Odds & Ends: Lowell, Barmes, Red Sox, Hanson
Links for Wednesday, as the Tigers get some infield depth from a division rival…
- The Rangers haven't ruled out acquiring Mike Lowell, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.
- Agent Bean Stringfellow told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Blue Jays are not currently discussing an extension with Jose Bautista. It’s not at all surprising given how much else the Blue Jays have to sort out this week. Bautista said on the FAN 590 today that he would listen if the Blue Jays approached him with a multi-year deal after the season.
- The Cardinals are not interested in Clint Barmes, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
- Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino told WEEI.com’s Alex Speier that the Red Sox will “look aggressively” for ways to improve at the trade deadline.
- Tommy Hanson explained to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he chose the Boras Corp. because of the support the agency offers.
- Brett Myers is untouchable, a source tells Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). With respect to Justice and his source, it seems unfathomable that a 41-59 team wouldn't listen to offers on a player who can walk at the end of the season.
- Casey Fien cleared waivers and the Tigers outrighted him to Triple A, according to the team (via Twitter). Detroit designated Fien for assignment last weekend.
- Like Fien, Scott Moore cleared waivers and headed to Triple A, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's designated Moore for assignment last week.
- And another recent DFA, Justin Miller, was outrighted to Triple A Albuquerque, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (via Twitter).
- The Blue Jays have considered Kelly Johnson, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Aaron Hill recently told the Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair that he would play third if the Jays asked him to, so Johnson could theoretically play second in Toronto. Seems like a longshot to me.
- Kyle Farnsworth is available to manager Ned Yost (and GMs around the league) after leaving yesterday's game with a hamstring cramp, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Trevor Hoffman can veto deals to 25 MLB teams, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. The all-time saves leader and his $7.5MM salary would likely clear waivers, so interested teams will probably be able to pursue him in August.
- One player told Morosi that he'd be "shocked" if the Brewers trade Prince Fielder this week.
- Mike Axisa counts down the Yankees' top five trade chips at River Ave. Blues.
- The Dodgers won't discuss prospect Dee Gordon with other teams, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Giants, Not Rockies Considering Jorge Cantu
9:11pm: The Rockies are out on Cantu, according to Rosenthal (via Twitter).
3:49pm: The Giants are "not heavily considering" Cantu, a source told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). The Rockies are still looking at Cantu, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).
8:25am: The Giants are making a strong run for Marlins corner infielder Jorge Cantu, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They may hold an edge over the Rangers and Rockies, who remain involved. He says the Fish are believed to be seeking a young lefthander. The Giants have been using Travis Ishikawa at first base lately, while third baseman Pablo Sandoval is set to return from personal leave tonight.
In terms of young lefties, the Giants have reliever Dan Runzler on the DL with a knee injury and starter Eric Surkamp at High A. Clayton Tanner and Craig Clark also fit into their Baseball America top 30 prospect list heading into the season. Joe Martinez cracked the list the prior year. The Marlins asked about Tanner during the Winter Meetings, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
Yesterday ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote that the Rangers and Marlins' talks for Cantu appeared hung up over dollars. The Rangers want the Marlins to assume all of the $2.22MM remaining on Cantu's contract.
Cantu, by the way, names the Marlins as his first choice when he hits the free agent market (ESPN's Amy K. Nelson via Twitter).
Prince Fielder Rumors: Wednesday
The Prince Fielder rumors have been surprisingly quiet, but here's the latest…
- The Rangers are not confident in their ability to acquire Fielder, according to Yahoo's Jeff Passan (via Twitter). They don't want to give up too many prospects, but the Brewers are asking for a mammoth return. Passan notes on Twitter that first base is still a priority for the Rangers, who maintain interest in Jorge Cantu.
- The Rangers have joined the Fielder fray along with the Angels and White Sox, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Fielder would already cost a lot in terms of prospects, so I can't imagine what it'd take to convince the Brewers to pick up most of his remaining $3.88MM this year too. This is also the first we've heard in a while about the Halos being interested in Fielder.
Derrek Lee Will Remain With Cubs
Cubs GM Jim Hendry confirmed to ESPN's Bruce Levine today that first baseman Derrek Lee wants to play out his contract with the Cubs. Lee has full no-trade rights, and the recent scuttlebutt from Levine's colleague Jayson Stark on Twitter was that he'd veto any trade.
Levine notes that the Angels proposed a trade to the Cubs for Lee over the past ten days. Lee vetoed the potential, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (Twitter link). Levine originally reported that the Rangers made a proposal for Lee, but now says Texas never offered a deal.
Odds & Ends: Reds, Royals, Geary, Rockies
Links for Tuesday, as Jose Bautista becomes the first major leaguer to reach the 30-homer plateau this season…
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that trade talk has been "very quiet." The Reds aren't on the brink of making any deals (Twitter link).
- Kyle Farnsworth left tonight's game with a hamstring cramp, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). It's not a strain, so he may be OK. Farnsworth's health may be a moot point, as ESPN's Jayson Stark tweeted today that the Royals are getting little action on their trade candidates.
- The Rangers released former Astro and Phillie Geoff Geary, according to the transactions page for the Pacific Coast League. Geary had been pitching at Triple A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 5.37 ERA.
- Rockies owner Dick Monfort told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post that he would add payroll this summer if the circumstances are right. The team's approach to the deadline isn't yet clear.
- Kelly Johnson is drawing more interest than other available D’Backs, according to Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (via Twitter).
- The Rangers signed second-rounder Cody Buckel for $590K according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).
- The Rockies have inquired about Cubs infielder Ryan Theriot, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). Troy Tulowitzki is ready to return to action, so the Rockies' need for infield help is no longer pressing.
- The Padres aren't a fit for Scott Podsednik, a source tells Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse (on Twitter). NL West teams appear to covet the speedy left fielder.
- Gil Meche needs shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- It wasn't so long ago that Meche and Jeff Francoeur were linked by the same rumors, but, as ESPN.com's Jayson Stark points out on Twitter, Jason Bay's mild concussion makes a Francoeur deal less seem likely.
Adam Dunn Rumors: Tuesday
New teams inquired about Nationals slugger Adam Dunn within the past day, tweets Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi tweets that the Nats are more likely to trade Dunn than Josh Willingham, while ESPN's Jayson Stark hears that Washington might trade one but not both.
Check back throughout the day for updates, as the Nationals discuss possible deals with other teams and consider keeping their first baseman in Washington long-term:
- Dunn wants a four-year deal, but would consider a three-year offer if the Nationals make him one, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Dunn explained to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that he does his best to ignore trade rumors and understands the business side of the game.
- The Nationals want Daniel Hudson plus one of Jordan Danks, Tyler Flowers or Brent Morel for Dunn, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago. The Nationals offered Dunn for Gordon Beckham, but the White Sox turned the proposal down.
- Another source told Levine that six teams are bidding for Dunn: The White Sox, Angels, Tigers, Rangers and two NL clubs. As you can see below, the Rockies and Giants have been linked to Dunn, but it’s not certain that those two teams are pursuing him now.
- The Rays like Dunn, but don't want to push him into a DH role, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. As much as the Rays likes Dunn's bat, they don't want to risk conflict with the slugger. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Nationals asked the Rays for Matt Garza last week. Despite those demands, the Rays will keep an eye on Dunn and Jayson Werth this week, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).
- The Giants also expressed interest in Dunn, according to Knobler.
- Sherman says the Rockies talked about Dunn, but don't like his poor defense.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Nationals have yet to offer Dunn an extension in any form, so the trade market is likely to heat up. Rosenthal and colleague Jon Paul Morosi name the White Sox as the most serious suitor, and add that the Tigers, Rangers, and Yankees maintain interest.
Ross, Not Cantu Impacted By Coghlan Injury
3:17pm: Coghlan's injury won't prevent the Marlins from dealing Jorge Cantu, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Capozzi reports that the Marlins continue discussing Cantu with other teams and suggests there's a "good chance" that the club trades Cantu. The Marlins appear to be asking for a "big prospect" from the Rangers for Cantu, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
10:56am: With the news that Chris Coghlan tore the meniscus in his left knee in Sunday's pie-related incident, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins are leaning toward keeping outfielder Cody Ross. The loss of Coghlan depletes the team's outfield depth, and the Marlins are still within spitting distance of the playoffs.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports actually tweeted two days ago, before the Coghlan injury, that a Ross deal was unlikely. Now, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says on Twitter that trading Ross is a "definite no-go" for the Marlins.
Frisaro says Ross has drawn attention from the Braves, Dodgers, and Red Sox. He doesn't rule out a deal, but says it'd "have to completely make sense." The Phillies and Yankees have also been linked to the 29-year-old outfielder.
Rangers, Phillies Have Some Interest In Guzman
The Rangers and Phillies have some interest in Nationals infielder Cristian Guzman, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Guzman is able to play multiple positions, and he's hitting .287/.331/.366 on the season.
The problem with Guzman is that he has a cool $3MM left on his contract. And regarding the Phillies, ESPN's Jayson Stark says Miguel Tejada is their primary infield target. Tejada has $2.25MM in base salary remaining, with another $250K in bonuses coming if he's traded and reaches 630 plate appearances.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Tuesday
Yesterday we learned that location doesn't matter for Roy Oswalt, but he will require his $16MM option for 2012 to be picked up upon a trade. The Astros' asking price remains high even as the number of suitors dwindles. Today's rumors, with the latest bullets added up top throughout the day…
- The Rangers looked into acquiring Oswalt even after completing the Cliff Lee deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. There is no match in terms of players, and the money would've been extremely challenging. Still, the inquiry shows that the Rangers are not messing around.
Rangers Pursuing Cantu, Eyeing Derrek Lee
5:06pm: The Marlins are not close to sending Cantu to the Rangers, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). The Rockies have stepped up their bid for Cantu and the Giants are still involved.
4:21pm: The Rangers are interested in Cantu, but are "evaluating a number of bats," a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
3:55pm: The Rangers are "closing in" on a deal for Cantu, a source tells Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
3:30pm: The Rangers have asked about Cantu more than other clubs have, but they don't necessarily have an edge over the Giants or Rockies, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (via Twitter).
7:44am: The Rangers are known to be seeking a right-handed hitting first baseman, perhaps a platoon partner for Chris Davis. USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweets that they are "in deep conversations" with the Marlins for Jorge Cantu, and "taking a close look" at the Cubs' Derrek Lee. They'd also like to add another starting pitcher and a lefty reliever.
Lee is the new name in the mix for the Rangers, though he and Cantu are used to being regulars. Neither player has hit like a regular first baseman this year – Cantu is at .260/.309/.412, and Lee stands at .251/.338/.391. Their contracts are significant – Cantu has $2.28MM remaining and Lee has $4.95MM. The Rangers have also been linked to players such as Ty Wigginton, Mike Lowell, and Wes Helms.
Nightengale's contention that the Rangers would like to add another starter is surprising. Four days ago, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggested on Twitter that a pitching surplus could make Rich Harden or Scott Feldman trade bait.