MLB Trade Rumors and Speculation | mlb.com

JACKSONVILLE - I agree with this assessment. It's not something I want to see happen, but it is something I could foresee happening. Don't look on the Indians Top 20 or 30 Prospect Lists, the yield will likely not be there.

Almost anyone else the Giants would like to trade, or could get any kind of return from trading, has spent or is spending significant time on the DL. This and the Competitive Balance Tax, cough!  Salary Cap, is the corner the Giants find themselves boxed into.

from mlb.com
https://www.mlb.com/news/predictions-for-2018-mlb-trade-deadline/c-287131076

Andrew McCutchen, OF, Giants
McCutchen checks off many of the same boxes as Jones, except he's already been through the "difficult-trade-of-a-franchise-icon" stage, he's hitting better than Jones is (.259/.350/.416) in a more difficult hitter's park, and he can't block a trade. (He's also already accepted the move from center to a corner.) The larger question is if the Giants will sell, but despite being only five games out in the National League West, they're in fourth place -- and behind six other teams in the Wild Card hunt. They'll sell.
Prediction: Indians

Did the Giants lose out on David Price for lack of a Drew Smyly alternative?

Giants lose out on David Price for lack of a Drew Smyly alternative?

The first thing I thought when I heard Price got traded was "The Giants could have put together a more attractive package than that". But could a serviceable, major league rotation ready LHP been what stood in the way? Clearly that is the only thing I see the Rays got that the Giants couldn't give and maybe it would have required the Giants getting a third team involved like the Tigers did with the Mariners. Three way deals can be tricky and hard to pull off. 

Not that I would.... know....anything.....about.....that..........She's not looking over my shoulder is she? I don't think she actually reads the blog anymore. 

Anyway, we could have matched Nick Franklin with Joe Panik or Adam Duvall and Willy Adames......sheesh that's easy.....take Christian Arroyo, a local product to boot, or Ryder Jones. 

I would hate to think that a more refined Mike Kickham is the only thing that stood in the way of a third title, that's all. 

from MLBTradeRumors.com
MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

Here are the moves that contenders made yesterday, by team:

Tigers get David Price; give up Drew Smyly, Austin Jackson, Willy Adames

Mariners get Austin Jackson, Chris Denorfia; give up Nick Franklin, Abraham Almonte, Stephen Kohlscheen

Marlins acquire Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates; give up Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, and comp draft pick

Braves get James Russell and Emilio Bonifacio; give up Victor Caratini

Yankees get Martin Prado, Stephen Drew; give up Peter O’Brien, Kelly Johnson

Nationals get Asdrubal Cabrera; give up Zach Walters

Orioles get Andrew Miller; give up Eduardo Rodriguez

Athletics get Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, Sam Fuld; give up Yoenis Cespedes, comp draft pick, Tommy Milone

Cardinals get John Lackey, Corey Littrell; give up Joe Kelly, Allen Craig

Brewers get Gerardo Parra; give up Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda

'via Blog this'

And we couldn't out bid the Nationals offer for Asdrubel Cabrera to reinforce 2B? Again, Joe Panik or Adam Duvall should have clinched that deal.

The Cubs as expected went into asset dumping mode with Bonifacio by throwing in a serviceable bullpen LHP in James Russell for Victor Caratini? A Sally League C, former second rounder. Andrew Susac would be a better offer.

Hopefully, this is more an indication of the Giants organizational confidence in the prospects of Panik, Duvall and Susac and less an indication of other organizations lack of respect for same.

As always, Time will tell.

Price is right for the Tigers

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

David Price will join a loaded starting rotation with the Tigers, who also have Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

The Giants certainly could have made a more attractive offer than this for Price. Maybe Franklin allows them to turn Zobrist over to the G-men for a song.

Oh wait, we decided to keep Dan Uggla after all instead of the more attractive options out there, my bad. Looks like the Giants waved the white flag every bit as much as the Rays just did. Way to go, Brian.

from ESPN.com:
David Price traded to Detroit Tigers in deal with Tampa Bay Rays - ESPN:

The Detroit Tigers have acquired All-Star left-hander David Price in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners, a source has confirmed to ESPN's Jayson Stark.

Detroit sent center fielder Austin Jackson to Seattle while Tampa Bay received left-hander Drew Smyly from the Tigers and infielder Nick Franklin from the Mariners, according to multiple reports.

The Rays also received infield prospect Willy Adames from the Tigers, according to reports
'via Blog this'

Cards enter trading frenzy with white flag waving Red Sox

Cards align themselves with the A's trying to win now. Red Sox are playing for next year and beyond at this point. They picked up a quality arm in Kelly and an enigma in Craig who seem to have forgotten how to hit. Banging balls off the green monster should help. Lackey's veteran presence will help the Cards injury bitten staff.

from MLB Trade Rumors:
Cardinals Acquire Lackey; Kelly, Craig To Boston – MLB Trade Rumors:

Cardinals Acquire Lackey; Kelly, Craig To Boston
By Tim Dierkes [July 31, 2014 at 1:03pm CDT]

In their second blockbuster trade of the day, the Red Sox sent veteran starting pitcher John Lackey to the Cardinals along with minor leaguer Corey Littrell and about $1.75MM in cash in exchange for young starter Joe Kelly and outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig.  The deal is now official.   The Red Sox continue to focus on players that can help them win in the near future, having traded Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes for Yoenis Cespedes earlier today.  The Cardinals further bolster their rotation, having acquired Justin Masterson from the Indians yesterday.

'via Blog this'

A's Acquire Lester, Gomes For Cespedes

The A's are flat out going for it!!  Right now, this year.


from mlbtraderumors.com
A's Acquire Lester, Gomes For Cespedes:

A’s Acquire Lester, Gomes For Cespedes
By Steve Adams [July 31, 2014 at 8:54am CDT]

8:54am: Passan tweets that Oakland is also sending a competitive balance draft pick to the Red Sox in the trade, and Boston is sending cash to Oakland. The A’s landed the second pick in Comp Round B in last week’s lottery.

 8:49am: The Athletics have acquired Jon Lester from the Red Sox, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (Twitter links). In what will be a blockbuster deal, Jonny Gomes will go to the A’s, and Yoenis Cespedes will head to Boston. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported that Lester had been traded to an unknown club.

The addition of Lester will give Oakland an incredibly formidable rotation for the balance of the regular season, but perhaps more importantly, in the playoffs. Lester, who has posted a 2.52 ERA with 9.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 43.2 percent ground-ball rate, will join fellow trade acquisition Jeff Samardzija, free agent signing Scott Kazmir and homegrown star Sonny Gray atop Oakland’s rotation.

'via Blog this'

Giants scouting Rays Price and Zobrist

http://www.nltheory.com/2014/06/19/brian-sabean-2014/

If they can only get one, I would prefer Price since he helps next year and he gives them a second lefty in the rotation and when he and Bumgarner are both rolling, winning streak should not be a problem. Zobrist doesn't help the offense too much and I think Panik is going to be a .300 hitter down the road. Crick and Williamson sounds good to me for Price. I think it may take more and if a catcher goes, I would ship Hector Sanchez and bring up (Keep) Andrew Susac. My guess is the Rays would want Susac over Sanchez.

But I am not Brian Sabean and he doesn't ask for my advice.

from Rant Sports.com
San Francisco Giants Rumors: Rays' David Price a Trade Target:

According to Chris Haft of MLB.com, the Giants have actively scouted Tampa Bay Rays‘ ace David Price and veteran infielder Ben Zobrist, sending none other than special consultant Pat Burrell to Tropicana Field to gets the goods on two players who could potentially remake San Francisco hands-down favorites to win the NL pennant. That news in itself is enough to make Giants fans drool in dreamy anticipation of what could be. The reality of the situation is that it probably won’t happen — at least, not unless team ownership gives Sabean a sizable increase in team payroll for both the remaining three-plus months of this season and the 2015 campaign.

Money matters, but it’s not the only factor at play. The Giants would likely be forced to part with future ace Kyle Crick, rookie infielder Joe Panik and promising outfielder Mac Williamson in order to acquire both Price and Zobrist. Backup catcher Hector Sanchez could also be in the mix. The Giants firmly believe this moment in time is their “window of opportunity” to seize as many titles as possible. The next few weeks will determine just how big a bite the front office is willing to take out of its future in order to win now.

'via Blog this'

Brian Sabean: 2014 - National League Theory

				Brian Sabean: 2014 - National League Theory “Do the ends justify the means?” post-Moneyball has made Brian Sabean the most maligned General Manager in the National League.
				View on www.nltheory.com	Preview by Yahoo

The biggest flaw in Sabean’s philosophy is the over-reliance on older, fading veterans, such as Michael Tucker, Aaron Rowand, Edgardo Alfonso, Dave Roberts, Ryan Theriot, Miguel Tejada, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Klesko, Steve Finley. High draft picks used on hitters have been nothing short of wasteful. For a plus like Buster Posey, there is an inordinate amount of minuses (Todd Linden, Tony Torcato, Dan McKinley, Wendell Fairley). A weakness this consistent comes across as an organizational tenet, rather than a string of anomalies.

Bottom line, Sabean knows how to build a team based off his strengths. 

Astros would prefer their leaks to be more controlled, Thank You very much!!

A lot of interesting information from behind the scenes at Astros headquarters came out recently. The first from Sports Illustrated titled Astro-Matic Baseball was a controlled leak -- a PR piece -- a "look how smart we are rebuilding the franchise using the blended Moneyball + Scouting approach". Sort of like an A's 2.0, except the current A's are the A's 2.0 or Moneyball 2.0, which includes good scouting even though Moneyball was kind of a modern day Marge Schott kick in the pants to traditional baseball scouting.

Whew, that was a mouthful!!

from SI.com
http://www.si.com/longform/astros/index.html

Anyway, the even better "fly-on-the-wall" release was courtesy of a hacker and posted on anonbin.com (shown below) and was one that surely caused some angst not only for Astros management but other teams as well because it included intimate details of potential trade talks with teams that centered around Bud Norris.

Fans love this type of rumor-mongering around trade talks, players and agents likely do not. Teams have always had a level of plausible deniability about specific names and who initiated the talks, etc.  "We didn't initiate discussions, they wanted you, balh, blah, blah".  Here the details kind of indicate who initiated the offer, who countered and with whom, etc. with excruciating and perhaps embarrassing details.

It piqued my interest mainly because the Giants were in on the Bud Norris sweepstakes and I was in favor of getting him, with the usual caveat being, "it depends on what you have to give up". The initial Norris for Blackburn-Mejia-Mella / Blackburn+Crick proposals from the Astros were clearly too steep for the Giants and they turned them down,  but surprisingly they seemed willing to let go of Blackurn plus one other prospect, just not Mejia.

I'm a bit surprised at the willingness to let Blackburn go and the steadfastness behind holding onto Mejia, I would probably lean the other way. Crick being untouchable, I understand. Good stuff, hackers perhaps using their powers for good?  IDK, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

from anonbin.com
http://anonbin.com/753432515

"datetime","note"

"7/29/2013"," SF said they wouldn't include Mejia on top of Blackburn."

"7/29/2013"," SF said they still had interest in Norris. JL said they would have to include both Blackburn and Mejia to be competitive."

"7/29/2013"," AA texted JL and asked what a package around Stroman might look like. JL said Stoman + Gose would be in consideration."

"7/29/2013"," BC texted JL and said they couldn't include Boegarts, Cecchini, Webster, or Bradley but thought they had enough depth to still make an appealing package. JL wrote back and asked if they would consider a package around Barnes and Owens."

"7/29/2013"," JL said we would consider Danry Vasquez. DD got back to JL a few days later and said they'd do Vasquez. JL said to do it now we would have to add a minor piece like David Paulino. Given that Paulino is hurt, the deal was structured as a PTBNL with Emanuel Chavez as the other option"

top 50 prospect. "

"7/28/2013","- NH offered Heredia + comp pick for Norris. JL said no."

"7/26/2013","JL talked to Mo about STL trade deadline needs. Mo said he might have interest in Bedard but hadn't decided yet. Also said he might have interest in Norris but not at an elite prospect level (he included Wong, Martinez, Wacha, Taveras as elite guys)"

"7/26/2013"," DD checked to see if we saw a Norris deal without Bundy. JL said that was unlikely bud we'd be willing to add to Norris to get Bundy."

"7/26/2013"," Rizzo called JL to inquire on Harrell. JL told him we would still need a headliner like Giolito because we still value Harrell highly. Rizzo did not respond immediately."

"7/25/2013","BC told JL that right now they don't think they would consider those names but will let JL know if that changes."

"7/25/2013"," NH said he would not include Polanco in any Norris deal. JL asked for Glasnow + Heredia or Glasnow + Kingham and NH said no. NH said he was willing to add to Heredia. NH said he would also consider adding to Heredia with pick 73. JL said that Glasnow had to be the headliner and we were looking for."

"7/24/2013"," BOS offered Ryan Lavarnway or Deven Marrero for Norris. We said no."

"7/24/2013"," JL told BC that it would have to be one of Boegarts, Webster, Bradley, or Cecchini to get in the conversation at this point."

"7/24/2013"," PIT asked for second names to go along with Glasnow, Heredia, Hanson for Norris"

"7/23/2013"," JL offered Norris for Blackburn, Mejia, and Mella. SF said no."

"7/23/2013"," DET said no to Thompson for Veras."

"7/22/2013"," DD and JL texted. JL said taht we would do Norris = Veras for Castellanos and that we would consider Norris for Jake Thompson. DD said that SP was not a priority for them now but that they would consider those names and get back to us."

"7/22/2013","JL told RA that we would consider Aaron Altherr. RA said that seemded like a reasonable ask and he was still evaluating where he was. He would get back to us."

"7/21/2013"," PIT said the wouldn't trade Taillion or Polanco. Might consider one of Glasnow, Heredia, or Hanson for Norris. "

"7/20/2013"," JL told AA that we would consider Stroman +. AA said he had a bunch of balls in the air at once but would get back to JL."

"7/19/2013"," AA texted JL and asked what it would take for Norris. AA said Aaron Sanchez is off the table but might be willing to talk about anyone else."

"6/30/2013"," PIT reached out to JL and expressed interest in Norris."

"6/28/2013"," SF said they could not do Blackburn and Crick but that they would like to keep talking and keep in touch on Norris."

"6/28/2013"," SF indicated to JL that they would do Blackburn plus another piece but couldn't include Crick."

"6/28/2013"," DD said he would not do Bundy. Suggested Mike Wright and Pedro Strop"

"6/26/2013"," DD called JL and expressed continued interest in Norris. JL said that for us to consider it at this point it would have to revolve around Bundy or Gaussman. DD said no on Gaussman but did not dismiss Bundy out of hand. DD said he ahd to talk to his doctors to really see what was going on."

"6/17/2013"," Bobby Evans called DS to check in on Norris. DS told BE that it's probably a little early for us to consider dealign Norris but are always willing to listen. DS said that when we do trade Norris we will likely be looking for quality over quantity."

Giants Rumors: Team Interested, Not Interested in Jeff Samardzjia

If the rumor mill is the slightest bit accurate, and of course it all depends on the number and quality of prospects they have to give up, put me down as being in favor of the Giants acquiring:

1. "Big Game" James Shields
2. David Price
3. Jeff Samardzija

from Bleacher Report:
Giants Rumors: Team Interested, Not Interested in Jeff Samardzjia:

The Giants sent a high-level scout to watch the Cubs play the Marlins. Because that's what they're supposed to do, just in case. Unless they're REALLY interested.

'via Blog this'

Shields just "fits" the Giants better than the others and Price with the adrenalin punch of being back in a pennant race could be dominating. I'm not sure that Samardzija has ever really been described much as either dominating or nails enough to be nicknamed "Big Game". 

Just MO.  Put me down as more "not interested" than "interested" in the Cubs ace. Plus, the other two have the advantage of being AL pitchers. The NL hitters don't have as much of a mental "book" on them. 

Giants don't sign Ted Lilly to minor-league deal - McCovey Chronicles

WAIT.....WHAT!?!?

Reportedly because the two parties couldn't agree on a call-up date after signing a minor-league deal?
How about IF on the old call-up date there partner, not WHEN? 
Have you seen the back of your baseball card lately champ? It's not real pretty.
I mean, you're Ted Lilly.....that used to mean something.

from McCovey Chronicles:
Giants don't sign Ted Lilly to minor-league deal - McCovey Chronicles:

...the deal between the Giants and Ted Lilly is off.

Well, there goes the season. Everything that I wrote in the previous post still stands; Lilly is still the type of player the Giants should poke around at in the offseason. But they won't get the free 30-day trial to find out. The Giants probably didn't want to give their credit-card number and risk getting an auto-renewal subscription.

So until further notice, please remember that Ted Lilly has always kind of been a dillweed, and we never liked him in the first place. Best of luck on the Long Island Ducks, pal.

'via Blog this'


Although lately it seems as if the Giants are leading the majors in jiltings. Oh well, life goes on.

Maybe the Giants have a case of organizational halitosis. Jilted by Ted Lilly.......can the season get any worse?

UPDATE:

According to the Mercury News, the call-up date may not have been the reason for the breakdown.

from the Mercury News:
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/08/06/tuesdays-new-lineup-same-as-mondays-new-lineup/

Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish, who initially reported that the Giants had reached an agreement on a minor-league deal, now saying the deal has fallen through, at least for now. According to Cotillo’s source, Lilly and the Giants could not agree on a call-up date. That news probably gets Giants fans more excited than the alleged signing.

Giants PR man Jim Moorehead just passed along this quote from Giants assistant G.M. Bobby Evans: “Upon reviewing Ted Lilly’s medical history, we will hold off on pursuing a minor-league contract right now.”

...

On nearly signing Lilly: “Yeah, they were close. I think it was pretty much done pending the physical and there were some concerns there.”

The thought on signing Lilly: “We were in a situation where we were going to get a look at him in Fresno (Lilly’s home area), a few starts to see where he was at physically and his stuff. It was basically a free look to see where he was at. We’re talking about an experienced major-league pitcher who’s had a real nice career. The timing made sense for us. Unfortunately, with the physical, it’s not going to happen.”

Giants To Sign Ted Lilly: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

If this is tit for tat for the Dodgers signing of Brian Wilson, I think the Dodgers benefit more. This is a fairly low-risk move for the Giants for this year, Lilly can plug some innings in relief or in spot starts down the stretch. Long-term? I'm really not sure there is a long-term there.

from MLBTradeRumors.com:
Giants To Sign Ted Lilly: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

The Giants have signed lefty Ted Lilly, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish.  MLBTR has confirmed the minor league deal, which is pending a physical.  Lilly, 37, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers last month and released a few days ago.  The Dodgers are on the hook for the remaining $3.7MM or so on his contract, less the prorated portion of the league minimum of Lilly returns to the Majors with San Francisco.  Lilly is represented by Larry O'Brien of Full Circle Sports Management.

'via Blog this'

Bud Norris traded to Baltimore Orioles from Houston Astros - ESPN

Giants lose out on another prime trade target in Bud Norris. The Orioles prospect received by the Astros is roughly the Giants equivalent of surrendering Gary Brown. The other prospect would likely be lower tier and lower level.

Perhaps the Giants are feeling good with the quality / quantity of arms they have in-house and are targeting prospects who swing the bats or they are just packing it in for the season overall and feel content in standing pat as far as the more marquee names available. Nothing splashy, just nibbling around at the fringes trying to find pearls cast into the garbage by other organizations.

from ESPN:
Bud Norris traded to Baltimore Orioles from Houston Astros - ESPN:

The Baltimore Orioles have acquired starting pitcher Bud Norris from the Houston Astros for minor league outfielder L.J. Hoes and another prospect, a team source confirmed to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

Norris, 28, is 6-9 with a 3.93 ERA this season, his fifth with the Astros. The hard-throwing right-hander figures to bolster an Orioles rotation that entered play Wednesday with a 4.64 ERA.

Hoes, 23, is batting .304 in 99 games at Triple-A Norfolk this season.

'via Blog this'

Error opens door, Cubs beat Giants - Yahoo! Sports

Maybe not so much because of this one game....although really guys?
The Cubs are going to get healthy against you? At home?!?

from Yahoo Sports:
Error opens door, Cubs beat Giants - Yahoo! Sports:

The Giants, meanwhile, lost for the 20th time in their past 28 games since being two games over .500 on June 22. They fell to 7-17 against National League Central teams this season.

Down to their last out, the Cubs rallied against Giants closer Sergio Romo (3-5), who was seeking his 25th save.

'via Blog this'

But maybe because this seems like a long, long, time ago....and far, far away.

Does this team have any fight left? Any pride? Anything?
Have a garage sale if you have to, but SELL, SELL, SELL!!!

Garza gone from shopping list - Good news / bad news

This would have been too rich for my blood. Good news that Sabean passed or exercised discretion or did not have enough to offer here. Not good news as far as what this does to the price for our #1 target Bud Norris.

from Bleacher Report:
Matt Garza to Rangers: Cubs Reportedly Trade Star SP to Texas | Bleacher Report:

In return, the Cubs received two of the Rangers' top-five prospects (Olt and Grimm), as rated by J.J. Cooper of Baseball America prior to the 2013 season. Olt is the biggest prize, as he was ranked as Baseball America's 22nd-best prospect in the sport before the start of the season.

While Garza is far from an ace, he's a solid middle-of-the-rotation pitcher who should really improve the Rangers pitching. Still, he's likely a rental player, as he's in his final year of salary arbitration. 

But if he helps Texas win a World Series, most will forget how much the Rangers gave up to get him. 

'via Blog this'

UPDATE:

Cubs do well for themselves, extracting one of the top Rangers prospects.  One bat and one arm.


from mlb.com Prospect Watch:

Mike Olt

Rank: 1

Round Rock Express (AAA)

ETA: 2013

Position: 3B

Age: 24, DOB: 08/27/1988

Bats: R, Throws: R

Height: 6' 2", Weight: 210

Drafted: 2010, 1st (49) - TEX

Twitter: @molt2222

Scouting Grades* (present/future): Hit: 4/5 | Power: 5/6 | Run: 3/3 | Arm: 6/6 | Field: 5/5 | Overall: 5/6

There are those who feel Olt is ready to play every day at third base in the big leagues, and could do so for a number of teams. The issue for Olt is that the Rangers aren't one of them, with Adrian Beltre standing in his way at the hot corner. When he was up briefly in 2012, he played some first base and some corner outfield, but that's not a condemnation of his skills at third. His hands, range and arm, the last of which being his best defensive tool, all play very well at that position, leaving little doubt about his ability to stay there long-term. Olt may not hit for a really high average, and fans should be prepared for a good amount of strikeouts, but he'll also draw a ton of walks and is a better all-around hitter than many anticipated. The power is legit, too, and it's not a projection. Olt's ready to hit the ball out to any field at any time. All he needs is a regular opportunity to do so.

C.J. Edwards

Rank: 15

Status: Traded

ETA: 2016

Position: RHP

Age: 21, DOB: 09/03/1991

Bats: R, Throws: R

Height: 6' 2", Weight: 155

Drafted: 2011, 48th (1464) - TEX

Twitter: @CEdwardsSBS

Scouting Grades* (present/future): Fastball: 5/6 | Curveball: 3/5 | Changeup: 3/5 | Control: 4/5 | Overall: 4/5

It’s not often that a 48th-round Draft pick creates buzz in a system, especially one as deep as the Rangers’. But the improvement Edwards has shown since signing has been impressive. He made his pro debut in 2012 by tossing 20 scoreless innings in the Arizona League, earning a promotion to the more advanced short-season Northwest League. He wasn’t fazed by the challenge, striking out 11.49 per nine innings over his 47 innings of work. Long and lean, Edwards has some deception to his delivery, making his fastball, which already can be above-average, even harder to pick up. His secondary stuff needs to be developed more, but he’s shown an ability to spin a breaking ball and a feel for his changeup, giving him the chance to have three average or better offerings. He has a long way to go, but it’s hard to imagine a more encouraging start.

MLB Trade Rumor Analysis: The Bud Norris Sweepstakes

If this is indeed the cost for Norris -- LHP Edwin Escobar and C Andrew Susac -- then put me down for a yes.

from Beyond the Box Score:
MLB Trade Rumor Analysis: Bud Norris - Beyond the Box Score:

Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong are free agents to be and San Francisco has to be concerned with Matt Cain's sudden implosion this year. With reigning NL MVP Buster Posey still performing well and Pablo Sandoval assumingly getting healthy over the All-Star break, don't be surprised if the Giants make a run at the up-for-grabs NL West. Their playoff odds are low but an acquisition such as Bud Norris could stabilize their rotation and allow them to try to trade Lincecum for outfield help. Edwin Escobar or Andrew Susac could pose as decent trade bait that Houston could ask for.

'via Blog this'

Escobar looks smooth, but lets face it,  the Giants have a plethora of young LHP's ahead of him.

Whoa, wait a minute, aren't you always saying "You can never have too many LHP's"?

Yes, but here I think we can peel one off and hope for the best. He's in High-A which means we shouldn't hear from him until after Zack Wheeler wins his first Cy Young award, so what the heck?

As for Susac, although he is one of the few prospects not regressing, he does play the position currently held by that Posey kid. Can you say blocked?  And yes, currently we do not appear to have a capable back-up but, it's not like Eli Whitehead's don't grow on trees.

Sorry, Eli.

Giants Designate Chris Heston For Assignment: MLB Rumors

If this is true, perhaps the total impact of the Francoeur signing eventually becomes Cole Gillespie and Chris Heston? That would be a bit steep even if, as Schulman says, Heston has taken a step backwards in his development.

This year, what major Giants prospect hasn't regressed other than perhaps Jake Dunning?

from MLBTradeRumors.com
Giants Designate Chris Heston For Assignment: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

Heston checked in at 17th among Giants prospects on Baseball America's pre-season ranking after a strong showing in Double-A last year, where he posted a 2.24 ERA over 148 2/3 innings and clocked 8.2 K/9 versus 2.4 BB/9. He was added to the 40-man over the off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Known as a "groundball machine" (per Baseball America), Heston has thrived as a pitchmaker in spite of his far-from-overpowering stuff.

In his first stint at the Triple-A level, however, Heston has struggled to a 5.80 ERA over 108 2/3 innings. His strikeout ratio is right on par with his career norms at 8.0 K/9, but his walks are up and he has allowed many more long balls than in past seasons. (Heston posted 2.4 BB/9 last year to go with a paltry -- and surely unsustainable -- .1 HR/9. This season, he stands a 3.8 BB/9 and has allowed 1.2 HR/9.) Nevertheless, given Heston's relatively strong prospect standing, Schulman wonders (also via Twitter) whether a trade could be in the works, since he "can't believe they'd let him go for nothing."

'via Blog this'

Heston was ranked as high as #8 be MLB.com among Giants prospects, statistically he appeared close in stature to Mike Kickham and along the same developmental glide path. His K/BB ratio was a solid 3.44, above average and better than Kickham's 2.13 coming into the season. Maybe the organization is having second thoughts after his struggles at AAA. His K/BB ratio there declined to around 2.10, so perhaps the thought is let him regroup at AA, which makes two prospects moving down a level after Oropesa was demoted from AA back to High A. Yeeesh!!



from MLB.com:
Chris Heston
Position: RHP
Age: 25, DOB: 04/10/1988
Bats: R, Throws: R
Height: 6' 4", Weight: 185
Drafted: 2009, 12th (357) - SF
Twitter: @Hesto23

 Scouting Grades* (present/future): Fastball: 5/5 | Curveball: 4/5 | Changeup: 5/5 | Control:5/ 6 | Overall: 5/5

Command type right-handers often struggle when they make the move up to Double-A. Heston clearly didn't get that memo as he used his average stuff and excellent feel for pitching to lead the organization in ERA. His sinking fastball may top out at around 92 mph, but he uses a good downhill plane and gets a lot of groundball outs with it. His big curve often has good bite and rotation and thanks to good arm speed, his changeup is effective and deceptive. He commands all of his pitches well, getting ahead of hitters regularly. His ceiling might be limited, but it's looking like his floor is too, with a future in the middle to back of a rotation coming soon.

Giants: Buyers or Sellers?

If the net effect of the deal is Francouer for Gillespie, then it's worth a shot. The Giants clearly need Frenchy to be more the 2011 version (20-87-.285) and not the 2013 version (3-13-.208). Maybe some of the same spark that invigorated Pat Burrell in 2010 after his release by the Rays?

We will need something like that and perhaps more. Only six and a half out but climbing over everyone else in the division will make it seem closer to ten out. It seems like the Giants may lose out to the Rangers for Garza, which is OK provided they can get Norris. A whiff on both may make them want to consider being sellers more than buyers before it's too late.

from Yahoo Sports:
San Francisco Giants on Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games:

Jul 13 Cole Gillespie LF/CF Acquired Off Waivers from San Francisco to Chi Cubs (Signed)
Jul 13 Jeff Francoeur RF/LF Purchased From Minors by San Francisco (Signed)

'via Blog this'

San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors)

If the following two paragraphs don't adequately illustrate how far the Giants have fallen this season, then nothing else will. Giant fans across the country should now be precariously perched on the ledge.


from sfgiantsbaseball.net:
San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors):

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reported (via Twitter) this morning that the Giants have signed (minor league deal) outfielder Jeff Francoeur. The 29-year-old Francoeur was recently released by the Royals after hitting .208 with 3 homers in 59 games this season. He will report to the Fresno Grizzlies.

Francoeur is a career .264 hitter and averages 19 homers a year. He should still have a lot of juice in his tank since he’s only 29-years-old. Let’s hope a change of scenery is all he needs to get back on track!

'via Blog this'

Thanks Sabs.

A 29-year old, who just washed out of Kansas City, hoping for a change of scenery to revive his career, is now the Giants season saver?

This leaves silent the question of why a 29-year old outfielder -- who should be entering the prime of his career -- washing out of Kansas City in the first place?  

Hope you have something else up your sleeve.

UPDATE:

from Yahoo Sports:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/sfo/report

The worse the Giants do, the chances diminish that general manager Brian Sabean will make a trade to improve the team.

The Giants lost 10-6 to the Mets on Tuesday to drop a season-high nine games below .500 (40-49).

If the defending champs were at .500, Sabean would be more compelled to try upgrading the team, he said. However, with the Giants buried in last place in the National League West and showing no signs of recovery, Sabean said it wouldn't be wise to move ahead with trades.

Making deals would mean giving up prospects for established players, and management's belief is that another player or two wouldn't make much of a dent in the standings.

Sabean has told several media outlets that the current group of players needs to show a lot more for him to make trades that would put the team over the top. Instead, the GM will settle for smaller moves, including one he made Tuesday -- signing veteran outfielder Jeff Francoeur to a minor league deal.

Dodgers Acquire Ricky Nolasco: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Giants lose out on Nolasco. To a close rival. And with the most recent Nolasco rumors including the Rockies in hot pursuit as well. The Giants are under more pressure to make a move today than they were yesterday.

Nolasco is still a rental and IMO Norris was / is still the better option / fit for the Giants, but for now his sticker price may be rising.

from MLBTradeRumors.com
Dodgers Acquire Ricky Nolasco: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

After dominating the trade rumor headlines for weeks, Ricky Nolasco has finally found a new team. The Southern California native will get a chance to play for his hometown Dodgers, as the club officially agreed today to acquire the longtime Marlins starter in exchange for a trio of pitching prospects. Headlining the arms coming to Miami is young righty Angel Sanchez, who is joined by right-handed relievers Steve Ames and Josh Wall.  

'via Blog this'

Angel Sanchez is the 8th ranked prospect in the Dodgers organization according to mlb.com. For the Giants purposes the rough equivalent would be Chris Heston or Martin Agosta. The other two Dodgers are throw-ins and more suspect than prospect at this point. Good deal for the Dodgers and ups the ante for the Giants to make a definitive move on the pitching front.


from mlb.com
http://mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2013/

Angel Sanchez

Rank: 8

Status: Traded

ETA: 2015

Position: RHP

Age: 23, DOB: 11/28/1989

Bats: R, Throws: R

Height: 6' 3", Weight: 177

Signed: July 12, 2010 - LAD

Scouting Grades* (present/future): Fastball: 6/6 | Slider: 4/5 | Changeup: 4/5 | Control: 4/5 | Overall: 4/5

Sanchez burst on the scene with the Dodgers by making his U.S. debut in the Midwest League in 2011 and pitching extremely well. His followup in the California League didn't go nearly as well, and the first part of his 2013 season was up and down, but his youth, stuff and size are all likely reasons the Marlins wanted him as part of the deal for Ricky Nolasco in July. He has a live arm and a free and easy delivery, which brings fastballs that touch 95 mph with good movement. His secondary stuff is more inconsistent, though he's shown glimpses of a strong, tilting slider and an effective changeup. The ball jumps out of his hand, and if he can learn to command the ball within the strike zone more effectively, he still has the chance to get back on track.

San Francisco Giants Rumors

Since it is prime rumor mongering season, let's let her rip shall we? Oh and fear not men, this is not the male equivalent of gossip mongering which is what women and catty men do. This is purely sports related, so it's all good.

For all the reasons cited below, it looks as if Bud Norris is the best fit for relocation to SF. Ricky Nolasco from the Marlins would be a nice second prize, but the term bidding war is developing around his name and along with being a short-term rental, I'm not sure if he carries the same potential value to the Giants long-term.

from sfgiantsbaseball.net:
San Francisco Giants Baseball (SF Giants Rumors):

Norris is also under the teams control until after the 2015 season. This is the perfect trade for San Francisco Giants GM Brian Sabean. If he can get this trade done, he’ll be bringing in a guy that isn’t packing his bags after the season. Norris is only making $3 million this year, and whatever team gets him will only have to pay $1 million of that after July 31st.

Morosi points out that Norris grew up in Novato and the Giants were his favorite team growing up. This sounds like it can be a perfect match with the possible departures of Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Norris almost certainly would sign a multi-year extension to stay in San Francisco because of his roots here.

Norris says it would be a dream come true for him to play for his childhood team, and he would be excited wherever he goes to help that team or if he isn’t traded to keep helping the Astros.

'via Blog this'

Matt Garza and Cliff Lee would be mercenaries ( read: Sidney Ponson among others) and anyone else would be a disappointment.

UPDATE: Joba Chamberlain is rumored to be possibly headed to the Braves or the Giants. The Braves have enough pitching and he is versatile enough to start or relieve, so he moves up to #2. As long as he leaves the "Joba Rules" in NY.

from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joba_Chamberlain

Chamberlain's usage in games was initially restricted by what were referred to as the "Joba Rules," which prevented him from pitching on consecutive days and gave him an additional day of rest for each inning pitched in an outing.^[18]

from NY Post:
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/item_ESh9bF9uuIJYO8PLKJhCVL;jsessionid=02E120BB4121F71B51F438B6D3879328

 Joe Torre and minor-league pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras, the creator of the Joba Rules, talked yesterday via phone about altering the way 21-year-old right-hander Joba Chamberlain will be used out of the bullpen.

Since arriving in the big leagues Aug. 7, Chamberlain has been tethered to the following program: One inning pitched requires one day off. Two innings requires two days of rest. Three innings of work means three days on the pine. And he needs two days off before being asked to throw two innings.

Among the hitters mentioned so far, Jeff Francoeur (3-13-.208, last year 16-29-.235, 29 years old) and Alex Rios (11-36-.268, last year 25-91-.304, 32 years old).

Both fail to excite, although of the two, I would rather see Frenchy on the Giants. Rios looks pretty much done, whereas Francoeur at times shows some pop. 

Scratch that, look at the stats. Rios is probably the better option.

from fantasypros.com:

http://www.fantasypros.com/mlb/draft/alex-rios-jeff-francoeur.php

Alex Rios        Jeff Francoeur

Expert Picks

                100%                      0%

STAFF RANKINGS:     No experts recommend Jeff Francoeur over Alex Rios

The Royals just DFA'd ( Designated for Assignment ) Francoeur, so something could happen at anytime. Isn't that always the case? Something could happen at anytime. Yes, true that. Isn't rumor mongering fun?

from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_for_assignment

Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must either:^[1]

• return the player to the 40-man roster within 10 days from the date of designation, or
• make one of the following contractual moves:
  1. Place the player on waivers (which can only be done within the first 7 days of the 10-day period)
  2. Trade the player
  3. Release the player