Pirates Rumors

NL Central Notes: Drew, Marte, Cardinals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 2, 2012 at 2:39pm CDT

The Reds have been nearly unbeatable since losing their top player to injury and now have the best record in baseball at 64-41. Here are today's NL Central links after another Reds win…

The Pirates considered and rejected a trade that would have sent two minor leaguers to Arizona for Diamondbacks shortstop Stephen Drew, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter). The prospects — not Jameson Taillon or Luis Heredia — are at the mid-to-low levels of Pittsburgh's farm system.
The Phillies asked the Pirates for Starling Marte, Brad Lincoln and more in possible trades for Hunter Pence, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Phillies ultimately obtained Nate Schierholtz, minor league reliever Seth Rosin and minor league catcher/first baseman Tommy Joseph from the Giants for Pence.
MLB terminated the contract between the Cardinals and right-handed pitching prospect Andres Serrano, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The Cardinals had signed the Dominican for $750K, but he failed the age and identity sections of his investigation, according to Badler. Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com had the story last month.

Quick Hits: Brewers, Pirates, A’s, Broxton, Snider

By Zachary Links | July 31, 2012 at 11:17pm CDT

Phones across the country were ringing off the hook today, but it doesn't appear that was the case in Milwaukee. Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin said, "I didn’t have any calls from a General Manager all day," according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). Here's more from around baseball as we head into August..

Pirates skipper Clint Hurdle says that the club had inquired about Gaby Sanchez and Chad Qualls in each of past two offseasons, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
A's assistant GM David Forst says that while the club had "plenty of conversations" leading up to the deadline, nothing was really close to happening, writes Jane Lee of MLB.com. Forst implied that Oakland will look to make a waiver deal if a solid opportunity arises.
Reliever Jonathan Broxton strikes Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) as an odd fit for the Reds. Law notes that the Reds' bullpen is strong while they really could have used help at the top of the lineup.
Travis Snider chose not to blame the Blue Jays for his shortcomings on the diamond and says that he is looking forward to a fresh start with the Pirates, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. The outfielder was sent to Pittsburgh for right-hander Brad Lincoln earlier today.
After a busy July, Astros manager Brad Mills was glad to see the deadline pass without having to say goodbye to more players, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

Pirates, Yankees Swap McGehee, Qualls

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 3:10pm CDT

The Yankees acquired corner infielder Casey McGehee and $250K from the Pirates for reliever Chad Qualls, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

For all the talk of the Yankees seeking a defense-first third baseman to fill in for Alex Rodriguez, they went with right-handed power in McGehee. Perhaps the Yanks liked McGehee's versatility, with Mark Teixeira ailing as well. McGehee, 29, is hitting .230/.297/.377 in 293 plate appearances for the Pirates. They acquired him from the Brewers for Jose Veras in December; McGehee has about $890K remaining on his contract. He's arbitration eligible for 2013, but may be non-tendered. He was made more expendable by the Pirates' acquisition of first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins earlier today.

Qualls, 33, has a 4.89 ERA, 4.9 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 1.63 HR/9, and 54% groundball rate for the Phillies and Yankees this year. The Yankees acquired Qualls from the Phils on July 1st after he'd been designated for assignment, and Qualls was a likely roster casualty had he remained with the Yanks.

Pirates Acquire Gaby Sanchez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2012 at 2:28pm CDT

2:28pm: The Pirates obtained right-handed reliever Kyle Kaminska in the deal, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). The 23-year-old has a 5.20 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings of work for the Marlins' top two affiliates this year. He was selected in the 25th round of the 2007 draft.

2:08pm: The Pirates have acquired first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and a competitive balance pick, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Sanchez, 28, hit 19 homers in both 2010 and 2011 and entered the 2012 season with a career batting line of .269/.346/.440. However, he posted a .202/.250/.306 batting line in 196 plate appearances with Miami this year, and the Marlins optioned him to the minor leagues on July 5th.

Hernandez, 24, appeared in 25 games for the Pirates this year, playing all three outfield positions and collecting his first two hits as a Major Leaguer. The former top prospect has a .281/.343/.377 batting line in seven minor league seasons. Hernandez was traded to Pittsburgh along with Jeff Locke and Charlie Morton three years ago in the Nate McLouth trade.

The Marlins are tentatively going to obtain the 33rd overall pick in the draft from Pittsburgh, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter). MLB recommended a bonus of $1.525MM for the 33rd overall selection this year.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

NL Central Notes: Sutton, Soriano, Cubs

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2012 at 1:45pm CDT

The latest from the NL Central, as the Reds, Pirates and Cardinals look to improve their rosters for the season's final two months…

The Pirates announced that they designated outfielder Drew Sutton for assignment to create roster space for Daniel McCutchen. Travis Snider has joined the team in Chicago, the Pirates announced. Sutton, 29, posted a .243/.278/.419 batting line in 79 plate appearances with the Pirates, who claimed him from the Rays last month.
The Pirates are focused on adding bench and bullpen help after trading for Travis Snider, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
Alfonso Soriano has provided the Cubs with a list of teams to which he would accept a trade, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter). The Giants aren’t on it. Soriano was interested in waiving his no-trade clause to join the Dodgers, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). However, the Shane Victorino trade likely reduces Los Angeles' interest in Soriano.
The Cubs did well to acquire Arodys Vizcaino and Jaye Chapman for Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm, ESPN.com's Keith Law writes. Atlanta will be better in 2012 as a result of the trade, but the Cubs did well to obtain Vizcaino, a top pitching prospect when healthy, in Law's estimation.

Yankees Close To Acquiring McGehee For Qualls

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 1:00pm CDT

The Yankees were on the verge of acquiring third baseman Casey McGehee from the Pirates for reliever Chad Qualls as the deadline approached, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, who is working to confirm the deal.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Teixeira, Blue Jays

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 31, 2012 at 12:15pm CDT

The Blue Jays traded two outfielders for two relievers in a pair of late-night trades Monday, while the Orioles continued engaging the Phillies on Joe Blanton. Here’s the latest from the AL East as today’s 3pm CDT trade deadline draws closer…

Though some fans and analysts insist it's time for the Red Sox to trade Josh Beckett, he's not the negative clubhouse presence Manny Ramirez was, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes. The Red Sox don't feel compelled to move Beckett, who's still well-respected by many teammates and club officials. Speier breaks down the reasons for and against a Beckett trade in detail at WEEI.com. It doesn't sound as though the Red Sox will move him today.
The Red Sox are on the lookout for an outfielder who bats from the right side, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Scott Hairston and Alfonso Soriano are among the potentially available outfielders who bat right-handed.
The Red Sox aren't involved on Matt Garza, Nick Cafardo reports (on Twitter).
Mark Teixeira's left wrist injury shouldn't affect the Yankees' trade plans, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Yankees continue looking for a third baseman who plays strong defense.
Brad Lincoln probably can't start for the Blue Jays, but he can be a strong setup man and won't be worse than a right-handed specialist, ESPN.com's Keith Law writes. Travis Snider, the player Toronto gave up to acquire Lincoln, still has flaws, but could become an everyday outfielder with power. Law doesn't anticipate either Eric Thames or Steve Delabar will have a major impact on his new team. Within the Insider-only piece, Law also breaks down the Chris Johnson and Francisco Liriano trades.

Pirates Close To Acquiring Gaby Sanchez

By Tim Dierkes | July 31, 2012 at 11:30am CDT

The Pirates are close to acquiring first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins for outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and a competitive balance pick, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Quick Hits: Indians, Lee, Phillies, Pirates

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 30, 2012 at 11:55pm CDT

Links from around MLB, on the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline…

The Indians continue to insist they don't expect to trade Justin Masterson or Shin-Soo Choo, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes. They'd have to be overwhelmed to trade Choo, but an NL exec says Masterson is "definitely" on the market.
The Marlins are begging teams to take Carlos Lee off their hands, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
Scott Miller of CBSSports.com explains the challenges the Phillies face and how they arrived where they are today.
The Pirates continue trying to add a right-handed outfield bat, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

Latest On Victorino, Pence, Pierre

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2012 at 11:50pm CDT

Earlier today, Yahoo's Jeff Passan wrote that the Phillies haven't shopped center fielder Shane Victorino nearly as aggressively as right fielder Hunter Pence, even though Victorino will be eligible for free agency after the season and Pence is under team control for 2013. The latest on the Phillies' outfielders:

The Dodgers and Reds seem to be the last two Victorino suitors remaining, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick tweets.
The Giants are discussing Pence, but not Victorino, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Reds still want a leadoff hitter and Victorino has been their top target, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. The Reds don't like the Phillies' asking price for Victorino, and their interest in Pierre seems to have been exaggerated, Knobler writes.
The Dodgers are more likely to acquire Victorino, but they're also in on Pence, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Reds appear to be zeroing in on Pierre, writes ESPN's Jayson Stark. He says the Dodgers look like the frontrunner on Victorino, while teams that have checked in on Pence believe the Phillies will wait until the offseason.
The Phillies' asking price on Victorino is outrageous, an executive of one team tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Orioles have interest in Victorino, Pence, and Juan Pierre, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, who notes Pierre is the best fit cost-wise. The Reds have quietly evaluated Pierre as a possible target since June, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, and USA Today's Bob Nightengale says the Reds' coaching staff loves him.
The Pirates did not seem alive on Victorino as of late last night, tweeted Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Giants, Reds, and Dodgers have been named as other potential suitors for the 31-year-old. Victorino is hitting .261/.324/.401 in 431 plate appearances this year.
The Phillies have pushed Pence but want a big return, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Salisbury says most interest is on Victorino and starter Joe Blanton.

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