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Octavio Dotel

Yankees Focused On Gagne, Wheeler, Qualls

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It seems highly likely that the Yankees will make a move to upgrade their bullpen before the Tuesday trade deadline.  They appear to have three main targets.

Kat O’Brien of Newsday says the Yanks have had serious discussions with Texas regarding Eric Gagne.  Though Gagne wants to close, remember that he can be traded to New York without his consent.  A Rivera-Gagne combo would essentially turn every game into seven innings.  O’Brien names righthanders Ian Kennedy and Jeff Marquez as two pitchers the Rangers might be after.  Kennedy is definitely more highly regarded.  The Rangers also like Melky Cabrera but the Yankees are resisting.

Meanwhile, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tells us that the Yankees have "narrowed their sights" to Dan Wheeler and Chad Qualls of the Astros.  The Astros control Wheeler through 2009 and Qualls through 2010, so the asking price will be significant.  Jayson Stark says Houston is looking for a young MLB-ready position player; Cabrera seems to fit the bill.

Another Yankee-related note from O’Brien’s article – the Yankees are not pursuing Ty Wigginton anymore.  Other writers do not agree.  Dan Graziano indicates that Wiggy is still in play and the Yankees might try get Al Reyes added to the deal as well.  Peter Abraham talked to an AL exec who expects the Yanks to get Wigginton.  Graziano adds that the Yankees have had recent discussions about Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch.

Stark’s Latest: Teixeira, Dotel

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Jayson Stark has updated his big ol’ rumor post over at ESPN.com.  Some highlights:

  • Stark believes Mark Teixeira to the Braves or Angels is "almost certainly going to happen."  The Angels’ willingness to offer Joe Saunders instead of Ervin Santana is seen as a big plus.  Meanwhile the Braves want the Rangers to tack C.J. Wilson onto their trade but Texas is resisting.  Stark’s update counteracts Will Carroll’s latest; Will recently wrote: "It’s looking more and more like Mark Teixeira is going to stay a Ranger."  You decide.
  • Toss a few more scenarios into the Octavio Dotel mix:  to the Red Sox for David Murphy, or to the Mariners for Wladimir Balentien.  Big difference there.
  • Stark calls Mark Loretta a "very big name to watch."  Hmmm, maybe this trade deadline is lamer than I realized.
  • OK, the market is now open on Houston’s relievers. 
  • The Marlins would be happy to trade Armando Benitez or Byung-Hyun Kim.  Both would need to shake off major control problems to be of any use.
  • Stark says to forget about trades of Daniel Cabrera, Joe Blanton, Richie Sexson, Livan Hernandez, Dontrelle Willis, Todd Helton, Aaron Rowand, and Noah Lowry.  C’mon now, that’s no fun.  Something tells me the rumors on some of this group won’t disappear, so it’s all good.

Dotel Would Like Contract Extension

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While Octavio Dotel is very likely to be traded by the Royals, he said yesterday that he’d like to talk about a contract extension to stay.  It’s possible but doesn’t seem likely.

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star says Dotel would probably look for something around three years, $21MM, which the Royals could afford.  Locking him in would allow Joakim Soria or Zack Greinke to move to the rotation.

It still looks like Dotel will end up a Dodger or Indian by Tuesday though.  The names we’ve heard so far include Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco, Chin-Ling Hu, and Tony Abreu. 

Rosenthal’s Latest: Dunn, Wheeler, Izzy

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Ken Rosenthal posted a new column last night, and has updated it very recently.  I’ve already spoken about the Teixeira stuff, but there’s other good material in there too.

  • Some of the wilder speculation out there has been that the Twins might trade Torii Hunter or Johan Santana if they decide they’re out of it.  Various Baseball Prospectus reports put the Twins’ playoff chances between 5-10%.  Rosenthal debunks the idea that Minnesota would shop Hunter without first making him an offer, and keeping Santana for at least 2008 makes sense.  Plus, Santana has a no-trade clause. 
  • Rosenthal does have some Twins for us who might be traded: Luis Castillo and Carlos Silva.  Castillo has already been connected to the Mets in rumors, though Silva is a new one.  One could definitely envision Silva’s style working in the National League (I know, I say that a lot).  There was a recent Silva to Atlanta rumor, though Silva’s agent seems to have debunked it.
  • Rosenthal says Dontrelle Willis is not available.  Perhaps he and Tim Brown will engage in fisticuffs over this disagreement. 
  • The Diamondbacks have kicked the tires on Adam Dunn.  He might make sense as a rental – the D’Backs playoff changes sit between 16-27%, worth fighting for.  No doubt they’ve got a stable of young players to offer.
  • Rosenthal says the Astros have yet to receive interest on the Lidge/Wheeler/Qualls troika, while Jayson Stark said yesterday that the Astros hadn’t opened shop on them.  Thunderdome match #2, Rosenthal vs. Stark.  Assuming Ken survives Tim Brown.  Anyway, word is that the Rockies have their eye on Wheeler. 
  • Parties interested in Zack Greinke: Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Braves, and Cubs.  This gels with Dan Graziano’s findings.  Of course, trading a player like Greinke requires an equally talented youngster in return.
  • The Royals may not be able to do better than Cleveland’s Ben Francisco as a bounty for Octavio Dotel.  More on him in a separate post.
  • Trades of Joe Blanton and Huston Street are "highly unlikely."  So you’re saying there’s a chance?
  • The chances of the Cardinals trading Jason Isringhausen are described as "remote."  The Cards would have a hard time replacing him next year; he’s got a reasonable $8MM option.  He also has no-trade protection, so he’d probably want a better extension if he was to accept a trade.

Stark’s Latest:

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Jayson Stark has a new column over at ESPN.com.  Some highlights:

  • Octavio Dotel is almost a lock to be traded, and Chin-Lung Hu remains a possibility.  Stark adds that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti scouted reliever John Malone, which I think means Jonathan Meloan.  The 23 year-old Meloan throws in the low 90s with a hard slider; he commands his fastball well but carries some health concerns.
  • Regarding Jon Garland, we’ve already heard that the Mariners, Braves, and Yankees are interested.  Stark adds the Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies to that list.  However, he thinks Kenny Williams really just wants to trade Jose Contreras.
  • The Astros, surprisingly, have yet to open shop on their relievers. 
  • Michael Bourn is the Phillies’ top trading chip.  Some possible targets: Kameron Loe, Scott Olsen, Ervin Santana, Noah Lowry, and Dontrelle Willis.

Mariners Watching Starters

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UPDATE: Hickey writes that the Mariners have also scouted Kyle Lohse, Matt Morris, Jason Johnson (thought he went to Japan), and Octavio Dotel.  However, a deal seems unlikely because none of those players are worth top Mariner prospects.

According to Jim Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Mariners have been scouting all kinds of available and not-so-available starters lately.

  • The Mariners have been scouting the White Sox "religiously" lately.  If they saw Javier Vazquez beat the Tigers on Tuesday, they came away impressed.  (However, Vazquez can and probably would veto a trade to the AL or NL West).  They were on hand to watch Jose Contreras tonight; the Tigers had batting practice with him and his ERA is up to 6.22.  Did you hear that?  That was the sound of Contreras’ remaining ounce of trade value evaporating.
  • As you know, the Ms watched Dontrelle Willis on Monday.  Compared to Contreras, Willis pitched well – four earned runs, nearly seven innings. 
  • The Ms also had a scout on hand to see Livan Hernandez twirl a gem over the Marlins on Tuesday.  Hey, at least he takes the ball every fifth day.  That has to be worth something.
  • Hickey says Seattle has also been monitoring the Astros, perhaps in hope of acquiring Dan Wheeler or Chad Qualls.  He speculates that Wandy Rodriguez would be a coup for the Mariners.  Wand-Rod has thrown up stinkers in his last two outings but tossed a complete game shutout over the Mets in the game prior.  He’s inconsistent like that.  The Astros’ #2 starter for 2008 wouldn’t come cheap.

Latest On Octavio Dotel

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You know what I love about the Kansas City Star?  The enormous, extreme close-up pixellated player photo that seems to accompany every article.  It’s bizarre in a good way.

Anyway, Bob Dutton gives us the latest on hot commodity Octavio Dotel.  According to Dutton, the Dodgers and Indians are at the forefront, with the Red Sox, Mets, and some other teams monitoring the situation.

As before, Dutton indicates that the Dodgers are the best possibility.  They refuse to part with Tony Abreu, however.  Abreu is seen as Jeff Kent’s replacement at second base, though Kent is still going strong and his 2008 option becomes guaranteed with 550 plate appearances this year.  Barring injury, he’ll reach that.

This seems parallel to the shortstop situation, where Rafael Furcal is signed through 2008 and Chin-Lung Hu is knocking on the door.  For some reason Dutton seems to view Hu as more available than Abreu.

The Indians won’t give up outfielders Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco, at least not yet.  Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms the info.  Is Francisco really anything more than a fourth outfielder? 

The Red Sox could go after Dotel and Reggie Sanders in a package deal, perhaps with Wily Mo Pena going to KC.

If Dayton Moore gets anything close to his asking price, the Dotel rental will end up a fantastic move. 

Rosenthal’s Latest: Nats After Dunn

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Ken Rosenthal’s got a new column up; let’s dive in.

  • Fun new rumor: the Nationals are pursuing Adam Dunn.  Huh?  Makes no sense on the surface.  Jim Bowden’s possible motivation would be to sign Dunn long-term and make him the cornerstone of the franchise.  If he fails at that, all would not be lost given the draft pick compensation.  Rosenthal says the market for Dunn beyond Washington is a bit foggy – the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres could all get involved but none stand out.
  • Rosenthal adds some color to my recent Nationals post.  He mentions that Ron Belliard is a name that might interest the Mets, an idea that has come up before.  Rosenthal says the Mets will not do a Lastings Milledge for Chad Cordero trade.
  • The Dodgers have jumped to the forefront on Octavio Dotel, with Takashi Saito ailing.  According to Rosenthal, the Royals aren’t demanding the very specific bounty Joel Sherman claimed.  Instead, they just want a near MLB-ready player.  Rosenthal says Tony Abreu is out of reach but Chin-Lung Hu might not be.  He suggests moving Hu to second base to accomodate Tony Pena Jr., which should probably be reversed.   It appears the Indians wouldn’t surrender Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco for Dotel.  I’d give one up, personally.
  • I didn’t know this: Jermaine Dye can veto a deal to four clubs.  With his solid play, interest is picking up.  As are Kenny Williams’ demands; he wants an elite prospect.  The Indians and Red Sox have inquired; the Cubs might make sense too.  I thought we had ruled out the Red Sox earlier though.
  • The Padres are looking for bench help, perhaps in the name of Ryan Klesko, Mike Piazza, Mark Loretta, or Mike Lamb.  Couple of prodigal sons there.  Would Piazza be happy as a pricey bench player?  Rosenthal says Matt Stairs isn’t available.  Why not?

Joel Sherman’s Ten Trade Candidates

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post has an article today regarding ten veterans who may be traded this month.  He’s packed the column full of insider info beyond the ten players highlighted; check it out.

  • Mark Teixeira is now more likely to be dealt than Eric Gagne.  Sherman sees the Angels as perhaps the best possibility here; they’d have to include Casey Kotchman.  I imagine Ervin Santana’s stock is down far enough that the Rangers would not settle for the two.
  • The Indians appear to be out on Gagne but the Tigers still make sense for all parties.  Would Todd Jones graciously step down from his closer post?  Detroit’s bullpen has actually been doing well lately.
  • The Royals want a righthanded-hitting center fielder in return for Octavio Dotel.  Now that’s a tall order.  Sherman names Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez as two who fit the bill, but such a trade would require young talent like Zack Greinke coming back to the Mets.  Just speculating, but Melky Cabrera and Reggie Willits also fit the Royals’ need.
  • Apparently the Mariners and Braves are "very interested’ in Dmitri Young.  That’s the first I’ve heard of a team besides Atlanta inquiring.
  • Oddly, the Devil Rays appear to have some interest in Kyle Farnsworth if the money can be worked out.  They like Scott Proctor as well, so keep an eye on that Ty Wigginton rumor.  Sherman mentions that the market is heavy with available role players, so look for a lot of boring deals with that type of player.  Just kidding, trade rumors are never boring.  Sherman tosses out Tadahito Iguchi to the Padres; that’s a fresh one.
  • Sherman runs down all of the available relievers we already know about.  Throw Kiko Calero in there as a new name. 

Rosenthal On Teixeira, Dunn

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I neglected to mention a Ken Rosenthal article from yesterday, chock full of rumory goodness as always.

  • Rosenthal believes the Yankees need a backup plan in case they are not able to retain Alex Rodriguez.  Wilson Betemit definitely makes sense in that he’d be useful even if they do keep A-Rod.  Rosenthal basically names every third baseman you can think of.  The most likely option, to me, is to simply sign Mike Lowell as a free agent.  Would he switch sides?  Perhaps, if the Red Sox don’t make an offer or try to lowball him.
  • The Braves apparently won’t give up Yunel Escobar or Jarrod Saltalamacchia to get Mark Teixeira.  Neither of ’em.  No doubt John Schuerholz will spend the next ten days trying to get Jon Daniels to settle for less.
  • The Reds have a "co-Dunn-drum," as Rosenthal puts it.  Now that’s good stuff.  The basic codunndrum here is that no team that can afford Adam Dunn wants him.  Rosenthal likes the Tigers as a dark horse.  I know Dunn isn’t much with the glove, but I’m surprised the market isn’t stronger for him right now.
  • Dan Wheeler is more likely than Chad Qualls to be moved, because he’s closer to free agency (after 2008).
  • Rosenthal believes the Royals could not even acquire a Tony Abreu from the Dodgers for Octavio Dotel.  Previously it had been said that the Dayton Moore was asking for Matt Kemp or James Loney.  And Duke Snider plus Sandy Koufax.
  • Bronson Arroyo does not appear to be available.  Jose Contreras or Matt Morris: which is the lesser of two evils?
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