Pirates Talk Extensions With Sanchez & Wilson
It looked like the Pirates might trade Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson away this month, but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the team wants to keep its double play combination together for years. The Pirates approached Sanchez and Wilson, who are close friends, about extending their current deals.
It appears unlikely that one of the two would sign an extension without the other. The timeline for the deals is short, since the Pirates will need time to shop the pair if they don't extend them.
Both players sound excited about deals that would keep them in Pittsburgh for years. Wilson's current contract guarantees him $7.4MM this season, and the Pirates have the option of paying him more next year or buying him out for $600k. Wilson, 31, said he's open to taking a paycut.
Sanchez will likely see his $8MM option vest next year, but he's open to restructuring it.
GM Neal Huntington says he's not looking to trade all his players, but is "more open" to dealing impending free agents. He doesn't mention John Grabow and Adam LaRoche by name, but both are set to become free agents after the season. The Pirates are discussing Ian Snell with other teams.
Odds And Ends: Vinicio, Sano, Mets
More links for the afternoon…
- The Red Sox had this deal set up before July 2nd and now it's finalized. They signed Dominican SS Jose Vinicio to a $1.95MM deal, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
- Roy Halladay leads the league in pitcher abuse points, as Tim shows at RotoAuthority. Click on the link for the entire list of hard-working starters.
- ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. says Miguel Angel Sano wants to sign with the Pirates, but his agent wants him to take the biggest offer.
- Newsday's David Lennon reports that Fernando Martinez had surgery and will miss 6-8 weeks.
- In spite of all the injuries the Mets have suffered, Cameron Smith of the Washington Post isn't sure a second-place finish will be enough to save Omar Minaya's job. Minaya's three-year $4.5MM extension kicks in next season.
Odds And Ends: Zito, Red Sox, Pedro
Some links for the morning…
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the Giants have to think about releasing Barry Zito after the season because he's weighing them down.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer says the Giants can't afford to release Zito just yet.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe says the Red Sox could use another lefty specialist in the 'pen.
- Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pirates are confident Miguel Angel Sano is a 16 years old, like he says.
- Jamey Newberg updates us on the top 20 Rangers prospects at MLB.com. You have to think the Blue Jays are looking at a version of this list.
- Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle says no one will be watching Matt Holliday more closely than the Giants.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if Pedro Martinez can have a David Cone-like late career renaissance in Philadelphia.
- And check out the final part of my discussion over at NESN.com for a look at the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays and an under-the-radar trade candidate.
Odds And Ends: Strasburg, Huff, Pedro
Some links to read through this afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says the Nats "absolutely, positively must sign" Stephen Strasburg this summer. The Strasburg saga is just one of Crasnick's nine stories to watch in the second half.
- Stan McNeal of the Sporting News says a fringe prospect should be enough for the O's to ship Aubrey Huff and his $8MM salary away.
- Pedro Martinez said he was pitching hurt with the Mets, but feels better now, according to the AP (via ESPN).
- Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues says the Yankees would have to be prepared to give up a painful amount in a possible Roy Halladay deal.
- Pirates reliever Tyler Yates had Tommy John surgery, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Check out my thoughts on the market for outfielders this offseason at NESN.com. Evans Clinchy of NESN.com believes it's now time for the Red Sox to lock Jason Bay up.
Odds And Ends: Sano, Gonzalez, Royals
Here's some more reading material for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney runs through his first half surprises, including Ben Zobrist and the Tigers. He also says Roy Halladay and the Phillies are a perfect fit.
- As Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Miguel Angel Sano's future is still up in the air. The Orioles and Pirates and the favorites to sign the Dominican shortstop, but the Twins, Rangers and a couple other teams could still be interested.
- Adrian Gonzalez told WEEI.com's Alex Speier that winning matters most of all to him. Gonzalez is one of the players Speier looks at as potential fits in Boston, along with Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez.
- Here, Speier says Tim Wakefield has been one of the best bargains in baseball since 2002.
- Cameron Smith of the Washington Post says B.J. Ryan could be a nice addition for the Cubs.
- Dave Sheinin of the Post reports that Bud Selig said the Nats are "on the right track."
- Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says Royals GM Dayton Moore needs a better grasp of the game's statistical side.
Odds And Ends: Pirates, K-Rod, Jackson
Some links to peruse in between home runs…
- Here are the latest minor league transactions from Baseball America.
- CBS Sports reports that Indian pitcher Rinku Singh picked up his first win as a pro. Check out Dejan Kovacevic's article on Singh's team, the Bradenton Pirates, which has players from five continents on its roster.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has a source who believes a Roy Halladay deal is more likely in the winter. It's hard to imagine Halladay's value being much higher than it is now.
- Francisco Rodriguez told Kevin Baxter of the LA Times that he enjoys baseball less than he did growing up, but realizes it's a business.
- Edwin Jackson isn't bitter about his Tampa Bay Rays tenure, according to Kevin Baxter of the LA Times.
- The AP (via the Miami Herald) reports that a number of agents are pressing the Players' association to file a collusion grievance against teams.
- John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com revisits a deal that would have sent Paul Maholm to Toronto for Alex Rios in 2005 and wonders if the Pirates and Jays could make the same deal work today.
- Click here to listen to my chat with Justin Hull on 1570 The Score this afternoon.
Freddy Sanchez Rumors: Monday
The Pirates are not close to dealing Freddy Sanchez, and no deal has ever been imminent, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Teams have approached the Pirates about Sanchez, but the Pirates aren't "pushing hard" to trade him, as it appeared last week.
Meanwhile, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says he keeps hearing a version of a possible Freddy Sanchez deal that would also send Zach Duke to the Giants. Schulman says the Giants could look to add pitching, as Randy Johnson, Ryan Sadowski and even Jonathan Sanchez are not sure things for a variety of reasons.
Odds & Ends: Church, Yuniesky, Pirates
A few links for the afternoon as the All-Star Break approaches:
- Ryan Church has no animosity or hard feelings towards the Mets organization. He says that he's appreciative of Omar Minaya and everything that he has done for Church over his career. He's also excited to be playing with Chipper Jones. Says Church:
"I grew up in the '90s as a big Braves fan. I'll never tell him, but he was my favorite player," he said. "It's cool now to be playing with him."
- Joe Posnanski continues to lament the recent acquisition of Yuniesky Betancourt by the Royals, stating that either the numbers are right, or the Royals are right. Posnanski's bet seems to be on the numbers.
- MLB.com's Jen Langosch has some notes on the Pirates, including an update on Ian Snell who allowed one run on seven hits through six innings in his most recent Triple-A start. That outing lowers Snell's ERA to 0.45 since being demoted. We've heard Snell's names in trade rumors this year, and he appears to be taking some strides toward re-establishing his value. Langosch also mentions the two international signings that Mike wrote about here yesterday, and I feel obligated to give my vote to Dovydas Neverauskas for having the coolest name in baseball.
Renck’s Latest: Freddy Sanchez, Giants, Rockies
Troy E. Renck has some thoughts on why it doesn't make sense for the Rockies to acquire Roy Halladay if they can't afford to retain his services beyond 2010. In the same piece, he has a few more footnotes:
- Freddy Sanchez will be traded. The Giants could land him for Jonathan Sanchez and a prospect.
- The Giants are "lukewarm" on Matt Holliday but like Jermaine Dye. Brian Sabean recently defused rumors involving Dye.
- If Garrett Atkins is traded, Seth Smith could become Todd Helton's backup at first base. He's been taking throws in batting practice. Renck feels Smith needs to get more at bats if the Rockies want to make the playoffs. Smith is hitting .295 with 1.04 BB/K and an impressive .902 OPS in 70 games.
Freddy Sanchez Rumors: Saturday
Yesterday we learned that the Pirates are "pushing hard" to trade All Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez before this year's trade deadline, but nothing appears imminent right now. Here's the latest roundup of Sanchez rumors courtesy of Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports.
- Kovacevic says the Mariners and Twins remain interested in Sanchez.
- The Rockies' interest has cooled off of late, and they're now focused on acquiring bullpen help.
- Biertempfel adds a new team to the mix: Tampa Bay.
- Edes reports that a NL Central team is involved, and speculates that it could be the Cubs.
- Sanchez's $8MM vesting option based on plate appearances is an obstacle in any trade.