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Cafardo On Morneau, Perez, Cishek, Bard, Papelbon

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NIck Cafardo of the Boston Globe asked 30 people from around baseball who they would build their team around, regardless of age or experience.  The leading vote-getter was Yadier Molina, with Buster Posey in second place.  Here's more from today's column..

  • There's a lot of uncertainty in the Twins' organization surrounding Justin Morneau.  People wonder what happened to his power, which hurts his trade value.  The Twins are a very loyal organization so they certainly won't give him away.  If a deal for a prospect comes up, however, they would likely let him go.
  • When closer Chris Perez is back in action he may be a piece the Indians would look to move.  Despite his troubles, he would draw interest considering the shortage of available closers out there. “If a team can get him and he’s amped up because of a change of scenery, that’s all they’re looking for,” said one special assistant to an American League GM. “It’s all about getting bang for your buck during those two months-plus after you acquire him, if you don’t have to give up a lot of inventory to get him.”
  • Speaking of closers, the Marlins' Steve Cishek is garnering attention and the Red Sox seem to have interest.  However, clubs will have to consider whether he can handle the adjustment of going to a bigger market like Boston or Detroit.
  • One National League GM believes that the Red Sox will have to give up on Daniel Bard at some point if things don't turn around.  Because of his natural talent, a lot of teams would line up to trade for him in hopes that a change of scenery would turn him around.
  • The Phillies declared last week that Jonathan Papelbon was not available, but Cafardo cautions not to believe it, especially in the wake of his public criticism of teammates.
  • Nationals right-hander Drew Storen is an interesting alternative for a team looking for a closer. Storen was the Nationals’ closer two years ago but hasn't been as sharp in 2013 as he was in years past.
  • Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco could be the first pitcher dealt as we near the deadline, even ahead of Bud Norris.  Cafardo says not to be shocked if teams like the Orioles or Giants make a move on him sooner rather than later.
  • One scout who saw Manny Ramirez in Taiwan said, “He can still hit with the best of them.”  That doesn't mean that a team will be bold enough to sign him, however.

NL Notes: Utley, Pagan, Garza, Schierholtz

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Let's have a look at a few notes on National League players who seem likely to figure in how the trade deadline market plays out:

  • With his return to big league action, Phillies' second baseman Chase Utley quickly drew a flock of top scouts, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Salisbury noted the attendance at last night's game of scouts from the Yankees and Giants.
  • Giants center fielder Angel Pagan could be headed for surgery on his injured left hamstring, report MLB.com's Chris Haft and Andrew Owens. According to manager Bruce Bochy, there is "no question [surgery] is an option." Today, we learned that an operation to repair the tear in his hammy would likely keep Pagan out for six weeks or so. (Courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman, on Twitter.) As ESPN.com's Jim Bowden explained recently (on Insider), Pagan's injury could force San Francisco onto the market for an outfielder.
  • The Cubs' Matt Garza continues to build his value on the trade and free agent markets after going eight strong innings last night against the Astros. As ESPNChicago.com's Doug Padilla noted last night, the length and quality of Garza's recent outings promise to enhance his candidacy as one of the best available arms.
  • Meanwhile, with reports that the Cubs are prepared to sell players, Fangraphs' Dave Cameron took a look at the value of Chicago outfielder Nate Schierholtz. Noting that Schierholtz comes with an additional year of control and has undervalued but nevertheless highly useful skills, Cameron says that he could appeal to a wide variety of teams.

Quick Hits: Nolasco, Stanton, Yankees, Ramirez

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Ricky Nolasco would not mind pitching for the Giants, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I don’t think anybody would be disappointed to come to San Francisco. I like everything about this place: mound size, good place to pitch, crowd is great and a great team. What’s not to like?" Meanwhile, the Marlins are laying the groundwork for a Nolasco trade, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. "They don't screw around," a source tells Rodriguez. "The second they get the deal they like they'll do it." In 15 starts this year, Nolasco has a 3.61 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.

  • The Pirates "need" the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton, ESPN.com's David Schoenfield argues. Schoenfield points out that the Pirates rank last in the National League in OPS at right field (with Travis Snider's disappointing season thus far being the main reason why). Also, the Pirates have a strong farm system with the sorts of prospects that could well tempt the Marlins. Schoenfield suggests that the Pirates could deal Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco, both Top 100 prospects, along with catcher Tony Sanchez and an additional pitching prospect. That would still leave the Bucs with a good crop of young players that would include Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte, Alen Hanson, Josh Bell and their 2013 draft class, but it would be a high price, as one would expect. Stanton isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2016 season, so the Pirates would be receiving a huge, and immediate, upgrade for the next several years. But the Bucs' financial situation makes their farm system a crucial part of any success they might have, so the penalty for missing on such a huge trade would be very high.
  • The Yankees will be looking for hitters at the trade deadline, but one problem is that the uncertain timing of the returns of the Yankees' many injured hitters makes it difficult to know which positions they should aim to upgrade, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman writes. Also, the Yanks would still like to keep their payroll under $189MM in 2014, which could make it tricky to trade for players signed beyond 2013.
  • Manny Ramirez is still looking for an opportunity with a Major League club, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com tweets. Ramirez is also looking for a chance to play in Japan. Ramirez, 41, played briefly for the Rays in 2011, and appeared in 17 games for the Athletics' Triple-A Sacramento affiliate in 2012.

Trade Deadline Notes: Closers, Phillies, Buyers

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If you are looking for a unique way to occupy your evening, be sure to follow (or re-read) the Dodgers' Twitter feed as unparalleled announcer Vin Scully chats about his incredible memories and observations on today's game. (A sample: Scully says he had to be on his feet watching for foul balls at old Briggs Stadium — better known as Tiger Stadium — because "the booth was so close to home you could hear the hitter grunt.") Also worth reading are the following links looking ahead to the coming trade deadline period:

  • The market for closers could focus on Glen Perkins and Steve Cishek if Jonathan Papelbon and Rafael Betancourt are unavailable, tweets MLB Network analyst Peter Gammons. Teams like the Tigers and Red Sox are potentially on the hunt for late-inning help, but Gammons says to expect a high price on Perkins and Cishek. 
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com took a look at Boston's closer situation today. GM Ben Cherington did not rule out the possibility of dealing for late-inning help, but also said that the club had internal options.
  • Buyers should not expect Papelbon to be available, Gammons further tweets. He cites an unnamed GM as saying that the Phillies are unlikely to deal their closer or star pitcher Cliff Lee given "their pending TV deal."
  • Potential buyers include the Giants, Orioles, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Reds, according to Baseball Prospectus. While the O's may join the Giants on the market for starting pitching, BP's Bret Sayre says the club should also be in on a second baseman to address its glaring issues there. Likewise, Cincinnati's shopping list is relatively clear: an outfielder to replace the injured Ryan Ludwick and Chris Heisey. BP further suggests that the Padres have many areas that could warrant an upgrade, while the Dbacks ought to look to add a "star" to compliment the emerging Paul Goldschmidt.
  • While the Nationals were quiet at last year's deadline, ultimately acquiring backstop Kurt Suzuki in a post-deadline deal, MLB.com's Bill Ladson suggests that the team could be more active this season. Getting the injured Wilson Ramos and Bryce Harper back is the first order of business, but the Nats could look to add a veteran right-handed bench bat given the struggles of the demoted Tyler Moore. Ladson also wonders whether Washington could look to pick up a fifth starter to replace the inconsistent Dan Haren. But with Haren's salary and track record, Ladson says, the team is unlikely at this point to make such a move. (It is worth noting, too, that the Nats still have Chris Young working at Triple-A on an incentive-laden deal, though Young has struggled to a 7.88 ERA in seven starts.)
  • Although the Rangers have struggled at the plate, ESPN.com's Richard Durrett says the team's first order of business should be to shop for starters at the deadline. With the young back of the rotation still looking for consistency, and Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison still major injury question marks, Durrett says the club could look at high-end arms like Cliff Lee. Durrett's colleague Todd Wills, on the other hand, writes (same link) that Texas should focus on finding a left fielder. He suggests that Andre Ethier, Josh Willingham, and Carlos Quentin are viable possibilities. With Leonys Martin and Craig Gentry failing to nail down their roles and Nelson Cruz still potentially a suspension target, says Wills, outfield depth could the the key down the stretch.
  • The Padres' recent hot streak has made the team a bubble buyer, writes Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sanders suggests that starting pitching is the most likely target, as GM Josh Byrnes has said. He says that arms like Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle are potentially available could be a nice fit in the NL West's larger ballparks. Alternatively, if the Pads turn into sellers, the team may be able to find takers for pitchers Eric Stults, Jason Marquis, Edinson Volquez, and Huston Street.
  • Other bubble teams include the Dodgers, Giants, and Indians, writes ESPN.com's Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required). Still in contention and with solid enough cores to remain there, Bowden says these clubs are in "reload" mode and gives an in-depth analysis of their trade deadline approach. Los Angeles could use improvements on the left side of the infield and back of the bullpen, and might also look to add rotation or pen depth. San Francisco, meanwhile, could (as noted above) look for rotation help or shop for an outfielder given Angel Pagan's injury. For Cleveland, Bowden says that the team should look to add "at least two more quality arms" while not selling away the team's future. Be sure to check out the link for further analysis and potential trade scenarios.

Quick Hits: Norris, Ethier, Blue Jays, Phillies

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Here's tonight's look around baseball as Tuesday turns into Wednesday..

  • Bud Norris knows that he's a prime trade candidate, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Norris tells Morosi that he feels it's critical to stay informed: “I don’t think you want to be blindsided by it: One day, you come to the park and, boom, you’re gone. I don’t pay too much attention to it, but I’m definitely in the loop." Norris goes on to say that being traded to the Giants, his favorite team as a child, would be a dream come true, but he would be excited to stay with the Astros and keep helping them as well. 
  • Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders if an Andre Ethier trade is inevitable for the Dodgers.  As it stands now, the only other alternatives are Yasiel Puig getting sent down, someone other than Ethier getting traded, or Ethier becoming the club's fourth outfielder once they're back to full strength.  Puig is obviously going to stay in the Majors, and trades involving Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford are unlikely, making Ethier the most likely man to go.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet looks at the Blue Jays' options for making room on the roster when Jose Reyes returns to action.  Their roster shuffling could lead them to expose someone to waivers and Emilio Bonifacio is a candidate.
  • Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch weighs the pros and cons of the Cardinals going after Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee.  Ultimately, Miklasz concludes that Cards GM John Mozeliak won't take on Lee’s full salary commitment or surrender his best pitching prospects, even if there is a surplus.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Giants To Sign Christian Arroyo

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11:51am: Arroyo signed for the full slot value of $1,866,500, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).

2:30am: Giants first-rounder Christian Arroyo is in Arizona to take his physical and thus is close to signing with the team, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Details of the contract aren't known but as the 25th overall pick in the draft, Arroyo's recommended slot bonus (via Baseball America) is between $1.866MM and $1.867MM.  Arroyo is advised by Tom O'Connell of O'Connell Sports Management.

The Giants see Arroyo as a middle infielder and he was drafted as a shortstop, though there is some debate over which position best suits the Florida high schooler.  Some scouts actually see Arroyo as a catcher, and "those who don't think he can catch see him as a tweener, not quick enough for second and not powerful enough for third base," according to Baseball America (BA subscription required).  Arroyo is considered to be a generally good hitting prospect, though ESPN's Keith Law feels "his offensive upside is somewhat limited" and he has some mechanical issues at the plate. 

Arroyo was something of a surprise first round pick in the pundits' eyes, as Law only ranked him 99th on his list of the 100 best draft prospects and Baseball America ranked him 102nd.  He had committed to attend the University of Florida.  Arroyo will be the 17th of this year's 33 first rounders to sign once his deal is finalized.

Cafardo On Norris, Crisp, Papelbon, Vazquez

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Now that the draft is over, teams are focusing more on bolstering their rotations with one more piece, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  No one more aggressive in the pursuit of pitching than Orioles GM Dan Duquette who knows that one veteran starter could make all the difference.  While they're anxious to improve their starting five, it doesn't sound as if the O's will be in the mix for someone like Cliff Lee.  “We’re looking for a starter and a reliever,” said Duquette. “We’d like to solidify our pitching all around because that’s the name of the game, really. We have to look at everything. Don’t think we’re going to be in the market for a big-money pitcher, but there seem to be some guys out there that we might focus on and see where it takes us.”  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Astros will craft a game plan early this week for how to approach their veteran assets.  Teams are already calling about Bud Norris, who has a cheap $3MM salary, but won't be cheap to acquire. The Orioles, Giants, and Pirates have kicked around the idea of acquiring Norris, but one National League exec says there will be about a dozen teams interested before all is said and done.
  • It seems like a no-brainer for the A’s to pick up Coco Crisp's 2014 option for $7.5MM, but he'll be in demand if they don’t.  Even though he's 33-years-old, there aren’t many top center fielder/leadoff hitter types out there.  Jacoby Ellsbury will be the No. 1 guy in that department, but , one American League special assignment scout said Crisp might be a better low-cost option because “he can do everything Ellsbury can do. Neither of them have an arm, but Coco is still fast, a very good outfielder, and can still be a game-changer.”
  • The Phillies believe there are at least three teams — Red Sox, Tigers, and Cardinals — that may have some interest in Jonathan Papelbon at the trade deadline and the Phillies are scouting those teams with a potential deal in mind.  General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said last week that he’s not ready to “blow up” the Phillies, but a Papelbon trade could help retool the club.
  • Teams continue to nudge Javier Vazquez into coming back to pitch, but the right-hander seems to be content with staying with his family, according to a source familiar with Vazquez’s thinking. 
  • The Red Sox can trade Stephen Drew now that June 15th has come and gone, and they would have no problem finding a taker given the lack of shortstops around baseball.  However, Boston firmly believes that Drew is their guy.  One National League GM doesn't quite understand their infatuation with the shortstop. “They’re either trying to justify the $9.5MM they paid him, or they’re not sold on [Jose] Iglesias, who could start for 29 other teams.” 
  • If the White Sox decide to finally bolster their farm system, they could get some helpful prospects back by moving right-hander Jesse Crain.  The reliever is becoming a top name on wish lists around baseball.
  • While many baseball people remain focused on Giancarlo Stanton’s availability in a deal, 25-year-old Logan Morrison is now healthy and has returned to the lineup.  The Marlins first baseman/outfielder is a big lefthanded hitter who will be monitored closely by scouts over the next month.

Giants Designate Ramon Ramirez For Assignment

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The Giants have designated Ramon Ramirez for assignment, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  The Giants have ten days to trade or waive Ramirez and chances are he’ll be outrighted to Triple-A Fresno.

Ramirez, 31, saw just 5 and 2/3 innings of work this year for the Giants.  For his career, Ramirez owns a 3.42 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 across parts of eight big league campaigns. 

The move will allow San Francisco to promote 24-year-old right-hander Jake Dunning who has posted a 1.75 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 23 games for the club's Triple-A affiliate. 

Giants Seek Pitching; Interested In Nolasco, Norris

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The Giants are already looking hard at the trade market in search of a starter, officials who speak regularly with club decision-makers tell Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. This is a somewhat unusual development for San Francisco, as they haven't made a major trade for a starter since acquiring Sidney Ponson 10 years ago.

Two specific names that the Giants have checked into, writes Knobler, are Ricky Nolasco and Bud Norris. Neither inquiry has resulted in serious negotiations to this point. The Giants aren't likely to limit their search to those two names, either:

"Anybody that's trading pitching, they're on," one of the officials said. "They want somebody quality."

The Giants opened the season with a rotation consisting of Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong and Barry Zito. Vogelsong struggled all season and is on the DL with a fractured hand. Lincecum hasn't rediscovered his Cy Young form, and improbably, Cain has been the worst of the healthy group. Zito, as Knobler notes, has a pristine 1.94 ERA at home but the worst road ERA of any pitcher with at least four starts — 10.19.

Higher profile names on the trade market would include Josh Johnson and Matt Garza, though Knobler notes that Giants general manager Brian Sabean has typically steered clear of players with health issues. 

Giants Sign Ryder Jones

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Saturday 7:00pm: Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets that the bonus is for $880k, just over the recommended slot.

Monday 11:44am:  Giants second-round pick Ryder Jones has agreed to terms with the team, Ryder announced via his personal Twitter account (hat tip: Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area on Twitter). There is no word on the No. 64 overall selection's signing bonus just yet, though the slot value of that pick is $872,100, per Baseball America.

Jones, who is advised by Legacy Sports, is a high school third baseman out of North Carolina who had committed to Stanford. BA noted that he has the fallback of moving back to the mound, as he can throw a fastball in the low 90s with a sharp slider.

Baseball America ranked Jones as the No. 197 prospect in this year's draft, noting that his current talent level fit him into the fifth or sixth round but he would need to be drafted higher to break his commitment to Stanford.

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