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Padres Were “Livid” When Giles Nixed Trade

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San Diego Union Tribune’s Bill Center talked to Padres manager Bud Black about Brian Giles, who could be a free agent after the season.

And do you pick up Giles $9 million option for 2009 or let him walk into free agency with a $3 million buyout?

“Brian still gets it done,” Padres manager Bud Black said last night after the Brewers snapped a four-game losing streak and inched to within four games of the plummeting Chicago Cubs in the National League Central race.

“Brian is a mainstay player.”

While Black thinks Giles is a mainstay, the Padres front office obviously feels differently. Buster Olney says he heard that "the Padres were livid when Giles vetoed the trade that they pursued with the Red Sox in August."

Will San Diego buy out Giles after this season? If you believe the rumors that the franchise is looking to cut payroll, then it makes sense that they would.

Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. You can reach him here.

Heyman’s Latest: Colletti, Maddux, Burnett

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The latest from SI.com’s Jon Heyman…

  • Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is "fixated" on the team’s recent unsuccessful free agent signings.  You have to wonder if he’ll direct Ned Colletti to exercise caution this winter.  Heyman’s sources say McCourt intends to stick with Colletti for ’09.
  • Greg Maddux is "said by friends to want to return next year."  Tim Keown wrote in April that Maddux told teammates this is his last season.
  • Heyman is now saying Larry Lucchino is likely to remain Red Sox president.
  • Heyman considers Hank Steinbrenner’s suggestion of interest in A.J. Burnett "the clearest example of tampering in recent history."
  • Miguel Olivo has a reputation as a player who does not get along with his manager.

Odds and Ends: Soto, Joba, Colletti, Tazawa

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Let’s dig in with today’s links!

Rosenthal’s Latest: Hendry, Burnett, Laird

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Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has a new column up.

  • Rosenthal fills us in on Jim Hendry’s contract status: Hendry controls his own fate with an option for ’09.  If the new Cubs ownership doesn’t want to extend him beyond that, he could elect free agency this winter.  Click here to download a spreadsheet of Hendry’s trade history.
  • Teams with third basemen to trade this winter are at an advantage due to the weak free agent market.  Names like Garrett Atkins, Melvin Mora, and Hank Blalock could generate interest.  Blalock is a huge question mark though, and the Rangers still have to decide on his $6.2MM option.  Jorge Cantu, Adrian Beltre, and Kevin Kouzmanoff are other names to watch in my opinion.
  • Rosenthal talked to a rival executive who sees the Red Sox making a "major push" for A.J. Burnett if he opts out.  He can hindle the rigors of pitching in the AL East, and will also draw interest from the Yankees.
  • The Rangers may shop Gerald Laird this winter.  Laird, 29 in November, is under team control through 2010.  The Reds could be a nice match.
  • Marlins infielder Chris Coghlan can play second or third base, giving the Fish flexibility on whether they want to trade Cantu, Mike Jacobs, or Dan Uggla this winter.

Odds and Ends: Eaton, Tazawa, Royals, Jays

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Today’s links…

  • SI.com’s Tom Verducci ranks the five best midseason deals of the past 25 years.
  • Peter Abraham thinks the Yankees should stick with Robinson Cano.
  • Pat Gillick says there’s a slight chance the Phils acquire a reliever this month.  He was not able to acquire Kyle Farnsworth in August.
  • MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan doesn’t put much stock in the rumor that Nolan Ryan will clean house in Texas.
  • Phillies GM Pat Gillick admitted signing Adam Eaton was a mistake.  Many MLBTR readers thought so when the signing was finalized in November of ’06.
  • The Red Sox hope to sign a Japanese amateur pitcher named Junichi Tazawa, which may not go over well with Nippon Professional Baseball.
  • Gil Meche, Joakim Soria, and Zack Greinke are pretty much off-limits.  Most other Royals are fair game in trade discussions.  GM Dayton Moore intends to make changes this winter, and may also dive back into the free agent market.
  • The Blue Jays have $15MM to spend, with needs at shortstop, first base/DH, and catcher.  GM J.P. Ricciardi would prefer to fill those holes internally.  Shysterball wonders why Ricciardi is talking about next year.
  • Michael Rosenberg says Ivan Rodriguez is all about the money.

Gammons’ Latest: Martin, Dunn, Quentin

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Here’s the latest blog post from ESPN’s Peter Gammons…

  • Takashi Saito is mentioned as a free agent this winter, but I believe it’s a situation where he can only re-sign, return to Japan, or retire.
  • Gammons heard talk that Russell Martin could be switched permanently to third base.  In that scenario, the Dodgers would sign a pitching-oriented catcher such as Jason Varitek.  Would that be a good move?
  • Adam Dunn knows it’s cliche, but he intends to prioritize winning over money when he hits free agency.
  • The D’Backs were asking a lot for Carlos Quentin last winter, with the White Sox, Red Sox, and Indians interested.  Josh Byrnes was not able to get Michael Bowden, Jed Lowrie, or Cliff Lee.  Arizona ended up getting Chris Carter from Chicago and flipping him to Oakland in the Dan Haren deal.  Carter mashed 39 home runs in A ball this year.  You can’t say the Diamondbacks gave Quentin away for nothing, since they acquired a crucial component for the Haren trade.
  • A year ago, Yankees GM Brian Cashman asked Joe Torre and his coaches their opinion on a Robinson Cano for Orlando Hudson swap.  Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa were heavily in favor of keeping Cano.

Week In Review: 8/24 – 8/30

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Sunday afternoon is here again… let’s have a look back at some of the moves and rumors since last time:

  • The injury-plagued Red Sox acquired Mark Kotsay to help compensate for their injuries. In exchange, the Braves received minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza. Nice acquisition by the Red Sox; Kotsay has been swinging a solid bat this season.
  • The Twins acquired Eddie Guardado from Texas in exchange for minor league pitcher Mark Hamburger. Guardado has spent the majority of his career with Minnesota and provides a solid arm to the bullpen. To make room for him, they DFA’d Mike Lamb. Nice move by the Twins, with the added benefit of being able to see "Rangers trade Guardado for Hamburger" in the news. Now that’s a headline!
  • The Phillies added a veteran player as well, when they acquired Matt Stairs from Toronto in exchange for minor league lefty Fabio Castro. Stairs should be a decent option off the bench, and he’s still perfectly capable of hitting the ball out of the park.
  • Scott Boras continues to find ways to create controversy. He’s now claiming that Pittsburgh’s top pick Pedro Alvarez verbally agreed to his $6MM signing bonus after the midnight deadline, and is trying to demand that the contract be renegotiated for a higher number. The Players Association has filed a grievance on his behalf. Alvarez could wind up back in the 2009 draft pool. Here’s a look at some baseball blogs’ opinions on the matter.
  • Minor moves: The Diamondbacks claimed Wil Ledezma off waivers from San Diego, the Braves signed Elmer Dessens to a minor-league contract, and the Astros gave one-year extensions to both Brian Moehler and Darin Erstad.

Molony’s Latest: Fuentes, Red Sox, White Sox

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Here’s the latest from MLB.com’s Jim Molony.

  • The Red Sox are eyeing Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, though Ken Rosenthal has said Fuentes cannot be traded this month.  Plus, the Rockies still intend to make a playoff run in the weak NL West.
  • The Red Sox and White Sox had scouts at Wednesday night’s Astros-Reds game.  Roy Oswalt pitched that one, but he won’t be traded.  The Reds still have some good trade candidates in the bullpen (David Weathers has cleared waivers, Jeremy Affeldt is a free agent after the season).

Odds and Ends: Hart, Ellis, Mientkiewicz, Varitek

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Today’s random links…

Red Sox Acquire Kotsay

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12:01pm: According to ESPN’s Keith Law, the Braves will receive minor league outfielder Luis Sumoza.

10:23am: Rosenthal says it’s done, though the prospect remains unknown.  He is now saying Kotsay did waive no-trade rights, and received $325K to do so.

9:14am: Rosenthal says it’s close, but the teams have not yet agreed on the mid-level prospect.  He says Kotsay does not have no-trade protection this year.

WEDNESDAY, 8:41am: The latest – The Boston Globe’s Amalie Benjamin wrote late last night that a deal had not been agreed upon.  Meanwhile, John Tomase of the Boston Herald notes Kotsay’s strong relationship with Red Sox owner John Henry.  Yahoo’s Gordon Edes says the deal is done pending a physical, and the Braves will receive a minor league pitcher.

TUESDAY, 10:38pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons and Buster Olney are reporting that the Red Sox are on the verge of acquiring Kotsay.  The two sides are discussing Kotsay’s no-trade clause.  He was held out of tonight’s lineup due to the impending trade.

11:00am: On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal reported the Red Sox were interested in Braves outfielder Mark Kotsay, with the Brewers on the fringes.  Rosenthal now says the Brewers’ interest has diminished, since Ryan Braun seems fine.  Instead, the Phillies are now in the mix for Kotsay given the Geoff Jenkins injury.

Kotsay cleared waivers because of the $1.5MM still owed to him this year.  The Braves weren’t planning on offering him arbitration this winter, as they don’t want to be stuck paying him $8MM in ’09.  He doesn’t project as a Type B anyway.  Rosenthal says a mid-level prospect would get a deal done with the Braves, though the teams covered in Kotsay’s limited no-trade clause are unknown.

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