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Olney’s Latest: Willingham, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins

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Buster Olney continues to share hot stove notes via Twitter and his Insider-only ESPN.com blog, so let's dive right into his latest updates:

  • Josh Willingham is being eyed by the Pirates, who have been in touch with the Athletics about the outfielder (Twitter link).
  • The Rangers are considered favorites to land either Heath Bell or Mike Adams (Twitter link). Rival executives believe that now is the time for the Padres to move Adams, whose trade value will probably never be higher, considering his age and injury history.
  • The Red Sox will likely give Josh Reddick and the rest of their outfield about a week to ten days before deciding whether to pursue another bat.
  • Olney speculates that the Giants could be a fit for B.J. Upton, as the Rays continue to "weigh interest" in the 26-year-old.
  • Now just six games out of first place, the Twins are telling teams they're not interested in dumping players like Michael Cuddyer.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Beltran, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees

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Earlier today it was the Full Count video, and now Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has some more notes in a separate video…

  • Carlos Beltran doesn't figure to be with the Mets much longer, especially since the team is willing to pick up the majority of the $6MM or so left on his contract. The Giants, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox, and Phillies all have interest.
  • The Phillies prefer Mike Adams to Heath Bell because they'd have him under team control as an arbitration-eligible player next season. They're concerned they may lose Ryan Madson as a free agent this winter.
  • The Red Sox keep saying they don't need starting pitching, but that could change before the deadline. Hiroki Kuroda is one possible target. 
  • The Yankees continue to look for starting pitching, especially after Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia got knocked around in their first starts after the All-Star break. Ubaldo Jimenez is out there, and the Rockies will at very least dangle him just to see if someone overwhelms them with an offer.

Phillies Have Interest In Heath Bell & Mike Adams

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The Phillies are looking to shore up their bullpen before the trade deadline, and a source tells Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that the team is interested in Padres relievers Heath Bell and Mike Adams. Nothing appears imminent, however.

Philadelphia just welcomed Ryan Madson back from the disabled list, but there's a chance Jose Contreras will miss the rest of the season. Reports from Brad Lidge's most recent rehab outing was not encouraging either; he hit two batters, threw three wild pitches, and topped out at 89 mph in 2/3 of an inning on Thursday night. Mike Stutes (3.45 ERA in 31 1/3 IP) and Antonio Bastardo (0.79 ERA in 34 IP) have stepped up in the late innings through all the injuries.

Although Bell and Adams are their two most attractive pieces, the Padres also have Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson to trade. Salisbury reiterates that the Phillies are also looking for a right-handed outfield bat despite John Mayberry Jr.'s recent hot streak, and San Diego has Ryan Ludwick to offer. For all the latest on late-game bullpens with a fantasy twist, check out Closer News.

Heath Bell Talks Trade Possibilities

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Padres closer Heath Bell appears to be keeping tabs on his own market, telling Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times he views the Angels, Yankees, Cardinals, Rangers, and Phillies as potential suitors (Twitter link). 

Bell discussed the trade possibility at length with MLB.com's Matthew Leach and other reporters today at the All-Star game media session, saying he's willing to set up for the rest of the year if a team acquires him for that role.  Of course, he doesn't really have any say in the matter; if a team wants him to play shortstop he'll have to do that to collect his paycheck.  Bell does not seem to have a league preference.  As you might expect, Bell will want a closing job when he signs a contract as a free agent.

An NL executive spoke to Tom Krasovic about Bell's trade value, wondering if Padres setup man Mike Adams is valued more.  As far as fantasy baseball trade value, Dan Mennella at CloserNews wonders if it's time to try flipping Bell.

Cafardo’s Latest: Bell, Kazmir, Kendall, Aramis

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Heath Bell's name has been near the top of this season's list of trade candidates for months, and in this week's Sunday Baseball Notes, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe adds a new potential suitor to the mix. According to Cafardo's source, the Rays are interested in the Padres' closer, but will have to determine over the next couple weeks whether they have "enough firepower" to go all out to catch the Red Sox and Yankees. Here are a few other highlights from Cafardo:

  • The Yankees, Rangers, Diamondbacks, and Phillies are a few other teams monitoring Bell.
  • While there hasn't been a whole lot of interest in Scott Kazmir, the Padres and Rangers have "taken a look."
  • Jason Kendall, who hasn't played this year as he recovers from shoulder surgery, has re-torn two rotator cuff tendons. Kendall will undergo additional surgery, possibly ending his career. Royals manager Ned Yost on the procedure: "That takes him out of the picture for this year and out of the picture for next year…. I think it’s more a quality-of-life surgery so he can have function in his shoulder."
  • The Angels appear to be the team most interested in Aramis Ramirez, though Cafardo names the Mariners, Giants, Braves, and D'Backs as other clubs who could look into the Cubs' third baseman. Of course, Ramirez's agent said earlier this week that his client likely won't waive his no-trade clause, so inquires may be futile.

Olney’s Latest: Choate, Bell, Isringhausen, K-Rod

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In today's Insider-only blog post, ESPN's Buster Olney notes that while the market for right-handed relief pitching is bountiful, the market for lefties is pretty thin. The Nationals will talk about Sean Burnett but the Cubs will not discuss Sean Marshall, though one southpaw to keep an eye on is Randy Choate. Olney says the Yankees have already asked the Marlins about his availability.

Here are the rest of Buster's rumors…

  • The Padres are unlikely to trade Heath Bell to the Diamondbacks even though the latter would love to have him. Padres owner Jeff Moorad used to run the D'Backs.
  • "The key guys this time of year really aren't the general managers," said one GM. "The owners are the key guys. Because they'll decide whether to add payroll, and when to raise the white flag on the season."
  • Jason Isringhausen of the Mets is "destined to draw a whole lot interest" because he's cheap and experienced. A handful of GMs feel that a Francisco Rodriguez trade is "all but impossible" because of his vesting option.
  • Teams have received their preliminary 2012 schedule, and the chances of realignment dwindle with each passing day.
  • Labor negotiations are progressing as scheduled, though recent buzz that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement could be announced at the All-Star Game has been dismissed.

Cardinals Continue To Search For Pitching

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The Cardinals signed Blaine Boyer and Ron Mahay to minor league deals this week, but GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he is still looking for pitching. Mozeliak says the Cardinals are in a position to make a move and could target starters or relievers.

St. Louis appears to have interest in Heath Bell, but there are indications that the Cardinals are unlikely to meet the Padres’ current asking price for their closer, according to Goold. Depending on what the Cardinals are getting and who they’re giving up, they could have payroll flexibility, but at this point, “that's a tough question to answer,” according to Mozeliak.

Davidoff On Twins, Indians, Reyes, Rays

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Since few teams have been completely eliminated from contention, the trade market is developing slowly, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. As of today, the top commodity available is relief pitching and there’s lots of interest in that department. Here are the rest of Davidoff’s notes on the trade market:

  • Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson are available. 
  • The Mets believe they can keep their fans interested even if they trade Rodriguez.
  • The Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers are among the teams that are heavily in the mix for relievers.
  • It appears extremely unlikely that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes, but his top suitors would likely include the Reds, Indians, Giants and Mariners, four teams that have poked around for infield help, according to Davidoff. It’s even possible that the Red Sox would pursue Reyes if he became available.
  • The Orioles aren’t quite ready to shop Koji Uehara and the Twins aren’t quite ready to shop Matt Capps. In fact, the Twins aren’t going to sell until they’re sure they’re out of contention.
  • The Yankees are focused on finding a lefty reliever, a commodity the Red Sox and Tigers would also like to acquire.
  • Though no frontline starters appear to be available, the Yankees are looking to acquire a top starter. Cleveland and Detroit are also looking for rotation help.
  • The Mariners are looking for an outfielder and the Phillies are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
  • One official says the Rays are “buying and selling.” Johnny Damon could be had in the right deal, according to Davidoff.

Brewers Among Clubs With Interest In Padres’ Arms

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The Brewers are among the teams that have contacted the Padres about their relievers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Cardinals have also contacted San Diego about possible trades for relievers.

Though the Padres haven’t begun exchanging offers for players like Heath Bell and Mike Adams, discussions will likely intensify at the All-Star Break. The Yankees will likely pursue relievers aggressively, but Adams will only be available for an “extraordinary” offer, according to Rosenthal and Morosi. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last week that the Yankees prefer Adams, who is a free agent after 2012, to Bell, who hits the open market this offseason.

Olney On Dodgers, Cardinals, Bell, Kazmir

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The Dodgers are playing hard and preparing diligently for every game, but you'd have to be blind to not see the cloud that hangs over the team on a daily basis, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney.  Because of the club's situation, the team knows that there probably won't be help coming in before the trade deadline.  They've also seen their farm system dry up and their club is no longer a top destination for big-time free agents.   Regardless of who the owner is of the team this time next year, they'll likely need years to repair the damage that has been done.  Here's more from Olney..

  • The Padres are scouting the farm systems of several clubs as the deadline approaches, and the Cardinals are among those clubs.  All along, St. Louis has been a natural fit for Heath Bell or one of the other San Diego relievers.  On Thursday, Olney reported that San Diego has told teams that they're ready to take offers on Bell and Mike Adams.
  • Pitcher Scott Kazmir is expected to pick his next team sometime in the next ten days.  The veteran has met with the Rangers and other clubs are in the mix, such as the Padres.  Kazmir worked out for Texas last week and was healthy for the workout.
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