Giants, Red Sox Among Teams Eyeing Royals
The Giants and Red Sox are among the teams eyeing Royals players, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Royals GM Dayton Moore is willing to listen to offers, but anticipating the return for the likes of David DeJesus and Jose Guillen is difficult, even for those in the team’s front office.
“I can tell you this much,” one Royals official told Dutton, “nobody is willing to take on payroll. But teams don’t want to deal prospects, either. So it makes it tough to do anything.”
Dutton reports that the Giants have interest in Guillen on the condition that the Royals absorb most of the $6.3MM or so remaining on his contract. Earlier today, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reported that the Royals are looking to move Guillen and are willing to pick up most of his salary in a trade, but Moore insists that the Royals are not actively looking to trade. Two rival scouts told Dutton that the Royals say they will take on a considerable amount of Guillen’s salary, so it doesn’t appear that Guillen would be tough to obtain.
If the Royals decide to start selling aggressively, they could discuss Mike Aviles and Willie Bloomquist with the Red Sox, who see the infielders as candidates to fill in while Dustin Pedroia's fractured left foot heals. The Red Sox are considering infielders and had some interest in Adam Everett before Pedroia's injury. One scout said Kyle Farnsworth could appeal to teams as a reliever if the Royals decide to part with him.
Olney’s Latest: Giants, Zambrano, Fielder, Orioles
In today's Insider-only blog entry, ESPN.com's Buster Olney ranks baseball's most irreplaceable players, with Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez heading his list. Here are a few other highlights from the column:
- Responding to Henry Schulman's San Francisco Chronicle piece about the Giants' need for bullpen help, Olney identifies two roadblocks. According to general managers, the relief market is "very, very thin." On top of that, a group of GMs polled by Olney named Brian Sabean as the most difficult GM to trade with.
- The Cubs have tried to deal with Carlos Zambrano's past outbursts because of his talent and his $91.5MM contract. After the latest blow-up though, it appears the club has run out of patience. According to Olney, there's "an overriding perception within the organization" that Zambrano hasn't cared about living up to his end of the deal.
- Given the non-existent extension negotiations between Prince Fielder and the Brewers, Olney says the team has two options: trade Fielder and receive a lesser return than fans would expect, or keep the 26-year-old and try to re-sign him after 2011.
- Buck Showalter had a very good interview with the Orioles, who will also interview Eric Wedge this week (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Bumgarner, Tracy, Oswalt, Atkins
Links for Friday night, as Edwin Jackson tosses a 149-pitch no-hitter against his former team….
- Madison Bumgarner was scratched from tonight's Triple-A start, fueling speculation that the Giants would call him up to start tomorrow's game. However, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the team still plans to start Joe Martinez tomorrow, with Bumgarner as the backup option.
- In his weekly appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons discusses the Red Sox' bullpen issues and the best one-year signing of this past offseason.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com wonders if the Nationals will be interested in the recently DFA'd Chad Tracy, given Tracy's connection to Nats GM Mike Rizzo.
- Although it looks as if the Rangers won't be able to afford Roy Oswalt, you can add Texas to the list of teams the pitcher would be willing to play for, according to the Dallas Morning News. Oswalt has previously said he'd accept a trade to anywhere he could contend.
- Garrett Atkins tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link) that being released by the Orioles would be a "welcome opportunity." It appears as though Atkins will soon be designated for assignment.
- Following a blow-up during today's game, Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely by the Cubs, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. When Zambrano returned to the Cubs' rotation, we discussed Tom Gorzelanny as a trade chip, but as long as Zambrano remains suspended, that possibility looks less likely.
- The Astros signed their second-round pick, right-hander Vincent Velasquez, per a team release.
- Dusty Baker says Gary Matthews Jr. "has got to get his act together" before the outfielder earns a shot at the Reds' big league lineup, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Aubrey Huff Wants To Stay In San Francisco
Aubrey Huff told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he “would love” to return to the Giants in 2011. But the 33-year-old knows the Giants will have to be interested if he is to return when his one-year $3MM contract expires after the season
“I'd love to be back,” Huff said. “But it's up to the front office. I've just got to go out and play my game and see what happens."
Huff, who is 15 pounds lighter this season, has impressed the Giants with his batting and flexibility, according to Shea. He has played first base, left field and right field, posting a .311/.401/.549 line in the process. That kind of production would interest a number of teams, so if the Giants want to bring Huff back as much as he wants to return, they will probably have to give him a raise.
Odds & Ends: Millwood, Mariners, A’s, Dunn
As we settle in for a Tim Lincecum/Roy Oswalt pitching matchup in Houston tonight, here are some news items…
- According to Fangraphs' Dave Cameron, Kevin Millwood is what Carl Pavano was at last year's trade deadline — a veteran starter whose high ERA hides some good peripheral numbers.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times thinks the Mariners' hitting problems aren't to be blamed on Safeco Field.
- CSNBayArea.com's Mychael Urban has some hot-stove speculation about the Giants and A's, including hinting at "a major shakeup" coming to the Oakland roster.
- Adam Dunn tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he doesn't want to be traded.
- Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com calls the Orioles' trade for Jake Fox "pretty much the nail in the coffin" for Garrett Atkins' playing time and possibly his tenure in Baltimore altogether. Ghiroli guesses that Atkins could be designated for assignment by as soon as Saturday when Brad Bergesen is ready to return to the majors.
- John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Giants utilityman Mark DeRosa will undergo wrist surgery and will miss the rest of the season (Twitter link). San Francisco signed DeRosa to a two-year, $12MM contract in December that was criticized as too costly given DeRosa's age (35) and the fact that he underwent wrist surgery last November. DeRosa has since said that the first surgery didn't solve his wrist problems, thus accounting for his .537 OPS this season.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks the Reds will pick up a reliever before the trade deadline (via Twitter).
- Outfielder/first baseman David Winfree has signed a minor-league deal with Seattle, tweets Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune. Winfree was playing for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton before being released last week.
- The Sports Bank blog looks at some of Chicago's options if the White Sox indeed try to acquire a left-handed hitter.
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Matthews Jr., Cubs, Red Sox
A few more links for Monday night….
- A scout tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that he didn't know of any teams scouting Ben Sheets this past weekend.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that there's no risk to the Reds signing Gary Matthews Jr., but that he still wouldn't do it.
- Jack Moore of Fangraphs explains how he thinks the Cubs should approach the trading deadline.
- The Red Sox will have the financial flexibility to make a move or two this summer in part because of their abundance of homegrown pitching talent, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons.
- Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies may need to acquire an arm for the back of their bullpen.
- With July 31st fast approaching, MLB.com's beat writers are fielding a slew of questions about possible trades. Check out mailbags from Anthony Castrovince (Indians), T.R. Sullivan (Rangers), Joe Frisaro (Marlins), and Chris Haft (Giants) for their thoughts on the trade market.
Giants Interested In David DeJesus
8:02pm: Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com hears from a Giants official that there's "nothing happening" regarding DeJesus right now, which doesn't necessarily contradict Morosi's report.
6:43pm: The Giants have some interest in acquiring David DeJesus, according to FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi, who cites two major league sources. Morosi adds that it doesn't appear the two sides have engaged in serious discussions yet.
According to Morosi, the Giants may have a hard time matching the Royals' asking price for DeJesus, echoing Nick Cafardo's report from yesterday. The Giants could also be less inclined to deal a prospect for DeJesus if their own outfielders continue hitting so well. Aubrey Huff (.307/.399/.550), Andres Torres (.285/.389/.460), and Pat Burrell (.341/.404/.634) have all made positive contributions to the Giants' offense, though DeJesus would be a defensive upgrade over Huff and Burrell. The Royals' outfielder has also swung a hot bat this year, posting a slash line of .328/.400/.492.
Morosi notes that DeJesus would also fit well with contenders like the Braves, Padres, and Red Sox, particularly given the 30-year-old's ability to play all three outfield positions. So far though, with no pressing need to move one of their best hitters, the Royals are holding out for a significant return.
Odds & Ends: Giants, D’Backs, Rivera, Ramos
Some links for Monday, before Mike Leake tries to restore order for the Reds…
- Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com explains why he believes the Giants should acquire bullpen help.
- Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner wonders (via Twitter) if the Mariners and Blue Jays could swap two recently-designated players: Ian Snell and Edwin Encarnacion.
- D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told Jack Curry of the YES Network that he will need "very significant players" in return for some of his stars (Twitter link). Sounds like Dan Haren will be hard to obtain this summer.
- Mariano Rivera told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he doesn't want to think about his contract (it expires after the season) but would consider signing a one-year deal like Andy Pettitte.
- Wilson Ramos is thought of as the kind of prospect that could help the Twins pry Cliff Lee from the Mariners. But as Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes, the catcher will miss about a week with a strained oblique.
- Pat Andriola of FanGraphs names winners and losers from some 2008 deadline deals.
- Most expect the D'Backs to continue selling, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes (via Twitter) that no scouts made a special trip to see Edwin Jackson's most recent start.
- The Red Sox signed Jay Broughton from the independent league Calgary Vipers, according to Sean Myers of the Calgary Herald. The 23-year-old had enrolled in grad school, but he quit and Red Sox assistant GM Allard Baird took notice and signed him.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com explains that the Dodgers, who lost to Clay Buchholz last night, nearly drafted the right-hander in the 2005 draft.
- R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs says the Braves could improve by adding an outfielder before the trade deadline. Few Braves fans would argue that GM Frank Wren shouldn't consider players like Luke Scott and David DeJesus if the price is right.
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins need to solidify their bullpen if they're going to contend.
Amateur Draft Signings: Monday
We'll keep you posted as soon as we hear news of teams' deals with their 2010 draftees. Be sure to track the progress of this year's first and supplementary round picks right here. For now, here are today's signings:
- The Red Sox signed fifth round pick Henry Ramos, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- The Rangers agreed to terms with sixth round pick Brett Nicholas according to MLB.com (Twitter link).
- The Giants signed third round pick Carter Jurica and fourth round pick Seth Rosin, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Aubrey Huff
Don't look now, but Albert Pujols, Andre Ethier, Adrian Gonzalez and Joey Votto are the only National Leaguers with a higher OPS than Aubrey Huff. A few months ago, the Huff signing was mentioned as one of the worst moves of the winter by MLB executives who spoke to Tim Dierkes. After all, Huff finished the 2009 season with a lower batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage than the player he was hired to replace, Travis Ishikawa. Not only that, Huff is seven years older than the slick-fielding Ishikawa and cost the Giants $3MM.
At the time, it seemed like a deal the Giants didn't have to make. Now, it's hard to imagine where they'd be without Huff, who is hitting .307/.399/.550 with 12 homers. If this performance came out of nowhere, it would seem fluky, but Huff did hit 32 homers with a .912 OPS just two years ago. His current batting average on balls in play and home run to fly ball ratio are in line with the ones he has posted in his best seasons, so it doesn't seem like he's on the brink of regressing.
Huff's improved batting will undoubtedly help his case when he hits free agency again after the season. His versatile play won't hurt, either. He started the season at first base, but has been playing in left and right since Buster Posey arrived in the majors.
Still, it's hard to imagine teams offering Huff multi-year deals. He turns 34 this December and other sluggers like David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Carlos Pena, Troy Glaus and Adam Dunn could be available this winter. But if Huff keeps hitting like this, he could more than double his salary on a one-year deal for 2011.