Nothing like trade rumors as the July 31st trade deadline nears…
-As mentioned earlier today, the Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in Paul Maholm. Buster Olney of ESPN reports that the Dodgers are also looking for a reliever, something the Pirates have to offer (Octavio Dotel?). Olney mentions the Dodgers will need financial relief, similar to the Casey Blake deal (which saw the Dodgers give up Carlos Santana).
There’s been a lot of wishing and speculating about what the return from the Dodgers could be, specifically mentioning top prospects like Dee Gordon, Aaron Miller, and Ethan Martin. Normally a guy like Maholm wouldn’t fetch such a big return, but considering the financial situation the Dodgers are in, the Pirates could land one of the top prospects in the Los Angeles farm system if they gave Maholm, a reliever, and picked up some money in the deal. Just my guess anyways.
-Speaking of trading relievers, Rob Biertempfel reports that at least five teams have inquired about a trade for DJ Carrasco. Carrasco is a very versatile reliever, capable of handling many different roles, including the ability to spot start. He’s also under team control beyond this season, and capable of a lot of innings out of the pen, making him a valuable guy.
-Not really a traditional trade rumor, but Rob Biertempfel reports that the Pirates are finalizing a deal that will send Vinnie Chulk to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Two bits of info that probably don’t involve the Pirates, but are interesting anyways:
-The Saturday starter for Philadelphia may come via trade. With the Pirates having starters who are presumably available for the right price (Zach Duke, Paul Maholm), that becomes a situation to watch. If anything, a Philadelphia trade affects the Pirates, as it removes options from the trade market if the Phillies go to another team with a deal.
-The Cleveland Indians designated Jensen Lewis for assignment. I could see the Pirates taking a flier on Lewis. He’s 6′ 3″, 220 pounds, and has had some success out of the major league bullpen in the past. This year he has a 4.18 ERA in 23.2 innings, although his 6.1 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 ratios aren’t looking good. Prior to this season, Lewis pitched 161.2 innings in the majors, with a 3.84 ERA, an 8.2 K/9, and a 3.7 BB/9 ratio between three seasons. He’s 26 years old, and has three years of service time remaining beyond this season. He’d be a good replacement if the Pirates dealt Carrasco or another reliever.
