Hunter Pence

Heyman On Astros, Adams, Matsui, Yankees

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2011 at 11:25am CDT

Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane has ordered a decrease in payroll from $76MM to $60MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on Houston’s deadline plans and other notes from around MLB:

The Astros are looking for at least three pieces for Hunter Pence. They’d probably demand young, MLB-ready talent, so a deal appears unlikely.
Houston is shopping Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers harder than Pence
Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Heyman that he’d have to be “blown away” to trade Mike Adams and that he’d prefer to keep the setup man.
The Rangers are in talks with the Padres about Heath Bell, who is also drawing interest from the Cardinals, Angels and Reds.
No one has called the A’s about Hideki Matsui and Oakland isn’t looking to trade Grant Balfour.
The A’s are taking calls on Michael Wuertz, Brian Fuentes and Craig Breslow.
The Yankees’ wish list includes a right-handed bat along with a lefty reliever and a starter. Perhaps the newly-signed Marcus Thames will help the Yankees at some point in 2011.

NL Central Notes: Reds, Wandy, Bourn, Gomez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 21, 2011 at 8:38pm CDT

The Brewers lead the NL Central by half a game, but they lost their center fielder to injury last night. Here's the latest from the division…

"There is some urgency, but not tremendous urgency" said Reds GM Walt Jocketty to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon when asked about making a trade before the deadline. "I still have a lot of confidence that we're good enough to win, but if there is a chance to upgrade the club, we would try to pursue it."
MLB.com's Peter Gammons spoke to three AL clubs who have "no interest" in Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros, fearing the NL-to-AL switch (Twitter links).
Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner hears that Michael Bourn's name isn't coming up much on the trade market, though writers continue mentioning the speedy outfielder as a trade candidate (Twitter link).
Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he may look for center field help to restore outfield depth (Twitter link). Carlos Gomez fractured his left clavicle last night.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests Cubs GM Jim Hendry may be best-suited to lead the organization after 2011. Some baseball insiders believe former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes and current Dodgers GM Ned Colletti would be near the top of the Cubs' list of possible replacements, Wittenmyer writes. Reports linking the Cubs to longtime executive Pat Gillick and White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn have been shot down, according to the Sun-Times.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that incoming Astros owner Jim Crane hasn’t told current GM Ed Wade to keep any particular player.
Hunter Pence is likely staying in Houston, since the Astros aren’t seeing multi-player offers they like, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter). Gammons explains that the market for Wandy Rodriguez is hurt because AL teams are wary of NL pitchers.

Hunter Pence Rumors: Thursday

By Mike Axisa | July 21, 2011 at 5:07pm CDT

There are a number of teams looking for a bat before the trade deadline, and Hunter Pence of the Astros is one of the best available. The outfielder is hitting .316/.361/.484 with 11 homers this season. Let's round up all the day's rumors involving him right here…

SI.com's Jon Heyman hears that Houston's asking price for Pence is so prohibitive that teams are sure he'll remain with the Astros (Twitter link).
A source tells Mike Silverman of The Boston Herald that Pence "won't be moved." (Twitter link)
Earlier today we heard that the Phillies would like to frame any potential trade for Pence around right-hander Vance Worley.

Olney On Wandy, Phillies, DeJesus, Cardinals, Mets

By Mike Axisa | July 21, 2011 at 11:52am CDT

In addition to all the talk about a potential Hunter Pence trade, ESPN's Buster Olney notes the Astros are "making it clear" that they're willing to trade Wandy Rodriguez in today's Insider-only blog post. The left-hander has caught the eye of the Reds, but Houston will reportedly want as much for Rodriguez as the Rockies would want for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

Olney hears that the Phillies would prefer to frame any offers for Pence around right-hander Vance Worley (Twitter link). Worley owns a 2.02 ERA in ten starts and two relief appearances for Philadelphia this season.
The Pirates have talked internally about pursuing David DeJesus, but it's unclear how aggressive they plan to get in trade talks (Twitter link).
The Cardinals have cast a wide net in their search for bullpen help, and other clubs expect St. Louis to land a right-handed reliever before the deadline (Twitter link).
There is growing confidence in the Mets' organization that the Bernie Madoff case "is veering in favor of the Wilpons," which could allow them to re-establish full control of the team. There is also some unhappiness with how David Einhorn has taken the spotlight without having a deal to become minority owner finalized.

Braves Fully Intend To Acquire Hitter

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 21, 2011 at 8:59am CDT

The Braves ‘fully intend’ to add a hitter before the end of the month, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Some of Rosenthal’s sources suggest the Braves are close to a trade, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated yesterday.

If the Braves are indeed close to completing a trade, it isn’t for Carlos Beltran, Rosenthal writes. Hunter Pence is not Atlanta’s slugger of choice, though the Braves have expressed interest in him, B.J. Upton, Ryan Ludwick, Jonny Gomes and others.

The Braves are reluctant to overpay for a rental player and they’re uncomfortable with the Astros’ asking price for Pence. The Braves would prefer not to send Jason Heyward to the minors, though the sophomore slugger’s struggles have compounded Atlanta’s need for a bat.

Phillies Notes: Pence, Singleton, Mariners

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 20, 2011 at 7:38pm CDT

The Phillies have discussed Melky Cabrera, are one of the favorites to land Carlos Beltran and maintain interest in relievers, including Leo Nunez. Here's the latest, as we await Ruben Amaro Jr.'s next surprise move…

The Phillies have asked the Astros about Hunter Pence, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Pence is available and rival executives expect him to be traded.
Amaro and Astros GM Ed Wade have combined on deals involving Roy Oswalt, Sergio Escalona and others, as our Transaction Tracker shows.
The Phillies are open to dealing Jonathan Singleton, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff (Twitter link).
Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner says we should expect the Mariners to pursue Singleton if that’s the case (Twitter link). Seattle likes Singleton, according to Cameron.
As our Transaction Tracker shows, Amaro and Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik have made deals involving Mike Sweeney and, of course, Cliff Lee.

Astros Willing To Trade Hunter Pence

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 20, 2011 at 5:54pm CDT

The Astros are showing a willingness to trade Hunter Pence, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Rival executives expect GM Ed Wade to trade Pence, Olney reports.

The Braves, who may be close to acquiring a right-handed bat, have enough prospects to pry Pence away from Houston. However, Atlanta has interest in Jonny Gomes and others, including Carlos Beltran. The Pirates have also been eyeing Pence, who will cost a lot in terms of prospects.

Pence, 28, is hitting .315/.356/.478 with 11 home runs. The two-time All-Star is under team control through 2013, but he won't be cheap. He earns $6.9MM this year, so a $10MM payday is within reach next year, with another raise likely in 2013.

NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Soriano, Betemit, Pence

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2011 at 8:21pm CDT

Four teams are within striking distance of the NL Central lead: the Brewers, the Cardinals and the Reds and Pirates, who are currently playing at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The latest links from the division…

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that he can take on payroll and would prefer not to trade players currently on the Major League roster (Twitter link).
Alfonso Soriano told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com that he isn't worried about trade rumors, since he doesn't control what happens leading up to the trade deadline. The 35-year-old has 14 homers and a .255/.298/.456 line for the Cubs, who owe him $18MM annually through 2014. Soriano told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender.
Dave Gershman of Beyond the Boxscore suggests the Cubs should consider trading Sean Marshall if they can get a top prospect like Jonathan Singleton.
The Brewers and Royals are still in contact about Wilson Betemit, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Brewers have had interest in the infielder since earlier in the month, but haven’t made substantial progress so far. Morosi reports that the Brewers would like any acquisition to be capable of playing the outfield.
Rival teams get the impression that it will take a "major, major overpay" to obtain Hunter Pence from the Astros now, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).

Pirates Notes: Trades, Huntington, Grilli

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2011 at 3:54pm CDT

The Pirates are in first place, but manager Clint Hurdle realizes his team hasn't won anything of substance yet. "They don’t break a trophy in half and give it to you on July 19," he told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (Twitter link). Here's the latest from Pittsburgh:

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick explains how the Pirates ascended to the top of the NL Central and repeats that the Pirates have checked out Hunter Pence, Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham, Conor Jackson and other available bats in their search for offensive help.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that he's looking to add a position player, a starting pitcher or a reliever (Twitter link). The Pirates have interest in Koji Uehara and others. For a look at what other teams are seeking, click here.
Jason Grilli, who is pitching for Philadelphia's Triple-A team, will be in the big leagues within a few days, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 34-year-old has received at least one Major League offer, which means the Phillies have to promote him or let him leave as a free agent. Grilli has drawn interest from Pittsburgh now that he appears to have recovered from the right knee operation that sidelined him in 2010.

Pirates Eyeing Hunter Pence

By Tim Dierkes | July 18, 2011 at 7:38am CDT

The Pirates have scouted Astros outfielder Hunter Pence with the trade deadline in mind, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Astros hosted the Bucs over the weekend, losing two of three. Yesterday morning, Pence noted that the possibility of being traded is completely out of his hands. At .320/.363/.490, he makes a coveted trade target in a market thin on bats.

Pence said before yesterday's game that everyone's been talking about the Pirates, who are a half game out in the NL Central with over 40% of the season remaining. On Friday, ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Astros would have to be "overwhelmed" to part with Pence. I imagine Astros GM Ed Wade would require even more from the Pirates for the 28-year-old, since they'd have to compete against him through the 2013 season. Plus, the Bucs' top prospects are not close to the Majors, so they might be a tough sell to the Astros' fanbase. The two division rivals haven't matched up on a significant trade in a decade, when the Astros acquired Pirates closer Mike Williams for Tony McKnight. That deal was authored by Gerry Hunsicker and Dave Littlefield.

Biertempfel mentions one intriguing possibility, which I tossed out there a week ago: Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez. The former Pirate could provide a big-time offensive boost from the hot corner for the season's final two months. One issue: on June 7th, Ramirez's agent Paul Kinzer explained that Ramirez has a full no-trade clause and doesn't want to go anywhere. Kinzer did leave the door open a crack, though. And Pirates GM Neal Huntington told Biertempfel in a general sense that "no-trade clauses are often used as leverage," unless a player flat-out doesn't want to be dealt to a particular club. The other issue might be negotiating away Ramirez's $16MM club option for 2012, which vests upon a trade.

The Pirates have checked in on the Athletics' Josh Willingham and Conor Jackson, tweeted ESPN's Jerry Crasnick last night. For more players the team could pursue, check out my post from a week ago.

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