Lance Berkman Rumors: Friday
Yesterday we heard Lance Berkman could be the next big-name Astro to go, especially with Brett Wallace now in the fold. The latest:
- The Yankees are telling teams they can take on salary, but don’t want to hand over prospects, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. They’re now taking a long, hard look at Berkman.
- Berkman would accept a deal to the Yankees, according to Sherman (via Twitter). Earlier today we heard that Berkman would like to play with former teammate Andy Pettitte.
- The Yankees are seriously considering Berkman, tweets Sherman. Berkman is one of many bats the Yankees are considering, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- ESPN's Jayson Stark notes that Berkman could be traded in August given his large salary. He says the White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays have checked in.
- Berkman could be in play for the Yankees under the right circumstances, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal feels Berkman would probably waive his no-trade rights for a chance to reunite with old friend Andy Pettitte. A word of caution: an exec who talked to Joel Sherman of the New York Post wondered how Berkman would fare in the American League.
- Are the White Sox in on Berkman, perhaps as a backup plan for Adam Dunn? Ed Price of AOL FanHouse tweets yes, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets no.
Sherman On Oswalt, Harden, Yankees, Padres
The latest from Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
- Executives from other teams had no idea the Astros were willing to take on $11MM of Roy Oswalt's remaining $23.5MM.
- The Mets have discussed Rich Harden internally. He's a potential August trade candidate.
- The Yankees have talked to the Rockies in search of a complementary bat, but discussions didn't go anywhere.
- Officials from multiple teams are upset that the Rangers continue adding salary.
- The Padres remain in pursuit of a lefty-hitting outfielder. Sherman wonders if Kosuke Fukudome or Rick Ankiel could be fits.
Twitter Rumors: Lowell, Ross, Dotel, Heilman
A home for today's random Twitter rumors…
- The Red Sox might not activate Mike Lowell today because they're trying to trade him, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Marlins are getting tons of calls on Cody Ross but aren't inclined to move him, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Marlins are wavering on their stance not to deal Ross, and the Braves are making a push.
- The Sox made a run at the Cubs' Sean Marshall and were shot down, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. Marshall is having a dominant year out of the Cubs' pen.
- Though the Giants have inquired on Orioles lefty Will Ohman, a deal is unlikely according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Action has been light on Octavio Dotel so far, tweets Morosi.
- The Diamondbacks aren't sure about trading Aaron Heilman, reports Ken Rosenthal, but could move Chad Qualls and Adam LaRoche. SI's Jon Heyman says the D'Backs have gotten nibbles on Qualls but nothing is close yet.
- The Indians are getting "significant hits" on Jake Westbrook, says ESPN's Buster Olney. The Cardinals and Yankees have checked in, reports Stark.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Berkman, Dunn, Dodgers
On this date two years ago, Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 3,000th career hit with a first inning single against the Rangers. The hit was his 1,722nd in the big leagues, which came after he racked up 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan's Pacific League. Including the postseason, the 36-year-old Ichiro has 3,456 career base hits to his credit, a staggering number no matter how you look at it.
Here is the latest from around the baseball blogosphere, a day before the non-waiver trade deadline…
- Phoul Ballz spoke to Lakewood Blue Claws manager Mark Parent about Jonathan Villar's inclusion in the Roy Oswalt deal. Parent managed Villar this season.
- Pale Hose Pariah looks at the trade value of Lance Berkman and Brad Hawpe.
- River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yankees swing a trade for Berkman to be the team's designated hitter.
- 1 Blue Jays Way breaks down to the Anthony Gose–Brett Wallace swap.
- The Process Report tackles the Adam Dunn to the Rays rumor.
- Meanwhile, SD Sports Net wants to see the Padres trade for Dunn.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness explains why the Dodgers shouldn't add a starter before the deadline.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. calculates Paul Maholm's trade value.
- Scouting The Sally compares the trade value of top prospects Jesus Montero and Wilmer Flores.
- Blogging From The Bleachers breaks down the various Cliff Lee hauls.
- Bleacher GM steps into Dave Dombrowski's shoes for a little while.
- More Hardball looks back at some terrible trades from the 1990's.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Adam Dunn Rumors: Thursday
The latest on Adam Dunn, with more updates to come throughout the day…
- The Nats are believed to have requested either Gordon Beckham or both Daniel Hudson and Dayan Viciedo in exchange for Dunn, tweets Heyman. That price was too high for the Sox, who told Beckham he wouldn't be on the move this week.
- The price for Dunn is high, but not ridiculous, according to Heyman (via Twitter). The White Sox and Rays are still involved.
- The Giants have minimal interest in Dunn at his current price, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Morosi notes that the Tigers are not pursuing Dunn.
- The White Sox and Tigers have plenty of interest in Dunn, according to Heyman (on Twitter).
- Three-way scenarios involving the Nationals, White Sox, Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson are in play, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). Rosenthal reported that such talks were underway earlier in the week.
- The Rays are the favorites to acquire Dunn, according to one executive who spoke to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Giants are the only other team Sherman hears in connection to Dunn (Twitter links).
- The Tigers are not pursuing Dunn, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- The White Sox are saying internally that they're out of the Dunn sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the Yankees are now out on Dunn. Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains that the Yankees would give up top prospects for a piece they need, but not for a luxury like Dunn. The Yanks lead the majors in scoring, so Dunn's bat is not an absolute necessity for the Bronx Bombers.
Rosenthal On Dunn, Carmona, White Sox
Tweets from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, with the latest up top…
- The Yankees are out on Adam Dunn for now. Joel Sherman of the New York Post cites several reasons the Yanks cooled on him.
- Rosenthal's source puts the Indians' chances of trading Fausto Carmona at one in a million. Though the Indians are listening, they don't expect to receive a suitable offer. Carmona, whose ERA jumped from 3.51 to 3.92 after yesterday's disaster, can be controlled through 2014 given his rare three-option contract.
- Despite Jorge Posada's sore knee, the Yankees are unlikely to pursue a catcher.
- The White Sox are exploring hitters other than Dunn, and not all left-handed bats. With an open DH spot, the Sox have flexibility to take almost any bat. Rosenthal says they also seek a mid-rotation starter.
Odds & Ends: Joba, Orioles, White Sox, Mets
Big names have traditionally been traded on July 29th, including Cliff Lee and Mark Teixeira in recent years. Perhaps today we'll add Roy Oswalt to the list. Links for Thursday with about 51 hours until the deadline…
- The Tigers have designated Jeff Larish for assignment, according to the team.
- I discussed the Mets and Yankees with SNY's Ted Berg earlier today.
- The Yankees were open to building a Dan Haren deal around Joba Chamberlain, Ivan Nova, and two prospects, reports Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse.
- The Orioles may be concerned about making their team even worse by trading veterans, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press analyzes Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos based on his major trades so far.
- The White Sox and Mets were on hand to watch the Blue Jays beat the Orioles last night, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Trade bait on the field for Toronto: Jose Bautista, Lyle Overbay, John Buck, Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg.
- The Mets think they can trade Jeff Francoeur in August after he clears waivers, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The problem with that, in my opinion: he doesn't offer much for a contender, and other teams may not care to acquire a guy who's certain to hit the free agent market as a non-tender.
- The Rays' two biggest trade targets were Jayson Werth and David DeJesus, who are now off the board. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder don't hold the same appeal to Andrew Friedman and company.
- Pirates reliever D.J. Carrasco would welcome a trade to a contender, based on comments made to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Carrasco's cheap and under team control through 2012, though keep in mind the White Sox non-tendered him in December coming off a similarly decent year.
- The Braves acquired second baseman Michael Noboa from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash, MLBTR has learned.
Phillies, Padres Eyeing Tejada, Bloomquist
The Padres' chief infield target is Miguel Tejada, reports CBS' Scott Miller. They're facing competition from the Phillies, who are also said to be after the Orioles infielder. Last we heard, the Cardinals inquired but didn't get anywhere.
The Padres and Phillies share another target in the Royals' Willie Bloomquist, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Crasnick says the Angels and Yankees have also kicked the tires on the 32-year-old utility man. Bloomquist is still owed $619K plus performance bonuses.
Quiet Deadline Possible?
One "very-plugged-in GM" told the New York Post's Joel Sherman yesterday that this could be a very quiet trade deadline, with big names like Jayson Werth, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, Adam Dunn, and Roy Oswalt possibly staying put. Oswalt, of course, appears headed to Philadelphia if he'll approve the trade. Sherman notes that prospects are being overvalued, money is tight, certain teams are reassessing their playoff chances, and many players will still be available in August.
Despite such talk the days leading up to the trade deadline are always exciting in terms of rumored discussions. We hope you'll keep reading MLBTR religiously – we've extended our coverage until 3am central time the next two nights, all leading up to the first Saturday deadline day in the site's history. Back to Sherman's article…
- Dunn is viewed as the most likely to be moved from the aforementioned group. The White Sox and Giants are pushing harder than the Yankees.
- The Rays, Twins, and Phillies are the most motivated buyers. The Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Blue Jays are the most motivated sellers.
- The Red Sox appear likely to make only a minor move. WEEI's Alex Speier says the Sox are focused on relief help, perhaps hoping to buy low on someone with good stuff. They're also monitoring the catcher and outfield markets.
Adam Dunn Rumors: Wednesday
The Angels, Tigers, Rangers, Giants, Rays and Rockies were all connected to Adam Dunn in yesterday's round of rumors, but the White Sox may be the best fit of all. Dunn's left-handed bat would fit well into Ozzie Guillen's lineup, but the Nats are asking for Daniel Hudson plus a prospect. Washington could still extend Dunn, who says he'd consider three or four-year deals. Here's the latest on the slugger; we'll add more bullets throughout the evening.
- The Yankees are interested in Dunn, but the Yanks and Nationals haven't had serious talks yet, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
- Dunn is a "bit of a longshot" for the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
- Lots of baseball people expect the Nationals to trade Dunn, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). The White Sox and Giants appear to be stronger players for Dunn than the Yankees, according to Sherman (Twitter link).
- The Rays remain "in the mix" for Dunn, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).