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Epstein On Bedard, Harden, Fields, Buchholz

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Red Sox GM Theo Epstein acquired Mike Aviles, Erik Bedard and Josh Fields in trades this weekend. He joined reporters on a conference call to discuss those moves and other issues pertaining to his first-place team this evening. Here are the details:

  • The Red Sox like the way Bedard's stuff looks this year. He "really started to look like one of the best left-handers in the league again," Epstein said.
  • Though Bedard was rusty in his lone start since returning from the disabled list, the Red Sox maintained interest in him since he seems healthy and has pitched in the AL East. Plus, he met Boston's biggest need – rotation help.
  • The Bedard deal came together at the last minute, since the Red Sox had to acquire Trayvon Robinson from the Dodgers before completing the deal with the Mariners.
  • As for the bullpen, Epstein says the Red Sox can get by without adding outside help. "We feel we have some depth, not only in the big leagues, but in Triple-A," he said.
  • Epstein declined to speak about discussions for Rich Harden, but says he has no hard feelings. It appeared last night that Boston was going to acquire Harden.
  • The Red Sox like Fields' "big arm" despite his command issues.
  • Though Epstein didn't discuss Clay Buchholz's injury in detail, he acknowledged concern over the right-hander's health.

Red Sox Acquire Erik Bedard In Three-Team Deal

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Bedard

Southpaw Erik Bedard hasn't pitched into August since 2007, but the Red Sox are hoping he can bolster their rotation for the rest of the season.  The Sox acquired Bedard from Seattle today in a complicated trade:

Bedard, 32, has a 3.45 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 1.08 HR/9, and 41.7% groundball rate in 91 1/3 innings this year.  That's his highest innings total since '07, as he endured multiple shoulder surgeries.  With Daisuke Matsuzaka out for the season, Clay Buchholz battling back problems, and Jon Lester missing time this month with a strained shoulder muscle, the Sox will take whatever they can get from Bedard.  Bedard recently returned from a month-long layoff due to a knee sprain.  He's owed only $324K in additional base salary, but can make millions more in incentives.

In Robinson, the Mariners came away with the best prospect in the deal.  The 23-year-old outfielder is hitting .293/.375/.563 at Triple-A.  Baseball America ranked him tenth among Dodgers prospects heading into the season, saying he's "loaded with athleticism" and "could have four average or better tools."  Chiang, signed by the Red Sox out of Taiwan in 2006, has a breakout .338/.399/.647 line at Double-A.  The Mariners added two quality outfield prospects without giving up much.

The Ms did have to surrender Josh Fields, their first-round draft pick from 2008.  The 25-year-old has experienced control problems in the high minors.  Baseball America ranked him 24th among Mariners prospects prior to the season, writing, "he could be a useful middle reliever if he can tighten up his control."

Federowicz, a 23-year-old Double-A catcher, must have been the key to the deal for the Dodgers.  He's a well-regarded defensive backstop, but has a .275/.337/.397 line at Double-A.  Overall Dodgers' involvement is a bit of a head-scratcher, but we'll see if prospect experts agree.

Rodriguez, 22, has a 5.19 ERA with 13.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 59 innings of relief at Class A this year.  In parts of four professional seasons, he has a 3.31 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9.  Fife, 24, has spent the past two seasons in the rotation of Boston's Double-A affiliate at Portland.  He has a 3.66 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 103 1/3 innings this year.

Jon Heyman, Gordon Edes, and Jon Heyman broke the story with ESPN.com's Buster Olney reporting the specifics of the trade. Photo courtesy Icon SMI.

Red Sox Deal For Harden Falls Through

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10:58am: The Red Sox tried to remove the player to be named later from the deal and just send Anderson after looking at Harden's medicals, and were rebuffed by the A's, tweets Sean McAdam.

SUNDAY, 1:05am: Uncertainty after a review of Harden's medicals led to the deal coming apart, tweets Speier.

12:36am: A major league source says that the BoSox are not counting on the deal getting done, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

12:05am: Harden told the Oakland media that there is no deal and that he's staying with the A's, tweets Ian Browne of MLB.com.  A Boston source confirmed Brown (via Twitter) that the deal is off.

SATURDAY, 11:47pm: A's GM Billy Beane told Harden he's still scheduled to pitch for the A's Tuesday, according to Slusser (on Twitter).

8:35pm: Anderson and a player to be named will head to Oakland in the deal, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus and Stark (Twitter links).

8:33pm: The deal could happen tonight and may involve Triple-A first baseman Lars Anderson, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter).

8:20pm: It looks as though the Red Sox are closing in on a deal for Rich Harden, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Twitter. ESPN's Buster Olney reported on the deal earlier today and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported tonight that there was a "strong chance" of a deal.

Harden, 29, has a 4.30 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings for the A's this year. The British Columbia native was on the disabled list until the beginning of July. He earns a $1.5MM base salary this year.

Erik Bedard Rumors: Sunday

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The latest on Mariners southpaw Erik Bedard…

Quick Hits: Slowey, Royals, Lee, Reddick

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For a while, it seemed as though we'd have a quiet trade deadline. So much for that – today we saw Ubaldo Jimenez, Derrek Lee, Orlando Cabrera, Rich Harden, Koji Uehara, Chris Davis, Tommy Hunter, Jason Marquis, Mike Aviles, Jerry Hairston Jr., Doug Fister and David Pauley all get traded. Let's gear up for the deadline itself with another round of links…

Red Sox Talked To A’s About Harden, Willingham, Crisp

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8:15pm: The Red Sox are out on Willingham and still trying on Harden, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).

3:18pm: The Red Sox checked in with the A's on old friend Coco Crisp, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes.  He says the price is high for a player who may not bring draft pick compensation.  Crisp does have a shot at Type B status though.

11:11am: The Red Sox talked to the Athletics about a possible trade for starter Rich Harden and outfielder Josh Willingham, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney, but it's unclear whether the deal currently has a pulse.  The rumor mill has been quiet on Harden and Willingham, though they'd both be solid pickups for a contender.

Hiroki Kuroda To Stay With Dodgers

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Yesterday we learned that officials in the Kuroda talks believe that they'll need to come to a resolution by tonight since the hurler will need some time to approve a deal.  The Dodgers continue to talk with teams but the asking price remains high.  Here's the latest news on Kuroda, with the most recent updates up top:

  • Kuroda told the Dodgers he intends to stay with them for the remainder of the season, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). The Dodgers have confirmed Kuroda's intention (on Twitter).
  • Kuroda is the 'best bet' among players on Boston' radar, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). The deal is far from done, though.
  • The Dodgers' heaviest conversations about Kuroda today have been with Texas and Boston, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Yankees are still involved.
  • Kuroda has indicated to the Dodgers that he is open to deals to the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees, tweets ESPN's Gordon Edes.  Heyman, however, spoke to a friend of Kuroda who would be surprised if the pitcher consents to any trade.
  • The Dodgers are down to a final three of the Rangers, Yankees, and Red Sox on Kuroda, tweets Jon Heyman, though there's still no word on whether he'd approve a trade.
  • The Yankees have taken the lead over the Red Sox for Kuroda, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden, and it's 40/60 they make a deal.  However, Buster Olney tweets that the Yankees and Dodgers have not spoken about Kuroda recently.
  • The Dodgers asked the Yankees for Ivan Nova and a catching prospect, which was a non-starter for New York, tweets Joel Sherman.  He explains that the Yankees think the Dodgers feel that if they can't make a killer deal for Kuroda, it's not worth trying to talk him out of his no-trade clause.
  • Boston's interest in Kuroda increased after Erik Bedard's ugly start last night, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
  • The Red Sox and Dodgers are in trade talks involving Kuroda for a prospect, tweets ESPN's Jim Bowden.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told reporters that he's "under no orders to shed salary," writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  Due to a signing bonus that has yet to be paid, Kuroda is owed almost $6.7MM of his $12MM contract currently.

Matt Thornton Rumors: Saturday

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Left-handed reliever Matt Thornton has a 3.28 ERA, 8.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, and 47.3% groundball rate in 35 2/3 innings this season for the White Sox, which is only a down year by his lofty standards.  Thornton signed a three-year extension in March.  He has $1MM remaining this year, $5.5MM in 2012, $5.5MM in '13, and a $6MM club option or $1MM buyout for '14.  That's a total of $13MM guaranteed through 2013 for the hard-throwing 34-year-old.  The latest rumors:

  • White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that another deal is highly unlikely (Twitter link).
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post senses that the White Sox have really fallen out of love with Thornton and would love to move his contract (Twitter link).  He says the Yankees are watching Thornton.
  • The Diamondbacks would love to acquire Thornton but it can't happen given Chicago's demand of top prospects, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
  • The Red Sox are pushing hard for Thornton and right fielder Carlos Quentin, tweets USA Today's Bob Nightengale.  
  • Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Rangers are pursuing Thornton, but would only be open to Chicago's request of Derek Holland if the Sox include a starter such as John Danks.

Red Sox Acquire Mike Aviles

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The Red Sox acquired infielder Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder/outfielder Yamaico Navarro and reliever Kendal Volz, according to the Royals' official Twitter feed.

Aviles, 30, has struggled this year, getting demoted in June, but owns a career line of .286/.317/.417 in 1218 plate appearances.  He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2008, and is capable of playing second base, shortstop, and third base.  He'll be arbitration eligible for the first time after the season and is under team control through 2014.

Navarro, 23, hit .258/.362/.469 in 149 Triple-A plate appearances this year, playing all over the diamond.  Prior to the season, Baseball America ranked Navarro 12th among Red Sox prospects, citing 15-20 home run potential but questioning his maturity.  Volz, 23, posted a 3.33 ERA, 9.8 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and 1.1 HR/9 in 51 1/3 relief innings at High-A this year and is not among the team's top 30.

Ubaldo Jimenez Rumors: Saturday

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Yesterday we learned that the Tigers have strong interest in Rockies' ace Ubaldo Jimenez, showing a willingness to include top prospect Jacob Turner, who is being called up to start today but not as a showcase.  However, Detroit may be out for now and the chances of any Jimenez deal may have slipped below 50%.  The latest:

  • Pomeranz and White will be in the deal if it happens, Renck tweets.
  • Jimenez was scratched from his start tonight, Heyman tweets.
  • The Yankees infuriated the Rockies by taking their  top prospects off of the table and offering Phil Hughes and others instead, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies are moving toward a deal with Cleveland, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter).
  • White has been scratched from his one-inning rehab outing, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter).
  • There are indications that Pomeranz and White could be available in a possible deal, according to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
  • The Rockies asked for Pomeranz, Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies and Indians are in serious talks, Renck reports (on Twitter). He hears that a deal would center around Pomeranz, Alex White and Jason Kipnis.
  • Renck gets the "strong sense" that Cleveland hasn't given up (Twitter link) and Morosi says Indians prospect Drew Pomeranz was scratched from his Double-A start today (Twitter link).
  • The Red Sox, Reds and Indians are in on Jimenez, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees aren't talking actively with Colorado and won't include Nova, Betances, Banuelos or Montero in a deal for Jimenez (Twitter links).
  • The Rockies haven't dropped their demands and are still asking for three players, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (on Twitter). The Yankees still won't part with Montero, Betances and Nova for Jimenez.
  • Two teams have enhanced their offers, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
  • Rival teams believe the Rockies match up best with the Indians, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies will have a scout watching Nova tonight at Yankee Stadium, tweets Sherman.
  • The price on Jimenez has come down a tad, tweets Jon Heyman.  He says the Rockies are no longer asking for Banuelos from the Yankees; Betances, Nova, and Montero would work.  That's similar to what Joel Sherman wrote earlier today.  The two teams have not talked today, tweets Troy Renck.  Renck believes the Yankees currently will not put both Montero and Betances in the deal – just one.
  • One executive who has been speaking with the Rockies and Reds believes the teams "have discussed an expanded version that could include someone like Seth Smith, because the Reds also have been targeting controllable bats," reports ESPN's Jayson Stark.   
  • The Red Sox haven't been in contact with the Rockies about Jimenez since Thursday, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  And the Reds aren't currently discussing Jimenez with the Rockies, tweets Jon Paul Morosi.
  • The Yankees are all over Jimenez, a source tells ESPN's Tim Kurkjian.
  • The Yankees are hearing that the Rockies may lower the price on Jimenez today, tweets Ken Rosenthal, but still not to a point that they consider realistic.  Renck tweets that the Rockies' price hasn't changed during the process.
  • The Indians, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds are still in on Jimenez, tweets SI's Jon Heyman, and he's not counting out the Yankees.
  • In addition to Turner and maybe Rick Porcello or Max Scherzer, the Rockies asked the Tigers for outfielder Brennan Boesch, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  Knobler notes that Turner is starting for the Tigers today.
  • The Indians were willing to discuss southpaw pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Pomeranz is ranked anywhere from #14 to #35 among all teams by prospect experts.  Red Sox third base prospect Will Middlebrooks and righty Anthony Ranaudo are of interest to Colorado, adds Renck.
  • The Rockies want Ivan Nova and two of Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero from the Yankees, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman writes, "to say the Yankees and Rockies are not finding common ground on Jimenez’s value is an understatement."  The Red Sox, Tigers, and Indians remain involved, while the Reds are "less heated to make a deal."
  • "Rival executives believe that if the Rockies lower their asking price at all today, it will signal clear intent to move the pitcher," tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
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