Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Giants Rumors

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Wednesday

By | at

Though he's well-compensated and has full no-trade protection, Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran is the best available hitter.  The latest:

  • The Red Sox aren't willing to part with the prospects the Mets want, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The Mets are interested in Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish, Jose Iglesias, Anthony Ranaudo, Felix Doubront and Will Middlebrooks, according to Edes. Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald hears that the Red Sox are focusing on internal solutions, particularly Reddick.
  • SI's Jon Heyman runs through ten Beltran suitors, naming the Phillies the "clear favorite."  The Mets' first target would be Domonic Brown, a concession Matt Gelb can't see happening.
  • Boston's talks with the Mets about Beltran have not advanced beyond preliminary discussions, reports WEEI's Alex Speier.  Eight to ten teams are said to be in the mix, with the Red Sox among the top six.
  • Some Mets officials feel a deal could get done well before the July 31st deadline, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman agrees with a previous Ken Rosenthal report that the Phillies and Red Sox are the most aggressive suitors.  Sherman says they're followed by the Braves, Giants, Indians, and Pirates.  He notes that the Mets "have been somewhat surprised by Detroit's disinterest."
  • Yesterday the Mets provided Beltran with a short list of teams to consider, and the Phillies are believed to be on it, report Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo.  The writers add that the Mets have indicated a willingness to pay much or all of the $6MM owed to Beltran depending on the return.  They list the Red Sox, Giants, and Yankees as other suitors, and wonder if the East Coast teams have an edge since Beltran lives in New York.  Brown and Passan named the Brewers as a dark horse, but they don't have much in the way of top prospects.

Sabean Talks Offense, Trade Market, Prospects

By | at

11:59pm: It's possible Sabean's "something bigger" referred to the Twins' Michael Cuddyer, writes Baggarly.  The Giants recently expressed interest in him with a second base job in mind.  The asking price was steep, so Sabean closed the Keppinger deal with Houston.  Still, Baggarly would not rule out the Twins revisiting Cuddyer.

10:15pm: After the Giants acquired Jeff Keppinger, GM Brian Sabean explained that his work isn't done. The 56-41 Giants are lucky to be 15 games above .500, according to Sabean, who discussed the trade market in detail tonight. Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has the details on the Giants, who are taking on the division rival Dodgers tonight:

  • Sabean said he's still committed to improving the San Francisco offense. No winning team has scored fewer runs than the Giants (356).
  • Before the Keppinger deal, Sabean was working on “something [he] thought was much bigger.” That deal did not involve Carlos Beltran, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Sabean described the market for catchers and shortstops as “almost nonexistent.”
  • General managers eyeing Zack Wheeler and Brandon Belt may want to think twice. Sabean suggested some of the team's top young players are virtually untouchable. “There are guys we definitely won’t trade, and baseball people know that, too,” Sabean said.

 

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Tuesday

By | at

The trade deadline is just 12 days away, and the Mets possess the best available bat in Carlos Beltran.  The Mets are willing to assume a chunk of his $18.5MM salary to improve the return.  Beltran will have to approve the trade, and the Phillies, Giants, Tigers, and Braves might be the most likely suitors.  The latest:

  • The Pirates, who won again tonight, have called on Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Pirates rate Beltran as the top available bat, but aren't going after him full-speed, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter).
  • The Phillies and Red Sox are among the most aggressive suitors for Beltran, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Other clubs remain "strongly in the mix" for Beltran, Rosenthal reports. Both the Phillies and Red Sox are up against the luxury tax and want the Mets to pick up substantial salary in any deal. The Mets may trade the switch-hitter several days before the deadline and may have to include less money than they originally expected to send. Though Beltran can block any trade, the Mets don't expect that to become a problem.
  • The Giants, who acquired Jeff Keppinger earlier today, remain interested in Beltran, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees aren't in the market for Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). They won't be interested in him unless somone on their roster gets injured, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger.
  • Rival executives tell ESPN's Buster Olney that Beltran's trade value would be much higher if not for a contractual clause that prevents his team from offering arbitration after the season, therefore eliminating draft pick compensation.  My take: Beltran is not a lock for Type A status, and most teams would have been reluctant to offer arbitration to him given his health history and $18.5MM salary.  The impact of Beltran's "no arbitration offer" clause on his trade value seems overstated.
  • The Yankees discussed Beltran with the Mets, reports Olney, but he cannot see a deal happening unless it's a pure salary dump.  Bob Klapisch goes a step further, saying the Yankees briefly entertained the idea but decided it's not a fit.

Giants Acquire Jeff Keppinger

By | at

The Giants acquired Jeff Keppinger from the Astros for right-handed pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel, the teams announced. The Astros called Jose Altuve up to the Major Leagues in a related move.

Keppinger has experience at all four infield positions, though he has spent the entire 2011 season at second base. Since recovering from left foot surgery and returning to Houston’s lineup at the end of May, the 31-year-old has a .307/.320/.436 line. He has been hitting especially well of late, with five hits, including two doubles and two home runs, in his last 13 at bats.

About $900K remains on Keppinger's $2.3MM salary for 2011 and he is controllable through 2012 via arbitration. When I looked at Keppinger as a trade candidate earlier in the month, I mentioned the Giants as a possible destination.

Sosa, 25, has a 5.51 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 63 2/3 innings for the Giants' top two affiliates this year. In six professional seasons, he has a 3.61 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. Baseball America ranked Sosa 29th among Giants prospects before the season, citing his electric arm. However, the Dominican Republic native has "fringy" breaking pitches, according to BA.

Stoffel, 22, was a fourth round pick in 2009. Since then, he has posted a 3.78 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 102 1/3 innings, all of which have come in relief. Now at Double-A, Stoffel has a 3.98 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 31 2/3 innings so far this year. Baseball America ranked him 22nd among Giants prospects before the season, explaining that he has a fastball in the 88-93 mph range and a true power slider.

As MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows, GMs Ed Wade and Brian Sabean have matched up for many trades before, including deals involving Ricky Ledee, Alfredo Simon and, most recently, Matt Downs. Alyson Footer of the Astros first reported the trade (on Twitter).

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Monday

By | at

Yesterday we learned that the Mets are willing to pick up a substantial portion of Carlos Beltran's $18.5MM salary if it means getting better prospects in return for the switch-hitting outfielder. Here's the latest on Beltran, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson hasn't yet approached Beltran with a list of possible destinations for the outfielder to approve or turn down, according to Yahoo's Tim Brown. As a ten and five player, Beltran has earned the right to block any deal, though he'll waive that right under certain circumstances.
  • The Pirates will "kick the tires" on Beltran, a source tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
  • The Phillies, Giants, Tigers, Brewers, Braves and Red Sox have called the Mets about Beltran, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter links). The Yankees and Rangers may also have checked in with the Mets, who appear willing to deal Beltran within the NL East.
  • The Phillies and Giants are the most likely fits, followed by the Tigers and Braves. The Brewers are focused on adding infield help and Boston's interest has been mild so far.
  • Earlier today, Heyman reported that the Mets don't believe Beltran would pass through waivers in August, as he did a year ago.

Heyman On Beltran, Giants, Padres

By | at

Rumors from SI's Jon Heyman…

  • The Mets don't believe Carlos Beltran would pass through waivers in August.  Beltran is well-compensated at $18.5MM, but he's also the best hitter available this summer.  Heyman says the Mets may try to make a deal a few days before the deadline to avoid any hitches with Beltran's no-trade rights.
  • The Giants "do not want to part with any decent prospects for a hitter," perhaps taking them out of the Beltran mix.
  • The Phillies and Reds match up well with the Padres, who can offer Ryan Ludwick plus a number of different veteran right-handed relievers.  Padres GM Jed Hoyer has yet to match up with Ruben Amaro Jr. or Walt Jocketty in his two years at the helm.
  • The Padres would want a "very big prospect" for setup man Mike Adams, but Heyman says Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar isn't going anywhere.

Twins Won’t Trade Cuddyer

By | at

Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune cites a team official in reporting that the Twins won't trade Michael Cuddyer this summer, even if they fall from contention. Instead, the Twins will hang onto Cuddyer as they try to close what's now just a six-game gap for the division lead, and will look to re-sign their clubhouse leader after the season.

Cuddyer, 32, has been the Twins' best hitter with a .292/.372/.467 line and 13 homers thus far. He got off to a terrible start, but is batting .325/.405/.513 since May 1, ripping 10 home runs along the way.

He's been linked to teams such as the Phillies, and Christensen throws in the Braves and Giants as teams who've scouted Cuddyer in recent weeks. Last month, Cuddyer was willing to waive his limited no-trade clause if the situation called for it, but that looks to be a thing of the past now. A prolonged losing streak and a big offer from another club could of course cause the Twins to change their minds, but for now it seems certain that the longest-tenured Twinkie will be hanging around. I examined Cuddyer's trade candidacy last month.

NL West Notes: Pudge, Padres, Dodgers

By | at

Ubaldo Jimenez's potential availability is the big story these days in the NL West, but let's not overlook the rest of the updates coming out of the division:

Olney’s Latest: Willingham, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins

By | at

Buster Olney continues to share hot stove notes via Twitter and his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, so let's dive right into his latest updates:

  • Josh Willingham is being eyed by the Pirates, who have been in touch with the Athletics about the outfielder (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are considered favorites to land either Heath Bell or Mike Adams (Twitter link). Rival executives believe that now is the time for the Padres to move Adams, whose trade value will probably never be higher, considering his age and injury history.
  • The Red Sox will likely give Josh Reddick and the rest of their outfield about a week to ten days before deciding whether to pursue another bat.
  • Olney speculates that the Giants could be a fit for B.J. Upton, as the Rays continue to "weigh interest" in the 26-year-old.
  • Now just six games out of first place, the Twins are telling teams they're not interested in dumping players like Michael Cuddyer.

Carlos Beltran Rumors: Sunday

By | at

The market for Carlos Beltran will become much more interesting if the Mets are willing to pay most or all of the outfielder's remaining salary in a deal, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) and Joel Sherman of the New York Post write. Within Sherman's column, an AL assistant GM points out that not many teams can afford to take on $6MM at this point, meaning the Mets have a decision to make: "Do they want salary relief or do they want to open up the field of interested teams by eating a lot of dollars, and get a better return?" Here are today's other Beltran rumors, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….

  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News says that it's bad news for the Giants if the Mets are open to paying Beltran's price tag, since San Francisco would rather absorb salary and give up lesser prospects.
  • According to executives polled by Sherman, only the Giants and Tigers could afford to take on all of Beltran's remaining salary, among potentially interested clubs. If the Mets paid most or all of the cost, teams like the Indians, Diamondbacks, Pirates, Red Sox, Phillies, and Braves would all be in play.
  • Beltran is on the Angels' radar as well, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • One Mets official told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that trading Beltran within the NL East isn't out of the question, saying it "would be a factor, but not prohibitive." In Sherman's piece, however, one AL exec questions whether the Wilpons would allow the team to deal Beltran to the Phillies or Braves, even if Sandy Alderson is willing to do so.
  • New York would probably have to gain about five games on Atlanta by July 31st to make keeping Beltran a viable option, says Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top