Rumblings: Jersey, Kansas City, and More

Another set of trade and contract extension rumors. (Previous rumblings may be found here, here, here, and here.) Which teams are trading? Jersey, Jacksonville, and Kansas City. Which teams look to be standing pat? Ann Arbor, Montgomery, and New York. Read on for the details!

An anonymous source in the Jersey front office suggested that the Jesters might put Patrick Goff and Johnny Graham on the trading block. In the case of All-Star Goff, whose 29 home runs lead the Munson League, management would seem to be exploring his trade value. Goff is 32 and signed to a team-friendly contract—$8.5 in each of the next two years. In Graham's case, Jersey feels that the catcher will soon be blocking a prospect. Graham is 29 and under team control for the next two seasons.

Marcos Sánchez

The Jesters seemingly do not intend to extend the contract of starter Marcos Sánchez. Sánchez is 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA on the season, striking out 76 while walking 41 in 104 1/3 innings. In what looks to be a weak free agent class, the veteran 36-year old would become one of the top free agent starters available.

Jim Thompson

Jacksonville is actively shopping starter Jim Thompson. Thompson is in the final year of his contract and has been visibly unhappy with the Jacks' struggles. He is 4-8 on the year with a 4.26 ERA, and he's struck out 88 while walking 34 in 107 2/3 innings.

Ricardo Marquis

Kansas City aims to deal. With a pitching staff that ranks 11th in the Munson League, Kansas City's foremost desire is to obtain starting pitching, but they would also consider trades for prospects at any position. Management plans to trade from their surplus of talent at catcher and outfield. Behind the plate, their two 25-year olds, Freddy Castillo and Jayson O'Neill, have put up strong numbers: O'Neill has more power while Castillo has the better on-base skills. Either one might be traded—in fact, an unnamed source says that the club has already begun trade negotiations with a mystery team. In the outfield, the strong performance of their young outfielders (speedster Lawrence Fox, All-Star Bob Watkins, and Brian Adams) has made veteran Ricardo Marquis expendable. Marquis has been nagged by injuries this year, but in 63 games he has a line of .278/.346/.489 with 10 home runs. He is 32 and signed through 2013 at $14 million per year.

Scott McGuicken

Additionally, Kansas City starter Scott McGuicken is in his contract year. Management has not yet decided whether or not to offer him an extension, but they are certainly open to offers. Despite his 5.37 ERA, McGuicken projects to be one of the stronger free agents starters this winter.

Ann Arbor has taken a narrow lead in the Lasorda, but management is less keen on winning this year than on ensuring that the Barn Owls competitive every year. If they do trade, it will be to address the club's most glaring weakness: starting pitching.

Del Hubble

In the meantime, Ann Arbor management is negotiating with All-Star relievers Bomber Hayes and Del Hubble, both of whom are in their contract year. Contract length seems to be the holdup, as management is hesitant to sign a veteran reliever to a long-term contract—and rumor has it that at least one of the two fireballers is getting antsy.

Montgomery has been hard with injuries, but they still reach the All-Star game with the best record in the Bobby Cox. They would love to upgrade, but their minor league system is thin and their current roster, what with the injuries, lacks depth. It looks like the Mountain Cats will be making their playoff run with the players they have.

Jim Davis

An un-named source in the Montgomery front office says that reliever Jim Davis and the club will probably not be able to agree on a contract extension. Davis wants a multi-year deal at $6.4 million per year, but he's 34-years old and management is wary of signing aging veterans long-term. In 57 2/3 innings this season, Davis has a 2.65 ERA with 66 strikeouts. On the other hand, that same source indicates that the club is close to agreeing with Robert Hendrick on a one-year contract extension. The reliever has a 2.94 ERA in 33 2/3 innings.

New York does not appear to be a seller. The team struggled early but has been hot of late: they reached the All-Star break a couple games over .500 and only 5 1/2 games back of Ann Arbor. GM Zappulla feels that the Mafia has enough to get to the playoffs.