Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2012

Royals Have No Interest In Clemens

By | at

Roger Clemens made his return to the mound for the Sugar Land Skeeters last night with two Royals officials in attendance. Senior pitching advisor Bill Fischer and independent league scout Ron Toenjes were at the game, but Royals GM Dayton Moore quickly doused any speculation of interest, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel.

Moore said Fischer, a former pitching coach of Clemens in Boston, was invited to the game by the right-hander and that Toenjes "wasn't sent there to scout the game. He was sent there to be along with Fish, and that's all. We were not there scouting Roger Clemens."  

With Fischer with him in the dugout, Clemens allowed only one hit, no walks, and struck out two during 3 1/3 innings, reports Alyson Footer of MLB.com. Clemens hit 88 mph with his fastball as 24 of his 37 pitches went for strikes. 

"It was good." Clemens said of his outing. "Everyone says it's like riding a bike. I just wanted to make sure I got out of there uninjured but still make a good showing."  

Will this showing lead to a possible return to the Major Leagues? "It's a great deal of work," Clemens said, "and I'm not thinking that at this point."

Pohlad Talks Twins, Ryan, Gardenhire, ASG

By | at

The Minnesota Twins enter play today on a five-game losing streak, which has sunk them to a season-low 24 games under .500. With this as a backdrop, Twins owner Jim Pohlad was a guest Saturday of Darren Wolfson on 1500 ESPN.  Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com has excerpts from the interview.

  • On approaching a second consecutive 100-loss season, Pohlad said, "It's very frustrating. There's only one way to describe it, and that's losing (stinks)."
  • On the future of interim GM Terry Ryan, "When Terry wants to remove the interim (label) from his title, we'll welcome that." Pohlad added that Ryan's "interim" label still exists only because Ryan "hasn't chosen to drop that (label) from his title (yet). But on the other hand, we don't keep revisiting that every week or every month. We don't keep saying to him, 'Terry, why are you still interim?' Whenever he wants to take that way, he can, as far as we're concerned."
  • Pohlad "can't foresee" a change in manager. He did say that any decision regarding the future of Ron Gardenhire and his coaching staff would be Ryan's.
  • Pohlad does not believe the Twins are looking at a lengthy period of futility while trying to rebuild. "We have no desire to have our history defined by losing. With some tweaking — or maybe some people would say it's more than tweaking, and they could be right — we have faith in the future."
  • One of Twins' problems is they have $32MM invested in players who are either on the disabled list, in the minors, or no longer with the organization. "That's true," said Pohlad, "and that unfortunately happens throughout baseball. It's part of the game, and it's not an attractive part of the game. And we don't like that. Nobody would like that."
  • One thing Pohlad would like is for Target Field to host the 2014 All-Star Game. "Dialogue between the Minnesota Twins and the commissioner's office has increased noticeably over the past couple weeks," he said, "and we believe something is really imminent."

Trade Reaction: Duquette, Saunders, Lindstrom

By | at

Earlier today, the Orioles acquired Joe Saunders and cash from the Diamondbacks for Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later. Here's the reaction to the trade from the principals involved:

  • Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette told reporters, including Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com, that Saunders has been on his radar for quite a while. "He's a professional left-handed pitcher. We like his experience, which complements our starting rotation, which has three rookies, and I also like the fact that he's left-handed. It gives us better balance," Duquette said.
  • Also in Dubroff's piece, Duquette insinuates Saunders may not simply be a late-season rental for the Orioles. "Joe Saunders is a local kid. Maybe he's with us beyond this year. That's something we can take a look at." Saunders was born and raised in Fairfax County, Virginia.
  • Being close to family is a big draw for Saunders, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. "I’m excited to get traded to a playoff contending team," said Saunders. "Plus my family is from there so I’ll get to go closer to home. I grew up an hour and a half south of Baltimore so it’s going to be exciting to hang out with them more and they’ll get a chance to see me pitch more."
  • Saunders also took to his personal Twitter feed to thank the Diamondbacks' organization and to say he will miss the team, the fans, and the community.
  • Lindstrom met with Baltimore reporters, including the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly, before leaving to join his new team. “Yeah, [I’m] surprised but also kind of excited. A little bittersweet, because the team here is doing so well."

NL East Notes: Mets, Braves, McCann, Wright

By | at

It has been a tough year for the Mets and it doesn't seem like the club is in position to back up a Brink's truck to reload in 2013.  Recently, it was reported that General Manager Sandy Alderson will basically working with the same payroll next year with the lid being in the neighborhood of $90MM.  Here's more out of Queens and other items from the National League East..

  • Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson said that he expects David Wright to be with the team for the future at a Q&A session for season ticket holders, tweets Matt Ehalt of ESPNNewYork.com.  Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter) notes that it takes two to tango, however, and the question isn't whether the Mets want Wright back.
  • During that same gathering, Alderson also said he expects R.A. Dickey to be with the Mets "long-term," writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. Dickey and Wright have options for 2013 that will be exercised by the club, but Alderson will not wait until the pair hit free agency to negotiate. "It's not our intention to simply rely on those options and go into next season and deal with their free agency after 2013," the GM explained.
  • The Red Sox-Dodgers blockbuster underscores the tough situation that the Mets are currently facing, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman wonders why the Mets never looked at the Dodgers' need at third base and pitch them on Wright plus a bad contract or two in exchange for payroll relief and prospects.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if Brian McCann is playing his way out of a big contract as he struggles to fight through a pair of injuries in his right shoulder.  The Braves hold a $12MM option on McCann for next season, making this winter the ideal time to discuss a new deal.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Orioles Acquire Joe Saunders For Matt Lindstrom

By | at

1:12pm: The player to be named later the Diamondbacks will receive won't be named until after the season and will not be a targeted prospect but a lower-level minor leaguer, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

11:09am: The Orioles have acquired Joe Saunders and cash from the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later.  Saunders cleared trade waivers earlier in the week, making him eligible to be dealt to any club. 

Late last night, we learned that Arizona found a trade partner for the 31-year-old and the O's were said to be the club with the most steady interest in him.  Saunders will be owed roughly $1.5MM, the prorated portion of his $6MM salary, between now and the end of the year. 

The veteran has a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 21 starts for the Diamondbacks this year.  For his career, Saunders owns a 4.17 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in eight big league seasons for the Angels and Diamondbacks.

Lindstrom, 32, has a 2.72 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 34 appearances this year.  The right-hander is earning $3.6MM in 2012 (roughly $748K remaining) with a $4MM club option for next season.  Lindstrom's option can be bought out for just $200K.  The deal marks the fifth time that Lindstrom has been traded in the last six years.

The O's also announced that Jake Arrieta has been called up from Triple-A.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) first reported that the Orioles acquired Saunders.  Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) added details.

Mets Place Scott Hairston, Andres Torres On Waivers

By | at

The Mets have placed Scott Hairston and Andres Torres on waivers, a major league source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  The Mets have said that they want to be competitive in the month of September but may be willing to part with Hairston as they sit with a 58-69 record heading into this afternoon's game against the Astros.

The club has yet to have contract extension talks with Hairston, though he recently indicated that he would be open to the discussion.  The 32-year-old has a slash line of .272/.312/.512 with 14 homers in 104 games this season for the Mets.

On the other hand, Torres has been viewed as a possible non-tender candidate for 2013.  The centerfielder is earning $2.7MM this season and would see something in the neighborhood of $3MM in arbitration this winter.  For the Mets, it wouldn't make a great deal of sense to dole out such a deal for a fourth outfielder.

Red Sox Notes: Beckett, Gonzalez, Cherington

By | at

Here's a look at the latest out of Boston as everyone continues to digest yesterday's big story..

  • The Red Sox absolutely had to make the deal, but they'll now be charged with the task of finding an outfielder, a starting pitcher, and maybe a first baseman and shortstop, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Meanwhile, the Dodgers will have to hope that Carl Crawford is rejuvenated by the laid back environment of Southern California once he comes back from Tommy John surgery.
  • Josh Beckett, who found himself as a lightning rod for criticism in Boston, said that it was time to move on from the BoSox, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  Adrian Gonzalez expressed some "regret" about decisions made during his time in Boston, which Miller took to be a reference to the meeting that was called to discuss manager Bobby Valentine.
  • At the press conference to formally announce the trade, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington explained that the club will continue to spend, but will do so with fiscal responsibility, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.  "We're not limited in what we'll be able to explore," he said. "At the same time we need to be smart about it. We need to build a team and not be focused on one transaction or the other."
  • Despite the trade, Cherington insists that 2013 will not be a "bridge year" and that the club will still look to contend, writes Tim Britton of The Providence Journal.

Yankees Nearing Deal For Steve Pearce

By | at

The Yankees are nearing a deal that would send Steve Pearce from Houston to New York, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Pearce, who played for the Yankees' Triple-A team earlier this year, would provide New York with a right-handed bat for the final month of the season.

This post was first published on August 27th, 2012.

D’Backs May Have Trade Partner For Joe Saunders

By | at

SUNDAY, 8:34am: The Orioles have shown the most steady interest in Saunders and have been in the mix for him in recent days, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  However, the O's have not been confirmed as the landing spot for the pitcher.

SATURDAY, 10:46pm: The Diamondbacks appear to have found a trade partner for Joe Saunders, reports Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The left-hander may be scratched from Sunday's start. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic mentions (on Twitter) that the Orioles have been speculated as a possible fit for a while.

Saunders, 31, cleared trade waivers earlier this week and can be dealt to any team. He'll earn $6MM this year — approximately $1.5MM between now and the end of the season — and he will hit free agency this fall. He has posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 130 innings over the course of 21 starts with Arizona in 2012.

With Wade Miley, Ian Kennedy, and Trevor Cahill fronting the rotation plus youngsters like Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin, and Trevor Bauer breaking into the big leagues this summer, the D'Backs appear to have enough starting pitching to move Saunders without hurting their chances of contending.

Quick Hits: Giants, Ross, Rangers, Morneau, Royals

By | at

One of the largest trades in baseball history was made official on Saturday, but here's a look at what else is going on in baseball…

  • The Giants' search for an outfielder is going "nowhere fast," reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have waiver priority and can block deals, though San Francisco likes having Gregor Blanco's defense in left for their fly ball pitching staff.
  • Following their recent major move, the Red Sox want to keep Cody Ross according to Rosenthal (on Twitter). Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston says that Ross knows this and an extension could happen before the end of the season (Twitter links). Talks have not yet begun, however.
  • The Rangers have claimed a number of players this month, including Justin Upton according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The club is looking for a number of ways to improve prior to August 31st.
  • Before moving on to Adrian Gonzalez, the Dodgers made another attempt to acquire Justin Morneau last week according to Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times. They tried to land the Twins' slugger prior to the trade deadline as well.
  • There is mutual interest between the Marlins and Carlos Lee about a return next season, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Earlier this month we heard that Lee wanted to return to Miami, but the club's intentions were unclear.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore told Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star that the team's focus this offseason will be the pitching staff, including an attempt to re-sign Jeremy Guthrie.
  • Jonny Gomes told Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he would like to return to the Athletics next season. The 31-year-old is hitting .248/.360/.478 with 15 homers in 267 plate appearances this year.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top