Cliff Lee Rumors: Saturday
With as many as 12-15 teams teams potentially showing interesting in Cliff Lee, ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Mariners still want "big bat potential" in any deal for the lefty ace (Twitter link). He lists two candidates: Justin Smoak of the Rangers, and Yonder Alonso of the Reds. Alonso is blocked in Cincinnati by Joey Votto.
As the Rangers showed with the Bengie Molina deal, they are unable (or unwilling) to take on payroll, instead choosing to give up a higher caliber prospect. Other big bat prospects that could be moved in a trade: Jesus Montero of the Yankees, Fernando Martinez of the Mets, and Domonic Brown of the Phillies. Whether or not those teams are willing to surrender those players in a trade for a 2008 AL Cy Young award winner is another story altogether.
Olney’s Latest: Lee, Zambrano, Dodgers, Fielder
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that even though the Yankees already have five good starters, the tight race in the AL East is enough to keep them engaged with the Mariners about Cliff Lee. They will probably make an offer at some point, but they're unlikely to land him because they've been philosophically opposed to trading prospects for a player they could just sign as a free agent after the season.
Here are the rest of Olney's rumors…
- Olney's message to any team looking for bullpen help: Good luck with that. There are no difference-making relievers on the market, and guys like Kerry Wood, David Aardsma, and Jason Frasor are no sure things.
- Carlos Zambrano has some value as an innings eater, and the Cubs could probably get a team to absorb $10-15MM of the $45MM left on his deal. If he does get traded, Olney says it would likely be in the offseason.
- People in the Dodgers' organization say there is "little or no hope" that money will be available for the team to make moves.
- Olney doesn't see the Giants and Brewers matching up in a Prince Fielder trade. Matt Cain is a deal breaker given Tim Lincecum's recent struggles, and Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner won't be enough.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Mets, Orioles, Lee
Links for Friday night, as Roy Oswalt and Mat Latos duel in San Diego….
- Joe Torre tells MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that he and GM Ned Colletti have discussed potential moves for the Dodgers.
- Jerry Manuel wouldn't mind seeing the Mets acquire a starting pitcher, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
- Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun provides his take on a few Orioles-related news stories, including who he thinks their next manager will be.
- Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi appeared on WEEI's Big Show and addressed how he thinks Theo Epstein will approach the trade deadline. Jay Asser has the transcript of the discussion at WEEI.com.
- A person "close to Cliff Lee" denies that the left-hander suggested he may have pitched his last game as a Mariner, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Sirius XM's Jim Duquette reported Lee's alleged comments yesterday (via Twitter).
- Livan Hernandez is excited about the Nationals signing his half-brother as a reliever, writes MASN's Ben Goessling.
Stark On Wigginton, Lopez, Atkins, Lee
Unlike the Red Sox and Rockies, who may try to avoid making a trade to replace their injured infielders, the Phillies are "trying like hell" to find an infield bat, writes ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Stark breaks down the Phillies' options and shares some Cliff Lee rumors in a new blog entry:
- Enough teams are interested in Ty Wigginton that the Orioles can be patient in their attempts to get maximum value for him. The Phillies, on the other hand, need an infielder now, so they'll either have to meet Baltimore's asking price or look elsewhere.
- A scout tells Stark that some people in the Phils' organization like Jose Lopez "a lot."
- The Phillies have never been overly interested in Garrett Atkins, and that hasn't changed now that he has become available.
- Kelly Johnson, Jhonny Peralta, Jose Bautista, and Miguel Tejada are also possibilities to varying degrees for Philadelphia.
- The Phils don't want to move Domonic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Anthony Gose, or Trevor May for an infielder, but would discuss anyone except Brown for a top starting pitcher.
- The Reds "are more interested than they're letting on" in Lee, while the Yankees also continue to monitor the Mariners' left-hander.
- The Rangers and Dodgers would love to acquire Lee, but would have to give up a slew of prospects to avoid taking on his salary.
- According to Stark, there have even been rumblings that the Rays could be a match for the M's ace if they were willing to move B.J. Upton.
July 2 Rumors: Phillies, Twins, Cubs, Blue Jays
The international signing period opens today and we'll keep track of the rumors and news right here:
- The Phillies signed Venezuelan shortstop Francisco Silva for about $200K and the Twins agreed to sign Reyson Zoquier, a Dominican lefty, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
- The Cubs agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Daniel Sanchez for a mid six-figure bonus, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America.
- ESPN.com’s Keith Law hears that the Blue Jays are expected to spend aggressively on international prospects this summer.
- The Blue Jays have been tied to Gabriel Cenas, a Venezuelan third baseman and Pedro Perez, a Colombian third baseman, according to Law.
- They are also in on Eskarlin Vazquez, a Dominican outfielder who has captured the Giants’ attention. Law predicts Vazquez will get one of the summer’s top bonuses.
- The Mariners are expected to sign Philips Castillo, another Dominican outfielder who should command a top bonus, according to Law. The Mariners have also been linked to Jose Torres, a Colombian right-hander.
- Law has heard that the Royals are in on Jeffrey Baez, a speedy Venezuelan outfielder.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dawson, Ahrens, Rays, Lee
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
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
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
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
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.