NL Central Trades
The month of July proved to be a busy one for the NL Central..
Astros
- Acquired center fielder Jordan Schafer, southpaw Double-A starter Brett Oberholtzer, righty Double-A starter Paul Clemens, and righty Triple-A reliever Juan Abreu from the Braves in exchange for Michael Bourn and cash.
- Acquired prospects Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later from the Phillies for Hunter Pence and $2MM.
- Acquired right-handed pitchers Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel from the Giants for Jeff Keppinger.
Brewers
- Acquired infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Nats for Double-A outfielder Erik Komatsu.
- Acquired Felipe Lopez from the Rays for cash considerations.
- Received cash considerations from the Braves for catcher Wil Nieves.
- Acquired Francisco Rodriguez and cash from the Mets for two players to be named later. The Mets will choose the players from a list of five Brewers minor leaguers by a date in September.
Cardinals
- Acquired Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers for Alex Castellanos and roughly $2.5MM.
- Acquired starter Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, outfielder Corey Patterson, and three players to be named later or cash considerations from the Blue Jays for center fielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters.
Cubs
- Acquired minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith from the Indians for right fielder Kosuke Fukudome and about $3.9MM.
Pirates
- Acquired right fielder Ryan Ludwick from the Padres for a player to be named later.
- Acquired Derrek Lee from Baltimore for minor league first baseman Aaron Baker.
Reds
- Acquired outfielder Bill Rhinehart and left-hander Chris Manno from the Nationals for Jonny Gomes and cash considerations.
Heath Bell Rumors: Sunday
The latest on Padres closer Heath Bell, who is owed $2.47MM on the season and projects as a Type A free agent in either league…
- There has been some discussion between the Padres and Bell's agents within the last 24 hours, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. The Padres will not trade Bell unless the Yankees or Phillies offer an astronomical package, tweets Scott Miller.
- The Phillies still seem to be in on Bell, tweets Heyman. The Padres just traded setup man Mike Adams to the Rangers.
- The Angels have minimal interest in Bell, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
- The Cardinals are sensing no traction for Bell, GM John Mozeliak tells Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The Rangers appear to be losing momentum on Bell with the Cardinals still possible, tweets Rosenthal.
- The Rangers are still in on Bell, but don't want to pay big now that they've gotten Koji Uehara, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. The Yankees are in the mix, the Cardinals are on the fringes, and the Phillies have slight interest. The Yankees are still viewed as a long shot, tweets Buster Olney. The Rangers are also still in on Oakland closer Andrew Bailey, tweets Bob Nightengale.
- The Yankees are in on Bell, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. However, Joel Sherman tweets that as of this morning the two teams are not optimistic there is a common ground for a deal. Last night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote that the Yankees were showing late interest in Bell, but the Rangers were the frontrunner and the Cardinals were still involved.
Cardinals Acquire Rafael Furcal
Despite a trade market thin on shortstops, the Cardinals may have accomplished their goal of upgrading at the position, as they acquired veteran Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers today for Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos and about $2.5MM. The 33-year-old had to waive his 10-and-5 rights for the deal to become official.
Furcal is hitting .197/.272/.248 in 152 plate appearances, but perhaps a change of scenery will rejuvenate his bat. He was hampered by a broken thumb and oblique strain this season, each injury knocking him out for about a month. Because of Furcal's 10-and-5 rights and the amount of money the Dodgers are sending, the teams needed his approval and the same from the commissioner's office regarding the money the Dodgers will be sending to the Cardinals. Furcal, the first free agent signing by Dodgers GM Ned Colletti in 2005, had about $4MM remaining on his current contract. Furcal effectively replaces Ryan Theriot at shortstop for the Cardinals; Theriot started at second base last night for the first time this season.
Castellanos, 24, is hitting .319/.379/.562 in 391 plate appearances this year, playing right and center field.
Fallout for the Dodgers: they can give prospect Dee Gordon an extended look at shortstop in the Majors, plus they save a little cash. Reportedly, infielder Jamey Carroll will be staying put.
GMs Ned Colletti and John Mozeliak last hooked up on a trade in November, in the deal that sent Theriot to St. Louis, according to our Transaction Tracker.
Joe Strauss, Matthew Leach, Derrick Goold, Scott Miller, Tim Brown and Jon Heyman broke aspects of the story as it developed. Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Erik Bedard Rumors: Sunday
The latest on Mariners southpaw Erik Bedard…
- The Red Sox, Cardinals, and one other team are eyeing Bedard, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.
- The Mariners and Cardinals are discussing Bedard, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. He adds that the ball is in the Cardinals' court. Acquiring Bedard would give the Cards strong rotation depth, as they added Edwin Jackson on Wednesday.
Cardinals Acquire Rafael Furcal
10:31am: The deal is now complete, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Cardinals will pay $1.4MM of Furcal's $3.96MM remaining salary, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, implying the Dodgers are sending $2.56MM.
SUNDAY, 10:06am: The Dodgers will receive Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos from the Cardinals, reports Goold. The 24-year-old is hitting .319/.379/.562 this year.
SATURDAY, 9:48pm: The Cardinals are likely to receive cash in the deal and they'll send a minor league outfielder to the Dodgers, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The outfielder is not currently on St. Louis' 40-man roster, Goold reports.
8:40pm: Furcal will approve the trade, Jon Heyman of SI.com tweets.
1:40pm: The teams are a step away from completing the deal, hears Goold.
SATURDAY, 12:00pm: Though Furcal has no-trade protection, he's open to a deal to the Cardinals, tweets Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The two teams continue to talk.
FRIDAY, 8:35pm: The Cardinals have had conversations with the Dodgers regarding Rafael Furcal, reports MLB.com's Matthew Leach.
6:34pm: The Cardinals are prioritizing a trade for a shortstop, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Strauss hears it's more likely than not that GM John Mozeliak pulls off a deal before Sunday's deadline, and feels that the rumored move is a difference-maker.
Difference-making shortstops are hard to come by in this trade market, unless the Marlins decide to listen on Hanley Ramirez or the Mets on Jose Reyes. The names I'd expect to be available are not nearly as exciting: Jamey Carroll and Rafael Furcal. The Astros are telling some teams Clint Barmes is not available, tweets MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
Padres Reliever Rumors: Saturday
The Padres have right-handed relievers Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Chad Qualls on the trading block. Here are yesterday's rumors, and below is the latest.
- The Rangers continue talking to the Padres about Bell, even after acquiring Koji Uehara, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
- The Padres have always said they'd be fine with two compensatory draft picks for Bell if the trade offers aren't compelling, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals and Rangers remain the most persistent on Bell, tweets Joel Sherman, while the Yankees haven't called the Padres in days about Bell or Adams.
- The Tigers have talked to the Padres about their group of relievers, tweets Ken Rosenthal, including Qualls.
- The Rangers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays are the clear leaders for Bell, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, with the Angels, Yankees, and Phillies still kicking the tires. Ken Rosenthal has the Rangers as the frontrunner with the Cardinals hanging on.
- Interest in Adams continues to rise, tweets Rosenthal, but the Padres would still need to be compelled to move him. Meanwhile, trusted Yankees scout Bill Livesey is watching the Padres' relievers, tweets Joel Sherman.
- The Cardinals are still alive for Bell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Rangers "have gone deep into negotiations with the Padres about Bell, and both sides are optimistic they can strike a deal," reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Yesterday, word from Scott Miller of CBS Sports was that Friday's talks between the two clubs did not advance much. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan feels that logically, the two teams should strike a deal.
Bedard, Guthrie Have Contrasting Starts
10:42pm: The Mariners appeared to be waiting until after this start to advance Bedard talks, a source tells WEEI's Alex Speier. The start won't necessarily cause suitors to drop out.
10:04pm: Mariners lefty Erik Bedard missed a month between starts due to a knee strain, and the rust showed tonight against the Rays. He threw 57 pitches, about half of them strikes, allowing four walks, three hits, and five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings (Aaron Laffey allowed a couple of inherited runners to score). The game was reportedly scouted by at least the Red Sox, Yankees, and Tigers. Bedard's character also took a couple of hits tonight courtesy of former Orioles executive Jim Duquette, though Bruce Chen had his back.
Orioles righty Jeremy Guthrie, on the other hand, fired seven innings of one-run ball against the Yankees to lower his ERA to 4.18. The contest was scouted by the Cardinals, Tigers, Brewers, and Rangers at the least, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Red Sox have also been linked to Guthrie, though Ken Rosenthal tweeted earlier today that the Orioles have been unmoved by the offers for their ace.
Padres Reliever Rumors: Friday
Heath Bell said yesterday that he expects to be traded and you can't blame him given the recent rumors. The Rangers, Angels, Phillies and Cardinals appear to have some interest in Bell and some of those clubs are interested in setup man Mike Adams, as well. Here's the latest on the San Diego relievers…
- I've heard the Padres asked for Wieland and Erlin from the Rangers for Adams and were turned down, and were seeking just Wieland for Bell.
- The Cardinals are still in on Bell, tweets Heyman.
- The Rangers and Padres continue to discuss Bell, reports Scott Miller of CBS Sports, though they've made little progress. The Cardinals are on the fringe, and the Angels are not involved. The Padres are asking for three players for Bell, and have interest in Rangers prospect Robbie Erlin. Dan Hayes of the North County Times tweets that the Padres are rumored to have interest in Rangers Double-A righty Joe Wieland, who tossed a no-hitter against the San Antonio Missions tonight.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock questions the upper-level prospects the Cardinals would move in a deal with the Padres, but says Double-A righty Joe Kelly is a name to watch (Twitter link).
- The Rangers remain the favorite for Bell, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, but they're at a standstill with the Padres in terms of which prospects would be involved. He says the Padres understand they're not getting Jurickson Profar, Martin Perez, or Leonys Martin.
- The Phillies remain active in talks for Padres relievers, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. He says they prefer Adams to Bell because of the extra year of control.
- The Rangers are the frontrunners for Bell and the Cardinals' interest in the closer is growing, according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It's possible that no team will meet the Padres' asking price for Adams, Center writes.
- Rival teams still expect the Rangers to acquire Bell, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. One official even says it’s “a lock.” However, the Rangers continue to shy away from the Padres’ asking price – up to three of their top prospects.
- The Angels are looking for setup types, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Padres Reliever Rumors: Thursday
The pace quickened in the Padres' trade talks involving relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams yesterday, tweeted ESPN's Buster Olney. The Rangers and Cardinals are in the mix for Bell, at the least. The latest:
- The Cardinals are in the mix for Bell and the Rangers remain the favorite to acquire him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that he would be willing to take a discount to re-sign with the Padres after the season (Twitter link). "I said I'd take a discount, and I want to stay here," said Bell. "Everyone knows that."
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says (on Twitter) that baseball people around the league expect Bell to wind up with Texas because they have the need and the prospects to get a deal done.
- Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that a trade is "going to happen" (Twitter link).
- Don't expect the Angels to trade for Bell if the Rangers can't swing a deal for him, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times writes (on Twitter). The Angels may not have enough upper-level prospects to sway the Padres.
- The Rangers are "pushing hard" for Bell, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- The Rangers say any deal for Bell is doubtful today, since the sides aren't close, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
- Miller reports (on Twitter) that the Padres have not seemed willing to trade Adams.
- The Padres' asking price on Bell is too high for the Rangers currently, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Padres are asking for three players for Bell and the Rangers remain "very interested" despite the Padres' asking price, according to Miller.
- An executive of one team told ESPN's Jayson Stark the Padres are "getting closer" to a major bullpen deal, and talks "could end quickly." The Rangers appear to be the favorite for Bell, though they've been in on Adams and Chad Qualls as well. The Phillies seem to view Adams as a better fit than Bell, and could try to swing a deal that also includes Ryan Ludwick. Though the Padres are talking actively with the Cardinals and Angels as well, they're higher on the Rangers' and Phillies' prospects.
- The Padres and Rangers are engaged in substantive talks on Bell, tweets Rosenthal. Similarly, Jon Heyman says the Rangers are making progress on Bell and Scott Miller says Texas has pushed harder today. Miller says they've had "good talks" but nothing is imminent.
- There's been little substantial dialogue between the Phillies and Padres regarding Bell, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- Colby Rasmus was a central part of the Cardinals' discussions with the Padres for Bell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Blue Jays Notes: Rauch, Francisco, Rasmus
Colby Rasmus is making his Blue Jays debut in Toronto, where he’s batting second and starting in center field tonight. Here’s the latest on a Blue Jays team that could make another move or two before Sunday afternoon…
- Though the Blue Jays have said they're likely done making deals, other teams believe they may still trade Jon Rauch and/or Frank Francisco, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Diamondbacks, who had interest in some of the relievers the Blue Jays traded, aren't willing to mortgage the future for middle relief, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor and Marc Rzepczynski were dealt yesterday.
- Rasmus' father, Tony, says Cardinals manager Tony La Russa pushed his son out of town. “Tony needed pitching and wanted to force the GM into making a trade, so he belittled Colby to the fans,” the elder Rasmus told Bob Eilliott of the Toronto Sun.
- One MLB executive told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the only thing he's sure of is that Toronto GM "Alex Anthopoulos is the smartest dude in the game." Rosenthal warns his readers that forming snap judgments about trades is dangerous, but most of his sources like the deal for the Blue Jays.