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Is James Shields Available?

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The Reds are targeting Rays righty James Shields, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, which might be why Tampa Bay scouts have been evaluating the Reds' Triple-A team this week.  Baseball Prospectus' John Perrotto says the Rays have "quietly let it be known that right-hander Shields is available for the right price."  The Rays "will listen to just about every trade proposal thrown their way," writes Olney.

With a 2.60 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9, and 46.1% groundball rate, the 29-year-old Shields has the ability to shake up a trade market that is light on starting pitchers aside from perhaps Ubaldo Jimenez.  Shields' contract offers the ultimate in flexibility, with reasonable club options on his 2012, '13, and '14 seasons. 

Shields' ERAs have bounced around plenty over the years, but his skills have always supported sub-4.00 and this year he's pitched like an ace.  Plus, he's never been on the disabled list and averaged over 220 innings from 2008-10.  This year, he leads the Majors with seven complete games and has averaged over 7.4 innings per start.

Shields' suitors probably won't match up directly with those of Jimenez, as I imagine the Rays would prefer not to trade him to the Yankees or Red Sox.  Still, my contender wish list post yesterday shows the Indians, Tigers, Rangers, Cardinals, Reds, Pirates, and Diamondbacks as other clubs seeking starting pitching.

Rosenthal On GM Job Security

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tells us which GMs are on the hot seat in his latest column.  A few details…

  • Ed Wade (Astros) and Jim Hendry (Cubs) are deemed to be on the hot seat.  New Astros owner Jim Crane is expected to try to lure Rays decision-maker Andrew Friedman with the chance to run his hometown team.  As for the Cubs, Rosenthal finds speculation of a Pat Gillick-Hendry pairing to be far-fetched.  Rosenthal notes that the Cubs job, which has been occupied by Hendry for more than nine years, "might draw interest from some of the game's top current GMs."
  • Jack Zduriencik (Mariners), Tony Reagins (Angels), and Dave Dombrowski (Tigers) are viewed as "less than secure."
  • Brian Cashman (Yankees) and Andy MacPhail (Orioles) are in the final year of their contracts.  Rosenthal says "even some of Cashman’s friends in the industry think he might be ready to bolt."  Rosenthal says it'd be an upset if MacPhail returns for Baltimore.
  • Ned Colletti (Dodgers) and Kenny Williams (White Sox) are in unusual positions.  Colletti has an out after 2012, and of course his club is a picture of uncertainty.  As for Williams, he could theoretically become club president to allow the team to retain Rick Hahn, but Rosenthal's sources believe "such an arrangement would be difficult on both men."
  • Rosenthal tosses a "you never know" tag on Doug Melvin (Brewers) and Bill Smith (Twins), but finds the Pirates' Neal Huntington secure.    
  • We'll have much more on the topic of GM candidates next month.  But in MLBTR's survey of dozens of team executives and agents, the following people were named as candidates at least five times: Hahn, Jerry Dipoto, Thad Levine, David Forst, Ben Cherington, Tony LaCava, Mike Chernoff, Bryan Minniti, A.J. Preller, and Billy Eppler.

AL East Notes: Papelbon, Kuroda, Blue Jays, Rays

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The latest from the AL East as the Orioles host the Red Sox and the Rays host the Yankees… 

  • Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who will hit free agency after the season, tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he's excited about the opportunity to prove himself in the second half of the season, but only focusing on what he can control.
  • The Yankees called Hiroki Kuroda's agent to gather information and heard that the starter doesn't want to leave Los Angeles for the East Coast, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com that he isn't close to making any moves, though that could change quickly, since dialogue between GMs is picking up.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports discusses teams on the fringes of contention and provides recommendations for their deadline strategy. Among Morosi's more surprising advice: the Rays should sell.
  • For the latest on the Orioles, check out Mike Axisa's post from earlier this evening.

Teams Called On Rasmus; Deal “Highly Unlikely”

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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.

Rays Designate Adam Russell For Assignment

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The Rays designated right-handed reliever Adam Russell for assignment, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.  In a series of moves, the Rays designated Russell, placed Juan Cruz and Jose Lobaton on the DL, and promoted Alex Cobb, Alex Torres, and Robinson Chirinos.  The removal of Russell from the 40-man roster drops the team's count to 38.

Russell, 28, posted a 3.03 ERA, 3.6 K/9, 5.5 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, and 53.2% groundball rate in 32 2/3 innings for the Rays this year.  Armed with a 94 mile per hour fastball, Russell failed to tally strikeouts in his Rays stint.  Drafted by the White Sox in 2004, Russell was dealt to the Padres in the Jake Peavy deal and later headed to Tampa Bay in the Jason Bartlett trade.

Nats Rumors: Storen, Clippard, Desmond, Gorzelanny

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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.

Poll: Rays At The Deadline

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Winning and building for the future represent a delicate balance for the Rays, who operate on a tight budget each year. They entered tonight's game vs. the Red Sox in third place in the AL East, six games behind Boston and five behind second-place New York. In its most recent Playoff Odds Report, Baseball Prospectus listed the Rays as having an 8.6 percent chance of reaching the postseason.

However, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times wrote today that the Rays are more likely to be buyers than sellers this month, as they seem inclined to further build their core, rather than breaking it down (here's Topkin's list of players the Rays might consider selling). Executive vice president Andrew Friedman told Topkin that he hopes to add a player who can help the Rays in 2011 and beyond, and that the Rays' deep farm could allow him to make such a trade, though certain prospects are highly unlikely to be made available.

Tampa Bay is in a tough spot, being a solid team in a brutal division. Friedman's vision of adding a good, cost-controlled player sounds good, but it could be tough to pull off without dealing a high-end prospect. What would you do if you were the Rays?

What should the Rays do?
Sell - trade the pricier veterans and stock the farm 49.34% (3,386 votes)
Buy - add a good player and compete for the playoffs 35.88% (2,462 votes)
Neither - stand pat 14.78% (1,014 votes)
Total Votes: 6,862

Rays Notes: Trade Deadline, Moore, Upton, Damon

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As both a playoff contender and an organization keeping its payroll in check, the Rays could decide to become buyers, sellers, or a combination of the two this month. However, Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times views the club as buyers more than sellers, since they seem "more focused on adding to their core than breaking it up." Topkin spoke to executive VP Andrew Friedman about the upcoming deadline:

  • "I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to line up on something that helps us in 2011 and gets in front of one of our to-do items this offseason," said Friedman. "We are pursuing different moves that would strengthen our weaknesses and not necessarily detract from our current strengths."
  • The Rays are open to acquiring a rental player, but would give up more for someone who was under control past this season.
  • The team is willing to use its farm system to faciliate a potential trade. Friedman says there are a few prospects the Rays are "very unlikely" to trade, with Matt Moore likely heading that list, but "the fact that we have a really deep system helps us in that respect."
  • In a separate piece, Topkin examines the pros and cons of trading five players on the Rays' current roster, including B.J. Upton and Johnny Damon.
  • The Rays have been bold and brazen when making trades in the past, and need to continue to be aggressive, writes John Romano of the St. Petersburg Times.

Olney’s Latest: Willingham, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins

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Buster Olney continues to share hot stove notes via Twitter and his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, so let's dive right into his latest updates:

  • Josh Willingham is being eyed by the Pirates, who have been in touch with the Athletics about the outfielder (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are considered favorites to land either Heath Bell or Mike Adams (Twitter link). Rival executives believe that now is the time for the Padres to move Adams, whose trade value will probably never be higher, considering his age and injury history.
  • The Red Sox will likely give Josh Reddick and the rest of their outfield about a week to ten days before deciding whether to pursue another bat.
  • Olney speculates that the Giants could be a fit for B.J. Upton, as the Rays continue to "weigh interest" in the 26-year-old.
  • Now just six games out of first place, the Twins are telling teams they're not interested in dumping players like Michael Cuddyer.

Rosenthal On Nolasco, Rays, Upton, Jimenez

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports brought us another edition of Full Count today while sporting yet another fantastic bow tie.  Here are some highlights..

  • The Marlins could wind up trading Ricky Nolasco if they fail to get back to the .500 mark.  The Rangers have shown interest in Nolasco since last winter and the Yankees could look to reunite him with manager Joe Girardi.  If the Fish make such a deal, it won't be in one of their classic salary dumps, it will be instead for baseball reasons.  They're looking to increase their payroll ahead of their move into a brand new stadium and they could be major players for free agents this winter.
  • The Rays still could end up as sellers but right now they appear to be buyers as they were looking to get Francisco Rodriguez before the Brewers swooped in at the final hour.  If Tampa Bay sells, it's doubtful that they'll move any of their starters but B.J. Upton is another story.  In theory, the Nationals, Phillies, and Braves could all be potential destinations for the outfielder.
  • The three teams with the best chance of meeting the Rockies' asking price for Ubaldo Jimenez are the Yankees, Tigers, and Reds.  The concerns with Jimenez are that he's not back to his 2009/early 2010 form and that his velocity has dropped.  One scout told Rosenthal that he's not back to his ace form yet but he's getting close.
  • The first-place Pirates are after upgrades but they should also improve from within.  They have a number of injured players returning such as Jose Tabata, Evan Meek, and Ross Ohlendorf.  The Bucs continue to search for a bat but they're not terribly interested in the Cubs' Carlos Pena.
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