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AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Young

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Yesterday, the Orioles made the first significant splash of the trade season by acquiring Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger from the Cubs in exchange for Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop and additional international bonus money. Here's more from the AL East…

  • The Yankees' haven't gotten a lot of production out of their younger players, and that's a big problem, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman writes that the Bombers may have less 20-something talent than any AL East team.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com looks at how the Red Sox are getting ready for the trade deadline at the end of this month.  While they'll look to upgrade when a deal makes sense, they'll also try to keep things in-house where ever possible.  "We've had some turnover at [third base] and in [the bullpen]," GM Ben Cherington said, "but right now we believe there is a good chance the solutions are internal. We'll keep an eye out in these areas and any other that crops up between now and the deadline."
  • The entire baseball world is trying to guess what Phillies GM Ruben Amaro might do at the deadline, but rival scouts and execs expect him to at least move Yankees trade target Michael Young, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • The Red Sox weren't in the mix for Matt Guerrier despite lacking a ground ball-oriented reliever, WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports via Twitter, citing an industry source.
  • Potential trade targets for the Yankees include Justin Morneau and Marlon Byrd, and Matt Warden of River Ave. Blues breaks down what they could bring to the Bronx. Warden included Josh Willingham on his list as well, but that was before the news that the Twins' slugger will miss four to six weeks following arthroscopic knee surgery.

Aaron Steen and Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Martino On Phillies, Papelbon, Nolasco, Dodgers

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The first big move of trade season went down yesterday when the Orioles acquired starter Scott Feldman from the Cubs, along with catcher Steve Clevenger, for starting pitcher Jake Arrieta, reliever Pedro Strop and international bonus pool money.  The move will obviously have an impact on the O's, but more broadly, it means that we've entered the period when trade talk becomes more than just talk, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Scouts that have spoken with Martino expect the Phillies to be active sellers, but hold onto Cliff Lee since they want to contend next year.  However, rival scouts and execs anticipate that, in addition to Michael Young and Chase Utley, Jonathan Papelbon will be dealt or at least heavily shopped.  We've heard previously that the Phillies are expected to ask for an astronomical haul to part with Papelbon.
  • Papelbon also fits the bill as someone who could be kept for next year, but rivals that have spoken with Martino see too much of a need for bullpen help amongst contenders like the Red Sox and Tigers and they expect GM Ruben Amaro to get a strong offer for the closer.
  • One executive involved in the talks for the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco predicts that he will land with the Dodgers, with the Giants a possibility and the Padres still somewhat interested.  Last night it was reported that the Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers are in "heavy pursuit" of the Miami hurler.  
  • A major league source told Martino that the Twins will likely shop Mike Pelfrey later this month, if he makes a strong few starts.  While the 29-year-old hasn't exactly been a world-beater this year – he has a 6.11 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 – he could perhaps get better as he moves further from last year's Tommy John surgery and appeal to a contender willing to throw starters against the wall like the Orioles.

Amaro On Taking On Salary In Trades

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Based on comments Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. made to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it appears the team would not be inclined to take on money in the unlikely event they trade expensive pitchers Cliff Lee or Jonathan Papelbon.  Asked about eating money to ensure the highest return in a trade, Amaro said:

"That's usually the case with most deals in this era.  In the cases of the players rumored out there, like the Lees and Papelbons, taking back money is not going to be an issue because the talent is too high. That's not going to be debilitating for anybody. The teams who would be interested would be willing to take on the dollars associated with it. Particularly in those deals – I don't anticipate doing those – but it's about making baseball deals, not monetary deals. I haven't been mandated to go and shed payroll. I've never had that mandate."

Lee will be owed over $70MM through 2015 at the trade deadline, while Papelbon will have over $30MM through 2015 remaining (more if his 2016 option vests).  Having dropped their last two contests, the Phillies sit at 9.5 games out in the NL East and eight back in the wild card.  As Gelb explains, the team can afford to wait until the end of the month.

Heyman On Nolasco, Dodgers, Utley, Young

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Here's a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..

  • A person familiar with the Ricky Nolasco talks says the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Rangers, and Rockies are among the teams in the mix, Heyman writes.  The Dodgers have been considered a favorite since they might be willing to absorb the $5.75MM remaining on Nolasco's $11.5-million 2013 salary, but the source suggested late Monday afternoon that there's isn't a deal out there yet that is good enough to jump on.  Colorado is said to have offered two decent prospects for the hurler but they are skittish about paying the salary.  While some have suggested that the Marlins are anxious to trade Nolasco before his scheduled start on Wednesday, they are still holding out for a quality offer.
  • Heyman hears that the word around baseball is that the Dodgers could have interest in Chase Utley. It isn't known if the Dodgers have gone so far as to contact Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, but he doesn't seem anxious to trade the second baseman despite the fact he is headed towards free agency.  If the Phillies do decide to sell, they are said to be more willing to part with Michael Young, who's interested the Dodgers before. 
  • With the deadline just weeks away, Heyman laid out the market as it stands today.  The piece starts by highlighting the six biggest sellers in the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Marlins, and Astros.

2014 Vesting Options Update

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As we enter July, let's check on the players who are hoping to lock in their options for the 2014 season..

  • Kurt Suzuki, Nationals: $9.25MM option vests with 113 starts in 2013.  The Nats planned to have Suzuki split time at catcher with Wilson Ramos, but Suzuki has started 59 games (counting tonight's game against the Brewers) behind the plate thanks to Ramos' hamstring troubles.  Ramos is currently rehabbing in the minors, however, and he could be back in action for the club on Thursday, according to the latest update from Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Suzuki is slashing just .226/.286/.332, so it stands to reason that Ramos will see the lion's share of starts if he stays healthy.  If Suzuki doesn't reach 113 starts, the Nats will have an $8.5MM club option with a $650K buyout. 
  • Jamey Carroll, Twins: $2MM option vests with 401 plate appearances.  The veteran has had more than his needed total in each of the last three seasons with 500+ plate appearances in each of the last two years but has just 146 PAs so far.  
  • Wilson Betemit, Orioles: $3.2MM option vests with 324 plate appearances (combined 700 between 2012 and 2013). Betemit underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on March 26th and just resumed baseball activities late last week.  Couple that with Manny Machado holding down third base and it's hard to see Betemit's option vesting.
  • Lance Berkman, Rangers: $13MM option vests with 550 plate appearances. So far, Berkman is has 268 plate appearances through 64 games this season.  Berkman scared the baseball world when he took a tumble down the stairs of the team plane and tweaked his troublesome right knee, but the injury is said to be minor and shouldn't cost him serious time.  In 2011, his last full season, the slugger racked up 587 PAs.
  • Roy Halladay, Phillies: $20MM option vests with 259 innings pitched (combined 415 innings pitched between '12 and '13).  This was a longshot anyway, but shoulder surgery in May makes this an impossibility.
  • Brett Myers, Indians: $8MM option vests with 200 innings pitched in 2013 and a passed physical after the season.  After logging 21 and 1/3 innings in 2013, Myers was sidelined with tendinitis and a mild ligament sprain in his right elbow and is still working towards his return.  When he does come back, the Tribe will move him to the bullpen.   
  • Barry Zito, Giants: $18MM option vests with 200 innings pitched. Zito has 91 and 1/3 innings to his credit through 16 starts this season.  He'll still need some things to go in his favor, but so far his chances of locking up 2014 are still alive.
  • Johan Santana, Mets: His $25MM option could have vested with 215 innings pitched or winning the 2013 Cy Young Award, but he won't have a chance at that thanks to a season-ending tear in his pitching shoulder.

Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014, but it can vest at any of three levels – $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM – based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of an injury to his non-throwing arm.  However, it's not known how many days he has to avoid missing time due to his right arm trouble in order to trigger each level of his option.  Liriano returned to action on May 11th and has looked strong in ten starts.  The left-hander has a 2.23 ERA on the year with 9.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

NL East Notes: Utley, Phillies, Beinfest, Braves

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Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said yesterday that he hoped Chase Utley would retire as a Phillie, but though Utley will be a free agent this winter, there have been no extension talks between the club and the veteran second baseman, WPVI-TV's Jeff Skversky reports (Twitter link).  It's probably no surprise that the Phils were hesitant about a new contract given Utley's injury problems over the last few seasons, and Utley has already spent a month on the DL with an oblique injury this season.

Here's the latest from around the NL East…

  • As much as the Phillies hate to part with the veterans that helped them to so much success over the last several seasons, Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown thinks the team is on the verge of at least a partial rebuild. "Where this leaves the Phillies is at the start of a month that could redirect the franchise. That probably should redirect the franchise," Brown writes.
  • The Phillies will stick to their usual strategy of not spending big on international signings as the July 2 signing period approaches, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.  Brookover also talks to Joe Jordan, the Phils' director of player development, about some of the international prospects currently in the farm system.
  • Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest discusses the Ricky Nolasco trade rumors, Jose Fernandez's innings limit and Giancarlo Stanton's future in Miami with Jim Bowden and Jeff Joyce on The Front Office program on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link).
  • The Braves are likely to seek depth for the bullpen and bench before the trade deadline, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.

Cafardo On Utley, Gonzalez, Crain, Yankees

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As impressive as young players like Manny Machado, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Yasiel Puig have been, no one was more spectacular than young Alex Rodriguez, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  However, A-Rod has since tarnished his legacy by being linked to performance enhancing drugs.  It all comes back to Rodriguez's love of baseball, because for him, being the best was never good enough.  Now he finds himself rehabbing from injury in Tampa, Florida and no one knows how it will play out.  Rodriguez could retire because of a physical disability and collect the remaining $114MM on his contract or he return to the Yankees after the All-Star break and provide the righthanded bat they sorely need.  Here's more from today's column..

  • One team that has at least discussed acquiring the Phillies' Chase Utley is the Royals.  Kansas City would love to stabilize their lineup and/or second base situation with someone of Utley’s caliber.  Meanwhile, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that he wants the second baseman to retire in a Phillies uniform, if possible.
  • The Red Sox are one of the teams extremely interested in Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, but they won’t break the bank for him, according to a team source.  The Sox were certainly burned by the Daisuke Matsuzaka signing and don’t want to get burned again on a deal for the 26-year-old righthander. Even though Gonzalez seems to be the real deal, past injuries seem to be giving some teams pause. 
  • White Sox reliever Jesse Crain will draw interest and Cafardo warns not to rule out the Red Sox. Pitching coach Juan NIeves coached him in Chicago and he’s a stable force at the end of games.  Meanwhile, there will be others vying for Crain, including the Orioles and Yankees.  Our own Charlie Wilmoth recently examined Crain as a trade candidate.
  • FIrst baseman Chris Carter is an interesting righthanded bat the Astros would move for the right package of young players. The Yankees are a possibility since they need a righthanded hitter who can play first base and the outfield.  Even though he strikes out a lot, the 26-year-old Carter could be an intriguing option for clubs. 
  • The Cubs have a lot of desirable trade pieces, starting of course with Matt Garza, who could be dealt sooner rather than later – maybe even sooner than the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco.  Besides Garza, there’s been a lot of interest in outfielder Nate Schierholtz and veteran righthander Scott Feldman, who Cafardo sees as a match for the Orioles.  Outfielders Alfonso Soriano and David DeJesus along with relievers Kevin Gregg and James Russell could be moved as well.
  • While the Twins say that Glen Perkins is not available, they should expect some club – possibly the Tigers - to offer a substantial package.

East Notes: Phillies, Young, Red Sox, Ishikawa

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To end the day, we'll take another look at baseball's eastern divisions, following today's earlier AL-focused version. First, I recommend a look at an interesting piece from Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who passes along some fascinating (and unusually candid) quotes from Stephen Strasburg as his Nationals visit the Mets and fellow phenom Zack Wheeler. "They build you up just to bring you down," says Strasburg. 

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledged that the club had interest in Cuban sensation Yasiel Puig before he signed on with the Dodgers, reports Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. "We saw him and we liked him," said Amaro, but "L.A. jumped up astronomically on him. … It's a huge risk. It's paid off, so far." Likewise, the Phils kicked the tires on fellow Cubans Yoenis Cespedes and Jorge Soler, and even "had interesting conversations with their people," but ultimately felt uncomfortable with the risk. 
  • The Red Sox have yet to have "a single conversation" with the Phillies regarding third baseman Michael Young, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Nevertheless, Bradford notes, Young could well be a Boston trade target as the trade deadline approaches.
  • Many other players could end up on Boston's radar, according to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. With the team potentially shopping for both starting and relief pitching as well as infield depth (particularly at third), Britton suggests that the Sox could be in on most of the major names that have been batted around.
  • After designating Travis Ishikawa for assignment earlier today, the Orioles are hoping they can move the first baseman via trade, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Manager Buck Showalter seemed to be resigned to the fact that Ishikawa was likely headed to another organization: "Would love to have Travis back in Norfolk, but there's 10 days, the way I understand it, and a lot of things could happen." Indeed, if Ishikawa is not traded and clears waivers, Kubatko notes, he could elect free agency rather than accepting a minor league assignment by the O's.

NL Notes: Dodgers, Phillies, Zambrano, Marmol

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If you're looking for some good reading over your Saturday morning coffee, here are a few nice leftovers from yesterday: Writing for Fangraphs, MLBTR contributor Marc Hulet broke down the position players who will participate in the MLB Futures Game. MLB.com's Corey Brock had the story of former third-overall pick Donavan Tate's attempt to revive his injury- and addiction-plagued career. Writing for the Biz of Baseball, Maury Brown discussed the decline in MLB and MiLB PED suspensions thus far in 2013. And as the Washington Post's Dave Sheinin reports, youth baseball is experiencing what could be an inner-city renaissance in Washington, D.C. On to some National League notes:

  • Dodgers fans are probably still reeling from last night's beating, the team's worst home loss (Twitter link) since the franchise played in Brooklyn. But with the club's offense pointing upwards of late and with just six games to make up in a scuffling NL West, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that L.A. still could be looking to buy pitching. He says that the Dodgers cannot depend on a mix of Chris Capuano, Stephen Fife, Ted Lilly, and Matt Magill at the back of the rotation, and would be even more foolish to place their faith in Brandon League, Peter Moylan, and Matt Guerrier with late-inning pen roles. 
  • While the Phillies continue to hang around just under .500, speculation has focused on whether the club might deal top arms Cliff Lee and Jonathan Papelbon. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com wonders whether the club might be more likely to look to deal infielders Chase Utley or Michael Young, in spite of the no-trade protection that both enjoy. With Utley and Young set to become free agents after the season, a clear fall away from contention would make it difficult to pass up a youth infusion. On the other hand, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that his "intention would be to keep [Utley] in our uniform for the rest of his career, if possible." Should the Phils look to deal, Knobler suggests that the Yankees could be in on both players, with the Royals potentially interested in Utley. 
  • One player that Philadelphia was hoping might provide a boost was mid-season signee Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano's inconsistent performance in minor league action had already dampened any real enthusiasm for his ascension to the bigs, but he took the Triple-A mound last night hoping to convince Amaro that a call-up was warranted in advance of his July 1 opt-out date. Instead, Zambrano left the game with what Amaro called "serious pain" in his shoulder. As Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports via Twitter, the injury means that Zambrano's already-uncertain big league return will now definitely not occur for the foreseeable future.
  • Embattled Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol, who currently sits in DFA limbo, may be able to draw some kind of trade return after all. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweeted yesterday that three unnamed teams have shown some interest in Marmol. 

Deadline Notes: Starters, Astros, Utley, Braves, Perkins

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Let's have a look at the latest talk surrounding the approaching trade deadline season:

  • Starting pitching is an active priority for the Orioles, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Hurlers that the club is reportedly looking at include Ricky Nolasco (Marlins), Edinson Volquez and Andrew Cashner (Padres), Matt Garza and Scott Feldman (Cubs), Jake Peavy (White Sox), Bud Norris (Astros), and recent Oriole Joe Saunders (currently with the Mariners). The trouble for the O's, according to Connolly, will be coming up with enough prospects that the team can stomach dealing.
  • The Giants are most interested in acquiring a starter that the team can control for more than this year, tweets FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. In spite of that preference, Morosi says that San Francisco is interested in popular trade subject Matt Garza. 
  • The Cubs' Garza is generating a lot of attention given his evident availability and intriguing return from a long DL stint. Paul Swydan of Fangraphs wonders, however, whether the oft-injured Garza is really worth the hype. Swydan says that Garza's overall track record as a solid middle or back-of-the-rotation starter is what teams should expect to be buying, especially since his recent starts have come against some of baseball's weaker-hitting clubs.
  • Trade talks are "ongoing" for two prominent members of the Astros, starter Bud Norris and closer Jose Veras, tweets Morosi. Both were recent subjects of MLBTR trade candidate analysis, as Mark Polishuk took a look at Norris and Steve Adams analyzed Veras.
  • The most obvious trade in baseball, according to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, is a deal sending Chase Utley from the Phillies to the Athletics. Cameron argues that Utley is still a highly productive second bagger, and would be a huge upgrade at the spot that the A's most need one.
  • With the Braves losing key bench bat Ramiro Pena to season-ending shoulder surgery, MLB.com's Mark Bowman wonders whether the team will be more inclined to seek a third baseman before the trade deadline. While Chris Johnson has hit the ball fantastically, he has been a problem on the defensive side. Meanwhile, the team designated and then traded Johnson's early-season platoon partner, Juan Francisco, earlier in the year.
  • The Twins face a difficult choice with 30-year-old closer Glen Perkins, writes ESPN's Buster Olney (on Insider). (Olney expanded upon his tweet yesterday addressing the Perkins situation.) With Perkins' value trending way up — he sports a 2.12 ERA, has registered 12.4 K/9 against just 2.1 BB/9, and is inked to a very reasonable three-year deal (plus option) — Minnesota could reap a major return. 
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