Minor Moves: Brian Broderick
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- The Nationals signed Brian Broderick to a minor league deal and will assign him to their Double-A affiliate, tweets Geoff Morrow of the Harrisburg Patriot-News (hat tip: Amanda Comak). The 25-year-old was released by the Cardinals yesterday after recording a 7.32 ERA in 78 2/3 Triple-A innings. The Nats clearly believe in Broderick, as he was their Rule 5 Draft selection last year, though they ultimately returned him to St. Louis.
Heyman On Upton, Hanley, Twins, Lannan
Arizona GM Kevin Towers could wait until the offseason to trade Justin Upton instead of moving him within the next eight days. A patient approach makes sense for the Diamondbacks if it allows them to maximize their return, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes. Here are some more notes from Heyman…
- One general manager doesn’t know where he’d play Hanley Ramirez on defense. "He's not a third baseman, he's not a shortstop anymore. I wouldn't know where to hide him," the GM told Heyman.
- The Twins don’t seem interested in trading Josh Willingham, but a long list of teams would have interest if Minnesota makes the outfielder available.
- John Lannan made a successful spot start for Washington over the weekend, but it’s clear he’s not in the team’s long-term plans. Heyman suggests it’d be best if the Nationals can find a way to trade the left-hander, who earns a $5MM salary in 2012.
Rosenthal & Morosi On Brewers, Victorino, Twins
The Giants are interested in Indians reliever Chris Perez, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported this morning. Here are more notes and rumors from the FOX reporters…
- The Brewers are not ready to declare themselves sellers, but after losing three straight games to the Reds over the weekend Milwaukee is moving in that direction, Rosenthal reports. “We’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s a tough hill to climb,” GM Doug Melvin acknowledged. The Rangers, Angels, Braves and Nationals are among the teams that have shown some level of interest in Zack Greinke, according to Rosenthal. The 44-50 Brewers could also trade Randy Wolf, Francisco Rodriguez and George Kottaras, among others.
- The Phillies and Dodgers have discussed Shane Victorino, Morosi reports (on Twitter). However, there’s no momentum toward a deal at this point.
- The Blue Jays are still looking for a starting pitcher even after acquiring J.A. Happ, Morosi notes (on Twitter).
- The Twins haven’t put Josh Willingham on the trade market yet, but he’s in high demand, Morosi reports (on Twitter).
- The Twins are inclined to listen to trade offers for Francisco Liriano, because they could obtain power arms for the future by completing a deal, Morosi reports.
- MLBTR summarized more rumors from Rosenthal earlier today.
Rosenthal On Hamels, Giants, Brewers
Talks between Cole Hamels and the Phillies will accelerate this week, as the sides consider the possibility of a mid-season extension, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Hamels must decide whether to accept an offer from the Phillies with the trade deadline looming and free agency just a couple of months away. The left-hander is “conflicted” about how to proceed, Rosenthal writes. The Phillies will almost certainly trade Hamels if they don’t sign him to a long-term deal, Rosenthal reports. Here are more notes from around MLB…
- The Giants’ biggest offensive need might be a right-handed hitting outfielder.
- A rival executive notes that the Nationals have relied heavily on their bullpen and suggests it’d make sense for Washington to add a starting pitcher this summer.
- The Twins would want a major return if they trade Josh Willingham, who has a reasonable three-year, $21MM contract.
- Some teams like Asher Wojciechowski, a right-handed pitching prospect acquired by the Astros from Toronto in last week’s ten-player deal. Overall the trade wasn’t considered a blockbuster, however.
- Brewers relievers Manny Parra and Kameron Loe are drawing interest.
- The Phillies might need to include cash if they trade Shane Victorino. Including salary relief could help the team obtain better prospects for the prospective free agent.
Edwin Jackson To Join Legacy Agency
Nationals right-hander Edwin Jackson is changing his representation, leaving Scott Boras for the Legacy Agency, major league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. With Boras, Jackson signed a one-year, $11MM deal with the Nationals rather than a multi-year pact.
The Legacy partners include Greg Genske, Brian Peters and Scott Parker. They represent C.C. Sabathia, Carl Crawford, and Adam Dunn. For other Legacy clients and client of other agents, check out MLBTR's Agency Database.
Yankees Have Some Interest In Rick Ankiel
The Yankees have some interest in picking up Rick Ankiel according to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post (on Twitter). Earlier this week we heard that they didn't have any interest in the outfielder, but Brett Gardner is out for the year with an elbow issue and Nick Swisher left last night's game with a leg problem.
Ankiel, 33, was designated for assignment by the Nationals a few days ago. He hit .228/.282/.411 with five homers in 171 plate appearances this season, including .237/.299/.437 in 148 plate appearances against righties. Ankiel signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM with Washington this past offseason.
Dodgers “Very Unlikely” To Trade For Ryan Dempster
Ryan Dempster allowed four runs in six innings against the Cardinals last night, an outing that is not likely to hurt his trade value. Yesterday we heard that the Dodgers, Tigers, Nationals, and Cardinals all have some level of interest in the right-hander while the Red Sox are likely out. The Cubs want one or two young arms in exchange for their vetreran ace, but it's unclear if he'll waive his no-trade clause to switch leagues. Here are today's Dempster rumors with the latest up top…
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Dempster sweepstakes is currently down to the Braves, Nationals, and Cardinals.
- The Dodgers are "very unlikely" to trade for Dempster according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). They prefer not to trade prospects for a rental, making Matt Garza a more logical target.
Nationals Designate Xavier Nady For Assignment
The Nationals have activated Xavier Nady off the DL and designated him for assignment, the team announced. The move allows the club to add John Lannan to the roster so he can start one game of today's doubleheader.
Nady, 33, had been on the shelf since late-June with a wrist issue. He hit just .157/.211/.275 with three homers in 109 plate appearances for Washington this season, including a .176/.222/.353 line against left-handers. The Nats signed Nady to a minor league contract during Spring Training.
Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday
Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start in St. Louis against the Cardinals tonight amid rumors that his time with the Cubs will soon come to an end. The Red Sox are no longer in on Dempster, but the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals still seem to be involved, based on yesterday's rumors. Here are today's Dempster rumors, with the most recent updates up top:
- In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams interested in Dempster, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. Even though a report yesterday suggested that the Red Sox are out on Dempster, Boston has made an offer, according to another source. However, it is unclear if the right-hander is willing to switch leagues.
- Dempster is one of four or five starters the Nationals are pursuing, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). The Nationals would need to get creative to complete a trade and the Braves don't appear to be pursuing Dempster aggressively. They prefer starters under team control beyond 2012.
- A handful of teams are involved in trade talks and some proposals have been exchanged, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
- The Cardinals are monitoring every starter on the market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They aren't a likely fit for Dempster, since they're reluctant to part with prospects for a rental player.
- The Cubs would likely get one or two young arms in return for Dempster if they trade him to Los Angeles, Morosi tweets.
- The Cardinals have checked in on Dempster, Heyman tweets.
- There's a 50-50 chance the Dodgers and Cubs will complete a deal for Dempster, Morosi tweets. The sides are still discussing prospects, so there's time for another team to jump in with an impressive offer.
- The Nationals are said to be trying hard on Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Braves are in as well, and one GM believes the Dodgers are the favorites to land the righty.
- The Tigers maintain interest in Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers continue in "hot pursuit" of Dempster, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com tweets. The Dodgers still have an offer on the table and are hoping to complete a deal as soon as possible.
- Trade talks could drag on for a few more days, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
- The Dodgers and Cubs haven’t found common ground in discussions about Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Other teams are being aggressive.
Rosenthal On Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Nats
There's no question that the Dodgers will look to be major players at the deadline this year, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link). The Dodgers want to add a starting pitcher, a couple of bats, and bullpen help, but it's not certain that they'll get all of that accomplished. The club's farm system isn't terribly deep and they might not have the prospects necessary to entice teams. Here's more from Rosenthal..
- While the Dodgers figure to be aggressive on those three fronts, Rosenthal expects the rival Giants to zero in on bullpen help and possibly bench upgrades. They are unlikely to trade a top prospect for immediate help, like they did last year by trading Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltran, but there are other ways for the Giants to improve their team.
- The Rangers have the ability to pull off almost any move thanks to a talented farm system and financial flexibility. However, right now it seems that the only thing they might do is improve their bench. They could be in on Justin Upton, but he may not fit on their roster as they have plenty of outfielders. They've also talked about getting an elite starting pitching but if Cole Hamels re-ups with the Phillies, that's another top hurler off the market. Teams are also concerned about Zack Greinke's long layoff and how much he can be trusted down the stretch.
- The Nationals could be an even better club down the stretch if they add another starting pitcher who can fill the void when Stephen Strasburg is put on the shelf. However, Rosenthal believes that the club's recent comments about gauging the youngster by the way he looks rather than the number of innings that he throws suggests that they may let him approach 180 innings rather than 160 or 165. The right-hander has logged 105 innings thus far.