AL Notes: Mariners, White Sox, Astros, Blue Jays
Here are a few trade notes from around the American League:
- As we approach the trade deadline with the Mariners looking more like sellers than buyers, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times took a look back at GM Jack Zduriencik's recent history at the deadline. Beginning with an ill-fated swap of a young Michael Morse for Ryan Langerhans and featuring the retrospectively painful Doug Fister deal, the net return to Seattle has not been terribly productive.
- This year, the Mariners could be in a position to deal some relievers. Last night, we took a look at FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal's breakdown of potentially available NL relievers. Tonight, let's look at the AL crop. From the M's, Rosenthal says that veteran lefty Oliver Perez is the most likely to be dealt, with Charlie Furbush and Tom Wilhelmsen also prime candidates. The latter two, however, will likely command a high price given that Furbush may just be reaching arbitration after this season as a Super Two, while Wilhelmsen will not reach arbitration until after the 2014 campaign.
- Rosenthal also pegs the White Sox and Astros as sellers with attractive bullpen pieces. Chicago could swing a trade for stud reliever Jesse Crain if he can return in time to prove his health; otherwise, both Matt Thornton and Matt Lindstrom could hold some appeal. (Both of the latter two pitchers come with club options for 2014.) For Houston, meanwhile, the prime trade chip among its relief corps is unquestionably closer Jose Veras, who is cheap, strikes out a lot of hitters, and has been solid in late-inning work this year.
- One other team that should look to the future, according to FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi, is the Blue Jays. With the club again fading after its recent resurgence, Morosi says Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos faces a "virtually impossible" task to right the ship before the trade deadline. Rather than selling out for this season, says Morosi, the Jays should look to shore up the team's rotation to make a run in 2014 and 2015.
- Sticking with the Jays, Morosi says that Josh Johnson — occasionally noted as a potential trade candidate earlier in the year — has been "perhaps the team's greatest disappointment this year." Johnson currently carries a 4.89 ERA in 53 1/3 innings; his walk rate is below his career average at 3.4 BB/9, though he is striking batters out at a strong 9.1 K/9 clip. At this point, Morosi suggests, Toronto may be best served by shipping Johnson back to the National League rather than looking to try and bring him back next year.
White Sox Designate Hector Gimenez For Assignment
The White Sox have designated catcher Hector Gimenez for assignment, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. In a corresponding move, the team will promote fellow backstop Josh Phegley to the big club for tomorrow's game.
Gimenez, 30, saw the most extensive MLB action of his career this season while serving as the backup to Tyler Flowers. While solid behind the dish, Gimenez was struggling at the plate for Chicago with a .191/.275/.338 line over 80 plate appearances.
Though Gimenez has flashed some power over his minor league career, the Sox found it impossible to ignore Phegley's own power breakout in Triple-A. Phegley entered the year as the team's 18th overall prospect according to Baseball America, but his stock has soared in 2013. Back in May, GM Rick Hahn said that Phegley "is showing himself capable of potentially being an impact catcher at the Major League level." In addition to a career-best .316/.368/.597 triple slash over 258 plate appearances, Phegley has mashed 15 home runs for Triple-A Charlotte.
White Sox Place Jesse Crain On 15-Day DL
The White Sox have placed one of their most desirable trade chips — setup man Jesse Crain — on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain, the team announced via press release.
Crain's DL stint is retroactive to June 30, so he will be eligible for activation well in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. However, a recent stint on the DL and a questionable shoulder certainly don't do any favors to his trade value.
The 31-year-old Crain has enjoyed far and away the best season of his career and arguably the best season of any reliever in Major League Baseball this year. He boasts a 0.74 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings and recently went on a historic scoreless streak. Crain rattled off 29 straight scoreless appearances, and even when that streak came to an end, it was due to three unearned runs. He allowed his first earned run since April 12 in his final appearance before hitting the DL (June 29). Fangraphs pegs his value to date at two wins above replacement, leading all Major League relievers.
Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Crain warmed in last night's game and adds that he could return after the All-Star break. There are 12 games that fall after the All-Star break but before the deadline, so Crain will have a bit of time to showcase his health if activated immediately. Crain was recently linked to the Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees, though nearly every contender in baseball could use some additional bullpen help.
The Sox also placed Paul Konerko on the DL with a lower back strain, but even though he's in the final year of his contract, the team has said it won't trade the long-time team captain.
Alex Rios’ No-Trade List
The seven-year, $69.835MM extension that Alex Rios signed with the Blue Jays back in 2008 didn't initially contain no-trade protection, but a limited no-trade clause allowing Rios to block trades to six teams kicked in starting in 2009. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that the six teams to which Rios can block a trade are the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Royals, Astros and Athletics.
The Rockies, Diamondbacks and A's are likely set on outfielders, and the Astros certainly aren't looking to buy at this time. However, the no-trade protection against the Yankees and (to a lesser extent) the Royals is significant, as both teams would make sense as suitors for Rios.
The struggling Yankees scored fewer runs than any team in baseball last month (88) and have a dearth of right-handed power. Offense is said to be New York's primary need in trades. The Royals opened the season with Jeff Francoeur in right field but have since designated him for assignment. Recent reports did state that the chances of Kansas City making a big move were "slim," and David Lough has played well in place of Francoeur.
Jim Thome Joins White Sox Front Office
The White Sox have announced that Jim Thome has joined the team's front office as a special assistant to general manager Rick Hahn. Thome will consult with Hahn and assistant GM Buddy Bell, work with the club's Major League staff and players, and also travel to the team's minor league affiliates to evaluate player performance.
Assuming this transition signals the official end of Thome's playing days, the 42-year-old will conclude a likely Hall of Fame career as a .276/.402/.554 hitter. In parts of 22 seasons for the Indians, White Sox, Phillies, Twins, Dodgers and Orioles, Thome blasted 612 home runs and racked up 1,699 RBIs, which rank seventh and 24th all-time, respectively.
Fangraphs pegs Thome's career value at 68.1 wins above replacement, while Baseball-Reference's version is more bullish at 72.8 WAR. According to B-Ref, he earned more than $142MM in his illustrious career.
White Sox Sign Micker Adolfo Zapata
The White Sox signed outfielder Micker Adolfo Zapata for $1.6MM, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Zapata is a 16-year-old right-handed hitter who was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and trained in the Dominican Republic for the last few years. BA ranked him ninth, while MLB.com had him second. The White Sox confirmed the deal, a franchise record for an international signing.
Zapata "has the best raw power in Latin America," wrote Badler, as well as an above-average arm and bat speed. Badler noted that the White Sox were pushing hard to sign him. The Sox have a bonus pool of $2,168,300.
Heyman On Nolasco, Dodgers, Utley, Young
Here's a look at the latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..
- A person familiar with the Ricky Nolasco talks says the Dodgers, Orioles, Giants, Rangers, and Rockies are among the teams in the mix, Heyman writes. The Dodgers have been considered a favorite since they might be willing to absorb the $5.75MM remaining on Nolasco's $11.5-million 2013 salary, but the source suggested late Monday afternoon that there's isn't a deal out there yet that is good enough to jump on. Colorado is said to have offered two decent prospects for the hurler but they are skittish about paying the salary. While some have suggested that the Marlins are anxious to trade Nolasco before his scheduled start on Wednesday, they are still holding out for a quality offer.
- Heyman hears that the word around baseball is that the Dodgers could have interest in Chase Utley. It isn't known if the Dodgers have gone so far as to contact Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, but he doesn't seem anxious to trade the second baseman despite the fact he is headed towards free agency. If the Phillies do decide to sell, they are said to be more willing to part with Michael Young, who's interested the Dodgers before.
- With the deadline just weeks away, Heyman laid out the market as it stands today. The piece starts by highlighting the six biggest sellers in the Cubs, White Sox, Brewers, Twins, Marlins, and Astros.
Padres Notes: Arrieta, Garza, Peavy, Bullpen
Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune discusses (or shoots down) some Padres trade possibilities in his weekly online chat with fans…
- The Padres "are enamored" with Orioles right-hander Jake Arrieta. Center reported last week that the Padres have been linked to Arrieta, and Center spoke to a pair of scouts this week who "really love Arrieta's stuff" and believe he could be a second or third starter "in the right situation."
- Center hears that Arrieta and Matt Garza are the pitchers most associated with a potential Padres trade. Several teams are interested in Garza, though I'd argue the Padres could have a possible edge due to Cubs GM Jed Hoyer's familiarity with the San Diego organization and farm system.
- Andrew Cashner, Jedd Gyorko and Everth Cabrera are three players that Center considers "untouchable" for the Padres. Cabrera could be an exception if San Diego received a Major League shortstop in return.
- Center hasn't heard of any Padres interest in Yovani Gallardo or Phil Hughes.
- It's a "long shot" that the Padres would re-acquire White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy. The veteran hurler will be out until after the All-Star break with a rib injury and you would think the Padres would want a safer option if they were going to acquire a starter.
- The San Diego bullpen has been shakier than usual, and Center believes the team may have to make a move to address the problem unless the club can get longer outings from its starting pitchers. Entering Sunday, Padres relievers had thrown 278 innings this season, tied for the third-highest total in the Major Leagues.
- There is a greater possibility that Luke Gregerson is dealt rather than Huston Street because Gregerson would draw more interest on the trade market. Gregerson has been shaky of late (one of the victims of the overworked San Diego bullpen) but still has a 2.67 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 3.5 K/BB ratio in 33 2/3 innings this season. Gregerson is also much cheaper than Street, who is owed $10.5MM through the end of the 2014 season.
Chicago Notes: Epstein, Soriano, Hahn, Konerko
The Chicago Blackhawks recently bought the Stanley Cup back to the Windy City, but it seems awfully unlikely that either of Chicago's baseball teams will catch fire and add a World Series title to the city's list of sports championships. Both the Cubs and White Sox are seemingly looking ahead to 2014, as you'll see in this collection of Chicago baseball news…
- Cubs president Theo Epstein tells reporters (including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune) that there is an even-money chance the Cubs will make a deal before the All-Star break. “Judging by the amount of calls that are going on, and the number of pieces we intend to have available and the number of opportunities that might present themselves for us to get better, yeah, I’d say 50-50,” Epstein said.
- Also from Sullivan's item, the Red Sox have sent top scout Gary Hughes to follow the Cubs while the team is on the west coast. Sullivan considers it likely that the Cubs will ask for two or three of Boston's top prospects in any significant deal given Epstein's familiarity with the Red Sox farm system.
- Alfonso Soriano recently received consecutive days off and said he's open to ceding playing time to some of the Cubs' younger players down the stretch, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. That said, Soriano didn't dismiss the idea that getting less playing time would induce him to waive his no-trade clause and go elsewhere before the deadline. “I don’t think about it. Let’s wait and see if that happens, and I’ll think about it,” Soriano said. “I don’t want to put my mind on something that hasn’t happened yet. The front office has their job, and I have my job.” Soriano had posted a .704 OPS heading into today's play and the 37-year-old is owed approximately $27MM between now and the end of the 2014 season.
- If the White Sox do intend to become trade deadline sellers, general manager Rick Hahn told reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) that he doesn't intend to make his club's intentions public. Hahn hopes the Sox can get back into the pennant race but "we aren't going to delude ourselves, and we're not going to wishcast our performance this year. We're going to respond to our performance to date and make adjustments when the time calls for it."
- Hahn said that the White Sox would be looking for "high-impact, premium talent" at middle infield positions, center field and the starting rotation if they did dip into the trade market. While Hahn is willing to listen to offers on any player, "that doesn't mean that some players [aren't] extraordinarily difficult to acquire." It was reported earlier this week that the Sox were open to dealing anyone besides Chris Sale and Paul Konerko.
- Speaking of Konerko, the veteran slugger said yesterday that he was just focused on recovering from a back injury rather than being traded. Today, Konerko told Merkin that he would judge potential deals on a case-by-case basis. "I've been here 15 years, and if that's the way it's going to go with this team, it's pretty lucky to really have one time out of 15 years where [getting traded has] been an issue," Konerko said.
- From earlier today on MLBTR, ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine reported that the Giants, Diamondbacks and Rangers were a few of the teams scouting White Sox outfielder Alex Rios. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal also opined that Rios would be a perfect fit in right field for the Pirates.
Rangers, D’Backs, Giants Scouting Alex Rios
White Sox outfielder Alex Rios is drawing interest from several teams as the trade deadline approaches, and the Rangers, Diamondbacks and Giants are a few of the clubs scouting the veteran, industry sources tell ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine. Rios heard about the Rangers' interest first-hand from former teammate and current Texas catcher A.J. Pierzynski.
"A.J. contacted me the other day and said his team was talking about trying to get me,” Rios said. “All players want to be on a winner and in our situation it has been tough to win. I love it here in Chicago and so does my family but this is the time of year teams make these decisions. We have put ourselves in that position.”
Rios has a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to six teams. The right fielder said his preference would be to remain in Chicago but "if they give me a choice I will have to weigh my options.” Levine opines that if Rios if presented with a deal to a contending team, he will waive his no-trade clause.
It was reported earlier this week that the White Sox are willing to consider dealing anyone besides Chris Sale and Paul Konerko, and Rios stands out as one of the more attractive options on the Chicago roster. Rios entered Sunday's action hitting .272/.331/.450 with 11 homers and 14 steals in 327 PA. The 32-year-old is owed roughly $19.75MM through the end of the 2014 season (which includes a total $1MM salary bump for being dealt before Spring Training 2014), and his contract also includes a $13.5MM club option for 2015 that can be bought out for $1MM.
The Rangers' outfield recently lost Craig Gentry to a fractured hand, and the remaining starters carry a number of question marks. David Murphy is struggling, Leonys Martin is only suited to play against right-handed pitching and Nelson Cruz could face a suspension for his role in the Biogenesis scandal.
Gerardo Parra is the only solid everyday outfield option in Arizona, as Cody Ross (.669 OPS), A.J. Pollock (.700 OPS) and Jason Kubel (.715 OPS) have all yet to catch fire at the plate. Rookie Adam Eaton has missed the entire season with an elbow injury and could finally reach the Majors after the All-Star break, though the D'Backs would likely want a more proven veteran option to help them in their NL West pennant drive.
Though Rios hasn't played center field since 2011, the Giants could use him at that position to replace the injured Angel Pagan. The World Series champs are rumored to be looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder, though GM Brian Sabean recently said that it was too early for his club to make a major trade.