According to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Pirates are "probably, but not necessarily," done dealing. The writers suggest the Bucs will listen on pitchers Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, and Matt Capps, but are not shopping them.
Matt Capps
Dodgers & Angels Seek Relievers
FRIDAY, 11:30am: A deal between the Dodgers and Jays for Frasor is unlikely, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
THURSDAY, 5:13pm: Even after adding George Sherrill, the Dodgers are looking to add relievers, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. They're interested in adding a right-handed setup man. Teams in conversation with the Dodgers say they have interest in Mark Lowe, David Weathers, Matt Capps, Arthur Rhodes and Jason Frasor.
Meanwhile, the Angels are prioritizing relievers over starters, Stark reports. One scout says the Angels are after "premium" relievers. They were considering Heath Bell today and inquired about Chad Qualls only to find that the D'Backs aren't likely to move him.
Marlins In Serious Talks For Heath Bell
1:48pm: A Rosenthal/Morosi source says the Rangers aren't in on Bell, Sherrill, or Matt Capps.
11:49am: ESPN's Buster Olney says the Marlins declined the request for Miller or West, leaving talks between the two clubs at a standstill.
Meanwhile, Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says the Marlins are also in on George Sherrill.
11:12am: SI's Jon Heyman tells us the Marlins are "are in serious discussions to try to land Padres closer Heath Bell." Heyman says it looks like it could be Andrew Miller or Sean West, names that have been put forth in previous reports. Either young lefty seems like a solid return for Bell. Heyman notes that the Yanks also have interest, but the Fish "are in good position to make a deal." Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports acknowledge interest from the Yanks, but say the teams have not had serious discussions. The writers also mention the Rangers "on the periphery."
Rosenthal and Morosi wrote yesterday that 10 to 15 teams are pursuing Bell. He's under team control through 2011 and sports a 2.01 ERA this season.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox
Thursday linkage…
- La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says the Pirates wanted Aaron Hicks or Danny Valencia from the Twins for Freddy Sanchez. LEN3 has a few other hot stove tidbits as well.
- ESPN's Keith Law finds the Giants' trade of Tim Alderson for Sanchez reasonable, due to "slippage in Alderson's stuff."
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe talks about how major additions such as Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, or Victor Martinez would help the Red Sox. Via Twitter, ESPN's Amy K. Nelson heard from a source guessing that Gonzalez has a ten percent chance of being moved.
- Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports via Twitter that the Mets designated pitcher Elmer Dessens for assignment to make room for catcher Robinson Cancel.
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Mets "do not intend to give up a significant prospect" in their quest to add a left-handed reliever.
- Via Twitter, Ken Davidoff of Newsday informs us that the Blue Jays expanded their coverage of the Yankees' farm system. Davidoff feels that this coverage more likely reflects the Yanks' interest in relief help than in Roy Halladay.
- The Pirates don't have anything serious going on with relievers Matt Capps or John Grabow, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They might be done.
- Joe Smith and Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times find the Rays unlikely to make a major deal, with Cliff Lee off the table.
- ESPN's Buster Olney lists all kinds of holes that could be filled via the trade market for various clubs.
Pirates Rumors: Grabow, Capps, Sanchez
The Pirates have many attractive trade chips remaining, even after two months of aggressive trading. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest on all the team's trade candidates:
- The Pirates are discussing Matt Capps and John Grabow with other clubs.
- Grabow, who's more likely to be moved, has drawn steady interest from other teams.
- The Pirates are in regular contact with the Cubs.
- Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson are available and the Pirates are listening to offers. The Twins and Red Sox scouted the Pirates-D'Backs contest yesterday.
- The Tigers are interested in Triple A catcher Robinzon Diaz.
- Triple A starters Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny are drawing interest. The Yankees have scouted Snell's last two starts.
Edes On Lee, Feliciano, Pirates
Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Phillies and Dodgers are interested in Cliff Lee, but the Indians aren't anxious to move him. Not only would it mean trading Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years, it would diminish the team's chances at contending next season. Here are the rest of Edes' rumors:
- The Dodgers would have interest in Pedro Feliciano if the Mets become sellers.
- The Brewers scouted Brad Penny over the weekend, but a trade seems unlikely now that Tim Wakefield's on the DL.
- At least one NL executive believes the Pirates are ready to move almost anyone. Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Matt Capps, John Grabow, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson could all be targets.
- It looks like the Reds would listen to offers for Francisco Cordero. However, he has no-trade protection and an big contract.
- The Red Sox had a scout watch Nick Johnson this weekend.
Dodgers Scouting Relievers, Eyeing Aces
The Dodgers are looking for pitching and Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times has the latest on their hunt…
- The Dodgers have scouted George Sherrill, John Grabow and Matt Capps.
- Reds relievers David Weathers, Arthur Rhodes and Francisco Cordero could also interest the Dodgers.
- They are looking at Roy Halladay, but seem reluctant to part with Clayton Kershaw in any deal.
- The Indians are asking a lot for Cliff Lee, so he appears to be a longshot.
- The Dodgers aren't interested in Mark Mulder.
Pirates “Pushing Hard” To Deal Sanchez
8:49pm: Geoff Baker reports that one of the Pirates’ top scouts is in Seattle to watch the Mariners play the Rangers. Baker speculates that it could be related to the availability of Sanchez or Jack Wilson.
8:34pm: Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse has a source that says if a Sanchez deal is imminent “it’s not to the Giants.”
4:48pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post says giving up Young to acquire Sanchez “makes no sense” for the Rockies, who would be more likely to pursue Matt Capps.
3:52pm: Perrotto reports that the Pirates could deal Sanchez by this weekend. The Rockies are frontrunners, and appear to be willing to part with 2007 first rounder Casey Weathers. Apparently Carlos Gonzalez’s name has been mentioned in talks as well. The Twins and Giants still have interest in Sanchez.
Perrotto hears that the Pirates would not have a player replace Sanchez at the All-Star Game if they deal him before Tuesday.
11:49am: One NL executive told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Pirates are “pushing hard” to deal Freddy Sanchez. The Rockies, Giants and as many as five other teams have spoken with the Pirates about their All-Star second baseman.
Sanchez makes $6.1MM this year and will make $8MM in 2010 if he picks up 271 plate appearances before the end of the season.
10:05am: The Rockies are interested in Freddy Sanchez, according to John Perrotto at The Insider On Pittsburgh Sports. The Pirates apparently “love” Rockies minor leaguer Eric Young Jr., a 24-year-old with 23 extra base hits, 37 walks and 47 steals already.
The Rockies have had Clint Barmes at second base for most of the year, who has the same number of extra base hits as Sanchez and a comparable OPS, so the Rockies would be paying a lot for simlar production if they give up Young.
Marlins & Pirates Talking Capps; Aren’t Close
The Marlins, who have signed three relievers this week, are talking with the Pirates about trading for another. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the Marlins have maintained contact with the Pirates about closer Matt Capps, though the two sides are not close to a deal.
The Marlins already included Jeremy Hermida in an offer for Capps, but the Pirates declined, as they have limited interest in Hermida. As Morosi points out, both Hermida and Capps make about $2.3MM this year and will likely hit free agency after 2011, so they match up financially. However, the Pirates aren't necessarily going to move Capps, one source told Morosi.
In their quest to stengthen their bullpen, the Marlins have added Luis Ayala, Brendan Donnelly and Scott Williamson in the last week.
Giants, Pirates Discussed Sanchez, LaRoche
From Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Pirates and San Francisco have had trade talks regarding second baseman Freddy Sanchez and, to a lesser extent, first baseman Adam LaRoche, each of whom can be a free agent after this season. The Giants have had a scout following Sanchez, a source confirmed yesterday, and their interest in LaRoche goes back several months. Their preference at first base, though, is for a right-handed bat.
Sanchez sports a .316/.355/.477 line, a huge improvement on the .224/.280/.276 aggregate performance from Giants second basemen (primarily the demoted Emmanuel Burriss, though Juan Uribe has snagged recent starts). The Giants have a 1.5 game lead for the Wild Card, but their .705 team OPS ranks second-to-last in the NL. Sanchez's contractual situation will be a factor in the trade talks; an $8.5MM option for 2010 appears likely to vest. Charlie Manuel's All-Star selections will affect Sanchez's contract – if Sanchez makes the team the option vests with 600 plate appearances rather than 635. It figures to be between Sanchez and Zach Duke for the Bucs' representative.
Kovacevic adds that the Pirates have discussed Jack Wilson, John Grabow, and Matt Capps with teams, noting that those talks "vary in their intensity." In another article, Kovacevic digs deeper into the Grabow/Wilson/Sanchez situations. He believes the Pirates will seek shortstops and left-handed relievers in trades. I'm guessing the Pirates would find Jonathan Sanchez desirable (he's currently serving as the second lefty in the Giants' pen).
