Phillies Rumors

NL East Notes: Braves, Nationals, Hairston, Byrdak

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2011 at 7:49pm CDT

The Phillies and Braves will be buyers this month, the Mets appear to be sellers, the Nationals will be 'buyers and sellers' and the Marlins are fielding inquiries on their players. Here's the latest on the NL East…

The Braves are happy with Jordan Schafer, so even though they're among the teams with interest in Carlos Beltran, they wouldn't necessarily put Beltran in center field if they were to acquire him, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
If the Braves trade Derek Lowe it will be to create payroll flexibility for the rest of 2011 and in 2012, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Such a deal would also show that the Braves have lots of confidence in Brandon Beachy, as Olney explains.
Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com explains that Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is willing to listen on just about all of his players, including relievers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard. Goessling says it's more likely that the Nationals trade a starter than Clippard or Storen, however.
The Phillies are scouting Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak of the Mets, not just Beltran, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

Phillies, Marlins Discussed Leo Nunez

By Tim Dierkes | July 19, 2011 at 11:43am CDT

The Phillies have talked to the Marlins about closer Leo Nunez, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The Marlins seek young pitching in return, Crasnick adds.

Nunez fits with the Phillies' goal of acquiring players they can control beyond this year, though his salary will get a healthy bump from this year's $3.65MM. Over at CloserNews, we're speculating on Mike Dunn for saves in Florida if Nunez is dealt.

Crasnick tweets that the Marlins are not ready to pull the plug yet, even if the team's recent strong play still doesn't make them a mathematical contender. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro believes the Marlins will stay the course, and maybe even consider adding a third baseman or pitcher. Keep in mind that even if the Marlins don't want to pay Nunez $6-7MM next year, they can always trade him in August or the offseason.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Monday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 18, 2011 at 11:01pm CDT

Yesterday we learned that the Mets are willing to pick up a substantial portion of Carlos Beltran's $18.5MM salary if it means getting better prospects in return for the switch-hitting outfielder. Here's the latest on Beltran, with the most recent updates up top:

Mets GM Sandy Alderson hasn't yet approached Beltran with a list of possible destinations for the outfielder to approve or turn down, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. As a ten and five player, Beltran has earned the right to block any deal, though he'll waive that right under certain circumstances.
The Pirates will "kick the tires" on Beltran, a source tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
The Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Braves and Red Sox have called the Mets about Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). The Yankees and Rangers may also have checked in with the Mets, who appear willing to deal Beltran within the NL East.
The Phillies and Giants are the most likely fits, followed by the Tigers and Braves. The Brewers are focused on adding infield help and Boston's interest has been mild so far.
Earlier today, Heyman reported that the Mets don't believe Beltran would pass through waivers in August, as he did a year ago.

NL East Notes: Reyes, Phillies, Nationals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 18, 2011 at 9:05pm CDT

Is the American League East really the best division in baseball? National League East teams have averaged 51 wins apiece so far this year, two more than AL East teams and more than any other division in baseball. Here’s the latest from the division, which is home to the two winningest teams in the National League…

Jose Reyes prefers the Mets to other teams, but wants to see the club's offseason plan, since he's unsure about the kind of offer they'll be able to make, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he'd like to see the Phillies add a reliever and a bat this month. The skipper makes it clear that he's looking for an upgrade, not just a lateral move. “If we’re going to get somebody, I want somebody good that will help us," Manuel said. "I don’t want someone we’ve already got."
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that rival teams have called the Nationals about relievers, veteran starters and Ivan Rodriguez (Twitter link). The Nationals will listen on their relievers, including Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard.

The Price For Mike Adams

By Tim Dierkes | July 18, 2011 at 2:47pm CDT

32 year-old reliever Mike Adams has a microscopic 1.70 ERA in 212 innings in his Padres career, spanning four seasons. He's under team control through next year, causing some to suggest the Padres' asking price will exceed that of closer Heath Bell.

Adams does have an injury history, including surgery to repair a torn labrum and damage to his rotator cuff in October of '08. He missed a little time with a shoulder strain in August of '09, after his return. Last year's injury was only an oblique strain, so on the bright side his arm and shoulder have been pretty healthy since the surgery.

The Rangers, Yankees, and Phillies are known to be in on Adams, and SI's Jon Heyman says Padres GM Jed Hoyer wants "a very big prospect" in return. Heyman explains that Rangers shortstop Jurickson Profar, generally considered among the ten or so best prospects in the game, would be too much.

On the other hand, Tom Krasovic reports that the Phillies are willing to trade first base/left field prospect Jonathan Singleton for Adams, but that might not be enough for San Diego. Singleton was ranked #24 on Keith Law's top 50 prospects list, but #41 on Baseball America's list. He failed to crack Kevin Goldstein's top 50 at Baseball Prospectus.

The prospect gurus are pretty far apart on Singleton, making it tough to identify the lower bound on the expected return for Adams. Still, if the two prospect-related Adams rumors are accurate, an appropriate return might be pitching prospects Robbie Erlin (Rangers) or Dellin Betances (Yankees).

Heyman On Beltran, Giants, Padres

By Tim Dierkes | July 18, 2011 at 1:44pm CDT

Rumors from SI's Jon Heyman…

The Mets don't believe Carlos Beltran would pass through waivers in August. Beltran is well-compensated at $18.5MM, but he's also the best hitter available this summer. Heyman says the Mets may try to make a deal a few days before the deadline to avoid any hitches with Beltran's no-trade rights.
The Giants "do not want to part with any decent prospects for a hitter," perhaps taking them out of the Beltran mix.
The Phillies and Reds match up well with the Padres, who can offer Ryan Ludwick plus a number of different veteran right-handed relievers. Padres GM Jed Hoyer has yet to match up with Ruben Amaro Jr. or Walt Jocketty in his two years at the helm.
The Padres would want a "very big prospect" for setup man Mike Adams, but Heyman says Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar isn't going anywhere.

Rosenthal On Rangers, Relief Market

By Dan Mennella | July 17, 2011 at 7:00pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com has the latest on the Texas Rangers' pursuit of bullpen help and a few other items of note on the relief market.

The Rangers are stocked with prospects and cash, and they are shopping for top-flight relievers.
Texas' trade targets include San Diego's Heath Bell and Mike Adams, Oakland's Andrew Bailey and Washington's Tyler Clippard.
The asking price for each of those relievers is high. The A's and Nats, in particular, will need to be overwhelmed to move Bailey and Clippard, respectively. Both right-handers will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason.
For trade partners in need of offense, the Rangers have a useful trade chip in slugger Chris Davis, who is Major League-ready.
The Padres are discussing their relievers with the Yankees, Phillies and other clubs.

Padres Notes: Bell, Adams, Ludwick

By Dan Mennella | July 17, 2011 at 6:00pm CDT

The Padres have been prominent in trade rumors all month, and a couple tidbits of note pertaining to San Diego's sought-after commodities came in this afternoon and evening, courtesy of Buster Olney of ESPN.com.

The Friars have exchanged names with a couple teams on relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams, among others, though they "haven't been inspired yet." The Rangers and Phillies are involved, according to Olney (via Twitter). The trade market is relatively flush with useful relievers, so it will be interesting to see how high a return the Padres can land for these righties, if they do in fact trade one or both. For the fantasy ramifications of relievers on the move this month, check out CloserNews.
San Diego may hold onto Bell unless it can recoup what it considers to be a little more value than two drafts picks, which would be the compensation if Bell, a likely type A free agent, were to sign with another team this offseason. This is not a good year to be selling relievers, as it's a buyer's market (Twitter links).
The Red Sox are among the teams that have checked in with the Padres about right-handed-hitting outfielder Ryan Ludwick, reports Olney (via Twitter). Boston has lacked a useful righty stick in the outfield most of the season, as Mike Cameron was ineffective in that role before being designated for assignment and then acquired by the Marlins. The Phillies have also been rumored to be interested in Ludwick, who is a free agent at season's end.

Quick Hits: Wigginton, Reyes, Phillies, Lowe

By Steve Adams | July 17, 2011 at 3:21pm CDT

Some assorted links for your Sunday reading:

Ty Wigginton's name has come up in talks between the Yankees and Rockies, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. As Heyman points out, Wigginton could fill in for Alex Rodriguez as he recovers from surgery.
The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo feels that the Red Sox should go all-in and acquire Jose Reyes to put the team over the top.
Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to a scout from each league and got their takes on several Phillies' trade targets, including: Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Hunter Pence, and Carlos Beltran.
Derek Lowe isn't concerning himself with trade rumors and is even making light of the Tigers' interest in him, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rogers speculates that the Braves could move Lowe to clear salary for a big-name hitter.
The Tigers are looking at improving their rotation and possibly third base, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. With Carlos Guillen coming back and Phil Coke being placed back in the bullpen, GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't feel second base and relief help are big areas of need.

Twins Won’t Trade Cuddyer

By Steve Adams | July 17, 2011 at 1:38pm CDT

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune cites a team official in reporting that the Twins won't trade Michael Cuddyer this summer, even if they fall from contention. Instead, the Twins will hang onto Cuddyer as they try to close what's now just a six-game gap for the division lead, and will look to re-sign their clubhouse leader after the season.

Cuddyer, 32, has been the Twins' best hitter with a .292/.372/.467 line and 13 homers thus far. He got off to a terrible start, but is batting .325/.405/.513 since May 1, ripping 10 home runs along the way.

He's been linked to teams such as the Phillies, and Christensen throws in the Braves and Giants as teams who've scouted Cuddyer in recent weeks. Last month, Cuddyer was willing to waive his limited no-trade clause if the situation called for it, but that looks to be a thing of the past now. A prolonged losing streak and a big offer from another club could of course cause the Twins to change their minds, but for now it seems certain that the longest-tenured Twinkie will be hanging around. I examined Cuddyer's trade candidacy last month.

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