Odds & Ends: Hart, Angels, Blue Jays, Mariners
Some links for Saturday as Roy Oswalt prepares to make what might be the final start of his Astros' career…
- Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweets that an MRI revealed just a bruise in Corey Hart's thumb. He isn't expected to go on the disabled list, but will be out a few days. Plenty of teams have been connected to the Brewers' outfielder this trade season.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that it will tough for the Angels to justify more upgrades if they get swept by Texas this weekend. The Halos have already brought in Alberto Callaspo, but have fallen seven games back of the Rangers after losing in each of the last two nights.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff notes (via Twitter) that the Blue Jays had scouts at last night's Royals-Yankees game, and will again today. Toronto has made most of their bullpen available, and the Yanks are known to be looking for relief help.
- ESPN's Buster Olney hears that there is a "major split" between the Mariners' front office and field staff (Twitter link). This comes the morning after Chone Figgins and manager Don Wakamatsu had to be separated in the dugout.
- The Giants made "genuine progress" on a deal for David DeJesus before the Royals' outfielder suffered a season ending thumb injury on Thursday, reports Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News.
- Meanwhile, Baggarly speculates that the Giants could be looking at some Diamondbacks' players since they're looking for a lefty bat.
- A's GM Billy Beane said "it would behoove" him to keep Ben Sheets because of his value in the clubhouse, according to MLB.com's Alex Espinoza. With just over $4MM left on his contract, Sheets should easily clear trade waivers in August if Beane has a change of heart.
- Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald adds the Rockies to the list of teams that have expressed interest in Jorge Cantu.
- The Phillies have not put much money into their international scouting program in recent years, writes Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Jose Guillen Drawing Interest
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.
Giants Eyeing Will Ohman?
The Giants' search for another hitter has been well documented, but the team could be targeting more than just a bat. San Francisco is also looking into the possibility of acquiring Will Ohman, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brian Sabean told listeners on his KNBR radio show Thursday that the team could use an experienced left-handed reliever, and Ohman fits the bill. Although the southpaw has had some control issues this year (5.1 BB/9), he has recorded a 2.57 ERA and struck out a batter per inning. He has also handled lefties well, holding them to a .531 OPS for the season.
If they don't acquire Ohman, the Giants could have a hard time finding another satisfactory left-handed arm for their bullpen. An already underwhelming relief market looks even more uninspiring when you consider the lack of lefties on the list. Besides Ohman and Scott Downs, whose price tag may be too high for the Giants, potentially available southpaws include Bruce Chen, Alan Embree, and Scott Schoeneweis.
Royals Notes: DeJesus, Trades, Ankiel, Gordon
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."
Odds & Ends: Haren, Cordero, Phillies, Rangers
Links for Wednesday, as Pedro Alvarez keeps clubbing homers…
- The Phillies and Tigers have scouts watching Dan Haren pitch tonight, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
- The Mets, who agreed to sign Chad Cordero earlier today, thought they had a deal with the right-hander over the winter, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com hears that the Phillies may not add a pitcher at all if they can't acquire a top arm like Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt.
- Darren Oliver, who will likely see his vesting option kick in later in the summer, tells MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that he has no intention of retiring.
- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has attached himself to one of the groups attempting to buy the Rangers, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Nightengale notes that Ben Sheets is starting to attract "strong interest" (Twitter link).
- Roy Oswalt tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he hasn't heard anything from the Astros about a possible trade. In case you missed it, the Phillies and Astros appeared to be discussing an Oswalt deal last night.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners could send Jose Lopez or Jack Wilson to Detroit.
- A couple of scouts gave MASN.com's Ben Goessling the impression that Adam Dunn isn't going anywhere.
- Giants GM Brian Sabean denied to Murray Chass that the timing of Buster Posey's call-up had anything to do with service time.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains how he thinks a number of MLB teams should approach the deadline.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't expect the Yankees to acquire a big-name starter this July.
- The Hiroshima Carp are wrapping up a deal with Vinnie Chulk, according to reports passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. Chulk, who has played in seven major league seasons, was playing at Triple A in the Pirates' organization.
Giants Interested In Bautista, Hart, DeJesus
The Giants are interested in MLB home run leader Jose Bautista, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported today that the Blue Jays are asking for elite young players in exchange for Bautista, but the Giants must be getting used to such demands, since they're eyeing other top hitters.
The Giants remain interested in Corey Hart and David DeJesus, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Adam Dunn and Jorge Cantu are also on the team's radar.
Cantu has drawn interest from the Rangers and Angels; the Nationals are reluctant to trade Dunn; the Brewers want Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner for Hart; and the Royals have a steep asking price for DeJesus but teams are still interested. None of those bats will come cheap and the Giants know that better than anyone. They're presumably willing to give up talent to improve an offensive attack that ranks ninth in the NL.
The Braves, Padres, White Sox, Rays and Rangers are among the teams that could also be bidding for hitters, so the price could remain high until the July 31st deadline.
Phillies Exploring Oswalt, Werth Trades
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.
Passan On Fielder, DeJesus, Oswalt
The latest from Yahoo's Jeff Passan…
- The Rays "won't go near" Prince Fielder due to a potential $16MM salary in 2011, says one Passan source. So far any Rays-Fielder connection has been purely speculative, though the team has a history of chasing big names at the trade deadline. To play devil's advocate to Passan, they could theoretically acquire Fielder now and trade him again in the offseason.
- Passan feels that the White Sox and Giants could match up on a Fielder trade, or the Brewers could wait until the offseason to trade their slugger.
- The Royals' steep asking price for David DeJesus: "a major league-ready prospect, along with at least one midlevel prospect or a pair of lower-level players." Another take on their asking price tweeted by Dan Hayes of the North County Times: an "ML-ready pitcher and a top prospect."
- Passan wonders if the Yankees will pursue Roy Oswalt, as they're "about the only team that could fit the $23 million left in his contract for the next year and a half onto their budget." Indeed, ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted today that the Yanks "have an advantage in that they're one of the few teams willing to take on payroll." We'll have to see whether the Yankees actually inquire on Oswalt and/or Ted Lilly in the coming days.
Odds & Ends: Parker, Hawpe, Loux, Giants, Orioles
Saturday night links as Livan Hernandez takes the loss against the Marlins, his first team…
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post spoke to Clemson reporters, who indicated that Rockies' first round pick Kyle Parker could decide on his future by Monday or Tuesday (four different Twitter links). Parker is choosing between baseball and football, and it's a matter of how much Colorado is willing to exceed MLB's recommended slot bonus of $1.5MM to sign him. The Rockies would be able to pay out his bonus over five years thanks to MLB's provision for two-spot athletes.
- Meanwhile, Brad Hawpe is making his first career start at first base tonight, and Renck says proving he can play the position would go a long way towards keeping him in Colorado beyond this season (Twitter links). The Rockies won't pick up his $10MM option for next season, but they do value his bat and his leadership.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic sees the Diamondbacks either signing Barret Loux at a discount or not signing him at all, and using the savings on some tough-to-sign players they drafted in the lower rounds. Loux, the sixth overall pick in last month's draft, recently failed his physical due to a shoulder issue.
- Giants' manager Bruce Bochy indicated that he'd rather not sacrifice a starting pitcher in a trade for a bat, according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun wonders when the trade deadline will be something more than a time when the Orioles just sell off veterans.
- The Marlins have signed second round pick Rob Rasmussen, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Terms of the deal are unknown, but MLB's recommended slot bonus for the 73rd overall pick is estimated at $500K. Florida has now signed nine of their top 15 picks, though first rounder Christian Yelich remains unsigned.
Odds & Ends: Wood, Cards, Uggla, Guillen, Lilly
Links for Friday, after an impressive start from trade candidate Ted Lilly…
- Peter Gammons said on WEEI that he hears the Red Sox don't have interest in Kerry Wood.
- Five Cardinals writers confront the following question at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Has Cards GM John Mozeliak emerged from the shadow of his predecessor, Walt Jocketty?
- Joey Votto and Ryan Zimmerman are among the ten MLB players with the most trade value, if you ask Dave Cameron of FanGraphs.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak did not deny interest in Kelly Johnson and Dan Uggla while chatting to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link).
- The Rockies are not discussing Dan Uggla with the Marlins, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- 2005 first rounders Justin Upton and Ryan Braun are 11th and 12th, respectively, on Dave Cameron's list of the MLB players with the most trade value.
- The Giants have a better chance of obtaining Jose Guillen than David DeJesus, according to MLB.com's Chris Haft. The Giants have said they'd prefer to avoid rental players, but Guillen could presumably be had.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry met with Ted Lilly yesterday to discuss the left-hander's future, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Lilly, a (projected Type A) free agent after the season, makes $12MM this year and has no-trade protection.
- Bobby Jenks told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is relieved not to spot his name in trade rumors – at least for now.
- Former MLB manager Don Baylor tells Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that he would like the chance to interview for the upcoming managerial opening in Toronto.