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Rosenthal’s Latest: Nats After Dunn

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Ken Rosenthal’s got a new column up; let’s dive in.

  • Fun new rumor: the Nationals are pursuing Adam Dunn.  Huh?  Makes no sense on the surface.  Jim Bowden’s possible motivation would be to sign Dunn long-term and make him the cornerstone of the franchise.  If he fails at that, all would not be lost given the draft pick compensation.  Rosenthal says the market for Dunn beyond Washington is a bit foggy – the Twins, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox, and Padres could all get involved but none stand out.
  • Rosenthal adds some color to my recent Nationals post.  He mentions that Ron Belliard is a name that might interest the Mets, an idea that has come up before.  Rosenthal says the Mets will not do a Lastings Milledge for Chad Cordero trade.
  • The Dodgers have jumped to the forefront on Octavio Dotel, with Takashi Saito ailing.  According to Rosenthal, the Royals aren’t demanding the very specific bounty Joel Sherman claimed.  Instead, they just want a near MLB-ready player.  Rosenthal says Tony Abreu is out of reach but Chin-Lung Hu might not be.  He suggests moving Hu to second base to accomodate Tony Pena Jr., which should probably be reversed.   It appears the Indians wouldn’t surrender Franklin Gutierrez or Ben Francisco for Dotel.  I’d give one up, personally.
  • I didn’t know this: Jermaine Dye can veto a deal to four clubs.  With his solid play, interest is picking up.  As are Kenny Williams’ demands; he wants an elite prospect.  The Indians and Red Sox have inquired; the Cubs might make sense too.  I thought we had ruled out the Red Sox earlier though.
  • The Padres are looking for bench help, perhaps in the name of Ryan Klesko, Mike Piazza, Mark Loretta, or Mike Lamb.  Couple of prodigal sons there.  Would Piazza be happy as a pricey bench player?  Rosenthal says Matt Stairs isn’t available.  Why not?

Joel Sherman’s Ten Trade Candidates

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post has an article today regarding ten veterans who may be traded this month.  He’s packed the column full of insider info beyond the ten players highlighted; check it out.

  • Mark Teixeira is now more likely to be dealt than Eric Gagne.  Sherman sees the Angels as perhaps the best possibility here; they’d have to include Casey Kotchman.  I imagine Ervin Santana’s stock is down far enough that the Rangers would not settle for the two.
  • The Indians appear to be out on Gagne but the Tigers still make sense for all parties.  Would Todd Jones graciously step down from his closer post?  Detroit’s bullpen has actually been doing well lately.
  • The Royals want a righthanded-hitting center fielder in return for Octavio Dotel.  Now that’s a tall order.  Sherman names Lastings Milledge and Carlos Gomez as two who fit the bill, but such a trade would require young talent like Zack Greinke coming back to the Mets.  Just speculating, but Melky Cabrera and Reggie Willits also fit the Royals’ need.
  • Apparently the Mariners and Braves are "very interested’ in Dmitri Young.  That’s the first I’ve heard of a team besides Atlanta inquiring.
  • Oddly, the Devil Rays appear to have some interest in Kyle Farnsworth if the money can be worked out.  They like Scott Proctor as well, so keep an eye on that Ty Wigginton rumor.  Sherman mentions that the market is heavy with available role players, so look for a lot of boring deals with that type of player.  Just kidding, trade rumors are never boring.  Sherman tosses out Tadahito Iguchi to the Padres; that’s a fresh one.
  • Sherman runs down all of the available relievers we already know about.  Throw Kiko Calero in there as a new name. 

Troy Glaus Available

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The general feeling, based on comments from Troy Glaus and J.P. Ricciardi, has been that Glaus is staying put.  However, a Toronto Sun article from Bob Elliott quotes an NL scout saying that Glaus is indeed available.  The 31 year-old third baseman would be hard to replace, so he won’t come cheap.  No reason Ricciardi shouldn’t at least field offers.

Glaus, of course, has a full no-trade clause.  When he was last traded, he required an $11.25MM player option for ’09 be added to his deal.  At present he will make another $4.4MM this year and $12.75MM in ’08.  If he were to concede to another trade, maybe he’d want $26-30MM guaranteed for 2009-10.  Just a guess. 

The common sentiment is that Glaus would end up back in California if traded.  Elliott names the Padres and Angels as teams in need of a power-hitting third-sacker.  But let’s give some props to rookie Kevin Kouzmanoff, who is hitting .283/.338/.500 since May 1st.  Elliott says the Dodgers aren’t in on Glaus, leaving a return to the Halos are the most feasible scenario.  He’d be a perfect addition for the Angels, who are ninth in the league in slugging.

Jason Jennings And The Padres?

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Here’s a connection to consider: Jason Jennings and the Padres.  The article is a few weeks old, but Kirk Bohls wrote that insiders say Jennings is hoping to be in San Diego next season.  Jennings seems like a tried and true Texas guy, but maybe he has a thing for the West Coast.

One could see the Padres snagging him this winter on one of those make-good, California discount type deals.  Kind of like the one Randy Wolf received from the Dodgers.  He’d also be a nice fit for the Padres right now, as they are said to be considering adding a starter. 

It’s tough to gauge Tim Purpura’s asking price for Jennings, as there haven’t really been any trade rumors.  It might be advantageous for the Astros to hold onto him and just collect some draft picks after the season.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Lohse, Hunter, Contreras

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The latest trade and signing rumors from Ken Rosenthal:

  • Rosenthal believes Alex Rodriguez’s ability to play shortstop could increase the number of suitors.  Take a look at the free agents – there may not be a single viable option at short this winter.  Still, the number of suitors for Rodriguez is severely limited by his massive contract requirement.  Not too many clubs aside from the Yankees and Red Sox can get in on $240MM over eight years or whatever.  The lack of available, reasonably priced shortstops could compel the Braves and Orioles to aggressively shop Edgar Renteria and Miguel Tejada.
  • As a 29 year-old free agent starter with decent stuff, Scott Boras could sell Kyle Lohse as the next Gil Meche this winter.  Meche’s work in the season’s first three months would only aid the wishcasting.  I put up a little Lohse history here, writing that his deal will likely fall somewhere between Jason Marquis and Meche.  Other free agent starters who will be under 30 for the 2008 season: Carlos Zambrano, Jason Jennings, Joe Kennedy, and Byung-Hyun Kim.
  • Rosenthal believes the Rangers will bid on Torii Hunter this winter unless they acquire a proven center fielder this summer.  He mentions that Jon Daniels set his sights on Shane Victorino but the Phils would rather trade Michael Bourn.  Unless the Rangers get a proven guy they will still go after Hunter.
  • The Mariners scouted Jose Contreras and Matt Morris recently, but both were lousy.  I still think Jennings could sneak in there as the best available starter, but he too hasn’t pitched well in July.  Definitely seems like the Mariners will snag some kind of starter.
  • Rosenthal disputes Evan Grant’s report of the Brewers and Indians showing interest in Kenny Lofton.  The Brewers are getting Bill Hall back soon and the Indians have some outfielders on the road to recovery as well.  Perfect, this frees him up for the Cubs!
  • Rosenthal mentions the same teams I did for Kevin Millar, but sees an August deal as a possibility.  Waiting until August doesn’t seem to make sense for the Orioles, as things get trickier then.
  • The Padres could trade Scott Linebrink in order to make payroll room for a starter.  Or they could just sign Brian Lawrence.  I discussed some other options for the Friars here.

Towers On Padres’ Trade Possibilities

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The Padres are currently dead last in on-base percentage in the National League, at .313.  They’re fourth from last with a .390 SLG (and the Pirates are threatening for that #13 ranking).  The road rankings are a tad less bleak, as the Friars are 11th in OBP and 6th in slugging.  On the other hand, the Padres easily have the best pitching in the NL.

Nonetheless, Padres GM Kevin Towers is focused on adding a starting pitcher and a bench player.  To be fair, he’s still waiting to see what kind of boost recent additions Michael Barrett and Milton Bradley can bring.

Knowing Towers’ favorite trading partners, who might he hit up for the starting pitcher?  Since 2001, Towers has made multiple trades with the following GMs:  Brian Cashman (5), Theo Epstein (5), Bill Bavasi (4), Billy Beane (3), Omar Minaya (3), Jim Hendry (3), Jon Daniels (2), and Walt Jocketty (2).

Bavasi and Minaya are probably both in the market for starters, so we can count them out.

One intriguing name is Andy Pettitte, but the Yankees would be conceding the 2007 season.  Their playoff chances are still in the 14-21% range, according to Baseball Prospectus.  So don’t count on this one.

Fun idea for an August trade: the Padres bring Matt Clement back.  His salary would easily get through waivers.  Clement is currently at about 70% effort right now, so he’s a long shot to help.  But it would be kind of cool.

The A’s could trade southpaws Joe Kennedy or Lenny DiNardo.  Esteban Loaiza is an option; he could be back by the deadline.  He’s another possible August trade candidate, with $7MM coming to him in ’08.

Jim Hendry’s been trying to unload Wade Miller for a while now, but like most of the names I’ve mentioned, he’d hardly be better than what the Padres have in-house. Jon Daniels might unload Jamey Wright, while the Cardinals are probably getting sick of Kip Wells.  Nothing to see here.

Towers last dealt with Brian Sabean of the Giants about four years ago, getting Clay Hensley for Matt Herges.  The pair could match up again on Matt Morris.  I don’t believe Towers has ever made a deal with Tim Purpura, but the Astros likely deem Jason Jennings and Woody Williams expendable.

Towers last made a deal with Kenny Williams five years ago, sending him D’Angelo Jimenez.  The two GMs should have plenty to talk about this month, as Williams has many starters to offer. [Correction: it seems the two GMs last hooked up on the Geoff Blum deal in ’05.  Thanks to Nicholas for the tip.]

The problem is that the Padres don’t have much to deal with given their prospects.  They need Kevin Kouzmanoff.  Cesar Carrillo had TJ surgery.  Cedric Hunter has been disappointing.  Kyler Burke is with the Cubs now.  Towers could trade an infielder – Matt Antonelli or Chase Headley.  Outfielder Chad Huffman and catcher Nick Hundley also look promising.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Willis, Dunn, Griffey

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Ken Rosenthal has a new column up today.  Not too much brand new material but worth discussing nonetheless.

  • Rosenthal opines that Dontrelle Willis is currently at his peak value.  Mark Buehrle is off the market.  Dontrelle is seemingly healthy and under control through 2009.  There was a scare, though, when Willis had a sore forearm in June.  Rosenthal points out that despite mediocre stats the past couple of seasons, Willis still has an ace aura about him.  That’s probably because of his near-Cy Young in ’05 and the way he took the league by storm in ’03.  The Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, Red Sox, Rockies, and Diamondbacks could all be interested in the Marlins start shopping Willis.  Larry Beinfest seems to be leaning against it though.
  • The Padres may still consider trading for Adam Dunn, but will see how Milton Bradley plays over the next few weeks first.  The Reds and Padres aren’t a great match, as the Padres don’t have many big-name prospects.  Maybe something like Clay Hensley plus Chase Headley (those names are oddly similar), if the Reds are sour on Edwin Encarnacion?
  • Many members of the Mariners’ front office would like to bring Ken Griffey Jr. back, but CEO Howard Lincoln "harbors resentment over Griffey’s departure in 2000."  That makes it sound like Griffey left via free agency, but of course he was actually traded to the Reds.  I did a little digging on that situation, and found that the Mariners offered Griffey an eight-year, $140MM contract in September of 1999.  Junior turned that down and requested a trade in November, citing a desire to play closer to his Orlando home.  Death threats also turned him off from Seattle.  At that time he named the Reds, Braves, Astros, Indians, and Mets as teams he’d like to play for.  By December Griffey decided he’d only accept a trade to Cincinnati – he even vetoed a trade to the Mets.
  • If healthy, David Wells plans to pitch again in ’08.  The Padres probably wouldn’t mind having him back.

Padres Failed Trade Talks: Dye, Pie

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Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune has a couple of blurbs about inquires trade inquiries made by Padres GM Kevin Towers.

The first says that Kenny Williams’s asking price for Jermaine Dye a few weeks ago was Khalil Greene and Scott Linebrink.  I’m surprised the White Sox would focus on Greene, as him game isn’t terribly different from Juan Uribe’s.  But the Padres don’t have anyone else to turn to at shortstop.  Greene doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2009 season.  Anyway, the Padres chose to go with Milton Bradley instead of Dye.

Additionally, the Padres asked the Cubs about Felix Pie.  Jim Hendry informed Towers that he’s untouchable.  Maybe no one is truly "untouchable," but what could the Padres realistically offer?  Jake Peavy or Chris Young seems silly, leaving the most valuable young Padres as Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Chase Headley, and maybe Cla Meredith.  There doesn’t seem to be a fit for the Cubs.  Maybe Towers was just inquiring to see if Hendry would sacrifice the future for a useful 2007 piece. 

Padres Acquire Milton Bradley

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According to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres have acquired Milton Bradley from the A’s for 26 year-old reliever Andrew Brown.  Krasovic says Bradley would play left field for the Padres if healthy.  The Padres got Brown from the Indians in the Josh Barfield deal.  Oddly, the Indians got Brown from the Dodgers before that for Milton Bradley.  Brown throws in the mid-90s, even touching 99 at times.  He could make a useful reliever for Oakland. 

Bradley and Michael Barrett look like a couple of low-risk, decent reward acquisitions for Kevin Towers.  He’s really a smart GM.  He’s definitely added some fire to the clubhouse with these trades.  And don’t forget Paul DePodesta, who definitely had a hand in this.

Ken Rosenthal believes the Bradley acquisition takes the Padres off the market for big-name sluggers like Adam Dunn and Jermaine Dye.  Dye might be untradeable anyway, because he’s not healthy right now.  Bad timing on that for the White Sox.

There was quite an embroilment this week in the Oakland Tribune over the A’s DFA of Bradley.  Columnist Dave Del Grande started the tiff by claiming that the A’s cut Bradley because he’s black.  Billy Beane was not amused.

Jacque Jones Update

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Jacque Jones is still a Cub, with yesterday’s Marlins deal quashed.  Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune writes that Tribune owner Sam Zell was not the reason the trade died, contrary to other reports.  Money caused the snag, but not Zell.  Sullivan says talks with the Marlins are unlikely to be revisited.

On a side note, all of the Tribune baseball writers are blogging!  They must be thrilled.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times says Cubs GM Jim Hendry has had recent talks with the Padres, Rangers, White Sox, and others.  Jones had a pinch-hitting appearance in today’s game, grounding out to Todd Helton.

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