Cardinals Rumors

Heyman On Astros, Adams, Matsui, Yankees

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 22, 2011 at 11:25am CDT

Incoming Astros owner Jim Crane has ordered a decrease in payroll from $76MM to $60MM, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on Houston’s deadline plans and other notes from around MLB:

The Astros are looking for at least three pieces for Hunter Pence. They’d probably demand young, MLB-ready talent, so a deal appears unlikely.
Houston is shopping Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers harder than Pence
Padres GM Jed Hoyer told Heyman that he’d have to be “blown away” to trade Mike Adams and that he’d prefer to keep the setup man.
The Rangers are in talks with the Padres about Heath Bell, who is also drawing interest from the Cardinals, Angels and Reds.
No one has called the A’s about Hideki Matsui and Oakland isn’t looking to trade Grant Balfour.
The A’s are taking calls on Michael Wuertz, Brian Fuentes and Craig Breslow.
The Yankees’ wish list includes a right-handed bat along with a lefty reliever and a starter. Perhaps the newly-signed Marcus Thames will help the Yankees at some point in 2011.

New York Notes: Dickey, Isringhausen, Garcia

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 21, 2011 at 8:37pm CDT

The Mets lost to Albert Pujols and the Cardinals today and the Yankees will take on the Rays later tonight. Here's the latest news regarding MLB's two New York teams…

The Yankees have some interest in Jeremy Guthrie according to SI.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter), but they know Orioles' owner Peter Angelos will not trade with them.
The Mets may have decided to keep him, but Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that the Reds and Diamondbacks still have interest in Isringhausen (Twitter link).
An American League contender called the Mets about R.A. Dickey and heard that the knuckleballer isn't going anywhere, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
The Mets have apparently decided to keep Jason Isringhausen, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
Even though Isringhausen would prefer not to be traded, he told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has "unfinished business" in St. Louis. Cardinals sources tell Goold that they wouldn't rule out a reunion with Isringhausen at some point. The 38-year-old spent seven years with the Cardinals, saving 217 games.
Freddy Garcia told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that he hopes to continue pitching for the Yankees, though he understands he may get bumped from the rotation if New York makes a trade.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff dares to wonder if Garcia and Bartolo Colon can keep pitching this well into October.

Olney On Wandy, Phillies, DeJesus, Cardinals, Mets

By Mike Axisa | July 21, 2011 at 11:52am CDT

In addition to all the talk about a potential Hunter Pence trade, ESPN's Buster Olney notes the Astros are "making it clear" that they're willing to trade Wandy Rodriguez in today's Insider-only blog post. The left-hander has caught the eye of the Reds, but Houston will reportedly want as much for Rodriguez as the Rockies would want for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

Olney hears that the Phillies would prefer to frame any offers for Pence around right-hander Vance Worley (Twitter link). Worley owns a 2.02 ERA in ten starts and two relief appearances for Philadelphia this season.
The Pirates have talked internally about pursuing David DeJesus, but it's unclear how aggressive they plan to get in trade talks (Twitter link).
The Cardinals have cast a wide net in their search for bullpen help, and other clubs expect St. Louis to land a right-handed reliever before the deadline (Twitter link).
There is growing confidence in the Mets' organization that the Bernie Madoff case "is veering in favor of the Wilpons," which could allow them to re-establish full control of the team. There is also some unhappiness with how David Einhorn has taken the spotlight without having a deal to become minority owner finalized.

Bullpen Notes: Royals, Angels, Braves, Cardinals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 20, 2011 at 8:43pm CDT

Virtually every contender could use relief help, as Tim Dierkes explained yesterday. Here's the latest on the bullpen market…

Kansas City GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that we shouldn’t read too much into rumors about the Royals’ closer, Joakim Soria. “We certainly understand and appreciate why there would be strong interest in him,” Moore said. “He’s a premium closer. But he fits for us, and our view of Joakim Soria hasn’t changed as it pertains to his importance to our team.”
Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times notes that the Angels are targeting relief help.
There is "growing reason" to expect the Braves to explore deals for relief help, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
The Cardinals are among the teams looking for a starters, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The St. Louis front office would likely shift Kyle McClellan back to the bullpen if they acquire a starter.

West Notes: Pentland, Bell, Breslow, Bedard

By Tim Dierkes | July 20, 2011 at 11:48am CDT

The latest on a few AL and NL West clubs…

The Dodgers fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland and named Dave Hansen interim coach through season's end, the team announced on Twitter. Not that it's entirely Pentland's fault, but the Dodgers are 15th in the NL with 3.63 runs scored per game.
Padres closer Heath Bell appeared on ESPN's Doug Gottlieb show yesterday. He thinks his top three suitors are the Rangers, Phillies, and Cardinals, and believes he'd probably close only for the Cards. SI's Jon Heyman says the Padres have considered taking draft picks for Bell after the season or re-signing him if they don't get what they want this month. Heyman lists the Phillies, Reds, Rangers, Cardinals, Pirates, Angels, (and the White Sox and Yankees to a lesser degree) as suitors. By the way, check out our Bell archive over at CloserNews for fantasy advice.
Athletics lefty Craig Breslow interests the Brewers, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi expects many A's to be dealt this month, and notes that the Rangers, Orioles, Giants, Pirates, Blue Jays, Brewers and Reds scouted Tuesday's game in Detroit.
Trade candidate Erik Bedard will likely have his return delayed until after the Mariners' series with Boston at Fenway this weekend, reports Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. He might have one start to display his health prior to the July deadline.
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik told SI's Jon Heyman he hasn't heard nor has he asked about his situation. Zduriencik's contract is up after this season.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti explained to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times that "it's not that cut and dry" to label his club buyers or sellers. Though the team has no chance in 2011, Colletti may be willing to acquire players who are controlled beyond this year.

Quick Hits: Goldschmidt, Johnson, Rockies

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2011 at 11:01pm CDT

Ubaldo Jimenez struck out nine Braves in 6 2/3 innings tonight, allowing seven hits, two walks and two earned runs. The asking price on Jimenez was already sky-high and there's no reason to think it's going anywhere but up after tonight's performance. Here are the latest links from around MLB…

Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks and Brad Boxberger of the Reds are two of the minor leaguers who could make an impact in the Major Leagues down the stretch, as Keith Law writes at ESPN.com.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America breaks down 12 pro scouting success stories in baseball this year, from Reed Johnson's solid play for the Cubs, to Jason Giambi's power displays in Denver.
Carlos Gonzalez told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he hopes the Rockies can regain the confidence of their front office by playing better baseball for the remainder of the season.
Third round pick C.J. McElroy signed with the Cardinals for $510K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's the highest bonus any third rounder has obtained so far, $226K over slot.

NL Central Notes: Cardinals, Soriano, Betemit, Pence

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 19, 2011 at 8:21pm CDT

Four teams are within striking distance of the NL Central lead: the Brewers, the Cardinals and the Reds and Pirates, who are currently playing at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The latest links from the division…

Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio that he can take on payroll and would prefer not to trade players currently on the Major League roster (Twitter link).
Alfonso Soriano told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com that he isn't worried about trade rumors, since he doesn't control what happens leading up to the trade deadline. The 35-year-old has 14 homers and a .255/.298/.456 line for the Cubs, who owe him $18MM annually through 2014. Soriano told Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause to join a contender.
Dave Gershman of Beyond the Boxscore suggests the Cubs should consider trading Sean Marshall if they can get a top prospect like Jonathan Singleton.
The Brewers and Royals are still in contact about Wilson Betemit, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Brewers have had interest in the infielder since earlier in the month, but haven’t made substantial progress so far. Morosi reports that the Brewers would like any acquisition to be capable of playing the outfield.
Rival teams get the impression that it will take a "major, major overpay" to obtain Hunter Pence from the Astros now, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).

National League Notes: Reds, Berkman, Adams

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 18, 2011 at 10:24pm CDT

We've already checked in on three of the most noteworthy trade candidates that the National League has to offer. Here's the rest of tonight's news from the Senior Circuit…

Rival executives believe the Reds could trade for a top reliever and/or Ubaldo Jimenez, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
MLB.com's Matthew Leach suggests the Cardinals and Lance Berkman have some mutual interest in negotiating a new deal after the season, when the slugger's one-year, $8MM contract expires.
Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com hears that the Pirates are still looking to acquire a right-handed hitter. They're also in the market for bullpen help, according to Langosch. The Pirates are eyeing Hunter Pence and open to trading prospects in the right deal.
Padres setup man Mike Adams tells Dan Hayes of the North County Times that he realizes he's a trade candidate and has applied for a passport in case he's dealt to the American League and has to visit Toronto.
D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com that the trade deadline is his "least favorite time of the year." Arizona is in the market for "pitching in general," Towers said.

Teams Called On Rasmus; Deal “Highly Unlikely”

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 18, 2011 at 4:34pm CDT

The Rays, Nationals and Red Sox are among the teams that called the Cardinals about Colby Rasmus, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. However, GM John Mozeliak says he's "not shopping" his center fielder and insists that a deal remains "highly unlikely" (Twitter link).

Rasmus has requested a trade in the past and the Cardinals had serious talks about sending him to Tampa Bay last year.

Rasmus, who is arbitration eligible for the first time after the season, has a .241/.326/.404 line with nine home runs in 369 plate appearances this year. His 2012 salary will reach seven figures through arbitration and he's under team control through 2014.

Nats Rumors: Storen, Clippard, Desmond, Gorzelanny

By Tim Dierkes | July 18, 2011 at 1:03pm CDT

The Nationals are listening on top relievers Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but such a trade would have to fill a specific long-term need such as center field. Teams are calling on Storen, Clippard, and Todd Coffey.

Potential center field targets for Washington include B.J. Upton, Michael Bourn, Colby Rasmus, and Denard Span, writes Rosenthal. He believes that a reliever alone probably would not bring back a center fielder, but the Nats could also trade shortstop Ian Desmond since some club officials would like to move Danny Espinosa to shortstop.

Storen is under team control through 2016, Clippard and Desmond through '15. Desmond would be an interesting name for teams seeking shortstop help, though he's limped to a .226/.269/.311 line in 361 plate appearances this year.

The Nationals also have starting pitching to spare, as ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that they will move Jason Marquis, Livan Hernandez, and Tom Gorzelanny. Gorzelanny is a bit of a surprise, as he's got strong strikeout and walk rates and is under team control through 2013.

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