Archives for July 2009

Braves Rumors: Escobar, Soriano, Payroll

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 15, 2009 at 9:00am CDT

David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the latest on the Braves. Here are the details:

They're taking calls from teams interested in Yunel Escobar.
There's nothing to the suggestion that the Braves could send Escobar and prospects to Oakland for Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera, especially since Escobar's much cheaper than Holliday and hitting about as well.
The Cardinals are interested in Escobar, but they wouldn't trade Ryan Ludwick.
O'Brien hears that the Braves offered Rafael Soriano to the Cards for Joe Mather last winter but the Cards wouldn't make the move.
Braves GM Frank Wren repeated that he doesn't want to move prospects and can't afford to add much payroll.

Phillies Sign Pedro Martinez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 10:35pm CDT

10:35pm: Andy Martino reports that the Phillies signed Pedro.

8:39pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki has confirmed that a press conference introducing Pedro as a member of the Phillies will take place tomorrow.

6:26pm: Gordon Edes, who first broke the news on Pedro's successful physical, now has a full story up on Yahoo! Sports. It's a nice roundup of the events leading towards Wednesday's press conference.

5:32pm: Martino reports the deal is worth around $1MM, with another $1.5MM in incentives. The Phillies are expected to make it all official with a press conference tomorrow.

4:41pm: Pedro Martinez passed his physical with the Phillies and is expected to sign a deal with the defending World Champions soon, according to Yahoo's Gordon Edes.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had no comment on Edes' report, according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bay, Red Sox To Begin Negotiations

By | July 14, 2009 at 9:52pm CDT

According to the Boston Globe's Tony Massarotti, contract negotiations between the Red Sox and outfielder Jason Bay are expected to pick up later this week.

Bay is batting .260/.380/.527 this season with 20 home runs and 72 RBI. He has spoken openly about feeling comfortable in Boston and the club would definitely love to keep him around. He's just 30 years of age and has shown no signs of slowing down offensively. What might the outfielder command? A five-year, $50MM deal similar to the contract handed to teammate J.D. Drew? The Red Sox don't have an abundance of outfield talent on the farm, so their hand may be forced.

All-Star Game 2009 Open Thread

By | July 14, 2009 at 7:06pm CDT

The 2009 All-Star Game is about to get underway at the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis. We're not expecting a whole lot of rumors during play, but an open thread to discuss the game and/or trade possibilities seems fitting.

Will the National League finally come out on top?
Can Albert Pujols rise to the occasion in front of the home crowd?
Let's hear it, MLBTR community. I'll be around all night to field questions and make comments.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 6:14pm CDT

Roy Halladay will start tonight's All-Star Game, but that doesn't stop the rumors. Here's the latest:

Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse adds this quote from the Blue Jays ace: "I've never been a person that had to be wooed. I know what I'm looking for. … If things did come up, it would be a pretty easy decision."
According to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, Halladay wouldn't reveal his list of desired destinations Tuesday, saying only that he would like to join a contender.
Halladay told WEEI's Rob Bradford that a long-term extension isn't his top priority in a trade. It's more about a desire to win: “I really haven’t got that point. I think I’ve been fortunate that early in my career I was able to take care of my family and get in the situation to start putting the emphasis on what I would like and I think at this point it’s trying to win,” said the Toronto ace. “For me I don’t see it foresee it being hugely important, and if something is worked out afterward… I think you’re just looking for a chance to win.”
Steve Kornacki of MLive.com hears that the Blue Jays want a shortstop prospect and pitching in return for Halladay, He suggests the Tigers could include a shortstop like Brent Dlugach, Cale Iorg or Danny Worth in an offer for Halladay.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears the Red Sox would love to go after Halladay, but want the price to come down first.
Last week Ricciardi told Cafardo that he doesn't expect to make a deal for Halladay.
Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Angels and Yankees are the favorites to land Halladay.
Doc jokingly "declined comment" when Aaron Hill asked him which team he was headed to, according to Elliott.
Woody Paige of the Denver Post says the Rockies need to go after Halladay, who happens to be from Colorado.

Stephen Strasburg Update

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 4:48pm CDT

Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post says Stephen Strasburg hasn't heard from the Nationals since they drafted him last month. He's received nothing more than a minor league contract offer, which the Nats have to present as a formality. Though Strasburg seemed "a bit perplexed" by the slow pace of negotiations, the Nationals aren't expected to sign the first overall pick and Golden Spikes Award winner this month.

Boswell says the Nats, who are now under the uncertain leadership of an interim GM and an interim manager, can't afford to "poke themselves in the eye" by making an offer that agent Scott Boras refutes publicly. However, they don't want to alienate their top pick by failing to communicate.

Odds And Ends: Sano, Gonzalez, Royals

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 4:14pm CDT

Here's some more reading material for the afternoon…

ESPN.com's Buster Olney runs through his first half surprises, including Ben Zobrist and the Tigers. He also says Roy Halladay and the Phillies are a perfect fit.
As Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Miguel Angel Sano's future is still up in the air. The Orioles and Pirates and the favorites to sign the Dominican shortstop, but the Twins, Rangers and a couple other teams could still be interested.
Adrian Gonzalez told WEEI.com's Alex Speier that winning matters most of all to him. Gonzalez is one of the players Speier looks at as potential fits in Boston, along with Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez.
Here, Speier says Tim Wakefield has been one of the best bargains in baseball since 2002.
Cameron Smith of the Washington Post says B.J. Ryan could be a nice addition for the Cubs.
Dave Sheinin of the Post reports that Bud Selig said the Nats are "on the right track."
Bradford Doolittle of the Kansas City Star says Royals GM Dayton Moore needs a better grasp of the game's statistical side.

Red Sox Have Interest In Rolen

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 3:36pm CDT

The Red Sox have "some interest" in Scott Rolen, according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail. Mike Lowell should be able to return to Boston's lineup soon, but his health remains a concern for the Red Sox. Blair points out that Terry Francona, who managed Rolen from 1997-2000 in Philadelphia, remains a big fan of the third baseman.

Rolen, 34, is hitting .320 with an .847 OPS and good defense this year. He'll make $11MM this year and the same amount next season.

MLBTR Transactions-Only RSS Feed

By Tim Dierkes | July 14, 2009 at 2:57pm CDT

Looking for a bare bones version of MLBTR? We have a new RSS feed available for those who'd like to monitor only the actual transactions and none of the rumors. This transactions-only feed resides at:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MLBTRTransactions

Of course, you can still subscribe to MLBTR's all-inclusive feed here (23K subscribers and counting!):

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MlbTradeRumors

If you're new to RSS, consider signing up for Google Reader and adding a few feeds from your favorite blogs and websites. It's a free and easy way to be alerted to new posts minutes and even seconds after they're published.

Odds And Ends: Acta, Strasburg, Johnson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 14, 2009 at 12:51pm CDT

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