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Buehrle’s Counteroffer Rejected

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More Buehrle!  You know you love it.  According to Buster Olney, Mark Buehrle’s camp proposed an alternative to the full no-trade clause contract.  Buehrle’s side asked for the same four-year, $56MM deal, but with a $17MM player option for 2012 that would kick in in the event of a trade.  That’d put Buehrle’s deal on par with Roy Oswalt’s.  The White Sox rejected the counteroffer. Ken Rosenthal confirms the info. 

There must be something the Sox don’t like about Buehrle, or some secret rebuilding plan in the near future.  The fact remains that the team rejected a heavily discounted contract to retain their 28 year-old ace.  It’s damn near inexcusable to me, and I’m not even a Sox fan.

We’ve been down this road before – but it really looks like a trade is coming in the near future.  Phil Rogers mentioned Kenny Williams’s affinity for Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox and Carlos Gomez of the Mets.  Gomez will be out for four to eight weeks with a fractured wrist bone, but that shouldn’t affect his trade value.  Don’t forget the Dodgers – they could really use some rotation certainty.  It’d probably cost them Matt Kemp.

Thanks to loyal reader Kramerica Industries for the tips.

Buehrle Cleans Out Locker

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And in other news, I tidied up my desk today.  Mark Buehrle’s housecleaning, however, is just barely newsworthy.  It could be a sign that a deal is impending, or it could just be plain old cleaning.  I can speak from experience: I only cleaned out my high school locker when school was out for summer.  And I found an old sandwich.  Just saying.

Ken Rosenthal mentioned today that various execs still expect Buehrle to be traded.  The Dodgers, Mets, and Mariners seem to be the top contenders. 

Buehrle, for his part, is as sick of the constant rumors as you are.  He’s planning on testing free agency if he doesn’t stay with Chicago.

UPDATE: Jayson Stark is reporting that Williams is asking for three players for Buehrle, two of which must be premium prospects.  Ultimately I think KW will settle for just one top prospect.  Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times would begrudgingly surrender center fielder Adam Jones.

Stark adds that the Red Sox are back in the Buehrle sweepstakes, trying to push Julio Lugo on the White Sox as part of the deal. 

More Of Gagne’s List Revealed

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We keep learning bits and pieces of Eric Gagne’s 12-team allowable trade list; it’d be nice if someone would just leak the entire thing.  The latest:

Gagne can be traded to the Yankees, Mets, Angels, and nine other clubs without his consent.

If Gagne is to be traded to the Tigers, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox, or thirteen other unknown clubs, he must consent.  That means additional concessions on the part of the acquiring team.

Rob Bradford’s recent post added the Red Sox to the latter list.  While Gagne nonetheless seems keen to the idea of pitching in Boston, he sounds a little wary of being demoted to a set-up role.  He and Jon Papelbon would be a lights-out late inning combination, either way.  The Red Sox were in on Gagne this offseason, and he’s proven his health with the Rangers recently. 

T.R. Sullivan mentioned yesterday that the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees are the top suitors for Gagne.  He seems a near-lock to be dealt in July. 

Red Sox Interested In Chad Qualls

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Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle appeared on XM Radio’s Baseball Beat yesterday, and reported that the Red Sox are interested in Astros reliever Chad Qualls.

Qualls, who will turn 29 this year, has a 4.50 ERA through 40 innings.  His strikeout rate is way up, but so are the hits and home runs.  He was worked pretty hard last year with 81 appearances.  Qualls is a long way from free agency.  A few items of note: he dealt with shoulder tendinitis this spring, and has a likely two-game suspension coming for throwing a ball into the stands.

Gagne/Otsuka Suitors

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Teams are lining up to pluck away the top two members of the Rangers’ bullpen, and Jon Daniels is in "listening mode."

MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan has the scoop: the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Red Sox, and Yankees are the top suitors for Eric Gagne.  The Mets, Braves, Phillies, Tigers, and Brewers are focused on Akinori Otsuka.  And the Tribe likes both relievers. 

Benefits of Gagne: he can be unhittable and he’ll give you two good draft picks after the season.  Plus he seems to be finally healthy.  The Indians, despite their interest, are not on Gagne’s list of 12 teams he can be dealt to without his consent.    

The benefit of Otsuka is that you have him through 2009.  That’s why the Rangers are more likely to hang on to him.  Conversely, a team like the Mets would prefer him because he’s not a rental.

White Sox Planted Buehrle To Boston Rumor

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Keith Law, on ESPNEWS yesterday, reported that the Mark Buehrle-to-Boston rumor is bogus and almost certainly planted by the White Sox front office.  Couldn’t hurt to try, unless the plant damages relations with the Red Sox in the future.  This type of practice is probably more common than we realize, though.

Furthermore, Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald says the Red Sox are out of this thing (if they were ever really in it).  By the way, the reason for the refusal to allow a 72-hour negotiating window:  Buehrle’s likelihood of signing with St. Louis after the season.    

A loyal MLBTR reader, summing up Ken Rosenthal’s recent comments on WEEI, noted that the Yankees are not actually involved on Buehrle.  A GM always wants the Yankees and Red Sox involved when conducting a player auction, but it looks like that’s not the case with Buehrle.  Perhaps the Mets-Braves rivalry can be exploited instead.

Another Buehrle note – R.J. Anderson of D-Rays Bay informs me that radio host Dan Sileo of 620 WDAE has a source indicating that the Devil Rays are interested in Buehrle.  This doesn’t make much sense on the surface with the Rays out of contention.  However, maybe Andrew Friedman and Co. will offer players that they value less than the two compensatory draft picks.  That could be the main motivation, with the ancillary benefits of sparking the fanbase and having Buehrle around for three months to work with the younger pitchers.      

Latest Mark Buehrle Trade Rumors

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Mark Buehrle is a popular man right now, and I’ve decided to cover today’s trade rumors in a bullet point format.

  • Barry Rozner of the Daily Herald thinks the Dodgers would be a fine fit for Buehrle, given the loss of Jason Schmidt and their bevy of top prospects.  Given that ten teams are looking at Buehrle and we’ve only confirmed five, talks may already be occurring between Ned Colletti and Kenny Williams.
  • Ozzie Guillen tries to defend against detractors: "A lot of people say, ’Oh, they quit. Oh, they should make an offer to Buehrle.’ They did, I think."  The Daily Southtown notes that the offer was a meager three years, $30MM.  The Sox made that offer at the height of Buehrle’s ineffectiveness.
  • The New York Post says the Mets will only trade for Buehrle if they get a 72-hour window to sign him.  Rosenthal said on Friday that that’s not happening.  The Mets’ urgency to acquire a starter is related to how Pedro Martinez looks in coming weeks.
  • Ken Davidoff of Newsday says that while the Mets and Yankees are confirmed among the ten interested clubs, neither plans to offer "serious prospects" for Buehrle.  That seems to mean that Lastings Milledge, Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes are out.  Davidoff shows that Omar Minaya and Kenny Williams have clearly been talking, and confirms Omar’s interest in Jose Contreras.   
  • Joel Sherman thinks the Mets are in on Buehrle for two reasons: in case the price surprisingly plummets, and to raise the price for Atlanta.
  • Adam Rubin says all veteran Sox pitchers are available – except Jon Garland.
  • You may have noticed that Kenny Williams recently issued a nondenial of the Buehrle-to-Boston rumor, saying "Not today."  The Red Sox weren’t amused by that, and a deal is not close.  The Boston Globe agrees, adding that Boston won’t part with Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury.  Nonetheless, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post thinks the Red Sox are the favorite for Buehrle, and they’d sign him to a contract extension.
  • Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on chatter that the Cardinals have offered Anthony Reyes, John Rodriguez, and one prospect for Buehrle.  Burwell would make the deal, even if that prospect is Bryan Anderson.
  • GM Doug Melvin in response to Ken Rosenthal’s Buehrle-to-Brewers rumor: "This is the month for Internet rumors."  Damn straight, Doug.  Actually, July and December are the big ones.  Melvin says he hasn’t talked to Kenny Williams, in reality.  Maybe Melvin wouldn’t part with Yovani Gallardo or Ryan Braun for Buehrle, but another prospect has emerged in Manny Parra.  Parra tossed a perfect game in Triple A last night.

Yankees Interested In Buehrle, Dye?

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According to George King of the New York Post, the White Sox have been scouting Yankee Double A pitchers Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain.  King says to "expect the Yankees to be interested" in Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye, which is not the same as saying the Yankees have inquired.

Jon Heyman of SI.com has a source saying the White Sox are seeking Kennedy, Chamberlain, or Phil Hughes.  Heyman’s source also believes that the trio is unavailable. 

My friend and I were trying to figure out how a Dye acquisition would work for New York, assuming Bobby Abreu is not included in the deal.  Maybe Dye in left, Hideki Matsui in center, and Abreu stays in right?  And then Johnny Damon plays first base or DH?  The alternative would be Matsui at first base, but only if Damon is healthy.  It seems a long shot. 

The Yanks do have room for Buehrle in place of Kei Igawa, though Igawa has earned a second chance.  And such an acquisition would shut Phil Hughes out if he were to return in mid-August.  All in all I can see the Yankees poking around because the Red Sox are interested, but I don’t see them getting Buehrle or Dye.  They could be after a number of other lesser White Sox players.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox are treating Buehrle as a want and not a need.  Theo Epstein is in the catbird seat, and my guess is he won’t make a deal if Kenny Williams requires Clay Buchholz.  Sean McAdam says Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury are "strictly off-limits." 

Curt Schilling’s health is the wild card; if he turns out to have a major problem within the next few weeks the Red Sox could step up their efforts.

   

Mets After Jose Contreras

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The Mets have kicked the tires on Mark Buehrle, but Jose Contreras may be a more likely acquisition according to the Newark Star-Ledger.  The Mets would prefer not to trade younger players for a rental, and may turn to Contreras because he’s signed through 2009.  I’m sure Kenny Williams would have no problem with that.  I think Contreras would handle a return to New York well.  Lastings Milledge would be more than enough for Contreras, in my mind.

Dan Graziano’s article also confirms that the Braves and Red Sox have been pushing hard for Buehrle.  He says there was "no indication last night that the Yankees were interested in Buehrle."  Of course, Boston’s interest could change that.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have inquired on both Dontrelle Willis and Buehrle and found the price unreasonable.  They’re going to need to acquire a starter one way or another.

Red Sox Emerge As Top Buehrle Suitor

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Here’s something we didn’t see coming.  According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Red Sox have emerged as the frontrunner for southpaw Mark Buehrle.  They’ve jumped ahead of the Braves and Mets on the strength of their farm system. 

Cowley says talks between Buehrle and the White Sox regarding an extension are basically dead.  Now Boston has taken center stage, even sending assistant GM Allard Baird to watch Buehrle’s last start (a typical fine effort from him). 

Cowley believes a major motivation for the Red Sox is keeping Buehrle away from the Yankees.  The Red Sox would apparently give him a five year extension.  Possible targets for Kenny Williams: Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jed Lowrie.  In my opinion: two of those guys, done deal.  Buchholz is arguably the best pitching prospect in the minors, and would make White Sox fans forget about Buehrle fairly quickly. 

Williams plans to sit back and listen to all offers first, of course.  According to Cowley, at least seven teams have made serious contact.

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