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Archives for July 2012

Nationals Designate Xavier Nady For Assignment

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The Nationals have activated Xavier Nady off the DL and designated him for assignment, the team announced. The move allows the club to add John Lannan to the roster so he can start one game of today's doubleheader.

Nady, 33, had been on the shelf since late-June with a wrist issue. He hit just .157/.211/.275 with three homers in 109 plate appearances for Washington this season, including a .176/.222/.353 line against left-handers. The Nats signed Nady to a minor league contract during Spring Training.

AL East Links: Orioles, Yankees, Victorino, Red Sox

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The Blue Jays are the only team in the AL East with a losing record and they're only one game under .500. The Yankees have a healthy eight-game lead but the Orioles, Rays, Red Sox, and Jays are all within three games of a Wild Card spot. With ten days until the trade deadline, here's the latest from baseball's deepest division…

Quick Hits: Greinke, Nats, Indians, Liriano, Dodgers

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Recently it was reported that Zack Greinke received an extension offer from the Brewers in the neighborhood of $100MM and today the pitcher told Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com that the figure is “pretty accurate”.  However, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says that there’s no indication that Greinke will sign quickly.  More from around baseball as Friday turns into Saturday..

  • The Nationals planned on designating Xavier Nady for assignment if they came through tonight’s game healthy, but so far there hasn’t been an announcement, tweets Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.
  • Nationals manager Davey Johnson doesn’t think that the club needs to make a blockbuster move before the deadline, writes Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com.  “I have gone into that area with general managers, saying, ’I need so-and-so,’ or this, that and the other,” Johnson said. “But I like what we have here. I don’t see any emergency move needed.“
  • As the Indians look to bolster their pitching rotation, Francisco Liriano of the Twins is a name to keep an eye on, says Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (video link).
  • Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly gave a solid endorsement of Cubs hurler Ryan Dempster, who is said to be a target for Los Angeles, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams reportedly in on Dempster.

West Notes: A’s, Haren, Santana, Upton

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A look at the latest out of the AL and NL West..

  • With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, A's manager Bob Melvin says that he is comfortable with what the team has at shortstop, tweets Jane Lee of MLB.com.  Earlier this week, it was reported that General Manager Billy Beane would like to upgrade at the position.  Even though Oakland has yet to engage other clubs in talks, Yunel Escobar and Stephen Drew were mentioned as possible targets.
  • The Angels would like to get a read on starters Dan Haren and Ervin Santana before they consider dealing them, but GM Jerry Dipoto says that he won't let one or two starts dictate their fate, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.  Dipoto added that the current trade market has the least "definition" of any that he has seen.
  • While constant trade rumors can be a source of distraction for some, Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson says that outfielder Justin Upton hasn't been fazed by it, writes Tyler Emerick of MLB.com.
  • In this week's mailbag, Casey Pratt of CSNBayArea.com writes that trading Coco Crisp could give the A's more flexibility in the outfield.

Blue Jays To DFA Andrew Carpenter

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The Blue Jays will designate Andrew Carpenter for assignment tomorrow, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).  The right-hander appeared in just two games for the Blue Jays this season with his last appearance coming on July 14.

Over parts of five major league seasons, Carpenter has just 26.1 innings to his credit, posting an 8.54 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.  However, the 27-year-old put up a 3.38 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 12 starts and nine relief appearances.

AL East Notes: Shields, Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles

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Several teams, including the Tigers and Angels, had scouts in attendance for Rays right-hander James Shields' start against Seattle today, write Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates, Giants, and Blue Jays also had scouts on hand, indicating that Shields could be a hot commodity as the deadline approaches.  As for Detroit, sources say that the Tigers have had interest in Shields for years and could ply him away with catching prospects Rob Brantly and James McCann.  The Rays aren't necessarily shopping Shields but GM Andrew Friedman will listen to offers on him as well as Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb, and Wade Davis, sources say.  Here's more out of the AL East..

  • As you might imagine, the ten-player deal between the Blue Jays and Astros wasn't exactly easy to put together.  Houston GM Jeff Luhnow told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) that he had 20 conversations with Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos last night alone.
  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette told reporters, including Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun that he's on the lookout for high on-base percentage hitters.  “Hopefully, [Omar Quintanilla] is a good on-base man. Take a look at his OBP capabilities with the Mets. He was good. We hope he brings the same [thing] with us. … "[But] we are looking at our on-base capabilities. No question. We need to do a better job with that," Duquette said.
  • Anthopoulos told reporters that the two teams will work out the player to be named later in the trade by the end of August, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

Ryan Dempster Rumors: Friday

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Ryan Dempster is scheduled to start in St. Louis against the Cardinals tonight amid rumors that his time with the Cubs will soon come to an end. The Red Sox are no longer in on Dempster, but the Dodgers, Braves and Nationals still seem to be involved, based on yesterday's rumors. Here are today's Dempster rumors, with the most recent updates up top:

  • In addition to the Dodgers, there are six to eight other teams interested in Dempster, a source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com.  Even though a report yesterday suggested that the Red Sox are out on Dempster, Boston has made an offer, according to another source.  However, it is unclear if the right-hander is willing to switch leagues. 
  • Dempster is one of four or five starters the Nationals are pursuing, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (Twitter links). The Nationals would need to get creative to complete a trade and the Braves don't appear to be pursuing Dempster aggressively. They prefer starters under team control beyond 2012.
  • A handful of teams are involved in trade talks and some proposals have been exchanged, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.
  • The Cardinals are monitoring every starter on the market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. They aren't a likely fit for Dempster, since they're reluctant to part with prospects for a rental player.
  • The Cubs would likely get one or two young arms in return for Dempster if they trade him to Los Angeles, Morosi tweets.
  • The Cardinals have checked in on Dempster, Heyman tweets.
  • There's a 50-50 chance the Dodgers and Cubs will complete a deal for Dempster, Morosi tweets. The sides are still discussing prospects, so there's time for another team to jump in with an impressive offer.
  • The Nationals are said to be trying hard on Dempster, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Braves are in as well, and one GM believes the Dodgers are the favorites to land the righty.
  • The Tigers maintain interest in Dempster, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Dodgers continue in "hot pursuit" of Dempster, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com tweets. The Dodgers still have an offer on the table and are hoping to complete a deal as soon as possible.
  • Trade talks could drag on for a few more days, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
  • The Dodgers and Cubs haven’t found common ground in discussions about Dempster, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Other teams are being aggressive.

Rosenthal On Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Nats

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There's no question that the Dodgers will look to be major players at the deadline this year, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link).  The Dodgers want to add a starting pitcher, a couple of bats, and bullpen help, but it's not certain that they'll get all of that accomplished.  The club's farm system isn't terribly deep and they might not have the prospects necessary to entice teams.  Here's more from Rosenthal..

  • While the Dodgers figure to be aggressive on those three fronts, Rosenthal expects the rival Giants to zero in on bullpen help and possibly bench upgrades.  They are unlikely to trade a top prospect for immediate help, like they did last year by trading Zack Wheeler for Carlos Beltran, but there are other ways for the Giants to improve their team.
  • The Rangers have the ability to pull off almost any move thanks to a talented farm system and financial flexibility.  However, right now it seems that the only thing they might do is improve their bench.  They could be in on Justin Upton, but he may not fit on their roster as they have plenty of outfielders.  They've also talked about getting an elite starting pitching but if Cole Hamels re-ups with the Phillies, that's another top hurler off the market.  Teams are also concerned about Zack Greinke's long layoff and how much he can be trusted down the stretch.
  • The Nationals could be an even better club down the stretch if they add another starting pitcher who can fill the void when Stephen Strasburg is put on the shelf.  However, Rosenthal believes that the club's recent comments about gauging the youngster by the way he looks rather than the number of innings that he throws suggests that they may let him approach 180 innings rather than 160 or 165.  The right-hander has logged 105 innings thus far.

Gammons On Hamels, Dodgers, Headley

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Peter Gammons of MLB Network weighed in with some notes on Twitter today. Let’s round them up…

  • Three teams say they've backed off on Cole Hamels because they believe the Phillies will get him signed. The Phillies are willing to offer Hamels a six-year extension in the $130MM range.
  • The Dodgers don't expect to acquire Padres third baseman Chase Headley. Buster Olney reported this week that the Padres' asking price on Headley is remarkably high. The third baseman will be under team control as an arbitration eligible player through 2014.
  • One general manager doesn't expect a Zack Wheeler-caliber prospect to be traded this summer. To weigh in on the possibility of trading prospects for established stars, check out today’s MLBTR’s poll.

Quick Hits: Astros, Mets, Athletics, Straily

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Ryan Dempster, Francisco Liriano and Shane Victorino are among the most likely players to be traded within the next 11 days, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. Those players are a step behind the Astros and Blue Jays, who announced a major trade this morning. Here are today’s links…

  • There are “no game-changers” in the ten-player trade completed this morning, a rival evaluator told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link).
  • The Mets don't have interest in Brett Myers and didn't have interest in Brandon Lyon before the Blue Jays acquired him from Houston, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
  • The Athletics agreed to sign 16-year-old Dominican Jhonny Rodriguez, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). It's a $300K deal, the Dominican Prospect League announced.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests we shouldn't be surprised if the Athletics work to add right-hander Daniel Straily to their rotation at some point soon. The 23-year-old has a 2.64 ERA with 162 strikeouts in 126 1/3 innings in the upper minors this year. 
  • Brett Lawrie, Justin Verlander and Buster Posey barely missed the cut for inclusion on Dave Cameron's list of the ten MLB players with the most trade value. Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp rank sixth and seventh, respectively, on Cameron's list at FanGraphs.

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