Edwin Jackson-Adam Dunn Three-Team Rumor
1:27pm: The Diamondbacks have not yet held three-way talks with the Nationals and White Sox, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Still, they will "not hesitate to deal Edwin Jackson if they get what they want." ESPN's Buster Olney adds via Twitter, "The Nats have made progress in their effort to trade prospects for Jackson."
11:43am: It wouldn't be late July without rumors of intriguing three-team deals. ESPN's Jayson Stark:
Rumblings continue to surface about a possible three-team deal involving the Nationals, White Sox and Diamondbacks that would send Edwin Jackson to Washington, Adam Dunn to Chicago and a bunch of young pitchers to Arizona.
We know the Nationals like Jackson and the White Sox like Dunn, so perhaps the D'Backs can facilitate a deal and further stock up on prospects. Jackson, who is no stranger to three-team deals, has a 5.01 ERA, 7.0 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in 20 starts for Arizona. On the plus side, he turns 27 in September, averages 94 mph on his fastball, and is signed for next year. As he was with Dan Haren, D'Backs interim GM Jerry Dipoto might be forced to sell low on Jackson.
Nats Interested In Edwin Jackson
The Nationals are interested in Arizona pitcher Edwin Jackson, according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). Nats GM Mike Rizzo recently identified starting pitching as the club's biggest need.
A month ago it was reported that Washington was exploring a trade for the righthander, though we haven't heard much else on that front in recent weeks. Rizzo has connections to the D'Backs organization, having served as their scouting director from 2000-2006.
Jackson, who turns 27 in September, has a 5.01 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 20 starts this year. On the whole, he has been unable to replicate his play from last season when he registered a 3.62 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9.
Rosenthal On Padres, Uggla, Blue Jays, Nats
Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- The Padres are seeking a durable starting pitcher as they approach the deadline. The Padres know that they need a bat but their offense is so weak that they fear a lack of quality starting pitching might derail them faster than a lack of hitting. Durable starters are hard to come by on the trade market, but the Diamondbacks' Edwin Jackson could be a fit.
- The Marlins changed skippers thinking that they were a better team than they've shown, but that hasn't been the case thus far. Unless they rally, the club will end up as sellers. Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, and Ricky Nolasco all hold value. Nolasco's name hasn't come up much, but he could be one of the better starting pitchers on the market. Uggla and his big bat are still sought after, even though his salary could rise to about $10MM in arbitration next season.
- Toronto's Shaun Marcum could still be a trade chip, even after going on the disabled list with inflammation of the right elbow. The club expects him to be back before the All-Star break and if so, he should be one of the better starters available. The Jays could be active sellers as they have several more attractive pieces. Relievers Scott Downs and Jason Frasor are both potential free agents. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Jose Bautista could also get some bites.
- Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Rosenthal that the club is getting interest in five or six players in trade discussion. While Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are getting all the buzz, Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy could be attractive to teams in need of infield help. Matt Capps could be a trade chip as well now that he has recovered from his slump. They control the closer through next season, though they may look to cash in on his value while it is peaking.
Heyman On D’Backs, Astros, Royals, Soriano
You thought Cliff Lee was drawing a lot of interest now? One GM told Jon Heyman of SI.com that 12-15 teams could show interest in the Mariners lefty before the July 31st trade deadline. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, as we wonder which teams are going to be calling Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about Lee:
- The D’Backs, who just fired their GM, are talking to clubs about five players, including Dan Haren. Rival GMs agree that Arizona would have to be “overwhelmed” to move Haren, but the D’Backs are seriously considering dealing Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson and Chad Qualls. They are also listening to offers for Edwin Jackson, who authored a no-hitter over the weekend.
- Interim manager Kirk Gibson and interim GM Jerry Dipoto appear to be candidates to take on their responsibilities on a more permanent basis.
- An executive told Heyman that “just about everyone but Hunter Pence” is available on the Astros. Not surprisingly, one GM told Heyman that no team will take on Carlos Lee and his contract.
- A rival GM believes the Royals would deal Joakim Soria and another GM believes David DeJesus is better than Curtis Granderson or Johnny Damon.
- The Cubs would love to move Alfonso Soriano, according to a GM.
- There has been no noticeable progress between the Brewers and Prince Fielder on an extension, but at least one executive doubts that Prince would fetch much of a return in a trade.
Phillies Prioritizing Starting Pitching Depth
The Phillies are prioritizing starting pitching depth this trade deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). They are looking to add a middle-of-the-rotation starter, probably someone better than Jeremy Guthrie. Few available starters short of Cliff Lee– the Phillies' biggest 2009 acquisition- and Roy Oswalt are definitively better than Guthrie, but arms like Fausto Carmona, Edwin Jackson and Brett Myers could be fits – at least in theory.
It seems unlikely that the D'Backs would trade Jackson in the near future, since he no-hit the Rays over the weekend. Myers is having an excellent season in Houston, but there's no guarantee that Ruben Amaro Jr. would be interested in bringing him back to Philadelphia so soon after the sides parted ways.
Another former Phillie, Pedro Martinez, plans to pitch in 2010, but he wouldn't be ready for major league action without weeks in the minor leagues. The Phillies maintain that they're not close to bringing Pedro back.
Roy Halladay has been one of the best pitchers in the National League, Cole Hamels has pitched well, though he has been homer-prone and Jamie Moyer has been reliable. Joe Blanton pitched well against the Twins and Indians in his last two starts, but he and Kyle Kendrick have been Charlie Manuel's least reliable starters in 2010.
Rosenthal’s Full Count: Zambrano, Angels, Brewers
Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up, so let's dive in…
- The fact that Carlos Zambrano is a 29-year-old pitcher still capable of winning 12-15 games a year should be enough to allow the Cubs to trade him, but of course the team will have to a eat a large chunk of the $45MM left on his deal. Rosenthal reminds us that the Cubbies came ahead financially when they moved Milton Bradley this winter.
- The Angels still want to add a first baseman, and Adam Dunn is on their list of potential targets. If they do make a move for Dunn or perhaps Adam LaRoche, incumbent first baseman Mike Napoli could become trade bait.
- The Nationals have yet to get serious in any discussions about a contract extension with Dunn.
- The Brewers are still searching for pitching, and the Blue Jays could be a potential match. Toronto likes Double-A infielder (and Canadian) Brett Lawrie, but the Brewers would be reluctant to trade him. They would have to consider it if he could land them someone like Brett Cecil or Shaun Marcum, though.
- Arizona will probably not want to keep both Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson since they combine to make over $20MM next year, but Haren's value isn't what it once was. One baseball person told Rosenthal that "[Haren]'s not at the top of anyone's list, he's just another name."
Nationals Exploring A Trade For Edwin Jackson?
Edwin Jackson enjoyed the finest moment of his big league career last night when he no-hit the Rays, which coincidentally came at the same time MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling heard that the Nationals "were exploring a trade" for the righthander. Current Nats' GM Mike Rizzo has plenty of ties to the Diamondbacks, having joined the franchise when they were created in 1998 and serving as their scouting director from 2000-2006.
This year, the 26-year-old Jackson has been unable to replicate the success he enjoyed during in his breakout 2009 season. He's pitched to a 4.63 ERA in 107 innings, striking out 7.1 batters per nine innings while walking 3.8 per nine. The Scott Boras client is owed approximately $2.28MM for the rest of the season, and is under contract for $8.35MM next year.
Rizzo said he has identified starting pitching as the club's biggest need, though we really haven't seen them linked to any specific names until now. Arizona has yet to indicate that a fire sale is coming, but that could change in a heartbeat.
Odds & Ends: Giants, D’Backs, Rivera, Ramos
Some links for Monday, before Mike Leake tries to restore order for the Reds…
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com explains why he believes the Giants should acquire bullpen help.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders (via Twitter) if the Mariners and Blue Jays could swap two recently-designated players: Ian Snell and Edwin Encarnacion.
- D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told Jack Curry of the YES Network that he will need "very significant players" in return for some of his stars (Twitter link). Sounds like Dan Haren will be hard to obtain this summer.
- Mariano Rivera told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he doesn't want to think about his contract (it expires after the season) but would consider signing a one-year deal like Andy Pettitte.
- Wilson Ramos is thought of as the kind of prospect that could help the Twins pry Cliff Lee from the Mariners. But as Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes, the catcher will miss about a week with a strained oblique.
- Pat Andriola of FanGraphs names winners and losers from some 2008 deadline deals.
- Most expect the D'Backs to continue selling, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter) that no scouts made a special trip to see Edwin Jackson's most recent start.
- The Red Sox signed Jay Broughton from the independent league Calgary Vipers, according to Sean Myers of the Calgary Herald. The 23-year-old had enrolled in grad school, but he quit and Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird took notice and signed him.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains that the Dodgers, who lost to Clay Buchholz last night, nearly drafted the right-hander in the 2005 draft.
- R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs says the Braves could improve by adding an outfielder before the trade deadline. Few Braves fans would argue that GM Frank Wren shouldn't consider players like Luke Scott and David DeJesus if the price is right.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins need to solidify their bullpen if they're going to contend.
Odds & Ends: Aybar, Haren, Hughes, Jackson
Links for Friday, before the Subway Series, Stephen Strasburg's third MLB start and Manny Ramirez's return to Fenway…
- Mike Scioscia tells Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times he's "very optimistic" that Erick Aybar's left knee injury won't lead to a DL stint. That reduces the chances that the Angels will go after a shortstop.
- It's been a great year for young players like Strasburg and Mike Leake, as ESPN.com's Tim Kurkjian shows.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D'Backs often hear trade rumors from Dan Haren, who reads MLBTR. As Piecoro explains, players are generally aware of the latest rumblings in "the era of the trade rumor."
- Another top pitcher, Cliff Lee, chooses to ignore the rumors, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked 12 baseball insiders whether they would prefer to have Phil Hughes or Mike Pelfrey for the next five years and was surprised to see all 12 select Hughes.
- Edwin Jackson and Dontrelle Willis say they have good memories of Detroit and no hard feelings over the trades that sent them to Arizona, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Rosenthal On Diamondbacks, Hart, Rangers
Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- While Dan Haren's trade value isn't exactly peaking, the D'Backs have internally discussed moving the 29-year-old hurler. Another option would be to move No. 2 starter Edwin Jackson. The combined salary of the two pitchers is set to jump from roughly $12.8MM this season to $20.5MM in 2011. That increase could be too much for Arizona to handle, even with Brandon Webb's salary coming off of the books.
- The Brewers are once again drawing interest in outfielder Corey Hart. The Giants, Padres, and A's are among the teams that could use a boost in the outfield and Milwaukee will seek starting pitching in return. Rosenthal doesn't see the Giants as a fit because they won't part with any of their starters and their outfield situation has recently improved. Meanwhile, the A's and Padres want to be comfortable with their overall health and chances before they make any moves. If Jim Edmonds and Jody Gerut get healthy, Hart could be dealt. Hart is under team control through 2011, should his team choose to tender him a contract.
- The Rangers still believe that either Justin Smoak or Chris Davis will be their long-term answer at first base, but they could seek a veteran stopgap for the second half of the season. Paul Konerko is likely too rich for their blood. Cleveland's Russell Branyan would be a more economical solution.