Rumors for Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles designate OF Luis Montanez for assignment
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According to the team, the Baltimore Orioles have designated outfielder Luis (Lou) Montanez for assignment.
Montanez, 28, hit .140/.155/.140 in 29 games for the Orioles this season.
Update – San Diego Padres looking for starting pitcher
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8/31 20:15: A source from the Padres says via FOXSports’ Ken Rosenthal, “all quiet . . . don’t expect anything.” Rosenthal adds that it’s not for a lack of effort, the team just couldn’t pull off a deal for a starting pitcher.
8/31 14:34: FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that the San Diego Padres are looking for starting pitching. Rosenthal says nothing is close at this time.
Some starting pitchers that could be moved include Baltimore Orioles’ Kevin Millwood or Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ted Lilly. Pure speculation, but a long-shot for the Padres could be right-handed pitcher Mark Prior who has had two previous and unsuccessful Minor League stints with the Padres. Prior signed with Orange County of the independent Golden Baseball League earlier this month.
Yesterday, Bill Center of The San Diego Union-Tribune said the Padres attempts to acquire Dodgers’ starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda ended over the weekend when the Dodgers revoked Kuroda from waivers. The two teams were negotiating a waiver trade when the Dodgeres decided to pull him from waivers.
Quiet Aug 31 trade deadline expected?
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Many people in the know, close to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, expect this year’s August 31st deadline to be the quietest in years. Most executives expect that only a few bullpen and bench pieces will get moved before tonight’s midnight deadline to have player on your roster eligible for post season player.
“It’s not as very attractive list,” one AL GM said. “Most guys got claimed, even guys making money.”
Here are few highlights from Heyman:
- Some big names that could be available include starting pitcher Kevin Millwood of the Baltimore Orioles, but he brings a relatively high price tag.
- The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees are looking for starting pitching help.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers Ted Lilly was placed on waivers but the team considers themselves in the race so they are unlikely to trade him.
- Other available players include: Carlos Beltran, Geoff Blum, Craig Counsell, Edwin Encarnacion, Kelly Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Lyle Overbay, George Sherrill and Brian Tallet.
Texas Rangers looking for right-handed hitter before August 31 deadline?
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We’re about two days away from the August 31st deadline to set post season rosters, and while many teams are already making winter vacation plans, the Texas Rangers are continuing to work the phones. According to Richard Durrett of the ESPN.com, the team is looking for a right-handed bat via the waiver wire.
Durrett suggests players such as the Colorado Rockies’ Ryan Spilborghs, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Reed Johnson, the New York Mets’ Jeff Francoeur, the Chicago Cubs Marlon Byrd, the Washington Nationals’ Mike Morse or the Baltimore Orioles’ Ty Wigginton as possible candidates the Rangers could pick up.
Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420am with The Sports Animals
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Join PRO Rumors on ESPN 1420 AM Honolulu, Hawaii tonight at 8:35pm PST (5:35pm Hawaii Time) with The Sports Animals Chris Hart and Gary Dickman. You can listen live at http://www.espn1420am.com
Free agent watch: Manny Ramirez, Bronson Arroyo and Kevin Millwood
Posted by: | CommentsWith the winter free agency period just around the corner, ESPN.coms’ Jayson Stark gets feedback from people in the know regarding the future employment status of Manny Ramirez, Bronson Arroyo and Kevin Millwood.
Manny Ramirez
Stark said last week that Ramirez may only find $1-2 million in base salary this winter. However, one exec predicts that Ramirez could find work as a DH in Vladimir Guerrero-type money ($6.5 million).
“And $20 million is a lot different than $6-8 million,” the same exec said. “You’re eliminating 80 percent of the market at $20 million. At $6-8 million, you’re only eliminating a handful of teams. Big difference.
“So does he play well in September? Is he healthy enough to play? Is he motivated to play? If the answer to all those questions is yes, I think he gets a deal similar to what Vlad got.”
However one NL exec said Ramirez is “just not a full-time player anymore.”
Bronson Arroyo
“I’d sign him. He’s been in a big market [Boston] and he’s done well in a smaller market [Cincinnati]. He knows how to pitch, and he’s fearless. Of course, he’s got to be fearless with that slop he throws up there.”
Arroyo, 33, is 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 26 starts for the Cincinnati Reds this season.
Kevin Millwood
“He’d have to get to a place like San Diego. The guy still competes, and he still gives you some veteran experience at the back end of your rotation. So in the right setting, in a pitchers’ park, it might work out OK, but strictly in a complementary sense. He can’t pitch in a smaller park anymore. He leaves so many four-seam fastballs up in the hitting zones. I don’t know if he doesn’t realize he can’t pitch up there anymore. But if he doesn’t, I don’t know why he doesn’t — after all the long balls he’s given up.”
Update – Cliff Lee hates Texas? Wants to be a Yankee?
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8/25 01:01: Cowherd addressed Lee’s response on his show on Tuesday (via The Dallas Morning News):
“I’m sure he (Lee) wants to win games,” Cowherd said. “I’m not saying he’s tanking games. Cliff Lee is a human being.”
Here’s some facts about Cliff Lee, Cowherd said: “Fact: He loved pitching in Philadelphia and was awesome. He has always pitched well in New York and has said he likes it.
“He’s elite, fact. He has also, fact, never pitched well in Texas. Fact, he’s not there pitching well again in Texas. Fact. He’s in a contract year. When the deal came down that he was going to the Yankees, he was completely excited, according to three different scources at this network. Fact, against the Yankees this year, who he could end up pitching for, he’s been excellent. Fact, he’s been horrible against Baltimore, the worst team in the sport. Now you tell me, coincidence?”
Said Cowherd: “Cliff Lee, who’s never pitched well in Texas, was never in love with the idea, in a contract year, of going to Texas, where he is going to make his final contract based on the numbers in the second half of the season in a place he’s never pitched well. Or he can get traded to the Yankees, the premier team in baseball, where he’s always pitched well. Where would you want to go?”
Cowherd on saying he’d been told Cliff Lee will not re-sign with Texas: “I have been told that by a source.” Read More→
Baltimore Orioles willing to let Kevin Millwood go for little or no return
Posted by: | CommentsThe Baltimore Orioles are in a dilemma right now. They are under a new manager who is preparing for next season who would like to get a good look at some of the young pitchers such as Chris Tillman or Zach Britton. The problem is how to fit them into their starting rotation.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun said the team could go with a six-man rotation, but the team has five days off in a 32-day span so it wouldn’t help the pitchers stay sharp with too much rest in between. Another option would be for the team to drop veteran Kevin Millwood. However, he’s been pretty solid as of late. Millwood has allowed five earned runs in 21 innings in his previous three outings.
Zrebiec says the best case scenario for the team would be to move Millwood. He’s already cleared waivers, so the Orioles are free to negotiate a deal with the other 29 clubs. According to Zrebiec, the Orioles are happy to let Millwood move on to a contender for “essentially little or no cost in return.”
Millwood, 35, is 2-14 with a 5.63 ERA in 25 starts this season for the Orioles. Millwood was acquired by the Orioles from the Texas Rangers last winter. He is making $12 million this season in the final year of his contract.
Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott will not be traded this season
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Potential trade chips Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott did not clear waivers and cannot be traded for the remainder of this season.
According to industry sources close to Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun, both Wigginton and Scott were claimed by other clubs and pulled back by the Baltimore Orioles. The team could put them back onto waivers, but they wouldn’t be able to revoke them should a team make a claim.
Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said it was “highly unlikely” that the club will make any trades this month.
