Pirates Acquire Chris Snyder In Five-Player Deal
Diamondbacks interim GM Jerry Dipoto further dismantled his team today, sending catcher Chris Snyder, Triple A shortstop Pedro Ciriaco, and $3MM to the Pirates for reliever D.J. Carrasco, infielder Bobby Crosby, and outfielder Ryan Church. Snyder has about $8.18MM remaining through 2011, assuming his '12 option is declined, while Carrasco, Crosby and Church have roughly $1.2MM remaining.
Snyder signed his extension under previous GM Josh Byrnes in December of '08, coming off a fine .237/.348/.452 performance. However, he hit the disabled list in June of last year with a back injury and had surgery in September. Miguel Montero took over as the starter and hit .319/.364/.523 the rest of that season. The D'Backs shopped Snyder in the offseason and nearly dealt him to the Blue Jays until concerns over his back scuttled the deal. Snyder was able to prove his health this year when Montero missed two months due to knee surgery. Current Pirate Ryan Doumit, whose contract might have been the model for Snyder's, is on the disabled list due to a concussion.
Carrasco, Crosby, and Church were signed cheaply as free agents by the Pirates last winter, but only Carrasco has panned out. On the season he has a 3.88 ERA, 7.3 K/9, and 3.6 BB/9 in 55.6 innings with only four home runs allowed. Carrasco probably will be tendered a contract by the D'Backs, and he's under team control through 2012. Church is technically arbitration-eligible after the season, but he's highly likely to be non-tendered.
Ciriaco, 24, ranked 27th among D'Backs prospects heading into the season according to Baseball America. They praised him for his defense and speed, suggesting a possible utilityman future.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first broke news of the trade talks, with Nick Piecoro, Jack Magruder, Steve Gilbert, Dejan Kovacevic, and Jenifer Langosch also contributing to the story.
Multiple Teams Discussing Paul Maholm
SATURDAY, 1:44am: In a deal for Maholm, the Pirates want a starting pitcher who is ready to contribute, two high-ranking team sources told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
FRIDAY, 8:23pm: The Dodgers and Pirates aren't necessarily close to a Maholm deal, but the sides believe there's a genuine possibility that a trade happens, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
4:19pm: The Padres are not close to acquiring Maholm, according to Kovacevic (Twitter link).
3:46pm: The Dodgers and Padres are not the only clubs discussing deals with the Pirates, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The Mets appear to be involved in discussions for Maholm, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
3:12pm: The two teams look close to a deal, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown (on Twitter).
3:10pm: The Padres are discussing Maholm with the Pirates, according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
2:59: The Pirates are "close" to trading Maholm, according to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (on Twitter). However, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse hears that the Padres are not discussing a deal for Maholm (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Padres are making progress on a Maholm deal (Twitter link).
2:36pm: The Padres are discussing Maholm with the Pirates, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
1:29pm: The Pirates are willing to trade a starting pitcher for the right price, GM Neal Huntington told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Huntington referred to starters close to free agency, which implies Paul Maholm or Zach Duke.
Kovacevic figures Maholm to be more popular than Duke, since the latter spent time on the DL this year with an elbow strain. Maholm is signed reasonably through next year with a club option for 2012, making him appealing to the Dodgers. The Mets, Cardinals, Padres, Twins, and Tigers may also be in the hunt for a starter.
Dodgers, Cubs Discussing Ted Lilly Deal
12:29am: The Cubs are sitting on multiple proposals for Lilly, tweets Rosenthal. The Dodgers are in the mix, but the two sides are still apart on money and players. He adds that the Dodgers find themselves in a similar position with the Pirates' Paul Maholm.
11:49pm: It's unlikely that the two sides get a deal done tonight, but talks are moving in a "positive" direction, a source tells Jayson Stark of ESPN (via Twitter).
10:53pm: The Dodgers and Cubs are closing in on a deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
10:37pm: The Cubs are discussing two possible scenarios with the Dodgers, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Tony Jackson. One would send Lilly to LA and the other would send Lilly to LA along with teammate Ryan Theriot. FOX Sports reported early this morning that the Dodgers could acquire Theriot. ESPN.com's Jayson Stark confirms that the Yankees are in on Lilly and notes that they also inquired on Theriot (Twitter link).
10:21pm: The Cubs continue discussing Lilly with the Yankees and Dodgers, according to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (Twitter link).
9:49pm: The only thing preventing the Cubs from sending Lilly to the Dodgers is money, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (via Twitter). The clubs can't agree on how much money the Cubs would take on, but it could be enough to prevent a deal from happening.
8:59pm: The Yankees are still in on Lilly, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The Padres had discussions about Lilly, but nothing is imminent, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (Twitter link).
8:24pm: The Dodgers remain active on Lilly and seem intent on acquiring him or Pirates lefty Paul Maholm, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Click here for the latest on Maholm.
3:18pm: The Reds have a "remote" chance of obtaining Lilly, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The clubs haven't spoken in recent days, but the Reds are not on Lilly's no-trade list.
2:10pm: The Tigers still aren't out on Lilly, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. He adds that a mystery team is in the mix. Hard to pin down a reasonable match, with the Padres not interested.
Rosenthal tweets that the Dodgers are more inclined to get Lilly without Theriot.
2:05pm: The Dodgers are talking to the Cubs about a multiplayer deal that would include Lilly and a position player, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. Hernandez does not believe Theriot would be the position player. By the way, Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse tweets that the Padres are not a fit for Lilly.
11:58am: The Dodgers are waiting for Lilly's cost to come down, tweets Yahoo's Tim Brown. He notes that they're also monitoring Paul Maholm and Jason Frasor. The Pirates are willing to move a starting pitcher for the right price, GM Neal Huntington told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
7:10am: The Dodgers and Cubs are discussing a trade that could send Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to Los Angeles, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. They say it's not known whether a deal is close. The Cubs would need to kick in cash – Lilly has $4.3MM remaining and Theriot has $933K.
Theriot received a $2.6MM salary for 2010 after losing an arbitration case to the Cubs in February. He's under team control through 2012; the FOX writers see him taking over at second base for the Dodgers. It doesn't seem to be the strongest need for them, with Blake DeWitt currently outperforming Theriot and Jamey Carroll and Ronnie Belliard also on the roster.
There aren't a ton of great matches for Lilly at this point, as action with the Tigers, Twins, and Mets has cooled and the Phillies are out of the mix. I wonder if we'll hear anything about the Cardinals and Padres looking at the lefty.
Pirates, D’Backs Agree On Chris Snyder Trade
10:43am: The minor leaguer going to the Pirates will be shortstop Pedro Ciriaco, tweets Kovacevic. Baseball America ranked Ciriaco 27th among D'Backs prospects heading into the season, praising his defense and speed.
9:55am: The Pirates will also receive a minor leaguer in the deal, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. So it's Snyder, a minor leaguer, and cash to the Pirates for Carrasco, Church, and Crosby. The Pirates will not flip Snyder, tweets Kovacevic.
9:42am: The D'Backs will also get reliever D.J. Carrasco, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Carrasco has $336K plus incentives left on his contract this year, and he's under team control through 2012. He should be a useful piece in what figures to be a revamped bullpen for Arizona next year.
9:31am: The D'Backs will receive Bobby Crosby and Ryan Church in the deal, tweets Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona. This explains the call-ups today of Argenis Diaz and Jeff Clement, to some extent. The inclusion of Crosby and Church offsets about $883K of the $8.18MM still owed to Snyder.
8:56am: Despite an agreement in principle, the two sides are still talking about names going to Arizona, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spoke to an uninvolved industry source who wonders if the Pirates might flip Snyder.
SATURDAY, 12:37am: The only thing standing in the way of a Snyder-to-Pittsburgh deal is the commissioner's approval for cash changing hands, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. It is still not clear as to what Arizona will receive in return, he adds (via Twitter).
FRIDAY, 8:57pm: The Pirates have spoken to the D’Backs about a trade that would send catcher Chris Snyder to Pittsburgh, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The FOX Sports writers suggest Arizona would likely send money to Pittsburgh in any deal. Snyder has $1.7MM remaining on his contract in 2010, plus $5.75MM next year and either $6.75MM or a $750K buyout in 2012.
The Pirates currently have Jason Jaramillo and Erik Kratz on the active roster, but Ryan Doumit is on the DL with a concussion. Like Snyder, Doumit has a lot of money coming his way. He'll earn $5.1MM in 2011 and the club holds options for 2012-13.
Earlier in the week, Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that the D'Backs were trying to trade Snyder, but this is the first we've heard of the Pirates' interest.
Odds & Ends: Lowell, Perez, Zambrano, Ross
Links for Friday, with less than 24 hours before the deadline…
- The Pirates acquired minor league outfielder Mitch Jones from the Braves, according to MLB.com's transactions page. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves obtained cash in return (Twitter link).
- The Rangers are the only team that has slight interest in Mike Lowell, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
- The Mets shopped Oliver Perez today, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
- The Cubs are resigned to the fact that if they want to trade Carlos Zambrano, it will have to happen in the winter, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports will believe that Cody Ross is unavailable once the deadline passes tomorrow. Until then he's a skeptic (Twitter link).
- Teams like Joe Beimel, but are only offering the Rockies non-prospects, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies are shopping Randy Flores.
- GM Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that the Brewers look for "plus" fastball velocity, quality breaking pitches, solid arm action and delivery and height in the pitchers they pursue.
- The Rangers are talking to rival teams to determine if there's interest in Rich Harden or Scott Feldman, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- The Astros wanted Chad Billingsley in exchange for Roy Oswalt, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (Twitter link). The Dodgers countered with a four-prospect offer, but the Astros preferred the Phils' offer.
- The Royals aren't making much progress on deals, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (Twitter link).
- I answered questions from Neil Keefe and broke down the trade deadline in detail at WFAN.com.
Twitter Rumors: Lowell, Ross, Dotel, Heilman
A home for today's random Twitter rumors…
- The Red Sox might not activate Mike Lowell today because they're trying to trade him, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The Marlins are getting tons of calls on Cody Ross but aren't inclined to move him, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Marlins are wavering on their stance not to deal Ross, and the Braves are making a push.
- The Sox made a run at the Cubs' Sean Marshall and were shot down, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. Marshall is having a dominant year out of the Cubs' pen.
- Though the Giants have inquired on Orioles lefty Will Ohman, a deal is unlikely according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Action has been light on Octavio Dotel so far, tweets Morosi.
- The Diamondbacks aren't sure about trading Aaron Heilman, reports Ken Rosenthal, but could move Chad Qualls and Adam LaRoche. SI's Jon Heyman says the D'Backs have gotten nibbles on Qualls but nothing is close yet.
- The Indians are getting "significant hits" on Jake Westbrook, says ESPN's Buster Olney. The Cardinals and Yankees have checked in, reports Stark.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Berkman, Dunn, Dodgers
On this date two years ago, Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 3,000th career hit with a first inning single against the Rangers. The hit was his 1,722nd in the big leagues, which came after he racked up 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan's Pacific League. Including the postseason, the 36-year-old Ichiro has 3,456 career base hits to his credit, a staggering number no matter how you look at it.
Here is the latest from around the baseball blogosphere, a day before the non-waiver trade deadline…
- Phoul Ballz spoke to Lakewood Blue Claws manager Mark Parent about Jonathan Villar's inclusion in the Roy Oswalt deal. Parent managed Villar this season.
- Pale Hose Pariah looks at the trade value of Lance Berkman and Brad Hawpe.
- River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yankees swing a trade for Berkman to be the team's designated hitter.
- 1 Blue Jays Way breaks down to the Anthony Gose–Brett Wallace swap.
- The Process Report tackles the Adam Dunn to the Rays rumor.
- Meanwhile, SD Sports Net wants to see the Padres trade for Dunn.
- Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness explains why the Dodgers shouldn't add a starter before the deadline.
- Pittsburgh Lumber Co. calculates Paul Maholm's trade value.
- Scouting The Sally compares the trade value of top prospects Jesus Montero and Wilmer Flores.
- Blogging From The Bleachers breaks down the various Cliff Lee hauls.
- Bleacher GM steps into Dave Dombrowski's shoes for a little while.
- More Hardball looks back at some terrible trades from the 1990's.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.
Pirates Release Brendan Donnelly
THURSDAY: The Pirates have released Donnelly, tweets MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Perhaps he'll finish strong with a new club, as he did last year.
SUNDAY: The Pirates have designated veteran reliever Brendan Donnelly for assignment, according to the team's official Twitter feed.
Donnelly, 38, signed a one-year deal worth $1.35MM back in January following a strong 2009 with the Marlins. The right-hander struggled tremendously in Pittsburgh, with a 5.58 ERA and nearly as many walks (25) as strikeouts (26) through 30.2 innings of work.
Opponents did hit just .234 against him, but the walks, in combination with allowing six home runs, were what did him in.
Odds & Ends: Joba, Orioles, White Sox, Mets
Big names have traditionally been traded on July 29th, including Cliff Lee and Mark Teixeira in recent years. Perhaps today we'll add Roy Oswalt to the list. Links for Thursday with about 51 hours until the deadline…
- The Tigers have designated Jeff Larish for assignment, according to the team.
- I discussed the Mets and Yankees with SNY's Ted Berg earlier today.
- The Yankees were open to building a Dan Haren deal around Joba Chamberlain, Ivan Nova, and two prospects, reports Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse.
- The Orioles may be concerned about making their team even worse by trading veterans, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press analyzes Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos based on his major trades so far.
- The White Sox and Mets were on hand to watch the Blue Jays beat the Orioles last night, tweets Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Trade bait on the field for Toronto: Jose Bautista, Lyle Overbay, John Buck, Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg.
- The Mets think they can trade Jeff Francoeur in August after he clears waivers, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The problem with that, in my opinion: he doesn't offer much for a contender, and other teams may not care to acquire a guy who's certain to hit the free agent market as a non-tender.
- The Rays' two biggest trade targets were Jayson Werth and David DeJesus, who are now off the board. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains that Adam Dunn and Prince Fielder don't hold the same appeal to Andrew Friedman and company.
- Pirates reliever D.J. Carrasco would welcome a trade to a contender, based on comments made to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Carrasco's cheap and under team control through 2012, though keep in mind the White Sox non-tendered him in December coming off a similarly decent year.
- The Braves acquired second baseman Michael Noboa from the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later or cash, MLBTR has learned.
Stark On Phillies, Indians, Ross, Athletics
Today's rumblings from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- Shane Victorino's oblique injury yesterday appears to close the door on a Jayson Werth trade. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki seems to agree, but unlike Stark he feels that the Phils "remain a top contender" for Roy Oswalt. More on Oswalt here.
- Stark writes of indications the Phillies have turned to starters such as Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona and relief options like Octavio Dotel. Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that the Indians are talking trades with the Phils (Twitter link).
- Speaking of the Indians, Stark senses they do want to move money off the books.
- The Marlins have told teams they could deal Cody Ross in August if they fall out of contention, but they'd have to match up only with the team that wins the claim.
- The Braves maintain strong interest in Josh Willingham, though there's a good chance they stand pat. Willingham is just one of many Nationals veterans generating interest, GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN 980.
- Athletics assistant GM David Forst told Stark "it would have to be an over-the-top deal for us to even consider it" in regard to trading relievers such as Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, and Brad Ziegler.