Josh Johnson Rumors: Friday
The Marlins seek a Mark Teixeira-like package for Josh Johnson, Jon Heyman reported yesterday. In other words, Miami seeks at least three good young pieces for the right-hander. The Blue Jays are pursuing Johnson and the Rangers, Angels and Orioles also appear to have interest. Here's the latest, with the most recent items up top:
- The Red Sox don't appear to be in on Johnson, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that Miami's asking price is "way more than [the Sox] would be willing to meet."
- "The Marlins are leaving no doubt that they intend to trade" their ace, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The Rangers are among those "still heavy" in pursuit of Johnson.
- There's lots of debate in front offices over Johnson's availability, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick writes (Twitter links). One GM says the Marlins "want a ton" for Johnson, but Crasnick suggests the Marlins would move the right-hander under the right circumstances.
- The Marlins are asking for each team's top two or three prospects in trade scenarios involving Johnson, Crasnick adds (Twitter links). It'd take Jurickson Profar–Travis d'Arnaud types to get talks moving and "a lot more" after that.
Rangers Notes: Outfielders, Greinke, Broxton
The Rangers look primed to make at least a couple of trade deadline upgrades to their roster as they pursue that elusive World Series title. We heard earlier today that Texas was looking at such top-tier outfielders as Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Shin-Soo Choo and Justin Upton, though none of those players look to be available right now. Here's some more about other Ranger trade targets…
- "We need a good pitcher. We can use a good pitcher. If it happens to be a No. 1 that Jon Daniels gets, if he gets it, fine. We need a good pitcher," Rangers manager Ron Washington told reporters (including ESPN Dallas' Richard Durrett).
- The Rangers seem to prefer Zack Greinke to James Shields and Josh Johnson, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com tweets. Knobler also notes the possibility that if Texas misses out on trading for a starter, they could instead trade for a reliever and more Alexi Ogando back to the rotation.
- If the Rangers do acquire Greinke from the Brewers, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan speculates that Texas would want a second player back in the deal, "to at least have something to show for it beyond 2012" if Greinke leaves via free agency. Such a second player could be a prospect or bench depth, Sullivan guesses.
- The Rangers could be interested in Jonathan Broxton as the club looks for relief help, tweets ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The Mets and Giants are among the other teams recently linked to Broxton.
Zack Greinke Rumors: Friday
Brewers GM Doug Melvin has acknowledged that Zack Greinke could be traded before he makes his scheduled start this Sunday. He told USA Today the right-hander will be traded ("It's going to be difficult when we trade him'') then offered a less definitive statement later on last night ("I just said there was that possibility"). The Rangers, Angels, Braves and White Sox are pursuing Greinke. Here are the latest rumors surrounding the right-hander…
- Though the White Sox don't have a highly-regarded farm system, they have enough talent in the Major Leagues to acquire Greinke, Heyman reports. Gavin Floyd's name has come up in trade talks, but he doesn't appear to be related to the Greinke sweepstakes, Heyman reports.
- The Braves continue to seek a starting pitcher and Greinke and others remain in play, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter). However, the Braves are telling teams they’re focused on bullpen and bench help, rather than starting pitching, according to Jayson Stark.
- The Angels remain very much involved in the Greinke talks, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Morosi reports that Greinke has a "high regard" for the Angels and thus would likely be more open to signing a contract extension to remain in Anaheim. The Angels might prefer Greinke to Shields and Johnson, according to Danny Knobler.
- The Dodgers could check in on Greinke, Jon Heyman reported today.
Rosenthal & Morosi On Gonzalez, Phillies, Perkins
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledges his team’s upcoming series in Atlanta will have an impact on Philadelphia’s trade deadline plans, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. “We have to play well against these guys,” Amaro said. “They’re a very tough team. We don’t necessarily have to sweep ‘em. But it’s important for us to win the series.” Here are the latest rumors from Rosenthal and colleague Jon Paul Morosi…
- Carlos Gonzalez is at or near the top of the Rangers’ wish list of outfielders for 2013, Morosi and Rosenthal report. For now, however, the Rockies are keeping Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler off-limits in trade talks.
- Mariners relievers Shawn Kelley, Josh Kinney and Steve Delabar are drawing mild interest, Morosi tweets.
- Left-hander Glen Perkins is drawing heavy interest, Morosi reports (on Twitter). The Twins have a very high asking price for Perkins, who signed a three-year, $10.3MM extension with the club in March.
- The Orioles would like to add a left-handed reliever, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
- The Giants want a right-handed bat and are expected to make a push for Hunter Pence if the Phillies make him available, Morosi reports (on Twitter). Jonathan Broxton is also of interest for the Giants, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
- The Pirates aren't optimistic about their search for a hitter at this point, Rosenthal reports (on Twitter).
- The White Sox haven't ruled out the possibility of adding another reliever, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
Indians Notes: Cabrera, Choo, Lindor
While the Indians would like to upgrade their rotation, they aren't interested in rental players, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports (on Twitter). Here’s the latest on the Indians, who have a 50-49 record after defeating the Tigers last night…
- Asdrubal Cabrera would appeal to a team like Oakland, but the Indians would have to be blown away to move their shortstop, Crasnick reports (on Twitter).
- The Indians are very likely to hold onto Shin-Soo Choo now that they’re just 3.5 games out of a playoff berth, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes (Twitter link).
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels should trade for an impact hitter and a starting pitcher, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. The Rangers had a scout watching yesterday’s Tigers-Indians game, so Morosi suggests Choo could be an option for Texas. The Rangers also scouted Justin Upton, but it sounds as though Arizona won’t move the outfielder before the offseason.
- Though no players are off limits, a trade "would need to be exceptional" for the Indians to part with top prospect Francisco Lindor, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
Stark On Headley, Braves, Marlins, Reds
The Athletics, Orioles, Pirates and Indians are pursuing Chase Headley most aggressively, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. The Pirates and Indians seem less motivated to complete a deal now, but the A’s and Orioles haven’t backed off. The Diamondbacks, Phillies and Yankees checked in on Headley, and the Dodgers were seriously interested until they traded for Hanley Ramirez. Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors…
- The Braves are telling teams they’re shifting their focus away from the rotation to possible bullpen and bench upgrades, Stark reports.
- The Marlins are working hard to trade Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Lee, Stark writes. Ricky Nolasco is also available.
- The Rangers are mainly focused on Zack Greinke and James Shields, but the odds of a trade involving Shields are diminishing because Evan Longoria is on his way back to the Rays’ lineup.
- The Cubs are offering to absorb all but $2MM of Alfonso Soriano’s contract, Stark writes. The left fielder earns $18MM per season through 2014 and the Cubs might take it all on for the right prospect.
- The Phillies are still considering trading Shane Victorino, but they are likely to wait a few days before making a decision on his future.
- The Padres have told teams they are likely to trade Huston Street if they can’t sign him to an extension. The Padres are expected to attempt to lock Street up to a one-year extension.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty "feels a need to do something" and has asked around for a middle-of-the-order hitter, Stark reports.
Phillies Won’t Trade Cliff Lee
The Phillies won't trade Cliff Lee before the July 31st trade deadline, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Furthermore, the Phillies have no plan to consider trading Lee in August, when players can be dealt after being placed on waivers. Something would have to change for the team to consider trading Lee, Heyman writes.
The Rangers had been scouting Lee, and viewed him as a long-shot alternative to Zack Greinke, Josh Johnson and James Shields. The Rangers would have asked the Phillies to cover a substantial portion of Lee's salary in any trade, Heyman writes. Lee, 33, earns $25MM per season from 2013-15, so there’s a chance he’d clear waivers. His contract includes a $12.5MM buyout for a $27.5MM option in 2016.
Lee can block trades to 21 teams, but the Yankees, Braves and Marlins are not on his no-trade list, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported today (Twitter links). Phillies officials intend to build around Lee, Roy Halladay and the recently-extended Cole Hamels, Heyman reports.
Angels Like Shields; Braves Have Some Interest
The Angels still have a lot of interest in James Shields, even as some clubs are concerned about the right-hander’s performance, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. Rosenthal also adds a new team to the list of Shields’ suitors: the Braves have some level of interest, Rosenthal reports.
The Rangers and Dodgers are pursuing Shields, Danny Knobler reported yesterday. The Indians have also talked to the Rays about Shields, according to Jayson Stark.
Shields earns $7MM in 2012 and his contract includes club options for 2013 ($9MM with a $1.5MM buyout) and 2014 ($12MM with a $1MM buyout). Shields, the third-place finisher in last year's AL Cy Young voting, has completed at least 200 innings in every one of his five full seasons. The 30-year-old has a 4.52 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 137 1/3 innings so far in 2012.
Rosenthal discusses some possible explanations for Shields' season and explains how his numbers affect his trade value. Joel Sherman of the New York Post was blown away by the number of executives who aren't scared by Shields' numbers (Twitter link).
Rockies Notes: Scutaro, Betancourt, Reynolds
The Rockies have been scouting the Giants’ minor league teams, so a deal could be developing, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes (Twitter links). The Giants asked about acquiring Marco Scutaro for bench help a couple of weeks ago and relievers Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle could also interest San Francisco, Schulman writes. Here are more notes on the 37-60 Rockies…
- The Rockies don’t want to move Michael Cuddyer and are determined to keep Belisle, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes.
- Scutaro, Jason Giambi, Betancourt, Matt Reynolds and Jonathan Herrera are the most likely Rockies to be traded in that order, Heyman writes.
- The Rays, Nationals, Rangers and A’s appear to have interest in Scutaro, along with the Giants. Heyman reports that the Rockies could either seek a highly-regarded prospect for Scutaro or accept salary relief and a fringy prospect.
- Several teams have called about Reynolds, Heyman reports.
Quick Hits: Gregerson, Rangers, Indians, Escobar
As usual, the market for relievers is developing late. One name to watch, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) is Padres right-hander Luke Gregerson. The 28-year-old could appeal to clubs as he has a 3.05 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 on the year. While Gregerson could be a valuable trade chip for San Diego, the Mets reportedly turned down a proposal that would have sent Gregerson to Queens for Daniel Murphy. Here's a look around baseball as we burn the midnight oil on MLBTR..
- One AL scout told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that if he were a betting man, he'd put his money on the Rangers landing Zack Greinke. Meanwhile, if the Rangers or Angels land Greinke, the Rays could get the other club to overpay for James Shields.
- After talking with Indians GM Chris Antonetti, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter) believes that the Tribe is looking to add or stand relatively pat at the deadline rather than sell.
- Yunel Escobar's clubhouse reputation has been a red flag for some teams and is hurting his market value, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The A's have been linked to the shortstop but are lukewarm on him as they are wary of disrupting their locker room atmosphere.