Dodgers Move On The Verge?
10:52pm: Dylan Hernandez at the L.A. Times talked to GM Ned Colletti, who says that the scratch of Elbert did not have to do with a trade. He didn't elaborate further. That could mean Elbert is getting called up instead.
10:28pm: Ed Price at AOL Fanhouse gets word that whatever is going on has nothing to do with a George Sherrill acquisition.
10:17pm: Ken Gurnick at MLB.com reports that Dodgers' pitching prospect Scott Elbert was scratched from his scheduled start in Albuquerque tonight, and barring an injury has either been called up or dealt. Elbert had been mentioned in numerous rumors, particularly in a deal that would net George Sherrill from the Orioles.
Gurnick reported earlier today that the Dodgers were in the market for pitching, and apparently had made a big late offer for Cliff Lee.
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.
Heyman On Blue Jays, Indians, Crawford
Believe it or not, there's more to this year's deadline than Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Jon Heyman of SI.com has the latest on some other trade possibilities:
- Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Brandon League are coveted around the league, but the Jays want to figure out what to do with Halladay before dealing secondary players.
- The Dodgers are "pressing hard" for George Sherrill.
- Chad Qualls and Michael Wuertz are likely to stay put.
- The Yankees aren't involved in the Cliff Lee talks after hearing the Indians wanted Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes in return.
- It's becoming more likely that the Indians will deal Lee and Victor Martinez.
- The Nationals requested Jonathan Sanchez for Nick Johnson.
- One GM says the Rays briefly dangled Carl Crawford a few weeks ago. Sounds like they'll consider anything.
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.
Dodgers After George Sherrill
TUESDAY: Paul Hoynes reported earlier that the Dodgers might be shifting efforts from Cliff Lee to Sherrill, and Gordon Edes at Yahoo agrees. Edes says the Dodgers could package Elbert as well as third baseman Blake DeWitt to fill in the Orioles' immediate needs. He also lists the Phillies among four other teams interested in Sherrill.
MONDAY: Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse tweets that the Dodgers "are in hard on" Orioles closer George Sherrill. The O's, in turn, have been looking at LHP prospect Scott Elbert, "but have reservations about him." Elbert missed just about the entire 2007 season with shoulder surgery, but has recovered nicely to strike out 20 batters in 17.1 big league innings.
The Dodgers have been looking for pitching help for some time, and they added a key lefthander to the roster today, activating Hong-Chih Kuo from the disabled list.
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.
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.
Reds Still Eyeing Scott Rolen
TUESDAY, 11:14am: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Reds "haven't ruled out" a Rolen acquisition, but must wait to see what the Jays do with Roy Halladay first.
MONDAY, 3:57pm: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports says the Reds are not sellers and have continued discussions with the Blue Jays about Scott Rolen. Knobler says there's a chance they'll acquire him to solidify their light-hitting lineup.
The Reds have had discussions with other teams about trading pitchers, but Knobler hears they would only make a deal that helps the team this year.
2:29pm: Jeff Fletcher of AOL FanHouse hears that the Reds are close to making a deal after top team officials spoke on a conference call this morning. The Reds, fifth in the NL Central, are sellers and have pitchers like Bronson Arroyo, Aaron Harang and Francisco Cordero who could all appeal to teams seeking pitching.
Heyman On Washburn, Halladay, Red Sox
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.