Brandon Phillips Rumors

Dodgers "Long Shot" To Land Halladay

Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Dodgers are a "long shot" to land Roy Halladay, while Los Angeles GM Ned Colletti indicated an unwillingness to add Chad Billingsley into any Halladay deal. It doesn't take much of a leap to think the former is a result of the latter. Colletti refused to discuss Halladay specifically, but said of his desire to improve the pitching staff, "We would like to improve our pitching, especially starting pitching. I don't believe we can subtract from it in order to improve it." The Dodgers have plenty of prospects for a...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Butler, Holliday, Counsell

A batch of links to kick off the work week... Newly minted Royals Player of the Year Billy Butler has not held long-term extension talks with the team, MLBTR learned on a conference call today. Butler will not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2010 season. Desipio on the Cubs-Curtis Granderson idea: "In the end, this smells like a winter of Brian Roberts and Jake Peavy trade rumors. One that ends with us talking ourselves into how Marlon Byrd isn’t so bad after all." Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports believes it's a three-horse race for Matt Holliday: the Red Sox,...   Continue Reading

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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Figgins, Halladay, Uggla

On this date 31 years ago, Red Sox free agent pitcher Luis Tiant signed a two-year, $875K contract with the Yankees. After eight seasons and 122 wins with Boston, Tiant would go 21-17 with the Yankees before finishing his career with the Pirates and Angels. With this year's free agents looking for new homes, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere... UmpBump attempts to determine how much Chone Figgins is worth. The Phrontiersman warns that giving up Cole Hamels is too much for Roy Halladay. We Should Be GMs analyzes the Phillies roster and suggests...   Continue Reading

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Discussion: Reds Looking To Deal?

SI.com's Jon Heyman reported yesterday that the Cincinnati Reds might field offers for Brandon Phillips, Francisco Cordero, and Bronson Arroyo. We've heard plenty of speculation that the trade market will be more vibrant this offseason than the free agent market, with so few big names available through free agency. Phillips and Cordero would each match up well with the best free agents available at their respective positions, and even Arroyo posted a 3.84 ERA in 220.1 IP this season. Teams may be more inclined to inquire about their price tags than to dish out long-term contracts to similar or lesser...   Continue Reading

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Heyman's Latest: Lackey, Tigers, Reds

Jon Heyman of SI.com's last few Twitter updates have provided a variety of intriguing information from around the league. Let's check them out.... The Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners could pursue John Lackey, but won't offer a deal worth up to $100MM. FOX Sports suggested earlier in the week that the Brewers weren't likely to be major players for Lackey, but that wasn't necessarily because the team didn't have the money. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski insisted the team wasn't having a "fire sale," but Heyman suggests that the club might listen to offers for Brandon Inge, along with Curtis Granderson...   Continue Reading

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Reds To Cut Payroll, Big Names Could Be Dealt

Add the Reds to the list of teams that are slashing, rather than spending, this off-season. Fanhouse's Ed Price and Jeff Fletcher are reporting that Cincinnati is looking to cut their payroll from $71MM in 2009 to between the $65-$70MM range next season. While it may not sound like much of a reduction, Cot's Baseball Contracts lists the Reds as owing just under $66MM to just ten players for next season, leaving little room to fill out the rest of the roster. Lagging attendance figures are to blame for the Reds' financial cutbacks. Price and Fletcher noted that attendance at...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Volquez, Hamilton, Pirates

Time for some afternoon links... Over at SI.com Jonah Keri looks back at a win-win trade that lost its luster. Josh Hamilton and Edinson Volquez seemed like perfect fits for their new teams just last year, but injuries have shelved both. In his MLB.com chat, Pirates president Frank Coonelly defended the organization's choice to flip Jason Bay for prospects last summer. FanGraphs values Andy LaRoche's 2009 performance more than Bay's, believe it or not. Coonelly says the Pirates are the only club to have offered Miguel Angel Sano "significant dollars." Don't expect Sano to sign until the investigation into his...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Timlin, Rays, Reds

Some more links as the trading heats up... Buster Posey and Clay Buchholz are two of the better-known players on the list of untouchable players compiled by John Manuel of Baseball America. Mike Timlin worked out at Coors Field and the relief-starved Rockies may offer him a minor league contract, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Dave Cameron of FanGraphs implores Andrew Friedman and the Rays to go all out and trade for Cliff Lee. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer adds Jerry Hairston Jr. to the list of Reds trade candidates and says he'd be "stunned" if...   Continue Reading

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Reds Assistant GM On Trades, Minors, Draft

Bob Miller, the Assistant GM for the Reds, chatted with fans this afternoon on MLB.com. Here are some of the highlights: This year the Reds would consider dealing for a right-handed power bat, but they'll "play it by ear and see if the deal will help" the team. Of the trades he's been a part of, Miller's proudest of dealing Karim Garcia for Luis Gonzalez with the D'Backs. He metioned the Brandon Phillips and Bronson Arroyo deals as the best ones the Reds have made recently. The deal Miller's least proud of? Trading six players for Richie Sexson. Miller believes...   Continue Reading

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More Jocketty Talk On The Reds

C. Trent Rosecrans of TheLotD.com also talked with Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty today. Here are some conversation highlights: - The Reds are still talking to Jerry Hairston Jr. to play left field. "We’re still trying to get Hairston," Jocketty told Rosecrans. "We’ll have a different look on our club, but we still have guys like (Joey) Votto, (Jay) Bruce, (Brandon) Phillips, (Edwin) Encarnacion and even (Ramon) Hernandez with power." - Jocketty hasn't spoken with Pat Burrell in awhile. They are holding back on that one right now. - Health remains a serious issue with Rocco Baldelli, Jocketty said....   Continue Reading

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