AL Central Notes: Indians, Francis, Chen, Buehrle
Jeff Keppinger was traded today as well as five years ago today. That's when the Royals acquired him from the Mets for Ruben Gotay. Here's the latest from the AL Central…
- Grady Sizemore was placed on the disabled list with a knee issue, and SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) the Indians have their eyes on Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. They also called about Carlos Beltran, but his no-trade clause may be an obstacle.
- Meanwhile, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian notes (on Twitter) that while the Indians prefer a right-handed bat, they haven't ruled out lefties with Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo out.
- Royals GM Dayton Moore told MLB Network Radio's Jim Bowden that it's possible they'll move lefty starters Jeff Francis and Bruce Chen before the deadline (Twitter link).
- South Side Sox notes that it's much quieter this year than the last time White Sox ace Mark Buehrle was scheduled to become a free agent.
Pirates Notes: Trades, Huntington, Grilli
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.
Quick Hits: Rockies, Pirates, Kuroda
Here's some late-night linkage as the Rays and Red Sox head to extras in Tampa …
- The Rockies are drawing interest from trade suitors on outfielder Ryan Spilborghs and reliever Rafael Betancourt, and some teams have recently inquired about closer Huston Street, writes Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com. Spilborghs is a free agent at season's end, while Betancourt and Street are both under contract through 2012 with options for 2013.
- The Pirates are looking for bats and have checked with the Athletics on Josh Willingham and Conor Jackson, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Dodgers are getting "a lot of play" on right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Kuroda, however, has a full no-trade clause, and as we found out earlier today, some execs think he won't accept a trade to an East Coast team.
Quick Hits: Wigginton, Reyes, Phillies, Lowe
Some assorted links for your Sunday reading:
- Ty Wigginton's name has come up in talks between the Yankees and Rockies, tweets SI.com's Jon Heyman. As Heyman points out, Wigginton could fill in for Alex Rodriguez as he recovers from surgery.
- The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo feels that the Red Sox should go all-in and acquire Jose Reyes to put the team over the top.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke to a scout from each league and got their takes on several Phillies' trade targets, including: Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Hunter Pence, and Carlos Beltran.
- Derek Lowe isn't concerning himself with trade rumors and is even making light of the Tigers' interest in him, writes Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rogers speculates that the Braves could move Lowe to clear salary for a big-name hitter.
- The Tigers are looking at improving their rotation and possibly third base, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. With Carlos Guillen coming back and Phil Coke being placed back in the bullpen, GM Dave Dombrowski doesn't feel second base and relief help are big areas of need.
Gammons Talks Trade Market
Peter Gammons spoke with a host of scouts, general managers, and MLB executives, all of which is compiled in his latest piece at MLB.com, which is chock full of trade-related news:
- The Astros are asking for as much in return for Wandy Rodriguez as the Rockies are for Ubaldo Jimenez. General manager Ed Wade is in a difficult position, caught between an ownership change.
- Half a dozen teams are looking for right-handed offense, but the Rockies won't trade Ryan Spilborghs and the Cubs are holding onto Jeff Baker. Gammons says that reduces that market to Conor Jackson, Josh Willingham, Reed Johnson, Lastings Milledge, and Jeff Francoeur. The Twins recently announced they won't trade Michael Cuddyer as well.
- The Dodgers want to shed salary, but don't have much to shed besides Jamey Carroll and Hiroki Kuroda. Gammons spoke with two East coast executives that said Kuroda, who has a full no-trade clause, won't accept a deal to an East Coast team.
- The Athletics will move veteran bats and probably a reliever or two.
- The Mariners won't have a fire sale, and aren't likely to get much for Erik Bedard in light of his injury.
- The Nationals are willing to trade Tyler Clippard, and have been continually pursuing Michael Bourn. They're also one of several teams who showed interest in Julio Borbon prior to his injury.
- Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is in a tough spot because he doesn't know which way owner Peter Angelos wants him to go, according to a rival GM.
- Jordan Pacheco and Wilin Rosario make it possible for the Rockies to trade Chris Iannetta, but the Red Sox seem content wth their catching options.
Olney’s Latest: Willingham, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins
Buster Olney continues to share hot stove notes via Twitter and his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, so let's dive right into his latest updates:
- Josh Willingham is being eyed by the Pirates, who have been in touch with the Athletics about the outfielder (Twitter link).
- The Rangers are considered favorites to land either Heath Bell or Mike Adams (Twitter link). Rival executives believe that now is the time for the Padres to move Adams, whose trade value will probably never be higher, considering his age and injury history.
- The Red Sox will likely give Josh Reddick and the rest of their outfield about a week to ten days before deciding whether to pursue another bat.
- Olney speculates that the Giants could be a fit for B.J. Upton, as the Rays continue to "weigh interest" in the 26-year-old.
- Now just six games out of first place, the Twins are telling teams they're not interested in dumping players like Michael Cuddyer.
Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey
Saturday evening linkage..
- The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
- The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
- Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
- Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey. Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
- The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
- With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin. If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
- Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
- The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).
Olney’s Latest: Trade Market, Tigers, D’Backs, Beltran
In today's Insider-only blog post, Buster Olney says that a high-ranking official told him the "dam is about ready to burst on the trade market." The number of phone calls is multiplying and everyone is getting more serious. "I think that once July 24 hits, that's when you're going to see a bunch of things happen," said an AL official. "There's a lot of talk."
Let's round up Olney's rumors…
- The Tigers continue to look for high-end starters, not the third and fourth starter types that flood the market. They had scouts at Ubaldo Jimenez's most recent start.
- The Diamondbacks are focused on less expensive relief pitchers, like Brad Ziegler and Jason Isringhausen.
- The Mariners are pitching-rich and willing to listen to offers. Erik Bedard's knee may be healthy in time for him to make two starts before the deadline.
- Josh Willingham "is going to be traded at some point."
- Since the left-handed relief market is so thin, teams have begun scouting right-handed relievers that are effective against lefties. David Pauley, Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Tyler Clippard, and Joel Peralta fit the bill.
- In a tweet, Olney says the Mets are insisting on a top prospect in return for Carlos Beltran. He adds that pressure on the Giants to add a bat is decreasing as their division lead continues to grow.
Olney On Tigers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Beltran
Teams looking to trade for outfield help will encounter a buyers’ market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest from around MLB, with the most recent rumors up top:
- The Tigers are pursuing pitching aggressively, checking in on high-end arms, according to Olney (on Twitter).
- The Pirates are looking for an outfielder who can be a stable presence in their lineup. They have asked around for veteran outfielders (Twitter link).
- The D'Backs are looking for relievers who have yet to go to arbitration, not expensive veterans (Twitter link).
- The Red Sox, Braves and Phillies would “undoubtedly” love to acquire Carlos Beltran, but all three clubs are distancing themselves from the teams behind them in the standings, so they could decide to acquire a second-tier bat instead of surrendering an elite prospect for Beltran.
- Hunter Pence will likely stay in Houston unless the Astros are “overwhelmed,” according to Olney.
- The A’s are listening on Josh Willingham.
- Rival GMs believe that a deal for Ubaldo Jimenez is “all but impossible,” since the Rockies would ask for so much in a trade for their ace. The Rockies will listen on Jimenez, who is on the Reds' radar.
Olney On Deadline Plans For AL Teams
ESPN's Buster Olney outlined plans for National League teams heading into the trade deadline yesterday, and today he follows up with the American League in an Insider-only column that comes highly recommended. Here's a brief recap…
- The Mark Ellis trade could just be the first domino that falls for the Athletics. Other veterans like Josh Willingham, Coco Crisp, and Grant Balfour could follow him out the door.
- The Twins aren't as willing to trade now as they were a few weeks ago, and the big question they have to ask themselves is if eating a chunk of the $5.5MM left on Michael Cuddyer's contract is worth it to trade him.
- We've heard this before, but B.J. Upton and Kyle Farnsworth of the Rays figure to draw interest.
- The Red Sox and Angels don't have a lot of financial flexiblity and are more likely to target smaller pieces.
- Jeff Francoeur, Melky Cabrera, and Wilson Betemit are all affordable and reasonably productive, but Olney notes that the Royals might want to keep some veterans around so the youngsters don't get pounded.
- The Indians and Mariners will not blow up their rebuild processes despite their surprising runs at contention. Erik Bedard's injury took away Seattle's best chip.
- Poor seasons from Alex Rios and Adam Dunn make it difficult for the White Sox to do anything. They need those two to get back on track more than anything.
- The Yankees are convinced their internal pitching options are better than what's available on the market right now. A Rafael Soriano setback would put them in the reliever market.
- It's all about right-handed relief pitching for the Rangers, who will have plenty of options to choose from. The Blue Jays have lots of bullpen help to deal.
- The Tigers are asking around about pitching, specifically left-handers.
- The Orioles are having an internal debate about whether or not to trade Jeremy Guthrie, but they are expected to at least listen to offers.