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Projected 2013 Salaries For Pence, Choo, Headley

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You may remember Matt Swartz from such MLBTR projects as the 2012 arbitration projections.  Matt's model was very accurate the first time through, and he's made it even better for the 2013 projections.  I asked Matt for a sneak peek at 2013 projected salaries for some arbitration eligible trade candidates.  He used Dan Szymborski's rest-of-season ZiPS projections to account for the remainder of the 2012 season.

Westbrook Intends To Exercise Option After Season

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Cardinals righty Jake Westbrook "fully intends on exercising his half of mutual option for '13" after the season, tweets Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but the pitcher has no idea what the Cardinals will do.  Westbrook's contract, signed in November of 2010, includes an $8.5MM mutual option for 2013 with a $1MM buyout if the club declines and no buyout if the player declines.

Given Westbrook's solid 2012 performance, this could be one of the rare mutual options where both sides are exercised.  The 34-year-old owns a 3.61 ERA, 5.8 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9, and 57.7% groundball rate in 127 innings this year.

Passan On Beckett, Marlins, Headley, Pence

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Yahoo's Jeff Passan posted his latest information in an early-morning column; here are a few highlights.

  • Passan already noted that the Red Sox contacted the Braves and Rangers shopping Josh Beckett; in this article he mentions that the Sox shopped Beckett in the offseason as well.  WEEI's Rob Bradford also reports Beckett discussions between the Red Sox and Rangers and that Boston has engaged other clubs on the righty.  This morning, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the Red Sox talked to a handful of teams that inquired about their starting pitching, including Beckett, but a trade is unlikely.  ESPN's Buster Olney also considers a Beckett trade unlikely.
  • The Marlins are far more concerned about their club beyond 2013 as opposed to 2013 itself, executives who have inquired on Josh Johnson told Passan.  Those sources say the Marlins plan to cut payroll next year, after this year's franchise high, and thus seek cheap, young players.
  • The Padres expect to decide today whether they'll trade third baseman Chase Headley this month, a source tells Passan.  Headley, who is under team control through 2014, projects to earn $6.1MM for '13, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.  The Padres are growing more leery of trading Headley, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post, a sentiment we've been seeing the last several days from other reports.  Sherman does not believe there was much life to talks between the Yankees and Padres about Headley.
  • The Phillies haven't shopped Shane Victorino nearly as aggressively as Hunter Pence, writes Passan.  Swartz projects Pence at $14.3MM for 2013.

West Notes: D-Backs, Drew, Yunel, Headley

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It's been a busy weekend in baseball's Western divisions; the Angels have landed Zack Greinke, the Padres have extended Huston Street, the Giants have landed Marco Scutaro and the Diamondbacks have acquired Chris Johnson. There's still plenty of news and potential action out west, however… here are tonight's links:

  • The Diamondbacks may not be finished dealing yet, writes Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Arizona GM Kevin Towers told reporters on Sunday that he could pursue additional pitching prior to Tuesday's deadline. Towers also hinted that one of the club's infielders could be on the move: "As it stands now it will be tough to get them all at-bats, but we'll see what happens the next two to three days."
  • There's no guarantee that the Diamondbacks trade Stephen Drew, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The D-backs are currently deciding whether they want to give the bulk of the playing time at shortstop to Drew or Willie Bloomquist.
  • If they go with Bloomquist, the Athletics are not the favorites to land Drew; an unspecified mystery team would be most likely, according to Rosenthal's source.
  • Within the same piece, Rosenthal notes that the Athletics are reluctant to match the Blue Jays' asking price for Yunel Escobar.
  • The Padres are weighing several offers for Chase Headley, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, but San Diego isn't sure if they want to move him.
  • Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow felt that the high asking price on Headley had a beneficial effect on the market for Johnson, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Red Sox Called Braves, Rangers About Beckett

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The Red Sox have made calls to the Braves and Rangers within the past 48 hours in an attempt to dump Josh Beckett, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Passan adds that the Red Sox began talks with the Rangers and Braves because they believe Beckett would waive his 10-and-5 rights to play for either team. While the Dodgers have yet to receive a call on Beckett, they're one team that could potentially be interested in the right-hander, according to Passan (all Twitter links).

There are several potential roadblocks to a Beckett trade. In addition to his 10-and-5 rights, Beckett's performance has slipped (4.57 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 2.4 BB/9) and he has a prohibitive contract status. He's in the second year of a four-year contract that pays him $15.75MM annually. Passan notes in this fourth tweet that Beckett's market is largely dependent on how much salary the Red Sox are willing to eat. He's owed approximately $37.3MM over the remainder of the contract.  For a bit more from Passan regarding Beckett, check out his article here.

Earlier tonight, both Jon Heyman of CBS Sports and Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reported that the Red Sox were looking to move Beckett. The Braves and Rangers have both been linked to nearly every starting pitcher available on the trade market this summer, but it's not known what kind of interest either club would have in Beckett.

Red Sox Rumors: Beckett, Sweeney, Liriano

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The Red Sox are in extra innings against the Yankees as they try to get back to .500. Currently 50-51, Boston is 4.5 games back from a wild card spot. Here are the latest off-the-field rumblings…

  • The Red Sox have explored the possibility of trading Josh Beckett, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. One general manager told Heyman it's "unlikely" that a team would take on Beckett, who would have to waive his 10-and-5 rights to facilitate a deal. As Heyman points out, however, Beckett's mediocre numbers and large contract make it likely that he'd clear waivers and be eligible for an August trade.
  • One Major League executive insisted to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com that the Red Sox are "trying to dump" Beckett but it's unlikely they'd be able to find a taker without a big discount.
  • Edes writes that the Red Sox aren't willing to part with the type of prospects they would need to surrender in order to acquire Josh Johnson from the Marlins.
  • Edes also hears that the Red Sox are shopping Ryan Sweeney.
  • The Red Sox were in on Francisco Liriano all the way to the end before the Twins dealt him to the White Sox, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Indians Could Trade Masterson, Likely To Keep Perez

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After being swept by the Twins this weekend and falling to two games below .500, the Indians have told teams they may be open to trading Justin Masterson, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.

Masterson, the Tribe's opening day starter, earns $3.825MM in 2012 after avoiding arbitration this past offseason. Masterson is controlled through the 2014 season and has pitched to a 4.47 ERA with a 6.9 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 56.4 percent ground-ball rate that is tied for sixth-best in the Majors. Masterson's control has taken a significant downturn this season, as evidenced by the rising walk rate (2.7 BB/9 in 2011) and his AL-worst 11 wild pitches.

Knobler reports that both the Reds and Rangers had scouts present to watch Masterson's start against the Twins in Minneapolis yesterday, though he wasn't particularly impressive. He allowed eight earned runs to the Twins over 5 2/3 innings on seven hits, two walks a and a hit batter.

The Indians are also open to trading Shin-Soo Choo for the right price, and both the Pirates and Reds appear to be interested at the moment. There have been rumors over the past few weeks that they could deal Chris Perez as well, but Knobler calls it "doubtful" that Perez will be traded.

Reds, Pirates Interested In Choo; Rangers Out

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8:36pm: Rosenthal hears that the asking price for Choo is a good Major League player with less than three years of service time (Twitter link).

8:23pm: The Reds are also interested in Choo, according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). Choo would fit Cincinnati's desire for a left-handed bat and a leadoff hitter, but Rosenthal hears that the Indians are reluctant to move Choo.

5:29pm: A deal between the Rangers and Indians for Choo isn't happening, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

4:17pm: The Rangers also have interest in Choo, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report. Texas would prefer to add a left-handed hitter such as Choo to their lineup, but the Indians are reluctant to trade the right fielder. Cleveland would likely look for pitching in a trade, according to the FOX reporters.

11:04am: The Pirates are checking in on Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter). The Pirates would likely have to part with 23-year-old outfielder Starling Marte to complete a trade for Choo, Biertempfel writes.

The Indians are likely to keep Choo, but they'll listen to trade offers for him, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported three days ago. The 30-year-old earns $4.9MM this year and will get a raise this offseason when he goes to arbitration for the third and final time. Choo has a .295/.382/.489 batting line with 12 home runs in 422 plate appearances this year.

The Pirates acquired Wandy Rodriguez this week, but they continue seeking offensive upgrades. Marte, Drew Sutton and Alex Presley are among their current left field options.

Phillies Could Be “Most Active Sellers”

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The Phillies entered this weekend needing to perform well in a critical series against the division rival Braves. Instead, they were swept and now appear to be in the position to sell off several pieces. ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Phillies could be baseball's "most active sellers" in the next two days, and that they've laid the groundwork for several trades. Olney's colleague Jayson Stark hears from several teams that the Phillies could make 2-3 trades prior to Tuesday's deadline, though they've yet to officially declare themselves sellers (Twitter link).

CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury agrees that selling is likely, and runs down several of the possibilities for the Phillies in the coming days. Salisbury writes that Shane Victorino is the "most likely" Phillie to be dealt, and lists the Giants, Pirates, Reds and Dodgers as possible destinations for Victorino. Interest in Victorino was said to be "heating up" as recently as yesterday.

The Reds have also inquired on Juan Pierre, and both the Orioles and Cardinals are potential destinations for Joe Blanton according to Salisbury. He also says that Hunter Pence could be moved if GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is blown away by an offer, and speculates that Ty Wigginton would fit on several teams looking for bench help.

Salisbury reiterates that the Phillies are likely to keep Cliff Lee for the time being, although he could be shopped this offseason in an attempt to fill multiple holes.

Week In Review: 7/22/12 – 7/28/12

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With the trade deadline less than 48 hours away, let's take a moment to catch up on the busy week that was here at MLBTR…

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