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Odds and Ends: Nady, LaHair, Garcia, Bonds

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Baseball is back today, but rumors are a bit light.  We’ll kick it off with odds and ends.

Sherman’s Latest: Adenhart, Burnett, Niese, Ibanez

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post has been digging up rumors left and right – here, here, and here in recent days.  Let’s discuss.

  • The Angels have "hinted at a willingness to build a deal around pitching prospect Nick Adenhart."  This would apparently involve Mark Teixeira or Matt Holliday.
  • The Phillies made an initial offer last week for A.J. Burnett, and the Jays were thoroughly unimpressed.  The Phillies won’t discuss prospects Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, or Greg Golson in trades.
  • The Yankees have zero interest in Burnett.
  • The A’s are willing to move Joe Blanton.  He’s not perfect, but he can eat innings and is under team control through 2010.
  • Six games out of the wild card with a league-best offense, the Rangers don’t look like sellers.
  • At least ten teams watched Mets’ Double A starter Jon Niese pitch Saturday.  He’s their top trade chip given the unavailability of Fernando Martinez.
  • The Pirates have their eye on the Yankees’ Ross Ohlendorf, if the Yanks become buyers for players like Damaso Marte or Xavier Nady.
  • Three Raul Ibanez suitors are named: the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Red Sox.
  • At least nine teams are monitoring Freddy Garcia: the Yankees, Mets, Astros, Rangers, Royals, Red Sox, Phillies, Tigers, and White Sox.  We’ve seen the Braves, Rays, and Cubs mentioned too.  Garcia’s agent isn’t up for an ’09 option with his client.  A-Rod is said to be pushing for the Yankees to sign him. 
  • Sherman notes a rumor around the game that has Pat Gillick becoming Mariners president next year, and Brian Cashman coming on as his GM.

Jason Bay Rumors Debunked

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You may recall Jon Heyman’s article from Friday, where the Diamondbacks and Cardinals were said to be among "the most ardent pursuers of Jason Bay."  However, Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette spoke to sources with all three teams – and all of them denied the rumor.

Kovacevic has been reporting for a while now that the Bucs prefer to keep Bay, though they’ll listen.  That remains unchanged.  Kovacevic’s article describes a hot market for two other Pirates – Damaso Marte and Xavier Nady.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington hinted that he might soon trade some of the team’s veterans:

"We’re not content.  We need depth to add to this group. How do we get that? As we’ve said from day one, there are going to be times when we make unpopular decisions, but those decisions might be necessary to take next step."

Rosenthal’s Latest: Dunn, Burnett, Ibanez

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Ken Rosenthal’s Full Count video Saturday covered many interesting topics; yesterday he put the info into column form and added even more.

  • Same old story with Adam Dunn – he’s just not drawing much interest.  Even with the whiffs and ugly defense, this is surprising to me.  Rosenthal says the Reds "will take a considerable risk" if they offer Dunn arbitration after the season and he accepts.  Would having Dunn on a one-year deal at market price really be so bad?
  • Rosenthal says "it remains to be seen whether Jim Bowden’s authority will be compromised" in the wake of his involvement in the FBI’s bonus-skimming investigation.  The Nationals have a couple of mildly interesting starters to shop in Tim Redding and Odalis Perez, plus perhaps the top righty reliever in Jon Rauch.  Maybe Rauch will be packaged with a starter.
  • The Angels will try to retain Francisco Rodriguez after the season.
  • The Blue Jays started A.J. Burnett on three days rest in an attempt to maximize his starts before the trade deadline, though the J.P. denies it. Burnett responded well against the Yankees.  Rosenthal wonders whether he would abandon his opt-out clause if his contract was extended through 2011 upon a trade.  A dissenting opinion – Jon Heyman talked to one GM who does not expect Burnett to opt out.
  • The D’Backs apparently do not see Raul Ibanez as much of an upgrade over Chad Tracy. However, Jack Magruder wrote Saturday that the Mariners and D’Backs had discussions on Ibanez.
  • The Dodgers are still interested in Jack Wilson.
  • Rosenthal says some teams are skeptical that the Pirates would offer Damaso Marte arbitration after this season.   Why wouldn’t they?  The Red Sox are interested in the lefty.

Yankees Roundup: Nady, Sexson, Fuentes, Marte

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Over the next 10 days, the Yankees will determine whether they are buyers or sellers. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, if they think they are still in it then they will target "a lefty reliever and a secondary starting pitcher."  That starting pitcher could be Eric Milton, however he’s 6 weeks away from starting. I’ll add a right handed bat to that list as the Yankees need help against lefties.

Sherman says the Rockies are interested enough in Ian Kennedy to deal Brian Fuentes for him and the Yankees will need to choose both whether they’re in it and how much they want to retain Kennedy.  A cheaper option they’re considering is Damaso Marte, says the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Dejan Kovacevic.  The fact that Marte is now closing in Pittsburgh may have either decreased his availability or increased his price tag, or both.  The Cardinals, Mets, Rays and Red Sox are all in the hunt for the lefty.

Kovacevic says the Yankees are suitors for Xavier Nady as well. Nady is a career .320 hitter against lefties and has played in New York before.  And then there’s Richie Sexson, who Tim discussed here, and who George A. King III of the New York Post says the Yankees could sign if/when he clears waivers this week.

A compromise of sorts could be to make a move for A.J. Burnett.  The opt-out risk at the end of the year is alarming, but the Yankees could use his services this year and beyond, as well as manage his salary and the upside is still tremendous.

Quiet Deadline For Tigers?

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Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press believes the Tigers might be quiet in the trade market this month.  However, the team could use starting pitching and relief help.

Morosi notes that the Tigers have not inquired on Randy Wolf or Greg Maddux.  What’s more, Wolf has the Tigers on his no-trade list.  One starter known to be on Detroit’s radar: Freddy Garcia.

Morosi adds that the Tigers had discussions for John Grabow and Damaso Marte earlier this year.  And keep in mind that Barry Svrluga said back in April that the Tigers "will watch Jon Rauch very closely."

Molony’s Latest: Mahay, Loretta, Erstad, Guzman

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Let’s check in with MLB.com’s Jim Molony.

  • The Rays are scouting lefty relievers Brian Fuentes and Ron Mahay.  The issue?  The price for Fuentes seems exorbitant, and Mahay may not be available.  Troy E. Renck names the Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, and Marlins as the main suitors for Fuentes aside from the Rays.
  • A few contenders have inquired with the Astros as to the availability of Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad.
  • As you might imagine, the Rangers are open to trading Frank Catalanotto.  We mentioned yesterday that his contract is a bit of a burden.
  • It seems that Jim Bowden is listening to offers for Cristian Guzman while also trying to sign him to an extension.  From Guzman’s point of view, it might make sense to enter a weak shortstop market this winter.
  • The Matt Capps injury apparently affects Damaso Marte’s availability.
  • The Marlins may make Mark Hendrickson available.  The big lefty was replaced in the rotation by top prospect Chris Volstad.

Pirates Rumors: Bay, Wilson, Nady, Marte

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sums up the Pirates’ trade deadline strategy in today’s article.

  • Jason Bay and Jack Wilson are not being shopped.  The Bucs like having both under contract beyond this year.  It sounds like Neal Huntington would have to be bowled over to move either guy.
  • Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte are the players most likely to go.  Nady is under team control for next year, while Marte’s $6MM option will be declined.  The Pirates are thinking they can decline Marte’s option, offer him arbitration, and let him decline to accept.  Then they might be able to net two respectable draft picks for ’09, assuming he’s a Type A.  So Nady is a more likely trade candidate than Marte. 

Pirates To Keep Marte?

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As MLBTR posted this week, the Pirates could elect to keep Jason Bay in Pittsburgh, a once-sure-fire bet to be dealt before the deadline.  Finding themselves with an above average offense to date (6th in the bigs with 365 runs scored), the Pirates may see the future with rosier colored glasses and Bay integral to those hopes.

Another change of tack, Dejan Kovacevic says the Pirates may now keep reliever Damaso Marte as well, opting to offer him arbitration – which he’d surely forego – to acquire two draft picks.  Marte is making $2.5MM this season and has a club option of $6MM for 2009 that will not be exercised by the Pirates and could be considered too much for other ballclubs.  So what teams are willing to give up for Marte (and his contract) may appear less appealing to the Bucs than a couple first rounders.  Explains Kovacevic, for those unfamiliar with this process:

"Free agents of the highest pedigree fall into what is called the Type A classification… If he is signed by one of what are labeled "first-division" teams… the Pirates would get that team’s first-round draft pick in 2009, plus a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. If it is not a first-division team, the picks would be slightly lower."

By Nat Boyle

Sherman’s Latest: Sabathia, Fielder, Marte

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The New York Post’s Joel Sherman has a host of rumors in his new column.

  • Sherman believes the Indians are leaning toward trading C.C. Sabathia.  He names the usual suspects (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs) but also throws the Brewers into the mix based on the opinion of an "AL talent evaluator."
  • Speaking of the Brewers, Sherman believes Prince Fielder will be available "almost definitely in the offseason" and perhaps even this summer.  Doug Melvin says he’s not exploring it but never rules out anything.  The presence of Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta plus Fielder’s unwillingness to sign long-term could lead to a deal.  Fielder figures to jump up to at least $7-8MM upon reaching arbitration for the first time.
  • The Yankees have Damaso Marte atop their list, but the Pirates want something better than two draft picks in return.  He’s looking like a Type A free agent.
  • Walt Jocketty wants to "clean house."  The usual players are named, but Sherman also mentions Bronson Arroyo as a possibility.
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