By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Jon Heyman of SI.com posted a new column yesterday.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
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.
By Tim Dierkes | at
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman is working hard today, filing blog posts here and here.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Let’s take another pass at the market for second basemen.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Random links for the day…
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