Royals Trade Rumors

"Much as he has done all summer, Tim Melville waits. Selected by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the baseball draft in June, Melville, a hard-throwing righthander from Holt High in Wentzville, had his patience tested as negotiations progressed slowly this summer. But with the signing deadline set for 11 p.m. Friday, Melville is confident his professional baseball career will begin shortly. "I'm ready to start playing again,'' the 18-year-old said. "It's been a little frustrating, but it's a complicated process. The last thing I heard from my adviser was that the contract had been sent to the commissioner's office. Once it's approved, they'll return it to me to sign and then I ..."

"Who's on second? That question will continue to be on the frontburner over the next several weeks as the Royals head down the stretch without veteran Mark Grudzielanek. The 38-year-old, who will be a free agent after this season, is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks because of a right ankle injury -- leaving Kansas City in evaluation mode as it ponders the second-base situation for 2009. Esteban German got the start at second Saturday, and manager Trey Hillman has the option of moving Mike Aviles to second and using Tony Pena Jr. at shortstop. Also in the second-base picture is Jason Smith and possibly Alberto Callaspo, who has been on the disabled list since June 28 but is ..."

"Veteran reliever Ron Mahay seems to go through this every year as the trading deadline approaches. Once again, he finds his name swirling through the rumor mill. Will the phone ring or not before the 3 p.m. deadline for non-waiver deals? "It's just speculation until it actually happens," Mahay said. "It's all talk right now. They have my phone number. I'm going to spend the day with my family and honestly hope it doesn't ring. I don't want to go anywhere." The Phillies continue to show interest in Mahay, although both clubs have spiked rumors of a deal for minor-league infielder Jason Donald. Another rumor links Mahay to the Red Sox for outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss. "As far as I ..."

"Left fielder Jose Guillen wants out of Kansas City pronto, according to a source who spoke to ESPNdeportes.com on condition of anonymity. Guillen feels the Royals have not kept the promises made when he signed for three years and $36 million during the offseason, said the source. But the main reason he is in "living hell in Kansas City" is a foul relationship with manager Trey Hillman. "Guillen and Hillman are not on speaking terms, they don't talk," said the source. "Guillen is definitely not happy, he's not comfortable and he would do anything he can in economic terms to ease his way out of Kansas City." When Guillen signed with Kansas City he knew the team wouldn't be a contender in ..."

"Manny Ramirez to the Phillies? Don't count on it. But with the clock ticking to Thursday's 4 p.m. nonwaiver trade deadline, general manager Pat Gillick reiterated Monday that he's still hopeful of acquiring a left-handed reliever to give lone lefty J.C. Romero "some breathing room" in the Phillies bullpen. "Hopefully, we can do that," Gillick said. "All I can say is we're talking, and as long as we continue to talk, there's always a possibility something will transpire." And there's also a possibility something may happen after Thursday. If the Phillies are unable to work a deal for Colorado's Brian Fuentes, Kansas City's Ron Mahay, Pittsburgh's John Grabow, Baltimore's George Sherrill or ..."

"Everything points to the Marlins intensifying their search to add a catcher for the stretch run, because Matt Treanor, who has been on the disabled list since July 8 with a strained left hip, is not ready to return. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said before Sunday's game that Treanor is scheduled to see a specialist Monday in Philadelphia. That news, combined with the fact that the nonwaiver trade deadline is rapidly approaching, means the Marlins will try to pull off a trade this week. With 57 games left, the Marlins want to make sure they have more behind the plate than John Baker and Paul Hoover. The Marlins have talked to teams about catchers, and some of the names that have been ..."

"The Marlins' need for more catching help before Thursday's trade deadline might have become more acute with a recent setback for Matt Treanor. Out since July 8 with a strained left hip, Treanor will visit Dr. William Meyers, a groin-injury specialist, today in Philadelphia. It was Meyers who diagnosed Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb with a sports hernia in 2005. That surgery ended McNabb's season, which could be a possibility for Treanor if surgery is needed. "We'll see how it goes," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He tried to play through it, but he aggravated it in San Diego." Treanor had been catching bullpen sessions at home in hopes of expediting his return, but the ..."

"Should the Royals send pitcher Brian Bannister back to New York if offered outfielder Melky Cabrera or another run-production bat in return? Such an offer might be forthcoming, because the Yankees appear determined to boost their rotation and are showing increased interest in Bannister as an alternative if ongoing efforts to acquire Seattle's Jarrod Washburn reach an impasse. Nothing appears imminent, but the framework for a deal seems to exist because New York has already shown a willingness to part with Cabrera. Add this: The Royals nearly obtained Cabrera in a trade-deadline swap two years ago for veteran outfielder Reggie Sanders before Sanders suffered an injury. Royals general ..."

"There is little sense of urgency this year among the Royals as the July 31 nonwaiver trading deadline approaches. This time, there is no Octavio Dotel to be shopped hard for the best return. “I’d never classify any player as untouchable,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “because I’m always looking to improve our baseball team.” That’s about as specific as Moore gets when questioned about trade possibilities but, yes, the Royals will listen — and have listened — as offers surface for David DeJesus, José Guillen, Zack Greinke and Ron Mahay. Club officials acknowledge privately they are disinclined to trade any of those players, unless overwhelmed by an offer, and see little chance ..."

"The Yankees and Mets are among at least nine teams monitoring the progress of Freddy Garcia as he intensifies his workouts to come back from shoulder surgery. Garcia will begin throwing breaking balls off the mound this week in Miami, according to one of his agents, Ed Greenberg, and as long he avoids setbacks the plan is to schedule a showcase for teams to judge his abilities. Up until this point, Garcia has only thrown changeups and fastballs off the rubber, and Greenberg said his fastball has ranged from 84-87 mph. Greenberg said his client has suffered no pain or setbacks. Besides the Yanks and Mets, the Astros, Rangers, Royals, Red Sox, Phillies, Tigers and White Sox are keeping ..."

"Even before Matt Treanor went on the disabled list, the Marlins were asking around for catching help. Now, with Treanor out indefinitely because of a strained left hip, they are working the phones with even greater urgency. Whether they find the help they are looking for before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline remains to be seen. The market is not exactly loaded with candidates that would fit the Marlins. The Marlins have taken a look at a handful of catchers who are believed to be available: Cincinnati's David Ross, Kansas City's Miguel Olivo and Colorado's Yorvit Torrealba."

"Lefty reliever Ron Mahay is drawing plenty of interest from contenders seeking to bolster their bullpen before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline. No surprise there. Mahay continues to undergird the Royals' bullpen with remarkable consistency. He improved to 4-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.13 by pitching two scoreless innings Monday night when the Royals rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Orioles in 11 innings."

"Injured pitchers Leo Nunez and John Bale, as expected, remained in Arizona when the club traveled to St. Louis. Both will continue their rehabilitation at the Royals' year-round complex in nearby Surprise. "We're looking at both of them right before or right after the All-Star break," manager Trey Hillman said. "I don't think it's going to be much before that, though." Nunez hasn't pitched since May 27 because of a strained lat muscle at the upper back of his rib cage. Bale is recovering from a broken hand. His last appearance was April 15 in Seattle."

"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," ..."

"It's the headline that every Royals fan dreads: "Greinke signs with Yankees." In this case, it's absolutely true: Greinke has signed with the Yankees. But it's not Zack Greinke. Zack's younger brother, Luke, who was drafted in the 12th round by the Yankees, signed a deal with them last week. Of course, that does set up the possibility that when Zack becomes a free-agent down the road, we could someday be sadly looking at the Greinke brothers in the Yankees' rotation. "You never know, I guess," said Don Greinke, the boys' father. "That would be pretty crazy." But none of that is a big concern for the Greinkes right now."

"One day after beating the Cubs in Toronto, Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett liked the idea of a trade to the Cubs so much he might as well have said, ''Please.'' ''As of right now I'm a Blue Jay, and I'm going to pitch to the best of my ability as long as I'm part of this club,'' he said. ''But if something were to happen and I'd have the opportunity to go to a place where baseball is breakfast, lunch and dinner, that would be awesome. ''Right now my focus is with this club, but if something like that were to happen, I'd accept it with open arms.''...The Cubs already have strongly denied a loose-hinged rumor that they were pursuing a trade for another such pitcher, the Kansas City ..."

"Right-hander Gil Meche just laughs at those rumors circulating regarding a possible trade sending him to the Chicago Cubs. "How's that going to happen?" he asked. Meche has a no-trade clause in his contract and said he hasn't been asked to waive it. Furthermore, he has no interest in doing so. General manager Dayton Moore declined to comment on the rumor, but club officials privately dismissed it. One said, "If we're going to make a run at this thing in 2010, how are we going to do it without Gil Meche?""

"Center fielder Joey Gathright produced an entire highlight reel of sparkling defensive plays, including an amazing diving catch that injured his left shoulder and puts his availability in question for today's series finale. "If I'm not hitting," he said, "nobody is hitting. That's how I look at it." The shoulder injury occurred in the fifth when Gathright sprinted in and made a diving catch on Hideki Matsui's soft flare. "It's going to be sore (today)," Gathright said, "but we'll just see how bad it is when I wake up. It's the labrum. It's not the first time. It probably won't be the last. It's just something I'm going to have to deal with." Hillman said Gathright was 'questionable' ..."

"Outfielder Jose Guillen is nursing a deep bruise on his left shin that puts availability in doubt when the Royals continue their four-game weekend wraparound series today against the New York Yankees. Guillen suffered the injury in Saturday's 12-11 loss when he fouled a ball off his shin in the sixth inning. He remained in the game and even capped an extraordinary individual performance by hitting a grand slam in the seventh. In all, Guillen went three for four with two homers and a career-high seven RBIs. He also threw out two base runners from right field before exiting when the Royals took the field in the bottom of the seventh."

"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."

"The Rockies are interested in left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, if he clears waivers, as the player to be determined in last Wednesday’s trade that brought Ramirez to the Royals. That suggests the Rockies want De La Rosa to pitch in the minors."

"If the Dodgers are interested in utilityman Esteban German, it’s news to the Royals. Foxsports.com reported the Dodgers view German as a potential acquisition target to serve as a backup to second baseman Jeff Kent and third baseman Nomar Garciaparra."

"Scouts for the Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals clustered behind a chain-link fence to watch Ponson's latest reincarnation. A pitcher who once huffed and puffed to muster an 88 mph fastball threw with little obvious effort and significantly more velocity. "I'm throwing nice and free again. I don't have to force anything," Ponson said."

"The rumor mill is churning again with an ESPNdeportes.com report suggesting the Royals are showing renewed interest in free-agent slugger Sammy Sosa. Not true, according to general manager Dayton Moore."

"The Royals appear to be interested in outfielder Kevin Mench. He is a free agent after batting .267 last year for Milwaukee with eight homers and 37 RBIs in 101 games."

"Former Royals captain Mike Sweeney worked out Tuesday for the Padres at Petco Park near his home in San Diego. The Padres are also looking at free agent Tony Clark in the quest to sign a veteran first baseman/pinch hitter."

"Right-hander Bartolo Colon's market is shrinking. After watching him throw in the Dominican, Cleveland backed off. The Mets also are concerned about Colon's health. He was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff in 2006 but opted to rehab and skip surgery. Kansas City and the White Sox are believed to still have interest."

"The Indians were one of several teams that watched former Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon throw recently in the Dominican Republic. After watching him, their interest has waned... Kansas City, the White Sox and Mets have also been scouting Colon."

"An agent for free-agent starting pitching Runelvys Hernandez said Saturday the 29-year-old righthander is close to reaching a one-year deal with the Astros."

"The Royals are close to finalizing a two-year deal with left-handed relief pitcher Ron Mahay worth a reported $8 million. Mahay, 36, was 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 58 appearances for Texas and Atlanta last year. If the deal with Kansas City is completed, he’d join Jimmy Gobble, Neal Musser and John Bale as lefties in the Royals’ bullpen — though Bale will get a shot at the rotation."

"The Kansas City Royals have offered Twins free-agent starter Carlos Silva $30 million for three years."

"Outfielder Emil Brown won’t get the chance to lead the Royals in RBIs for a fourth straight year. The club, citing a need for roster flexibility, chose not to offer Brown a contract for 2008 — he was “nontendered” in baseball jargon — before the 11 p.m. Wednesday deadline. The move permits Brown to negotiate with all 30 clubs as a free agent. That includes the Royals, but they show little inclination at this point in retaining Brown — even at a reduced salary."

"All the Royals want from Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is the chance to make their pitch before he makes a decision. Even if that means a trip to Japan. “I’ll tell you what, I’d go,” said manager Trey Hillman, who is just starting to unpack at his Austin, Texas, home from a five-year tour in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters."

"Outfielder Emil Brown won’t get the chance to become the first player in Royals history to lead the team in RBIs for a fourth straight year. The Royals announced Wednesday they would not offer Brown a contract for 2008. The announcement came just hours before the 11 p.m. deadline for doing so and contradicted recent statements by general manager Dayton Moore. The club’s decision means Brown, 32, immediately becomes a free agent. Moore said the Royals would offer contracts to everyone else."

"The Royals are now expected to turn their full attention to pursuing Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who is also drawing heavy interest from the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Dodgers."

"Veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins remains on the Royals’ radar, but club officials show little interest in lefty Ron Mahay despite a heavy push from his agents... Sammy Sosa with the Royals? Unlikely. Moore dismissed an ESPNdeportes.com report linking Sosa to the Royals."

"The Royals are now expected to turn their full attention to pursuing Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, who is also drawing heavy interest from the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Dodgers. Kuroda, 32, spent the last 11 years with the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Central League. He was 12-8 with a 3.56 ERA last season in 26 games."

"The Royals are one of at least three teams showing heightened interest in reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who went 2-5 with a 3.42 ERA last season in 62 games for the Rockies. The Rangers and Rockies are also pursuing Hawkins, a 13-year veteran who pitched previously for the Twins, Cubs, Giants and Orioles before signing as a free agent last December with the Rockies."

"The Major League Baseball Players Association is negotiating with MLB officials on a possible 10- to 15-day suspension for outfielder Jose Guillen for his reported involvement in the purchase of steroids and human growth hormone, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Wednesday."

"The Royals are also now better positioned to field trade offers, if they choose, for David DeJesus and Joey Gathright. DeJesus had drawn heavy interest from several clubs, including Texas and Atlanta."

"The Cabrera trade could accelerate talks involving Sox attempts to deal third baseman Joe Crede and perhaps take another shot at free-agent center fielder Aaron Rowand. Williams, however, remained reluctant to give a five-year contract to Rowand, who is entertaining an offer from Kansas City."

"Tampa Bay remains firmly in the mix for free-agent LHP Ron Mahay, who has narrowed his list of serious suitors to the Rays, Yankees, Royals, Giants and Astros. Mahay, 36, split last season between Texas and Atlanta. He probably will command a contract along the lines of the three-year, $12 million deal J.C. Romero got from the Phillies last month."

"Outfielder Jose Guillen and the Kansas City Royals have reached a preliminary agreement for a three year, $36 million deal, a relative of the ballplayer told ESPNdeportes.com. The agreement will be complete when Guillen passes a physical exam, scheduled for Tuesday."

"Maybe all it took was a bit of negotiating leverage Monday for the Royals to heat up their stalled talks with free-agent outfielder Jose Guillen. A growing willingness by the club to view Andruw Jones as a possible alternative seemed to serve as a catalyst. Sources now say the Royals and Guillen are closing in on a three-year contract believed to be valued at $33-36 million."

"Two major elbow surgeries in the last three years haven’t quenched Brian Anderson’s competitive drive. The ex-Royals left-hander, at 35, is hoping to make another comeback in 2008."

"Count the Dodgers and White Sox among them. Both teams like Rowand but would favor something more in the three-year range. Heck, if Rowand would take a three-year deal, the Phillies might step up efforts to retain him. The Twins, Royals, Rangers and Orioles also could be in on Rowand, especially if he would sign for three years."

"The primary challenge this week for Royals general manager Dayton Moore isn’t finding sufficient payroll in his 2008 budget to pursue the club’s two principal free-agent targets — outfielder Jose Guillen and right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. Not at all. The Royals bring nearly $25 million in spendable cash to baseball’s annual winter meetings, which start officially today at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center."

"The asking price might be beyond the Braves' comfort level for Boston's trade-bait center fielder Coco Crisp. Kansas City GM Dayton Moore (another longtime John Schuerholz assistant) would also want plenty in a trade for David DeJesus or singles-hitting Joey Gathright."

"They also come with a clear No. 1 target for both needs: free-agent outfielder Jose Guillen and Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. Look for them to go hard after both, even if it means getting into a bidding war."

"Making a move to compensate for the free-agent losses of closer Francisco Cordero and set-up man Scott Linebrink, the Milwaukee Brewers closed in Thursday on a three-year deal with reliever David Riske, a free agent coming off a strong year with Kansas City."