There are a lot of present and veteran Braves who think the club is making a serious mistake by allowing Brian McCann hit the open market at the end of the season, writes Peter Gammons at GammonsDaily.com. "Only the people around the team understand what he means to that pitching staff. He’s a star player in the team concept,” said David Ross of McCann, who also leads the team with a .884 OPS.
- Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com spoke with Nationals players to get their take on the trade deadline. Scott Hairston and Adam LaRoche have both been involved in multiple deadline deals.
MLB Preparing 50-Game Suspensions In Biogenesis Case
12:33am: Cruz has not decided whether he will serve his suspension or appeal it, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
7:17pm: Major League Baseball is preparing 50-game suspensions for Biogenesis-linked players who have not been disciplined in the past, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Players such as Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, Everth Cabrera, Jesus Montero and Francisco Cervelli are among those facing these 50-game suspensions, as are minor leaguers Fernando Martinez, Cesar Puello and Fautino de los Santos. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports writes that the vast majority of players connected to these 50-game suspensions — including playoff contenders Cruz and Peralta — are believed to be willing to accept the punishment rather than file appeals. Doing so will allow suspended players to play toward the end of September and into the playoffs, though their teams would be at a significant disadvantage down the stretch
Passan also tweets that MLB has threatened to double the penalty for players who do not cooperate with the suspensions, making cooperation a much more appealing option. Additionally, he adds that players who lied during the investigation could receive an additional 15 games on their suspensions, similar to Ryan Braun's case (Twitter link).
Bartolo Colon, Melky Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal are not likely to receive additional suspensions, having already served 50-game bans, according to Heyman. Both Heyman and Passan agree that Alex Rodriguez remains firm in his refusal to cooperate with a deal, as was reported earlier today. MLB would like Rodriguez to serve a suspension through the 2014 season but could pursue a lifetime ban if he does not cooperate.
The Latest On Alex Rios
9:05pm: The White Sox announced that Rios has a contusion on his left foot and will receive cautionary x-rays, but the injury doesn't sound to be serious.
8:19pm: Rios left tonight's game after fouling a ball off his foot. He received medical attention and was able to walk off the field slowly under his own power.
6:16pm: ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees aren't interested in Rios having already acquired Alfonso Soriano with Curtis Granderson on the mend.
6:11pm: The Pirates' interest in Rios is losing steam, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
3:27pm: The Yankees have renewed interest in Rios, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin, though he'd have to approve a trade. On Friday, Rios bristled at the suggestion he'd rejected potential a deal to the Yanks.
1:54pm: A deal with the Pirates is not close at this time, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review hears the same.
12:25pm: It sounds like the White Sox and Pirates are getting close on a deal for right fielder Alex Rios, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com. He notes that the cash is being worked on, and he's not sure if the two clubs can find middle ground. Rios will be owed over $18MM through 2014 if traded. If the White Sox cover a substantial part of that, Rios could be coming to the Pirates, tweets MLB.com's Tom Singer.
Yankees, Angels Have Discussed Alberto Callaspo
6:09pm: The Yankees have indeed called about Callaspo, but they think of him merely as one option at third base, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who adds that the Yankees don't currently have Callaspo on the front burner.
5:47pm: The Yankees have contacted the Angels about third baseman Alberto Callaspo, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Knobler's colleague, Jon Heyman, tweeted earlier today that Callaspo figures to be available as well. Knobler adds that the Angels "have made nearly everyone available" in trades.
Knobler reports that multiple teams have expressed interest in Callaspo, who is hitting .253/.323/.348 with five homers. The switch-hitting 30-year-old is earning $4.1MM in 2013 and is guaranteed a $4.875MM salary in 2014, after which he will be eligible for free agency for the first time.
Yankees third basemen are hitting just .215/.275/.285 this season, and while the Yankees will theoretically have Alex Rodriguez rejoining the team soon, the looming Biogenesis suspensions could take him out of action for the 2013 season and possibly 2014 as well.
Young Would Consider Trade To Red Sox
The latest on Phillies third baseman Michael Young, who is in tonight's lineup against the Giants…
- Young has told the Phillies that he will consider trades to other clubs if he isn't dealt to Texas, and the Red Sox are his second choice, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). Stark adds that if a trade with Boston doesn't work, the Yankees would be a last-minute possibility.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Young isn't flat-out rejecting trades to other markets, he's simply trying to steer trade discussions to his preferred destinations one-by-one.
- Young told reporters, including MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, that no trade is imminent and he's not certain if he will be a Phillie in 24 hours (Twitter links).
Earlier Updates
- Asche's call-up does "not necessarily" mean Young will be traded, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said on MLB Network today. Amaro described the chance of Young changing teams by the deadline as "pretty remote."
- There are executives who believe Young would approve a trade to the Red Sox if a deal is made, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Young will only approve a trade back to the Rangers, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In contrast, Scott Miller of CBS Sports says Red Sox people believe Young would approve a trade there. The Phillies checked in with Young over the weekend about the Rangers and Red Sox. You have to wonder if the Asche promotion is designed to force Young into accepting a deal, asMatt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the rookie is up to stay and Young would likely be pushed into a bench role.
- If Young is being traded, Yankees people say it's not to them, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- The Phillies plan on calling up third baseman Cody Asche, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan. That points to Young being traded today, he adds. Asche, 23, is hitting .295/.352/.485 in 446 Triple-A plate appearances. Asche "should hit enough to have a regular big league role," wrote Baseball America before the season.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Yankees, Reds Inquired On Hunter Pence
TUESDAY, 10:26am: The Yankees also checked in on Pence, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but as with the Reds, there doesn't appear to be a match. Heyman says the Pirates and Rangers are also among the interested teams.
MONDAY, 3:32pm: The Reds inquired on Giants right fielder Hunter Pence, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but it doesn't look like a match so far. It seems an odd fit for the Reds, who have Jay Bruce and Shin-Soo Choo entrenched in their outfield and Ryan Ludwick on a rehab assignment following April shoulder surgery.
Pence, 30, is hitting .277/.320/.457 in 440 plate appearances this year and is hitting .259/.300/.401 since June 1st. He has around $4.6MM remaining on his contract. The Giants reportedly plan to make a qualifying offer after the season, setting the bar for a potential trade this month.
Latest On Alex Rodriguez
In regard to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, commissioner Bud Selig is prepared to bypass the grievance procedure in the collectively-bargained joint drug agreement, disciplining A-Rod under the "integrity of the game" clause Article XI, Section A1b, according to Teri Thompson, Bill Madden, Nathaniel Vinton, and Michael O'Keefe of the New York Daily News. Under that scenario, only Selig himself would hear an appeal.
FanGraphs' Wendy Thurm wrote about this possibility several weeks ago, calling it Selig's "nuclear option." Selig's decision would be final, and could not be further appealed to an arbitrator or court.
MLB will reportedly announce the Biogenesis suspensions this week. It's also been reported that if Rodriguez, approaching his season debut after hip surgery and a quad injury, does not accept a suspension running through 2014, MLB may attempt to ban him for life.
AL East Notes: Lyon, Hughes, Yankees, Red Sox
As Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes, it's been 10 years since the strangest week of Brandon Lyon's life. In 2003, the then-23-year-old Lyon was dealt by the Red Sox to the Pirates as part of a pacakage for lefty Scott Sauerbeck. The Pirates decided they weren't comfortable with the state of Lyon's elbow and sent him back to the Red Sox in a trade centering around Freddy Sanchez and Jeff Suppan just nine days later. Now with the Red Sox once again, Lyon tells Britton that he hopes to be with the big league club in the near future. Here's more on the AL East…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that as of Sunday, the Yankees had yet to receive a single trade offer for struggling right-hander Phil Hughes. That's fairly surprising, given Hughes' solid production away from Yankee Stadium (3.02 ERA in 53 2/3 innings compared to 6.02 in 58 1/3 innings at home).
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman feels that there may be more offense on its way to New York via the trade market before Wednesday's deadline, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- The Red Sox are no longer in the mix for Joe Nathan, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, but they're still prioritizing right-handed relief help. The Red Sox remain in contact with the Phillies about Michael Young but find the asking price for Cliff Lee too high, according to Bradford. The same goes for Jake Peavy of the White Sox.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com takes a look at how the Red Sox stack up in terms of starting pitching, right-handed relief and third base options.
Biogenesis Announcement Not Expected Today
Yesterday, Joel Sherman and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reported "the strong indications are Major League Baseball will announce all the suspensions in the Biogenesis case this week." No announcement from MLB is expected today, tweets Steven Marcus of Newsday. Wednesday's trade deadline is "no factor when it comes to the timing of announcements related to the case," hears Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. We could be in for a wild week. The latest on Biogenesis:
- MLB is willing to offer Rodriguez a suspension of the rest of this year and all of 2014, report Bill Madden, Teri Thompson, and Michael O'Keefe of the New York Daily News, and if he declines, MLB is expected to attempt to ban him for life. Over at River Ave. Blues, Mike Axisa runs through different scenarios involving A-Rod.
- The Yankees have continued to search for third base help, but Heyman says that isn't necessarily tied to the possibility A-Rod gets suspended. Though first-time offenders are permitted to play during an appeals process, baseball might challenge that practice in the case of Rodriguez, writes Rosenthal.
- The Tigers have shown no indication they are looking for a shortstop replacement, writes Heyman. "I would think Detroit would want a shortstop, but we'll see," an NL GM told Heyman. Neither Peralta nor Nelson Cruz has indicated to his team a plan in case of a suspension, writes Yahoo's Jeff Passan. It's possible those two will be faced with choosing their current team (appealing a suspension into next year) or choosing to preserve their free agent value (serving a 50-game suspension now). I imagine taking what might be perceived as the selfish route, serving the suspension now, could hurt free agent stock in its own right.
Nelson Cruz
- As you might expect, the Rangers prefer a prolonged appeals process for Cruz, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale wonders, "If Cruz goes down without a fight and accepts his penalty, why would they want a guy back who quit on the organization?" That question would apply to Cruz potentially returning for the playoffs, as well as signing a new deal with the Rangers in the offseason. Cruz might have to settle for a less lucrative two-year free agent deal similar to that of Melky Cabrera, one GM estimated to Heyman.
- Since Colon already completed a 50-game suspension for PED use, A's people are expressing confidence he won't get another suspension, writes Heyman, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also hears the same. The team's pursuit of Jake Peavy is unrelated.
General
- "If drug dealers can use the currency of player evidence as a means to gain immunity and even more money, then our system of policing and protecting baseball has incentivized the people and the very behavior that was the genesis of the problem," agent Scott Boras tells Rosenthal. Baseball cut a deal with Biogenesis owner Anthony Bosch that provides many protections.
- In dealing with Jason Giambi, the Yankees concluded they cannot void a contract based on PED use, writes ESPN's Buster Olney. Some lawyers, however, wonder if a team could file a lawsuit against a player alleging damage to their brand.
MLB May Announce All Biogenesis Suspensions This Week
There are strong indications that MLB will announce all the suspensions in the Biogenesis case this week, according to Joel Sherman and Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. It is believed MLB wants to make the suspensions formal this week so that first-time offenders can serve a 50 game suspension inside of the 2013 season. That, in theory, would give players incentive not to appeal the decision and enter 2014 with a clean slate.
In the case of Alex Rodriguez, he could be hit with a suspension that will sideline him for the rest of this season and all of 2014. Rodriguez’s representatives met with MLB officials in the past few days in what was likely an effort to better gauge the potential penalties coming his way.
His suspension will be substantial as MLB believes the combination of being a user and obstructing the case demands a much stiffer penalty than what was given to Ryan Braun. It is even possible that Bud Selig could ask for permanent banishment, though it would be hard to convince an arbitrator, if Rodriguez appeals, that his first suspension should be for life.