Week In Review: 8/3 – 8/9
Here’s a quick look back at some of the bigger stories on MLBTR over the past week:
- D’Backs ace Dan Haren signed a very affordable extension with the team, which would keep him in Arizona through 2012 with an option for 2013. Great deal for the D’Backs and their fans.
- Brian Giles was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, which is now believed to have been an effort to block the Rays from acquiring him. Giles blocked the trade to Boston with his no-trade clause.
- The Rockies acquired Livan Hernandez from the Twins. Minnesota won’t receive a player in return, but unloads Hernandez’s remaining $1.5MM on his contract, as well as his 5.48 ERA. Seems fine to me.
- Fifteen teams watched a throwing session from Freddy Garcia. Here are a few reactions.
- Relievers on the move: The Cubs DFA’ed Scott Eyre, and traded him to the Phillies the next day. The Rays acquired Chad Bradford from the Orioles, and DFA’ed Al Reyes in order to make room for him. In a rare inter-division trade, the Royals traded Horacio Ramirez to the White Sox. Huston Street was claimed, but is staying put.
- Position players on the move: Felipe Lopez signed with the Cardinals, the Mariners released Jose Vidro, and the Marlins signed Paul Lo Duca in addition to claiming Brad Ausmus off waivers. No word on whether or not a deal will be worked out for Ausmus yet.
- A few glimpses into 2009? Rafael Furcal hopes to re-sign with the Dodgers. Bobby Abreu hopes to be wearing Yankee pinstripes again, and the Nationals hope Willie Harris is a part of the organization again as well.
- Tim made a list of waiver trade candidates for both the American League and National League and compiled a list of players who were known to have cleared waivers in 2007. Remember, these are just players who would likely clear waivers, whether because of their talent level or contractual status. Teams often place big-name players on waivers that they have no intention of trading.
D’Backs Pulled Webb’s Extension Offer
10:30am: MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert says it would’ve been a three-year, $54MM extension for Webb with an option for 2014. The two sides actually agreed on the years and dollar amount, but some other point of contention caused the talks to be tabled. Perhaps no-trade clause details? Webb will become a 10-and-5 player in 2013.
9:20am: Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic talked to D’Backs ace Brandon Webb, who said he had an extension agreement with the team in June. However, the Diamondbacks pulled the offer. It would’ve been a three-year extension to keep Webb with the team through 2013. Dan Haren recently signed through 2012 with an option for ’13. Webb and Haren form one of the game’s top 1-2 punches.
Webb and GM Josh Byrnes still seem open to hammering out a deal, perhaps in the offseason.
Haren Signs Extension With D’Backs
According to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks have extended Dan Haren‘s contract for an additional two years while adding an option year after that. The old contract is nullified. Here’s a look at his contract now:
- 2009: $7.5MM
- 2010: $8.25MM
- 2011: $12.75MM
- 2012: $12.75MM
- 2013: $15.5MM option
Haren turns 28 in September; he reliably provides 220 innings with an ERA below 4.00 (this year, below 3.00).
Odds and Ends: Livan, Maddux, Meredith, Fielder
Here are today’s links.
- Live chat today here at 2pm CST.
- MiLB.com is holding a charity auction with all kinds of memorabilia. Check it out.
- NPB Tracker takes a look at Japanese closer Hitoki Iwase, who should draw plenty of interest from MLB teams this winter.
- Trading Greg Maddux to the Dodgers is still possible, though unlikely. There’s also word that the Padres "tested the trade value" of Cla Meredith last week.
- Livan Hernandez is expected to clear waivers today. We know the Rockies have discussed him internally, and Buster Olney speculates the Mets might be interested. The D’Backs are not likely to bring him back.
- The Tigers reportedly asked for Matt Lindstrom from the Marlins for Ivan Rodriguez.
- I did a Q&A with Philly Sports 101.
- Tom Haudricourt has details on Prince Fielder‘s dugout shoves of teammate Manny Parra.
- Joba Chamberlain is experiencing shoulder stiffness and will probably end up on the DL. It appears his labrum and rotator cuff are OK, at least.
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!
D’Backs, Angels, Mets, Rays, A’s Unlikely To Make Trades
2:05pm: Count the D’Backs out, per Buster Olney.
1:35pm: Toss the Angels into the "not making a deal today" barrel.
12:38pm: The Rays and Mets also seem quiet today.
11:00am: According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the A’s are not likely to make a trade today. Olney’s source puts it at 1%. So, looks like Justin Duchscherer and Huston Street can rest easy.
Adam Dunn Rumors
THURSDAY, 10:33am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Reds seek players such as Jeff Niemann and Jeremy Hellickson in a Dunn trade. Niemann probably could be had.
WEDNESDAY, 10:13pm: Finally, some Dunn rumors. ESPN’s Jayson Stark says the Rays are talking with the Reds about Dunn, though he’s their Plan B to Jason Bay. I imagine Dunn would DH for the Rays.
9:25pm: According to SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Diamondbacks offered Chad Tracy to the Reds for Adam Dunn. He says another NL team has also inquired on Dunn.
However, GM Walt Jocketty said a few hours ago he hadn’t talked to anyone about Dunn today.
Jason Bay Rumors: Wednesday
8:37pm: Bay doesn’t seem to be on the Cardinals’ radar. However, talks continue with Tampa Bay according to John Perrotto. Bay could also end up in Boston in a three-team deal.
5:59pm: Jayson Stark reports that the Rays and Pirates haven’t had much dialogue today, and that talks have slowed. The Pirates have backed off just a bit, but may want to see what happens with Manny Ramirez in case they can get the Red Sox interested.
3:16pm: Kovacevic has more. Brignac and Jeff Niemann‘s names are coming up in the Tampa Bay talks. ESPN’s Jayson Stark heard the same, and adds that Hellickson, David Price, and Wade Davis are off-limits.
The Cardinals are in on Bay but not John Grabow. Kovacevic says Colby Rasmus is untouchable, making the Pirates lean toward the Rays. He adds that the Mets seem out of the running.
1:23pm: The Pirates and Rays are still talking, with the Cardinals lingering. Dejan Kovacevic says Reid Brignac and Jeremy Hellickson are on the Bucs’ radar.
12:30pm: Heyman talked to one NL source who puts the chances of a Bay trade at 50-50. The Pirates are looking around to see if they can beat the Rays’ offer.
11:13am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in on Bay. He says the Rays are flirting, while the Mets, D’Backs, and Cardinals are also in the mix. ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Rays and Pirates are "talking constructively to bridge the gap." Rays manager Joe Maddon admits some "very interesting stuff" is on the table.
8:43am: According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are deep into talks with the Rays and other teams about left fielder Jason Bay. However, no "truly elite prospect" has been offered yet, and the chances are better than 50-50 that Bay stays. And who would move to right field for the Rays – Bay or Carl Crawford? The Braves are considered out of the mix.
Shortstop Jack Wilson seems likely to stay, while reliever John Grabow will probably be dealt.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Ibanez, Ohman, Fuentes
The latest from rumor guru Ken Rosenthal:
- The Mariners are not having much luck stirring interest in Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez. Only the Mets are seriously looking at Ibanez, and they don’t like the price. The D’Backs aren’t interested. Exacerbating the situation is that interim GM Lee Pelekoudas may feel compelled to make a good impression on the higher-ups.
- The Braves chose Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek over an offer of Chad Tracy and Micah Owings from the D’Backs. I’m surprised the Diamondbacks didn’t go a little further. The Braves tried to expand the deal and send Will Ohman to the Angels, but a match could not be found. Ohman remains likely to go, with the Rays, Cardinals, and Red Sox named as suitors.
- Rosenthal notes that the Angels have a ton of offseason decisions to make, with club options and free agents all over the place.
- The Rockies might be slightly more willing to trade Brian Fuentes following recent losses. However, they still want a young starting pitcher for him.
Odds and Ends: Rhodes, Happ, Manny
Let’s round up some links and rumors.
- The Brewers scouted Arthur Rhodes last night, according to Jon Heyman.
- About a "half-dozen" Braves are subject of trade talks, according to GM Frank Wren.
- Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein notes that Brandon Wood‘s stock is rising in case the Angels want to use him as a trade chip.
- Phillies prospect J.A. Happ wasn’t necessarily pulled from his start last weekend because of a big league promotion. Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle admitted that a trade is another option. [UPDATE: Happ has indeed been recalled to the Majors, though.]
- Tom Verducci of SI.com believes the proper business decision for the Red Sox will be to keep Manny Ramirez and exercise his $20MM option for ’09.
- Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News says the D’Backs, Rays, and Tigers had scouts at last night’s Rangers-Mariners contest.