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Quick Hits: Trade Market, Giambi, Pirates

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Some late-night linkage as the Reds walk off on the Braves on a Drew Stubbs blast …

  • The trade market is slow taking shape this year, and one GM tells Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that too many teams are intent on making the perfect trade or scared of making a bad one. Miller also suggests that trade talks were slow this weekend because many top executives were in Cooperstown, N.Y., for induction ceremonies at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
  • The Rockies may trade first baseman Jason Giambi before the deadline, though Troy Renck of the Denver Post wouldn't be surprised if Colorado were to re-sign the slugger in the offseason (via Twitter).
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington says asking prices are high for a bat, and he thinks potential trade partners are using the Bucs' first successful season in nearly two decades as leverage, according to Laura Myers of MLB.com.

Pirates Looking For Relievers

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The Pirates are casting a wide net for relief help as the deadline approaches with names such as Jason Frasor, Octavio Dotel, and Koji Uehara on their expansive list, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The club is also looking for a bat, Morosi tweets, but it doesn't sound like they're close to anything.

On Friday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the club is taking a "very, very careful" approach to the deadline and aren't planning on trading major assets this month.  They also picked up reliever Jason Grilli late last week to help improve their bullpen situation.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Braves, Upton, Keppinger, Bell

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FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, whose bow tie took some playful mocking from Brandon Phillips yesterday, is back with another handful of hot stove notes….

  • While the Braves still figure to acquire a right-handed hitter, Rosenthal points out that Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward have recently shown signs of heating up. Increased production from that pair could be the equivalent of adding an impact bat.
  • The Braves view their starting rotation depth as one of their greatest strengths, and aren't inclined to compromise it by dealing Derek Lowe.
  • Rosenthal backed off his Saturday guarantee that B.J. Upton will be traded before the deadline, cautioning that he doesn't know the Rays' exact intentions.
  • Before the Giants acquired Jeff Keppinger from the Astros, the Yankees inquired on the infielder.
  • The Cardinals are "hotter" on Heath Bell than Mike Adams, especially considering the Padres continue to "need to be overwhelmed" to move Adams.
  • One executive offered this metaphor on Pirates GM Neal Huntington using his farm system to facilitate potential acquisitions: "He’s been planting a garden for four years, and now he’s going to be picking flowers out of it."

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Friday

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The Carlos Beltran rumors kept streaming in yesterday. Here's a quick recap: the Giants are having some trouble matching up with the Mets; the Indians' interest is cooling; the Mets aren't worried about obtaining Beltran's permission for a deal; The Tigers are focused on pitching; the Rangers have some interest in Beltran; the Brewers would like to scrape together a package and it's too early to rule out the Phillies, Red Sox, Braves or Yankees. Here are today's rumors with the most recent updates up top: 

  • Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal (via Twitter) notes that if the Mets deal Beltran, he cannot officially approve the trade until 24 hours later.  This means that the deadline to trade him is effectively 3:59pm EST Saturday.
  • It is highly doubtful that the Giants would part with Zack Wheeler or that the Phillies would move Domonic Brown in a deal for Beltran, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
  • The Mets contacted Scott Boras, Beltran's agent, if his client would be open to the idea of returning to the Mets in the offseason if traded, two sources tell David Waldstein of the New York Times.  They were informed that Beltran would consider the idea of re-signing with the Mets.
  • Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter) thinks its highly doubtful that the Braves would part with Mike Minor in a deal for Beltran.
  • The Mets are interested in Zack Wheeler, Brandon Belt, and Gary Brown of the Giants and Domonic Brown of the Phillies, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  The Braves, he adds, also have prospects of interest.
  • The Reds have discussed Beltran, according to John Fay on the Cincinnati Enquirer.
  • Some baseball people expect Beltran to use his no-trade clause to ensure that he remains in the National League, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • Beltran's full no-trade clause will likely force the Mets to have a few deals lined up days prior to July 31 so that they can move on from one proposal to another should Beltran veto one, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.
  • The trade talks are down to five serious teams, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). The Red Sox, Giants, Phillies, Braves and Rangers are involved. The Pirates and Indians are basically out of the conversation, according to Olney. The Mets thought the Giants were the frontrunner two days ago, but other teams have since caught up.
  • The Giants, Phillies and Braves appear to be the leaders in the Beltran sweepstakes, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The Brewers are also a possibility.
  • Beltran told Newsday's David Lennon that he would prefer to stay in the National League. The outfielder prefers not to DH more than once per week and will consider a team's pitching staff before accepting a deal. 
  • A Mets official told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that there are six or seven active suitors for Beltran. The Mets were watching Braves Triple-A lefty Mike Minor closely yesterday, according to Sherman.

Indians, Pirates Interested In Iannetta

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A number of teams, including the Indians and Pirates, have inquired on Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta, major-league sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  It was reported on Wednesday that the Rockies are not actively shopping the veteran. 

Iannetta, 28, is under contract through next season with a club option for 2013.  He's set to earn $2.55MM this season, $3.55MM in 2012, and his option is worth $5MM with an affordable $250K buyout. 

Morosi writes that the BoSox have had off-and-on interest with the backstop but they appear to be content with their catching situation at the moment.

Pirates Take Careful Approach To Deadline

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The Pirates are taking a "very, very careful" approach to the trade deadline, rival officials tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link). There are many indications that the Pirates aren't trading major assets this month.

The 51-45 Pirates are tied for first place atop the National League Central. There's minimal room for error as the Cardinals and Reds are within four games of the division leading Brewers and Pirates. Pittsburgh has checked in on outfielders, including Carlos Beltran, and relievers in anticipation of the trade deadline.

Earlier in the week, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that some rival GMs believe Pirates GM Neal Huntington over-values his prospects. The Pirates' first move of the summer saw them sign Jason Grilli in a deal that didn't cost Pittsburgh anything but cash and a roster spot.

Olney On Wandy, Phillies, DeJesus, Cardinals, Mets

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In addition to all the talk about a potential Hunter Pence trade, ESPN's Buster Olney notes the Astros are "making it clear" that they're willing to trade Wandy Rodriguez in today's Insider-only blog post. The left-hander has caught the eye of the Reds, but Houston will reportedly want as much for Rodriguez as the Rockies would want for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

  • Olney hears that the Phillies would prefer to frame any offers for Pence around right-hander Vance Worley (Twitter link). Worley owns a 2.02 ERA in ten starts and two relief appearances for Philadelphia this season.
  • The Pirates have talked internally about pursuing David DeJesus, but it's unclear how aggressive they plan to get in trade talks (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals have cast a wide net in their search for bullpen help, and other clubs expect St. Louis to land a right-handed reliever before the deadline (Twitter link).
  • There is growing confidence in the Mets' organization that the Bernie Madoff case "is veering in favor of the Wilpons," which could allow them to re-establish full control of the team. There is also some unhappiness with how David Einhorn has taken the spotlight without having a deal to become minority owner finalized.

Pirates Sign Jason Grilli

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The Pirates officially announced that they have signed right-hander Jason Grilli. The sides had reached an agreement yesterday, and Pittsburgh confirmed the move this morning. The Pirates announced that they optioned Pedro Ciriaco and Josh Harrison to Triple-A and transferred Evan Meek to the 60-day DL in corresponding moves.

Grilli had a 1.93 ERA, 11.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 32 2/3 innings for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate this year after missing the entire 2010 season with right knee surgery. Grilli had a clause in his minor league contract that enabled him to accept a Major League offer from another team if the Phillies didn't promote him onto their roster.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Barmes, Reds

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Already today we've seen the Pirates add one player and contemplate more changes. We've seen the Brewers express interest in a versatile infielder and learned about how the Cubs intend to approach the deadline. Here's the rest of the day's news from the NL Central…

  • Rival GMs believe Pirates GM Neal Huntington over-values his prospects, so they're suspicious that he can be an effective 'buyer,' according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
  • The Pirates haven't made progress toward a contract extension with Paul Maholm, according toJenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Pittsburgh has a $9.75MM 2012 option for Maholm, who has said he'd like to remain with the Pirates long-term. 
  • The Brewers have had internal discussions about Clint Barmes of the Astros, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
  • The Brewers expressed interest in Jeff Keppinger before the Astros sent the infielder to San Francisco, according to Crasnick (on Twitter). Milwaukee continues looking for help on the left side of the infield.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin made the first major trade of the summer, acquiring Francisco Rodriguez from the Mets, but he says there’s "not much happening right now," according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). 
  • GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the Reds are “definitely” buyers. “We’re looking to upgrade any area,” Jocketty said. For more detail on the Reds’ needs, check Tim Dierkes' analysis from yesterday.

Pirates Mulling Breslow, Willingham

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2:29pm: The Pirates and A's aren't discussing a package deal involving Willingham at this point, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The two clubs have discussed relief pitching.

12:18pm: The Pirates are mulling a possible trade with the Athletics for lefty Craig Breslow and outfielder Josh Willingham, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.  Biertempfel believes Garrett Jones would probably be part of the package going to Oakland in such a deal.

The Pirates have a need for left-handed relief, while Willingham would serve as a useful right-handed bat in right field.  The 32-year-old is hitting .244/.321/.434 on the season, but must prove he's past an Achilles injury.

The Pirates are enjoying increased financial flexiblity due to improved attendance, president Frank Coonelly told ESPN's Buster Olney.  Coonelly also mentioned that he envisions GM Neal Huntington remaining at the helm "for a long time."

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