Angels Rumors: Aybar, Harang, Bell
Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said "There are various scenarios we're working on." DiGiovanna says they're still very much in the mix for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, but summarizes a bit of news and lists intriguing potential targets should talks for the aces fail:
- The Blue Jays reportedly asked for Erick Aybar, Jered Weaver or Joe Saunders, Brandon Wood, and one of either Trevor Reckling or Peter Bourjos.
- The Angels might not have the top-flight pitching prospects the Indians desire in return for Lee.
- The second tier of their pursuits for a starter could include Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, or Ian Snell. Chances for this kind of deal are slim, DiGiovanna notes.
- Among relief help being sought by the Angels: Brandon League, Scott Downs, George Sherrill and Chad Qualls. The Halos' offers for Michael Wuertz and Heath Bell have apparently been turned down.
Cliff Lee Rumors: Tuesday
11:21pm: Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports have some new bullet points on the Lee situation, most involving the Dodgers:
- The Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies and Angels have all inquired, and the Angels hadn't until the last day or two.
- The Rangers want a starter, but haven't asked about Lee just yet.
- The Dodgers have enough prospects to acquire both George Sherrill and Lee, but officials haven't green-lighted giving up too much of their talent.
- The Dodgers like the idea of getting Lee, as it will likely mean they won't have to depart with Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley in a deal.
- It's unclear if the Dodgers would deal third base prospect Josh Bell.
10:41pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki gives a rundown of the Phillies' leanings toward Lee. Yahoo's Gordon Edes says that recent Phillies call-up Kyle Kendrick is "one of the pieces expected" to head to the Indians should the Phils commit to obtaining Lee.
9:27pm: Word from Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer is that the Phillies are indeed focusing their attention on Lee. The Indians have intimate knowledge of the Phils' system after scouting them for a potential C.C. Sabathia deal last summer as well. However, one source from the Indians says the team is likely "closing up shop" on deals before the deadline. We'll see about that.
4:50pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Phillies and Indians are doing extensive background work on minor leaguers to prepare for a possible Lee trade. The Indians want top pitching that could contribute in the majors soon. Kyle Drabek would appeal to the Indians, but the Phillies have been reluctant to trade Drabek, even for Halladay.
However, the Phillies may have enough high-upside pitching to meet the Indians' demands without including Drabek.
10:53am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that there's a 25-50% chance the Indians trade Cliff Lee. Here are more details on the Indians' ace:
- The Phillies, Dodgers, Angels, Rays and Rangers all have interest in Lee.
- If no one offers the Indians multiple prospects, including a high-upside pitcher, they won't deal him.
- The Indians discussed an extention with Lee this spring, but never made him an offer, so Lee told the team he'll test free agency after 2010 (assuming the Indians pick up his $9MM option for next year).
- Lee says he understands he might be traded. Unlike Roy Halladay, he has no say in where he ends up, however.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
11:02pm: It appears we've passed J.P. Ricciardi's self-imposed deadline to deal Halladay. We probably should just pack it in, huh? Nah. MLB.com's Jordan Bastian has the word from Ricciardi, who dismisses the "soft" deadline he laid out. Still, Bastian reports that they're no closer to making a decision, and that it appears more and more likely Doc remains a Blue Jay. And so it goes.
9:11pm: Gordon Edes at Yahoo has a pretty big update on the discussions. It appears the Red Sox have amped up their efforts to obtain the Doc, and they're willing to include Buchholz, one of Lars Anderson, Justin Masterson or Michael Bowden, and lesser prospects to fill out the rest of the offer.
Edes also reneges on his earlier report that Westmoreland had been part of a Red Sox proposal, and thinks that any reports about the Red Sox involving a third team to get a shortstop to Toronto are untrue.
7:07pm: Jon Heyman tweets an AL executive's comment that Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland "won't get it done" to obtain Halladay.
6:44pm: T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com says that the Rangers are reluctant to part with their top prospects for Halladay. The Blue Jays reportedly asked for a king's ransom of Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Julio Borbon.
5:00pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears that the Red Sox have no intention of including Westmoreland in any deal.
4:40pm: Jayson Stark reports that the same Blue Jays scout who watched Kyle Drabek pitch last night will be in Lehigh Valley to watch as shortstop Jason Donald comes off the DL for his first start since June. Both minor leaguers could be part of a Phils-Jays trade.
3:59pm: Dan Roche, an anchor for WBZTV, hears that the Red Sox did not offer Buchholz, Bowden and Westmoreland for Halladay.
1:57pm: Yahoo's Gordon Edes reports that the Red Sox offered "at least" Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Ryan Westmoreland to the Blue Jays for Halladay. In my opinion, that is a very strong offer. Edes says the Jays would like to acquire a shortstop since they are "vigorously shopping" Marco Scutaro. That means the Sox might need to get creative.
Edes says Daniel Bard and Casey Kelly "have been declared off-limits by the Red Sox." And while the Dodgers deem Clayton Kershaw untouchable, they've at least discussed internally the possibility of moving Chad Billingsley. Billingsley might be the best name we've heard yet in connection with Halladay, though remember that Edes labeled that an internal discussion.
1:29pm: The Associated Press (via ESPN) reports that Rogers Communications, the company that owns the Blue Jays, wants to bring its costs under control. The Blue Jays have said they don't have to deal Halladay, who has over $20MM left on his contract, for financial reasons.
1:12pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says the Blue Jays and Phillies both need to complete a Roy Halladay trade. Ruben Amaro Jr. will be criticized if he can't get Halladay and J.P. Ricciardi's chance to get more than one impact player for his ace disappears at 4:01 EST on Friday.
12:53pm: Sherman says the Rangers are very much involved in the Halladay talks. The Jays want three of the Rangers' best prospects. Not only is GM Jon Daniels reluctant to give up that much talent, he has limited financial flexibility and the Blue Jays are refusing to take on salary.
The Jays want high-ceiling, MLB-ready players instead of many players who are further from contributing in the majors.
10:55am: Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says many top Blue Jays people are deciding whether to trade Halladay. It's not just Ricciardi's decision.
Meanwhile, SI's Tom Verducci weighs in. He talked to a scout who spoke of an organizational "tug of war" in Philly, with Pat Gillick and Charlie Manuel pushing the win-now move for Doc while Ruben Amaro Jr. and other player development guys are reluctant to move top prospects.
Verducci says Carlos Carrasco doesn't do anything for the Jays, and they'll require either Drabek or Jason Knapp. The Angels and Dodgers are the other top suitors for Halladay, in Verducci's opinion.
10:07am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Blue Jays insist on receiving Drabek because they consider Happ a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter. They want Happ, but may relent if the Phillies give up Drabek.
The Phillies remain favorites to add Doc, but the Red Sox and Rangers could still acquire him.
9:04am: Here's a quick summary of yesterday's Roy Halladay rumors, 15 updates and nearly 400 comments later. The Phillies and Jays reached an "impasse" in their negotiations since neither side wanted to change its offer. The Red Sox are planning a big move, but the Jays would ask the Red Sox or Yankees to give up more than other teams. And what about those other teams? Don't expect the Twins to trade for Halladay, and the Dodgers don't seem likely either. Here are today's rumors:
- Several Phillies people tell David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News that they don't expect resolution on a possible Halladay trade before Friday.
- The Blue Jays are still asking for J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek in any deal.
- The Phillies believe they'd have to give up almost as much to acquire Cliff Lee.
- Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears that the Jays and Phillies are still talking.
- As for Drabek, he struck out six without walking a man yesterday, touching 96 mph on the gun, according to Don Beideman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown says no GM believes J.P. Ricciardi will stick to his self imposed deadline. Last week Ricciardi said today was the last day he'd consider dealing Halladay.
Tim Dierkes also contributed to this post.
Pirates Intend To Deal Sanchez, Wilson?
9:53pm: Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle and Gordon Edes at Yahoo have both heard that a deal sending Sanchez to the Giants was close to completion last night, but were halted due to aforementioned concerns about Sanchez's knee. Schulman hears conflicting reports on what the Pirates are demanding in return, but says any prospects involved will be on a higher level than the previously-dealt Scott Barnes.
9:35pm: Though scratches of Sanchez and Wilson from the Pirates' lineup made people curious tonight, Kovacevic says that there's "nothing likely" to happen tonight with them.
5:35pm: Kovacevic has updated his previous report, saying that "primary" talks about Sanchez have been with the Giants, and they "were believed to have intensifed last night." But Kovacevic says the Twins are still in the mix as well.
3:28pm: A Pirates official tells Kovacevic that the club doesn't need to move either Sanchez or Wilson and won't trade them unless they see a good offer.
Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Giants are pretty seriously involved in talks for Sanchez.
2:16pm: Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse hears that the Angels are "likely looking" at Sanchez. The way Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis are hitting lately, that'd be a curious acquisition.
1:33pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that the Pirates plan on dealing Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson this week. The Giants could be suitors for Sanchez and the Red Sox have considered Wilson in the past.
9:58am: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears that the Pirates have put off extension talks with Sanchez and Wilson until after the deadline and will instead entertain trade offers for them. The trade talks may not stop this Friday; if either player clears wiavers, the Pirates will be able to deal him until the end of August.
Kovacevic hears the Pirates may be open to paying some of Sanchez's 2010 contract to acquire better prospects in a possible trade.
8:27am: The Pirates still have a number of players attracting interest from other teams. Here's the latest on their trade candidates, from John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com:
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is trying to persuade his GM to go after Zach Duke, who won't become a free agent until after the 2011 season.
- The Cubs have stepped up their pursuit of reliever John Grabow, but they may not have the prospects to interest the Pirates.
- The Twins and Braves have checked in on Freddy Sanchez, but some executives believe the Pirates will have trouble moving him without contributing to the $8.1MM option for next year that's likely to vest.
- The Red Sox are once again "kicking the tires" on Jack Wilson.
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Rays, Red Sox Talking Blockbusters With Tribe
4:33pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hear that the Rays may be shying away from a blockbuster deal. They're 5.0 games behind Boston in the Wild Card race, so their next two games against the Yankees could determine the team's direction.
If the Rays are discouraged after the Yankees series, they could make Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradford, Grant Balfour, Joe Nelson and Lance Cormier available, according to the FOX Sports source.
12:59pm: The Rays have shopped Scott Kazmir to the Mets and Rangers, according to Joel Sherman. The Rangers turned down an offer from the Rays and the Mets just had initial interest. The Rays would consider dealing Kazmir, Carlos Pena and even Carl Crawford to free up enough salary to make a blockbuster deal for Martinez and Lee.
The Rays still have interest in Halladay.
TUESDAY, 11:16am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more dish on the idea of a team acquiring both Lee and V-Mart in a blockbuster trade. The idea has been considered in Cleveland but is considered very unlikely due to the magnitude of prospects required. While the Red Sox could technically pull it off, the Rays wouldn't have the payroll space.
MONDAY, 4:35pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears the Rays are still "in on" V-Mart and Lee. There's still a chance that they'll trade Scott Kazmir to the Angels, too.
1:35pm: The Rays and Red Sox are each discussing blockbuster deals with the Indians for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Here are the details and the rest of Sherman's rumors:
- The Rays would deal Wade Davis, but the Red Sox are hesitant to deal Clay Buchholz.
- The Phillies, Brewers and Rangers have interest in Lee and the Giants have interest in V-Mart.
- One executive is "1,000%" confident the Indians will move Lee and Martinez to free up money.
- An AL executive says the Phillies will acquire Lee, Roy Halladay or Jarrod Washburn by Friday afternoon.
- The Padres may be more willing to deal Heath Bell than expected. As one official says, Bell will be an expensive closer on a bad team if the Padres don't trade him.
- The Yankees have been interested in Bell, whose value is higher than ever.
Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox, Rangers
Let's dig into the latest from SI's Jon Heyman.
- The Yankees called the Mariners Saturday to inquire on Jarrod Washburn, and were told at the time that the Ms weren't ready to sell. Perhaps that has since changed, based on today's report from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. Here's my question: was Seattle's decision to hold on to Washburn last summer prudent, or did they just get lucky? Heyman says Bronson Arroyo is a "fallback option" for the Yanks should the Reds change course and offer to eat significant salary.
- Heyman gives his take on the Roy Halladay situation, explaining where suitors such as the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, and Dodgers sit. Heyman still sees the Phils as the favorite. He says the Dodgers "are more focused on Cliff Lee than Halladay" but don't want to break up their Major League roster. Good luck with that. One Heyman source suggested the Red Sox would need to give up Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, and Jed Lowrie (Gordon Edes says Bard is off-limits).
- Heyman also talks a bit about Boston's interest in major bats Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez.
- Heyman finds the Rangers unlikely to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee, though they have expressed interest. The Rangers won't be restricted, at least by MLB, because of Tom Hicks' financial woes. I don't see why the money owed to Halladay would be an issue for any club. He's a massive bargain.
- The Angles have yet to cop to interest in Rays starter Scott Kazmir. Heyman guesses Tampa Bay would love to be free of Kazmir's contract ($24.8MM through 2011 doesn't seem too burdensome though). Earlier today the lefty was connected to the Rangers and Mets by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Heyman speculates that one reason the Cards would like to extend Matt Holliday is to impress Albert Pujols.
Angels Turning Their Attention To Lee
Tim Brown and Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports report that the Angels have "shifted their emphasis" to Cliff Lee after being frustrated in their pursuit of Roy Halladay. The Halos do not want to part with Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, and another prospect for a single pitcher, even one as great as Halladay, and they believe they can land Lee with a lesser package.
The article also mentions that the Angels are also looking for a power arm to add to their pen.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday
8:58pm: Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune says the Twins asked about Halladay, but were told they weren't on the list of teams he would approve a trade to.
7:27pm: Joe McDonald and Paul Kenyon of The Providence Journal say that Ricciardi wanted pitchers Clay Buchholz, Casey Kelly, and another top prospect from the Red Sox in exchange for Halladay.
6:10pm: Zolecki tweets that a "Phillies spokesman said from their point of view there is no animosity between themselves and any team they're talking to."
5:34pm: Joel Sherman of The NY Post says that the Jays will go right up to the 4pm deadline on Friday if need be. He also mentions that Ricciardi is "emphasizing a need for at least one player to move directly onto the major league roster."
4:33pm: Price hears the Rays have backed off Halladay for now, because the Blue Jays are asking for so much.
3:47pm: A Blue Jays person tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that the Jays want "every last good guy" in a team's system if they're going to part with Halladay.
3:18pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that talks are "not going well" between the Blue Jays and Phillies. The Jays are not lowering their demands, which include Happ, Drabek and Brown. Because the Blue Jays are "not blinking," the Phils are also considering Cliff Lee, who also figures to cost the team top prospects.
The Blue Jays would rather not trade within the division, but could deal with the Red Sox or Rays since talks with the Phillies are "deteriorating." The Rangers are a possibile fit, but the Blue Jays will not take on Halladay's salary in any trade.
1:48pm: A high-ranking official involved in talks between the Jays and Phillies tells Heyman there's a 5% chance a deal happens. Neither side seems willing to modify its proposal, but that could change before Friday.
1:14pm: Two sources tell MLB.com's Todd Zolecki that the Blue Jays' demands are reasonable. However, the Phillies don't want to compromise future teams by trading Happ, Drabek and Brown.
1:07pm: Heyman hears that the Phils and Jays are at an "impasse" right now. We still have 100 hours until the deadline, so there's time to overcome it.
1:04pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that dialogue between the Phillies and Blue Jays has become angry as they discuss prospects.
12:28pm: Yahoo's Gordon Edes hears that the Red Sox could potentially offer the Jays Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard plus minor leaguers such as Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa and Casey Kelly. However, Edes' source says the Red Sox aren't going to "give up the farm" in any trade.
12:19pm: Jon Heyman says the Phillies remain the frontrunners for Halladay. Don't completely rule out the Red Sox, Yankees and Dodgers, but a trade to any of those clubs seems highly unlikely.
10:11am: Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that they expect Halladay to remain a Jay. Elliott says the Phillies, Red Sox and Angels have the best chance of obtaining Doc.
9:22am: J.P. Ricciardi's self-imposed deadline to trade Roy Halladay is just a day away. We know the Giants aren't trading for him and Ricciardi said the chances of any deal are "very slim". Here are the latest rumors as we begin the week of the trade deadline:
- A source "essentially confirmed" to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that the Jays rejected a package of J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, Michael Taylor and Jason Donald for Halladay, after the Phils rejected the Jays' offer of Happ, Kyle Drabek and Dominic Brown. We'd heard this before, but we have confirmation now.
- The Yankees are reluctant to part with prospects and take on salary, so they're showing no signs of interest in Halladay or Cliff Lee, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said GM Theo Epstein "is burning the midnight oil" in possible trade talks and is discussing the top names available, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
A’s Rumors: Wuertz, Duchscherer
Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports have the latest on some of the Athletics' trade candidates:
- The Angels are one of many teams interested in reliever Michael Wuertz. He's under team control through 2011 and strikes out 11.8 batters per nine innings, so the A's would have to be wowed to move him.
- The A's would likely accept a "modest prospect" for Justin Duchscherer, who's currently rehabbing. There's about $1.3MM remaining on the righty's contract before he hits free agency after the season.
Odds And Ends: Pena, Snell, Richard
Some links to read on the day Alex Rodriguez turns 34…
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia told Ben Bolch of the LA Times that teams in the market for pitching will have to overpay for it.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press that it's a seller's market because many teams remain within range of a playoff spot.
- The Royals are converting shortstop Tony Pena Jr. into a pitcher according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- As Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review shows, Ian Snell has dominated Triple A hitters. Snell has said he doesn't want to return to the Pirates, so he has attracted interest as a trade chip, specifically from the Yankees.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wonders if Clayton Richard's future is in the rotation, the 'pen, or on a team other than the White Sox.
- Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a quote from Bobby Valentine, who says it's time for him to leave the Chiba Lotte Marines after the season.