Quick Hits: Rangers, Jerry Dipoto, Ryan Dempster
With the calendar set to turn to August in less than two weeks, the Pirates continue to shock the baseball world with their sights on winning the National League Central. Winners of seven of its last ten, Pittsburgh owns the best record in baseball since June 16 thanks to the strong play of Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez. McCutchen, one of the frontrunners for league MVP, boasts a batting average of .470 during that time frame with Alvarez leading the Major Leagues with home runs over the last five weeks (h/t Jon Heyman).
Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines from around the league…
- Rangers manager Ron Washington told Jim Bowden of ESPN.com that Texas is willing to consider trading any of its prospects except for Jurickson Profar if the team looks to acquire a piece for another World Series run (Twitter link).
- Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto spoke with Bowden about the team's plans for the non-waiver trade deadline and said that he's working incredibly hard to improve his roster but that the trade market has proven to be difficult (via Twitter).
- With the Dodgers cooling on Ryan Dempster, the Braves have emerged as the favorites to land the right-hander, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. Potential suitors, including the Cardinals and Nationals, are wary of parting with better prospects for what could prove to be a rental given Dempster's status as a free agent at the end of the season.
- After signing Carlos Quentin to a multiyear deal earlier on Sunday, the Padres are in preliminary talks with Huston Street with hopes of retaining his services well into the future, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Marlins, ChiSox, Headley, Orioles
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a bunch of new rumors for us today in a pair of videos. Let's round 'em up…
- Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria may soon be faced with the question about selling at the deadline, something he wanted to avoid in the first year of the club's new ballpark. The best thing they could do to improve their farm system likely involves trading guys like Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante, and the newly acquired Carlos Lee.
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams always thinks big and it would not be surprising to see him get in on pitcher such as Zack Greinke. The problem is that his farm system doesn't have much to offer and they don't want to give up pieces off the big league roster while contending.
- The best guess right now has the Padres keeping Carlos Quentin and trading Chase Headley. Rosenthal says it's simple supply-and-demand; as many as ten teams have shown interest in the third baseman Headley. The team isn't sure they can get more for Quentin in a trade than they would by letting him walk as a free agent and recouping draft picks after the season.
- The Orioles are clearly buyers. They're willing to trade any prospect not named Dylan Bundy or Manny Machado, but they probably don't have enough to get Greinke. They do have interest in lesser arms like Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas, as well as leadoff man Juan Pierre.
- The Brewers could pit the Rangers and Angels against each other in the Greinke sweepstakes. Texas is unwilling to trade Mike Olt, Jurickson Profar, or Martin Perez for a rental, which could create an opening for the Halos if they're willing to deal Major League talent.
- The Phillies do not intend to trade Cliff Lee to create payroll room for Cole Hamels. If they do keep Hamels long-term, they could have $140MM tied up in just eight players going into next season.
Rangers Interested In Justin Upton
The Diamondbacks don’t seem particularly high on Justin Upton, based the most recent rumors surrounding Arizona's 24-year-old right fielder. Some GMs are convinced Upton will be traded and rival executives say the Diamondbacks aren't sure he's a winning player. Here are the latest rumors regarding Upton, with the most recent updates up top:
- The Rangers have some interest in Upton, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (on Twitter). However, it’s doubtful Texas would trade Mike Olt or Jurickson Profar for Upton and the club definitely wouldn’t part with both top prospects in a trade.
Quick Hits: Cherington, Profar, Royals, A’s, Ryan
Check out MLBTR's "Justin Upton Rumors" for the daily collection of trade buzz about the Diamondbacks outfielder. For any "Justin/Upton Rumors" in regards to the alleged Justin Verlander/Kate Upton relationship, you may need to check out our sister site, MLB Dating Rumors.
Here's the latest from around the majors as we prepare for the second half of the season…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford) that his team isn't going to be a trade deadline seller. "There's no such thing as taking a year off in Boston," Cherington said. "We feel like we're right in it and have as good a chance as most teams to be there at the end….We've got some ways to improve the team internally, potentially. And we've started to look at ways to improve the team externally. If we play to our capability with the guys we have here our hope is we don't have to make a lot of moves."
- Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar holds the top spot on the midseason top 50 prospects list from ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription required). "Profar has the ultimate mark of an elite prospect. He keeps improving even as he is challenged with better competition," Law writes.
- The Royals are looking for Major League talent in trades rather than prospects, GM Dayton Moore tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. “We’re at a stage in our development where we want back ready Major League players to help us," Moore said. "Three or four years ago, yeah, we’re looking for prospects….Now, we have prospects in our system. You can always use more. But we need guys who can help our Major League team.”
- From that same item, Moore said he has been given no directives by ownership to move payroll at the deadline, nor has he made any calls looking to move any of the Royals' veteran players.
- The Athletics are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot and are wondering if they should make a playoff push, reports Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group. "I don't think if something is within your grasp, you ignore it," said GM Billy Beane, though he added that, "We are going to have to be somewhat leery of a short-term fix if we give up players for the long term, because I do like this group." A's co-owner Lew Wolff, meanwhile, said that Beane would have payroll space to make a deadline addition if he wished.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan spoke about his drafting, scouting and player development philosophies with Fangraphs' David Laurila.
- Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog wonders why Carlos Quentin would re-sign with the Padres when he is better suited for a DH role in a less-spacious ballpark.
- The week's minor league transactions are recapped by Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
Justin Upton Rumors: Thursday
Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that if the Diamondbacks make a trade this summer, it will probably be a deal involving MLB players, not prospects. Justin Upton is now generating as much discussion as any player in baseball. Here’s the latest on Arizona’s 24-year-old right-fielder:
- Three of the four teams on Upton's limited no-trade list have changed since 2010, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. In 2010, Upton's four teams were the Athletics, Indians, Royals and Tigers.
- The Mariners are unlikely to acquire Upton since he would be a short-term addition for a team that isn't planning to contend until 2015, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
- Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas looks at why and how the Rangers could trade for Upton, though Durrett says he doesn't think Texas would deal top prospect Jurickson Profar, who is "about as close to untouchable as this organization has right now."
- Rival executives say Diamondbacks officials are willing to consider offers for Upton because they are not convinced that he is a winning player, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Rosenthal predicts the Diamondbacks will trade Upton for a package of players including a young third baseman or shortstop and Major League help.
- Some GMs are convinced the Diamondbacks will move Upton, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports. However, there probably won't be a high volume of serious suitors for Upton, Olney writes. The Pirates, Blue Jays, Rangers, Tigers, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, Indians, Mets and Reds are possible fits for Upton, Olney writes.
- A competing executive suggested the Blue Jays could engage a third team if they wanted Upton badly and didn’t match perfectly with the Diamondbacks, Piecoro reports.
- Another executive wondered why Towers will even listen on Upton, according to Piecoro. “Whenever a player like that is available, I think, ‘People who work in this game are smart. Why is he willing to trade a guy like that on a fairly reasonable contract?’” the person said.
- Towers has had very few conversations with the Pirates, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com writes. Bowden considers five possible trade partners for Arizona should they decide to deal Upton.
Rangers Notes: Ogando, Profar, International Signings
The Rangers made a minor trade earlier today, sending Kelvin De La Cruz to the Indians in exchange for cash considerations. De La Cruz was a Ranger for less than a month, as he was originally acquired by Texas in another deal with Cleveland on February 21.
Some more news from the two-time defending AL champions…
- In an interview Ben & Skin of ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM radio, Jon Daniels said that the Rangers are better served by having Alexi Ogando in the bullpen, though the GM admitted that Ogando probably deserves a starting job after his solid performance in the rotation last year. No firm decision has yet been made, however, about Ogando's status. ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett collects some of the notable topics in Daniels' interview.
- Shortstop prospect Jurickson Profar may see some time playing second base, Rangers director of minor league operations Jake Krug tells Bryan Dolgin of the Rangers Magazine radio show. The 19-year-old Profar was ranked as the seventh-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's 2012 minor league rankings. Giving him time at second base would give Texas a possible option if Ian Kinsler can't be signed to an extension, though it seem a waste of Profar's defensive skills to move him away from short.
- The Rangers spent the most on any team on international bonuses last year, according to a report by Baseball America. The Rangers spent an estimated $12.83MM (not counting Japanese professionals or Cuban defectors) on international signings, more than $5MM ahead of the second-place team on the list, the Blue Jays.
- Texas accounts for the top two spots (Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman) on another Baseball America list, chronicling the top 30 international bonuses from last year.
- Brad Hawpe and Conor Jackson are both trying to keep their Major League careers going in the Rangers camp, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Hawpe and Jackson are both signed to minor league deals and are fighting for jobs on the Rangers' bench. "It's hard to imagine either player going to Triple-A," Sullivan writes, so Hawpe and/or Jackson could find themselves waived by March 30.