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Quick Hits: Romero, Melky, Michael, Mondesi, Bailey

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Saturday evening linkage..

  • The Mets have signed infielder Niuman Romero to a minor league contract, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York (on Twitter). Romero appeared in two games for the Red Sox last season and hit .222/.294/.244 in 159 plate appearances in the Phillies' and Blue Jays' farm systems this year.
  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Giants, Angels, and Phillies are among the teams with some level of interest in Melky Cabrera. The Melkman has delivered a .293/.332/.452 line for the Royals this season.
  • The Twins are making progress in talks with first round pick Levi Michael, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of The Star Tribune. Michael was the 30th overall pick, which carries a slot recommendation of $1.1MM or so.
  • Adalberto Mondesi, the 16-year-old son of Raul Mondesi, is expected to sign for $1MM when eligible in two weeks according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (link in Spanish). Rojas says the Royals have the inside track, but the Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Athletics are also interested. Make sure you tell your friends about our Spanish-language sister site Rumores de Beisbol.
  • Yesterday we learned that the Athletics have received calls on closer Andrew Bailey.  Two sources tell Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are among those teams and the A's have at started looking more in-depth at Texas' farm system.
  • The Braves are in search of a bat, but Athletics outfielder Josh Willingham isn’t high on their list, a source told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  Earlier today, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote that Willingham "is going to be traded at some point".
  • With their payroll already at an all-time high, the White Sox might be better off making in-house moves rather than deals, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  If GM Ken Williams & Co. do make a deal they may look to land a right-handed reliever, despite the emergence of Brian Bruney.
  • Rival evaluators say that the degree of separation in the standings could impact the the aggressiveness of the Phillies, Braves, and Giants before the deadline, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.  
  • The Cardinals have been one of the most aggressive teams in baseball as far as looking at starters, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter).

Rosenthal’s Latest: Beltran, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees

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Earlier today it was the Full Count video, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has some more notes in a separate video…

  • Carlos Beltran doesn't figure to be with the Mets much longer, especially since the team is willing to pick up the majority of the $6MM or so left on his contract. The Giants, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox, and Phillies all have interest.
  • The Phillies prefer Mike Adams to Heath Bell because they'd have him under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season. They're concerned they may lose Ryan Madson as a free agent this winter.
  • The Red Sox keep saying they don't need starting pitching, but that could change before the deadline. Hiroki Kuroda is one possible target. 
  • The Yankees continue to look for starting pitching, especially after Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia got knocked around in their first starts after the All-Star break. Ubaldo Jimenez is out there, and the Rockies will at very least dangle him just to see if someone overwhelms them with an offer.

Olney’s Latest: Trade Market, Tigers, D’Backs, Beltran

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In today's Insider-only blog post, Buster Olney says that a high-ranking official told him the "dam is about ready to burst on the trade market." The number of phone calls is multiplying and everyone is getting more serious. "I think that once July 24 hits, that's when you're going to see a bunch of things happen," said an AL official. "There's a lot of talk."

Let's round up Olney's rumors…

  • The Tigers continue to look for high-end starters, not the third and fourth starter types that flood the market. They had scouts at Ubaldo Jimenez's most recent start.
  • The Diamondbacks are focused on less expensive relief pitchers, like Brad Ziegler and Jason Isringhausen.
  • The Mariners are pitching-rich and willing to listen to offers. Erik Bedard's knee may be healthy in time for him to make two starts before the deadline.
  • Josh Willingham "is going to be traded at some point."
  • Since the left-handed relief market is so thin, teams have begun scouting right-handed relievers that are effective against lefties. David Pauley, Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, Tyler Clippard, and Joel Peralta fit the bill.
  • In a tweet, Olney says the Mets are insisting on a top prospect in return for Carlos Beltran. He adds that pressure on the Giants to add a bat is decreasing as their division lead continues to grow.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Riggleman, Shields, Jimenez

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Sixteen years ago today, Ramon Martinez threw a no-hitter against the Florida Marlins.  The former All-Star won 123 games in 11 seasons with the Dodgers from 1988 to 1998 and finished second in voting for the 1990 NL Cy Young Award.  Today, however, Ramon is best known as being Pedro's older brother.

Some news from the NL West…

  • This is no surprise given the team's bankruptcy proceedings, but if the Dodgers do become buyers at the trade deadline, "it's probably on the Walmart level, if not the 99 Cents Only Store," writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.  If the Dodgers become sellers, Gurnick lists Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Dee Gordon and Rubby De La Rosa as players who won't be moved.
  • The Giants have hired former Nationals manager Jim Riggleman as a special assignment scout, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. (Twitter link)  Riggleman resigned as Washington's manager on June 23 after the Nats refused to negotiate a contract extension.
  • The Giants are looking to add offense at catcher, second base, shortstop and/or corner outfield spots, said vice-president of baseball operations Bobby Evans during an appearance with Jim Bowden on XM 89 MLB Network Radio.  (Twitter link)
  • The "Rockies have always liked James Shields," tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who thinks Colorado could pursue the right-hander if the Rays make him available.  We've already heard that the Rockies want to add controllable starting pitching whether they're in the NL West race or not, and Shields' contract carries options for the 2012-14 seasons worth $28MM.  (These options could be worth as much as $44MM if Shields reaches certain performance standards.) 
  • Scouts from the Braves, Cardinals, Indians, Phillies, Reds, Tigers, White Sox and Yankees were among the 17 scouts on hand to watch Ubaldo Jimenez's start against the Brewers on Thursday night, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.  Of course, it's possible those scouts were there to see other Colorado or Milwaukee players, though at least the Reds were known to have an interest in Jimenez.
  • Kevin Towers has been personally scouting the Diamondbacks' minor leaguer prospects in order to evaluate them for possible trades, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.  While the D'Backs are willing to move minor leaguers, however, the team's elite prospects are off limits.
  • Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune chatted with fans today about the Padres and potential trades involving Heath Bell, Mike Adams and Ryan Ludwick. 

Giants Sign Kyle Crick

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The Giants have signed supplemental first round pick Kyle Crick, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America.  Crick, the 49th overall pick, signed a deal worth $900K, a healthy step up from MLB's $717.3K recommended slot price for the 49th pick. 

Crick, a right-hander from Sherman High School in Texas, "pitched consistently in the low 90s and touched 97 this spring, and he also flashes a plus curveball and slider," according to Callis.  Crick had committed to attend Texas Christian University this fall but instead decided to start his pro career at age 18. 

Between Crick and 29th-overall pick Joe Panik, the Giants have now signed both of their first round picks from the 2011 amateur draft.  Keep track of all the first and supplemental round selections on MLBTR's list of draft signings.

Giants Can Spend, Seek Impact Hitter

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The Giants have payroll flexibility and are hoping to obtain a middle-of-the-order hitter, regardless of position, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Carlos Beltran earns $18.5MM this year, so he isn't a fit for every contender, but the Giants are among his most serious suitors.

The Giants are willing to consider 'rental players,' who hit free agency after the season. Beltran, whose contract expires this fall, has indicated that he won't be surprised if the Giants acquire him. The switch-hitter has a no-trade clause, but he has said he would waive it under the right circumstances.

GM Brian Sabean told Chris Haft of MLB.com that "the need to look for offense is obvious." Though Sabean doesn't expect many impact bats to be available this summer, there's lots of room for improvement in San Francisco's lineup.

"We really don't have anybody with the exception of Pablo [Sandoval] who's having a good year," manager Bruce Bochy told Haft.

The Giants are 27th in MLB with 332 runs scored this year. Though they have a three game lead in the NL West, no winning team has scored fewer runs.

Giants Among Beltran’s Most Serious Suitors

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The Giants are among Carlos Beltran's most serious suitors, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Closer Brian Wilson acknowledged his team's interest in the Mets right fielder last night, saying, "I guess we're in talks with them about Beltran."  It's not clear whether Wilson has inside information or is just putting his spin on public rumors. 

Beltran indicated a few days ago that he wouldn't be shocked if the Giants acquire him, and you have to assume he'd approve a trade there.  The Mets' recent trade of closer Francisco Rodriguez was about avoiding the reliever's $17.5MM vesting option for 2012, something that had to be done even if the team remained on the fringes of contention.  But trading Beltran for prospects or salary relief would be a clearer white flag on the 2011 season. 

Beltran will have about $6MM remaining on his contract at the July 31st deadline.  Many contenders can't take on that size of a burden, but the Mets could kick in cash to receive better players in return, especially now that they're relieved of K-Rod on their 2012 books.  The Giants, Red Sox, Rays, Tigers, Indians, White Sox, Pirates, and Reds are contenders that could use a corner outfield boost.  The Phillies and Braves could as well, if the Mets are willing to deal with division rivals.  Six or seven teams have real interest in Beltran, but the Yankees are not one of them, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter).

Mets Notes: Reyes, Beltran, Isringhausen

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Francisco Rodriguez just switched agents, so much of the day's Mets-related discussion has revolved around him. Here's the latest on the rest of the team…

NL West Notes: Colletti, Ethier, Beltran, Young

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Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, former Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday and former Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will all take part in tonight's Home Run Derby. Here’s the latest from the NL West as we await tonight’s power display…

Contenders In Need Of A Left Field Upgrade

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As many as seven contenders could seek a left field upgrade at the trade deadline:

  • Rays: The Rays are five games out in the wild card, so acquiring talent for the short-term remains possible.  They've been using Sam Fuld and Justin Ruggiano lately.
  • Tigers: The team has employed a bunch of different corner outfielders, but primary options Brennan Boesch and Magglio Ordonez might be sufficient.
  • White Sox: The Sox have stuck with Juan Pierre, who was at least useful in May and is having a solid July.  Internally, they could give more playing time to Brent Lillibridge or promote Dayan Viciedo.
  • Phillies: Raul Ibanez has had a rough year, but has shown power this month and in May.  He's earning $11.5MM, which limits the Phillies' flexibility.
  • Braves: The Braves have been using Nate McLouth in left and Jordan Schafer in center lately with Martin Prado on the DL.  Prado will fill in for Chipper Jones at third upon his return.
  • Reds: The Reds have tried Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes, and Fred Lewis.  Overall none of them have been awful but no one has run away with the job.
  • Giants: Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, and perhaps Pat Burrell are in the mix.  Brandon Belt could enter the picture as well, so the Giants may already have enough to choose from.

None of these clubs are a slam dunk to acquire a left fielder, but the Braves, Phillies, and Reds seem more likely than the others.  Potential trade targets could include Josh Willingham, Ryan Ludwick, Luke Scott (if healthy), David DeJesus, Marcus Thames, Laynce Nix, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, and Juan Rivera, with Soriano and Lee long shots to be dealt.

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