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Phillies Targeting Pence, Quentin, Adams

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Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is working aggressively to improve his club before Sunday afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline. And according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, Amaro’s shopping list has been established. 

Hunter Pence is his top priority (latest rumors here), Carlos Quentin is his second choice (latest rumors here) and Mike Adams is his third choice (latest rumors here). Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that Pence is Philadelphia's top target. The Phillies are interested in several other players, but their hope is to acquire Pence, Quentin or Adams, according to Salisbury.

Stark On Quentin, Pirates, Braves, Indians, Reds

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Another must-read column from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • Stark has updated his take on Carlos Quentin's availability.  He says there is "increasing evidence the White Sox are talking to several teams about Quentin, one of which is believed to be Atlanta."  An executive of a team that has talked to the Sox says that while they are not "bound and determined" to trade Quentin, they would do it.
  • The Pirates are focused on finding a professional hitter, but aren't hot on Carlos Pena or Josh Willingham.  They're eyeing the Twins' Jason Kubel, but GM Bill Smith considers his team a contender at six games out.
  • Stark hasn't heard much that suggests the Braves are still bullpen shopping.
  • The Indians are turning their attention to starting pitching, but players Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jason Kipnis appear to be untouchable.
  • The Astros continue to shop Wandy Rodriguez, and Stark wonders if he'll fit for the Yankees as a salary dump type.
  • The White Sox dangled Adam Dunn.  Dunn has over $48MM remaining on the four-year, $56MM deal he signed in December.
  • The Reds have "stepped up their calls this week on controllable middle-of-the-order bats," although it's hard to name any available hitters of that nature.

Phillies Interested In Carlos Quentin

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THURSDAY, 7:20am: The Phillies loved what they saw scouting Quentin, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today, but the White Sox plan to keep him. 

WEDNESDAY, 9:15pm: The Phillies, who saw Carlos Beltran leave the NL East today, are interested in Carlos Quentin, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The possibility of Quentin going to Philadelphia "was talked about" a week or so ago, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).

The Phillies have scouted Quentin and it’s worth noting that the White Sox have been scouting Atlanta's system in anticipation of a possible deal involving the 28-year-old right fielder. He has a .265/.356/.516 line with 20 homers this year and earns $5.05MM. He'll earn a raise in 2012, when he's arbitration eligible for the final time.

Minor Moves: Evans, Restovich

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The Mariners signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league pact earlier today and we'll keep track of any other minor moves here…

  • Nick Evans has cleared waivers and is headed back to Triple-A, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). The Mets designated Evans for assignment late last week after he hit .148/.343/.333 through 35 plate appearances as a first baseman, third baseman and left fielder.
  • The Diamondbacks have acquired outfielder Michael Restovich from the White Sox and assigned him to Triple-A, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter). The 32-year-old Restovich was hitting .229/.282/.365 in 103 plate appearances for Chicago's Triple-A squad. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 2007.

Trade Reaction: Rasmus, Jackson, White Sox

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On the off-chance you missed it, the Blue Jays, Cardinals and White Sox announced a pair of major trades today. The Blue Jays acquired center fielder Colby Rasmus and pitchers Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters from the Cardinals for starter Edwin Jackson, relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, outfielder Corey Patterson, and three players to be named later or cash considerations. Before completing the deal with St. Louis, the Blue Jays acquired Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen from the White Sox for reliever Jason Frasor and prospect Zach Stewart. Here’s reaction to the trades from around MLB. Be warned, Cardinals fans, you might not like what follows… 

  • The price the Cardinals paid to acquire Jackson and bullpen help was "just too high," according to ESPN.com's Keith Law, who suggests St. Louis' internal emphasis is on manager Tony La Russa, not the players. Law loves what Toronto did and doesn't understand Chicago's move.
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN says the Cardinals had better win this year "or they will really regret this one." He calls St. Louis' move the "worst trade of the year" and gives the Blue Jays an 'A.'
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirms that the Cardinals turned down the Rays' offer of Jeff Niemann and J.P. Howell for Rasmus (Twitter link). Sherman suggests the Cardinals would have been better off accepting Tampa Bay's offer. 
  • The Giants showed how to go for it today and the Cardinals showed how not to go for it, Yahoo's Jeff Passan writes.
  • A longtime scout tells ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that Rasmus has a chance to be a star. “I don't understand that deal at all," the scout said (Twitter link). 
  • Matthew Leach of MLB.com likes what the Cardinals got for 2011, but finds it hard to like the deal for St. Louis because of what it means for 2012-14 (Twitter link).
  • Now that Rasmus and Carlos Beltran are off of the market, the list of teams with possible interest in B.J. Upton is taking shape, as Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times explains. The Braves, Indians, Nationals, Phillies, Pirates and Reds are possible destinations for Upton.
  • As Matt Eddy of Baseball America explains, Walters should qualify for a fourth option year in 2012 and Rzepczynski "might be the prototype" pupil for Cards pitching coach Dave Duncan.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of FanGraphs explains that it's easiest to see the trade from the Blue Jays' perspective, since they gave up three relievers and a prospect for a player who can help them contend for 2012-14.
  • At CloserNews, Dan Mennella wonders if Kyle McClellan could be in line for some saves, now that he's back in the bullpen.
  • Tim Dierkes wrote earlier today that “it's hard to see this as anything but a win for the Blue Jays.”
  • I agree with Tim and many of the others above- it’s a win for the Blue Jays. Let’s not forget how much has to be in place for this kind of deal to happen: a creative GM who reads the market well, payroll flexibility (for Teahen’s contract), willingness from ownership to take on salary, enough appealing prospects to be able to part with Stewart and enough bullpen depth to send three quality relievers packing on the same day. This trade doesn’t seem simple and in some ways it may actually be more complicated that it appears.

Braves Rumors: Ludwick, Quentin

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The latest on the Braves, who weren't able to acquire Carlos Beltran but at least saw him leave the division…

  • Catcher Brian McCann's oblique injury had zero effect on the Braves' willingness to meet the Mets' asking price for Beltran, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
  • Morosi's colleague Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Braves are turning their attention to the Astros' Hunter Pence, and have also shown interest in the Padres' Ryan Ludwick.
  • Earlier today, ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote that other teams remain certain that the Braves will acquire a bat.  Though the Braves haven't been willing to discuss their top pitching prospects, the White Sox are scouting their farm system in case they decide to move Carlos Quentin.

Blue Jays Acquire Jackson, Teahen For Frasor, Stewart

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The Blue Jays acquired starter Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen from the White Sox for reliever Jason Frasor and starter Zach Stewart, announced the teams.  Contrary to an earlier report, no cash will change hands in the deal.

AAH10082013_White_Sox_v_Royals

Trades are commonplace for Jackson (pictured), who was dealt for the fifth time in his career.  The surprising part is that the Blue Jays, 11 games out in the wild card, acquired the impending free agent.  Speculation is that Jackson may be flipped, possibly to the Cardinals in a deal involving Colby Rasmus.  Jackson, 27, has a 3.92 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 0.59 HR/9 and 46.9% groundball rate in 121 2/3 innings this season, making him one of the better starters available.  The Scott Boras client will head to free agency after the season most likely as a Type B.  He has about $2.9MM remaining on his contract this year.

Teahen is regarded as a salary dump, with almost $7.2MM remaining on his contract through 2012.  The 29-year-old is hitting .203/.277/.305 in 130 plate appearances this year, and is another example of Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos taking on a bad contract to get a deal done.  It was reported yesterday that White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf wanted to trim payroll.  The Sox will save about $9MM over two years, Sox GM Kenny Williams told Gonzales, though that will be less Frasor's option if they pick it up.

Frasor, the Blue Jays' franchise leader in appearances with 455, has a 2.98 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.85 HR/9, and 40.2% groundball rate this year.  The 33-year-old Oak Forest, Illinois native has about $1.2MM remaining on his contract this year, plus a $3.75MM club option for 2012.  If the option is declined, Frasor will likely be a Type B free agent.  He's a fine addition to any team's bullpen, though the Sox already rank third in the AL with a 3.33 relief ERA.  The move shouldn't have much effect on Frasor's fantasy value, writes Dan Mennella of CloserNews.

Stewart, 24, ranked 44th among Keith Law's top 100 prospects prior to the season.  Stewart, who Law said has number two starter potential, posted a 4.20 ERA, 7.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9 in 94 1/3 innings this year at Double-A.

The deal was first reported by Doug Seyller, with Ken Rosenthal, Jon Paul Morosi, Joel Sherman, Jon Heyman, and Mark Gonzales also contributing.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

Jays Acquire Jackson; Rasmus Involved?

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10:44am: Money appears to be the only holdup in a trade that would send Jackson to the Cardinals and Rasmus to the Blue Jays, tweets Rosenthal.  An exchange of more than $1MM awaits approval, and of course the Cards will get more than just Jackson for Rasmus.

Jackson and Teahen are going to Toronto, tweets MLB.com's Scott Merkin.  Heyman tweets that the two-team deal is done.

10:37am: Jackson is now being told a trade is official, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  He's shaking hands with staffers, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune from the White Sox clubhouse.

10:30am: The Cardinals continue to talk about Rasmus deals with the Blue Jays and other teams, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, and the outfielder appears to be "very much available."

10:09am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that this deal is close but not complete, because the money exchange requires approval and the Jays are trying to spin Jackson to another team.  That team may be the Cardinals, based on tweets from Joe Strauss, Jon Heyman, and Sherman.  Sherman believes the Cardinals could also get a reliever and Colby Rasmus may be involved, but nothing is official.  The Blue Jays have interest in Rasmus, tweets Morosi.

Meanwhile Alejandro De Aza is starting in center field for the White Sox this afternoon, necessitating a 25-man roster move.

9:21am: The White Sox are in serious talks for a deal that would send starter Edwin Jackson and third baseman Mark Teahen to the Blue Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and a prospect, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Rosenthal's colleague Jon Paul Morosi says this deal is close and money could be involved.  The rumor was first reported ten hours ago on Twitter by a fellow named Doug Seyller.

The Jays' motivation for renting Jackson for two months and taking on a bad contract in Teahen is unclear.  There doesn't appear to be a draft pick angle, as both Jackson and Frasor project as Type Bs.  Perhaps Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is considering flipping Jackson to a contender.

The White Sox were known to be seeking bullpen help, and Frasor has a club option for next year.  The Sox could also subtract a reliever, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that they're talking to the Cardinals about Matt Thornton.  Maybe Kenny Williams' goal in the Jackson trade is to shed the $9.7MM left on the contracts of the two veterans, though we need to see the quality of the prospect involved.  Sox pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd are also on the market, according to Rosenthal.  The White Sox are currently 4.5 games out in the AL Central with another game against the Tigers tonight.

Eight-Player Deal Sending Rasmus To Jays For Jackson Imminent

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12:08pm: The Cardinals will send Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Rzepczynski, Dotel, and Corey Patterson, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  Olney adds that Miller is then expected to be traded to the White Sox.

12:01pm: This trade is not yet official because of the money involved, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  He says that aspect may need to be reworked before it's approved.

11:35am: A trade of Rasmus to the Blue Jays for Jackson, Dotel, and Rzepczynski is imminent, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He says an announcement could come early this afternoon.

11:22am: Edwin Jackson is definitely going to be traded by the Blue Jays, tweets SI's Jon Heyman.  Heyman heard it's going to be for Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus.  Rasmus being under team control through 2014 and still highly-regarded, the Cards will require more than just two months of Jackson.  The two teams have talked about Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel, notes Olney, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Cards asked about outfielder Eric Thames.

Rasmus is a popular trade target.  ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Rays offered one of Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, and Alex Cobb, and the young center fielder is very much available.  The Indians have interest as well.

Quick Hits: Rangers, Quentin, Gomes, Bauer

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The Red Sox and Rangers rank first and second in the majors, respectively, in runs scored. Yet one night after Michael Cuddyer prevented the Rangers from scoring, another position player, Mitch Maier, shut down the Red Sox. Here's the latest from around MLB…

  • The Rangers agreed to sign 11th round pick Connor Sadzeck for an over-slot bonus of $350K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The right-hander tops out at 95 mph and projects as a reliever.
  • The Phillies are among the teams scouting Carlos Quentin in case the White Sox decide to move him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
  • The Nationals like the fact that they could obtain a draft pick for newly-acquired outfielder Jonny Gomes after the season, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
  • Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Trevor Bauer, who signed yesterday, "possibly could" help the bullpen in September (Twitter links). The D'Backs "fully envision" Bauer competing for a rotation spot next spring.
  • The D'Backs continue looking for pitching, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
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