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Big names could move before deadline

by Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX.

Updated: July 30, 2008, 2:27 AM EST 7 comments

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Around the horn, deadline edition:

The Dodgers are not pursuing Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez, according to major-league sources. Their priority remains a shortstop, and they might end up with only a backup at the position, if anyone.

The Red Sox contacted the Dodgers about Ramirez, just as they've contacted virtually every team that might be interested in the slugger. The Dodgers, however, dismissed the idea, balking at the likely asking price and the circus-like atmosphere surrounding Ramirez.

"There's too much going on there," one source said.

The Dodgers' addition of third baseman Casey Blake reduced their need for offense at shortstop. Nomar Garciaparra could be headed to the disabled list with a sprained ligament in his left knee, but Angel Berroa offers solid defense, if not much offense.

The team, sources say, does not have interest in the Twins' Adam Everett, another light-hitting shortstop who is nearing the end of a rehabilitation assignment, and has all but ended its pursuit of the Pirates' Jack Wilson.

The Phillies, in pursuit of a left-handed reliever, inquired about the Royals' Ron Mahay, but are not the front-runner to acquire him, according to major-league sources.

The interest in Mahay has intensified, and other teams are willing to pay a greater price than the Phillies. The Rockies, at least for the moment, are not discussing deals involving closer Brian Fuentes. The Orioles so far have been unsuccessful in their quest to acquire a young shortstop for closer George Sherrill.

That leaves Mahay as one of the better options for teams seeking a veteran lefty. He signed a two-year with the Royals last offseason and will earn $4 million in 2009. The Royals are believed to be seeking position help in return.

The Padres plan to ask right-hander Greg Maddux one more time if he would consider a trade to a team that isn't on the west coast. Maddux holds a full no-trade clause and wants to remain in the west to stay close to his family. The Phillies expressed interest in Maddux before they acquired right-hander Joe Blanton from the A's. The Dodgers, perhaps the only team to which Maddux would approve a trade, have not shown interest.

The Cubs aren't expected to do much before the deadline, but they could trade left-handed reliever Scott Eyre, who is drawing interest from teams such as the Red Sox, Rays and Tigers.

Eyre, 36, will be expendable once closer Kerry Wood comes off the disabled list; the Cubs do not plan to demote rookie sensation Jeff Samardzija, and they have two other left-handed relievers, Neal Cotts and Sean Marshall.

Eyre, earning $3.8 million in the final year of his contract, rejoined the Cubs last week after spending most of the season on the disabled list with elbow and groin injuries.

Trade Miguel Tejada? The Astros, bless their delusional hearts, are thinking quite the opposite. They're buyers, not sellers, pursuing bullpen help even though they're buried in the National League standings.

The Astros have had "absolutely no (trade) dialogue about Miguel," one major-league source says, refuting an ESPN.com report that said the team was discussing a Tejada trade with the Red Sox.

The team's only discussions about Tejada, the source says, involve his long-term position. Tejada, 34, eventually will need to move to third base, but the Astros have a strong third-base prospect at Class AA, Chris Johnson.

Two teams that inquired about Mariners reliever J.J. Putz were told that he would not be traded. But others say that Putz indeed is available, along with every player on the M's roster except for right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, right-hander Felix Hernandez, catcher Kenji Johjima and reliever Brandon Morrow.

If the Mariners traded Putz, they would be committing to Morrow as their future closer. By keeping Putz, the M's would retain the option of moving Morrow to the rotation or continuing to use him and Putz as a dynamic late-inning duo.

Putz, 31, emerged as one of the game's top closers in 2006 and '07, earning a combined 76 saves and posting a 1.38 ERA in 71 2/3 innings last season. He opened the current season on the disabled list due to an inflamed right torso, and recently missed five weeks with a hyperextended right elbow.

Since coming off the disabled list, Putz has made four appearances, allowing one earned run in five innings. However, a scout who saw him during this stretch says, "He doesn't look like the same guy I saw earlier in the year."

Putz is signed for $3.4 million this season and $5 million next season with an $8.6 million club option for 2010.

The Marlins are the most aggressive suitor for Rangers catcher Gerald Laird, but add the Brewers to the list of interested clubs, which also includes the Reds and Yankees.

Brewers GM Doug Melvin acquired Laird for the Rangers in 2002, and Laird would be a strong complement to Jason Kendall, who needs to start only 16 more games to guarantee his vesting option for next season.

The Rangers are seeking a young starting pitcher in return for Laird, and also fielding calls on their other catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The Marlins, according to the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, are considering three catchers besides Laird: The Giants' Bengie Molina, Orioles' Ramon Hernandez and Pirates' Ryan Doumit.

Matt Treanor, the Marlins' starting catcher, is suffering from a sports hernia.

Must-read:

Indians right-hander Paul Byrd remains a secondary consideration for teams looking for a back-of-the-rotation starter. The Rockies are in that group, but they would prefer a pitcher with better stuff — Nationals righty Tim Redding and Pirates righty Ian Snell are among their possible targets.

Would the Cardinals entertain the return of Tigers shortstop Edgar Renteria? Cesar Izturis is a far better defender, but his batting average/on-base percentage/slugging line this season is only .228/.298/.288.

Renteria isn't hitting all that much better at .261/.310/.333, and his defense has regressed markedly. The Tigers would not necessarily be worse off without him, but perhaps he would be energized in St. Louis, where he played from 2000 to '04.

The Orioles appear to be facing an uphill battle in their quest to obtain a young, front-line shortstop for closer George Sherrill.

The Angels won't part with Erick Aybar, the Brewers won't budge on Alcides Escobar and the O's are reluctant to trade within the division for the Rays' Reid Brignac.

The Phillies would love to get Sherrill — GM Pat Gillick and special assistant Charley Kerfeld signed Sherrill out of the independent leagues when they were with the Mariners — but they don't have a shortstop the Orioles desire.

Dodgers center fielder Andruw Jones, batting .160/.248/.224 against right-handed pitching, did not start Monday night against Giants right-hander Kevin Correia.

Look for that trend to continue now that Juan Pierre is off the disabled list. Pierre, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier could get most of the starts against righties, reducing Jones to a $36.2 million platoon player.

Cubs rookie Jeff Samardzija was electric in his first two appearances, prompting one scout to say he possesses a "Gossage fastball," comparing his late movement to that of newly minted Hall of Famer Rich Gossage.

Add the Dodgers' Ivan DeJesus Jr. and Braves' Brett Lillibridge to the list of young shortstops that the Orioles have been scouting. The Orioles still seem more likely to move their big pieces — second baseman Brian Roberts, even closer George Sherrill — in the offseason. The Dodgers could view Roberts as a potential replacement for Jeff Kent.

Reds left fielder Adam Dunn hit his 30th home run on Monday night, tying the Phillies' Ryan Howard for the major-league lead. His .941 OPS ranks ninth in the NL. And his defense, by most measures, has improved.

Nobody wants him?

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