Rumors for July, 2011
Thursday Rumor Mill: Indians pushing to acquire Ludwick
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With only a few more days left to the trade deadline, you can expect deals to heat up in the coming days and buyers and sellers to get desperate. Here’s your Thursday rumors to keep an eye on:
–Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports doesn’t sleep as he is reporting the Indians are making a strong push to acquire Ryan Ludwick.
– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, both the Yankees and Red Sox scouted right handed pitcher Rich Harden today.
– Although Heath Bell is still a Padre, rumors have it that he’s on the verge of being traded to the Texas Rangers. However, Padre fans may be able to see him in 2012. “Honestly, with everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t rule out anything. I said I’d take a discount, and I want to stay here. Everyone knows that,” Bell said according to Scott Miller of CBS Sports.
– Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated says that the Tampa Bay Rays will join the San Diego Padres as sellers, and their best pieces, B.J. Upton, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Kyle Farnsworth, Casey Kotchman, J.P. Howell, Johnny Damon and James Shields could be dealt.
– Baseball people believe that Heath Bell will end up with the Rangers according to Jon Heyman of Sports illustrated. He adds that the Rangers have both the need and the prospects.
– According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, not only are the Yankees and Red Soxunwilling to unload multiple big prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, but he Reds and Tigers are also unwilling to do so.
– A source close to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports says that it is more likely than not that Hunter Pence will be dealt by Sunday. He adds that the chances are better than 50/50.
– The Pittsburgh Pirates have inquired on the White Sox’s Carlos Quentin. (Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
– Nationals are not willing to trade Drew Storen for the Twins’ Denard Span. (Bill Ladson, MLB.com)
– The Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres are in “substantive” talks on Heath Bell. (Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports)
– Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com has heard that the Tigers are very unlikely on left handed pitcher Erik Bedard.
– Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets that with the Houston Astros rejecting the Phillies’ trade proposal regarding Hunter Pence, the Braves remain the last team trying to acquire the outfielder.
– Sources close to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports say that Josh Willingham is atop of the Braves’ wish list.
– Buster Olney of ESPN tweets that the Rockies’ asking price for Ubaldo Jimenez is still very high. Apparently the Rockies are asking for three top prospects in return for the right hander.
– According to Buster Olney of ESPN, there are multiple teams interested in Rafael Furcal. He adds that the Dodgers would have to eat a major portion of the $4.8 million owed to Furcal to make a deal.
– The Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians are interested in outfielder Ryan Ludwick according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.
– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, the short stop position has become a concern for the St. Louis Cardinals who are now focused on getting middle-infield help.
– With Rickie Weeks out for 2 to 4 weeks, the Milwaukee Brewers have been targeting Adam Kennedy and Jamey Carroll according to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.
– According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs are close to a deal that will ship Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland. Buster Olney of ESPN adds that the deal is nearing the “1-yard line.”
– The Philadelphia Phillies loved what they saw scouting Carlos Quentin according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, but the Chicago White Sox plan to keep him around while they remain in race.
Hideki Irabu found dead – suicide suspected
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According to Asahi.com (via Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk), former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead in his California home on Wednesdasy. Suicide is suspected.
The 41-year-old Irabu last pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2002. In the six seasons he played, he had a record of 34-35 with a 5.15 ERA in 128 appearances (80 starts) for the Yankees, Expos and Rangers.
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Rays trade Felipe Lopez to the Brewers
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The Tampa Bay Rays have traded infielder Felipe Lopez to the Milwaukee Brewers for cash considerations according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
Lopez was hitting .216/.248/.320 with 2 HR’s and 8 RBI’s in 97 AB’s for the Rays in 2011.
Giants designate Bill Hall for assignment
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According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Giants have released infielder Bill Hall.
Hall hit .224 in 158 plate appearances this season with the Astros before being released.
In 2006, Hall ate his Wheaties as he had a career year with 35 home runs, 85 RBI all while hitting .270 for the Brewers.
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Cubs trade Kosuke Fukudome to the Indians
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The Chicago Cubs have traded outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to the Cleveland Indians for two prospects according to Buster Olney of ESPN. Olney adds that the Cubs are picking up more than half of the $4.7 million owed to Fukudome.
Paul Hoynes of the Plain dealer adds that the Indians are giving up one upper level prospect and one lower level propesct for Fukudome. According to Jim Bowden of ESPNxm, the prospects are outfielder Abner Abreu and pitcher Carlton Smith.
Fukudome is hitting .273/.374/.369 with 3 HR’s and 13 RBI’s in 293 AB’s for the Cubs in 2011.
Twins Looking at Rockies Bullpen
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According to Tracy Ringolsby of Fox Sports, the Minnesota Twins are keeping an eye on the Colorado Rockies bullpen. The Twins are in need of bullpen help if they want to have a chance at contending.
They have been looking at relievers Matt Lindstrom, Matt Belisle, and Huston Street. The Rockies have shown interest in Kevin Slowey as an addition to their rotation so we could see a move between the Twins and Rockies in the near future.
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Wednesday Rumor Mill: Brewers interest in Jamey Carroll picking up with Weeks injury
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With only a few more days left to the trade deadline, you can expect deals to heat up in the coming days and buyers and sellers to get desperate. Here’s your Wednesday rumors to keep an eye on:
–The Brewers Rickie Weeks suffered a possible sprained ankle in tonight’s game and a trip to the DL likely. Buster Olney of ESPN says that the Brewers have continued talking to the Dodgers about Jamey Carroll and with the injury, talks could heat up real quickly.
– The Philadelphia Phillies are showing interest in Carlos Quentin, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports.
– There were rumors earlier today about the Giants possibly releasing outfielder Pat Burrell, but Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle has confirmed that the team is hanging on to the outfielder.
– According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, it looks like Derek Lowe is staying in Atlanta.
– Danny Knobler of CBSSports says that the Reds are interested in Ubaldo Jimenez, although he says it might be a longshot. The Yankees, Reds and Red Sox are ahead of them.
– Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reports that the Cardinals and Texas Rangers are still in on Heath Bell.
– The Cincinnati Reds are focused on James Shields over Ubaldo Jimenez, sources close to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports say.
– The Florida Marlins are not in a hurry to trade any of their players according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. He adds that Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are off-limits and that they’re asking high on Randy Choate and Leo Nunez.
– According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports, the Los Angeles Angels are more focused on getting bullpen help than a third baseman.
– The Chicago Cubs are trying to “nudge” the Yankees into taking Carlos Zambrano according to a source close to a source close to Buster Olney of ESPN. Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated adds that the Yankes have “practically no interest” in Zambrano.
– According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Cleveland Indians are interested in acquiring Ryan Ludwick.
– Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweets that there’s little belief Hiroki Kuroda will accept a trade out of Los Angeles.
The Houston Astros are asking for “very top pitching prospect” in order to deal Hunter Pence reports Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. He adds that the Phillies are trying hard to get Pence.
– The Minnesota Twins are expected to deal Kevin Slowey reports Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The right hander continues to draw interest and according to Tim Brown of Yahoo, the Rockies are one of the teams showing interest.
– The Toronto Blue Jays have inquired on Heath Bell, Ubaldo Jimenez and Wandy Rodriguez. (sources close to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports)
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Pittsburgh Pirates Showing Interest in Carlos Pena
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According to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago, the Pittsburgh Pirates are showing interest in Chicago Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena. The Pirates could definitely use the pop in the middle of the lineup if they want to make a run at winning the NL Central. The Pirates are currently a game back of first place following a loss in their marathon 19 inning game last night in which they did not score after the 2nd inning. They could definitely use the offensive support and would have a greater chance at making a run at the post season this year.
Pena, 33, is hitting .219/.333/.441 with 20 home runs on the season so far.
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Mariners sign Wily Mo Pena to a Minor League deal
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The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a Minor League deal with Wily Mo Pena according to the team official Twitter account.
Pena was released by the Diamondbacks last week. He was hitting .196/.196/.522 with 5 HR’s and 7 RBI’s in 46 AB’s for Arizona in 2011.
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Ron Washington Wants More Bullpen Depth
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According to Richard Durrett of ESPN.com, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington wants the Rangers front office to acquire more bullpen arms before the Trade Deadline this Sunday. Here is a running list of possible relievers for the Rangers
Kerry Wood (Cubs): Wood, 34, is 1-5 with a 3.45 ERA in 33 appearances this year. With him having been in the Majors for 13 years he would bring a great veteran arm to the Rangers. He also provides postseason experience. The disadvantage is that he has a no trade clause so he can turn down any trade the Cubs propose with him.
Todd Coffey (Nationals): Coffey, 30, is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 43 appearances this season. He also has a lot of experience in the Majors and could be a valuable asset to the Rangers come October.
Jason Isringhausen (Mets): Isringhausen, 38, is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in 40 appearances. He could provide a veteran bullpen arm with postseason experience, but a severe downside is his durability as a 38 year old in the Majors.
Heath Bell (Padres): Bell, , is 2-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 42 appearances with 29 saves so far this season. He is one of the biggest names on the trading block and would require several prospects for the Padres to trade him. He also stated earlier that he would assume a set up role if traded.
Mike Adams: (Padres): Adams, 32, is 3-1 with a 1.17 ERA 46 appearances so far this season. He is on many contenders wish lists for the Trade Deadline. He would provide a consistent bullpen arm for the Rangers.
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