Odds and Ends: Bay, Clement, Fuentes, Cabrera
We’ve got plenty of links today.
- There is speculation that Andruw Jones could be sent back to the minors.
- Joel Sherman wonders if MLB should’ve gotten involved when Manny Ramirez decided to orchestrate his own exit. Kind of reminds me of Gary Sheffield intentionally botching plays to force a trade out of Milwaukee in ’92.
- Gordon Edes stands by his report that Manny pledged to give full effort if the Red Sox dropped his options. That phone call between Scott Boras and Theo Epstein occurred within an hour of his trade to the Dodgers.
- Jon Heyman takes us inside the Manny trade. He says Ramirez signed an agreement in advance that he’d accept a trade to any team if his options were dropped. Heyman believes Omar Minaya fibbed in saying he had failed trade discussions with Boston.
- The Red Sox are still waiting to hear whether Joe Borowski will accept their offer of a minor league deal.
- Dejan Kovacevic gives as inside look at the Jason Bay trade talks here and here. Did the Rays offer Reid Brignac and Jeff Niemann? Reports are conflicting.
- The Cardinals released Matt Clement on Saturday. Let this serve as another reminder of how hard it is to come back from shoulder surgery.
- The Cardinals weren’t willing to trade catching prospect Bryan Anderson plus a pitching prospect for Brian Fuentes. Also, GM John Mozeliak confirmed failed talks for Bay.
- RotoAuthority takes a look at young pitchers who may face innings caps this year.
- Another failed deal: Orlando Cabrera to the Orioles in a Brian Roberts deal.
- Geoff Baker believes that when inside information related to the Blue Jays leaks out, GM J.P. Ricciardi is likely responsible.
- Please continue to email me if you see a pop-up or full-page ad on MLB Trade Rumors.
Marlins Explored Flipping Manny To Yankees
Obviously the Red Sox and Yankees never would’ve worked out a trade for Manny Ramirez. However, CBSSports.com’s Scott Miller says the Marlins briefly explored the idea of acquiring Ramirez and flipping him to the Yankees. The idea didn’t get anywhere – neither the Yankees nor Scott Boras were having it.
Miller also talked to "a person close to Ramirez" who says he wouldn’t have accepted a trade to the Marlins due to their "big ballpark and unstable ownership." Miller suggests the Marlins were never actually close to obtaining Ramirez, despite the various reports floating around Wednesday night.
Jon Heyman wrote Thursday morning that Ramirez consented to a trade to the Marlins though a deal had not been reached. So we’ve got conflicting reports on his willingness to play there. Heyman believes the Marlins overplayed their hand, asking for the $7MM to cover Manny’s salary plus $2MM to pay for the resulting draft picks.
Mets Eyeing Rich Aurilia?
Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News has a rumor this morning:
A New York Mets official is following the Giants and has submitted a recommendation to acquire Rich Aurilia. The Brooklyn native is likely one of the first names the Giants submitted through waivers; if so, he would clear on Tuesday.
Aurilia has about $1.5MM left on his contract this year; he’s hitting .281/.334/.421 in 308 plate appearances. He’s a righthanded hitter who has handled southpaws well. He’d be a fine platoon partner for Carlos Delgado, and he could also dabble at the other infield positions as needed. The Giants would probably be happy just with salary relief.
Help MLBTR Eliminate Pop-Ups
MLB Trade Rumors uses a handful of different ad networks to supply the ads you see on the site. Within each network, I’ve always kept pop-ups and other instrusive ads blocked. You should never see anything like that here – it’s just annoying.
However, it has been happening to some readers in the past few weeks. I’ve done everything I can in an attempt to figure out which network is sneaking in these pop-ups and full-page ads without my permission. So far, I’ve had no success.
That’s where you come in. I would be extremely grateful if readers can help me eliminate these annoying ads. They don’t occur very often; I haven’t been able to get them on my own computer. I believe they occur when you click Comments to read a post’s comments. If you see one, please take a screenshot and email it to me. Better yet, you could even right-click and send me the source code of the popup. Based on reader emails, I’ve learned that some of the malicious advertisers are called QuestionMarket.com and FreeWebScanner.com. But, that is not enough for me to identify the offending ad network. I am at my wit’s end so any help would be much appreciated.
Week in Review: 7/27 – 8/2
We saw the non-waiver trade deadline come and go this week, and plenty of action to go along with it. Let’s recap the big moves of the week:
- The Dodgers, Pirates, and Red Sox completed a three-team, blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles, Jason Bay to Boston, and Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Craig Hansen, and Brandon Moss to Pittsburgh. The Pirates got a pretty nice haul, and while Bay won’t necessarily replace Manny’s production, he’s much more affordable, signed through ’09, and doesn’t disrupt the clubhouse. The Dodgers add the big bat they need for a push in the NL West, though are now overloaded with overpaid outfielders. All in all, I don’t think any team made a bad deal in this one.
- The Angels made a big move in adding Mark Teixeira to their lineup, sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to Atlanta in exchange. The Angels didn’t need help at the time – they’re running away with the AL West – but this move will undoubtedly be significant in the postseason. Great boost to the Halos’ lineup.
- The White Sox and Reds completed a trade that sent Ken Griffey Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Nick Masset and Danny Richar. I don’t understand this trade from the Sox perspective. Griffey was only hitting .245 at the time of the trade, and his range in center field isn’t close to what it once was. Still, he’s a presence in both the lineup and the clubhouse. Will playing for a contender rejuvenate him?
- The Yankees acquired future hall-of-famer Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers in exchange for Kyle Farnsworth. With Jorge Posada out for the season, New York did a good job of solidifying their catcher’s spot, while the Tigers got some much-needed improvement in their bullpen.
- The Twins aren’t known for making big trades at the deadline, and they held true to that in 2008. However, they made a move that could be bigger than any trade they might have made, when they designated Livan Hernandez for assignment, and recalled Francisco Liriano from Triple-A Rochester. The Twins DFA’ed Craig Monroe as well. The Rockies are looking for a fifth starter, and could have interest in Hernandez.
- Relievers on the move: Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Marlins, giving them another effective lefty option in the bullpen. The Astros acquired LaTroy Hawkins, still buying despite being 9.5 games out of the wildcard race at the time.
- The Nationals released Paul Lo Duca and Felipe Lopez. Both were highly unsuccessful this season, though they could generate interest from other teams.
- Tim explained the rules behind waiver trades for those who are unfamiliar with how the process works after the July 31st non-waiver deadline. He also takes a look at some noteable names who stayed put at the deadline.
- Minor moves: The Yankees signed Victor Zambrano to a minor league contract, while the Red Sox did the same with former Cleveland closer Joe Borowski.
- The Diamondbacks are talking extension with their second ace, Dan Haren.
- USA Today wrote an article on MLBTR. Check it out!
Rockies Eyeing Livan Hernandez
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reports the Rockies, in the hunt for a fifth starter, are pursuing Livan Hernandez as he clears waivers.
"’He’s someone we have talked about in the past,’ said [Clint] Hurdle, whose team made a late run at Hernandez as a free agent in February. Several Rockies players are pulling for the team to sign Hernandez (10-8, 5.48) as a fifth starter."
Hernandez was DFA’d on Friday and won’t clear waivers until Tuesday. He still has $1.66 MM remaining on his contract.
Boras Denies Calling Red Sox
Tony Masarotti of the Boston Herald reports that Scott Boras denies having ever called the Red Sox in a last ditch effort to keep Manny Ramirez in Boston, as reported yesterday. Ramirez seems happy to be gone and it didn’t make sense that he would’ve made an attempt to stay in Boston after such a messy divorce.
MLBTR readers seem to be either exhausted by this story, or think the Red Sox made the right move. Peter Gammons’ blog entry from last week is a must read.
Moving on, in another article, Masarotti details just how much money the Red Sox will have to play with this offseason:
"Look at it this way: Based on the formula used to calculate luxury tax, the Red Sox finished 2007 with a payroll just shy of $165 million. By Opening Day of this year, that number was down to about $150 million. By November, that number will be closer to $110 million, which means the Red Sox could have between $40 million and $55 million to spend, if not more."
More Rosenthal: Furcal, Dunn, Yankees, Mets
And more from Ken Rosenthal, this time his Full Count video:
- The Dodgers will have an opening at shortstop in the offseason and could re-sign Rafael Furcal. They like his work ethic and what he’s brought their team, offensively and defensively, during his stay.
- The bigger the contract for Mark Teixeira, the pricier Adam Dunn becomes. Yet, Dunn will cost less and may just be more appealing than Teixeira.
- The Yankees and Mets will be looking to solve roster holes by promoting prospects. Carl Pavano, on a rehab assignment, is not being counted on.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Washburn, Teixeira, Griffey
Rumor-wellspring Ken Rosenthal has another Inside Pitch video:
- Jarrod Washburn to the Yankees has been put to bed. It won’t happen through waivers.
- Mark Teixeira wants a 10 year deal and that might limit his options to one city: New York. Only Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have 10 year deals. The Yankees and Mets may be the only players willing to go that high. Teixeira’s turned down a lot of money before, and indicated he wants to play for a place he likes and a team that contends every year.
- Ken Griffey Jr. could remain in the American League next year, and Rosenthal suggests a return to Seattle. He’s open to playing OF and DH but has also considered some 1B.
Red Sox Offer Minor League Deal To Borowski
The Red Sox offered a minor league contract to reliever Joe Borowski, who was released by the Indians about a month ago. He’s not the setup man acquisition fans hoped for, but there’s no risk in adding him.
Borowski, 37, posted a 7.56 ERA in 16.2 innings this year. He injured his triceps in a spring game, and that lingered into May. The Indians had picked up his $4MM option in November of ’07.