Short Hops: Special trade deadline edition
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Why even United States Olympic baseball officials are closely watching the July 31 trade deadline, and more trade chatter as Monday's 4 p.m. ET witching hour nears ...
- Though Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says its news to him, U.S. team general manager Bob Watson told the New York Times' Jack Curry this week that he has been told by a high-ranking Yankees official that top Yankees pitching prospect Phillip Hughes should not be considered for the team. Now if the Yankees were to include Hughes in a deal for Washington's Alfonso Soriano (and word is they won't) or somewhere else, the guess here is you could fit Hughes for the ol' red, white and blue.
- Funny, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was chairman of the United States' Olympic Foundation from 1997-2002 and had been involved with the Olympics since 1989.
- The Mets continue to push hard for pitching, and Florida is not moving Dontrelle Willis and Oakland's Barry Zito remains, at best, a long shot. While he searches, Mets GM Omar Minaya was encouraged by Brian Bannister's rehab start at Class A Port St. Lucie on Wednesday night. Bannister, returning from a hamstring injury, appears ready to rejoin the Mets soon. John Maine's 17 consecutive scoreless innings are a boost, too. "The pitching market is very limited, very limited," Minaya says. "There's not a lot of quality."
- In their pursuit of pitching, the Mets, after the obvious candidates (Philadelphia's Cory Lidle and Jon Lieber, Baltimore's Rodrigo Lopez) have even inquired about Florida's Jason Vargas.
- Don't look now, but Boston is threatening to unveil David Wells from the disabled list and put him back into the rotation against Cleveland early next week in Fenway Park. The demotion Wednesday of Kason Gabbard was one of the steps toward paving the way for Wells. Still, though Boston boasts two of baseball's four 13-game winners -- Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett -- the Sox are looking for pitching at the trade deadline (they have been linked to Philadelphia's Lieber). Who isn't?
- As if it isn't bad enough for the slumping Chicago White Sox that surging Minnesota caught them in the standings Wednesday, it also means a potential new White Sox center fielder is off the market. Manager Ozzie Guillen, out of patience with Brian Anderson, was telling some people close to him a couple of weeks ago that he would love to acquire Torii Hunter from the Twins.
- Uh-oh -- Guillen is making enemies again: Dodgers first-base coach Mariano Duncan ripped him three weeks ago, saying Guillen "embarrassed every Latino player, coach and front-office person" with his inflammatory comments. When Guillen told the Chicago Sun-Times this week that Duncan had called to apologize, Duncan told the Los Angeles Times' Steve Henson that that was hogwash. "He's a liar," Duncan said. "I said what I said and I meant what I said. I never called him, and I never will."
- The Dodgers, according to a source familiar with their talks with Milwaukee, tried to persuade the Brewers to ship them Carlos Lee for a package centered around shortstop Cesar Izturis but were rebuffed.
- Tampa Bay has put word out that it likely won't trade shortstop Julio Lugo much before this weekend. Toronto continues to push hard -- the Devil Rays want pitching back and are interested in, among others, reliever Jeremy Accardo. Lugo also could land with the Mets -- Minaya tried to acquire him last winter with the intention of moving him to second.
- The Royals are telling teams that they won't deal third baseman Mark Teahen before this winter to make room for prospect Alex Gordon. Though Gordon appears ready to take over, Teahen, who smashed two homers and collected a career-high five RBI on Tuesday night against Baltimore, has been Kansas City's best player in recent days.
- Kansas City, which still might deal outfielder Reggie Sanders, pitcher Mark Redman and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, has been a popular stop among scouts. "The only guy I think will help somebody down the road is Grudzielanek," one scout says. "He's a professional hitter. He might help somebody get into the playoffs."
- Jered Weaver of the Angels continues to dazzle, and at 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA, the buzz in Southern California is that not since Fernando Valenzuela debuted for the Dodgers has there been such an exciting rookie. "He's got some deception," one veteran AL scout says. "He's all arms and legs. Boston this weekend will be a good test." Indeed, it will -- Weaver opposes Boston's Josh Beckett in a Saturday afternoon marquee matchup in Fenway Park.
- One reason Freddy Garcia of the Chicago White Sox has been included in trade rumors is because his velocity has dipped, though one scout who watched him recently says he can still bring it when he needs to. Garcia's fastball has been clocked around 84 mph far more often than usual.
- The demand for Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez is commensurate with the season he's having (nine homers). "He's in the same shoes (Baltimore's) Javy Lopez is," one scout says. "Two years ago, they hit home runs. Now, they don't hit the ball over the fence anymore."
- Gonzalez and Shawn Green both are short-timers in Arizona as the Diamondbacks continue their attempt to get younger. Carlos Quentin, the prospect who hit homers in each of his first three major league starts over the past week, will be Arizona's right fielder in 2007.
- It's no surprise that Toronto already has been the recipient of phone calls from other clubs regarding Accardo, the reliever the Jays acquired from San Francisco in the Shea Hillenbrand deal. "I like Accardo," one NL executive says. "He can be a closer. He's just funky enough where you can't get comfortable against him."
- Cincinnati, continuing to surprise as the NL wild-card leader, is scrounging around for more pitching and another bat off the bench. The Reds inquired about San Diego reliever Scott Linebrink but were told no.
- Bad news for the rest of the AL Central: There's more in Minnesota where Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano came from. Right-hander Matt Garza's name is coming up in just about every trade conversation the Twins are having. "I saw the Twins play a fair amount in spring training, and you watch them day-in and day-out, throughout the organization, they've got pitching," one scout says. "I firmly believe if they get there (to the playoffs), they may win the whole thing."
- Lots of grousing about the return Pittsburgh GM Dave Littlefield is demanding for the players he is seeking to trade, reliever Roberto Hernandez, outfielder Jeromy Burnitz, first basemen Sean Casey and Craig Wilson and third baseman Joe Randa. All will be free agents this winter -- unless the Pirates surprise and pick up Burnitz's option -- and the perennial doormat Pirates are in a spot where Littlefield must take advantage of what he has. He can't be giving these players away, but the Pirates can be hurt just as badly if his demands are so high that the Pirates don't deal and are stuck with these free-agents-to-be.
- The usual complaining about Angels GM Bill Stoneman, who is always reluctant to part with prospects, too. "Bill Stoneman is a guy who thinks his prospects are the prizes of the world," one rival scout complains. Of course, the way third baseman Dallas McPherson and catcher Jeff Mathis have tanked over the past couple of years, perhaps the scout should be happy his club didn't acquire any of those prospects.
- Mark Mulder remains on the sidelines trying to rebuild his delivery, and St. Louis swears he will not pitch until he's right.
- The lefty Kansas City acquired from the White Sox in the Mike MacDougal deal, Tyler Lumsden, is projected by scouts to be a serviceable major league starter. Lumsden was 9-4 with a 2.69 ERA in Double-A ball and the White Sox were reluctant to part with him.
- One reason the Yankees acquired catcher Sal Fasano this week is because of their ongoing concern with not wearing out catcher Jorge Posada prematurely. Posada, who turns 35 on Aug. 17, has been used conservatively this season by manager Joe Torre -- he ranks 10th in the majors in innings caught this summer.
- Fasano to New York reporters upon joining the club in Texas: "You're just an animal sometimes, and you go from zoo to zoo."
