Rumors for July, 2010
Update-Phillies trying to swap Jayson Werth for a starting pitcher?
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7/25 10:20: Are the Phillies giving up on acquiring Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt? ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Phillies are now also trying to swap Jayson Werth, for a starting pitcher possibly a No. 4 type guy instead of prospects. This has all changed in the last 48 hours so maybe the Phillies are preparing if Haren and Oswalt don’t happen.
7/24 18:27: According to an AL official close to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse, the Philadelphia Phillies are determined to acquire Dan Haren or Roy Oswalt.
The official expects a Phillides deal to involve a third team that would acquire outfielder Jayson Werth.
The Phillies are among four teams scouting Oswalt’s start on Saturday, along with the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.
One scout in attendance said Oswalt’s fastball was straight and his command “slightly below average.”
Detroit Tigers release Billy Buckner and DFA Casey Fein
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According to the official Detroit Tigers Twitter account, the team has released Billy Buckner and designated Casey Fien for assignment to make room for Jeff Larish and Will Rhymes on their 40-man roster.
Right-handed pitcher Buckner, 26, was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Dontrelle Willis. Buckner did not pitch for the Tigers this season, but was 0-3 with a 11.08 ERA in 3 starts this season for the Dbacks.
Right-handed pitcher Fein, 26, was signed by the Tigers to a Minor League contract in March. He made two appearances for the Tigers this season, going 0-0 with a 10.13 ERA.
Brad Ausmus to reture after the season after 17 year career
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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Brad Ausmus said that he will retire after the season, according to Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The three-time Gold Glove award winner will retire after a 17-year career with the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and Dodgers.
“This year is it,” Ausmus said.
Ausmus had only played one game prior to his 12-inning appearance this season. He had a surgical procedure earlier this year to fix his back soreness at which point many people wondered why he didn’t retire instead of going through a rehabilitation process.
“I signed a contract,” he reiterated on Saturday. “It was my job to get back on the field and do it as quickly as possible, hopefully without having any setbacks.”
Aumus is currently on a $1 million contract and has a $150,000 buyout on a mutual option for next season.
Many speculate he would eventually become a big league manager, but in the meantime, he’ll take next year off and enjoy a couple of summer vacations with his family.
Here’s are a few highlights from Sunday’s article from Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe
Cafardo wonders how to handle the contracts of Prince Fielder, Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols as they all approach free agency. Fielder is approaching free agency soon, his weight is a big issue especially if you’re a GM and you need to valuate a 7 or 8 year contract. The consensus is “buyer beware” with Fielder, but that hasn’t stopped the White Sox or Angels. Carfardo says that a team needing a splash could give Fielder a Mark Teixeira deal and the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles could be in the market for the pudgy first baseman in the off season.
Jeter is a free agent after this season, and he’s 36-years-old. Cafardo wonders if you pay the Yankee icon $25-$30 million each for the next five years? The same goes for Pujols. He’s been great for his first 10 years, but do you pay him $30 million per year for the next 10?
Former Arizona Diamondbacks’ GM Josh Byrnes has received “15 job offers” according to a close friend of Cafardo.
It would make perfect sense for Joe Torre to manage the Chicago Cubs next year. He wraps up his current three-year deal with the Dodgers after this season.
Adrian Gonzalez 2011 option has gone from $5.5 million to $6.2 million because of escalators triggered from 2008-2010. Still a bargain.
Cafardo reminds us that the Yankees may be interested in Kansas City Royals closer Joakim Soria as a setup guy, and a catching prospect Jesus Montero would be a good fit for the Royals.
Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Livan Hernandez could be a half-year solution some teams may begin to consider.
Ben Sheets of the Oakland Athletics was placed on the disabled list, lessening the likelihood that he’ll be dealt.
Baltimore Orioles closer Mike Gonzalez could be a target of the Boston Red Sox.
Cafardo wonders if Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie could be traded to the San Diego Padres for a pitcher.
Look for Padres owner Jeff Moorad to pull the trigger on an Adrian Gonzalez deal this winter.
Cafardo says it’ll be interesting to see what the Marlins do with second baseman Dan Uggla. Uggla has one more year of arbitration eligibility. Uggla has drawn a lot of interest from a lot of teams, and some think he could move to left field.
San Diego Padres outfielder/pinch hitter Matt Stairs thought he was going to retire after last year. He enjoys San Diego. Maybe he’ll be back for another season.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Oswalt is Dodgers’ big target, but it’s not going so well right now
Posted by: | CommentsWe are one week away from the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline, so expect the rumors to pile up. Here’s the rumors from Saturday surrounding Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt. (If you want to see Friday’s Oswalt rumors, click here)
- Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets, “#phils remain more focused on oswalt than haren”
- Jayson Stark of ESPN says the price tag on Oswalt has been going up in the last 24 hours, so he wonders if Astros’ owner Drayton McLane wants to deal him or not.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says Oswalt is the Dodgers’ big target, but it’s not going so well right now.
- Ken Rosenthal, in his Full Count Video, says that there is skepticism that the Astros will trade Oswalt. Rosenthal wonders if the Astros are “truly motivated” to move.
- Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia tweets, “Phils will scout Oswalt tonite w a dozen other clubs. Nothing really new to learn. Just make sure everything is in good working order.”
- Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says the Astros asked Dodgers for both Major League position players and prospects for Oswalt.
- According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oswalt confirmed Friday that he is willing to restructure his $16 million club option for the 2012 season to find the right situation with the right team. He favors St. Louis as a potential landing spot.
“I’m going to find a way to get it done,” Oswalt told a gathering of Houston reporters. “I’m not going to go somewhere where it’s going to be bad for me. And I don’t want to put the Astros in a bad situation.”
“The only way I can characterize things is that nothing is imminent at this time,” Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said.
“The money part I can work out with anybody, that’s not a big deal,” he said Friday. “We can work on doing different things as far as restructuring, whatever they want to do. That’s not a big deal.”
The Cardinals have tendered a two-player offer for Oswalt, including shortstop Brenden Ryan and another player. The Astros rejected that offer, and are seeking more players, hoping to include at least one Minor League player.
VIDEO: San Francisco Giants Eugenio Velez hit in head by foul ball
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a scary incident involving San Francisco Giants’ infielder Eugenio Velez getting hit in the head by a foul ball off the bat of Pat Burrell.
Velez was taken out of the dugout on a stretcher.
Here’s a running list of Arizona Diamondback’s Dan Haren rumors for Saturday (Click here if you want to see Haren’s rumors from Friday):
Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says the Detroit Tigers have been unwilling to include one of their top three pitching prospects in an offer: Rick Porcello, Andy Oliver or Jacob Turner.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says the Phillies benched prospect J.C. Ramirez from Sunday’s start. He’s scheduled to pitch on Monday instead. FOXSports speculates that his benching may be trade-related.
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets, “#tigers dont want to give up jacob turner for haren. also, theyre on dan’s no-trade list. lilly possible 2nd choice for det”
Buster Olney of ESPN says that the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees had no conversations today. He adds, “The NYY scoffed at reports that they were in the lead of the Haren negotiations, because they have never been close to completing a deal to this point.”
Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets, “#yankees willing to include [Ivan] nova, [Zach] mcallister and 2 prospects for dan haren, will not eat $ and give up joba. still talking.” Heyman later adds, “#yankees would pay the $33 mil left on haren, but they have balked at taking chad qualls, chris snyder, too.”
The Arizona Diamondbacks are asking the Tigers for pitchers Jacob Turner and Andrew Oliver. (Buster Olney, ESPN)
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports tweets, “#Dodgers were actively talking to #Diamondbacks about Haren before Byrnes’ firing as GM. Not a prominent suitor now.”
“The Yankees do not value Haren as much as they valued Cliff Lee a couple of weeks ago. They look at Haren as a somewhat risky proposition, because of his performance this year, and they are not willing to take the contract and give up a boatload of prospects.” (Buster Olney, ESPN)
San Diego Padres sign infielder Nick Green to a Minor League contract
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to Corey Brock of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres have signed infielder NIck Green to a Minor League contract. Green will report to Triple-A Portland.
Green was signed by the Blue Jays in mid-June to a Major League contract, but was designated for assignment last week. Green was also apart of the Dodgers organization this year but was designated for assignment at the end of May.
Update-Kansas City Royals have two pitcher price tag for Zack Greinke
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7/24 17:00: Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports says the Royals have placed a two Major League-ready pitcher with top-of-the-rotation potential as the price tag for Greinke.
7/23 13:20: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says that Greinke’s name is out there, but others who have spoken with the Royals believe Greinke, Soria and Billy Butler will stay.
7/23 12:50:Tom Krasniqi is reporting via twitter that the Rays are “Kicking the tires” with regards to Greinke. The Rays could easily afford Greinke and his salary as he is in the second year of a 4 year $38mm contract.
7/23 10:19: According to several baseball executives close to George A. King III of the New York Post, the Kansas City Royals haven’t told other clubs there are any “untouchables on the roster.”
“They will listen on all of them,” an NL source said yesterday.
King says that ace Zack Greinke could be available and it could make the New York Yankees rethink their stance on having enough pitching. It’s likely that if the Royals trade Greinke, they will want top tier prospects in return.
Greinke who is 6-9 with a 3.59 ERA makes $7.25 million this year, $13.5 million next year and $13 million in 2012. He has a limited no-trade clause for this year only.
In other Royals’ trade possibilities, the Yankees love Joakim Soria, and he would be an excellent 8th inning setup guy for Mariano Rivera. However, it would likely cost a lot to acquire the 26-year-old Soria who has converted 26 of 28 saves. Soria is affordable given that he has three club options that start in 2012. He will make $3 million this year and $4 million next year. In 2012, there is a club option for $6 million that can become guaranteed if he pitches 55 games in 2011 or a combined 110 games this year and next. In 2013 the club option is $8 million and in 2014 the club option jumps to $8.75 million with a $750,000 buyout.
David DeJesus is a New York native and the Yankees have had him on the radar for years. DeJesus makes $4.7 million this year, and there is a $6 million option for next year or a $500,000 buyout.
Jose Guillen fits the Yankees need for a right-handed bat, and Guillen told people he expects to be a Yankee soon, but a Yankees club source said that’s not happening.
Update – Tigers interested in Mike Lowell as Brandon Inge replacement – confirmed
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7/24 15:27: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse has confirmed the Tigers’ interest in Lowell.
7/23 16:58: Could the Tigers be interested in Mike Lowell? According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Tigers, who lost third baseman Brandon Inge to a broken hand last week, do have some interest in Lowell.
Lowell who is on a rehab assignment, was Pawtucket’s designated hitter on Thursday, and after a scheduled day off Friday, he’s expected to play third base on Saturday. Lowell had a cortisone shot in his surgically repaired right hip this past week, and he told reporters in Pawtucket that he expects to be activated by the Red Sox next week.
Lowell has spent most of this season in limbo, because with Kevin Youkilis at first base and Adrian Beltre at third, Boston hasn’t had a spot for him in the regular lineup. The Red Sox nearly traded Lowell to the Rangers last winter, before a different injury derailed the deal.
