Roy Halladay Rumors: Friday
12:30pm: Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears from an AL executive who would be "very surprised" if White Sox GM Kenny Williams isn't pursuing Halladay.
The White Sox have seen attendance drop and Gordon Beckham appears to be untouchable. This means the White Sox could have trouble paying Halladay or enticing the Blue Jays with a package centered around Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers.
Tom Verducci of SI.com hears that Clayton Kershaw is off-limits, but the Dodgers want to make a run at Halladay with other prospects. The Jays like minor league third baseman Josh Bell.
10:10am: Here are the latest Roy Halladay rumors and a bit of trivia to explain why he's in such high demand: Halladay pitched less than seven innings for the first time this season on June 12th.
- Don't expect the Cardinals to trade Colby Rasmus for Halladay. GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he won't move the young outfielder in a deal for a player the Cards only control for a year and a half.
- The Dodgers are looking for relievers now, but they'll try to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee to improve their rotation, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
- Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News says Halladay's availability has created such a frenzy that people "who wouldn't know Michael Taylor from Elizabeth Taylor speak authoritatively about a hole in the … outfielder's swing."
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News says the Yankees should have enough talent not to have to bring in another Cy Young Award winner less than 100 games after adding C.C. Sabathia.
Red Sox DFA Julio Lugo
The Red Sox designated Julio Lugo for assignment according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The move is not surprising, as Lugo did not travel to Toronto with the Red Sox, who need roster space for players returning from injury.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the Red Sox consider Lugo a "sunk cost" and would expect very little in return for him in any trade. Lugo will likely be released if the Red Sox can't trade him.
The 33-year-old has a .352 OBP and fields well enough, so he figures to draw some interest.
Phillies DFA Tyler Walker
The Phillies designated Tyler Walker for assignment to make room for Clay Condrey, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Walker, 33, has only pitched 11 innings for the Phillies this year, but he's done well, allowing ten hits and a walk to go along with five Ks and a 1.64 ERA.
Odds And Ends: Lowell, Girardi, Pirates
Some links to read through this morning…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Red Sox will evaluate Mike Lowell's health tonight before deciding whether to pursue the likes of Garrett Atkins and Nick Johnson.
- Sherman wonders what will happen to Joe Girardi if the Yankees miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
- The Pirates have discussed the financial side of possible extensions for Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson, but only in general terms according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star says Julio Lugo would have been easier to acquire and probably more productive than current Royals shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.
- New manager, same result. The Nats lost their first game under interim skipper Jim Riggleman.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the MLB draft is broken and explains why he thinks teams should be allowed to trade picks.
- ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. says the Dodgers are one of the teams relying on psychological data to select and handle their players.
Lugo Misses Workout; Team Travels Without Him
Amid rumors that the Red Sox are doing everything they can to move him, Julio Lugo missed a mandatory team workout and didn't travel to Toronto with his teammates for their upcoming series against the Blue Jays. As Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe reports, manager Terry Francona said Lugo missed the workout because of a mix-up.
Pirates Talk Extensions With Sanchez & Wilson
It looked like the Pirates might trade Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson away this month, but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the team wants to keep its double play combination together for years. The Pirates approached Sanchez and Wilson, who are close friends, about extending their current deals.
Rockies Sign Matt Herges
The Rockies signed reliever Matt Herges to a minor league deal, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The 39 year-old had been cut by the Indians.
The Rockies were quick to re-up Herges after he helped them reach the World Series in '07. Though his controllable skills didn't change much in '08, his ERA was 5.04 and the team chose to decline his '09 option.
Odds & Ends: Escobar, Peavy, Mets, Cardinals
A gaggle of links for your Thursday evening reading pleasure…
- In response to someone mentioning the Yunel Escobar–Matt Holliday rumors, MLB.com's Mark Bowman says "There is zero truth to those Escobar rumors. The Braves have NO and I repeat no intention to move him. Believe me, if they move him, it will simply be a deal that they simply can't refuse and that wouldn't include anything involving Holliday."
- Tom Krasovic notes that Jake Peavy is out of his walking boot, and is ready to begin "ramping it up."
- David Lennon of Newsday says that earlier today Mets GM Omar Minaya twice mentioned "that he talked with five or six teams today."
- Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that the Cardinals may search for starting pitching if Todd Wellemeyer doesn't show more consistency over his next 2-3 starts.
- Scott Lauber of The News Journal notes that the Phillies promoted one of their best prospects, outfielder Michael Taylor, to Triple-A. He speculates that Taylor may best serve the club as trade bait, considering all three of their regular outfielders were All Stars.
- When asked who the best prospect was if matched up head to head, Baseball America's Jim Callis said he'd go with Bryce Harper over Justin Upton, citing Harper's advantage in power.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports that the Reds gave Venezuelan shortstop Humberto Valor a $690k bonus. Valor signed with Cincinnati earlier this month.
- David Villavicencio of MLB.com mentions that the Marlins have signed eight of their first ten draft picks. First rounder Chad James remains unsigned, however.
Teams Interested In Johnson, Harris
MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that while he's readily available, the Nationals are asking for too much in return for first baseman Nick Johnson.Teams are just not willing to give up their top young players for the injury prone Johnson, even though he's hitting .305-.413-.425 on the season. He'll also be a free agent at the end of the year, another reason teams are reluctant to meet the Nats demands.
Ladson also mentions that "contending teams" have expressed interest in utility man Willie Harris. Capable of playing just about everywhere except pitcher and catcher, Harris is hitting .253-.370-..430 in 190 plate appearances this season.
Orlando Hernandez Expected To Become A Free Agent
MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says that the Rangers have told Orlando Hernandez that he will not be called up to the big leagues by Monday, which is when El Duque's out clause comes into play. Sullivan says Hernandez is expected to exercise the opt out and become a free agent.
In 11 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City, all in relief, Hernandez allowed just four hits and four walks while striking out 12 . Sullivan says that he did not show enough velocity or command for the Rangers to think he's ready to pitch in the big leagues.