Odds And Ends: Atkins, Ryan, Halladay
More links for the afternoon…
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Red Sox phoned the Rockies about Garrett Atkins, who's hitting much better since the beginning of June.
- Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says the Royals can't give Mark Teahen away, but they should be open to trading him.
- Joel Sherman wonders if a contender will pick B.J. Ryan up as a lefty specialist.
- Jorge Arangure Jr. says Ryan could fit with the Marlins, who have been handing out second chances non-stop.
- MLB.com's Lyle Spencer looks at pieces the Angels could offer for Roy Halladay, about whom they have called the Blue Jays.
- But the Angels are not the only ones inquiring. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, J.P. Ricciardi has received "several" calls about Halladay.
Trade Candidates: Corner Infielders
We’ve heard about Garrett Atkins and Aubrey Huff all year, but plenty of other corner infielders could be trade bait, too. Here’s the list of corner infield trade candidates, ranked from highest 2009 salary to lowest:
- Troy Glaus – The priciest trade candidate on this list has yet to play in 2009. There have been suggestions that the Cards could move Glaus if he can't play third upon his return.
- Melvin Mora – With a $9MM salary and a no-trade clause, Mora will be tough to move.
- Aubrey Huff – He's not hitting as well as he did last year, but has hit well enough. He makes $8MM this year.
- Adam Dunn – He makes the same amount as Huff, and has $12MM more coming his way in 2010. With 22 homers already, Dunn would be a nice addition a team like the Giants.
- Adam LaRoche – He earns $7.05MM this year before becoming a free agent.
- Garrett Atkins – He'll earn $7.05MM as well, a sum that looks more affordable every day, since Atkins is hitting .306/.386/.468 since the beginning of June.
- Nick Johnson – An affordable option at $5.5MM, this free agent-to-be has an injury history to go along with his .800 OPS.
- Chad Tracy – The combination of his $4.75MM salary and .354 slugging percentage won't make him appealing to many teams, if any.
- Jason Giambi – He earns $4MM this year and his team will have to pay him $1.25MM after the season or take on his $6.5MM salary next year. Giambi's been a disappointment at the plate.
- Jorge Cantu – The Marlins remain just one game behind the Phillies for the division lead, but there have been hints that they would move Cantu if they fall out of it. He makes $3.5MM this year.
- Russell Branyan – The Mariners are just 3.5 games back of the division lead, but Branyan would be an appealing candidate if he hits the market, especially since he makes just $1.4MM this year.
- Kevin Kouzmanoff – He makes under $500k this year, but he's hitting poorly and you can't even blame Petco Park, as his OPS is 40 points lower on the road. The Mariners recently had interest.
The Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Reds and Mariners could all look for a boost at one of the corner infield positions.
Rockies Rumors: ‘Pen, Atkins, Torrealba
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has the latest on the Rockies' search for a reliever and details on a couple trade chips:
- The Rockies had interest in Joel Hanrahan before he was dealt to the Pirates.
- They would love to reacquire LaTroy Hawkins, but he's not available now.
- The D'Backs would part with Chad Qualls.
- The Padres are expected to move Cla Meredith.
- Garrett Atkins could be moved and the Red Sox seem to be a logical fit, but a history of failed deals between the two sides could slow talks. The Red Sox have scouted Atkins, but their interest level isn't known.
- Yorvit Torrealba's future remains uncertain and he says he'd like to remain in Colorado, though he realizes he might be dealt.
Olney On Pirates, Marlins, Escobar
ESPN.com's Buster Olney says yesterday's Pirates-Yankees trade proves we're looking at a buyer's market this year. The Pirates had to include $400k to shed part of Eric Hinske's salary, and they won't be the only ones including salary relief in trades. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:
- The suitors for players like Nick Johnson and Josh Willingham may start disappearing if the few teams who can take on salary decide to look elsewhere for help.
- Olney says the Pirates acquired potential success in Lastings Milledge.
- The Marlins are still looking aggressively for relievers.
- Now that Mike Lowell's out, the Red Sox and Rockies seem to match up well for a possible deal that would send Garrett Atkins to Boston for a reliever.
- The Braves are willing to trade Yunel Escobar for a good hitter.
Olney On Felix, Reds, Dye, Indians
ESPN.com's Buster Olney imagines there will be a long lineup of suitors for Felix Hernandez when he hits free agency after the 2011 season. Players as good as King Felix will sign massive deals regardless of the economy, Olney says. Here are the rest of his rumors:
- The Reds, who are looking for a right-handed bat, will probably choose between marginal improvements and busting the budget for a pricier hitter like Matt Holliday or Jermaine Dye. They'd have to give up better prospects to obtain the salary relief they'd like, but they're reluctant to part with top talent.
- For those wondering if Jermaine Dye could fit in San Francisco, Olney says the White Sox and Giants don't match up particularly well.
- Olney suggests the Red Sox should trade for a first baseman and move Kevin Youkilis over to third if Mike Lowell has to miss much time,
- It makes sense for the Rockies to play Garrett Atkins more. Not only is he hitting better, teams will have more interest in Atkins if they see him perform well.
- Any deal that makes the Indians stronger for 2010 is worth making if they aren't going to contend this year. Cleveland's now 12.0 games out of a playoff spot.
Renck’s Latest: Hawkins, Saito, Spilborghs, Atkins
In his latest article, the Denver Post's Troy E. Renck has a few Rockies footnotes worth discussing:
- Renck suggests the Rockies should aggressively pursue LaTroy Hawkins if the Astros drop in the standings.
- Takashi Saito is another option. He has dominated in the NL West and the Red Sox like Ryan Spilborghs. He also notes the Tigers and Phillies have expressed interest in Spilborghs, as Ken Rosenthal said earlier this month.
- Renck lists the Braves, Cardinals, and Mets as potential fits for Garrett Atkins, but Renck adds that his "$4 million in remaining salary is prohibitive."
Odds & Ends: Moore, Schmidt, Atkins
On this date back in 2003, Johnny Damon hit a single, a double, and a triple in a 14-run first inning against the Marlins. The Red Sox set a league record by scoring ten runs before making an out.
On to the linkage…
- Matthew Pouliot of Circling The Bases says that Dayton Moore's moves over the last season and a half are enough to warrant his dismissal. He notes they have a more than qualified replacement already in-house in senior advisor Mike Arbuckle.
- Ben Bolch of The LA Times notes that Jason Schmidt threw 104 pitches over 7.2 shutout in a rehab start yesterday. We know the Dodgers are looking for pitching, but a healthy and reasonably effective Schmidt could lessen that urgency.
- Tracy Ringolsby writes that Garrett Atkins' recent hot streak creates "more of a possibility of another team having interest in acquiring him." Atkins is hitting .340-.415-.553 in June.
- The Rangers have been getting good production from unexpected sources like Jason Jennings, says Ken Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News.
- Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez says he's happy to be in Colorado, according to Susan Slusser of The SF Chronicle.
- Joe Cowley tweets this Ozzie Guillen quote: "The people that run baseball teams now are soft." I wonder what Kenny Williams thinks about that.
- Marc Carig writes that the Rockies had begun combing through the Yankees' farm system in advance of a potential Huston Street trade back in May.
Stark On Lee, DeRosa, Phillies, Rays, Beltre
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com calls this one of the slowest-moving trade markets in a while, but provides lots of rumors anyways:
- Teams are making introductory calls now to set the tone for the next five weeks.
- One official looking to add a reliever says no one is available.
- With so few teams willing to part with players, sellers are asking for a lot.
- The Brewers, Dodgers, Phillies and Mets are among the teams to call about Cliff Lee. The Indians would still have to be overwhelmed to part with him.
- The Cubs have considered trying to reacquire Mark DeRosa.
- They've also done some preliminary searching for a bat, but they're not sure where they'd play a new hitter so that gives the versatile DeRosa extra appeal.
- Stark's heard nothing to suggest Bobby Valentine will end up managing the Nationals.
- The Phillies have given indications that they'd part with Michael Taylor and/or Jason Donald in a deal for a top starter.
- However, they won't listen on these players: Dominic Brown, Lou Marson, Kyle Drabek, Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco and Antonio Bastardo.
- Doug Davis and Ian Snell aren't Phillies targets.
- The Rays are looking for long-term upgrades. They'd like to acquire "the next J.P. Howell."
- They're asking about young corner outfielders, rather than Jermaine Dye types.
- Pedro Martinez still wants a $5MM salary (prorated) plus incentives, so don't expect him to sign soon.
- The Reds have the best minor leaguers in the division and some could become trade chips.
- The Mets checked in on Garrett Atkins.
- Tony Reagins believes 2009 free agent Vladimir Guerrero can still hit.
- At least one scout can't imagine Adrian Beltre being traded. Makes sense, given his shoulder injury and contract.
Odds And Ends: Belliard, Atkins, Ayala
Some links to peruse as we await the baseball equivalent of the Shaq trade…
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Ronnie Belliard isn't sure if he'll play another season.
- Mark DeRosa tops the list of infielders most likely to be traded, if you ask Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says the Rockies shouldn't deal anyone but Garrett Atkins.
- Huston Street believes getting traded led to a "good opportunity," according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer says Luis Ayala is far from irreplaceable.
- I'll be talking rumors on the TEAM 1380 in St. Louis at around 6:20 CST tonight, so tune in if you get the chance.
Rockies Looking For Pitching
Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told Dave Krieger of the Denver Post something we've heard a lot of recently: there just aren't that many sellers right now. Here are the details from Krieger's column:
- Winners of 17 of their last 19, the Rockies are looking to improve their rotation and their 'pen.
- O'Dowd isn't sure anyone in the NL other than the Pirates, Nationals and Padres would engage in trade talks right now.
- The Rockies could move Jorge De La Rosa to the bullpen if they acquire a starter.
- Garrett Atkins and Yorvit Torrealba are available, but haven't drawn much interest.