No Deal Between Einhorn, Mets
The Mets announced that they were unable to reach a deal with David Eihhorn, who had agreed to buy a minority share of the club from the Wilpon family. The Mets say they decided to explore other options instead of extending Einhorn's exclusive negotiating period.
The team announced that they have the capital to cover losses in 2011 and are "under no financial pressure to do a deal on any particular schedule." Chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon says the Mets will engage with other possible buyers, including some who have already been approved by MLB.
Eihnorn issued a statement in which he says the Mets wanted to change their initial agreement substantially, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork. "The extensive nature of changes that were proposed to me at the last minute has made a successful transaction impossible," Einhorn said.
The Mets agreed to sell a minority share of the team to Einhorn in May. They would have obtained $200MM for 30-35% of the team.
September Trades
It's officially September, but the trading season isn't necessarily over. Here's what you need to know about dealmaking after August.
Trading in September is a lot like trading in August. Players who have cleared waivers can be traded to any team, but players who have been pulled back from waivers can't be traded. However, to be eligible for postseason play "a player must be on the Active Roster, Disabled List, Bereavement List, or Suspended List of that club as of midnight EDT on August 31 of that year," as Keith Law explains in this ESPN article. Because of that rule, most deals occur before September.
Trades do happen in September, since acquisitions can help teams reach the playoffs. For example, the Phillies famously traded for Sparky Lyle in September of 1980. Lyle was a major contributor for the '80 Phillies team, even though he wasn't able to play in the postseason en route to the team's first World Series title.
Lots of PTBNLs are determined in September, too. For example, the Angels traded Sean Rodriguez to the Rays to complete the Scott Kazmir trade two Septembers ago.
A version of this post was originally published in 2009.
List Of Teams Interested In Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish apparently intends to pitch in the Major Leagues next year and it would be surprising if he doesn't draw interest from ten-plus teams. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 1.54 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 175 innings this season. Those numbers are typical for Davish, who entered the season with a 1.81 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in four years with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
Here's a list of which teams have been linked to Darvish in the last calendar year:
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos is in Japan and saw Darvish pitch, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
- The Nationals maintain interest.
- The Yankees have scouted him heavily.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels watched Darvish in June.
- The Orioles had interest last offseason.
- The Red Sox have been linked to Darvish.
- The Rays watched Darvish about a year ago.
At this point, we don't know whether the clubs above were simply being diligent or whether they intend to make serious bids for Darvish. This list can't be considered comprehensive because other teams have likely been covert about their interest. What we can say at this point is that Darvish would be a welcome commodity in a starting pitching market that's light on top-of-the-rotation pitchers.
Red Sox Acquire Conor Jackson
The Red Sox acquired Conor Jackson from the Athletics for Jason Rice, the teams announced. Oakland sent cash to Boston in the deal and the Red Sox transferred right-hander Bobby Jenks to the 60-day disabled list to create 40-man roster space for Jackson.
Jackson, 29, can fill in at the corner positions for the Red Sox and provide a right-handed bat off of the bench. He has a .249/.315/.342 line in 368 plate appearances this year and boasts a career line of .286/.384/.441 against left-handers. The 2003 first rounder was a key contributor for the D'Backs from 2006-08, but his offensive production has fallen off since. Jackson earns $3.2MM this season before hitting free agency.
Rice posted a 3.69 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 85 1/3 innings of relief for Boston's Triple-A affiliate this year. In 256 career minor league appearances, most of which have come out of the bullpen, the 25-year-old has a 3.91 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9. The White Sox selected him in the 11th round of the 2005 draft. MLB.com's Jane Lee first reported the move.
Braves Notes: Carroll, Wilson, Diaz
Congratulations to Chipper Jones, who hit his 450th career home run tonight. Here’s the latest on the franchise that selected the switch-hitter first overall 21 years ago…
- The Braves, who had interest in Jamey Carroll before acquiring Jack Wilson, could likely have acquired Carroll for a low-level prospect, according to Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times. It’s believed that the Dodgers would have covered the remainder of Carroll’s $2.3MM salary, Dilbeck writes.
- The player to be named in the Matt Diaz trade will be a low-level prospect from an agreed-upon pool of players, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
- The Braves added Diaz because they’re looking ahead to a possible playoff matchup against the Phillies, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes (on Twitter).
NL Central Notes: Brewers, Berkman, Cordero
The Pirates signed Aramis Ramirez as an amateur free agent on this date in 1994. Ramirez spent five and a half seasons with the Pirates before they shipped him to the Cubs. Here are the latest links from the only division Ramirez has ever known…
- The Brewers are talking about possible upgrades, but aren't close on completing any deals, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writers are in general agreement that a deal between the Cardinals and Lance Berkman seems likely next year.
- Reds closer Francisco Cordero told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that he would love to return to Cincinnati in 2012 and pitch under Dusty Baker again. The Reds have a $12MM club option for Cordero ($1MM buyout), who says he'd like to retire with the Reds.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes took a look at the upcoming closer carousel earlier today. Don’t forget to check out closernews.com for the latest fantasy news on relievers.
Koji Uehara’s 2012 Option Vests
Koji Uehara hasn't pitched as well as expected since joining the Rangers, but he isn't going anywhere. Uehara's $4MM option for 2012 vested tonight when the right-hander took the hill against the Rays and made his 55th appearance of the season.
Uehara, 36, arrived in Texas with a 1.72 ERA, 11.9 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 47 innings for Baltimore. Yet entering tonight's game, a contest in which he allowed an earned run, he had a 6.23 ERA for Texas. To Uehara's credit, he has a 9K/1BB ratio with his new club.
Braves Acquire Jack Wilson
The Mariners announced that they sent Jack Wilson to the Braves for a player to be named later. Wilson, 33, is currently on the disabled list with a bruised heel and is eligible to return to action this Friday.
Wilson has a .249/.283/.295 line in 187 plate appearances for the Mariners this season. He has played second, third and short for Seattle and his glovework is generally highly thought of, so he meets Atlanta's need for infield depth. The Braves had been looking for infield help and inquired on Jamey Carroll before acquiring Wilson. They also acquired outfielder Matt Diaz from Pittsburgh today.
Wilson earns $5MM this season in the final year of the two-year, $10MM deal he signed after the 2009 season. He'll hit free agency after the season.
NL West Notes: Tejada, Rowand, Harang
The Giants designated Aaron Rowand and Miguel Tejada for assignment today before shutting out the Cubs 4-0. Here are some links from the NL West, starting with the latest on the Giants…
- Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles says it’s probably too late for a shakeup to affect the Giants’ season. They trail the D'Backs by 5.5 games, so their postseason chances are slim, but they got better today and for next season by designating Rowand and Tejada for assignment, Brisbee argues.
- There will be no dynasty for the Giants, Jon Paul Morosi writes at FOX Sports.
- ESPN.com's Jim Bowden and Padres GM Jed Hoyer agree that MLB should reduce the number of players MLB teams are allowed to call up in September.
- A trade involving Padres starter Aaron Harang has become more likely, according to Morosi.
- The Padres are still discussing Chad Qualls with multiple teams, according to Morosi (on Twitter).
Braves Pursued Jamey Carroll, Seek Infield Depth
The Braves pursued Jamey Carroll, but the Dodgers have said they're holding onto the infielder, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman (Twitter links). However, Atlanta GM Frank Wren says he could still address one area of need tonight. According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves continue to pursue middle infield depth (Twitter link).
The Braves, who acquired outfielder Matt Diaz from Pittsburgh today, added corner infielder Wes Helms, two weeks ago. Carroll, 37, has a .289/.358/.347 line in 446 plate appearances for the Dodgers. He has played second and short this year and has MLB experience at third and in the outfield.