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Cardinals Looking For Starting Pitching

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The Cardinals have begun searching for starting pitching, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny are on the mend, so GM John Mozeliak is on the lookout. Since Lohse and Penny have uncertain timetables as they recover from injuries, manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan asked Mozeliak to look for help outside the organization.

The Cardinals could use arms soon, so they're not likely to pursue pitchers like Pedro Martinez, Braden Looper and John Smoltz, who have been inactive so far in 2010. La Russa and Duncan appear willing to discuss a reunion with Jeff Suppan, who was recently released by the Brewers. The club also appears interested in Kevin Millwood, according to Strauss, though the team would not likely be able to take on the remainder of Millwood's $12MM salary.

Cafardo’s Latest: Oswalt, Bruney, Pedro

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe examines the state of the designated hitter in his latest column, wondering if the game is better off with or without it. He also shares a few hot stove notes:

  • Roy Oswalt would want to play for the Cardinals, but the Astros are unlikely to trade their ace to a division rival.
  • Members of the Astros organization feel like Oswalt would prefer not to be dealt to an American League club, though he may be open to playing with his friend Jake Peavy in Chicago.
  • There are a few clubs interested in Brian Bruney, who was released by the Nationals last week.
  • Pedro Martinez is still mulling whether or not to make a comeback, and is staying in shape in the meantime. Cafardo says that the right-hander enjoyed pitching for the Phillies last year, but that it appears Pedro "has one foot under the mango tree."

The Phillies’ Search For Pitching

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The Phillies are looking at pitchers around the league, though they don’t need arms as badly as they did last year, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Roy Oswalt is not a likely fit, despite his availability, since the Phillies would prefer to hold onto their prospects.

"We're going to be reluctant to move talent, because we've moved a lot of talent out of our system," GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "But we'll see how things shape up over the next several months."

Since Oswalt makes $16MM next season and the Phillies have already guaranteed their players $135MM in 2011, acquiring Oswalt would likely mean letting Jayson Werth leave as a free agent after the season unless the Astros took on salary. The Astros would demand better prospects if they had to take on salary, so the Phillies are keeping tabs on cheaper options. As ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported last week, the Phillies are in touch with Pedro Martinez.

"We haven't seen him throw, but we check in with him," Amaro told Zolecki.

Martinez, who pitched well for the Phillies down the stretch last year after they signed him mid-season, would not cost prospects, so the Phillies are intrigued. They are eyeing a pair of White Sox relievers, too.

Stark On Hanley, Royals, Astros, Rays, Pedro

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Teams called about Hanley Ramirez after this week's drama, but the Marlins informed them that they have no interest in dealing their superstar, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The Marlins will hold onto Hanley, at least until their new ballpark opens in 2012. Here are the rest of Stark's rumors:

  • Teams have expressed interest in some Royals, but the Royals have told them to call back in a month. Teams are hearing that Alex Gordon and Joakim Soria are not available. Jose Guillen would be easier to obtain than those two, but Stark hasn't heard of a single team with interest.
  • Ned Yost would have been a candidate to replace Bobby Cox in Atlanta after the season, had he not taken over in Kansas City. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez could also manage the Braves next year, in the opinion of one person close to the team.
  • Astros GM Ed Wade insists that he wants to win now, but says he'll "pay attention to any opportunity" that makes the team better if the 14-26 Astros fall further out of contention. In other words, the Astros could be sellers if they don't win soon.
  • Rival clubs say they don't expect the Rays to trade for a reliever just because J.P. Howell is out for an extended period of time. One executive thinks the Rays would love to add a couple of power arms to their 'pen eventually.
  • Executives disagree on Pat Burrell's future. One exec says Burrell could fit in Seattle and another one doesn't see any good fits for the free agent.
  • The Phillies have had discussions with Pedro Martinez, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledged. There's mutual interest in a deal and the sides continue communicating.
  • One official says top amateur pitcher Jameson Taillon is "way overpriced."
  • Two of Stark's sources are uneasy with MLB's attempt to hurry along the Rangers' sale.

Ortiz Expects Pedro To Pitch This Season

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David Ortiz expects his friend Pedro Martinez to pitch this season, reports Mark Hale of the New York Post.  Ortiz spoke to Pedro about a month ago; at that time the pitcher was working out but not really talking to teams.

Back on April 6th, Martinez said he wouldn't need long to get ready and had a preference for an NL East Coast contender.  Pedro is known to have been in contact with the Phillies, while the Mets appear uninterested in a second stint.  Given Martinez's criteria, he might need to get the Nationals involved to spark a competition for his services.

Mets Have Payroll For Pitching, Not For Pedro

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The Mets have the payroll flexibility to add another starter if they remain in contention, sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.  However, a person with direct knowledge of the Mets' thinking says that the team has no interest in bringing Pedro Martinez back to Queens.

Mets officials recognize that the rotation is the area most in need of out-of-house reinforcement.  Though the club's offense has been less than stellar, the front office believes that things will pick up upon Carlos Beltran's return. 

Martino writes that the Mets have been in contact with several teams about pitching, though he classified those conversations as "preliminary".  He notes that trade talks do not usually heat up until June and therefore it is too early to gauge the Amazins' chances of landing a big-name pitcher such as Roy Oswalt.  Earlier this week, it was reported that the $33MM that remains on Oswalt's contract might prevent the Mets from dealing for him.

When GMs do begin calling each other more frequently, the Mets may find that they do not have the trade chips to land the type of hurler they desire.  Top prospects Ike Davis and Jenrry Mejia are now major leaguers and Fernando Martinez is on the Triple-A disabled list.

The Latest On The Unsigned Starting Pitchers

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According to talent evaluators that spoke to ESPN.com's Buster Olney recently, this year's starting pitching trade market may not take shape for another couple months. For pitching-desperate teams that don't want to take on a salary dump, that means the few remaining arms on the free agent market might be their best bet. Let's take a look at the latest news on some of the more notable pitchers still available….

For a full rundown of all the arms still available, check out our list of remaining 2010 free agents.

Should Dodgers Look Into Signing Free Agent Starter?

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Roughly one month ago, the Dodgers appeared to have a surplus of starting pitching.  There were more than a handful of hurlers who were making a strong case for the fifth spot in the rotation.  Carlos Monasterios, Charlie Haeger, Josh Lindblom, Ramon Ortiz, Eric Stults, and Russ Ortiz were all impressive during Spring Training.  There were so many candidates to choose from that the Dodgers sold Stults' contract to a Japanese team.  My, how things have changed.

Russ Ortiz was DFA'd after floundering in seven big league innings.  Haeger hasn't found much success in 15.1 IP (three starts and one relief appearance) either.  Now, the Dodgers have another hole to fill as Padilla is headed to the disabled list with a sore elbow.  There are pitchers at the ready in Triple-A Albuquerque, including the aforementioned Lindblom and once-ballyhooed James McDonald, though all have their fair share of question marks.  Padilla's injury aside, the Dodgers' starting five still looks like it could use a lift.

Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times drops the names of three notable starters still available on the open market: Jarrod Washburn, John Smoltz, and Pedro Martinez.  Washburn seems to be holding out for a deal approaching the $5MM he was offered by Minnesota this winter.  Smoltz won't completely rule out a return to baseball, though he's enjoying his television gigs.  Pedro is reportedly maintaining contact with the Phillies, though he is said to still hold a grudge against the Dodgers over things that happened back when jheri curls were still somewhat in vogue.

Should the cash-strapped Dodgers look into signing one of these vets or should they find other ways to improve?

No Moves Likely For Mets Pitching Staff

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Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes that the Mets are unlikely to make any moves for pitching via trade or free agency, and specifically adds that the Mets are not interested in Jarrod Washburn.

If it seems a bit early for such discussions, that is largely due to the travails of John Maine, whose fastball velocity is way down, while his ERA is way up. After allowing seven earned runs in three innings last night, Maine faces a do-or-die start on Sunday night against the Cardinals, according to Newsday's David Lennon.

Another reason for New York's reluctance to reach outside the organization is a lack of attractive external options, though should the team climb into contention, a partial-season deal with Pedro Martinez could be considered.

Phillies In Talks With Pedro Martinez

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2:46pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies and Martinez are not actively negotiating a contract.  He says the two sides are maintaining contact, but nothing is imminent.

7:47am: Chalk one up for the Spanish-speaking side of the Bristol office. Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr., gave an interview in Spanish to ESPN Deportes' Will Gonzalez yesterday, noting that the defending NL champions are currently negotiating with Pedro Martinez in regard to another midseason return to Philadelphia (link and audio in Spanish).

Pedro reportedly started throwing just last week, and Amaro insists there is no rush to sign on either side. "Right now he's trying to train, still not ready to pitch," he explains, though Pedro insisted recently that he doesn't need long to be in game shape. Amaro said earlier this month that Joe Blanton's oblique injury wouldn't be enough to spur the team into signing Pedro, but noted to Gonzalez that "we're going to continue to communicate openly" with Martinez as the season unfolds and the team's needs become clear.

This winter, Pedro floated the number of $5MM for his full-season services, the same number he stuck to, in prorated form, in negotiations through June of last season. Amaro dismisses any idea that the team was about to bite at that figure during the offseason when he recalls, "We talked two or three times (this winter). In those moments, he had other ideas of how he would like to be paid." With the season now underway, the general manager puts the ball in Pedro's court, potentially setting the stage for another late spring saga of public negotiations. "The doors are open," Amaro says. "But as in all negotiations, things depend on both sides. It not only has to do with the team, (it's also) the player."

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