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Odds & Ends: Yankees, Marquis, Washburn

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A fresh batch of links for your Saturday afternoon enjoyment…

  • Sweeny Murti of WFAN gathered a quote from Yankees GM Brian Cashman on the club's starting pitching depth:  "Right now I don't feel like we need a guy…because we're going internal and waiting to see how that works out."  In other words, they probably won't take part in the Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee sweepstakes.
  • Tracy Ringolsby, writing for FOXSports.com, notes how a change of scenery has benefited 30-year-old right-hander Jason Marquis, who was named to his first All-Star team earlier this month.
  • Mike Lipka of the Associated Press, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, suggests Jarrod Washburn's chances of being moved hinge on the Mariners' play over the next few weeks.  If the M's begin to slip back in the AL West, the left-hander will almost definitely be wearing a different uniform in August.
  • Rickey Henderson, 50, acknowledged Friday that his playing days are over.  But, as the all-time stolen base leader told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick, he would love to pursue a career in coaching.
  • Crasnick appeared on Portland, Maine's CMSB this morning and touched on several of the topics we've been throwing around here the past few weeks.  He, like other experts have echoed recently, called the chances of a Halladay deal "50-50."

Taking Stock Of Seattle’s Trade Chips

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The Mariners are in the playoff hunt with a 46-42 record, though many expected them to be sellers this month. As Gregg Bell of the AP reports, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu and trade candidate Jarrod Washburn say they want to keep the team together and attempt to win now.

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mariners "seem destined to make some trades" this month and offers up some trade candidates:
  • Miguel Batista – Baker says it makes sense to move Batista, who makes $3.3MM before the end of the year. He could offset salary coming to Seattle.
  • Relievers Sean White and Mark Lowe would atract interest and the Mariners may feel they have enough depth to part with one of them, especially with prospect Phillippe Aumont on his way.
  • Unless the Mariners fall from contention, Baker suggests it makes sense to hold Erik Bedard, whose value is limited because of his time on the DL.  
  • Dealing Jarrod Washburn is a "no-brainer" if the M's fall out of it.  
  • Brandon Morrow, Wladimir Balentien and Jeff Clement could all be moved as well.

Seattle Acquires Jack Hannahan

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CSNBayArea.com reports that the A's have traded infielder Jack Hannahan to the Mariners for minor league righthander Justin Souza. Hannahan was hitting .193-.278-.303 in 134 plate appearances this year, not to mention spending some time in the minors.

Souza, 23, was Seattle's ninth round selection in the 2006 draft, and had a 3.35 ERA working mostly as a starter in Double-A. He was not one of the Mariners top 30 prospects coming into the season according to Baseball America.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Church, Francoeur, Betancourt

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Had enough of yesterday's trades yet? Good, because here are some reactions from around the blogosphere…

  • Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog says he's not sure the Ryan Church–Jeff Francoeur swap makes total sense, and he's not sure if the move will have an impact for either team.
  • Sam Page at Amazin' Avenue says that he's convinced the trade makes no sense, and all of the "talk about potential, shake-ups and athleticism is just noise."
  • Talking Chops' "gondeee" likes the Church pickup, even if it cost the once-face of the franchise. Admittedly, it's been a while since Francoeur was viewed in that light.
  • Jay Yencich at USS Mariner says the Mariners came out pretty good in the Yuniesky Betancourt deal, even if they had to send some cash Kansas City's way.
  • D.W. at Tangled Up In (Royal) Blue doesn't understand how the move fits into the big picture for the Royals.
  • Keith at The Royals Tower is taking a hiatus from blogging out of frustration caused by the deal.

Freddy Sanchez Rumors: Saturday

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Yesterday we learned that the Pirates are "pushing hard" to trade All Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez before this year's trade deadline, but nothing appears imminent right now. Here's the latest roundup of Sanchez rumors courtesy of Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports.

  • Kovacevic says the Mariners and Twins remain interested in Sanchez.
  • The Rockies' interest has cooled off of late, and they're now focused on acquiring bullpen help.
  • Biertempfel adds a new team to the mix: Tampa Bay.
  • Edes reports that a NL Central team is involved, and speculates that it could be the Cubs.
  • Sanchez's $8MM vesting option based on plate appearances is an obstacle in any trade.

Odds And Ends: Chapman, Betancourt, Masset

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Some links in anticipation of the weekend…
  • According to Baseball America, there's no evidence to suggest that Aroldis Chapman is 26 years old and allegations that he's any older than 21 don't pass the logic test.
  • ESPN.com's Jayson Stark has the oddest anecdotes and funniest quotes from the first half of the season. 
  • The AP (via ESPN) reports that this year's All Stars will receive a combined $2.3MM in bonuses for making the team, led by Roy Halladay's $125k. I wonder who pays if Halladay's dealt before Tuesday…
  • As Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star shows, Yuniesky Betancourt does not have much of a glove or bat, so it's puzzling that the Royals wanted him.
  • MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports that the Reds aren't trading Nick Masset away, especially when his $418k salary makes him so affordable.

Royals Acquire Yuniesky Betancourt

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The Royals acquired Yuniesky Betancourt and cash from the Mariners for a pair of minor league pitchers, according to Joe Hamrahi of Baseball Daily Digest. Betancourt makes at least $10MM before his current deal expires, so it'll be interesting to see how much the Mariners are contributing. 

Here's some info on the pitchers, from Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune. Danny Cortes, 22, will report to AA. He's 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA in his last eleven games after a rough start to the year in the Royals organization. He was the Royals' minor league pitcher of the year last year and Baseball America labelled him the best minor league pitcher in the organization entering this year.

Derrick Saito, 21, has struck out more than a batter per inning in A ball. The 21-year-old lefty will begin his Mariners career in A ball.

Olney On Nats, Rockies, Halladay

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney likes the looks of the Mariners, especially with a top three of Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn. Here are Olney's latest rumors:

  • Nats GM Mike Rizzo says he doesn't have to dump payroll, which gives the team flexibility when considering deals for Nick Johnson, Austin Kearns and others. If they find a worthwhile deal, the Nationals could likely contribute money to make it work.
  • As much as the Rockies would like to add a reliever, there are few desirable options out there now, so they may have to wait until closer to the deadline.
  • No team has come forth with an aggressive offer for Roy Halladay so far.  
  • Olney hears that the Phillies would like to add two starters. Halladay and Pedro Martinez are the names they've been connected to recently.  

Heyman On Halladay, Pedro, Ackley, Andruw

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SI.com's Jon Heyman hears that the Blue Jays could keep Roy Halladay, especially since Toronto fans would not be receptive to a deal that sends their ace elsewhere. If the Jays do deal Halladay, they say they're looking for two premium prospects who will be ready for the majors next year and two other prospects who are further away from making big league contributions. Here are the details and the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • One executive says the Phillies, Giants and Angels have the best shots at acquiring Halladay.
  • The Yankees and Mets have both spoken with the Blue Jays.  
  • It seems odd for teams to set some prospects off limits when the Jays are making Halladay available, but teams like the Rangers and Giants could conceivably deal for Doc and hold onto one or two of their top prospects.  
  • Executives haven't heard that the Blue Jays are trying to unload Vernon Wells' salary in a combined deal with Halladay.  
  • No executives believe teams would take Wells under any circumstances. They have "no shot" at moving him, according to one executive.
  • Heyman credits Pedro Martinez's agent, Fern Cuza, for some impressive deals but doubts the report that suggested the Phillies will pay Pedro $4MM, unless it's prorated.  
  • Scott Boras met Mariners people to discuss second-overall pick Dustin Ackley, but the two sides made little progress. 
  • Heyman praises Andruw Jones for turning down offers from the Braves and Yankees to sign in Texas with coach Rudy Jaramillo.  

Yuniesky Betancourt Rumors

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11:32am: Ryan Divish of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that Betancourt is healthy and was genuinely puzzled after being removed from last night's lineup. As Divish points out, Zduriencik's "no comment" suggests something's up.

9:22am: As MLB.com's Jim Street notes, the Mariners have been pleased with Ronny Cedeno's performance during Yuniesky Betancourt's DL stint, so there's a chance they deal Batancourt within the next week. 

Betancourt was removed from the lineup before a rehab game in Triple A last night, so Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asked GM Jack Zduriencik whether an injury or a disciplinary issue prompted the move, but Zduriencik declined to comment.

If the Mariners deal Betancourt, who still has at least $10MM coming his way on his current deal, they would presumably be paying some of his contract.
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