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Odds & Ends: White Sox, Lee, Pomeranz, Ripken

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Another round of links, as Nick Swisher prevents Cliff Lee's trade value from getting too high…

Rosenthal On Cliff Lee, MacDougal, Dunn, Valentine

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Cliff Lee starts tonight at Yankee stadium, and it figures to be one of his last outings in a Mariners uniform.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his column with an examination of the market for Lee, noting that "the acquisition cost should be lower than the last two times he was traded."  Rosenthal sees no obvious favorite for the lefty at this time, though Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes "the buzz about a possible deal with the crosstown Mets is growing louder and louder."  Rosenthal's other rumorage:

  • The Nationals have until Thursday to decide whether to promote Mike MacDougal.  Otherwise, he can elect free agency.  The hard-throwing righty has a 4.71 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in 21 minor league innings.
  • Rosenthal confirms other reports that the White Sox and Angels like Nationals slugger Adam Dunn.  He notes that Dunn "does not want to become a DH."
  • One executive feels that Jose Guillen will continue to hit well with the contract year carrot dangling.  Yesterday we learned from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Royals are pushing hard to move Guillen and will eat much of the $6.3MM remaining on his contract.  As for David DeJesus, an exec told Rosenthal the Royals "want to hit a home run" in any trade.
  • The Giants seek stability in their left-handed relief crew (currently Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler), but the need could be addressed internally.
  • The Cardinals "likely will wait until at least the All-Star break to fully assess their needs."  The starting pitching situation will depend on the recoveries of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.
  • At another link, Rosenthal updates the Bobby Valentine-Marlins situation.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Zambrano, Angels, Brewers

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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…

  • The fact that Carlos Zambrano is a 29-year-old pitcher still capable of winning 12-15 games a year should be enough to allow the Cubs to trade him, but of course the team will have to a eat a large chunk of the $45MM left on his deal. Rosenthal reminds us that the Cubbies came ahead financially when they moved Milton Bradley this winter.
  • The Angels still want to add a first baseman, and Adam Dunn is on their list of potential targets. If they do make a move for Dunn or perhaps Adam LaRoche, incumbent first baseman Mike Napoli could become trade bait. 
  • The Nationals have yet to get serious in any discussions about a contract extension with Dunn. 
  • The Brewers are still searching for pitching, and the Blue Jays could be a potential match. Toronto likes Double-A infielder (and Canadian) Brett Lawrie, but the Brewers would be reluctant to trade him. They would have to consider it if he could land them someone like Brett Cecil or Shaun Marcum, though.
  • Arizona will probably not want to keep both Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson since they combine to make over $20MM next year, but Haren's value isn't what it once was. One baseball person told Rosenthal that "[Haren]'s not at the top of anyone's list, he's just another name."

Odds & Ends: Millwood, Mariners, A’s, Dunn

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As we settle in for a Tim Lincecum/Roy Oswalt pitching matchup in Houston tonight, here are some news items…

  • According to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, Kevin Millwood is what Carl Pavano was at last year's trade deadline — a veteran starter whose high ERA hides some good peripheral numbers.
  • Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times thinks the Mariners' hitting problems aren't to be blamed on Safeco Field.
  • CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban has some hot-stove speculation about the Giants and A's, including hinting at "a major shakeup" coming to the Oakland roster.
  • Adam Dunn tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he doesn't want to be traded.
  • Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com calls the Orioles' trade for Jake Fox "pretty much the nail in the coffin" for Garrett Atkins' playing time and possibly his tenure in Baltimore altogether.  Ghiroli guesses that Atkins could be designated for assignment by as soon as Saturday when Brad Bergesen is ready to return to the majors.
  • John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Giants utilityman Mark DeRosa will undergo wrist surgery and will miss the rest of the season (Twitter link).  San Francisco signed DeRosa to a two-year, $12MM contract in December that was criticized as too costly given DeRosa's age (35) and the fact that he underwent wrist surgery last November.  DeRosa has since said that the first surgery didn't solve his wrist problems, thus accounting for his .537 OPS this season.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the Reds will pick up a reliever before the trade deadline (via Twitter).
  • Outfielder/first baseman David Winfree has signed a minor-league deal with Seattle, tweets Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune.  Winfree was playing for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton before being released last week.
  • The Sports Bank blog looks at some of Chicago's options if the White Sox indeed try to acquire a left-handed hitter.

Nationals Could Be Buyers Or Sellers

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The Nationals could be sellers at the trade deadline, but if the team climbs out of last place and improves upon its 32-39 record, they could become buyers. GM Mike Rizzo told reporters, including Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, that the Nats front office remains flexible as the deadline approaches.

"If there's a good deal to be made to acquire talent, we'll acquire it," Rizzo said. "There's no marching orders to dump payroll or to add payroll.” 

Rizzo, who says he is always looking to make a deal that helps the team long-term, identified starting pitching as the Nationals’ biggest need. If the team becomes a seller, players such as Livan Hernandez, Matt Capps and Adam Dunn could interest other teams. 

But Rizzo says the club likes Dunn offensively and defensively, so the Nationals continue looking into an extension with the slugging first baseman. Dunn’s two-year $20MM deal expires after the season and the two sides have been discussing an extension since the spring.

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Oswalt

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In today's notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox would move closer Jonathan Papelbon after the season to open up the closer's role for Daniel Bard. He speculates that the Brewers, Twins, Rays, Braves, and Phillies could be in the market for a closer this winter. Papelbon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season. 

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • Scott Boras said he undervalued Stephen Strasburg last year, even though he eventually signed the largest contract in draft history. Boras added that being around San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn helped Strasburg become prepared for what lied ahead.
  • Cafardo says that New England isn't a high priority area for scouts before the draft because by time they can get out to see the players in the region, it's too late in the game for a cross-checker to confirm anything.
  • Cafardo predicts that Jacoby Ellsbury will be traded this offseason. He'll arbitration eligible for the first time after 2010, though he's been battling rib issues basically all season.
  • He also remarks that the Red Sox would have to play Mike Lowell if they want to showcase him for a trade. Lowell has received just 50 plate appearances since the end of April.
  • Kevin Millwood should become major trade bait as the deadline approaches because he's pitched well and is in the final year of his contract.
  • The Brewers would love to make Randy Wolf available, but no one would take him on with more than two years and $24MM left on his deal. Meanwhile, Milwaukee still isn't sure if they'll try to improve their catching situation or become sellers and look towards next season.
  • The feeling is that once Seattle trades Cliff Lee, pretty much everyone on their roster not named Ichiro and Felix Hernandez will be available as well. 
  • Diamondbacks' CEO Derrick Hall isn't happy with his team's performance and has talked about re-evaluating his management staff. They could be major players at the deadline, with Justin Upton representing the only untouchable.
  • Cafardo says that the feeling among big league executives is that the Dodgers will not give up the prospects necessary to acquire Roy Oswalt, but they would be okay taking on the money.
  • Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox if they let David Ortiz go after the season, assuming the Nationals don't re-sign him.  

Odds & Ends: Santana, Morales, Rangers, Mariners

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Links for Thursday, as Omar Vizquel goes deep for the first time this year…

Nationals, Dunn Talking Extension

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Having already drafted Bryce Harper and debuted Stephen Strasburg this week, the Nationals keep the good news coming. Adam Dunn says that he and his agent have begun discussing a possible contract extension with the Nationals, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Talks between the team and agent Greg Genske were "cordial," according to Dunn, though no dollar figures were discussed.

There had been some speculation this year that if the Nationals once again fell out of contention, Dunn could be a trade chip. He's in the final year of a two-year, $20MM contract, and would be a valuable commodity on the trade market, given all the teams in need of an offensive boost. However, in the past few weeks, we've heard from both Jayson Stark and Ken Rosenthal that it's increasingly likely Dunn remains a National past this season, a scenario the slugger confirmed to Ladson:

"The Nationals know how I feel about this place. I hope that something can be worked out. Again, I'm not in any hurry. It's probably No. 10 on my list of things to worry about."

After posting a career-high in batting average (.267) in his first year in Washington, Dunn has improved it again this season, hitting .280/.378/.541 with 11 homers so far in 2010.

How Will Angels Replace Morales?

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4:28pm: The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham wonders (via Twitter) if Mike Lowell will be traded to the Angels in light of Morales' injury. He notes that the Red Sox would likely have to eat a large portion of Lowell's salary.

2:16pm: ESPN's Mark Saxon tweets that the Angels are saying Morales' injury is not season ending, though he doesn't provide a timetable for the slugger's return. As Saxon points out in another tweet, Mike Napoli will start at first base today for the first time since his minor league days.

10:57am: Following one of the more unusual injuries in recent years, the Angels now face the problem of how to replace their most productive hitter. Kendry Morales, who was hitting .290/.346/.487 with 11 homers, fractured his leg while celebrating a walk-off grand slam last night, and could miss the rest of the season.

Robb Quinlan and Mark Trumbo are in-house candidates to step in for Morales, but the defending AL West champs will likely consider acquiring an impact player to boost an offense that, even with Morales, has hit just .248. After all, despite playing sub-.500 ball so far, they're very much in contention, sitting only 3.5 games out of first place.

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Angels have plenty of options when it comes to finding a new first baseman. He suggests that Paul Konerko and Lance Berkman are the two most attractive and realistic trade targets for the Angels, though he acknowledges that the club won't have much leverage, given their desperate need for a middle-of-the-order bat. The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales agrees that Konerko could be a fit for the Angels, noting that the White Sox first baseman has a relationship with Mike Scioscia that dates back to their days with the Dodgers.

DiGiovanna names a handful of other possible targets for the Angels, including Adam Dunn, Adam LaRoche, Russell Branyan, and Prince Fielder. Obviously, some of those sluggers are less available than others. Jermaine Dye, Ryan Garko, and Carlos Delgado (when he's healthy) are a few more available, low-cost options the team could look at, according to DiGiovanna.

Even if the Angels decide to make a move, it may not happen for a month or two, coming closer to the trade deadline. However, in the wake of Morales' injury, it's safe to put them near the top of the list of teams who will be shopping for a power hitter this summer.

Rosenthal On Oswalt, Kearns, Dunn

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his latest column with an imagined conversation between Astros owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade, in which Wade attempts to educate McLane on the realities of Roy Oswalt's trade value.  Rosenthal's hot stove notes…

  • Like most people, Rosenthal can't see the Reds splurging on Oswalt.  He finds the Mets "an even less serious contender" due to limited finances.
  • Rosenthal points out that Carlos Zambrano hasn't shown himself to be worthy of replacing anyone in the current Cubs' rotation.  At the moment, the Cubs appear to have a surplus.
  • Rosenthal notes that the Majors' current home run kings – Jose Bautista, Paul Konerko, and Ty Wigginton – could be available at the trade deadline.  Who would've predicted these three would top the leaderboard on May 24th?  With Kelly Johnson tied for fourth?  The Jays acquired Bautista in August of '08 without much fanfare, sending catcher Robinzon Diaz to Pittsburgh.  The Pirates designated Diaz for assignment last November.
  • Austin Kearns would be a nice match for the Giants, suggests Rosenthal.  The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .304/.377/.487 in 130 plate appearances for the Indians this year.  Nate Schierholtz hasn't been much worse, though he's dealing with a bruised shoulder at the moment.
  • Rosenthal feels that the Nationals will strike a deal to keep Adam Dunn in Washington before he reaches free agency.
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