Dotel To Atlanta Deal Not Close

UPDATE: Word via the Kansas City Star is that the Royals will get Kyle Davies in the deal.  The Teixeira trade needs to be finalized first though.  Nice job by Dayton Moore.  Apparently he preferred Davies over Wladimir Balentien. 

UPDATE 2: Based on this MLB.com report and reports from Sports Radio 810, the deal is not complete and Davies for Dotel was simply an offer.  Dotel was apparently seen shagging flies in batting practice today.

UPDATE 3: Mark Bowman of MLB.com says the teams are not close to finalizing a deal and John Schuerholz has yet to enter into serious negotiations.

Interesting development via Ken Rosenthal: the Braves are close to a deal for Royals' closer Octavio Dotel.  They apparently have made a better offer than finalists Cleveland and Los Angeles.

Royals GM Dayton Moore knows his way around Atlanta's farm system, of course.  He had all kinds of player development roles within the Braves organization.  The Braves' top three prospects heading into the season per Baseball America were Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Matt Harrison.  With those three out of the picture perhaps Moore is going for outfielder Brandon Jones or first baseman Scott Thorman.

Quite a day for Atlanta...now to snag a starter...

Comments

[JerseyMetFan]

Teixeira? Fine. But Teixeira and Dotel? I'm getting a little nervous...

[JoeM]

Dotel has been getting lit up in his last couple of outings, I hope the Braves don't overpay for him and satisfy the Royals demands. They might as well trade for Gagne if they're going to overpay.

[TheBigOne]

does dotel close in atlanta?

[J.L.]

Well KC's been demanding nothing less than a good young positional player. Who from the Braves would go?

[oxdmoneyxo]

Tommy Hanson is another Braves prospect to watch out for. If I were the Royals, I would ask for him...

[nrmax88]

Jersey I have a feeling Omar is working to try to get a blockbuster done, and if he cant he may make a small move or 2 but most likely just stand pat. I think he is looking for a big splash somewhere though.

[Torchy]

I'd bet Thorman is going. He has proven power and just needs ABs to straighten himself out. He can't get those in Atlanta with Tex on the team.

[Aduncaroo]

I think Thorman AND a pretty good prospect....have you seen what KC has been asking for Dotel?

[Mr_Punch]

Wow. I'm surprised KC can't do better than the Teix trade left overs.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

Thorman and Lillibridge?

[George Purcell]

I suspect DM and JS are scaring the wildebeest herd at the moment....

[Kramerica Industries]

mets and twins talking Castillo. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/07/30/mets.castillo/index.html

[Bourne's_Identities]

Thorman's power is middling at best and he doesn't walk. I'm pretty sure the Royals would rather go with Teahen/Butler at 1B/DH in 2008 than use up one of their better chips on Thorman.

[brnt247]

Thorman and Gregor Blanco most likely.

[integr96]

mets close to landing castillo

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7074758

[SBE]

I'd be shocked if this is anything more than JS helping out his pupil through the media.

[classic17]

Why would the Royals want Thorman with Sweeney, Shealy, and Butler? I realize Sweeney and Butler are primarily DHs, but this doesn't make sense. Wouldn't they rather have Balentien out of Seattle?

[ABravesFan]

I hope it's just for Thorman. I'm not sure if Thorman still has option left but there weren't going to be room for him with the addition of Teixeira.

However, judging from all the other rumors about Dotel, it's probably more than just Thorman.

[Robert (Justice Is The Best)]

I will say this. No way should the Braves give up Brandon Jones. He will be in that Braves outfield next season. Now, that Andrus is gone I feel the same way about Brent Lillibride. Eric Campbell is off limits. Jo Jo Reyes is off limits as is Dan Smith. Anybody else is fair game.

I would say Scott Thorman and Matt Esquivel should get the job done.

Then it would be time to move onto a starter where Joey Devine and Martin Prado should be the bait.

That leaves the orginization with plenty of good prospects (Reyes, Lillibridge, Hernandez, Smith Startup, Boyer, Stockman, B. Jones, Bohn, Kailhue, Campbell, and Pope).

[classic17]

I also realize Sweeney is off the books after this year.

I wish there was an edit feature

[SBE]

"I would say Scott Thorman and Matt Esquivel should get the job done."

LOL, is this a serious comment?

[Aduncaroo]

Yeah Arod...Thorman and Lillibridge is probably a good guess...I don't think they will do any less.

[wallybackman]

I would love for Omar to realize that he has Beltran going on the DL and that ATL just got a top RP and the best bat on the market... Even if ATL did give their top 3 prospects plus a 4th for Tex, its a good deal for "now"

Getting castillo would be a start and he could fill the 2 hole nicely... Id love a RP and an OF

[bobo]

Like others said, what possible use would KC have for Thorman? They have one Ryan Shealy already, they don't need another one.

[jaysfan]

Man,i was hoping he would go to the dodgers. Anyway good luck braves

[Something Profound]

I agree with George Purcell...JS and DM were thick as thieves when they were both in the Braves organization. With that being said, I'd love for Atlanta to get Dotel. But not as much as I'd like for them to get a starter > Jo Jo Reyes for the right price.

[nullptr]

Best news of the day for this M's fan!

[GoBoSox420]

why would the royals want thorman? Nobody wants Thorman.

[brnt247]

Thorman has done much better in the second season of whichever level he's been at. He could be used in the outfield as well or at 3rd base.

[WesleyC]

I think you're thinking about somebody else. Thorman has been the Braves starting first baseman this season (in platoon with either C. Wilson or J. Franco) and has been absolutely terrible. I'm not really up to date on the Dotel talks, but unless the Royals are just looking to unload payroll then I don't know why on Earth they would want Thorman.

[brnt247]

In every minor league season he has vastly improved in the given level he's been at. He has the potential to be a 25 HR guy and bat .280. He also played plenty of left and was originally drafted as a 3rd basemen.

[Chipper]

Well, Thorman played LF last year, and I have heard he can play 3B

[Aduncaroo]

I think Thorman sucks...don't get me wrong...but he is a legit prospect with potential...he just hasn't shown any at the NL level

[Chipper]

He get's better every year.

[darkstar1661]

If this deal is about to go down I dont think it would realistically be much better than just Thorman. Its probably Thorman + Low-A guy with possible upside ~ and why should we expect otherwise? I mean the best guy we have heard about possibly getting the deal done is BenFrancisco so you know the deal probably wont be too much above that deal... Thorman + Low-A guy is probably about right if KC thinks they can work with him to take advantage of his power in their bandbox stadium.

[Aduncaroo]

Dark,

Didn't you say that they were asking Salty or Escobar for Dotel? Why would they go down that much? They might as well keep him and take the pick...

[Aduncaroo]

I might be misquoting you though...I just thought I remembered that from the Greinke post...so my bad if you didn't say that.

[Aduncaroo]

Ok...to clear it up...this is what was said by firesticks...I have no idea if its true. But for the record, it wasn't Dark.

"Matt Kemp or James Loney"

If they were asking Kemp or Loney...why would they settle for Thorman?? even Thorman and AA prospect....there is a HUGE difference there. I guess you are implying that they are just ready to get what they can...?

[Chipper]

Maybe Moore is giving the Braves the "old team I used to work for" discount.

[darkstar1661]

Nah, I dont remember that specifically ~ but it very well could be the case since I do know their initial asking price was through the roof. Since then, the Indians have been rumored to have the best offer and that is BenFran…

There was also some "Sea with Balentien” talk, but I think it was more wishful thinking from KC fans than actual offering from Seattle…

Greinke on the other hand…

[darkstar1661]

Adun,

Nah ~ not sure about that Loney or Kemp offer, dont think the Dodgers want to give up either since they are playing well for them right now. Could be, who knows...

And I did find this in the "Mariners/Al Reyes" thread:
"Nevertheless, if the Dodgers pass, KC still will be able to find a deal with the Indians (possibly for outfielder Ben Francisco), the Red Sox (for someone like outfielder David Murphy), the Mariners (potentially for outfielder Wladimir Balentien) or a bunch of other teams (Tigers, Yankees, Cubs, Mets, etc.)."

Who knows... But if these are true:
Sea with Balentien would be the best offer
Cle with BenFran would be a little step down from there
Atl with Thorman + Low-A guy would be about on par if KC liked that back-to-back .300/.360/.510 line Thorman put up in AA & AAA the last two years…

[SBE]

Looks like the deal will be centered around Kyle Davies.

http://www.kansascity.com/385/story/211348.html

[ABravesFan]

Would have prefered to part with Thorman rather than Davies but a deal for a good reliever is a must for the Braves to make a legit push. Now I just hope someone would be willing to trade a SP for Thorman.

[beauhoopman]

Now seems like a perfect time for the Braves to swoop in and acquire superstar SP Jose Contreras!

[Something Profound]

If its centered around Davies then the Braves will be fleeced. Bad move...I'd prefer to keep him but if both Schuerholz and Cox have lost all faith in him, at least use him as a chip to get a starter.

[JoeM]

With Dotel locked up, Rangers are gonna be fielding a lot more offers for Gagne now. Not a bad pickup by the Braves, nothing wrong with some surely needed WickerMan insurance.

[mymrbig]

Is it too late to undo the Wheeler/Wigginton trade and see if the Astros could get Davies and Lillibridge for Wheeler? Please? Pretty Please?

Wheeler is under control for 1 extra year and has a much better health history than Dotel. Please!!!

[SBE]

Didn't Davies have an ERA in the 8's last season? Why does anyone still think he has potential? Braves fans hate the guy.

[wood34]

Red Sox acquire Gagne from Rangers Associated Press Updated:
July 30, 2007, 3:28 PM ET TEXAS--

The Boston Red Sox acquired Texas Rangers closer Eric Gagne on Monday for Manny Delcarmen, minor league pitcher Craig Breslow, another player and cash. The trade bolsters the Red Sox bullpen as the team tries to hold off the New York Yankees in the AL East. Gagne, had converted 16 of 17 save opportunities. Gagne will be used as a setup man for closer Jonathan Papelbon. "We're extraordinarily happy with the job that Jon Papelbon has done as a closer," Epstein said. "We'll talk to the players before we start talking about their roles and how we think they're going to be used," Epstein said. "I'm sure we can find plenty of places for him to work." "We've been talking to the Rangers on and off for a week or two," Epstein said. "Once they made the Mark Teixeira trade , things really accelerated. ... We got down to business very quickly." Gagne was the most attractive reliever available in a trade, sought out by the Yankees, Mets and Tigers among other teams. He agreed to a $6M , one-year deal in the off-season and could have exercised his no trade rights to veto a trade to Boston. "A great opportunity came along, and I feel that I have a chance to win a World Series," Gagne said. "There's a lot of frustration going on in here right now, but hopefully then can right the ship" .

-Rangers Associated Press

[SBE]

wood, that's a fabricated trade made by pathetic Red Sawx fans. Please don't repost that crap here.

[JoeM]

Where's the link???

I saw that excerpt two hours ago, hasn't been confirmed yet.

[bobo]

Gagne to the Sox is fake.

Braves are talking to the Reds about Arroyo.

[wood34]

It is unconfirmed. Forgot to post that.

[Something Profound]

SBE:

He has a great arm and he's only 23 years old...he had health issues last year. If he can get his head issues straightened out then he can be an effective 3rd starter in the ML. I'd prefer to keep Davies, but if we want to trade him I'd say use him as a piece to get a starter, not a reliever.

[ozziethesaint]

Um Wood, the AP would not go with a story like that if it was unconfirmed. Better luck next time sonny boy

[ozziethesaint]

also Nice moves by ATL today, should make them the favorites in the NL east and probably in the NL period.

[integr96]

all kinds of rumors in a new rosenthal article.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7072074

[ABravesFan]

I believe Davies had groin problem last year. He still has good upside but it's true that Bobby Cox seems to have lost faith in him. He was projected to be a #2 or #3 type of SP not too long ago.

[Guitar Hero]

This is turning out to be a decent trade deadlie so far. If I remember last year, there were tumbleweeds and it was boring.

[Mark_J]

I know that Dayton Moore knows Atlanta's players as well as anyone, but what is the big draw on Davies? He doesn't appear to have been successful in the majors, especially recently, and lost a lot of time due to injury. Can any Braves fans enlighten me?

I hope we get something besides Davies for Dotel, judging from what I can find about him on the net.

[darkstar1661]

humm, Davis is prob a bit much to give up for Dotel... Dont like that deal at all.

There are more RPs out there than we really think as teams like Balt, TB, Tor, KC, ChiSox, Tex, Oak, Hou, Cin, Pit, Wash, Fla and even NYY all have an arm of two they could deal off for a ML-ready-prospect.

Houston wasnt able to get much for Wheeler for a reason, and even before Wiggy went there he was rumored to be going for Proctor. This just doesnt line up right and although Dotel might be one of the best avail ~ the difference between him and some of the others inst that extreme...

I dont like it for Atl one bit…

[wood34]

I didn't write it!

[Mark_J]

Rumor: It's P Kyle Davies, P Manny Acosta and SS Brent Lillibridge.

[darkstar1661]

"Rumor: It's P Kyle Davies, P Manny Acosta and SS Brent Lillibridge"

... no way unless its for Dotel and Greinke or something...

[bravesbeast]

Ok deal by the braves, because i believe we could sign dotel to an extension. Davies i agree may be a bit too much, but we shall see.

[royalsfaninmarinertown]

KC Manager, GM, and radio WHB 810 deny that any deal is pending with the Braves.

[bobhamelin]

From Rotoworld:

Wladimir Balentien-OF-Mariners Jul. 30 - 6:23 pm et

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that the Mariners offered Wladimir Balentien to Kansas City before the Royals picked the Braves' offer of Kyle Davies for Octavio Dotel.

Interesting. Though he's still hardly a sure thing, Balentien offers 35- or 40-homer potential and has come a long way this year. While we like the current deal for the Royals, we would have gone with Balentien over Davies.
Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Related: Octavio Dotel, Royals

Balentien has not played the past 2 days for Tacoma..so maybe it is possible that the Braves deal is hoax?

[DentalPlan]

How bored are people that getting Dotel now counts as a coup?

[Mark_J]

Gotta say I don't care for the report about Balentien being offered, as the story is written right there.

First, they are discounting the whole rest of the deal and acting like it's a 1-for-1, which it surely will not be.

Second, local sports radio is reporting that no deal is imminent, so how could the Royals have rejected one offer and chosen another?

Very little good information out there at this point.

[dudetheplayer]

who are these people saying we're getting "fleeced" if we give up davies? the guy is a poor man's kevin millwood AT BEST and has been incredibly bad this year.

yes, he's young, blah, blah, but that in no way predicts he's actually going to ever be any good.

i would do this trade in a heartbeat.

although i don't quite understand what dotel will bring to the table (in a numbers sense) that wickman doesn't already bring.

[Blue]

Wladimir Balentien? No thanks, I'll take Kyle Davies...

BWAHAHAA! that's rich.

[runyon27]

Davies has the stuff to pitch he just needs to learn how to pitch. There have been some games(albeit few) where he has been very very good, but then he follows it up with a purely crappy outing. He needs more consistency, and needs more exeperience. If he can straighten himself out he could be a solid starter.

[Thundersticks]

I'd rather get a SP first. If we can get both, then that would be even better.

[Thundersticks]

Peter Gammons just said on Baseball Tonight that the Davies for Dotel trade is pending the final approval of the Tex for Salty trade. So it sounds like this is pretty much a done deal. Maybe we are going to turn around and trade Wickman back to the Indians for a prospect, move Soriano into the closer role with Dotel setting him up. Dotel was always better as a set up man than as a closer.

[nom3k]

"... no way unless its for Dotel and Greinke or something..."

Acosta's a 26 year old AA pitcher and Lillibridge is a light hitting middle infielder. On what planet would that equal Greinke?

[nom3k]

Excuse me, AAA.

[Blue]

Planet Bravo.

[darkstar1661]

Nah, just meant if we were going to start adding even more pieces to what is already considered to be a fine return then we would have to think pieces would be added on the other side. It would take more for Greinke + Dotel of course, but you should get what I was saying...

[buehrlebro]

That's a kick in the nuts

[Leeman]

Actually, Jayson Stark is saying that the deal has been agreed upon but cannot be finalized until the Tex, Mahay deal is official. He says that it is possible that Davies could be the player to be named later but that it was unlikely. He adds that once the previous deal is final, the Dotel for Davies will be too.

[the juice]

what's the hold up with the Teixiera deal?

[darkstar1661]

"what's the hold up with the Teixiera deal?"

medical docs is whats being reported...

[bobhamelin]

Dayton needs to stop the dilly dallying and just swap Dotel to Seattle for crying out loud. I understand he is in the position to bargain now with Davies and maybe Lillibridge, but he runs a gamble of Seattle pulling Balentien back and saying 'no, that's ok'...

If he wants Davies, use prospects and mid-relievers to get him. Peralta and a prospect. There, Davies. Thanks.

In the NFL the team with the #1 pick doesn't pass up the best player available cause the GM maybe coached the kid in college the year before and can be had in the 4th round.

Ugh. Balentien needs to be a Royal.

[braves_fan3]

"Acosta's a 26 year old AA pitcher and Lillibridge is a light hitting middle infielder. On what planet would that equal Greinke?"

Since when is Lillibridge "light-hitting"? He's a five-tool player.

[Viva Los Royales]

Wladimir Balentien just sounds like an all-star

[bspen4]

I wish we had of traded for Balentien. We need a power hitting outfielder