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Orioles Hoping To Deal Before Deadline

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According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, "The Orioles are one of only a handful of teams entrenched as sellers." Here's a summary of his breakdown of what the Orioles can offer:

  • George Sherrill "has been the most popular target." The Orioles have him under control for two more years and are looking for a pitcher with "closer" value in return.
  • The Marlins "still look like the best fit" for Sherrill. They need a bullpen arm and have "a number of corner infield prospects that intrigue the Orioles." 
  • Danys Baez "is probably the most likely Oriole to be moved."  Zrebiec notes that the Orioles will have to eat "a good portion" of his contract if they want to get anything substantial in return.
  • Melvin Mora is available, but has a blanket no-trade clause. According to Zrebiec, Mora "may want a team to pick up his 2010 option in order to approve a trade."
  • The compensatory draft picks the Orioles might get if Aubrey Huff left via free agency "may be worth more to the club than what they could get for him in a trade." 

Zrebiec quotes Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail as saying, "I would hope that we'd do something [before the deadline], I really would. But as I've said before, we're not a farm system for contending teams."

Odds And Ends: Strasburg, Huff, Pedro

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Some links to read through this afternoon…

Price’s Latest: Red Sox, Orioles, Tigers

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Ed Price's Baseball Brunch column is up over at fanhouse.com. Let's take a look at the highlights:

  • Price names several amusing first-half awards, including the "Bg Hitter" award for Albert Pujols, in honor of Albert's mammoth home run that took out the "I" in the Big Mac Land sign at Busch Stadium.
  • The Red Sox's strategy as the deadline approaches is dependent on Mike Lowell's health. The Sox have looked at Garrett Atkins, but have found Colorado's asking price to be too much. Colorado apparently isn't impressed with Takashi Saito. If Lowell is to miss an extended period of time, Price writes that the Red Sox would have an easier time getting a first baseman and putting Kevin Youkilis at third.
  • The Orioles know they're sellers, and have good trade pieces in Aubrey Huff and Danys Baez. However, Andy MacPhail has said he wants his team to be competitive in the second half, given the September slides his team has seen the past two seasons. Price briefly speculates that Baez could intrigue the Twins.
  • The O's would have to be overwhelmed to move George Sherrill, and Jeremy Guthrie is no longer a trade candidate, with Koji Uehara ailing.
  • Huff may interest Detroit, who needs some left-handed help in the order. They'd like someone who could play in the outfield, however. Price says that the Tigers inquired on Adam Dunn, but the finances didn't line up.
  • The Rockies are in need of a quality setup man, as they've been using Joel Peralta and Matt Daley to get to Huston Street.
  • The rumors of Doug Davis going to Milwaukee have died down for now.
  • The Rays would like to upgrade in right field; they're currently using a platoon of Gabe Gross and Gabe Kapler.

Sabean: Giants Still Looking For Bats

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Giants GM Brian Sabean told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News that there are no impact bats available for a reasonable cost. As much as he would like a true middle-of-the-order hitter, Sabean won't deal top prospects like Madison Bumgarner to acquire one.

Sabean says he's not interested in free agents-to-be, which rules out Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Adam Dunn and Garrett Atkins are middle-of-the-order bats who aren't about to hit free agency, but Sabean doesn't want to surrender big prospects to acquire such a hitter. 

Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News points out that Randy Johnson's injury makes Jonathan Sanchez a little less expendable in any possible deals, at least for now.

Trade Candidates: Corner Infielders

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We’ve heard about Garrett Atkins and Aubrey Huff all year, but plenty of other corner infielders could be trade bait, too. Here’s the list of corner infield trade candidates, ranked from highest 2009 salary to lowest:

  • Troy Glaus – The priciest trade candidate on this list has yet to play in 2009. There have been suggestions that the Cards could move Glaus if he can't play third upon his return.
  • Melvin Mora – With a $9MM salary and a no-trade clause, Mora will be tough to move. 
  • Aubrey Huff – He's not hitting as well as he did last year, but has hit well enough. He makes $8MM this year.
  • Adam Dunn – He makes the same amount as Huff, and has $12MM more coming his way in 2010. With 22 homers already, Dunn would be a nice addition a team like the Giants.
  • Adam LaRoche – He earns $7.05MM this year before becoming a free agent.  
  • Garrett Atkins – He'll earn $7.05MM as well, a sum that looks more affordable every day, since Atkins is hitting .306/.386/.468 since the beginning of June.
  • Nick Johnson – An affordable option at $5.5MM, this free agent-to-be has an injury history to go along with his .800 OPS.
  • Chad Tracy – The combination of his $4.75MM salary and .354 slugging percentage won't make him appealing to many teams, if any.
  • Jason Giambi – He earns $4MM this year and his team will have to pay him $1.25MM after the season or take on his $6.5MM salary next year. Giambi's been a disappointment at the plate.
  • Jorge Cantu – The Marlins remain just one game behind the Phillies for the division lead, but there have been hints that they would move Cantu if they fall out of it. He makes $3.5MM this year.  
  • Russell Branyan – The Mariners are just 3.5 games back of the division lead, but Branyan would be an appealing candidate if he hits the market, especially since he makes just $1.4MM this year.  
  • Kevin Kouzmanoff – He makes under $500k this year, but he's hitting poorly and you can't even blame Petco Park, as his OPS is 40 points lower on the road. The Mariners recently had interest.

The Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Reds and Mariners could all look for a boost at one of the corner infield positions.

Edes’ Latest: Giants, Teahen, Relievers

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Currently standing atop the National League wildcard standings, the Giants are looking for a lefthanded bat to add to their lineup according to Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports. He cites a major league executive who says that San Francisco has focused their efforts on three first baseman: Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Edes also says that the Giants have spoken to the Padres about a potential Jonathan Sanchez–Scott Hairston swap.

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

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore has heard from multiple teams about Mark Teahen, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Angels and Giants.
  • The Braves "might be inclined to take a look at" Jose Guillen. The Royals would love to discuss Yunel Escobar.
  • We've heard this before, but if Boston moves a reliever, it will most likely be Takashi Saito.
  • Padres' closer Heath Bell may command the most attention amongst relievers.
  • The Astros are likely to hold on to LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde, barring a collapse before the trade deadline.
  • The Blue Jays would love to move BJ Ryan, but are more likely to see interest in Jason Frasor and Scott Downs.
  • Bronson Arroyo is back on the trade block.

Odds & Ends: O’s, Josh Johnson, Yankees, Red Sox

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A busy Sunday morning has made for some some discussable items from around the league:

  • Rick Dempsey of MASN is excited by the Orioles future and says it is undoubtedly time for the team to trade, highlighting George Sherrill, Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora.
  • Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post notes A.J. Burnett has regrets over leaving the Marlins and burning his bridges in the process.
  • After Josh Johnson beat the Yankees yesterday, Mike Feinsand of the New York Daily News says, "Hope you got a good look, Yankees fans. You may have been watching your future ace."
  • River Ave. Blues thinks trading Xavier Nady makes sense despite Buster Olney having said, "The Yankees are unlikely to trade Nick Swisher of Xavier Nady after Nady returns."
  • Not a trade rumor, but Manny Ramirez is set to begin a minor-league stint on Tuesday in Albuquerque, says The Tribune-Review.
  • Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe says (via Twitter, of course) "Daisuke [Matsuzaka] to DL. [Catching prospect] Dusty Brown up with the team for the first time." She continues, "About to talk to Daisuke. Will get quotes to you shortly. [Sox manager Terry Francona] said he doesn't think this will be a two-week DL." While the Sox still have rotation depth, this surely effects any perceived sense of urgency to deal.

Olney On Mets, Holliday, Snell

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Mets have begun discussing which hitters they want to target. Here's what Olney has heard about the Mets, along with the rest of his rumors:

  • It's fair to assume the Mets would like to acquire a "big-time bat."
  • Omar Minaya could pursue Nick Johnson. He already traded for him once as the GM of the Expos.
  • Other players that could play first and hit: Aubrey Huff, Jorge Cantu, Mark DeRosa and Dan Uggla.
  • Uggla's an outside-the-box solution, but the Mets could use his power.  
  • Don't assume the A's will be able to collect compensation picks for offering arbitration to Matt Holliday if they don't trade him at the deadline. Holliday's numbers have fallen off, making him more likely to accept arbitration if the A's offer it. He could make upwards of $16MM, meaning the surest way for the A's to get something back would be to deal him now.
  • Olney says the Rockies don't have interest in Ian Snell. Yesterday John Perrotto suggested they could trade for him.
  • Colorado will likely wait another month before deciding whether to deal Huston Street.  
  • The Mariners don't have to rush their deal-making either, especially since their division looks winnable.  

Morosi’s Latest: Orioles, Cardinals, Rangers

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FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi writes that with the Orioles buried in fifth place in the AL East, look for the team to start moving some of their veterans. Morosi cites an "industry executive" who says that several teams have called about Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott, both lefthanded bats with some thump. He suggests that the Reds, Tigers, Giants and Braves could match up in a deal, noting that the Tigers pursued both Huff and Scott three years ago.

Here's the rest of Morosi's rumors:

  • Triple-A outfielder Wilkin Ramirez is one of Detroit's best trade chips.
  • Morosi echoes reports that the Cardinals are looking for a bat.
  • One scout says that Miguel Tejada's defense has been better than most give him credit for. I can't imagine that will play a big role in determining his trade value, though.
  • Texas is looking for an upgrade for their rotation, and would likely be in on Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt if they are made available.
  • It's increasingly unlikely that the Red Sox will make a move for a shortstop with Nick Green holding his own and Jed Lowrie close to returning from a wrist injury.

Players To Watch Between Now And The Deadline

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Once the draft ends tomorrow, we'll turn our attention to the trade market and many GMs will be doing the same. We'll monitor dozens of names throughout the next couple months, but here are seven to watch especially closely as the July 31st trading deadline inches closer. First, three players whose teams have to falter before they become trade bait:

  • Matt Holliday has been on a tear since May 5th, walking more than he's striking out with an OPS of .989. The A's have heated up, too. Their seven game win streak ended last night, but they're only 6.5 games out, so they'll have to fall off if Holliday's going to hit the market.
  • Mark DeRosa's Indians are seven games out of first place, and they aren't selling now, but the versatile 34-year-old could be appealing to teams like the Cardinals and Mets if the Indians struggle.
  • Erik Bedard is pitching well, but the Mariners, now five games back, aren't out of it yet. 

These three players aren't on contenders, so they could be moved earlier:

  • Holliday's former teammate, Brad Hawpe, is hitting .335 with power. His OPS is just shy of 1.000 and he's striking out less than ever. The Rockies aren't going anywhere, but they're on a six game win streak of their own, and Dan O'Dowd is not in a hurry to deal.
  • Aubrey Huff will be a free agent after the season and though he's not matching last year's numbers, he's a solid bat.
  • Another lefthanded hitter, Nick Johnson, could be a nice addition, though teams might be wary of his past injuries.  

And finally, a player who's seemingly been on the trading block forever:

  • Jake Peavy's already vetoed one trade and would likely use his no-trade clause to keep himself in the National League. Not many teams can afford to take on his salary, but the Padres would like to move him and he's the best pitcher available.
  

 
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