Cardinals Rumors

Pedro Martinez Rumors: Friday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 19, 2009 at 7:13pm CDT

7:12pm: George A. King III reports that the Yankees have informed Pedro that they will pass on signing him.

6:17pm: Jon Heyman tweets that the Rangers Brewers and Cardinals also watched Pedro work out today. He also mentions that the Cubs' uncertain ownership situation hurts their chances to sign the veteran righthander.

8:42am: Pedro Martinez says he's in great shape, but the Yankees are only interested in signing him to a minor league deal. Here are some specifics on today's Pedro rumors:

Pedro told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that his arm feels good enough to "throw and throw and throw and throw," he just needs to polish his breaking pitches.
Pedro said he's in "tippy-top shape," and joked about starting another career soon: "I'm thinking of becoming a swimsuit model," he said.
Pedro will play winter ball in hopes of playing in 2010 if he doesn't sign this year.
He said money doesn't motivate him.
Ken Davidoff and Steve Zipay of Newsday report that the Yankees are only interested in signing Pedro to a minor league deal.
The Yankees will watch him pitch today, along with the Cubs, Rays and Angels.
Jon Heyman of SI.com presents a revised list of Pedro's suitors. In order: the Cubs, Angels, Dodgers, Rays and the two New York teams.

Heyman On Pedro, Nats, Mets, Rangers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 19, 2009 at 12:33pm CDT

Jon Heyman of SI.com says those closest to the Pedro Martinez situation expect him to sign soon. Heyman has many more rumors; here they are:

One GM thinks the Nationals are demanding too much in return for their players. He says they want "a dollar and a quarter for a dollar."
As Heyman points out, interim GM Mike Rizzo has an especially tough role, since his job isn't secure.
Heyman says the Nats will make an announcement on a full-time GM this season. Rizzo has a good shot at the position.
Rival GMs say Omar Minaya is now looking to boost the Mets' offense.
Adding a player who can handle first base and the outfield would allow the Mets to make room for Carlos Delgado when he returns later in the season. Mark DeRosa fits the bill, but the Indians are apparently asking for a lot in a potential deal.
The Rangers aren't likely to trade for Brad Penny, though they have considered him.
Huston Street's one of the relievers who appeals to the Rangers.
Texas can't add payroll, but can trade prospects.
Chad Qualls and Heath Bell would both command big returns in a trade.
Most contenders believe they need to add relievers, but the Red Sox are willing to trade one away.
Heyman says releasing Dontrelle Willis would be a drastic move.
The Reds, Braves and possibly the Cardinals are looking for right-handed hitting corner outfielders.

Teams Willing To Add Payroll

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 18, 2009 at 4:27pm CDT

Deep-pocketed teams like the Cubs and Yankees say they'll have trouble adding salary this year, and they're far from the only ones. Here's a quick list of teams that could add payroll:

Mike Ilitch's Red Wings just made it to the Stanley Cup final and he says the Tigers can add salary if it'll make them winners, too.
Earlier in the week we heard that the Phillies can take on payroll.
The Cardinals are in a position to add salary as well.
The Dodgers are spending $2.7MM less than expected this year because of the Manny Ramirez suspension. This could give them the flexibility to take on a contract.
The White Sox would have taken on payroll in the failed Jake Peavy trade.
The Mets have about $5MM in payroll flexibility.

Add any teams I've missed in the comments and we can flesh this list out.

Rosenthal On Buyers And Sellers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 18, 2009 at 9:17am CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports predicts whether six of the teams on the fringes of the playoff race will become buyers or sellers between now and July 31st, providing some rumors along the way:

The Cardinals, who are not interested in Miguel Tejada, are tracking Mark DeRosa.
Carl Pavano, Jamey Carroll and Rafael Betancourt could all become trade candidates.
The Indians will only move Victor Martinez or Cliff Lee if they're overwhelmed.
Rosenthal predicts the White Sox will be buyers. After all, their offense has lots of room for improvement and they're just 3.0 games behind Detroit.
If the Rockies sell, they could have two impressive trade chips in Jason Marquis and Huston Street.
One GM predicts that demand for Street will be so intense that he'll command more in return than Matt Holliday will for the A's.
The Yankees, Rangers and Dodgers could have interest if Street hits the market.
The Astros won't likely add payroll, but Rosenthal doesn't expect them to sell.
Along with Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, the Mariners have Adrian Beltre. We don't know if any of them will hit the market, but Beltre's been hitting better for the last six weeks.
The Marlins are looking for a reliever who can set up for Matt Lindstrom.
Rosenthal predicts the Marlins will try to compete for as long as possible before considering deals for Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla and Jeremy Hermida.

Edes On Tejada, Nationals, Shapiro

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 17, 2009 at 4:28pm CDT

Yahoo's Gordon Edes updates us on the Cardinals' search for a bat and more in his most recent column. Here are the details:

The Cardinals aren't interested in Miguel Tejada, but they are looking to add offensive help at third or in the outfield.
Some have criticized the Pirates for taking Tony Sanchez fourth overall, but Edes hears they chose him because they like his tools and believe he's polished enough to reach the majors before most players in the draft.
The Nationals would move Elijah Dukes or Lastings Milledge. Ryan Zimmerman is their only untouchable player.
The Rangers have interest in Nick Johnson.
There is speculation that Indians GM Mark Shaprio could be promoted to club president, with Chris Antonetti becoming GM. Edes hears that we won't see an in-season shake-up.
Bill Lajoie, one of the decision-makers behind the deal that sent Hanley Ramirez to Florida, doesn't second guess the move.
Edes heard from one scouting director who believes Bryce Harper is stronger than Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez when they were in high school. However, some scouts wonder whether Harper would be better if he didn't rush to the majors.

Odds And Ends: Francoeur, Draft, Giants

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | June 15, 2009 at 5:26pm CDT

Some more links for the evening…

MLB.com's Mark Bowman wonders if Jeff Francoeur might end up with the Marlins after all. He can imagine a Francoeur-Jeremy Hermida swap. Personally, I don't see the Marlins making that deal.
Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox are set to sign their second round pick, pitcher Alex Wilson.
MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that the Cardinals agreed to sign their second rounder, Robert Stock, and 31 other players they drafted.
The Cards haven't reached an agreement with first rounder Shelby Miller yet, and, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, that's no surprise.
As Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports, Boston's director of player personnel, Mike Hazen heard Clay Buchholz's comments and remains sure that the righty wants to help the Red Sox win titles.
Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says the Giants could really use a power bat.

Izzy To Hang Up His Spikes?

By | June 14, 2009 at 3:01pm CDT

Rays right-hander Jason Isringhausen was placed on the 60-day disabled list Sunday morning with an injury to his surgically-repaired right elbow, leading some in the media, including the St. Petersburg Times' Joe Smith, to speculate that the 36-year-old former closer may soon call it a career.

If he never throws another major league pitch, Isringhausen would finish up with a 3.60 career earned run average and 293 saves (good enough for 22nd all time).

The Cardinals declined to offer him arbitration this winter and he went on to sign a minor league contract with Tampa Bay.

Morosi’s Latest: Orioles, Cardinals, Rangers

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2009 at 11:43am CDT

FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi writes that with the Orioles buried in fifth place in the AL East, look for the team to start moving some of their veterans. Morosi cites an "industry executive" who says that several teams have called about Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott, both lefthanded bats with some thump. He suggests that the Reds, Tigers, Giants and Braves could match up in a deal, noting that the Tigers pursued both Huff and Scott three years ago.

Here's the rest of Morosi's rumors:

Triple-A outfielder Wilkin Ramirez is one of Detroit's best trade chips.
Morosi echoes reports that the Cardinals are looking for a bat.
One scout says that Miguel Tejada's defense has been better than most give him credit for. I can't imagine that will play a big role in determining his trade value, though.
Texas is looking for an upgrade for their rotation, and would likely be in on Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt if they are made available.
It's increasingly unlikely that the Red Sox will make a move for a shortstop with Nick Green holding his own and Jed Lowrie close to returning from a wrist injury.

Cardinals Looking To Add Bat, But No Deal Imminent

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2009 at 10:49am CDT

Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch spoke to Cardinals president Bill DeWitt Jr., who acknowledged that the team is looking to add another bat, but says not to expect a move anytime soon.

"There are possibilities here and there, but nothing compelling," DeWitt said regarding a middling pool of available trade possibilities. "There remain some clubs that now perceive themselves in the race that may fall out and move talent. But you can't be certain of the market."

Strauss mentions that the Indians, A's and Astros all have been playing better of late, so they could be the clubs that DeWitt is referring too. He also acknowledged that the team's better than expected attendance gives them some financial flexibility "if the right situation were to occur."

The Cards have been connected to Miguel Tejada recently, but it's unknown if the team has that kind of flexibility.

Orioles, Cardinals Interested In Sano

By Mike Axisa | June 14, 2009 at 9:02am CDT

Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will attend a three day workout for Dominican prospect Miguel Angel Sano later this month. John Stockstill, the O's director of international scouting, confirms the team's interest:

"We've seen him a few times, but it gets back to our commitment of seeing the top players," John Stockstill said. "We're going to make sure we give him a thorough look and evaluation. We have legitimate interest, but we have to be sure of what we're seeing."

The Orioles worked Sano out just over a week ago, but apparently they still want to see more. Meanwhile, Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette passes along word that the Cardinals have also scheduled a workout for Sano later this week. It certainly looks like it will be a very competitive market for the 16-yr old shortstop, by our count no fewer than 12 teams have expressed interest in the youngster.

You can follow all of the Sano rumors here.

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