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Stark’s Latest: Lester, Miller, Byrd, Kemp, Danks, Rios

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With roughly three days until the non-waiver trade deadline, here are some highlights from the latest Rumblings & Grumblings column by ESPN’s Jayson Stark…

  • The Red Sox have contacted every contending team in each league and told them that Jon Lester is available for a two- to three-prospect package fronted by at least one upper-echelon prospect. One executive, however, tells Stark that the Sox simply can’t get as much as the Rays would get if they moved David Price, which isn’t surprising, given Lester’s impending free agency and the remaining year of control that Price has.
  • Lester isn’t the only player being shopped — Boston has firmly planted a “for sale” sign in the ground, and they’re willing to move any impending free agents with the exception of Koji Uehara, whom they hope to re-sign. They’re peddling Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes and Craig Breslow. The price for Miller is also exorbitant at this time, however, as officials from two interested clubs tell Stark that Boston has asked for one of the top prospects plus a lesser prospect.
  • The Giants have asked the Phillies about Marlon Byrd, but their main priority is second base. The Reds are reassessing their stance after losing eight of nine games, and the Royals have backed off of Byrd. The Mariners appears to be the most logical option, but Byrd still wants his $8MM 2016 vesting option guaranteed to approve a trade there.
  • Byrd tells Stark that he’d have to think long and hard if GM Ruben Amaro Jr. came to him and asked him to approve a trade to a team on his no-trade clause. While his hope was to retire a Phillie, he  appreciates how aggressive Amaro was in signing him. “[Ruben] made it easy for me this offseason,” he said. Still, given the odds that he’d want some form of perk to approve a trade, it’s no longer certain that he gets dealt.
  • While the Red Sox and Mariners have been connected to Matt Kemp, officials from other clubs tell Stark they feel an offseason trade is much more likely than an in-season deal.
  • The White Sox have had scouts watching the Yankees’ surplus of minor league catchers in recent weeks, fueling speculation that the Yanks would like to acquire John Danks.
  • Some officials believe the Yankees would like to find a right-handed hitting platoon partner to pair with Ichiro in Suzuki in right field. New York wants an option that doesn’t have commitments beyond 2014, making names like Justin Ruggiano of the Cubs and Chris Denorfia of the Padres as possible targets. Earlier today it was reported that Denorfia could be moved soon.
  • The Royals have decided that Alex Rios isn’t a good fit for their right field need. Because the team is unable to take on much additional salary (if any), they could wait until August to add a bat.
  • While Troy Tulowitzki’s name has had a lot of buzz around it, club officials from interested teams tell Stark there’s no indication he is available. Rather, the Rockies are open to moving bullpen arms Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers, LaTroy Hawkins and Matt Belisle. However, the team would only move Hawkins if they’re overwhelmed. That seems a bit odd, given his age, but Hawkins does have a cheap club option and has drawn praise in Denver for his mentoring of younger talent.
  • The D’Backs are telling clubs that they’d move Addison Reed, but they don’t want to move Brad Ziegler. Arizona is also willing to move Aaron Hill and Oliver Perez. They’ll listen on Martin Prado and Josh Collmenter, although they’re more hesitant to deal them.
  • The chances of Cliff Lee being traded before August are almost nonexistent. Scouts who have seen him don’t think he looks close to healthy, and the money he’s owed is of course problematic.

Red Sox Notes: Lester, Gomes, Pirates, Henry, Carp

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Here’s the latest out of Fenway:

  • Boston has fielded interest in Jon Lester from the Dodgers, reports Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The sides have not made much headway, however. Los Angeles has long been said to be chasing another starter, and appear to have the kind of top-end prospects that would greatly entice the Sox (if they are willing to part with them).
  • The Royals have watched outfielder Jonny Gomes all week as they look for a right-handed hitting corner outfield bat, says Edes. Meanwhile, as Edes reports in another piece, the Pirates are among the clubs taking a close look at the Boston pen. As he notes, and as our trade market pieces (righties; lefties) reflect, Boston has many potentially available arms.
  • The Red Sox are taking a pragmatic approach at the deadline, principal owner John Henry tells Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. “Deals are always driven by value,” said Henry. “The value of this season is quickly declining in comparison to next year and beyond.” Henry said that the club’s poor offense has been “painfully evident,” noting that, “even running the bases, as measured by external stat geeks, we’ve been the worst in the league.” Though GM Ben Cherington advised Henry before the All-Star break that the club was still likely the best in the division, in spite of its poor record, the front office began preparing then for the possibility of hitting the trade deadline without a realistic shot at contention.
  • Mike Carp explained (and confirmed) his reported request for a trade, as WEEI.com’s Alex Speier reports. Though his batting line has been poor, his playing time has also been rather sporadic. “It hasn’t been a shocker. I’ve been very blatant where I stand from the get-go about it,” Carp explained. “I need the opportunity to play. I need the opportunity to get some at-bats. There really hasn’t been an attempt made here and I just feel like there would be a better situation at this point.”
  • In assessing whether to deal Lester, the Red Sox should take heed of the Yankees’ decision not to trade Robinson Cano last year, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The situations bear many similarities, Sherman, explains, and it would be a mistake for Boston to let one of its homegrown core players leave with only a compensatory draft pick to show for it. Lester’s could bring back quite a nice haul, leading Sherman to suggest the club ought to deal him unless it is determined to re-sign or extend him. In a similar vein, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opined yesterday that dealing Lester makes eminent sense if the team is not committed to bringing him back.
  • Trading Lester, I would suggest, could make it somewhat more palatable to later sign him to a market-rate contract. If he could bring back a legitimate prospect haul that has some promise of near-term big league impact, it would not only increase the value of paying for a top-end arm but would offset to some extent the expected negative value of the later years of a hypothetical Lester contract. In some ways, that could be the best scenario for all involved, and Lester has said he is amenable to re-signing if he is dealt. It is certainly true that such an option sometimes appears more achievable than it may truly be, and anything can happen once a team moves a player off its roster. But perhaps that is something to keep an eye on in Lester’s case.

Red Sox Becoming Increasingly Willing To Deal

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The Red Sox are becoming increasingly likely to consider other trades, ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes reports. The big factor in the Red Sox’ willingness to deal is not the recent trade of Jake Peavy to the Giants, which was likely regardless, but rather the team’s recent slide. The Red Sox have lost four in a row and are now 10 1/2 games back in the AL East.

The Dodgers have touched base with the Red Sox regarding Jon Lester, Edes writes, although those talks have not yet gone very far. Also, the Royals are keeping their eyes on outfielder Jonny Gomes. Left-handed reliever Andrew Miller has also attracted plenty of interested teams. He’s due to become a free agent this offseason, but the Red Sox have not had discussions with him about an extension.

Stark’s Latest: Howard, Peavy, Reds, Red Sox, Rollins, Murphy

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Jayson Stark of ESPN.com spent an hour chatting with readers about the trade deadline. Here are some highlights from his session…

  • The Phillies have offered Ryan Howard to any American League club they think could theoretically use him and received no takers. GM Ruben Amaro has even offered to pay the vast majority of Howard’s deal while asking for little in return, but to no avail.
  • The possibility of Jake Peavy heading to the Cardinals is still very much alive, Stark hears. The Red Sox just sent their top scouts to watch St. Louis’  short-season Class A club, which would fit with previous reports that Boston likes outfield prospect Rowan Wick (though he has since moved up to the Midwest League).
  • Despite a six-game losing streak, the Reds are still buying, and their preference is to add a bat that they can control beyond this season. As such, Marlon Byrd and Ben Zobrist both are targets, though it’s far from a guarantee that the Rays will sell.
  • Stark says he’s “barely heard [Stephen] Drew’s name” on the trade market due to how poorly the shortstop has played since signing. If the Red Sox sell, he notes, the team will trade some combination of Peavy, Andrew Miller, Jonny Gomes and Junichi Tazawa. The addition of Tazawa’s name is a new wrinkle in the trade market. The 28-year-old has been dominant for the Sox and is controlled through 2016 via arbitration. One would think he could fetch a very nice return, given his 2.52 ERA (2.66 FIP), 9.4 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9.
  • The Giants “really want a starter,” but Stark can’t see them seriously pursuing David Price. He does note that GM Brian Sabean usually ends up getting what he’s looking for at this time of the year. San Francisco has also shown some interest in Jimmy Rollins, but the chances are very low due to the former MVP’s 10-and-5 rights, his contract and the fact that Brandon Crawford would have to slide over to second base. (Alternatively, Rollins could simply play second, given Crawford’s defensive prowess.)
  • While most reports out of New York indicate that the Mets don’t want to trade Daniel Murphy, Stark hears that they’d “definitely” move him if they received enough quality in return. I’d imagine the asking price on Murphy to be very high, given Alderson’s reluctance to sell off assets that are under control beyond the current season.

Royals Interested In Jonny Gomes

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Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes is on the Royals’ list of targets as the team continues its search for a right-handed bat, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports (Twitter link).  Kansas City has been rumored to be looking for outfield and bench depth in the wake of Nori Aoki’s struggles as the everyday right fielder.

Gomes has primarily played in left field throughout this career, though with Alex Gordon filling that role in K.C., Gomes would slot into right as the right-handed hitting side of a platoon with lefty bats Aoki and Raul Ibanez.  Gomes would certainly provide the Royals with pop from the right side of the plate — the veteran has an .832 OPS in 119 PA against left-handed pitching this season, which is actually down from his very impressive .279/.379/.496 career slash line against southpaws.

While there has been some speculation about how much (if any) Royals GM Dayton Moore would be able to add to the payroll for trade deadline additions, Gomes comes at a fairly cheap price, with roughly $2.08MM remaining on his 2014 salary.  The 33-year-old is in the final year of the two-year, $10MM contract he signed with Boston in November 2012.  That expiring contract makes him an expendable piece for the Sox if they decide to become notable sellers before the deadline, despite Gomes’ popularity in the Sox clubhouse and his big role in last year’s World Series championship team (though Boston could also re-sign Gomes as a free agent this winter).

AL East Notes: Rays, Kelley, Drew, Gomes, Sox

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Facing the possibility of losing Matt Moore to Tommy John surgery, Rays manager Joe Maddon offered his take on the recent rash of Tommy John surgeries in the game. Via the Associated Press:

"Sometimes you have to look underneath the surface and I tend to agree it has a lot to do with youth sports and travel teams and multiple travel teams and kids pitching to win when they're really young and throwing too many pitches. I think the more recent epidemic curiously might be tied to what they're doing before they even get here professionally."

Of course, Moore's injury is not the only injury facing the Rays' rotation, either. Jeremy Hellickson opened the season on the disabled list, and Alex Cobb is now out as long as six weeks after being placed on the DL with an oblique strain yesterday, writes Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. Here's more from the AL East…

  • The Mariners' decision to designate Shawn Kelley for assignment last Spring Training rather than pay him $935K has proven to be the Yankees' gain, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News. Kelley was a vital part of the bullpen in 2013 and has stepped up for the injured David Robertson in 2014 thus far. Kelley's strong 2013 season is part of the reason that the Yanks didn't add a right-handed setup arm this offseason, writes Harper, as they believed the two-time Tommy John victim to be capable of handling the role of Robertson's primary setup man.
  • Harper also looks at the predictably injury-riddled Yankees infield and opines that it's time for the team to call Scott Boras to get a deal done with Stephen Drew. As Harper points out, the Yankees ran out an infield of Kelly Johnson, Dean Anna, Yangervis Solarte and Carlos Beltran last night, and patchwork mixes like that simply won't cut it. He suggests a two-year deal for Drew, to play second base and provide insurance for Jeter this season before taking the reins at shortstop in 2015.
  • While much is made of Jon Lester's coming free agency by the Boston media, the Boston Herald's John Tomase writes that Jonny Gomes is also in the final year of his deal, and he spoke with the part-time Red Sox outfielder about that scenario. Gomes admits that it's difficult to play in a walk year due to the results-oriented nature of the game, adding that he knows being a good clubhouse presence won't necessarily get him a job next year. Tomase writes that ideally, Gomes' preference is to stay in Boston.
  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier writes that Red Sox manager John Farrell isn't exactly thrilled with the early returns on baseball's instant replay system. "It's hard to have any faith in the system," said Farrell after being on the losing end of a pair of challenges this weekend. Saturday's call, in particular, looked to provide conclusive evidence in Boston's favor, but the umpires didn't agree. Said Farrell: "As much as they’re trying to help the human element inside this system, it seems like it’s added the human element at a different level."

AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Ellsbury

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The Yankees will now be partners in a new Major League Soccer franchise, as announced on MLB.com. "We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York — and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy," stated Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner.  This isn't the Bombers' first foray into the world of soccer as they had a marketing partnership with Manchester United during their "YankeeNets" phase.  Here's a look at tonight's other news from the American League East..

  • Ben Francisco's days with the Yankees may be coming to an end, opines Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog. The 31-year-old outfielder has struggled to provide an impact in New York, hitting for just a .114/220/.182 line in 50 plate appearances so far this season.  
  • Jacoby Ellsbury has not played as the Red Sox would have hoped in his contract year, notes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Lauber compares Ellsbury to Red Sox teammates Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino, as both performed below expectations during their final seasons before hitting free agency.  Ellsbury is off to a .241/.303/.335 start in a league-leading 208 PA.  
  • Lauber also discusses how the two-year, $10MM deal Jonny Gomes signed with the Red Sox has affected the outfielder.  While Gomes has gotten off to a slow start in 2013, Lauber argues that the security of a multiyear deal has helped the 32-year-old focus on providing leadership to younger Red Sox players.  

AL East Notes: Hale, Swisher, Kuroda, Orioles

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It was on this day in 1977 that Rich "Goose" Gossage signed a six-year, $2.75MM free agent contract with the Yankees.  The Goose lived up to that then-exorbitant deal, posting a 2.10 ERA and saving 150 games over those six seasons, notching three top-five finishes in Cy Young Award voting and helping New York win the 1978 World Series.  Gossage went into the Hall Of Fame as a Yankee in 2008.

Here's the latest from New York and elsewhere in the AL East…

  • DeMarlo Hale is "likely" going to be the Blue Jays' next bench coach, a source tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link).  Hale served as the Orioles' third base coach in 2012 and was interviewed as a managerial candidate by the Jays two years ago before Toronto hired John Farrell.  Hale's contract may be for three years, reports MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko.
  • The Red Sox have Nick Swisher "on their radar," a source tells George A. King III of the New York Post.  At least seven teams are known to be interested in Swisher, whose ability to switch-hit and play both first base and right field is a boon to many clubs.  King hears from an industry source who believes Swisher could find a four-year, $60MM contract, though with that many teams and big markets in the running, it wouldn't surprise me to see that number jump to between $65-$70MM in guaranteed money.
  • Other teams were offering Hiroki Kuroda more expensive and longer-term deals with player options than the one-year, $15MM contract he signed with the Yankees, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York.  Kuroda took the relatively smaller deal with New York due to his familiarity with the city and his desire to keep his options open next winter for a possible return to Japan.  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) notes that Kuroda has left money on the table for each of the four contracts he's signed in his Major League career.    
  • The Orioles were interested in Jonny Gomes but are "not too heartbroken" that Gomes has signed with Boston, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's prefer to use the money earmarked for Gomes to re-sign Nate McLouth instead.
  • In AL East news from earlier today, Josh Johnson's agent Matt Sosnick discussed the possibility of his client signing an extension with the Blue Jays.

Red Sox To Sign Jonny Gomes

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7:21pm: It's a two-year contract worth $10MM according to Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle. She says it's about double what the Athletics offered Gomes in September.

4:18pm: The Red Sox agreed to a two-year contract with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio reports (on Twitter). MVP Sports Group represents Gomes, whose deal is pending a physical.

Gomes, 31, spent this past season with the Athletics as a corner outfielder and designated hitter. He posted a .262/.377/.491 batting line with 18 home runs and 44 walks in 333 plate appearances. Gomes, a career .284/.382/.512 hitter against left-handed pitching, continued hitting southpaws well in 2012. He posted a .974 OPS against lefties and hit 11 homers.

The Orioles had also been linked to Gomes, who was not ranked among MLBTR's top 50 free agents.

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald first reported that the sides were nearing a deal. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com first reported that the sides were building momentum and had discussed a two-year deal.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Red Sox, Jonny Gomes Nearing Two-Year Deal

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2:10pm: The Orioles are out on Gomes, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says (on Twitter) that the outfielder is looking for $3-4MM annually.

12:23pm: The Red Sox are closing in on a two-year contract with free agent outfielder Jonny Gomes, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. MVP Sports Group represents Gomes.

The Red Sox narrowed their search for outfielders to focus on Gomes and Cody Ross in recent days, Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reported earlier today. McAdam first reported that the Red Sox had discussed a two-year deal with Gomes.

Gomes, 31, spent this past season with the Athletics as a corner outfielder and designated hitter. He posted a .262/.377/.491 batting line with 18 home runs and 44 walks in 333 plate appearances. Gomes, a career .284/.382/.512 hitter against left-handed pitching, continued hitting southpaws well in 2012. He posted a .974 OPS against lefties and hit 11 homers.

The Orioles have also been linked to Gomes, who was not ranked among MLBTR's top 50 free agents.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post, which was first published on November 21st.

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