Just the facts ma'am: Trade Deadline Reports

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Don't spoil this thread with your vile opinions. Try to keep it to at least somewhat respectable sources.
 

mabrowndog

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More from Cafardo
 
 
There have been trade inquiries made on Mike Napoli, according to a major league source. He hasn’t had the year he did last year. There’s also Will Middlebrooks, who could transition to first base. Napoli would have more value if he could catch 20-30 games, according to one American League GM, but his degenerative hip condition doesn’t allow it.
 

jimbobim

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News and Notes 
 
http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/mlb/rumors/
 
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Boston Red Sox "were one of a few teams to watch Cole Hamels earlier this week." Cafardo points out that Hamels has four years remaining on his contract, which means that even if the Red Sox consider themselves to be "sellers" for the remainder of 2014, dealing for Hamels would be an investment in the future beyond this current season -- and therefore, a realistic pursuit.
 
-AJ Mass 
 
  • The Braves badly need lefty bullpen help and particularly like the Red Sox‘ Andrew MillerDavid O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writesLuis Avilan‘s struggles on Sunday are an example of the problems the Braves have had, O’Brien writes — Avilan entered in a 10-4 game in the eighth and faced three batters, giving up a single and two walks. By the time the inning was over, it was 10-7, and a blowout had suddenly become a save situation. Miller, who has struck out 14.4 batters per nine innings for Boston this season, would be a big upgrade. The Braves also like James Russell and Wesley Wright of the Cubs, O’Brien writes.
 
Jerry Crasnick Tweet 
 
The Royals in the market for a RH bat have Jonny Gomes on their list of potential trade targets. 
 

MakMan44

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On Cole Hamels: One major league source said if the Phillies get a taker on the full contract and they get three top prospects, he’s gone, and Hamels, according to another major league source, wouldn’t mind.
 

jimbobim

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Gammons spilling some more tidbits on D and C 
 
http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/07/21/peter-gammons-on-dc-potential-trade-partners-show-most-interest-in-red-sox-reliever-andrew-miller/
 
Nicely summarized by the folks at mlbtraderumors.com

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington is torn as to whether or not he should buy or sell at this year’s trade deadline. He’s had scouts looking at top prospects around the league, but the upcoming road trip will do a lot to determine their course of action. Gammons notes that he may even have to consider dealing Jon Lester if the team truly isn’t going to work out a new deal with him.
 
The Rays’ recent surge in the standings has them holding off on selling pieces, Mariners sources told Gammons. Seattle thought they were closing in on a deal forBen Zobrist, but they’ve since been told that the Rays plan to wait until the final 48 hours prior to the deadline before determining a course of action.
 
One GM who contacted the Red Sox about Koji Uehara told Gammons that Cherington seems disinclined to even discuss the possibility of trading his closer. The Sox want to bring Uehara back in 2015 and have him close.
 
Uehara hasn’t even been generating the most interest, Gammons hears. That distinction goes to Andrew Miller, who has “by far” been the subject of the most inquiries in Boston’s bullpen.
 
Gammons hears that Lester told teammates that he’d have signed in Spring Training if the team had offered even one dollar more than Homer Bailey‘s six-year, $105MM contract. The Red Sox maintain that their four-year, $70MM offer was merely a starting point, not a final offer, as they didn’t want to start at $110MM and end up in “Max Scherzer” territory (referring to the six-year, $144MM which Scherzer rejected).
 
That Scherzer offer, however, may be what Lester ultimately secures as a free agent, Gammons said. Two general managers have told Gammons that they expect Lester to sign for at least that much on the open market. “There’s a lot of money out there,” said one GM.
 
Gammons can see the Sox pursuing James Shields on the free agent market, but he notes that it’s more important for the team to cast a wide net rather than have just one contingency plan for Lester. He lists Cole Hamels as another alternative, though he points out how difficult it would be to acquire Hamels, as Phils GM Ruben Amaro Jr. would need to hit a home run on the deal after failing to acquire useful pieces from the Cliff Lee-to-Seattle deal and some other missteps.
 
Gammons feels that Christian VazquezBlake SwihartMookie BettsRubby De La Rosa and Henry Owens are probably all untouchable in trades at this point.


 
 

Plympton91

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Gammons hears that Lester told teammates that hed have signed in Spring Training if the team had offered even one dollar more than Homer Baileys six-year, $105MM contract.
If the decision not to do that was made by anyone other than the owner they should be fired.
 

Hee Sox Choi

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From minorleagueball:
 
Cardinals catcher-turned-outfielder Rowan Wick who blasted two homers for the State College Spikes in New York-Penn League (A-). The 21 year old Canadian right fielder was a 9th round pick in 2012 out of Cypress College in California and signed for a mere $75K. So far through 13 games, Wick is 16-42 with nine home runs, two doubles, 12 runs scored, 16 RBI, 10 walks, nine punch outs and has an insane Bryant/Gallo esque 381/500/1071 line which is good for a stout 1.571 OPS.
 
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/6/26/5843306/minor-league-ball-gameday-thursday-june-26
 
Update:  Wick is hitting .378 / .475 / .818 
Not sure why the Cards would trade this guy for Peavy.  14 HRs in 119 ABs.  
 

mabrowndog

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Rosenthal
 
How motivated are the Dodgers to trade Matt Kemp? How motivated should they be?


 
Depends whom you ask.
 
Some rival executives say the Dodgers want to move Kemp. The team certainly is open to trade offers. But at least one club that asked about Kemp – the Red Sox – did not get the sense that the Dodgers were eager to make a deal, according to major-league sources.
 
Three other American League teams – the Indians, Mariners and Rangers – also have called on Kemp, but none made an actual proposal, sources say.
 
The level of interest from each team varied – the Indians did not engage in substantive conversations with the Dodgers, and the Rangers’ interest was believed to be only cursory. The Mariners, meanwhile, consider themselves a “longshot” to land Kemp, according to a source.
 
 
Money is an obstacle toward any trade – Kemp will be owed about $7 million for the rest of the season at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, then $107 million from 2015 to ’19. The Dodgers almost certainly would need to include significant cash to facilitate any deal.
 
The bigger question for the Dodgers, though, is whether they even should trade Kemp. And that is a complicated question indeed.
 
Kemp, after a resurgent June, is batting .246 with a .591 OPS in July. The Dodgers, however, still view him as one of their prime right-handed threats, along with shortstop Hanley Ramirez and right fielder Yasiel Puig. Both those players currently are nursing hand/thumb injuries, and Puig has hit only one home run in 160 at-bats since May 29 (Kemp has hit three home runs in 166 at-bats during that time).
 
Meanwhile, the team’s two left-handed hitting outfielders, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford, both have on-base/slugging percentages below .700 for the season. The overall health of the group also remains a concern; in 219 games since Puig’s promotion in June 2013, Puig, Kemp, Ethier and Crawford have been healthy and able to play only 41 times, according to Dodgers research.
 
Other factors, however, could push the Dodgers to trade Kemp.
 
Manager Don Mattingly and Kemp are at odds, sources say, in part because of Kemp’s publicly stated desire to return to center field. Informed recently by reporters that Kemp views himself as a center fielder, Mattingly said, “That’s fine. He can view himself however he wants. I’m playing him in left.”
 
Mattingly moved Kemp to left on May 28 because of the outfielder’s sub-par defensive performance in center. Ethier and Scott Van Slyke have manned the position since, but in truth, the Dodgers don’t have a true center fielder. Kemp has played right the last two nights and looked comfortable, prompting Mattingly to ponder yet another option in center - Puig.
 
 
Then there's the L.A. binky of many Fantasy GMs on this board:
 
The Dodgers’ best defensive center fielder – and the one Mattingly wants most, according to sources - is Joc Pederson, a top prospect at Triple A.
 
Other club officials, however, do not view Pederson as a finished product.
 
Pederson, 22, is batting .324 with a 1.025 OPS in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but also has struck out 107 times in 309 at-bats. His maturity is another concern; Pederson was benched for not running hard to first in early June, and ejected for throwing his helmet and arguing a called third strike on Tuesday night.
 
Promoting Pederson without trading Kemp would create an untenable logjam, giving the Dodgers six healthy outfielders. Promoting Pederson also could lead to other problems, particularly if he struggles under the demands of playing for a large-market contender.
 
Veterans such as Ethier and Crawford probably would not react well to reduced playing time if Pederson was hitting poorly and making wild throws (his arm is considered strong but occasionally erratic).
 

mabrowndog

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MLBTR via Olney
 
 
Even if the Red Sox don’t move Stephen Drew, he could still be dealt in August. As Olney notes, Drew is similar to Cliff Lee in that the non-waiver trade deadline doesn’t apply to him, as each player is seen as too expensive relative to his remaining salary. Drew should clear waivers and give Boston a chance to deal him if he he starts hitting better, and at that point, he’ll have less money remaining on his contract as well.