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Mets Won’t Necessarily Sign Lugo

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We heard know that Julio Lugo worked out at the Mets complex in the Dominican, but Alex Speier of WEEI.com says we shouldn't assume he'll sign with the Mets. Earlier in the season, when the Mets were closer to contention and in need of infield help, the Red Sox offered to trade Lugo for little or nothing, but the Mets declined.

There's still a chance the Mets will sign Lugo if and when he's released, but we shouldn't read too much into his Dominican workouts. Lugo worked out at the facility as recently as last winter as a member of the Red Sox.

Heyman On Halladay, Lee, Rockies

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Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Phillies have decided not to include prospect Kyle Drabek in a package for Roy Halladay. If they haven't informed the Blue Jays of their decision, they're about to. Here are the rest of Heyman's rumors:

  • Heyman's sources say the Mets rejected a four-player package centered around Fernando Martinez for Halladay. Others have since disputed this.
  • The Angels and Red Sox appear unlikely to part with their young prospects for Halladay.
  • One Jays person believes it's unlikely they deal their ace at all. 
  • The Indians are becoming more open to dealing Cliff Lee, who doesn't have a no-trade clause and would have little say in the matter. 
  • However, they need pitching, so some Indians people believe the team is more likely to move Victor Martinez. 
  • The Rockies have considered pursuing Chad Qualls, George Sherrill, Danys Baez and Takashi Saito. 

Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday

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10:26pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears from multiple sources that the SI report below is "bogus."

9:15pm: Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who "hasn't ruled out anything" in a trade for Halladay. Still, DiGiovanna notes the Angels may not have the premium prospects to make a deal, let alone the desire to trade the prospects they have in the first place.

5:55pm: Jon Heyman at SI tweets that the Mets rejected a package of Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.

5:47pm: Peter Gammons weighs in on the situation, and talked to one GM who said "The general feeling is that he won't be traded." Gammons thinks that since Halladay's addition would give the Phillies a feasible chance to be world champions for three straight years as well as potential tutoring for Cole Hamels, the team should pursue Doc.

4:42pm: Theo Epstein told MLB.com's Ian Browne that he wants to hold onto his core of talented pitchers, but admits it's tempting to acquire an ace. He doesn't say Halladay's name, but it's fair to assume that's who he's talking about.

4:34pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel doesn't expect the Brewers to acquire Halladay, primarily because they'd have to give up so much to get him.

4:05pm: Olney says he thinks the Phils should deal for Halladay, but says they may be reluctant to part with young talent for him, now that they've won 12 of 13.

3:43pm: Jeff Blair hears that just a few teams are serious about Halladay: the Phillies, Dodgers and Angels.

Cards GM John Mozeliak seems less interested in Halladay now that he has "lowered his sights in the trade market" and the Yankees and Red Sox don't believe Ricciardi will deal within the division.

12:50pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies' need for Halladay could diminish if their division lead (now 6.5 games) continues to grow. Olney hears from executives who don't expect anyone to meet the asking price for Doc.

12:33pm: A friend of Halladay's tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that Doc's top priority is winning, but the righty would apparently prefer a quiet environment and a team that trains in Florida. Heyman's source believes the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Phillies are among the teams to which Halladay would approve a deal.

10:43am: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick says the Dodgers have the need for Halladay and the talent to acquire him. However, ownership may not be willing to commit enough money to land the Jays' ace.

8:58am: The latest on Roy Halladay, one day after his complete-game effort against the Red Sox…

  • Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says Phillies executive Pat Gillick, Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash and scouts for the Rangers and Dodgers all watched Halladay's start yesterday.
  • The Globe's Tim Wharnsby reports that Gillick discussed the severity of Halladay's recent groin injury with the Blue Jays' team physician.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox also had people at the game, though the Red Sox "don't appear to have serious interest."
  • It's possible the teams were around to scout relievers, position players, or the Red Sox.
  • A rival GM says J.P. Ricciardi "won't trade Halladay unless he gets the deal he wants," Morosi hears. "But he wants to get a deal."
  • Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says the Jays scouted the Phillies' Single A team last week.
  • Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that Halladay's the best pitcher he's ever caught. High praise, considering Barajas caught Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with the D'Backs.

Odds & Ends: Brewers, Yankees, Braves

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On this day last year, the Brewers acquired second baseman Ray Durham from the Giants for two prospects, and almost exactly a year later they landed Felipe Lopez for two more. Who will it be in 2010?

  • Evan Brunell at the Hardball Times likes the Brewers' Felipe Lopez acquisition and thinks a starter could make the Brewers legit playoff contenders.
  • Marc Carig at the Newark Star-Ledger reports that Hal Steinbrenner is "open to all possibilities" for the Yankees at the trade deadline.
  • Peter Gammons thinks the Red Sox need to pursue a bat most of all. "The Dodgers will acquire pitching. The Giants will get a bat. Florida may get a closer. The Cubs will also do something," he believes.
  • Dave Cameron at Fangraphs recaps the site's list of 2009 player trade values.
  • Mark Bowman at MLB.com takes a deep look into the Braves' current position, and believes how they perform in their upcoming series will be a large indicator as to whether they buy or sell pieces before the deadline. Bowman thinks there's a chance the Braves could be done making major moves.
  • Tom Krasovic posits that the Padres must stop offering no-trade clauses in their contracts, as such clauses have backfired with many players, a list potentially including Jake Peavy with his recent DL stint.

Brad Penny’s Future

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The Red Sox have a surplus of starting pitching, and ESPN.com's Buster Olney says it's possible they'll deal Brad Penny for a Grade B prospect in the next couple weeks. We've heard very little about Penny in the last month, but he could fit on a team like the Brewers, who are short on starters.

Olney says the Red Sox would almost certainly not offer Penny arbitration after the season, so they could deal him now to get something in return for their investment. Penny doesn't profile as a Type A or B free agent now, so trading him now would be the surest way of obtaining talent in return. However, the Red Sox could keep him to maintain their enviable rotation depth.

Odds And Ends: Smoltz, Cards, Rangers

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Some links as we begin a week of non-stop rumors…

Odds & Ends: Lugo, Holliday, Red Sox, Draft

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Some spare links on a busy Saturday morning …

  • Adam Rubin of The NY Daily News says an AL official indicated that the recently DFA'd Julio Lugo has been working out at the Mets complex in the Dominican Republic, and expects the team to sign the shortstop once he clears waivers and is released.
  • Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports says Matt Holliday won't say if he wants to be traded or remain an Athletic, but he does have a preference.
  • Red Sox GM Theo Epstein says he doesn't think his team has one glaring weakness, but at same time thinks there are opportunities to get better, according to Adam Kilgore of The Boston Globe.
  • Considering some of the contracts we've seen players receive in the last few months, the union might concede "financially harnessing the signing system for both draftees and international players" in the next CBA so their players get what they want, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus.
  • The Padres are calling up top prospect Mat Latos to start Sunday, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com. They are looking to find more playing time for their young players.
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. wrote about the increasingly competitive market for representing Cuban amateurs.  

Diamondbacks Rumors: Byrnes, Lugo, Davis

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Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says a team source indicated that the Diamondbacks could revisit the idea of an Eric Byrnes–Julio Lugo swap now that Lugo's been designated for assignment. Byrnes is currently on the disabled list with a broken hand. The two teams had discussions about such a swap in the offseason, but the talks went nowhere.

Meanwhile, lefthander Doug Davis says he senses "they might come after me for an extension" according to Piecoro. Davis said they're not ready to starting talking terms, but GM Josh Byrnes confirms the talks. Davis' agent Steve Canter decined to talk about specifics according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert, but he did say Davis is "player of interest to the organization."

Davis' name has popped up in trade rumors the past few weeks.

Bay, Red Sox Put Extension Talks Aside

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3:53pm: Adam Kilgore of the Globe says Theo Epstein characterized his offer as "aggressive," and has no hard feelings towards Bay. It looks like talks will resume after the season.

3:37pm: Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe says the Red Sox and Jason Bay won't discuss a contract extension until after the season. The two sides had been talking since May, and the Red Sox made an offer about a week ago, but the talks will stop until the season ends, at which point the Red Sox have 15 days of exclusive negotiating rights with Bay.

9:18am: During the All-Star break Jason Bay's agent spoke with the Red Sox about extending his client's stay in Boston, but talks didn't develop significantly, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. However, the two sides would like to keep the free agent-to-be on the Red Sox.

Earlier in the year WEEI.com reported that Bay was seeking a three or four year deal worth about $14MM per season. The Red Sox, however, pointed to Adam Dunn's two-year $20MM deal as a point of reference for the discussions. The market for outfielders hasn't settled since then and that has contributed to the slow pace of the talks.

Bay, who will head this year's class of free agents with Matt Holliday, hasn't imposed any deadlines on the negotiations and appears to want to stay in Boston.

Cubs, Cards & Mets Asked About Lugo

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The Cubs, Cardinals and Mets have shown some interest in Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo, according to Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald. The Red Sox will have to pay all of the $13.5MM remaining on Lugo's deal if they release him, so they're likely to pick up the vast majority of the contract in any trade.

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