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      Don’t count on Carlos Beltran landing with the Giants

      July 21, 2011 /
      New York Mets’ Carlos Beltran (L) is congratulated for scoring during the sixth inning playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in their MLB National League baseball game in Los Angeles, California July 4, 2011. REUTERS/Alex Gallardo (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      The New York Daily News is reporting that the Mets and Giants are having difficulty matching up on a trade involving Carlos Beltran. That’s not surprising considering the two clubs haven’t been a good match from the start.

      The Giants need offense and Beltran could provide it. But that’s where the fit between the defending champs and the outfielder starts and stops. The Giants don’t mind paying the $6 million still left on Beltran’s contract, as long as they don’t have to give up a top prospect in the process.

      But that’s exactly what New York is looking for. The name Zach Wheeler was thrown around a lot last week on New York sports talk radio. But the Giants aren’t going to part with their top pitching prospect, even with the three-headed monster of young arms in Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner already on the big league roster. The Mets (and every other team for that matter) can also forgot about acquiring first base prospect Brandon Belt as well.

      New York would be better off sending Beltran to the Phillies for Domonic Brown, assuming that trade scenario is a possibility. (Rumor has it that it is.) Philadelphia’s window to win is now and adding another bat like Beltran could move the Phillies closer to another World Series appearance. Thus, they wouldn’t mind parting with one of their top young players to add someone that can help them win in the present.

      The possibility of the Giants still landing Beltran is alive and well, but I just don’t see it. What I do see is more Jeff Keppinger-type trades in the Giants’ near future. And with that in mind, I’m willing to bet that Pudge Rodriguez is a Giant before Carlos Beltran is.

      Thursday Quick-Hitters:

      – I was so relieved when I saw the photos of Kenny Britt being handcuffed onstage at one of Britney Spears’ recent concerts. If there’s anyone that deserves a little “me time” right now, it’s Kenneth Britt.

      – If I’m Steve Williams, I’m looking at Tiger Woods today and saying: “Really? You think I’ve been the problem?”

      – Kevin Kolb is apparently looking at real estate in Arizona. In other news, Nnamdi Asomugha is looking at real estate in Hollywood Hills, Manhattan, London, Paris, Brussels, Chicago, South Beach and just for the hell of it, a small place in Cabo San Lucas.

      – Does the Giants front office just sit back and laugh when they hear that Osi Umenyiora wants to be paid like a top five defensive end? The guy is a fantastic pass rusher but someone please explain to me how he does for the Giants what Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney, Jared Allen, Mario Williams or even his own teammate Justin Tuck does for their respective teams.

      – Hawaii turned down Tate Forcier because he didn’t meet the university’s standards for academics. Maybe Forcier should give Ohio State a call. I hear they need a quarterback and they could always put him on the Andy Katzenmoyer academic program, which consists of beginners golf and basket weaving.

      College Football, External Sports, Humor, MLB, NFL

      Andrew Bogut on Jennings, lockout and more

      July 20, 2011 /
      Milwaukee Bucks’ Andrew Bogut dunks against the New York Knicks in the first half during their NBA basketball game in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 20, 2011. REUTERS/Darren Hauck (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      Andrew Bogut spends part of the offseason in Croatia, which may seem odd since he’s from Australia. But he doesn’t like going from winter in the U.S. to winter in Australia, so he has an apartment in Croatia, which is where his grandparents are from.

      Anyway, he spoke with HoopsHype about a wide-range of topics. Here’s his take on Brandon Jennings:

      He had a very good first season and in the second he had an injury and it was a little up and down. But he’s a guy that’s a very, very hard worker. I definitely enjoy playing with him because I can see in the offseason and during the offseason how hard he works on his game. I don’t think people realize the work he puts in. Maybe they see him doing these tours with Under Armour and think he’s not working on his game, but he’s a very hard worker. He’s going to get better and better. You have to remember he’s still very young and his potential is huge.

      Bogut and Jennings are the Bucks’ core, in that order, so the duo better learn to be effective with each other. They have shown flashes, but last year it was a real struggle to score, and that’s on them.

      Bogut was asked about being slighted for an All-Star nod and here’s what he had to say:

      I think this year I didn’t deserve it, but the previous year I was a little hurt about it. That’s just the NBA. Al Horford deserved to be in because his team had a much better record than us, but the previous year they put David Lee with a worse record than us… (Making the All-Star team) is one of those goal that you work towards and hopefully one day I will have my All-Star jersey.

      Bogut also mentioned that he was shocked he didn’t make the All-Defensive 2nd Team, and I agree with him. I thought he was in the running for DPOY and he didn’t even get a 2nd Team nod. But like Andrew says, that’s the NBA.

      External Sports, NBA

      MLB Trade Rumors: Are the Rays willing to trade B.J. Upton?

      July 20, 2011 /
      Seattle Mariners catcher Josh Bard throws back the baseball after the Tampa Bay Rays B.J. Upton got a called strike during the third inning of their MLB American League baseball game in St. Petersburg, Florida September 26, 2010. REUTERS/Scott Audette (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      I’ve put together a small buffet of latest MLB trade rumors for your reading pleasure. So bon appetit, douche bag. (That wasn’t very nice.)

      Rays listening to offers for Upton?
      ESPN’s Buster Olney believes that the Rays “will listen to just about every trade proposal thrown their way” in regards to centerfielder B.J. Upton. The 26-year-old is hitting just .237 on the season and is due $4.825 million before hitting free agency. He has yet to match his output from 2007 when he slugged .508 as a 22-year-old, but he’s entering the prime of his career and his defense is solid. The problem is that the centerfield market is relatively strong this year compared to other positions. Coco Crisp and Marlon Byrd are viable options and David DeJesus sometimes passes as a Major League Baseball player. If Colby Rasmus and/or Michael Bourn become available as well, contenders won’t feel the need to pay big for Upton.

      Mets 100 percent certain to keep Reyes?
      Olney tweets that the Mets are now “100 percent certain” that they won’t trade shortstop Jose Reyes before the deadline. A couple of months ago it seemed like a slam-dunk that the Mets would trade the 28-year-old, but obviously their stance on the topic has changed. Even though they’re are a long shot to win the NL Wild Card this year, it appears as though they don’t want to anger fans by trading away one of their beloved players. Now they’ll have to figure out how they’re going to pay Reyes the Carl Crawford-type money that he’s allegedly seeking.

      Beltran given a list of possible trade suitors
      Tim Brown and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that the Mets gave Carlos Beltran a list of possible trade suitors to consider. It’s unclear what teams are on that list but Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Cleveland have all been mentioned as potential landing spots over these last couple of weeks. That said, I want to officially go on record as predicting that the Giants will eventually bow out of the Beltran sweepstakes. New York sports radio was abuzz last week with the possibility of the Mets landing top prospect Zach Wheeler in exchange for Beltran. But New York sports radio is also drunk. The Giants aren’t going to give up Wheeler or Brandon Belt in any deal, so unless the Mets want to settle for a package centered around Johnny O. Sanchez (which is highly doubtful), I don’t think San Fran and New York will be a fit.

      Pirates looking at the A’s Willingham, Breslow
      It looks like the first place Pirates will be buyers at the trade deadline this year. I don’t know what alternate universe I’ve stepped into to start a paragraph by saying the “first place Pirates will be buyers” but I’ll go with it until I wake up. According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Bucs are mulling a potential trade with the A’s for outfielder Josh Willingham and left-hander Craig Breslow. I, along with other media members, believed that the offseason additions of Willingham, Hideki Matsui and David DeJesus would give the pitching-stacked A’s enough offense to win the AL West this year. But I, along with other media members, am not that bright. Biertempfel also speculates that Garrett Jones would likely be “out the door” in a potential swap with Oakland.

      Reds targeting James Shields?
      Olney tweets that James Shields is on the Reds’ radar right now, noting that the Rays’ scouts have been scouting Cincinnati’s minor leaguers this week. Shields signed a four-year extension with the Rays in 2009, but his contract is flexible in that he has club options for 2012, 2013 and 2014. The 29-year-old has been solid this season, compiling a 2.60 ERA with 145 strikeouts over 148 2/3 innings, so he won’t come cheap in terms of prospects. MLBTradeRumors.com speculates that other teams that may be interested are the Indians, Rangers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Cardinals and Rangers.

      External Sports, MLB, Rumors & Gossip

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