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.
Dodgers Acquire George Sherrill
3:09: Ed Price confirms that the Dodgers acquired Sherrill. Rosenthal and Morosi do, too. Bell is a well-regarded 22 year-old power prospect, though Baseball America is unsure whether he can stick at third base. BA projects Johnson as "a big league reliever or back-end starter."
2:44pm: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports that the Dodgers acquired George Sherrill for Josh Bell and righty Steve Johnson.
2:40pm: Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Orioles are "on the verge of trading Sherrill to the Dodgers for Scott Elbert and Josh Bell." Sherrill, 32, is under team control through 2011. He has a 2.40 ERA with 20 saves in 41.3 innings this year. Fantasy leaguers, time to pick up Jim Johnson.
2:03pm: Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse (via Twitter) has a source saying Sherrill's a Dodger, but he is working to confirm the info. ESPN's Jayson Stark's source says there's no agreement, however. The Dodgers are making a push for him this afternoon, but there are at least eight interested clubs.
Stark adds that the Dodgers want two relievers, with Toronto's Jason Frasor on the radar.
THURSDAY, 11:43am: Morosi and Rosenthal say the Dodgers are pursuing both Sherrill and Roy Halladay. They may only be able to acquire one, since some of the same prospects are being discussed in each case. The writers say the O's prefer Josh Bell to Blake DeWitt for Sherrill. Baseball America loves Bell's raw power but wonders if he'll be able to stick at third base.
WEDNESDAY, 7:10pm: Morosi and Rosenthal say that you can count the White Sox in as a team interested in Sherrill, though it's unclear if the teams have made contact. It's speculated that Josh Fields might go to the Orioles in a deal, as they're looking for help at third base pending the departure of Melvin Mora.
2:44pm: As many as eight teams are pursuing George Sherrill, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Two or three of the teams are actively engaging the O's in trade talks.
The Angels are interested, as are the Dodgers, whose prospects appeal to Baltimore. Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears that the Dodgers are focused on trading for Sherrill now that Cliff Lee's off the market.
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.
Angels Rumors: Aybar, Harang, Bell
Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who said "There are various scenarios we're working on." DiGiovanna says they're still very much in the mix for Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, but summarizes a bit of news and lists intriguing potential targets should talks for the aces fail:
- The Blue Jays reportedly asked for Erick Aybar, Jered Weaver or Joe Saunders, Brandon Wood, and one of either Trevor Reckling or Peter Bourjos.
- The Angels might not have the top-flight pitching prospects the Indians desire in return for Lee.
- The second tier of their pursuits for a starter could include Aaron Harang, Bronson Arroyo, Jarrod Washburn, Jon Garland, or Ian Snell. Chances for this kind of deal are slim, DiGiovanna notes.
- Among relief help being sought by the Angels: Brandon League, Scott Downs, George Sherrill and Chad Qualls. The Halos' offers for Michael Wuertz and Heath Bell have apparently been turned down.
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.
Pirates Intend To Deal Sanchez, Wilson?
9:53pm: Henry Schulman at the San Francisco Chronicle and Gordon Edes at Yahoo have both heard that a deal sending Sanchez to the Giants was close to completion last night, but were halted due to aforementioned concerns about Sanchez's knee. Schulman hears conflicting reports on what the Pirates are demanding in return, but says any prospects involved will be on a higher level than the previously-dealt Scott Barnes.
9:35pm: Though scratches of Sanchez and Wilson from the Pirates' lineup made people curious tonight, Kovacevic says that there's "nothing likely" to happen tonight with them.
5:35pm: Kovacevic has updated his previous report, saying that "primary" talks about Sanchez have been with the Giants, and they "were believed to have intensifed last night." But Kovacevic says the Twins are still in the mix as well.
3:28pm: A Pirates official tells Kovacevic that the club doesn't need to move either Sanchez or Wilson and won't trade them unless they see a good offer.
Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the Giants are pretty seriously involved in talks for Sanchez.
2:16pm: Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse hears that the Angels are "likely looking" at Sanchez. The way Howie Kendrick and Maicer Izturis are hitting lately, that'd be a curious acquisition.
1:33pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that the Pirates plan on dealing Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson this week. The Giants could be suitors for Sanchez and the Red Sox have considered Wilson in the past.
9:58am: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hears that the Pirates have put off extension talks with Sanchez and Wilson until after the deadline and will instead entertain trade offers for them. The trade talks may not stop this Friday; if either player clears wiavers, the Pirates will be able to deal him until the end of August.
Kovacevic hears the Pirates may be open to paying some of Sanchez's 2010 contract to acquire better prospects in a possible trade.
8:27am: The Pirates still have a number of players attracting interest from other teams. Here's the latest on their trade candidates, from John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com:
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is trying to persuade his GM to go after Zach Duke, who won't become a free agent until after the 2011 season.
- The Cubs have stepped up their pursuit of reliever John Grabow, but they may not have the prospects to interest the Pirates.
- The Twins and Braves have checked in on Freddy Sanchez, but some executives believe the Pirates will have trouble moving him without contributing to the $8.1MM option for next year that's likely to vest.
- The Red Sox are once again "kicking the tires" on Jack Wilson.
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Rays, Red Sox Talking Blockbusters With Tribe
4:33pm: Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hear that the Rays may be shying away from a blockbuster deal. They're 5.0 games behind Boston in the Wild Card race, so their next two games against the Yankees could determine the team's direction.
If the Rays are discouraged after the Yankees series, they could make Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradford, Grant Balfour, Joe Nelson and Lance Cormier available, according to the FOX Sports source.
12:59pm: The Rays have shopped Scott Kazmir to the Mets and Rangers, according to Joel Sherman. The Rangers turned down an offer from the Rays and the Mets just had initial interest. The Rays would consider dealing Kazmir, Carlos Pena and even Carl Crawford to free up enough salary to make a blockbuster deal for Martinez and Lee.
The Rays still have interest in Halladay.
TUESDAY, 11:16am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has more dish on the idea of a team acquiring both Lee and V-Mart in a blockbuster trade. The idea has been considered in Cleveland but is considered very unlikely due to the magnitude of prospects required. While the Red Sox could technically pull it off, the Rays wouldn't have the payroll space.
MONDAY, 4:35pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears the Rays are still "in on" V-Mart and Lee. There's still a chance that they'll trade Scott Kazmir to the Angels, too.
1:35pm: The Rays and Red Sox are each discussing blockbuster deals with the Indians for both Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Here are the details and the rest of Sherman's rumors:
- The Rays would deal Wade Davis, but the Red Sox are hesitant to deal Clay Buchholz.
- The Phillies, Brewers and Rangers have interest in Lee and the Giants have interest in V-Mart.
- One executive is "1,000%" confident the Indians will move Lee and Martinez to free up money.
- An AL executive says the Phillies will acquire Lee, Roy Halladay or Jarrod Washburn by Friday afternoon.
- The Padres may be more willing to deal Heath Bell than expected. As one official says, Bell will be an expensive closer on a bad team if the Padres don't trade him.
- The Yankees have been interested in Bell, whose value is higher than ever.
Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox, Rangers
Let's dig into the latest from SI's Jon Heyman.
- The Yankees called the Mariners Saturday to inquire on Jarrod Washburn, and were told at the time that the Ms weren't ready to sell. Perhaps that has since changed, based on today's report from Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. Here's my question: was Seattle's decision to hold on to Washburn last summer prudent, or did they just get lucky? Heyman says Bronson Arroyo is a "fallback option" for the Yanks should the Reds change course and offer to eat significant salary.
- Heyman gives his take on the Roy Halladay situation, explaining where suitors such as the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Rangers, and Dodgers sit. Heyman still sees the Phils as the favorite. He says the Dodgers "are more focused on Cliff Lee than Halladay" but don't want to break up their Major League roster. Good luck with that. One Heyman source suggested the Red Sox would need to give up Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, and Jed Lowrie (Gordon Edes says Bard is off-limits).
- Heyman also talks a bit about Boston's interest in major bats Victor Martinez and Adrian Gonzalez.
- Heyman finds the Rangers unlikely to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee, though they have expressed interest. The Rangers won't be restricted, at least by MLB, because of Tom Hicks' financial woes. I don't see why the money owed to Halladay would be an issue for any club. He's a massive bargain.
- The Angles have yet to cop to interest in Rays starter Scott Kazmir. Heyman guesses Tampa Bay would love to be free of Kazmir's contract ($24.8MM through 2011 doesn't seem too burdensome though). Earlier today the lefty was connected to the Rangers and Mets by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Heyman speculates that one reason the Cards would like to extend Matt Holliday is to impress Albert Pujols.
Angels Turning Their Attention To Lee
Tim Brown and Gordon Edes of Yahoo! Sports report that the Angels have "shifted their emphasis" to Cliff Lee after being frustrated in their pursuit of Roy Halladay. The Halos do not want to part with Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, and another prospect for a single pitcher, even one as great as Halladay, and they believe they can land Lee with a lesser package.
The article also mentions that the Angels are also looking for a power arm to add to their pen.