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Phillies, Utley Discussing Two- Or Three-Year Extension

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WEDNESDAY: The two sides are discussing a three-year deal or two-year deal (plus a vesting option) for around $13MM per season, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Phillies consider Utley to be their franchise player and have every intention of keeping him around.

MONDAY: Two GMs with interest in Utley were informed he's unavailable, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Heyman confirms the Phillies are trying to sign him to an extension.

THURSDAY: The Phillies had recent talks with Chase Utley's representation about a contract extension, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com.  Salisbury also notes that the Phillies are not listening to trade offers for their second baseman, they did include him in a post-trade deadline promotion, and GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has "recently been spotted huddling for private conversations at the ballpark" with Utley.

Utley, 34, hovered right outside our top ten free agents in a mid-July power rankings update.  He's hitting .286/.346/.520 with 13 home runs in 298 plate appearances.  Despite missing a month with an oblique injury, he seems primed to play 125 games for the first time since '09.  I imagine the Phillies would be willing to make a qualifying offer after the season if they don't extend or trade Utley, as the sticking point in negotiations could be more about years than salary since he will play next year at age 35.  Utley was drafted and developed by the Phillies and could have a Hall of Fame case if he finishes his career strong.

The trade market for second basemen is light without Utley, as you can see from Steve Adams' analysis earlier this month.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday

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Phillies lefty Cliff Lee is "eminently available," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Given that the 34-year-old has at least $70MM remaining on his contract through 2015, his availability has sparked a debate over his true trade value.  The latest:

  • The Phillies have no no obvious bidders for Lee at this point, tweets Heyman, who adds that he would be surprised to see a team give up three top prospects and take on the remaining $70MM on Lee's contract.

Earlier Updates

  • The Red Sox are no longer pursuing Cliff Lee, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio (Twitter link).
  • There is "very little chance" of the Phillie trading Lee, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said on MLB Network on Tuesday afternoon.
  • The Red Sox feel a trade for Lee is highly unlikely, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown, but Jake Peavyand Bud Norris are still in play for them.
  • The Phillies are believed to have asked for a package headed by Bogaerts and Brandon Workman, plus a big league ready outfielder, according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark's source agrees with the consensus, that the Sox won't give up Bogaerts.
  • Though the Phillies want Bogaerts as the centerpiece of a Lee deal, the Red Sox "view his inclusion as a non-starter and will not consider proposals that involve him," writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  He says the Red Sox are willing to deal multiple top ten prospects though.
  • The Phillies won't settle for anything less than top Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts at the head of any package for Lee, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • The Red Sox are the biggest player in the Lee derby, writes Heyman.  "If there are other teams heavily involved in talks for Lee, they are doing it in an extremely stealthy manner," he adds.

Young Would Consider Trade To Red Sox

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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.

Royals Discussed Kendrick, Beckham, Weeks

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3:50pm: The Royals are one of 12 teams to which Kendrick can block a trade, notes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

3:07pm: The Royals have had discussions about second basemen Howie Kendrick of the Angels, Gordon Beckham of the White Sox, and Rickie Weeks of the Brewers, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  They also looked at the Phillies' Kevin Frandsen.  However, Knobler says there is no indication the Royals are close to any deal.

The Royals have used Chris Getz, Elliot Johnson, Miguel Tejada, and Johnny Giavotella at second base this year, resulting in a .230/.279/.311 offensive line.  They seek a second baseman they would control beyond 2013, says Knobler, and all of the players mentioned above are controlled through '15.

The Angels would need a front-line, Major League or MLB-ready starting pitcher for Kendrick or Erick Aybar, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  As Knobler notes, Beckham presents the problem of playing within the Royals' division, while Weeks' salary is prohibitive compared to his production.

Phillies To Designate Steve Susdorf For Assignment

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The Phillies are designating outfielder Steve Susdorf to create a roster spot for third baseman Cody Asche, MLBTR has learned.  We learned earlier today that Asche is getting the call, presumably pushing out Michael Young.

Susdorf, 27, appeared in only three games for the Phillies.  He was hitting .335/.419/.428 in 229 Triple-A plate appearances upon getting the call when Domonic Brown hit the seven-day DL for concussion symptoms.

Dodgers In Lead For Brian Wilson

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TUESDAY, 10:17am: The Dodgers are now the front runner to sign Wilson, tweets Nightengale.

MONDAY, 9:24pm: ESPN's Jim Bowden lists the Giants, Pirates and Dodgers as front-runners for Wilson (on Twitter).

8:58pm: Wilson has narrowed his decision to three or four teams and is in the "offer/counter-offer" stage at this point, Miller tweets.

7:10pm: The Pirates and Giants are both "serious suitors" for Wilson, who appears close to signing soon, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports. Miller adds that the Diamondbacks and Dodgers have some level of interest as well, and he notes that Wilson "has an affinity for Los Angeles." The Phillies were also thought to have interest prior to the six-game skid that has pushed them firmly into their stance as sellers.

3:52pm: The D'Backs are not in on Wilson, tweets John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR.

2:52pm: The Pirates and Diamondbacks are the strong front runners for free agent reliever Brian Wilson, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who notes that Wilson has offers from four NL teams and one AL club.  Yesterday, Yahoo's Tim Brown noted interest from the same mix of five teams.

Wilson, 31, auditioned for teams Thursday with the Pirates, Diamondbacks, Athletics, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, Rockies and Cardinals in attendance.  The former Giants closer had Tommy John surgery in April 2012.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Orioles Trade Targets: Byrd, Oliver Perez

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The Orioles currently stand to take the second wild card spot in the American League, and they've already bolstered their pitching staff with the additions of Scott Feldman and Francisco Rodriguez.  Here's the latest on their trade targets, courtesy of Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun:

  • Connolly feels the Phillies' Michael Young is the best fit for the Orioles at DH, but the team hasn't made an aggressive push for him at this point.  Connolly expects Young to go elsewhere if traded.
  • The Orioles are interested in the Mets' Marlon Byrd.  However, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes today that Byrd is "highly unlikely" to be traded.  Connolly also believes Mariners lefty reliever Oliver Perez is the most likely player to be acquired by the Orioles.
  • Connolly says to forget about Cliff Lee and Jake Peavy.  Instead, the O's have coveted the Astros' Bud Norris and Chris Sale of the White Sox.
  • Connolly expects the Orioles to pass on the Twins' Justin Morneau.
  • Orioles minor leaguers Mike Wright, Tim Berry, and Christian Walker have piqued teams' interests.
  • Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette feels he has the money and prospects to make a deal, if the right one comes along.

Phillies Won’t Trade Brown, Utley, Hamels

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The Phillies are willing to listen to offers on any players except Domonic Brown, Chase Utley and Cole Hamels, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. That includes Cliff Lee, though general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s preference is to hang onto him, and he'd need to be blown away to move his ace left-hander.

The Phillies view Hamels' poor season as an aberration, according to Salisbury, and their desire is for Hamels and Lee to front their rotation in 2014. Utley, of course, is said to be working on an extension with the Phillies, and Brown has emerged as the young power bat that the Phillies have hoped he could become.

Boston is currently the most interested team in Lee's services, according to Salisbury, and their interest dates back to the offseason when they were told he wasn't available. Salisbury adds that the Red Sox's reluctance to part with Xander Bogaerts or Jackie Bradley Jr. makes it likely that Lee will likely remain with the Phillies beyond the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Recent reports have indicated that Lee would require three or four top prospects to acquire, though at least one NL executive speculated that he did think Lee would be traded.

Both the Yankees and Red Sox continue to show interest in Michael Young, and Salisbury writes that Jonathan Papelbon is "very much available" as well. He notes that the Tigers' interest in Papelbon had cooled even before their acquisition of Jose Veras on Monday, so there may no longer be a fit between the two sides.

AL East Notes: Lyon, Hughes, Yankees, Red Sox

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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.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Monday

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The Phillies are discussing southpaw ace Cliff Lee with other teams, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, though there are many obstacles to a deal.  The latest:

  • An NL executive that has recently spoken with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he thinks Lee will be dealt (Twitter link). That executive chose Boston as the likely destination. Martino is careful to note that it's "informed speculation" on the executive's behalf, as opposed to something that Amaro came out and said directly.

Earlier Updates

  • The Red Sox and Phillies have engaged in talks for Lee and Michael Young, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, but the Sox won't deal their top prospects.
  • The price for Lee is extremely high, hears Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  "He's telling people it'll take you three or four best prospects, plus you'd have to take all the money," one executive said of Amaro.  Another quipped, "You'd have to give up your first born, second and third born, too."
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark agrees that the Phillies aren't eating any of the $70MM+ remaining on Lee's contract.  Stark also hears the Phillies would need to be overwhelmed.
  • The Dodgers, who claimed Lee in August last year, have not discussed a trade about him with the Phillies recently, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

Zach Links and Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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