Towers Speaks About Possible Moves
Padres GM Kevin Towers spoke with Darren Smith of 1090 XX Sports Radio earlier today, touching on a variety of Padre related topics. You can download and listen to the interview by clicking here, but here's a roundup of the rumors…
- Towers said he expects to get calls from contending teams about his "experienced players," mentioning David Eckstein, Brian Giles, Henry Blanco, Kevin Correia, Chad Gaudin, Cla Meredith and Mike Adams by name.
- He also said it's doubtful that the team would take on salary in a deadline deal, but they might be able to during the offseason.
- Depending on how he comes back from injury, there may be interest in Giles. Towers said it's doubtful anything happens before the deadline, but a waiver trade could be made in August. Giles, of course, has a full no-trade clause.
- When asked why he wouldn't trade Adrian Gonzalez or Heath Bell before the deadline to bring back as much talent as possible, Towers said "it's not to say we won't." He then mentions that they first need to determine what young players they're committed to keeping here and what they need to bring in from outside the organization, but if someone approaches them about one of those guys "they need to listen."
Padres DFA Edwin Moreno
MLB.com's Corey Brock tells us, via Twitter, that the Padres have designated right-hander Edwin Moreno for assignment in order to make room on the 40-man roster for catcher Jose Lobaton.
The Padres were forced to create room for another catcher on the roster following injuries to both Nick Hundley and Henry Blanco.
Moreno, 28, was 1-3 for the Pads with a 4.84 ERA. He had notched 15 strikeouts through 22.1 innings to go along with 15 walks, while opposing hitters were batting .311 off of him.
Lobaton, 24, is hitting .248/.301/.360 with three home runs through 37 games at AAA this year.
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Blanco, Coghlan
Links for Friday…
- RotoAuthority talks about the popular fantasy pickups this week.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels says Ben Sheets is "watching from a distance" while recovering from elbow surgery, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers "apparently are in position to sign Guillermo Pimentel, a top outfield prospect from the Dominican Republic" for $1.5-2MM.
- Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe says Red Sox reliever Javier Lopez cleared waivers and will head to Triple A.
- Sam Miller of the OC Register assembled a lineup/slideshow of prospects who deserve a big league shot.
- Henry Blanco isn't sure why he wasn't able to re-sign with the Cubs, according to the Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan.
- Nick Yohanek, the fan who caught Chris Coghlan's first big league home run, explains his side of the story in asking for the following for the ball: a signed Coghlan game bat, a signed Coghlan ball, and a Hanley Ramirez game bat. What's your take on this?
Padres Agree To Terms With Henry Blanco
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports that the Padres have agreed to terms on a one-year, $750K deal with catcher Henry Blanco.
The Dodgers’ signing of Brad Ausmus made this an easy decision for the Friars. Blanco, who hit .292 with three homers and 12 RBI for the Cubs last season, will back up Nick Hundley in San Diego.
Cubs Rumors: Wolf, Bako, Hill, Pie
A few Cubs notes from Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald…
- Randy Wolf "remains a possibility" for the Cubs. Wolf should generate decent interest if he’s willing to sign for one year. He probably expected more after making 33 starts for the second time in his career. A Jake Peavy deal appears unlikely by Opening Day, says Gordon Wittenmyer.
- The Cubs are unlikely to re-sign Henry Blanco, but Paul Bako remains on the radar. So far it’s Koyie Hill for the Cubs’ backup catcher job.
- Out of options: Rich Hill, Felix Pie, and Ronny Cedeno. Hill and Pie are good candidates to be dealt before Opening Day. Angel Guzman is also out of options, but he has a shot at cracking the team’s bullpen.
Marlins’ Catcher Hunt Includes I-Rod
Miami Herald columnist Barry Jackson writes that the Florida Marlins are discussing free-agent catchers like Michael Barrett, Henry Blanco and Ivan Rodriguez.
Rodriguez would have to accept a salary close to the league minimum for the Marlins to consider him as a serious option, according to Jackson.
Orioles Rumors: Kawakami, Zaun, Looper
7:05pm: Peter Schmuck names a few more catchers on Baltimore’s radar: Henry Blanco and Matt Treanor.
2:15pm: Steve Melewski of MASN Online talked to Dan Evans, who represents free agent pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Evans said he had a productive meeting with the Orioles and expects to have more. He’s been contacting many clubs to gauge interest in Kawakami.
The Orioles also engaged talks with Evans for Gregg Zaun, who could return to Baltimore as the veteran mentor for Matt Wieters. A few clubs have kicked the tires on Zaun, but he doesn’t have any serious bids yet.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun says the Orioles met with Braden Looper‘s agent at the Winter Meetings, but their interest level is not known.
Rockies Rumors: Redding, Gonzalez, Turnbow, Blanco
8:40pm: Rosenthal says the Rockies and Nats are discussing a Redding for Taveras swap.
4:06pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune says the Rockies have had internal discussions about Henry Blanco. I imagine they’d have to ship out Yorvit Torrealba first.
3:17pm: Troy Renck learned from team sources that the Rockies will not trade Gonzalez this winter.
1:25pm: MLB.com’s Bill Ladson says the Nats and Rockies met for a half hour yesterday, talking about Redding and Carlos Gonzalez. At the trade deadline, the Nationals wanted Dexter Fowler for Redding. Really?
1:57am: Rockies rumors for Tuesday…
- According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies have discussed trading for Nationals starter Tim Redding. Redding is under team control for two more years. On one hand the last thing the Nationals can spare is pitching, but on the other Redding is getting pricey and is a back-end guy anyway.
- Renck contends that the Nationals maintain some interest in Willy Taveras. Ken Rosenthal wrote recently that the Nats "aren’t terribly enamored" of the speedy outfielder.
- The Rockies are one of three teams confirmed to be in on Derrick Turnbow, who will work out for teams in January. The Pirates and Giants have also expressed interest.
- Sometime in January, the Rockies will look into a long-term extension for starter Ubaldo Jimenez.
Odds and Ends: Pettitte, Zaun, Blanco
Links for Tuesday…
- Scott Bordow feels the D’Backs and Randy Johnson should meet at $5MM, which still seems light.
- David Murphy explains why the Phillies make more sense than the Mariners for Jamie Moyer, geographically.
- David Ortiz would like the Red Sox to add a 30 home run bat.
- Richard Justice wants the Astros to sign both Randy Wolf and Andy Pettitte. He says the Cubs and Cardinals will be talking to Pettitte even though his heart is with the Yankees.
- El Lefty Malo recommends the Giants sign Derek Lowe. The Giants are at least considering the big-ticket free agents.
- Jeff Blair runs through a few options for the Blue Jays if A.J. Burnett leaves.
- Free agent catcher Gregg Zaun is not pleased with Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi.
- The D’Backs want Miguel Montero showcased as a catcher.
- Ken Davidoff has a list of nine intriguing (and older) free agents.
- Joel Sherman joins Buster Olney in saying Brian Giles vetoed a trade to the A’s in August, after the Red Sox won the claim and failed to make a deal. How is this possible?
- Geovany Soto expects Henry Blanco to re-sign with the Cubs.
- Tony Massarotti looks at possible trade partners for the Red Sox.
Tigers Rumors: Pudge, Varitek, Lugo, Thames
Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press doles out the latest Tigers rumors.
- How will the Tigers resolve their catching situation? GM Dave Dombrowski calls an Ivan Rodriguez reunion a longshot, and Scott Boras is asking the moon for Jason Varitek. The Tigers may not have the goods to swing a trade for Gerald Laird. Morosi likes the idea of Henry Blanco, but says the Tigers have yet to contact his agent. Check out the other free agent options here.
- Morosi considers a bad contract swap for Julio Lugo a viable option for the Tigers. He notes that Dontrelle Willis and Nate Robertson have similar commitments. Lugo for Robertson does seem reasonable for both sides.
- Morosi believes the Tigers match up well with the Reds, who are looking for a power-hitting outfielder. Magglio Ordonez is the marquee name, but Morosi likes the fit with Marcus Thames.