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The Lefty Reliever Market

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Let’s take a look at some of the left-handed relievers on the market.

George Sherrill, Orioles

Brian Fuentes, Rockies

Damaso Marte, Pirates

  • 33 years old, $6MM club option for ’09 with a $250K buyout.  Type A status likely.
  • Known suitors: Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, Rays
  • Asking price: Perhaps a package exceeding the value of two draft picks

Ron Mahay, Royals

  • 37 years old, signed for ’09 at $4MM. 
  • Known suitors: Cardinals, Yankees, Rays
  • Asking price: Unknown, but Royals intend to keep him. Rany Jazayerli wonders if trading Mahay now would discourage future free agents from signing with KC.

John Grabow, Pirates

  • 29 years old, under team control through ’09.  Elbow stiffness last year.
  • Known suitors: Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals
  • Asking price: Less than that of Marte

Eddie Guardado, Rangers

Alan Embree, Athletics

  • 38 years old, $3MM club option for ’09.  Type A status possible, but may choose to accept offer of arbitration.  Embree wouldn’t be surprised if he was traded.
  • Known suitors: None
  • Asking price: Unknown

Jeremy Affeldt, Reds

  • 29 years old, free agent after season.  Type B status possible, could accept offer of arbitration.
  • Known suitors: Yankees, Rays, Astros, Phillies last offseason
  • Asking price: Unknown

Ray Durham Trade Reactions

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Yesterday, the Giants traded second baseman Ray Durham to the Brewers for minor leaguers Darren Ford and Steve Hammond.  They were ranked 21st and 27th among Brewers prospects heading into the season, according to Baseball America.  Today let’s look at reactions to the trade.

Ray Durham To Brewers

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1:33PM Keith Law says the Giants got prospects Darren Ford and Steve Hammond in exchange for two months of Durham.

Buster Olney’s reporting the Brewers have acquired Ray Durham.  It’s not yet known what they received in return, although according to the Milwaukee Sentinel, OF prospect Darren Ford was removed from his class-A Brevard County starting lineup yesterday "with indications he is being traded."  MLBTR covered movement on this yesterday.

Durham, a switch hitter, brings his bat to the Brewers bench and could take over Rickie Weeks’ spot on the depth chart if Weeks continues to struggle in the second half.

Heyman’s Latest: Street, Durham, Holliday

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SI.com’s Jon Heyman just posted a new column.

  • The Brewers and White Sox inquired on A’s closer Huston Street.  However, A’s GM Billy Beane said "there is nothing going on" in regards to Street.  The Sox were linked to both Street and Jon Rauch today, so Kenny Williams is clearly monitoring the relief market.
  • Heyman says the Rays have not discussed Street with the A’s, and the Dodgers "aren’t believed to be heavily involved."
  • Heyman is on board with the recent rumors about Ray Durham and Jack Taschner possibly heading to Milwaukee.
  • Heyman also confirms Ken Rosenthal’s report of the Phillies’ interest in Matt Holliday.  He agrees that these talks have cooled, but notes a good relationship between GMs Dan O’Dowd and Pat Gillick.  Gillick and O’Dowd have matched up for three deals, two occuring while Gillick worked for the Mariners.
  • The Dodgers continue to consider shortstop a priority.  Heyman wonders if Cristian Guzman would be a fit, especially if extension talks sour.  Jack Wilson and David Eckstein are other possibilities.

Brewers Working On Durham Deal?

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11:23pm: The San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman comments on the rumor, noting the convenient timing of Durham’s bout with the flu. 

As was Haudricourt, Schulman is skeptical about a separate Rickie Weeks-to-San Francisco rumor floating about.  But both beat writers acknowledged the rumor, so someone’s putting it out there.

9:31pm: An update from Haudricourt.  He believes the Brewers are working on a smaller deal for Jack Taschner or Ray Durham, rather than Street.

Haudricourt says the Brewers scouted Street but the scouts were not impressed.  He’s not coming to Milwaukee.

7:21pm: Brewers beat writer Tom Haudricourt thinks Oakland closer Huston Street is Milwaukee-bound. He says the word on the street is outfielder Darren Ford, 22, is the price. Ford was pulled from Brevard County’s lineup before its game against Clearwater. Says Haudricourt:

The fact that Ford was pulled from the lineup makes me believe something could be up. He has no injury that I know of.

Baseball America did not list Ford among the Brewers’ top 10 prospects before this season, but he was named the organization’s fastest baserunner and best defensive outfielder. So far this year in the Florida State League, Ford is hitting .232 with a .321 OBP and a .307 SLG. He’s got 44 steals in 87 games.

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

Brewers Eyeing Huston Street?

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11:34pm: Haudricourt says the Brewers dispatched their top special assistant to watch the A’s play the Yankees.  Haudricourt speculates that the Brewers might have an eye on Huston Street, who is under team control through 2010.  Street’s had an off-year, mainly due to a rising home run rate.

4:38pm: As usual, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has the latest Brewers hot stove chatter.

  • GM Doug Melvin is calling around about relief help, but as you might imagine prices are high.
  • Melvin would not confirm Ken Rosenthal’s rumor that the Brewers are interested in the Giants’ Jack Taschner and Ray Durham.  Melvin is always honest with Haudricourt, so it’s worth noting that he didn’t deny it either.
  • Melvin seemingly has a little room in the payroll to make a reasonable addition.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Fuentes, Holliday, Sherrill

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Ken Rosenthal tops off the day with a column full of rumors.

  • Signing Mark Teixeira as a replacement for Manny Ramirez doesn’t make sense for the Red Sox, who don’t want to take on that kind of mega-contract.
  • The Phillies were recently working on a blockbuster with Colorado that would have netted them Brian Fuentes and Matt Holliday for something like Shane Victorino, J.A. Happ, Carlos Carrasco, and Lou Marson.  Those talks have stalled, and the added payroll might’ve been a problem for the Phillies anyway.
  • Though Frank McCourt denies it, Rosenthal says the Dodgers owned vetoed a CC Sabathia/Casey Blake/Jamey Carroll blockbuster because of a desire to keep trades payroll-neutral.
  • The Rockies, as well as the many suitors for Brian Fuentes, fear he could accept an offer of arbitration and saddle them with an $8MM salary in ’09 instead of two draft picks.  Given Fuentes’ stated desire to close, I find this unlikely.
  • A Pirates scout watched David Price’s last start, though he was likely looking at other members of the Montgomery Biscuits.  The Rays are known to be interested in Xavier Nady.
  • The A’s, stacked with second base candidates, are already getting calls on Adrian Cardenas.  Trading Mark Ellis would make more sense though.
  • Rosenthal believes the Orioles are reluctant to trade George Sherrill because they don’t have a suitable replacement for him in the ninth inning this year.
  • Brewers minor league shortstop Alcides Escobar is untouchable, and his ascent could lead the team to shop J.J. Hardy this winter.

Week in Review

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Here’s a look back at the biggest stories MLBTR covered for the week of July 6 – 13:

  • The Brewers completed a deal for C.C. Sabathia, sending Matt LaPorta and other prospects to Cleveland in return. Sabathia’s looked great so far, and LaPorta’s already making an impact in the Indians minor league system. Looks good for both teams right now if you ask this guy.
  • The Cubs answered their division rival quickly, landing Oakland ace Rich Harden along with Chad Gaudin in exchange for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher, Eric Patterson, and Josh Donaldson. Harden was brilliant in his debut. I think this could be another win-win trade, if Harden stays healthy.
  • It was once again made clear that no one has interest in Barry Bonds, even at this juncture of the season. Seems like we’ve heard this once or twice before…
  • It was a long time coming: The Mariners released Richie Sexson. Could the Yankees be interested?
  • With likely season-ending injuries to both Eric Byrnes and Moises Alou (possibly career-ending in Alou’s case), both the D’Backs and Mets are in the market for corner outfielders. Raul Ibanez should be appealing to both clubs, though the Mariners may not be interested in trading him, Jim Riggleman says. Carlos Beltran voiced his support of acquiring Ibanez. I personally don’t see why Seattle wouldn’t pull the trigger, but I’m not a Major League GM, I suppose.
  • Tim updated both the first base and catcher markets in the Trade Market Series.
  • The Twins had internal discussions on Adrian Beltre. A third base upgrade would certainly be nice, but they’re not known for making big moves at the deadline. Could Bill Smith change that reputation in his first year as GM?

Stark’s Latest: Burnett, Nady, Greinke, Burrell

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FRIDAY: We have an update to Stark’s column – he is now saying that Burnett does have veto power over 15 teams.

THURSDAY: Let’s take a look at Jayson Stark’s latest over at ESPN.com.

  • The Phillies and Yankees both made failed runs at CC Sabathia.  The Phils wouldn’t include Carlos Carrasco or Lou Marson, while the Yanks insisted on a negotiating window.  The Phils are looking at Erik Bedard and A.J. Burnett by default, while neither of those pitchers makes sense for the Yankees.  The Yanks checked in on Aaron Harang, but that’s a moot point since he’s ailing.
  • Despite the Dodgers’ run at Sabathia, they’re apparently not looking at other starters.
  • Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that Burnett had veto power over 15 teams, but Stark’s source says it’s just a handful of teams.  It’ll be tough to convince Burnett not to opt out of his contract after the season, unless he’s hurt.
  • The Braves still haven’t made the buy/sell decision.  If they buy, Xavier Nady is the top target.  If they sell, Mark Teixeira is the best chip.  Apparently Scott Boras is talking about $23MM per year for Tex this winter.
  • The Giants are pretty clearly not trading Matt Cain.
  • The Orioles, making a run at .500, don’t seem motivated to move George Sherrill or othe top veterans.
  • The Brewers’ Plan B beyond Sabathia was Zack Greinke, rather than Rich Harden.  Ken Rosenthal recently said the Royals were "decidedly uninterested in moving Greinke," however.
  • Stark says it "wouldn’t be out of the question" for the Cubs to pursue a lefthanded starter like Randy Wolf, despite the Harden acquisition.
  • Extension with the Phillies for Pat Burrell did not get very far.

Odds and Ends: Taveras, Kemp, Mota

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Today’s random linkage.

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