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Latest On The Rangers’ Search For Hitters

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Even after acquiring Matt Garza earlier this week, reports have indicated that the Rangers are looking for offensive upgrades. They've been linked to Alex Rios, Hunter Pence and Kendrys Morales already, and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports now reports that the team has had internal discussions about re-acquiring Michael Young, given the news that Lance Berkman could miss the remainder of the season or even retire.

Heyman cautions that a Young trade isn't a likely outcome, and the Rangers are still more focused on adding outfield bats as they await the fate of Biogenesis-connected outfielder Nelson Cruz. The Yankees, Red Sox and Reds are all said to be considering Young as well. Heyman reports that the Rangers have also expressed interest in Padres outfielder Chris Denorfia and Mets outfielder Marlon Byrd, though reports indicate that the Mets feel little inclination to part with Byrd.

Texas has Manny Ramirez at Triple-A Round Rock, but his bat has cooled since a hot start, and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported late last night that the team was unlikely to give Ramirez a shot anytime in the near future. Passan reported that the Rangers may not recall Ramirez at all, and one scout who watched Manny told Passan:

"This isn't Manny Ramirez. This is a 41-year-old still trying to play baseball and not doing it very well."

Ramirez is hitting .250/.318/.417 with three homers in 66 plate appearances since signing with the Rangers and reporting to Triple-A. He's struck out eight times and drawn six walks, but an evaluator told Passan that his bat "looked slow."

Red Sox Rumors: Norris, Gallardo, Volquez, Peavy

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The Red Sox are searching for pitching in advance of Wednesday's trade deadline.  The latest:

Rosenthal On Cardinals, Athletics, Stanton

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Ken Rosenthal's latest column for FOX Sports begins with a look at the Braves' rotation without veteran Tim Hudson, who sustained a season-ending ankle fracture last night.  Rosenthal notes it's a very young group without Hudson, and seems to be lacking a true number one starter.  Such a pitcher is probably not available on the trade market, which I imagine the Braves will be eyeing more keenly.  Elsewhere from Rosenthal's column:

  • The Cardinals are not actively pursuing the Astros' Bud Norris or the Blue Jays' Mark Buehrle.  The Cards didn't push for Matt Garza, but did scout Jake Peavy's last start.  Ervin Santana is available as well, but Rosenthal wonders if "a trade might not be worth the trouble," given the Cardinals' current group of talented young pitchers.
  • The Red Sox never got serious on Garza due to concerns with his injury history.  The Red Sox and Tigers were the other AL clubs in on reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who was recently traded to the Orioles.
  • After making a late run at Garza, the Athletics are interested in Peavy and Santana.  Sometimes it helps to add to a strength, explains Rosenthal.
  • The Rangers ask the Marlins for Giancarlo Stanton "every week," a Major League source tells Rosenthal, and keep hearing "no."  In addition to Alex Rios of the White Sox, the Rangers are considering Justin Ruggiano of the Marlins and Chris Denorfia of the Padres.  However, they have "not mounted a serious push" for Ruggiano, while the Padres don't plan to trade Denorfia or teammate Carlos Quentin.
  • "Some with the Brewers" wonder if the presence of Ryan Braun might make it more difficult to attract free agents.
  • The Phillies are "narrowing their search for a backup center fielder," writes Rosenthal, and the recently-designated Chris Dickerson could be one option.

Padres Notes: Gregerson, Marquis, Trades

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There may be almost as many scouts as fans in the stands for the Padres' four-game series in Milwaukee this week.  FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter links) reports that scouts from the Tigers, Braves, Phillies, Dodgers and Pirates are all in attendance to watch the two struggling NL clubs, possibly in order to scout both teams' top relievers.  The Brewers moved Francisco Rodriguez today but don't seem eager to deal any other relievers, while the Padres have yet to dip their toe into the trade waters.  Here's the latest out of San Diego…

  • The Tigers "are showing continued interest" in acquiring Luke Gregerson, Morosi reports (via Twitter).  Detroit has arguably the biggest need for bullpen help of any contender and Gregerson's name was linked to the Tigers in trade talks last winter.  The righty has a 2.85 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 41 IP this season.
  • Gregerson has received the most trade interest of any Padres player, Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  Center runs through the list of Padres trade candidates in order of outside interest, ending with Edinson Volquez, who has been drawing fewer and fewer scouts to his starts. 
  • Jason Marquis had received virtually no trade interest, Center reports, though it's a moot point now since the veteran right-hander will miss the rest of the season after suffering a complete tear of the UCL in his right elbow.  Despite the severity of the injury, Padres manager Bud Black tells MLB.com's Corey Brock that he thinks Marquis isn't willing to retire.  "I think, as of right now, he plans on pitching again," Black said. "I think he wants to come back and compete."
  • We heard earlier today from Morosi that the Braves were interested in Joe Thatcher.

Braves Interested In Joe Thatcher

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The Braves' search for left-handed relief help has led them to San Diego, as FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta is interested in Padres southpaw Joe Thatcher.

Thatcher, 31, has one remaining year of arbitration eligibility and is a free agent following the 2014 season.  The left-hander has a 2.25 ERA and 28 strikeouts (against just four walks) over 28 innings for the Padres this season.  Thatcher has held left-handed hitters to only a .456 OPS this season and for his career, Thatcher has held lefty batters to a .581 OPS.

Mike Gonzalez, James Russell and Wesley Wright have been the lefty relievers rumored to be atop the Braves' wish list, and the club has also been linked to Phil Coke and Brian Duensing.  MLBTR's Steve Adams recently outlined some of the left-handed bullpen names who could fit as trade candidates.

Minor Moves: Jason Lane

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We'll keep track of today's minor moves here.

  • Lefty pitcher Jason Lane, recently of the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, has signed with the Padres and has been assigned to Triple-A Tucson, the Skeeters announce (via the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith on Twitter). This is the same Jason Lane who played outfield for the Astros (and, briefly, the Padres) from 2002 through 2007. Since then, he's bounced around Triple-A and independent baseball, both as a hitter and as a pitcher. He posted a 2.79 ERA in 99 2/3 innings with Sugar Land in 2013, with 4.3 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9.

Central Notes: Peavy, Gallardo, K-Rod, Tigers, Pirates

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The three most prominent starting pitcher trade candidates reside in baseball's Central divisions: Matt Garza (Cubs), Jake Peavy (White Sox), and Yovani Gallardo (Brewers). The latest on the Garza rumors can be found here while Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune reports at least a half dozen scouts, including ex-Cub GMs Jim Hendry (Yankees) and Ed Lynch (Blue Jays) were on hand to see Peavy's outing against the Braves last night. "There are a lot of eyes on me, period," Peavy said after allowing two earned runs on seven hits during his six-inning stint (96 pitches). "I was trying to win for (27,294 fans) who came to support us. Whatever the scouts see, they see. I love to play and I love to compete. I want to win, that's the bottom line." The bottom line with Gallardo, according to a tweet from ESPN's Jayson Stark, is not a lot of enthusiasm for what two executives called a "4-5 starter" despite tossing six and 1/3 shutout innings against the Marlins last night. Here's more from the Central:

  • The Tigers have made initial inquiries with the Padres about their relievers, sources tell FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi (Twitter link). Morosi lists Huston Street and Luke Gregerson as possibilities. 
  • Both the Tigers and Red Sox are scouting Brewers' closer Francisco Rodriguez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.
  • The Pirates' biggest need is another bat but they are also exploring the pitching market and seeking a bench upgrade, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com.
  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington told reporters, including the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Biertempfel (Twitter link), "We know players we want and we know what we're willing to give up. We're willing to stretch lot on some guys, not so much others."
  • Huntington acknowledges he has the flexibility to add payroll "within reason," but would not elaborate, per a Biertempfel tweet.
  • The Pirates had lost three in a row and Huntington blamed their struggles on BABIP, tweets Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Pirates have also scuffled with runners in scoring position breaking an 0-for-29 drought with a pair of RBI singles this afternoon.
  • Brandon Phillips addressed the reaction to his recent comments in a Cincinnati Magazine article, which quoted him as saying the six-year, $72.5MM contract extension he signed with the Reds in 2012 was a "slap in the face" and that GM Walt Jocketty and owner Bob Castellini lied to him during the process. "Do I feel like they lied to me? If someone tells me they don’t have no money and you find $200 million somewhere, what does that sound like?" Phillips told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, referencing the ten-year, $225MM deal first baseman Joey Votto completed with the Reds about a week before his own deal was announced. "I’m very happy for Joey, don’t get me wrong," the second baseman added. "It was basically, if you think about it, I was saying I thought I wasn’t going to be a Cincinnati Red … if y’all want to take that to the negative way, be my guest, that doesn’t bother me."
  • While there has been a great deal of speculation about Justin Morneau and other Twins, rival executives haven’t sensed a big push from Minnesota to make deals, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Herrera, Rodriguez, Moore

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Here's your rundown of minor moves from around the league for Friday…

  • Left-hander Danny Herrera has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The 5'6" hurler has a 3.72 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 101 2/3 career innings at the Major League level. He's still just 28 years of age as well, though he hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2011.
  • Henry Rodriguez has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Iowa the Cubs announced (hat tip: Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald on Twitter). The 26-year-old was designated for assignment by the Cubs five days ago. Rodriguez has a 4.09 ERA with an alarming 20 walks in 22 innings between the Nationals and Cubs this season.
  • The Athletics released third baseman Scott Moore from their Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento yesterday, Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com reported (on Twitter). This morning, Cotillo reported (also via Twitter) that Moore has now signed a minor league deal with the Padres and been assigned to Triple-A Tucson. The 29-year-old Moore hit .276/.361/.478 in 339 plate appearances at Sacramento this season. Moore was selected eighth overall by the Tigers in 2002 but has just a .712 OPS in 430 big league plate appearances.
  • Following Rodriguez's outright, J.C. Gutierrez of the Royals and Chris Heston of the Giants remain in DFA limbo.

Quick Hits: Delgado, Top Prospects, Byrd, Relievers

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The Blue Jays will add Carlos Delgado to the Level of Excellence at the Rogers Centre this weekend — an honor bestowed upon the greatest Jays in franchise history. Delgado spent a dozen seasons with the Jays, hitting .282/.392/.556 with 336 homers in 6,018 plate appearances. He will join Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter, Tony Fernandez, George Bell and Dave Stieb as players to receive the distinction. Here's more from around the league…

  • ESPN's Keith Law unveiled the latest edition of his Top 50 prospects (ESPN Insider required and recommended), and it's fronted by Twins Class A Advanced center fielder Byron Buxton, though Law cautions that even he is a little uncomfortable with the amount of hype Buxton is receiving. Oscar Taveras, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Sano and Francisco Lindor round out Law's Top 5.
  • The Mets will need to be "overwhelmed" to trade Marlon Byrd, writes Jorge Castillo of the Newark Star Ledger. "Overwhelmed," of course, is a relative term, and manager Terry Collins states things more lightly later in the article: "Right now, Marlon Byrd’s a huge piece. If Marlon Byrd’s going to get moved, we’re going to get something good back." Castillo's article meshes with previous reports that the Mets may simply stand pat at the deadline.
  • A team official tells Mike Puma of the New York Post that the Mets haven't had any action yet on Byrd or closer Bobby Parnell (Twitter link).
  • ESPN's Jim Bowden examines the trade market for relievers (video link), naming all of the usual suspects that have been mentioned previously but also adding Jared Burton, Huston Street and Luke Gregerson, who haven't been mentioned often this summer. All three are controlled beyond 2013. Bowden's colleague Buster Olney tweeted earlier today that the Diamondbacks continue to be players on the relief pitching market.
  • Uncertainty surrounding Clay Buchholz's injuries hasn't changed Boston's approach to the trade deadline, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox still plan to be "selective" as they debate possibilities to upgrade what they consider to be strong rotation depth. The team is also still interested in upgrades at third base and in the bullpen.

Royals Outright Pedro Ciriaco

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THURSDAY: The Royals have outrighted Ciriaco to Triple-A Omaha, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). It seems likely that the Royals were interested in adding Ciriaco as organizational depth but didn't want to use a 40-man roster spot on him and placed him on waivers. This time, he cleared and was assigned to the minor leagues.

TUESDAY: The Royals claimed shortstop Pedro Ciriaco off waivers from the Padres, according to a team press release.  Ciriaco had been designated for assignment on Friday.  The Royals now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Ciriaco, 27, hit .228/.288/.342 in 126 plate appearances for the Red Sox and Padres this year, spending most of his time at shortstop.  Ciriaco was signed by the Diamondbacks out of the Dominican Republic in 2003.  He went to the Pirates in a trade deadline deal three years ago, was granted free agency after the 2011 season, signed as a minor league free agent with Boston in January 2012, and was acquired in trade by the Padres in June of this year after they had designated him for assignment.

Prior to the 2011 season, Ciriaco was ranked 27th among Pirates prospects by Baseball America.  They noted his "plus speed, smooth glove, and strong arm," suggesting his bat would determine whether he could land an everyday role.  The Royals' middle infield mix currently consists of Alcides Escobar, Johnny Giavotella, Miguel Tejada, and Elliot Johnson.

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