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Odds & Ends: Phillies, Orioles, Nats, Rangers, Lowell

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Monday night linkage..

Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee

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Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:

  • Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
  • A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
  • The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
  • Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
  • The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
  • The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
  • The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
  • According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.

Heyman On D’Backs, Astros, Royals, Soriano

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You thought Cliff Lee was drawing a lot of interest now? One GM told Jon Heyman of SI.com that 12-15 teams could show interest in the Mariners lefty before the July 31st trade deadline. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors, as we wonder which teams are going to be calling Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about Lee:

  • The D’Backs, who just fired their GM, are talking to clubs about five players, including Dan Haren. Rival GMs agree that Arizona would have to be “overwhelmed” to move Haren, but the D’Backs are seriously considering dealing Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson and Chad Qualls. They are also listening to offers for Edwin Jackson, who authored a no-hitter over the weekend.
  • Interim manager Kirk Gibson and interim GM Jerry Dipoto appear to be candidates to take on their responsibilities on a more permanent basis.
  • An executive told Heyman that “just about everyone but Hunter Pence” is available on the Astros. Not surprisingly, one GM told Heyman that no team will take on Carlos Lee and his contract.
  • A rival GM believes the Royals would deal Joakim Soria and another GM believes David DeJesus is better than Curtis Granderson or Johnny Damon.
  • The Cubs would love to move Alfonso Soriano, according to a GM.
  • There has been no noticeable progress between the Brewers and Prince Fielder on an extension, but at least one executive doubts that Prince would fetch much of a return in a trade.


No Fire Sale Coming For D’Backs

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Even with his club 15 games below .500, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes doesn't expect to hold a fire sale in the coming weeks, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Although recent reports have indicated that the D'Backs will continue trading, and are considering major moves, Byrnes tells Piecoro that he isn't predicting any "monster" deals.

"We'll explore a lot of possibilities and see where we end up," said Byrnes. "I do think a lot of our players are guys we value and want to keep and I think if we're going to make trades, we'll have to get the type of things – particularly young pitching depth – that would make sense to us."

Piecoro notes that the Diamondbacks will still probably field offers on "just about anybody," but the players most likely to be dealt are Adam LaRoche, Aaron Heilman, and Chris Snyder. If the team does decide to move players like Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew, they'll likely demand a top pitching prospect in return. Presumably, the D'Backs would have to be blown away by a package of multiple young arms to consider trading Dan Haren.

Is Kelly Johnson The Next D’Back To Be Traded?

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Conor Jackson's trade to Oakland may be the first of several moves in what could be a big shake-up in Arizona.  The only remaining question is what other players will soon be leaving the desert.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter) hears from a source that moving second baseman Kelly Johnson may be next on the list for Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes.  Tony Abreu's activation from the disabled list today could be the first step towards Abreu taking over at second base should Johnson be on the move.

Johnson has put up an All-Star caliber slash line this season (.282/.383/.546) and seems to be heating up again after posting a .769 OPS in May.  His contract is reasonable enough for any contending team to take on — a one-year, $2.35MM contract signed last December after he was non-tendered by Atlanta.  Johnson would be a major upgrade over, for instance, Skip Schumaker in St. Louis, Luis Castillo in New York or Clint Barmes in Colorado.

D’Backs Meeting To Consider Major Moves

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The D’Backs will consider trading anyone but Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, as they evaluate the best way to turn the team around, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman hears that owner Ken Kendrick, president Derrick Hall and GM Josh Byrnes are in the midst of meetings to determine the best course of action for the 24-37 team. Last week, Hall told the Arizona Republic that he was open to changes given the club’s disappointing start.

Upton and Kennedy will not be dealt, and Mark Reynolds is likely to stay, but the D’Backs would consider moving others. They would listen on Dan Haren, though the club might prefer to keep him if they believe they can contend in the near future. Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson are possible trade candidates for GM Josh Byrnes, who admits he has to consider trades.

Byrnes has been fighting hard to keep manager A.J. Hinch around, according to Heyman. Hinch, who had never managed before taking over the club last year, does not make a seven-figure salary, so the D’Backs could fire him without having to absorb too much money. And the man who hired Hinch? Heyman reports that no one realistically expects Byrnes to be in the line of fire.

Possible Destinations: Kelly Johnson

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Earlier today, Nick Cafardo speculated that Arizona could have to consider trading someone like Kelly Johnson in order to boost its dreadful bullpen. The D'Backs entered today dead last in baseball with a 7.42 bullpen ERA, and the six earned runs it surrendered aren't helping. 

Johnson was signed to a one-year, $2.35MM deal this offseason after being non-tendered by the Braves. Apparently, the desert air has rejuvenated the once-productive second baseman. If chicks really do dig the long ball, it's safe to say Johnson is Arizona's newest heartthrob. He entered today hitting .279/.361/.628, having already crushed 11 round-trippers on the season. Even more enticing than his affordable salary and big-time production may be that Johnson has one year of arbitration left, meaning any new team could control him for the 2011 campaign as well.

The Diamondbacks entered today 7.5 games out of first, and after Dan Haren's pummeling at the hands of the Braves, they find themselves down 13-1 as I write this post. Simply put, things aren't pretty in Arizona this season. If they do look to move Johnson, let's speculate as to where he could end up:

  • Detroit: The Tigers have the lowest bullpen ERA of any team in baseball, thanks to their signing of Jose Valverde and the resurgence of Joel Zumaya. They also just demoted second base prospect Scott Sizemore back to Triple-A after Sizemore posted a line of .206/.297/.289 through his first 115 plate appearances. An upgrade at second base would be a huge boost to the TIgers, who sit just one game back of the Twins in the AL Central.
  • San Diego: If the two don't mind dealing within their own division, there's a match between the needs. The Padres are in first place in the NL West, but have mustered just a .663 OPS from their second basemen so far this offseason. David Eckstein has seen most of the time there, but could be shifted to shortstop as an upgrade over Everth Cabrera's .211/.273/.282 line this season or simply to a utility role. With just 4.16 runs per game and a mere 27 home runs on the season, an offensive upgrade would help San Diego, who also happens to own a sparkling 2.70 bullpen ERA.
  • St. Louis: The Cardinals can be none too pleased with Skip Schumaker's .589 OPS on the season. His .261 BABIP and increased line drive rate likely point to bad luck as the source more than anything else, but if his numbers can't correct themselves, the Cardinals could consider dipping into a relief corps that's produced a 2.85 ERA to help them keep up with the Reds in the NL Central.

What other destinations would make sense for the Arizona masher, and what's a reasonable price to pay for 1.5 years of the resurgent second-bagger? Should clubs be wary of his new hitting-friendly environment, or is Johnson's warpath so far legitimate? Keep in mind that the Diamondbacks could simply elect to hang onto Johnson, but it's hard to argue that now is a good time to sell high.

Cafardo’s Latest: Padres, Lee, Iannetta, D’Backs

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In this week's Baseball Notes column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe praises the Padres for building a roster suited to their home ballpark. Let's take a look at a few other highlights from Cafardo's piece….

  • The Padres aren't talking about Adrian Gonzalez at the moment, but according to a GM who has inquired about the slugger, a losing streak might be all it takes for San Diego to reconsider Gonzalez's availability.
  • According to multiple scouts, the Cubs would move Derrek Lee if they could. Lee is earning $13MM in the final year of his contract, and also has a no-trade clause.
  • Rhode Island native Chris Iannetta acknowledged he'd heard rumors that he could be traded to the Red Sox, but said: "They’re just rumors. I don’t put any stock in any of that until someone directly involved actually tells me."
  • The Diamondbacks may have to think about dealing someone like Kelly Johnson in an attempt to acquire help for their bullpen (7.42 ERA).
  • Some managerial speculation: Cafardo thinks that if Joe Torre doesn't return to the Dodgers, he'd fit with the Braves, Mets, or Blue Jays next year, and wonders if the Orioles might consider Davey Johnson to replace Dave Trembley.

Odds & Ends: Huff, Posey, Lewis, Yankees, Johnson

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Congratulations to Dallas Braden on throwing the 19th perfect game in MLB history.  Let's check out some links from around the web..

Capps, Kelly Johnson Under Team Control For 2011

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Matt Capps and Kelly Johnson signed one-year deals during the offseason, yet they're both under team control for 2011 as well.  How did that happen?  It's the beauty of signing a non-tendered player who has fewer than five years of service time.  Both players will be arbitration-eligible after the 2010 season.

Capps, closing for the Nationals, was named MLB's Delivery Man of the Month for April after saving ten games with a 0.68 ERA.  The Pirates non-tendered Capps after the '09 season, signing Octavio Dotel for the same $3.5MM.  The Bucs have a $4.5MM club option on Dotel, so they've got two years of control for their new closer.  The difference is that Dotel's option becomes mutual if he's traded.  Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette feels that the Pirates could've signed both pitchers, and a comparison of the two misses the point.

Johnson is off to a blazing .301/.389/.677 start in 108 plate appearances, his nine home runs already exceeding last year's total.  Much like Capps, the Braves couldn't find a trade suitor and cut Johnson loose for nothing.  They're happy with Johnson's replacement Martin Prado, who's off to a .337/.397/.452 start.  In hindsight, could the Braves have moved Johnson back to left field and thrown him into the mix?  Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz looked like solid options heading into the season.

Injured pitchers Chien-Ming Wang and Jose Arredondo were also non-tenders.  The Nationals can control Wang for 2011, while the Reds can keep Arredondo through 2014.

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