Rosenthal On Fielder, Padres, Rockies
Let's see what Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has for us in his latest installment of Full Count..
- White Sox GM Ken Williams is said to be confident about landing either Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn. Williams continues to talk to the Brewers about Fielder but there doesn't seem to be a match as they seek pitching in return. Meanwhile, the Nats have told everyone that they'll need to be overwhelmed by an offer to move Dunn. If the White Sox strike out on the two big-time left-handed sluggers, they're unlikely to reach for a player such as Russell Branyan or Brad Hawpe. Instead, they'll look to go small and try to improve their bullpen and bench.
- The Padres are now more focused on offense than pitching, but don't expect them to make a big splash. The club expects pitchers such as Jake Westbrook to clear waivers rather easily in August. Ultimately, they're likely to make two or three small acquisitions, bringing in guys that won't cost a lot but will help their squad contend.
- The Rockies are looking for a right-handed hitting first baseman in Todd Helton's absence. Jorge Cantu was a possibility but his price was high to begin with and now the Marlins appear to be back in contention. Ty Wigginton also appears to be out of reach as the O's want a young shortstop in return. Colorado made an inquiry on Jayson Werth but the Phillies are telling teams that they won't deal him unless they get a major league-ready starter.
Olney’s Latest: Royals, Managers, Dunn, Berkman
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that even though things aren't going so well for the Royals at the big league level, rival scouts and executives gush about the quality of their farm system. "Our goal is by 2012 and 2013 to have as many homegrown guys playing as we can," said GM Dayton Moore, which Olney likens to the way the Twins and Rays are built.
Here are the rest of his rumors…
- One scout opined that we're likely to see more managerial changes this offseason than ever before. Olney lists 12 teams that could be looking for a new manager this winter, and reminds us that Tony LaRussa, Joe Girardi, and Dusty Baker do not have contracts in place for beyond this season.
- The Nationals are concerned about whether or not Adam Dunn's body will hold up during a three or four-year deal, but Olney spoke to one AL evaluator who pointed out that Dunn's ability to hit homers is gaining more value as time goes on.
- The Diamondbacks have prioritized the acquisition of a closer, hence their request for Joba Chamberlain in a potential Dan Haren trade.
- Olney speculates that Lance Berkman could be a fit for the Rays next year, since they'll need to replace Carlos Pena.
Riggleman Likely To Manage Nationals In 2011
GM Mike Rizzo fully expects Jim Riggleman to return to Washington in 2011 to manage the Nationals for another season, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The team would have had the option of buying out Riggleman for $100K after the season, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
"Yes, he will be back next season. He has done a terrific job," said Rizzo. "He is a terrific baseball manager. He has great respect from his peers in this game. When the games starts, he is as good as anybody in the game. He has the respect in the clubhouse. He is a diligent worker and he is a loyal employee."
Although the Nationals finished with baseball's worst record (59-103) last season, they showed signs of life in the second half when Riggleman took over for Manny Acta, ending the season on a seven-game winning streak. Riggleman has led the Nats to a 42-54 mark this year, after signing a contract with the team in the offseason. As Kilgore clarifies, while Riggleman's contract is for two years with a 2012 option, only one year was guaranteed.
Trade Possible, Nats May Try To Extend Dunn Soon
Adam Dunn is looking for a long-term deal, and if he and the Nationals can’t agree on his value, the team will likely trade him, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Dunn would stay in Washington if he and the Nationals can agree to the parameters of a deal, even if they don’t formally announce an agreement. The Nats have the chance to keep Dunn in Washington, so they may try to extend him before the trade deadline, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
Dunn, 31 in November, has 23 homers and a .933 OPS, so he remains one of the game's elite power hitters. Many have suggested that Dunn's poor defense makes him an ideal candidate to DH, but that hasn't prevented NL teams like the Giants from showing interest. The Nats seem reluctant to deal their top players, including Dunn, but the White Sox are definitely interested.
The White Sox also covet Prince Fielder, but Dunn, Adam LaRoche and Lance Berkman (in that order) are the next players on their list, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Hamilton, Rangers, Moyer, Wilson
As Alex Rodriguez takes a step closer to the 600-homer club, here are some news items…
- Barry Shlachter of the Star-Telegram reports on Nolan Ryan's testimony about the Rangers' money problems. The most notable item from Ryan's testimony was that Texas may not be able to afford Josh Hamilton's inevitable arbitration raise this winter. This seems hard to believe, since you'd figure that Texas would cut corners anywhere else to find the money to pay Hamilton or to negotiate a long-term deal with their star.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com tweets that the Rangers have excess pitching and could make Scott Feldman and/or Rich Harden available in a trade.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Jamie Moyer's recent elbow injury might end the 47-year-old's amazing career.
- The Cardinals feel more confident about their chances of signing draft pick Austin Wilson after the 12th-round selection and his family visited Busch Stadium, reports Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The highly-regarded Wilson has a full scholarship waiting for him at Stanford and thus the Cards' selection was thought to be a longshot.
- Tom Krasovic of the Inside The Padres blog writes that the Friars are looking for "a hitter adept at reaching base against right-handers."
- Holden Kushner of CSNWashington.com examines a potential Adam Dunn deal against the situation the Nationals faced in 2005 when they didn't trade Alfonso Soriano.
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com discusses some Indians prospects and more in a fan mailbag.
- David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune thinks the White Sox should resist the urge to trade Gordon Beckham for a rent-a-player. Haugh proposes that the Sox should instead offer up Bobby Jenks, whose closing job is up in the air.
Giants Interested In Bautista, Hart, DeJesus
The Giants are interested in MLB home run leader Jose Bautista, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported today that the Blue Jays are asking for elite young players in exchange for Bautista, but the Giants must be getting used to such demands, since they're eyeing other top hitters.
The Giants remain interested in Corey Hart and David DeJesus, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Adam Dunn and Jorge Cantu are also on the team's radar.
Cantu has drawn interest from the Rangers and Angels; the Nationals are reluctant to trade Dunn; the Brewers want Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner for Hart; and the Royals have a steep asking price for DeJesus but teams are still interested. None of those bats will come cheap and the Giants know that better than anyone. They're presumably willing to give up talent to improve an offensive attack that ranks ninth in the NL.
The Braves, Padres, White Sox, Rays and Rangers are among the teams that could also be bidding for hitters, so the price could remain high until the July 31st deadline.
Nationals Reluctant To Trade Dunn, Willingham, Capps
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is keeping other front office members in the dark about what's happening, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, but one thing is clear: Rizzo would need to be overwhelmed to trade Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, or Matt Capps.
Extension talks with Dunn are at an impasse. Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington says Dunn is seeking at least four years and more than $15MM per year. There seems to be an assumption that as a Type A free agent, Dunn's club will offer arbitration and the slugger will reject it. Granted Dunn was coming off a worse season, but it should be noted that the Diamondbacks did not offer him arbitration after '08. The White Sox appear to be Dunn's most aggressive suitor, as they're reportedly willing to include Daniel Hudson or Dayan Viciedo in a deal.
Meanwhile, Willingham and Capps are under team control for 2011. Both figure to receive handsome raises as arbitration-eligible players.
White Sox Focused On Dunn, Not Fielder
TUESDAY, 12:07pm: The Sox are focused on Dunn, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, and they're not in on Prince Fielder or Lance Berkman.
MONDAY, 11:15pm: White Sox GM Kenny Williams has been trying “desperately” to acquire Adam Dunn from the Nationals, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cowley’s source says the White Sox don’t want to move Carlos Quentin or Gordon Beckham to acquire Dunn, but would move any minor leaguer, and would trade Dayan Viciedo or Daniel Hudson. But Williams still finds that Nats GM Mike Rizzo is asking a lot, according to Cowley’s source.
"The problem Kenny is finding out is that Rizzo is acting like Dunn is Ryan Howard,'' the source said.
Though the White Sox appear to have interest in Dunn, Williams said that he isn’t optimistic about completing deals this summer.
"If I'm being honest and completely transparent right now of the price that is being asked for some of the players that we've inquired about, for us, it's more detrimental to our present and our future than we'd like,” Williams said.
The White Sox could definitely use an upgrade at DH, but as Williams pointed out, the team could still add a player in August. The White Sox acquired Alex Rios from the Blue Jays in an August 2009 waiver claim.
Rosenthal On Iannetta, Athletics, Bautista
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports kicks off his latest column with a look at Alex Rodriguez's $30MM worth of home run incentives. The chase isn't generating the buzz the Yankees anticipated when they re-signed A-Rod. On to Rosenthal's rumors…
- Talks are on again between the Red Sox and Rockies regarding catcher Chris Iannetta. The Rockies would want to improve their big league club with an in-season deal, so perhaps we'll hear heightened Iannetta buzz during the offseason if Miguel Olivo is retained.
- The Nationals do not seem to have chosen a course with Adam Dunn in terms of trading or extending him now.
- The Athletics have no intention of trading Coco Crisp or Mark Ellis, as both players have club options for 2011.
- Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli is "a frequent trade target of rival clubs," but the team likes having depth at the catcher position.
- As part of the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez talks, the Braves and Blue Jays discussed Jose Bautista. For now, the Braves still have time to evaluate Nate McLouth's recovery from a concussion. MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote today that the Braves have considered David DeJesus, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, and Josh Willingham as potential trade targets.
Odds & Ends: Nationals, Lilly, Haren, Marlins, Kotsay
Sunday night linkage..
- Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com wonders if the reason Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo has made players like Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham available is because the team's offense is struggling with them as it is, so he'll try to improve other areas of the team.
- ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine says the Yankees could join the mix for Ted Lilly following Andy Pettitte's injury today. Meanwhile, Yanks' GM Brian Cashman told Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that he is "not inclined" to make a move to replace Pettitte yet, saying that he prefers to give internal options a try first. Levine has the Tigers, Twins, Mets, and Dodgers also in the hunt for Lilly.
- Scott Miller of CSBSports.com wonders if this weekend's poor play (three losses to the Padres) makes a Dan Haren trade more likely.
- David Villavicencio of Fox Sports Florida tells us that players like Cody Ross and Ricky Nolasco want to stay with the Marlins, and know they need a strong run to make that a reality.
- Mark Kotsay knows what it's like to be the player who's desired in a trade, but also to be the player who would lose playing time as a result of one, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Jose Bautista was honored that Alex Anthopoulos called him to help get Yunel Escobar settled into his new environment, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Bautista says that he loves Toronto and would like to stay there long-term.
- The Yankees, who have been interested bystanders through most of the process, are now getting more interested in Mexican amateur pitcher Luis Heredia, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. However, the Pirates and the Blue Jays remain the frontrunners for the 15-year-old, who is sure to get a bonus of more than $2MM.
- Jerry Crasnick of ESPN tweets that Tampa Bay expressed interest in Yunel Escobar before he was dealt to Toronto. He also tweets that Reid Brignac was part of the talks.
- Hayden Penn, a pitcher for the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate who was reportedly nearing a deal with the Chiba Lotte Marines, is on his way to Japan, according to Indianapolis Indians Triple-A announcer Scott McCauley (via Twitter). McCauley also says that another Indianapolis hurler is "close to a deal".
- The White Sox, who have been linked to Nationals slugger Adam Dunn, have had a scout present for Washington's series against the Marlins, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Reliever David Aardsma is a possible fit for the Tigers, tweets Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse.
- R.J. Anderson of Fangraphs attempted to peg Fausto Carmona's trade value.
- Roy Oswalt wants to claim the Astros win record before leaving, writes Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
- Jean-Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News praised the moves made by Rangers GM Jon Daniels.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun senses deja vu all over again as the deadline approaches.