Athletics Rumors

A’s Not Close To Moving Ben Sheets

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 3:58pm CDT

The A’s are not in a hurry to trade Ben Sheets, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The club would listen to offers, but the A’s like having Sheets around and aren’t under pressure to shed payroll. The right-hander provides innings and leadership, so the A’s are content to keep him.

ESPN.com’s Buster Olney hears that the A’s aren’t involved in trade talks involving Sheets or others at the moment (Twitter link). Olney reports that rival teams are not convinced that Sheets can be a difference-maker.

Earlier today, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported that the A’s would absorb salary in a trade for Sheets and were ready to deal the righthander. Just yesterday it appeared that interest in Sheets was picking up and the Phillies appeared to be a suitor. That momentum seems to have disappeared, but we can safely say that Sheets could be had and teams do have some interest.

Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers Interested In Breslow

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 3:41pm CDT

The Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers are interested in A's reliever Craig Breslow, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (Twitter link). The lefty, 30 in August, has a 3.02 ERA in 44.2 innings so far in 2010. He has typically been effective against lefties and righties, but this year, righties are having a harder time against him, oddly enough. Breslow has posted 9.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 this season so it's no surprise that teams are interested.

Breslow's salary ($425K) and controllability (he isn't scheduled to hit free agency until after 2013) contribute to his appeal. The lefty's Yale degree doesn't add to his trade value, but it distinguishes him from most ballplayers this side of Doug Glanville and Ross Ohlendorf. Breslow majored in molecular biophysics and biochemistry before the Brewers took him in the 26th round of the 2002 draft.

Odds & Ends: Washburn, A’s, Myers, Mattingly

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 2:54pm CDT

Links for Thursday, after somebody finally beat the Cardinals…

Agent Scott Boras told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Jarrod Washburn has not yet decided whether to pitch in 2010.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that rival teams expect the Royals to trade Kyle Farnsworth and the Pirates to trade Octavio Dotel (Twitter links).
The A’s agreed to sign two Venezuelan 16-year-olds, Argy Raga and Jesus Rivas, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
The Astros would need to be "overwhelmed" to move Brett Myers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly definitely wants to manage in the major leagues, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
The Padres, who are interested in Miguel Tejada, believe he could potentially play some outfield once David Eckstein returns, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Padres won't rush to acquire middle infield help until they know more about Eckstein's injury, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. GM Jed Hoyer told Brock the club had already been looking for infield depth.
The Reds will discuss manager Dusty Baker's future this August, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Baker's contract expires after the season.
At FanGraphs, Aaron Rowand and Carlos Lee make their way onto Dave Cameron's list of the MLB players with the least trade value.
Baseball America lists the 15 biggest bonuses ever handed out to international amateurs.

Stark On Lilly, Indians, Astros, Dodgers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 2:38pm CDT

The starting pitching market may be ‘mediocre’ if you ask officials around the major leagues, as ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark did, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of rumors out there with just over a week before the deadline. Here they are:

Six teams or more are interested in Ted Lilly, who will almost certainly get traded. The Tigers, Mets and Dodgers have interest, but the Yankees probably won’t be involved. The Cubs are not willing to pick up any of Lilly’s salary and probably won’t have to.
The A’s, on the other hand, will pick up much of the $4MM or so remaining on Ben Sheets’ salary and are ready to deal him.
The Indians are willing to deal one of Jake Westbrook or Fausto Carmona for a “compelling” package, but not both.
They’re also growing more and more confident that they’ll be able to trade Kerry Wood. If they don't strike a deal before the deadline, they could do so after Wood clears waivers in August.
The Yankees are kicking tires on many starters, including Westbrook and Dan Haren.
The Astros would have to be “overwhelmed” to move Brett Myers (as FOX Sports reported) or Wandy Rodriguez. Myers has a mutual option, so there’s no guarantee he returns in 2011. I find it hard to believe that the Astros wouldn’t deal him for a good-but-not-great group.
The Marlins appear to have decided to focus on extending Dan Uggla, instead of trading him.
The Dodgers have told rival teams that they have $2-3MM to play with.

Odds & Ends: Haren, Cordero, Phillies, Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 21, 2010 at 10:31pm CDT

Links for Wednesday, as Pedro Alvarez keeps clubbing homers…

The Phillies and Tigers have scouts watching Dan Haren pitch tonight, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
The Mets, who agreed to sign Chad Cordero earlier today, thought they had a deal with the right-hander over the winter, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com hears that the Phillies may not add a pitcher at all if they can't acquire a top arm like Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt.
Darren Oliver, who will likely see his vesting option kick in later in the summer, tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he has no intention of retiring.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has attached himself to one of the groups attempting to buy the Rangers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
Nightengale notes that Ben Sheets is starting to attract "strong interest" (Twitter link).
Roy Oswalt tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he hasn't heard anything from the Astros about a possible trade. In case you missed it, the Phillies and Astros appeared to be discussing an Oswalt deal last night.
Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners could send Jose Lopez or Jack Wilson to Detroit.
A couple of scouts gave MASN.com's Ben Goessling the impression that Adam Dunn isn't going anywhere.
Giants GM Brian Sabean denied to Murray Chass that the timing of Buster Posey's call-up had anything to do with service time.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains how he thinks a number of MLB teams should approach the deadline.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't expect the Yankees to acquire a big-name starter this July.
The Hiroshima Carp are wrapping up a deal with Vinnie Chulk, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Chulk, who has played in seven major league seasons, was playing at Triple A in the Pirates' organization.

Mets Considering Dotel, Downs

By Tim Dierkes | July 21, 2010 at 10:38am CDT

The Mets have discussed relievers Octavio Dotel and Scott Downs, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. John Harper of the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Mets scouted Downs and Kevin Gregg over the weekend. The Mets agreed to terms with free agent reliever Chad Cordero earlier today.

The FOX writers say the Mets are now more focused on relievers than starters. While they maintain interest in Ted Lilly, they've cooled on Jake Westbrook, Ben Sheets, and Brett Myers. Speaking of Myers, ESPN's Adam Rubin learned that the Mets and Astros have had very little conversation.

Dotel came up through the Mets' system more than a decade ago and was traded in December of '99 to the Astros with Kyle Kessel and Roger Cedeno for Derek Bell and Mike Hampton. That deal was engineered by Steve Phillips and Gerry Hunsicker back when Dotel was a starter. If Hunsicker had been able to give the Yankees a window to negotiate with Hampton before his walk year, imagine how New York baseball history would've been altered.

This year as the Pirates' closer Dotel sports a 4.62 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 4.1 BB/9 in 37 innings, with five home runs allowed and 20 saves in 25 attempts. He has a 2.60 ERA since May 4th. Still, as ESPN's Jerry Crasnick implies, Dotel's stats suggest he should be a righty specialist. By the way, Dotel's 2011 club option becomes mutual if he's traded.

Morosi noted on Twitter last night that the Pirates are also getting calls on Joel Hanrahan, "but the price remains very high." Armed with a 95.6 mph fastball, Hanrahan has 56 strikeouts in 40.6 innings. His 12.39 K/9 ranks behind only Carlos Marmol, Billy Wagner, and Brian Wilson in the National League.

Phillies Exploring Oswalt, Werth Trades

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 20, 2010 at 10:44pm CDT

The Phillies are exploring acquiring Roy Oswalt and moving Jayson Werth in a companion trade, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says nothing is close, but Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Oswalt talks are "heavy." Oswalt has yet to be presented with a deal for his approval. Stark says the Phils have also discussed Dan Haren, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ben Sheets as they leave no rock unturned. As for Werth, Stark believes the Rays "head the list of interested teams." The impending free agent would be moved to save money, stock the farm system, and open up a spot for Domonic Brown. Stark says the Red Sox, Giants, and Padres are also interested in Werth.

The Phillies recently optioned Kyle Kendrick to the minors and lost Jamie Moyer to an elbow strain, so they could use starting pitching depth. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. hinted today that the club could acquire a starter by Saturday. The Phils have already committed $135MM to next year's payroll, so adding an expensive arm like Haren or Oswalt would take some maneuvering.

One candidate to start Saturday, or perhaps be traded, is J.A. Happ. Stark says the Phillies have shopped the lefty, and the Astros scouted him on Tuesday.

Click here to predict the Phillies next move.

Rosenthal On Iannetta, Athletics, Bautista

By Tim Dierkes | July 19, 2010 at 1:21pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports kicks off his latest column with a look at Alex Rodriguez's $30MM worth of home run incentives. The chase isn't generating the buzz the Yankees anticipated when they re-signed A-Rod. On to Rosenthal's rumors…

Talks are on again between the Red Sox and Rockies regarding catcher Chris Iannetta. The Rockies would want to improve their big league club with an in-season deal, so perhaps we'll hear heightened Iannetta buzz during the offseason if Miguel Olivo is retained.
The Nationals do not seem to have chosen a course with Adam Dunn in terms of trading or extending him now.
The Athletics have no intention of trading Coco Crisp or Mark Ellis, as both players have club options for 2011.
Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli is "a frequent trade target of rival clubs," but the team likes having depth at the catcher position.
As part of the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez talks, the Braves and Blue Jays discussed Jose Bautista. For now, the Braves still have time to evaluate Nate McLouth's recovery from a concussion. MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote today that the Braves have considered David DeJesus, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, and Josh Willingham as potential trade targets.

Contenders Scouting The Athletics

By Mike Axisa | July 18, 2010 at 8:31pm CDT

The Athletics' record stands at exactly .500 after 92 games, but they sit seven games back of the molten hot Rangers in the AL West. GM Billy Beane said he didn't anticipate being that active before the non-waiver trade deadline, but that hasn't stopped contending teams from checking out his roster for potential fits.

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle brings us the latest and greatest from the East Bay…

Ben Sheets is a potential target for both the Phillies and Twins, though the A's have no desire to move the righthander. He is still owed $4.3MM for the remainder of this season, and he is currently on pace to earn the full $2MM worth of incentives in his contract, which are based on innings pitched. $6.3MM total is pricey for a guy with a 6.66 ERA away from his home park.
Slusser says that Vin Mazzaro's emergence (3.50 ERA in 64.1 innings) could make Sheets expendable, ditto healthy returns by Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden.
Detroit scouted reliever Michael Wuertz this weekend, which is not the first time they've done so this season. They also have their eye on Craig Breslow. Slusser says Oakland might not want to sell low on Wuertz, who's gone from a 2.63 ERA and 11.67 K/9 last year to 5.30 and 6.75 this year, respectively.

Odds & Ends: Sheets, Padres, Scutaro, Nationals

By Mike Axisa | July 16, 2010 at 10:54pm CDT

A few links to check out while the Yankees play their first game without George Steinbrenner at the helm since 1972…

Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Phillies have had a "top scout" on hand for the A's last four series, though Oakland isn't going to move Mark Ellis and Ben Sheets isn't scheduled to pitch this weekend.
James Schmehl of MLive.com says that Sheets could be a "rather inexpensive" trade option for the Tigers if they're looking to add a starting pitcher.
MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that Padres' GM Jed Hoyer told reporters he would like to make a move to improve the team, not just a cosmetic one (all Twitter links). He says the prices must first come down, and that he has the resources to add multiple pieces.
WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says (via Twitter) that the Braves did not talk to the Red Sox about a potential Yunel Escobar–Marco Scutaro deal. He says that the Blue Jays were the only team Atlanta spoke to about an Escobar trade.
Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo ranked the team's international free agent signings for MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Tokyo Giants have a scout attending tonight's Dodgers-Cardinals game. If nothing else, it shows that Japanese teams scour the U.S. for talent just like MLB teams do in Japan.

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