By Tim Dierkes | at
A few new rumors courtesy of ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick…
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 2:04am: Tim Brown checks in. He confirms the Twins are checking Lester’s medical records. He says the current deal on the table is Lester, Crisp, Masterson, and a minor leaguer. A Red Sox official was said to be "cautiously optimistic." If the current scenario is accurate, perhaps the Twins have finally bent on their demand for both Lester and Ellsbury.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:57am: Rosenthal notes that the Sox have roared back into the Santana derby, but says that as midnight passed the Yankees were still talking to the Twins. Hmmm, maybe midnight eastern time because I think Cashman went to bed already.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:25am: Looks like things with the Red Sox are moving along – the Red Sox have given the Twins Lester’s medical records to review.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:15am: Unconfirmed report from the Boston Globe says the Red Sox were looking at Santana’s medical records, which could imply an agreement. Or maybe they just wanted to check out his medical records.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 1:06am: Hank Steinbrenner expressed doubt that his team would get a Santana team done when talking to Kat O’Brien. However, she spoke to him at 11:45pm CST on Monday, and we had two updates since then. Anyway, discussions are not yet closed off.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:49am: Bleeding over into Tuesday…Stark has an update that pretty much echoes Heyman.
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:38am: SI.com’s Jon Heyman has the goods. The Twins wanted a package of Hughes, Cabrera, Horne, and Jackson from the Yankees and they balked. They’ve asked the Red Sox to create a new proposal with Lester in it. Sounds like the Red Sox have the lead at the moment. Heyman thinks the Twins will make a decision soon.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 11:09pm: Yahoo’s Tim Brown talked to a Boston official who believes the Yankees are "very close" to completing a Santana trade. However a source of mine just indicated that the meeting ended in a standoff because the Twins continue to demand Ian Kennedy in the deal.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 10:16pm: Matthew Cerrone says the Twins have moved on from the Yankees and Red Sox, and are calling other teams to discuss Santana. Tyler Kepner says the Yanks have interpreted the Twins’ nonresponse to their offer as a rejection. And Jayson Stark thinks this thing is on life support.
Peter Abraham, though, says the Yanks and Twins are meeting tonight (as we speak actually). And the Red Sox aren’t putting out any deadline anyway.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 3:55pm: According to Kelly Thesier, the Twins are in no rush to trade Santana and aren’t worried about the Yankees’ deadline.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 1:57pm: Rosenthal says the Twins are considering filing tampering charges. The Boston Globe has an update but nothing much new.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 12:14pm: Not that they were ever really in it, but MLB.com’s Jim Street says the Mariners are no longer in the running for Santana.
FROM 12-3-07 at 11:05am:
The previous Johan Santana thread is up to 287 comments, so let’s kick off a fresh one for the Winter Meetings.
La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that the Twins are not amused with Hank Steinbrenner’s public comments regarding their negotiations. It’s not known if the Twins will pursue tampering charges. Joe Christensen calls Hank’s comments "blatant tampering," but admits that he loves it as a reporter.
Interestingly, Neal debunks the notion that Santana has demanded he be traded to only the Yankees or Red Sox. Neal says Santana has placed no limitations on where he ends up, as of yet.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Another collection…
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 11:38pm: Baker corrects himself – the Mariners talked to the Brewers, but not about Sheets.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 9:34pm: Here’s the deal. Geoff Baker says the West Coast team inquiring on Sheets was the Mariners. Tom Haudricourt seems positive it was the Dodgers though. No offer was made; it was just an inquiry. The Dodgers seemingly don’t need more injury risk though.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 6:35pm: Tom Haudricourt spoke to Doug Melvin and learned that he has not spoken to any East Coast team about Sheets. However Haudricourt believes Melvin may have spoken to the Mariners about him.
FROM 12-3-07 at 12:07am:
Interesting stuff from Sean McAdam of The Providence Journal. McAdam says the Red Sox are eyeing Dan Haren and Ben Sheets as alternatives to Johan Santana.
Haren, we knew about. Sheets is an intriguing idea though. Maybe the buzz on him will pick up this week. Sheets will earn $11MM in 2008, tops among Brewers (Jeff Suppan’s deal gets scary in ’09). Given Sheets’ injury history and expiring contract, the price for him might be fairly reasonable (say, A.J. Burnett territory). Sheets had a full no-trade clause for ’07 and may only be traded to eight selected clubs in ’08.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 5:48pm: Jayson Stark confirms the Reds’ interest in Willis. However he suggests that the Marlins would ask for Homer Bailey and then some in return.
FROM 12-3-07 at 11:41am:
SI.com’s Jon Heyman checks in with the latest hot stove banter he’s hearing. There’s some confusion here as Heyman has contrary info to other published sources.
By Tim Dierkes | at
Random Winter Meetings rumors…
By Tim Dierkes | at
Did you expect anything different? Billy Beane is happy to field offers on Dan Haren and Joe Blanton, but he’ll require a king’s ransom for either pitcher. Jayson Stark says Beane asked the Yankees for two of Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy for Haren. With the Red Sox it was two of Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, and Jacoby Ellsbury. The Mets would have to pony up Carlos Gomez and Fernando Martinez. With two starters under contract through 2010, Beane and the A’s are sitting pretty.
One source of Stark echoes the popular sentiment that Miguel Cabrera in an Angels uniform would prompt a full-on A’s firesale. That would include Huston Street, Dan Johnson, Mark Kotsay, and Rich Harden. You have to admit, that would be fun. Maybe the Brewers won’t give up Rickie Weeks for Chad Cordero, but how about Street?
By Tim Dierkes | at
Ken Rosenthal is presumably in Nashville doing what he does best – collect trade rumors by the dozen. His latest column is an excellent example. What’s the over/under on Rosenthal scoops over the next four days? I’ll set it at 10.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-4-07 at 12:20am: MLB.com’s Jim Molony has a big ol’ post up at his blog. Molony names the Phillies and Cardinals as new teams interested in Bedard. Previously we’d learned that the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and D’Backs had inquired. Neither the Phils nor the Cards would appear to have the goods in my estimation.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 9:06pm: Andy MacPhail says he told the Washington Post that extension talks with Bedard had cooled, but the door remains open. Something have gotten lost in translation. MLB.com’s Spencer Fordin believes Bedard and Miguel Tejada could both be traded by week’s end, anyway.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 4:55pm: Sounds like the Mariners might make a run at Bedard now, but it’d cost ’em Adam Jones, Brandon Morrow, and Jeff Clement. That bounty sounds about right.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 2:38pm: ESPN 1050 via MetsBlog reports Andy MacPhail as saying he will meet with Omar Minaya while in Nashville to discuss Bedard again.
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 8:35am: I knew the Red Sox belonged in the mix for Bedard. Jayson Stark confirms their interest, and adds a new one in the Phillies. Stark also verifies that the Orioles want more for Bedard than the Twins want for Santana – as in four top youngsters. Stark’s source thinks the Orioles will hang onto Bedard.
FROM 12-2-07 at 11:30pm:
According to Dave Sheinin and Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post, Erik Bedard has informed the Orioles that he has no interest in signing an extension. He’s under Baltimore’s control through the 2009 season.
The authors indicate that Bedard would cost half the talent Johan Santana will. I don’t agree with that assertion – two years of a cheap Bedard is easily worth more than one of Santana, without question. If anything, Bedard should require more talent than Santana to pry loose.
According to Jeff Zrebiec, six teams have inquired on Bedard so far: the Yankees, Mets, Mariners, Angels, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks. The Mets reportedly made an offer of Lastings Milledge, Aaron Heilman, and Philip Humber to the Orioles before trading Milledge to Washington, according to the Roger Rubin of the Daily News. A source of Rubin’s believes replacing Milledge with Carlos Gomez or even Ryan Church would represent a superior offer. And to further the speculation, I think the Mets would have to replace Humber with Mike Pelfrey to really get the Orioles thinking. I repeat: Erik Bedard is worth more than Johan Santana.
Hat tip to MetsBlog on the Daily News link.
By Tim Dierkes | at
UPDATE, 12-3-07 at 12:02am: Not only will Johan veto any midseason deal, he’ll veto any deal to a team other than the Yankees or Red Sox.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 8:30pm: Hank weighs in, reiterating the deadline. He says the third player actually isn’t the sticking point. Thanks Hank!
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 7:30pm: The Yanks’ deadline on their offer, which no one is taking seriously, is for end of day Monday. Brian Cashman has given Bill Smith a list of possibilities for the third player in the deal.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 6:15pm: Ken Rosenthal says Santana told the Twins he won’t waive his no-trade clause during the season. It’s now or never. The packages the Yankees and Red Sox are offering are definitely better than two draft picks, especially since there’s no guarantee one of them will be a first-round pick. I’d be surprised if he’s not moved this week.
UPDATE, 12-2-07 at 1:30pm: Buster Olney is reporting that the Sox will include Ellsbury in their offer, but pull Lester out of it. Basically the Twins can have one or the other. Olney doesn’t say whether Buchholz/Ellsbury is possible, but I imagine it’s not. The Twins are expected to choose an offer from Boston or New York soon.
FROM 12-2-07 at 8:45am:
When we left off last night, the Twins and Yankees were still haggling over the third player in a Johan Santana trade. The Twins wanted Alan Horne or Austin Jackson, according to Jon Heyman. Now comes word from Tyler Kepner that those two are considered untouchable in the deal by the Yanks. Dellin Betances, Ian Kennedy, and Jose Tabata round out the five that they will not include as the third player.
It’s said that the Yankees will turn to Dan Haren if they don’t reach an agreement with the Twins today or tomorrow. The Twins still like Jacoby Ellsbury more than Phil Hughes, so they’re trying to get the Red Sox to replace Coco Crisp with him in their offer.
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information
hide arrows scroll to top
