Rumors for July, 2010
Chicago White Sox Rumors: Looking for a altenative bat not named Dunn or Fielder?
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It’s no secret that Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams wants a bat, and he wants a big bat in Adam Dunn or Prince Fielder. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says the team is looking for offensive pop, but it may not have to be in the form of the aforementioned husky first basemen. Heyman says the White Sox could consider a third baseman or available DH as well.
The most obvious name that comes to mind is designated hitter Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals. He has about $6.2 million left on his contract before he becomes a free agent after the season. The Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays have been mentioned in his rumor mill.
A long-shot that could play DH could be former Chicago White Sox OF/DH Jermaine Dye. He hasn’t played since last September, and it would take him a few weeks to get ready, but since he’s familiar with the team he may have an advantage.
Cincinnati Reds Rumors: GM Walt Jocketty doesn’t expect anything happen
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“It’s quiet. I don’t expect anything to happen, not with us,” Cincinnati Reds GM Walt Jocketty said. “A lot of times it doesn’t start to escalate until the last few days. Maybe when we get back home, it might change.”
Mark Sheldon of MLB.com says not much has been going on in the Reds’ camp during the July Trade Deadline. However, Jocketty is making and taking calls.
“Not a lot but a few. Talking to other clubs, there’s always some outlandish proposals,” he said. “The sense I get from other clubs is two factors. People don’t want to give up their young prospects and clubs don’t want to take on additional payroll. That makes it hard to make a deal. Again, that may change closer to the deadline.”
Despite it being quiet, Sheldon reminds us that the Reds acquired Scott Rolen minutes before the deadline last year, and in 2008 he dealt Ken Griffey Jr. to the Chicago White Sox. The Reds are supposedly in talks with the Houston Astros about Roy Oswalt, so we’ll see if Jocketty can pull off more last-minute magic.
Scott Downs Trade Rumors: Giants interested and Yankees making a push
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this morning a source close to George A. King III of the New York Post said that the Toronto Blue Jays wanted New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Joba Chamberlain in exchange for left-handed reliever Scott Downs. The Yankees obvious balked at that. Here are a few more rumors about Downs:
Jim Bowden of FOXSports says the Yankees are “making a push” for Downs. (In all liklihood, the Yankees will probably wait until the price goes down for Downs).
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says the Giants are also looking at Downs in addition to Kansas City Royals’ Scott Podsednik, Jose Guillen and Seattle Mariners’ Brandon League.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says the Giants could go with a left-handed or right-handed reliever. He adds that promoting Dontrelle Willis could be an option. The Giants signed the free-agent Willis earlier this month.
Philadelphia Phillies to promote prospect Domonic Brown
Posted by: | CommentsJim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia hears that the Phillies are promoting top prospect Domonic Brown to the big league club. Brown will take Shane Victorino’s spot on the active roster since Victorino is likely being placed on the disabled list for an oblique strain.
Brown, 22, is hitting .327/.391/.589 between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. He was drafted in the 20th round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft.
The San Francisco Giants need a bat, and they needed it three months ago. General manager Brian Sabean is trying to acquire that bat that hopefully will get the team to the playoffs, but a source close to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle says “It won’t be easy.”
Another source said the San Francisco Giants approached the Washington Nationals for Adam Dunn, and the Nats asked for rookie Madison Bumgarner in return.
The Giants are hesitant to part with left-handers Madison Bumgarner or Jonathan Sanchez. Earlier this morning Chris Haft of MLB.com said the Giants would need to part with one of them to make a trade happen.
If the Giants are serious about Dunn, then they should expect competition. The Chicago White Sox have been known for some time to be pursuing the big first baseman. Read More→
Minnesota Twins have asked about Chicago Cubs Ted Lilly
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Yesterday we mentioned the Minnesota Twins are looking to acquire additional starting pitching despite the fact that their starting rotation posted a 1.06 ERA during their last turn around, but as many general managers in baseball say – you can’t ever have enough pitcher.
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says the Twins have asked the Chicago Cubs about left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly. The problem is that the Twins are on Lilly’s no-trade list.
No-trade lists are not set in stone. They just give the team and the player a little more negotiation leverage.
Lilly is being paid $4 million, and he’s a free agent after the season. Rosenthal says that it will take additional compensation for Lilly to waive his no-trade clause.
You have to wonder how much Lilly will improve the starting staff given their solid performance since the All-Star Break.
Rockies will not make trade unless current team improves play
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The Rockies have been playing bad. They just finished a road trip where they went 2-9 and each facet of the game produced poorly.
If management believes one or two well-placed additions could put the club over the top, it is more likely to add payroll or sacrifice youth for experience, as the Rocks did last year when they added a pair of bullpen arms for the pennant race.
But when a team can’t seem to do anything right, sacrificing the future for the present starts to look pointless.
“We’ll still talk to clubs and do what we always do, but we’re going to have to make sure it’s something that fits for us, more so than maybe when we went out on the trip,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said Tuesday. “It’s not like you can go out and make a trade and improve every aspect of the club. The bottom line is some of the players are going to have to start playing better.”
“There’s really not a ton of players on the market right now in the impact category,” O’Dowd said. “There’s one in particular I think if we’re not able to acquire by the 31st probably wouldn’t be there. The rest we’ve come across I don’t think the 31st is necessarily a firm deadline.”
The Rockies are sinking quickly. They find themselves 8 games back in the NL West and 5 1/2 games back in the Wild Card. Hope is not lost in picking someone up as O’Dowd believes many players will clear waivers come August.
Information from Dave Krieger of the Denver Post was used in this article.
Update-San Francisco Giants Rumors: Are in pursuit to land Jorge Cantu
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7/28 06:34: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, the Giants have stepped up their pursuit of a hitter with their eyes on Jorge Cantu. Rosenthal believes that the Giants are now in the lead to acquire Cantu. The Marlins are asking for young LHP.
7/28 00:01: The San Francisco Giants have the flexibility to acquire almost any player since their current roster allows for position flexibility. Chris Haft of MLB.com says, “Aubrey Huff can play right if San Francisco obtains a first or third baseman. In the latter case, Pablo Sandoval could move to first base and Huff still would go to the outfield. Andres Torres could move to right if a center fielder is acquired.” This gives the Giants the luxury to pick and choose who they want to go for, and maybe use it as leverage in their trade negotiations.
However, one industry source says the team likely won’t get a premier hitter such as Milwaukee Brewers Prince Fielder or Corey Hart or Washington Nationals’ Adam Dunn.
“If they do anything, it’ll be small,” one industry source said Tuesday.
The Giants are hesitant to part with left-handers Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner. Haft says that one of them have to be involved if the Giants were to execute a significant deal.
GM Brian Sabean also wants to acquire a player that’s under contract for next year – no two month rentals for San Francisco.
FanHouse Staff on MLB Trade Deadline Rumors: Dunn, Podsednik, Jackson, Marlins
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a quick summary from the staff of AOL FanHouse on the latest MLB Trade Deadline Rumors:
Contract talks are ongoing for Washington Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn. “We’ve been in communication with him [on an extension] for a while now,” GM Mike Rizzo said. “We haven’t made a lot of progress. If it doesn’t get done by the trade deadline we’ll probably keep him through the season and continue working on it.” (Ed Price)
The San Francisco Giants are interested in Scott Podsednik, according to a Major League source close to FanHouse. The San Diego Padres are not going after Podsednik. (Jeff Fletcher and Tom Krasovic)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are entertaining offers for right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson. We heard the Washington Nationals want him. (Steve Phillips)
The Florida Marlins are not likely to hire a strong-willed, big-name manager like Bobby Valentine. Interim manager Fredi Rodriguez may be a good fit to keep the job. (Jeff Fletcher)
Jorge Cantu may be “falling in the eyes of some suitors.” Manager Fredi Rodriguez thinks the trade speculation has become a distraction. (Jeff Fletcher)
The Red Sox have interest in A’s reliever Michael Wuertz, but Oakland would need to be overwhelmed to move him. (Jeff Fletcher)
Toronto Blue Jays want Joba Chamberlain in exchange for Scott Downs
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A source close to George A. King III of the New York Post says that the Toronto Blue Jays want New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Joba Chamberlain in exchange for left-handed reliever Scott Downs. Chamberlain was previously asked for by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Dan Haren negotiations. Haren eventually went to the Los Angeles Angels.
There have been rumors over the last few days regarding Downs. The last we heard, the Yankees and Boston Red Sox were nose-to-nose on acquiring the reliever.
“It’s the Yankees and Red Sox,” said yesterday’s source ”And he is clearly the best reliever out there.”
The Blue Jays asked the Red Sox for infield prospects Casey Kelly or Jose Iglesias.
The buying price is obviously too high for both the Red Sox and Yankees.
“You can ask for anything,” an NL talent evaluator said. “That doesn’t mean you are going to get it. Let’s see where it goes Saturday.” Read More→
