Scott Rolen Rumors

Reds Report: Volquez, Bruce, Gomes

To put it mildly, this has been a rough year for Reds fans. Edinson Volquez had the Cincinnati faithful buzzing after posting a 3.21 ERA with 9.5 K/9 in his first full season in 2008. After logging just nine starts in the 2009 campaign, Volquez needed surgery to repair damage in his right elbow. The Reds faded fast as their depleted staff wasn't getting much of a lift from their sagging offense. Injuries to Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion (prior to being dealt to Toronto) certainly didn't do them any favors. However, if the team's recent performance is any indication...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: O's, Rolen, Borbon

A few more links for your Saturday afternoon viewing pleasure... Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun expects the Orioles to call up infielder Justin Turner, outfielder Joey Gathright and catcher Robby Hammock when rosters expand on September 1. The O's might also want to add some bullpen depth. John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer takes a look back, and a look forward, at the Reds' trade for Scott Rolen. "There's no question Rolen is a big upgrade over Edwin Encarnacion," Fay writes. "But the Reds gave up young pitching in the deal, and Rolen's salary really hamstrings the club as...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Rolen, Butler, Braves, Yanks

More links for the morning... Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that Reds will pay Scott Rolen $11MM next year without help from the Blue Jays. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star wonders if the Royals should lock Billy Butler up long-term. The 23-year-old has hit well this year, but he doesn't figure to be a free agent until after 2013, so the team has time to deliberate. Bill Rankin of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Braves reached an agreement with an insurance company for an undisclosed settlement. The Braves sought compensation after paying an injured Mike...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: White Sox, Rolen, Halladay

Some late-night links to peruse as we wonder how the Phillies can fit in both Pedro Martinez and J.A. Happ into their pitching staff: The Red Sox signed 11th-round pick, high school SS Jason Thompson, to a deal worth $300k, says Jim Callis at Baseball America. Evan Brunell at the Hardball Times defends the rationale behind the widely-panned Scott Rolen trade. Scot Gregor at the Daily Herald wonders if any of the three recently-defected Cuban talents might land on the White Sox. They all share the same agent, Jaime Torres, as current Sox Dayan Viciedo, Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez....   Continue Reading

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Reds Rumors: Rolen, Harang, Arroyo

John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer caught up with Reds GM Walt Jocketty and got him to spill out some fairly interesting hot stove info. Let's dig in: From Jocketty's words, Fay believes that the Blue Jays may have kicked in more money to the Scott Rolen deal than originally thought. Fay was told it was $3MM for this year and next. The Cardinals are already on the hook for a $4MM signing bonus in 2010. The deal has been oft-maligned, but extra cash involved might make it slightly more palatable. With Edinson Volquez likely on the shelf for a...   Continue Reading

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Olney On Parity, Waivers, Rolen, Encarnacion

ESPN.com's Buster Olney shows that the economic downturn has widened the gap between rich teams and poor ones after a decade of relative parity. As he shows, seven of the eight teams with the biggest payrolls would make the playoffs if they began today. The Mets have the game's second-biggest payroll, but wouldn't make it. Here are a few others notes from Olney's blog: We could start hearing about waiver claims today, since teams have stared putting players on waivers. The Reds' acquisition of Scott Rolen is "without question the most widely panned pre-deadline trade within the industry." The Reds...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Pirates, Bard, Padres, Rolen

More links for the afternoon... MLB.com's Ian Browne says Daniel Bard has essentially become "untouchable." Of course few players other than Tim Lincecum and Evan Longoria really are untouchable, but it sounds like the Red Sox really like their young reliever. ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick hears from some people within the game who credit the Pirates for gutting the team and amassing prospects instead of continuing with the "lipstick on a pig" approach they tried for years. MLB.com's Corey Brock shows that the Padres improved their pitching depth and suggests they could pursue a free agent hitter this offseason. Reds assistant...   Continue Reading

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More Trade Reactions

A few more trade discussions on a calm Saturday afternoon... John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer believes the Scott Rolen deal has left the Reds with no payroll flexibility heading into 2010. "That's not good," he writes, "when you need a shortstop and an outfielder with some pop -- among other things." Tracee Hamilton of the Washington Post writes the Nationals "did absolutely the right thing" in shipping off left-hander Joe Beimel and first baseman Nick Johnson. Longtime Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic has a look at the Jake Peavy trade: "This looks like a potentially big victory for the...   Continue Reading

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More Trade Reactions

Lots of ink and keystrokes are being spent on analyzing yesterday's big deals. Here are a few, with more to be added on throughout the day: The Peavy deal, despite its earlier iteration in May, came "out of nowhere," says Scott Miller at CBS Sports. A rival executive says that White Sox GM Kenny Williams has "the biggest balls in sports," according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, who calls it one of his "all-time favorite" trades. Both of these stories, though similar, are good reads. Jayson Stark at ESPN lays out his top winners and losers at the deadline. South...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Hudson, D'Backs, Expos, Jays

More links to look through for the evening, including a little history... MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports that Tim Hudson was scratched from his rehab start tonight with a sore groin. D'Backs GM Josh Byrnes told MLB.com that he expects a "pretty active" August around the league, trade-wise. It'll be interesting to see if Doug Davis and Jon Garland clear waivers; if they do, the D'Backs could be among the teams making trades. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says Nick Johnson was the last member of the Nationals to play for the Expos. Erik Manning of FanGraphs doesn't get the Scott Rolen deal...   Continue Reading

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