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Dotel To Atlanta Deal Not Close

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UPDATE: Word via the Kansas City Star is that the Royals will get Kyle Davies in the deal.  The Teixeira trade needs to be finalized first though.  Nice job by Dayton Moore.  Apparently he preferred Davies over Wladimir Balentien. 

UPDATE 2: Based on this MLB.com report and reports from Sports Radio 810, the deal is not complete and Davies for Dotel was simply an offer.  Dotel was apparently seen shagging flies in batting practice today.

UPDATE 3: Mark Bowman of MLB.com says the teams are not close to finalizing a deal and John Schuerholz has yet to enter into serious negotiations.

Interesting development via Ken Rosenthal: the Braves are close to a deal for Royals’ closer Octavio Dotel.  They apparently have made a better offer than finalists Cleveland and Los Angeles.

Royals GM Dayton Moore knows his way around Atlanta’s farm system, of course.  He had all kinds of player development roles within the Braves organization.  The Braves’ top three prospects heading into the season per Baseball America were Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Matt Harrison.  With those three out of the picture perhaps Moore is going for outfielder Brandon Jones or first baseman Scott Thorman.

Quite a day for Atlanta…now to snag a starter…

The Market For Eric Gagne

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Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog has the latest regarding Texas closer Eric Gagne.  It seems the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Indians, Mariners, and Dodgers may all be in on him depending on who you listen to.  We’ve heard the Tigers in on him previously but not so much anymore.  We’ve heard the Diamondbacks and Cubs connected to Gagne in the past but not as much lately.

There still seems to be some confusion about which teams Gagne can be dealt to without his consent.  To review what’s been published:

Gagne can be traded to the Yankees, Mets, Angels, and nine other clubs without his consent.

If Gagne is to be traded to the Tigers, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox, or thirteen other unknown clubs, he must consent.  That means additional concessions on the part of the acquiring team.

So, we don’t know where the Mariners, Dodgers, Cubs, or Diamondbacks fall.  But I don’t know why the Yankees would have to worry about Gagne missing his incentives if they acquire him.  Being on the first list is a big plus for the Yanks.

Mariners Targeting Al Reyes

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Recent reports had indicated that Tampa Bay closer Al Reyes was off the market. Maybe those were false, or maybe the Dan Wheeler acquisition has increased the Rays’ willingness to listen.  At any rate, interest is growing in Reyes.

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times notes the Mariners’ interest; they had two scouts at Tropicana Field yesterday.  Reyes did not pitch, however.  One of those scouts was Norm Charlton on a special assignment.  Topkin seems to imply that the Rays would want young catcher Jeff Clement in return for Reyes.  He also alludes to the Mets’ interest but believes a three-team deal could be necessary to get the Rays what they want.

From the start of the season through June 17th, Reyes was a revelation for the Devil Rays.  During that time period Reyes had a 2.17 ERA, 10.9 K/9, and 2.5 BB/9 with 16 saves in 29 innings.  But since then Reyes has allowed 12 earned runs in nine innings, all of them coming from three separate four-run blowups.  He gave up four home runs during the span.  That time period also included a couple of weeks off for a rotation cuff strain, so there’s a definite correlation with his performance.

To give up a player like Clement for a reliever as shaky as Reyes would be a very questionable move.  The idea that the Rays could get him is pure speculation on my part.  As I mentioned earlier, expanding the trade to include Carlos Pena could really sweeten the deal for Seattle. 

By the way, the Devil Rays hold a club option on Reyes for 2008 that tops out at $2.25MM.

Mariners Considering Kei Igawa, Al Reyes, Jason Jennings?

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Apparently the Mariners have some interest in twice-demoted Yankees starter Kei Igawa, according to an uncited TV report.  The report pleased Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima.

Igawa is locked up through 2011, which may or may not be a positive.  He earns another $1.5MM this year plus $4MM annually through the end of the contract.  The posting fee situation ensures that Igawa’s salary is  really cheap, the price a team might pay for a semi-utility guy like Mark DeRosa.  If Igawa can be league average in the comfy confines of Safeco, he’s a bargain.  More likely he’d have value to an NL team. 

The Mariners were in on Igawa this offseason, along with the Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Braves, Mets, Cubs, Tigers, and Indians.  Igawa was said to prefer playing on the West Coast.  The 28 year-old had a decent strikeout rate but has otherwise been rocked in 62 innings as a Yankee.

Meanwhile Dan Graziano says the Mariners are entertaining practically every available starter.  He says they’re "hot on the trail" of Jason Jennings.  I still think Jennings stays put.

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has a few new names for us: the Mariners have "serious interest" in reliever Al Reyes and may go for Edwin Jackson as well.

Stark’s Latest: Teixeira, Dotel

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Jayson Stark has updated his big ol’ rumor post over at ESPN.com.  Some highlights:

  • Stark believes Mark Teixeira to the Braves or Angels is "almost certainly going to happen."  The Angels’ willingness to offer Joe Saunders instead of Ervin Santana is seen as a big plus.  Meanwhile the Braves want the Rangers to tack C.J. Wilson onto their trade but Texas is resisting.  Stark’s update counteracts Will Carroll’s latest; Will recently wrote: "It’s looking more and more like Mark Teixeira is going to stay a Ranger."  You decide.
  • Toss a few more scenarios into the Octavio Dotel mix:  to the Red Sox for David Murphy, or to the Mariners for Wladimir Balentien.  Big difference there.
  • Stark calls Mark Loretta a "very big name to watch."  Hmmm, maybe this trade deadline is lamer than I realized.
  • OK, the market is now open on Houston’s relievers. 
  • The Marlins would be happy to trade Armando Benitez or Byung-Hyun Kim.  Both would need to shake off major control problems to be of any use.
  • Stark says to forget about trades of Daniel Cabrera, Joe Blanton, Richie Sexson, Livan Hernandez, Dontrelle Willis, Todd Helton, Aaron Rowand, and Noah Lowry.  C’mon now, that’s no fun.  Something tells me the rumors on some of this group won’t disappear, so it’s all good.

Molony’s Latest: Willis, Encarnacion, Sowers

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MLB.com’s Jim Molony has his daily rumor summary up; check it out.  New rumors:

  • Molony’s sources say the Marlins are now listening to offers for Dontrelle Willis.  Might as well – what if the Mariners decide to offer Adam Jones?  Many folks remain enamored of Willis’s talent, if not his recent numbers.
  • The Cardinals could shop Russ Springer or Juan Encarnacion.  Springer is unlikely to be traded, however, because he has his son going to a specific school in St. Louis and the Cardinals respect that.  Encarnacion is hitting decently at .293/.329/.471; it might be high time to unload the $6.5MM he’s owed next year.
  • Something seems to be going on in Cleveland; GM Mark Shapiro has been in Buffalo watching Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey.  Laffey was nearly called up recently.  Not much talk about trading Sowers previously, but he might be an interesting chip.  He’s similar to Kevin Slowey. They might find success in the NL.
  • The Tigers sent scouts to watch Joe Koshansky and Ian Stewart of the Rockies (rumor originated in the Denver Post).  Not sure how those two teams match up, but a cheap Koshansky might be worth a look for Detroit at first base next year.  Unless Carlos Guillen moves over.

Mariners Pursuing Jon Garland

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Jim Hickey mentioned yesterday that the Mariners have been all over White Sox pitchers lately. Assuming Jose Contreras isn’t helpful and Javier Vazquez doesn’t want to go west, that leaves Jon Garland as the most reasonable target.

The Chicago Tribune’s Phil Rogers adds some color to that scenario, noting that one of Bill Bavasi’s henchmen used to work for the White Sox and loves Garland.  Rogers believes the right match would be 23 year-old right fielder Wladimir Balentien.  Wlad has a robust .310/.381/.557 line in Triple A this year.

The two GMs roles were reversed on June 27th, 2004, when the White Sox acquired Freddy Garcia, Ben Davis, and cash for Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed, and Michael Morse.

No matter what you think of Garland, there’s no arguing that he’d be a huge improvement over Horacio Ramirez.  Plus, he’s more than just a rental.  This appears to be a move that makes sense for both teams, though Kenny Williams may require more than just Balentien.

The Tribune’s Mark Gonzales notes that the White Sox have scouted the Yankees’ entire farm system, and they’re still in the mix for Garland as well.

Mariners Watching Starters

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UPDATE: Hickey writes that the Mariners have also scouted Kyle Lohse, Matt Morris, Jason Johnson (thought he went to Japan), and Octavio Dotel.  However, a deal seems unlikely because none of those players are worth top Mariner prospects.

According to Jim Hickey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Mariners have been scouting all kinds of available and not-so-available starters lately.

  • The Mariners have been scouting the White Sox "religiously" lately.  If they saw Javier Vazquez beat the Tigers on Tuesday, they came away impressed.  (However, Vazquez can and probably would veto a trade to the AL or NL West).  They were on hand to watch Jose Contreras tonight; the Tigers had batting practice with him and his ERA is up to 6.22.  Did you hear that?  That was the sound of Contreras’ remaining ounce of trade value evaporating.
  • As you know, the Ms watched Dontrelle Willis on Monday.  Compared to Contreras, Willis pitched well – four earned runs, nearly seven innings. 
  • The Ms also had a scout on hand to see Livan Hernandez twirl a gem over the Marlins on Tuesday.  Hey, at least he takes the ball every fifth day.  That has to be worth something.
  • Hickey says Seattle has also been monitoring the Astros, perhaps in hope of acquiring Dan Wheeler or Chad Qualls.  He speculates that Wandy Rodriguez would be a coup for the Mariners.  Wand-Rod has thrown up stinkers in his last two outings but tossed a complete game shutout over the Mets in the game prior.  He’s inconsistent like that.  The Astros’ #2 starter for 2008 wouldn’t come cheap.

Unfounded Rumor: Mariners Scout Weathers?

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UPDATE: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says Weathers has been pulled off the block.

An MLBTR reader had good seats at last night’s Reds game, and he observed about eight scouts watching.  Specifically, he saw a Seattle Mariners scout.  Apparently the scout got pretty active when David Weathers took the hill.  This is reasonable; the Ms are known to be looking for bullpen help.   

Weathers picked up a two-inning save last night.  He’s having a surprisingly strong year, with some of the best control of his career.  His contract runs through 2008, when he will make $2.75MM.  However, Will Carroll wrote yesterday that the Reds want to keep Weathers and trade Todd Coffey instead.

Another reason eight scouts might have been watching last night’s Reds-Brewers contest: Kyle Lohse started.  He wasn’t too bad, allowing two runs (one earned) in 5.2 innings.  The Mariners seem to be monitoring quite a few starters so it wouldn’t surprise me if they had an eye on Lohse.

Latest On Jermaine Dye

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Jermaine Dye stands to be one of the bigger names dealt within the next seven days.  He’s been hitting well since the All-Star break, but it’s only been 48 ABs.  Here’s the latest on the 33 year-old right fielder.

  • Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times names the Mets, Padres, Dodgers, and Mariners as the top suitors for Dye.  In case you were wondering, Dye has not played more than one game in left field in a seasons since 1996.  A position switch could be necessary, depending on where he ends up.
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News thinks Dye could be had in August.  I don’t agree – Dye has only $2.6MM left on his contract this year and Kenny Williams would be better served trading him in July.  Plan B would be to just let him leave via free agency and take some good draft picks.
  • MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone believes that Dye would cost a leadoff hitting center fielder or a zero-to-three reliever.  The Mets might be able to offer up the CF, but is Dye worth it?
  • Plenty of speculation around Chicago that the Cubs could pursue Dye.  However, I haven’t seen any reason to think this is more than just speculation.  He does seem like a fine fit on the North Side.  Paul Sullivan believes Cliff Floyd’s fragility may force the Cubs to acquire an outfielder.  Will Carroll thinks the Cubs are the best fit for Dye as they can offer the White Sox a prospect and a reliever.
  • Something that could heighten the Cubs’ interest: the Brewers are said to be kicking the tires on Dye.
  • I don’t see why the Mariners would pursue Dye; there is good reason to believe top prospect Adam Jones would outproduce him.
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