MLB - Sports Rumors

The Boston Globe reports the Boston Red Sox will not pull the trigger on a deal for another hitter until the team knows the status of third baseman Mike Lowell(notes) and his balky hip. According to the report, the team wants to see how Lowell holds up during the final two weeks of July.

According to the report, the Red Sox would have to unload Mark Kotsay(notes) to make any deal and the team doesn't want to do that.

There's no shortage of options, including Nick Johnson(notes), Chad Tracy(notes), Garrett Atkins(notes), and Victor Martinez(notes). Don't expect anything for the next three weeks

Source: Boston.com

Mike Rizzo, the acting general manager of the Washington Nationals, said Saturday the team will not conduct a firesale at the trade deadline, the Washington Post reported.

"A big transition period? I don't think that," Rizzo said. "We'll make deals based on good baseballs decision. 'Firesale' means you want to dump people. We don't want to dump people."

Among those on Washington's 40-man roster, only two players — third baseman Ryan Zimmerman(notes) and catcher Jesus Flores(notes) — have the entrenched status where you can assume they'll be starting in 2011. Adam Dunn's(notes) two-year, $20 million contract expires at the end of 2010. Cristian Guzman's(notes) two-year, $16 million expires at the same time. Nick Johnson(notes), currently earning $5.5 million, will be a free agent at year's end. Another veteran in the group drawing trade interest, corner outfielder Josh Willingham(notes), is under club control (and arbitration eligible) for two more years, according to the Post.

"Why would you want to dump Willingham? We control him for two years, he's [30] years old, and he's a good hitter," Rizzo said. "I still think it's a young team. Willingham and Zim, those are guys in their primes or entering their primes. Including Dunn."

Asked specifically is Johnson was most likely to be dealt, Rizzo said, "Nick is probably the one with the most trade rumors, but we're not looking to move him. We'll only move him if we have the right opportunity. I don't want to put names as to who's most likely [to be traded], because we don't really know." Rizzo chuckled. "You know, I didn't know [Lastings] Milledge was the most likely."

Source: Washington Post

The Pittsburgh Pirates are ready to deal ... again.

The Pirates and San Francisco have had trade talks regarding second baseman Freddy Sanchez(notes) and, to a lesser extent, first baseman Adam LaRoche(notes), each of whom can be a free agent after this season, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

According to the report, the Giants have had a scout following Sanchez, a source confirmed Saturday, and their interest in LaRoche goes back several months. Their preference at first base, though, is for a right-handed bat.

Sanchez has a vesting option in his contract that allows him to trigger an $8.5 million option if he achieves 635 plate appearances or 600 plate appearances plus an All-Star berth. The latter will be known Sunday when selections are made.

LaRoche is the Pirates' second-highest paid player at $7.05 million, and there is some skepticism within the team that he can be moved with about half of that amount still due.

Other players the Pirates are known to have discussed with other teams are shortstop Jack Wilson(notes), reliever John Grabow(notes) and, only in an exploratory sense, closer Matt Capps(notes). The latter apparently would be moved only at a high price, according to the Post-Gazette.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

New York Mets left-hander Oliver Perez(notes) pitched pitched for Triple-A Buffalo and looked like the old Ollie, however, that was not a good thing.

According to the New York Post, Perez gave up three runs on five hits (including a home run) and four walks in five-plus innings against Rochester, showing his typical lack of control along the way. He had four strikeouts, but he threw just half of his 92 pitches for strikes.

The Mets still might bring Perez off the disabled list to replace the ineffective Tim Redding(notes) in the rotation, but that decision appeared to be up in the air after Saturday night's uneven showing, according to the Post.

"I've got to take in . . . all that took place, and velocity and those types of things," Jerry Manuel said.

Source: New York Post

Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan said he doesn't expect the team to be sold until after the season, at the earliest, according to the Dallas Morning News.

"Just because of the process it takes, I don't expect to see anything happen during the course of the season," Ryan said.

Rangers owner Tom Hicks is trying to sell the club, and Yahoo reported this week that Major League Baseball has loaned him several million dollars.

According to the Morning News, the signing of two international free agents Thursday was a sign that the team is forging ahead despite financial concerns. A baseball source said Thursday that the Rangers spent at least $2.5 million to sign the prospects. General manager Jon Daniels said Friday he could not confirm the signings until the players pass physicals.

"It has not affected us, with the exception that we let two baseball office employees go, which is always not a pleasant deal," Daniels said of the team's finances. "Outside of that, it has not changed how we do business, it did not affect how we approached the draft and it did not affect how we approach international free agency. I think it'll be the same thing for the trade deadline. ... If something comes up to improve the club and requires additional money, we'll present it to Tom and make a case for it."

Source: Dallas Morning News

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez(notes) was eligible to come off the disabled list Saturday, remained sidelined by a groin strain, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the Inquirer, the Phillies leftfielder was scheduled to appear in a rehabilitation game with double-A Reading on Wednesday, and then on Thursday, but he was held out of action. The Phils have said they want him to play a few minor-league games before activating him.

Ibanez took batting practice and fielded fly balls last night at Citizens Bank Park before the Phillies won their series opener against the New York Mets. There was a simple reason he didn't begin the rehab assignment, according to the Inquirer.

"He still feels something in there," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said before the game. "What that something is, I can't be too specific because I can't tell you what it is. But as long as he is feeling something in there and he doesn't feel comfortable and our medical people don't feel comfortable having him go out to play, there is no reason to risk it."

Source: Philly.com

While fans of the struggling New York Mets continue to plead for the team to make a big deal that will add a hitter, the team's general manager doubts one will be made, according to the New York Post.

Minaya said he has been given permission by management to add to the club's NL-high $143 million budget. That would make the Mets an attractive trading partner to the numerous teams experiencing economic stress this summer.

But Minaya said the Mets' expectation that Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran(notes) and Carlos Delgado(notes) will return by early August is limiting their interest in a big trade.

"It's fair to say that, if we're looking for reinforcements right now, some of our DL guys are probably going to be the reinforcements," Minaya said. "If we can get all our guys back healthy, our healthy guys, its going to be hard to make trades that are going to be better than Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado."

Source: New York Post

The Boston Globe reports the Arizona Diamondbacks spent a lot of time scouting the Red Sox during the Atlanta and Baltimore series. While it could merely be normal coverage assignments with nothing cooking, the D-Backs might have a player who could be appealing to the Red Sox.

Corner infielder Chad Tracy(notes) who has just come off the DL with an oblique strain is a chip the Diamondbacks would like to move. While Tracy spent most of his career as a third baseman (330 games) he's become more of a first baseman. His offensive production has declined since a productive early career, according to the Globe.

The 6-2, 200-pound left-handed hitter does hit the ball the opposite way which could be a factor at Fenway. The Sox have Mike Lowell(notes) on the disabled list with his balky hip, but Lowell is already feeling better and should be able to go after the All-Star break, according to the Globe.

The Red Sox really don't have a lot of obvious roster space to add another hitter with Rocco Baldelli(notes) and Mark Kotsay(notes) already occupying key bench spots. Julio Lugo(notes) has been hitting and he may be increasing his trade value.

Source: Boston.com

The New York Yankees will have discussions about whether they should pursue the left-handed Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban pitcher who defected while in the Netherlands, the New York Times reported.

According to the Times, he fires a fastball that exceeds 100 miles per hour and is widely considered the premier pitching prospect in Cuba. His age was reported Thursday as 21, but reports in March at the World Baseball Classic said he was 26.

Bart Hernandez, an agent who is hoping to represent Chapman, said Chapman threw 100 and 101 m.p.h. "If he polishes up his changeup and tightens up his slider, he can be a young Randy Johnson(notes)," Hernandez said.

Chapman had a 5.68 earned run average over six and a third innings while pitching for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in March. He was in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with the Cubans for a tournament but left the team's hoteland defected. Chapman's defection was first reported by cubaencuentro.com, according to the Times.

Source: New York Times