Results tagged ‘ Twins ’

Roundup: Berkman close to joining Yanks

The Yankees now look poised to land Lance Berkman from the Astros, a source told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. 
Berkman has the right to reject any trade as a 10-and-5 player (10 years in the league, five with one team), but he was approached by general manager Ed Wade a couple of days ago with a list of eight teams be to and approved four, including the Yankees. 
According to The New York Post, the deal is done, though it won’t be official until another 24 hours. 
The 34-year-old Berkman is making $14.5 million this season and has a $15 million club option for the 2011 season, with a $2 million buyout. With the Yankees, he’d likely serve as a designated hitter — a revolving door for the club all year — but he can also fill in at first base and in the outfield corners if needed. 
With Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET non-waiver Trade Deadline looming overhead, here’s more from around the league … 
* The White Sox acquired some depth for their starting rotation on Friday afternoon, when they swung a deal with the Diamondbacks to bring right-hander Edwin Jackson to the South Side. In the trade, Chicago parted ways with one of its top pitching prospects, righty Daniel Hudson, and Minor League lefty David Holmberg. 
* The Rangers, in need of second-base help with Ian Kinsler on the disabled list, acquired veteran middle infielder Cristian Guzman for prospects. Guzman is making $8 million in the final year of his contract this season. 
* Baseball sources told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick that the Dodgers and Cubs have been discussing a deal that would send left-handed starter Ted Lilly back to Los Angeles. The Dodgers would also like to include infielder Ryan Theriot in the deal and would want Chicago to eat up some of Lilly’s remaining contract, according to FOXSports.com. Lilly, the best starting pitcher remaining in the market, has $4.3 million left in his expiring contract. 
* The Blue Jays acquired Mets Triple-A first baseman Mike Jacobs for a player to be named later. Jacobs will report to the Blue Jays’ Minor League affiliate. 

* While looking at what happened today and what could happen before 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, we’ll also look back. Roy Oswalt to the Phillies, Jorge Cantu to the Rangers, Miguel Tejada to the Padres and Matt Capps to the Twins were the biggest moves made prior to Friday, in what has still been a rather slow-moving Trade Deadline. 

– Alden Gonzalez

7/30 Lilly & Theriot to Dodgers?

Could Ted Lilly go back to the Dodgers? According to Fox Sports reports, the Dodgers and Cubs have talked about Lilly and Ryan Theriot, but the catch is that the Dodgers want the Cubs to add cash in the deal. Lilly has $4.3 million remaining, Theriot $933,000.

Lilly actually was drafted by the Dodgers in 1996 in the 23rd round but traded in July 31, 1998, to the Montreal Expos in a six-player swap. This season, he’s 3-8 with a 3.69 ERA in 18 starts, and has received the least amount of run support in the Major Leagues.

The lefty would join a rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda and Vicente Padilla. The trading deadline is Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

The Twins were interested in Lilly but chose to add to the bullpen, acquiring Matt Capps from the Nationals on Thursday. A Mets official told the New York Post it’s “very doubtful” they’ll get Lilly because they do not want to take on the money remaining and give up prospects.

Theriot received a $2.6 million salary for 2010 after losing an arbitration case to the Cubs. He’s under team control through 2012. The Fox report said Theriot could take over at second, sending Blake DeWitt to Triple-A. But DeWitt was batting .272 with one homer, 15 doubles, four triples and a .352 on-base percentage. Theriot is hitting .285 with one homer, 10 doubles, two triples and a .321 on-base percentage. The Padres had looked at Theriot but instead traded for Orioles third baseman Miguel Tejada.

– Carrie Muskat

Twins acquire closer Matt Capps

The Twins have acquired
closer Matt Capps and cash from the Nationals in exchange for catching
prospect Wilson Ramos and left-handed pitching prospect Joe Testa.

Capps,
26, has 26 saves in 30 opportunities and a 2.74 ERA in 47 games for the Nationals this season. He
has around $1.3 million remaining of his $3.5 million salary and will
be under the Twins control for 2011 as an arbitration-eligible player.

The
deal helps to bolster the Twins’ bullpen, which recently lost one of
its late-inning options when Brian Duensing was moved into the rotation.
Capps will fill the role of closer. Manager Ron Gardenhire already called Jon
Rauch and told him of his move back into a set-up role. Rauch said he just wants to help the team win.

Ramos, who had been labeled as the
Twins’ No. 2 prospect, was batting .241 with five home runs and 30 RBIs
for Triple-A Rochester this season. Ramos had been considered to be the
Twins’ best trade chip since Spring Training when the club signed Joe
Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million extension. Ramos was a late scratch
from Rochester’s lineup on Thursday night, fueling further speculation
that a trade was in the works.

Testa was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in 2008. He began this season at Double-A New Britain and went 1-4 with an 8.25 ERA in 21 games for the Rock Cats. He was moved to Class A Fort Myers,and went 1-1 with a 3.30 ERA in 15 games for the Miracle.

Twins working on deal for Capps?

There was an ESPN report earlier this week that the Twins had expressed interest in Nationals closer Matt Capps and it appears that Minnesota could be making a stronger push for Capps as Saturday’s 3 p.m. CT non-waiver Trade Deadline looms.

According to a few national reports, the Twins and Nationals are in deep discussions regarding the closer.

The Nationals are reportedly seeking a high-level prospect in return for Capps, which likely means that the Twins must decide whether it’s worth giving up catcher Wilson Ramos in exchange for the pitcher. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Ramos was a late scratch from Triple-A Rochester’s lineup on Thursday night.

The Twins have appeared to shift their focus from acquiring a starting pitcher to instead adding relief help in recent days. The change was due to the lack of fits the Twins had found in regards to starting pitchers. With Brian Duensing having recently moved from the bullpen to the rotation, the Twins could use another late-inning relief option such as Capps.The Twins have also been talking with the Blue Jays in regards to some of their relievers.

– Kelly Thesier

O’s MacPhail on “slow developing” trade market

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has been fielding calls on the team’s veterans, and said on Sunday that he doesn’t believe Ty Wigginton -believed to be the team’s best trade chip – will lose value based on his pending three-game suspension.

 ”I don’t think that’s going to be impactful for that,” said MacPhail, who called the trade market a slow development that is “prodding along”.

“Everybody is being a little coy right now, myself included,” MacPhail said when asked if he expected the team to make at least one trade before the deadline.

“My own impression is that we have some of these big-target starting pitchers out there who probably have a lot of teams focused on whether they are in or out of that picture or not before they move on to other targets. I think that might be slowing down our market a little.”

The Orioles don’t have any big name pitchers, but Wigginton’s name has been listed in conjunction with at least 10 teams, including the Rangers, Phillies, Twins and Yankees.  He is appealing the suspension handed down after Friday’s ejection, and the punishment could be lessened to a game or two. Wigginton could also drop the appeal and serve the three-game suspension prior to being traded, although the team would prefer to let the process drag out given the O’s short bench.

Third baseman Miguel Tejada has also garnered interest from several teams and reliever Will Ohman, outfielder Corey Patterson and designated hitter Luke Scott all have a chance to be donning another uniform in August.

Starter Jeremy Guthrie’s name has been mentioned in several trade rumors, but it’s believed the Orioles would have to get a significant return to move him. Guthrie is under team control through 2012 and given his recent resurgence he helps stabilize a young and inconsistent O’s rotation.

–Brittany Ghiroli  

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: 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: 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

Twins a front-runner for Lee?

The Twins have been linked to Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee quite often in early trade speculation. Various reports have even labeled the Twins as a front-runner for the ace pitcher. 

Twins general manager Bill Smith and other team officials have said they
will not comment on whether the team is in discussions for
Lee. Still indications are that the two clubs have been talking about a
possible swap for Lee, although there
appears to be nothing imminent in terms of a deal.

One report on Monday night said that the Twins had offered two of their top prospects — outfielder Aaron Hicks and catcher Wilson Ramos — for Lee. That seems like much more than the Twins would be willing to offer for a short-term rental. Lee, who is making $8 million this season, will be a free agent at the end of this year and he is expected to draw a big payday as one of the marquee players available.

Ramos certainly appears to be the prospect that the Mariners could be most interested in, since they don’t have a Major League catcher. And with Joe Mauer having signed an eight-year, $184 million contract extension that begins next season, the Twins could move Ramos if they feel it’s for the right piece.

– Kelly Thesier

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