Quick Hits: Cherington, Profar, Royals, A’s, Ryan
Check out MLBTR's "Justin Upton Rumors" for the daily collection of trade buzz about the Diamondbacks outfielder. For any "Justin/Upton Rumors" in regards to the alleged Justin Verlander/Kate Upton relationship, you may need to check out our sister site, MLB Dating Rumors.
Here's the latest from around the majors as we prepare for the second half of the season…
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including WEEI.com's Rob Bradford) that his team isn't going to be a trade deadline seller. "There's no such thing as taking a year off in Boston," Cherington said. "We feel like we're right in it and have as good a chance as most teams to be there at the end….We've got some ways to improve the team internally, potentially. And we've started to look at ways to improve the team externally. If we play to our capability with the guys we have here our hope is we don't have to make a lot of moves."
- Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar holds the top spot on the midseason top 50 prospects list from ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider subscription required). "Profar has the ultimate mark of an elite prospect. He keeps improving even as he is challenged with better competition," Law writes.
- The Royals are looking for Major League talent in trades rather than prospects, GM Dayton Moore tells Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. “We’re at a stage in our development where we want back ready Major League players to help us," Moore said. "Three or four years ago, yeah, we’re looking for prospects….Now, we have prospects in our system. You can always use more. But we need guys who can help our Major League team.”
- From that same item, Moore said he has been given no directives by ownership to move payroll at the deadline, nor has he made any calls looking to move any of the Royals' veteran players.
- The Athletics are 2.5 games out of a wild card spot and are wondering if they should make a playoff push, reports Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group. "I don't think if something is within your grasp, you ignore it," said GM Billy Beane, though he added that, "We are going to have to be somewhat leery of a short-term fix if we give up players for the long term, because I do like this group." A's co-owner Lew Wolff, meanwhile, said that Beane would have payroll space to make a deadline addition if he wished.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan spoke about his drafting, scouting and player development philosophies with Fangraphs' David Laurila.
- Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog wonders why Carlos Quentin would re-sign with the Padres when he is better suited for a DH role in a less-spacious ballpark.
- The week's minor league transactions are recapped by Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
Dodgers Eyeing Aramis, Headley
The Dodgers have identified Aramis Ramirez as a potential trade target in case the Brewers decide to trade veteran players this summer, Yahoo's Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). However, the Dodgers prefer Chase Headley of the Padres.
Ramirez signed a three-year, $36MM contract with Milwaukee last offseason. The 34-year-old has ten home runs and a .272/.346/.475 batting line through 338 plate appearances so far in 2012. The 40-45 Brewers aim to establish themselves as contenders after the All-Star beak, when they play the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds.
Headley, 28, has a .267/.368/.413 batting line in 370 plate appearances for the Padres. He earns $3.48MM this year and will remain under team control through 2014. The 34-53 Padres figure to be sellers this summer, though they may hesitate to deal within the NL West.
Los Angeles has a clear need at the hot corner; Dodgers third basemen rank 26th in MLB with a combined .631 OPS. Manager Don Mattingly was relying on a combination of Jerry Hairston Jr., Juan Uribe, Adam Kennedy and Luis Cruz at the position leading up to the All-Star break.
Quick Hits: Draft, Headley, Phillies, Pence
For the most part, the new draft system has reined in costs and pushed players to sign early, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. However, six first-round picks remain unsigned as the Friday deadline approaches. Of course, the draft pool limit should keep the drama in check as teams are unwilling to overspend to the point where they have to forfeit draft picks. The two most interesting teams to watch figure to be the Pirates (Mark Appel) and the Nationals (Lucas Giolito), Mayo writes. Links from around baseball as Wednesday turns into Thursday..
- If the Padres make Chase Headley available, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) expects the Orioles to inquire on him. For his part, the third baseman has said that he would prefer to remain in San Diego.
- Phillies outfielder Hunter Pence might have the most trade value of anyone on the team, including Cole Hamels, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pence, 29, should make close to $15MM through arbitration for 2013.
- It may seem like a no-brainer for the Phillies to have an all-out fire sale, but Richard Justice of MLB.com writes that it's not quite that simple. Philadelphia is leading the majors in attendance for a second straight year and their core players believe that they can still make a run in 2012. Regardless, one has to imagine that Ruben Amaro Jr. & Co. will make trades with the future in mind.
NL West Notes: Street, Garcia, Ozuna
Much of the recent NL West chatter relates to Justin Upton and potential trades for Arizona's 24-year-old right fielder. The Diamondbacks will listen to offers for Upton, who’s just one year removed from a fourth-place finish in the NL MVP balloting. Here are some non-Upton related notes from the NL West…
- Padres closer Huston Street said he could “clear the air” with Mets bench coach Bob Geren if a trade sends him to New York this summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. "If I get to the Mets, that'll be the first bug I go squash,'' Street said. The right-hander called Geren his “least favorite person” in sports following their time with the Athletics.
- The Diamondbacks signed catcher Oswaldo Garcia, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Some scouts considered Garcia the top Colombian prospect available this year. The 16-year-old has a powerful bat and a strong arm.
- The Diamondbacks also signed 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Fernery Ozuna, Badler reports.
Quick Hits: Quentin, Hagadone, A’s, Uribe
A few stray links to pass along as the NL All-Stars celebrate their third consecutive victory over the AL …
- The Indians are trying to acquire Carlos Quentin from the Padres, but the sides "don't have much common ground right now," according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Quentin is an impending free agent and figures to be dealt, as the Friars are unlikely to extend him with their ownership situation still in flux.
- The MLB Players Association is considering filing a grievance on behalf of Indians reliever Nick Hagadone, who was placed on the minor league disqualified list after injuring himself in a fit of frustration following a recent poor outing, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Indians GM Chris Antonetti said Hagadone was angry that he pitched poorly and not because he had been informed he'd been optioned to the minor leagues. Players do not receive salary or accrue service time while on the disqualified list.
- The odds of the Athletics moving to Sacramento, as was recently proposed by the city's mayor, former NBA star Kevin Johnson, is highly unlikely, according to the Contra Costa Times. The A's, meanwhile, remain in stadium limbo.
- The Dodgers may be in an active-roster bind with the impending returns of outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier from the disabled list, and though they could possibly cut ties with oft-injured and ineffective infielder Juan Uribe, that move remains unlikely, writes Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. The balance of the $12MM owed to Uribe over the next season-plus would be tough for the Dodgers to swallow, Dilbeck explains.
Padres Notes: Street, Ownership
The Padres are tied for last place in the NL West with a 34-53 record, but there's lots of intrigue for Padres fans this summer. Carlos Quentin, Chase Headley and Huston Street are among the players who figure to draw interest from rival teams as the July 31st trade deadline approaches. Here's the latest on the Padres…
- The Padres have scouted the Cardinals and will watch one of St. Louis’ top minor league affiliates this week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Street, San Diego’s closer, could be targeted by the Cardinals in trade talks. He says he prefers to continue closing if he’s traded.
- Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters, including Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, that he doesn’t know if the Padres’ sale will be completed by the owners meetings scheduled for next month (Twitter link). "I understand they [still] have two or three weeks of work," the commissioner said.
Pirates, Reds, Indians Interested In Quentin
The Pirates, Reds, and Indians are just a few of the teams that have called the Padres about Carlos Quentin, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
The Pirates have been connected to Quentin within the past week, but this is the first report that either Ohio team has actually contacted the Padres about their slugging left fielder. Until this point, connection to both teams had been speculation.
Quentin, 29, is a San Diego native who has enjoyed his first season playing in his hometown. He currently boasts a .268/.406/.518 triple slash line and has clubbed seven homers in 138 plate appearances. Like most hitters, he's struggled tremendously at Petco Park. Small sample warnings apply, but Quentin has hit just .196/.288/.348 in 14 home games compared to .318/.477/.636 in 19 games on the road.
As Heyman notes, the Padres would need to acquire a return which they deem more valuable than the draft pick Quentin could net them. The new collective bargaining agreement muddles the situation, however, as an acquiring team would not be able to collect a draft pick for him at season's end. That, of course, will make it more difficult for Padres GM Josh Byrnes to net quality prospects in exchange for Quentin's bat.
Heyman also writes that the Tigers and Blue Jays were both seen as fits for Quentin at one point, but that may no longer be the case. The Tigers likely prefer an infielder and/or starting pitcher with Delmon Young's bat coming around, and the Blue Jays are more likely to pursue pitching as well.
The Marlins placed a call about Quentin at one point, according to Heyman, but it's unclear whether or not the acquisition of Carlos Lee has taken them out of the Quentin market.
Pirates Notes: Upton, Quentin, Lincoln
The Pirates, who lead the NL Central with a 48-37 record, aim to improve their roster for the second half of the season. “We’re in a buying mode,” manager Clint Hurdle said, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates have inquired on Carlos Quentin and Justin Upton, two of the top bats available this summer. Here are the details on the Pirates…
- “Our focus is to exhaustively search all opportunities to add to this club and to execute the right move(s) to make this club better,” GM Neal Huntington said, according to Biertempfel.
- The Diamondbacks and Padres might have some degree of interest in right-hander Brad Lincoln in potential deals involving Upton and Quentin, Biertempfel reports (on Twitter). The Diamondbacks are scouting the Pirates’ Triple-A team and the Padres are scouting the Pirates’ Class A West Virginia team, Biertempfel adds.
- Biertempfel suggests the Pirates could use starting pitching depth.
- Within Biertempfel’s piece a handful of former general managers share thoughts on what the Pirates should do this year.
O’Malley Group Selected To Purchase Padres
SUNDAY: San Diego businessman Ron Fowler will be the lead limited partner in the O'Malley group's purchase of the Padres, sources tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Peter O'Malley, his two sons, and his two nephews will have prominent but lesser roles within the ownership group. Heyman adds a quick approval by MLB is possible, perhaps even by the August owners meetings, since Fowler's new role gives the team a local lead and his reputation within baseball appears positive.
SATURDAY: The sale is "not done yet," reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The O'Malley group is in exclusive negotiations to purchase the team, however.
FRIDAY: The O'Malley group has been selected to purchase the Padres, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They will pay $800MM total, including $200MM for a portion of the team's equity in FOX Sports San Diego.
Late last month we heard that Steve Cohen dropped out of the bidding once the price climbed that high, so the O'Malleys have been expected to land the team for the last few weeks now. Current owner John Moores acquired the franchise back in 1994 for approximately $80MM.
The Padres have a number of high-priced players who could be trade bait at the deadline, specifically Carlos Quentin and Huston Street. The new ownership should provide some clarity as far as their financial situation going forward, such as their ability to offer long-term contracts. Just yesterday GM Josh Byrnes said he did not have the ability to offer contract extensions at this time.
Cafardo On Beckett, Quentin, Hernandez, Phillies
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hands out his midseason awards. His award for "Most Surprising Team" so far goes to the White Sox in the American League and the Mets in the National League. Cafardo credits the Mets' management team of Sandy Alderson, Paul DePodesta, and J.P. Ricciardi for piecing together the scraps and overshadowing the team's Bernie Madoff public relations nightmare. Here's more from today's piece..
- Red Sox starter Josh Beckett can block any deal with his ten-and-five rights, but it wouldn’t shock baseball people if Boston eventually pursues it. “He would get some interest if some of the money was absorbed,” said one National League GM. “He’s not what he was, but he can still pitch. He’s got the postseason resume and still seems to have some competitiveness on the mound, which are all things you look for. The things you have to evaluate would be the issues in the clubhouse, to some extent, and breaking down a little more than he used to.”
- Earlier today we learned that the Pirates have had preliminary talks with the Padres about Carlos Quentin. Cafardo writes that the outfielder could be the next big bat to go and would also be desirable for the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
- Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik keeps insisting he will not trade Felix Hernandez, but he would likely be able to take care of three or four positions by doing so. However, Zduriencik has been tempted with great offers in the past and declined to part with the right-hander.
- While the Phillies are obviously giving serious thought to dealing Cole Hamels, one consideration for the club is that they have aging pitchers in Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, and Hamels is younger. The 28-year-old would be even more valuable down the road and rebuilding in Philadelphia is tough.