Brewers Trade Rumors

"Now that the trading deadline is passed, free-agent shopping days aren't far off. The Braves have significant holes to fill this winter: in the outfield, where they need power, and the starting rotation, now that Tim Hudson will miss most of 2009 following elbow surgery. With $30-40 million to spend, here are five free-agent starters the Braves might add to their wish list. Next week we'll look at five free-agent outfielders. 1. LH CC Sabathia (Age 28; 2008 salary $11 million). Who wouldn't want the 2007 American League Cy Young award winner? Last year at 27, he became the youngest pitcher to win 100 games since Greg Maddux in 1993. He won a career-high 19 games, led the majors with 241 ..."

"Gerald Laird is the Texas Rangers' starting catcher, a statement that has been made on a number of occasions the past two seasons but always with a caveat. For now. He entered spring training as the starter, but he had to fend off Jarrod Saltalamacchia until the final week before securing the job. That lasted all of a month before Saltalamacchia forced his way onto the roster with a hot start in Triple A. The solution was to play Laird two days, followed by two for Saltalamacchia. That lasted until June, when Laird pulled a hamstring and went on the disabled list. He came off it Saturday and was handed the starting job for the stretch run. For now. Visit any Web site that tracks rumors as ..."

"The most popular girl in school always is gossiped about. It%u2019s the same with the Milwaukee Brewers, the newest national sports media darlings. Any time a player%u2019s name pops up as trade bait, it seems the Brewers are somehow linked to a possible deal for him. And one day after general manager Doug Melvin shot down reports that his team was interested in Baltimore Orioles closer George Sherrill, the Brewers were back in the rumor mill. This time word around the campfire had Melvin interested in Seattle Mariners left-handed starter Jarrod Washburn, a Wisconsin nativewhom the Brewers tried to sign as a free agent. %u201CI%u2019ll tell you, whoever wrote that hasn%u2019t looked at our ..."

"Out of the major leagues since being released by the Orioles in March, Jay Gibbons is expected to sign a minor league deal this week with the Milwaukee Brewers. An announcement could come as early as today, according to baseball sources. Gibbons, who probably will start in either Double- or Triple-A, was unavailable for comment last night. Gibbons, a 31-year-old outfielder who hit 121 homers for the Orioles over seven injury-riddled seasons, has been playing with the independent Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks. In 27 games for the Ducks, Gibbons hit .280 with five home runs."

"The player who will complete the CC Sabathia trade is on a list of four Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguers who the Indians are scouting. It was previously reported the list contained only two players. All four players are position players. Class AA outfielder Michael Brantley and Class A third baseman Taylor Green are two of the players. The identities of the other two are not known. General Manager Mark Shapiro, who is on this trip, said the Indians would probably wait until the end of the minor-league season in August to make their choice. "There are some scenarios where we may not wait the entire time," said Shapiro."

"The Giants might start their sale of experienced players as soon as today, with strong indications the team was finalizing a deal that would send second baseman Ray Durham to Milwaukee. Team officials had no comment, but there were several hints of a pending trade. The Brewers are looking for a bench player who hits left-handed and are expected to announce a trade this morning. One of their prospects, a low Class A outfield speedster named Darren Ford, was pulled from the starting lineup Saturday amid indications he soon would be dealt. Durham, a switch-hitter, has not played in either of the last two games, ostensibly with the flu, and has been a rumored target of the Brewers."

"The Milwaukee Brewers were working on another trade Saturday evening that possibly could net San Francisco veteran second baseman Ray Durham for minor-league outfielder Darren Ford . Whether other players were involved in the talks was unclear. But Ford was scratched from the starting lineup with Class A Brevard County at the last minute, a sign he was about to be traded"

"I just got a call from a contact in Brevard County who told me that word was circulating there that outfielder Darren Ford had been involved in a trade for Oakland closer Huston Street."

"Ben Sheets will be named the starting pitcher for the National League in Tuesday's All-Star Game, according to a Major League source. The announcement will be made during a news conference with NL manager Clint Hurdle of the Rockies later Tuesday morning at Yankee Stadium. Sheets would be the first Brewers pitcher to start a Midsummer Classic. He is on his fourth All-Star team and has pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in his previous appearances, but has never worked before the third inning."

"While Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost said his decision is not final, he strongly suggested Sunday he will use the unusual starting rotation that will see Dave Bush pitch at Miller Park with Seth McClung get the nod on the road. "I've never seen anything like this," Yost said of the interesting arrangement. "I'm just trying to give us our best chance to win. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel." Yost is leaning in that direction because of the interesting splits Bush and McClung show between their home and road starts."

"With 23 days remaining before baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, the Twins don't expect to be sellers. But barring an injury, they're not desperate to buy, either. With second baseman Alexi Casilla and third baseman Brian Buscher filling big voids, the Twins don't have a glaring need. The starting rotation has been solid. The bullpen has absorbed the loss of setup man Pat Neshek. Manager Ron Gardenhire has a better bench than he did last season. "You're always looking to make your team better, and we'll continue to do that," Twins General Manager Bill Smith said before Monday's game against the Red Sox. "At the same time, you don't want to tinker too much with something that's ..."

"Brewers general manager Doug Melvin waited Saturday to see if his offer for Cleveland left-hander C.C. Sabathia would be accepted by the Indians. “Mark said he’d be in touch with me,” Melvin said, referring to Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro . “I’m sure they’ve got to think through everything.” Even with their No. 1 prospect, Class AA Huntsville outfielder Matt LaPorta , thought to be included in the offer, the Brewers hadn’t been able to get the Indians to say yes."

"The Milwaukee Brewers remained in hot pursuit Friday evening of Cleveland left-hander C.C. Sabathia, trying to close a deal that could send top prospect Matt LaPorta, minor-league third baseman Taylor Green and perhaps a third prospect to the Indians. Reached late in the evening, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he did not have a deal in place for Sabathia. Melvin said it was his understanding that other teams were still trying to strike deals for Cleveland's ace."

"The C.C. Sabathia rumors might turn out to be more than rumors. As the Milwaukee Brewers continued to scout Sabathia in his outing for Cleveland against Chicago on Wednesday night, word came out of Brevard County, Fla., that the Indians were looking at specific Milwaukee minor-leaguers. According to a source in attendance, the Indians had scouts looking at Class A Brevard County third baseman Taylor Green, the Brewers’ minor-league player of the year in 2007."

"There are more productive things to do at the moment than spending a lot of time speculating whether the Milwaukee Brewers will trade for C.C. Sabathia. You know, like coming up with an over-under for the number of performers personal fave "Earth, Wind & Fire" will be able to fit onstage for the final night of Summerfest. The variables, like funky horn players, are too numerous right now. The Cleveland Indians must remain out of contention, which is likely. They've also got to be motivated to move the reigning American League Cy Young winner, a given since the Indians can't afford to re-sign Sabathia. The Brewers will have to be in contention by the unrestricted trading deadline ..."

"Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin laughed Monday when asked if his team really was the leader in the C.C. Sabathia Sweepstakes. "Just the same old rumors," Melvin said. ESPN's Buster Olney has ranked the Brewers first among the teams most likely to trade for Cleveland's big lefty, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Olney cited other team sources and noted that the Brewers have the motivation to make such a move and the prospects to land a big fish such as Sabathia."

"The return of Eric Gagne is being pushed back a little. The $10-million Milwaukee Brewers closer, or former closer, threw a 30-pitch bullpen session before Saturday's game after two rehabilitation assignments for Class AAA Nashville last week, and the evaluation wasn't overly glowing. It was thought Gagne could be activated from the disabled list for this series against Minnesota after recovering from rotator cuff tendinitis, but after a second Nashville outing left some doubt and his side session was just OK, the team probably won't activate him any earlier than Monday in Arizona. Gagne will be looked at today to see how he feels, and if he has a normal day-after recovery, he likely ..."

"There are many things that ought to surprise us daily in this volatile world, but Ben Sheets reaffirming that he would test free agency this off-season should not be among them. Sheets saying that last week was like the forecast from the late, great George Carlin's hippie-dippie weatherman: "Tonight, dark. Continued darkness throughout most of the evening, with some widely scattered light toward morning." And Sheets could declare he wouldn't negotiate during the season and not come off as the bad guy because the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the same position. If you're Mark Attanasio or Doug Melvin, what else could you do?"

"We begin this week's entry with a question for former Milwaukee Brewers icon Cecil Cooper: So, you wanted to be a big-league manager, huh? What already had become a deteriorating clubhouse atmosphere reached an all-time low Wednesday when Houston Astros reliever Shawn Chacon physically attacked general manager Ed Wade in front of teammates and coaches in the team's dining room. Chacon was punted the next day, but the incident won't soon be forgotten. It will be interesting to see how the Astros respond on the field to what has become a poisonous environment. Teams either unite or split apart during times such as these. Either way, Cooper has his hands full in his first big-league ..."

"Ben Sheets confirmed Tuesday that he has every expectation of testing the free-agent market this winter. “That’s the direction I’m headed right now,” Sheets said. “You can’t invite yourself back.” The Milwaukee Brewers’ staff ace referred to the club’s decision not to try to negotiate a new deal before or during the 2008 season. Sheets is having the kind of year that every free agent-to-be covets. After tossing a complete-game four-hitter Monday night against Atlanta, he is 9-1 with a 2.59 earned run average through 15 starts, with a league-best three complete games. Now, even if the Brewers came calling with a new offer, Sheets admitted that he probably wouldn’t ..."

"Reliever Eric Gagné pitched a simulated game during an early workout, the final step before being cleared to report to Nashville on Tuesday for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Gagné said the plan is to pitch Tuesday and Thursday for Nashville, and then rejoin the Brewers next weekend in Minnesota. Yost already has said Gagné will not return to the closer’s role when he is activated, not after Salomon Torres has been so successful (10 for 10 in save chances) as his replacement."

"The once-ragged Milwaukee Brewers bullpen should be one step closer to being at full strength today, when the team is expected to activate David Riske from the disabled list. Riske was placed on the DL on May 15 with a hyper-extended right elbow, and shoulder pain soon followed, putting him on the shelf for much longer than was initially anticipated. After more than a month of being sidelined, Riske should be ready to pitch today in the series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays. Riske threw a live batting practice session Saturday and one rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Nashville on Tuesday, when he struck out all three batters he faced."

"There's a good chance it'll be one-and-done for reliever David Riske on his rehabilitation stint with Class AAA Nashville. Riske, on the DL while recovering from an elbow injury, struck out all three batters he faced Tuesday night. The original plan was for Riske to pitch again Thursday for the Sounds but manager Ned Yost said he might be brought back and activated after one outing. "We'll re-evaluate it (today)," Yost said. "There's some talk (about pitching just once). We'll see how he feels.""

"Shortstop J.J. Hardy participated in the pregame workout for the first time since sitting out the entire weekend series against Minnesota with soreness and weakness in his left shoulder. Hardy fielded ground balls and took batting practice without problem and expected to be back in the lineup tonight. "It felt really good," said Hardy, who began experiencing discomfort in the shoulder last week in Houston. "Really, it felt better than it has all year.""

"So to the question that lingers 70 games into a season in which the Brewers are playing serious catch-up with the maybe uncatchable Chicago Cubs: Should Lightning Rod Ned stay or go? Is he aiding or impeding the progress of this still-in-development team? And why does Yost?s job security remain as much a hot-button issue as the economy on squawk radio? Bottom line, Yost is a good baseball man. That hasn?t changed in five-plus seasons. He makes mistakes as he did on June 6 in Denver with Guillermo Mota. He can be inflexible, dogmatic, loath to admit his mistakes and occasionally condescending to those who aren?t familiar with every nuance of a complex game. Then again, we have just ..."

"Want a surprise name that could come in the market, maybe before July 31, but almost definitely in the offseason when the Mets and Yanks could be hunting first basemen: Milwaukee's Prince Fielder. Milwaukee is blessed with a lot of offensive-centric players who could switch to first (Ryan Braun in the majors, Matt LaPorta or Mat Gamel nearly ready at Double-A). Mainly, Fielder is a Scott Boras client who almost certainly will not sign a long-term contract and the Brewers could decide his greatest value is in dealing him sooner than later while his value is highest and cost to them lowest. The Dodgers, Twins and Royals also could have interest. "It's not something I am exploring," ..."

"Reliever David Riske , on the disabled list since May 15 with a hyper-extended elbow, passed a live batting practice session with flying colors Saturday and will report to Class AAA Nashville on Tuesday for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment. Riske said he was told he’d pitch an inning Tuesday for the Sounds and another Thursday before rejoining the Brewers next weekend for the end of their nine-game home stand. “I threw all of my pitches and (the elbow) felt really good,” said Riske, who threw 38 pitches to hitters before the Brewers took their regular batting practice."

"Milwaukee third baseman/outfielder Bill Hall has asked the Brewers to trade him, but don't expect the Pirates to make a bid. The Brewers would likely want a starting pitcher in return. Hall, 28, has three years left on a $24 million contract. He is batting .223 with nine home runs and 24 RBI."

"Cuban baseball's brightest star, Dayán Viciedo, has escaped from Cuba and is now in Miami, following the footsteps of talented island colleagues who have found their way into the major leagues. Viciedo left Cuba on a boat bound for Mexico on May 20, accompanied by his family. Several days later he crossed the border from Mexico and traveled to Miami to reunite with friends and relatives. ''Dayán is going to spark a lot of talk in the majors,'' said his agent, Puerto Rican lawyer Jaime Torres."

"Bill Hall wants out. Hall's agent, Terry Bross, said Monday that he believes it would be best for both the Milwaukee Brewers and his client if Hall is traded to another club where he could play regularly. Hall made it clear he was unhappy when the Brewers called up Russell Branyan from Class AAA Nashville on May 24 to platoon at third base. The right-handed hitting Hall was batting .158 against right-handed pitchers at the time, prompting the Brewers to summon the left-handed-hitting Branyan to share the position."

"Looking to add more experience to an injury-thinned bullpen, the Brewers committed Monday to signing veteran right-hander Julian Tavarez. Tavarez, 35, recently released by Boston, worked out for the Brewers at Nationals Park over the weekend. He accompanied the team to Milwaukee after the series finale against Washington and was scheduled to undergo a physical - considered a formality - upon arrival. General manager Doug Melvin said Tavarez would be activated before the game tonight against Atlanta at Miller Park."

"As part of the agreement when the Brewers signed free-agent pitcher Jeff Weaver to a minor-league deal after the season began, he can ask for his release next Sunday if he is not called up to the majors. Weaver, who had no spring training to speak of, has done little to get Melvin and his staff excited. In five starts at Nashville, he is 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA, with 31 hits and eight walks allowed in 29 innings. Asked if he could see Weaver helping the Brewers at some point, Melvin said, "That's a possibility. It depends on what guys are doing here. "He might say, 'I'll stick around' if he thinks there's a better chance here. We haven't talked to him about it yet.""

"Tavarez never became a free agent, technically, and his acceptance of the assignment possibly caught some teams off guard. Once they get a look at him pitching in the minors and/or a spot opens up on their big league club, an interested team, such as the Rockies or Brewers, could then be more amenable to working a trade with the Red Sox. The Sox quite possibly will have to eat much of the remainder of Tavarez’ $3.85 million 2008 salary."

"Melvin shot down persistent Internet rumors that the Brewers are exploring moving their spring training operation from Arizona to Florida. He denied reports that club officials had talked to people in Auburndale and Sarasota about possibly relocating. The Brewers have four years left on their lease in Maryvale but could opt out in 2010. Melvin noted that owner Mark Attanasio, whose primary residence is in Los Angeles, likes making the short flight to Phoenix to attend exhibition games. "We have not met with anyone in Florida," Melvin said. "We've never discussed any of that.""

"Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Wednesday there is flexibility in the team's payroll to get another starting pitcher should the loss of Yovani Gallardo prove too much to overcome. Gallardo underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ACL in his right knee. He is presumed lost for the season, creating a void the Brewers never expected after Gallardo returned three weeks ago from a minor pre-season knee injury. Should general manager Doug Melvin find another pitcher available, at the right price in terms of trading personnel, Attanasio said he'd be given the financial leeway to do so."

"Ryan Braun's agent, Nez Balelo, is in town for the three-game series and will continue talks with Melvin regarding a multi-year contract extension. Balelo said owner Mark Attanasio might take part as well. The Brewers continue to talk with Balelo and Scott Boras, the agent for Prince Fielder."

"Gee, do you think Ben Sheets knows he's in a contract year? His previous seven Aprils with the Brewers were mediocre (10-17, 4.19 ERA, zero shutouts, three complete games). His current April is dominant (1-0, no runs allowed in two starts, one complete game, one shutout)."

"Team owner Mark Attanasio said the club continued to have "ongoing discussions" with the agents for first baseman Prince Fielder and leftfielder Ryan Braun about multi-year contract extensions."

"Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Saturday the club has made long-term contract offers to first baseman Prince Fielder and left fielder Ryan Braun, but didn't sound overly optimistic that deals would be reached any time soon."

"When Ben Sheets takes the mound Monday afternoon at Wrigley Field, he will be making his sixth opening day start for the Milwaukee Brewers. And, in all likelihood, his last."

"It's no secret in the Brewers' clubhouse that first baseman Prince Fielder and leftfielder Ryan Braun have been identified as the first players for management to approach to discuss multi-year contract offers."

"With left-hander Chris Capuano likely headed for the disabled list, Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Friday that he was less inclined to trade a starting pitcher."

"The elbow problem incurred Monday by left-hander Chris Capuano might sidetrack any notion the Brewers had of trading a pitcher to ease their logjam. But general manager Doug Melvin said the telephones had been quiet in any event."

"Some free-agent options are available, such as Kenny Lofton and, of course, Barry Bonds. But the Rays seem more likely to first explore trade possibilities, with names to keep in mind including Dave Dellucci (Indians), Gabe Gross (Brewers), Skip Schumaker (Cardinals), Reggie Willits (Angels) and, less likely, Reed Johnson (Blue Jays)."

"I like Prince Fielder, a born leader and a good guy with well-intentioned personal beliefs, as long as he doesn't get preachy about them. Generally, I'm also for players using reasonable tactics to get an equitable salary from a profession that, on average, lasts between five and seven years."

"General manager Doug Melvin shot down an Internet rumor that had Boston showing interest in left-hander Chris Capuano. "I haven't talked to them," Melvin said."

"So what is it that Prince isn't happy about? Only this. That his salary to play first base this year for the Milwaukee Brewers is six figures instead of seven. That he will make only $670,000."

"Informed that owner Mark Attanasio would like to pursue a long-term contract with him, Fielder remained non-committal. "I don't know. I'll let my agent handle that," said Fielder, who is represented by Scott Boras."

"Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said Friday that he did not think Prince Fielder's unhappiness with his current contract would affect the slugging first baseman's relationship with the club in the future."

"Towers and Red Sox GM Theo Epstein were in contact yesterday. Epstein has two center fielders, and one of them, Coco Crisp, could be available... Last year, the Padres asked the Brewers about reserve center fielder Tony Gwynn Jr. The Angels have a glut of outfielders, including two center fielders who are likely cheaply available: Nathan Haynes, who is out of minor league options; and Reggie Willits, who may not crack the 25-man roster."