Yankees and Padres discussing trade for Ian Kennedy

After having a scout at his latest scout on Wednesday, the Yankees and San Diego Padres are discussing a trade involving right-handed pitcher Ian Kennedy coming back to the Bronx, where he begun his career, according to ESPN's Jim Bowden.

In return, the Padres would like to have two of the Yankees' Top 10 prospects, left-hander Ian Clarkin and third baseman Eric Jagielo. However, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman says the Yanks don't like that package, thankfully.

To say Kennedy for Jagielo and Clarkin is overload would be an understatement. I can see giving up one of those players for Kennedy -- maybe not even one of them -- but two? No way. Ever.

The Yankees really need more starting pitching help, and I would be on board for bringing in Kennedy, but not at that cost. He's been good, not great, this season for the Padres. They they thought, "he, why not at least ask?"

We'll see how this all plays out.

Update:

theres nothing hot at all with kennedy and yankees at moment. theyd like a SP but no match to date on Ian K.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 25, 2014

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Other pitchers the Yankees could target before the trade deadline

The July 31 trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Yankees aren't waiting until the very last minute to start making moves. On Sunday, they acquired right-hander Brandon McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks for only Vidal Nuno in return.

McCarthy, who was 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA is 18 starts with Arizona this season, might not end up being much of a difference-maker for the Yankees, but it's a step in the right direction to make sure that Derek Jeter's final season doesn't end with a three-game series in Boston at the end of September.

With CC Sabathia likely done for the year, joining Ivan Nova, and Michael Pineda' return probably anther month away, at least, I still think the Yankees need to add another starter to have any real chance of winning this very winnable AL East, or even claiming one of the two Wild Card spots.

Because of the second wild card spot, there are now less teams willing to be sellers at the deadline, thinking they still have a chance at October, but that doesn't mean there won't be pitchers for the Yankees to target.

The Oakland Athletics took a pair of top choice candidates off of the Yankees' list last week, acquiring both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs. A few MLB insiders have said that the Yankees were in on acquiring both of those pitchers -- maybe not both, but at least one -- until the very end. Brian Cashman and the Cubs exchanged a few trade proposals, but in the end, Oakland had the prospect that trumped anything the Yankees could offer -- MLB.com's 11th ranked prospect, shortstop Addison Russell.

As for those still on the list, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee has been connected to the Yankees for several years, and I wouldn't expect those rumors to go away during the deadline season this year. There are a couple of concerns over getting Lee, though. He's been on the DL for a while with an elbow issue and isn't expected back until shortly before the deadline. He's owed $25 million in 2015 with a $27.5 million vesting option for 2016. The Yankees don't have a left-hander in their rotation at the moment, and maybe eating up most or all of Lee's contract would keep them from having to give up a ton of prospects to get him. The injury concerns are there, but if given the chance to get him, I doubt Cashman will balk at the idea.

Lee's teammate, Cole Hammels, could also be on the market over the next couple of weeks, but it is yet to be seen if the Phillies have any real interest in moving him, given that he is one of the most valuable assets on their team. The 30-year-old Hammels is owed $90 million over four years with a vesting/team option for 2019. Again, Philly might not be willing to deal him, but if they decide to go into a full rebuilding mode, unloaded his contract off the books could be a way to go. The Yankees might not have the prospects to get him, unless they want to take a ton of that money off of the Phillies' hands.

Ian Kennedy, of the San Diego Padres, is an interesting name that has been brought to my attention a few times on Twitter. Kennedy, as many of you remember, is a former Yankee farmhand that I would assume will be available at the deadline if teams come calling. Kennedy has a 3.71 ERA, 2.93 FIP, and 9.7 K/9 in 116.1 innings this season out in San Diego. Kennedy hasn't been as good as his 21-4 year in 2011, but maybe coming back to the Bronx will be something that helps both him and the Yankees.

I think Justin Masterson is somebody you could look at if Cleveland decides to start selling -- they're 6 1/2 games out of the AL Central, and even though things aren't completely out of reach, I don't think they'll hang around much longer. Masterson only lasted 2+ innings against the Yankees on Monday night, giving up five runs on six hits. His 5.51 ERA is nothing to get excited about, but like McCarthy, he has a good groundball rate, which would play well in Yankee Stadium -- not necessarily with the Yankees' terrible infield defense, though. Masterson is a free-agent after the season and there is always a chance that the Indians hang on to him and give him a qualifying offer after the season, but if he's available, I wouldn't say no right away.

The Yankees have already taken one starting pitcher away from the D-Backs, so why not back after another? I'm talking, of course, about left-hander Wade Miley, who I think could be another great option beyond just this season. Miley has a 4.49 ERA in 19 starts for the D-Backs this season with 114 strikeouts and 35 walks in 120 innings. Arizona appears to be in a selling mode right now, so it wouldn't surprise me to see Miley be on the market, and if the Yankees can't land one of the Phillies' left-handers, then Miley could be the only one. Miley is under team control for several more years; he won't be eligible for arbitration until 2015.

There are several move options beyond the ones I listed above, and we'll get into those as we get even closer to the trade deadline. The Yankees have holes to fill on their roster, and there isn't really a shortage of candidates to fill those needs.

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Yankees scouting Padres third baseman Chase Headley regularly

As the calender flips to July, the trading deadline is just a few weeks off. The Yankees, who are 41-40 midway through the season, need help all around the diamond if they want any chance of making the playoffs in Derek Jeter's finally season. The starting rotation, the bullpen and the infield are the main area's of concern right now for a team that is still very much in the American League East race.

According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi and Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have been scouting San Diego Padres third base Chase Headley "regularly," which isn't much of a surprise given their need for another infield bat and that they have been seemingly interested in him for the past couple of years.

Headley, who had a breakout season for the Padres back in 2012, hitting career-highs in homeruns (31), RBIs (115), batting average (.289) and slugging percentage (.875), has really struggles at the plate this season, hitting a terribly low .201 with six homeruns and 23 RBIs this season.

Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune reported on Friday that the Blue Jays are also interested in acquiring Headley, who admitted on Tuesday that he expects to have to deal with the herniated disc in his back for the rest of the season. He was given epidural last weekend, but has since been back in the Padres' lineup. There would be some risk in getting him with those issues, so waiting to see how that plays out could be key.

I don't really mind the first half numbers, and think that with a change of scenery, the Yankees could spark a turnaround for Headley, who is a free-agent after this season. He would be an immediate upgrade over Kelly Johnson, who is hitting hit .224 this season.

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Yankees should consider buying low on Chase Headley

For the past few years, Chase Headley has often been mentioned as a possible Yankees trade target. He’s kind of been a controversial name for many because no one truly knows what his talent level is. Amusingly enough, the media and non-Yankees fans felt that the Bombers couldn't make a trade for a high caliber player like Headley, and Yankees fans felt that they shouldn't make a trade for a player as streaky as Headley.

As it turns out, the media was probably wrong about Headley’s value, and it would be shocking if the Yankees didn’t have the prospects to trade for him at his present value.

Headley is having the worst season of his career. His OPS is .651, his wOBA is .279, and his wRC+ is 78. He’s still playing good defense, but there’s no denying that he’s been a disappointment this season.

He’s been playing so poorly that I truly wonder if the Padres would even give him a qualifying offer at this point. They aren’t exactly rolling in dough, so it might be a big enough risk. If they can’t resign and can’t risk giving him a qualifying offer, what can they really expect other teams to trade for him?

Even if they were to trade him, all teams would have to do is give up a late-first round type player, which isn’t even that great of a prospect. The Yankees would still love to have him because at the very least he would improve the team’s defense, and the Yankees have bet on players rebounding in the past. Scott Brosius, Nick Swisher, and even Curtis Granderson were all reclamation projects on at least some level.  

The team would take a risk by acquiring Headley, and it’s a risk they kind of have to take. There are not many better options available at the moment. The Yankees probably won’t have to give a top prospect. His value is at an all-time low.

In some ways Headley is there version of Phil Hughes, who showed flashes of potential, but fell off in his contract year, leaving the Yankees no choice but to let him leave for nothing. The Padres shouldn't repeat the Yankees mistake, and should try to trade him at some point.

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Yanks have made trade inquiry to Padres about infield depth

The fall-out of the Alex Rodriguez has had a few impacts so far on the Yankees, as they continue building their club for the upcoming season. Not only does the freed up cap space give them more payroll flexibility, but it also leaves them needing a third baseman.

Kelly Johnson figures to be the team's opening Day starter at the hot corner if they don't add anyone else. But as Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com reported Monday night, the Yankees have made trade inquires with the San Diego Padres about their infield depth, naming Logan Forsythe, specifically.

Morosi notes that while the Yankees' farm system isn't strong enough to trade for a player like Chase Headley -- no surprise there -- they could possibly acquire a versatile utility player like Forsythe to be a right-handed compliment to Johnson at third base.

Forsythe has been with the Padres since he debuted with them in 2011, and is a career .241 hitter with a .310 on-base percentage in 228 big league games. His best Major League season was 2013 when he hit .273 with a .343 OBP in 91 games.

As I mentioned, he's a very versatile player that has seen time at second, third, shortstop and the outfield in his career, but has played most of his games at second base.

Morosi's colleague, Ken Rosenthal, reported a couple days ago that the Yankees, after signing Scott Sizemore on a minor-league deal, are unlikely to add anymore players on a major league contract, eliminating Stephen Drew and Michael Young. The Yankees have been interested in re-signing Mark Reynolds, but they have only offered him a minor league contract, and he's looking for a major league deal.

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Hughes' Poor Start Leads To Another Yankee Loss

SAN DIEGO -- CC Sabathia gave the Yankees a clunker on Friday, Ivan Nova delivered a gem on Saturday, the Phil Hughes gave the Yanks another poor outing, failing to make at past the 5th inning for the eighth time this season in the Yanks 6-3 loss to the Padres.

"He just didn't make pitches when he had to," Girardi said. "He got into some counts where he couldn't put people away today. It comes down to quality pitches, it really does. If you miss by a little bit in this league, you usually get hit."

Hughes clearly didn't have his best stuff on the mound, giving up three runs in the second inning and a pair in the third on six hits, walking three and striking out just one as he couldn't make it past the third innings when an RBI single by Mark Kotsay knocked him out of the game.

"It's been really tough. It's been like a nightmare I can't wake up from," Hughes said. "It's like a battle every time, even if I have a good start. It's not easy. On a day like this, it's really disappointing."

The Yankees offense wasn't able to do much better against former Yankee Ian Kennedy, making his first start with the Padres since being acquired by the team on Wednesday.

Kennedy was only tacked for two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, leaving the game after Curtis Granderson and Lyle Overbay each singled home a runs to help the Yankees try to come back.

"The adrenaline got the best of me later on, but early on I tried to control it," said Kennedy, who was acquired by the Padres from Arizona last week. "I started feeling it, trying to control it -- the first start against the team that drafted me. I was a lot into it."

Austin Romine made some history in the 7th inning, when he launched a homerun to deep center field, his first career major league homerun.

Though it wasn't enough, as the Yanks would go on to lose to the Padres, failing claim the rubber-match of the series. The Yanks haven't won a series since taking two of three games against the Baltimore Orioles July 5th-7th.

"It's frustrating," Girardi said. "We had a chance to win the series here and we didn't do it. But we've got to do it. If we want to play in October, we've got to do it."

Tomorrow could be the long awaited return of Alex Rodriguez to the lineup. Reports have indicated that Major League Baseball is expected to announced it's suspension on A-Rod, although he is expected to appeal, and reports are also making it likely that he'll be allowed to play against the White Sox on Monday.

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Hughes And Kennedy Create An Interesting Matchup

SAN DIEGO -- Last night, Ivan Nova continued to solidify himself as a legit starter in the Yankees rotation, tossing seven shutout inning, while giving up only four hits and striking out eight. Nova continued his hot run since becoming a start for the Yanks in July, lowering his ERA to 1.66 over his last five starts.

"I've been feeling really good," Nova said. "Like I've said in the past, I don't remember the last time I felt the way I feel now. I'm working hard to try to repeat it every time. I'm trying to go out there and do my job, try to help the team to win games."

Curtis Granderson gave him such much needed run supports in the 7th inning when he blasted his second homeruns of the season into the right field seats.

Now, after losing to series opener Friday night, the Yankees will do what they can to come out of San Diego with a series win, before heading out to Chicago on Monday.

Today's Lineup, 4:05 EST @ Petco Park:

Suzuki RF
Cano 2B
Soriano LF
Granderson CF
Overbay 1B
Nunez SS
Nix 3B
Romine C
Hughes RHP

Pitching Preview:

As the trade deadline approached last Wednesday, many wondered if Phil Hughes would still be a Yankee at days end. Well, he's still a Yankee, and now he's got a chance to show the Yankees fans why he still deserves to be here.

He's looking to rebound from his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays last Sunday when they knocked him around for five runs on nine hits in only four innings of work. He'll be making his first start in August after posting a 1-2 record with a 3.86 ERA in five July starts.

Hughes will be pitching against his former Yankee teammate Ian Kennedy, who made his major league debut in 2007 along with Hughes. Kennedy is making his first start since being traded to the Padres on Wednesday, and he'll also be making his first start against the Yankees.

Kennedy, like Hughes, has struggled throughout the season, his struggles were one of the main reasons he was traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"It is kind of interesting. When we had them both here in 2008 and they were both in our rotation, that's not what you expect to see, them matching up five years later," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "That's the world we live in in baseball. Somebody said we have to make sure we get Joba [Chamberlain] in that game, too. Maybe there will be some innings limits tomorrow."

Yankee Notes:

* Alex Rodriguez went 0-for-0 with four walks in his final rehab game with Double-A Trenton Saturday night, in what could have been his final as a professional baseball player, as Major League Baseball is expected to announce a lengthy suspension for A-Rod on Monday.

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Grandy Goes Deep, Nova Dominates In Win Over The Padres

SAN DIEGO -- If there's anyone who can, the Grandy Man can!

Playing in just his 10th game of the season, second since coming off the DL for the second time, Curtis Granderson helped back up another strong outing from Ivan Nova, blasting his 2nd homerun of the season in the Yankees' 3-0 win over the Padres.

"It's still interesting," Granderson said. "I've still got to get reps, I've still got to get at-bats. One at-bat felt better than the other. One at-bat felt not as good as the other. But I'll continue to swing."

After posting a sub-three ERA in the month of July, Nova keep the hot streak going against the Padres.

Nova gave up a few hits in the first, but was able to get out of the inning unharmed, then went to give up just one hit over the next six innings, keeping the Padres off the board in the process, working efficiently throughout the night, throwing three different single-digit pitch innings.

Nova ended with day with a big strikeout of Nick Hundley looking at a called third strike to end the 7th with runners on 1st and 2nd, pumping up Nova. He permitted just four hits, while walking just one and striking out eight San Diego hitters on 85 pitches.

"I've been feeling really good," Nova said. "Like I've said in the past, I don't remember the last time I felt the way I feel now. I'm working hard to try to repeat it every time. I'm trying to go out there and do my job, try to help the team to win games."

He looked good right from the start. He was making to pitches he need to make, and his curveball was a good as I've seen in awhile.

"He's been really good since he's come back," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "The big thing is that he stays consistent with his fastball. When he does, it just makes everything else that much more effective."

Nova's biggest issue during his 1-2 run in July was that both losses were because the Yankees had been shutout. Through the first six inning, that looked like reality once again, up until Granderson smacked a fastball over the heart of the plate into the right field seats to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead.

"It was good. Any way to help the team out," Granderson said. "It was a scuffle against Ross out there. He had thrown really well against us. Finally, the third time around we were able to get just a little thing going with Soriano getting the bloop [single] there, and then finally to get a pitch that caught some of the plate."

Granderson's homerun came against San Diego's right-hander Tyson Ross, who, through the first six innings, looked as if the Yankees might never score on him.

"It's always great for a hitter to do that, to get a little work in and then you see the dividends," Girardi said. "He was a part of all three runs tonight. I've talked about how Curtis can change the complexion of a game, really quickly, and that's what he did tonight."

Ross set a new career-high with nine strikeouts against the Yankees, his sliders was his biggest weapon. The Yankees just couldn't pick up his slider, striking out five straight at one point in the game. He's didn't let a Yankee reach base until Lyle Overbay single to left to open the 5th.

David Robertson did his usual thing in the bottom of the 8th inning, Jayson Nix singled home Granderson in the top of the 9th to extend the lead to 3-0, then, of course, Mariano Rivera would come in, making his first appearance at Petco Park, setting down the Padres 1-2-3 in the 9th, sealing the Yanks 3-0 victory.

The series finale will commence Sunday at 4:10 pm EST from, what I can only assume will be a sunny San Diego. Your pitching matchup with feature former Yankee farm-hand Ian Kennedy, facing off against a likely soon to be Yankee Phil Hughes.

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"Super Nova" On The Hill To Face The Padres

SAN DIEGO -- CC Sabathia is not pitching well. Last night against the San Diego Padres, he tossed his fourth straight bad outing, coughing up five runs on 11 hits, issuing at least eight base knocks for the fourth straight outing.

His poor effort led to the Yankees dropping the series opener against the Padres Friday night, 7-2 from the always nice Petco Park in the always gorgeous San Diego.

Tonight's Lineup, 8:40 pm EST @ Petco Park:

Gardner CF
Cano 2B
Soriano LF
Granderson RF
Overbay 1B
Nunez SS
Lillibridge 3B
Stewart C
Nova RHP

Pitching Preview:

As I mentioned in the opener, Sabathia has been very good on the mound lately. On the other hand, Ivan Nova has been nothing short of dominant in his starts for the Yankees, in which he posted a 2.03 ERA over four starts in July, holding opponents to a .188 batting average.

Regardless of how well Nova has pitched, he's lost each of his last two starts as the Yankees have been shutout in each of those outings, giving Nova nothing to back up he solid outings.

"It feels really bad. We haven't scored enough runs in my last two starts," Nova said after his last outing against the Rays, when he gave up just one run on six hits in seven innings of work. "Sometimes when you pitch good, it's hard to be charged with a loss. It doesn't feel great."

Coming from the opposing dugout, the Padres will be sending right-hander Tyson Ross to the hill to try to shutdown a Yankees lineup that really hasn't imposed much of a threat lately.

Tyson is coming off an outstanding start against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Sunday, when he tossed a career-high eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits to the D-Backs hitters.

Yankee Notes:

* Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced before the game that Derek Jeter will sit out for the remainder of this weekend series against the Padres, sitting out Saturday and Sunday because of issues with his right leg and calf.

Girardi said that the hope is for Jeter to return to the Yankees' lineup  Monday in Chicago when the team opens up a three game series against the White Sox at US Cellular Field.

* David Phelps was scratched from his scheduled rehab with the Double-A Trenton Thunder Sunday night because of soreness in his right elbow, according to Trenton manager Tony Franklin.

"Just a little soreness, that's it. I think the proper way to go when you're sore is to be cautious with him, push him back a day or two, see how they feel the following day and go from there. No sense in running him out there," Franklin said. "There's some concern there, even when there's some soreness. Let's see how he feels tomorrow. If he feels better tomorrow, I'm sure they'll get him back in there as quickly as they possibly can."

* The New York Daily News is reporting the Major League Baseball is no longer looking to negotiate a deal with Alex Rodriguez, with sources saying the MLB is frustrated with the comments A-Rod made Friday night, basically saying that the Yankees and MLB are trying to keep him off the field.

The NYDS is reporting the MLB is getting ready to announce a 214-game suspension for A-Rod on Monday, which would equal out to sitting out for the rest of this season and all of next season.

For the full story on this situation, click here.

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