Mariners Rumors

Projected 2013 Salaries For Pence, Choo, Headley

By Tim Dierkes | July 30, 2012 at 9:25am CDT

You may remember Matt Swartz from such MLBTR projects as the 2012 arbitration projections. Matt's model was very accurate the first time through, and he's made it even better for the 2013 projections. I asked Matt for a sneak peek at 2013 projected salaries for some arbitration eligible trade candidates. He used Dan Szymborski's rest-of-season ZiPS projections to account for the remainder of the 2012 season.

Hunter Pence: $14.3MM
Jason Vargas: $8.1MM
Shin-Soo Choo: $7.6MM
Chase Headley: $6.1MM
Geovany Soto: $4.6MM

Mariners Close To Trading Brandon League

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 29, 2012 at 5:15pm CDT

5:15pm: The Giants and Mariners have definitely discussed League, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). It's still not clear where League will be traded, though, according to Morosi.

4:06pm: The Mariners were discussing League with multiple teams as of this afternoon, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

3:03pm: There's some scuttlebutt in high circles that the Giants are the team getting League, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). But it's not a sure thing.

2:52pm: The Braves and Rangers aren't in the mix for League, Crasnick tweets.

2:46pm: The Angels and Mariners are in talks for League, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. The Mariners could be close to trading League to the Giants or the Angels, Gonzalez writes.

2:24pm: The White Sox have been talking to the Mariners about League and the Angels continue seeking relief help, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links).

2:05pm: The Mariners are close to trading Brandon League to an unknown team, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). The Giants, Angels and Mets are known to have some interest in the right-hander.

League is earning $5MM this year and will hit free agency this offseason. The 29-year-old has a 3.05 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 46.4% ground ball rate in 42 1/3 innings for Seattle. He lost the closer's job in May, but has pitched to a 1.96 ERA with twice as many strikeouts as walks since the beginning of June. His fastball averages 95.2 mph, according to FanGraphs.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Span, White Sox, Soriano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 29, 2012 at 4:38pm CDT

The Phillies acquired Hunter Pence from the Astros for prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and Josh Zeid and a player to be named later on this date last year. Here are the latest links as we look forward to yet another busy trade deadline…

The Twins are listening to offers for Denard Span, but won’t move him unless they get a Major League starter in return, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
White Sox GM Kenny Williams says the White Sox are still looking to add, Nightengale reports (on Twitter). The White Sox, who traded forFrancisco Liriano last night, would look to acquire a position player this time, Nightengale writes.
Alfonso Soriano, Cliff Lee and Ervin Santana are among the players who could clear waivers and be traded in August, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports.
Willie Bloomquist, Brendan Ryan and Ty Wigginton are thought to be on the Yankees' long list of potential infield options, Heyman reports. Yunel Escobar, Chone Figgins, Jose Lopez and Cody Ransom are also thought to be on New York's list.
One team that’s spoken with the Mariners reports that "they want everybody," Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets.

Mariners Seek Controllable Hitters

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 29, 2012 at 2:35pm CDT

2:35pm: The Mariners are trying hard to obtain Brandon Belt, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs reports (on Twitter).

1:32pm: Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik is looking to acquire hitters who could contribute for the next two or three seasons, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. The Mariners aim to improve an offense that currently ranks last in the American League with just 3.9 runs per game.

The Mariners are more focused on players such as Josh Willingham and Allen Craig than players like Shin-Soo Choo and Hunter Pence. Choo and Pence are eligible for free agency after the 2013 season, while Willingham is under contract through 2014 and Craig won't even be arbitration eligible before the 2013-14 offseason.

Red Sox Have “Mild Interest” In Jason Vargas

By Mike Axisa | July 28, 2012 at 8:03pm CDT

The Red Sox have mild interest in left-hander Jason Vargas, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The results of their weekend games will determine what Boston does at the trade deadline.

Vargas, 29, has pitched to a 3.76 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 22 starts this season, though he does lead the league with 25 homers allowed. The Red Sox are said to be seeking a rotation upgrade, but coming into today they were in last place in the AL East and 5.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

New York Notes: Headley, Mets, League, Yankees

By Zachary Links | July 28, 2012 at 4:17pm CDT

A look at the latest out of Queens and the Bronx..

A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that Padres third baseman Chase Headley is not out of question for the Yankees. Headley could play at third until Alex Rodriguez and could replace Nick Swisher if he leaves via free agency next year, Rosenthal tweets.
The Yankees and Padres haven't exchanged names in Headley talks, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Although Mets GM Sandy Alderson is fielding calls for Tim Byrdak and Scott Hairston, he is more likely to retain the pair, a person familiar with the club's thinking told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
Martino adds that the Mets have inquired on Mariners righthander Brandon League, according to a baseball source, but their interest in him and other high-profile relievers has fizzled. That source expects a quiet few days from the Mets as the deadline approaches.
Before the Mariners traded Ichiro to the Yankees, they were deep in talks with the Giants and White Sox, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The outfielder liked the idea of playing for the Giants, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle adds (via Twitter).

Pitching Rumors: Shields, Orioles, Felix, Angels

By Mark Polishuk | July 28, 2012 at 1:03am CDT

Though the Giants did pick up some infield help in Marco Scutaro earlier tonight, the Giants are focusing on relief pitching given the high cost of a big hitter, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. He cites Matt Belisle, Rafael Betancourt, Brandon League, Chris Perez and Francisco Rodriguez as a few of the names linked to San Francisco and "if there’s a guy who has experience pitching in the later innings and he’s now on a second-division team, you can bet the Giants are looking into him," Schulman writes.

The Giants aren't the only team who are looking into the arms race as we head towards the trade deadline. Here are some more pitching-related rumors…

James Shields' recent struggles haven't been due to trade speculation, the right-hander told media (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Rays manager Joe Maddon feels that Shields will still be with the team after the deadline.
Maddon and executive VP Andrew Friedman shared a "guffaw" over a rumor that the Rays would send Shields to the Angels in exchange for Garrett Richards and Howie Kendrick, according to MLB.com's Bill Chastain. Friedman said he's still not sure how the Rays' deadline strategy will evolve.
The Orioles are looking to add a starter moreso than a position player, executive VP Dan Duquette tells reporters (including MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli). Duquette said other teams have shown interest in Baltimore's own pitching depth in the majors and minors, and Ghiroli speculates that the O's wouldn't deal a young arm without getting a Major League-ready starter in return.
In response to the latest Felix Hernandez rumors, a Mariners source tells ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link) that "Felix will be a Mariner." The M's have been adamant that they have no intention of trading their ace despite looking at a long-term rebuilding plan.
Through Angels GM Jerry Dipoto said his team was probably done trading after acquiring Zack Greinke earlier today, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) reports the Halos are looking for a reliever to share late-inning duties with Ernesto Frieri and Scott Downs.
Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated looks at the three tiers of starting pitchers available at the deadline.

Giants, Angels Interested In Brandon League

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2012 at 1:55pm CDT

The Giants and Angels are among the teams that have shown interest in Mariners right-hander Brandon League, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Giants are seeking relievers more aggressively than any team, Morosi reported earlier today. The Angels and Braves are also actively seeking bullpen help (Twitter links).

League is earning $5MM this year and will hit free agency this offseason. The 29-year-old has a 2.98 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 45.1% ground ball rate in 42 1/3 innings for Seattle. He lost the closer's job in May, but has pitched to a 1.71 ERA with twice as many strikeouts as walks since the beginning of June. His fastball averages 95.2 mph, according to FanGraphs.

AL West Notes: Angels, Hernandez, Hamilton

By Zachary Links | July 26, 2012 at 10:11pm CDT

The lack of talk surrounding the Rangers as compared to other clubs leads Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter) to believe that they are focused on something big, like acquiring Zack Greinke or Josh Johnson. Here's more out of the AL West..

The Angels will have to look in-house for help when it comes to their starting rotation, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. A source with knowledge of the team's thinking described the Angels' chances of acquiring a starter as "below average and diminishing" as the asking prices are too high and the competition for pitching is intense.
The signing of Cole Hamels to a six-year, $144MM contract is an ominous development for Mariners fans who hope to see Felix Hernandez stay in Seattle, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. Stone writes that the M's need to be wary putting too much of their payroll behind a pitcher.
Even though the Rangers could see Josh Hamilton walk in free agency, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com doesn't support the club trading him. The outfielder's current slump has hurt his trade value and on the whole, clubs are in greater need of pitching.

AL East Notes: Davis, Yankees, Beckett, Escobar

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 26, 2012 at 10:49am CDT

The Angels are talking to the Rays about Wade Davis and other available pitchers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. James Shields has drawn interest from Los Angeles, but Davis might represent an alternative for the Angels’ bullpen or rotation. Here are the latest notes from the AL East…

Joel Sherman of the New York Post can’t imagine the Yankees trading for Mark Reynolds or Chone Figgins even with Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list. However, an AL executive said there’s “zero chance” Eric Chavez can replace Rodriguez on a daily basis without breaking down. The Yankees are expected to consider available third basemen in the coming week.
The Red Sox have fielded some exploratory inquiries on Josh Beckett, but the calls amount to preliminary check-ins at this point, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. There’s “nothing close” regarding a potential deal, according to Bradford. Beckett, who can veto any trade with his ten and five rights, does not interest the Rangers.
Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar remains a possible option for the A’s, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. However, the shortstop says he likes playing in Toronto and doesn’t want to be traded, according to Slusser.

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