Mariners Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dawson, Ahrens, Rays, Lee

By Mike Axisa | July 2, 2010 at 1:11pm CDT

On this date in 1995, Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese-born player in Major League history to be selected for the All Star Game. Nomo, then a 26-year-old rookie, took the big leagues by storm with his tornado windup and by posting a 1.99 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 13 first half starts. The All-Star Game was just the tip of the iceberg for Nomo, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year award and finish fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

Nomo's big league career spanned a dozen seasons with seven teams, and he retired with a 4.24 ERA and two no-hitters to his credit. He's credited with paving the way for Japanese players to permanently relocate to MLB.

Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…

Phoul Ballz interviewed Hall of Famer Andre Dawson.
1 Blue Jays Way interviewed Toronto prospect Kevin Ahrens.
Bullpen Banter offers up a mid-season review of players who showed up to camp in the best shape of their lives.
DRaysBay puts together a wish list of players they really want the Rays to acquire.
Prospect Insider runs down the top prospects of the contenders in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.
Feeling Dodger Blue says the time has come for Los Angeles to trade Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.
Mets Paradise wonders if the Mets would be interested in acquiring Carlos Zambrano.
Double Bobby Jones doesn't think Jerry Manuel should feel too comfortable despite the Mets' winning ways.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Rosenthal On Phillies’ Infield Options

By Mike Axisa | July 1, 2010 at 7:30pm CDT

7:30pm: According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson, the Phillies haven't talked to the Nationals about Kennedy.

1:31pm: The Phillies learned today that Chase Utley will be out for several weeks due to thumb surgery, and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com chimes in with some possible replacement options. He notes that the replacement doesn't necessary have to be a second baseman (Twitter link), because the team can use Placido Polanco at that position once he's healthy. That opens up the possibility of a trade for a third baseman.

Rosenthal says that former Phillie Pedro Feliz is an unlikely target, citing a scout who says his bat speed is "gone." Feliz has hit just .229/.255/.317 in 255 plate appearances this year, and his trademark defense has declined back to a -4.3 UZR this season. The Fox Sports scribe throws the names of Miguel Tejada, Ty Wigginton, Jhonny Peralta, Adam Kennedy, and Jose Lopez into the mix (Twitter links). The Mariners are actively trying to move Lopez, according to Rosenthal.

For the now, Philadelphia will try to tread water with the combination of Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs at second and third, respectively. They've combined to hit just .222/.252/.338 in 222 plate appearances this season, and Jack Moore at FanGraphs chronicled just how big of a downgrade this is for the Phillies.

Odds & Ends: Utley, Valentine, Giants, Haren

By Luke Adams 2 | July 1, 2010 at 12:20pm CDT

Links for Thursday, as Travis Wood prepares to make his first major league start….

Chase Utley's injured thumb requires surgery, tweets MLB.com's Peter Gammons, and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki adds that the second baseman will go under the knife later today. After Utley and Placido Polanco hit the disabled list, MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith examined the Phillies' infield options. Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio also has some ideas for the Phils (Twitter link).
Bobby Valentine on how the Marlins handled their managerial search: "It's very disturbing, confusing and it was insulting at times, but it's over." Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post has the details.
Fangraphs' Dave Cameron offers his opinion on the Giants' next move, concluding that David DeJesus is "exactly what the doctor ordered."
The Mariners' performance at Yankee Stadium this week is what Jack Zduriencik envisioned when he acquired Cliff Lee to complement Felix Hernandez, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. However, this recent surge doesn't change the fact that the M's will move Lee, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.
David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News breaks down the reasons why a Dan Haren trade appears unlikely for the Phillies.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Thursday

By Luke Adams 2 | July 1, 2010 at 10:43am CDT

10:43am: According to Jim Duquette of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link), Lee "told people around the club" that Tuesday's start may have been his last as a Mariner.

8:20am: The Rangers' acquisition of Bengie Molina might be a preview of how Texas could work out a deal for Cliff Lee, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team's financial situation didn't prevent them from adding Molina because they didn't take on any salary in the process, which is a strategy they'll likely try to employ again in negotiations for Lee.

In a series of tweets, Olney explains how the Rangers avoided a payroll increase in the Molina deal, and speculates that the Mariners could be persuaded to provide the Rangers salary relief in a Lee trade for a stronger package of prospects. Rosenthal agrees, writing that Texas is "so loaded with prospects" that a cash-neutral deal is a possibility for them. He also cites major-league sources who say that the club is "pushing hard" for Lee.

It remains to be seen, of course, if the Rangers would be willing to part with multiple top prospects for what would likely be a two- or three-month rental of the left-hander. In yesterday's round of Lee rumors, we heard that a few rival GMs think the Rangers would be better off holding onto those prospects.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reiterates that if the Rangers do make a deal for pitching, they'll be aiming for a top-tier arm like Lee or Roy Oswalt rather than an "everyman starter." Grant notes that Fausto Carmona could be a possibility as well, with the Rangers scouting the right-hander's start against the Blue Jays earlier this week.

Cliff Lee Rumors: Wednesday

By Tim Dierkes | June 30, 2010 at 9:25pm CDT

9:25pm: An AL GM told ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he believes the Twins could acquire Lee with a package built around prospect Wilson Ramos. Rival GMs believe the Rangers may be better off holding onto their prospects than acquiring Lee.

4:15pm: The Mariners have not started making counter offers for Lee, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Rival executives remind Olney that the Mariners may want to deal soon, since an injury would deflate Lee's trade value (all Twitter links)

3:37pm: The Mets, Yankees, Rangers and Phillies appeared to be the only teams scouting Lee last night, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Twins and Dodgers were among the interested teams that did not attend, but it is early and Lee is a known commodity, so the lack of scouts hardly means there's a lack of interest.

10:11am: The Mariners will require a blue-chip prospect in a Cliff Lee trade, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post, even though the last two Lee trades may not have included one. Sherman suggests the Mets want Lee badly, while the Yankees would just like the Ms to "keep them posted."

Sherman explains that the Mariners like, but don't love, Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia. He feels that a Mets trade would have to be built around Mejia or Wilmer Flores. The Mets are willing to trade Flores in a Lee deal, reports Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog. They're reluctant to part with other top prospects. The Mets would like to trade for a starting pitcher as soon as possible, but Cerrone says the Mariners prefer to wait until after the All-Star break to trade Lee.

From the Yankees side, Sherman recommends they make Jesus Montero available. They've done so before when Lee and Roy Halladay were on the trade market. Sherman also notes that the Mariners like Yankees Double A second baseman David Adams. Baseball America ranked Adams 22nd among Yankees prospects heading into the season, and he sports a .309/.393/.507 line at Trenton. Should the Yanks prefer to pursue Lee as a free agent, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News learned that old friend C.C. Sabathia would be happy to help recruit.

In a longer blog post, Sherman elaborates on what Lee would mean for the Mets, what the Mariners will require, and how prospects are overvalued these days.

Eliezer Alfonzo Clears Waivers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 30, 2010 at 2:00pm CDT

WEDNESDAY: Alfonzo cleared waivers and accepted his Triple A assignment, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).

TUESDAY: The Mariners will designate Eliezer Alfonzo for assignment to create roster space for Josh Bard, according to Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune (via Twitter). Alfonzo, 31, did not hit well in 41 plate appearances this year, striking out ten times and collecting two extra base hits without drawing a walk. To his credit, he threw out two of the four runners who attempted to steal on him.

Bard was hitting well in limited major league playing time before a calf injury sent him to the disabled list at the end of May. The 32-year-old has a .718 OPS in his nine-year MLB career. Rob Johnson, who is hitting just .198, has been doing most of the catching for the Mariners, who hoped for more production from Adam Moore going into the season. However, the young backstop has been sidelined with heel and hamstring injuries.

Odds & Ends: White Sox, Lee, Pomeranz, Ripken

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 29, 2010 at 9:41pm CDT

Another round of links, as Nick Swisher prevents Cliff Lee's trade value from getting too high…

GM Kenny Williams told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the White Sox aren't desperate for anything right now.
Reporters asked Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about Lee, but Zduriencik just repeated that the Mariners are focusing on winning as many games as possible, according to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that the Phillies have a scout at tonight's Yankees-Mariners game, though it could be part of the scout's normal coverage.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that Mets infielder Ruben Tejada would not be enough to anchor a deal for Lee, but prospect Wilmer Flores could be (Twitter links). Earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at the Mets' ability to acquire Lee without giving up Jenrry Mejia.
Now that the Indians have given first rounder Drew Pomeranz his physical, they're one step closer to starting negotiations with the left-hander, according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince.
Cal Ripken Jr. told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that he may take a job in the Orioles organization. So could Ripken become the team's next manager? No.
Many players read MLBTR, but something tells me Adam Dunn isn't one of them. He told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he hates trade rumblings when he's involved in them. The Nationals are open to making deals and teams are interested in Dunn.

Rosenthal On Cliff Lee, MacDougal, Dunn, Valentine

By Tim Dierkes | June 29, 2010 at 1:33pm CDT

Cliff Lee starts tonight at Yankee stadium, and it figures to be one of his last outings in a Mariners uniform. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his column with an examination of the market for Lee, noting that "the acquisition cost should be lower than the last two times he was traded." Rosenthal sees no obvious favorite for the lefty at this time, though Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times believes "the buzz about a possible deal with the crosstown Mets is growing louder and louder." Rosenthal's other rumorage:

The Nationals have until Thursday to decide whether to promote Mike MacDougal. Otherwise, he can elect free agency. The hard-throwing righty has a 4.71 ERA, 5.6 K/9, and 4.7 BB/9 in 21 minor league innings.
Rosenthal confirms other reports that the White Sox and Angels like Nationals slugger Adam Dunn. He notes that Dunn "does not want to become a DH."
One executive feels that Jose Guillen will continue to hit well with the contract year carrot dangling. Yesterday we learned from ESPN's Buster Olney that the Royals are pushing hard to move Guillen and will eat much of the $6.3MM remaining on his contract. As for David DeJesus, an exec told Rosenthal the Royals "want to hit a home run" in any trade.
The Giants seek stability in their left-handed relief crew (currently Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Runzler), but the need could be addressed internally.
The Cardinals "likely will wait until at least the All-Star break to fully assess their needs." The starting pitching situation will depend on the recoveries of Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse.
At another link, Rosenthal updates the Bobby Valentine-Marlins situation.

Odds & Ends: A-Rod, Beltre, Athletics, Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | June 29, 2010 at 12:01pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as Tigers reliever Casey Fien returns to the Majors after spending the offseason in waiver wire hell…

The home run milestone incentives in Alex Rodriguez's contract were the brainchild of Warren Buffett, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. The milestones start with home run #660; A-Rod currently has 594.
WEEI's Alex Speier has the interesting story of the Dodgers signing Adrian Beltre in 1994 at age 15 by way of falsified documents, including the player's recollection of the situation. I swapped emails with Fred Claire, who was Dodgers GM at the time. Claire takes responsibility for the incident, but "had no awareness that Beltre's birth date had been altered in any way, shape or form" and "would never have approved such an act."
Joe Stiglich of the Contra Costa Times talked with scouts about the Athletics' trade chips. At least one scout prefers Ben Sheets to Kevin Millwood.
Dave Cameron's presciption for the Rockies in this FanGraphs article: move Brad Hawpe to first base and acquire Dan Uggla. Another good read from Cameron is his takedown of the theory that Russell Branyan will bring protection for other Mariners hitters. Speaking of Branyan, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says Seattle's acquisition "stunned" rival executives.
Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues looks at Octavio Dotel as a potential Yankees trade target, and prefers they do not pursue a reunion.
Howard Megdal of SNY is "reluctant to deal any significant part of the Mets' future for a rental of Cliff Lee." Megdal feels that the team's window to win extends beyond 2010.

Could Mets Acquire Cliff Lee Without Mejia?

By Tim Dierkes | June 29, 2010 at 8:24am CDT

Will Jenrry Mejia's posterior cuff strain prevent the Mets from trading for Mariners ace Cliff Lee? GM Omar Minaya obviously could not talk specifically about Lee when asked by Kevin Kernan of the New York Post "if the Mejia setback is a setback to trade possibilities." But Minaya kept a brave face and replied, "I don’t think so because I think we have other very good possibilities." At least one of Minaya's current players does think the team lost its chance to acquire Lee with Mejia's injury, according to Kernan.

Maybe there is a chance, given Ken Rosenthal's June 19th report for FOX Sports suggesting the Mariners want young hitters in return for Lee. At that time Rosenthal didn't think the Mets would be willing to give up Ike Davis to rent Lee. John Hickey of AOL FanHouse wrote yesterday about a consensus among Mariners insiders that the team should add talent around the Double A level in a Lee deal. More specifically, outfielders and lefthanded starters would be a good fit.

In my opinion, the Mets probably couldn't swing a Lee trade with Fernando Martinez as the centerpiece. He's hitting .248/.299/.397 at Triple A currently. Starter Brad Holt is struggling at Double A, though second baseman Reese Havens was raking before hitting the DL with an oblique injury. We heard from Rosenthal on June 7th that the Mets are high on infielder Ruben Tejada, enough that they would be reluctant to include him in a Roy Oswalt trade. In a June 23rd article, Mark Hale of the New York Post found the Mets unlikely to include Mejia, Davis, or Jonathon Niese in a Lee offer. He opined that the Mets would have to build the deal around names like Tejada, Martinez, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, and Josh Thole. From where I'm sitting, the Mets don't seem like the team that will ultimately make the best offer for Lee.

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