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Rays Saying They Won’t Trade James Shields

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The Rays are telling teams that they won't trade starter James Shields, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

It seemed all along that there was a better chance of Shields remaining in Tampa than being traded. Jon Heyman of SI.com reported earlier today that some teams "remained hopeful" despite the Rays telling the Yankees that Shields wouldn't be traded. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com wrote on Friday that B.J. Upton was more likely to be traded than Shields, and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com wrote on Wednesday that the Rays could trade Shields in the offseason rather than now.

Of course, this could be a ploy by the Rays to jack up their asking price. Tim Dierkes examined this possibility last week, as John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus reported that the Rays had quietly been letting teams know that Shields was available at the right — presumably a very high — price.

Shields is in the midst of a career year, posting a 2.53 ERA, 1.011 WHIP, 8.7 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in the tough AL East. Barring a catastrophic final two months or an injury, his trade stock should remain pretty high in the offseason, should the Rays choose to shop him. He's under contract through 2011, and the Rays have club options on him for 2012-14.

Upton Emerging As Alternative Target To Beltran

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While the trade rumors continue to simmer regarding Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, his full no-trade clause and pending free agency are making talks between the Mets and trade suitors sticky. As a result, Rays center fielder B.J. Upton is emerging as an alternative trade target, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com.

The Giants, considered one of the leading candidates to land Beltran from the Mets, are among the teams now showing interest in Upton. The Indians, too, are interested, and the Braves, Phillies and Rangers could be, according to Rosenthal. Though Beltran is the superior offensive player of the two, Upton is better defensively and under team control through 2012, and the Giants or other suitors would therefore be more likely to part with a top prospect for him.

San Francisco is using Nate Schierholtz as its primary right fielder presently, so Rosenthal speculates that the addition of Upton to center field could lead to a platoon between Andres Torres and Cody Ross, players with complementary batting splits, in left field.

Earlier this evening, we learned that Beltran has privately told the Mets he will not accept a trade to an American League team, so between that and Upton apparently being made available on the trade market, it would seem Beltran's value may be taking a hit. The Nationals have long been rumored to be interested in acquiring in Upton, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote today that the Nats are considering "offering the moon" for Upton.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Mets, Astros, Guthrie, Phillies

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Sunday afternoon linkage..

  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels says that heading into the deadline his top priority remains bullpen help, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
  • We here at MLBTR love the build-up to the trade deadline, but Mets skipper Terry Collins can't wait for it to come and go, writes Christina De Nicola of MLB.com.
  • Astros GM Ed Wade says that his front office will be "good listeners" as the deadline approaches, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
  • The Cardinals have now joined the Tigers in pursuit of the Baltimore's Jeremy Guthrie, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The extent of conversations between the Cards and the Orioles is unknown, but it seems that the club is at least open to the idea of moving Guthrie for the right return.
  • The Rays told the Yankees that James Shields isn't available, but other clubs are still hopeful, according to Jon Heyman of SI (via Twitter).  Detroit, for example, recently sent two scouts to watch him pitch.
  • A very weak left-handed relief market could inspire the Rangers to deal Arthur Rhodes, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  The Rangers could use him to land a righty out of the bullpen.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post checks out the track record of teams dealing at the deadline in recent years.  His gives the Phillies top honors for their deals in July from 2008-2010.

Cafardo On Clippard, Pence, Upton, Myers

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In a conversation with Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino echoed John Henry's sentiment from earlier this week: Whether or not Boston makes a move at the deadline, the luxury tax won't be an issue. Lucchino said the Sox have paid the tax before, and would be willing to do so again if the right deal came along. Here are some other highlights from Cafardo's weekly notes column:

  • The Rangers have made "a lot of inquiries" on Tyler Clippard. The Braves, Yankees, and Red Sox also have varying levels of interest in the Nationals' setup man.
  • According to an Astros source, the team intends to hold on to Hunter Pence. However, Cafardo points out that could change in the offseason, with the new ownership group (and possibly a new GM) in control.
  • Some Nationals people believe a change of scenery would greatly benefit B.J. Upton, and are considering "offering the moon" for him.
  • There hasn't been a whole lot of interest in Brett Myers yet. "We’ve had a couple of bites from National League teams, but not much else," said an Astros official.
  • Athletics lefty Craig Breslow is drawing interest from the Yankees and Red Sox.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Braves, Upton, Keppinger, Bell

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FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, whose bow tie took some playful mocking from Brandon Phillips yesterday, is back with another handful of hot stove notes….

  • While the Braves still figure to acquire a right-handed hitter, Rosenthal points out that Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward have recently shown signs of heating up. Increased production from that pair could be the equivalent of adding an impact bat.
  • The Braves view their starting rotation depth as one of their greatest strengths, and aren't inclined to compromise it by dealing Derek Lowe.
  • Rosenthal backed off his Saturday guarantee that B.J. Upton will be traded before the deadline, cautioning that he doesn't know the Rays' exact intentions.
  • Before the Giants acquired Jeff Keppinger from the Astros, the Yankees inquired on the infielder.
  • The Cardinals are "hotter" on Heath Bell than Mike Adams, especially considering the Padres continue to "need to be overwhelmed" to move Adams.
  • One executive offered this metaphor on Pirates GM Neal Huntington using his farm system to facilitate potential acquisitions: "He’s been planting a garden for four years, and now he’s going to be picking flowers out of it."

AL East Rumors: Frasor, Red Sox, Scott, Yankees

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Here's the latest news from "The Beast"…

  • The Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have discussed a trade involving Jason Frasor, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com, though the D'Backs aren't close to a deal with the Jays (or any club) for now.  We heard last week that the Jays and Snakes were talking and the two clubs seem like a good fit — Arizona wants veteran relievers and Toronto has Frasor and several other experienced bullpen arms.  Frasor has a 3.12 ERA and a 7.8 K/9 rate this season and recently became Toronto's all-time leader in pitching appearances.
  • The Red Sox have no deals coming in the near future and at the moment, "nothing likely on [the] trade front," several team sources tell The Boston Herald's Mike Silverman (Twitter link).
  • Luke Scott will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury and he may have played his last game with the Orioles, notes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli.  The O's could choose to non-tender Scott, who is entering his last year of arbitration and is due a raise from his $6.4MM 2011 salary.  Scott, for his part, says he wants to stay in Baltimore.
  • ESPN New York's Wallace Matthews thinks the Yankees should pursue another hitter before the trade deadline, rather than starting pitching.
  • The Rays aren't sure if they're sellers or buyers yet, which "is typical of a team with no room for budgetary error and plenty for restocking the cupboard," writes Yahoo's Jeff Passan.

B.J. Upton Rumors: Saturday

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The Rays created some buzz last night when they pulled B.J. Upton from their game while top prospect Desmond Jennings was a late scratch in the minors. Jennings is coming up to the big leagues, but not because Upton was traded; Reid Brignac was sent back down. The Braves and Nationals are among the teams reportedly interested in Upton, so we'll keep track of any rumors involving Tampa's center fielder right here throughout the day. The latest will be up top…

  • An Upton trade is "not imminent," tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  The Rays are waiting to "assess [their] viability" in the AL East race and will wait until close to the trade deadline before deciding if they'll move Upton.  Passan notes Upton could well end up remaining in Tampa Bay after all.
  • In the FOX Saturday pre-game show, Rosenthal said of Upton: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."
  • In his latest Full Count Video, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Indians have joined the Upton fray. Rosenthal suggests teams would prefer him to other outfielders such as Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham due to his glovework, baserunning ability, and team control through 2012.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney says there is growing interest in Upton, with several more teams calling (Twitter link). He speculates that clubs could be comparing the price for Upton to that of Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence.

More From Rosenthal: Beltran, Kuroda, Upton

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On today's FOX Saturday pre-game show, Ken Rosenthal ran down some trade-related topics with co-host Chris Rose, so here's some more news from FOX's senior writer:

  • The Braves are "not going to trade a number of their top pitching prospects" to acquire Carlos Beltran. Rosenthal doesn't mention specific names, but you'd have to think that includes guys like Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Randall Delgado, and Arodys Vizcaino. Rosenthal does add that several Braves players, however, approached him and expressed their desire for the front office to add Beltran.
  • Despite reports that he doesn't want to go to the East coast, Dodgers righty Hiroki Kuroda is "keeping all his options open," Rosenthal learned today. He says it's looking like any team has a chance to get Kuroda to waive his no-trade clause, and mentions the Tigers, Indians, and Rangers specifically as suitors.
  • On Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, Rosenthal says: "[He] will be traded. You can trust me on that."

 

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Braves, Upton, White Sox, Reds

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a special trade deadline edition of his weekly Full Count Video, so let's run down the highlights:

  • For all the talk of the Braves and Carlos Beltran, Rosenthal reminds us that Atlanta could also use a right-handed reliever. Jonny Venters (lefty), Craig Kimbrel (righty), and Eric O'Flaherty (lefty) are all in the top four in the NL for total appearances. Atlanta is hopeful Peter Moylan will return in August, and they just moved Arodys Vizcaino to their Triple-A bullpen. They've also got three hard-throwing Triple-A righties as options, but each is also drawing trade interest: Anthony Varvaro, Jairo Asencio, and Juan Abreu. Each has a K/9 of 10.7 or higher.
  • The Indians have joined the growing number of teams interested in Rays' center fielder B.J. Upton. Rosenthal compares Upton offensively to Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham, but notes that teams like Upton's glove and baserunning skills. Upton is also controlled through 2012, unlike the other two.
  • Don't be surprised as to see the White Sox end up as sellers, says Rosenthal. They've got six starters as it is, so Edwin Jackson could be moved without harming the rotation much. Carlos Quentin could be dealt as well, and be replaced by Dayan Viciedo. Controlled through 2012, Quentin would become one of the hottest chips on the market.
  • Reds' Triple-A catcher Devin Mesoraco is "all but untouchable," but that doesn't guarantee the Reds will deal Ramon Hernandez and use Mesoraco down the stretch. They've yet to receive an offer they like for the veteran Hernandez, and some within the organization are reluctant to hand make a pennant run with a rookie backstop.

Stark On Shields, Melky, Soria, Marlins

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Astros GM Ed Wade has been determining the market for his players, including Hunter Pence, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Incoming owner Jim Crane urged Wade to do so in case appealing offers emerge. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors: 

  • Given Wade’s uncertain future in Houston, at least one executive suggests the GM needs to make a "job-saving deal" if he trades Pence.
  • The Rays are more likely to trade B.J. Upton than James Shields, though they realize Shields’ value has never been higher (the right-hander won't be going to the Bronx). 
  • The Phillies remain in contact with the Royals about Melky Cabrera, but the Royals have told teams they’re more likely to deal Jeff Francoeur. Kansas City is asking for a number three starter who’s nearly Major League ready in return for Cabrera.
  • Clubs that have inquired on Vance Worley have heard that he’s off of the market.
  • The Braves have shown some interest in Heath Bell, whose most aggressive suitors have been the Rangers, Cardinals, Phillies and Angels. The Padres are telling teams that they’ll need to “clearly surpass” the value of two compensatory draft picks in any deal for Bell, though they’re flexible in terms of the type of player they’d accept in return.
  • The Padres continue to field calls on Mike Adams, who will be tougher to obtain than Bell.
  • The Yankees, Phillies and Diamondbacks appear to have checked in on Joakim Soria.
  • The Red Sox are looking at everything, but aren’t approaching the deadline with much urgency, one AL executive told Stark.
  • Rival teams expect that the Dodgers will trade Jamey Carroll and there are indications that Rafael Furcal is drawing interest as well.
  • The Marlins, who hope to build momentum before opening their new stadium in 2012, are in a “holding pattern,” Stark reports. They’ve shown interest in third basemen.
  • Rival teams report that the Phillies say they won’t move Domonic Brown or top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart. Jonathan Singleton is available in the right deal, but the Phillies don’t expect to trade him for a rental player.
  • Stark reminds us that commissioner Bud Selig ruled out contraction at the All-Star Game.
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