TROT COFFEY

(* Trade Rumor Offerings To Chew On For Fun, Even Yuks)

Not to be confused with Brewers journeyman reliever Todd Coffey, the TROT COFFEY is a mailing list-only update on various trade rumblings unearthed, if not hatched, by the media:

• The Rangers, hunting for a rotation upgrade, would likely be in on lefthander Cliff Lee and righthander Roy Oswalt if the Indians and Astros make them available (Jon Paul Morosi, FoxSports.com)
• Before Josh Hamilton’s surgery and David Ortiz’s revival at the plate, Texas and Boston discussed a Hank Blalock for Takashi Saito trade – the Red Sox may still deal the 39-year-old reliever for a prospect (Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com) (I’m interested)
• The Rangers considered Washington first baseman Nick Johnson but are more likely, if the time comes that they option Chris Davis to get him straightened out on the farm, to replace Davis at first base internally (Rosenthal)
• Texas remains the frontrunner to sign Ben Sheets (Rosenthal) (but don’t count on any meaningful 2009 impact)
• San Francisco, which has seen lefthander Jonathan Sanchez’s trade value “decline[ ] sharply” due to what opposing scouts have described as “an all-around drop in the quality of his stuff” and worsening control issues, talked to Texas about Hank Blalock even though he’s not considered an ideal fit (Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News)

Giants righthander Matt Cain, one of the three starting pitchers I’ve been running out there for a month or two as a potential trade target, is now 9-1, 2.39, completing three of his 13 starts and, on average, getting two outs in the seventh. In his last start, a complete game win over Oakland, he walked none, fanned nine, and threw 87 strikes among his 119 pitches.

He’s 24. Younger than Doug Mathis, Warner Madrigal, Guillermo Moscoso, and Thomas Diamond.

I’m guessing we can forget that trade idea, particularly with San Francisco a half-game out of the Wild Card spot. Cain is slated to start against Texas on Saturday, pitted against Derek Holland, who is breaking into a big league rotation at virtually the same age that Cain did two years ago – a rookie season in which the Cy Young candidate went 7-16, 3.65 and logged 200 innings.

Rough estimate: Kevin Millwood is on pace to reach 180 innings, which would lock in his 2010 contract, around the second time through the Minnesota lineup when the righthander gets the call during the August 17-20 home series against the Twins.

Hickory lefthander Martin Perez’s two innings last night, just because I can’t help myself:

Strikeout swinging. Strikeout swinging (ball in the dirt). Walk. Strikeout looking.

Walk. Single. Strikeout swinging. Strikeout swinging. Strikeout looking.

Seventh-round pick Braxton Lane, who had the leverage of a dual baseball/football scholarship offer to the University of Oregon in hand, is among the latest group of 2009 draftees to sign with the Rangers.

Spokane gets its Northwest League season underway on Saturday. The rookie-level Arizona League starts play on Sunday.

Congrats to the 2009 inductees into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame, Toby Harrah and Ruben Sierra, probably the first two Rangers to occupy “favorite player” status for me growing up.

And congrats to Pudge.

I would have to say that the TROT COFFEY is my favorite report from Newberg. I like to be in the 'know' when it comes to trade rumors. I would not expect to see any trades for Cain, though. It's a nice pipe dream... but I'm just not going to hold my breath on that one.

• The Rangers are the latest club to talk to the Pirates about righthander Ian Snell, but Pittsburgh hasn’t engaged in any serious talks on Snell since the club would want, in return, a package appropriate for a starting pitcher, while other teams apparently value the 27-year-old (who is 1-7, 5.25 in 13 starts this season, but coming off two straight quality starts) as a reliever (Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

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