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Odds & Ends: Reds, Rangers, Bedard

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Some fairly interesting nuggets to scope out this Wednesday evening:

  • Despite the Reds' abysmal play as of late, team CEO Bob Castellini has given manager Dusty Baker a vote of confidence for this year and next, says John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer.
  • Doug Miller at MLB.com reports that Spring Training has been a huge boon for Florida, generating over $750MM for the state. "Major League Baseball has a following that transcends economic downturns," researcher Dr. Mark Bonn said. Haven't heard that from team owners too often.
  • The Rangers designated minor-league RHP John Bannister for assignment to make room for Esteban German on the big-league roster, says Evan Grant at D Magazine.
  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty says that the team is getting closer to a deal with their first-round pick, RHP Mike Leake.
  • Erik Bedard's rehab has been shut down indefinitely as he experienced more pain in his shoulder, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, which effectively ends any trade value he might've had for the Mariners.

More August Trade Candidates

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Nobody's been traded so far in August, but deals are sure to go through. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick considers some trade candidates:

  • Doug Davis and Jon Garland 
  • Heath Bell – An unlikely trade candidate, since he's sure to be claimed, but he could be dealt even if he's claimed (to the NL team with the worst record among all claiming teams).
  • Lyle Overbay – He makes $7MM next year, a deterrent for possible suitors.
  • Justin Duchscherer – Some health concerns remain, as he hasn't pitched in the majors this year.  
  • Kevin Millar, Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Giambi – Veteran bats for the playoffs.
  • Jamey Carroll – Mark Teahen's another utility type, but he's less likely to be dealt than Carroll.  
  • Carl Pavano – Just don't expect the Yankees to come calling. 
  • Arthur Rhodes and David Weathers  
  • Miguel Batista 

  Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times looks into Mariners trade candidates:

  • Russell Branyan won't clear waivers, but the Mariners could consider dealing six weeks of Branyan to the claiming team for a decent prospect.
  • Like Duchscherer, Erik Bedard has to prove he's healthy before anyone will commit to him.
  • Baker expects the Mariners to try to move Adrian Beltre. They won't want to offer him arbitration after the season and risk paying him $14MM or so next year, so now's their chance to get a return for Beltre. They would almost certainly have to pick up salary in the process.

Astros To Sign Roy Corcoran

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Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports that the Astros will sign Roy Corcoran, who just became a free agent. The 29-year-old righty hit free agency after refusing an assignment to the Mariners' Triple A team. He allowed 25 hits in 19 innings with the Mariners and walked about three times as many batters (17) as he struck out (6).

The Mariners designated Corcoran for assignment late last month.

Odds & Ends: Glaus, Prospects, Mariners

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Some evening appetizers as (most) games commence this evening:

  • Marc Hulet at Fangraphs gives part two of his rankings of the prospects moved this past deadline.
  • A "back issue" has sidelined Troy Glaus yet again, reports Joe Strauss at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This would seem to lessen the chances he gets traded this month even further.
  • Matt Eddy at Baseball America has a comprehensive list of the most recent minor league transactions.
  • Ben Badler at Baseball America gets official confirmation on all the Mariners' international signings, including the highly-touted Guillermo Pimentel, who received a $2MM bonus. In all, they signed ten amateurs, eight from Latin America and two from Korea.
  • Impending free agent Adrian Beltre is back in the Mariners' lineup, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, and says he's not concerned about his contract going forward.
  • The Cubs signed their sixth-round pick, LHP Brooks Raley, for $750k, reports Jim Callis at Baseball America. That's a notable figure, as it's $600k more than the recommended slot and the highest figure above-slot we've seen before the deadline, Callis says.

Pirates And Mariners Exchange Minor Leaguers

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The Pirates aren't finished dealing after all. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that they traded Mike Koplove to the Mariners for shortstop Deybis Benitez. Benitez, 22, is hitting .304/.407/.304 in A ball. Koplove, a 33-year-old righty, has allowed 42 hits and 21 walks in 54.1 innings for two Triple A teams this year, striking out 50. He spent six years with  the D'Backs and last appeared in the majors a couple years ago on the Indians.

Mariners DFA Chris Woodward

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The Mariners designated Chris Woodward for assignment today to make room for Adrian Beltre, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Some expected the Mariners to option Jack Hannahan to the minors, but they're keeping him around at Woodward's expense. Woodward, 33, hit .239/.288/.254 in 20 games for the Mariners at short, second and third. 

Which Teams Shed Salary At The Deadline?

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Yesterday we found that the Cardinals led the group of 12 teams that took on at least $1MM leading up to the trade deadline. They took on $6.6MM and were the only team to add as much as $5MM in payroll. So what about the sellers? Here's a look at the teams that traded away at least $1MM in 2009 salary this summer. Again, all totals are approximate:

Seven teams saved $1MM or more this deadline. The Indians, Pirates and A's saved considerably more than that this year and the Padres saved considerably more than that in the future. Surprisingly, the Nationals don't appear on this list. Their decision to trade Joe Beimel saved them $700k and they're paying Nick Johnson to play for the Marlins, so ironically, the team everyone thought would sell wasn't much of a seller.

Felix & Gonzalez Were Part Of Failed Deal

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You thought the Jake Peavy deal was a surprise? The Red Sox, Mariners and Padres discussed a trade that would have made the Peavy acquisition look like the Jason Hirsh deal, according to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Baker hears that the Red Sox gave the Mariners the chance to choose five of the following players in exchange for Felix Hernandez:

  • Clay Buchholz
  • Daniel Bard 
  • Justin Masterson 
  • Nick Hagadone 
  • Michael Bowden 
  • Felix Doubront 
  • Josh Reddick 
  • Yamaico Navarro 

The Mariners apparently turned down the deal, at which point the Padres became involved in discussions about a possible three-way trade. The Mariners would have received Adrian Gonzalez, Buchholz and prospects in the deal. They would have sent Felix to the Red Sox and dealt Brandon Morrow, Phillippe Aumont and Carlos Triunfel to the Padres, who would have received prospects from the Red Sox as well. In the end, Baker says the Mariners nixed the deal.

Odds & Ends: Deadline, Halladay, French

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Just a few more links on a slow rumors night…

  • Scott Miller of CBSsports.com posts his deadline winners and losers. Unlike most of the reaction pieces we've seen, Miller defends Pirates GM Neal Huntington "as he stubbornly sticks to his vision." I think Huntington put it best when he said "We don't feel like we've broken up the 1927 Yankees."
  • Jordan Bastian of MLB.com says that now that the deadline has passed, Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay can focus on just pitching. I know it comes with the territory, but it must be tough having to answer the same questions about what you think will happen day after day.
  • MLB.com's Jim Street writes that getting traded to the Seattle in the Jarrod Washburn deal was a dream come true for Luke French, who somehow grew up a Mariners fan in Colorado.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Yankees, Dodgers, Pirates

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The tireless Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up. Let's dive in…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Rosenthal that he was "very aggressive" going after pitching help, whether it be high-end starters, low-end starters, or relievers. "I was on all of it," Cashman said.
  • Cashman specifically targeted Jarrod Washburn, but the Mariners asked for top prospect Austin Jackson in return. The Yankees were also "one of several clubs" to inquire about Felix Hernandez.
  • Rosenthal says Heath Bell was their primary target among relievers, as the idea was to make him the primary setup man for Mariano Rivera, and possibly put Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves back into the rotation.
  • The Dodgers "never got close" in their attempted blockbuster for Adrian Gonzalez and Bell. The deal would have helped Los Angeles' rotation by shortening the game from the back end with another elite reliever.
  • They still have issues in the rotation however, as Jason Schmidt topped out at 87 last night. Only two National League clubs have gotten fewer innings out of their starters than the Dodgers.
  • We won't know the true result of the Pirates' firesale until 2011 or 2012, but the early returns on the Jason Bay trade are not good. Rosenthal says the Rays may have been willing to pay more for Bay at the time, possibly including the since-traded Jason Hammel and/or Edwin Jackson in a package.
  • Hitters and relievers will be in "ample supply" during the August waiver period, but quality starting pitchers … not so much. Doug Davis might be one of the best available starters, and the Diamondbacks will need to be realistic about a return since they are unlikely to offer him arbitration after the year.
  • There was "precious little action" on Davis in July. When Rosenthal mentioned to a club official that the offers for Davis might not be much better in August, the official responded "they can't be much worse."
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