Around the majors reports--July 28

[nyy26wc]

1) Yesterday's results--

AL NL
Yankees 9, BlueJays 1 Braves 7, Expos 3
Redsox 9, Whitesox 5 Pirates 3, Astros 2
Rangers 13, Devil Rays 7 Brewers 8, Padres 0
Mariners 11, Twins 4 Cubs 4, Cardinals 3
A's 5, Royals 0 Giants 9, Diamondbacks 5
Orioles 4, Angels 3 (10) Dodgers 4, Rockies 2
Indians 7, Tigers 4 Mets 6, Phillies 1
Reds 10, Marlins 5

2) Standings--

AL EAST W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Yankees 62 41 .602 - 6-4 W-6 34-19 28-22
Redsox 59 43 .578 2 1/2 5-5 W-2 29-21 30-22
BlueJays 48 56 .461 14 1/2 4-6 L-2 23-29 25-27
Orioles 43 60 .417 19 2-8 W-1 22-30 21-30
Devil Rays 33 70 .320 29 3-7 L-2 19-32 14-38

AL CENTRAL W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Indians 59 42 .584 - 7-3 W-1 28-24 31-18
Twins 60 43 .582 - 3-7 L-1 34-19 26-24
Whitesox 50 51 .495 9 4-6 L-1 28-23 22-28
Tigers 43 57 .430 15 1/2 3-7 L-6 25-24 18-33
Royals 40 63 .388 20 4-6 L-2 21-30 19-33

AL WEST W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Mariners 74 29 .718 - 7-3 W-2 34-16 40-13
A's 55 48 .534 19 6-4 W-1 28-23 27-25
Angels 52 51 .505 22 7-3 L-1 27-23 25-28
Rangers 45 57 .441 28 1/2 7-3 W-5 25-27 20-30


NL EAST W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Braves 58 45 .563 - 6-4 W-1 28-25 30-20
Phillies 57 46 .553 1 5-5 L-1 32-20 25-26
Marlins 52 50 .510 5 1/2 6-4 L-2 32-18 20-32
Mets 47 57 .452 11 1/2 5-5 W-1 26-25 21-32
Expos 45 59 .433 13 1/2 5-5 L-1 25-25 20-34

NL CENTRAL W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Cubs 60 42 .588 - 6-4 W-1 31-17 29-25
Astros 56 46 .549 4 5-5 L-1 26-26 30-20
Cardinals 51 50 .505 8 1/2 5-5 L-1 32-21 19-29
Brewers 45 56 .445 14 1/2 2-8 W-2 25-26 20-30
Pirates 39 62 .386 20 1/2 4-6 W-1 23-25 16-37
Reds 39 63 .382 21 4-6 W-1 14-37 25-26

NL WEST W L Pct GB L10 Str Home Away
Dodgers 60 44 .577 - 8-2 W-2 33-18 27-26
Diamondbacks 59 44 .573 1/2 5-5 L-2 28-24 31-20
Giants 55 49 .529 5 6-4 W-3 33-20 22-29
Padres 49 54 .476 10 1/2 5-5 L-3 22-31 27-23
Rockies 43 60 .417 16 1/2 3-7 L-3 26-27 17-33

3) Today's schedule--

AL
Indians (C.C. Sabathia 10-3 and Steve Woodard 1-0) at Tigers (Jeff Weaver 9-9 and Victor Santos 2-2), 1:05 and 7:05 p.m.
Twins (Brad Radke 10-7) at Mariners (Jamie Moyer 10-5), 4:05 p.m.
Yankees (Roger Clemens 14-1) at BlueJays (Kelvim Escobar 2-4), 4:05 p.m.
Royals (Chad Durbin 6-9) at A's (Tim Hudson 12-5), 4:05 p.m.
Whitesox (Mark Buehrle 7-6) at Redsox (Tim Wakefield 6-5), 5:05 p.m.
Devil Rays (Nick Bierbrodt 0-0) at Rangers (Aaron Myette 0-1), 8:35 p.m.
Orioles (Willis Roberts 7-8) at Angels (Pat Rapp 3-9), 10:05 p.m.

NL
Astros (Roy Oswalt 8-2 and Tony McKnight 0-0) at Pirates (Omar Olivares 4-7 and Jimmy Anderson 6-9), 1:05 and 7:05 p.m.
Phillies (Omar Daal 10-3) at Mets (Al Leiter 6-8), 1:15 p.m.
Cardinals (Andy Benes 6-6) at Cubs (Kerry Wood 9-8), 1:15 p.m.
Rockies (Mike Hampton 10-7) at Dodgers (Chan Ho Park 10-6), 4:05 p.m.
Braves (Tom Glavine 9-5) at Expos (Javier Vazquez 9-9), 7:05 p.m.
Marlins (Brad Penny 7-4) at Reds (Elmer Dessens 6-8), 7:05 p.m.
Padres (Woody Williams 7-8) at Brewers (Jimmy Haynes 6-13), 7:05 p.m.
Giants (Russ Ortiz 11-6) at Diamondbacks (Albie Lopez 0-0), 10:05 p.m.

4) Yesterday's HRs--

Barry Bonds--#45
Jim Thome--#33
Shawn Green--#29
Todd Helton--#29
Alex Rodriguez--#28
Troy Glaus--#26
Mike Piazza--#24 & #25
Richie Sexson--#24
Bret Boone--#24
Aramis Ramirez--#20
Rich Aurilia--#18
Brian Jordan--#16
Tony Clark--#15
Jim Edmonds--#14
Derrek Lee--#14
John Olerud--#14
Aaron Boone--#12
Ken Caminiti--#12 (#3 in NL)
Vinny Castilla--#12 (#10 in NL)
Andres Galarraga--#11 (#1 in NL)
Ron Belliard--#10
Cal Ripken--#9
Damian Miller--#8
Michael Tucker--#8
Ben Grieve--#8
Alfonso Soriano--#8
Darrin Fletcher--#7
Steve Cox--#7
Ichiro Suzuki--#6
Randy Velarde--#6
Royce Clayton--#5
Mike Lansing--#4
Wil Cordero--#4
A.J. Pierzynski--#4
Delino DeShields--#4 (#1 in NL)
Placido Polanco--#3
Henry Blanco--#3
Stan Javier--#3
Adam Dunn--#1
Toby Hall--#1

5) HR leaders--

AL
1) Jim Thome--33*
2) Manny Ramirez--32
3) Alex Rodriguez--28*
T4) Rafael Palmeiro--27
T4) Carlos Delgado--27
T6) Juan Gonzalez--26
T6) Troy Glaus--26*
8) Bret Boone--24*
T9) Jason Giambi--23
T9) Greg Vaughn--23

NL
1) Barry Bonds--45*
2) Luis Gonzalez--41
3) Sammy Sosa--34
T4) Chipper Jones--29
T4) Todd Helton--29*
T4) Shawn Green--29*
T7) Jeff Bagwell--28
T7) Larry Walker--28
T7) Cliff Floyd--28
T7) Vladimir Guerrero--28

*--hit 1 yesterday

6) Barry Bonds watch--hit #539, is 9 behind Mike Schmidt for 8th place

Bonds reached 45 HR in the Giants's 104th game, which puts him 1 game ahead of McGwire's pace.

7) Cal Ripken tied Billy Williams for 29th place on the all time HR list, with 426.

8) Andres Galarraga passed Gil Hodges into 50th place on the all time HR list, with 371.

9) Mike Piazza passed Rogers Hornsby and tied Gary Sheffield for 87th place on the all time HR list, with 303.

10) Mike Easler dropped his lawsuit against the Cardinals.

[nyy26wc]

1) The Devil Rays traded 1B Fred McGriff to the Cubs for P Manny Aybar and a player to be named later.

This is a great deal for the Cubs. Any time you get a future Baseball Immortal, who's still going strong, for nothing, you make the deal as quickly as you can.

McGriff's having another very good season, hitting .536 SLG, .387 OBA, .923 OPS, 24 RCAA, .671 OWP, .318 AVG, 19 HR, 61 RBI in 97 games.

Meanwhile, one of the Cubs's strengths this year's been the bullpen. Getting Aybar and his 6.35 ERA and -4 RSAA out of the picture can only help. Aybar's career figures of 5.06 ERA and -19 RSAA, coming into the year, just continue to worsen.

The trade means Matt Stairs moves to a bench role. Despite a .254 AVG, Stairs is having an above average year, hitting .447 SLG, .373 OBA, .820 OPS, 4 RCAA, .540 OWP, .254 HR, 10 HR, 41 RBI in 83 games.

2) The Mets traded Ps Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook to the Phillies for P Bruce Chen and minor league P Adam Walker.

Wendell had a 3.51 ERA and 8 RSAA in 49 games for the Mets, while Cook had a 4.25 ERA and 2 RSAA in 43 games. Wendell has a chance to have his 4th career 10+ RSAA season, while Cook's looking to avoid his 2nd consecutive negative RSAA season.

Chen had a 5.00 ERA and -4 RSAA in 16 starts for the Phillies. Chen was once a highly regarded Braves prospect, who is now trying to recapture the form that gave him a 3.29 ERA and 21 RSAA in 2000.

3) The Phillies traded P Wayne Gomes to the Giants for utilityman Felipe Crespo.

Gomes had a 4.31 ERA and 3 RSAA in 42 games for the Phillies. His RSAA over the 3 previous seasons have been pretty consistent: 4, 4, 3.

Crespo gives the Phillies a body for their bench, but not one who would help by being on the field. In 40 games this season, he had a .394 SLG, .286 OBA, .680 OPS, -5 RCAA, .298 OWP, .197 AVG, 4 HR, 10 RBI. Coming into the season, he had a .738 career OPS, compared to a league average of .785.

4) The Phillies also designated OF Turner Ward for assignment and sent P Ed Vosberg to the minors.

5) The Mets also recalled P Grant Roberts.

6) The Pirates designated utilityman John Wehner for assignment and recalled P Bronson Arroyo.

7) The Marlins placed P Chuck Smith on the 15 day DL.

Smith has ligament and tendon damage in his elbow. He'll get a second opinion Monday from Dr. James Andrews. It's uncertain how long he'll be out, but the injury could be season ending.

Meanwhile, Jesus Sanchez will move into his spot in the rotation.

8) The Redsox designated P Pete Schourek for assignment and called up P Casey Fossum.

In 33 games, Schourek had a 4.45 ERA and 2 RSAA. He's been working on a streak of 5 consecutive years with a negative RSAA, with 3 of them being double digit negative seasons.

Fossum, 23, was ranked as the Redsox's #5 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C+ grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. Coming into the season, he had a 3.24 career ERA in 2 seasons, and never pitched above Hi-A ball. In 2001, he had a 2.83 ERA in AA.

9) The Expos signed OF Geronimo Berroa to a minor league contract.

10) The Tigers sent P Willie Blair to the minors and recalled P Matt Perisho.

[nyy26wc]

1) The Indians moved back into 1st place in the AL Central. While they are tied with the Twins in the GB column, the Indians have a .584-.582 PCT lead.

2) The Braves passed the Phillies into 1st place in the NL East.

3) The Dodgers passed the Diamondbacks into 1st place in the NL West.

4) The Rangers placed DH Ruben Sierra on the 15 day DL, called up OF Craig Monroe and moved P Tim Crabtree from the 15 to the 60 day DL.

Sierra has a pulled groin muscle.

Monroe, 24, was given a C grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook and wasn't included in the Rangers's top 30 prospect list by Baseball America. Coming into the season, he had a .741 career OPS (.329 OBA, .412 SLG) in 6 minor league seasons, with the 1st 5 being below AA. In the favorable hitting conditions of the PCT, in AAA, Monroe had a .872 OPS (.520 SLG, .352 OBA) in 2001.

5) The Royals activated OF Dee Brown from the DL and sent OF Endy Chavez to the minors. Meanwhile, P Brian Meadows cleared waivers and was assigned to AAA.

6) The Indians activated C Eddie Taubensee from the DL and designated C Tim Laker for assignment.

7) The Devil Rays called P Jason Standridge and assigned INF Andy Sheets to AAA, after he cleared waivers.

Standridge, 23, was ranked as the Devil Rays's #2 prospect by Baseball America and was given a B- grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. John Sickels, the author of the Notebook, said the grade "is based on the assumption that he will improve. The grade would be lower if based solely on his current performance."

After having a 3.68 career ERA in his 1st 4 seasons, with just a half season in AA, Standridge hasn't improved this year. He had a 5.28 ERA in AAA.

8) Cardinals P Mike Timlin had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn knee cartilage.

He's expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

9) The Giants placed 1B J.T. Snow on the 15 day DL.

Snow has gastroenteritis.

10) Redsox SS Nomar Garciaparra will rejoin the team today, but MGR Jimy Williams says he won't be activated until tomorrow or Tuesday. The Redsox are off on Monday.

[nyy26wc]

1) Greg Maddux extended his winning streak to 10 games and hasn't allowed a walk in his past 58 1/3 IP.

The record for consecutive innings without a walk is 84 1/3, by Bill Fischer, with the 1962 A's, while the NL record is 68, by Christy Mathewson, with the 1913 Giants, and Randy Jones, with the 1976 Padres.

2) The Devil Rays sent newly acquired P Manny Aybar to AAA.

3) The Yankees sent P Brandon Knight to the minors and recalled utilityman Clay Bellinger.

4) The Expos called up INF Henry Mateo and sent P Troy Mattes to the minors.

5) The Giants recalled 1B Damon Minor.

6) The Marlins called up P Gary Knotts.

Knotts, 24, was ranked as the Marlins's #12 prospect by Baseball America and was given a C grade by the Minor League Scouting Notebook. He came into the season with a 4.25 career ERA in 5 seasons, including 4.66 ERA in AA in 2000. In AAA, he had a 4.98 ERA in 2001. Knotts will be available in the bullpen this weekend and will then move into the rotation, starting on Thursday.

7) The Dodgers sent OF Bruce Aven to the minors, to make room on the roster for James Baldwin.

[nyy26wc]

1) The LA Times reports, "It seems more and more likely that if the Angels are to gain the wild-card spot, they will have to do it with the current roster. Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman said Thursday that a trade seemed unlikely before Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline. 'Our objective would be to help the team,' Stoneman said. 'If we did something for the short term, it would have to be a player who would really help us. I don't see anything like that out there right now.'"

"Stoneman said he was listening to all offers from other teams but has 'heard nothing really appealing.'"

2) The Rocky Mountain News reports, "Plenty of teams have inquired about Astacio, with the Toronto Blue Jays appearing to be among the most interested in what could turn into a multiple-player deal that would bring established outfielder Shannon Stewart and right-handed pitcher Kelvim Escobar to the Rockies for Astacio and closer Jose Jimenez.

"Other teams still in the bidding for Astacio include St. Louis, Minnesota and Houston."

Meanwhile, "Houston scout Jack Lind was on hand to watch Astacio for his sixth consecutive start. The Astros could put together a package that would interest the Rockies, with a young pitcher such as Scott Elarton, outfielder Daryle Ward plus a prospect, but the Rockies have refused to include center fielder Juan Pierre.

"Former Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard was on hand for St. Louis, which also is talking to San Diego about Sterling Hitchcock. The Cardinals could put catcher Eli Marrero in a package, but they have turned down the Rockies' proposal to include left-handed pitcher Bud Smith.

"St. Louis would like to move shortstop Edgar Renteria, who is guaranteed $12 million the next two years, which is what the agents for Perez asked for in one of their proposals before the Rockies decided to deal Perez because of contract concerns.

"Minnesota is uncertain about how heavily to pursue Astacio because the Twins would be acquiring him for only the remainder of the season, then paying the $1 million buyout on his $9 million option for 2002. The Twins also do not have any big-league talent to use as a basis for a trade, although they have quality prospects, including Class AA third baseman Mike Cuddyer."

3) The Denver Post reports, "Cincinnati's Pokey Reese and St. Louis' Edgar Renteria are the two shortstops the Rockies are discussing, according to major-league scouts. As the 2 p.m. MDT Tuesday trading deadline approaches, the Rockies' preference is to send Astacio to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for leadoff-hitting left fielder Shannon Stewart and a prospect, and then work out another deal with Cincinnati for Reese, a natural shortstop who has mostly played second base with longtime Reds star Barry Larkin at short.

"If the Toronto deal doesn't work out, the Rockies' next alternative would be to send Astacio to St. Louis, where they would get Renteria and at least one, possibly two other players from the Cardinals in return. San Francisco and Minnesota remain interested, though those teams are also looking at San Diego pitchers Sterling Hitchcock and Woody Williams. Houston, Seattle and possibly Cleveland may make a deadline-hour bid for Astacio, according to sources."

4) The New York Post reports, "The buzz around baseball yesterday was that the Yankees were back in the Pedro Astacio race.

"The story went like this: Having watched the Tigers punish Randy Keisler on Thursday, George Steinbrenner ordered his inner circle to see what it would take to get the best pitcher in a shallow arms pool. They were even willing to give up starting second baseman Alfonso Soriano and fourth starter Ted Lilly.

"Sounds sexy, huh?

"Only one problem: it was news to the Yanks."

Meanwhile, "In reality, O'Dowd is either going to trade Astacio to the Cardinals for shortstop Edgar Renteria and catcher Eli Marrero or to the Blue Jays for Shannon Stewart.

"The Blue Jays would then turn around and deal Astacio someplace else, and it's not out of the question that Stewart could be in Seattle when the music stops at 4 p.m. Tuesday."

5) The Minnesota Pioneer Press reports, "With three days remaining until the non-waiver trade deadline, the Twins are talking with several teams about potential trades for starting pitchers. Through Friday afternoon they were not close to a deal.

"The most promising trading partner seemed to be the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are interested in J.C. Romero, the rookie left-hander who spent much of this season in the Twins' rotation, and Kyle Lohse, the right-hander called up from Class AA last month to join the rotation.

"The Pirates are willing to offer veteran right-hander Jason Schmidt, a 13-game winner in 1999, and veteran outfielder/first baseman John Vander Wal,who hit 24 home runs with 94 runs batted in last year, in a package deal that would require at least Romero and prospects, according to baseball sources in Pittsburgh."

Meanwhile, "How close the Twins and Pirates might get to a deal in the next day or so may depend on whether Houston, also shopping for a starting pitcher, agrees to offer outfielder Daryle Ward in a deal.

"The Twins also are interested in San Diego right-hander Woody Williams, San Diego left-hander Sterling Hitchcock, Baltimore right-hander Jose Mercedes and Colorado right-hander Pedro Astacio.

"Twins assistant general manager Wayne Krivsky is in Cincinnati this weekend scouting the Reds-Marlins series, which could signal renewed interest by the Twins in Reds outfielder Dmitri Young or, with the injury to Guzman, middle infielder Pokey Reese. Reese, making $3.2 million this year, has one more year of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent."

6) According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, "Based on conversations with team officials, the Twins are interested in four pitchers: Colorado's Pedro Astacio, Detroit's Todd Jones, Pittsburgh's Jason Schmidt and the Mets' Rick Reed.

"In recent weeks, the Twins have scouted Astacio, Schmidt and Jones. And the Bergen (N.J.) Record reported Friday that the Twins were very interested in Reed (8-6, 3.48), who gave up three runs over seven innings Thursday in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia.

"Money, one club official said, would not be a hindrance. The Twins would have to pick up the remainder of Astacio's $6.85 million contract, about $2 million, then pay him a $1 million buyout if they don't pick up his $9 million option for 2002. Astacio, heading into a start last night against Los Angeles, is 6-12 with a 5.53 ERA.

"[GM Terry] Ryan did acknowledge he would like to add a righthanded-hitting run producer."

7) According to NY Newsday, "The Yankees watched Jason Schmidt start for the Pirates Thursday night, and at this point, the 28-year-old is the player most likely to be traded for. Yet the Yankees are wary of giving away a young pitcher such as Ted Lilly or Randy Keisler in return for Schmidt, who at best would be the team's fourth starter.

"As far as hitters, the Yankees have interest in Astros outfielder Daryle Ward and Reds outfielder Dmitri Young but are inclined to stick with the offensive commodities they have and know."

But, "Between Montreal and Atlanta [2 places the Yankees had scouts yesterday], there are no obvious candidates on the trading block. That the Yankees have a scout there conducting his normal player evaluations, and that George Steinbrenner has convened no high-level meetings in Tampa - as he has in previous years at this time - speaks to the comfort the Yankees have with their current roster."

8) According to the Orange County Register, "Angels general manager Bill Stoneman denied Salmon and starting pitcher Pat Rapp are being shopped, despite word around baseball circles."

9) According to the Toronto Sun, " The Cards, who also have interest in Astacio, could deal shortstop Edgar Rentaria, Marrero and two minor leaguers to the Rockies. Then, the Rockies could turn around and move Marrero, plus, say, reliever Mike Myers or Dan Miceli to the Jays, while Escobar winds up with St. Louis."

Meanwhile, "Oakland is trying to obtain catcher Wiki Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres, so it can move catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Jays for Escobar. Escobar would then take over as the closer for the A's and current closer Jason Isringhausen, soon to be a free agent, would be dealt."

Also, the Mariners "asked for Stewart. They asked for Jose Cruz. The Jays said no to Stewart, insisting on the Mariners No. 1 starter Freddy Garcia (11-3, 3.45). The Jays told the Mariners they would not part with Cruz for the likes of triple-A pitchers Brett Tomko or Joel Pineiro. With six scoreless innings Thursday in a win over Kansas City, Pineiro has now allowed an earned run in 17 1/3 innings with Seattle.

"And while we don't know whether the two teams have talked as of yet, the Boston Red Sox are asking baseball people whether they think that Stewart could play centre field at Fenway Park."

10) According to the Dallas Morning News, "Detroit contacted the Rangers about right-hander Chris Holt of Skyline High School. The Tigers are trying to deal the arbitration-eligible Holt, who is 7-8 with a 5.97 ERA and the second-highest opponent's batting average (.320) in the American League. The Rangers' reaction was lukewarm."

[nyy26wc]

11) According to the Houston Chronicle, "Rockies pitcher Pedro Astacio and Mets lefthander Al Leiter are two of the most accomplished pitchers on the market. Both have been scouted recently by Hunsicker's scouts. Leiter -- a good No. 2 but not an ace -- was ruled out early because of his hefty $9 million contract for next season. According to one National League general manager, the Astros also ruled out Astacio recently because of the $9.25 million he'll earn next year and the hefty price the Rockies are asking in return. Mets lefthander Glendon Rusch, 26, remains atop the Astros' wish list, and a deal might be worked out for Daryle Ward. With the Mets trade of relievers Dennis Cook and Turk Wendell late Friday night for Philadelphia lefthander Bruce Chen, the Mets appeared more likely to move Rusch. Philadelphia starter Robert Person recently came on the market, and the Astros have been informed. The Astros have also shown strong interest in Pittsburgh righthanders Todd Ritchie, who will start Sunday against them, and Jason Schmidt, who allowed three runs in eight innings in a 3-2 loss to the Astros on Thursday. The Pirates also want Ward.

"San Diego lefthander Sterling Hitchcock and righthander Woody Williams also are on the market, but Williams' struggles at Enron Field scare the Astros. Toronto's Kelvim Escobar also has drawn some interest. Detroit righthander Todd Jones is on the market."

12) The Cincinnati Enquirer reports, "The Colorado Rockies appear prepared to renew efforts to acquire Reds infielder Pokey Reese before Tuesday's non-waiver trading deadline — unless they complete another significant deal first.

"A Rockies source said Friday that they'd consider Reese if they can't obtain shortstop Edgar Renteria from St. Louis. Colorado has been trying to trade right-hander Pedro Astacio for weeks, and St. Louis is among several teams interested in him."

Also, "Tuesday's approaching deadline made the presence Friday in Cincinnati of scouts from two contending teams, the New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins, noteworthy. Though both teams have scouted Reds left fielder Dmitri Young, they've also sought pitching help. Florida starter Matt Clement, who faced the Reds Friday, has been mentioned in trade speculation."

13) The Washington Post reports, Orioles GM Sid "Thrift insisted the Orioles are prepared to go in any direction -- as either a buyer looking to acquire a superstar outfielder or a closer by offering young pitching in return, or a seller looking to dump a handful of veterans for prospects -- depending on the right deal. The Orioles continue to look for a power-hitting outfielder and a closer, their two chief needs.

"However, the Orioles also have money to spend -- they have less than $50 million committed for player salaries in 2002 -- and could become big spenders on this winter's free agent market.

"The chances of the Orioles pulling off a blockbuster trade before Tuesday -- one involving one of their young pitchers, either Sidney Ponson or Jason Johnson -- were lessened by Wednesday's trade that sent outfielder Jermaine Dye to the Oakland A's. That trade essentially locked up two of the Orioles' potential targets, Dye and A's first baseman Jason Giambi, whom it now appears the A's will hold on to until the end of the season, when he becomes a free agent.

"The Orioles do not believe Chicago White Sox right fielder Magglio Ordonez and Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Raul Mondesi, two other Orioles favorites, will be available. The Blue Jays, however, are shopping left fielder Shannon Stewart, a potential target along with Cincinnati's Dmitri Young."

Also, "The Red Sox, meantime, were close to acquiring closer Ugueth Urbina from the Montreal Expos, according to a baseball source. On Wednesday, the Red Sox's bullpen blew a 3-1 seventh-inning lead to Toronto when relievers Rod Beck and Derek Lowe each gave up a homer.

"The Orioles, without an easily discernible closer for 2002, had shown interest in Urbina, as well as Pittsburgh's Mike Williams, but are willing to wait until this winter when, potentially, Troy Percival, Jeff Shaw and Jason Isringhausen all become free agents. They also hope either of their in-house candidates, Willis Roberts or Jorge Julio, will assert themselves before April."

14) According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "General manager Brian Sabean yesterday confirmed his interest in Colorado's Pedro Astacio, one of five starters the Giants are seriously discussing."

Meanwhile, "One industry source said that Colorado wants to deal Astacio to San Francisco because the pitching prospect they covet most is Kurt Ainsworth, but it's hard to imagine Sabean parting with Ainsworth for two months of Astacio.

"Jason Schmidt of Pittsburgh, Jeff Suppan of Kansas City and Sterling Hitchcock of San Diego might be more attractive to the Giants. Sabean has always liked players with stretch-drive and postseason experience, and Hitchcock was the MVP of the 1998 National League Championship Series."

"'You've got to be greedy,' Sabean said. 'Whoever you bring in has got to impact the situation. You're trying to catch lightning in a bottle. A guy being 4-4 for you is not necessarily going to make a difference.'

"The Giants are still talking about a handful of position players, but Robin Ventura's declining production and $8.5 million salary for next season make him an unlikely acquisition."

15) According to the Toronto Sun, "The public stance of the [BlueJays] is that they will make baseball moves and baseball moves only. There will not be any dumping of salary, according to club management. Yet, with the Jays showing a loss of $24.8 million cdn as part of owner Rogers Communications Inc.'s fiscal second quarter results, we won't really know for sure until we see who comes and who goes.

"The Jays have been telling teams that they want a No. 1 starter in return for left fielder Shannon Stewart. And they are also looking for a No. 1 catcher for next year. But it's tough to obtain those key ingredients from contenders."

16) According to the LA Daily News, ""The Dodgers are not done looking to make moves before Tuesday's trading deadline. Thursday's acquisition of pitcher James Baldwin filled the need to bolster an ailing starting rotation, but the Dodgers continue to pursue deals for a shortstop and a reliever to aid the bullpen while Mike Fetters is struggling.

"A potential trade of shortstop Alex Cora and minor-leaguers for Kansas City shortstop Rey Sanchez is among the top priorities, sources said. The teams are said to have been talking on and off for more than a month. Sanchez entered Friday batting .305 compared to Cora's .228.

"Turk Wendell was among the top choices to fill the set-up role, but the New York Mets traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Montreal's Ugueth Urbina is another candidate."

17) The NY Daily News reports, "With Tuesday's trade deadline creeping closer, the likelihood grows that the Yankees — normally the season's most ardent shoppers — won't make a deal.

"When asked yesterday if anything was imminent on the trade front, one Yankee official said, 'Nothing, really. We're not close to anything.'

"Could this be the year that the Yanks do nothing at the deadline?

"'Could be,' the official said. 'That's my bet. It'd have to be something I'm not aware of. There's no (Pedro) Astacio, none of that stuff.'

"The Reds have had scouts checking out Yankee prospects throughout the farm system, presumably looking for minor-leaguers they'd want for outfielder Dmitri Young. Other names linked to the Yankees include Pittsburgh's Jason Schmidt and San Diego pitchers Sterling Hitchcock and Woody Williams."

18) According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Detroit Tigers general manager Randy Smith confirmed yesterday that he and the Mariners talked Wednesday about a trade that would send outfielder Juan Encarnacion to Seattle.

"In talking with Booth Newspapers in suburban Detroit, Smith suggested the possibility of a trade was very real.

"At the same time, Tigers manager Phil Garner has made it clear to Smith that Garner doesn't want to see Encarnacion dealt unless the Tigers get what they consider a fair deal. Encarnacion is a right-handed hitter who has been starting in right field.

"Smith is believed to covet Mariners right-hander Joel Pineiro, who threw six innings of shutout ball in a 4-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals Thursday.

"The Tigers, however, aren't at all sure the Mariners want to make the deal for Encarnacion, averaging .246 with 11 homers."

19) The Florida Sun-Sentinel reports, "The Marlins are interested in Pirates closer Mike Williams, another pending free agent, and outfielder-first baseman John Vander Wal, signed through next year at a below-market contract."

While, "Deposed closer Todd Jones and outfielder Roger Cedeno, both pending free agents, also could be had. Jones, still due about $1.5 million this season, has drawn interest from the Diamondbacks and Marlins, among other clubs.

"A Toronto source said the Marlins inquired about Blue Jays relievers Kelvim Escobar and Paul Quantrill, but neither right-hander appears to be a match. The Jays would like everyday position talent in return, particularly a catcher, but the Marlins are neither dangling Triple-A prospect Ramon Castro nor interested in disrupting their regular lineup."

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by nyy26wc
The Giants placed 1B J.T. Snow on the 15 day DL.

Snow has gastroenteritis.



I'm surprised we don't see this more often - given the percentage of folks that suffer from intestinal problems - - - - also, given the use of creatine in MLB. I had a friend that used it and it blocked him up so bad that he ended up in the hospital.

[nyy26wc]

I saw a little report today that said the doctors now aren't completely sure about what's wrong with Snow.

To follow up on your comment, is it unsure or it is a coverup? :devil:

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by nyy26wc
I saw a little report today that said the doctors now aren't completely sure about what's wrong with Snow. To follow up on your comment, is it unsure or it is a coverup?

In a former lifetime, I used to administer a disability plan for a large company. In that capacity, I saw some very sick people - and others who were flat out fakers. In between, there were always those conditions which could have went either way - - meaning that the person probably could have worked, if they wanted to suffer through it or they just as easily could have used the condition as an excuse to throw in the towel and shut it down for a while.

Given Snow's play this year - and now that the Big Cat is on the team - I wonder if Snow or the Giants aren't just throwing in the towel on a convienent excuse.