Jarrod Washburn Rumors: Friday
The Mariners are eight games out, but we're still not sure whether they'll trade starter Jarrod Washburn within the next five hours. He does project as a Type B free agent, so they could get something for him after the season. Here's a look at yesterday's Washburn chatter, which involved the Yankees, Tigers, and Brewers.
Today Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tell us the Tigers have spoken to Seattle about Washburn, but may not have the goods to pull off any big deal (especially in the position player department). SI's Jon Heyman says the Ms asked for catcher Jesus Montero from the Yankees for Washburn and were rebuffed. ESPN's Jayson Stark says Austin Jackson was another Mariners target.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Rockies, Tigers
Deadline day links!
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains that "stricter financial parameters are in place right now" for the Yankees, because of their winter signing of Mark Teixeira.
- ESPN's Keith Law evaluates the George Sherrill and John Grabow trades.
- Aside from their interest in Baltimore's Mark Hendrickson, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post says the Rockies would like a left-handed bench bat.
- John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes about the Tigers' needs.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch talked to Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, who suggested a deal for relief help today is unlikely.
- The Rays claimed 24 year-old catcher Jose Lobaton off waivers from the Padres, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
Jarrod Washburn Rumors: Thursday
11:05pm: Executives from three teams that have spoken with the Mariners tell ESPN.com's Buster Olney that they get the sense the Mariners won't move Washburn. The Mariners made a request earlier today, without asking for Hughes or Chamberlain, but the two sides haven't spoken since.
10:33pm: Heyman says the Yankees and Mariners are now "talking Washburn." The Yankees won't part with Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Austin Jackson, Austin Romine or Jesus Montero, but with those exceptions, Heyman says the M's have their pick of Yankees prospects.
9:05pm: Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he expects the Mariners to hold onto Washburn.
8:05pm: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times reports that the Yankees are still talking to the Mariners about Washburn.
Talks with the Yankees are still in their early stages, according to Rosenthal and Morosi, and it's unclear whether the Mariners would actually move Washburn. The Tigers are interested and the Brewers could become involved again, according to FOX's sources.
3:26pm: ESPN's Buster Olney rejects the idea that the Ms asked for Chamberlain or Hughes.
2:19pm: SI's Jon Heyman says that in their initial conversation, the Mariners requested Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes for Washburn. That pair and other top Yankees prospects figure to be off limits, but Heyman still sees New York as the favorite. He notes that the Angels would have interest in bringing Washburn back, but the Mariners might balk at the same-division issue.
1:11pm: Ken Davidoff of Newsday says the Brewers are no longer in on Washburn. And the Rangers are seen as a long shot, say Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports. According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, about ten teams have called the Mariners on Washburn.
12:30pm: Lefty Jarrod Washburn would be one of the better available starters, should the Mariners decide to sell. Joel Sherman of the New York Post chatted with Ms GM Jack Zduriencik about the possibility. Jack Z's quote:
"I am not giving this guy away. He is a valuable piece to us. He shouldn't come cheap if he is moved. No one in the league is pitching better than (Washburn). So if we move him, we need to get good pieces. Because if we keep him he is a very, very good piece for us."
Sherman says the Yanks have checked in on Washburn but have not exchanged names. Unlike last year, the Yankees are reluctant to take on salary.
Odds And Ends: Inge, Zumaya, Marlins, Wang
More links with less than a day until the deadline passes…
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's not prioritizing players who can play third, even with Brandon Inge's knee pain.
- As MLB.com's Jason Beck reports, Joel Zumaya will have season-ending surgery.
- Speaking of injured pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang could miss an entire year, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- Here's a photo of Cliff Lee in Phillies duds, courtesy of AOL FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher.
- Marlins president David Samson said on 790 The Ticket that his team has made ten different offers around the league, according to the Miami Herald.
- Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reports that the Rays are involved in "a number of scenarios," but aren't likely to make big trades within the next day or so.
- The Pirates, who have been more active than anyone, aren't expecting to make more trades, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday
5:07pm: Ricciardi tells Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that he's not ruling out a trade. "We're waiting 'til 4 o'clock tomorrow," Ricciardi said.
4:23pm: Jack Curry of the New York Times has additional comments from Ricciardi on Halladay:
"We've got nothing going on. We expect him to be with us."
The Phillies are out, and the other suitors failed to wow Ricciardi.
3:19pm: Rosenthal and Morosi say the Dodgers have enough in their system to make a competitive offer for Halladay, even after acquiring Sherrill. And for Evan Grant's thoughts on the Rangers and Halladay, click here.
However, in another entry Rosenthal and Morosi talk to J.P. Ricciardi and label the Halladay sweepstakes "all but over." Ricciardi's comments indicate the same. Toronto's GM seems intent on keeping Scott Rolen, Marco Scutaro, and others if Doc stays.
2:23pm: Morosi says Halladay is looking unlikely for the Angels, who shot down a Toronto proposal that included Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood.
The Halos are also looking for bullpen help, with names such as Heath Bell and George Sherrill in play (their offer for Mike Wuertz fell short).
1:26pm: Rosenthal and Morosi have a source saying things are "very quiet" on the Halladay front. Still, the Dodgers, Angels, Rangers, Rays, and Red Sox remain interested.
1:14pm: Yahoo's Tim Brown sees the Dodgers and Red Sox as the frontrunners for Doc in what is shaping up as a two-team race. Brown says the only Major Leaguer in the Dodgers' offer is James McDonald, while the Sox will part with Clay Buchholz, one of Justin Masterson, Michael Bowden, and Lars Anderson, and some lesser prospects. My guess is that the Red Sox find a way to get this done, given the quality they're already offering. ESPN's Jayson Stark says one Dodgers prospect who is off-limits is shortstop Devaris Gordon.
Meanwhile, Lynn Henning of the Detroit News says the Jays wanted Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and Casey Crosby from the Tigers for Halladay. Henning says the Tigers bowed out upon that request. Henning adds that the Tigers would consider adding Adam Dunn or Josh Willingham but the price is steep on the sluggers as well.
12:59pm: A Rosenthal/Morosi source with knowledge of the Jays' thinking discusses a package of Dodgers minor leaguers that could catch Toronto's attention in a Halladay deal.
12:21pm: Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal sees the Dodgers in the lead for Halladay, with the Rangers in the mix and talks with Boston calming down.
9:09am: Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe feels the chances of the Red Sox acquiring Halladay are "remote," and believes that Boston has yet to increase their initial offer for him. And in an earlier column, Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald said the Blue Jays and Red Sox have not been in contact over the last three days.
8:37am: SI's Jon Heyman says the Dodgers balked at the Blue Jays' asking price for Halladay and are moving on to Orioles closer George Sherrill. Check out yesterday's Sherrill info here.
Meanwhile, Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun finds Halladay unlikely to be traded. ESPN's Buster Olney says there are "no active talks" at present.
7:55am: We'll start with a review of yesterday's Roy Halladay rumors. The Phillies acquired Cliff Lee instead, cutting into J.P. Ricciardi's leverage for Doc. Ricciardi now has the Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers, Dodgers, and possibly Angels and Rays to work with. The Blue Jays' GM is thinking about keeping Halladay for 2010, based on his comments to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. On to a few new links…
- Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi at FOX Sports say the Jays are not requiring the Dodgers to include Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley. Instead, they'd just take five or six of the team's top prospects.
- Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News say Ricciardi is trying to get the Yankees and Red Sox into a bidding war. Kind of cliche, J.P. The authors imply the Yanks may be more focused Jarrod Washburn, who obviously wouldn't require as big a bounty.
- Halladay's plan for today, according to Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer – lock himself in his hotel room. Might want to unplug the TV and disable the Internet. Doc is understandably drained from pitching last night amid all the rumors.
Royals Acquire Josh Anderson
According to a press release, the Royals acquired outfielder Josh Anderson from the Tigers for cash considerations. The speedster hit .242/.282/.315 with 13 steals in 15 tries for Detroit before being designated for assignment. The Royals say they'll make a corresponding roster move once they determine Anderson's reporting date.
MLB.com's Jason Beck notes that the Royals and Yankees also had interest in Anderson.
Yankees Eyeing Corey Patterson, Josh Anderson
We already knew of the Yankees' interest in recently-designated outfielder Josh Anderson; Joel Sherman of the New York Post says to add the newly-released Corey Patterson to the list. Sherman says the goal is to find a fill-in for Brett Gardner, who broke his thumb on Saturday. Anderson and Patterson both have speed, at least.
In that same blog post, Sherman draws a connection between Chien-Ming Wang and Brandon Webb. He wonders whether both pitchers could hit the free agent market after this season. On a related note, we've heard that Webb will have shoulder surgery on Monday; hopefully just a clean-up.
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.
Odds & Ends: Bradley, O’s, Mariners
Some more interesting nuggets we've mined as we reel from the madness today:
- Paul Sullivan at the Chicago Tribune got comments from Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who called rumors that Milton Bradley could head to the Tigers "unfair to the player."
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun hears that Danys Baez, Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora, who are all about to become free agents, have attracted minimal interest on the trade market.
- The Mariners signed second round pick Rick Poythress, who'll be immediately shipped to the AA affiliate, reports Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times.
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick takes a look at some of the all-time hyped prospects who have turned out to be busts.
- In a similar piece to Crasnick's, Yahoo's Jeff Passan looks at how once-hot prospect Brandon Wood has seen his value as a trade chip diminish.
Tigers May Search For Arms Instead Of Bats
The Tigers may shift their focus from hitters to pitchers this week to stabilize their rotation, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. The Tigers are not scoring enough, but Carlos Guillen just returned to the lineuup, and the rotation remains a concern after Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson. The Tigers won't pursue Roy Halladay, who would cost too much in terms of money and prospects, but they could go after Mariners lefty Jarrod Washburn.