Results tagged ‘ Stephen Drew ’

A’s to meet with agent for Nakajima

NASHVILLE, TENN. — According to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, A’s officials are slated to meet with the agent for free-agent Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima in Nashville today. It’s an intriguing option for the A’s, who are among several teams scouring a shallow shortstop market — most of which boast bigger payrolls than Oakland, ones that could help land Stephen Drew. The A’s are not out on Drew, but let’s take a look at the lesser known Nakajima:

The 30-year-old shortstop was in negotiations with the Yankees last winter, after New York won posting rights to him. But the Yankees failed to sign Nakajima, who wasn’t so much interested in salary figures as he was playing time, which wasn’t offered to him on an everyday basis — factors that figure to be in play this time around, too. The A’s are likely willing to promise him just that, with utility infielders Adam Rosales and Andy Parrino their only other in-house options at this point.

Nakajima enjoyed a successful 2012 campaign with the Seibu Lions in Japan, where he finished with a line of.311/.382/.451, to go along with 13 home runs. Since 2007, the infielder has averaged 20.5 homers per 162 games, along with a .310 average and .381 on-base percentage. Furthermore, he boasts above-average defensive skills.

Nakajima, who represented Japan at the 2008 Olympics and in the ’09 World Baseball Classic, already met with D-backs officials — also shopping for infield help on the left side — in Arizona in November, though a deal was reportedly never on the table. The D-backs, however, are believed to still be interested in him.

The A’s, meanwhile, figure to be keeping all of their options open, particularly since they’re in no hurry to make a move, and that includes both the free-agent and trade markets.

– Jane Lee

July 19 Late Night Roundup

  • The Cubs’ Ryan Dempster is said to be attracting a lot of trade interest. The Dodgers are one team that has proposed a deal for the veteran right-handed pitcher, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The Cubs would like to add young pitching in return. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported that the two clubs were “having somewhat constructive conversations” about a deal by Thursday but that the Tigers and Braves figure to be among the other teams vying for Dempster.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com tweeted that teams also are expressing interest in two other Cubs, infielder Jeff Baker and outfielder Reed Johnson, who could serve as right-handed bats off the bench.
  • Rosenthal and colleague Jon Morosi also reported that the Pirates, Red Sox and Tigers are among the clubs pursuing D-backs shortstop Stephen Drew. The Pirates are still after Arizona outfielder Justin Upton as well, according to Morosi.
  • The Tigers, Rangers and Pirates are a few of the teams that have asked the Rockies about second baseman Marco Scutaro, according to the Denver Post. With Colorado in last place in the NL West, the team also could deal relievers such as closer Rafael Betancourt, as well as catchers Ramon Hernandez and Wil Nieves.
  • Teams interested in outfielder Carlos Quentin and closer Huston Street of the Padres might end up disappointed. San Diego plans to sign both players to long-term deals before the trade deadline, reported Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
  • The Twins will look to acquire pitching in exchange for surging lefty Francisco Liriano, wrote Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. The Yankees, Mets, Angels, Braves, Blue Jays and Red Sox highlight the group looking into Liriano.

– Andrew Simon

Roundup: Tigers looking in Drew’s direction?

In search of middle-infield depth and a stable shortstop, the Tigers are “in the market” for the D-backs’ Stephen Drew, according to FOXSports.com. In Drew, the Tigers could improve their offensive production at shortstop — where a revolving door has led to a team-wide .235 batting average heading into Monday — and get a stable presence there. Drew isn’t a free agent until 2012. 

MLB.com reporter Jason Beck believes the Tigers don’t see Ramon Santiago as a long-term solution at shortstop and added: “If they have a chance to add a young shortstop they could keep around for a few years, there’s a good chance they’ll look into it.”
It’s unknown just how closely the Tigers are monitoring the market for Drew — who, like many of his Arizona teammates, is expected to be made available before the non-waiver Trade Deadline — but they’ll also need help at catcher, starting pitching and possibly reliever at some point, and it’s impossible to think they can get all of that. So they’ll have to prioritize. 
Here’s more from around the league … 
* The Rangers, Twins, Yankees and Mets are among the teams most active in discussions for much-desired starter Cliff Lee, according to FOXSports.com. The Cardinals and Phillies all had scouts watching Lee’s Sunday start — when he gave up a run in eight innings to move his ERA to 2.34 — but aren’t considered to have as strong an interest. The Dodgers also had a scout there, and they’re interested, too. 
* The further the Marlins drop out of the race in the National League East, the more likely it is that they become sellers, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro wrote. The most likely to be jettisoned is probably Jorge Cantu, who is a free agent after this season. So can Nate Robertson, Cody Ross, Dan Uggla and Ricky Nolasco. 
* The Braves signed veteran outfielder Willy Taveras to a Minor League contract recently and assigned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Taveras was released last week by the Phillies, marking the third time he’s been released this year. 
– Alden Gonzalez

Drew deal would interest Tigers

The Tigers have been looking for a long-term answer at shortstop for at least four years, only to watch prospects falter on the way up through the farm system. So if they have a chance to add a young shortstop they could keep around for a few years, there’s a good chance they’ll look into it. Stephen Drew could be that opportunity if Arizona decides to look into dealing him.

The Tigers have shown interest in Drew, FOXSports.com reports, but it remains to be seen how seriously the Diamondbacks will look into trading him and how much in return it’ll take to pull it off. If Arizona pursues it, the appeal for the Tigers would go beyond this year. The 27-year-old Drew was eligible for arbitration for the first time this past winter, and won’t be eligible for free agency until 2012.

Ramon Santiago has had the majority of playing time at shortstop for much of the year, with prospect Danny Worth also getting starts over the last month since Detroit released Adam Everett this year. But Tigers officials haven’t seen Santiago as an everyday option at short, believing that he physically wears down if he plays too often. The Tigers could go with another infielder to mix in if they’d prefer to make a minor deal, or they could try to solve the position once and for all.

One problem the Tigers face in that, though, is that they have other needs, from catcher to starting pitcher and potentially reliever. They can’t possibly fill them all, so they’re going to have to prioritize ahead of the trade deadline. It’s hard to imagine Detroit getting a young shortstop like Drew without having to part with one of their highly-touted pitching prospects.

– Jason Beck

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