Results tagged ‘ Cliff Lee ’

Roundup: Rangers seemingly not done yet

The Rangers already nabbed the big prize of the trade market by snagging Cliff Lee recently, and they’ve reportedly been hot after an infielder, with Jorge Cantu being their primary focus. 
But that may not be all. 
Texas is also keeping its eye on the seemingly depleted market for Roy Oswalt, SI.com and FOXSports.com wrote. Oswalt to the Rangers, however, is still considered a longshot. Oswalt, who has a full no-trade clause, insisted location doesn’t matter, as long as he goes to a contender. The Phillies are still hopeful of obtaining the pricey right-hander, but reports have indicated that the Cardinals — in the same division as the Astros — are pretty much out of the race. 
With Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET Trade Deadline fast-approaching, here’s more from around the league … 
* The Yankees and Red Sox are the favorites to acquire Scott Downs, the most sought-after lefty reliever in the trade market, according to FOXSports.com. 
* According to ESPNChicago.com, six teams are in the running for Adam Dunn: The White Sox, Tigers, Angels, Rangers and two unidentified National League clubs — with one of those likely being the Giants. In order for the White Sox to get him, the Nationals require top pitching prospect Daniel Hudson, plus one of outfielder Jordan Danks, catcher Tyler Flowers and infielder Brent Morel. 

* Cody Ross really wanted to stay with the Marlins. Now, after Chris Coghlan tore his MCL while celebrating on Sunday, Ross may seemingly get his wish, which would deprive the trade market of a valuable outfielder. 

* Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is leaning towards exercising his $14.6 million player option for 2011, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The news comes as no surprise, considering he likely wouldn’t get anything close to that in the open market at this point. Ramirez, who also has a $16 million club option for 2012, has a pretty good perspective on the Trade Deadline. 
* The Braves reached agreement on a two-year contract extension with backup catcher David Ross, a club source confirmed to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Ross, making $1.6 million while in the final year of his contract, will now stay on through 2012. First-string catcher Brian McCann is also signed through 2012, with a club option for 2013. 
* In need of more punch in their lineup, the Giants have been “heavily” scouting Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, Jon Heyman of SI.com and MLB Network wrote via Twitter. Meanwhile, Guillen’s teammate, Scott Podsednik, is also drawing intrigue. FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal wrote via Twitter that Kansas City is being “bombarded” by National League West teams interested in the speedy left fielder. 
* Not only may Ross be staying, but the Marlins are also strongly considering a long-term deal with Dan Uggla, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, will continue selling, according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. 
– Alden Gonzalez

Roundup: Haren, Oswalt chatter continues

Many contending clubs are looking for reliable starting pitching (who isn’t really?), and so the attainable Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren are hot topics of discussion with the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline now just eight days away. 

Regarding Oswalt, the Dodgers, Cardinals and Phillies have reportedly all reached out to the Astros to try and work something out. The Cardinals seem like Oswalt’s most desired destination. The 32-year-old right-hander, who has a full no-trade clause, grew up in nearby Mississippii and has said he would not force the Cardinals to pick up his 2012 option for $16 million — something he would reportedly demand of a team like the Phillies. 
The Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, are also looking into Oswalt and have discussed names with Houston. The Astros, Stark added, would prefer not to trade Oswalt to a divisional opponent. According to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Astros seek two top prospects, a third Minor Leaguer and a young player who’s Major League ready for Oswalt. Perhaps those demands come down as the Deadline approaches. 
Regarding Haren, D-backs CEO Derrick Hall said he has no urgency to move the right-hander and would need “an A-plus deal” to ship him out. As MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert wrote, the D-backs are hesitant to move both Haren and Edwin Jackson. The Tigers, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals and Twins have all been linked to Haren. According to FOXSports.com, Haren would have to approve a deal to the Twins and Tigers. 
Here’s more from around the league … 
* The Athletics signed catcher Kurt Suzuki to a four-year extension. The deal runs through 2013, Suzuki’s arbitration years, and includes a club option for 2014. 
* The Giants, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, scouted Jose Guillen on Thursday night. 
* With Carlos Beltran back in the lineup and Jeff Francoeur‘s playing time dwindling, the Mets are looking to trade Francoeur, according to The New York Post. 
* David DeJesus, the subject of much speculation, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a complete ligament tear in his right thumb on Thursday, according to The Kansas City Star. His surgery is set for Monday. 
* The Rays do not expect to acquire Jayson Werth, Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown reported via Twitter. 
– Alden Gonzalez

Yankees sticking with Mitre – for now

With Andy Pettitte headed for the disabled list and expected to miss four to five weeks, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters Monday that Sergio Mitre will take Pettitte’s spot in the rotation. 

Cashman told the New York Daily News that his earlier pursuit of Cliff Lee from the Mariners was “a special case” and he does not necessarily see another starting pitcher being acquired before July 31. Cashman was more blunt with the New York Post, saying, “I’m not looking for starting pitching. I don’t feel compelled. This is why we have Sergio Mitre.” 
Cashman told both newspapers that Joba Chamberlain was not considered to move into the rotation, saying Mitre had outpitched Chamberlain in Spring Training. One area the Yankees may look to improve is their bullpen; the Post reported the Yankees had a scout watching the Blue Jays, possibly looking at Kevin Gregg or Scott Downs. 
– Bryan Hoch

Roundup: A Lowell-to-Rangers revival?

One of the biggest surprises of the offseason came when the Rangers nixed a proposed deal to acquire Mike Lowell, which led to one of the more uncomfortable situations in baseball, considering Lowell knew the Red Sox were looking to deal him and just couldn’t find a match. Well, according to a report by WEEI.com, we may have Lowell to Texas Part II. The Web site attributed an unnamed Major League source that the Rangers “continue to monitor” the status of Lowell — currently on the DL with soreness in his surgically repaired hip — and could have “increased interest” in a deal. 
The Red Sox and Rangers have continued to talk throughout the season about the possibility of bringing the previously vetoed deal back to life, according to the site. Texas would be interested because it just dealt Justin Smoak to the Rangers to acquire Cliff Lee, and current first baseman Chris Davis (.203 batting average, zero home runs in 19 games) is struggling. Still, the Rangers, according to WEEI.com, will continue to look for other trade options before pulling the trigger on another Lowell deal. 
Here’s more from around the league … 
* The Mets, as a surprise to no one, are in the market for starting pitching. ESPN’s Buster Olney named Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly and — wait for it — Brett Myers as rotation candidates they’ve kept tabs on. 
* The Marlins could be on the verge of making a move, considering manager Edwin Rodriguez said Thursday that he’s thinking about plugging Emilio Bonifacio into the leadoff spot, even though there’s seemingly no position for him at the moment. Can that mean Cody Ross, Jorge Cantu or Dan Uggla are moved relatively soon? As MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro writes, this homestand could decide what course of action Florida takes in regards to the non-waiver Trade Deadline. 
* Struggling left-hander Dontrelle Willis was prepared to sit out the rest of the 2010 season, but the Giants gave him another shot with a Minor League contract, and the Alameda, Calif., product accepted. 
* A couple of rather notable bullpen moves were made late Thursday afternoon. The Reds signed 41-year-old right-hander Russ Springer, and the Phillies designated 36-year-old righty Nelson Figueroa for assignment. Meanwhile, GM Walt Jocketty may not be done tweaking the Reds’ bullpen just yet, writes MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. 
* Could Joba Chamberlain be next? That’s a question being posed by ESPNNewYork.com’s Andrew Marchand, who believes Chamberlain’s struggles (a 5.79 ERA in 37 1/3 innings) could lead to him being replaced before the Trade Deadline. 
* The Mariners signed three international prospects on Friday, according to Baseball America — Dominican outfielder Phillips Castillo ($2.2 million), Colombian right-hander Jose Torres ($851,000) and Venezuelan third baseman Yordyn Calderon ($477,500). 
* The Giants have long been linked to Royals outfielder David DeJesus. But it might be his teammate, Jose Guillen, who they end up acquiring, writes MLB.com’s Chris Haft. 
– Alden Gonzalez

Roundup: White Sox, Oswalt a match?

Jon Heyman of SI.com and MLB Network brought up that possibility on Sunday night, when he wrote on his Twitter account that the White Sox “might” consider adding Roy Oswalt after Cliff Lee signed with the Rangers, though they are “leery” about how he’ll react to switching from the National League to the American League for the first time. 
Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com wrote via Twitter recently that Oswalt would use his full no-trade clause to block a trade to the White Sox and Tigers. But perhaps that changes. 
Oswalt said he’s not really sure how the Lee deal impacts his situation, but the White Sox — after a furious one-month run — are in the thick of things in the AL Central and are almost assured of being buyers before the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Since Jake Peavy is expected to miss the rest of the season, Chicago will likely need starting-pitching help if they hope for a division title. 
Oswalt would come at a pro-rated price tag of $15 million. The 32-year-old right-hander is owed $16 million next season and then has a $16 million option (with a $2 million buyout) for 2012. The Mets, Dodgers, Rays, Twins and several others could also be interested in adding a veteran starter like Oswalt. 
Here’s more from around the league as we await the State Farm Home Run Derby … 
* The Angels plan on pursuing speedy left fielder Carl Crawford when he becomes a free agent this offseason, according to FOXSports.com. For that reason, and because Kendry Morales is expected back in 2011, the club doesn’t want to acquire a first baseman who’s signed beyond the rest of this season. 
* It doesn’t look like the first-place Padres will be sellers before the non-waiver Trade Deadline, but it looks like they’ll be looking into smaller deals, according to the San Diego Union Tribune. Lance Berkman and Jermaine Dye are two guys San Diego is looking into for the outfield, the newspaper stated. 
* The Blue Jays have made three of their late-inning relievers – Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Kevin Gregg – available, according to multiple reports. All three of them are free agents at the end of this season and not part of Toronto’s long-term plans. 
* The financially strapped Marlins have made Cody Ross and Jorge Cantu available, but are holding off on Ricky Nolasco and Dan Uggla for now, according to FOXSports.com. Florida has a long climb ahead of itself in the second half if it hopes to content for a playoff spot, so drastic roster changes may be inevitable. 
* It would take “an extraordinary deal” for the Nationals to trade slugger Adam Dunn, general manager Mike Rizzo said Sunday. Rizzo also said the club wants Josh Willingham there “long-term.”
– Alden Gonzalez

Roundup: Post-Lee market evolving

As Cliff Lee prepares to make his first start with the Rangers tonight, the rest of baseball is calculating their next move in a market without the hurler. But there’s still plenty of strong players left around the league, so it’ll be interesting to see where the chips fall in the next few weeks before the big non-waiver Trade Deadline. 

Here’s a look at some of the names and teams being mentioned on Saturday: 
– Several teams remain interested in Arizona’s Dan Haren as another potential impact starting pitcher. Fox Sports reported that multiple teams including the Phillies, Dodgers, Reds, White Sox, Angels and Yankees all had scouts in town for last night’s match-up between Haren and Ricky Nolasco, though exactly who the scouts were watching is unclear. 
– The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Saturday that the A’s don’t plan on being very active at this year’s Trade Deadline, according to GM Billy Beane. The team could still find a market for hurler Ben Sheets, but the club isn’t sure if he’s built up enough value to this point. 
– When Cardinals GM John Mozeliak is looking for pieces to add at the deadline, he’ll keep an eye out for a “personality,” according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. While Mozeliak is happy with the clubhouse chemistry as is, he said adding another energetic vibe to the club could only help. The Cardinals have been interested in the possibility of adding a starting pitcher and a middle infielder before the deadline.
– Bailey Stephens

Oswalt plays wait-and-see game

Now that Cliff Lee is off the market, could Roy Oswalt be the next big-name pitcher to be dealt ahead of the July 31 deadline? Oswalt was asked Friday if he thought he expects to hear about more trade possibilities now that Lee has been dealt.

“This is my first time [going through this],” he said. “I don’t know.”

Rangers president Nolan Ryan told MLB.com last month he was interested in acquiring Oswalt, who earlier this year requested the Astros trade him to a contender.

“That’s a good pick-up for them,” Oswalt said. “Lee’s a good pitcher, and adding a quality starting pitcher should make them better.”

Oswalt is 6-10 with a 3.08 ERA in 18 starts this year and is coming off a one-hit shutout thrown against the Pirates on Thursday at Minute Maid Park. Scouts from the Phillies, Mets, Twins, Rays and Dodgers were among those on hand to watch Oswalt pitch Thursday, but nothing appears imminent.

“They told me they’d come to me first and tell me what they have on the table, and they haven’t told me anything,” Oswalt said Friday.

Oswalt still has the remainder of his $15 million salary this year and is set to be paid $16 million next year, making him a much more difficult commodity to trade than Lee.

– Brian McTaggart
 

Reds one of three teams in on Lee

The Reds made a hard run the last couple of days at getting Cliff Lee from the Mariners. Reds GM Walt Jocketty believed his club was one of three teams that had a chance. From reports, I’d imagine the Yankees were definitely the other team that didn’t get him. Obviously, Lee was dealt from Seattle to Texas today in a six-player trade that moved premier prospect Justin Smoak to the Mariners.

“We felt we made a pretty substantial offer,” Jocketty said. “Obviously, they felt the Texas deal was better.”

Asked if he would pursue another starting pitcher, Jocketty said this:

“If you’re talking about significantly upgrading, this guy was a significant upgrade. I’m not sure there’s another guy like that out there that we can get right now. We’ll keep looking.”

Jocketty did not disclose the players Seattle asked for or his own proposals.

“It’s just one of those deals you would have liked to have done because we wanted to show our club we’re doing everything we can possible,” he said. “They’re doing their job on the field and we’re trying to do our job in the front office to keep us where we’re at.”

 — Mark Sheldon

Roundup: Rangers (not Yankees) end up with Lee

After a potential deal sending Cliff Lee to the Yankees stalled in the final stages, the Rangers ended up acquiring Lee from the Mariners, instead. First baseman Justin Smoak, pitcher Blake Beavan and two other players will be going to Seattle, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. 

The Yankees went from dark horse to front-runner in the Lee sweepstakes on Thursday night, when The New York Post reported they were “on the brink” of acquiring the ace left-hander from the Mariners. Come Friday morning, ESPN.com wrote that a deal to bring Lee to New York and put him in a starting rotation that was already stellar was “just about done.” 
By mid-afternoon, however, the seemingly imminent deal was put off, according to the Post. The Yankees were ready to send top catching prospect Jesus Monetero, second baseman David Adams and right-hander Zach McAllister, according to reports. But Adams had been out with a high ankle sprain, and the Mariners were apprehensive about acquiring him. 
Here are more rumors from around the league … 
* Jayson Werth is being shopped by the Phillies, but a rumor that has Philadelphia sending Werth — a free agent after this season — to the Yankees for Javier Vazquez — also a free agent after this season — will not happen, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. The Phils, as Zolecki noted, want players they can control past this season, and besides, the Yankees may be more reluctant to keep Vazquez now that it seems they won’t get Lee. As for Werth, the Red Sox and Rays have also shown interest, according to The New York Post. Philadelphia likely seeks a proven starter in return. 
* The Mets will “turn strongly” towards Cubs left-hander Ted Lilly as a possible addition to their starting rotation, Joel Sherman of The New York Post — who reported the Lee-to-Yankees story — wrote via Twitter. 
* The way things shake out in the National League East could decide whether they’re buyers or sellers at the Trade Deadline. If they are buyers, though, FOXSports.com says they could look to help out the back end of their bullpen by acquiring Blue Jays lefty reliever Scott Downs. 
* The Rays released veteran Hank Blalock after he was designated for assignment and cleared waivers. 
* The Yankees signed 30-year-old, left-handed-hitting corner infielder Chad Tracy to a Minor League contract, according to The Boston Globe. 
* The Cubs are picking up efforts to shed “cumbersome salaries,” according to The Chicago Tribune. The newspaper added that the club will address the media soon to speak about the club’s direction, especially if they keep falling in the NL Central. 
– Alden Gonzalez

Lee to Yankees imminent?

While most of the New York population felt the disappointment of the Knicks and Nets not acquiring LeBron James, the Yankees made themselves a frontrunner to acquire another marquee player: Cliff Lee. The New York Post reported late Thursday night that the Yankees were “on the brink” of acquiring Lee from the Mariners in exchange for a package that would include top catching prospect Jesus Monetero. 

While the Rangers, Twins, Mets, Rays and others have also been in the running, the Post wrote that the Yankees were “making the strongest move last night, coming from seeming disinterest into the clear front-runner.” Seattle officials, according to the Post, now want to move quickly and would like to move Lee before the All-Star break. 
The Yankees are currently in Seattle, and Lee is scheduled to start against the Yankees on Friday night. 
ESPN.com reported Friday morning that Lee to the Yankees was “just about done,” though there is still no agreement in place. News that the Yankees are involved aggressively, however, could’ve spurned other teams to make more-lucrative bids to acquire the ace left-hander. Still, the Yankees are deemed the favorite. 
FOXSports.com agreed that the Yankees are the front-runner and that the deal “awaits only the Mariners’ final approval.” At about 11:15 a.m. ET, Kevin Davidoff of Newsday reported via Twitter that the Mariners “told many interested teams that they’re out of the Lee sweepstakes,” adding: “All signs point to [the] Yankees completing this deal.”
– Alden Gonzalez
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