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Heyman On Dodgers, Mets, Rendon, Red Sox

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The Dodgers have had unofficial conversations with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier about long-term deals, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. GM Ned Colletti would like to lock both outfielders up instead of letting them hit free agency after the 2012 season. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors: 

  • Though it’s hard to imagine Dodgers owner Frank McCourt signing either player long-term given his current financial issues, MLB seems hopeful that they can find a new owner for the team if and when it's necessary.
  • Proposed Mets limited partner David Einhorn will have the chance to increase his share of the team from 33% to 60% after five years, according to Heyman. Majority owner Fred Wilpon could then block Einhorn and repay him his $200MM while allowing him to keep 16.5% of the team. Heyman hears that the Wilpons won’t allow Einhorn to become majority owner. Various reports about the value of the deal circulated over the weekend.
  • Anthony Rendon’s draft stock is again rising, according to Heyman. The Mariners, who select second, could choose the Rice third baseman if the Pirates pick UCLA righty Gerrit Cole first overall. If the Pirates take Virginia lefty Danny Hultzen with the top pick, Rendon and Cole figure to be Seattle’s top choices.
  • The Red Sox could look to acquire an outfielder if J.D. Drew’s nagging injuries persist.
  • The Nationals are suggesting that they will have a high asking price for Ivan Rodriguez.

Nats Looking For Center Fielder; Asked About Bourn

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The Nationals are looking to acquire a center fielder and a leadoff hitter, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The club is willing to overpay in a trade, according to Ladson, who suggests they could look for a center fielder or leadoff hitter if they trade Ivan Rodriguez or Todd Coffey. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post hears that the Nats inquired about Michael Bourn, though talks didn't develop (Twitter link).

Roger Bernadina has been playing center field regularly for Washington, but some members of the Nationals' organization believe he belongs in a corner outfield spot. The 26-year-old has played all three outfield positions this year and has a .247/.307/.333 line with one home run.

Nationals leadoff hitters have combined for a .195/.250/.296 line. They're 13 of 13 in stolen base attempts, but have just 13 walks against 51 stirkeouts and rank last among MLB leadoff hitters in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS.

NL East Notes: Pudge, Einhorn

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Here are a couple items of note out of the NL East as the Mets kick off their series against the Pirates without the services of Jose Reyes, who was added to the bereavement list Monday.

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said he's not actively shopping Ivan Rodriguez and that the catcher won't be dealt for a "pittance," writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Pudge's name surfaced in rumors last week in the wake of Giants backstop Buster Posey's season-ending injury.
  • Mets soon-to-be part-owner David Einhorn spoke to reporters Monday, and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com has the highlights.
  • The purchase of Einhorn's stake of in the Mets should be finalized "within weeks, and certainly by the end of June," writes Rubin.
  • Einhorn thinks the agreement is fair for both him and the Wilpons.
  • No assurances were issued by Einhorn as to whether the state of the Mets' finances would improve in the coming years: It'll be what it'll be. It's not that people aren't going to try really hard to avoid that sort of a circumstance, but the future is uncertain. And there is a wide range of possible outcomes of all sorts of things. That's true in life in general. And it's true in this circumstance as well.

Quick Hits: Gomes, Pudge, Lopez, Diamondbacks

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With plenty of baseball still going on, here are some Saturday evening Quick Hits..

Giants Haven’t Contacted Other Teams About Catchers

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Giants GM Brian Sabean said he hasn't contacted any other clubs about finding a replacement behind the plate for Buster Posey, though several teams have made contact with him, reports Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.  For now, Sabean said the Giants are content to give backup catcher Eli Whiteside a chance to prove himself as an everyday player.

"[Whiteside has] been around the block," Sabean said.  "And quite frankly, I don’t think anyone will trade us a catcher who’s any better than Whiteside. If someone is an all-around catcher, you’re not going to get that player in a trade."

Whiteside, 31, has been the backup in San Francisco for the last three seasons and has a career slash line of .229/.281/.363 in 316 plate appearances.  While Whiteside's numbers aren't impressive, Sabean has a point about the shallow catching market and the lack of clear upgrades available.  Washington is one of the few teams with catching depth, and the Giants reportedly contacted the Nationals about Ivan Rodriguez.  As Baggarly notes, it may have been the Nats who made first contact if Sabean indeed hasn't made any calls.

Stark On Giants, Padres, Pence

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Now that Buster Posey is on the disabled list for the foreseeable future, the Giants are looking around for catching, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Ivan Rodriguez, a player the Giants have asked about, and Bengie Molina, a player who would like to return to San Francisco, are the team’s most viable options at this point. Here are the details from Stark, plus other notes from around the league:

  • The Nationals have been shopping Rodriguez since Spring Training and one executive says they would love to move him.
  • The Padres are starting to give indications that they’ll be willing to move Heath Bell, Ryan Ludwick and Chad Qualls in a few weeks.
  • However, rival teams say the Padres are “not motivated” to talk about players who are under control through 2012 or later, such as reliever Mike Adams.
  • The Astros keep saying that they imagine Hunter Pence on Houston’s next winning team, which would presumably make him difficult to obtain this summer.

Nationals Notes: Rodriguez, Coffey

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The Nationals may have the day off but they're in the news thanks to interest in two players..

  • In the wake of Buster Posey's injury, the Giants have already asked the Nats about Ivan Rodriguez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Nats have received interest in Pudge from other teams including the Red Sox this season.  The club has plenty of catching depth to work with if they do decide to deal Rodriguez.
  • The Rangers have inquired about Nationals right-hander Todd Coffey, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  While it's known that Texas is looking for a setup man, Ladson cautions that the two clubs are not in serious talks at the moment and it's not known whether the Nats would trade Coffey.  Ben Nicholson-Smith recently highlighted Coffey as a non-tender from last offseason that is now exceeding expectations with a new ballclub.

Nationals Notes: Harper, Rodriguez, Werth

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The latest on the Nationals, who rest today before hosting the last-place Padres this weekend…

  • Top prospect Bryce Harper is hitting his way through the South Atlantic League with the help of his coaches and teammates and as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes, last year's number one pick is just beginning his baseball odyssey. 
  • As Adam Kilgore points out at the Washington Post, Ivan Rodriguez could appeal to the Giants, who lost Buster Posey to the disabled list, possibly for the rest of the season. The Nationals are one of few teams with catching depth to spare.
  • Jayson Werth, who signed a $126MM contract with Washington over the winter, has raised his OPS above .800 for the first time since April 14th and he tells Kilgore that he's feeling good. “I’m working in the right direction," he said. "I’m hitting balls hard, and I’ve got some confidence. I like where I’m at.”

Nationals Rumors: LaRoche, Ramirez, Bernadina

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Livan Hernandez threw out the first pitch in Washington Nationals history, and tonight he's taking on the Brewers in his 456th career start. Let's recap the latest from the nation's capital…

  • MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears that Adam LaRoche has a large tear in his labrum and some tearing in his rotator cuff (Twitter links). He'll rehab for two or three weeks, but won't swing a bat or throw.
  • GM Mike Rizzo told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that his team is "playing terrific baseball except for the fact that we’re struggling with runners in scoring position." He's not looking for scapegoats though, and he's satisfied with the work of manager Jim Riggleman and hitting coach Rick Eckstein. As a team, the Nats are hitting .223 with runners in scoring position, fifth worst in baseball.
  • Washington returned Rule 5 Draft pick Brian Broderick to the Cardinals yesterday, and Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post says they won't have to make a decision on their other Rule 5 pick, reliever Elvin Ramirez, for a while. The former Mets' farmhand had shoulder surgery and will be out for the season. The Nats can keep him through the offseason, but the Rule 5 Draft rules will still apply in 2012.
  • Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com wrote about the team's outfield logjam now that Rick Ankiel has come off the disabled list. They need to figure out if and how Roger Bernadina fits into their long-term plans.

Brian Broderick Returned To Cardinals

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The Cardinals accepted Rule 5 selection Brian Broderick back from the Nationals, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). The Nationals get $25K back from the Cardinals to complete the transaction.

Broderick pitched 12 1/3 innings for the Nationals this year and allowed 16 hits and three walks while striking out four. Manager Jim Riggleman has not used the 24-year-old right-hander since May 13th. The Nationals claimed Broderick after a 2010 season in which he posted a 3.66 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 150 innings as a starter in Class A and at Double-A.

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