There were plenty of scouts on hand for the Phillies’ matchup tonight, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (links to Twitter). Among the players presumably being eyed were starter Cliff Lee, fresh off a lengthy DL stint, and southpaw reliever Antonio Bastardo. Clubs with representatives on-hand included the Tigers, Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers, Angels, Royals, Giants, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Pirates, and Mariners, though Crasnick adds that all were not necessarily looking at Lee in particular. The return start for Lee did not go well for the veteran lefty, as he surrendered 12 base hits (11 singles and one long ball) and six earned runs to go with three strikeouts and a walk over 5 2/3 innings.
Here’s more from the game’s eastern divisions:
- The Phillies are telling clubs that starter Cole Hamels is not available, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports on Twitter. Hamels looks to be the best trade piece on the club’s current MLB roster, but Philadelphia may well prefer to keep the 30-year-old as it attempts to avoid a total rebuild.
- The Yankees appear on Lee’s twenty-team no-trade list, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Lee also listed New York on last year’s version of his slate of clubs to which he can decline to be dealt.
- For the Braves, the trade deadline is likely to bring aid to the bullpen and bench, writes MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. A left-handed reliever has long been on the club’s list, and Bowman says that the club might also look to add a bench bat that would improve the team’s anemic pinch-hitting results. As Bowman notes, Jordan Schafer and Ryan Doumit have both largely been ineffective in that role.
- The Rays now seem more likely than ever to take the decision whether to deal David Price right up until the trade deadline, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. “I think they take it down to the wire,” an executive told Sherman. “That allows them to make sure they know who they are while making a couple teams sweat to the end that one of their competitors are going to get him. … It wouldn’t surprise me if Price actually ends up a July 31 decision.”
- Meanwhile, the Orioles are looking at a broad array of options to bolster their club, reports MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli. In particular, the club is looking at both starting and relief arms, and has indicated to at least three clubs that righty Miguel Gonzalez could be moved. One of those teams is the Padres, who of course hold one of the better available starters in Ian Kennedy. A.J. Burnett of the Phillies is also on Baltimore’s radar, as is Jorge De La Rosa of the Rockies, though Ghiroli says that Colorado was asking for top prospect Kevin Gausman to be included. Manager Buck Showalter indicated that executive vice president Dan Duquette remains hesitant to part with the club’s best prospects, and could ultimately take things down to the wire to get the right deal. (That, of course, was the strategy that Baltimore employed in this year’s free agent market, though last year the club started buying somewhat early at the deadline.)
griffey9988
Kevin Gausman for De La Rosa? The O’s already have 6 starters that are equal to or better than DLR. Honestly, I wouldn’t be all that excited if they gave us DLR for free! Either find a way to get an impact starter or stick with the in house rotation options. But Gausman for DLR is a joke.
Seamaholic
Yes, because De La Rosa might be better. Gausman hasn’t shown much at all. TINSTAAPP.
basemonkey
I like De La Rosa a lot esp. in his prime years, but have you seen Gausman pitch? He’s literally the hardest avg thrower in the big leagues. The fastball is a late-diving 96-99 mph. And it’s not like he’s wild at all either. If he harnesses it, he will become De La Rosa at his peak soon.
griffey9988
So you would trade a current 3/4 starter in Gausman with the potential to be a #1 for a guy that “might be better?” That pretty much makes no sense.
Jim Johnson
Would be one of the worst trades of the last few years if the O’s did it.
basemonkey
Agreed.
De la Rosa in his prime may have been arguably worth it, around the time he was in Detroit and looked like Scherzer does today, but ever since his TJ, he’s not the same pitcher anymore. Now he’s a majorleague innings-eater type.
GoFish
Gausman for De La Rosa? Come on….
griffey9988
DLR is not an upgrade over any of our starters.
GoFish
Haha I posted my outrage over that offer at the same time you did..
griffey9988
Lousy teams like the Rockies think they can get premium prospects for mediocrity.
Seamaholic
Lousy teams that are decent for a year or two think they can rip off teams just because. De La Rosa would easily be a 3 or 4 on the Orioles. Look at his numbers at Coors Field. Dude can flat pitch.
basemonkey
No. Not really.
HOF19
Ideally the best fit for my ORIOLES is COLE HAMELS. Why he has only given up 8 HR’S in 114 innings this season (0.6 per 9 innings pitched). And that is pitching in that HR park in PHILLY.
griffey9988
If I could have my pick of available #1 starters I think it would be Sale. But either way you have to give up a ton to get one.
Quipex
I’d trade Bundy for Sale. Sale is a winner at the ML level. Cy Young potential. Bundy ought to be good, but the same has been said about many other highly touted minor league pitchers who never put it all together at the major league level.
griffey9988
1-2 years ago the White Sox might make that trade. I think at this point, because Bundy had TJ surgery and is still working back to previous form, it would take more to get Sale. But yes I would do that if I’m the Orioles. Bundy has a chance to be special though.
SiladelphiaSillies
Wonder why D-backs and Rangers scouts were in Philly. Brown maybe?
flyerzfan12
Dom Brown? Please take him. I can live with his struggles at the plate, I cannot live with his tee ball-like fielding instincts.
dwarfstar
Why would anyone want Brown and his struggles. Looking at Bastardo, Byrd, and Revere we need bullpen help and we will have to replace Rios on the cheap during the August deadline.
SiladelphiaSillies
Oh. That makes sense. Just didn’t think it would make sense for Rangers or Arizona to buy. You can take Revere for a few Wawa coupons, though.
start_wearing_purple
If I recall correctly, Lee’s no trade list from last year was a list of the 20 teams most likely to contend and able to pick up Lee’s contract. My guess is if a team like the yanks really wants Lee then some independent deal will have to be reached regarding his option year.
Stratocaster
Right. Usually no-trade lists are intended to create leverage for the player. The Yankees and other large market teams are probably on many of these lists. This is how deals are re-structured to maximize $$, options get guaranteed, etc.
MonsterFace
re: Hamels–if it’s just a ploy, it’s cheap and transparent; if it’s sincere, it’s just plain dumb. RAJ wants to rebuild around a 30-year-old pitcher while trading what else of real value on his roster that’s going to net him genuine rebuilding blocks?
flyerzfan12
Nothing would surprise me with RAJ. He thinks he knows what the fans want but he truly doesn’t have a clue.
Quipex
None of the pitchers the Orioles are supposedly interested in would make the team any better. Asking for Gausman for DLR is laughable. Hysterical, even. Please DD, stay away from Burnett!!!
HOF19
I have been jumped on in my family for saying this (have family in Baltimore) But on my “trade table” I have CHRIS DAVIS.So who could I get for BUNDY and DAVIS.Dare I say PRICE ?
Jim Johnson
Why would the Rays want Davis?
HOF19
Actually my concern is would anybody want DAVIS?
orangeoctober
Yeah, they could definitely find suitors for Davis. The problem is, why the hell would you trade him now? They would be selling very very low.
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
Gausman needs to be an Oriole
He needs to stay in the Majors.
Sending him back and forth to AAA is no good!
Plus, I am not interested in De La Rosa.
If the O’s do anything, they need to pick up guys like ALP or Ian Stewart
dwarfstar
I agree with the Gausman and De LaRosa idea, but In Stewart as a pickup what are you thinking, he is a career .229 hitter only hit .201 in 2012 did not play in 2013 and is only hitting .176 this year.. Yes he can catch but is primarily a 3b which is something you do not need that is why he was dfa!!!
Lefty_Orioles_Fan
He can play some 2nd base.
I was thinking as a utility guy.
Plus, heaven forbid Machado gets hurt again, the O’s don’t really have a good solution there.
orangeoctober
I’d rather them get Ian Kennedy if they’re going to pick up any SP. I don’t think De La Rosa would be much better than anything they have now. Maybe as a LOOGY out of the bullpen. And yeah, Gausman needs to stay in the Orioles rotation. Emphasis on Orioles. I think Buck said he was here to stay in the second half and had no innings limit.
Ron Loreski
Stolmy Pimentel, Nick Kingham, Andrew Lambo, Harold Ramirez, and a PTBNL for Cliff Lee and AJ Burnett. Get it done 🙂
onepercenter
Lee is not being moved for nothing. He just needs a couple starts to get his legs back under him.
dwarfstar
That’s not enough to get Cliff Lee let alone both Lee and Burnett!!
Mikenmn
Sounds to me like the bell is tolling-stay away from Cliff Lee right now. Maybe it was just a bad outing and he didn’t have a feel for his pitches. Maybe he wasn’t quite ready, but felt pressure to go out and pitch. And maybe he’s a 35 year old coming off elbow problems with an extremely large contract and the leverage (with his large no-trade list) to get even more money.
randyfastman
it’s not like the Giants were hitting seeds all over the field last night… yes he allowed 12 hits, but 11 were singles and more than half of them were not hit hard…. not a good outing by any means but not a cause for great worry given it was basically like a first start of the year…. if it happens again this weekend, then the worry can start to creep in.
DempseyK
Mark Bowman confuses me…he says that Schaffer and Doumit have been very poor pinch hitter off the bench, yet Doumit is close to the top of the league in pinch hits this season (close to double digits) Does he think that the Braves need to acquire a couple .300 hitters to ride the pine and pinch hit? Many teams would love to have a switch hitting C/1B/OF with plus power, solid contact, and average plate discipline coming off the bench. I know he isnt a very good fielder, but that bat still plays.
dwarfstar
As a p/h this year he 9/42 .214 with 2 2b and a HR. For the year he is20/96 .208 with 2 2b and 3 HR neither one one of those is very good. Jordan Schafer is even worse as p/h this year he is 4/23 .174 with 1 2b and for the year he is 12/71 .169 with 4 2b.
onepercenter
This is like spring training for Lee right now. As long as he is healthy he will be fine. He didn’t forget how to pitch. The important thing is he looked healthy and went 6 innings. He has outings like this even when he is healthy when he is off just a little. If the Phillies can’t get a teama top position player prospect they would be wise to wait until August or off season to move him. He will get it going again.
orangeoctober
Yeah, it wouldn’t have been as bad if not for the 3 run 6th inning. I’d be surprised if Lee didn’t at least get back to where he was earlier in the season.
onepercenter
I still think Hamels to the Dodgers makes sense. LA is all in right now and has to win a title with all the money they are spending. Becket, Billingsly and Haren are free agents after the season. They would have Kershaw, Greinke and Hamels at the top. The Phillies need young talented position players to build around and Joc Pederson would be a good start to team up with Maikel Franco and JP Crawford.
dwarfstar
That sounds like a really good starting point, going to take more than that to get Cole Hamels.
onepercenter
I agree but LA has the prospects to get it done.
dwarfstar
I agree with that that is why I said a good starting point will probably take Joc Pederson, plus there #12, #15, #18 prospects about 10mm in cash and a Turner like mlb player to get it done!!
DetroitTigers
I’m a tigers fan who thinks this is smart?
jonathon papelbon, antonio bastardo, jimmy rollins FOR
Austin Jackson, Joe nathan, draft picks, one or two prospects
Opinions??
pgh412
You can’t trade draft picks. Unless you’re talking about the comp. balance picks, but I’m not sure the Tigers are in the lottery for them.
DetroitTigers
Hmm I thought you could trade the draft picks. I must have thought a different sport then. True they really wont be up there in draft picks but at ;east it would be something for the phillies who are really looking for new players.
cgriffith
Who plays center field? Do you know Austin Jackson is the hottest hitter on the Tigers team right now? Rollins also has a no trade clause I don’t think he waves it to be a Tiger. Another DD said there not trading Nathan – in fact that he is still the closer according to Brad Ausmus:
July numbers for Jackson: .360/.402/.560
DetroitTigers
Davis plays centerfield. Did you know that hot or not he doesn’t come through in clutch spots? He was batting under 200 last month i believe. His batting average away is .213! Unacceptable! He is either hot or cold. Not consistent. Davis in center, hunter in right, and Castellonas goes to left.
DetroitTigers
Jackson. Gone. Hehe
cgriffith
He gave us 7 solid years; I like the deal but really (hehe?)
orangeoctober
Gausman for De La Rosa? lol
roxfan41
As a Rockies fan, our front office is a joke…