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Padres Reliever Rumors: Thursday

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The pace quickened in the Padres' trade talks involving relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams yesterday, tweeted ESPN's Buster Olney.  The Rangers and Cardinals are in the mix for Bell, at the least.  The latest:

  • The Cardinals are in the mix for Bell and the Rangers remain the favorite to acquire him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
  • Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that he would be willing to take a discount to re-sign with the Padres after the season (Twitter link). "I said I'd take a discount, and I want to stay here," said Bell. "Everyone knows that."
  • Jon Heyman of SI.com says (on Twitter) that baseball people around the league expect Bell to wind up with Texas because they have the need and the prospects to get a deal done.
  • Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that a trade is "going to happen" (Twitter link).
  • Don't expect the Angels to trade for Bell if the Rangers can't swing a deal for him, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times writes (on Twitter). The Angels may not have enough upper-level prospects to sway the Padres.
  • The Rangers are "pushing hard" for Bell, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
  • The Rangers say any deal for Bell is doubtful today, since the sides aren't close, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
  • Miller reports (on Twitter) that the Padres have not seemed willing to trade Adams.
  • The Padres' asking price on Bell is too high for the Rangers currently, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Padres are asking for three players for Bell and the Rangers remain "very interested" despite the Padres' asking price, according to Miller.
  • An executive of one team told ESPN's Jayson Stark the Padres are "getting closer" to a major bullpen deal, and talks "could end quickly."  The Rangers appear to be the favorite for Bell, though they've been in on Adams and Chad Qualls as well.  The Phillies seem to view Adams as a better fit than Bell, and could try to swing a deal that also includes Ryan Ludwick.  Though the Padres are talking actively with the Cardinals and Angels as well, they're higher on the Rangers' and Phillies' prospects.
  • The Padres and Rangers are engaged in substantive talks on Bell, tweets Rosenthal. Similarly, Jon Heyman says the Rangers are making progress on Bell and Scott Miller says Texas has pushed harder today.  Miller says they've had "good talks" but nothing is imminent.
  • There's been little substantial dialogue between the Phillies and Padres regarding Bell, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock.
  • Colby Rasmus was a central part of the Cardinals' discussions with the Padres for Bell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

Hunter Pence Rumors: Thursday

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Yesterday we learned that the Phillies offered Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, and a second-tier pitching prospect for Hunter Pence, but the Astros did not pull the trigger.  Domonic Brown may have been available as well, but it appears Pence will remain with Houston until the offseason at least.  The latest:

  • The Astros are deep into trade talks and could deal Pence as soon as Friday, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, who confirms that the Phillies are the leading candidate to acquire the outfielder.
  • The Astros are "mulling" the Braves' offer for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Braves' offer is "significant" and is built around highly-regarded pitching prospects, but does not include Julio Teheran, according to Stark.
  • The Phillies are making progress toward a deal for Pence, but they'll have to reach an agreement by Friday or the Astros will move on to other suitors, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Phillies would include Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton in a deal for Pence, according to FOX. The Astros prefer younger prospects and Domonic Brown is not currently in the trade. The Braves, who have "more restrictions" on their prospects, would enter the fray along with the Reds and Red Sox if the Phillies don't complete a deal.
  • The Phillies have been Pence's most serious suitor and the Braves have a high level of interest as well, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Angels aren't seriously pursuing Pence and the Astros may be reluctant to trade Pence to the Reds and Pirates, two NL Central rivals.
  • The Phillies and Braves continue pursuing Pence and the Indians are still involved, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). There's a better than 50/50 chance of a deal. The Rangers aren't seriously pursuing Pence, however.
  • The Astros appear to be moving closer to trading Pence, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Six teams are involved, but no deal is imminent.
  • The Phillies' hope that the Astros will move Pence seems to be holding up the Phils' conversations with the Padres about Ryan Ludwick and Mike Adams, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Olney's colleague Jayson Stark adds that interest in Pence is exploding since the Beltran trade, naming the Phillies, Braves, Reds, and Red Sox as suitors.
  • Interest in Pence has picked up considerably with Carlos Beltran off the market, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
  • As many as eight teams are in on Pence, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, including the Phillies and Braves.  Rosenthal says the Astros are listening.
  • The Braves are the last team in on Pence, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  The Phillies "seem to have all but given up" on Pence after their big offer was rejected.

Braves Eyeing Crisp, Ludwick, Upton, Quentin

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The latest on the Braves' search for an outfielder:

Multiple Teams Interested In Jamey Carroll

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4:40pm: The D'Backs and Pirates are also looking at Carroll, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

11:48am: The Brewers would like to acquire Dodgers infielder Jamey Carroll more than ever with Rickie Weeks hitting the DL for an ankle sprain, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  However, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Indians are continuing to show interest in Carroll.

Though they acquired outfielder Kosuke Fukudome earlier today, Indians president Mark Shapiro tweeted that the front office is "still working to improve the team with other additions."  Potential targets vary from Ryan Ludwick to Ubaldo Jimenez, based on tweets from Jon Heyman and Troy Renck.

Braves Rumors: Ludwick, Quentin

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The latest on the Braves, who weren't able to acquire Carlos Beltran but at least saw him leave the division…

  • Catcher Brian McCann's oblique injury had zero effect on the Braves' willingness to meet the Mets' asking price for Beltran, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • Morosi's colleague Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Braves are turning their attention to the Astros' Hunter Pence, and have also shown interest in the Padres' Ryan Ludwick.
  • Earlier today, ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote that other teams remain certain that the Braves will acquire a bat.  Though the Braves haven't been willing to discuss their top pitching prospects, the White Sox are scouting their farm system in case they decide to move Carlos Quentin.

Indians Notes: Carroll, Prospects, Ludwick, Harang

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Neither Roberto Alomar nor Bert Blyleven will be wearing a Cleveland cap into the Hall Of Fame tomorrow, but both men spent significant parts of their careers with the Tribe.  Blyleven won 48 games and posted a 3.23 ERA with the Indians between 1981-85, twice finishing third in AL Cy Young voting in that span.  Alomar played in Cleveland from 1999 through 2001, earning Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances in each year and hit .323/.405/.515 as an Indian.

Onto some news about the modern-day Clevelanders, courtesy of Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer….

  • Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Drew Pomeranz and Alex White are "all but untouchable" in trade talks.  Without these top prospects on the table, however, it makes it unlikely that the Indians will be able to acquire top-tier trade candidates like Carlos Beltran or Hunter Pence.  Hoynes notes that the Tribe's dealings are tempered by the fact that while they have a chance to win the AL Central, they probably don't have a realistic shot at the World Series so the team doesn't want to mortgage the future for just a token playoff berth.
  • The Indians have talked to the Dodgers about utilityman Jamey Carroll.  Cleveland's interest may have cooled, though, now that Kipnis has been called up.  The Rockies and Brewers have shown interest in Carroll.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored Carroll's trade candidacy and also had a Q&A with the veteran last month.
  • The Indians "aren't close" to working out a deal with the Padres for Ryan Ludwick or Aaron Harang, reports Hoynes (Twitter link).  We recently heard that Harang (along with Hiroki Kuroda) were Cleveland's top two targets on the trade market.

NL West Notes: Bell, Stewart, Padres, Giants

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On this date three years ago, the Diamondbacks acquired Jon Rauch from the Nationals for Emilio Bonifacio. Neither player remains in the NL West, but that won't stop us from passing along the latest from their former division…

  • There's no frontrunner yet in the Heath Bell trade talks, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Rockies are playing Ian Stewart in part because they want the rival scouts on hand to watch him, according to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post. Stewart's struggles continued last night; he struck out three times.
  • Jason Bartlett is staying put in San Diego, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
  • The Padres have focused their trade talks around Heath Bell, Chad Qualls, Ryan Ludwick and Aaron Harang, according to Crasnick, who hears that they're going at a "slow pace" (Twitter link).
  • The A's are open to trading within the AL West or with the Giants, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Indians Eyeing Coco Crisp

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The Indians traded for Coco Crisp nine years ago and, with Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo on the disabled list, they're eyeing the switch-hitting center fielder once again. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports on Twitter that the Indians have renewed their interest in Crisp, who spent his first four Major League seasons in Cleveland.

Crisp, 31, earns $5.75MM this year and will hit free agency after the season. He has a .265/.315/.385 line with 27 stolen bases in 375 plate appearances. The Indians have also called on Ryan Ludwick, another former Indian, according to Heyman. The Reds, Ohio's other team, are also eyeing outfielders, including Ludwick and Crisp.

Braves Fully Intend To Acquire Hitter

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The Braves ‘fully intend’ to add a hitter before the end of the month, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Some of Rosenthal’s sources suggest the Braves are close to a trade, as David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated yesterday.

If the Braves are indeed close to completing a trade, it isn’t for Carlos Beltran, Rosenthal writes. Hunter Pence is not Atlanta’s slugger of choice, though the Braves have expressed interest in him, B.J. Upton, Ryan Ludwick, Jonny Gomes and others.

The Braves are reluctant to overpay for a rental player and they’re uncomfortable with the Astros’ asking price for Pence. The Braves would prefer not to send Jason Heyward to the minors, though the sophomore slugger’s struggles have compounded Atlanta’s need for a bat.

Quick Hits: Cespedes, Ludwick, Pettitte

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Congratulations to Hideki Matsui, who hit his 500th professional home run tonight. The 37-year-old slugger has 168 homers in the Major Leagues and 332 more in Japan. Here's the latest from around MLB… 

  • The Mets, Dodgers and Cubs combined to spend nearly $350MM on payroll this season, but aren't threatening for playoff berths. Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com identifies possible trade candidates for the three big market teams. 
  • Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald hears that Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is in the Dominican Republic (Twitter link).
  • As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains, trade candidates Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham have their shortcomings, though both can help contenders. The frustration levels are high for buyers who consider asking prices for players like Ludwick and Willingham "ridiculous," according to Rosenthal.
  • Though the Giants would like to improve at shortstop or catcher, there isn’t much out there, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick notes (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees have not contacted Andy Pettitte about coming out of retirement and do not expect to do so, according to Yahoo’s Jeff Passan. 
  • Lastly, I answered some trade-related questions for the Batting Ninth blog.
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