Olney On Dunn, Blue Jays, Uggla, Hart, Cardinals
As the rumors keep swirling around Adam Dunn, ESPN.com's Buster Olney says he believes the Nationals should consider locking the slugger up if they can do so for $44-48MM. That seems like a lot, but Dunn, who hit three homers last night, is as consistent as it gets and home run hitters are harder to find these days. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- Rival teams wouldn’t be surprised to see the Blue Jays become one of the more aggressive sellers this summer. They could offer relievers, like Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor and Scott Downs, plus All-Star catcher John Buck and MLB home run leader Jose Bautista.
- Olney’s sources say the Marlins and Rockies would match up well for a Dan Uggla deal if the Marlins fall from contention.
- The Brewers and Giants started talking about a Corey Hart trade last week. The Brewers will likely demand a lot for Hart, but it appears that talks have already begun.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says the team will explore starting pitching options, but could add a bat. "I just don't know if I can do both," Mozeliak said.
Rosenthal On D’Backs, Dunn, Blue Jays, Morgan
In his latest column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that it's unlikely the Diamondbacks make a huge splash before the trade deadline. With interim GM Jerry DiPoto not expected to hold the position past this season, Rosenthal is skeptical that the D'Backs would give him the reins to blow up the roster. Although Arizona could trade potential free agents like Adam LaRoche, Chad Qualls, and Aaron Heilman, Rosenthal thinks the team probably won't move Dan Haren, Kelly Johnson, or Stephen Drew. Here are a few other notes from the piece:
- According to a rival club offical, the Nationals were asking the White Sox for either Gordon Beckham or Carlos Quentin in exchange for Adam Dunn.
- If the Blue Jays don't receive satisfactory offers for their free-agents-to-be, the club may take the same approach they did last year, when the departures of Marco Scutaro and Rod Barajas earned them draft picks. Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, and John Buck all project to be Type As or Bs, and could potentially net the Jays multiple 2011 compensation picks.
- When teams call the Jays to talk trades, Toronto's young starting rotation is the most frequent topic of conversation.
- Some members of the Nationals organization wouldn't mind trading Nyjer Morgan to open up center field for Roger Bernadina.
- Within seven to ten days, the Marlins should make a decision on whether or not to be sellers.
- If Buck Showalter lands the Baltimore managerial job, former Orioles such as Bill Ripken and B.J. Surhoff would be candidates to join his staff.
Rays Seek Impact Bats
The Rays are looking for impact bats and have inquired on Josh Willingham and Adam Dunn, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. The Rays, who can spend this summer, aren’t looking for offense at a particular position, since the versatile Ben Zobrist can play just about anywhere.
Dunn is drawing interest from the White Sox, but would fit well on the Rays, who don’t have a traditional DH now that they have cut Pat Burrell and Hank Blalock. I suggested yesterday that Dunn would be a fit for the Rays, perhaps in a trade for center fielder B.J. Upton.
The Rays would listen to offers for Upton, but are telling rival clubs that they have no interest in “selling low” on the 25-year-old. The Mariners and Braves are believed by Stark to have checked in on Upton.
White Sox “All Over” Adam Dunn
One MLB executive told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the White Sox are "all over Adam Dunn" (Twitter links). Late last month, reports indicated that the White Sox and Angels were interested in Dunn, who earns $12MM this year and now has 17 homers and a .904 OPS. The Angels are without a prototypical first baseman and center fielder Torii Hunter would like to see the Angels acquire a big-time bat like Dunn. The White Sox, who have relied on Mark Kotsay to DH, could also use a power bat.
GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN Radio that it would be "very painful" for the Nationals to give up their slugging first baseman and said it would be "very painful" for the acquiring team, too. Presumably that means the Nationals will be looking for top prospects in any trade. If the Nationals hold onto Dunn and he maintains his status as a Type A free agent, they will have the chance to obtain top prospects in next year's draft.
Hunter: Angels Could Use Fielder Or Dunn
Torii Hunter has never been one to be shy in the media. According to a tweet from FOX Sports' Jim Bowden, Hunter recently opined that his Angels could use an addition like sluggers Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn. When asked if he's talked to GM Tony Reagins or manager Mike Scioscia, Hunter wouldn't say, though Bowden believes he has.
The Angels are without first baseman and heart-of-the-order bat Kendry Morales following a bizarre injury suffered when celebrating a walk-off grand slam. Since then, catcher Mike Napoli has seen the lion's share of playing time at first base. As a first baseman, Napoli is hitting .253/.329/.453. Some may say he's held his own, but he's not living up to Morales' .290/.346/.487 line from 2010, and especially not his .306/.355/.569 breakout from 2009.
Fielder, 26, is eligible for free agency following the 2011 season. As we learned in late June, he's not currently discussing an extension with the Brewers, and you have to imagine that as a Scott Boras client, he's going to test the market. Off to a slower start than 2009, Fielder's still hitting .266/.390/.488 with 18 HR. Due to his age and contract status, he's likely tougher to acquire than Dunn. There's also the issue of what to do with Fielder following 2010 when Morales is healthy.
Dunn, 30, is a free agent following 2010 and off to a better start. He's hitting .276/.363/.549 with 17 homers. Finishing up a two-year, $20MM contract, Dunn has just $6MM of the $12MM he's earning remaining on his contract as of today. We learned yesterday that he'd hoped to have an extension worked out by the All-Star Break, but that seems unlikely.
The Angels sit a manageable 4.5 games behind Texas in the AL West, and we've seen them acquire rentals before, as they did with Mark Teixeira in 2008. A deal for either Fielder or Dunn would likely require far more than they dealt in that trade (Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek), but we've heard there's no limitation on their spending this July.
Cafardo On Hart, Farnsworth, Dunn, Guillen
The Red Sox' ability to plug holes in their roster following a slew of injuries can be attributed in large part to Allard Baird, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. After discussing Baird's importance to the Sox and listing his All-Star picks, Cafardo shares a few hot stove items….
- The Giants are "very interested" in Corey Hart, but with Milwaukee not entirely out of the NL Central race, the Brewers haven't yet elected to become sellers.
- Although it's unclear whether or not Boston would have any interest in Kyle Farnsworth, Cafardo thinks he could be an option for the Sox. Farnsworth's strikeout rate is down to 6.8 K/9 this season, but a National League scout opines that the right-hander's stuff is as strong as ever.
- Cafardo speculates that the White Sox would part with a promising prospect or two in exchange for Adam Dunn, and suggests that the Braves, Giants, and Rays could be fits for Jose Guillen.
- After being told by a couple potential suitors that they needed to see him play, Wily Mo Pena is attempting to earn another shot at the bigs by playing in the Atlantic League.
- A friend of D'Backs interim general manager Jerry DiPoto tells Cafardo that he thinks DiPoto may not have total freedom to make moves this month: "I get the feeling the major shots will be called above Jerry. If Jerry gets a chance, he’ll do some interesting things, but we’ll see whether he’ll have some reins on him."
Rosenthal On Padres, Uggla, Blue Jays, Nats
Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Padres are seeking a durable starting pitcher as they approach the deadline. The Padres know that they need a bat but their offense is so weak that they fear a lack of quality starting pitching might derail them faster than a lack of hitting. Durable starters are hard to come by on the trade market, but the Diamondbacks' Edwin Jackson could be a fit.
- The Marlins changed skippers thinking that they were a better team than they've shown, but that hasn't been the case thus far. Unless they rally, the club will end up as sellers. Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, and Ricky Nolasco all hold value. Nolasco's name hasn't come up much, but he could be one of the better starting pitchers on the market. Uggla and his big bat are still sought after, even though his salary could rise to about $10MM in arbitration next season.
- Toronto's Shaun Marcum could still be a trade chip, even after going on the disabled list with inflammation of the right elbow. The club expects him to be back before the All-Star break and if so, he should be one of the better starters available. The Jays could be active sellers as they have several more attractive pieces. Relievers Scott Downs and Jason Frasor are both potential free agents. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Jose Bautista could also get some bites.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Rosenthal that the club is getting interest in five or six players in trade discussion. While Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are getting all the buzz, Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy could be attractive to teams in need of infield help. Matt Capps could be a trade chip as well now that he has recovered from his slump. They control the closer through next season, though they may look to cash in on his value while it is peaking.
Odds & Ends: Dunn, Phillies, Crisp, Molina, Fielder
Saturday linkage..
- Adam Dunn had hoped to hammer out an extension before the All-Star break to avoid trade talk, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Rays' director of scouting in the Dominican Republic believes that Yoel Araujo can develop into a "five-tool type player", writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
- The Phillies initially called up Brian Bocock over Cody Ransom because Ransom was experiencing knee trouble, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Earlier today, the club DFA'd Bocock and promoted Ransom.
- ESPN's Buster Olney speculates that Coco Crisp and the Padres could be a great potential trade match (Twitter links). San Diego tried to sign Crisp this past offseason.
- Bengie Molina didn't find out he was traded to the Rangers until his teammates told him, according to Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle.
- Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News spoke to Barry Zito, who indicated that the team's rift with Prince Fielder following last year's elaborate walk-off homerun celebration wouldn't be an issue if they acquired the slugger. Olney tweets that there has been no recent discussion between the two teams about Fielder.
- Brayan Pena told Jeffrey Flanagan of FSKansasCity.com that he hopes to retire as a Royal.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic spoke to Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick about the dismissal of Josh Byrnes, who said he consulted "respected baseball people" from around the league and heard that the team's farm system is devoid of top-shelf talent.
Olney’s Latest: Sabean, Dunn, Red Sox
ESPN.com's Buster Olney has a new Insider-only blog entry up, so let's dive in and take a look at the highlights….
- One American League general manager says that many of the trades we see this July will look like the Bengie Molina deal, in which the Giants picked up the remaining cost of Molina's salary. "There's going to be a lot of salary relief," the GM predicted.
- Expanding on a point from an earlier column, Olney writes that rival general managers consider Brian Sabean the most difficult GM to trade with simply because they can't get him on the phone. According to Olney, many GMs contact assistant Bobby Evans rather than Sabean, since the Giants GM doesn't return calls.
- Sometime this month, the Nationals will have to decide whether to trade Adam Dunn or to fully commit to locking him up with an extension. Olney speculates that four years for about $48MM would get it done.
- Replying to a Nick Cafardo piece for the Boston Globe in which Theo Epstein addresses how the Red Sox will replace Dustin Pedroia, Olney says Mike Aviles, Mike Fontenot, or Ty Wigginton might be good fits for the Sox. If Epstein makes a move, he'll be looking for a player who will have value elsewhere on the field when Pedroia returns to second base.
White Sox, Angels Targeting Adam Dunn?
WEDNESDAY, 1:48pm: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo never talked to White Sox GM Kenny Williams about Dunn, tweets MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Meanwhile Ladson's colleague Scott Merkin passes along via Twitter a Rizzo comment made on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy show today: "For us to move [Dunn] will be very painful and it will probably be very painful for the team that wants to acquire him." Here's the audio from ESPN Radio.
TUESDAY, 8:00am: The White Sox are targeting slugger Adam Dunn, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley says the Nationals are willing to part with Dunn and names have been discussed, but the Angels are providing competition. Cowley does not feel the $6.3MM remaining on Dunn's contract would be a problem for the White Sox, based on a recent comment by owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
Back on June 22nd, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he's been talking about an extension since spring training with Dunn's agent. That same day, Dunn told MLB.com's Bill Ladson he does not want to be traded and hates this side of baseball. Dunn does not have no-trade protection, however.
The 30-year-old Dunn is hitting .276/.366/.559 with 17 home runs in 314 plate appearances this season. The batting average would be the highest of his career, his 11.5% walk rate the lowest. The White Sox have gotten just a .218/.293/.371 line out of the DH spot, with Mark Kotsay getting the most starts there.
One other factor to consider is that as of June 21st, Dunn projected as a Type A free agent. An arbitration offer seems possible, so the Nationals would probably want to exceed the value of two draft picks.