Results tagged ‘ David DeJesus ’

7/29 Cubs getting lots of looks

Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza aren’t the only players drawing interest from teams heading into Tuesday’s Trade Deadline. Players such as David DeJesus, Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker also are attractive options to potential playoff teams looking to add to their bench. The Pirates, for example, have been looking to add another bat, but if they can’t do that, they mght consider Johnson or DeJesus for the bench, depending on whether they prefer an extra right-handed bat or a left-handed one. Johnson’s execution of the bunt single on Saturday, which drove in the game-winning run against the Cardinals, certainly increased his value. The Pirates had a scout watching the Cubs this weekend and there also were reps from the Dodgers, Twins and Phillies.

– Carrie Muskat

Giants might be eyeing Ludwick, or vice-versa

Monday, Dec. 5

DALLAS — Add Ryan Ludwick to the list of free-agent outfielders who might intrigue the Giants.

The Giants were believed to have scheduled a meeting Monday with Ludwick’s agent, Dan Horwits. Ludwick earned $6.775 million last season but might be more affordable than that this winter, even on the open market.

A right-handed batter, Ludwick thrived in 2008-09, when he hit .283 with 59 home runs and 210 RBIs for St. Louis.
When the Cardinals sent him to San Diego at the 2010 Trade Deadline, Ludwick remained productive, as he was batting
.281 with 11 homers and 43 RBIs in 77 games at the time.

Since that deal, however, Ludwick has hit .229 with 19 homers and 101 RBIs in 198 games for San Diego and
Pittsburgh. He batted .237 with 13 homers and 75 RBIs overall last season. The 33-year-old’s on-base percentage has
dwindled each year since 2008, from .375 to .329 to .325 to .310. His slugging percentage also has declined
annually, from .591 in 2008 to .447 to .418 to .363.

Ludwick has performed adequately at AT&T Park, where he owns a .265 batting average (22-for-83) in 23 games. His total of five home runs in 83 at-bats by the bay indicates that, unlike many hitters, the ballpark’s dimensions don’t intimidate him.

Other free-agent outfielders to whom the Giants have been linked include Coco Crisp and Josh Willingham. They also
were thought to be interested in David DeJesus before the A’s traded him to the Cubs, and in Grady Sizemore before he re-signed with Cleveland.

– Chris Haft

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

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

Guillen, not DeJesus, could be SF’s target

Thursday, July 15

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants have long been linked to Kansas City right fielder David DeJesus in trade speculation, but the Royals hitter they might have a better chance of acquiring is Jose Guillen, according to industry sources.

Guillen doesn’t fit the profile of the type of player that San Francisco is trying to obtain. He’s 34 and eligible for free agency after this season. The Giants would prefer to acquire somebody who might fit in with their future plans.

But that also drops Guillen’s “price.” Since he’s a potential free agent, the Royals can’t expect to get top-level prospects or a starting pitcher like Jonathan Sanchez for him. That, in turn, might make him more attractive to the Giants, though DeJesus is batting .324 to Guillen’s .279, is only 30 years old and has an extremely affordable $6 million club option on his 2011 contract.

Guillen also has 15 home runs and 54 RBIs, compared to five and 36 for DeJesus. Guillen has spent most of this season as Kansas City’s designated hitter, occupying that role in 67 games while playing 19 games in the outfield. But Guillen is well-acquainted with playing outfield, where he has logged 1,408 of his 1,588 career games. At one time his throwing arm was considered one of the strongest in the National League.

– Chris Haft 

Roundup: Blue Jays, Braves swap shortstops

In a rather surprising All-Star break move, the Blue Jays in essence acquired young shortstop Yunel Escobar from the Braves in exchange for veteran shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes also is going to Toronto, with Minor League lefty Tim Collins and Minor League infielder Tyler Pastornicky migrating to Atlanta’s organization. 

Escobar, still considered one of the more talented shortstops in the National League despite his off-year (.238 batting average, .618 OPS, zero homers), will be heading into his first of three arbitration years this offseason, while Gonzalez (batting .259 with 17 homers) has a $2.5 million club option. 
Both are very good defensive players, but right now, it’s Gonzalez who seemingly gives the Braves their best chance to maintain their NL East division lead, while Escobar could — if a change of scenery serves as a big beneficiary — give the Blue Jays a young, talented shortstop for years to come. 
Here’s more from around the league … 
* The Brewers are reportedly shopping All-Star and Home Run Derby participant Corey Hart, with the Giants, Rays, Padres and Braves rumored to be interested. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the Brewers asked the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner in exchange for Hart. Giants general Brian Sabean, however, is reluctant to part with those two. 
* Torii Hunter is playing GM a little bit. Hunter, the Angels center fielder signed through 2012, told MLB.com’s Bill Ladson he’d like to have Adam Dunn in Anaheim, and according to The Los Angeles Times, he’s been working on speedster Carl Crawford, too. 
* Don’t expect a 2010 reunion between Pedro Martinez and the Phillies, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. Martinez hasn’t even thrown off the mound yet. 
* The injury-ravaged Red Sox have spoken to the Royals about outfielder David DeJesus, according to FOXSports.com. The Web site said the two clubs talked less than two weeks ago and said they’d remain in touch. The Royals have been scouting the Red Sox’s farm system, but names haven’t been exchanged, FOXSports.com added. 
* The Braves, seeking a right-handed-hitting outfielder, have shown interest in the Marlins’ Cody Ross. Florida finds itself 10 games back in the NL East heading into the second half of the season and could be sellers before the Trade Deadline. 
– Alden Gonzalez
| back to blog home |
Theme: MLB “pro” | Get a free blog at WordPress.com
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 412 other followers