Dodgers Trade Rumors

"The Juan Castro sweepstakes kicked into high gear Thursday as the veteran utility infielder with the commanding clubhouse presence officially became a free agent eight days after he was designated for assignment by Cincinnati. But while Castro was said to still be leaning toward the Dodgers, the fact Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki suffered a quadriceps injury earlier this week that is expected to sideline him for two to three months suddenly changed the landscape. The Rockies quickly joined a mix of clubs that included the Dodgers, San Diego and Baltimore. "

" Former Dodgers shortstop prospect Juan Castro, now a veteran utility man, was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds on Monday and might be getting close to returning to his original organization."

"Dodgers management is encouraged enough by the play of DeWitt and the progress of the injured third base threesome that they again rebuffed Philadelphia when they were approached about a trade involving Wes Helms this week, according to baseball sources. The Phillies have also offered Helms, whom they designated for assignment this week, to Florida and Atlanta."

"Free-agent second baseman Marcus Giles recanted on the agreement he made with the Dodgers in the morning to play third base at their triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas for 1-2 weeks to make his case to earn a spot on their major league roster. Giles went as far as to start driving to Nevada from his home in Lake Havasu, Ariz., but he didn't get far... Wes Helms of the Philadelphia Phillies could be the replacement at third for the Dodgers that Giles wasn't."

"General Manager Ned Colletti has been speaking to other clubs about possible trades, targeting players with short and inexpensive contracts for what they expect to be short-term replacement duty. They are believed to be interested in Philadelphia's Wes Helms. Tampa Bay's Eric Hinske is also reportedly on the market."

"Marcus Giles, a player the Dodgers have expressed interest in, could become available soon because the Colorado Rockies are planning on releasing him. But the Dodgers have doubts about his ability to play third, a position he played only nine times in the majors."

"The Dodgers don't appear to have a strong interest in veteran second baseman Marcus Giles, who is expected to become a free agent in the next few days after it became apparent there wouldn't be a spot for him on Colorado's Opening Day roster."

"The Dodgers continue to indicate they will try to fill those holes from within. The Dodgers and Colorado Rockies have had brief conversations regarding former All-Star Marcus Giles but Joe Bick, Giles' agent, said Monday evening that a deal did not appear likely."

"The Rockies moved closer to finalizing their rotation Sunday by shifting Kip Wells to the bullpen, and all but declared Jayson Nix the starter at second base by cutting ties with Marcus Giles. Technically, the Giles matter remains unresolved, but the Rockies are attempting to trade him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Giles told teammates goodbye after the Rockies' 8-2 victory over the Dodgers at Hi Corbett Field. He is pulling for a trade, revealing that he would not accept a Triple-A assignment. "

"Veteran second baseman Marcus Giles, signed to a minor league contract, said he was told Sunday he will not make the team. There were indications he will be given a chance to make another team. The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown some interest in light of injuries that have sidelined second baseman Jeff Kent (hamstring) and their two third base candidates, Andy LaRoche (torn right wrist ligament) and Nomar Garciaparra (broken bone in his right hand)."

"Despite the uncertainty surrounding Kent and Garciaparra, the Dodgers appear unwilling to give away a prospect or take on a hefty contract to plug a hole for what could be only a short time."

"Astros general manager Ed Wade said the club would pursue talks with righthander John Patterson if he clears waivers today... The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly are interested in trading for Mark Loretta to fill in for third baseman Nomar Garciaparra, who won't be ready for opening day."

"The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers both appear to be obvious trade partners for Crede, but Williams said his phone has been quiet. Crede is coming off back surgery and is eligible for free agency at the end of the season."

"Third baseman Joe Crede has timing issues that aren't limited to whether the White Sox trade him before the start of the regular season. And those concerns need to be resolved soon because it's becoming increasingly likely that Crede rather than Josh Fields will be the team's starter on Opening Day."

"With 13 days to go before Opening Day, the Phillies are still evaluating their options involving infielder Wes Helms. With utility infielders Greg Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett in the fold, the third baseman appears to be out of a roster spot. The Phillies would like to trade him. Here's one move that seems to make sense: Helms to the Giants for lefthanded pitcher Steve Kline."

"By all accounts, including their own, neither Andre Ethier nor Matt Kemp has been told anything specific about what Dodgers officials have planned for them once the regular season begins. As a result, they have toiled this spring under a constant cloud of speculation about how both of them can possibly fit into right field, whether it will be a left-right platoon, whether they will share time equally, whether one of them will be forced to the bench or whether one of them will be traded. "

"Foxsports.com's Ken Rosenthal, an authority on trade talks and issues, reported late Sunday that the Dodgers are seeking to trade for a low-salary player to help fill their infield gaps instead of high-salary players such as the Tigers' Brandon Inge."

"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."

"Add the Dodgers to the list of teams that could have an interest in Wes Helms now that Andy LaRoche and Nomar Garciaparra are injured. Los Angeles will reassess its needs when the team regroups in Arizona after two exhibition games in Beijing, but could be looking for a backup third baseman at that point ."

"Bill Lajoies presence at Joker Marchant Stadium Sunday raised eyebrows for two reasons. One, the former Tiger general manager now works for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have had some interest in Brandon Inge (who not so coincidentally was playing third base Sunday)."

"The usual suspects in a possible Crede trade have been rumored to be the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but as Williams pointed out, Crede still has one more year left on his contract with the Sox."

"Veteran Jeff Cirillo (Providence High of Burbank), a free agent, remains unsigned. Meanwhile, there are at least three experienced third basemen - Philadelphia's Wes Helms, Detroit's Brandon Inge and the Chicago White Sox's Joe Crede - whose clubs are known to be either actively looking to unload them or at least open to the possibility."

"Rowand's attention now turns to playing for the Giants. And if that means continuing to beat the drum for a Joe Crede-to-the- Giants trade, so be it... Now that the Los Angeles Dodgers have shown interest in Crede, Williams can sit back and wait for the best offer."

"Contrary to a published report, the Dodgers don't appear to be interested in Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers, in part because of the $19.1 million he is owed over the next three seasons."

"Derek Lowe hasn't heard a word from the Dodgers about a contract extension, and that's fine with him."

"The last time Derek Lowe pitched in a contract year, his ERA for the Boston Red Sox ballooned to 5.42. Coming off a frustrating year, the right-hander heads into this season determined not to let such a thing happen again."

"Perhaps the Detroit Tigers will be able to trade Brandon Inge this spring. The Los Angeles Dodgers have contacted the Tigers about Inge, and while talks do not seem to have progressed far, a baseball official familiar with the situation said the Dodgers remain interested in making a deal. "

"Rudy Seanez knows his contract is not guaranteed, and therefore, neither is his roster spot. The Dodgers reliever said he was "pretty certain" he would retire from baseball if he didn't make the team."

"Less than two weeks shy of his 40th birthday, with his contract due to expire in the fall and an ever-widening generation gap separating him from many of his teammates, Kent quite possibly was making this grand entrance for the last time in his storied career."

"A little more than a year ago, Juan Pierre signed a five-year, $44-million contract to play center field for the Dodgers. Monday, he stood in front of a group of reporters describing a situation that was "out of my hands" and hinting that his future could include a move to another team."

"His mentality aside, the reality is that Pierre was thrust into limbo by the Dodgers' December signing of Andruw Jones to a two-year, $36.2 million contract. At the very least, Pierre will have to move to left field to make room for Jones, a 10-time Gold Glove center fielder. But there is no guarantee Pierre won't be pushed to the bench if manager Joe Torre decides to go with Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp regularly at the corners."

"Scott Boras, Jones' agent, noted that the short-term deal would allow Jones to quickly re-enter the free-agent market upon re-establishing his value. But Jones says he wants to avoid that, adding that he'd discuss an extension as soon as the Dodgers are ready."

"The Dodgers are close to re-signing pinch-hitting specialist Mark Sweeney to a non-guaranteed, one-year major league contract, according to agent Barry Axelrod."

"The Rockies will reach contract agreements with Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins soon, while going to an arbitration hearing with Brian Fuentes. . . . Oakland's asking price for pitcher Joe Blanton is steep."

"The Padres and Tony Clark's agent are deep into negotiations on a one-year contract – but there are still hurdles to clear. General Manager Kevin Towers said Clark's slugging talent as a switch-hitter would bolster the team's bench; Clark's agent, John Boggs, said “the Padres have the inside track” among interested clubs that include the Dodgers and Mariners."

"Russell Martin's sophomore season catching for the Dodgers was sparkling enough to garner him a spot on the All-Star team, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award. So early this offseason, his agent, Bob Garber, received a phone call from assistant general manager Kim Ng looking to discuss a possible multi-year contract extension for Martin, who won't turn 25 until next week. "

"Martin was less forthcoming when asked about General Manager Ned Colletti's claim that his agent declined to discuss a multi-year extension that would have bought out at least some of his arbitration years."

"Predictably, the Dodgers second baseman didn't have an answer to the question he had to know was coming - specifically, whether he will retire at the end of this season when his current contract expires."

"The Dodgers could also add an experienced left-handed bat off the bench before the start of spring training. They remain in discussions with free agent Mark Sweeney and have been in contact with Tony Clark."

"If true, the Indians have to hope that Sabathia's fondness for Cleveland trumps the millions he can make in a city like New York — or Los Angeles or Boston. Let's suppose that the Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, one or the other, acquires Santana — either via trade or free agency. Does it not make sense that the team that does not acquire Santana would go full bore toward acquiring Sabathia?"

"This time, the Dodgers won't have any questionable off-the-field behavior to use against Joe Beimel. This time, they will have to look a lot harder to find the negatives they will need to take into a potential arbitration hearing with the left-handed reliever, who over the past two seasons has become an almost-indispensable part of their bullpen. "

"Talks with free agents Mark Sweeney and Rudy Seanez have stalled because of financial differences, Colletti said."

"The absence of a serious NL option remains one of the ongoing mysteries in Minnesota's deliberate efforts to trade Johan Santana. The Twins surely would rather deal him to the Mets or Dodgers than to the Red Sox or Yankees—for that matter, anybody but the Red Sox or Yankees—but haven't been presented with a compelling offer."

"After listening to trade proposals for his ace for the past couple of months, Andy MacPhail says it is a 'strong likelihood' that Erik Bedard will be the Orioles' Opening Day starter rather than being traded."

"Melvin has shown interest in St. Louis third baseman Scott Rolen and Texas' Hank Blalock, as well as Los Angeles outfielder Andre Ethier. At this point, he said he is not optimistic a deal can be struck."

"The Dodgers made 'significant progress' toward signing Japanese free-agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda on Friday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation."

"Right-handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda could decide which major-league team to join this weekend. The free agent from Japan, who compiled a 103-89 record in 11 seasons with the Hiroshima Carp, arrived in Los Angeles this week intent on making his decision. Kuroda narrowed his choices to the Seattle Mariners and the Dodgers."

"Japanese free-agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is reportedly close to deciding which major league team to sign with, and it could very well be the Dodgers."

"The Dodgers could agree to terms with free agent Hiroki Kuroda as soon as today after making what general manager Ned Colletti called 'significant progress' in negotiations with the right-hander from Japan."

"Kuroda, the Japanese free-agent right-hander, was the subject of any number of news stories, including several reporting he had chosen to join the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other reports, citing sources here and in Japan, reported Kuroda had decided to sign with the Mariners – and a third version insisted he had flown to Southern California but only to consult with his agent, not to sign a deal with the Dodgers. Confused?"