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Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday

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8:58pm: Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune says the Twins asked about Halladay, but were told they weren't on the list of teams he would approve a trade to.

7:27pm: Joe McDonald and Paul Kenyon of The Providence Journal say that Ricciardi wanted pitchers Clay Buchholz, Casey Kelly, and another top prospect from the Red Sox in exchange for Halladay.

6:10pm: Zolecki tweets that a "Phillies spokesman said from their point of view there is no animosity between themselves and any team they're talking to."

5:34pm: Joel Sherman of The NY Post says that the Jays will go right up to the 4pm deadline on Friday if need be. He also mentions that Ricciardi is "emphasizing a need for at least one player to move directly onto the major league roster."

4:33pm: Price hears the Rays have backed off Halladay for now, because the Blue Jays are asking for so much.

3:47pm: A Blue Jays person tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that the Jays want "every last good guy" in a team's system if they're going to part with Halladay.

3:18pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that talks are "not going well" between the Blue Jays and Phillies. The Jays are not lowering their demands, which include Happ, Drabek and Brown. Because the Blue Jays are "not blinking," the Phils are also considering Cliff Lee, who also figures to cost the team top prospects.

The Blue Jays would rather not trade within the division, but could deal with the Red Sox or Rays since talks with the Phillies are "deteriorating." The Rangers are a possibile fit, but the Blue Jays will not take on Halladay's salary in any trade.

1:48pm: A high-ranking official involved in talks between the Jays and Phillies tells Heyman there's a 5% chance a deal happens. Neither side seems willing to modify its proposal, but that could change before Friday.

1:14pm: Two sources tell MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Blue Jays' demands are reasonable. However, the Phillies don't want to compromise future teams by trading Happ, Drabek and Brown.

1:07pm: Heyman hears that the Phils and Jays are at an "impasse" right now. We still have 100 hours until the deadline, so there's time to overcome it.

1:04pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that dialogue between the Phillies and Blue Jays has become angry as they discuss prospects.

12:28pm: Yahoo's Gordon Edes hears that the Red Sox could potentially offer the Jays Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard plus minor leaguers such as Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa and Casey Kelly. However, Edes' source says the Red Sox aren't going to "give up the farm" in any trade.

12:19pm: Jon Heyman says the Phillies remain the frontrunners for Halladay. Don't completely rule out the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, but a trade to any of those clubs seems highly unlikely.

10:11am: Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that they expect Halladay to remain a Jay. Elliott says the Phillies, Red Sox and Angels have the best chance of obtaining Doc.

9:22am: J.P. Ricciardi's self-imposed deadline to trade Roy Halladay is just a day away. We know the Giants aren't trading for him and Ricciardi said the chances of any deal are "very slim". Here are the latest rumors as we begin the week of the trade deadline:

  • A source "essentially confirmed" to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that the Jays rejected a package of J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, Michael Taylor and Jason Donald for Halladay, after the Phils rejected the Jays' offer of Happ, Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown. We'd heard this before, but we have confirmation now.
  • The Yankees are reluctant to part with prospects and take on salary, so they're showing no signs of interest in Halladay or Cliff Lee, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  
  • Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said GM Theo Epstein "is burning the midnight oil" in possible trade talks and is discussing the top names available, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Odds & Ends: Holliday, Red Sox, Pirates, Kazmir

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Things are picking up, so we've got a fresh batch of links for you…

  • The recently acquired Matt Holliday was non-committal when talking about his impending free agency, according to R.B. Fallstrom of the AP. "I'm going to enjoy myself and try to help this team get to the playoffs and to the World Series and work every day I can to be the best player I can be," Holliday said. "And leave it there. I think there's a time and a place for all those other things and when that time comes is when I'll do my evaluating."
  • Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Red Sox have told people "they are trying to pull off something huge." Earlier today we learned that the Sox were talking about Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez with the Indians.
  • Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review asked Pirates team president Frank Coonelly about the possibility of re-opening extension talks with Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson should they remain with the team past Friday's trade deadline, to which Coonelly responded "At this juncture, I wouldn't say anything is definitely closed. We'd have to see where we are. But, developments in the organization could create a situation that could make it less likely, or more likely, we'd want to extend Jack or Freddy."
  • Scott Kazmir's agent, Brian Peters, reached out to Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman about recent trade rumors involving his client. Friedman indicated the rumors were "merely speculative," according to MLB.com's Zach Schonbrun.
  • Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times writes that Jarrod Washburn has "let it be known he is open to a contract extension to stay in Seattle," but indicated that there has not been much discussion.
  • Bruce Miles of The Daily Herald said he expects the Cubs to look for bullpen help before anything else. He names Joe Beimel and George Sherrill as players of interest.
  • The Cubs have signed third round pick Austin Kirk according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, while Bill Ladson reports that the Nats have signed seventh rounder Andrew Weaver.

Odds & Ends: Reds, Braves, Cards, Cubs, Red Sox

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A few links to start your evening off right…

  • Reds CEO Bob Castellini says he believes "we’re not at that point" of selling players yet, according to John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds were rumored to be making a move earlier.
  • The Braves are "confident that they could stand pat through Friday's Trade Deadline and still have the pieces to continue their run toward the postseason," according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
  • MLB.com's Matthew Leach writes that "John Mozeliak sounded like it's all but certain that the Cardinals will not trade any more prospects before the deadline." He does mention that if they can move Troy Glaus, they will look into it.
  • Alfonso Soriano said he doesn't think the Cubs need any big trades, according to Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune. The Cubbies were reportedly looking for a lefty reliever over the weekend.
  • Ben Collins of The Boston Globe has an interesting quote from Red Sox manager Terry Francona: “I listen to the talks. I don’t listen to the radio, but I talk to Theo. Some of the people I hear talked about on the radio — you guys have no idea.”
  • Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune mentions that Twins starter Kevin Slowey is going to have season ending surgery on his right wrist. The club has been looking for infield help, but this could have them searching a little harder for pitching help.
  • SI.com's Cliff Corcoran wrote about the five contenders with the biggest pitching needs and the biggest offensive holes.
  • ESPN's David Schoenfield listed the 15 players with the least trade value. Barry Zito and the $89.1MM owed to him through 2013 tops the list.
  • ESPN's Howard Bryant penned a long but very interesting piece about Billy Beane and his legacy since Moneyball.

FOX Sports On Red Sox, D’Backs, Bell

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12:59pm: FOX Sports reports that Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is aggressively looking for a hitter.

The Brewers are reluctant to trade Alcides Escobar and would probably hesitate to move him for Brandon Morrow and two months of Jarrod Washburn.

12:14pm: The Red Sox are "in" on Roy Halladay, but finding offense is the team's top priority, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Here are a few more rumors:

  • There hasn't been much interest in Doug Davis or Jon Garland so far, but D'Backs officials are optimistic that interest will pick up later in the week.
  • Minnesota has more interest in Freddy Sanchez than any of his other suitors do.
  • The Padres will listen on Heath Bell and Adrian Gonzalez, but aren't likely to deal either player. The Tigers had interest in Bell earlier in the month.  

Clubs Will Have To Overpay for Gonzalez, Bell

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5:58pm: As ESPN.com's Buster Olney notes, the Red Sox have contacted the Padres about the availability of Gonzalez, but two major obstacles stand in their way.

"No. 1, the Padres would require an extraordinary package of prospects in any deal for Gonzalez, who is young, relatively cheap and a star," Olney writes.

"The second hurdle would be whether the San Diego ownership would approve the deal and risk angering the team's fan base even more."  Keep in mind the Padres came close to dealing staff ace Jake Peavy this season and cut ties with all-time saves leader (and fan favorite) Trevor Hoffman this winter.

1:18pm: MLB.com's Corey Brock adds to this, stating that the Padres are getting more calls about Bell than Gonzalez, according to Towers. Brock echoes that it's unlikely we'll see Gonzalez or Bell dealt, but says that Towers feels the conversations he's had regarding Gonzalez and Bell could prove to be very valuable if the club considers trading them in the offseason. He also quotes Towers, saying:

"I could see a couple of smaller deals," Towers said.

Brock names Kevin Correia and Kevin Kouzmanoff as people who could attract some attention, but so far, neither has drawn much interest.

12:11pm: The Padres "were getting a lot of play" on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell as of yesterday according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, but "club sources were adamant that interested clubs would have to overpay to acquire either." On Friday we learned that the Red Sox had expressed interest in Gonzalez, who is under contract next season for just $4.75MM with a 2011 club option worth just $5.5MM.

Brown says that the "asking price has been so high that Bell might as well be unavailable," and quotes a baseball personnel man as saying "There are about eight good arms available out there and 20 teams looking.”

Cafardo’s Latest: Martinez, Boston, Pitching

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In his latest piece for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo reports that the Indians turned down an offer of Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez according to an NL scout. The Red Sox then countered with a package of Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson, and an outfield prospect, but the Indians turned that down as well.

Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

  • In addition to Boston, the Indians are also fielding offers from the Rays and Giants for Martinez, but aren't inclined to make a deal unless a team's best prospects are involved.
  • Cafardo runs through the list of other pitchers that "could be pried away," including Scott Kazmir, Cliff Lee, Erik Bedard, Jarrod Washburn, and George Sherrill. He says it'll take "a blockbuster package" to land Lee.
  • Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar are also available.
  • The Red Sox will "dip in the (Roy) Halladay sweepstakes" if the price comes down, but otherwise will look for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield.
  • Cafardo says it will be interesting to see if the Yankees, Phillies and Dodgers are aggressive at the deadline or take a pass, considering all three clubs are playing well right now.
  • The White Sox could pull off something big because GM Kenny Williams "has a bit of gambler in him."
  • It'll be interesting to see if the Giants' plans to add a bat are put on hold after the sudden death of principal owner Sue Burns.
  • Twins GM Bill Smith may add a middle infielder and/or a reliever before the deadline. Last night we learned that they were "deep into talks and talking composition of a deal" with the A's about Orlando Cabrera. The team might be able to stretch it's normal payroll with Target Field opening next year.
  • Cafardo proposes a "swap of underachieving Scott Boras clients," J.D. Drew and Magglio Ordonez.
  • While there is some uneasiness about there not being any substantive talks between the Nationals and Stephen Strasburg, those kind of deals can come together quickly. The signing deadline is August 17th.
  • The Rangers are unable to add payroll, which will hamstring their efforts that the trade deadline.

Red Sox Looking At Shortstops

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Despite welcoming Jed Lowrie back to lineup after a prolonged injury hiatus, the Red Sox are still looking for an upgrade at shortstop. SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that Boston has been checking out Jack Wilson and Orlando Cabrera, who are no strangers to this year's rumor circuit. 

Earlier today we learned that the Twins were also interested in the molten hot Cabrera, who is hitting .373-.395-.530 in July.

Gammons’ Latest: Duke, Halladay, Reds, Rays

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ESPN's Peter Gammons has a new blog post up, writing about how teams are reluctant to part with their top young players, even if they are overvaluing them. He also mixes in a little rumory goodness, so let's take a peek…

  • The Pirates have indicated that it'll take "a gaggle of prospects" to move Zach Duke.
  • When inquiring about Roy Halladay, the Yankees were told the price was Phil Hughes plus prospects Austin Jackson and Jesus Montero.
  • One GM says "Cincinnati wants to move a few contracts, like either Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang, but we're not interested in giving players or taking on their money. Harang hasn't been the same guy since last May." Harang has a 4.99 ERA since a 63-pitch relief appearance on May 25th of last season.
  • Another GM said "We've looked at Doug Davis, Jon Garland, Kevin Correia, Ian Snell and the long list of available starting pitchers and do not see anyone we would give A- or B-list prospects to get."
  • Teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Dodgers are at an advantage because they can afford to restock their farm systems quickly by spending big in the draft or on the international market.
  • The Rays are likely "to see what they can get" for Carl Crawford after the season, and will hold onto prospects they consider keepers.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Mariners, Cardinals, Indians

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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up. Let's round up the rumors…

  • With the Mariners fading out of contention, they could make lefties Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn available. If they do, it could cloud the market for Roy Halladay because teams will have more options.
  • One GM tells Rosenthal that the Mariners are likely to play out the weekend before deciding to sell.
  • The Yankees have been in touch with Seattle, and would love to see Washburn made available again after expressing interest in him in the past.
  • The Brewers remain "on the periphery" of the Halladay sweepstakes, but they aren't playing well enough to justify such a major trade.
  • After moving five players and adding $6MM in salary to acquire Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa, Albert Pujols shouldn't have any questions about ownership's commitment to winning. However with Holliday likely to leave as a free agent after the season, the team will be in the same situation again, looking for a bat to protect Pujols.
  • Indians ownership would need to sign off on a deal involving catcher Victor Martinez or lefty Cliff Lee, neither of which is imminent. The team knows the Red Sox will not trade them Clay Buchholz in a package for Martinez, and moving Lee would be an even bigger blow given how thin their pitching staff is right now.

In a separate video, Rosenthal says that the Phillies and Blue Jays are still haggling over which players would be included in a potential deal for Halladay. The Angels have made a strong offer for Doc, and the Jays expect other teams to get involved this week. Meanwhile, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker says Lee has told his team that he will test the free agent waters at the end of next season after being told "no" when asking about a contract extension last spring. If traded, Lee prefers it to happen sooner rather than later.

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