Rosenthal On Jeter, Werth, Cardinals, Reds
Derek Jeter’s .264/.331/.372 batting line is remarkably similar to Marco Scutaro’s .271/.331/.372 line, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out. Scutaro’s a quality major league player, but the two-year $12.5MM deal he signed as a free agent last winter pales in comparison to the kind of contract Jeter seems likely to sign when he hits the open market after the season. Here’s Rosenthal’s Jeter update, plus other notes from around the majors:
- Yankees officials do not plan to “play hardball” with Jeter this winter. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes suggested in May that $30MM over three years could be reasonable, but the Yankees don’t want to lowball their captain.
- One GM who may have interest in signing Jayson Werth this offseason has doubts about the outfielder’s ability to hit in a less imposing lineup.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told Rosenthal that St. Louis made multiple waiver claims on hitters last month, though they “went nowhere.”
- The Reds and Dusty Baker have exchanged ideas since the Reds offered Baker a one-year extension with no raise, according to Rosenthal.
Odds & Ends: Van Mil, Werth, Millwood
A few more Saturday night links….
- Acknowledging the pun, Mike Scioscia tells Lyle Spencer of MLB.com that the Angels see "tremendous upside" in the recently acquired Loek Van Mil.
- MLB.com's Mike Radano doesn't blame Jayson Werth for leaving the Beverly Hills Sports Council in preparation for his "one big chance on the open market."
- Tony La Russa recognizes Walt Jocketty's knack for building a roster, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
- When MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli writes that Kevin Millwood has "done what [Baltimore] envisioned when it traded for him this offseason," she's referring to his clubhouse presence rather than his 3-15 record.
Jayson Werth Looking For A New Agent
Jayson Werth will no longer be represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council, tweets ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Werth hasn't decided on new representation yet, and the process could take a while due to the "expected agent feeding frenzy" (Twitter link) that should surround the pending free agent.
It's no surprise that Werth would want to be completely confident in his representation as he prepares to sign the biggest contract of his professional career this winter. Werth and Carl Crawford are the top free agent outfielders on the market and both should command annual salaries of $15MM or more. All of the usual big-market suspects will be in on the bidding, though given how Philadelphia was shopping Werth earlier this summer, it would be surprising to see Werth return to the Phillies next season.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Viciedo
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe breaks down the 2010 Red Sox and what members of the team may not be around for 2011. He says Jayson Werth will be a free agent target and wonders if they're willing to commit three or four years to Adrian Beltre, who is having a monster season. Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka could be trade bait, and then there's the issue of David Ortiz's $12.5MM option.
Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- There have been "minimal, if any" talks between the Sox and Victor Martinez about a new contract.
- Expect Boston to revamp their bullpen, which could mean replacing Hideki Okajima.
- Carfado believes that the Rangers settled ownership situation will help the team down the stretch as the players don't have to deal with any speculation.
- Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit, a pair of offseason pickups that are the Rays' two best relievers, will need to have their workloads monitored down the stretch, particularly Benoit who is coming off major shoulder surgery.
- The Angels have close to $110MM tied up in 2011 payroll counting arbitration raises, which could hinder their pursuit of free agents this winter.
- Kenny Williams says that teams never asked for Dayan Viciedo in a trade because they knew he was unavailable. We heard that Williams was willing to trade him before the deadline.
- A split between the Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu seems likely this offseason.
Stark On Phillies, Indians, Ross, Athletics
Today's rumblings from ESPN's Jayson Stark…
- Shane Victorino's oblique injury yesterday appears to close the door on a Jayson Werth trade. MLB.com's Todd Zolecki seems to agree, but unlike Stark he feels that the Phils "remain a top contender" for Roy Oswalt. More on Oswalt here.
- Stark writes of indications the Phillies have turned to starters such as Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona and relief options like Octavio Dotel. Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that the Indians are talking trades with the Phils (Twitter link).
- Speaking of the Indians, Stark senses they do want to move money off the books.
- The Marlins have told teams they could deal Cody Ross in August if they fall out of contention, but they'd have to match up only with the team that wins the claim.
- The Braves maintain strong interest in Josh Willingham, though there's a good chance they stand pat. Willingham is just one of many Nationals veterans generating interest, GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN 980.
- Athletics assistant GM David Forst told Stark "it would have to be an over-the-top deal for us to even consider it" in regard to trading relievers such as Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, and Brad Ziegler.
Stark On Werth, Willingham, Cantu, Theriot
Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth told ESPN's Jayson Stark he's "not up late reading the blog sites" regarding trade rumors, but he doesn't expect to be dealt. Stark agrees, though he notes that the Phillies did toss Werth's name out there to many teams. On to Stark's other rumors…
- The Dodgers are looking at Ted Lilly, but they haven't completely abandoned the idea of acquiring Roy Oswalt. Still, the impediments to an Oswalt deal remain significant. Lilly appears certain to be traded.
- Josh Willingham is drawing interest from the Braves, Rays, and Red Sox. Adam Dunn remains a trade candidate as well, but the Nationals would only deal one of the two.
- Money might be holding up a Jorge Cantu-Rangers deal, as the Rangers can't add any payroll and would want the Marlins to pick up the entire $2.25MM tab.
- The Padres have been linked to infielders Ryan Theriot and Jeff Keppinger, as outfield targets such as David DeJesus, Corey Hart, and Jayson Werth drop out of the picture for various reasons.
- Don't look for anything major from the Red Sox outside of some bullpen tweaking. They will prowl the waiver wire in August, though.
Price On Dunn, Garrett Jones, DeJesus
A look at the latest from Ed Price of AOL FanHouse…
- Price tweets that some new teams asked about Adam Dunn within the past day. He wonders if those clubs might include the Padres and Giants. Dunn is a nice fit for both teams, though they've been said to prefer avoiding rentals. Meanwhile Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the White Sox "remain focused on Dunn, but are laying the groundwork for a starting pitcher." If Dan Hudson pitches poorly Friday against the Athletics, the Sox could change gears.
- In his latest column, Price says the Angels checked in on Garrett Jones before acquiring Alberto Callaspo, but balked at the Pirates' asking price of Maicer Izturis. However, it's worth noting that Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that the Pirates say the Angels never contacted them about Jones.
- The Royals were eyeing Rays minor leaguer Jake McGee in a potential David DeJesus deal before the outfielder's injury. The southpaw McGee returned from Tommy John surgery last year and has 91 strikeouts in 76.6 Double A innings in 2010. Baseball America ranked McGee eighth among Rays prospects heading into the season, but he might be first or second on another team.
- Another trade that wasn't: SI's Tom Verducci says the Phillies discussed sending Jayson Werth to the Yankees as part of a deal for Dan Haren before the righty went to the Angels.
- Also of note in Price's column: a look at how the trade deadline has changed over the decades, including varying dates and rules for interleague deals.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Monday
Roy Oswalt is the best available starter with Dan Haren off the board, though there's no guarantee that the Astros move the righty. He has a substantial contract with a no-trade clause and the Astros are demanding lots in return for their ace. Here is the latest on Oswalt, with new bullets added at the top throughout the day…
- Oswalt told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that "location doesn't matter," in case any doubt remained. Earlier today, Oswalt told Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle that he would accept a deal to the East Coast under the right circumstances. "That’s not an issue," he said.
- Oswalt will not approve any trade unless the acquiring team picks up his 2012 option, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Oswalt would consider deferring money, but he will not accept a deal unless the team trading for him picks up his $16MM option (Twitter link).
- A source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Oswalt does not want to play for the Phillies.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Astros seek "a young, front-line player off the big-league roster, two high-end prospects and one more prospect" for Oswalt, making a trade far from a sure thing. Stark contends that Astros owner Drayton McLane will require a return he can brag about.
- The Cardinals "don’t feel confident in their ability" to acquire Oswalt, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Cards face the added wrinkle of playing in the same division as th Astros. GM John Mozeliak, speaking in general terms, told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "I can't say I'm encouraged" about making a major pitching move.
- The Phillies could acquire Oswalt without moving Jayson Werth, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Morosi feels that the Phillies represent "one of the more viable landing spots for Oswalt."
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Sunday
The Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals were among the teams that had scouts watching Roy Oswalt's start against the Reds last night. Oswalt didn't exactly dazzle, allowing six runs over five innings, but there still seems to be plenty of interest in the right-hander, according to yesterday's round of Oswalt rumors. Here are today's updates, with the latest notes being added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- With Haren off of the trade market, Houston's asking price for Oswalt will likely be too high for the Cards' tastes, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes that Oswalt's pursuit of becoming the all-time wins leader in Houston won't affect his trade status. One win shy of the record, Oswalt says it would be nice to reach the mark, but won't veto a trade to make it happen.
- In an update for FOX Sports, Rosenthal says the Astros are having trouble matching up with the Cardinals and Dodgers, leaving the Phillies as the most logical suitor. However, in a pair of tweets, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Phils are exploring the possibility of swapping Werth directly for a starter if they can't work out a deal for Oswalt or Dan Haren.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Phillies, as opposed to the Dodgers and Cards, are best positioned to acquire Oswalt if they move Jayson Werth. However, Rosenthal hears from an executive that Philadelphia's demands in a Werth deal appear to be changing daily.
- Astros president Tal Smith tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he expects Oswalt to be moved. According to Smith, the Astros' ace is drawing "considerable interest," with at least "three or four" teams attempting to acquire the 32-year-old.
- Cafardo also hears from an Astros official that New York might be too "big time" for the quiet Oswalt, meaning there's a chance the righty may not waive his no-trade clause to play for a Big Apple team.
Tigers Looking For Offense, Interested In Dunn
5:02pm: ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Tigers could avoid having to deal top prospects by acquiring someone like Jose Guillen, who's owed a substantial amount of money. As Olney points out, the Tigers haven't minded adding payroll at the deadline in the past.
Olney also notes that the Tigers did have scouts watching Jayson Werth over the weekend.
3:22pm: Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com writes that Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is adamant about not trading top prospects for a rental player. Specifically, Dombrowski mentioned Andy Oliver and Jacob Turner:
"Other clubs look at us and say, 'Well, they are desperate so maybe they will trade us Oliver and Turner,' " Dombrowski said. "Well we aren't. I'm not meaning to say that anyone is untouchable. I'm not going to give away blue-chip young players for a guy for two months. It just doesn't make sense…"
Given reports of the Nationals' sky-high asking prices for Dunn (they asked for Gordon Beckham from Chicago), one side will have to back down from those demands for a deal to be worked out.
2:24pm: The Tigers suffered a big hit to their 2010 offense when they lost Magglio Ordonez for 6-8 weeks with a broken ankle. Ordonez, 36, was in the middle of a rebound season after seeing a sharp drop in his power numbers in 2009.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that in the wake of this injury, the Tigers now have "great interest" in acquiring Nationals slugger Adam Dunn to fill the void.
Acquiring Dunn is likely of such great interest not only due to how it would help their own club, but also due to how it could throw a wrench into the plans of a different team. Dunn's biggest suitor has currently been one of the teams that the third-place Tigers are chasing — the first-place Chicago White Sox.
Detroit's offense has been strong this season, as indicated by their .758 team OPS, good for seventh in all of baseball. However, with Ordonez out and rookie Brennan Boesch in the midst of a large slump, it makes perfect sense that the Tigers would like to add some support to Miguel Cabrera on his quest for his first MVP award.
Detroit's been linked to several pitchers, namely Dan Haren, but the Ordonez injury seems to have them on the lookout for additional thump in the lineup as well.