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Cliff Lee

Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday

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The Twins offered prospects Wilson Ramos and Aaron Hicks to the Mariners for Cliff Lee, according to a report by Jeff Fletcher of AOL FanHouse yesterday. Reports have since indicated that the two clubs are not close to a deal. If nothing works out between the Twins and Mariners, other teams, such as the Yankees, Mets, Rangers and Reds would likely be involved. We'll keep track of all the day's Cliff Lee rumors right here, so check back later in the day to see if we have moved this post back to the top of the page with updates.

  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) hears that Lee trade talks are "heating up," since some teams want to add the southpaw as soon as possible.
  • An official from one team interested in Lee tells AOL FanHouse's Ed Price that his club has yet to hear back from Jack Zduriencik regarding what sort of return the Mariners are seeking.
  • B.J. Upton, now involved in the Lee rumors, tells Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he doesn't want the Rays to trade him (Twitter link). Joe Maddon also talks to Topkin about the Upton rumors, saying there's "nothing from our end regarding that being true."
  • The Yankees believe they could trade for Lee if they wanted to, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
  • The Yankees are “kicking the tires” on Lee, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The source estimates that the Yanks have less than a 50% chance of obtaining Lee and suggests the Yankees could flip Javier Vazquez to another team if they do acquire Lee.
  • The Rays are on the periphery of the Lee sweepstakes, according to Rosenthal’s sources, who confirm that B.J. Upton–Cliff Lee trade talk surfaced amoung scouts last night.
  • The Tigers like Lee, but aren't optimistic about acquiring him, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Olney hears that the Mariners "really like" Brewers prospect Brett Lawrie (Twitter link). The 20-year-old second baseman recently made Baseball America's mid-season All-Star team. Lawrie "still strikes out too often and is a work in progress at second base," but is among the offensive leaders at AA. The Mariners have 2009 first rounder Dustin Ackley, also a second baseman, hitting well in AA, though Ackley's presence doesn't mean they can't pursue Lawrie.
  • Morosi hears that talks between the Mets and Mariners have not progressed much (Twitter link).
  • Jerry Crasnick's sources estimate that there's a 60-100% chance that the Mariners trade Lee this month. The Mets prefer Lee to innings eaters and the Yankees ‘covet’ him, but the Phillies would be more likely to pursue Dan Haren if they go after an ace, according to Crasnick’s report for ESPN.com. One AL executive suggested the Mariners might have to explore three-way trades to get as much as possible in return for the left-hander.
  • A rival executive told Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that the Twins will ‘go hard’ after Lee. Some believe the Rangers called Omar Beltre up to showcase him for the Mariners.
  • Peter Gammons hears rumblings of a Lee-B.J. Upton deal and wonders if a third team could be involved along with the Mariners and Rays (Twitter link).
  • Rosenthal hears that no deal between the Twins and Mariners is imminent. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik declined to characterize the talks he has had with the Twins, but Jon Paul Morosi hears that the Mariners have scouted the Twins extensively. Executives were divided on whether the Twins, who have traditionally held onto their prospects, would offer Hicks and Ramos in the same deal.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Monday

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Yesterday Cliff Lee had another dominant outing and the Dodgers, Yankees, Cardinals and Phillies had scouts in Detroit to watch it. We'll keep track of all the day's Cliff Lee rumors right here, so check back later in the day to see if we have moved this post back to the top of the page with updates.

  • The Twins aren't close to a deal for Lee, a team source tells LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
  • The Twins have offered outfielder Aaron Hicks and catcher Wilson Ramos for Lee, a major league source told Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse (via Twitter).
  • There are "interesting discussions" and "possibilities" for a Lee-to-Minnesota deal, tweets Jon Heyman of SI.
  • The Reds have talked to the Mariners about Lee, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  While tampering rules prevent GM Walt Jocketty from commenting on Lee in particular, Fay believes that his words infer that the 2008 AL Cy Young winner would be a player of interest.

    “I will say this: We’re looking at any way we can to improve the club,” said the GM. “To improve the club, it would have to be a pretty significant player to do that. We have a lot of good things going. We don’t want to disrupt that.”

    Fay writes that it will take more than Yonder Alonso, a trade candidate mentioned by ESPN's Buster Olney over the weekend, to land Lee.  Edinson Volquez's performance upon his return will also have an impact on the Reds' interest in making a deal.

  • The Rangers, Twins, Yankees and Mets are among the teams having the most active conversations with the Mariners about Lee, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Dodgers have also discussed the left-hander with the Mariners.
  • The Tigers, Phillies and Cardinals have been scouting Lee, but those teams are not pursuing him as aggressively.
  • Some of Morosi's sources believe the Mariners would rather obtain hitters than pitchers, while others don't believe position matters to GM Jack Zduriencik. There is consensus that the Mariners prefer prospects who are close to contributing in the major leagues.

Rangers May Look Internally To Improve Rotation

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Texas will look to improve their starting five from within, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  Even though the club has the minor league talent to make a deal at the deadline, their financial situation could very well prove to be an impediment. 

The Rangers are looking forward to Rich Harden and Derek Holland rejoining the rotation.  Harden is on the disabled list with a strained back muscle and is scheduled to throw live batting practice tomorrow.  Holland, who is dealing with inflammation in his left shoulder and a sprained right knee, could be close to throwing live batting practice as well.  Both hurlers could be back in action before the Trade Deadline.

General Manager Jon Daniels says that even though he has his "finger on the pulse" of the trade market, he wants to see how the two look before looking to deal for an arm:

"We're very focused on improving the rotation internally right now," Daniels said earlier today. "From a health standpoint we've got a couple of guys that we'd like to get back after the All-Star break. A lot depends on how both proceed this week."

Cliff Lee continues to be atop the Rangers' wish list and Roy Oswalt's name has come up frequently.  However, Texas may be content to just stick with cards that they have.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Sunday

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9:17pm: The Cardinals had a scout at today's Tigers-Mariners game as well, tweets Morosi.

2:45pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that both the Dodgers and Yankees had scouts in attendance for Lee's brilliant start against the Tigers today (8 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K). For the Yankees, this is the second consecutive start of Lee's which they've scouted.

According to Morosi, some clubs feel the Yankees are scouting Lee for a potential acquisition prior to the July 31 deadline, while others feel they're scouting with an eye toward this year's free agent market.

2:39pm: Jamey Newberg takes a lengthy, but interesting look at some reports guessing what it might take for the Rangers to acquire Lee from Seattle. Ultimately, due to the elite prospects required and the difficulty of working out the payroll (Newberg suggests adding Rich Harden and including an extra prospect to offset the salary), he feels he'd say no to Zduriencik were he in Ranger GM Jon Daniels' shoes.

Newberg also makes the point that while Lee projects as a Type A free agent, it shouldn't be assumed that he'll net his new team two first-round draft picks. Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford both project as fellow Type A free agents. With all three on the Yankees' radar, it's possible that Werth and/or Crawford end up outranking Lee, though Lee currently leads the three. If that happens, and the Yankees sign Lee and one of the two outfielders, Lee's new team would receive a supplemental round pick and a second-round pick instead of a first.

12:28pm: Citing rival executives, ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) says that Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik is searching for a "difference-making hitter" in any Cliff Lee negotiations. Expanding upon a tweet he made yesterday, Olney takes a look at the type of young hitter the Mariners may ask for in return for Cliff Lee.

One scenario that Olney suggests involves bringing the Brewers into a potential three-way trade. During Zduriencik's time in Milwaukee, he drafted Brett Lawrie, who Baseball America ranked as the 59th-best prospect in baseball coming into this season. The 20-year-old has only improved his stock this year, hitting .297/.362/.476 with 22 steals for Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate. While trading for Lee makes little sense for the Brewers, they could hypothetically add talent and depth to their farm system by sending Lawrie to Seattle and receiving prospects from the team acquiring Lee. This is speculation on Olney's part, but it's something Zduriencik could very well consider in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Cliff Lee checks in on his former teammates in Philadelphia every now and then. Within the piece, Lee says he'd be happy to stay in Seattle for the rest of the year, and touches on how the season may have played out if he'd remained a Phillie.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Saturday

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With as many as 12-15 teams teams potentially showing interesting in Cliff Lee, ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Mariners still want "big bat potential" in any deal for the lefty ace (Twitter link). He lists two candidates: Justin Smoak of the Rangers, and Yonder Alonso of the Reds. Alonso is blocked in Cincinnati by Joey Votto. 

As the Rangers showed with the Bengie Molina deal, they are unable (or unwilling) to take on payroll, instead choosing to give up a higher caliber prospect. Other big bat prospects that could be moved in a trade: Jesus Montero of the Yankees, Fernando Martinez of the Mets, and Domonic Brown of the Phillies. Whether or not those teams are willing to surrender those players in a trade for a 2008 AL Cy Young award winner is another story altogether.

Olney’s Latest: Lee, Zambrano, Dodgers, Fielder

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In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that even though the Yankees already have five good starters, the tight race in the AL East is enough to keep them engaged with the Mariners about Cliff Lee. They will probably make an offer at some point, but they're unlikely to land him because they've been philosophically opposed to trading prospects for a player they could just sign as a free agent after the season.

Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • Olney's message to any team looking for bullpen help: Good luck with that. There are no difference-making relievers on the market, and guys like Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Jason Frasor are no sure things.
  • Carlos Zambrano has some value as an innings eater, and the Cubs could probably get a team to absorb $10-15MM of the $45MM left on his deal. If he does get traded, Olney says it would likely be in the offseason.
  • People in the Dodgers' organization say there is "little or no hope" that money will be available for the team to make moves.
  • Olney doesn't see the Giants and Brewers matching up in a Prince Fielder trade. Matt Cain is a deal breaker given Tim Lincecum's recent struggles, and Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner won't be enough.

Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Mets, Orioles, Lee

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Links for Friday night, as Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos duel in San Diego….

Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee

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Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:

  • Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
  • A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
  • The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
  • Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
  • The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
  • The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
  • The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
  • According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.

Phillies Interested in Lee, Tejada, Wigginton

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that we can add the Phillies to the list of teams interested in trading for Cliff Lee. Only a few months after sending Lee to the Mariners, the Phillies would like to reacquire the left-hander, according to Rosenthal's sources.

A source tells Rosenthal that the Phillies consider themselves long-shots in the Lee sweepstakes, given what the M's will ask for in return. Philadelphia would likely have to part with Domonic Brown to reacquire Lee, something they'd be reluctant to do with Jayson Werth facing free agency and no other blue chip, major-league-ready prospects in their farm system. Nonetheless, the Phillies would like to upgrade their rotation, and are focusing on impact starters rather than back-of-the-rotation types.

In addition to having interest in Lee, the Phillies are also expected to "move quickly" to acquire infield help, according to Rosenthal, who says the team is targeting Miguel Tejada and Ty Wigginton. Rosenthal himself speculated yesterday that Tejada and Wigginton could be possibilities for the Phils, in the wake of injuries to Chase Utley and Placido Polanco, while MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith also mentioned the pair of Orioles when he examined the Phillies' options.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dawson, Ahrens, Rays, Lee

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On this date in 1995, Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese-born player in Major League history to be selected for the All Star Game. Nomo, then a 26-year-old rookie, took the big leagues by storm with his tornado windup and by posting a 1.99 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 13 first half starts. The All-Star Game was just the tip of the iceberg for Nomo, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year award and finish fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

Nomo's big league career spanned a dozen seasons with seven teams, and he retired with a 4.24 ERA and two no-hitters to his credit. He's credited with paving the way for Japanese players to permanently relocate to MLB.

Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

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