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Pirates Rumors: Grabow, Bay, Wilson

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest Pirates buzz.

  • Lefty John Grabow is drawing interest from the Rays, Cardinals, Phillies, Red Sox, and Angels.  Grabow gave up a couple of homers in his last outing; he missed time earlier this month with arm fatigue.  The 29 year-old southpaw is under team control through ’09.
  • Calls are still coming in on Jason Bay and Jack Wilson, though the Rays are backing off on Bay.  Kovacevic says the Red Sox might provide competition for the Dodgers in the Wilson sweepstakes.  The Bucs interestingly called up shortstop Brian Bixler when Adam LaRoche hit the DL, but that simply may be to cover for an ailing Freddy Sanchez at second base.
  • Nothing to yesterday’s MLB.com report of Pirates’ ownership nixing a Bay-to-Atlanta deal.

Marlins Looking For Catcher, Reliever

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The NL East is a three-team race, with the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins all within a game of each other.  Who’d have thought the Marlins would be contending after trading Miguel Cabrera?

According to Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Marlins have intensified their search for a catcher.  The targets: Bengie Molina, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, and Ryan Doumit.  Molina and Hernandez are the pricey options.  Doumit would be especially tough to pry loose; he has a .937 OPS this year as a 27 year-old.

MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro wonders if Miguel Olivo, Gregg Zaun, and Paul Lo Duca could also enter the mix.  He says it could even be a three-way possibility where the Jays acquire Olivo and move him to Florida.

The Marlins are also hunting for a lefty reliever, with Arthur Rhodes, Jack Taschner, John Grabow, Eddie Guardado, George Sherrill, Will Ohman, and Alan Embree all considered candidates.  Dejan Kovacevic rattled off five suitors for Grabow this morning, the Marlins not among them.  Also, the Marlins’ interest in Guardado is light.  The Giants and Mariners both scouted the Marlins recently, and Berardino wonders if Mike Jacobs would interest them.

Berardino says acquiring a catcher and reliever in one trade would be ideal.  The one Marlins minor leaguer considered off-limits is Sean West.

Stark’s Latest: Teixeira, Padilla, Sheffield, Beltre

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ESPN’s Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings up.  You may want to grab a glass of water or something, because this is a beast of a column.

  • If the Braves have a bad weekend and decide to trade Mark Teixeira, a deal could come together quickly.  Stark says the Braves have already touched base with the Rays, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels and Yankees.  Where Tex fits on the Rays, I’m not sure.  Additionally, interest in Will Ohman is said to be "massive."
  • A Jorge Posada move to first base could affect the Yankees’ interest in Teixeira this winter.
  • Though Brian Fuentes has many suitors, the Rockies have actually exchanged names with only the Marlins and Yankees.  GM Dan O’Dowd has not dropped his price.  By the way, Todd Helton’s injury takes Garrett Atkins off the market.  As for Matt Holliday, many execs believe the Rockies will never trade him.
  • The Phillies are focused on a left-handed reliever, with Fuentes, Damaso Marte, George Sherrill, and Jack Taschner in the mix.
  • The Phillies were scared off by the asking prices on Holliday and Xavier Nady, and never even made an offer.  They still could acquire a lesser hitter.
  • The Pirates are inspiring much grumbling with high asking prices for Jason Bay, Nady, Marte, John Grabow, and Jack Wilson.
  • The Rangers are looking for young, controllable starting pitching.  Vicente Padilla is available, with the Tigers and Yankees showing mild interest.  Eddie Guardado and Jamey Wright are not available.
  • In pursuing Jarrod Washburn, Bronson Arroyo, and Padilla, the Yankees are demonstrating their plan to reduce the prospect price for pitching by taking on a decent-sized contract.
  • While A.J. Burnett is "eminently available," no trade talks are cooking.  The Jays apparently won’t deal him within the division.  Other Jays veterans might be available, though Roy Halladay isn’t among them.
  • The Tigers are looking for pitching and a long-term shortstop.  They’d be willing to move Gary Sheffield, though they’d have to eat salary.
  • Top Rays prospects such as Wade Davis, David Price, and Jeremy Hellickson are off-limits. Rays Index recently ran through the more likely trade candidates.
  • The Braves asked the Royals about Jose Guillen, but Dayton Moore is asking for a ton.
  • Stark says the Twins’ talks for Adrian Beltre are "far from dead."  The Twins are zeroed in on a third base upgrade.  Beltre, by the way, has the Dodgers on his no-trade list.  Joe Christensen says the Twins have found the asking price prohibitive for various third basemen.
  • The Rangers are looking for a young pitcher for Hank Blalock, who is drawing interest from the Twins, Giants, and Dodgers.  The Dodgers also like Casey Blake, who is likely to be traded somewhere.

The Lefty Reliever Market

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Let’s take a look at some of the left-handed relievers on the market.

George Sherrill, Orioles

Brian Fuentes, Rockies

Damaso Marte, Pirates

  • 33 years old, $6MM club option for ’09 with a $250K buyout.  Type A status likely.
  • Known suitors: Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, Rays
  • Asking price: Perhaps a package exceeding the value of two draft picks

Ron Mahay, Royals

  • 37 years old, signed for ’09 at $4MM. 
  • Known suitors: Cardinals, Yankees, Rays
  • Asking price: Unknown, but Royals intend to keep him. Rany Jazayerli wonders if trading Mahay now would discourage future free agents from signing with KC.

John Grabow, Pirates

  • 29 years old, under team control through ’09.  Elbow stiffness last year.
  • Known suitors: Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals
  • Asking price: Less than that of Marte

Eddie Guardado, Rangers

Alan Embree, Athletics

  • 38 years old, $3MM club option for ’09.  Type A status possible, but may choose to accept offer of arbitration.  Embree wouldn’t be surprised if he was traded.
  • Known suitors: None
  • Asking price: Unknown

Jeremy Affeldt, Reds

  • 29 years old, free agent after season.  Type B status possible, could accept offer of arbitration.
  • Known suitors: Yankees, Rays, Astros, Phillies last offseason
  • Asking price: Unknown

Pirates Rumors: Wilson, Bay, Nady, Marte, Grabow

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest Pirates hot stove chatter.

  • The Pirates are not opposed to creating a hole at shortstop for the rest of the year by trading Jack Wilson.  They would just need the right return.  Teams are still calling on Wilson, with the Dodgers confirmed and the Tigers possible.
  • A Jason Bay deal seems less likely – the Pirates’ price is high for their star.
  • Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte continue to draw interest, with John Grabow in the mix as well.  Nady or Marte would require two prospects each.  Nady’s suitors are the Rays, Mets, Yankees, and Braves.  Marte has roughly a dozen suitors.
  • Ed Price of the Newark Star-Ledger says the injury to Hideki Matsui led to heightened interest from the Yankees in Nady and Bay.  They’re also in on Marte and Grabow.  The Bucs aren’t interested in Melky Cabrera.
  • Interesting stuff in this John Perrotto article found via DRays Bay.  He names the Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, and Rays as teams interested in Marte.  The Tigers, Phillies, and Cardinals also have an eye on Grabow.
  • Perrotto runs through all kinds of names of interest to the Pirates: Anthony Reyes, Chris Duncan, Jeff Larish, Matt Joyce, Ross Ohlendorf, Brent Lillibridge, Brandon Jones, Jeff Niemann, Jon Niese, Eddie Kunz, and Bobby Parnell. 

Phillies Eyeing Cain, Blanton

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Randy Miller had some interesting Phillies rumors yesterday.  According to Miller:

The latest has the Phils hoping San Francisco, an NL West pretender, will shop 23-year-old right-hander Matt Cain.  Word is the Giants might part with Cain, who is 5-7 with a 4.06 ERA in 20 starts, if offered an intriguing package of young talent.

However, Jayson Stark wrote on Thursday:

We keep hearing people speculate about the Giants trading Matt Cain. But we can’t find a team that has gotten anywhere in its attempts to even get the Giants to discuss him. "I don’t know who got that rumor rolling," said an official of one club. "But they told us, emphatically, no."

Moving on, Miller says the Phils aren’t interested in A.J. Burnett.  Buster Olney said the same on Wednesday.  Miller also notes that the Phils have interest in lefty relievers John Grabow and Brian Fuentes.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Phillies’ talks for Joe Blanton are "gaining momentum."  Olney believes this deal makes sense, and that it could come together quickly.

Quiet Deadline For Tigers?

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Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press believes the Tigers might be quiet in the trade market this month.  However, the team could use starting pitching and relief help.

Morosi notes that the Tigers have not inquired on Randy Wolf or Greg Maddux.  What’s more, Wolf has the Tigers on his no-trade list.  One starter known to be on Detroit’s radar: Freddy Garcia.

Morosi adds that the Tigers had discussions for John Grabow and Damaso Marte earlier this year.  And keep in mind that Barry Svrluga said back in April that the Tigers "will watch Jon Rauch very closely."

Pirates Gaining Trade Value

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses five Pirates players who were discussed in winter trade rumors.  Neal Huntington wasn’t satisfied with the offers, and decided to keep Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, John Grabow, and Damaso Marte.  Huntington says Nate McLouth’s name was only floated as a "trial balloon."

Bay, Nady, and Grabow have all increased their value through strong Aprils (in part via their stats, in part via good health).  Marte seems to have recovered from a rough start.  Let’s discuss some possible suitors.

  • Bay is off to a .264/.396/.448 start.  The 29 year-old earns earns $5.75MM this year and $7.5MM in ’09.  His main asset is OBP; the Padres and Mariners could use a boost.  And he’d still be a nice fit in left for the Indians.
  • Nady is hitting .327/.358/.531.  He’s also 29.  He’s a Scott Boras client; he earns $3.35MM this year and will also be under team control for the ’09 season.  He might be a good fit for the Mets, assuming they have the pieces to re-acquire him.  The Bucs could always take Aaron Heilman as part of the deal and put him in the rotation.
  • Grabow is under team control through ’09; Marte will be a free agent after this year unless a pricey $6MM option is exercised.  The Phillies are said to be looking for a lefty reliever, and the Yankees have inquired in the past.

Yankees Bullpen Situation

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It’s well-known the Yankees want to improve their bullpen.  There’s been talk of converting young minor league starters into relief for 2008.  Otherwise, who’s on the radar?

  • A reliever could be acquired for Hideki Matsui – Tyler Kepner suggests Jonathan Sanchez or Kevin Correia.  Brad Hennessey is another possibility.
  • Kepner says the Yanks checked in on LaTroy Hawkins, Ron Mahay, and Trever Miller but haven’t made offers.  However, Mark Feinsand says the Yanks are talking to Hawkins about a one-year deal worth between $3.25-3.5MM.
  • Luis Vizcaino is probably out of the picture.  George King adds Jeremy Affeldt to the list of free agents the Yanks are checking out.
  • Peter Abraham says the Yanks are competing with the Royals for Mahay and that it might take three years, $9MM.  Pete Caldera recently said Mahay wants three years and $12MM though.  Bob Dutton notes that it’s Mahay’s agents pushing the Royals; they have little interest.
  • Rob Biertempfel says the Yankees and Astros have interest in acquiring Damaso Marte from the Bucs.  George King says John Grabow interests the Yanks as well.

Odds and Ends: Guzman, Shelton, Garcia, Jones

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Rounding up some smaller rumors…

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