Tigers, White Sox, Orioles Asked About Richard
The Tigers, White Sox and Orioles checked in on Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). All three American League teams are known to be seeking starting pitching depth.
Richard, 28, has a 3.83 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in an NL-best 127 innings this year. He earns $2.7MM in 2012 and will remain under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014. He has a career ERA of 4.12 with 6.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in five seasons with the White Sox and Padres.
Padres GM Josh Byrnes figures to get calls on players such as Richard, Edinson Volquez and Chase Headley, but all three players are under team control past 2012. One team said the Padres' asking price for Headley is the highest market price, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported on Twitter today.
Quick Hits: Dempster, Headley, Yankees, Greinke
Some interesting links of note as Roy Halladay, activated from the disabled list today, takes the mound for the first time since May 27 at Dodger Stadium …
- Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster is receptive to being traded and would prefer to go to a contender, with first the Dodgers and then the Braves topping his list of desired landing spots, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. There are are only a few teams to which he wouldn't accept a trade, adds Rosenthal.
- The Dodgers are considered the frontrunners to acquire Dempster, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, but the Cubs are doing their due diligence in exploring other suitors. Some officials are questioning whether Dempster would prefer to go to the NL West or the AL East, Olney adds (Twitter links).
- The Diamondbacks are interested in acquiring Padres third baseman Chase Headley, but strained relations between the organizations would make it difficult for them to strike a deal, tweets Olney.
- The Yankees could trade for a left fielder in the wake of Brett Gardner's most recent injury setback, tweets Olney, but they're not in a hurry to make a deal and would only do so if the right one presented itself.
- Some team executives are expressing concern over Zack Greinke's health after the Brewers' recent decision to skip his turn in the rotation, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
- The Tigers, a team with a hefty payroll, have managed to qualify for MLB's new Competitive Balance Lottery, explains Jason Beck of MLB.com. It's an interesting read, especially if you're unfamiliar with this new wrinkle to the draft, which will begin next year.
NL West Notes: Headley, Quentin, Cuddyer
The Giants lead the NL West with a 49-40 record, but it doesn't sound as though they'll be particularly aggressive in trade talks this year (it won't be surprising if they trade for bullpen help). Still, there’s plenty of activity throughout the rest of the division with two weeks remaining in July. Here’s the latest…
- Six teams are discussing Chase Headley with the Padres, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are all believed to have some interest in Headley, who’s under team control through 2014.
- Though there’s lots of interest in Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, nothing seems close yet, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
- Michael Cuddyer has drawn trade interest from other teams, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. But the Rockies like Cuddyer and would have to eat a chunk of money to get the kind of players they'd want in return. A trade doesn't seem likely this summer.
- Here are the latest Justin Upton rumors.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Marlins, ChiSox, Headley, Orioles
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a bunch of new rumors for us today in a pair of videos. Let's round 'em up…
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria may soon be faced with the question about selling at the deadline, something he wanted to avoid in the first year of the club's new ballpark. The best thing they could do to improve their farm system likely involves trading guys like Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, and the newly acquired Carlos Lee.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams always thinks big and it would not be surprising to see him get in on pitcher such as Zack Greinke. The problem is that his farm system doesn't have much to offer and they don't want to give up pieces off the big league roster while contending.
- The best guess right now has the Padres keeping Carlos Quentin and trading Chase Headley. Rosenthal says it's simple supply-and-demand; as many as ten teams have shown interest in the third baseman Headley. The team isn't sure they can get more for Quentin in a trade than they would by letting him walk as a free agent and recouping draft picks after the season.
- The Orioles are clearly buyers. They're willing to trade any prospect not named Dylan Bundy or Manny Machado, but they probably don't have enough to get Greinke. They do have interest in lesser arms like Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas, as well as leadoff man Juan Pierre.
- The Brewers could pit the Rangers and Angels against each other in the Greinke sweepstakes. Texas is unwilling to trade Mike Olt, Jurickson Profar, or Martin Perez for a rental, which could create an opening for the Halos if they're willing to deal Major League talent.
- The Phillies do not intend to trade Cliff Lee to create payroll room for Cole Hamels. If they do keep Hamels long-term, they could have $140MM tied up in just eight players going into next season.
Dodgers Eyeing Aramis, Headley
The Dodgers have identified Aramis Ramirez as a potential trade target in case the Brewers decide to trade veteran players this summer, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). However, the Dodgers prefer Chase Headley of the Padres.
Ramirez signed a three-year, $36MM contract with Milwaukee last offseason. The 34-year-old has ten home runs and a .272/.346/.475 batting line through 338 plate appearances so far in 2012. The 40-45 Brewers aim to establish themselves as contenders after the All-Star beak, when they play the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds.
Headley, 28, has a .267/.368/.413 batting line in 370 plate appearances for the Padres. He earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The 34-53 Padres figure to be sellers this summer, though they may hesitate to deal within the NL West.
Los Angeles has a clear need at the hot corner; Dodgers third basemen rank 26th in MLB with a combined .631 OPS. Manager Don Mattingly was relying on a combination of Jerry Hairston Jr., Juan Uribe, Adam Kennedy and Luis Cruz at the position leading up to the All-Star break.
Quick Hits: Towers, Headley, Dempster, Quentin
Some links from around the league as Friday turns into Saturday…
- "I'm open-minded on anybody, everybody. Even guys who have no-trade clauses," said Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert when asked about the Justin Upton rumors. "You ask people when I was in San Diego, same exact response. I think you always have to be open-minded."
- Chase Headley told MLB.com's Corey Brock and Chelsea James that despite the trade rumors, he'd prefer to stay with the Padres. "If it were my choice, I would love to be here," said the third baseman.
- Ryan Dempster will be activated off the DL on Sunday, and he told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that he knows the trade rumors will start right back up. “They’ve been there," said the Cubs right-hander. "That stuff doesn’t bother me. I’ll just try to do my job the best I can and let those things take care of themselves."
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com suggests the Padres trade Carlos Quentin at the trade deadline then sign him as a free agent this offseason. Quentin is a San Diego native and thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, they would not have to surrender a draft pick.
Olney On Headley, Rangers, Branyan
The Padres’ most sought-after player may not be Huston Street or Carlos Quentin, Buster Olney writes in his latest column at ESPN.com. Here are the details from Olney:
- Chase Headley could be the most coveted player of the summer, Olney writes. The 28-year-old third baseman has a .372 on-base percentage, earns just $3.48MM this year and has two years of team control remaining after 2012. Some rival evaluators expect Headley’s power numbers would improve if he played at a more hitter-friendly park in a more potent lineup, Olney writes.
- The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams believed to have some interest in Headley, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported yesterday.
- The Phillies haven’t decided to trade Cole Hamels, but the Rangers are already viewed as favorites to acquire the left-hander should Philadelphia make him available.
- The Dodgers could consider Russell Branyan, Olney suggests. Branyan, who has 194 career MLB home runs, has 11 homers and a .302/.436/.660 batting line in 133 plate appearances for the Yankees' Triple-A team this year.
Chase Headley Drawing Trade Interest
The Dodgers, Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams believed to have some interest in Padres third baseman Chase Headley, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Padres are open to trading Headley within the division, Heyman adds.
Headley, 28, earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The switch-hitter has a .271/.372/.421 batting line in 352 plate appearances so far in 2012. The Padres have scored fewer runs than any other MLB team this year, but top prospect Jedd Gyorko is hitting .315/.379/.532 in the upper minors and could be called upon if the Padres complete a deal involving Headley.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this week that Headley was drawing serious interest. The 33-50 Padres figure to be sellers at the upcoming trade deadline when Headley, Carlos Quentin and others could be available.
Olney’s Latest: NL Trade Market, Darvish
In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney compares the current state of the trade market to shopping at an airport, where priced are designed to gouge customers. Buyers want more sellers and sellers want more buyers. Olney also previewed the NL trade market, so let's dive in…
- The Mets are among teams looking for bullpen help and are waiting for the market develop. The division-rival Nationals are also in the market for relief help but do have Drew Storen on the mend. Olney wonders if they'll look for a starter given Stephen Strasburg's inning limit.
- Executives expect the Padres to deal Carlos Quentin and Huston Street, plus they continue to get calls about Chase Headley. Olney speculates that the Reds could be a fit for Quentin.
- The Braves are looking to add a veteran starting pitcher, but Olney says they're unlikely to swing a trade for Zack Greinke without having some kind of long-term contract agreement in place.
- Olney wonders if the Diamondbacks could become surprise buyers for pitching help given Joe Saunders' injury and Trevor Bauer's early struggles. The Cardinals figure to jump into the pitching market given Chris Carpenter's season-ending shoulder surgery.
- The Cubs, Astros, and Rockies are among the clubs in sell mode. The Brewers will wait a little longer before deciding to sell, and while Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and others could be on the block, Corey Hart will not.
- Olney says the Blue Jays actually finished third in the bidding for Yu Darvish behind the Rangers and Cubs. No bid was within $35MM of the $51.7MM Texas submitted.
Stark On Garza, Orioles, Braves, Phillies, Headley
Arizona general manager Kevin Towers says he’s been impressed by Mike Trout and Bryce Harper from an offensive and defensive standpoint, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. "They can beat you on the basepaths. They impact the game defensively,” Towers said. “They can beat you with key hits or the long ball. They're both very special." Here are Stark’s latest rumors from around MLB…
- One American League executive says the Cubs are basing their asking price for Matt Garza on last summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez deal. This means it’ll take two controllable, young players with upside to pry the right-hander away from Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein.
- Other teams say the Orioles are involved in the Garza talks. However, Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy aren’t going to be available in summer trade talks with any club.
- The Braves are looking for "an impact starting pitcher" and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively
- The Angels are desperate to add a really good bullpen piece and would dangle Peter Bourjos in the right deal, according to rival teams.
- One executive doesn’t expect Luke Gregerson of the Padres to become available, though there would be heavy demand if San Diego were willing to listen.
- Another executive suggests the Red Sox could trade Kelly Shoppach and call Ryan Lavarnway up from the minor leagues.
- The Twins continue to tell teams they expect to hold onto Josh Willingham.
- The Marlins are telling rival teams they haven’t discussed becoming sellers this summer. The Phillies also seem to want to add, not subtract. The Phils are considering a long list of relievers and have asked the Padres about Chase Headley.
- The Diamondbacks have “window-shopped” for bullpen depth, Stark writes. Towers says he prefers his current team, now 38-37, to the one that won the NL West a year ago.
- Stark also reported on the Blue Jays' approach to the trade deadline and you can read the details here.