Edes On Lee, Feliciano, Pirates
Yahoo's Gordon Edes says the Phillies and Dodgers are interested in Cliff Lee, but the Indians aren't anxious to move him. Not only would it mean trading Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years, it would diminish the team's chances at contending next season. Here are the rest of Edes' rumors:
- The Dodgers would have interest in Pedro Feliciano if the Mets become sellers.
- The Brewers scouted Brad Penny over the weekend, but a trade seems unlikely now that Tim Wakefield's on the DL.
- At least one NL executive believes the Pirates are ready to move almost anyone. Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Matt Capps, John Grabow, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson could all be targets.
- It looks like the Reds would listen to offers for Francisco Cordero. However, he has no-trade protection and an big contract.
- The Red Sox had a scout watch Nick Johnson this weekend.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday
9:27pm: David Lennon of Newsday cites two baseball officials who say that talks between the Mets and the Blue Jays never reached a point of a concrete offer from the Mets. Lennon adds that the Mets "do not expect to make a push" for Halladay.
6:55pm: Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted the following: "Source: Cards 'still in the mix' for Halladay."
4:56pm: Ricciardi told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun that "it's unlikely Halladay will be dealt."
1:44pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says the Phillies have enough talent to obtain Halladay without including Kyle Drabek.
1:06pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies should overpay for Roy Halladay because he is perfect for them "in every way possible."
12:09pm: As MLB.com's Tom Singer points out, Jason Schmidt's 2009 debut showed that the Dodgers could use Doc.
11:43am: Jon Heyman of SI.com hears from an acquaintance of Halladay's that he's "emotionally gone." Sounds like Doc would approve a trade. Heyman also hears that the Phillies have decided not to include Kyle Drabek in a deal for Halladay.
11:33am: Ricciardi told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he won't trade Halladay at the last minute. The Jays are considering imposing a July 28th deadline on the negotiations.
Ricciardi says he receives "a new call from another team every day," so it will be a busy, franchise-defining week for the Jays.
10:48am: A Blue Jays official involved in the Halladay talks told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Yankees and Mets are not serious threats to acquire the Jays righty.
The Yanks and Jays only had introductory discussions and there's "absolutely nothing" going on with the Mets and Jays. Sherman hears that there is "no truth" to the rerport that the Mets rejected an offer from Toronto.
9:44am: The latest rumors on the American League leader in wins, strikeout to walk ratio and WHIP…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Phillies are considering options other than Roy Halladay.
- Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says the Phillies, Brewers, Giants and Dodgers are still "kicking the tires" on Halladay.
- Joey Fosko of the Boston Herald believes a deal's more likely after the season.
- Yahoo's Tim Brown hears that the Blue Jays will model possible trades after the Erik Bedard deal- only they want more.
- Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Brown that some of the teams talking to the Jays have enough to acquire Halladay, but may be reluctant to give up their talent.
- Wallace Matthews of Newsday says Halladay won't play for the Bronx Bombers this year.
- Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog heard from four baseball people who all believe Omar Minaya would have agreed to deal Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.
Gammons: Indians Must Be “Overwhelmed” To Trade Lee
7:44pm: Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, watching the Blue Jays play the Indians at home, tweets the following: "Dodgers, Brewers, Phillies and Red Sox scouts here to see Cliff Lee…"
5:44pm: On an ESPN Baseball Tonight Minute, Peter Gammons downplayed the possibility that Cliff Lee might be making his last start as an Indian tonight, but indicated that the Indians are indeed open to a trade if they are "overwhelmed" by an offer.
According to Gammons, "[Indians GM Mark] Shapiro wants a major league-ready young starter that can go into the second or third hole in the rotation." In addition, Gammons said, "He wants a couple of other young players."
Earlier today, we broke down a piece by SI.com's Jon Heyman, who said that the Indians are becoming more open to trading Lee.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Monday
10:26pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears from multiple sources that the SI report below is "bogus."
9:15pm: Mike DiGiovanna at the L.A. Times talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who "hasn't ruled out anything" in a trade for Halladay. Still, DiGiovanna notes the Angels may not have the premium prospects to make a deal, let alone the desire to trade the prospects they have in the first place.
5:55pm: Jon Heyman at SI tweets that the Mets rejected a package of Fernando Martinez, Bobby Parnell, Jon Niese and Ruben Tejada for Halladay.
5:47pm: Peter Gammons weighs in on the situation, and talked to one GM who said "The general feeling is that he won't be traded." Gammons thinks that since Halladay's addition would give the Phillies a feasible chance to be world champions for three straight years as well as potential tutoring for Cole Hamels, the team should pursue Doc.
4:42pm: Theo Epstein told MLB.com's Ian Browne that he wants to hold onto his core of talented pitchers, but admits it's tempting to acquire an ace. He doesn't say Halladay's name, but it's fair to assume that's who he's talking about.
4:34pm: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel doesn't expect the Brewers to acquire Halladay, primarily because they'd have to give up so much to get him.
4:05pm: Olney says he thinks the Phils should deal for Halladay, but says they may be reluctant to part with young talent for him, now that they've won 12 of 13.
3:43pm: Jeff Blair hears that just a few teams are serious about Halladay: the Phillies, Dodgers and Angels.
Cards GM John Mozeliak seems less interested in Halladay now that he has "lowered his sights in the trade market" and the Yankees and Red Sox don't believe Ricciardi will deal within the division.
12:50pm: ESPN.com's Buster Olney says the Phillies' need for Halladay could diminish if their division lead (now 6.5 games) continues to grow. Olney hears from executives who don't expect anyone to meet the asking price for Doc.
12:33pm: A friend of Halladay's tells Jon Heyman of SI.com that Doc's top priority is winning, but the righty would apparently prefer a quiet environment and a team that trains in Florida. Heyman's source believes the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals and Phillies are among the teams to which Halladay would approve a deal.
10:43am: MLB.com's Ken Gurnick says the Dodgers have the need for Halladay and the talent to acquire him. However, ownership may not be willing to commit enough money to land the Jays' ace.
8:58am: The latest on Roy Halladay, one day after his complete-game effort against the Red Sox…
- Mike Rutsey of the Toronto Sun says Phillies executive Pat Gillick, Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash and scouts for the Rangers and Dodgers all watched Halladay's start yesterday.
- The Globe's Tim Wharnsby reports that Gillick discussed the severity of Halladay's recent groin injury with the Blue Jays' team physician.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox also had people at the game, though the Red Sox "don't appear to have serious interest."
- It's possible the teams were around to scout relievers, position players, or the Red Sox.
- A rival GM says J.P. Ricciardi "won't trade Halladay unless he gets the deal he wants," Morosi hears. "But he wants to get a deal."
- Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail says the Jays scouted the Phillies' Single A team last week.
- Blue Jays catcher Rod Barajas told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that Halladay's the best pitcher he's ever caught. High praise, considering Barajas caught Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with the D'Backs.
Dodgers Eyeing Reds Relievers
The Dodgers can help themselves in more ways than one if they play well against the Reds this week. As MLB.com's Ken Gurnick points out, the Dodgers can push the Reds further from contention and give themselves a better shot at obtaining one of the Cincinnati relievers they've been watching. The Dodgers are trying to improve their 'pen, so they've been eyeing Francisco Cordero, David Weathers and Arthur Rhodes along with O's closer George Sherrill.
Odds And Ends: Smoltz, Cards, Rangers
Some links as we begin a week of non-stop rumors…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post says John Smoltz, Jonathan Sanchez and Jason Schmidt, who all start tonight, will have an impact on their teams' deadline decisions. Red Sox officials want to see how much they can count on Smoltz, Sanchez can quiet teams' concerns about his control with a good start and Schmidt can provide the Dodgers a back-of-the-rotation arm.
- Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says Troy Glaus and Khalil Greene are both advancing to Triple A for the next stage of their respective rehab assignments.
- Evan Brunell of the Hardball Times finds the Padres-Orioles trade baffling from the Padres' perspective.
- Texas Rangers Trades interviews MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan and the chat is worth a read.
- Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram lists 11 pitchers the Rangers could potentially trade for, including Roy Halladay.
Multiple Teams Interested In Sherrill
The Marlins, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels and Cubs all have some interest in Orioles closer George Sherrill, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Orioles would listen to offers, but one rival GM says they're "playing the 'don't-have-to-move-him-so-make-us' card." However, others are confident the O's will move him.
Odds & Ends: Glaus, Pirates, Schmidt, Cubs, Reds
A few links for your Saturday evening reading…
- MLB.com's B.J. Rains says that Troy Glaus is going to work out in the outfield as he rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery. The Cardinals haven't committed to using him in the outfield when he returns, they're just giving it a try to see what happens. Glaus played five innings in left field tonight before moving to first base. The Cards have been looking to add a bat seemingly all year.
- John Perrotto of Pirates Report.com says that it's unlikely Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez sign extensions. This morning we learned that the Bucs lowballed both players with their offers.
- Jason Schmidt will return to the Dodgers' rotation on Monday, reports MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. It'll be just his seventh start for the Dodgers since signing his three year, $47MM deal in Decemeber 2006, and his first since June 16th of 2007.
- The Cubs have signed second round pick D.J. LeMahieu, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. LeMahieu was the 79th overall pick in last month's draft, which has an expected slot recommendation of around $460k.
- Bronson Arroyo wants to see the Reds kept together at the trade deadline rather than having the veterans sold off, says MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Halladay, Padres, Orioles, Holliday, Dodgers
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count Video up. Let's dive in…
- The Brewers are flying under the radar for Roy Halladay. The Blue Jays love shortstop prospect Alcides Escobar, but the Brew Crew might not have the young pitching needed to complete a deal.
- Rosenthal isn't sure Halladay would approve a deal to Milwaukee either.
- Don't expect the Padres to move either Adrian Gonzalez or Heath Bell before the trade deadline. GM Kevin Towers says it makes "no sense" to move those players now, but it could be a different story in the offseason since teams may be more willing to discuss Major League players then.
- The Orioles aren't "terribly enthused" about trading either Aubrey Huff or Luke Scott. The O's could try to retain the free agent to be Huff in the offseason by offering him arbitration, and taking the compensation draft picks if he declines. Scott is still under team control for another few seasons.
- Don't be surprised if the A's are "relatively quiet" at the deadline. Matt Holliday is drawing only minimal interest, but that could change if he heats up before the deadline.
- Oakland has gotten calls about reliever Michael Wuertz and "to a lesser degree Brad Ziegler," but they aren't in a rush to move either guy since they're cheap and under team control for the next few seasons.
In a separate video, Rosenthal says that Dodgers manager Joe Torre has "made it clear he wants Roy Halladay." The problem is that Toronto has asked for Clayton Kershaw as the centerpiece of any deal, and the money might be prohibitive for LA. The Dodgers are also looking for a setup reliever. Rosenthal also reiterates the lack of interest in Holliday.
Heyman On Halladay, Francoeur, Brewers
Jon Heyman of SI.com hears the Blue Jays have told the Yankees and Red Sox they're unlikely to trade Roy Halladay within the AL East and haven't even returned a call the Yankees placed about Halladay over a week ago. That leaves the Phillies and, now, the Dodgers as frontrunners to acquire the Jays ace. Here are the details and a few stray rumors:
- One executive believes that any Blue Jays-Phillies swap would have to begin with the supposedly untouchable Kyle Drabek, who impressed in this week's Futures Game.
- At least one exec believes the Jays would want to pluck a player from the Dodgers major league roster in any deal.
- The Dodgers don't necessarily have enough minor league talent to tempt the Jays.
- One Jays person said Cardinals top prospect Brett Wallace may not be enough to acquire Doc.
- The Jays are not insisting that teams take on the Vernon Wells contract in a potential deal.
- The Yankees and Red Sox have become more protective of their minor leaguers, so they're not likely to overwhelm the Jays with offers.
- The Yankees tried to trade for Jeff Francoeur last offseason.
- The Brewers could still make a run for a star pitcher.
- As SI writer Tom Verducci notes, the Dodgers would like to acquire a top reliever such as Chad Qualls or George Sherrill.