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Royals Notes: DeJesus, Trades, Ankiel, Gordon

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David DeJesus left tonight's Royals/Yankees game with a sprained right thumb, suffered after colliding with the wall in an attempt to catch a Derek Jeter fly ball.  MLB.com's Tim Britton reports that DeJesus will miss the rest of the four-game series, and Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star tweets that DeJesus will see a hand specialist on Friday.  "He might be out a while," Dutton warns.

With Kansas City's luck, would it be any surprise if the team's most attractive trading chip had to go on the DL in the week before the deadline?  Here are some (possibly now moot) DeJesus trade chatter and other Royals-related items…

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore appeared on Jim Bowden's XM 175 radio show today, and told Bowden that teams interested in DeJesus were looking at him to play left or right field, not center.  (Twitter link)
  • Bowden also tweeted Moore's comment that he's talking to 3-6 teams about trades but also "checking in" with others.  The Royals are focusing on moving players in the last year of their contracts.
  • One such player is Rick Ankiel, who has a $6MM mutual option for 2011 that K.C. is unlikely to pick up.  Ankiel has been called up by the Royals in what Craig Calcaterra of NBCSports.com thinks is a showcase for a possible trade, but still a bad roster move given how Alex Gordon's Triple-A numbers make him far more worthy of a return to the majors.
  • ESPN.com's Rob Neyer also comments on the Ankiel call-up, and notes that "suddenly the Royals have some of the best prospects in the minors."  The issue, as Neyer explains, is that these prospects are blocked by underperforming veterans.
  • Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) quotes a Royals source who says that K.C. would have to "win the deal" for the team to move DeJesus.
  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes that the Giants "continue to keep tabs" on DeJesus, "but the asking price remained high."  Baggarly says San Francisco has more interest in Washington's Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham.
  • The Padres have been connected to DeJesus in trade rumors, but MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets that "not everyone in the Padres camp is sold on [Corey] Hart or DeJesus. Regardless of asking price."

Nationals Reluctant To Trade Dunn, Willingham, Capps

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is keeping other front office members in the dark about what's happening, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, but one thing is clear: Rizzo would need to be overwhelmed to trade Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham, or Matt Capps.

Extension talks with Dunn are at an impasse.  Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington says Dunn is seeking at least four years and more than $15MM per year.  There seems to be an assumption that as a Type A free agent, Dunn's club will offer arbitration and the slugger will reject it.  Granted Dunn was coming off a worse season, but it should be noted that the Diamondbacks did not offer him arbitration after '08.  The White Sox appear to be Dunn's most aggressive suitor, as they're reportedly willing to include Daniel Hudson or Dayan Viciedo in a deal.

Meanwhile, Willingham and Capps are under team control for 2011.  Both figure to receive handsome raises as arbitration-eligible players.

Rosenthal On Iannetta, Athletics, Bautista

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports kicks off his latest column with a look at Alex Rodriguez's $30MM worth of home run incentives.  The chase isn't generating the buzz the Yankees anticipated when they re-signed A-Rod.  On to Rosenthal's rumors…

  • Talks are on again between the Red Sox and Rockies regarding catcher Chris Iannetta.  The Rockies would want to improve their big league club with an in-season deal, so perhaps we'll hear heightened Iannetta buzz during the offseason if Miguel Olivo is retained.
  • The Nationals do not seem to have chosen a course with Adam Dunn in terms of trading or extending him now.
  • The Athletics have no intention of trading Coco Crisp or Mark Ellis, as both players have club options for 2011.
  • Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli is "a frequent trade target of rival clubs," but the team likes having depth at the catcher position.
  • As part of the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez talks, the Braves and Blue Jays discussed Jose Bautista.  For now, the Braves still have time to evaluate Nate McLouth's recovery from a concussion.  MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote today that the Braves have considered David DeJesus, Cody Ross, Corey Hart, and Josh Willingham as potential trade targets. 

Odds & Ends: Nationals, Lilly, Haren, Marlins, Kotsay

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Sunday night linkage..

Nats Notes: Trades, Dunn, Willingham

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo addressed the Washington media following their loss to San Francisco this afternoon.  Let's take a look at some highlights courtesy of MLB.com's Bill Ladson:

  • The team's performance over the next few weeks will not affect what the club does at the Trade Deadline.  Rizzo added: "We are trying to win as many ball games as we can in 2010 and do it the right way and build for the future."
  • Rizzo went as far as to say that it would take an "extraordinary offer" to pry away Adam Dunn in a trade.  However, he would not rule out the possibility of dealing the slugger, nor did he nix the idea of trading Dunn and pursuing him in free agency after the season.
  • Despite publicly stating his desire to sign a new deal with the Nats, the club still hasn't approached Josh Willingham about an extension, Ladson tweets.

Rays Seek Impact Bats

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The Rays are looking for impact bats and have inquired on Josh Willingham and Adam Dunn, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. The Rays, who can spend this summer, aren’t looking for offense at a particular position, since the versatile Ben Zobrist can play just about anywhere. 

Dunn is drawing interest from the White Sox, but would fit well on the Rays, who don’t have a traditional DH now that they have cut Pat Burrell and Hank Blalock. I suggested yesterday that Dunn would be a fit for the Rays, perhaps in a trade for center fielder B.J. Upton.

The Rays would listen to offers for Upton, but are telling rival clubs that they have no interest in “selling low” on the 25-year-old. The Mariners and Braves are believed by Stark to have checked in on Upton.

Rosenthal On Padres, Uggla, Blue Jays, Nats

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Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • The Padres are seeking a durable starting pitcher as they approach the deadline.  The Padres know that they need a bat but their offense is so weak that they fear a lack of quality starting pitching might derail them faster than a lack of hitting.  Durable starters are hard to come by on the trade market, but the Diamondbacks' Edwin Jackson could be a fit.
  • The Marlins changed skippers thinking that they were a better team than they've shown, but that hasn't been the case thus far.  Unless they rally, the club will end up as sellers.  Dan Uggla, Jorge Cantu, Cody Ross, and Ricky Nolasco all hold value.  Nolasco's name hasn't come up much, but he could be one of the better starting pitchers on the market.  Uggla and his big bat are still sought after, even though his salary could rise to about $10MM in arbitration next season.
  • Toronto's Shaun Marcum could still be a trade chip, even after going on the disabled list with inflammation of the right elbow.  The club expects him to be back before the All-Star break and if so, he should be one of the better starters available.  The Jays could be active sellers as they have several more attractive pieces.  Relievers Scott Downs and Jason Frasor are both potential free agents.  Shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Jose Bautista could also get some bites.
  • Nats GM Mike Rizzo told Rosenthal that the club is getting interest in five or six players in trade discussion. While Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are getting all the buzz, Cristian Guzman and Adam Kennedy could be attractive to teams in need of infield help.  Matt Capps could be a trade chip as well now that he has recovered from his slump.  They control the closer through next season, though they may look to cash in on his value while it is peaking.

Willingham Wants To Stay, But No Talks Yet

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Nationals outfielder Josh Willingham wants to stay with the club, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.  Willingham, who could make his first All-Star squad tomorrow, says that he would like to stay with the Nats for this season and beyond:

"I like it here a lot," the 31-year-old said. "I don't have control of where I go until I'm free agent, so I don't worry about it. But I'm really comfortable with the organization. I like everybody involved, teammates, everything."

Despite Willingham's fondness for playing in the nation's capital, the two parties have yet to even begin discussions on a contract extension.  The left fielder will earn $4.6MM this season and is under team control for the 2011 season.

While the Nats don't seem eager to move Willingham, he continues to garner interest from around the majors.  Earlier this week, it was reported that the Braves have interest in the outfielder as they seek a right-handed bat.

Back in April, Willingham's agent told Kilgore that his client would like to sign a multiyear deal with the Nationals.

Braves Seek Right-Handed Bat

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The Braves are considering Josh Willingham, Corey Hart and Jose Bautista as they look to upgrade their offense with a right-handed bat, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. No deal appears imminent, but the Braves, who just lost Jason Heyward to the DL, are clearly setting their sights high.

Willingham had a .407 OBP and a .498 slugging percentage even before he homered again tonight. And Hart and Bautista started the day as the home run leaders in their respective leagues. All three outfielders will become free agents after 2011. 

David DeJesus, who can be retained for $6MM in 2011, is less appealing to the Braves, partly because he hits left-handed. Should the Braves decide to upgrade over Matt Diaz, Melky Cabrera, Gregor Blanco and Eric Hinske, teams will presumably ask about pitching prospects such as Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Mike Minor.

Willingham, Morgan Don’t Appear Available

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Nationals fans are accustomed to seeing their team at the bottom of the NL East standings, but a lot has changed since last summer. A year ago, the Nationals were 21-46, their manager was on the hot seat and they had yet to sign Stephen Strasburg. Now, they're still in last place, but the mood is different in D.C. and the 31-36 Nationals aren't about to spoil it by trading their most proven outfielders.

Josh Willingham and Nyjer Morgan do not appear to be available, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Nationals have turned down multiple chances to deal Willingham in the last 15 months and have no intention of moving him, Morosi reports.

The Giants are looking for outfield help, but it doesn't appear that the Nationals will be willing to deal. Morosi mentions one intriguing outfielder clubs could target: Mitch Maier (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has played center field for the Royals and has a .265/.349/.373 line. Those numbers suggest Maier could be useful, though he'd likely be a depth option for a contender.

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