MLB Trade News

[~Utah]

Orioles may try too trade Arietta, but also believe he can be a very talented player.

Orioles showing interest in Edinson Volquez

Dbacks interested in Ricky Nolasco

Indians are going too trade Chris Perez and his drug empire

Phillies say Papelbon not avaliable, sources say...don't believe it

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]East Notes: Davis, Haren, Arrieta[/h]By Edward Creech [June 23 at 2:22pm CST]
The AL East is home to the hottest team in baseball as the Blue Jays are looking for their franchise-record 11th consecutive victory and is the only division in baseball where every team has a winning record. Joel Sherman of the New York Post asked executives and scouts from the other five divisions to predict the finishing order in the AL East. The stunning result? The Red Sox are the favorite to win the division and no one polled sees the Yankees finishing higher than third. The consensus is the Yankees will be the AL East cellar-dwellers citing age, injuries, lack of depth in the minors, and a reluctance to add future payroll. Sherman also breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of the entire division and adds his summation for each team. Elsewhere in MLB's East divisions:

• The Mets had an oppportunity to recall Ike Davis when Lucas Duda landed on the disabled list, but the club decided against such a move. According to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News, the Mets wanted to protect Davis as they are entering a stretch where they face several left-handers. "You don’t want to put him back in a funk right away," manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Ackert. Davis is hitting .310/.463/.690 with four home runs in 54 plate appearances since being sent to Triple-A Las Vegas.
• The Nationals may try to bolster their starting rotation with a trade after Dan Haren was placed on the disabled list, reports the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore. Haren signed a one-year, $13MM contract with the Nationals after his option was declined by the Angels when a proposed trade with the Cubs fell through over reported injury concerns.
• The name of the recently demoted Jake Arrieta keeps coming up as a possible trade chip for the Orioles. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes the Orioles are eventually going to have to think long and hard about how the right-hander fits and what's best for his development. Encina guesses a move to the bullpen could be part of that plan, which would allow Arrieta to concentrate on pitching in smaller spurts.
• ESPN's Buster Olney (Insider subscription required) sees Arrieta as a Chris Davis-type situation: the talent is there, but the question is whether it will translate at some point.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Rosenthal On Nolasco, D'Backs, Rockies, Gallardo[/h]By Zach Links [June 23 at 12:16pm CST]
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports posted his latest edition of Full Count. Here's a look at the highlights..

• The Rockies and Marlins recently had talks about Ricky Nolasco, but money was an obstacle as he is still owed about $6MM on his deal. The Diamondbacks are another possible destination for the Miami pitcher, and it makes sense that NL West clubs have interest given his success against the Giants and at AT&T Park throughout his career. Nolasco is a native of Southern California, so if the Padres acquire him, he could be open to an extension before he hits the open market this winter.
• The Orioles can forget about acquiring Yovani Gallardo as they are on his ten-team no-trade list and the Brewers would prefer to make a clean deal with no restrictions. Meanwhile, the Brewers' pitchers are getting hot at the right time - Gallardo, Francisco Rodriguez, and John Axford have all looked strong as of late and could draw interest from contending clubs.
• in the likely event that the Twins become sellers, their only untouchable veterans figure to be Joe Mauer and Glen Perkins. Trading the remainder of Justin Morneau's $14MM salary would be helpful, but his lack of power hurts his value.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Cafardo On Morneau, Perez, Cishek, Bard, Papelbon[/h]By Zach Links [June 23 at 10:12am CST]
NIck Cafardo of the Boston Globe asked 30 people from around baseball who they would build their team around, regardless of age or experience. The leading vote-getter was Yadier Molina, with Buster Posey in second place. Here's more from today's column..

• There's a lot of uncertainty in the Twins' organization surrounding Justin Morneau. People wonder what happened to his power, which hurts his trade value. The Twins are a very loyal organization so they certainly won't give him away. If a deal for a prospect comes up, however, they would likely let him go.
• Whencloser Chris Perez is back in action he may be a piece the Indians would look to move. Despite his troubles, he would draw interest considering the shortage of available closers out there. “If a team can get him and he’s amped up because of a change of scenery, that’s all they’re looking for,” said one special assistant to an American League GM. “It’s all about getting bang for your buck during those two months-plus after you acquire him, if you don’t have to give up a lot of inventory to get him.”
• Speaking of closers, the Marlins' Steve Cishek is garnering attention and the Red Sox seem to have interest. However, clubs will have to consider whether he can handle the adjustment of going to a bigger market like Boston or Detroit.
• One National League GM believes that the Red Sox will have to give up on Daniel Bard at some point if things don't turn around. Because of his natural talent, a lot of teams would line up to trade for him in hopes that a change of scenery would turn him around.
• The Phillies declared last week that Jonathan Papelbon was not available, but Cafardo cautions not to believe it, especially in the wake of his public criticism of teammates.
• Nationals right-hander Drew Storen is an interesting alternative for a team looking for a closer. Storen was the Nationals’ closer two years ago but hasn't been as sharp in 2013 as he was in years past.
• Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco could be the first pitcher dealt as we near the deadline, even ahead of Bud Norris. Cafardo says not to be shocked if teams like the Orioles or Giants make a move on him sooner rather than later.
• One scout who saw Manny Ramirez in Taiwan said, “He can still hit with the best of them.” That doesn't mean that a team will be bold enough to sign him, however.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Edinson Volquez Drawing Interest[/h]By Zach Links [June 23 at 9:02am CST]
Padres pitcher Edinson Volquez is drawing trade interest from other clubs, according to Bill Center of U-T San Diego. A number of teams had scouts at yesterday's game to check out the right-hander in person.
The Orioles could be among those clubs with interest in Volquez and they have "apparently" mentioned the name of former top pitching prospect Jake Arrieta. The 27-year-old had a solid debut campaign in 2010 but has been inconsistent on the hill ever since. One scout suggested the Orioles might also be interested in swapping Arrieto for Anthony Bass.
Volquez, soon to be 30, has an ERA of 5.67 this season with 7.3 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9. The right-hander is earning $5.725MM this season and will be a free agent this winter.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez Declared A Free Agent[/h]By Zach Links [June 22 at 3:39pm CST]
Cuban standout Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has been officially declared a free agent, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). However, the hurler does not have U.S. Treasury clearance yet to negotiate with MLB teams yet, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.
Late last week, Gonzalez threw for teams in Tijuana and Ben Cherington was reportedly the only GM in attendance. However, the Red Sox aren't the only team interested in the right-hander. Several other clubs are said to be in the mix, including the Dodgers, who sent their three top scouts to watch the audition on Thursday.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]NL West Notes: Oswalt, Rockies, Hall[/h]By Steve Adams [June 25 at 2:42pm CST]
The NL West could be one of baseball's most interesting divisions as the trade deadline approaches, as all five teams within its ranks could position themselves as buyers. In the past 48 hours, the Padres, Rockies, Dodgers and Giants have all been said to be looking for starting pitching. Here's the latest out of the division that's currently being led by the suprising Diamondbacks...

• Roy Oswalt spent his spring throwing to junior college players as he waited for the right Major League opportunity, and that experience, as well as his experience at Double-A Tulsa, has helped him re-discover his love for the game, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Said Oswalt: "You get around 22-, 23-year-old kids, you rejuvenate yourself because they've never experienced this up here. That's the baseball they know. I wanted to be part of the team, get on the bus, ride around, play cards." Oswalt added that he's considering a career in coaching after his playing days are done.
• Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the Rockies like Ricky Nolasco, but he has a hard time envisioning them spending $6MM on a rental before giving Oswalt and Drew Pomeranz ample opportunity to prove their worth. The Rox were one of several teams connected to Nolasco earlier today.
• In a separate tweet, Renck notes that the Rockies' interest in Yovani Gallardo is trending downward, but they do prefer to target players who are controlled beyond the 2013 season in trades.
• Jon Paul Morosi profiles D-Backs CEO Derrick Hall in his latest piece for FOXSports.com, noting that Hall's name has come up as a potential commissioner candidate down the road. Hall has prioritized growing the D-Backs' brand and baseball as a whole on an international level, having taken trips to the Dominican Republic, Japan and Mexico in recent years. He hopes that a Korean or Japanese team will hold its Spring Training at the D-Backs' facility in Scottsdale next year. Hall's Diamondbacks will also open the 2014 season in Australia against the Dodgers. Morosi adds that Hall's thinking was: "If an Aussie baseball fan knows the name of only two MLB franchises, one of them might as well be the Arizona Diamondbacks."

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Stark On Astros, Ethier, Brewers, Papelbon, Stanton[/h]By Tim Dierkes [June 25 at 1:46pm CST]
The latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark is jam-packed with trade-related information. Highlights:

• One National League executive predicted that the Cubs' Matt Garza will be the first pitcher traded; he's thought to be eminently available, as the Cubs are not comfortable with his asking price on a potential new contract. The Padres and Dodgers are among the teams pursuing Garza, reported Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports earlier today.
• The Astros are looking for volume in any deal they make, one NL exec told Stark. Bud Norris is an obvious trade chip for Jeff Luhnow and company, while I imagine Carlos Pena, Jose Veras, Erik Bedard, Lucas Harrell, Wesley Wright, Ronny Cedeno, and others can be had as well.
• The Dodgers are not actively dangling right fielder Andre Ethier. What's more, the team still views itself as a buyer despite being eight games out. They may be interested in adding a third baseman they can control for multiple years, implies Stark.
• Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche could be dealt, hears Stark, in a scenario where Ryan Zimmerman moves to first base, Anthony Rendon moves back to third base, and Danny Espinosa gets healthy. LaRoche's name is not out there at present, however.
• The Brewers will "gladly listen" on third baseman Aramis Ramirez, as well as any position player other than Jean Segura, Carlos Gomez, and Ryan Braun. I wonder if that means names such as Jonathan Lucroy and Norichika Aoki will be in play next month.
• Execs who spoke to Stark seem divided on whether the Brewers want to trade Yovani Gallardo, with one saying, "To be honest, I think they would love to move him." Click here for thoughts from Brewers GM Doug Melvin on the situation.
• The Phillies are talking to the Red Sox and Tigers about closer Jonathan Papelbon right now, one exec tells Stark, even if they say otherwise.
• Officials of three teams that have talked to the Marlins about slugger Giancarlo Stanton are convinced owner Jeffrey Loria won't trade him this summer. In an April poll of over 13,000 MLBTR readers, over 40% thought Stanton would be dealt this summer.
• Other teams say the Tigers are willing to surrender top prospects Nick Castellanos or Avisail Garcia if necessary. The team is focused on finding a closer.
• The Braves are "all over the bullpen market," which jives with a couple of other reports today.
• The Giants "have taken on a whole new fervor in the last week in their hunt for another starter." They've been connected often to Nolasco, but there are around 20 viable candidates out there of varying quality. The Orioles could make a move before the All-Star break, hears Stark, and they seem to be prioritizing starters over relievers.

 

[JumpOnBoard]

keep hearing alex rios and the reds connected but I don't see a chance in hell of:

1. them adding that kind of payroll next year
2. Giving up Hamilton for Rios.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Marlins Working To Trade Nolasco ASAP[/h]By Tim Dierkes [June 25 at 12:41pm CST]
The Marlins have been aggressively working to move starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco as soon as possible, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. So far the Orioles, Yankees, Diamondbacks, Padres, Rockies, and Giants have been connected to the righty, and the Marlins' aggressive approach was noted by Andy Martino of the New York Daily News yesterday. And earlier today, ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote that Nolasco might win the "Most Likely to Get Traded Before the All-Star Break pool." Moving Nolasco with over a month remaining until the July 31st trade deadline makes sense, because there's added value to a contender in having him for all of July.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new article on Nolasco, where he names the Giants, Dodgers, Padres, Rockies, and Orioles as interested parties (the NL West teams have expressed interest). As opposed to Olney's report, Rosenthal writes, "The Marlins are 'kicking around' names in a potential Nolasco trade with clubs, sources say, but their talks have not progressed to the point where a deal is close."
Nolasco, 30, has a 3.68 ERA, 6.9 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.81 HR/9, and 41.6% groundball rate in 100 1/3 innings this year, making him one of the better available starting pitchers. He has about $6MM remaining on his contract, after which he'll be a free agent. Another of the top starting pitchers available, Matt Garza, is under pursuit by the Padres and Dodgers, according to Rosenthal. Any player traded midseason becomes ineligible for a qualifying offer in the offseason, removing the possibility of draft pick compensation and increasing the player's value to winter suitors.

 

[Play2win]

Nolasco would be great in SF, check out his numbers at At&t.

 

[Play2win]

[h=1]Analyzing The Free Agent Starters[/h]By Tim Dierkes [June 25 at 10:44am CST]
I've compiled a FanGraphs custom leaderboard of the 42 current starting pitchers who will be eligible for free agency after the season, leaving out a few with club options such as James Shields and Jon Lester. Crunching a few basic numbers:

• You won't find a better innings-eating free agent starter this year than Bronson Arroyo. He leads with 100 2/3 innings after 15 starts, even though others have made 16 starts. Arroyo still looks strong if we look at the past calendar year, though Hiroki Kuroda comes out on top with 225 1/3 innings.
• Jason Hammel, Josh Johnson, and Matt Garza are the hardest throwers of the group, all averaging 92.7 miles per hour on their fastballs. A.J. Burnett isn't far behind at 92.3, and he leads in strikeout rate and percentage.
• With a 1.1 BB/9, Bartolo Colon gets the nod for best control. Ervin Santana and Dan Haren have also been stingy with the free pass.
• If you don't mind small samples, Chien-Ming Wang and Jake Westbrook are the most extreme groundballers. If you do mind, then it's Tim Hudson. Meanwhile, Phil Hughes gets the fewest groundballs, though others such as Freddy Garcia and Haren have had more extreme issues with home runs. Westbrook hasn't allowed any home runs in his 51 innings, while Jorge De La Rosa has allowed only five in 93 innings.
• Jason Marquis is getting by with an unsustainably low batting average on balls in play (.237), with Garza and Santana also below .250.
• Among those with ten starts, Santana is the ERA leader at 2.64, followed by Kuroda and Colon. SIERA likes Santana as well (3.49), but likes Burnett even more (3.23) and gives a nod to Roberto Hernandez (3.51). Colon leads the past calendar year with a 2.68 ERA, with Kuroda checking in at 3.00 and Paul Maholm at 3.10. Colon is also rocking a 1.41 ERA over his last 51 innings, and Joe Saunders is coming on strong in his last five outings.

 

[Play2win]

Here are some more items from around the majors...

• The Angels might make pending free agents Jason Vargas or Scott Downs available at the trade deadline if they decide to sell, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez opines, though there won't be any major moves. "I'm told nothing will cause them to blow up the roster and start all over again," Gonzalez writes, since the front office still believes the club can be contenders in 2014 and beyond and the Josh Hamilton/Albert Pujols contracts make it difficult to truly rebuild.
• The Angels have nothing to show for their efforts in acquiring big-name pitchers (Scott Kazmir, Dan Haren and Zack Greinke) at the trade deadline in three of the last four seasons, MLB.com's Lyle Spencer writes. Making matters worse for the Halos is that they dealt several top prospects in those trades, giving away such notable talents as Jean Segura, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Skaggs and Alex Torres.
• The Twins have exceeded expectations this year but "it's hard to see a scenario in which they'll be buyers" at the trade deadline, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger writes as part of a reader mailbag. A hot streak over the next month could change plans, though with the Tigers unlikely to be caught atop the AL Central, Bollinger suspects the Twins will stick with their rebuilding plan.
• Bud Norris noted that he hasn't discussed a long-term deal with the Astros and he wouldn't be surprised if he is traded, the right-hander tells MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "If the trade deadline is here and I'm still in an Astros uniform, I'll be happy with that," Norris said. "I understand something could happen, but at the end of the day, my focus right now is still in Houston, and that's where it's going to stay." The Pirates, Orioles and Giants have all reportedly considered acquiring Norris and more suitors are likely to follow.
• Phillies GM Ruben Amaro was non-committal about whether or not the Phils would call up Carlos Zambrano before his July 1 opt-out date. Amaro told reporters (including Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer) that Zambrano has "been inconsistent" in the minors and that he doesn't see the righty as a relief pitcher.

 

[DaRaiders]

As far as the Yankees are concerned they will probably shop Joba and not look to deal Hughes unless they get exceptional value.

 

[nbafan88]

The tigers are probably going to go after a closer... maybe the mets can take advantage and sell high on parnell

 

[orangemonk]

The tigers are probably going to go after a closer... maybe the mets can take advantage and sell high on parnell

I don't think so. I'm sure they will make some calls but as bad as the pen is they aren't desperate