Red Sox Continue Discussions For Dye

UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune cites two factors for the non-trade - a disagreement over the players involved and Dye's lack of desire to go to Boston.  The Hartford Courant adds that Kenny Williams demanded either Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury.

UPDATE 2: Could the Phillies be the third team, working Michael Bourn into the mix somehow?

Ken Rosenthal has updated this post with some information regarding Boston's ongoing pursuit of Jermaine Dye.

Apparently Dye was willing to waive his no-trade clause for some performance bonuses and a guarantee of playing five days a week.  A third club would've been needed to somehow facilitate the deal Kenny Williams wanted.  Rosenthal says talks are ongoing.

Tough to figure out how the Red Sox would pull off the five days a week thing.  Dye has rarely played any positions other than the outfield corners.  (Though he did play a game each at first base and shortstop in '05 when the Sox were in a pinch).

If you consider Dye eligible to play first base, left field, right field, and DH, you can envision him starting five times a week.  Kevin Youkilis's homer tonight notwithstanding, he and J.D. Drew haven't done a whole lot lately.  Their playing time could be squeezed a bit, while Manny and Papi could use the extra rest.  The problem?  Dye is no picture of health himself and using him at multiple positions each week would probably increase the likelihood of injury.

Dye almost seems like a luxury for the Red Sox; why would they expend any serious effort to get him?  Perhaps they aim more to keep him away from the Yankees or Angels.  Dye could certainly be squeezed onto the Yankees' roster as easily as Boston's. Another motivation for Theo Epstein could be that he thinks he can give up players worth less than the draft picks he'd get for Dye.  Kenny Williams is no fool though, so maybe that's how the third team got roped in.

Comments

[achilles17]

If you think Boston has a logjam, the Yankees have it way worse. With Giambi coming back, nobody knows where they are going to play him as is, nevermind throwing Dye into the mix.

[MostlyRunning.]

There is no way that Boston gives up anything more than WMP for Dye, and with that there could be no conditions. 5 days a week? Sorry, no. Two days a week, and he'd have to pull a Tonya Harding to get more time. This deal won't get done.

Let the Yankees deal for him. I love Theo raising the stakes, but this is pure bluff on the RS part.

MR

[ArodSucksAtLife]

There is no chance in hell Jermain Dye is on the Red Sox this year. Unless KW has an outclause with him that allows him to be traded to a contender for cash, with the option that he isn't played when he joins the team.

[ArodSucksAtLife]

There is no roster spot for him. Manny in left, Coco in Center. There is no possible way in hell Theo gives up on J.D Drew a sabermetrics crush in Right. Drew isnt a platoon player and Dye isn't a bench player he doesnt fit all of these rumors make no sense whatsoever!

[DentalPlan]

I don't think even sabermetricians like J.D. Drew at this point.

[quintjs]

You could see a type of deal working on the draft picks side of thing. Boston have 2 outfielders, Murphy and Moss who will struggle for any role in Boston, Moss is a RF doing really nicely in AAA. You could see him getting traded to the WS for Dye in a deal, Sox get Dye, and the draft picks they can use on more young pitching, while the WS lose the draft picks, but get a young outfielder plus something else..

Should the Sox get Dye (doubt it will happen) he would have to play, as much as everyone guys on about Drew, if Dye is better, Dye will play.

Most of the players people think Theo loves have been DFA'd this year.

[Mr_Punch]

"Kenny Williams demanded either Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury."...

...LOL...

...for 2 months of a (probably injured) guy who is hitting .233 and plays positions that are already filled. Good luck KW. Enjoy your draft picks.

[xxxJamesxxx]

What would Philly get out of this? I don't see any pitchers on the White Sox I'd trade Bourn for.

[Kramerica Industries]

Id trade Bourn for Garland. something is missing the Red Sox and white sox according to Ken rosenthal got deep in the discussions(w/ a third team) and the Red Sox werent giving Bucholz or ellsbury for Texiera so they would now way do it for Dye.Either someone is feeding us false info or there was more to this deal

[Mr_Punch]

The Buccholz/Ellsbury stuff in the Hartford Courant sounds totally bunk to me. I doubt KW could seriously believe he could get a return like that for 2 months of Dye (who has been unhealthy and struggling all season). I could see a package of Wily Mo and Brandon Moss (.884 OPS in AAA pawtucket), or maybe Jed Lowrie (.910 OPS shortstop at AA Portland).

Maybe Theo can pay KW $35 mil to take JD Drew. haha

[xxxJamesxxx]

Garland sucks. Maybe we can get Gio Gonzalez back again

[baxter4218]

Pena for Dye straight up would be a questionable move.....kind of shows where I put Dye's value. At least in Pena the Sox have a guy who knows he is going to sit the bench and doesn't upset the clubhouse chemistry. Dye demanding to play 5 days for a contending team while he is hitting a pathetic .233 is laughable. Dye's demands make it virtually impossible for KW to send him anywhere since contending teams are generally looking to increase their bench; not get a starting RF. Considering the minimal price paid for Lofton who brings more versatility then Dye, I just don't see how even Pena for Dye is a good value.

[kingstephanos]

I don't blog on this site but:
Theo will get this deal done. When he has his sites on a player (and the yankees are not heavily involved) he usually outspends or out smarts the competition.

A player swap of Lowrie(SS)/Moss(OF) for Dye should be able to get the deal done for Boston. Lowrie will be a solid 2B/platoon INF, and Moss is a slightly better than average OF who can start or platoon for the ChiSox this year

[kingstephanos]

Considering the compensatory draft picks that Boston would receive in a deal for Dye. A trade makes all the sense in the world.

[gadamer]

Boston just doesn't need anything, period. And KW is not going to back down from his demands, that's his style. He is just pushing hard, and if no one takes it, fine, he gets the draft picks.

I've said this before, as have others, this trade deadline is going to be extremely inactive, for one primary reason: after the true onset of FA in the mid-80's, we needed two decades to collect enough data to prove that it is better to build a team through draft picks and development a la Branch Ricky, than to over pay for "star" players...with a few exceptions like A-Rod.

That said, now no one wants to give up prospects and draft picks, so we have a major stalemate, which equals virtually no movement. Of course, I could be wrong...

[Cold Golden Falstaff]

Dye's value has been steadily going up as we near the deadline but even a White Sox fan like myself doesn't think the Sox can get Ellsbury or Bourn in return, unless Sox GM Kenny Williams substantially weetens the pot.

Still, it's insulting to think that that the White Sox would take Willy Mo Pena for Dye, who is too old to be a prospect, obviously needs to rebuild his game in the minors and is not a good fit on the South Side, especially since the White Sox want to get rid of Juan Uribe - who has the same strikeout prone homer-focus, lack of average hitting and maddening consistency at the plate as Pena.

I think the truth is somewhere in the middle, and I don't blame Williams for going for a big return as Dye is his biggest trading chip to land the young talented outfield prospect needed to rebuild the Sox offense.

[striker]

There's alot of smack talk about Dye. Let's not forget he was the WS MVP in 2005 and a candidate for the AL MVP last year. He played bad the first half of the season but has played awesome since the all star break.

Jermaine Dye is a good player that had a bad half of a season. The Whitesox WILL get good players in return.