Cardinals Rumors

Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 27, 2009 at 1:21pm CDT

1:21pm: Heyman hears that Adrian Gonzalez may be Boston's top target now, especially since discussions about Victor Martinez aren't progressing.

11:51am: Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on Roy Halladay and the next-best options for pitching-starved teams. Here are the details:

The Yankees called the Mariners about Jarrod Washburn over the weekend. The Mariners say they aren't selling now, but that could change this week.
The Yanks would have to give up "a top prospect or two" to acquire Washburn.
Bronson Arroyo could be an option for the Yankees, but the Reds haven't offered to take on any of the $17MM remaining on his deal.
The Yankees have a miniscule chance of acquiring Halladay. They wouldn't part with both Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain for him, but they might trade one.
An executive involved in the Halladay talks says "it's early," since no one's taking tomorrow's pre-deadline too seriously.
Sensing they don't have much of a chance at Halladay, the Dodgers are more focused on Cliff Lee.
The Red Sox could still make a big move, but don't expect them to deal for Halladay. The Blue Jays could ask for Clay Buchholz, Jed Lowrie and Daniel Bard, according to one of Heyman's sources.
Victor Martinez remains an option for the Red Sox, who talk with the Indians "all the time."
The Red Sox are keeping an eye on Adrian Gonzalez, who's not available now.
Bud Selig says he won't prevent the Rangers from taking on payroll even though the commissioner's office has helped Rangers owner Tom Hicks make payments.
The Rangers have inquired on Halladay and Lee.
The Cardinals will try hard to extend Matt Holliday.
The Rockies are still looking for a reliever.
The Giants scouted Nick Johnson and Josh Willingham this weekend.

Indians Acquire Jess Todd To Complete DeRosa Deal

By Steve Adams | July 26, 2009 at 4:44pm CDT

Derrick Goold reports, via Twitter, that the Indians have acquired Jess Todd as the player to be named later from the Mark DeRosa trade.

According to an official press release, Todd will be added to the 40-man roster and report to Triple-A Columbus.

Todd, 23, entered the season as the Cardinals' #4 prospect. He's pitched very well, posting a 2.20 ERA through 49 innings, allowing just 39 hits and 13 walks while striking out 59 and collecting 24 saves. Opponents are hitting just .214 against Todd this season.

The Indians also acquired Chris Perez in the original trade, back on June 27th.

Odds & Ends: Garko, Kotsay, Holliday, Tigers

By Mike Axisa | July 26, 2009 at 12:46pm CDT

Congratulations to Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice, and the late Joe Gordon on their inductions into baseball's Hall of Fame today. The Red Sox were rumored to be looking for a righthanded bat that can play the outfield earlier today, maybe Rickey's still got something left in the tank. Anyway, here's some links…

Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says he has "a sense the Indians are working on a deal for Ryan Garko." He also notes that Andy Marte is eligible for minor league free agency after the season.
Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle says the A's won't pursue Mark Kotsay, who was recently designated for assignment.
Over at FoxSports.com, Tracy Ringolsby says that Cardinals GM John Mozeliak played the waiting game and won when it comes to acquiring Matt Holliday.
Bless You Boys ran down all the names linked to the Tigers recently.

Cardinals Hoping To Lock Up Holliday?

By Tim Dierkes | July 26, 2009 at 12:04am CDT

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talked to Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. about the team's huge acquisition of left fielder Matt Holliday. DeWitt implied that he hopes to sign Holliday to an extension: "We're not looking at this as a one-year deal, I assure you."

Strauss notes that the Cardinals did recently convince a Scott Boras client to forgo free agency, when Kyle Lohse signed a four-year, $41MM extension in September of last year. But keep in mind that while Lohse did not reach free agency, he still did not sign for a penny below market value. (Look at the fate of Randy Wolf, who signed in February for $5MM plus incentives).

Also, past history suggests Holliday might not be looking to squeeze out every last dollar. The slugger signed a two-year extension in January of '08 for $23MM when he probably could have made more money going to arbitration two more times.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Mariners, Cardinals, Indians

By Mike Axisa | July 25, 2009 at 5:36pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up. Let's round up the rumors…

With the Mariners fading out of contention, they could make lefties Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn available. If they do, it could cloud the market for Roy Halladay because teams will have more options.
One GM tells Rosenthal that the Mariners are likely to play out the weekend before deciding to sell.
The Yankees have been in touch with Seattle, and would love to see Washburn made available again after expressing interest in him in the past.
The Brewers remain "on the periphery" of the Halladay sweepstakes, but they aren't playing well enough to justify such a major trade.
After moving five players and adding $6MM in salary to acquire Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa, Albert Pujols shouldn't have any questions about ownership's commitment to winning. However with Holliday likely to leave as a free agent after the season, the team will be in the same situation again, looking for a bat to protect Pujols.
Indians ownership would need to sign off on a deal involving catcher Victor Martinez or lefty Cliff Lee, neither of which is imminent. The team knows the Red Sox will not trade them Clay Buchholz in a package for Martinez, and moving Lee would be an even bigger blow given how thin their pitching staff is right now.

In a separate video, Rosenthal says that the Phillies and Blue Jays are still haggling over which players would be included in a potential deal for Halladay. The Angels have made a strong offer for Doc, and the Jays expect other teams to get involved this week. Meanwhile, Lee's agent Darek Braunecker says Lee has told his team that he will test the free agent waters at the end of next season after being told "no" when asking about a contract extension last spring. If traded, Lee prefers it to happen sooner rather than later.

Odds & Ends: Trade Deadline, Brewers, Cardinals

By | July 25, 2009 at 3:42pm CDT

Some more links on a busy Saturday afternoon…

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com presents his "Five Biggest Myths About The Trading Deadline." It's an excellent read as we cruise closer and closer toward July 31.
According to Lindsey Young of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the Brewers have agreed to terms with pitcher Kyle Heckathorn, the 47th overall pick in this summer's First-Year Player Draft.
As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes, "The Cardinals may not be done trading, but it will only be fine-tuning or shredding." They're currently trying to deal third baseman-turned-designated hitter Troy Glaus.
Twitter is going to play a major role in this year's trade deadline. Join us on there for even more updates and discussion.

Tigers Not Interested In Troy Glaus

By | July 25, 2009 at 2:13pm CDT

We heard from FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal yesterday that the Cardinals are now trying to move Troy Glaus because he's unable to throw more than 90 feet. He'd work well as a DH-type in the American League or a first baseman, if NL teams decide to step up. Rosenthal listed the Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers as possible trade partners, but we can now cross Detroit off that list.

As Chris Iott of MLive.com notes, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the club has no interest in Glaus: "Believe me, with all due respect to Troy Glaus, his name has never been mentioned here, to my knowledge. "I want to nip that in the bud."

Odds & Ends: Strasburg, Diamondbacks, Indians

By Eddie Schmid | July 25, 2009 at 10:20am CDT

Lots of trade talk means lots of links, so let's get right to the madness:

Corey Brock at MLB.com examines the possibility presented by Chico Harlan at the Washington Post that Stephen Strasburg could end up a Padre.
Bernie Miklasz at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the Cardinals' five biggest winners in the Matt Holliday trade. Rick Hummel looks at other memorable trades in which the Cardinals dealt top prospects.
According to Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic, the Diamondbacks are currently in a "holding pattern" with no. 16 overall pick Bobby Borchering.
Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times wonders if the Mariners' brutal 9-0 loss last night will mark the team's transition into selling mode.
Paul Hoynes at the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians will have a look at recently departed reliever Rafael Betancourt when he hits the free agent market.
Hoynes also outlines the Indians' payroll obligations for next season, and wonders if low attendance and revenues will force them to trim the team's "luxury items."
Toni Ginnetti at the Chicago Sun-Times talked to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who expects some upgrades will come after the non-waiver deadline.
Jamey Newberg takes a look at the concept of trading prospects through the lens of the Rangers.
Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel chatted with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, who will take an "aggressive but smart" approach at the deadline.
Jeff Zrebiec at the Baltimore Sun says director of scouting Joe Jordan is "irked" by the fact that only 20 of the Orioles' 50 picks have signed with the team.
Rumors are swirling that Luis Gonzalez might be heading back to the Diamondbacks as a team official, says Jesse Sanchez at MLB.com.

Rosenthal’s & Morosi’s Latest: Halladay, Cabrera, Glaus

By Mike Axisa | July 24, 2009 at 10:49pm CDT

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com say that the Phillies and Blue Jays are getting closer on a potential Roy Halladay deal, but nothing is imminent. The Rangers and Dodgers have both expressed interest in Halladay, but did not talk with Toronto on Friday. The Angels have reportedly improved their offer for the former Cy Young Award winner, but it's unlikely they'll match Philadelphia's package. The Yankees have also expressed interest, but Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi has yet to engage them in discussions.

In a separate column, Rosenthal and Morosi fork over a slew of rumory goodness…

Don't be surprised if the Red Sox "show renewed interest" in shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the deadline. O-Cab was hitting .365-.377-.500 in his last 30 games coming into tonight.
The addition of Matt Holliday ensures that the Cardinals will look to move Troy Glaus. The Giants, Braves, Rangers and Tigers are expected to show interest in the former AL homerun champ.
One GM had this to say about the Holliday deal "In light of the current climate, good return on a 70-game guy. All based on what (Wallace) turns out to be. We are not high on the other two guys."
Meanwhile, a scout offered this about Brett Wallace: "He can hit but he throws like a girl. They acquired a DH — I think he might be Jack Cust Jr. with fewer Ks. (Outfielder Shane) Peterson is the hidden gem!"
The Jays are pushing Scott Rolen and Kevin Millar in trade talks, while a number of their bullpen arms are drawing interest.
The Marlins expressed interest in Holliday at one point, but wanted the A's to pick up most of the money owed to him this year. The Reds also inquired.
A bid to get Holliday ended for the Tigers when the A's asked for prospects Casey Crosby and Scott Sizemore.
Anaheim is indeed interested in Scott Kazmir, spurred on by input from pitching coach Mike Butcher, who once held the same position with Tampa.
The Cubs don't appear to be in any serious talks to acquire another catcher.
One scout familiar with the Reds said they "are listening on about everyone."
The Rangers have interest in lefty relievers George Sherrill and Scott Downs.
Sherrill is also on the White Sox's radar.
Oakland is reluctant to move reliever Michael Wuertz, but there is so much interest in him that the team might get the return it desires.
A number of clubs are expected to watch Justin Duchscherer on his rehab assignment as he comes back from elbow surgery.
The article closes with an amusing text message exchange between Skip Schumaker and Mark DeRosa.

Matt Holliday Trade Roundup

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 24, 2009 at 2:47pm CDT

By now you know that the A's sent Matt Holliday to the Cardinals for three prospects, including the highly-touted Brett Wallace. Since everybody's talking about it, let's take a look at what they're saying.

ESPN.com's Keith Law takes an in-depth look at the trade and concludes both teams win. The Cards upgrade in left field and the A's get a trio of prospects that's more valuable than the group they gave up for Holliday in the winter.
Erik Manning, Jon Heyman and Kevin Goldstein all say the A's got a good return for Holliday.
Yahoo's Tim Brown says Holliday will provide much-needed protection for Albert Pujols, who has been intentionally walked 21 more times than anyone else in baseball.
The Giants never called about Holliday, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brett Wallace won't likely play in the majors this year, but he's excited to join the organization he grew up rooting for.
To see how Oakland's two trades compare, check out my summary of the two deals.

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