Red Sox Notes: Beltran, Ortiz, Papelbon, Garza
The Red Sox kick off the second half on Friday with a big series at Tropicana Field against the Rays. Here are some notes about the club with the AL's best record…
- The Red Sox have contacted the Mets about Carlos Beltran, a Boston team official tells Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston (Twitter link). According to the official, however, the Sox were "just doing [their] due diligence."
- Beltran would certainly fill Boston's hole in right field, an area that GM Theo Epstein admitted is an area of concern, reports MLB.com's Ian Browne. Epstein said he would make a move if necessary, but the GM also noted that the Sox could improve at the position from within, either with Josh Reddick playing more or J.D. Drew breaking out of his season-long slump.
- WEEI.com's Ryan Hannable has a partial transcript of Peter Gammons' appearance on the Mut & Merloni radio show today. Gammons said Boston faces "difficult decisions" on pending free agents David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon, particularly Papelbon since Daniel Bard is waiting in the wings as the club's next closer. Gammons believes if Papelbon wants a three-year deal worth $36MM or more, the Sox will let him go.
- Also from Gammons, he doesn't think Boston will trade a number of prospects for a starter like Matt Garza in order to solve its lack of rotation depth.
- The Red Sox face a 40-man roster crunch this winter, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. "For that reason, the Red Sox can afford — and, indeed, might be wise — to trade three or four high-level prospects for an impact player," MacPherson writes. "Not only could that impact player help them win the World Series, but the trade could clear the 40-man-roster logjam and allow the Red Sox to retain some of the other prospects they've devoted so many resources to developing."
NL East Notes: Beltran, Sanchez, Nationals, Braves
The Marlins are the only NL East team whose second half begins tonight, as the Fish start a four-game series at Wrigley Field. The other four teams will begin intra-divisional matchups (Phillies at Mets, Nationals at Braves) on Friday. Here's the latest from the East…
- The Carlos Beltran rumors are already swirling but the Mets will wait right until the deadline to move him, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The Mets will wait, Heyman says, since the team still thinks it has a chance at the playoffs and because the club isn't sure Beltran would clear waivers.
- The Marlins' organizational lack of pitching depth make them likely to pursue an extension with Anibal Sanchez, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 2012 is Sanchez's last arbitration-eligible year, so Rodriguez thinks an extension might cost a bit more than Josh Johnson's four-year, $39MM with the team since this deal would be cover more of Sanchez's free agent years.
- Also from Rodriguez, Larry Beinfest said prospect Matt Dominguez is being considered by the Marlins for a September call-up. Dominguez was the 12th overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft and was ranked 81st on Baseball America's preseason list of the game's 100 best prospects. He hasn't hit well at Triple-A this season (a .239/.303/.394 line in 201 plate appearances) but Dominguez also spent a month recovering from a fractured elbow.
- Terry Collins announced today that Pedro Beato, Jason Isringhausen and Bobby Parnell will all get chances to close games for the Mets. For more on this move and other late-game news, check out MLBTR's sister site, Closer News.
- The Nationals announced the signings of four picks from this year's amateur draft. Right-hander Taylor Hill (a sixth-round pick) was the highest-selected of the four new Nats.
- Frank Wren talks to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the Braves' needs at the trade deadline. Wren feels the return of Martin Prado and Chipper Jones from the DL will help the club's offense and thus Atlanta may just look for role players to come off the bench, sch as a right-handed bat. The Braves are often mentioned as a team that could move its pitching depth in a trade but Wren says that other clubs haven't contacted him about such deals "because I think they’re smart enough to know that we’re not going to be trading our young pitching unless there’s something extraordinary out there to us."
Tigers Have Interest In Beltran, Focused On Pitching
The Tigers have interest in Carlos Beltran, but a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the team is still focused on finding a starting pitcher. They are not having any serious talks with the Royals about Jeff Francis, with the Astros about Brett Myers and Wandy Rodriguez, or with the Cubs about Ryan Dempster. They're also unlikely to acquire Erik Bedard from Seattle, according to Morosi.
Detroit has gotten very little production out of left field (.251/.296/.387) and center field (.244/.320/.369) this year, so Beltran would be an obvious help. Tim Dierkes wrote about their left field plight earlier this week. Their rotation is middle of the pack with a 4.08 ERA, but that is boosted by the great Justin Verlander (2.15). Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Brad Penny all have 4.50+ ERA's, and Phil Coke (4.88 ERA) has just been replaced by rookie Charlie Furbush. The Tigers maintain their interest in Hiroki Kuroda.
Olney On Market For Carlos Beltran
The Mets have indicated that they will hold onto Carlos Beltran until they get exactly what they want for him, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. They believe that a team in need of offense will give in to their demands and surrender a top prospect for Beltran, who earns $18.5MM this year.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson traded Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee this week, partly because they wanted to move before the market for relief pitching developed further. But the Mets believe Beltran is the best available outfielder, so they’re not in a hurry to trade him.
The Indians aren’t limiting themselves to small-budget options, according to Olney. Beltran would fit on the Pirates, the Tigers could be interested and the Giants would love to acquire him. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently named those teams, plus the Red Sox, Rays, White Sox and Reds as contenders that could use a corner outfield boost. Here's a look at what Beltran was traded for seven years ago.
What The Royals Got For Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltran is now one of the hottest names on the trade market, and it's not the first time he has been on the block. Back in 2004, Beltran was approaching free agency when Allard Baird, Kansas City's GM at the time, sent him to Houston in a complicated three-team trade. The deal worked out tremendously for the Astros, who enjoyed 23 regular season home runs from Beltran plus a record eight home runs in the postseason.
The Royals didn't get similarly explosive performances from the trio of players they acquired: Mark Teahen, John Buck and Mike Wood. Teahen spent five season in Kansas City, where he posted a .269/.331/.419 line with 59 home runs. Buck combined steady power with a characteristically low batting average for a .235/.298/.407 line and 70 home runs in six seasons. Wood posted a below-average 5.28 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 279 2/3 innings for Kansas City as a reliever and occasional starter.
The Royals lost Wood to the Rangers on waivers in 2006 and non-tendered Buck in 2009, a month after they traded Teahen for Josh Fields, who is now playing in Japan, and Chris Getz. That makes Getz the lone remnant of the Beltran deal on the Royals' active roster.
The 27-year-old infielder has appeared in 78 games for the Royals this year and has a .259/.320/.291 line with 17 stolen bases. Getz's numbers don't compare to Beltran's production and the '04 deal didn't produce a star for Kansas City, but it's somewhat surprising that the Royals have something to show for the switch-hitting outfielder, seven years after he was expected to leave as a free agent.
Giants Can Spend, Seek Impact Hitter
The Giants have payroll flexibility and are hoping to obtain a middle-of-the-order hitter, regardless of position, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Carlos Beltran earns $18.5MM this year, so he isn't a fit for every contender, but the Giants are among his most serious suitors.
The Giants are willing to consider 'rental players,' who hit free agency after the season. Beltran, whose contract expires this fall, has indicated that he won't be surprised if the Giants acquire him. The switch-hitter has a no-trade clause, but he has said he would waive it under the right circumstances.
GM Brian Sabean told Chris Haft of MLB.com that "the need to look for offense is obvious." Though Sabean doesn't expect many impact bats to be available this summer, there's lots of room for improvement in San Francisco's lineup.
"We really don't have anybody with the exception of Pablo [Sandoval] who's having a good year," manager Bruce Bochy told Haft.
The Giants are 27th in MLB with 332 runs scored this year. Though they have a three game lead in the NL West, no winning team has scored fewer runs.
NL East Notes: Beltran, Braves, Marlins
The Mets made the first major deal of the summer last night, sending Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee. Here's the story, here are some related links and here's the latest from the rest of the division…
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that we shouldn't draw conclusions about the Mets from their decision to trade their high-priced closer (Twitter links). Alderson says he simply wanted to trade Rodriguez before other relievers became available.
- Though Carlos Beltran has drawn lots of interest, the Mets aren't actively discussing him with other teams at this point, Alderson told Rubin (on Twitter). The Mets are looking for a "big-time" prospect for Beltran, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, who suggests the Mets could keep the outfielder if they aren't offered exactly what they want (Twitter links).
- The Braves would like to acquire an affordable right-handed bat without handing over top prospects, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest told Joe Frisaro of MLB.com that he doesn't expect to make major changes this month. “We never really consider ourselves sellers,” Beinfest said.
- At Closernews.com, Dan Mennella explains why Michael Dunn would be worth a look on your fantasy team if the Marlins decide to trade Leo Nunez.
Heyman On K-Rod, Sabathia, Fielder, Beltran
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Francisco Rodriguez's agent Scott Boras spoke with Brewers GM Doug Melvin shortly after last night's trade, at which point Heyman says "Boras made the case that K-Rod should close, suggesting he wouldn't do nearly as well setting up." Melvin was apparently noncommital in that conversation, as he has been publicly. K-Rod would become the highest-paid reliever in baseball history if his option vests, though Boras wouldn't get commission on a contract brokered by Wasserman Media Group in 2008. Heyman suggests an unhappy Rodriguez is a scary concept, but based on the player's tweets (in Spanish), he's content.
- Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia "has done some selling on the Yankees" to his friend Prince Fielder. Heyman doesn't take this as a sign the Yankees are interested in Fielder as a very expensive designated hitter, but rather an indication that Sabathia expects to stick around with the club after this season.
- Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman told Yahoo's Jeff Passan he expects Fielder to top Albert Pujols in total dollars due to the age difference, but Albert should get the higher average annual value.
- Heyman sees the Tigers as a potential suitor for Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran. He believes the Tigers could add a bat at second base, third base, or outfield.
Giants Among Beltran’s Most Serious Suitors
The Giants are among Carlos Beltran's most serious suitors, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Closer Brian Wilson acknowledged his team's interest in the Mets right fielder last night, saying, "I guess we're in talks with them about Beltran." It's not clear whether Wilson has inside information or is just putting his spin on public rumors.
Beltran indicated a few days ago that he wouldn't be shocked if the Giants acquire him, and you have to assume he'd approve a trade there. The Mets' recent trade of closer Francisco Rodriguez was about avoiding the reliever's $17.5MM vesting option for 2012, something that had to be done even if the team remained on the fringes of contention. But trading Beltran for prospects or salary relief would be a clearer white flag on the 2011 season.
Beltran will have about $6MM remaining on his contract at the July 31st deadline. Many contenders can't take on that size of a burden, but the Mets could kick in cash to receive better players in return, especially now that they're relieved of K-Rod on their 2012 books. The Giants, Red Sox, Rays, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Pirates, and Reds are contenders that could use a corner outfield boost. The Phillies and Braves could as well, if the Mets are willing to deal with division rivals. Six or seven teams have real interest in Beltran, but the Yankees are not one of them, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?
Before the season, MLBTR writers identified 13 players who were set for 'make or break' years. These players had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for success in free agency.
We checked in on the players at the quarter pole of the campaign and let's do it again now that we're midway through the season (all links go to the MLBTR posts):
- Scott Kazmir - Kazmir spent time on the DL, made one appearance for the Angels and posted a 17.02 ERA with more walks than strikeouts at Triple-A before getting released. The former first rounder is now a free agent.
- Nate McLouth - McLouth's .225/.345/.330 line is better than it was last year and features a respectable on-base percentage, but his offensive production has fallen off considerably since 2007-09. He spent time on the DL this June.
- Grady Sizemore - Sizemore missed time with a knee injury, but he still has nine homers and a .231/.295/.448 line. However, he has a career-high 29.5% strikeout rate and a career-low 6.1% walk rate.
- Ryan Doumit - The switch-hitter has spent most of the season on the disabled list, though he has a .269/.333/.441 line when healthy.
- Jonathan Broxton - Broxton is on the disabled list with a bruised right elbow and he has had another setback, so there's no timetable for his return. If he doesn't pitch well later this season, he will be overshadowed by this offseason's strong crop of free agent relief pitchers.
- Joel Zumaya - Zumaya had elbow surgery in March and it's not clear if he'll ever return to the Tigers.
- Casey Blake - Blake has returned from surgery for an elbow infection and has a .243/.346/.386 line as a third baseman, first baseman and left fielder. The 37-year-old isn't in the Dodgers' everyday lineup anymore.
- Aramis Ramirez - Ramirez has a .298/.346/.497 line with 15 homers and could be en route to his best season since 2008.
- Edwin Jackson - Jackson, a free agent this winter, has a 4.30 ERA (3.31 xFIP) with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings for the White Sox.
- Bobby Abreu - Abreu, 37, has a .277/.394/.363 line this year. A year after hitting his usual 20 homers, Abreu's power is diminishing, but his on-base skills still exist.
- Carlos Beltran - Beltran has a .285/.377/.503 line with 13 homers. There seems to be a good chance that he'll finish the season with another team, as he would agree to waive his no-trade clause under the right circumstances.
- Matt Capps - Capps has 15 saves, but his strikeout rate has fallen from 7.3 K/9 to 4.9 K/9 and his average fastball velocity has fallen from 94 mph to 92.8 mph.
- Jeff Francis - The 30-year-old left-hander appears to be headed for the second 200 inning season of his career. Francis, who battled shoulder injuries in 2009-10, has a 4.60 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.