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Stark’s Latest: Lee, Phillies, Rays

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The latest from ESPN’s Jayson Stark…

  • Phillies ace Cliff Lee threw a bullpen session yesterday and is slated to return around the All-Star break, Stark writes for ESPN.com. Lee’s next step is to throw a simulated game this weekend before heading out on a minor league rehab assignment and returning either just before or just after the All-Star break. Rival teams tell Stark that they expect the Phillies to aggressively shop Lee, and they believe that Philadelphia would eat a significant amount of the remaining $50MM guarantee on Lee’s deal in order to net the right pieces.
  • The Tigers, Pirates, Blue Jays and Angels are scouting the Phillies this week, Stark tweets. The Phillies are telling other teams around the league that this week could determine their status as buyer or sellers next month.
  • Stark also tweets that he asked an unnamed club official if any teams other than the Cubs are aggressively selling at this point and was told him that in addition to Chicago, the Rays are “definitely open for business.” Stark’s colleague, Buster Olney, reported yesterday that the Rays would deal David Price “right now” if the right offer came along.

Draft Signings: Bryan Dobzanski, Spencer Moran

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Here are the day’s notable draft signings:

  • The Cardinals have signed 29th-round choice Bryan Dobzanski with a $700K bonus, reports Scott Chappelear of NJ.com (h/t to Jim Callis of MLB.com). The righty, who had been committed to Louisville, fell down the board because of signability issues. $600K of his bonus will count against the total allocation for the Cardinals.
  • Righty Spencer Moran, the 11th-round pick of the Rays, has agreed to a $390K bonus, according to John Manuel of Baseball America (via Twitter). As above, the amount over $100K will run against Tampa Bay’s tab. Moran was rated the draft’s 152nd-best prospect by Baseball America.

Rays Prepared To Move David Price

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While no deal is imminent at the moment, rival officials tell ESPN’s Buster Olney that the Rays are prepared to move David Price “right now” if the right offer presents itself (ESPN Insider subscription required and recommended).

Olney notes that the Rays’ litany of injuries and surprisingly poor performances from Evan Longoria and Wil Myers have buried Tampa in the AL East cellar. Waiting for another month or more to move Price presents the Rays with a great risk, he points out, using Matt Garza as an example. The Cubs intended to trade Garza two summers go but waited too long and saw their No. 1 starter go down with a season-ending injury. Olney goes on to write:

“The expectation of rival officials is that sometime in the days ahead, some team is going to call Rays GM Andrew Friedman with the right offer, with enough pitching included to fill Tampa Bay’s organizational need.”

Olney also highlights Price’s improved performance and velocity of late, noting that the league-wide need and his resurgence have made the conditions almost perfect to move the former Cy Young winner. Indeed, while Price’s velocity has been anything but consistent, Fangraphs’ velocity chart on him shows a gradual increase from the beginning of the season, and he’s averaged 93.4 mph or better in five of his past eight starts.

Tampa is said to prefer to trade Price to the National League — or at the very least out of the AL East — but the suitors for Price will be plentiful. Olney speculates on the Giants, Dodgers and Cardinals as possible fits. Other clubs that have been connected to Price in recent weeks have been the Blue Jays and the surprising Marlins. Miami’s NL East rivals, the Braves, are reportedly unlikely to join a pursuit of Price. That’s not surprising, given how much the team had to stretch payroll simply to accommodate Ervin Santana in Spring Training.

Latest On Blue Jays’ Interest In Jeff Samardzija

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The Blue Jays continue to scout Jeff Samardzija, as pro scouting director Perry Minasian was in attendance for yesterday’s outing against the Reds, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Much of the chatter regarding Samardzija to this point has included speculation when it comes to Chicago’s asking price, but Morosi hears “strong indications” that the Cubs would deal Samardzija for a package highlighted by right-hander Aaron Sanchez, left-hander Daniel Norris and center fielder Dalton Pompey.

Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has maintained that he won’t include all three of those prospects in a deal for Samardzija or any other available pitcher — even David Price — according to Morosi’s report. He also notes that as much as the Blue Jays like Samardzija, they may prefer Price and Philadelphia southpaw Cole Hamels (though the latter isn’t guaranteed to be available).

The Blue Jays reluctance to deal three of their top prospects lines up with previous indicators that they may be more interested in rental players than controllable players due to a strong desire to preserve some of their farm system. Toronto has dealt away some notable prospect value — including Noah Syndergaard, Travis d’Arnaud, Jake Marisnick, Justin Nicolino, Henderson Alvarez and Anthony DeSclafani — to acquire the likes of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. One thing we do know is that Anthopoulos feels he will have ownership’s blessing to expand the team’s payroll if necessary.

As for the three prospects listed by Morosi, Sanchez entered the season with the highest stock of the bunch but has seen his star lose some of its luster after struggling to a 4.08 ERA and issuing 48 walks in 75 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Norris, on the other hand, has been electric, turning in a combined 1.62 ERA and 4.47 K/BB ratio in 72 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. Pompey ranked just 17th among Toronto prospects (per Baseball America) prior to the season but has boosted his value with a strong .312/.392/.460 batting line, six homers and 27 steals (in 29 attempts).

East Notes: Ortiz, Price, Yankees, Nationals

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Five years removed from what seemed like his demise, David Ortiz remains the Red Sox’s foremost game-changer, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  “I couldn’t even watch TV, any sports channel at the time, because it was nothing but, ’He’s done.’ You’re struggling and people are saying that you’re done, it doesn’t help,” recalled Ortiz. “That’s when your mind has to start processing that and next thing you know, ’I’m out.’ ”  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The Rays need to trade David Price as soon as possible, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  The Rays, of course, can’t afford to keep their ace long term and Price has grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s losing.  Meanwhile, Topkin doesn’t see a trade within the division as an impossibility, but he says that it will require an additional premium for the Rays to even consider it.
  • The Yankees have to explore their options for starting pitchers on the trade market, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Bombers have the phenomenal pitching of Masahiro Tanaka and a strong late-game bullpen working in their favor, but they feel they are one more rotation injury or significant dip in production from being in trouble.
  • There’s no indication that the Nationals would trade someone like Denard Span to make it possible, but Ryan Zimmerman says that his preference is to stay in left field rather than move back to one of the corner infield spots, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

NL East Notes: Jennings, Braves, Hamels, Mets

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Dan Jennings was a guest on MLB Network Radio’s Front Office show this morning, and the Marlins GM told hosts Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden (as per Bowden’s Twitter account) that owner Jeffrey Loria is willing to “open the checkbook” to make additions before the trade deadline.  Miami began the season with one of the league’s lowest payrolls at just under $46MM, yet despite losing ace Jose Fernandez to Tommy John surgery, the Fish began the day just 1.5 games out of first place in the NL East.  The Marlins could be looking to take advantage of their surprising good form, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported earlier today that Miami has been as aggressive as any team in scouting for upgrades.

Here’s some more from around the NL East…

  • The Braves likely won’t be involved in the bidding for the Rays’ David Price or the Cubs’ Jeff Samardzija, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.  The team is already over budget and still has a solid starting rotation, despite the loss of Gavin Floyd.
  • The easiest way for the Phillies to rebuild would be to trade Cole Hamels, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.  Despite Hamels’ big contract (he is owed approximately $107.5MM through the end of the 2019 season), he is younger and carries fewer health question marks than other veteran Phillies who could be available in trades.  “If I were in their boat, I’d really hate to move [Hamels],” a rival executive tells Brookover. “But if you go back to question about which player is going to bring you the most value, you’re going to get the most for that guy. You have to get the most you can for a guy like that. If you don’t, you keep him. But you’re only going to get 1.5 pieces for someone else when you could get a lot more than that for him.”
  • When Travis d’Arnaud returns this week, the Mets have the choice of either optioning Anthony Recker to Triple-A or exposing Taylor Teagarden to waivers, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin writes.  Also, Teagarden has the option of becoming a free agent if he is outrighted again.  Rubin explores several factors in the decision, such as whether the Mets would mind losing Teagarden, and the effect this roster move could have on catching prospect Kevin Plawecki’s development.

Latest On David Price

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There may not be a more heavily-discussed player in the leadup to the July 31 trade deadline than David Price.  Here’s the latest buzz about the Rays southpaw…

  • The Dodgers are considered the favorites to land Price by many around baseball, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  The Cardinals have recently been scouting Price, and the Giants are also in the mix.  The Marlins could have an interest in Price, and had scouts watching his start last Friday.
  • Topkin also opines that the Braves, Angels and Indians make sense as possible suitors for Price.  Cleveland scouts were present at Price’s most recent start.
  • The Rays would prefer to trade Price to the National League, or if not the NL, at least outside of their own division.  While an AL East trade isn’t impossible, Topkin believes a division rival would have to give up something beyond the already-large asking price the Rays are seeking for their ace.
  • It helps both Price and the Rays if a trade is worked out sooner rather than later, Topkins believes.  The Rays can get an early jump on the pitching market and Price seems to be getting frustrated by both Tampa Bay’s struggles and the constant questions about his future.
  • While Price is only under contract through the 2015 season, a rival scout tells ESPN’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required) that teams gunning for a World Series won’t hesitate to give up a big trade package for the lefty.  “You worry about the cost of signing him later, and if he walks away, that’s the way it goes. But you’re adding a No. 1 starter who can be a difference-maker for two seasons,” the scout said.

AL Notes: Downs, Angels, Blue Jays, Rays

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Here’s the latest out of the American League:

  • White Sox reliever Scott Downs would see his 2015 option vest if he appears in 55 games this year and does not end the season on the DL, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). The 39-year-old southpaw has seen action in 35 contests (after tonight’s outing), meaning that he has just 20 left to go to trigger the $4.25MM option. MLBTR’s Steve Adams looked yesterday at vesting option situations around the league.
  • The Angels bullpen has not only been unreliable, but currently lacks a lefty, writes ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Insider subscription required). The club may well look to a trade market that Olney says “should be comparatively flush” with attractive bullpen arms.
  • You won’t see the Blue Jays in October if GM Alex Anthopoulos stands pat this summer, writes Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star.  With Juan Francisco’s offensive struggles (.586 OPS in the month of June), Griffin wants to see Toronto go out and get a second baseman that can play every day.  Among the second baseman that might be available in July, he says, are Nick Franklin of the Mariners, Ramon Santiago of the Reds, Darwin Barney of the Cubs, and Ramiro Pena of the Braves.
  • Gary Shelton of the Tampa Bay Times says the Rays need to start selling.  With the club mired in last place, Shelton says it needs to move David Price, Ben Zobrist, Matt Joyce, and anything not nailed down. Meanwhile, a host of teams with a heavier-than-usual scouting presence for Price’s start tonight included the Blue Jays, Cardinals, Giants, Indians, and Yankees, tweets the Times’ Marc Topkin.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Zobrist, Price, Hanley, Dodgers, Martinez

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In the video atop his latest Notes column for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal states that he feels this will finally be the year that the Rays deal David Price, as they can receive max value for him by dealing their ace to a team that can use him for two playoff pushes. He also adds that he expects the Rays to move Ben Zobrist, even though his price tag is affordable, simply because the demand for Zobrist will be so high.

Here are some more highlights from his column…

  • Hanley Ramirez’s poor glove is perhaps the main reason that he and the Dodgers have yet to agree to an extension, Rosenthal writes. He wonders how much that flaw will impact Ramirez’s value on the open market at a time when teams are placing a higher premium than ever before on defense. He adds that if Ramirez does stay in L.A. and shift to third base in the long-term on his next contract, the team may have to trade Juan Uribe and his $6.5MM 2015 salary.
  • Looking at other Dodgers issues, Rosenthal writes that many executives around the league expect that it will ultimately be Matt Kemp who is traded to clear the team’s outfield logjam, though it likely won’t happen until the offseason. He adds that the Dodgers are likely to be in the market for a starting pitcher after the news that Chad Billingsley is out for the season, as Josh Beckett and Dan Haren are tough to rely on down the stretch.
  • Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez completely revamped his swing mechanics this offseason before he was released by the Astros in Spring Training. He signed a minor league deal with Detroit two days later and found himself teammates with the man whose mechanics he spent the entire offseason studying — Miguel Cabrera. Martinez tells Rosenthal he watched video of Cabrera and Ryan Braun all winter and “re-invented” himself at the plate. It may not be sustainable, but the early results are positive; Martinez is hitting .300/.333/.570 with six homers in 108 PA with Detroit.

Rays To Sign Third-Rounder Burke For $900K

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The Rays and third-round selection Brock Burke have agreed to terms on a $900K signing bonus, reports MLB.com’s Jim Callis (on Twitter). That’s more than $355K north of the No. 96 overall selection’s slot value. A high school left-hander out of Colorado, Burke had been committed to Oregon. He is represented by agent Paul Cobbe of Sosnick/Cobbe Sports.

Burke didn’t rank among MLB.com’s Top 200, Keith Law’s Top 100 or even Baseball America’s Top 500. However, Law noted in his recap of AL teams’ drafts (subscription required and recommended) that Burke is “very projectable” and features an 86-91 mph fastball with sink. Law adds that Burke’s changeup and curve both need work, and he doesn’t use his lower half enough. BA does have a scouting report on Burke, noting that the 6’3″, 185-pound southpaw offers projection and has touched 92 mph but struggles with command, as evidenced by the seven walks per nine innings he averaged this spring.

BA also says that his breaking ball has depth and projects as average or better, and it’s worth noting that Burke struck out an incredible 19 hitters in a late April game this season (as written by Justin Groom of Colorado’s 9News.com). MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo noted at the time of the selection that Burke has continually improved his velocity and may have more velocity on the horizon, as he doesn’t get to throw as many innings as prep arms from warmer climates (video link).

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