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Stark On Phillies, Indians, Ross, Athletics

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Today's rumblings from ESPN's Jayson Stark…

  • Shane Victorino's oblique injury yesterday appears to close the door on a Jayson Werth trade.  MLB.com's Todd Zolecki seems to agree, but unlike Stark he feels that the Phils "remain a top contender" for Roy Oswalt.  More on Oswalt here.
  • Stark writes of indications the Phillies have turned to starters such as Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona and relief options like Octavio Dotel. Jon Heyman of SI.com notes that the Indians are talking trades with the Phils (Twitter link).
  • Speaking of the Indians, Stark senses they do want to move money off the books.
  • The Marlins have told teams they could deal Cody Ross in August if they fall out of contention, but they'd have to match up only with the team that wins the claim.
  • The Braves maintain strong interest in Josh Willingham, though there's a good chance they stand pat.  Willingham is just one of many Nationals veterans generating interest, GM Mike Rizzo told ESPN 980.
  • Athletics assistant GM David Forst told Stark "it would have to be an over-the-top deal for us to even consider it" in regard to trading relievers such as Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, and Brad Ziegler.

Multiple Teams Interested In Edwin Jackson

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Multiple teams are interested in Edwin Jackson, including the Nationals, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Nationals are trying to obtain pitching for Adam Dunn and flip that pitching to the Diamondbacks for Jackson. 

The D’Backs seek a durable starter in any deal for Jackson and they should have suitors to choose from this week. Rosenthal reports that two to three clubs other than the Nationals are pursuing Jackson. Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona reported on Twitter that the D'Backs would have to be "overwhelmed" to deal Jackson, but they would certainly consider it. 

"If we could get a player back that could help at the major league level immediately, as well as help restock the farm system, we would listen," CEO Derrick Hall recently told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.

Jackson has a 5.01 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 this season, plus a no-hitter. The 26-year-old has about $1.5MM remaining on his contract this year and will earn $8.35MM in 2011.

Giants Not Making Progress With Brewers

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The Giants are still actively looking for an impact bat, but discussions about Brewers sluggers Corey Hart and Prince Fielder are "dead in the water," according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  That's not a surprise, since Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Twitter that the Brewers plan to hold off on trades until tomorrow at the earliest. Hart has an injured right wrist, so the Brewers aren't likely to deal him until he proves his ability to hit.

Injuries to Hart and David DeJesus have not derailed the Giants' search for a bat. They have been connected to Jose Guillen, Josh Willingham, Scott Podsednik and Adam Dunn in the last 24 hours.  The asking price for Dunn?  Madison Bumgarner, says Schulman. 

GM Brian Sabean is also interested in adding relief help, though the market is tough at this point.  Schulman says the Giants are "investigating" Seattle's Brandon League.

Adam Dunn Rumors: Tuesday

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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. 

Giants Discussing Guillen, Interested In Willingham

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The San Francisco offense is heating up, but the Giants are still looking for outfield bats. The Royals are discussing Jose Guillen with San Francisco, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The potential deal would send the 34-year-old to San Francisco along with cash to cover some of the $4.5MM or so remaining on Guillen’s contract. 

But Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears (via Twitter) from a rival official who believes the Royals have “no real options” to move Guillen, even if they ask for a modest return and take on salary. Stark’s source says (via Twitter) there’s very little action on some of Guillen’s teammates: Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies and Kyle Farnsworth.

Another one of Guillen’s teammates, Scott Podsednik, is drawing strong interest from NL West teams, including the Giants. For what it’s worth, the Giants have been scouting Guillen aggressively, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). For the season, Guillen has 16 homers and a .271/.333/.457 line.

The Giants are pursuing outfielders other than Guillen and Podsednik, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Like the Braves, Rays and Red Sox, the Giants have interest in Josh Willingham.

Rangers, Phillies Have Some Interest In Guzman

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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.

Stark On Werth, Willingham, Cantu, Theriot

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Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth told ESPN's Jayson Stark he's "not up late reading the blog sites" regarding trade rumors, but he doesn't expect to be dealt.  Stark agrees, though he notes that the Phillies did toss Werth's name out there to many teams.  On to Stark's other rumors…

  • The Dodgers are looking at Ted Lilly, but they haven't completely abandoned the idea of acquiring Roy Oswalt.  Still, the impediments to an Oswalt deal remain significant.  Lilly appears certain to be traded.
  • Josh Willingham is drawing interest from the Braves, Rays, and Red Sox.  Adam Dunn remains a trade candidate as well, but the Nationals would only deal one of the two.
  • Money might be holding up a Jorge Cantu-Rangers deal, as the Rangers can't add any payroll and would want the Marlins to pick up the entire $2.25MM tab.
  • The Padres have been linked to infielders Ryan Theriot and Jeff Keppinger, as outfield targets such as David DeJesus, Corey Hart, and Jayson Werth drop out of the picture for various reasons.
  • Don't look for anything major from the Red Sox outside of some bullpen tweaking.  They will prowl the waiver wire in August, though.

Price On Dunn, Garrett Jones, DeJesus

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A look at the latest from Ed Price of AOL FanHouse…

  • Price tweets that some new teams asked about Adam Dunn within the past day.  He wonders if those clubs might include the Padres and Giants.  Dunn is a nice fit for both teams, though they've been said to prefer avoiding rentals.  Meanwhile Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the White Sox "remain focused on Dunn, but are laying the groundwork for a starting pitcher."  If Dan Hudson pitches poorly Friday against the Athletics, the Sox could change gears.
  • In his latest column, Price says the Angels checked in on Garrett Jones before acquiring Alberto Callaspo, but balked at the Pirates' asking price of Maicer Izturis.  However, it's worth noting that Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted that the Pirates say the Angels never contacted them about Jones. 
  • The Royals were eyeing Rays minor leaguer Jake McGee in a potential David DeJesus deal before the outfielder's injury.  The southpaw McGee returned from Tommy John surgery last year and has 91 strikeouts in 76.6 Double A innings in 2010.  Baseball America ranked McGee eighth among Rays prospects heading into the season, but he might be first or second on another team.
  • Another trade that wasn't: SI's Tom Verducci says the Phillies discussed sending Jayson Werth to the Yankees as part of a deal for Dan Haren before the righty went to the Angels.
  • Also of note in Price's column: a look at how the trade deadline has changed over the decades, including varying dates and rules for interleague deals.

Twins Interested In Matt Capps

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The Twins have interest in Nationals closer Matt Capps, reports ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.  Kurkjian finds a deal unlikely -  he feels that the Nats would want catching prospect Wilson Ramos in return, and the Twins would be unwilling to make that deal.  I wouldn't blame them - they may be aiming to replace Jon Rauch, but Capps is not a shutdown stopper either.  In their search for another late-inning arm, the Twins have also been linked to Scott Downs of the Blue Jays.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told MLB.com's Bill Ladson recently that he is not looking to trade Capps, Josh Willingham, or Adam Dunn, but he does receive a lot of calls on them.  Rizzo said he'd make a deal "if there was an opportunity to improve and impact the ballclub."  Two days ago ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted the sentiment of rival executives: Capps stands a good chance of being traded, even though he is under team control for 2011.

The Nationals have a quality catching prospect at High A ball in Derek Norris.  25-year-old Jesus Flores is promising as well, but he has yet to make his 2010 debut as he tries to recover from shoulder and elbow surgeries.  Ramos would be a welcome addition, as a team can never have too much catching depth.

Edwin Jackson-Adam Dunn Three-Team Rumor

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1:27pm: The Diamondbacks have not yet held three-way talks with the Nationals and White Sox, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Still, they will "not hesitate to deal Edwin Jackson if they get what they want."  ESPN's Buster Olney adds via Twitter, "The Nats have made progress in their effort to trade prospects for Jackson."

11:43am: It wouldn't be late July without rumors of intriguing three-team deals.  ESPN's Jayson Stark:

Rumblings continue to surface about a possible three-team deal involving the Nationals, White Sox and Diamondbacks that would send Edwin Jackson to Washington, Adam Dunn to Chicago and a bunch of young pitchers to Arizona.

We know the Nationals like Jackson and the White Sox like Dunn, so perhaps the D'Backs can facilitate a deal and further stock up on prospects.  Jackson, who is no stranger to three-team deals, has a 5.01 ERA, 7.0 K/9, and 4.0 BB/9 in 20 starts for Arizona.  On the plus side, he turns 27 in September, averages 94 mph on his fastball, and is signed for next year.  As he was with Dan Haren, D'Backs interim GM Jerry Dipoto might be forced to sell low on Jackson.

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