Mariners Rumors

Odds & Ends: LaRoche, Lee, Nationals, Simpson

By Mark Polishuk | June 15, 2010 at 8:18pm CDT

It was on this day in 1938 that Reds lefthander Johnny Vander Meer became a baseball immortal by throwing his second consecutive no-hitter. What better way to commemorate the Vanderversary than with some news items?

Adam LaRoche is prepared for another summer of hearing rumors and possibly being traded again, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
What would be fair value for Cliff Lee? Fangraphs' Dave Cameron breaks down the question.
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark is impressed by how the entire Nationals franchise seems to have turned around in a year's time.
Hayden Simpson seemed to be a reach for the Cubs as the 16th overall pick, but Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks that Chicago scouting director Tim Wilken's past drafting record "has earned [him] the benefit of the doubt." Maybe so, but implying Simpson could be "the next Roy Halladay" is a bit much.
Had the Dodgers picked up a veteran starter or two in the offseason, the L.A. Times' Steve Dilbeck says the team could've avoided using so many young arms to plug holes in their injury-plagued rotation.
Omar Minaya hinted that the Mets could add a starting pitcher, but "is reluctant" to do so at the expense of dealing promising minor leaguers, reports Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs thinks the Marlins will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. Responding to Anderson's story, Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel agrees, but thinks a potential deal could bring back more than just prospects for the Fish.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chats with Pirates fans and covers a few hot stove topics, including the likelihood of Zach Duke being dealt.
Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (via Twitter) that Ozzie Guillen thinks "it was a good sign" that A.J. Pierzynski wasn't traded before his ten-and-five rights kicked in. Guillen believes the non-deal "sends a message to the Sox players that there is still time to fix things."

Odds & Ends: A’s, Reds, Murton, Maya, Chipper

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 15, 2010 at 4:00pm CDT

Links for Tuesday, as Andy Pettitte and Tim Lincecum celebrate birthdays…

A's assistant GM David Forst tells MLB.com's Jane Lee that the club would like to add depth to its lineup, even after the Conor Jackson trade (Twitter link).
Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the club would consider trading for or signing a reliever.
The Hanshin Tigers will pick up Matt Murton's option for 2011, according to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter). Jack Moore of FanGraphs recently updated us on Murton's success in Japan.
Ben Badler of Baseball America hears that the Mariners will likely sign right-hander Jose Torres for $800K (Twitter link).
MLBTR has an internship opportunity for a limited number of regular readers. Any skilled and experienced writers with an eye for detail should describe their experience as writers and editors in a couple sentences and e-mail mlbtrintern@gmail.com by the end of the day.
Yunesky Maya was already unblocked, but he can sign with anyone now that he has been cleared by the FAC office, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com (link in Spanish).
Chipper Jones could announce that he will retire after the season, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle says Nationals GM Mike Rizzo misread Stephen Strasburg and should have called him up early on in the season.
From what Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog gathers, the Mets and Mariners have talked a lot about Cliff Lee.
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik declined to comment on whether the team would trade Lee now, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Jay Greenberg of the New York Post says the Mets seem likely to keep relying on R.A. Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi, as tempting as Roy Oswalt may be.
Buck Showalter and Phil Garner both told MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli that the O's have yet to contact them about managing the club.
Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times suggests the Cubs could benefit from becoming sellers. – it just wouldn't be an easy sell to the fan base.
David Ortiz tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he misses Manny Ramirez, though the two didn't socialize much beyond the ballpark.

Rosenthal On Braves, Marlins, Lee, Cubs

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 15, 2010 at 1:40pm CDT

The Braves are interested in adding a right-handed hitting outfielder, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Melky Cabrera and Nate McLouth have not hit well for the Braves, and Jason Heyward's now slumping. Eric Hinske has played tremendously, but can't be expected to post an OPS near 1.000, so the Braves may deal from pitching depth for a bat. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

The Marlins are actively seeking relief help.
Rosenthal says the Cardinals, Reds and Brewers – yes, the Brewers – could be interested in Cliff Lee this summer. The Brewers could provide the Mariners with a hitter like Corey Hart or Mat Gamel and trade Lee to a third team for younger pitchers.
The Cubs would love to deal Kosuke Fukudome, but he will earn more than $21MMM between now and the end of 2011, so trading him will not be easy. Click here for more from Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi on Fukudome's availability.
Red Sox GM Theo Epstein will probably look to acquire a reliever this summer.

Olney On Rangers, Mariners, DeJesus

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 15, 2010 at 10:53am CDT

Rangers fans should soon know how quickly the team's sale will be completed, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The timeline of the sale could determine how aggressive the Rangers are at this summer's trade deadline. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

Rival executives tell Olney that they expect the Mariners to become one of the summer's most aggressive sellers. Cliff Lee would be the most appealing trade chip on the 24-40 Mariners if they decide to sell.
Olney hears that few teams are willing to take on money this year. Fair enough, but I'd be surprised if five or ten teams don't add payroll this summer. Teams seemed similarly hesitant to take on money this time last summer, but found ways to do it.
The Padres, Angels, Giants and Reds could be fits for David DeJesus in Olney's opinion.

Odds & Ends: Angels, Brewers, Gordon, Romero

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2010 at 10:13pm CDT

Some links to check out while we wait to see if Jon Garland can help the Padres extend their lead in the NL West…

Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that the Angels may take their time in trading for a first baseman, both to save money and to determine if they need to make a big pickup.
Brewers' first-round pick Dylan Covey is looking for a $2MM signing bonus, which Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes is about $300K higher than MLB's slotted bonus price for a 14th overall selection.
Haudricourt also reports that Milwaukee's first two picks from the 2009 Amateur Draft (26th overall right-hander Eric Arnett and 39th overall outfielder Kentrail Davis) have both been sent down a level. Arnett posted a 6.87 ERA in 12 starts at the low-A level and is moving down to rookie ball, while Davis goes from high-A to low-A.
Royals manager Ned Yost tells MLB.com's Dick Kaegel that in spite of Alex Gordon's success at Triple-A, Gordon won't be called back up to the majors until Kansas City can find an everyday space for him.
Five teams have an interest in outfielder Wilmer Romero in advance of the international signing period opening on July 2, tweets Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated.
Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks the Pirates could spend around $10.5MM to sign their draft class since they "need, and want, to flood…their system with talent."
The already pitching-rich Braves have "the most talented rotation in the minors" at Advanced-A Myrtle Beach, according to Fangraphs' Marc Hulet.
MLB.com's Bill Ladson sees Washington pursuing a pitcher and a hitter at the trade deadline, and answers a number of hot stove-related questions in a fan mailbag.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that the Dodgers haven't made any progress towards acquiring Cliff Lee and are balking at the money left on Roy Oswalt's contract.
Meanwhile, Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times says the Angels could have Paul Konerko today, if they wanted. He adds that if they do make a trade, they might be better off targeting a third baseman.
A Mets' official indicated that the team won't discuss an extension with Rod Barajas until after the season, tweets Newsday's David Lennon.
Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweets that Ted Lilly was "begging" the Yankees to sign him before the 2007, but they went for Kei Igawa instead.
Paul Hagen of The Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies shouldn't expect a trade deadline boost this year because of a depleted farm system beyond Domonic Brown and close to $140MM in salary commitments for 2011.
Richard Justice of The Houston Chronicle says it might not be until July that the Astros decide to "blow up the roster and start over."
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports looks at nine starting pitchers who will be on the market this summer, led by Lee.

Amateur Draft Signings: Monday

By Mark Polishuk | June 14, 2010 at 6:39pm CDT

Several teams announced mass signings of players from the 2010 Amateur Draft today. Here's a round-up of Monday's signings…

The Angels have signed over 20 of their picks, most notably supplemental round selections Taylor Lindsey and Ryan Bolden.
According to a team press release, the Mariners have signed 17 of their draft picks. The highest of these picks was Tennesse Tech right-hander Stephen Pryor, taken in the fifth round.
The Nationals have inked 22 draft picks according a team press release, including 15 of their 25 selections. No, Bryce Harper is not among those who signed on the dotted line.
The Reds signed 14 draft picks according to John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer, including their second, third, and fourth rounders.
Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog.com reports that the Mets signed 25 draft picks of their own, highlighted by fourth rounder Cory Vaughn (Greg Vaughn's son).
Houston's signing of Mike Kvasnicka, the 33rd overall selection, became official today. In addition to Kvasnicka, an Astros team press release also announced three other signings, including seventh-round selection Roberto Pena.

Mike Axisa also contributed to this post.

Heyman’s Latest: Lee, Oswalt, White Sox, Nady

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2010 at 1:09pm CDT

Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…

Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are the two big name pitchers available on the trade market, but their value is very different because of the money owed to them. "At the end of the day," says one AL exec, "I don't think Houston will be able to move the entire (Oswalt) contract and get premium players back."
Another AL executive noted that Lee has proven that he can be successful in the American League and will fetch two draft picks at the end of the season.
The Red Sox turned down a straight up Lee for Clay Buchholz offer last year.
The Yankees are happy with their rotation at the moment, but they plan on putting in a call in the coming days just in case they are "pleasantly surprised" by Seattle's asking price. Oswalt, meanwhile, isn't even on their radar.
Some wonder if the Dodgers are saving money for a big score, but GM Ned Colletti will be hard pressed to acquire either Lee or Oswalt without ownership approval.
The Cardinals might not be willing to take on Oswalt's deal with Albert Pujols' free agency rapidly approaching.
The Mets might not want to give up the prospects to acquire another frontline pitcher, though the Rangers would be able to work Lee's salary into the budget.
Heyman also goes through and offers some opinion on other teams that could use one of the two aces, including the Reds, Phillies, and Angels.
Kenny Williams would like to fire Ozzie Guillen according to one person close to the team, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf is too loyal to let it happen.
A trade of Xavier Nady to open up the Cubs' outfield logjam seems likely.

Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Oswalt

By Mike Axisa | June 13, 2010 at 11:14am CDT

In today's notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox would move closer Jonathan Papelbon after the season to open up the closer's role for Daniel Bard. He speculates that the Brewers, Twins, Rays, Braves, and Phillies could be in the market for a closer this winter. Papelbon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

Scott Boras said he undervalued Stephen Strasburg last year, even though he eventually signed the largest contract in draft history. Boras added that being around San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn helped Strasburg become prepared for what lied ahead.
Cafardo says that New England isn't a high priority area for scouts before the draft because by time they can get out to see the players in the region, it's too late in the game for a cross-checker to confirm anything.
Cafardo predicts that Jacoby Ellsbury will be traded this offseason. He'll arbitration eligible for the first time after 2010, though he's been battling rib issues basically all season.
He also remarks that the Red Sox would have to play Mike Lowell if they want to showcase him for a trade. Lowell has received just 50 plate appearances since the end of April.
Kevin Millwood should become major trade bait as the deadline approaches because he's pitched well and is in the final year of his contract.
The Brewers would love to make Randy Wolf available, but no one would take him on with more than two years and $24MM left on his deal. Meanwhile, Milwaukee still isn't sure if they'll try to improve their catching situation or become sellers and look towards next season.
The feeling is that once Seattle trades Cliff Lee, pretty much everyone on their roster not named Ichiro and Felix Hernandez will be available as well.
Diamondbacks' CEO Derrick Hall isn't happy with his team's performance and has talked about re-evaluating his management staff. They could be major players at the deadline, with Justin Upton representing the only untouchable.
Cafardo says that the feeling among big league executives is that the Dodgers will not give up the prospects necessary to acquire Roy Oswalt, but they would be okay taking on the money.
Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox if they let David Ortiz go after the season, assuming the Nationals don't re-sign him.

Odds & Ends: Bettis, Royals, Astros, Pierzynski

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 11, 2010 at 9:58pm CDT

Links for Friday, as interleague play resumes…

Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies tweets that Colorado signed second round pick Chad Bettis after he passed his physical.
The Royals signed seven draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros have done the same.
Ozzie Guillen said bluntly "A.J. [Pierzynski] isn't getting traded," according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times. Said the ChiSox manager: "I talked to A.J. a couple of days ago and said 'Listen man, you're not going to get traded." (Twitter links).
Meanwhile, Pierzynski can't wait for his 10-and-5 rights to kick in this weekend, says Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune.
Pirates' GM Neal Huntington chatted with fans about this week's amateur draft at MLB.com.
The Athletics have signed 17 draft picks according to a team press release, including sixth rounder Tony Thompson and ninth rounder A.J. Kirby-Jones.
Jeff Wilson of The Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers have signed 19 draft picks, highlighted by eighth rounder Jonathan Roof.
The Braves have agreed to terms with second round pick Andrelton Simmons, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter).
A team source told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that White Sox GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen almost came to blows yesterday.
Guillen downplayed the tension between him and Williams and told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he wants to stay in Chicago (Twitter link).
You can now go back further than ever through MLBTR's recent posts by clicking "Previous" at the bottom of the site.
The Reds are expected to sign their second rounder as early as tonight, according to Mike Pryson of the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Ryan LaMarre told Pryson that he has come to terms with the Reds.
If you're a Mariners fan, I don't recommend reading this: Tom Verducci of SI.com explains how Yuniesky Betancourt may have cost the Mariners the chance to draft Stephen Strasburg.
Carlos Santana got the call from the Indians and will debut tonight, writes Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (link in Spanish). Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer confirms the move via Twitter.
Dan Connolly and Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun report that the Orioles will interview Bobby Valentine for their managerial job today.
Connolly notes that the Orioles interviewed Eric Wedge Wednesday.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Orioles are also considering Buck Showalter for the job.
Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox should release Mike Lowell instead of playing with what is essentially a 24-man roster.

Yankees, Mets Will Have Interest In Cliff Lee

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 11, 2010 at 12:09pm CDT

The Yankees haven’t started talking with the Mariners about Cliff Lee yet, but they will have interest if Jack Zduriencik makes him available and so will the Mets. Several executives tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mariners have pro scouts eyeing rival teams’ minor league prospects, even though they haven’t decided to deal Lee at this point. But unless the M's go on a major hot streak, it looks like Lee will be traded for the third time since last summer.

"I would expect to see Lee traded barring a 20 out of the next 30 run by the Mariners,” an AL personnel man told Sherman. “I would not think he'd be traded this month, but if Seattle wants the best return, it would be better off doing it now."

Many teams will have interest in Lee, including the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees believe the Mariners would ask for Jesus Montero or Austin Romine in a trade for Lee and they would prefer to hold onto their top prospects as long as the price is that steep. Mets officials tell Sherman that they’ll acquire a starter, possibly Lee, if they remain contenders.

Lee currently ranks as a Type A free agent, so his team will have the chance to obtain two top draft picks for him by offering arbitration this winter. Barring the unexpected, Lee's team will offer arbitration and he will turn it down.

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