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Sherman On Yankees, Padres, Clippard

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post dishes all kinds of Yankees rumors today; let's check it out.

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted the team's weakness is left-handed pitching, but says, "I can't force it.  I can't make it happen if it is not there." Another Yankees official said that a lefty would help, "But I don't think it is live or die."  Sherman believes Wandy Rodriguez and Francisco Liriano might be the two best available southpaw starters, but both bring concerns.  Relief-wise they could go for the Marlins' Randy Choate or consider higher-priced names in August like Brian Fuentes and Mike Gonzalez.
  • In general, Cashman said he doesn't think he can trade for a starter better than Bartolo Colon or Phil Hughes or a reliever better than Rafael Soriano, and all three could be back in July.  According to Sherman, the Yankees "have shown no interest in high-cost veterans with dubious stuff such as the Brett Myers, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, Livan Hernandez, and Jason Marquis."
  • Hoping for the Yanks to acquire Jair Jurrjens or Derek Lowe?  We're not sure if either is available, but Sherman says "the Yankees' policy has become pretty much to run away from Atlanta pitching after having successful Braves hurlers blow up on them."
  • The Yankees would not offer an extension to Hiroki Kuroda, if the righty were to make that a condition of a trade.  We know Kuroda will require some form of compensation.
  • The Padres "want to get out in the market quickly" with relievers Heath Bell and Chad Qualls, writes Sherman.  The Yankees, however, prefer Mike Adams, who is considered much less available.
  • The Nationals are willing to trade setup man Tyler Clippard, but are looking for a center fielder and have their sights on B.J. Upton.

Davidoff On Padres, Bell, Yankees, Reyes

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In his Baseball Insider piece this week, Newsday's Ken Davidoff points out that the July 31st trade deadline often seems to "run through" a particular team that has the most pieces to sell. It seemed as if the Mets could be that team this year, but they may hang on to Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes if they have even a slim chance of making the playoffs. Instead, San Diego may be this year's biggest seller, with Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick, Chad Qualls, and Aaron Harang among its potentially available players. Here are Davidoff's other notes:

  • The Yankees have called the Padres about Bell, but haven't been as aggressive as other clubs who would use Bell to close games.
  • The Yanks are more inclined to wait on the trade market anyway. By July 31st, the team will have a better idea of what injured players like Bartolo Colon, Phil Hughes, and Rafael Soriano will contribute in the second half.
  • According to Reyes' agent, Peter Greenberg, the shortstop seriously considered listening to the Mets' contract offer before deciding not to negotiate during the season.

Phillies, Mariners, Reds Inquired On Ludwick

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The Phillies, Mariners, and Reds are among the teams that have inquired on the availability of Padres right fielder Ryan Ludwick, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Padres appear willing to move the 32-year-old, who is eligible for free agency after the season.

Ludwick is hitting .255/.322/.393 with nine home runs in 299 plate appearances this year, with most of his production coming in May.  He's been a little better away from PETCO Park, slugging .419 on the road.  Ludwick earns $6.775MM this year, with potentially around $2.2MM remaining on July 31st.  Inquiries from the Phillies and Reds may be a sign that those two clubs can squeeze in a salary of that size.  Ludwick profiled as a Type B free agent the last time we checked, so that will be a factor.

Morosi adds that the Phillies and Cardinals are among the teams that have checked in with Padres GM Jed Hoyer on relievers Heath Bell and Chad Qualls, who will also be free agents after the season (Qualls has a $6MM club option with a $1.05MM buyout).  Morosi expects Mike Adams to be popular as well, but as we've heard before the Padres are inclined to keep him since he's under team control for 2012. 

Stark On Dempster, Adams, Reyes, Braves

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Jayson Stark leads his latest column for ESPN with a debate with colleague Buster Olney about realignment possibilities.  He notes that his sources say there's no chance divisions are dissolved and baseball becomes two 15-team leagues.  On to Stark's other rumblings…

  • An NL executive who spoke with Cubs GM Jim Hendry says there's no likely scenario where Ryan Dempster is traded.  Earlier today, there were indications the Yankees at least have an eye on Dempster, who has full no-trade rights and a $14MM player option for 2012.
  • Padres reliever Mike Adams also is likely to stay put, as the Padres are only interested in trading impending free agents Heath Bell and Chad Qualls.
  • Jose Reyes might not be Brian Sabean's type of player, says one baseball man who speaks with the Giants' GM regularly.  Still, Stark's source wondered if the liberation of winning last year's World Series might compel Sabean to take more chances.  Of course, the Mets are looking like potential buyers right now.
  • The Braves are "aggressively positioning themselves to deal for an outfield bat as soon as they can find a team ready to open its sell-off shop for business," writes Stark, and they've already checked in on Josh Willingham and Hunter Pence.  We outlined potentially available power bats earlier this month.

Stark On Giants, Padres, Pence

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Now that Buster Posey is on the disabled list for the foreseeable future, the Giants are looking around for catching, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Ivan Rodriguez, a player the Giants have asked about, and Bengie Molina, a player who would like to return to San Francisco, are the team’s most viable options at this point. Here are the details from Stark, plus other notes from around the league:

  • The Nationals have been shopping Rodriguez since Spring Training and one executive says they would love to move him.
  • The Padres are starting to give indications that they’ll be willing to move Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls in a few weeks.
  • However, rival teams say the Padres are “not motivated” to talk about players who are under control through 2012 or later, such as reliever Mike Adams.
  • The Astros keep saying that they imagine Hunter Pence on Houston’s next winning team, which would presumably make him difficult to obtain this summer.

Checking In On Former Rays Relievers

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Six prominent Rays relievers hit free agency and signed elsewhere for a total of $67.65MM last offseason (for reference, the Rays’ payroll has surpassed that figure exactly once since 2000). We know how the Rays' new 'pen is working out (pretty well, so far) but let’s check in on last year’s relievers:

  • Rafael Soriano – three years/$35MM, Yankees – After allowing 12 earned runs and 14 walks in 62 1/3 innings last year, Soriano has allowed 9 earned runs and 9 walks in 14 innings this year. His ERA is approaching 6.00, his strikeout rate is down and his walk rate is up. What's more, he underwent an MRI on his right elbow this week. It doesn't appear that he'll need DL time, as there's only mild inflammation. Still, Brian Cashman must be shaking his head over this one.
  • Joaquin Benoit – three years/$16.5MM, Tigers – Benoit has already allowed more earned runs (10) in 2011 than he did all of last year (9). After allowing just 30 hits in 60-plus innings last year, he has allowed 17 hits in 13 2/3 frames for his new club. The spike in hit rate is no doubt related to the fact that opponents had an improbably low average on balls in play against Benoit last year (.192) that has since risen to an unusually high level (.356). His strikeout (7.2 K/9) and walk (2.6 BB/9) numbers have fallen off, though they're still strong. 
  • Grant Balfour - two years/$8.1MM, Athletics – Balfour's walks are up, but he is still striking out over a batter per inning and his ERA is under 2.00.
  • Dan Wheeler – one year/$3MM, Red Sox – Wheeler, currently on the DL, has an 11.32 ERA for the Red Sox despite an 8K/1BB ratio through 11 appearances. Wheeler appears to be unlucky in terms of opponents' batting average on balls in play (.389) and home run per fly ball rate (21%).
  • Chad Qualls - one year/$2.55MM, Padres – Qualls has replaced Ryan Webb in the Padres' 'pen and has already pitched 20 2/3 innings. The results are good so far despite a drop in Ks, as Qualls has limited baserunners and been considerably more fortunate than he was in 2010.
  • Randy Choate – two years/$2.5MM, Marlins – Choate has been excellent so far; the lefty specialist has an 11K/2BB ratio and a 1.50 ERA in his first 14 appearances as a Marlin.

The early results are disappointing, as Wheeler and Soriano are dealing with injuries and Benoit hasn’t come close to replicating his 2010 performance. The results will likely improve for Wheeler and Benoit, who have been unlucky so far. But this group probably won’t reproduce the 2010 performances that helped the Rays win the AL East. Reliever performance is simply volatile, even for pitchers who appear to be safe investments.

Padres Agree To Terms With Chad Qualls

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The Padres have agreed to terms with right-hander Chad Qualls, according to a team press release.  The contract is for one year with a team option for 2012.  Qualls will earn $1.5MM next season and it will cost the Padres $1.05MM to buy out the 2012 option, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (Twitter link).  Qualls is represented by Hendricks Sports.

We heard last week that the two sides were close to a deal, and with its finalization, Tampa Bay picks up a supplementary round draft pick as compensation for Qualls.  (San Diego doesn't lose any picks, as Qualls was a Type B free agent.)  The Rays now have 13 of the first 90 picks in the 2012 amateur draft.

Qualls, 32, began last season as the Diamondbacks' closer, but struggled finishing games and found himself traded to the Rays at the deadline.  He posted a 7.32 ERA, a 2.33 K/BB ratio, and a 13.0 hits/9 rate in 70 appearances with Arizona and Tampa Bay last season.  Qualls was said to be looking for a one-year contract so he could rebuild his value for a larger deal next winter.

Padres Close To Deal With Chad Qualls

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The Padres are close to a deal with Chad Qualls, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The sides are nearing a one-year deal worth about $2MM that includes a club option for 2012, Morosi reports. Hendricks Sports represents Qualls.

Qualls, who drew interest from at least six teams this offseason, was looking for a one-year deal to rebuild his value, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. He posted a 7.32 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 for the Rays and D'Backs last year. The 32-year-old allowed 85 hits in 59 innings, but his ground ball rate was typically high (55%) and defense independent pitching stats like FIP and xFIP suggest Qualls should have had an ERA closer to 4.00.

When Padres GM Jed Hoyer listed his remaining offseason priorities earlier in the week, he said he had some interest in adding a reliever, a backup catcher and a left-handed hitter. The Padres have traded away many relievers this offseason, so the team's bullpen – a major strength in 2010 – is not as deep as it was a year ago. Adding Qualls would help offset the loss of Adam Russell, Cesar Ramos, Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica.

Since the Rays offered Qualls arbitration, they would obtain a supplementary first round pick for losing the Type B free agent. However, it would not cost the Padres anything to sign him.

Olney On Qualls, Balfour, Damon, Pavano, Soriano

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Ivan Nova, Craig Kimbrel and Madison Bumgarner are among the young players who will play major roles in determining their teams’ fates in 2011, as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney points out. Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors, with the latest updates up top:

  • Olney hears that Chad Qualls is looking to re-establish his value with a one-year deal (Twitter link). With all due respect to Qualls, finding a mutliyear deal might never have been an option, since he posted a 7.32 ERA and allowed 85 hits in 59 innings last year.
  • Teams believe Grant Balfour's asking price is dropping, according to Olney (Twitter link).
  • Once Jim Thome signs, other first base/DH types will likely follow. There are lots of them out there, as MLBTR’s Free Agent Tracker shows. Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Giambi, Russell Branyan, Johnny Damon, and Manny Ramirez are still available.
  • Olney says Damon “probably made a mistake in not following up on the Yankees' overtures last winter about a two-year deal.”
  • Carl Pavano and the Twins continue to make progress toward a deal and the sides could reach an agreement by the end of the week.
  • Rafael Soriano is prioritizing money over his 2011 role, Olney writes. Olney suggests that “if some club was willing to pay him to be its bullpen catcher for $45MM over the next three years, Soriano would consider it.”

Six Teams Interested In Chad Qualls

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The A's are one of six teams with legitimate interest in Chad Qualls, the reliever's agent told Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links). Alan Hendricks acknowledged that he has spoken with the Athletics, but says no "substantial" discussions have taken place yet. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported earlier today that the A's will look at Qualls and Hideki Okajima.

Qualls will not cost a draft pick since he is a Type B free agent, but the Rays will receive an extra 2011 selection if the right-hander signs a big league deal elsewhere, since he turned down their offer of arbitration. In 59 innings for the D'Backs and Rays last year, Qualls posted a 7.32 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9.

The Mets, Twins and Rockies have been linked to the 32-year-old this offseason, but it seems unlikely that the Rockies will sign Qualls now that they have obtained Matt Lindstrom. The Royals, Orioles, Mariners, Nationals, Pirates, Blue Jays and Rays could also be on the lookout for right-handed relief help.

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