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

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Sunday night linkage..

Rockies Looking To Add Before Deadline

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The Rockies are seeking to upgrade their bullpen, starting rotation, and corner infield situation, sources tell Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.

Colorado seems to be fond of Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, but as we learned earlier today, the Marlins don't seem inclined to deal the two-time All-Star.  Further putting the kibosh on the possibility of him ending up in Colorado, Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies says (via Twitter) that the club hasn't been in pursuit of Uggla since last winter.

The club likes Uggla's teammate, Jorge Cantu, and they're keeping an eye on Baltimore's Ty Wigginton.  The Rockies could make a move for a rental prior to the trade deadline and make a bigger splash heading into the August 31st waiver deadline.

Meanwhile, the Rockies are looking for relief help.  The club has interest in Toronto's Kevin Gregg and Pittsburgh's Octavio Dotel.  However, it will be difficult for Colorado to land either player.  Gregg's friendly contract option this offseason gives his club the option of picking him up for $4.5MM in 2011 or keeping him through 2012 for $8.75MM.  Renck feels that Dotel could be hard to pry away from the Pirates as he is their only closer, but keep in mind that Evan Meek has been one of the game's best relievers (1.05 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9) in a set-up capacity and could probably fill the role despite his lack of experience.  Still, Renck feels Colorado will look for a rebound candidate instead.

The Rockies would like to upgrade their rotation, but they're not going to overspend for a "fourth-starter type".  Houston ace Roy Oswalt won't waive his no trade clause to come to Colorado, but Arizona's Dan Haren could be a possibility.  However, Haren's price could be too high for the club.

Cafardo On Gonzalez, Oswalt, Lilly, Ramos

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Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez will eventually end up with another club, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  The reality of a seven- or eight-year deal at more than $20MM per season in a market as small as San Diego remains a long shot.  If Gonzalez, who is under contract through 2011, reaches free agency, he'll be preferred over fellow slugger Prince Fielder, who is also in that free agent class.  Let's see what else Cafardo has for us..

  • Orioles infielder Ty Wigginton's right-handed bat and versatility make him attractive to the Yankees, Reds, Rays, and Angels.  Wigginton likes playing in Baltimore but wouldn't mind being in a playoff race.
  • A major league source wonders if Roy Oswalt will get too picky about to which teams he would approve a trade.  We've already heard that Oswalt won't approve a trade to the White Sox or Tigers.  One talent evaluator says that Oswalt can succeed in the American League.
  • That same talent evaluator told Cafardo that Ted Lilly will encounter problems with a move to the American League.  Therefore, he would make more sense for a team like the Mets, who are said to have interest.
  • Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been playing through a few undisclosed injuries, in part because he feels the need to live up to his enormous contact.  The club has been dangling catcher Wilson Ramos in a trade for a prime pitcher but they're now less inclined to deal him due to concerns about their franchise player.
  • The Red Sox watched Mark Prior throw in Arizona, but a team source says that they won't sign him.

Rosenthal On Yankees, Hart, Haren, Werth

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new installment of Full Count up.  Let's dive in and see what he has for us..

  • The Yankees are talking to the Marlins and the two teams could match up in a few different ways.  Cody Ross, a right-handed hitting outfielder, would be a perfect fit for the Pinstripes.  Trouble is, Ross is a regular for Florida and the Yanks may not want to pay that price for a player they'd only use part-time.  Leo Nunez would also make sense for the Yankees in a set-up role but they'll want a lot for him as well.  The closer is under team control for two seasons after this one.
  • The Braves like Ross as well but their opinions on Corey Hart are mixed.  Some Atlanta officials are rather fond of Hart, but others see him as a slightly better version of Jeff Francoeur.  If Matt Diaz hits well and Nate McLouth comes back strong, they may not even need the Brewers outfielder.  If their guy ultimately is Hart though, it'll be at their price.
  • Two of the top starters on the trading block hold no-trade clauses, though they may not be much of a factor.  Ted Lilly can reject trades to ten teams, though the  only contenders on his list are the Twins and Phillies, who may not even be interested in him.  Arizona's Dan Haren can reject deals to twelve clubs, including the Reds.  However, a source says that his list is not a factor as he has not been pitching well.
  • The Phillies, at the moment, are not playing well enough to make a run at Roy Oswalt.  However, they don't expect to fall far enough out of contention to sell.  Jayson Werth, Rosenthal says, could be moved in order to improve the team in the short-term and long-term.  A Werth-for-Javier Vazquez swap could make sense if the Yankees could acquire another starting pitcher.  Cliff Lee, in theory, would have been that guy. 

Mets Less Likely To Trade For A Pitcher?

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The Mets were enamored with Cliff Lee but lost out on the lefty when they wouldn't include Ike Davis in a deal, and now Andy Martino of The New York Daily News hears from "people familiar with the team's thinking" that they are less likely to make a trade for a pitcher now than they were last month. The team believes that R.A. Dickey's success has reduced the urgency to add an arm.

Dickey, 35, has a 2.63 ERA in 11 starts for the Mets, stymieing hitters with his knuckleball. Martino says the Mets maintain interest in Ted Lilly, Jake Westbrook, Brett Myers, and to a lesser extent Roy Oswalt, and they are still open to making a move if the opportunity presents itself. They are not optimistic about adding an impact reliever though, and consider the overall market for bullpen help to be underwhelming.

The Mets were reportedly in on Lilly, but they have concerns about his drop in velocity following a shoulder injury. The Cubs are getting serious about making trades and moving cumbersome salaries, but Lilly's market isn't limited to just the Amazins. They shouldn't have trouble finding another suitor.

Omar Minaya's payroll situation and ability to take on salary are unclear, though a team official told Martino that the Mets will be able to add payroll if needed. Those decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Myers is the most affordable option, with just $1.37MM or so left on his contract this year and a $2MM buyout of his $8MM mutual option for 2011.

Heyman On Haren, Oswalt, Lilly, Piniella

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One GM tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that there are plenty of complementary pieces available on the trade market, but few impact players. That echoes what Theo Epstein said earlier in the week: there’s not a ton of All-Star caliber talent available at the moment. Here's what Heyman is reporting on the market for starting pitchers:

  • One general manager hears that interim GM Jerry DiPoto is asking for two starters plus bullpen help in exchange for Dan Haren. Wow.
  • Another GM says every member of the D’Backs is available “except Justin Upton and maybe Ian Kennedy.”
  • No team appears willing to commit to the $25MM or so remaining on Roy Oswalt’s contract. Some GMs believe Oswalt wants his 2012 option picked up at $16MM if he is traded.
  • A few GMs believe the Mets make sense as a destination for Ted Lilly.
  • One GM doesn’t get the impression that the Blue Jays would move young starters like Shaun Marcum.
  • People connected to the Cubs expect manager Lou Piniella to retire after the season when his contract expires. Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg could replace Piniella as Cubs skipper.

White Sox Might Consider Oswalt

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The White Sox might consider dealing for Roy Oswalt, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated.  At the same time, GM Kenny Williams & Co. are leery of a switch from the National League to the American League.

Williams may have some convincing to do as Oswalt reportedly does not want to play for the White Sox.  One has to think that the ace could be swayed, however, as the ChiSox present Oswalt with a chance to win and the opportunity to team up with friend Jake Peavy.  Back in 2008, Peavy was open to joining the Astros in order to play with the three-time All-Star.

It appeared that the White Sox would be sellers just one month ago.  However, the club may look to buy after rallying in recent weeks and climbing their way to the top of the AL Central. 

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Dunn, Oswalt, Haren

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In his latest Full Count video at FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal looks at possible next moves for the Angels, Yankees, Mets, and White Sox. Let's check out the highlights….

  • The Angels are expected to respond in some form to the Rangers' acquisition of Cliff Lee, with a corner infield bat still their top priority. While Rosenthal agrees that the Halos would like a third baseman who's under team control past this season, he thinks they could look at a rental for first base, since Kendry Morales will be back next spring.
  • Besides Adam Dunn, Rosenthal names Jose Bautista, Adam LaRoche, Ty Wigginton, and Jorge Cantu as potential fits for the Angels, suggesting Bautista makes the most sense. Rosenthal also speculates that, if their respective teams made them available, Mark Reynolds and Casey McGehee would intrigue the defending AL West champs.
  • Lee was the only starting pitcher the Yankees really coveted, so don't expect them to pursue players like Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren now that they missed out on the left-hander.
  • Rosenthal expresses skepticism that Oswalt or Haren will get dealt at all. Houston doesn't appear willing to take on enough of their ace's contract, while the D'Backs would need to be "blown away" to trade Haren.
  • The Mets' search for pitching has them looking at Jake Westbrook and a handful of other arms. Rosenthal notes that the team has had interest in Octavio Dotel as a free agent in the past, and that some members of the Mets' organization are "wary" of Ted Lilly.
  • The White Sox made a run at Cliff Lee, but never got close to landing him. Although a left-handed bat remains their biggest need, there aren't many on the market who appeal to them besides Dunn, whose price tag is "exorbitant." They might settle for acquiring a right-handed hitter, and could also pursue another starter if Daniel Hudson struggles.

Will The Yankees Still Look For Starting Pitching?

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It's not often that the Yankees miss out on a player, but after their seemingly all-but-finalized negotiations for Cliff Lee fell through earlier today, Lee is now property of the Texas Rangers.  While it's been reported that the Yankees have some hard feelings towards the Mariners over how the M's pulled out of their proposed deal, ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that some members of the Yankee front office have put Lee behind them.

The question is, will the Bronx Bombers move on to any other starting pitchers that are on the trade market?  Dan Haren, Ted Lilly and Roy Oswalt are among the big-name hurlers who could be wearing different uniforms by July 31, but just because New York didn't acquire Lee doesn't mean that the Yankees are still in the hunt for rotation help.

There is, after all, Javier Vazquez.  After a disastrous start to his second go-around with the Yankees, Vazquez seems to have gotten on track; he posted a 3.23 ERA in six June starts and held opponents to a .189 batting average over the month.  Had the Yankees picked up Lee, Vazquez either might have been traded, become the most over-qualified long reliever in baseball, or possibly stayed in the rotation had New York made a less-obvious move (like keeping Phil Hughes' innings under control by having Hughes replace the struggling Joba Chamberlain as Mariano Rivera's set-up man).

As ESPN's Jayson Stark observes, Lee has dominated the Yankees in recent years, most notably beating them twice in last year's World Series.  If anything, it seems like New York's pursuit of Lee was more about keeping the left-hander away from other teams than it was about adding a needed piece.  It's one thing to add a proven ace with an expiring contract like Lee, but quite another to add a starter with an expensive long-term deal (like Oswalt or Haren) or a pitcher like Lilly who isn't a clear enough upgrade over Vazquez to justify trading the prospects that the Cubs would want in return.

Reactions To The Cliff Lee Trade

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Now that we know for sure that Cliff Lee is headed to the Rangers, the pundits are already chiming in about the big swap — both about what it means for Texas and Seattle, and about what it means for the teams that fell short in the Lee sweepstakes.

  • Since the Rangers didn't have to give up any of their blue-chip pitching prospects, the trade is "a huge, huge 'win' for" Texas, tweets Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
  • Grant also tweets that he was told that one of those young pitchers, Martin Perez, "was deemed untouchable" by the team.
  • Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio thinks "both teams win on this deal," though the Rangers are the "biggest winner" since it helps their chances in October.  Bowden also compliments the Mariners for getting more talent back for Lee than they dealt to acquire him in the winter.  (Twitter link).
  • USA Today's Bob Nightengale writes that last night, the Rangers thought that Lee was going to the Yankees.  (Twitter link)  Nightengale also thinks this trade makes Texas GM Jon Daniels the executive of the year.
  • The Phillies are taking some heat for not getting as much minor league talent for Lee when they dealt him over the winter.  ESPN's Jayson Stark tweets that one scouting director rated Philadelphia's haul for Lee as "last by a long shot" compared to what Seattle and Cleveland both got for the pitcher within the last year.
  • John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds "made what they thought was a serious offer" for Lee today, though Fay thinks both "the Rangers and Yankees offered a better package than the Reds could have put together."
  • Ed Price of Fanhouse.com comments that the Rays didn't want to give up any significant prospects for Lee (via Twitter), while the Mets simply didn't have the caliber of prospects that Seattle was looking for.  Price notes, however, that Jeremy Guthrie could be on the Mets' radar screen.
  • The Mets could use this Lee deal as a guideline, however, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.  The Mets could follow the Rangers' example and try to get a trading partner to add money into a deal, since Olney reports that New York won't be able to add to their payroll before the deadline.
  • Rays manager Joe Maddon is unsurprisingly happy that Lee isn't in Yankee pinstripes, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
  • Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski says his team "had interest [in Lee], but we didn’t come close to a deal," reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press.
  • Alyson Footer of MLB.com tweets that the Lee trade may help Houston move Roy Oswalt, since the "more attractive pitcher is off the table & Roy is the next best option."
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