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Odds And Ends: V-Mart, Tigers, Mets

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Some links for the morning…

Red Sox Acquire Adam LaRoche

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9:18pm: Baseball America's Matt Eddy has a comprehensive rundown of both prospects Pittsburgh acquired for LaRoche. Eddy likes Diaz's defense, but his bat is "a bit light for a regular role." He says Strickland's fastball gives him a chance to be a big league reliever, but he needs to refine his secondary pitches.

2:09pm: Kovacevic says the Pirates are not sending any cash to the Red Sox.

1:09pm: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Pirates are sending cash to the Red Sox to contribute to the remainder of the $7.05MM LaRoche makes this year. They also sent cash to the Yankees in the Eric Hinske deal.

1:02pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law says Diaz's glove could make him a legitimate MLB backup in spite of his bat. Strickland is "probably a reliever at best." 

12:31pm: Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus says Diaz is a very good defender who doesn't hit much. He says Strickland is a projectable righty with a fastball around 90 mph and average secondary stuff.

12:21pm: Ben Badler of Baseball America says the pair of prospects isn't much, not that the Pirates should expect more for two months of LaRoche.

12:05pm: Speier reports that the Pirates receive pitcher Hunter Strickland and shortstop Argenis Diaz.

11:49am: Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that Manny Delcarmen will not be part of the trade.

11:45am: What you need to know about LaRoche: He's a 29-year-old first baseman hitting .247/.329/.441; he has a history of playing well in the second half; his defense is slightly below average; he makes $7.05MM this year before becoming a free agent and he's on the cusp of projecting as a Type B free agent, though he's currently below the cut.

11:15am: Kovacevic says the Pirates have traded LaRoche to the Red Sox.

11:00am: John Perrotto says LaRoche has been traded.

10:58am: Kovacevic says LaRoche is not in today's lineup.

10:56am: Ed Price of MLB FanHouse hears that LaRoche has been traded.

10:44am: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the Pirates clubhouse is buzzing over the possiblity that Adam LaRoche will soon be traded. However, LaRoche is taking batting practice and is expected to play today.

Red Sox: Center of Every Trade/Rumor?

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It's been a busy day for the Red Sox. They acquired Chris Duncan and a player to be named later for Julio Lugo, turning an albatross into a viable left-handed hitter.

They also dealt a pair of prospects for Adam LaRoche, adding a power bat who normally excels in the second half. And according to Jon Heyman's Twitter feed, they may not be finished yet.

"Red Sox dealing up a storm. Now have Chris Duncan (for Lugo). still scouting Victor Martinez, though," Heyman tweets.

No details yet on what it will take to get Martinez, other than continued interest from Cleveland in Clay Buchholz.

Red Sox & Cards Swap Lugo & Duncan

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5:30pm: The haul for Lugo is bigger than originally thought. The Sox receive a player to be named later or cash along with Duncan, according to the team's press release.

3:32pm: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals will trade Chris Duncan to the Red Sox for Julio Lugo. Via Twitter Miklasz says the Red Sox will still pay Lugo's salary and Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald agrees.

Duncan has a career .851 OPS against right-handers and is under team control through 2012. Reid Laymance of the Post-Dispatch says the Red Sox are expected to assign Duncan to Triple A Pawtucket.

The deal was first reported by Viva El Birdos .

More Moves Could Come For Red Sox

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Boston's big acquisition could be a prelude to more moves for the AL Wild Card leaders. GM Theo Epstein said this afternoon that his team will continue to be "very active" in discussions around the league, though he addressed the team's main need by adding Adam LaRoche. The 29-year-old first baseman provides the Red Sox with a solid bat against righties and insurance in case Mike Lowell needs time off.

The team added LaRoche to win this year. Epstein said possible compensation picks after the season weren't a key component to the deal because it's "far from a certainty" that LaRoche will rank as a Type A or B free agent after the season. He's not currently ranked as a Type B free agent, but he's on the cusp of becoming one.

Historically, LaRoche's OPS has been 128 points higher after the All-Star break, but the Red Sox aren't expecting monster numbers from their new first baseman. Epstein said the team's defensive metrics rank him as a sound fielder. 

LaRoche will join the team in Boston for the weekend series against the Orioles.

Rosenthal On Penny, Yankees, Dodgers, Rays

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Red Sox are open to dealing Brad Penny, even with Tim Wakefield and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the DL. They could add a bat or a prospect for Penny, but it's unlikely they'll actually move him. Here are the rest of Rosenthal's rumors:

  • The Yankees could use some rotation depth, as it makes sense to keep Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves in the 'pen, but you can rule out a Carl Pavano acquisition. As one Yankee official says, the players would "go crazy" if the Yanks added Pavano.
  • Rosenthal says Russell Martin wouldn't qualify as the centerpiece of a Roy Halladay trade because he's faltered offensively and the Jays have J.P. Arencibia in the minors.  
  • The Phillies could trade Rodrigo Lopez if Pedro Martinez takes over in the rotation. 
  • The Rays are interested in Halladay and Cliff Lee, even if they don't have financial flexibility. However, a trade seems highly unlikely.

Edes On Lee, Feliciano, Pirates

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Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Phillies and Dodgers are interested in Cliff Lee, but the Indians aren't anxious to move him. Not only would it mean trading Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years, it would diminish the team's chances at contending next season. Here are the rest of Edes' rumors:

  • The Dodgers would have interest in Pedro Feliciano if the Mets become sellers.
  • The Brewers scouted Brad Penny over the weekend, but a trade seems unlikely now that Tim Wakefield's on the DL.  
  • At least one NL executive believes the Pirates are ready to move almost anyone. Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Matt Capps, John Grabow, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson could all be targets.
  • It looks like the Reds would listen to offers for Francisco Cordero. However, he has no-trade protection and an big contract. 
  • The Red Sox had a scout watch Nick Johnson this weekend.

Jays-Indians Series Attracts Red Sox Scouts

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Earlier tonight, we heard from Bob Elliott that a number of teams have scouts on hand to watch the Indians play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe elaborates on this from the Red Sox's perspective, reporting that they "have one of their top pro scouts on hand."

We learned today that Sox All-Star Tim Wakefield was moved to the DL with a back strain. Cafardo mentions this and adds that "John Smoltz and Brad Penny haven't pitched at a high level." The implication seems to be that the Sox are kicking the tires on Toronto's Roy Halladay and Cleveland's Cliff Lee.

Cafardo lists a number of hitters that the Jays and Indians might make available as well, noting the the Red Sox "certainly have an interest in [Cleveland's Victor] Martinez."

Gammons: Indians Must Be “Overwhelmed” To Trade Lee

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7:44pm: Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, watching the Blue Jays play the Indians at home, tweets the following: "Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies and Red Sox scouts here to see Cliff Lee…"

5:44pm: On an ESPN Baseball Tonight Minute, Peter Gammons downplayed the possibility that Cliff Lee might be making his last start as an Indian tonight, but indicated that the Indians are indeed open to a trade if they are "overwhelmed" by an offer.

According to Gammons, "[Indians GM Mark] Shapiro wants a major league-ready young starter that can go into the second or third hole in the rotation." In addition, Gammons said, "He wants a couple of other young players." 

Earlier today, we broke down a piece by SI.com's Jon Heyman, who said that the Indians are becoming more open to trading Lee.

Discussion: Evaluating Theo Epstein

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Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal wrote today that evaluating Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is "as tricky as [Julio] Lugo trying to field a hot grounder." The reason, says Donaldson, is that the Sox can afford to make expensive mistakes like Lugo's contract.

Donaldson seems to argue that Epstein is overrated, citing continual problems at shortstop and big contracts to Daisuke Matsuzaka and J.D. Drew as his biggest flaws so far.

Well, if our readers can't resolve this, nobody can. What do you think? Does large payroll capacity allow Epstein to get away with mistakes? Where do you rank his moves compared to those of other GM's?

If you need a crib sheet, don't forget MLBTR contributor Brendan Bianowicz's GM Trade History for Epstein from last year.

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