Odds And Ends: Wagner, Red Sox, Scherzer
An assortment of links to get the day started…
- Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News hears that one AL contender has at least some interest in adding Billy Wagner for the stretch run. The lefty makes $10.5MM this year and has a $1MM buyout for 2010, so Wagner seems likely to clear waivers.
- Rubin says the Mets won't likely offer Wagner or Carlos Delgado arbitration after the season.
- As Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports, Max Scherzer uses some pretty advanced stats to judge his performances.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Yanks and Padres almost completed the Chad Gaudin trade before the deadline. When Kenny Williams called about the Jake Peavy deal, Towers had to ignore Cashman, but the teams struck a deal in the end.
- Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says one look at John Smoltz's face suggests he may be done.
- Yahoo's Gordon Edes says Smoltz looked like a "pitcher turned pinata" last night.
- Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Inquirer says Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. looks pretty smart right now.
Odds And Ends: Colon, Lee, Bedard, Ligtenberg
More links for the afternoon…
- If you don't already know which three major leaguers have weight or fitness-related clauses in their contracts, check out Jorge Says No! to find out.
- Marc Hulet of FanGraphs says the Blue Jays acquired two of the top ten prospects moved this deadline. He ranks Zach Stewart 8th and Josh Roenicke 10th among all prospects dealt.
- The White Sox don't know where Bartolo Colon is, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Via Twitter, Ed Price of AOL FanHouse informs us that Phillies' acquisition Cliff Lee has allowed four runners past first base in 16 innings with his new team. Not bad.
- Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune says there's a good chance Erik Bedard will need another exploratory surgery after he undergoes an MRI tomorrow.
- Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus reports that former MLB reliever Kerry Ligtenberg retired. He had been pitching in an independent league.
Which Teams Took On Salary At The Deadline?
As the trade deadline approached, we heard many writers and executives suggest teams would be unable to add payroll this year. Here's a breakdown of the teams that added at least $1MM in salary to their 2009 payrolls this summer. All totals are approximate:
- The Cardinals added $2.9MM to the team's payroll when they traded for Mark DeRosa and $3.7MM when they added Matt Holliday for a total of $6.6MM.
- The Red Sox added $4.5MM between the Victor Martinez and Adam LaRoche deals.
- Acquiring Jarrod Washburn added about $3.6MM to the Tigers' payroll.
- The White Sox added $2.8MM in salary when they made the Jake Peavy deal.
- The Giants added $2.1MM in the Freddy Sanchez trade.
- The Phillies added $2MM in the Cliff Lee deal.
- The Rockies added $1.9MM in the Rafael Betancourt and Joe Beimel deals.
- The Brewers took on $1.4MM by dealing for Felipe Lopez.
- The Braves took on $1.3MM to add Nate McLouth.
- The Twins added $1.25MM in salary by trading for Orlando Cabrera.
- They didn't take on much salary, but between the Eric Hinske deal and the Jerry Hairston Jr. acquisition, the Yanks added $1.1MM.
- The Dodgers added about $1MM when they dealt for George Sherrill.
In total, 12 teams added payroll, but only one took on more than $5MM. The prognosticators were right about one thing: teams didn't take on much payroll. However, few predicted 12 teams would take on salary at the deadline. Looks like many teams set economic concerns aside when presented with the chance to win.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Lee, Rays
Some links to (maybe) cap an already wild day in rumor-land:
- Joe McDonald at the Providence Journal thinks the Red Sox need to make a major deal.
- Dan Novick at the Hardball Times wonders if the Lee trade was a win-win.
- John Campanelli at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer gets reactions from Indians fans on the Lee deal. Suffice to say, they ain't happy.
- Nationals acting manager Jim Riggleman wants to see the team's core remain intact, says Chico Harlan at the Washington Post.
- Marc Topkin at the St. Petersburg Times says the Rays "seem unlikely" to make a big deal.
- Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times thinks the Mariners' deals today for Ian Snell and Jack Wilson probably spell some more trades on the horizon–potentially involving Jarrod Washburn.
- The Nationals released Julian Tavarez today, who had cleared waivers. Corey Patterson also cleared waivers and has been released from the Triple A club, reports Bill Ladson at MLB.com.
- David Laurila at Baseball Prospectus has a profile and some quotes from new Pirate Tim Alderson.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Wednesday
10:19pm: As we learned earlier today, Rosenthal and Morosi say that Halladay hasn't ruled out waiving his no-trade clause to come to the Rangers. The Rangers are optimistic their payroll issues will be fixed next year, and despite current difficulties, Morosi and Rosenthal wonder if the prospects might be good enough to entice Ricciardi to include money in a deal. Still, such a deal seems like a longshot.
8:43pm: Scott Miller at CBS Sports gives his take on the discussions, noting that there are "obstacles aplenty" to getting a deal done. One exec wonders about the motivations behind their making Halladay available: "If you wait and do it in the offseason, you're going to get less than you get now.
"Because if you trade him now, the team that gets him gets him for two playoff runs [this year and next; Halladay is signed through 2010]. That makes it more reasonable that they would get maximum value for him."
Another scout questions the Red Sox' ability to land Halladay without a glut of high-level prospects at AA and AAA, which would make it tough to strike a deal without including a third team. Additionally, the Angels have reportedly traded these names with the Blue Jays: Erick Aybar, Kevin Jepsen, Brandon Wood, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, Sean Rodriguez, Jered Weaver and others.
6:58pm: The race still has a little life–Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal are reporting that the Rays consider themselves a "longshot" to land Halladay due to the cost in money and prospects, but still believe they're "in the mix" for him. They're also focusing their sights on relief help.
4:39pm: Bill Shaikin and Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times report that the Dodgers have discussed softening their stance on Chad Billingsley and would consider making him available in a trade, but they're still not expected to do so.
4:24pm: Ricciardi tells MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that he probably won't deal Halladay to the Phillies now that they have Lee. The Jays are still talking with other teams, including the Red Sox.
4:01pm: Rosenthal and Morosi report that the Rays are no longer pursuing Halladay. Instead, they'll look for bullpen help, just a day after they considered trading relievers away.
2:14pm: Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox are focused on their talks with the Blue Jays. However, Ryan Westmoreland and Casey Kelly are "off-limits" and the Red Sox want to keep Daniel Bard.
1:43pm: Ricciardi tells Sherman he expects to keep Halladay through 2010 and try to win next year.
1:40pm: Ricciardi still says he'd have to be wowed to move Halladay, according to Peter Gammons of ESPN.com. Gammons says it doesn't look like there's a "wow" deal out there.
1:32pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi hear that Halladay would consider a deal to the Rangers, but would be more likely to accept deals to Boston, the Dodgers, the Angels or the Yankees.
1:28pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Blue Jays wouldn't accept Jason Knapp as the centerpiece of a deal and instead insisted on obtaining Kyle Drabek. Sherman cites an executive who says the Red Sox have the best chance of obtaining Halladay now that the Phillies will acquire Lee.
1:17pm: Ricciardi tells Danny Knobler of CBS Sports that Halladay will "definitely" pitch for the Blue Jays tonight. Meanwhile, Heyman wonders if the Jays will be "stuck" with Halladay now that Boston's talking a lot about Victor Martinez.
1:14pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Blue Jays haven't made significant progress towards a possible Halladay deal. Instead, a source tells Olney "all is quiet."
12:37pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse reports that the Phillies are doing "nothing" with the Blue Jays right now.
11:54am: Rosenthal and Morosi say the Blue Jays lose leverage if the Phillies acquire Cliff Lee. The Jays would then have to accept an offer from Boston or consider other, possibly inferior, proposals. The Yankees, Rangers and Dodgers are still "on the periphery" of the Halladay talks.
10:23am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears Marson and Donald were scheduled to get the day off. Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail hears that Carrasco's absence from the game has nothing to do with Halladay.
10:04am: As many readers have noted, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson aren't in the lineup for the Phillies' Triple A team this afternoon. It could be a coincidence, but it's of interest at least, since all are possible trade candidates and Carrasco was expected to start. Michael Taylor is batting fifth.
9:00am: Here's a quick recap of all the Roy Halladay rumors we heard yesterday: J.P. Ricciardi's self-imposed deadline passed, but the rumors persist; the Jays continue to demand Kyle Drabek in any trade; the Phillies are divided on how much to give up for Doc; the Rangers are still involved, and so are the Red Sox, who were more aggressive than ever yesterday and may be prepared to deal Clay Buchholz and other top prospects for Halladay. Got it? Now for today's rumors:
- Michael Silverman and Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald report that the Blue Jays have turned down a Red Sox proposal, but the Red Sox haven't turned any offers down from the Jays.
- Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times hears from a source who says the Dodgers aren't willing to part with the talent it would take to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee. Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are off-limits.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com talked to a number of executives around the league who believe Halladay will be dealt, probably to the Phillies. As one GM says "there's no putting the genie back in the bottle."
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that Yankees GM Brian Cashman spoke with Ricciardi yesterday, something he does regularly. The Jays would want Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes from the Yanks for Halladay if the Yankees start pursuing him aggressively.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun hears that the Blue Jays have found a new team president to take over after the season. Until then Paul Beeston is very much a part of the team's decisions, including any possible Halladay trades.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Yankees, Braves
Did anyone expect the deadline to be this active? What a week. Some more tidbits:
- The Rangers signed their third-round selection, LHP Robbie Erlin, reports T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com.
- Jayson Stark has an extensive breakdown of the Cliff Lee trade–the Cy Young pitcher they needed, not the one they necessarily wanted.
- The Yankees have interest in Tigers OF Josh Anderson, says Danny Knobler at CBS Sports, and now Jim Leyland agrees, says Steve Kornacki at mlive.com.
- John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer notes that in a very roundabout fashion, the Reds traded Paul O'Neill for Wladimir Balentien.
- Mark Bowman at MLB.com reports that the Braves have been quiet on the trade front, and aren't pressured to make a big splash after the Cliff Lee deal. They've inquired on a few relievers that apparently aren't available.
- Despite the Phils' acquisitions, the Marlins are still in it to win it, says Alden Gonzalez at MLB.com.
- Fangraphs gives their analysis of the Freddy Sanchez and Jason Hirsh deals.
- Todd Zolecki at MLB.com gets Phillie rival players' takes on the Lee deal.
Phillies Acquire Lee, Francisco
6:05pm: After a little confusion, the deal is now official, according to a press release. The Phils add an ace and a right-handed bat, and the Indians receive four top rebuilding pieces. Ed Price at AOL Fanhouse says that Donald, Marson and Carrasco will all report to AAA Columbus and Knapp to A Lake County.
1:18pm: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince says Lee and Francisco haven't been told anything official yet, but they've read the reports.
12:59pm: Rosenthal reports that the deal would not include any cash. He calls the trade, which isn't yet official, a "coup" for both sides.
12:42pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that the sides have agreed to a deal that sends Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to Philly for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson. The teams still have to examine medical records for the deal to go through.
12:38pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki hears that Ben Francisco would also come to Philly in the possible deal. He'd fit the team's need for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
12:29pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the two sides are "very close" to completing a deal.
12:03pm: Gordon Edes and Tim Brown of Yahoo report that the Phillies appear to be "on the verge" of acquiring Cliff Lee from the Indians for Carrasco, Knapp and at least two of Donald, Marson and Michael Taylor.
Ken Rosenthal says the clubs are in discussions for Lee "and possibly another player." Knapp, Carrasco, Donald, and Marson would be involved. He wonders if the Indians might send some cash to secure a better prospect package.
11:36am: Rob Maaddi of the AP (via the Miami Herald) hears that the Phils offered the Indians a package of players for Lee, but didn't include Kyle Drabek in the proposal.
11:09am: Rosenthal and Morosi report that the Phillies are discussing a trade for Cliff Lee and possibly another player that would send Knapp, Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson to Cleveland.
10:54am: ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Phils may try to acquire George Sherrill If they can't trade for Halladay or Lee.
10:52am: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that Jason Knapp is the centerpiece of the Phillies' offer for Lee. The Phils, who are also involved in talks for Jarrod Washburn, would also deal other pieces to the Indians.
FOX also reports that the Dodgers were planning on making a "hard push" for Lee today.
10:34am: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark notes that three Indians scouts were in Lehigh Valley to watch the Phillies' Triple A team this morning. As we noted earlier, Carlos Carrasco was scratched from today's start and Stark says it was without explanation. Stark hears from a source close to the Indians who denies that the team is close to making a major move.
The Phillies and Indians have been involved in discussions, but haven't yet exchanged medical reports on players. One possible package would send Carrasco, a top position player, Jason Knapp and Trevor May to the Indians for Lee. The Phils tell other teams they believe they can deal for Lee without giving up Kyle Drabek or Dominic Brown.
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.
Odds & Ends: Harang, Brewers, Orioles
Here are some fresh links from only the most verified sources on the Internet:
- Mark Gonzales at the Chicago Tribune reports that White Sox GM Kenny Williams spoke with Josh Fields' agent. Gonzales wonders if Fields might be on the outs.
- Andy Martino at the Philadelphia Inquirer gets a rundown of the Phils' big prospect names being tossed around in a potential deal for Roy Halladay from Baseball America's Ben Badler.
- Mark Sheldon at MLB.com reports that Aaron Harang has a limited no-trade clause, but Harang had this to say: "I don't know which teams I put. I put them down a couple of years back."
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin is still in buying mode, he tells Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- Steve Melewski at MASN Sports talked to O's president Andy MacPhail about Miguel Angel Sano. No offers yet, apparently.
- Roch Kubatko at MASN says that there are "rumblings" that the Orioles might have interest in the Dodgers' 3B prospect Josh Bell, potentially as a piece in a George Sherrill deal.