Russell Martin Still Prefers Year To Year
According to Tony Jackson of the L.A. Daily News, Dodgers catcher Russell Martin still prefers to go year to year rather than sign a long-term extension. Jackson expects Martin to be arbitration-eligible after this season as a Super Two player. The Dodgers have tried to talk about an extension with Martin, but so far he has not been interested.
Super Two players go to arbitration four times instead of the normal three. Martin wouldn’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
Jays Intend To Keep Halladay
Jays fans needn’t worry about losing ace Roy Halladay. Halladay himself said that. Team president Paul Godfrey considers Halladay his franchise player, and already has him under contract through 2010 at a below-market rate.
According to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail, the Jays are likely to talk about extending Halladay further in the offseason. The player is open to it, noting that he doesn’t want talks to linger into the ’09 season.
High Price For Xavier Nady
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney:
The asking price for Xavier Nady is considered to be extraordinarily high right now, and rival executives have a sense that the Pirates are not going to lower their demands for the corner outfielder before the trade deadline. Nady will be arbitration-eligible this winter.
Nady, 29, is hitting .321/.377/.525 in 337 plate appearances this year despite multiple nagging injuries. Nady is under team control through ’09; he’ll go through the arbitration process one more time and could earn $6MM or more next year. That’s valuable – the free agent market for right fielders is weak.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Yankees, Mets, Rays, and Braves have at least some interest in Nady. He’s still more likely to be dealt than Jason Bay.
Saito Out At Least Six Weeks
More bad news for the Dodgers – dominant closer Takashi Saito will miss at least six weeks with an elbow ligament sprain. Here’s what GM Ned Colletti had to say:
"We’ll get together with Joe and come up with a plan. Obviously, it is not easy replacing someone like him. As far as trading for a closer, its a lot like trying to acquire a shortstop – it’s a premium position and most teams don’t carry an excess. We also have candidates within the staff. Many times closers are discovered in times like this."
Colletti seems to be saying that he will take a look at the market for closers and shortstops, but can’t guarantee an acquisition. Closers are easier to find than shortstops, though they often come with inflated prices midseason. Possibilities: George Sherrill, Jose Valverde, Trevor Hoffman, Jon Rauch, Huston Street, Brian Fuentes, and Damaso Marte.
The Dodgers have solid-looking internal options though, and if those relievers struggle they could always try Brad Penny in the role if he comes back in a few weeks. Just speculating.
Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Fuentes, Teixeira
Jon Heyman of SI.com posted a new column yesterday.
- Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd is quietly calling other teams about Matt Holliday scenarios. One that was "floated," perhaps by Colorado, involved Holliday, Willy Taveras, Fernando Martinez, and Carlos Beltran. The Mets don’t want to trade Beltran, nor does the player want to waive his no-trade clause. The Holliday-Mets scenario is deemed a long shot. Meanwhile, Troy E. Renck says the Red Sox, Yankees, and Mets are "all panting after" Holliday.
- As you know, Brian Fuentes is likely to be traded.
- Heyman talked to a GM who expects Mark Teixeira to stay put. That does seem likely; the Braves are 6.5 games out.
Phillies Looking At Joe Blanton
Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes today that the Phillies are taking a look at Oakland righty Joe Blanton. Additionally, the Phils will bring Brett Myers back to the Majors on July 23rd.
Blanton, 27, had a rough first half – he has a 4.96 ERA in 127 innings. All his numbers are worse compared to ’07 – strikeouts, walks, home runs. A move to the NL would help, even if he has to leave the friendly Oakland Coliseum for Citizens Bank Park.
Blanton is under team control through 2010, though he will not necessarily be cheap since he will have to go through the arbitration process twice more. We’ve heard that the Phillies don’t want to discuss prospects Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, or Greg Golson so we’ll have to see if Pat Gillick and Billy Beane can find a match. Despite their long tenures I cannot find an example of a previous trade between these two GMs. By the way, Buster Olney says the Phillies are not currently looking at A.J. Burnett.
Bonds Rumors
6:18pm: Hideki Matsui had a setback, and a reporter asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman about Bonds. I’ll let you click the link and read Cash’s somewhat rambling answer.
5:44pm: More on Bonds: MLB officials denied any collusion regarding his lack of employment. By the way, Borris wouldn’t comment on whether Bonds would consider playing outside of the Majors (Japan, for example).
8:57am: Last month, Barry Bonds‘ agent Jeff Borris told the AP that he had offered his client’s services to all 30 teams for the league minimum. Borris said just yesterday that he "talked to every club numerous times." Not true, according to Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star. Posnanski spoke to Royals GM Dayton Moore, who said the Royals had not been called about Bonds or offered his services.
It is probably a moot point – no team wants to go anywhere near Bonds. Borris has acknowledged that Bonds is highly unlikely to play this year.
Sherman’s Latest: Bay, Nady, Holliday, Fuentes, Blake
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.
- Multiple teams are in the hunt for a right-handed hitting outfielder: the Mets, Rays, and maybe the Yankees. The Pirates are asking for too much for Jason Bay and Xavier Nady, while the Rockies are waiting to see what Bay costs so they can ask for more for Matt Holliday. The Rays’ might find their solution internally, with Rocco Baldelli.
- Holliday as a replacement for Manny Ramirez this winter? Right now it’s just a couple of execs speculating to Sherman.
- The Rockies want either Jon Niese from the Mets or Ian Kennedy from the Yankees for Brian Fuentes, but the two New York clubs aren’t having that.
- Nolan Ryan doesn’t want to punt on ’08 with the Rangers.
- Sherman wonders if the Marlins could match up with Texas on a catcher.
- Juan Rivera is not available at this point.
- Casey Blake is likely to be traded, partially because the Indians probably wouldn’t offer him arbitration after the season. The Mets and Yankees are said to have "at least mild interest."
The Second Baseman Market Revisited
Let’s take another pass at the market for second basemen.
- Brian Roberts, Orioles. After so many offseason Cubs rumors, there’s been no recent buzz around Roberts. The O’s don’t look like contenders, so trading him still makes sense.
- Ray Durham, Giants. The resurgent Durham sits at .293/.385/.414 in 304 plate appearances. The Giants should be listening; there was a rumor the Brewers were interested.
- Mark Grudzielanek, Royals. He wants to play two or three more years. Should provide about the same value as Durham.
- Mark Ellis, Athletics. He may not be available, as extension talks are expected.
- Jamey Carroll, Indians. More of a utility guy, shouldn’t take much to acquire him.
- Tadahito Iguchi, Padres. Might not return from a separated shoulder until August, but he could still be traded then.
- Ronny Cedeno, Cubs. The team’s seldom-used backup shortstop. Young, unproven, and source of way too much debate at MLBTR.
- Mark Loretta, Astros. No real use for him now with Kaz Matsui back.
- Juan Uribe, White Sox. We keep waiting for the Sox to jettison Uribe, but they haven’t done it. Price can’t be too high.
- Esteban German, Royals. If they’re not going to play him, they might as well trade him. Showed OBP skills in 2006-07.
- Felipe Lopez, Nationals. He’s rocking a .620 OPS. The Orioles rumors have died down.
Odds and Ends: Sexson, K-Rod, Halladay
Random links for the day…
- We’ll have our weekly live chat here today at 2pm CST.
- R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay writes the Rays Comprehensive Trade Post.
- Brian Cashman confirmed interest in Richie Sexson.
- Danny Knobler quotes Francisco Rodriguez as saying that the Angels offered him three years, $34MM in November.
- Josh Hamilton called all his friends to tell them he was a Cub, then had to call them all back.
- People in Pedro Alvarez‘s neighorhood expect him to sign.
- Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay wants to see the team make some progress.
- Viva El Birdos would like to see the Cardinals acquire Jarrod Washburn.
- Ichiro’s profane, annual AL All-Star team pep talk.