NL East Notes: Braves, Pence, Minor, Beltran, Marlins
The Phillies sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees on this date five years ago. Now they're buyers and they have Hunter Pence to show for it. Here's the latest on Pence and his new division…
- The Braves are working hard to acquire an outfield bat, but there are "still no dance partners" according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).
- The Astros sent $2MM (not $1MM) to the Phillies in the Pence deal, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark (on Twitter). The Phillies won't have to pay the luxury tax this way, Stark reports.
- Kevin Goldstein and R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus break down the trade that sent Pence to the Phillies.
- The Braves would have included Mike Minor in a deal for Pence, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- One executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Braves have six untouchable players (Twitter link).
- The Mets thought they were going to trade Carlos Beltran to the Rangers earlier in the week, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Texas was being more aggressive than other teams and even though they weren't willing to include elite prospects, the Mets considered a multi-prospect package. Finally, the Giants offered Zack Wheeler and the Mets moved on from the Rangers, who wouldn't budge on certain requests.
- The Marlins intend to keep Leo Nunez, Omar Infante, Ricky Nolasco and Randy Choate, according to Olney (on Twitter). They've gotten tons of hits on those players, Olney reports.
Hiroki Kuroda To Stay With Dodgers
Yesterday we learned that officials in the Kuroda talks believe that they'll need to come to a resolution by tonight since the hurler will need some time to approve a deal. The Dodgers continue to talk with teams but the asking price remains high. Here's the latest news on Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:
- Kuroda told the Dodgers he intends to stay with them for the remainder of the season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Dodgers have confirmed Kuroda's intention (on Twitter).
- Kuroda is the 'best bet' among players on Boston' radar, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). The deal is far from done, though.
- The Dodgers' heaviest conversations about Kuroda today have been with Texas and Boston, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Yankees are still involved.
- Kuroda has indicated to the Dodgers that he is open to deals to the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes. Heyman, however, spoke to a friend of Kuroda who would be surprised if the pitcher consents to any trade.
- The Dodgers are down to a final three of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox on Kuroda, tweets Jon Heyman, though there's still no word on whether he'd approve a trade.
- The Yankees have taken the lead over the Red Sox for Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, and it's 40/60 they make a deal. However, Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees and Dodgers have not spoken about Kuroda recently.
- The Dodgers asked the Yankees for Ivan Nova and a catching prospect, which was a non-starter for New York, tweets Joel Sherman. He explains that the Yankees think the Dodgers feel that if they can't make a killer deal for Kuroda, it's not worth trying to talk him out of his no-trade clause.
- Boston's interest in Kuroda increased after Erik Bedard's ugly start last night, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
- The Red Sox and Dodgers are in trade talks involving Kuroda for a prospect, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.
- Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told reporters that he's "under no orders to shed salary," writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Due to a signing bonus that has yet to be paid, Kuroda is owed almost $6.7MM of his $12MM contract currently.
Padres Reliever Rumors: Saturday
The Padres have right-handed relievers Heath Bell, Mike Adams, and Chad Qualls on the trading block. Here are yesterday's rumors, and below is the latest.
- The Rangers continue talking to the Padres about Bell, even after acquiring Koji Uehara, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (on Twitter).
- The Padres have always said they'd be fine with two compensatory draft picks for Bell if the trade offers aren't compelling, Yahoo's Jeff Passan reports (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals and Rangers remain the most persistent on Bell, tweets Joel Sherman, while the Yankees haven't called the Padres in days about Bell or Adams.
- The Tigers have talked to the Padres about their group of relievers, tweets Ken Rosenthal, including Qualls.
- The Rangers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays are the clear leaders for Bell, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, with the Angels, Yankees, and Phillies still kicking the tires. Ken Rosenthal has the Rangers as the frontrunner with the Cardinals hanging on.
- Interest in Adams continues to rise, tweets Rosenthal, but the Padres would still need to be compelled to move him. Meanwhile, trusted Yankees scout Bill Livesey is watching the Padres' relievers, tweets Joel Sherman.
- The Cardinals are still alive for Bell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- The Rangers "have gone deep into negotiations with the Padres about Bell, and both sides are optimistic they can strike a deal," reports Yahoo's Jeff Passan. Yesterday, word from Scott Miller of CBS Sports was that Friday's talks between the two clubs did not advance much. MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan feels that logically, the two teams should strike a deal.
Matt Thornton Rumors: Saturday
Left-handed reliever Matt Thornton has a 3.28 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 35 2/3 innings this season for the White Sox, which is only a down year by his lofty standards. Thornton signed a three-year extension in March. He has $1MM remaining this year, $5.5MM in 2012, $5.5MM in '13, and a $6MM club option or $1MM buyout for '14. That's a total of $13MM guaranteed through 2013 for the hard-throwing 34-year-old. The latest rumors:
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that another deal is highly unlikely (Twitter link).
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post senses that the White Sox have really fallen out of love with Thornton and would love to move his contract (Twitter link). He says the Yankees are watching Thornton.
- The Diamondbacks would love to acquire Thornton but it can't happen given Chicago's demand of top prospects, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
- The Red Sox are pushing hard for Thornton and right fielder Carlos Quentin, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
- Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Rangers are pursuing Thornton, but would only be open to Chicago's request of Derek Holland if the Sox include a starter such as John Danks.
John Danks Not Available
2:11pm: The White Sox are telling teams Danks is not available, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. It seems that Rosenthal threw his name out there as more of an example, anyway.
11:19am: The Rangers are pursuing White Sox reliever Matt Thornton, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and the Sox want starter Derek Holland in return. He adds that the Rangers would only move Holland for Thornton if the White Sox expanded the deal to include a starter such as John Danks. That'd make for an interesting story, with Sox GM Kenny Williams having stolen Danks from the Rangers in '06 for Brandon McCarthy.
Holland, a 24-year-old southpaw, is under team control through 2015. Danks, meanwhile, is a free agent after the 2012 season. Thornton will be signed through '14 if his club option is exercised.
Bedard, Guthrie Have Contrasting Starts
10:42pm: The Mariners appeared to be waiting until after this start to advance Bedard talks, a source tells WEEI's Alex Speier. The start won't necessarily cause suitors to drop out.
10:04pm: Mariners lefty Erik Bedard missed a month between starts due to a knee strain, and the rust showed tonight against the Rays. He threw 57 pitches, about half of them strikes, allowing four walks, three hits, and five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings (Aaron Laffey allowed a couple of inherited runners to score). The game was reportedly scouted by at least the Red Sox, Yankees, and Tigers. Bedard's character also took a couple of hits tonight courtesy of former Orioles executive Jim Duquette, though Bruce Chen had his back.
Orioles righty Jeremy Guthrie, on the other hand, fired seven innings of one-run ball against the Yankees to lower his ERA to 4.18. The contest was scouted by the Cardinals, Tigers, Brewers, and Rangers at the least, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Red Sox have also been linked to Guthrie, though Ken Rosenthal tweeted earlier today that the Orioles have been unmoved by the offers for their ace.
Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Friday
Yesterday we heard a variety of reports about whether the Dodgers are taking offers for Hiroki Kuroda and which destinations he would approve trades to. This much is clear, though – the Dodgers are asking for a "significant piece" in return for the right-hander, who is drawing lots of interest and can block any deal. Here are the latest rumblings regarding Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:
- Officials in the Kuroda talks think a resolution is needed by Saturday night, since the pitcher will need some time to approve a deal, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The Yankees made multiple calls to the Dodgers today on Kuroda, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
- There is a wide gap between the Dodgers' asking price and what teams are willing to pay, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Rival teams say the Dodgers want a young starting pitcher or a catcher who’s close to the Major Leagues for Kuroda, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark.
- Kuroda seems "apprehensive" about waiving his no-trade clause, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, who hears that Kuroda may only accept a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox. The Tigers, Rangers and Indians remain interested.
- There's a strong belief that Kuroda would not approve a deal to the Tigers or Indians, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). As for accepting a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox, it's "iffy."
Padres Reliever Rumors: Thursday
The pace quickened in the Padres' trade talks involving relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams yesterday, tweeted ESPN's Buster Olney. The Rangers and Cardinals are in the mix for Bell, at the least. The latest:
- The Cardinals are in the mix for Bell and the Rangers remain the favorite to acquire him, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that he would be willing to take a discount to re-sign with the Padres after the season (Twitter link). "I said I'd take a discount, and I want to stay here," said Bell. "Everyone knows that."
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says (on Twitter) that baseball people around the league expect Bell to wind up with Texas because they have the need and the prospects to get a deal done.
- Bell told Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that a trade is "going to happen" (Twitter link).
- Don't expect the Angels to trade for Bell if the Rangers can't swing a deal for him, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times writes (on Twitter). The Angels may not have enough upper-level prospects to sway the Padres.
- The Rangers are "pushing hard" for Bell, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- The Rangers say any deal for Bell is doubtful today, since the sides aren't close, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
- Miller reports (on Twitter) that the Padres have not seemed willing to trade Adams.
- The Padres' asking price on Bell is too high for the Rangers currently, tweets Scott Miller of CBS Sports. The Padres are asking for three players for Bell and the Rangers remain "very interested" despite the Padres' asking price, according to Miller.
- An executive of one team told ESPN's Jayson Stark the Padres are "getting closer" to a major bullpen deal, and talks "could end quickly." The Rangers appear to be the favorite for Bell, though they've been in on Adams and Chad Qualls as well. The Phillies seem to view Adams as a better fit than Bell, and could try to swing a deal that also includes Ryan Ludwick. Though the Padres are talking actively with the Cardinals and Angels as well, they're higher on the Rangers' and Phillies' prospects.
- The Padres and Rangers are engaged in substantive talks on Bell, tweets Rosenthal. Similarly, Jon Heyman says the Rangers are making progress on Bell and Scott Miller says Texas has pushed harder today. Miller says they've had "good talks" but nothing is imminent.
- There's been little substantial dialogue between the Phillies and Padres regarding Bell, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock.
- Colby Rasmus was a central part of the Cardinals' discussions with the Padres for Bell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Quick Hits: Fister, Mets, Giants, Rangers
With less than three days until the trade deadline, here are the latest rumors and notes from around MLB…
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus introduced us to some prospects on contenders who should come with a "buyer beware" sign. Jonathan Singleton of the Phillies and Jesus Montero of the Yankees make the list, which is at ESPN.com.
- One team with interest in Doug Fister heard there's "zero" chance the Mariners part with him, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger hears that the Mets aren't likely to sign first round pick Brandon Nimmo until close to the August 15th deadline for teams to sign their draft picks (Twitter link).
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Giants still have interest in adding a catcher (Twitter link).
- The Rangers appear to be involved in serious talks with the Padres and A's regarding relievers, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). For the latest on Heath Bell and Mike Adams, click here.
Hiroki Kuroda Rumors: Thursday
Righty Hiroki Kuroda tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Rockies yesterday, lowering his ERA to 3.11 in what might have been his last start for the Dodgers this year. Yesterday we heard from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi that the Yankees' interest intensified, with the Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Tigers also in the mix. Kuroda has yet to be presented with a formal trade to approve. The latest:
- The Dodgers are not currently taking offers for Kuroda, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
- The Dodgers are telling teams they want a "significant piece" for Kuroda, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- The Dodgers sent a scout to see third base prospect Nick Castellanos, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, but they doubt the Tigers would move him for Kuroda.
- Kuroda's contract stipulates that he will be eligible for conventional Article XX(B) after the season, writes Jon Paul Morosi, so he is a candidate for draft pick compensation if he maintains Type B status.
- A friend of Kuroda told ESPN's Jayson Stark the pitcher can finally focus on the trade possibility with last night's start out of the way. The Yankees have strong interest, Kuroda tops the Tigers' wish list, and the Red Sox were the only contender scouting last night's game. Stark says the Indians and Rangers remain involved. The Dodgers want a true baseball deal, and would prefer a starting pitcher close to the big leagues.
- The Dodgers are "acting like they can trade Kuroda, and not just to the Yankees or Red Sox," tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. The Dodgers have a scout watching the Tigers' A-ball team.
- Uncomfortable with the price tag of Ubaldo Jimenez, as well as concerned about their current rotation, the Yankees are in regular contact with the Dodgers about Kuroda, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- "My honest feeling is that I can't fathom wearing another uniform than the Dodgers uniform right now," Kuroda told MLB.com's AJ Cassavell last night through a translator. He'll go over options with his agent, Steve Hilliard of Octagon.
- Three factors limiting Kuroda's trade value: since his signing bonus is yet to be paid, he's still owed almost $6.8MM of his $12MM contract. Second, he possesses leverage with a full no-trade clause, which I think may require additional compensation to waive. Third, he's never pitched in the American League.