Odds and Ends: White Sox, Correia, Ordonez, DNA Tests
A final batch of links for the night owls:
- Ozzie Guillen does not expect any trades before the deadline, according to the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales. But Scott Merkin of MLB.com talks to GM Ken Williams, who doesn't rule out the possibility.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that starter Kevin Correia could be the next Padre to be traded, though no significant interest has bubbled up yet.
- On the same day that Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com asks if it's time for the Tigers to cut Magglio Ordonez, the former All-Star seems to answer by hitting a grand slam.
- And The New York Times reports that Major League Baseball is using DNA tests to determine the age of some Latin American prospects.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
9:27pm: David Lennon of Newsday cites two baseball officials who say that talks between the Mets and the Blue Jays never reached a point of a concrete offer from the Mets. Lennon adds that the Mets "do not expect to make a push" for Halladay.
6:55pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted the following: "Source: Cards 'still in the mix' for Halladay."
4:56pm: Ricciardi told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that "it's unlikely Halladay will be dealt."
1:44pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies have enough talent to obtain Halladay without including Kyle Drabek.
1:06pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies should overpay for Roy Halladay because he is perfect for them "in every way possible."
12:09pm: As MLB.com's Tom Singer points out, Jason Schmidt's 2009 debut showed that the Dodgers could use Doc.
11:43am: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from an acquaintance of Halladay's that he's "emotionally gone." Sounds like Doc would approve a trade. Heyman also hears that the Phillies have decided not to include Kyle Drabek in a deal for Halladay.
11:33am: Ricciardi told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he won't trade Halladay at the last minute. The Jays are considering imposing a July 28th deadline on the negotiations.
Ricciardi says he receives "a new call from another team every day," so it will be a busy, franchise-defining week for the Jays.
10:48am: A Blue Jays official involved in the Halladay talks told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Yankees and Mets are not serious threats to acquire the Jays righty.
The Yanks and Jays only had introductory discussions and there's "absolutely nothing" going on with the Mets and Jays. Sherman hears that there is "no truth" to the rerport that the Mets rejected an offer from Toronto.
9:44am: The latest rumors on the American League leader in wins, strikeout to walk ratio and WHIP…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies are considering options other than Roy Halladay.
- Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says the Phillies, Brewers, Giants and Dodgers are still "kicking the tires" on Halladay.
- Joey Fosko of the Boston Herald believes a deal's more likely after the season.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown hears that the Blue Jays will model possible trades after the Erik Bedard deal- only they want more.
- Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Brown that some of the teams talking to the Jays have enough to acquire Halladay, but may be reluctant to give up their talent.
- Wallace Matthews of Newsday says Halladay won't play for the Bronx Bombers this year.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog heard from four baseball people who all believe Omar Minaya would have agreed to deal Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.
Jays-Indians Series Attracts Red Sox Scouts
Earlier tonight, we heard from Bob Elliott that a number of teams have scouts on hand to watch the Indians play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe elaborates on this from the Red Sox's perspective, reporting that they "have one of their top pro scouts on hand."
We learned today that Sox All-Star Tim Wakefield was moved to the DL with a back strain. Cafardo mentions this and adds that "John Smoltz and Brad Penny haven't pitched at a high level." The implication seems to be that the Sox are kicking the tires on Toronto's Roy Halladay and Cleveland's Cliff Lee.
Cafardo lists a number of hitters that the Jays and Indians might make available as well, noting the the Red Sox "certainly have an interest in [Cleveland's Victor] Martinez."
Milton Bradley’s 2011 Option Vests
Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley made a pinch-hit plate appearance in the 11th inning against the Phillies tonight, marking his 75th game played in 2009. The significance? The games played milestone caused his 2011 option, worth $12MM, to vest.
Bradley's Cubs career has been a disappointment so far. His .372 OBP is fine, but he's slugging only .369 and showing nothing as a left-handed hitter. He's also been a negative on defense, based on UZR/150 (though we're only working with 527 innings).
Discussion: Should The Padres Deal Adrian Gonzalez?
Writing for VoiceofSanDiego.org, Tom Krasovic analyzes the Padres' options when it comes to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.
San Diego CEO and vice chairman Jeff Moorad has maintained that Gonzalez will not be traded during or after the season, saying that "at some level, albeit a significant one financially, I can see him fitting in long term."
Just how "significant" that is will be the issue for the Padres. Krasovic has heard that "the Padres believe that Gonzalez could command $20 million per season as a free agent."
Will the Padres be able to sign Gonzalez when his contract expires after 2011? If not, when should they consider dealing him and stocking their depleted major and minor league rosters? Who might put in a bid for him this offseason?
Odds and Ends: Cubs, Meredith, Fuentes, Dunn, Pavano
A few links on a busy Tuesday night around the league:
- Lou Piniella still wants a left-handed power bat, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
- The Orioles officially added Cla Meredith to their active roster today, optioning reliever Kam Mickolio to Triple-A Norfolk.
- On Twitter, ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure reports that the Giants have signed Colombian outfielder Leonardo Fuentes for a bonus of around $280k. Arangure also reports that the Padres made a late bid for the outfielder.
- According to Matthew Leach of MLB.com, Tony LaRussa downplayed rumors that the Cards are pursuing Adam Dunn.
- And R.J. Anderson at Fangraphs argues that Carl Pavano could be a trade deadline bargain.
Gammons: Indians Must Be “Overwhelmed” To Trade Lee
7:44pm: Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, watching the Blue Jays play the Indians at home, tweets the following: "Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies and Red Sox scouts here to see Cliff Lee…"
5:44pm: On an ESPN Baseball Tonight Minute, Peter Gammons downplayed the possibility that Cliff Lee might be making his last start as an Indian tonight, but indicated that the Indians are indeed open to a trade if they are "overwhelmed" by an offer.
According to Gammons, "[Indians GM Mark] Shapiro wants a major league-ready young starter that can go into the second or third hole in the rotation." In addition, Gammons said, "He wants a couple of other young players."
Earlier today, we broke down a piece by SI.com's Jon Heyman, who said that the Indians are becoming more open to trading Lee.
Discussion: Evaluating Theo Epstein
Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal wrote today that evaluating Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is "as tricky as [Julio] Lugo trying to field a hot grounder." The reason, says Donaldson, is that the Sox can afford to make expensive mistakes like Lugo's contract.
Donaldson seems to argue that Epstein is overrated, citing continual problems at shortstop and big contracts to Daisuke Matsuzaka and J.D. Drew as his biggest flaws so far.
Well, if our readers can't resolve this, nobody can. What do you think? Does large payroll capacity allow Epstein to get away with mistakes? Where do you rank his moves compared to those of other GM's?
If you need a crib sheet, don't forget MLBTR contributor Brendan Bianowicz's GM Trade History for Epstein from last year.
ESPN: Nats Not Close To Signing Strasburg
Pedro Gomez of ESPN is reporting that that Nationals are "not on pace" to sign phenom Stephen Strasburg by the August 17 deadline. The information was given to Gomez by a "source close to the negotiations."
In spite of an "ongoing dialogue" with Scott Boras, Strasburg's advisor, the Nats have not made an offer other than the minor league tender that clubs must make within 10 days of drafting a player.
Nats interim GM Mike Rizzo talked to the Washington Post but revealed little, saying that a lot was happening "behind the scenes" but that the Nationals will not negotiate "through the media."
The Other Blue Jays Trade Candidates
Roy Halladay's on the block, but the Blue Jays could deal a number of players, so Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the rest of the team's trade candidates:
- Marco Scutaro – The Mariners and Red Sox are following Scutaro, who makes just $1.1MM. The Blue Jays will have every reason to ask for a lot in return, because Scutaro profiles as a Type A free agent. The Jays can obtain a first rounder and a sandwich pick for losing Scutaro if they offer him arbitration, so they figure to demand a lot.
- Jason Frasor – Most contenders have at least some interest in Frasor, who becomes a free agent after next year.
- Scott Downs – A solid late-inning reliever, Downs also becomes a free agent after 2010.
- Rod Barajas – A free agent-to-be, Barajas could draw interest from the Cubs.
- Scott Rolen – A number of contenders would love to add Rolen's bat and glove, but he's out of reach for some teams because his contract pays him $11MM this year and as much in 2010.
But remember, the Jays believe they can contend next year, especially if Halladay's around, so there's no guarantee any of these players will be traded.