Lefty Relievers: Ohman, Grabow, Eyre, Mahay
2:50pm: Stark says Ohman’s probably staying put despite interest from ten teams.
2:39pm: Buster Olney says the Phillies will probably come up empty on a lefty reliever.
2:02pm: Rob Bradford of the Boston Herald says the Braves asked for a pitching prospect for Ohman, and the Red Sox passed. Mahay remains a possibility.
1:07pm: MLB.com’s Mark Bowman says the Braves could keep Ohman. So far they’re not finding offers superior to the supplemental draft pick they could get after the season.
THURSDAY, 12:24pm: Jayson Stark has the Yanks and Red Sox battling for Eyre.
WEDNESDAY, 11:50pm: Let’s talk lefty relievers.
- David O’Brien names the Red Sox, Cardinals, Rays, Tigers, and White Sox parties interested in Will Ohman. But the Sox might end up with John Grabow, and the Tigers may be content with Kyle Farnsworth as their relief addition. Grabow may also be on the Rays’ radar.
- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman has the Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox after Ohman, with the Cardinals out of the bidding.
- Sean McAdam sees Boston’s interest in Ohman as minimal. Instead, they’re eyeing Scott Eyre and Ron Mahay. They’ve even offered Brandon Moss for Mahay, which seems solid. Nick Cafardo believes righties Huston Street and J.J. Putz are still in the mix.
- 15 scouts watched Arthur Rhodes struggle tonight.
Marlins, Red Sox, Pirates Talking Manny Trade
12:03am: Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein believes the Pirates will end up with Stanton, Tucker, and Hermida.
11:21pm: Heyman says there’s some prospect haggling but the teams are optimistic a deal will get done. The Marlins and Red Sox seem certain to make a swap, while the Pirates are trying to enhance their part. They are still at risk of being replaced by another club.
Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe thinks a deal may be close, but not done. So we’ve got journalists on both sides of the fence, but everyone seems optimistic.
10:33pm: The Palm Beach Post says a tentative agreement has been reached, despite Gammons’ comments. Here’s the deal:
Marlins get: Manny Ramirez, cash, prospect from Red Sox
Red Sox get: Jason Bay, John Grabow
Pirates get: Ryan Tucker, Jeremy Hermida, one prospect from Red Sox, perhaps another prospect from Marlins
10:22pm: More from Gammons. The deal is definitely not done – the Bucs aren’t yet satisfied with the players they’d get from Boston for Bay. Nothing has been done in regards to Manny’s no-trade or paperwork to the Commissioner’s Office.
Gammons expects this to go right down to the wire.
10:11pm: Kovacevic believes Ryan Tucker might end up with the Pirates, though it’s tentative.
9:05pm: Gammons: talks will continue into Thursday. Good, it’ll give me something to do.
8:50pm: Will Carroll believes the Commissioner’s Office has been informed of a Red Sox-Pirates-Marlins trade even though the teams haven’t agreed on the prospects. Here’s how he sees it:
Marlins get Manny Ramirez, one prospect (BOS), and cash (likely Ramirez’s remaining salary)
Pirates get Jeremy Hermida and three prospects (two FLO, one BOS)
Red Sox get Jason Bay and John Grabow
8:48pm: Perrotto clarifies a bit – Grabow could go to Florida with Stanton joining the Pirates. Interestingly, the Pirates are still talking to the Rays about Bay.
8:29pm: Here’s the latest. MLB.com says we’re moving closer to the three-team deal. The Pirates could receive a minor leaguer from the Red Sox. Dejan Kovacevic says the Pirates would receive four or more prospects for Bay, as well as Hermida. John Grabow could end up in Boston or Florida. Perrotto says it could be expanded to have Jed Lowrie go to Pittsburgh and Jack Wilson to Boston. The Bucs also like Red Sox prospect Hunter Jones.
7:46pm: Rosenthal talked to a Marlins official who said there’s "no way" Stanton is in the deal. The Fish might want young players back if they’re giving up prospects.
7:33pm: Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe characterizes it as "strong interest" from the Marlins but not a done deal. Jon Heyman also has the Fish in the lead. Will Carroll has some kind of Bay/Marlins multiteam deal in the final stages. Jim Molony says the talks are real but a Manny to Florida deal is unlikely. Meanwhile, Manny keeps talking his way out of Boston.
7:23pm: Jayson Stark says the Red Sox are trying to get Stanton, Ryan Tucker, and one of Willingham/Hermida for Ramirez.
6:24pm: MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro is hearing about a three-way deal that would also send Jason Bay to the Red Sox. Hermida would wind up in Pittsburgh.
5:56pm: Baseball Prospectus’ John Perrotto has multiple baseball sources saying the Red Sox are on the verge of sending Ramirez to Florida for three players, including outfielder Mike Stanton. Dan Graziano says Hermida would be in this deal.
MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro said his baseball sources aren’t dismissing it.
5:31pm: The latest: Buster Olney says the Sox are in "serious conversations" with the Marlins about Ramirez. The Red Sox would kick in money and want three players back, one of whom would probably be Willingham or Hermida. Progress on this is said to be "slow," per Ken Rosenthal’s source.
3:24pm: Mike Berardino just can’t see the Manny-Marlins thing happening at all. The Marlins remained mum on the topic when Berardino asked, but he cited many reasons why it didn’t make sense. Also keep in mind that the Josh Willingham mention was speculation from Ken Rosenthal, not a rumor.
ESPN’s Jayson Stark agrees with others saying Manny is staying put. He notes that the rumors could resume into August due to Ramirez’s salary. Awesome!
11:22am: ESPN’s Andrew Marchand says the deadline for a Manny trade might be 3pm CST today, as he has to sign paperwork 24 hours prior to a deal to waive his no-trade rights. However, it is possible that Ramirez already signed away his no-trade rights for some teams.
9:31am: Ken Rosenthal says Manny is a longshot to be traded. As it was all along. Sounds like the Red Sox will decline his ’09 option.
8:24am: Late last night, Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus had an interesting rumor:
One good source told me that he had heard that the Marlins were involved, willing to give up Jeremy Hermida and Boston-area product Jeff Allison, but I couldn’t confirm this. I just don’t see this deal getting done.
I imagine the Red Sox would be willing to eat all of Ramirez’s salary to get a player like Hermida. As Carroll said, it seems unlikely.
Jason Bay Rumors: Wednesday
8:37pm: Bay doesn’t seem to be on the Cardinals’ radar. However, talks continue with Tampa Bay according to John Perrotto. Bay could also end up in Boston in a three-team deal.
5:59pm: Jayson Stark reports that the Rays and Pirates haven’t had much dialogue today, and that talks have slowed. The Pirates have backed off just a bit, but may want to see what happens with Manny Ramirez in case they can get the Red Sox interested.
3:16pm: Kovacevic has more. Brignac and Jeff Niemann‘s names are coming up in the Tampa Bay talks. ESPN’s Jayson Stark heard the same, and adds that Hellickson, David Price, and Wade Davis are off-limits.
The Cardinals are in on Bay but not John Grabow. Kovacevic says Colby Rasmus is untouchable, making the Pirates lean toward the Rays. He adds that the Mets seem out of the running.
1:23pm: The Pirates and Rays are still talking, with the Cardinals lingering. Dejan Kovacevic says Reid Brignac and Jeremy Hellickson are on the Bucs’ radar.
12:30pm: Heyman talked to one NL source who puts the chances of a Bay trade at 50-50. The Pirates are looking around to see if they can beat the Rays’ offer.
11:13am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in on Bay. He says the Rays are flirting, while the Mets, D’Backs, and Cardinals are also in the mix. ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Rays and Pirates are "talking constructively to bridge the gap." Rays manager Joe Maddon admits some "very interesting stuff" is on the table.
8:43am: According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates are deep into talks with the Rays and other teams about left fielder Jason Bay. However, no "truly elite prospect" has been offered yet, and the chances are better than 50-50 that Bay stays. And who would move to right field for the Rays – Bay or Carl Crawford? The Braves are considered out of the mix.
Shortstop Jack Wilson seems likely to stay, while reliever John Grabow will probably be dealt.
Stark’s Latest: Ibanez, Washburn, Redding, Rhodes
Some additional notes from ESPN’s Jayson Stark:
- The Mariners still want Jon Niese and another prospect for Raul Ibanez; the Mets are not biting. Similar situation with the Ms asking the Cubs for Felix Pie and another player.
- The Mets aren’t in on Jarrod Washburn or Tim Redding.
- The Marlins are making it clear that there is no done deal for Arthur Rhodes. Clark Spencer had written the Fish "could be closer" to a deal for Rhodes than a catcher. Stark says the Mariners are driving a hard bargain for Rhodes, with the Red Sox, Marlins, Phillies, Brewers, Tigers, Mets, Cardinals, and Rays checking in.
Red Sox One Of Five Teams Pursuing Ohman
According to Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are one of five teams pursuing Braves lefty Will Ohman.
Previous reports have mentioned the Red Sox, Marlins, Rays, Tigers, White Sox, and Cardinals as suitors for Ohman, who is a free agent after the season.
Graziano’s Latest: Dunn, Putz, Laird
Time to check in with Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger.
- Graziano calls Adam Dunn "the man without a rumor." Even with his flaws this one is hard to figure out. [UPDATE: SI.com’s Jon Heyman is finally hearing a couple of teams are in on Dunn.]
- John Maine‘s rotator cuff strain has the Mets looking at pitching. Graziano suggests names like Livan Hernandez, Paul Byrd, and Jarrod Washburn.
- The Mets have talked to the Tigers about Scott Schoeneweis. They’d have to replace him, maybe with Arthur Rhodes or Eddie Guardado.
- The Mariners will listen on J.J. Putz, but he won’t come cheap. The Cardinals and Red Sox have interest. Putz is signed through ’09 with an option for ’10.
- The Yankees and Marlins have asked about catcher Gerald Laird, while many teams like Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
- The Braves are willing to trade Will Ohman and Mark Kotsay.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Ibanez, Ohman, Fuentes
The latest from rumor guru Ken Rosenthal:
- The Mariners are not having much luck stirring interest in Jarrod Washburn and Raul Ibanez. Only the Mets are seriously looking at Ibanez, and they don’t like the price. The D’Backs aren’t interested. Exacerbating the situation is that interim GM Lee Pelekoudas may feel compelled to make a good impression on the higher-ups.
- The Braves chose Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek over an offer of Chad Tracy and Micah Owings from the D’Backs. I’m surprised the Diamondbacks didn’t go a little further. The Braves tried to expand the deal and send Will Ohman to the Angels, but a match could not be found. Ohman remains likely to go, with the Rays, Cardinals, and Red Sox named as suitors.
- Rosenthal notes that the Angels have a ton of offseason decisions to make, with club options and free agents all over the place.
- The Rockies might be slightly more willing to trade Brian Fuentes following recent losses. However, they still want a young starting pitcher for him.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
9:55pm: Jayson Stark attempts to douse the Manny flames, getting denials (again) from the Dodgers and Phillies.
8:39pm: Ken Davidoff says the Teixeira deal makes a Manny trade more difficult, since that’s one less option for Boston to replace Ramirez’s bat. The Red Sox will keep trying nonetheless.
6:52pm: Jon Heyman says the Phillies might be the frontrunner for Manny. Ramirez will want his $20MM options eliminated upon a trade.
The Dodgers are also involved, with the Marlins surfacing as a longshot.
3:07pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers are not pursuing Ramirez or Teixeira. So, conflicting reports again. The Dodgers are also not interested in Adam Everett and unlikely to acquire Jack Wilson.
Joe Christensen agrees that Everett isn’t happening, and notes that the Dodgers once had Ronny Cedeno on their list.
2:36pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the Dodgers in the lead for Manny. The Red Sox would eat most or all of the $7MM remaining on Ramirez’s deal, and then receive a player like Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. Such a deal would enable the Sox to enter the Mark Teixeira bidding.
Sherman also talked to one NL exec who believes the Dodgers might instead acquire Brian Roberts, pushing Jeff Kent into a utility role and leaving the shortstop problem unresolved.
1:05pm: Looks like Manny’s going to need his own post, after all. Earlier today, Dan Graziano said the Mets are still in on Ramirez despite the denials. Now SI.com’s Jon Heyman adds that the Dodgers are showing interest. The talks are still in their infancy, and keep in mind that the Dodgers do not want to add payroll.
Odds and Ends: Rhodes, Happ, Manny
Let’s round up some links and rumors.
- The Brewers scouted Arthur Rhodes last night, according to Jon Heyman.
- About a "half-dozen" Braves are subject of trade talks, according to GM Frank Wren.
- Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein notes that Brandon Wood‘s stock is rising in case the Angels want to use him as a trade chip.
- Phillies prospect J.A. Happ wasn’t necessarily pulled from his start last weekend because of a big league promotion. Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle admitted that a trade is another option. [UPDATE: Happ has indeed been recalled to the Majors, though.]
- Tom Verducci of SI.com believes the proper business decision for the Red Sox will be to keep Manny Ramirez and exercise his $20MM option for ’09.
- Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News says the D’Backs, Rays, and Tigers had scouts at last night’s Rangers-Mariners contest.
Red Sox In On Teagarden
According to Peter Gammons, the Red Sox are in on Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden. The Rangers have the game’s best catching surplus, and it’s resulting in plenty of inquiries.
Teagarden, 24, is hitting .234/.348/.404 in 53 Triple A games. He’s dealt with elbow soreness in the past, but he’s healthy now.