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Zack Greinke

Brewers Prepared To Move Greinke If No Extension

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The Brewers are prepared to trade right-hander Zack Greinke if they're unable to sign him to a contract extension before the trade deadline, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team is said to be "very realistic" about their position with the former AL Cy Young Award winner. 

"I haven't sat down with ownership," said GM Doug Melvin. "I haven't talked to any club yet to say, 'Give names.' I haven’t had that conversation … We've got to make a decision on what we're doing overall. We’re hoping we can put a good week together. If we don't, we've got to be prepared to go both ways. A lot more clubs are starting to call now. Clubs are calling on different players."

The two sides were discussing a long-term contract extension earlier this year, but talks were suspended in April. The 28-year-old Greinke has pitched to a 2.81 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 96 innings across 15 starts this season. He'll become a free agent after the season and Matt Cain's five-year, $112.5MM deal with the Giants is a likely comparison during extension talks.

Cafardo On Garza, Lowrie, Greinke, Red Sox, Liriano

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The rest of the baseball world is waiting for the Yankees to get old, but so far that hasn't happened, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  "They’ve been saying that ever since I’ve been around," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman. "They said it after 2001. They said it after we were reshuffling in 2003, and in 2004, my therapist said I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. After 2009, we can’t be winning with older guys…So I’ve always heard it. As long as we’re winning, people can keep saying it."  Here's more from today's column..

  • About six teams have been in contact with the Cubs consistently regarding Matt Garza: the Braves, Tigers, Cardinals, Red Sox, Jays, and Royals.  Epstein is looking for a great package to part with Garza as he is the club's biggest chip.  However, teams have some concern over whether the pitcher can control his emotions.
  • The Tigers could be heavily in the mix for Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie and Detroit would likely move him to second to fill a need.  Cafardo wouldn't be shocked if he is on the Phillies’ radar as well. Houston has a few other chips in Brett Myers, Brandon Lyon, and Wandy Rodriguez that could help contenders.
  • When teams ask about Zack Greinke's availability, they are getting "not yet" from the Brewers.  However, Cafardo writes that he'll be available as soon as they get the right offer because there doesn’t seem to be any chance of Milwaukee signing him long-term. 
  • There has been a lot of talk about Scott Podsednik being used as a trade chip but Cody Ross and Daniel Nava could also be made available by the Red Sox.
  • Francisco Liriano's recent pitching has made him a viable trade chip for the Twins.  It would still be hard for a contender to trust him, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be moved.
  • A National League talent evaluator thinks the Mets should give some thought to trading R.A. Dickey while his value is skyhigh.  The Mets don't have the money to make the deadline upgrades that they need, so they could instead continue with their three- or four-year plan by making the right-hander available.

Brewers Notes: Greinke, Marcum, Lawrie

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As the Brewers and Blue Jays engage in a slugfest, here's the latest from Miller Park…

  • Brewers officials are telling other clubs that owner Mark Attanasio will be the one who ultimately decides if his team will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, reports CBS Sports' Danny Knobler.  Of the Brewers' possible trade chips, Zack Greinke is seen as the least likely to be dealt.  Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that the Brewers could like to keep Greinke and they feel they wouldn't get full value for the ace "as a two-month rental" before Greinke hits free agency.  (Both links go to Twitter)
  • Also from Haudricourt, he looked back at the Brett Lawrie/Shaun Marcum trade as the Jays are in Milwaukee for an interleague series.  Though Marcum may leave after this season as a free agent, Brewers GM Doug Melvin said he doesn't regret giving up a potential long-term star for a short-term gain of a playoff appearance.  "We needed to get a pitcher of Shaun's caliber. He's done a great job for us," Melvin said. "You make trades and move on. You can't look back on them. Otherwise, you'll never make a trade."

Knobler On Pirates, Brewers, Morneau

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The trade market remains relatively quiet, but it’s starting to take shape, as Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com explains. Here are some details from Knobler:

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington said this week that "you can't buy when people aren't selling." The 32-30 Pirates figure to be looking for offense this summer.
  • The Brewers are simultaneously preparing for the possibility of becoming sellers and suggesting they could become buyers. They’ve told their scouts to identify prospects to target in the farm systems of contending teams, yet they won’t necessarily sell. They remain interested in keeping Zack Greinke, whose contract expires after the season.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau, Knobler reports. Yet as one unnamed executive told Knobler “Alex calls about everyone." The Blue Jays are said to be particularly interested in Morneau, according to Knobler.

Quick Hits: Teahen, Soler, Ethier, Hamilton, Youkilis

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The Dodgers officially announced their five-year, $85MM extension with Andre Ethier this afternoon on a day that featured lots of draft news. Here are some of Tuesday’s non-draft-related links, starting in Los Angeles…

  • Mark Teahen can opt-out of his minor league contract with the Nationals if not called up by June 15th, MLBTR has learned. The 30-year-old has hit .293/.347/.404 with Washington's Triple-A affiliate while playing all four corner spots.
  • Jorge Soler is still in the process of securing a visa prior to officially signing with the Cubs, reports MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). That could take about a week.
  • The Dodgers’ deal with Ethier could eliminate them from the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes after the season, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes (Twitterlinks). This could limit Hamilton’s leverage with the Rangers whenever the sides resume contract talks.
  • Olney points to the abundance of quality outfielders nearing free agency and suggests it makes sense for the players to accept deals now instead of waiting for what could be a buyer’s market.
  • There are no new developments in contract discussions between Cole Hamels and the Phillies or Zack Greinke and the Brewers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • GM Sandy Alderson told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post that the Mets haven't drawn up plans to buy or sell this summer. Davidoff suggests that the Mets could decide to stay the course at the upcoming trade deadline.
  • One scout watched Kevin Youkilis play and wasn’t impressed, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). "For what he costs, he can't do anything," the scout said.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Royals Notes: Francoeur, Myers, Greinke

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The Royals' offense, which ranked sixth in the American League a year ago, now sits next-to-last in scoring with 224 runs. Here's the latest on the 24-34 Royals, before their series with the Brewers begins…

  • Wil Myers’ tremendous minor league numbers have put Jeff Francoeur on the trading block, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Royals could potentially part with Francoeur and call up Myers without damaging the team’s credibility in the short term. However, the Royals intend to be patient with Myers and Francoeur’s two-year $13.5MM contract could deter some suitors.
  • Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star explains that Zack Greinke could be a fit in Kansas City this offseason, despite the apparently acrimonious conclusion to his first stint with the Royals. Greinke, a free agent after the season, requested a trade from the Royals following the 2010 season, since he didn’t believe they were close to contending. Billy Butler has had critical words for Greinke in the past, but he’d welcome the right-hander back. “A lot of things get overshadowed when you have that type of talent,” Butler said.

Yankees Eyeing Matt Garza

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Matt Garza interests the Yankees more than other potentially available starters, so GM Brian Cashman could pursue the right-hander this summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox could also pursue Garza, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter).

The Yankees appear to have little interest in Brewers right-handers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Heyman writes. The team has concerns about how Greinke would pitch in New York and members of the New York front office aren’t sure about Marcum as an American Leaguer.

The Yankees also have concerns about Ryan Dempster’s ability to transition to the American League. While the Brewers have a buyer’s mindset, the Cubs appear willing to listen on most of their players. Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros could be another option for the Yankees, Heyman notes.

Heyman On Brewers, Liriano, Castro

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com lists 45 potential trade candidates in anticipation of this summer’s deals. Here are some highlights, starting with a team that could be a buyer, rather than a seller:

  • One GM questions Zack Greinke’s ability to thrive in major markets. Keep in mind that Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has a buyer’s mindset as the deadline approaches. Greinke and others on Milwaukee’s roster may not be available.
  • Fellow Brewers starter Shaun Marcum is no better than a fourth starter in the American League, according to a GM. It's worth noting that Marcum posted a 3.85 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in five seasons in the American League East when he pitched for the Blue Jays.
  • An American League executive said Padres starter Edinson Volquez “has good value,” Heyman reports.
  • One person said Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano is worth a short-term look.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore may like Jeff Francoeur more than any other team does.
  • Jeremy Guthrie will have to string together some quality outings to restore his trade value, one executive said. 
  • Heyman hears from a Cubs official who says the team hasn't mentioned Starlin Castro's name in trade talks (Twitter link). The Cubs appear to be willing to listen on most of their players, including Castro.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Reds, Greinke

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On this date two years ago Roy Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history. The Phillies placed Halladay on the disabled list with a right lat strain today and he could miss up to two months. Here are today's links…

  • The Dodgers don’t appear to have interest in recently-released right-hander Jason Marquis, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The Dodgers don’t expect Ted Lilly to miss more than a few starts, according to Crasnick.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer suggests the Reds are likely looking for a left-handed bench bat.
  • Extension talks between Zack Greinke and the Brewers are relatively quiet, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. Greinke is on track to hit free agency after the season and could draw trade interest midseason if the Brewers are out of contention.

Heyman On Greinke, Red Sox, Wright

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Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the latest from a handful of MLB owners…

  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Heyman he wants to sign Zack Greinke to a long-term deal. "Sure, why not? We'd like to keep him,” Attanasio said. Greinke, a free agent this offseason, said he likes playing in Milwaukee. "Good owner. Good guys in management. Good guys in the clubhouse. Really good, really good,'' Greinke said. It’s likely Greinke will ask for a $100MM contract this offseason, and that would be a lot for the small-market Brewers to commit.
  • Red Sox owner Tom Werner told Heyman that manager Bobby Valentine is "absolutely" doing fine (Twitter link).
  • Mets owner Fred Wilpon told Heyman that he hopes to retain David Wright long-term (Twitter links). Wilpon says his third baseman is "a great kid and a great player."
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