Giants Seeking Outfield Help
The Giants are seeking outfield help following Melky Cabrera's 50-game suspension, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). For now the team plans to promote Justin Christian from Triple-A and stick with Gregor Blanco, Angel Pagan, and Hunter Pence as the regulars.
Rosenthal reports that Scott Hairston and Juan Pierre have yet to be placed on trade waivers, though the Diamondbacks would likely block both players from getting to San Francisco. Arizona has a higher waiver priority and both Hairston (approximately $300K) and Pierre ($200K) are reasonably priced for the remainder of the season. Alfonso Soriano remains unlikely to approve a trade to the 2010 World Champs.
Kevin Millwood and Josh Beckett still have yet to be placed on waivers according to Rosenthal. The Red Sox have put a handful of players through waivers but otherwise have remained quiet this month.
Quick Hits: Lowe, Padres, Hairston, Twins, Tigers
Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter) that the MLB owners meetings will be held in Denver later this week. They are expected to vote on the sale of the Padres, but the Athletics/Giants/San Jose issue is unlikely to be resolved. Here's the latest from around the league…
- The Giants, Orioles, Phillies, and Red Sox all had interest in Derek Lowe before he signed with the Yankees, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.
- The Mets have not yet put Scott Hairston on trade waivers, reports Ken Davidoff of The New York Post. Davidoff argues that the Amazin's should trade the outfielder this month.
- Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com says that it's lazy to blame the Twins' struggles on their payroll, particularly the $23MM owed to Joe Mauer on an annual basis.
- Josh Slagter of mLive.com says the Tigers should give top prospect Nick Castellanos a shot, similar to how the Orioles used Manny Machado to bolster their lineup.
- In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney mentions that he's heard Mark Kotsay's name pop-up as a future big league manager. The Padres signed the veteran to a one-year extension yesterday, so he's not ready to transition to coaching just yet.
Alfonso Soriano Not Getting Traded Today
5:14pm: Tigers president and GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including MLB.com's Jason Beck, that the Tigers didn't discuss Soriano with the Cubs (Twitter link). "Not once. … We did speak with the Cubs, but we did not speak about Soriano," Dombrowski said.
2:24pm: Soriano will stay with the Cubs at least this week, tweets Nightengale.
2:14pm: The Cubs say Soriano is likely to stay put, though an August deal is possible, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
2:04pm: The Tigers and Cubs are hard at work on Soriano, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com, but he's not sure if they can make the money work. Soriano is owed $42.3MM through 2014.
1:18pm: Manager Jim Leyland thinks the Tigers may be done on the trade front, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
10:57am: The Tigers have considered Alfonso Soriano, but don't think he's a great fit, Knobler reports (on Twitter). They asked about Scott Hairston, but the Mets wanted one of the Tigers' top five prospects in return.
10:24am: The Tigers are seeking a middle-of-the-order hitter in the wake of discouraging news on Victor Martinez's recovery from knee surgery, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Martinez is said to be 50-50 to return this year, so the Tigers are "looking hard" for another bat.
NL East Notes: Phillies, Hairston, Byrdak
Marlins outfielder Logan Morrison could miss the rest of the season, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter). Miami placed Morrison on the 15-day disabled list with right knee inflammation earlier today. Here are some more NL East links…
- The Phillies may start a partial sale after two consecutive losses to the Braves, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Shane Victorino, Juan Pierre and Joe Blanton could be moved.
- There's interest in Scott Hairston, but the Mets may value him more than his potential suitors do, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes (on Twitter). The Mets see the value of finishing strong and Hairston could help them over the course of the season's final two months.
- Teams are expressing zero interest in left-hander Tim Byrdak, a Mets person tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The 38-year-old has a 4.76 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 in an NL-leading 53 appearances this year.
- The Mets haven't been impressed by offers for Daniel Murphy, Martino reports (on Twitter). "We're not trading Murphy for a reliever," a Mets person told Martino.
New York Notes: Headley, Mets, League, Yankees
A look at the latest out of Queens and the Bronx..
- A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that Padres third baseman Chase Headley is not out of question for the Yankees. Headley could play at third until Alex Rodriguez and could replace Nick Swisher if he leaves via free agency next year, Rosenthal tweets.
- The Yankees and Padres haven't exchanged names in Headley talks, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Although Mets GM Sandy Alderson is fielding calls for Tim Byrdak and Scott Hairston, he is more likely to retain the pair, a person familiar with the club's thinking told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Martino adds that the Mets have inquired on Mariners righthander Brandon League, according to a baseball source, but their interest in him and other high-profile relievers has fizzled. That source expects a quiet few days from the Mets as the deadline approaches.
- Before the Mariners traded Ichiro to the Yankees, they were deep in talks with the Giants and White Sox, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The outfielder liked the idea of playing for the Giants, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle adds (via Twitter).
NL East Notes: Phils, Victorino, Braves, Reyes, Buehrle
Here's the latest out of the NL East…
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told reporters (including Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com) that his plan is to keep his team's rotation intact, though plans can change. The Phillies have a "lot of balls in [the] air trade-wise."
- The Phillies are listening to offers for Shane Victorino though they haven't yet indicated that they're willing to move him, tweets ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. The Dodgers, Giants, Pirates and Reds are among the teams interested in the center fielder.
- The Braves are still looking to upgrade their rotation, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman. The Braves have shown interest in Edinson Volquez and James Shields, though Bowman notes that a less-pricey pitching option like Rays right-hander Wade Davis could fit Atlanta's needs. Multiple teams have asked about Davis, though he's pitched out of the bullpen all season and wouldn't be able to immediately help a team looking for a starter.
- Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Ozzie Guillen told reporters (including Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post) that despite the Marlins' struggles, they don't regret coming to Miami.
- The Mets are focused on acquiring players who can help the team beyond just the 2012 season, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin. Both Rubin's source and manager Terry Collins didn't think any deals were imminent before the deadline.
- Scott Hairston told Rubin that the Mets haven't approached him about a contract extension. A team insider tells Rubin that "Nothing I know of was accomplished" when the Tigers and Mets recently discussed a Hairston trade.
Tigers, Giants, Braves Interested In Scott Hairston
7:43pm: The Braves and Giants have also asked about Hairston, tweets Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger.
3:45pm: The Tigers have already completed one major trade this summer, but they may not be done dealing yet. They're interested in Mets outfielder Scott Hairston, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Though the teams discussed Hairston, it's unlikely a deal materializes, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The Mets would listen to offers for Hairston if rival teams are willing to surrender players who can help in the near future, Joel Sherman reported two days ago. Hairston, 32, has a history of hitting left-handed pitching that no doubt appeals to the Tigers (career .279/.330/.506 line against southpaws). He earns just $1.1MM in 2012 and is enjoying a strong season, with 12 home runs and a .259/.300/.514 batting line.
Quick Hits: Giants, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox
The latest trade rumors from around MLB…
- The Giants are still looking for bullpen help, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter), They had some interest in Francisco Rodriguez until they saw him pitch recently and they don't view Jonathan Broxton as the solution, Knobler reports.
- GM Ned Colletti says the Dodgers are far from done, and will continue to look for a starter and a position player, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
- The Mets would listen to offers for Scott Hairston and Tim Byrdak, but only for pieces who could help them next year, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
- The Red Sox would like to obtain a right-handed bat, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets. We covered more Red Sox rumors in a pair of AL East posts today.
NL East Notes: Cole Hamels, Scott Hairston
The Marlins acquired Carlos Lee from the Astros for Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen earlier tonight in a trade that shows Miami's leadership still intends to win this year. The Marlins should obtain some additional offense from Lee at first base, while the Astros acquire a pair of intriguing prospects for their minor league system. Here are today’s NL East links…
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. met privately with Cole Hamels yesterday, but the left-hander said the meeting didn’t have to do with his contract status, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Hamels, who’s set to hit free agency this coming offseason, isn't intent on leaving the Phillies because of the team's disappointing 2012 season. He understands that the Phillies are talking to other clubs about him and remains optimistic that he and Amaro can reach a long-term agreement, Zolecki reports.
- Lefty masher Scott Hairston would be the most in-demand player on the Mets if New York were selling, a scout told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). However, the 44-37 Mets are looking to add to the big league team this summer.
Mets Re-Sign Scott Hairston
Free agent utility player Scott Hairston has re-signed with the Mets on a Major League deal, the team announced. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported the move (Twitter links) and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported (on Twitter) that Hairston will obtain $1.1MM in 2012. Casey Close of Excel Sports Management represents the 31-year-old.
Hairston posted a .235/.303/.470 line with seven homers in 145 plate appearances for the Mets in 2011. He played second base and all three outfield positions, earning $1.1MM in the process. He spent the final month of the season on the disabled list with a strained left oblique. Hairston has a .244/.303/.437 career line in eight seasons with the Diamondbacks, Padres, Mets and Athletics.