A’s Rumors: Rollins, Hanley, Drew, Escobar
The A's were nine games below .500 in mid-June, but they're now 51-44 following an impressive six-week stretch that's positioned them as contenders for a playoff berth. Here are the latest A’s-related notes and rumors…
- Rollins is not currently an option for the A's, Slusser reports. Slusser hears from two people who aren't convinced Rollins would approve a deal to Oakland (Twitter links).
- The A’s pursued Hanley Ramirez aggressively before the Marlins sent him to Los Angeles, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle confirms that the A’s were “very much in on” Ramirez (Twitter link). The Marlins recently offered Oakland a “sweet deal” that would have sent Ramirez to the A's for a couple of minor leaguers and enough cash to cover half of Ramirez’s contract, Knobler writes. But the A’s held off on the deal, and the Dodgers agreed to take on all of Ramirez’s salary.
- The A’s are still looking to add, Knobler reports. They have been scouting Stephen Drew, have had interest in Yunel Escobar, and have considered the possibility of bringing Oakland native Jimmy Rollins back to the Bay Area.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Hanley, Orioles
Alex Rodriguez broke his hand last night, when he was hit by a pitch from Felix Hernandez in Seattle. The injury is expected to sideline Rodriguez for six to eight weeks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Not surprisingly, the news will affect the Yankees' summer shopping list. Here are the latest notes from the AL East…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he’ll engage the market for a third baseman, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The Yankees will consider all third base options, including Chase Headley of the Padres, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). It seems unlikely that the Yankees would meet the Padres' asking price for Headley, Heyman writes (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox asked the Marlins about Hanley Ramirez before last night’s trade, but Boston’s interest was in acquiring the infielder and flipping him to a third team, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. It sounds as though the Red Sox were going to flip Ramirez to either the A’s or the Dodgers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).
- The Orioles announced that they signed 25-year-old Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia to a minor league contract. The Orioles will assign the 6’5”, 195-pound switch-hitter to Double-A Bowie. Urrutia did not play in 2011 following an unsuccessful attempt at defection, according to the Orioles. He established residency in Haiti after successfully defecting from Cuba.
Multiple Teams Interested In Hanley Ramirez
6:47pm: With Ramirez owed roughly $38.5MM for the remainder of his contract, rival executives say the Marlins would have to pick up a substantial portion of that money in any deal, reports Buster Olney of ESPN.com. As well, some teams think Ramirez is not a third baseman, though they might try him again at shortstop (Twitter links).
3:59pm: Though the Marlins are waiting for the Dodgers to show interest in Ramirez, no significant talks have taken place between the teams yet, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
2:15pm: The Athletics, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Orioles are among the teams with interest in Hanley Ramirez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Interest levels in Ramirez vary and nothing is close, Rosenthal reports. The Red Sox are also interested, according to USA Today. However, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com hears Boston isn't in on Ramirez (Twitter link).
An American League official told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Marlins' asking price for Hanley Ramirez is "not ridiculous." Miami wants quality young pieces in return for Ramirez, who earns $15MM in 2012, $15.5MM in 2013 and $16MM in 2014. The infielder does not have no-trade protection.
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests the A's, Dodgers, Red Sox, Giants, Pirates, Blue Jays and Orioles are potential fits for Ramirez. Earlier today, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs suggested Toronto could be a fit because Rogers Centre is a haven for right-handed power hitters. Though I have no doubt the Blue Jays checked in on Ramirez, they routinely inquire in available players, so this isn't necessarily an indication of serious interest.
Hanley, Lee, Nolasco, Choate Drawing Interest
The Marlins traded Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez to Detroit yesterday in what could be the first in a series of trades. Marlins officials have told other teams they are “open for business,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Lee, Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco and Randy Choate are already drawing trade interest.
The Marlins intend to complete trades that make sense from an on-field perspective, Rosenthal reports. Miami, which now has a 45-51 record, isn’t looking to dump salaries. The Marlins will absolutely try hard to move Heath Bell, but they’re not optimistic about the chances of completing a trade involving their newly-signed closer, Rosenthal reports. Bell is in the first year of a three-year, $27MM contract signed last offseason.
The Athletics have jumped into trade talks for Ramirez, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays and Red Sox are also involved, according to Nightengale. The Marlins are open to moving Ramirez, but they’re likely to keep Johnson, who’s coveted by other teams.
Quick Hits: Lewis, Maholm, Headley, Longoria, Lynn
On this date three years ago left-hander Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game against the Rays with an impressive effort punctuated by the most memorable catch of Dewayne Wise's career. Here are today's links…
- Colby Lewis is expected to miss the rest of the season for the Rangers with a torn flexor tendon in his right arm, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. It seems logical that this will accelerate the Rangers' desire to add a starting pitcher. They've been linked to names such as Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels, and have very enticing trade chips thanks to their deep minor league system.
- Cubs lefty Paul Maholm told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that it'd be "ironic" for the Pirates to want him back at the deadline after letting him walk as a free agent (Sulia link). Maholm's next two starts are scheduled to come against his former teammates.
- The Padres’ asking price for Chase Headley remains high, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Pirates have discussed the third baseman with the Padres, according to Olney. The A's are interested, but remain reluctant to part with top prospects, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- Evan Longoria’s reign as the most valuable trade chip in baseball has ended, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs writes. Longoria still figures prominently on Cameron’s list of baseball's top assets, as expected.
- Agent Bobby Barad has joined Excel Sports Management, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal reports. Barad, formerly of TWC Sports Management, represents players such as Lance Lynn and Jerry Blevins. Check MLBTR’s Agency Database for updated data on which agents represent which players.
Minor Moves: Hurley, Russell, Hughes, Broderick
Here are the day's minor moves…
- Right-hander Eric Hurley has elected free agency according to the MLB.com's transactions page. The Angels called him up earlier this month but he did not appear in a game. The 26-year-old Hurley signed a minor league deal with the Halos this offseason and pitched to a 5.81 ERA in 18 starts for their Triple-A affiliate this summer.
- The Braves have released Adam Russell according to the International League transactions page. Atlanta signed the 29-year-old righty to a minor league pact this winter but he posted a 7.28 ERA in 38 1/3 innings for their Triple-A affiliate. Russell owns a 3.95 ERA in 86 2/3 big league innings with the White Sox, Padres, and Rays.
- The Athletics have released Luke Hughes according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Oakland designated the infielder for assignment back in April. Hughes, 27, had one single in 13 plate appearances for the A's this year while hitting .223/.316/.338 in 152 minor league plate appearances.
- The Cardinals have released Brian Broderick according to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Sulia). The 25-year-old right-hander posted a 7.32 ERA in 78 2/3 innings for the team's Triple-A affiliate. Broderick appeared in eleven games for the Nationals last year as a Rule 5 Draft pick.
Rosenthal On Victorino, Lee, Padres, Ramirez
Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Indians and Pirates have been linked to most of the big available bats but Cleveland is placing a greater priority on finding a starting pitcher. Johnny Damon has been hitting well this summer and the Tribe doesn't think that they'll be able to top his output via trade. As for the Pirates, they're first in the majors in runs since June 1st and but would like to bolster their OBP. Shane Victorino would make sense for them down the stretch, Rosenthal opines.
- The Dodgers are the one team that could swallow Cliff Lee's contract in a trade, but it's hard to see what the Phillies could gain from such a deal when looking at Los Angeles' thin farm system. Lee could be a strong candidate to be moved as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks to build for the future and the hurler can only say no to eight clubs without his permission.
- The Padres are talking about keeping Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, and Edinson Volquez as they're optimistic about their chances next season. Their play of late has been encouraging and they believe that they can be serious players next season when their pitching is healthy again. The one guy who is still likely to go is Chase Headley as he can be replaced with Jedd Gyorko and the offers for him should be strong.
- The Marlins demonstrated their willingness to trade Hanley Ramirez in their talks with the Red Sox and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them step up their efforts before the deadline. The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, A's, Mariners, and Pirates could all use a shortstop or third baseman, but it's not clear if they'd be willing to take on his hefty contract.
West Notes: A’s, Haren, Santana, Upton
A look at the latest out of the AL and NL West..
- With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, A's manager Bob Melvin says that he is comfortable with what the team has at shortstop, tweets Jane Lee of MLB.com. Earlier this week, it was reported that General Manager Billy Beane would like to upgrade at the position. Even though Oakland has yet to engage other clubs in talks, Yunel Escobar and Stephen Drew were mentioned as possible targets.
- The Angels would like to get a read on starters Dan Haren and Ervin Santana before they consider dealing them, but GM Jerry Dipoto says that he won't let one or two starts dictate their fate, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles. Dipoto added that the current trade market has the least "definition" of any that he has seen.
- While constant trade rumors can be a source of distraction for some, Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson says that outfielder Justin Upton hasn't been fazed by it, writes Tyler Emerick of MLB.com.
- In this week's mailbag, Casey Pratt of CSNBayArea.com writes that trading Coco Crisp could give the A's more flexibility in the outfield.
Quick Hits: Astros, Mets, Athletics, Straily
Ryan Dempster, Francisco Liriano and Shane Victorino are among the most likely players to be traded within the next 11 days, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. Those players are a step behind the Astros and Blue Jays, who announced a major trade this morning. Here are today’s links…
- There are “no game-changers” in the ten-player trade completed this morning, a rival evaluator told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).
- The Mets don't have interest in Brett Myers and didn't have interest in Brandon Lyon before the Blue Jays acquired him from Houston, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
- The Athletics agreed to sign 16-year-old Dominican Jhonny Rodriguez, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). It's a $300K deal, the Dominican Prospect League announced.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests we shouldn't be surprised if the Athletics work to add right-hander Daniel Straily to their rotation at some point soon. The 23-year-old has a 2.64 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 126 1/3 innings in the upper minors this year.
- Brett Lawrie, Justin Verlander and Buster Posey barely missed the cut for inclusion on Dave Cameron's list of the ten MLB players with the most trade value. Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp rank sixth and seventh, respectively, on Cameron's list at FanGraphs.
Starting Pitching Rumors: Nationals, Greinke, Tigers
The Nationals, Braves, Tigers and Dodgers are in on Ryan Dempster, who could be traded sooner, rather than later. But what about the rest of the starting pitcher market? Here’s the latest:
- The Nationals don't intend to trade top prospects for a starting pitcher, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
- The Tigers intend to trade for a difference-making starting pitcher, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The Rays appear to be telling teams James Shields isn't available yet, Knobler adds.
- It’s possible that Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke will both remain with their current teams at the trade deadline, and if they stay put demand will increase for the next tier of available starters, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. The trade value of pitchers such as Shields and Matt Garza would increase and teams undecided about their midseason plans — the Marlins and Rays, for example — could decide to take advantage of the market and sell.
- One rival executive said he’s “very” concerned about Greinke given his recent poor performances and potential fatigue issues. Another executive told Rosenthal that Greinke is a scary potential trade target.
- The Orioles are among the teams that have shown interest in Bartolo Colon, Rosenthal reports.
- The Tigers are still interested in acquiring a starting pitcher, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). However, they aren’t serious players in the market for Greinke.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney explained that players can improve their trade value by performing well in the days and weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Paul Maholm of the Cubs is one example, and clubs have already shown an interest in him. – Mike Axisa