Stark’s Latest: Ibanez, Washburn, Redding, Rhodes
Some additional notes from ESPN’s Jayson Stark:
- The Mariners still want Jon Niese and another prospect for Raul Ibanez; the Mets are not biting. Similar situation with the Ms asking the Cubs for Felix Pie and another player.
- The Mets aren’t in on Jarrod Washburn or Tim Redding.
- The Marlins are making it clear that there is no done deal for Arthur Rhodes. Clark Spencer had written the Fish "could be closer" to a deal for Rhodes than a catcher. Stark says the Mariners are driving a hard bargain for Rhodes, with the Red Sox, Marlins, Phillies, Brewers, Tigers, Mets, Cardinals, and Rays checking in.
Odds and Ends: Roberts, Ohman, Kotsay, Eyre
Rumor roundup…
- ESPN’s Buster Olney implies that another website backdates timestamps in an attempt to fake scoops. I was following the Mark Teixeira rumors like a hawk; I gave the scoop to ESPN’s Jayson Stark with an assist to MLB.com’s Lyle Spencer.
- Joe Christensen says Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is not available.
- MLB.com’s Mark Bowman guesses Will Ohman will land with the Cardinals. He also puts the odds of a Mark Kotsay deal at 50%.
- With Mark Teixeira out of the picture, Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes doesn’t expect to make any more trades.
- Will Carroll says the Dodgers had a "passing discussion" with the Cubs about Scott Eyre and Ronny Cedeno.
- Nothing cooking with the Royals.
- Talked to Eddie Bajek, who is working on reverse-engineering the Elias formula. He has A.J. Burnett on the Type A/Type B borderline. Ivan Rodriguez and Edgar Renteria should both be Type As.
Manny Ramirez Rumors: Tuesday
9:55pm: Jayson Stark attempts to douse the Manny flames, getting denials (again) from the Dodgers and Phillies.
8:39pm: Ken Davidoff says the Teixeira deal makes a Manny trade more difficult, since that’s one less option for Boston to replace Ramirez’s bat. The Red Sox will keep trying nonetheless.
6:52pm: Jon Heyman says the Phillies might be the frontrunner for Manny. Ramirez will want his $20MM options eliminated upon a trade.
The Dodgers are also involved, with the Marlins surfacing as a longshot.
3:07pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Dodgers are not pursuing Ramirez or Teixeira. So, conflicting reports again. The Dodgers are also not interested in Adam Everett and unlikely to acquire Jack Wilson.
Joe Christensen agrees that Everett isn’t happening, and notes that the Dodgers once had Ronny Cedeno on their list.
2:36pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post has the Dodgers in the lead for Manny. The Red Sox would eat most or all of the $7MM remaining on Ramirez’s deal, and then receive a player like Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. Such a deal would enable the Sox to enter the Mark Teixeira bidding.
Sherman also talked to one NL exec who believes the Dodgers might instead acquire Brian Roberts, pushing Jeff Kent into a utility role and leaving the shortstop problem unresolved.
1:05pm: Looks like Manny’s going to need his own post, after all. Earlier today, Dan Graziano said the Mets are still in on Ramirez despite the denials. Now SI.com’s Jon Heyman adds that the Dodgers are showing interest. The talks are still in their infancy, and keep in mind that the Dodgers do not want to add payroll.
Stark’s Latest: Eyre, Sherrill
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has been burning up the phone lines today. New blog posts can be found here and here.
- Brian Fuentes and Damaso Marte are off the market, but lefty relievers remain plentiful. The Cubs would like to move Scott Eyre, perhaps to an AL club like the Rays, Red Sox, or Tigers. Eyre is in the last year of a three-year contract and can block trades to ten clubs.
- The Orioles would like to pry a young shortstop loose if they are to trade George Sherrill. Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis, and Jason Donald are names of interest, but the Angels and Phillies aren’t biting.
Stark’s Latest: Ohman, Rhodes
ESPN’s Jayson Stark has some new rumor material.
- Braves lefty Will Ohman is drawing plenty of interest, with the Tigers, Rays, Yankees, and Cardinals named as suitors. Perhaps the Yanks’ interest will diminish now that they have Damaso Marte.
- The Marlins and other clubs may turn to Arthur Rhodes as a more reasonable Plan B if they aren’t able to pry George Sherrill or Brian Fuentes loose.
- Given the emergence of Jeff Samardzija as a power bullpen arm, the Cubs are no longer looking for pitching. They desire a left-handed hitting center fielder, but that might wait until the offseason. It’s probably too early to say whether Jim Edmonds will be considered.
Odds and Ends: Happ, Igawa, Hawkins, Lowe
Rounding up rumors and links from the weekend…
- SI.com’s Jon Heyman says the Mariners are asking the Mets for Jon Niese for Raul Ibanez. Not likely.
- ESPN’s Buster Olney says the Braves would require Conor Jackson from the D’Backs in a Mark Teixeira deal, but Arizona is not biting.
- Another quick hit from Olney: the White Sox are surveying the relief market in the wake of Scott Linebrink‘s shoulder injury.
- Several readers have written in about Phillies’ lefty J.A. Happ being pulled early from a Triple A start (2.2 scoreless innings) with no sign of injury. Something to keep an eye on, as the Phillies hunt for a lefty reliever on the trade market. UPDATE: Happ may be getting the call to replace Adam Eaton.
- Even on the DL, Phil Hughes has been in high demand.
- The White Sox let Esteban Loaiza go.
- No team claimed Kei Igawa off waivers. Also, the Yankees designated LaTroy Hawkins for assignment.
- Ned Colletti on the possibility of trading Derek Lowe: "No."
- Jim Bowden and Chad Cordero patched things up, making a re-signing possible this winter.
- The emergence of Jeff Samardzija this weekend may make Scott Eyre or Jon Lieber expendable.
- At least 20 teams have called about one of the Rangers’ catchers.
- Jamey Newberg wrote a few days ago that most likely the only way Kevin Millwood can lock in his $12MM for 2010 will be to pitch 180 innings next year.
Cubs, Hendry Standing Pat
According to Dave van Dyck of the Chicago Sports Tribune, Jim Hendry is comfortable with how the Cubs look going forward.
"’You have to stay on top of it,’ Hendry said. ‘We got an extra bullpen guy in the trade with Oakland in Chad Gaudin. What you obviously need is for [Kerry Wood] to come back healthy and then everything else usually falls in line. And Samardzija is going to give us a lift.’"
Wood is aiming for Tuesday to be his return date. Along with Gaudin and Sean Marshall in the bullpen, the emergence of Jeff Samardzija may be all they need. Says Lou Pineilla, "If he continues to throw the ball [well], it’s almost like trading for a reliever."
On offense, Hendry feels Alfonso Soriano‘s bat is only going to get hotter. He conclusively adds,
"’We aren’t hitting since the break like we want to, but we aren’t going to go out and replace our star players because they’re having a bad week,’ Hendry said. ‘And the other players, let’s give them their due, the Ryan Theriots, Mike Fontenots, Reed Johnsons and Henry Blancos. Those people are doing more than their fair share. You don’t upgrade from that.’"
Odds And Ends: Sosa, Rhodes, Twins, Rays, Cubs
A few minor notes from around the MLBiverse…
- The Mariners have signed Jorge Sosa to a minor league deal. This is Sosa’s third organization this season.
- Despite reports that the Brewers would not add a relief pitcher, Milwaukee had a scout at Friday’s game and Geoff Baker believes the scout was there to watch Arthur Rhodes.
- Joe Christensen says that the Twins may prefer to promote Francisco Liriano, and move him or another starter to the bullpen, rather than trade for a relief pitcher.
- Joe Maddon says that there is only a "50-50 chance" that the Rays make a move before the deadline.
- Jim Hendry says that the Cubs are not likely to make any trades unless an injury necessitates a move. Carrie Muskat says that a move may depend on how well Kerry Wood recovers from the blister on his throwing hand.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
George Sherrill Rumors
4:50pm: The Baltimore Sun lists the Cardinals, Brewers, Dodgers, Cubs, Reds, Phillies, Marlins, and Tigers as teams represented at yesterday’s Orioles-Blue Jays tilt. The article implies that those clubs were there hoping to scout Sherrill, though a few might have been eyeing A.J. Burnett or both pitchers.
Jeff Zrebiec says the O’s want two or three prospects for Sherrill, who is under team control for a long time.
2:16pm: According to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Brewers are not engaged in trade talks for Orioles closer George Sherrill. The O’s are looking for a shortstop, and the Brewers aren’t willing to part with J.J. Hardy or Alcides Escobar. Makes more sense to wait until Escobar forces their hand, anyway.
GM Doug Melvin told Haudricourt he doesn’t expect to add a reliever this month.
Odds and Ends: Alvarez, Kotsay, Street
Time to round up today’s links.
- Hank Steinbrenner admits Barry Bonds‘ name will be mentioned at today’s meeting of Yankees execs.
- Mark Cuban is a finalist to buy the Cubs.
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly expressed frustration with the Pedro Alvarez negotiations, in the first public comments on those talks.
- Dejan Kovacevic’s source says the Pirates aren’t requiring two prospects for Xavier Nady or Damaso Marte. One elite prospect would work.
- Mark Kotsay wonders if he’ll be traded this year. As with Mark Teixeira, it’ll depend heavily on the next week.
- Richard Justice takes Drayton McLane to task.
- DRays Bay relays a Peter Gammons report that the A’s are shopping Huston Street to the Red Sox, Rays, and White Sox.
- David Weathers doesn’t remember which teams are on his limited no-trade clause.
- Tom Henke’s Army is back, with reinforcements.
- Sam Mellinger thinks the Royals should sign Rafael Furcal this winter. I concur.
- Joe Posnanski believes that the Royals should try Tony Pena Jr. as a pticher, all kidding aside. He bemoans the lack of "outside the box" thinking in baseball.