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Random Rumors: Erstad, Gagne, Podsednik

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Here’s a smattering of random rumors.

  • The Twins have tried and failed to acquire Mike Piazza, Jermaine Dye, and Kevin Mench.  Instead of Dye, the White Sox offered up 33 year-old outfielder Darin Erstad, he of the .671 OPS. The Twins passed.
  • Eric Gagne will apparently earn Type A status as a free agent, despite pitching only two innings in 2006.  Rob Bradford has the details.  This was apparently a big factor for the Red Sox in making the deal.
  • The Chicago Sun-Times debunks a rumor that the Cubs are trying to trade for Scott Podsednik.  How come I wasn’t told about this rumor previously?  Who started it?  I feel left out. 
  • The Pirates and Tigers are still talking about Jack Wilson.  Apparently the deadline version of the deal died when the Bucs asked for Craig Monroe.  Really?  The deal died over that guy?
  • Gordon Edes has a Major League source indicating that the Orioles are "the kind of team that might have interest" in Wily Mo Pena.  That’s not the same as saying that they do have interest, however.

Jack Wilson Will Waive No-Trade Clause

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Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson has a six-team limited no-trade clause, but he recently let the team know that he’ll waive it for any deal.  Apparently he just wants out of Pittsburgh. Dejan Kovacevic isn’t sure if the team has placed him on waivers yet.  But I’m sure they will and he should get through unclaimed.  As far as I’ve read, almost every player in baseball is put on waivers in August just to mask those that the team is actually trying to trade.  There’s no risk to this because you can pull a player back if he’s claimed.

Kovacevic says talks with the Tigers about Wilson are still ongoing.  Bucco Blog had heard that Jair Jurrjens and Brent Clevlen were involved also.

Jack Wilson May Still Be Dealt

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported yesterday that the Tigers and Pirates continue to discuss shortstop Jack Wilson.  Passing Wilson through waivers shouldn’t be a problem; no team would want his entire contract dumped on them.  Kovacevic describes the current state of the deal:

"One source intimately familiar with the matter said that a deal was virtually done Tuesday and that the Pirates would receive two of Detroit’s top six prospects, including an unnamed pitcher ready to join the major-league staff. But the sides haggled on how much of Wilson’s contract the Pirates would pick up, the source added, and the delay was on."

Kovacevic’s report doesn’t mention it, but there has to be more going to Detroit than just Wilson.  Probably one of the Pirates’ relievers, a group that was oddly retained at the deadline.  Such an addition might compel the Tigers to take on most or all  of Wilson’s contract.  But who are the two prospects?  Bucco Blog believes they’re starter Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Brent Clevlen, and Jake provides a scout’s take.  Jake is not a fan of such a trade.

Personally I think Jurrjens would be a fantastic return on Wilson if he becomes a #3-4 starter one day.  Clevlen seems a long shot to me to realize his potential.  The two prospects might not become Pirates until after the season, as they might not pass through waivers.

Pirates Acquire Matt Morris For Rajai Davis, PTBNL

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UPDATE: This was a pure salary dump – the Bucs are paying the entire contract.  Why, Dave?  Why?  Props to Sabean, but on June 1st he might’ve gotten a good prospect plus the same salary relief. 

The Pirates have acquired Matt Morris from the Giants for outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named later.  I’m guessing they just wanted salary relief, because Davis isn’t much more than a speedy reserve outfielder.  Brian Sabean made this deal about a month and a half too late.  Morris had a 2.56 ERA in June 11th.

The Pirates seem to be trying that strategy that didn’t work for Allard Baird – third-division club acquires third-division overpriced veterans to give the appearance of respectability.  Maybe a few years from now they’ll catch on to the Dayton Moore model.

Tigers Could Acquire Jack Wilson

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UPDATE: My source may have jumped the gun here, because talks are still ongoing.

UPDATE: An insider tells me Wilson has indeed just been traded, though he could not confirm the recipient or any details yet.

According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson may be traded to the Tigers today.  Wilson and his agent were getting phone calls about possible deals all day yesterday, making a trade seem likely.

The Tigers wouldn’t assume all of the $16.3MM Wilson still has coming to him through the 2009 season.  But they might eat a larger portion of it if the Pirates throw in one of their relievers – Shawn Chacon, Damaso Marte, or Salomon Torres. 

The plan: use Wilson as a middle infield defensive replacement this year and make him the starting shortstop next year, moving Carlos Guillen to first base. 

Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press adds that Wilson has a limited no-trade clause, but would probably wave it to finally player for a winner.  Wilson can only block trades to six teams anyway; not sure if the Tigers are one of them.

Healey’s Latest: Wilkerson, Marte

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Gotham Baseball’s Mark Healey has a new post up with some good trade rumors:

  • The Mets are talking to the Rangers about Brad Wilkerson, not Eric Gagne.  This makes sense, as Wilkerson has hit lefties well this year and can play right field.
  • The Mets are also talking to the Reds; could’ve been about Ken Griffey Jr. or David Weathers.  From what we’ve heard, though, Weathers is not available.  And would Junior approve a trade to the Mets?  He vetoed a trade there once before.
  • The Pirates want Alan Horne from the Yankees for Damaso Marte.  Given that Brian Cashman didn’t seem to want to give him up for Gagne, I don’t see this happening.
  • The Orioles are shopping Chad Bradford, but the Yankees aren’t allowed in the store.

Mets Hunting For Reliever, Second Baseman

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Pretty much the same old story with the Mets, though Joel Sherman and Mark Hale of the New York Post do have some new tidbits.

  • The authors name Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, and Eric Gagne as relievers on the radar.  However it seems the asking price is too high for Gagne and the Indians have become the frontrunner for Dotel (they may have passed the Dodgers).  Shawn Chacon doesn’t catch the Mets’ eye, and they don’t want Chad Bradford’s three-year commitment.  They had that option with Bradford this winter.  I think that logic is silly – Bradford’s pitched well this year, and acquiring him now would be akin to a two-year contract.  Sometimes it seems GMs pass over certain players because they simply want to add a fresh name.
  • You can add Al Reyes to the mix for the Mets, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
  • The Mets think many of the available starting pitchers could be traded in August – Jose Contreras, Kyle Lohse, and Steve Trachsel for example.  I don’t agree on Lohse – he’ll be traded today or tomorrow.  But Contreras’s contract would probably get through waivers without a claim.
  • The Post reports no substantive talks to the Royals about Mark Grudzielanek.  An inquiry has been made on Mark Loretta. 
  • Meanwhile, Newsday says the Twins are open to trading Luis Castillo but don’t want any of the current Major League Mets.  Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger seems to disagree, citing a Twins scout at Shea yesterday.  Graziano does not believe Castillo would get through waivers unclaimed.  He believes the Twins want Double A starter Kevin Mulvey and then some (perhaps Ruben Gotay).
  • Graziano says a deal for Castillo could be expanded to include 28 year-old righty reliever Juan Rincon.  Rincon had been consistently solid for three years (perhaps aided by steroids) but has seen his strikeout rate and overall performance plummet in 2007.  Rincon is under control next year and will make at least $2MM again.
  • Graziano notes that the Mets have talked to the A’s about Joe Blanton, but Billy Beane wants Lastings Milledge.  The Mets can’t do that without damaging the current team.  The Mets could actually add an outfielder in Jay Payton; the Cubs’ interest has waned.  The Sammy Sosa rumor also has some legs, as the Mets could bring him in to platoon with Shawn Green if they decide they can tolerate the sideshow.

Latest Mets Rumors: Luis Castillo, Chad Cordero

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Let’s have a look at the latest rumors swirling around the Mets.

Pirates Trade Rumors

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Time for a Pirates roundup.  They deserve some love here at MLBTradeRumors.

  • Dejan Kovacevic reports that Salomon Torres’s grievance against the Pirates may prevent the team from trading him.  On the off chance he wins the grievance, he would become a free agent and the acquiring team would be screwed.  While that scenario is unlikely, it does look like this thing needs to be resolved before any deal is made.  I imagine that if some team wanted him badly all the involved parties could figure something out.
  • The Bucs owe Shawn Chacon a phone call on whether they’re open to negotiating a contract extension with him.  Their lack of action speaks volumes; even Dave Littlefield isn’t going to sign Chacon for multiple years at $4MM+ per.  Chacon has managed to subdue righties this year and increase his strikeout rate significantly.  He’s still got lousy control though.  He’s a trade candidate but shouldn’t bring much.
  • On the other hand, Damaso Marte is known to be available.  He’d be helpful as a lefty-killer.  For Marte, Chacon, or Torres, the Pirates want a Major Leaguer of some sort (according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman).  Bowman says the Braves would get in on Marte if Littlefield would drop the price. 

Molony On Jennings, Slowey

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Jim Molony’s column today at MLB.com has many good trade rumors that I haven’t seen elsewhere.  Let’s discuss.

  • Molony says at least a dozen scouts watched Jason Jennings toss a quality start last night.  He needed it; I was beginning to think he wasn’t right.  Still, the performance probably isn’t enough to cause some team to offer a package for Jennings superior to two draft picks.
  • The Diamondbacks and Pirates had a scouting presence at the Astros-Dodgers game.  Interesting players appearing in the contest included James Loney, Andre Ethier, Wilson Betemit, Mark Loretta, Morgan Ensberg, Jason Lane, Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, and Brad Lidge. You connect the dots, I have no idea.
  • The Red Sox suggested sending Joel Pineiro to the A’s for Bobby Kielty in a swap of unwanteds; they were rebuffed.
  • The Phillies and Braves watched Matt Morris allow four runs in six innings on Tuesday.  They also may have been monitoring Steve Kline, who also pitched.
  • A Devil Rays scout watched the Twins in Toronto on Tuesday.  Ty Wigginton is thought to be a target for Minnesota.  Perhaps the Rays’ scout fancied Scott Baker, who started for the Twins and went seven innings.  Baker would be a stupendous return for Wiggy, in my opinion.
  • The Phillies had their assistant GM scouting Kevin Slowey’s start on Saturday.  Molony suggests Minnesota might want Pat Burrell.  That would involve a ridiculous amount of salary relief and a lack of Slowey.  Slowey allowed one run in six innings in the game.
  • UPDATE: Just realized that the above pair of bullets seem to have originated from La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  The scout watching the Twins on Tuesday was Lee Elia.  Not sure why Molony didn’t cite this source, but I suppose he may have come across the info independently.
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