Padres Rumors

Jose Guillen Drawing Interest

By Luke Adams 2 | July 23, 2010 at 7:57pm CDT

There are several teams with at least "a passing interest" in Jose Guillen, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal names the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Padres, and Giants as potential Guillen suitors.

The Giants, who have been connected to virtually every available outfielder, were said to have scouted Guillen last night. However, most of the other clubs Rosenthal lists have yet to be linked to Guillen. The Yanks, Sox, Mets, and Padres could all be in the market for another outfielder, and may not have to take on too much salary to acquire Guillen — last month, we heard from ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Royals were willing to eat a good chunk of the money owed to the 34-year-old. Guillen has approximately $4.76MM remaining on his $12MM 2010 salary.

With David DeJesus on the disabled list for the rest of the season, Guillen (.279/.342/.463) has become the Royals' most appealing chip for teams in search of outfield help.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Gillies, Oswalt, Hart, Lilly

By Mike Axisa | July 23, 2010 at 12:06pm CDT

On this date ten years ago, a 36-year-old Barry Larkin signed a three-year contract extension with the Reds worth $27MM. This came a day after Larkin invoked his ten-and-five rights to block a trade to the Mets, who agreed to send then-top prospect Alex Escobar and two others to Cincinnati. New York dealt Melvin Mora and three other players to Baltimore for Mike Bordick five days later, filling their shortstop hole. Larkin, the first 30-30 shortstop in baseball history, hit just .257/.328/.372 during the life of the extension.

Here are some links with the trade deadline seemingly right around the corner…

Phoul Ballz interviews Phillies' prospect Tyson Gillies, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade this winter.
Crawfish Boxes lists the players they would want if Roy Oswalt is traded to the Cardinals.
Ghost of Moonlight Graham looks at the trade market for Corey Hart.
Disciples of Uecker explains how the Brewers screwed up the J.J. Hardy trade.
Twinkie Town reviews the Twins' trade deadline action from 2007-2009.
Monkey With A Halo provides a full-proof plan to fix the Angels in the second half.
The Baseball Opinion speculates about a Ted Lilly to the Mets trade.
The Friarhood looks at some ways to improve the Padres' outfield situation.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? has some fun with a rumor involving Neftali Feliz.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Red Sox Rumors: Beltre, Lowrie, Lowell, Ortiz

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 23, 2010 at 9:31am CDT

The latest on the Red Sox, one night after a near-no-hitter almost turned into an ugly loss:

Adrian Beltre told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that "it's too early to tell" if he'll re-sign in Boston after the season. We still have two months to go before the end of the regular season, so it's hard to argue with Beltre's logic.
It's a "longshot" that Jed Lowrie ends up with the Padres, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (via Twitter).
Mike Lowell told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he'll decide whether to retire in September.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney predicts that the Red Sox will keep David Ortiz next year, if only to prevent Big Papi from signing with the Rays or Yankees.
Manager Terry Francona wondered to Lauber if Josh Beckett's early-season struggles may have been related to the $68MM extension he signed.

Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Rangers, Moyer, Wilson

By Mark Polishuk | July 22, 2010 at 10:56pm CDT

As Alex Rodriguez takes a step closer to the 600-homer club, here are some news items…

Barry Shlachter of the Star-Telegram reports on Nolan Ryan's testimony about the Rangers' money problems. The most notable item from Ryan's testimony was that Texas may not be able to afford Josh Hamilton's inevitable arbitration raise this winter. This seems hard to believe, since you'd figure that Texas would cut corners anywhere else to find the money to pay Hamilton or to negotiate a long-term deal with their star.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com tweets that the Rangers have excess pitching and could make Scott Feldman and/or Rich Harden available in a trade.
Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Jamie Moyer's recent elbow injury might end the 47-year-old's amazing career.
The Cardinals feel more confident about their chances of signing draft pick Austin Wilson after the 12th-round selection and his family visited Busch Stadium, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The highly-regarded Wilson has a full scholarship waiting for him at Stanford and thus the Cards' selection was thought to be a longshot.
Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog writes that the Friars are looking for "a hitter adept at reaching base against right-handers."
Holden Kushner of CSNWashington.com examines a potential Adam Dunn deal against the situation the Nationals faced in 2005 when they didn't trade Alfonso Soriano.
Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com discusses some Indians prospects and more in a fan mailbag.
David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune thinks the White Sox should resist the urge to trade Gordon Beckham for a rent-a-player. Haugh proposes that the Sox should instead offer up Bobby Jenks, whose closing job is up in the air.

Red Sox Notes: Lowrie, Kelly, Lowell

By Mark Polishuk | July 22, 2010 at 10:46pm CDT

On the anniversary of Boston's trade for Adam LaRoche, here are some Red Sox tidbits…

Now that the Red Sox have acquired utility infielder Jack Hannahan, ESPN's Buster Olney speculates (via Twitter) that Jed Lowrie might be expendable, and a candidate to be dealt to San Diego.
In an appearance on WEEI's Big Show, J.P. Ricciardi doesn't think Boston will do "something crazy" at the trade deadline and deal a top prospect like Casey Kelly. WEEI.com's Jay Asser has the full transcript of Ricciardi's comments.
WEEI.com's Rob Bradford tweets that Mike Lowell's minor league rehabilitation game was attended by scouts from the Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals and Tigers. Detroit actually had two scouts present, though nothing should necessarily be read into this fact since Pawtucket was playing the Tigers' own Triple-A affiliate. Given how many rumors the Tigers have been tied to themselves, those scouts also could've been looking at some Mud Hens players.

Royals Notes: DeJesus, Trades, Ankiel, Gordon

By Mark Polishuk | July 22, 2010 at 10:07pm CDT

David DeJesus left tonight's Royals/Yankees game with a sprained right thumb, suffered after colliding with the wall in an attempt to catch a Derek Jeter fly ball. MLB.com's Tim Britton reports that DeJesus will miss the rest of the four-game series, and Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that DeJesus will see a hand specialist on Friday. "He might be out a while," Dutton warns.

With Kansas City's luck, would it be any surprise if the team's most attractive trading chip had to go on the DL in the week before the deadline? Here are some (possibly now moot) DeJesus trade chatter and other Royals-related items…

Royals GM Dayton Moore appeared on Jim Bowden's XM 175 radio show today, and told Bowden that teams interested in DeJesus were looking at him to play left or right field, not center. (Twitter link)
Bowden also tweeted Moore's comment that he's talking to 3-6 teams about trades but also "checking in" with others. The Royals are focusing on moving players in the last year of their contracts.
One such player is Rick Ankiel, who has a $6MM mutual option for 2011 that K.C. is unlikely to pick up. Ankiel has been called up by the Royals in what Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com thinks is a showcase for a possible trade, but still a bad roster move given how Alex Gordon's Triple-A numbers make him far more worthy of a return to the majors.
ESPN.com's Rob Neyer also comments on the Ankiel call-up, and notes that "suddenly the Royals have some of the best prospects in the minors." The issue, as Neyer explains, is that these prospects are blocked by underperforming veterans.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) quotes a Royals source who says that K.C. would have to "win the deal" for the team to move DeJesus.
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the Giants "continue to keep tabs" on DeJesus, "but the asking price remained high." Baggarly says San Francisco has more interest in Washington's Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.
The Padres have been connected to DeJesus in trade rumors, but MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets that "not everyone in the Padres camp is sold on [Corey] Hart or DeJesus. Regardless of asking price."

Padres Rumors: Gonzalez, Bell, Byrnes, Hinch

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 3:20pm CDT

The All-Star Game mattered more than usual to the Padres this year, and not just because they're in contention and may benefit from the NL's win. Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse has the details:

The cost of Adrian Gonzalez’s option for 2011 has risen from $5.5MM to $6.2MM since the first baseman reached many incentives. Gonzalez boosted the cost of the Padres’ option by making three All-Star teams and winning a pair of Gold Gloves.
Padres closer Heath Bell will be "ticked off" if he doesn’t get a bonus for making this year’s All-Star team, but Padres CEO Jeff Moorad forbids player bonuses (he wasn't the one who negotiated Gonzalez's incentives).
Two recently-fired members of the D’Backs organization could join Moorad in San Diego. Krasovic continues hearing that Josh Byrnes and A.J. Hinch are “tight” with Moorad, who was a D'Backs executive until last year.
Spending cuts are looming in Arizona, according to Krasovic.

Odds & Ends: Washburn, A’s, Myers, Mattingly

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2010 at 2:54pm CDT

Links for Thursday, after somebody finally beat the Cardinals…

Agent Scott Boras told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Jarrod Washburn has not yet decided whether to pitch in 2010.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that rival teams expect the Royals to trade Kyle Farnsworth and the Pirates to trade Octavio Dotel (Twitter links).
The A’s agreed to sign two Venezuelan 16-year-olds, Argy Raga and Jesus Rivas, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
The Astros would need to be "overwhelmed" to move Brett Myers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly definitely wants to manage in the major leagues, according to MLB.com's Evan Drellich.
The Padres, who are interested in Miguel Tejada, believe he could potentially play some outfield once David Eckstein returns, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Padres won't rush to acquire middle infield help until they know more about Eckstein's injury, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock. GM Jed Hoyer told Brock the club had already been looking for infield depth.
The Reds will discuss manager Dusty Baker's future this August, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Baker's contract expires after the season.
At FanGraphs, Aaron Rowand and Carlos Lee make their way onto Dave Cameron's list of the MLB players with the least trade value.
Baseball America lists the 15 biggest bonuses ever handed out to international amateurs.

Phillies Exploring Oswalt, Werth Trades

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 20, 2010 at 10:44pm CDT

The Phillies are exploring acquiring Roy Oswalt and moving Jayson Werth in a companion trade, reports ESPN's Jayson Stark. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says nothing is close, but Ed Price of AOL FanHouse says the Oswalt talks are "heavy." Oswalt has yet to be presented with a deal for his approval. Stark says the Phils have also discussed Dan Haren, Jeremy Guthrie, and Ben Sheets as they leave no rock unturned. As for Werth, Stark believes the Rays "head the list of interested teams." The impending free agent would be moved to save money, stock the farm system, and open up a spot for Domonic Brown. Stark says the Red Sox, Giants, and Padres are also interested in Werth.

The Phillies recently optioned Kyle Kendrick to the minors and lost Jamie Moyer to an elbow strain, so they could use starting pitching depth. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. hinted today that the club could acquire a starter by Saturday. The Phils have already committed $135MM to next year's payroll, so adding an expensive arm like Haren or Oswalt would take some maneuvering.

One candidate to start Saturday, or perhaps be traded, is J.A. Happ. Stark says the Phillies have shopped the lefty, and the Astros scouted him on Tuesday.

Click here to predict the Phillies next move.

Padres To Sign Wily Mo Pena

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2010 at 6:05pm CDT

The Padres will sign Wily Mo Pena to a minor league deal and assign the former big leaguer to Triple A Portland, according to Mario Rojas of Candela Deportiva. The team has not confirmed the agreement, but Dan Hayes of the North County Times has (via Twitter).

Pena, 28, has been playing for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League since late May and was in tonight's starting lineup, according to a Bluefish public relations official. Nothing is official now, but the Padres appear to be moving towards a deal with Pena.

In parts of seven major league seasons, Pena has a .253/.307/.447 line. He hasn't played in the majors since 2008, but he did hit 26 homers on the 2004 Reds. Padres outfielders have combined to hit 26 homers (one more than Jose Bautista) in 1007 at bats this season, so they may hope Pena can return to the majors and add pop to an unintimidating lineup.

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