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Quick Hits: Padres, Phillies, Drabek, Vlad

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Teams interested in acquiring starting pitching help surely noticed when the Cubs placed right-hander Ryan Dempster on the disabled list with right lat tightness today. Dempster, 35, is one of the top starters known to be available in trades. Here are today’s links…

  • A quick sale of the Padres may not be possible at this point, writes Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times. The three apparent finalists are all leading bid groups with multiple investors, which will require extensive background work once a sale is announced. 
  • Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com examines the trade stock of some of the Phillies biggest names in the event that their slide continues into late July.
  • Blue Jays righty Kyle Drabek is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, tweets Barry Davis of Sportsnet.ca. This will be the second time Drabek has been through Tommy John.
  • Free agent designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero isn't close to signing, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
  • There's no indication the Tigers are interested in Jim Thome, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press reports. Thome, a "longtime tormentor" of the Tigers, bats left-handed, which means he’s not a perfect fit in Detroit. The Tigers are interested in acquiring a bat before the July 31st trade deadline and they'd prefer to add a right-handed hitter, Morosi reported yesterday.
  • GM Brian Cashman told Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio that the Yankees haven't pursued contract extensions for Robinson Cano or Curtis Granderson, but aim to keep both players long-term (Twitter link).
  • Maury Brown explains that TV deals are boosting franchise values across MLB in a piece at Baseball Prospectus.

Blue Jays Sign Matt Smoral

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9:07pm: Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that Smoral's deal is worth exactly $2MM.

JUNE 18, 8:52pm: Smoral has officially signed with the Blue Jays, according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star (on Twitter).

JUNE 13: Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos says that negotiations between the club and Smoral are ongoing, writes John Lott of the National Post.

JUNE 6TH, 5:50pm: Smoral's deal is worth roughly $2MM, according to Keith Law of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

3:41pm: The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with supplementary first round selection Matt Smoral, Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports (on Twitter). Smoral appeared to have confirmed the news on his personal Twitter account. 

The Blue Jays selected the high school left-hander with the 50th overall selection on Monday as compensation for losing reliever Frank Francisco to the Mets. The recommended bonus for the 50th overall selection is $1MM, according to Baseball America.

Blue Jays Sign Shawn Hill

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According to a report from the York Dispatch, the Atlantic League's York Revolution announced that the Blue Jays have signed Shawn Hill to a minor league contract.

The 31-year-old Hill made his Major League debut with the Expos in 2004, and also appeared for the Nationals, Padres, and Blue Jays from 2006-2010. The Ontario-born right-hander has a 4.74 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and 48.9% groundball rate in 239 big league innings. Stats such as FIP (4.02) and SIERA (4.45) suggest that Hill has pitched better than his ERA would indicate.

This season, in 29 2/3 innings for the Revolution, Hill has totaled a 2.93 ERA and a 21:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. More impressively, he finished his time in independent ball by firing off 27 2/3 scoreless innings. The Blue Jays are hurting for pitching depth after placing Brandon Morrow and Drew Hutchison on the disabled list and losing Kyle Drabek to Tommy John surgery recently. Beyond that, both Jesse Litsch and Dustin McGowan are on the 60-day disabled list.

Rockies, Blue Jays Discussing Guthrie Deal

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4:01pm: The Rockies and Blue Jays are still discussing Guthrie, Renck reports (Twitter links). There's a potential fit, but the Rockies would like someone other than McDade. As many as four clubs are interested, Renck reports.

MONDAY, 7:57am: The Rockies are looking to move Guthrie's salary for one prospect, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). Renck confirms that the Rockies and Blue Jays have discussed a possible deal.

SUNDAY: The Rockies are ready to part ways with Jeremy Guthrie and have informed the rest of the league that the right-hander is available immediately, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Count the Blue Jays as one of Guthrie's potential suitors as Toronto has contacted Colorado to discuss the framework of a possible deal, report Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. One trade scenario would have the Jays assuming a major portion of Guthrie's contract as the Rockies would receive only a lower-tier prospect such as Double-A first baseman Mike McDade.

The former Orioles ace has struggled both on and off the mound since arriving in Colorado during the offseason. Known for his propensity to ride his bicycle to the ballpark, Guthrie landed on the disabled list in April when the chain on his bike popped, causing him to fall on his pitching shoulder. After pitching to a 4.12 ERA in five seasons with the O's, Guthrie has been prone to the home run in Denver as he's posted a 6.91 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 10 starts. 

Olney On Cubs, Dempster, Rockies, Betancourt

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If ESPN.com's Buster Olney cast one of the 32 ballots for National League MVP, he wouldn't hesitate to vote for Ryan Braun if his production warranted it.  Here's more from Olney's column (Insider subscription required)..

  • The Cubs desperately need prospects and sources say they're essentially willing to buy them.  Chicago is okay with eating a large portion of Ryan Dempster's salary for the rest of the year to pry good young players away from an interested team like the Red Sox or Dodgers.  Dempster is being paid $13.5MM this season, which means that any team that traded for him now would owe him roughly $8MM.
  • Even though the Rockies record would indicate that they are in sell mode, rival officials say that the club doesn't present blockbuster material.  One evaluator said that the club has "pieces", but not major chips.  Reliever Rafael Betancourt and veteran Jason Giambi could be of interest to contenders.
  • Olney wonders if the Blue Jays' recent rash of injuries in the rotation will deter them from pursuing a starter or if they'll instead feel so strongly about the rest of the team that they'll pay a premium for someone like Matt Garza.

Cafardo On Youkilis, Lowrie, Manny, Red Sox

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Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe asked 55 people in baseball if they'd rather have Bryce Harper or Mike Trout.  The final tally: Harper 25, Trout 24, six undecided.  Athletics GM Billy Beane was one of the six on the fence and likely had the best quote of anyone.  "Beatles or Stones?  They’re both great, aren’t they?"  Here's more from Cafardo's column..

  • The Pirates and Dodgers could be the teams most willing to pull the trigger on Kevin Youkilis.  The recent shift from third base to first has been a plus for scouts watching him, though he hasn’t performed well enough yet to wow anyone.
  • Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie has 12 homers this year and his offensive ability may make him a target at the trading deadline.  However, one AL GM pointed out that health concerns will impact his value.
  • Cafardo wonders if the Blue Jays might consider Manny Ramirez after letting Vladimir Guerrero go.
  • While Daisuke Matsuzaka would probably like to remain in the major leagues and in Boston, Matsuzaka will be in demand in Japan since he is still relatively young and still considered a big name, according to a major league source.  The right-hander could earn another multiyear deal if he does well this season.
  • Some baseball people wouldn't be shocked to see the Red Sox move Daniel Bard if he gets himself straightened out.  Theo Epstein has always been a big fan and Cafardo wonders out loud if something could be worked out with the Cubs for Matt Garza.  Garza, he opines, would be a perfect fit for an AL East team.
  • The Dodgers could pull the trigger on Ryan Dempster soon and the Blue Jays also seem to have serious interest.
  • Teams are reassessing their commitment to scouting Japanese players.  One GM said, “Is all the money spent and devoted to scouting really yielding any great player? You’ve had Kei Igawa, Daisuke Matsuzaka, the kid from Minnesota [Tsuyoshi Nishioka], and really, is the money spent worth it?"

Rosenthal On Dempster, O’s, Jays, Astros, Indians

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Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com has the latest from the rumor mill in a pair of videos, the Rosenthal Report and Full Count. Here's what's going on …

  • The Cubs are shopping starter Ryan Dempster to multiple teams, including the Dodgers. Chicago is willing to include significant amounts of cash in any trade in hopes of landing better prospects. Dempster has 10-and-5 rights, however, and thus can veto any deal, although he's willing to move to a contender.
  • The Orioles are pursuing starting pitching and scouted both Dempster and Matt Garza this week, although the Diamondbacks' Joe Saunders may be a better trade fit for Baltimore.
  • The Blue Jays are asking around for pitching help, although they may end up sellers before the non-waiver trade deadline.
  • The Astros are willing to listen on "virtually all of their players." Younger players like Jed Lowrie and third baseman Chris Johnson are all in play, although it would take a huge offer to pry away second baseman Jose Altuve.
  • The Indians are unlikely to make a move for a DH type like Vladimir Guerrero or Manny Ramirez. Their bigger need is a player who can play left field — perhaps someone like Carlos Quentin — but they first need to figure out where they stand with Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, who are both injured.
  • The Marlins will have trouble bolstering their weak offense because of a depleted farm system. With Emilio Bonifacio injured, their most obvious need is center field. The Twins' Denard Span and perhaps the Phillies' Shane Victorino are potential targets.
  • The Angels no longer have room in the starting lineup for the injured Vernon Wells now that Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout have solidified the outfield, and one rival GM thinks Wells could be released when he's ready to return from the disabled list.

East Notes: Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves, Soler

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Earlier today we learned that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau.  However, one exec noted that Anthopoulos seems to "[call] about everyone."  Here's more on the Blue Jays and the rest of the division..

  • Anthopoulos isn't worried about any criticism that may come his way, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.  Even though the GM knows that the club has to show progress on the field, he insists that he won't be swayed by popular opinion and won't rush into making a move.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who didn't have a very high opinion of where the Phillies stand or what they can offer in a trade.  “They’re not young. They’re not healthy. And their system is thin," the scout said.
  • The Braves were right there with the Cubs and willing to spend $30MM on Jorge Soler, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com.  The White Sox and Yankees, meanwhile, had bids that fell between $25MM and $30MM.

Knobler On Pirates, Brewers, Morneau

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The trade market remains relatively quiet, but it’s starting to take shape, as Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com explains. Here are some details from Knobler:

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington said this week that "you can't buy when people aren't selling." The 32-30 Pirates figure to be looking for offense this summer.
  • The Brewers are simultaneously preparing for the possibility of becoming sellers and suggesting they could become buyers. They’ve told their scouts to identify prospects to target in the farm systems of contending teams, yet they won’t necessarily sell. They remain interested in keeping Zack Greinke, whose contract expires after the season.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau, Knobler reports. Yet as one unnamed executive told Knobler “Alex calls about everyone." The Blue Jays are said to be particularly interested in Morneau, according to Knobler.

AL East Notes: Epstein, Cherington, Encarnacion

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It was on this day in 1996 that Cal Ripken Jr. became professional baseball's all-time iron man.  Though Ripken eclipsed Lou Gehrig's Major League record for consecutive games played in 1995, it took a while longer to surpass Japan's Sachio Kinugasa, who played in 2215 NPL straight games between 1970 and 1987.

Here's some news from both Ripken's Orioles and elsewhere around the AL East…

  • Theo Epstein spoke to media (including WEEI.com's Alex Speier) about his days as the Red Sox general manager, noting that he felt some of the club's free agent signings deviated from the franchise's long-term plan and were made due to the pressure of staying competitive.  It's a must-read piece for Red Sox fans, not to mention Cubs fans who could see what Epstein hopes to avoid during his tenure in Chicago.
  • “We’re going to go see hundreds of players over the next few weeks,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. “We may end up just acquiring one of those or none of them. In this particular year, we do believe we’re going to get impact players just by getting healthy. Still, we have to come together. I think this team still will be very good.”
  • The Blue Jays could look to move Edwin Encarnacion, Kelly Johnson or "any bullpen piece" at the trade deadline if the team isn't in serious contention, opines FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi in a radio interview with the Brady & Lang show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan (Sportsnet.ca's Jeff Simmons has a partial transcript).
  • Encarnacion's breakout season could put him in line for a big free agent contract this winter but Morosi says "a lot of GMs are wary" about Encarnacion's ability to play first base on a regular basis. "If you're viewed as a DH, that will affect his valuation going forward," Morosi said.  "So we'll see how often he plays in the field and not having [Vladimir Guerrero] coming will certainly change how often he'll play first base."
  • The Orioles and Blue Jays have both been scouting the Cubs, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago.  Levine specified that Baltimore was looking at the Cubs' starting pitchers and Alfonso Soriano.
  • For more AL East news, check out this batch of Yankees notes and the latest on the Kevin Youkilis trade rumors.
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