Rumors for July, 2010
Russell Martin contract rumors: Can Dodgers afford to keep Martin?
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Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says the Los Angeles Dodgers will soon have to face a major decision on catcher Russell Martin. Martin is currently making $5.05 million and his salary will continue to rise in his final two years of arbitration. Rosenthal wonders if the Dodgers will pay $6 million or more for their backstop whose stats are slowly going down.
Rosenthal points out that Martin’s OPS dropped from .843 to .781 to .680 from 2007 to 2009. It’s currently at .680 this season.
The Dodgers are not currently shopping Martin, but they would consider moving him in the right deal. If Martin’s stats continue to go down, the Dodgers may trade him before the July 31st deadline.
Jake Westbrook Rumors: Mild interest in Indians right-handed pitcher
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Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says that the Cleveland Indians are drawing only “mild” interest in right-handed starting pitcher Jake Westbrook. He mentions that Westbrook’s trade bonus in his contract is an obstacle, but the the Indians would include cash in the right deal. The salary and his trade bonus would total to about $6 million.
Westbrook could also be a trade candidate in August since he would likely clear waivers.
Teams that have been known to be interested or may be candidates for Westbrook include the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets.
Westbrook will be a free agent after this season, so he would be a good fit for a team that doesn’t want to take on payroll. The Indians are in selling mode, and would like to get something for him instead of letting him walk, so expect the team to make a deal.
Los Angeles Angels looking for a bat
Posted by: | CommentsJon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says the Los Angeles Angels are not done shopping despite have already acquired Alberto Callaspo and right-handed pitcher Dan Haren.
Two hitters on the Angel’s wish list include Garrett Jones of hte Pirates and Derrek Lee of the Cubs. Source close to Morosi could not confirm if the Angels are involved in active talks for either Jones or Lee.
The Angels have been searching for a true everyday first baseman since Kendry Moralas injured himself in May.
We’re at the final 7 days of the month of July, so you should expect trades to come in at any time. The last we heard from Roy Oswalt is that he favors the St. Louis Cardinals, and is willing to restructure is $16 million club option for 2012. Depending on who you ask, the Astros either are motivated to move their ace pitcher or they’re not, so we’ll keep a running list of the Sunday Oswalt rumors here for your convenience.
Cardinals John Mozeliak says (via Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch), “We’re continuing to explore a number of things, it doesn’t look great right now.” The removal of Haren from the trade market likely makes the asking price in personnel for Oswalt too high for the Cardinals.
Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com says the Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ looked good in five innings of three-run ball against the Rockies today. Astros scout Matt Galante was on hand to watch Happ pitch.
Oswalt said (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com) that he wouldn’t veto a potential trade in exchange for a getting another chance to tie the club’s all-time wins record. He is one shy of Joe Niekro’s record. “It would be nice,” Oswalt said of becoming the franchise’s all-time wins leader. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Buster Olney of ESPN tweets, “Heard this: Besides the three-team stuff we’ve heard with Jayson Werth, the Phillies in the last 48 hours have been trying to swap him directly for a starting pitcher regarded as a No. 4-type of guy, or better, as a fallback to the Oswalt/Haren talk.”
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports tweets, “Still #Phillies #Cardinals #Dodgers on Oswalt. Player/$$$ issues with LA. Tough match with STL. If Phils move Werth they remain best positioned. But one exec says Phils’ goals in a Werth deal “seem to change by the day.”
Astros president Tal Smith (via Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe) says that things should heat up by tomorrow (today). There is “considerable interest” in Oswalt, with “three or four” teams trying to make it happen. The three or four teams likely are the Cardinals, Phillies, Twins and Yankees. Cafardo points out that Oswalt is one of the most successful second-half pitchers in baseball with a record of 70-23 over his career.
The Los Angeles Angels have acquired right-handed pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-handed pitcher Joe Saunders, Patrick Corbin, Rafael Rodriguez and a player to be named later (Tyler Skaggs). Dan Wioke of The Orange County Register was the first report the trade of Saunders.
Saunders, 29, was 6-10 with a 4.62 ERA in 20 starts for the Angels this season.
Corbin, 21, is a left-handed pitcher who has a career 17-5 mark with a 4.20 ERA in 2 seasons in the Angels’ low Minor League system. He has a 1.255 WHIP and a 3.90 SO/BB ratio.
Rodriguez, 25, is in his second year of the Angels’ Minor League system. He is a right-handed pitcher with a 0-4 mark in 68 relief appearances. He has a 1.806 WHIP and 1.00 SO/BB ratio in his two seasons.
The story is continuing to develop. You can see the running list of info below: Read More→
Could Bobby Valentine be the Cubs next manager?
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The ESPN analyst and former New York Mets and Texas Rangers manager says he’s interested in taking over for the retiring Lou Piniella after this season.
Valentine, who led the Mets to the pennant in 2000 and managed the Texas Rangers, calls the Cubs job “one of the most coveted positions in all of sports” and adds “anybody who thinks of himself as a manager would love to be considered as one of the people who might take his place.”
Valentine spoke before Sunday’s game between the Cubs and Cardinals.
He returned to ESPN during the 2009 playoffs after his second stint as manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Pacific League. He says he won’t leave the network “unless something very special came up,” and the Cubs job “falls in the category of very special.”
Valentine was close to taking the Florida Marlins head job recently when the plans blew up and he wasn’t hired. Valentine went on TV and said “If this is a major-league process, I hope I’m never in the process again.”
We also heard earlier this week that Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and Ryne Sandberg as well as other could be interested in the Cubs head job.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
List of Major League Baseball Buyers and Sellers for July 31st trade deadline
Posted by: | CommentsWe’re down to less than a week before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline reaches us. PRO Rumors has created a team by team analysis of buyers and sellers of Major League Baseball. We’ve sorted it by division to make it easier for you to consume.
National League West buyers and sellers
National League Central buyers and sellers
National League East buyers and sellers
American League West buyers and sellers
American League Central buyers and sellers
American League East buyers and sellers
Still want more? Here are a few Top 10 lists that will get you through the day. Happy Monday!
Top 10 power hitters that could be traded before July 31
Top 10 starting pitchers that could be traded before July 31
Top 10 relievers that could be traded before July 31
Top 10 prospects that could be traded before July 31
Dan Haren Rumors: Yankees most logical destination if Diamondbacks lower their price
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a running list of Sunday rumors for Dan Haren:
Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says the Yankees are the most logical destination if the Arizona Diamondbacks lower their price.
If the Tigers pursue Haren, the Dbacks will want right-handed pitcher Jacob Turner, a projected future No. 1 starter. The Tigers are on Haren’s no-trade list. (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, FOXSports)
The Phillies are less focused on Haren since they are likely the leading destination for Roy Oswalt. (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, FOXSports)
The Cardinals are out on Haren, according to an official with a rival club. (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, FOXSports)
The Yankees and the Diamondbacks did not speak on Saturday, but a number of “back-channel” conversations took place. The Yankees remain willing to trade Triple-A right-handers Ivan Nova and Zach McAllister and a third prospect for Haren while taking all of the remaining $33 million on the pitcher’s contract. The Dbacks wanted right-hander Joba Chamberlain along with Nova and McAllister in initial talks. (Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, FOXSports)
Rival executives think Washington Nationals will trade Matt Capps
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Buster Olney of ESPN says that rival executives to the Washington Nationals think the Nats are going to trade reliever Matt Capps. Capps is making $3.5 million this year and is in line for a major raise as he climbs up the arbitration ladders. Olney wonders if the Nationals want to pay him $6-7 million next season.
Capps is at his peak value now, and if the Nats trade him, the team could get by with Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen closing out the late innings.
Teams that are shopping for bullpen help include the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.
Capps signed a one-year deal with the Nationals in January for $3.5 million with a chance to make $425,000 in performance bonuses based on games finished (triggers between 40-65 games).
Detroit Tigers have great interest in Washington Nationals Adam Dunn
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According to a source close to Bill Ladson of MLB.com says the Detroit Tigers have “great interest” in Washington Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn.
The Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez fractured his right ankle and is out for an estimated six to eight weeks, and the team needs a run producer. If the Tigers were to acquire Dunn, he would be the team’s designated hitter and outfielder.
It may be a tricky acquisition since Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has said that he wants a lot in return for Dunn. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told local beat reporters that he would not trade top prospects for short-term players.
“Other clubs look at us and say, ‘Well, they are desperate so maybe they will trade us [Andy] Oliver and [Jacob] Turner,’ ” Dombrowski said (via Alex DiFilippo of MLB.com). “Well we aren’t. I’m not meaning to say that anyone is untouchable. I’m not going to give away blue-chip young players for a guy for two months. It just doesn’t make sense. Will we be active in talking to people? Yes. If there is a deal that we think can be made that can help us, will we? Yes. Are we going to mortgage our future? No.
Dunn, is hitting .279 with 23 home runs and 62 RBIs. He is a free agent after the season.
