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Giants, Angels Interested In Brandon League

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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

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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

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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.

Stark On Marlins, Phillies, Dodgers, Garza, Twins

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Here's the latest from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • One official who spoke with the Marlins brass estimates that the odds Josh Johnson remains with Miami are "95 percent." The Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Royals have all checked in.
  • Carlos Lee, Ricky Nolasco, Heath Bell, and Gaby Sanchez are all very available. Other than Johnson, Giancarlo Stanton will be the toughest player to pry away from the Fish.
  • The Phillies have talked about trading Cliff Lee following the Cole Hamels extension and they haven't discouraged other teams from inquiring, but their game plan right now is to keep their trio of aces intact.
  • Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton are good bets to be dealt and the Phillies will listen on Hunter Pence. They want multiple young big leaguers to plug holes at third base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen in return.
  • The Dodgers are in on a number of starting pitchers, including Nolasco, Blanton, Kevin Millwood, and Jason Vargas in addition to Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. They've also checked in on outfield and first base help, including Victorino and Justin Morneau.
  • Clubs have not been assured by the Cubs that Garza will make another start before the trade deadline due to his triceps issue. He's more likely to be dealt in the offseason.
  • In the wake of acquiring Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates are sending signals that they could trade away a starter like Jeff Karstens or Kevin Correia.
  • The Twins' asking prices for Morneau ("pricey"), Denard Span ("more pricey"), and Josh Willingham ("it made me laugh") are high. Minnesota insists they will listen on anyone and Stark says Morneau is the bat they're most likely to move. Francisco Liriano is "nearly 100 percent" likely to be traded.
  • The Orioles continue to look for pitching, someone they consider a number three starter or better. Garza and Vargas have their eye but Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table. They've gotten hits on Jake Arrieta but won't move him unless they get a similar young arm with several years of team control remaining in return.
  • The Brewers will trade Randy Wolf "for nothing if you take the money," according to one official. 
  • The Rays have "got a big market" for Wade Davis. 

Quick Hits: Drew, Arrieta, Pirates, Mariners

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A few odds and ends to pass along as this busy Tuesday night winds down …

  • The Diamondbacks are less likely to trade shortstop Stephen Drew now that they've removed Ryan Roberts from the roster, tweets Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com. GM Kevin Towers said there's no deal out there for Drew "that's going to make us better."
  • The Orioles may not have a choice but to trade starter Jake Arrieta if they'd like to improve their Major League roster without dealing any of their prized prospects, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. Baltimore has told potential trade partners that Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado are off the table, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com.
  • The Pirates made a bid to acquire Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, but talks hit a snag when Philly asked for right-hander Brad Lincoln, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • The Pirates are "definitely going for it" and would like to acquire an outfielder or first baseman, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.
  • The Mariners have released minor league pitcher Jeff Marquez, tweets Triple-A Tacoma announcer Mike Curto. In his place, D.J. Mitchell, acquired from the Yankees in the Ichiro Suzuki trade, will start.

Yankees Acquire Ichiro Suzuki

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A legendary figure in Seattle will be changing uniforms, but won't have to go farther than the visitors' clubhouse to join his new team. The Yankees, who are playing in Seattle tonight, have acquired Ichiro Suzuki and cash from the Mariners in exchange right-handers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar, the teams have confirmed.

Within the press release, Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln revealed that Ichiro requested the trade:

“Several weeks ago, Ichiro Suzuki, through his long time agent, Tony Attanasio, approached Chuck Armstrong and me to ask that the Mariners consider trading him. Ichiro knows that the club is building for the future, and he felt that what was best for the team was to be traded to another club and give our younger players an opportunity to develop."

The 38-year-old Ichiro has never known life outside of Seattle in the Major Leagues, but will jump from a last place team to a first place team as a result of the transaction. The two-time batting champion's production has tapered off considerably in recent years, and he's hitting just .261/.288/.353 this season. A move from the spacious Safeco Field to Yankee Stadium could very well help boost his offensive production, however.

Ichiro, who is a free agent following the 2012 season, is owed roughly $6.7MM of his $17MM salary. The Yankees will be responsible for $2.25MM of that salary, meaning the Mariners are including somewhere around $4.5MM to facilitate the deal. Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement prevents teams from acquiring compensatory draft picks for players who didn't spend the entirety of the season on their roster. In other words, Ichiro is strictly a rental.

The Yankees' interest likely picked up when Brett Gardner suffered another setback in his rehab. Because Ichiro has 10-and-5 rights, he had the chance to veto this trade, but approved a deal to the Yanks. Mitchell is on the Yankees' 40-man roster, but Farquhar is not, which means the Mariners will not have to make a corresponding move.

Mitchell, 25, has appeared in four games for the Yankees this season, pitching to a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings. In 85 2/3 career Triple-A innings, he has a 3.81 ERA with a 6.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. The Yankees selected him out of Clemson University in the 10th round of the 2008 draft.

The 25-year-old Farquhar was taken just 11 picks earlier in the same draft, by the Blue Jays. He spent time in the Jays and Athletics organizations this season, and was claimed off waivers by the Yankees on June 26 after the A's designated him for assignment. Farquhar owns a 4.65 ERA in 69 2/3 Triple-A innings, where he's posted a 7.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Jack Curry of the YES Network first broke the news (on Twitter), and Joel Sherman of the New York Post added details surrounding the money that was exchanged (Twitter link).

Rosenthal On Victorino, Lee, Padres, Ramirez

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Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • The Indians and Pirates have been linked to most of the big available bats but Cleveland is placing a greater priority on finding a starting pitcher.  Johnny Damon has been hitting well this summer and the Tribe doesn't think that they'll be able to top his output via trade.  As for the Pirates, they're first in the majors in runs since June 1st and but would like to bolster their OBP.  Shane Victorino would make sense for them down the stretch, Rosenthal opines.
  • The Dodgers are the one team that could swallow Cliff Lee's contract in a trade, but it's hard to see what the Phillies could gain from such a deal when looking at Los Angeles' thin farm system.  Lee could be a strong candidate to be moved as GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks to build for the future and the hurler can only say no to eight clubs without his permission.
  • The Padres are talking about keeping Carlos Quentin, Huston Street, and Edinson Volquez as they're optimistic about their chances next season.  Their play of late has been encouraging and they believe that they can be serious players next season when their pitching is healthy again.  The one guy who is still likely to go is Chase Headley as he can be replaced with Jedd Gyorko and the offers for him should be strong.
  • The Marlins demonstrated their willingness to trade Hanley Ramirez in their talks with the Red Sox and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them step up their efforts before the deadline.  The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, A's, Mariners, and Pirates could all use a shortstop or third baseman, but it's not clear if they'd be willing to take on his hefty contract.

NL West Notes: Lee, Upton, Pena, Street, Denorfia

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We've already checked out some Giants and Rockies rumors today, so let's look around the rest of the NL West…

  • The Dodgers won't trade top pitching prospect Zach Lee for a rental player like Ryan Dempster, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).  We heard earlier today that Los Angeles had made the Cubs an offer for Dempster.  
  • Though the Diamondbacks and Pirates have had trouble connecting on a trade match for Justin Upton, the outfielder remains "at or near the top" of Pittsburgh's search for a hitter, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • The Diamondbacks have signed 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Ismael Pena, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America.  Badler describes Pena as "a 6-foot-3, 175-pound lefty with a sound swing, a good approach and a hit-first, power-second profile. He's an average runner with a 45 to 50 arm on the 20-80 scale."
  • Huston Street was "aggressively" pursued by the Mets last winter, a source tells Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), but through the Mets are searching for bullpen help now, they don't think the Padres will move the closer.  We heard earlier today that the Padres were looking to propose long-term extensions to Street and Carlos Quentin before the trade deadline.
  • Street and Chris Denorfia have drawn more trade interest than Quentin, reports Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Also from Center, the Pirates and Orioles are "among the teams pushing hardest" for Chase Headley.  Center added the Mariners to the long list of Headley's suitors.  The third baseman himself says he has heard "between six and 10 teams" have shown interest.  

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Angels, Ichiro, Bundy

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David Wright's remarkable offensive production continued today, as he homered twice against the Nationals. He now boasts a .353/.443/.586 batting line, so he'll have considerable leverage should the Mets look to sign him long-term this coming offseason. Here are today's links…

  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com hears that the Dodgers seem to have "50 or 60'' things going on with 12 days to go before the trade deadline. Jimmy Rollins is indeed one of the many established players that Dodgers executives are considering, Heyman writes. 
  • The Angels could use Cole Hamels and have the pieces to acquire him if the Phillies make him available, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. “Why wouldn’t you want a guy like that in your rotation?” Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson asked Morosi.
  • Dylan Bundy hasn’t thrown a pitch at the MLB level and Joey Votto is a former MVP who recently signed one of the biggest contracts in baseball history, but they have something in common, according to Dave Cameron of FanGraphs: lots and lots of trade value. Left-handers David Price, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw have even more trade value than Bundy or Votto, Cameron writes.
  • Ichiro Suzuki told Yahoo’s Jeff Passan (via a translator) that he’s not sure how he fits in the Mariners’ plans for 2013 and beyond. “If the team is saying they need you, you're necessary, then it becomes a piece,” Ichiro said. “But if it's just coming from the player, it's not going to happen." The Mariners plan to re-sign Ichiro after his contract expires this fall, GM Jack Zduriencik has said.
  • I made a video appearance on the Score’s Getting Blanked Show today, discussing the Dodgers, Angels and Marlins. My conversation takes place at the 12 minute mark, but the entire show is worth watching.

Nightengale On Cubs, Upton, Mariners

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Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that he expects a “lightning round” of trades during the 48-hour period leading up to the July 31st trade deadline. “That's when things really are going to pick up," Towers predicts. Until then, here are Nightengale’s latest rumors:

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