Arizona general manager Kevin Towers says he’s been impressed by Mike Trout and Bryce Harper from an offensive and defensive standpoint, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. "They can beat you on the basepaths. They impact the game defensively,” Towers said. “They can beat you with key hits or the long ball. They're both very special." Here are Stark’s latest rumors from around MLB…
- One American League executive says the Cubs are basing their asking price for Matt Garza on last summer’s Ubaldo Jimenez deal. This means it’ll take two controllable, young players with upside to pry the right-hander away from Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein.
- Other teams say the Orioles are involved in the Garza talks. However, Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy aren’t going to be available in summer trade talks with any club.
- The Braves are looking for "an impact starting pitcher" and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively
- The Angels are desperate to add a really good bullpen piece and would dangle Peter Bourjos in the right deal, according to rival teams.
- One executive doesn’t expect Luke Gregerson of the Padres to become available, though there would be heavy demand if San Diego were willing to listen.
- Another executive suggests the Red Sox could trade Kelly Shoppach and call Ryan Lavarnway up from the minor leagues.
- The Twins continue to tell teams they expect to hold onto Josh Willingham.
- The Marlins are telling rival teams they haven’t discussed becoming sellers this summer. The Phillies also seem to want to add, not subtract. The Phils are considering a long list of relievers and have asked the Padres about Chase Headley.
- The Diamondbacks have “window-shopped” for bullpen depth, Stark writes. Towers says he prefers his current team, now 38-37, to the one that won the NL West a year ago.
- Stark also reported on the Blue Jays' approach to the trade deadline and you can read the details here.
Gregerson+Brach for Bourjos
No.
The funny thing is the Pads fan said no.
I’d love to get for Garza what Colorado got for Ubaldo. I wonder if the Yankees will part with Hughes, one of the Killer B’s, and Mason Williams for him. Perhaps not, but a guy can dream. As Cubs fans, that’s all we can do.
The cubs would probably want banuelos, betances star has really fallen this year. I wouldn’t really garza. Everyone talks about how he has experience in the AL east, but his era there was ~3.90. hardly dominating, and not the type of player that teams should give up a big haul for. Especially when banuelos is probably ready to come up soon, and when williams is really shining.
I wouldn’t mind giving up talent to get a good pitcher, but to me Garza is really not the player that I would give up a whole lot of good prospects for.
will cost a lot to get headley.
He’s a damn good player. Would love the Phils to get him.
Hes a player who NEEDS to get out of petco park
I think most teams would. But my fantasy team would love him going to Philly.
Him in CBP would be amazing.
no it wont
Yeah it will..Byrnes doesnt even want to give up Headley. He will ask ALOT and wont trade unless the team trading for him gives up ALOT
Headley is one of the top 3B in the majors under team controll for a while longer, so yeah it will.
“The Braves are looking for “an impact starting pitcher” and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively” Oxymoron.
prehaps they should look to Garza??? Impact starter and they have some guys to make it happen.
Ugh, why the hell would we want him? Hopefully Wren is smarter.
Impact pitcher, and then they say Jason Vargas, that’s not an impact pitcher, that’s basically another Jamie Moyer 4th starter type
I can only assume you put “an impact starting pitcher” in italics and quotes because the Braves are using the term ironically when they refer to Jason Vargas.
The phillies need to subtract Thome and Victorino to an AL team for a semi decent bullpen arm….Woulndt mind having Darren O day from the orioles
Ugh.. victorino will fetch more than a bullpen arm.
Also, the Phillies need him if they are planning to compete this season.
Especially since they don’t really have anyone else to replace him.
As a Braves fan, I heartily support the Phillies trading Shane Victorino for a “semi decent bullpen arm.”
You can have Hunter, Gregg, and Reynolds for Polanco, Thome, and we need a decent prospect or Mayberry. That might work. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I am not all that interested in Victorino for whatever reason.
I don’t think the phillies bullpen is attrocious, It just has been overexposed, and their starting rotation has been bad this year. They have been getting less length out of alot of their starters and a higher era.
Halladays at 4; Lee is 3.70
Worley and hamels have been good, but using blanton and kendrick when your lineup is already missing howard and utley makes games hard to win.
From that report it sounds like the Twins aren’t even listening to offers on Willingham. I hope that’s not the case. I would much rather see them trade Hammer than Span. Actually I would like to see them keep both guys and spend a bunch of $$ on pitching in the offseason. That ain’t gonna happen though.
They wouldn’t been better giving the money they gave to mauer to santana instead. There are no catchers I would give an 8/ 180 to, especially when he only topped 13 hr once.
No doubt. And they should have handed him two options when he signed: LF or RF. Grab a glove & start shagging. He’s worth too much to keep getting beat up behind the plate.
I remember the concerns with him being 6’5″
Because when I think “impact starting pitcher”, I think Jason Vargas. I’d much rather have Francisco Liriano if that’s the case.
Oh god. That’s like asking “would you rather burn to death, or drown?”
Shoppach is at his high mark the last few seasons as far as trade value. They have to move him before he slides back offensively to his last couple of seasons norm.
Either that, or give Lavarnway a 1b mitt and let Lavarnway play 1b and catcher equally at Pawtucket, then sit the various retread that abound on that team.
What good would converting Lavarnway to a 1B be? AGon is GG and SS 1baseman.
What I want to know is what trade value Shoppach has anyway. You couldn’t get anyone of much value straight-up for him, so the trade will either include other prospects from the Sox or the Sox are hoping than an addition by subtraction (calling up Lavarnway) is worth it.
Lavarnway doesn’t have a spot on the Sox if they plan on pursuing Ortiz this winter (which I think they will). He’s too good of a hitter to relegate to backup catching/DHing. If anything, the trade should sent Lavarnway.
So he could fill in at the MLB level there and maybe get a few games in. Not as a regular. You enjoy watching Punto and ortiz playing 1b on defense I presume? That is who is left on the roster.
They move Shoppach and Lavarnway can get into a game or 2 extra a month and it helps a little to keep him in tune.
umm.. AGon only averages about 160 games a year played. We have Gomez down in AAA hitting the lights out, and he has a serviceable glove. Ortiz can fill in at 1B if there’s a need there. How is converting Lavarnway going to result in anything better defensively at first than that?
Jason Vargas?! He’s not even worth the frequent-flier miles needed for the scouts to make the trip!
Greinke yesterday, now Vargas, so tomorrow we should expect this: “Braves have strong interest in Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami”.
That should say that the Braves are looking for a midling starting pitcher that is no better than what they already have. Jason Vargas?????????
“The Braves are looking for “an impact starting pitcher” and they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively.”
The Braves are looking for an “impact starting pitcher.” In completely unrelated news that is in no way connected to the aforementioned statement, they’ve scouted trade candidate Jason Vargas extensively.
Fixed it for ya.
And you make fun of Vargas now, but he’ll surprise you when he is that “impact starting pitcher”.
@101andCounting If by killer b’s you are refering to Banuelos or Betances, i hope we woud get neither. they are both overrated and reported to be have severe control problems. I would prefer not to deal with them at all. My opinion is that their prospects are somewhat overhyped due to pinstripe fever with some baseball media.
Most scouts are pretty high on banuelos. Betances is a big guy and has struggled with control. If he can get it right he could be a very good starter. It is not uncommon for tall pitchers to have trouble with control.
There are so many talent evaluators, yankees prospects really aren’t overhyped. Prospects from many organizations don’t work out ALL the time.
Funny you should say that. That’s exactly how I feel- about Garza!
His reputation has been built on two decent years he had on a team that improved dramatically in the AL East. Otherwise, he’s a front end pitcher that’s not worth going into panic mode to obtain. Cubs would be lucky to unload his salary and get some relief. Cub fans are deluding themselves if they’re expecting huge returns for Garza. Even if it’s for ‘over-hyped’ Yankees prospects.
@Eddie and Pam. The only sillier contract by far is the contract of Vernon Wells. A lesser ballplayer making far more money.
In Jason Vargas’ defense, he gave up a horrid 10 runs in Arizona and while he’s been poor this month he’s also gone into at least the 6th in every other start he’s made this year which the Braves really need. You gotta assume taking away the DH will help him as well, I think Vargas is the Braves best option if they can get him for Pastornicky and 1 or 2 mid range pitching prospects.
Have you seen Vargas numbers when he was in the NL East? He would get eaten alive again. Hopefully he gets traded to Atlanta.
He pitched pretty well against us when we saw him last year. He’s not the same pitcher.
I hope that’s Vernon Wells in a Peter Bourjos costume the Halos are dangling. I understand we could use a BP arm but would really hate to see Peter B go.
throw in Headley and Grandel and we will toss in either Callaspo or Izturis and Wilson or Conger then maybe.
no..no..no and NO!
Not even close. Segura is a starting point or nothing. Conger for grandal is a joke.
You were joking right?
Headley to Phillies December makes so much sense. Padres will prob want some of their Draftees of last year like Walding or Quinn plus May/Biddle/Pettibone.
I’d have to extend him right away if Im giving up Biddle or May.
Cant trade last year draftees yet.
Middle infield is what the pads need.
I said in December they make sense. In Decber they could trade Walding Quinn or T Greene who all project to be SS or 2B
Too far away. Phillies have no prosepects anyone wants. Including themselves. When are they going to put Lee or Hamel on the market?
Phillies have a lot of good pitching prospects. I’m sure they would have sub 2.00 ERA’s in Petco. Either way Headley is mediocre and Ruben Amaro Jr is a terrible GM so he’ll probably give someone really good like Biddle or May.
Headley would not be mediocre in Philly.
We really don’t. The highest upside on any of them is a 2-3 type starter.
Galvis would prob interest them.
Didnt he get suspended?
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How is Vargas an “impact pitcher” to begin with? I call that a bluff, Braves.
okay angel fans. the braves will give you Bourn and Medlin for Peter, Ariel Pena, and Kole Calhoun. Sound fair?
The Braves have the prospects to get Felix Hernandez if they want… thankfully, the Mariners will never trade this guy.
I think Matt Garza’s a good fit for them. He shouldn’t break the bank in terms of prospects and would solidify their rotation. No way they go after a rental like Grenkie.
trade Izzy and mid-level prospect for solid reliever, Angels would be idiots to move PB. If anything eat 20-30million of Wells contract and see what they can get. Even better would be trading Santana, Izzy, and Morales for Grienke or Hamels.
Who would they put into the DH spot then? Vernon Wells?
Juan Francisco + Mike Minor/Randall Delgado for Garza?
Is that something both teams could work with?