Odds and Ends: Pedro, Wells, Tepesch, Zito
A few links for your pre-second half entertainment:
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs is counting down the 50 players with the most trade value. Today, he posted #30-#26.
- ESPN's Jayson Stark recaps the Pedro Martinez press conference, and contends that the newest Phillie will start off on the DL because he didn't want to sign a minor league contract.
- Anthony Rieber of Newsday.com argues that the Yankess are in a unique position to land Roy Halladay – if they are willing to eat the contract of Vernon Wells.
- In the latest in a series of short videos on college prospects, ESPN's Keith Law scouts Missouri RHP Nick Tepesch.
- And Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News argues that it is time for the Giants to attempt to trade Barry Zito or release him in the off-season.
Odds And Ends: Strasburg, Huff, Pedro
Some links to read through this afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick says the Nats "absolutely, positively must sign" Stephen Strasburg this summer. The Strasburg saga is just one of Crasnick's nine stories to watch in the second half.
- Stan McNeal of the Sporting News says a fringe prospect should be enough for the O's to ship Aubrey Huff and his $8MM salary away.
- Pedro Martinez said he was pitching hurt with the Mets, but feels better now, according to the AP (via ESPN).
- Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues says the Yankees would have to be prepared to give up a painful amount in a possible Roy Halladay deal.
- Pirates reliever Tyler Yates had Tommy John surgery, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Check out my thoughts on the market for outfielders this offseason at NESN.com. Evans Clinchy of NESN.com believes it's now time for the Red Sox to lock Jason Bay up.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
Roy Halladay will start tonight's All-Star Game, but that doesn't stop the rumors. Here's the latest:
- Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse adds this quote from the Blue Jays ace: "I've never been a person that had to be wooed. I know what I'm looking for. … If things did come up, it would be a pretty easy decision."
- According to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, Halladay wouldn't reveal his list of desired destinations Tuesday, saying only that he would like to join a contender.
- Halladay told WEEI's Rob Bradford that a long-term extension isn't his top priority in a trade. It's more about a desire to win: “I really haven’t got that point. I think I’ve been fortunate that early in my career I was able to take care of my family and get in the situation to start putting the emphasis on what I would like and I think at this point it’s trying to win,” said the Toronto ace. “For me I don’t see it foresee it being hugely important, and if something is worked out afterward… I think you’re just looking for a chance to win.”
- Steve Kornacki of MLive.com hears that the Blue Jays want a shortstop prospect and pitching in return for Halladay, He suggests the Tigers could include a shortstop like Brent Dlugach, Cale Iorg or Danny Worth in an offer for Halladay.
- Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears the Red Sox would love to go after Halladay, but want the price to come down first.
- Last week Ricciardi told Cafardo that he doesn't expect to make a deal for Halladay.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Angels and Yankees are the favorites to land Halladay.
- Doc jokingly "declined comment" when Aaron Hill asked him which team he was headed to, according to Elliott.
- Woody Paige of the Denver Post says the Rockies need to go after Halladay, who happens to be from Colorado.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday
Roy Halladay spoke with reporters about the possibility of getting traded. Here's some of what he said:
- Ideally, Halladay would stay in Toronto and win there, says WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
- It's worth repeating that Halladay doesn't have a list of teams to which he would accept trades.
- He guesses there's a 50-50 chance he's traded.
- At some point in a player's career it's time to win, and Halladay says winning is the most important thing for him now.
- Newsday's Ken Davidoff says Halladay wouldn't mind pitching in the National League.
- Halladay would also consider a trade to the Yankees, according to Davidoff.
- Jayson Werth says it's time to trade away minor leaguers if it means acquiring Halladay, according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
Odds & Ends: Berroa, Futures Game, Yankees, Pedro, Rolen
There's no such thing as too many links…
- Most fans expressed their displeasure with the move in our comments, but Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus defends the Mets' signing of Angel Berroa.
- ESPN's Keith Law tell tells you everything you need to know about the prospects playing in this year's Futures Game, and then some. The game is tomorrow at 1pm CST.
- Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer comfirmed to NoMaas' Lane Meyer that the team has signed two draft picks, including seventh rounder Sean Black. Black was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft, heading to Seton Hall instead of signing with the Nationals as the 59th overall selection.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Pedro Martinez "has said the parties are negotiating a deal," referring to his representatives and the Phillies.
- Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail says he's "hearing some interest in (Scott) Rolen." He mentions that there are a dozen scouts at tonight's Blue Jays game, including two from the Dodgers.
Odds & Ends: Betancourt, Francoeur, Halladay, Angels
We managed to find some rumors in between all of the Jonathan Sanchez no-hitter coverage this morning. Congrats to Jonathan, hopefully Juan Uribe will be buying him a very big and expensive steak dinner. Or ten. On to the links…
- ESPN's Keith Law doesn't like the Yuniesky Betancourt trade for the Royals, saying he might be the worst everyday player in the big leagues.
- David Lennon of Newsday says that Mets GM Omar Minaya wanted to send a message by acquiring Jeff Francoeur, but it's "more like a gentle poke than a full-blown shake-up."
- SI's Jon Heyman tweets that he'd include the struggling Joba Chamberlain in a package for Roy Halladay "no problem."
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure writes that the Angels efforts on the international market stalled this year after the firing of international scouting supervisor Clay Daniels, who is under investigation by Major League Baseball for his part in the bonus-skimming scandal. Arangure also has notes on several other big name international signees, including Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias, who received $8.2MM from the Red Sox.
- MLBTR's own Ben Nicholson-Smith will be on 940 ESPN Radio at 10am CST this morning talking rumors. Click the link to give a listen.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Halladay
On this date one year ago, Richie Sexson was released by the Seattle Mariners with almost $8MM remaining on his contract. Sexson would later sign with the Yankees and appear in 22 games and hit one home run. With the trade deadline fast approaching, let's take a look at what is being written in the Blogosphere…
- MLB Notebook breaks down the contenders for Roy Halladay.
- Over the Monster says the Red Sox won't trade for Roy Halladay and they don't need him.
- The Yankee Universe takes a look at what trading for Roy Halladay would mean for the Yankees' payroll.
- Sports Jabber says the Phillies "must" acquire Roy Halladay as long as they don't have to give up anybody that would potentially help the team this year or next.
- Simon on Sports weighs the pros and cons of trading Roy Halladay.
- Fire Brand of the American League sees the Red Sox as the best fit for Roy Halladay as long as the Jays are willing to deal within the division.
- The Phrontiersman makes a case that the Phillies farm system is deep enough to surrender their top prospects for Roy Halladay.
- Sox and Pinstripes argues that neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox will land Roy Halladay.
- Sports of Boston looks at who the Red Sox should keep and who they should move in the next few weeks, in light of the Roy Halladay rumors.
- The Blue Jay Hunter offers the viewpoint of a Jays fan on the Roy Halladay rumors.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here, and followed on Twitter here.
Halladay And The AL East
The Red Sox phoned the Blue Jays about Roy Halladay, according to Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal. Jon Heyman hears that the Jays are reluctant to deal within the AL East, but they'll have the option to. McDonald reports that the Red Sox and Yankees are on a list of teams Halladay has told the Jays he would accept trades to. The Blue Jays are scouting "all minor league levels" of the Yankees and Red Sox, according to McDonald.
McDonald says the Rays also phoned the Blue Jays. It's unlikely the Rays would make a play for Halladay, as they have little money to spend. However, as Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune reports, they likely won't have to make in-season payroll cuts.
The Yankees are talking to the Jays about a potential deal, but Heyman says not even the Yanks think they'll actually make it happen.
Blue Jays fans, who haven't cheered on a playoff team since Joe Carter touched 'em all in 1993, would generally be infuriated by an intra-divisional trade.
Sherman: Yankees Won’t Trade For Halladay
Yankees officials told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that there's zero chance they trade for Roy Halladay, for the same reasons they didn't deal for Johan Santana. The cost in terms of both salary and prospects is too high.
The news is a minor blow for the Blue Jays, who could have used the Yankees' interest to drive up Halladay's price, even if they had no intention of dealing their ace within the division.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Wednesday
One of baseball's most talented and dependable pitchers is available for the right combination of talent. Here's a collection of Roy Halladay-themed rumors and thoughts from around the league:
- It's doubtful that the Jays would trade Halladay within the AL East and the Yankees wouldn't be likely to part with enough pieces to acquire him, a source told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.
- Seems to me that it's in the Jays' best interest to have many bidders involved, especially their AL East rivals, if only to boost the asking price for other clubs.
- Feinsand suggests Yankees fans should give up on acquiring the Jays ace and just hope he's dealt to the NL.
- Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times says the Angels have known for weeks that the Jays would listen on Halladay.
- One Phillies person told Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer the team's serious about pursuing Halladay.
- One scout told Salisbury Halladay's the best pitcher in baseball, good enough to win 27 games in the NL. Another scout expects Doc to end up with the Red Sox or Angels.
- Scott Lauber of the News Journal believes Ruben Amaro Jr. needs to strike a deal for Halladay.
- When his contract expires after 2010 Halladay will want to play for a winner, whether in Toronto or elsewhere, according to Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun.
- MLB.com's Ken Gurnick doesn't expect the Dodgers to acquire Halladay.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Jays missed their chance to deal Halladay last year, when money flowed more freely and before teams clung onto their prospects as tightly.
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes agrees, as attendance is down this year, but says teams like the Yankees could always jump in with a bid.
- A friend of Halladay's told Jon Heyman of SI.com that Doc would likely approve trades to Boston, New York or Philadelphia.
- Pete Abraham of the Journal News says J.P. Ricciardi played it "exactly right" yesterday, building hype about Halladay by telling everyone he could be available.