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Olney On Red Sox, Mariners, Smith, Rangers

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Most of the top available starting pitchers currently play in the National League, but there’s still lots of trade talk in the AL this summer. Buster Olney provides updates on the junior circuit trade market in today’s column at ESPN.com. Here are some highlights:

  • The Mariners won’t trade Felix Hernandez, but Kevin Millwood, Chone Figgins, Jason Vargas and Brandon League could be dealt.
  • The Red Sox have focused on adding starting pitching. Some executives believe the Rangers will make a big play for the best starting pitchers available.
  • Meanwhile, the White Sox have been asking around about relievers.
  • Teams have called about Seth Smith, but the Athletics will keep him. However, Kurt Suzuki could be available and the A’s will listen to offers for Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.
  • The Indians figure to pursue right-handed bats and Carlos Quentin could be an option in Cleveland, Olney writes.
  • The Blue Jays plan to assess their chances at the All-Star break, and some rival officials expect Toronto to sell.
  • The Orioles need pitching, but Olney doesn’t expect the team to make a major addition. Similarly, the Twins figure to seek pitching in any midseason trades they consider.
  • Here’s MLBTR’s recap of Olney’s look at the NL trade market.

Mariners Sign Mike Zunino

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9:12pm: Ben Badler of Baseball America writes that despite signing Zunino for well under the slot recommendation, the Mariners are $36,600 over their bonus pool for the first 10 rounds of the draft. Badler also gives a brief recap of Zunino's season, noting that he was Baseball America's College Player of the Year.

8:45pm: ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that Zunino will receive a bonus of $4MM — well below the slot recommendation (Twitter link).

8:32pm: The Mariners have signed No. 3 overall pick Mike Zunino, the team announced (on Twitter). A press conference to introduce Zunino will be held tomorrow.

Details of the signing are not yet known, but the recommended bonus for the third overall slot is $5.2MM. Over the weekend, we had heard that the Mariners were expected to sign the former University of Florida catcher in the near future. Baseball America says Zunino's hitting ability "projects to be above-average for a Major League catcher" while noting that he offers strong intangibles that draw Jason Varitek comparisons.

With the signing of Zunino, there are now eight first round picks who have yet to sign.

Rosenthal On Pirates, Headley, Angels, Phillies

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In today's column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Pirates should go all in and trade for either Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke or Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels.  Rosenthal notes that the Bucs have the 11th-ranked farm system in the majors and enough young talent to pull off a trade without including Jameson Taillon or Gerrit Cole.  Pittsburgh's pitching has been strong this year and the team is currently focusing on boosting their offense, but finding a hitter who could make an impact on the level of Greinke or Hamels would be a challenge.  Here's more from Rosenthal..

  • The Padres are drawing serious interest in third baseman Chase Headley, but one rival exec wonders how could the team trade Headley without knowing the future of left fielder Carlos Quentin.  The club could potentially move both and replace Headley with top infield prospect Jedd Gyorko, but that would leave them flat offensively in 2013.
  • Some execs wonder if the Angels might try to add one of the elite starters on the block due to the recent struggles of Dan Haren and Ervin Santana.  The chances appear remote, however, as the Halos' farm system isn’t deep and sources say GM Jerry Dipoto is adamant about keeping right-hander Garrett Richards as a future low-cost option.
  • Even before the Phillies began calling teams about Cole Hamels, it was obvious that they wouldn't be buyers.  “Their scouts are not out there banging,” a rival exec said. “They’re usually out there banging by this time. They’re playing it more conservative.”
  • The GM carousel could pick up again this year.  The Rockies, Mariners, and Braves could all be compelled to make changes while the Dodgers and Padres are under new ownership.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract while the Padres’ Josh Byrnes has four years left.
  • Sellers should target teams who are under a great deal of pressure to win such as the Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, Tigers, and Angels.  The Yankees now work to take emotion out of the equation when surveying the trade market but they could feel added stress if they start to see another AL East club as a threat.
  • Giants outfielder Nate Schierholtz is out-of-options and could draw interest at the deadline.  Schierholtz is hitting .248/.314/.400 with three homers in 140 plate appearances.

Mariners Expected To Sign Mike Zunino Shortly

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July 1: ESPN's Keith Law tweeted Zunino is on his way to Seattle to sign with the Mariners. Jerry Crasnick confirms his colleague's report tweeting Zunino is heading to Seattle to take his physical.

June 26: The Mariners are expected to sign third overall pick Mike Zunino shortly, reports Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. The announcement could come in early-July after the catcher from Florida attends two awards ceremonies.

Slot money for the third overall selection is $5.2MM. Baseball America says Zunino's hitting ability "projects to be above-average for a major league catcher" while noting that he offers strong intangibles that draw Jason Varitek comparisons. Zunino is the highest unsigned pick and is one of ten unsigned first rounders.

Mariners Designate Adam Moore For Assignment

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The Mariners have designated catcher Adam Moore for assignment, the team announced. The move was made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for pitcher Josh Kinney. In a corresponding move, the Mariners placed pitcher Erasmo Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow flexor strain.

Moore, a former sixth round selection of the Mariners in the 2006 draft, has had two stints on the disabled list this season. The most recent was for his second surgery in two years to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. Moore has not appeared in a game for Mariners this season, but has played 24 games for Triple-A Tacoma with a batting line of .209/.247/.372. In his three-year major league career spanning 68 games, Moore has hit .197/.231/.295 with a caught stealing rate of 17%.

Cafardo On Yankees, Ichiro, Greinke, Orioles

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders why other clubs weren't more aggressive in their pursuit of third baseman Kevin Youkilis.  The veteran, he argues, would have been a perfect fit in Cleveland where Travis Hafner was sidelined for a time.  The Pirates and Dodgers also could have used a boost at first base, but ultimately backed away when the talks got serious.  At the end of the day, White Sox GM Ken Williams got his man at the deadline and Cafardo praises him for it.  Here's more from today's column..

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman wants to find starters in place of CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte from within, but if that’s not possible, he’ll look outside.  One National League GM said that while the Astros' Wandy Rodriguez would be a good fit, he doesn’t believe he is of particular interest to them.  Cashman is more likely to gravitate toward Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, and even Zack Greinke.
  • It wouldn’t be shocking to see Ichiro Suzuki get another contract from the Mariners if he wants it.  The outfielder's abilities have declined but ownership may stick with him for the sake of reputation.
  • If the Brewers entertain a deal for Greinke, the Orioles are a team to watch.  The notion that Greinke needs a smaller market because of his past anxiety issues is still very much in play.
  • A team like the Dodgers, Indians, or Pirates would likely take on Vernon Wells if the Angels picked up the majority of the $53MM remaining on his deal.
  • The Nationals and Marlins will have interest in Scott Podsednik once he is healthy.

Central Notes: Cubs, Tigers, Marcum, Twins

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The trade market is woefully thin in options, and one executive told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) that there are "only six teams" that are ready to sell.  That includes three teams out of the Central divisions – the Cubs, Astros, and Twins plus the Mariners, A's, and Rockies.  Here's more out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Tigers‬ were interested in Shaun Marcum during the offseason that the Brewers landed him.  Marcum, he says, could be an option for Detroit if he's healthy.
  • If the Twins do wind up as sellers, General Manager Terry Ryan says that no player will be off the table, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN.  "I never consider anybody untouchable. That's not the way to go about business on a baseball team or organization," Ryan said. "If you've got chances to do things that make a lot of sense for your club there shouldn't be any untouchables. Players know that, agents know that, and so does the fan base."
  • When speaking with reporters today, Cubs‬ GM Jed Hoyer had no update on talks with first-round pick Albert Almora, except to say dialogue continues, tweets Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  The high school outfielder is one of ten unsigned first-round selections in the 2012 draft.

Dodgers Notes: Cubs, Brewers, Dempster, Lee

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Earlier today the Dodgers officially announced the signing of Cuban outfielder Yasel Puig to a seven-year deal.  The news of the agreement sent shock waves through baseball this week and clearly shows that the club is very serious about getting back into signing top Latin American players.  Here's more out of Los Angeles..

  • The Puig deal could be just the start of major moves to come from the Dodgers, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.  According to major league sources, they have talked multiple times to the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers.  They've also touched base with a number of other teams, including the Mariners, Royals, Twins, Blue Jays and Padres, sources said.  The Dodgers would like to add a hitter, a starting pitcher, and a left-handed reliever.
  • Speaking of the Cubs, the Dodgers are viewed as a favorite to land Ryan Dempster once he returns from the disabled list, sources suggest to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The two sides haven't talked since the week before Dempster went down but a person familiar with the situation says Los Angeles has a very good chance to land the right-hander.
  • The Dodgers are lukewarm to the idea of signing Derrek Lee, and would prefer to explore other options first, a major league source told Rosenthal.  Lee would require time at Triple-A and the Dodgers seem to prefer more certainty and perhaps a more immediate solution at first base.

Stark On Garza, Orioles, Braves, Phillies, Headley

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Arizona general manager Kevin Towers says he’s been impressed by Mike Trout and Bryce Harper from an offensive and defensive standpoint, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. "They can beat you on the basepaths. They impact the game defensively,” Towers said. “They can beat you with key hits or the long ball. They're both very special." Here are Stark’s latest rumors from around MLB…

  • One American League executive says the Cubs are basing their asking price for Matt Garza on last summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez deal. This means it’ll take two controllable, young players with upside to pry the right-hander away from Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein.
  • Other teams say the Orioles are involved in the Garza talks. However, Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy aren’t going to be available in summer trade talks with any club.
  • The Braves are looking for "an impact starting pitcher" and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively
  • The Angels are desperate to add a really good bullpen piece and would dangle Peter Bourjos in the right deal, according to rival teams.
  • One executive doesn’t expect Luke Gregerson of the Padres to become available, though there would be heavy demand if San Diego were willing to listen.
  • Another executive suggests the Red Sox could trade Kelly Shoppach and call Ryan Lavarnway up from the minor leagues.
  • The Twins continue to tell teams they expect to hold onto Josh Willingham.
  • The Marlins are telling rival teams they haven’t discussed becoming sellers this summer. The Phillies also seem to want to add, not subtract. The Phils are considering a long list of relievers and have asked the Padres about Chase Headley.
  • The Diamondbacks have “window-shopped” for bullpen depth, Stark writes. Towers says he prefers his current team, now 38-37, to the one that won the NL West a year ago.
  • Stark also reported on the Blue Jays' approach to the trade deadline and you can read the details here.

Quick Hits: Wells, Attanasio, V-Mart, Mariners

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The Padres franchise is still looking for its first no-hitter, as Andrew Cashner's no-hit bid was ended after 6 1/3 innings tonight.  It still ended up being a good night for San Diego, however, as the Friars rallied for a six-run ninth inning in their 7-3 win over the Astros.

Some notes from around the majors…

  • Vernon Wells tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he has no plans to waive his no-trade clause since he enjoys playing for the Angels, though he may not receive much playing time once he returns from the DL.  Morosi speculates that the right-handed hitting Wells could be a fit for the Dodgers, Reds or Indians.  Any trade would involve the Angels eating the large majority of the approximately $53MM Wells is still owed through the 2014 season.
  • Brewers owner Mark Attanasio covered many topics during a Q&A with local business owners (reported on by Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), such as the team's payroll, the change in how the Brewers are perceived around baseball and how the team is having "an uncomfortable time" deciding whether or not they're contenders or sellers.
  • If Victor Martinez is able to play this season, it won't until mid-September at the earliest, Tigers head trainer Kevin Rand told reporters (including Chris Iott of Mlive.com).  Martinez is recovering after tearing his ACL in January.
  • The Mariners aren't on pace to contend before Felix Hernandez's contract is up at the end of the 2014 season, argues Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, and should thus explore trading the ace right-hander.
  • With just a few days left before the July 2 international signing deadline, Ben Badler of Baseball America discusses some of the top prospects with various international scouting directors.
  • The Cardinals are looking for both starting and relief pitching, and Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines whch is a greater need for the club.
  • The Yankees announced that right-hander Adam Warren has been placed on the 25-man roster and signed to a Major League contract.  In corresponding moves, Ryota Igarashi was also called up while C.C. Sabathia was placed on the 15-day DL and Andy Pettitte went on the 60-day DL.  Warren, a fourth-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft, has a 3.05 ERA in 79 career minor league starts and he'll make his Major League debut on Friday in Sabathia's rotation spot.
  • The week's minor league transactions are recapped by Matt Eddy of Baseball America.
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